The sound of hurried footsteps was already approaching.
Konohamaru and Naruto could be seen sprinting toward them with all their might, as if some unstoppable enemy were chasing behind.
"Red Devil!"
"Shiki!"
Konohamaru and Naruto both simultaneously spotted Shiki Uzumaki, and looked at him as if he were hope itself.
"Hurry and save us!" Konohamaru shouted. "That ugly woman's gone crazy!"
"Konohamaru, you can't talk about Sakura like that!" Naruto yelled back, before immediately turning to Shiki with pleading eyes. "But still, Shiki, think of something quick!"
Shiki gave a bitter smile. These people really knew how to get themselves into trouble.
Before Shiki could even act, Konohamaru had already crashed into someone.
Black clothing covered almost his entire body. Purple face paint smeared across his face, and a puppet wrapped in bandages rested on his back.
Shiki wasn't surprised at all—he had already sensed the presence of both Kankuro and Temari.
Without delay, Kankuro grabbed Konohamaru by the collar, and Sakura quickly stepped in to apologize.
Meanwhile, Naruto shouted threats at Kankuro.
Kankuro grumbled for a moment, declaring he'd kill Konohamaru. But Shiki understood—it was just meant to teach Konohamaru a lesson.
While it was true that anything went during the Chunin Exams, it didn't mean they could go around killing people inside Konoha Village.
However, an enraged Naruto rushed forward angrily.
At that moment, Kankuro raised his fist—ready to punch Konohamaru square in the face.
But Shiki made no move, because he had already noticed Sasuke crouched on a tree branch above, silently observing everything happening below.
Suddenly, a small pebble cut through the air, striking Kankuro's hand. Konohamaru dropped down instinctively.
"You're too reckless here in someone else's village," Sasuke said coldly, tossing a stone up and down in his hand as he watched the scene.
Chapter 112 Facing Up
"Not bad," Temari murmured, her cheeks slightly reddening.
Kankuro rubbed his wrist impatiently. "Another annoying pest showed up."
Sasuke simply stood up indifferently, clearly ignoring Kankuro completely. "Get lost."
"So cool!" Sakura squealed instantly, joined soon after by Moegi from Konohamaru's little group.
Everything unfolded exactly as it did in Shiki's memories, blending seamlessly with the present scenario. It felt like watching a movie with special effects so realistic that it was hard to tell reality from illusion.
Konohamaru frowned and pointed accusingly at Naruto. "Naruto-nii, you're really no good."
But this wasn't over yet. He turned next to Shiki. "You too, Shiki-nii? How come even you let Sasuke-nii take all the credit?"
Naruto quickly knelt beside him, trying to explain that he could've taken that ninja down with one move.
Shiki could only offer a helpless smile. Did he really need to secretly perch on a tree branch, waiting quietly for the perfect critical moment just to show off?
Actually, had Sasuke not been here, he would certainly have intervened.
It would've been better to just be there for them from the start, instead of making them scared and anxious.
Maybe they wouldn't feel anything surprising, nor would they admire him like they did toward Shiki Uzumaki, as if he'd descended from heaven like a celestial warrior.
As long as they felt safe, that was all that mattered.
Yet Shiki Uzumaki naturally wouldn't explain so much to Konohamaru—doing so would only make him seem overly preoccupied with such matters.
Kankuro frowned and removed the puppet from his back, an action even making Temari somewhat emotional.
"You're not really going to use Corpse Crow, are you?"
At the very least for now, Temari believed Sasuke couldn't possibly defeat Kankuro. She clearly understood Kankuro's strength.
"Stop this nonsense, Kankuro," a voice far colder than Sasuke's casually interrupted above them. "Don't embarrass yourself further."
Everyone instantly turned their terrified gazes upward, spotting Gaara upside-down on a tree branch.
Even Sasuke was trying to figure out when Gaara had arrived.
Shiki Uzumaki just sighed inwardly, not the least bit surprised. After all, they were just kids who loved showing off like that.
Still, he silently observed how things unfolded.
But what followed became Gaara's solo performance—he effortlessly intimidated everyone present with an extremely terrifying aura.
Just moments ago, Kankuro had seemed invincible, yet before Gaara, he appeared no different from a tame puppy—perhaps even one that might be killed should it make even the slightest inappropriate sound.
Sasuke, however, couldn't help but show a hint of eagerness on his face. It seemed he'd finally encountered someone truly formidable—a genuine expert rather than someone like Shiki Uzumaki, endlessly spouting meaningless words while pretending to teach you something.
Thinking about this, Sasuke instinctively glanced sideways toward Shiki Uzumaki.
Yet as always, Shiki Uzumaki smiled—an expression sometimes interpreted as sunny optimism, other times recognized as mischievous cunning whenever he was playing tricks.
After all, only Shiki Uzumaki could pull off teasing a cold genius like Sasuke—and walk away unscathed afterward.
Nonetheless, Sasuke refocused on Gaara, sensing within him a familiar kindred spirit.
Then suddenly, Gaara's form dissolved into wind and sand, only to reappear beside Temari and Kankuro.
Sakura questioned why they had come to Konoha. After Temari explained, Gaara and his siblings turned and walked away.
Quickly jumping down from the tree, Sasuke wore a rare smile: "Hey, what's your name?"
Slowly turning around, Gaara answered indifferently,
"I am Gaara from the Sand Village. I'm interested in you too. What's yours?"
"Uchiha Sasuke."
The two exchanged names as if silently acknowledging each other.
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