Chapter 158

'That snake-bastard doesn't quit easily,' Naru-nii had explained. 'So I bet you he'd try something else to get at the old man, only this time I won't know what it is.'

'You also said sealing him with Fūinjutsu would be hard,' Naruto pointed out.

'Hard only because you have to catch him,' Naru-nii points out. 'He's a strong slippery bastard and we're not fast enough just yet. I mean, I know you're crazy fast now, especially with Kurama's chakra, but this guy can go toe-to-toe with Ji-chan.'

'He'd lose,' Naruto had yelled.

'Oh, for sure he'd lose,' Naru-nii naturally agreed before he added, 'if it was a fair fight. But that asshole doesn't do fair.'

'So…'

'The thing about this is, we need to tip them off before the invasion, but the intel has to be credible. For example, Gaara's dad isn't dead yet and nothing's happened that can be explained without mentioning me. It's like this whole intelligence analysis thing Shikamaru told me about one time. Konoha has a whole department just for rating the credibility of any intel they receive. If it passes their tests, then they tag it as Reliable-Actionable. Unless you personally tell Ji-chan why you know what you know, they may not believe it and we could mess things up even further.'

'Why don't we just tell Ji-chan then,' Naruto asks—not for the first time. 'I'm sure he'd believe us.'

'Hey now,' Naru-nii chimes. 'You know I'd think he'd believe us too, and honestly, I don't mind, but we still have time to think of another way, and more than anything, I need to pass on what I know to you first. It's a lot of information and I'd rather not waste the time answering other people's questions.' Naru-nii had paused for a few seconds before he truly scared Naruto when he relayed, 'Now, don't freak out but, I don't know how much longer I can keep this up for. Every time I stop to rest, it's possible I won't be able to use it anymore-'

'Naru-nii!'

'Hey, I said don't freak out-'

'You know that never works on me!' Naruto thought back in frantic haste. 'Are you going to be okay? What can I do? Whatever it is, tell me and I'll do it! Just don't leave.'

'Hey now, you know I don't go down so easy… most of the time, anyway,' Naru-nii stated. 'This may not be the case, but if I never get to talk to you again, I need to completely prepare you before we even consider telling others. I don't want them cutting into our time until it's absolutely necessary. And all I need from you is for you to do your best.'

'I'll learn it all,' Naruto yells. 'I promise!'

'I believe you,' Naru-nii happily agrees. 'As for the Chūnin exam, I think your two best moves right now is getting to know Gaara—I'm telling you he's a great friend once he stops wanting to kill people—and keeping Orochimaru from putting that cursed seal on Sasuke.'

'You got it Nii-chan!'

"This has become even more bothersome," Shikamaru grumbles warily as the many shinobi ahead of the rookies part to the side, making a path from the back to the front of the older genin. "I hate loud midgets like you the most," Naruto hears a boy wearing an all black jumper and face paint states.

Ino lets Naruto go as he states, "you're not Gaara."

"Kankuro," calls a grave voice from behind the face-painted boy.

"Ah," Kanakuro clears his throat, before addressing the red-head. "Gaara, just let your brother handle this-"

"If you don't stop getting in the way of my prey, I'll kill you." Gaara is revealed when Kankuro shuffles out of the way, stuttering, "O-Okay, I'm sorry. I'm sorry."

Just then, Naruto senses the Sound-nin group make their move. Naruto didn't mind one bit if they attacked Kabuto but one murderous glare from a nearby Gaara and the three genin stop before causing any ruckus. The sound-nin eye the Suna genin before they slowly retreat into the crowd. Naruto knows their boss is disguised as genin from a different village, but Naru-nii couldn't recall what village they're from. So Naruto keeps his eyes open for a shinobi with long black hair and a ridiculously long tongue.

Turning to Naruto, a dead-eyed Gaara asks in a detached voice, "what?"

'So that's Gaara,' Naruto thinks, noting the red hair and sand guard as he steps closer to his fellow Jinchūriki. Recalling the circumstances of Gaara's life from Naru-nii's story session's, Naruto is intuitively aware of the painful loneliness and constant betrayal that broke the weaponized sand-nin. Spotting the Love tattoo on his forehead, the lack of sleep around his eyes, Naruto can't help but recall his own broken heart, and the long sleepless nights in Kurenai's arms.

Baby-blue eyes water with fat salty tears and Naruto groans before the sand siblings, declaring, "ugh, love's a bitch, ain't it?" Though those surrounding them didn't quite comprehend the first thing Naruto says to this dangerous looking shinobi, many are too perplexed by it to feel embarrassed. Gaara remains stern of countenance as Naruto says, "I think we totally get each other," then extends his fist, expressing, "let's be friends!"

"No," Gaara immediately answers before walking back.

"What? How come?" Naruto asks as he tries to follow when Temari steps in between her brother and Naruto.

"You heard him; stay away," Temari warns with a knowing smirk. "Or Gaara can't be held responsible for ending your life."

Naruto chuckles, eying her confidently as he tells her, "he can't kill me."

Recognizing Naruto's assertion as a challenge to his existence and opportunity for blood, Gaara stops and slowly turns to the blond. His light blue eyes are impossibly smaller and his mouth widens menacingly showing teeth.

"H-hey, Gaara, it's f-fine," Kankuro tries as Temari adds, "please, remember why we're here."

"Oh, I get it," Naruto notes aloud drawing the Suna sibling's attention. "You need proof that I'm serious, right? We can get some Ramen after this and talk!" Ignoring the rising homicidal look in Gaara's expression, Naruto quizzically asks, "you like Ramen, right?"

Kankuro's thoughts of, 'he's dead,' mirror Temari's, 'if he's too stupid to recognize mortal danger, he shouldn't live anyway.' Sakura, along with the others watch but unlike the others, she's not overly worried. It actually surprises her how much faith she has in Naruto's strength, and doesn't even worry when Ino asks Sakura to, "stop him before he gets himself killed!" The pinkette even enjoys smiling confidently and confusing her blond quasi-friend.

Gaara raises his hand as if to activate jutsu to his siblings fear when a large puff of smoke catches everyone's attention before a hard voice yells, "quiet down you worthless bastards!" A group of proctors stand behind a tall scarred man.

'Morino Ibiki,' Naruto mentally comments. After warning the Sound and Sand ninjas—along with the entire room—about fighting, the participants peacefully turn in their registration for their numbers and just like Naru-nii's experience, he got to sit next to Hinata-chan. Though Naruto knew what was going to happen, it was still pretty intense to actually sit through. Ibiki was a real shinobi who survived the worst, and it was impossible not to get sucked into the bloody-minded world he clearly painted with his appearance and the gravitas of his words.

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