Chapter 121: The Meeting of Two Jinchuriki, Visitors from Beyond the Heavens

Following Naruto’s gesture, Sakura slowly turned her head and gazed toward the distant woods.

Three ninjas gradually emerged from the forest. Their figures became clearer amid the mottled light and shadow, every movement carrying the dry, scorching breath of the desert.

All three were wrapped tightly in the loose garments of the Hidden Sand Village. The one in front was the shortest, and appeared to be the youngest as well. He stood there in silence, a massive gourd strapped to his back. Sand drifted faintly around him, at times like nimble spirits, at others like dangerous ghosts.

His gaze was as cold as polar ice, utterly devoid of warmth and enough to make anyone shrink back. The conspicuous character for “love” carved into his forehead seemed to radiate an aura that kept everyone at a distance. It was his unique mark. He looked terribly lonely and starved for affection—otherwise, why would he proclaim himself in such a fashion?

The forehead protectors worn by the three ninjas made it clear that they were all shinobi of the Hidden Sand.

In truth, there was no need to look at their forehead protectors. The three of them carried the scent of the desert—a dry, scorching air tinged with the weight of age and hardship. Sakura could not have said what a desert specifically smelled like, but she could feel that peculiar atmosphere emanating from every inch of them.

The three Sand shinobi were clearly startled to see Naruto and the others as well. Surprise and wariness flashed through their eyes, as though they had encountered opponents they had never expected to meet. The short one in front, especially—the boy with the character for “love” on his forehead—even his expressionless face twisted slightly.

His brows drew together ever so faintly. A trace of doubt and unease appeared in his eyes, as if he were pondering what the appearance of these three people meant.

When Naruto saw the trio emerge, he froze for a moment. Then a brilliant smile spread across his face.

He chuckled and shouted, “Hey, you over there—the One-Tail’s jinchuriki! I’m number one! You’re number two!”

His voice was clear and loud.

After a pause, Naruto shouted again.

“The Nine-Tails told me to say this to the One-Tail: ‘You’re too weak! Even your jinchuriki is just as pathetic!’”

The expressions of the other two jinchuriki changed at once. The hostility that had filled their faces instantly turned into terror.

Naruto could clearly sense that their fear was directed at the jinchuriki before them. They were obviously worried that Naruto would provoke him and unleash consequences that could no longer be contained.

Yet despite their fear, neither of them moved away from the jinchuriki. Their first instinct was to step in front of him and shield him. Their movements were swift and resolute, as though they were protecting the most precious treasure in the world.

The female ninja was even faster. She pulled the enormous fan from her back, pointed it at Naruto, and shouted furiously, “What did you say, brat? Are you deliberately looking for trouble?”

“Say another word and I’ll kill you!” the other man roared.

His entire body was wrapped in a brown one-piece outfit, and his face was painted with makeup. Fury twisted his features, and his eyes were filled with intense displeasure. At some point, a wooden puppet had appeared before him, controlled by invisible chakra strings.

The puppet stood there in silence like a mute warrior, ready to enter the battle at any moment.

He was a member of the Hidden Sand’s special combat division: a puppeteer. His duties overlapped somewhat with Naruto’s profession as a combat engineer, and their fighting styles shared certain similarities as well. Both relied on specialized equipment and techniques to play a vital role in battle.

At that moment, however, they stood on opposite sides, and a fierce clash seemed ready to erupt.

“Temari, Kankuro, move aside,” the jinchuriki of the Hidden Sand said quietly.

His voice was not loud, yet it seemed to carry an invisible force of compulsion, like an order that could not be disobeyed.

The man and woman standing before him moved at once upon hearing those words. They stepped aside with practiced obedience, their actions so natural that they seemed barely aware of what they had just done.

The jinchuriki’s icy gaze passed through the two in front of him and landed directly on Naruto like a drawn sword.

He simply stood there, doing and saying nothing, yet radiated a presence that sent a chill through the bones.

Without the slightest change in expression, he said, “Your name.”

“My name is Naruto Uzumaki.”

Naruto naturally raised a thumb and put on the signature grin he had learned from Might Guy.

“Naruto Uzumaki…” Gaara’s voice was dry and cold, like sandpaper scraping across stone. Every word seemed edged with bone-deep frost. “Hmph. You do not know when to stop.”

“My name is Gaara, Gaara of the Sand Waterfall. Remember that name. Its owner will be the one to bury you, Naruto Uzumaki.”

“Damn, who does this guy think he is?”

Sasuke had just finished what he had been doing and happened to arrive in time to hear Gaara’s declaration. He immediately laughed, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly in amusement.

“Naruto, this little runt says he’s going to bury you! Aren’t you angry?”

Sasuke folded his arms across his chest and watched Naruto and Gaara with great interest, as though eagerly anticipating an entertaining duel.

“Hm? And who are you?” Gaara’s gaze slowly shifted toward Sasuke. His eyes were like a cold, fathomless pool, deep and full of scrutiny.

He was intensely interested in Sasuke’s sudden appearance, because the moment Sasuke arrived, the One-Tail within him abruptly became much calmer.

Before that, Shukaku had been abnormally agitated by Naruto’s provocation, like a caged beast driven into a frenzy. At any moment, it might have broken free of its restraints and burst out of Gaara’s body.

If Gaara had not forcibly suppressed it, a disaster would likely have already occurred.

Nearby, Temari felt somewhat relieved when Sasuke appeared.

Her gaze lingered on him for a moment as she thought to herself:

The handsome boys from the Leaf are all so high-quality. They are a real treat for the eyes.

Sasuke certainly had an exceptional appearance. Naruto had inherited his father’s features and was handsome in his own way, though not handsome enough to make a living from his face alone. He relied more on the charm of his personality.

Sasuke, however, was different. From childhood onward, he had possessed the privilege of first choice when it came to romance. His beautiful features, deep eyes, and aloof temperament made it impossible not to look at him a few extra times.

Kankuro, on the other hand, was thoroughly displeased and remained highly alert.

It was not merely that Sasuke’s good looks stirred his jealousy. More importantly, Sasuke had appeared without any of them noticing. As a puppeteer, Kankuro found that deeply threatening.

The long spirit-mechanical blade hanging at Sasuke’s waist also put him on guard.

He could not help recalling the White Fang of the Leaf, the man who had once slaughtered his way through the shinobi of the entire Hidden Sand Village and forced them to retreat in terror. The puppeteers, in particular, had been terrified of the White Fang.

Now, seeing the long sword at Sasuke’s waist, those fearful memories surged back instantly.

“Oh, me? My name is Sasuke Uchiha.”

Sasuke spoke cheerfully, a confident smile on his face.

“You should remember my name too. I can give you a dream you will never wake from—literally.”

His words were openly provocative, and his eyes brimmed with fierce confidence.

Just as the tension between the two sides reached its breaking point, a shout suddenly rang out from outside.

“All candidates! Stop whatever you are doing immediately! Everyone withdraw from the Forest of Death!”

The voice echoed through the woods.

“This Chunin Examination has been terminated! All candidates are to leave the Forest of Death and report back to the examination grounds for the first test!”

Both sides were equally bewildered, their minds filled with questions. What had happened?

As far as they knew, the Chunin Examination had never been terminated halfway through before.

At that very moment, Sakura suddenly pointed at the sky and shouted, “Look! What is that?”

Everyone followed the direction of her finger. Several blazing meteors streaked across the heavens and plunged toward the ground, each dragging a long tail of fire and radiating a searing, incandescent light.