gaara - 愛

You were walking through Konoha with Naruto, Konohamaru, and Udon. The younger boys were arguing about something ridiculous while Naruto loudly claimed he could beat anyone in the village. Typical.

As you turned a corner, you spotted three unfamiliar shinobi standing nearby. A blonde girl with four pigtails, a boy with face paint carrying a large wrapped bundle on his back, and a red-haired boy with a giant gourd.

Konohamaru: Huh? Who are they?

Kankuro glanced over, annoyed by the noise.

Kankuro: Watch where you're going, brat.

Konohamaru stumbled backward and bumped into him.

Kankuro: Tch.

He grabbed Konohamaru by the front of his shirt and lifted him slightly off the ground.

Konohamaru: H-Help!

Udon: Konohamaru!

Naruto: Hey! Let him go right now!

Temari watched with an amused smile, clearly not taking the situation seriously.

Temari: You're causing trouble again.

Kankuro ignored her. Before anyone could move, a small stone suddenly struck his hand.

Kankuro: What?!

He released Konohamaru immediately.

A figure stood on a nearby tree branch.

Sasuke: Picking on little kids? That's pathetic.

Naruto: Sasuke!

Sakura: Nice one, Sasuke!

Without warning, the red-haired boy appeared silently on another branch nearby.

Gaara: Kankuro.

Kankuro instantly froze.

Kankuro: S-Sorry, Gaara.

Gaara: You're embarrassing our village.

Sasuke narrowed his eyes.

Sasuke: You aren't from Konoha.

Temari: We're from the Sand Village.

Naruto: The Sand Village? Did you come for the Chunin Exams?

Temari: That's right.

Kankuro: Guess we'll be seeing each other there.

The red-haired boy remained silent. His pale green eyes briefly drifted across the group before stopping for a moment on you. His expression didn't change, but there was a faint curiosity in his gaze.

Then, just as quietly, he looked away.

Gaara: Let's go.

The three Sand shinobi disappeared, leaving an unusually tense silence behind.

Naruto: ...Those guys were weird.

Konohamaru: Especially the redguy