Konoha: Naruto, Taught by Aizen

Over the past ten-odd days, Sakura and Sasuke hadn't slacked off in their training either.

Interestingly, during these few days, an unexpected guest had sought out Sasuke. The specific situation began one particular afternoon.

At the time, Sasuke was in the middle of developing his Kirin technique. The immense power, coupled with the Chidori in his hand, created an overwhelming aura. His spiky black hair even had a certain enigmatic coolness to it.

A little boy passing by was captivated and started pestering Sasuke to acknowledge him as his "big bro."

Sasuke, naturally, wore an expression of disdain, but what he was truly thinking remained unknown. He smugly refused the little boy.

But he didn't chase him away.

And so, Sasuke acquired a little tag-along trailing behind him.

"You all better remember this! This is the big bro I acknowledge, Konoha's renowned Uchiha Sasuke, and also the future Fifth Hokage! And I, Sarutobi Konohamaru, will be the Sixth Hokage!" On the streets of Konoha, Konohamaru strutted along, pointing arrogantly at himself, his nose practically in the air. "Big Bro Sasuke is super cool!"

Udon and Moegi looked at Sasuke beside them with expressions of pure adoration.

"Tch, annoying brats…" Sasuke's icy demeanor was on the verge of cracking. He inexplicably felt a little pleased.

"Sigh, when is Naruto coming back? I really don't want to be stuck with this awkward little brat anymore," Sakura sighed beside them, pressing a hand to her forehead, utterly exasperated. If Kakashi-sensei hadn't told the two of them to meet at the training grounds today, she wouldn't be walking with Sasuke at all. One Sasuke, plus three little kids. This combination was enough to make anyone despair.

"Ah!"

Just then, Konohamaru, who was walking backward, bumped into someone and clutched his head in pain.

"Hey, brat! Don't you have eyes?" a malicious voice interjected.

Konohamaru turned his head to see an ugly man dressed in a black full-body suit with strange purple patterns painted on his face. Caught off guard, Konohamaru immediately started trembling in fear.

"Konoha brats sure are impolite," Kankuro said, his eyes cold and his face disdainful.

"Alright, Kankuro, don't stoop to a kid's level. Don't forget our objective this time," Temari, the tall girl accompanying him, reminded him from the side.

"But… that really hurt, you know," Kankuro sneered, grabbing Konohamaru by the collar and lifting him up. "Guys as rude as you, I used to just kill them outright."

"Kankuro, you don't want him to get angry, do you? Back off," Temari warned.

"Hmph, before he gets here, I'll teach this brat a lesson first." Kankuro's left fist shot directly towards Konohamaru's face.

"Aaahhh!! Big Bro, save me!!" Konohamaru squeezed his eyes shut and screamed. Moegi and Udon couldn't bear to watch and closed their eyes too.

In an instant, Sasuke vanished from his spot.

He kicked Kankuro in the abdomen, sending him flying at least five meters away, and effortlessly caught the falling Konohamaru with his left hand. Setting Konohamaru down, amidst the boy's utterly worshipful gaze, Sasuke didn't even spare Kankuro a proper glance, coldly stating, "Since when did small fry get so arrogant?"

After speaking, he let out a soft chuckle, closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and said gently, "The sunlight today… is actually quite nice."

"Big Bro, that was so cool!!!" The Konohamaru Trio's admiration reached its peak.

"Wow, what a handsome man," even Temari looked a little lovestruck.

"Idiot," Sakura rolled her eyes from the side, looking completely helpless.

"Damn you!" Kankuro, who had been kicked away, was both furious and indignant. He immediately placed the puppet he carried on his back onto the ground. The bandages wrapped around the puppet began to dance in the air, countless grains of sand swirling with their movement as a potent chakra overflowed.

"Kankuro, what are you doing? Don't tell me you're planning to use that?" Temari's expression changed drastically as she hurriedly tried to dissuade him.

"I'm going to teach you a lesson you won't forget," Kankuro's eyes glinted with killing intent.

But in the next moment, his pupils suddenly constricted, as if he had seen something unbelievable.

Sasuke had appeared right in front of him, one hand casually resting on the puppet's head, his entire body surrounded by fine arcs of lightning. The chakra that had been swirling around the puppet scattered to the ground like headless flies, completely uncontrollable. Tiny crackles of lightning covered the puppet, and Kankuro's arm instantly went numb.

"This guy!" Kankuro's throat bobbed as he swallowed hard, his gaze towards Sasuke gradually becoming wary. His other, still mobile hand made a grasping motion in the air, as if controlling something.

At the same time, Sasuke felt his limbs being tugged by some strange force, making it difficult to move.

"Puppet technique, is it? Petty tricks, unfit for the main stage." He sneered, and the chakra in his body surged.

Snap!

A faint sound was heard, and Kankuro's expression changed dramatically. "My puppet technique… broken so easily?" Kankuro was confident that he already possessed Chunin-level strength; his puppetry should have been more than enough to handle a mere Genin. Although Konoha was known for producing geniuses, even the most talented Genin shouldn't have been able to break free so effortlessly.

Who is this guy in front of me?

"Weakling." Sasuke grabbed Kankuro by the collar, the latter's legs dangling powerlessly in mid-air. "Is this all the strength you have?" Sasuke's eyes held a hint of mockery. His DNA seemed to stir within him; he really wanted to drop a few edgy one-liners like Naruto.

"Hey, Kankuro, you're really embarrassing yourself, you know."

Just as Sasuke was about to strike, a voice laced with a hint of killing intent suddenly sounded from above.

"Someone managed to evade my senses?!" Sasuke felt the hairs on his body stand on end. He released Kankuro's collar and looked up.

In his line of sight, a panda-man with a red "Love" (愛) kanji on his forehead and a sand gourd on his back stood on a treetop, his expression glacial. The panda-man's expression as he looked at Sasuke was filled with bloodlust, his eyes radiating an intense excitement, and a chilling killing intent swirled around his body. Sand continuously trickled out from the gourd on his back.

"You two, get lost. Don't embarrass yourselves here any further, or else… I'll kill you," Gaara said, casting a cold glance at Kankuro and Temari.

Kankuro, who had been so arrogant moments before, now looked terrified, bowing repeatedly to Gaara and apologizing, "I-I'm sorry."

"Aren't they comrades? How can this be?" Sakura shielded the Konohamaru Trio, her expression grave. The atmosphere felt heavy with murderous intent, deeply unsettling. Naruto, where are you? Please come back soon! Sakura clasped her hands together, praying anxiously in her heart.

Gaara and Sasuke continued to stare each other down, their gazes clashing, both filled with killing intent.

"Eh? Is there a party going on here? It's so lively," Just then, a gentle voice suddenly sounded in the air.

The next moment, Naruto appeared beside Gaara, his tone full of concern, "Hmm? The dark circles under your eyes are quite heavy. You should pay more attention to getting enough rest."