Just as Naruto was in thought, Kankuro made his move. He grabbed Konohamaru by the collar and lifted him off the ground.
Konohamaru's legs kicked wildly in the air, his little face turning bright red due to his scarf tightening around his neck.
He tried to pry Kankuro's fingers off, but how could the strength of a seven-year-old child possibly pry open the hand of an official Sunagakure ninja?
Kankuro lifted Konohamaru to eye level and pulled his mouth into an unfriendly arc. "You don't even know how to apologize after bumping into someone? Is this how Konoha ninjas are taught?"
Moegi and Udon stood by, their faces pale with fright.
Moegi's lips trembled, and summoning her courage, she rushed up to try to kick Kankuro's shin, but Temari pushed her aside with a flick.
Udon sat straight down on the ground, snot hanging long from his nose.
"I advise you to let him go."
Just then, a hand clamped onto Kankuro's wrist.
Kankuro looked down and discovered that Naruto, who had been nearby, was already standing in front of him before he knew it.
The force of the fingers gripping his wrist wasn't great, but the position was extremely tricky. The thumb pressed against the ulnar nerve node on the inside of the ulnar styloid process, and the other four fingers were precisely caught between the radial artery and the palmaris longus tendon—it was a standard wrist-locking technique.
If the other party added just a little more force, his entire forearm would go numb, rendering him unable to use any strength.
So fast!
Everyone present and the person hiding in the tree had this thought at the same time.
Temari's arms, which had been crossed over her chest, unconsciously dropped, and her fingers rested on the handle of her fan.
Gaara, up in the tree, narrowed his eyes slightly, his gaze fixed on Naruto.
Naruto felt no inner turmoil. His intervention was not an impulse. With Konohamaru being bullied, given his current status and personality, it would have been unreasonable for him not to act.
Besides, who was Konohamaru?
He was the grandson of the Third Hokage. Being hoisted up in public on the streets of Konoha by a ninja from Sunagakure, as a Konoha ninja, he had every justification to intervene. No one could say a word against it.
This move would not only secure Konohamaru's favor but also earn some goodwill from Hiruzen for protecting a comrade—all while avoiding the exposure of his true strength.
Killing three birds with one stone.
Kankuro was stunned for a beat before he reacted. "Brat, you..."
He had actually had his wrist locked by a brat who looked about the same age as Gaara.
His right hand moved toward the puppet scroll on his back, his fingers already touching the binding cord of the scroll.
"Do you intend to use Karasu?" Temari calmly placed her hand on Kankuro's shoulder. "Stop it, Kankuro."
"But this brat..."
Just then, an icy voice came from above. "Stop."
Everyone looked up at the same time. On a thick branch, a red-haired figure was crouching, a character for "Love" was carved on his forehead.
Sasuke was standing under another tree not far away, his back pressed tightly against the trunk, his expression looking not very good.
He had arrived after Konohamaru bumped into Kankuro, deliberately choosing a position hidden in the tree's shadows to observe the situation.
He thought his hiding spot was sufficiently concealed, but the red-haired boy had already glanced in his direction before speaking. This glance made a chill run down Sasuke's spine.
"A guy who brings shame to the village."
Gaara dropped down from the tree and stood before Kankuro.
Kankuro shuddered. He knew his younger brother well. The flatter Gaara's tone was, the closer he was to the edge of losing control.
Cold sweat immediately seeped from his forehead, trickling down along the lines of his purple face paint.
He quickly put Konohamaru back on the ground and took a step back, the arrogance he had shown toward Naruto disappearing completely.
"I... Gaara... It was this brat who bumped into me first, I just wanted him to apologize..."
"Shut up." Gaara didn't even look at him.
For Kankuro, this was already the greatest mercy. At least Gaara still allowed him to stand and speak.
Kankuro immediately clamped his mouth shut, not daring to say another word.
Gaara's gaze passed over Kankuro and landed on Sasuke, who was not far away. He stared at him for several seconds, as if appraising an interesting item.
Sasuke felt uncomfortable being stared at by Gaara. Although his Sharingan wasn't activated yet, his body instinctively entered a defensive state.
"I am somewhat interested in you. What is your name?"
Sasuke frowned.
He didn't like being stared at with that kind of gaze. It didn't feel like being looked at as a person, but rather as prey or a corpse.
But his pride did not allow him to lose his momentum in front of the other party. He lifted his chin and said, "Uchiha Sasuke."
Gaara then moved his gaze away and turned to Naruto. The way he looked at Naruto was different from the way he looked at Sasuke, more like seeing a kindred spirit.
"You discovered me a long time ago, right?"
Gaara asked.
When he was in the tree, he had felt a sense of perception sweep over him. This perception was very light—so light that it was as easy to ignore as the sound of a falling leaf—but he would not ignore it.
His vigilance toward the surrounding environment was honed through countless assassinations and bouts of insomnia.
"State your name."
***
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