Kankurō had originally wanted to throw in a few sarcastic remarks, but then he remembered the terrifying little brother beside him—the jinchūriki who could kill without blinking. The thought alone was enough to make him swallow his words.
And so, the conversation ended there.
After all, a jinchūriki was essentially a walking, human-shaped nuclear bomb. Whoever controlled one would fear them all the same.
Kankurō, for one, was afraid—afraid his dear little brother might suddenly transform and crush him with a single strike.
Gaara, however, remained silent throughout, as if the words exchanged meant nothing to him.
The three of them stepped onto Konoha's main street. Their strange attire drew the eyes of passersby, but only briefly. With the Chūnin Exams about to begin, the presence of a few foreign genin in the village wasn't surprising.
Among the crowd, a blond-haired boy in a gray short-sleeve shirt was casually wandering around, sipping on a drink. His bright yellow hair stood out like a torch, and his lazy expression gave him a carefree air.
Naruto had no need to participate in the Chūnin Exams anymore. Kakashi was busy training Sasuke and guiding Sakura in taijutsu. That left Naruto with plenty of free time.
With no obligations, he spent his days either wandering aimlessly through the streets or sneaking into Konoha's arcade. Using the Transformation Jutsu to appear as an adult, he played the small steel-ball games inside.
He didn't even bother wearing his forehead protector. His smooth, uncovered brow and glaring blond hair made him look like an ordinary mischievous teenager enjoying himself.
Since the Third Hokage didn't want him taking part in the Exams, Naruto decided to just let himself go.
Truthfully, he had only wanted to enter the Exams to trigger more "system options." Without them, he wasn't particularly disappointed.
Besides, he still had another way to spend his time—getting closer to Hinata and unlocking more of the Nine-Tails' progress. Flirting with a girl while growing stronger at the same time—now that was true happiness.
"Demon brat, get out of here! I'm not selling you anything!"
The mask shop owner glared at Naruto with disgust.
Naruto, who had been picking out a fox mask, turned his head. He stared at the man deeply for a moment, then, without a word, slipped the mask onto his face.
Step by step, he walked toward the shopkeeper.
The owner's heart skipped a beat. He stumbled backward in fear and fell hard onto the ground.
When he looked up again, the boy was gone from where he had been standing.
"Looking for me?"
Naruto's voice came from directly behind him.
The man turned, his face paling in terror. Behind him, the blond boy wearing the fox mask loomed, leaning down and staring coldly into his eyes.
"AAAAHHH!"
"Monster!" the shopkeeper screamed.
"Hahaha! What's this? Turns out you're such a coward, old man!"
Naruto's laughter rang out loud and unrestrained, drawing shocked stares from the villagers outside. Faces filled with horror pressed against the shop windows, watching the scene unfold.
Naruto, unfazed, stepped closer, removed the mask, and flashed a dazzling smile.
"So, old man—are you going to sell me the mask?"
"Yes… yes!" the shopkeeper stammered. Fear kept him from uttering a single insult this time.
"Oh." Naruto's smile vanished in an instant. He tossed the mask lightly to the floor and said coldly:
"But I don't want it anymore."
With that, he stomped down, shattering the fox mask into pieces. Then, with another powerful kick, he smashed the entire display rack beside him. Masks splintered and clattered to the ground in a heap.
The owner's face drained of color as he stared, wide-eyed, at his ruined merchandise.
Naruto only glanced at the cowering man, then tossed a fistful of bills into the air and walked out with a grin.
The villagers outside gave him looks of fear, awe, and dread. Naruto smirked.
He was a jinchūriki. He owed no one anything.
Why should he bow his head to those who hated him?
They wanted to use him as a weapon, but still refused to show him respect. Why?
"That's the Nine-Tails' jinchūriki, right?" Kankurō asked, jerking his chin toward the blond boy walking away.
"Most likely." Temari nodded, frowning.
"Let's go meet him," Kankurō suggested eagerly, his expression itching for a fight.
"Don't stick your nose where it doesn't belong!" Temari snapped, lowering her voice. "Don't forget our mission. That Nine-Tails brat isn't someone we can afford to provoke."
But before she could finish, Gaara—silent until now—stepped forward in the direction Naruto had gone.
"Gaara!" Temari reached out, but Kankurō caught her hand with a firm smack.
His face was unusually serious as he shook his head.
"When he makes a decision, it's best not to interfere."
Temari bit her lip, helpless. She withdrew her hand with a sigh, then gestured for Kankurō to follow her as they trailed behind Gaara.
The Sand siblings weren't in Konoha just for the Exams. They were part of the larger plan—the secret "Konoha Crush" operation. Their participation in the test was just a cover to gather intelligence.
That was why Temari didn't want any unnecessary complications before the mission even began.
In a narrow alley, Naruto suddenly stopped walking.
[Nine-Tails' Approval: 13.2%]
During his last date with Hinata, the progress bar had skyrocketed—from 2.3% to 6.7%, and finally to 13.2% after the fireworks.
Compared to 2.3%, 13.2 meant Naruto could now access about one-ninth of the Nine-Tails' chakra—enough to unleash the One-Tail form.
Turning, he saw the three Sand siblings at the alley's entrance.
His gaze lingered briefly on Temari's revealing fishnet outfit, and he thought to himself that the Sand's fashion really was more daring. The memory of a Temari fanart he had once seen before coming to this world flashed across his mind.
Gaara fixed his eyes on the blond boy and spoke at last.
"I can smell the scent of a kindred spirit on you."
What an edgelord line. Naruto knew Gaara was still in his rebellious, brooding phase, so he didn't bother taking it to heart.
After all, Gaara was the heir to the Sand, Temari their proud princess, and Kankurō the idle prince. All three looked like complete outsiders, and Naruto instantly lost any desire to talk further.
He waved his hand impatiently.
"I'm not part of your little Emo Clan. Same kind of my ass."
"Emo Clan?" Kankurō blinked in confusion.
"Whatever. You three can play your own games. I'm leaving."
Naruto turned to go, but the moment he lifted his foot, a wave of killing intent flooded the alley.
It was Gaara—the sand-loving monster himself.
Naruto glanced back, and the Nine-Tails' chakra flared across his face. His features twisted into a half-human, half-fox visage as he bared his teeth.
"Get lost. Don't make me say it twice."