Chapter 24
Naruto moved swiftly through the forest, his senses locked onto the Suna team. He arrived just in time to see Gaara finish off a Kumo team without hesitation, sand dripping with silent lethality. Gaara slowly turned toward Naruto, his pale eyes filled with curiosity and something darker.
"Yo, how are you, panda boy?" Naruto greeted casually, as if meeting an old friend. Tamari frowned at his tone while Kankuro stiffened, but Naruto simply winked at her and added, "Hi, beautiful."
Gaara's expression didn't change as he spoke, his voice hollow. "We are the same." His words froze both Tamari and Kankuro mid-motion. "Wh-what?"
Naruto grinned as his left eye shifted, turning feral as Kurama's voice echoed through him. "Hah, long time no see, Tanuki. You still look as weak as ever." The air grew heavy as the presence of another tailed beast surfaced openly.
"Hey, don't provoke him," Naruto muttered under his breath, annoyed. "It'll be troublesome if he goes berserk." Despite his complaint, his stance remained relaxed, completely unbothered by the tension.
Inside Gaara, Shukaku froze in shock. "Did that arrogant fox just speak through that boy without trying to take over him?" Rage quickly followed confusion. "And who the hell are you calling weak, you damn fox?!"
Gaara clutched his head as sand erupted violently around him, lashing out toward Naruto. Naruto dodged effortlessly, weaving through the attacks with ease. "Well, now you made him angry," he sighed, as if mildly inconvenienced.
In a flash, Naruto appeared beside Gaara using Shunshin and struck the sand shield with monstrous force. The defense shattered under the impact of his chakra-infused strength, shocking even Gaara as Naruto grabbed him directly.
Naruto paused for a moment, sensing something unusual. Why isn't his mother's will protecting him? Is it because I don't have killing intent? As his chakra seeped into the seal, his consciousness shifted inward.
A blank, endless space formed as Naruto and Kurama stood before Shukaku. The one-tail looked around in disbelief, clearly unsettled by the situation. "This… how is this possible?" he growled.
Naruto waved casually. "Yo, Shukaku. First time meeting you. I'm Uzumaki Naruto, son of Kushina Uzumaki." His tone remained light, completely ignoring the hostility.
"You think I care?" Shukaku snapped back, irritated. Kurama snorted beside Naruto. "Hmph, like we care whether you care or not."
Shukaku's eyes narrowed. "You damn fox… why aren't you taking over? Don't tell me this brat actually earned your acknowledgment?" There was disbelief in his voice, mixed with irritation.
"None of your business," Kurama growled. "Listen carefully. The Rinnegan has returned, and someone has summoned the husk of the Ten-Tails." His tone turned serious, cutting through the tension.
"What? That's impossible," Shukaku barked, clearly shaken but unwilling to admit it. "You expect me to believe that?" His pride resisted, but doubt had already crept in.
"We're just giving you a warning," Naruto said calmly, stepping forward. "What you do next is up to you. Just try not to get captured… and maybe stop making this kid's life worse."
The space dissolved instantly, returning Naruto to reality as he jumped back, narrowly avoiding a sand spear. Without wasting time, he used "Water Style: Hidden Mist Jutsu."
A dense mist spread across the battlefield, obscuring vision completely. Moving silently within it, Naruto appeared behind Tamari and grabbed her before she could react.
Sealing marks spread across her body instantly. "Heavy Limb Seal." Her movements froze as Naruto leaned close and spoke quietly. "Relax, I'm not here to hurt you."
Tamari struggled but couldn't move as Naruto continued calmly. "People are targeting what's inside your brother… and me. If you want to protect him, you need to get stronger. Right now, you're too weak."
Her eyes burned with anger, but she couldn't respond. Naruto sighed slightly. "You don't have to believe me. You'll understand soon enough." His tone carried quiet certainty.
He marked her left hand with a Flying Thunder God seal "use your chakra to send a single and i will be there with this" and he placed an earring in her ear. "Channel chakra into this if you need help. It'll connect you to me… even from Suna, probably."
With that, Naruto vanished instantly, as Heavy limb seal vanished. Moments later, he reappeared near the central tower where Team 7 had already submitted their scrolls.
Hinata and Ino were waiting, both immediately sensing something off. They had already figured out the Naruto with them earlier had been a clone. Naruto switched places seamlessly.
"Hey, Hinata, Ino," Naruto said with a grin. "You two did great. Finishing the second exam in just one day is impressive."
Hinata smiled softly, her eyes bright. "Staying in that forest any longer wasn't something I wanted." There was quiet relief in her voice.
Ino stretched with a groan. "Yeah, I'm not sleeping with mosquitoes trying to eat me alive." Her tone was dramatic, but her smile gave her away.
Sakura watched them laugh together, feeling a familiar distance settle in her chest. Sasuke simply snorted and walked away to rest, uninterested in their conversation.
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