[Damn it... this guy's eyes... they're really annoying!]
[Suppressing his anger, he couldn't lay a hand on Konohamaru.]
[Kankuro naturally shifted his anger onto the three people in front of him.]
["Hmph, Konoha Genin?"]
[Kankuro lifted his chin slightly, looking at Naruto and Sasuke with contempt.]
[Temari also saw the dust drifting in front of her.]
[After a slight daze, her small hand rested on the Iron Fan on her back.]
[Then, she withdrew her gaze from Konohamaru.]
["Hmm?"]
[Quite handsome~!]
[But he looks a bit cold.]
[Her gaze swept across Sasuke's handsome face.]
[Then it shifted to the face of the boy with blonde hair just like hers.]
[Temari's brow arched.]
[This one is also very handsome!]
[A different kind of handsome compared to that black-haired guy.]
[He looks very reassuring.]
[Hmm... it would be even better if that pink-haired girl stayed further away.]
Sakura Haruno: "What did you say?!"
Temari: "Exactly what I said."
Sakura Haruno: "Damn it!!"
Temari: "Come, I'll give you a two-foot handicap."
Sakura Haruno: "..."
[Sasuke frowned slightly.]
[The two in front of him felt different from ordinary Ninjas.]
[Just standing there, they emitted a faint murderous aura that he could feel.]
[Clearly, their strength wasn't poor, and their living environment was much harsher than Konoha's.]
[This kind of presence usually comes from having killed many people.]
["Why do you suddenly want me to hit him?"]
["This is the first time you've made such a request, right?"]
[Naruto asked.]
[Inside the Sealing Space, the Great Fox said with a face full of disdain, "Because that guy is Shukaku's Jinchuriki."]
["As expected, the weakest Tailed Beast has the weakest Jinchuriki."]
[Hearing the Great Fox's hostile reply.]
[Naruto showed a look of curiosity.]
[It seemed the Great Fox had a significant conflict with the Ichibi Shukaku.]
[However, Naruto didn't agree immediately.]
[He would wait and see how things developed first.]
[He couldn't just go up and beat someone up when they hadn't done anything yet, right?]
[Hmm... if he dares to let his left foot touch the ground first later, then I'll give him a beating.]
["Hmph!"]
["You have the Kagura Minds Eye; that kid thinks he's hidden well."]
["Find an opportunity to beat him up. As for the reason... This Fox doesn't care!"]
[Naruto shook his head with a smile and didn't reply further.]
[His gaze fell on the face of the girl who had been observing him.]
[She was completely different from the girls he knew.]
[This rose has thorns.]
[Their eyes met.]
[Temari quickly looked away.]
[Naruto looked at Kankuro again.]
['Is this a puppet?']
[Observing 'Kankuro'—truth be told, without some special means, one really couldn't tell.]
[The Kankuro standing there was actually a fake; it was a puppet.]
[And inside what appeared to be a bandage-wrapped puppet on the back of the 'Kankuro' puppet was where Kankuro's main body was located.]
[At the same time.]
[Behind the tree.]
[Gaara frowned slightly.]
[No... he doesn't have eyebrows.]
[He glanced at Naruto.]
[He had a faint feeling that the other party had sensed his presence.]
[And he did not respond to Shukaku's words.]
[Shukaku immediately grew impatient.]
["Hey!!!"]
["I'm talking to you!"]
["Do you still want to get a good night's sleep?!"]
["Gaara!"]
[Shukaku's voice was extremely sharp and piercing.]
[And Gaara couldn't block it out.]
[With that roar.]
[Gaara's eyes became bloodshot.]
[He felt incredibly irritable.]
[Below.]
["Na... Naruto-niichan..." Konohamaru quickly looked at Naruto, his face full of pain.]
[Kankuro put down the main body he was carrying on his back.]
[He looked at Naruto with an unfriendly expression.]
["Hey, you kid over there."]
["Are you planning to stand up for this brat with no manners?"]
["Fine, kneel down and apologize properly, and I might consider forgiving him."]
["Hmph!"]
[Sasuke snorted coldly.]
[He cracked his wrists.]
["Has no one told you to keep a low profile on someone else's turf?"]
[Sasuke took a step forward; clearly, Kankuro's words had provoked his anger.]
[But since Naruto hadn't given the word to act yet, he had to restrain himself.]
[Sakura also clenched her fists.]
[She looked very much like she had the urge to beat Kankuro to a pulp.]
["Hehe, Konoha..."]
[Kankuro's voice stopped abruptly.]
[He looked at Naruto, whose eyes were calm.]
[He was momentarily stunned.]
[This kind of gaze... this feeling, it was very familiar to him.]
[He had seen it in Gaara's eyes before.]
[There was no ripple of emotion in those eyes.]
[Clearly, Naruto didn't take him seriously at all.]
[This realization made Kankuro feel a surge of humiliated rage.]
[Compared to Sasuke and Sakura, Naruto actually brought a hint of pressure to him.]
[This was a special ability developed through long-term combat on the front lines.]
[But Kankuro didn't want to admit that someone other than Gaara could make his body issue such a warning.]
["A puppet?"]
["Is your puppet for sale?"]
["I'm also somewhat interested in puppets."]
[Naruto smiled gently and took a step forward.]
[Kankuro was startled.]
[Then, a look of disbelief appeared on his face.]
[Even Temari was shaken to the core.]
[What is this guy's background?!]
[He actually saw through Kankuro's disguise at a single glance.]
[To be so direct... he certainly wasn't faking it.]
[Sasuke and Sakura were also stunned.]
[A puppet?]
[The man with the face paint is a puppet?]
[Then...]
[The main body must be hidden inside that bandage-wrapped thing, right?!]
[For Naruto's words, Sakura and Sasuke naturally didn't doubt them for a second.]
[Looking at Naruto's profile, Sakura's face flushed slightly.]
[Still so handsome and reliable~]
[With just one sentence, he made the opponents hesitate... As expected of Naruto-senpai~!]
[Moegi blinked, looking at Naruto-senpai's back, a faint look of infatuation appearing on her small face.]
[Even Ise Udon... Wait? Why are you blushing?]
[Konohamaru sniffled, his eyes brimming with tears.]
[Now that Naruto-niichan has spoken... everything will be fine!]
[Then, taking advantage of Kankuro's momentary distraction.]
[Konohamaru lunged forward.]
["Naruto-niichan~!!"]
["Thank you for coming to save me~!"]
[Just as he was about to hug Naruto's leg.]
[Sakura's brow arched.]
[She raised her pink fist.]
[Bang—!!!]
[With one punch.]
[She stopped Konohamaru's movement.]
[If that face full of tears and snot dared to touch Naruto even once, Sakura wouldn't mind throwing Konohamaru back.]
["Naruto... niichan?"]
["Kid, you really are planning to stand up for that brat."]
["In that case... I hate people like you who play mysterious tricks the most!"]
[With that said.]
[Kankuro's body twisted eerily.]
[And the real Kankuro, who had been on the ground pretending to be a puppet, burst out from the bandages.]
[His face was cold, and with a slight flick of his fingers, Crow, which had been disguised as him, immediately reverted to its original form.]
["You want my puppet?"]
["Then come and take it!"]