Naruto still had his hand hooked over Gaara's shoulder, half pulling, half dragging him along. Because Gaara was shorter, the sight looked less like a tug and more like Gaara leaning against him as they walked together.
Temari and Kankuro froze in shock. Their brother… being dragged away like that? By someone else? The sight was so absurd that their minds almost refused to process it.
It wasn't just that Gaara was their younger brother. He also carried a terrifying title.
He was the host of the One-Tailed Beast.
If Shukaku's power were ever to break free, countless people would die. Temari's mind spun rapidly. She was already suspicious that Konoha had discovered their village's hidden plan. Could this be it? Was Konoha directly seizing Gaara to crush the Sand's scheme before it even began? If so, everything was finished before it started.
But paranoia breeds illusions.
Naruto had no such intentions. He wasn't plotting against them, wasn't trying to expose anything. He had simply felt the unstable chakra of a tailed beast swirling inside Gaara and recognized a kindred presence.
Unlike Naruto, whose seal kept the Nine-Tails firmly locked away unless he gave permission, Gaara's chakra seemed constantly leaking, eating away at his sanity.
Sasuke and Hinata exchanged a glance before quietly following. Neither of them were naturally nosy, nor did they understand why Naruto was acting so familiar with a stranger from another village. But they trusted him, and that was enough.
At Ichiraku Ramen, Naruto finally let go. Gaara brushed his shoulder, awkwardly removing Naruto's hand. Usually, his sand would automatically block such contact, but for reasons he couldn't explain, he hadn't wanted to call upon it.
"What did you mean when you said we're the same?" Gaara asked quietly, his pale green eyes fixed on Naruto.
"The literal meaning," Naruto replied with an easy smile.
"You mean… you also have a tailed beast inside you?" Gaara's pupils contracted. His wariness sharpened. Everyone knew Konoha's beast the Nine-Tails, strongest of them all. Far more terrifying than his own Shukaku.
Inside Gaara's head, the tanuki stirred. What did you just think, brat?! Stronger than that fox?! Don't make me laugh!
Shukaku slammed himself against the seal, sending a painful shock through Gaara's mind.
"Ugh !" Gaara clutched his head, eyes tightening as if a spike had been driven through his skull.
Temari and Kankuro stiffened instantly, panic flaring in their eyes. They rushed closer, unable to relax even here in enemy territory.
Naruto's gaze softened, though his words carried weight. "Your seal's not holding well, is it? That beast inside you… it can interfere with your mind whenever it wants."
Gaara gritted his teeth, fighting down the wave of nausea. "Isn't… isn't that normal?"
"Of course not," Naruto shook his head firmly. "If the seal was solid, your tailed beast wouldn't be able to reach you unless you let it. Mine doesn't."
Gaara blinked. He studied Naruto's face handsome, bright-eyed, without a single trace of fatigue. No dark circles, no signs of sleeplessness.
If what he said was true, then… maybe it really was possible to live differently.
Naruto's tone softened. "If you want, once the exams are over, I can reinforce your seal. You'll have a harder time drawing on the beast's power, but you'll finally get some rest. Sleep in peace."
For a moment, Gaara's lips parted. Sleep. He hadn't truly slept in… years. The thought of it almost made him dizzy.
Instinctively, he nodded. But then the mission returned to him in a crashing wave. The Sand hadn't sent him here to find comfort. They'd given him orders, orders that couldn't be betrayed. He was a shinobi. A weapon. That was the purpose carved into his existence.
His eyes hardened again. "No. That won't be necessary." His voice turned flat, cold. He turned on his heel and walked away.
Temari and Kankuro hurried after him, both deeply unsettled.
Naruto scratched his head, baffled. "Eh? Not even staying for ramen?"
Gaara gave no reply. His small form disappeared down the street.
"Guess that's a no," Naruto muttered with a shrug. He took the steaming bowl Ichiraku handed over and pushed it gently toward Hinata instead.
Sasuke watched Gaara's retreating back before finally asking, "What was that all about?"
Naruto leaned back casually. "He's like me. He's got one of those things sealed inside him too."
Sasuke's eyes narrowed. He remembered the whispers of years past the "monster," the "fox brat." Before Konoha acknowledged Naruto as the Fourth Hokage's son, people had only seen the beast caged inside him.
He'd asked Naruto about it once. Naruto had admitted it without flinching. The Nine-Tails lived in him. The same Nine-Tails that had nearly destroyed the village over a decade ago.
"And that guy's the same?" Sasuke muttered. "He's a Jinchuriki too?"
"Yeah," Naruto answered simply.
Sasuke frowned. "But hosts like that are supposed to stay locked up in their own villages. Why send him here?"
"Because they're not protecting him. They're using him," Naruto said. His lips quirked in a humorless smile. "Same as they used me."
Sasuke didn't reply. His gaze flicked to Naruto's relaxed expression, and something tightened in his chest.
The day of the Chunin Exams finally arrived.
The first test would take place inside the Ninja Academy itself. For this, all classes had been canceled. The students had cheered the announcement after all, what was better than a day off?
The exam hall was an ordinary classroom, but of course, no genin would simply stroll through the front door. They vaulted over roofs and slipped through windows, like shadows on the move.
Somewhere in the village, Kakashi sneezed lightly and adjusted his book.
When Naruto's team entered, the room was already buzzing with tension. Dozens of examinees filled the seats, their eyes sharp, their bodies taut with anticipation.
"Sasuke!"
Two shrill voices rang out in unison.
Sasuke's shoulders stiffened. Before Sakura and Ino could tackle him, he smoothly sidestepped, leaving them stumbling past. His face remained calm, though inside he cursed his rotten luck.
Naruto and Hinata, meanwhile, greeted Shikamaru and Choji, who were waving lazily from the back.
As the group caught up, a calm voice interrupted.
"Hey now. This isn't a school reunion. Keep it down, will you? Some people here are trying to focus."
They turned to see a white-haired genin with glasses smiling politely at them.
"And you are?" Ino asked, her tone edged with irritation. She had been moments away from monopolizing Sasuke's attention, and now this stranger dared cut in.
The boy adjusted his glasses. "Yakushi Kabuto. You could say I'm your senior." He gestured toward the other examinees, whose eyes were already glaring at the noisy group. "Everyone here's nervous enough. Stirring things up won't win you any friends."
The pressure in the air was undeniable. Ino puffed her cheeks but backed down.
"What a drag," Shikamaru muttered, sighing.
"Let's just sit," Naruto suggested, already moving.
Sasuke tried to follow but was once again snagged by Sakura and Ino tugging at his sleeves. Annoyed, he shot a sharp glance at Kabuto. "How many times have you taken this exam?"
Kabuto pushed his glasses up with a faint smile. "This will be my seventh."
"Seventh?!" Ino and Sakura's attention immediately snapped toward him, eyes wide.
Sasuke smirked inwardly. Perfect distraction. In the instant their grips loosened, he slipped free and strode after Naruto, not sparing Kabuto a single look.
Seven times and still not a Chunin? Sasuke's thoughts were cold. Pathetic. Just another tool waiting to be used.
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