"Hmph, this brat wasn't watching where he was going and bumped into me, so what's wrong with me trying to teach him a lesson?" Kankuro sneered, holding Konohamaru by the collar as he faced the growing crowd of Konoha shinobi. "I hate brats the most! You're so arrogant at such a young age, I really want to kill you right here!" Kankuro's sneer deepened. "I'll deal with this kid first, and then I'll take care of all of you!"
With that, Kankuro's fist drew back, ready to strike Konohamaru's face.
"Stop!" In a desperate rush, Naruto bolted forward. He flung his arms open, shielding Konohamaru, closed his eyes, and braced himself for the blow.
This is really troublesome… Ren sighed helplessly from a distance. Originally, he was too lazy to get involved in such trivial matters. But for ninjas from Sunagakure to be so brazen, running wild in Konoha Village and even bullying Naruto… he couldn't just stand by and ignore it!
Ren casually flicked a small stone from the ground with his foot. The stone zipped through the air, unerringly striking Kankuro's clenched fist. Kankuro cried out in pain, a sudden cramp-like weakness seizing his wrist, his face contorting. Naruto, seizing the moment of Kankuro's distraction, quickly pulled Konohamaru away to safety.
Kankuro stared at the small stone that had struck him, then fixed his eyes on Ren in the distance. "You did that just now?" he demanded, frowning.
"That was me," Ren confirmed with a nod.
"Wow! Konoha actually has such a handsome guy!" Temari exclaimed, a hint of surprise in her voice.
"Who are you?" Kankuro cradled his wrist with one hand, rotating it to regain sensation. An expression of both displeasure and disgust spread across his face as he glared at Ren. "Hmph, here comes another annoying kid!"
"Tenten-nee! Ren-nii!" When Naruto spotted Ren and Tenten, he immediately cried out with relief and joy.
"Hehe… This is Konoha," Ren's voice was calm, but a chilling edge underpinned his words. "Since you've come to Konoha as outsiders, you must abide by Konoha's rules. If you dare to do as you please in this village, I don't mind asking the guards to invite you for a 'chat.' Of course, I also don't mind if you want to pick a fight… though I can't guarantee you'll have a chance to take the Chūnin Exam then."
Ren's current feelings toward Konoha were akin to how he viewed his alma mater in his past life. Even if it held many flaws, it was never an outsider's place to look down on it. The decay and darkness within Konoha Village, he would certainly choose the right time to purge them. But as long as he was still in Konoha, he would never allow anyone to challenge Konoha's authority.
"What? You damn brat!" Kankuro gritted his teeth, his face flushing with anger. He lowered the large, bandaged object from his back—his puppet, Crow.
"Hey, Kankuro, are you going to use your puppet here? That guy will be angry!" Temari interjected anxiously. It seemed her concern wasn't whether Kankuro's puppet could defeat his opponent, but rather whether "that guy" she spoke of would be angered. Kankuro ignored Temari's warning, his cold gaze fixed solely on Ren.
"A puppet master… Do you truly think your kind of trick can pose any threat to me?" Ren's voice was light, almost dismissive.
"Damn it!" Kankuro's face deepened in color, and he reached out to pull the bandage tied to his puppet, intending to make this ignorant boy before him taste the true power of his puppetry.
"Stop, Kankuro!"
At that moment, an indifferent voice cut through the air. Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke were all shocked. At such a close distance, they hadn't even noticed when that person appeared. Ren, however, turned his gaze to the red-haired boy perched on a tree branch nearby.
It finally appeared… Gaara.
Ren watched with interest from not far away, observing Gaara of the Sand hanging upside down on a tree trunk, a massive gourd strapped to his back. A rare flicker of curiosity and fighting intent sparked in Ren's eyes, though this wasn't directed at Gaara himself, but rather at the One-Tailed Beast, Shukaku, sealed within him. Which of our powers is stronger now, mine or the One-Tail's?
Just as Ren pondered this, the familiar voice of the System chimed in his mind.
[Ding! Quest Release: Collect One-Tailed Shukaku Chakra.]
[Reward: Wind-Wing Forging Blueprint]
Collect the chakra of the One-Tailed Shukaku? Given the current relationship between him and Gaara, it wouldn't be possible to collect chakra peacefully, as he had with Naruto. He could only use some means to extract Shukaku's chakra during a battle. But Ren wasn't in a hurry to complete this quest. A confrontation between him and Shukaku was inevitable, but now was not the time to initiate it.
"Idiot!" Gaara's voice was cold, devoid of emotion, as he reprimanded Kankuro. "You'll disgrace our village… What do you think we're here for…"
Then, Gaara's pupils shifted slightly. After a brief glance at Sasuke, his gaze locked onto Ren. Kankuro's expression immediately changed drastically, cold sweat beading on his forehead. He quickly stammered, "Listen to me, Gaara, they were the first to pick a fight…"
"Shut up, or I'll kill you first…" Gaara's indifferent words, delivered without any change in tone, finally caused Kankuro's face to pale. He obediently clamped his mouth shut.
"What happened just now was our mistake. I am here to apologize to you." Gaara didn't even spare Kankuro a glance. He turned his head and offered an apology, though his eyes remained fixed on Ren from beginning to end, completely disregarding everyone else as if they were air. "I am from Sunagakure. My name is Gaara of the Sand. Now, could you tell me your name?" Gaara landed softly from the tree, then walked toward Ren and asked.
First introducing himself, then asking Ren's name – Gaara's behavior was a clear sign of respect. Of course, Ren had no reason to hide his identity.
"Ren."
"I will remember your name. I look forward to seeing you during the Chūnin Exams. I hope I won't be disappointed by fighting you," Gaara said, his gaze lingering on Ren with interest.
"You will indeed see me during the Chūnin Exams," Ren replied, his hands casually in his pockets, his tone utterly relaxed. "But you may not have the opportunity to fight me." He paused, a subtle, confident smirk touching his lips. "Because I am not a candidate for the Chūnin Exams this time. I am your examiner for this Chūnin Exam."
"Pardon me, but although I'm the same age as you," Ren concluded, his voice ringing with quiet authority, "I'm already a Jōnin."