Gara's cold, piercing gaze locked onto Satoru and his team, his aura radiating danger. The sand around him swirled in agitation, sensing his intent to kill.
Kankuro's face turned pale as he stepped in front of Gara, arms outstretched in a futile attempt to stop him. "Gara, don't push it! We already have the scroll we need!"
Gara didn't even glance at Kankuro, his focus entirely on the bandaged figure perched lazily on the tree branch. "There's someone stronger here. I want their blood."
Satoru, lounging with a three-colored dango in hand, tilted his head slightly, a playful grin spreading across his face.
"Ah, so you noticed me," Satoru said lightly, his voice teasing. "I must've been too handsome to ignore."
Hozuki snorted, though her eyes remained fixed on Gara. "Satoru-sama, do we engage or retreat?"
Shiro, ever composed, added quietly, "He's dangerous. Proceed with caution."
Satoru didn't respond immediately, instead lazily rising to his feet and stretching. His short white hair gleamed in the dappled sunlight filtering through the treetops.
"Dangerous, yes," Satoru said, hopping down from the tree branch. "But sometimes danger just needs a little... perspective."
The Encounter
Gara's sand flared up around him, creating a vortex of swirling granules. His face remained emotionless, but his intent was clear.
"Come down," Gara demanded, his voice icy.
Satoru stepped forward, completely at ease, his bandaged arms crossed over his chest. "You're quite the intense one, aren't you? Tell me, does all this sand come with a cleanup crew?"
The sarcastic jab only deepened the murderous glint in Gara's eyes.
Kankuro's frustration boiled over. "You idiot! Do you have any idea who you're provoking? Gara isn't someone you can just—"
"Shut up, Kankuro," Gara snapped, silencing his teammate.
The sand around Gara lunged forward, forming claw-like appendages aimed directly at Satoru.
Shiro and Hozuki tensed, ready to intervene, but Satoru raised a hand to stop them.
"Relax," he said, his tone unbothered. "I've got this."
The Clash
As the sand claws closed in, Satoru's pale blue eyes glimmered faintly beneath his bandages. Without moving from his spot, he simply raised a finger, pointing at the incoming sand.
A ripple of energy pulsed through the air, and the sand halted mid-air, trembling as if it had hit an invisible barrier.
"What?" Gara's voice betrayed his confusion for the first time.
Satoru wagged his finger. "Tsk, tsk. Sand is impressive, but it's slow. You'll have to do better than that."
Gara's eyes narrowed, and the sand began to morph again, this time into a massive wave meant to engulf Satoru entirely.
But before it could even reach him, Satoru disappeared in a blur of movement, reappearing behind Gara.
"Boo," Satoru whispered, his voice dripping with amusement.
Gara spun around, his sand instinctively rushing to shield him, but Satoru was already gone, back to his original position, now leaning against a tree with a bored expression.
"This is getting repetitive," Satoru said with a yawn.
The Warning
Gara's frustration grew, his sand moving more erratically. Kankuro and Temari exchanged worried glances, knowing all too well what would happen if Gara truly lost control.
"Enough!" Kankuro shouted, stepping forward. "We're leaving, Gara! This isn't worth it!"
Gara hesitated, his sand freezing mid-motion.
Satoru took the opportunity to speak, his tone suddenly serious. "Listen, kid. Power's great, but if you can't control it, you'll just end up being a pawn for someone else. Trust me, I've seen it happen."
Gara's eyes widened slightly, the words striking a chord he didn't fully understand.
Kankuro grabbed Gara's arm, pulling him back. "Let's go. Now."
After a tense moment, Gara let his sand fall, the swirling granules settling back into his gourd.
"You're not worth it," Gara muttered, turning away.
Satoru smirked, watching the trio retreat. "Good talk, kid."
Aftermath
As the Sand siblings disappeared into the forest, Hozuki let out a low whistle.
"Well, that was anticlimactic," she said.
Shiro, however, remained pensive. "It's rare for you to give advice to someone like that, Satoru-sama."
Satoru shrugged, his playful demeanor returning. "The kid's got potential. Just needs to learn that strength without control is nothing but destruction."
With that, he turned back toward their original path.
"Come on, let's keep moving. We've got a scroll to find."
The trio disappeared into the forest, leaving the aftermath of their encounter behind.
Far away, Orochimaru watched the scene unfold through a snake's eyes, a sly smile playing on his lips.
"Interesting," he murmured. "Very interesting."
>>>>>
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