Chapter 37: Nine-Tails
Kankurō had originally wanted to toss out a few more snide remarks, but when he remembered that standing right beside him was his beloved, cold-blooded, killer little brother—the Jinchūriki—he immediately dropped that idea.
The conversation came to an abrupt end.
Jinchūriki were like walking, talking nuclear bombs. No matter who controlled one, they were just as terrified of them.
Kankurō was terrified—terrified that his own little brother might transform and crush him with a single blow.
Gaara remained silent throughout, as if he hadn't paid any attention to their exchange.
The three of them entered Konoha's main street, their odd attire instantly drawing the eyes of passersby.
But that was all—just a few extra glances. It was, after all, the start of the Chūnin Exams, and seeing a few Genin from other villages wasn't anything unusual.
Among the crowd, a boy in a gray short-sleeved shirt wandered leisurely, sipping a drink. His bright blond hair stood out like a beacon, and a lazy look rested on his face.
Naruto no longer needed to take the Chūnin Exams. Kakashi was busy training Sasuke and helping Sakura improve her taijutsu.
Which left Naruto with plenty of free time.
Other than aimlessly wandering around the village, his greatest hobby was sneaking into Konoha's arcade. He'd use the Transformation Technique to make himself look like an adult and then go play pachinko.
He wasn't even wearing his Konoha forehead protector anymore. His smooth, bare forehead gleamed beneath his mop of blond hair as he played around without a care.
Since the Third Hokage didn't want him participating in the Chūnin Exams, he'd simply stopped bothering to behave.
The only reason Naruto had wanted to join the Chūnin Exams in the first place was to trigger his system's options. Without that, he wasn't too disappointed.
Besides, he could always use this opportunity to spend more time with Hinata and unlock more of the Nine-Tails' power. Flirting with a girl while growing stronger—now that was a real pleasure.
"Brat, get out of here! We don't sell to monsters like you!" The mask shop owner glared at Naruto with open disgust.
Naruto, who had been browsing a fox mask, slowly turned his head toward him. He stared at the man for a long moment, then, to everyone's surprise, picked up the fox mask and put it on.
Step by step, he walked toward the shopkeeper.
The mask shop owner flinched at the silent, fox-masked figure advancing on him. He stumbled backward in panic and fell hard onto the ground.
When he glanced up again, Naruto had vanished.
"Looking for me?"
Naruto's voice came from directly behind him.
The man's head jerked around, and there was Naruto—bending over him, still wearing the fox mask, staring intently into his eyes.
"AAAAAAH!!!"
"MONSTER!!"
"Hahaha! What's wrong, old man? You that easily scared?"
His scream of terror mixed with Naruto's carefree laughter, drawing startled looks from people out on the street, their faces pale as they peered into the shop.
Naruto didn't care. He walked right up to the owner, removed the mask, and flashed him a dazzling grin.
"So, old man—still selling this mask?"
"Y-yes… yes!" The shopkeeper stammered, too frightened to utter another insult.
"Oh."
Naruto's smile disappeared in an instant. He dropped the mask lightly to the floor and said softly:
"But I don't want it anymore."
Then he stomped down, shattering the fox mask to pieces. With a sharp kick, he sent the nearby mask display crashing down, the shelves and masks exploding into fragments.
The shopkeeper stared in horror, his face drained of all color, as his display lay in ruins.
Naruto gave him one last glance, then tossed a fistful of cash into the air, turned on his heel, and left with a smile.
Feeling the mix of fear and shock in the villagers' eyes on him, Naruto's grin widened. He thought to himself: He was a Jinchūriki. He didn't owe anyone a damn thing.
Why should he have to bow his head to these people?
They wanted him as their living weapon but couldn't even treat him decently? To hell with that.
"That's the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki, isn't it?" Kankurō asked, nodding toward Naruto's retreating figure.
"Looks like it." Temari replied, frowning slightly.
"Let's go meet him," Kankurō suggested, eyes glinting with excitement.
"Don't be stupid!" Temari snapped, lowering her voice. "Don't forget why we're here. That Nine-Tails brat isn't someone to mess with!"
But before she could finish, the silent Gaara started walking toward where Naruto had gone.
"Gaara!" Temari reached out to grab him, but Kankurō caught her arm with a sharp slap.
He shook his head, his expression unusually serious.
"When he decides on something, it's best not to stop him."
Temari fell silent, then reluctantly pulled her hand back. With a resigned sigh, she motioned for Kankurō to follow her as they trailed after Gaara.
This time, Sunagakure's participation in Konoha's Chūnin Exams wasn't just about the exams—they were secretly planning the Leaf's destruction.
The three siblings were a key part of that plan, sent ahead to gather intel.
Which was exactly why Temari didn't want trouble before their mission even began.
In a narrow alley, Naruto suddenly stopped walking.
[Nine-Tails' Approval: 13.2%]
On his last date with Hinata, the progress bar had shot up rapidly—from 2.3% to 6.7%, and then, during the fireworks, skyrocketed to 13.2%.
Compared to 2.3%, 13.2 meant Naruto could now independently wield about one-ninth of the Nine-Tails' power—he could even go One-Tail.
He turned and saw the three Sand siblings standing at the alley's entrance.
His gaze lingered briefly on Temari's exposed shoulders beneath her fishnet top, musing that Sunagakure really did have a more open culture. He couldn't help recalling a Temari fanart he'd seen before his transmigration.
Gaara fixed his eyes on the blond before him and spoke.
"I can smell a kindred spirit on you."
Starting off with that kind of edgy line—Naruto knew Gaara was still in his rebellious phase and didn't bother taking offense.
After all, Gaara was the true heir of the Hidden Sand, with Princess Temari at his side and little Prince Kankurō beside her.
The three of them looked like some kind of brooding subculture trio, which only made Naruto lose all interest in talking to them.
He waved dismissively at Gaara, looking impatient.
"I'm not part of your little emo club, so what 'kindred spirit'?"
"Emo… club?" Kankurō echoed in confusion.
"You guys have fun. I'm leaving." Naruto turned to go.
But the moment he lifted his foot, a wave of killing intent engulfed him—from behind, from the sand-wielding Gaara.
Naruto glanced back over his shoulder. The Nine-Tails' chakra surged to the surface, his face morphing into a half-human, half-fiery fox visage as he bared his teeth at the Sand siblings and roared:
"Get lost. Don't make me say it twice."
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