Chapter 58: Konoha Cannot Allow Such Arrogance
Time passed swiftly.
Soon, the day of the joint Chunin Exams arrived.
The genin from Sunagakure and Iwagakure, led by their respective elite jōnin, arrived at the main gates of Konohagakure.
Since relations between the various ninja villages were far less harmonious than they would become in later years, neither the Kazekage nor the Tsuchikage made personal appearances.
This was understandable. As the leaders of their respective villages, venturing deep into another nation's territory without extensive preparation could have dire consequences.
With numerous visitors from foreign villages arriving, Nara Shikaku was assigned to receive the Iwagakure delegation, while the Sunagakure group fell under Uchiha Kazuki's responsibility.
At Konoha's main gate, Uchiha Kazuki stood waiting, dressed in black with his arms crossed.
Before long, his charges appeared on the horizon.
A group of eight from Sunagakure, wearing protective robes against the desert sand, came into view.
Upon approaching, one of them stepped forward and removed her large white hood.
Beneath it was a face with delicate features—gentle and elegant, with shoulder-length brown hair and bright indigo eyes like polished gemstones. A Sand Village headband adorned her fair neck. She glanced at him cautiously before speaking in a clear voice. "Hello. I am one of the Sand Village jōnin leading this delegation—Karura."
Another person followed closely behind, removing her hood as well. "I am the Sand Village jōnin co-leading this delegation—Pakura."
Pakura wore her hair in a distinctive bun, the upper half dark green and the lower half orange, with sharp amber eyes. Her demeanor radiated cold arrogance, and her gaze toward Uchiha Kazuki carried a hint of provocation.
"I am the one responsible for receiving you—Uchiha Kazuki."
Uchiha Kazuki adjusted his glasses with his index finger, observing both women's contrasting psychological states with interest.
How fascinating. The Sand Village sent Gaara's future mother and the renowned Scorch Release hero Pakura as their representatives.
"What are you staring at?"
Pakura's tone sharpened, her eyes filled with hostility.
It wasn't that she was looking for trouble—but being scrutinized so openly by this Uchiha made her deeply uncomfortable.
"Nothing at all."
Uchiha Kazuki smiled slightly. "Please follow me, both of you. Your accommodations have already been arranged."
With that, he dismissed Pakura and Karura from his attention and turned toward the village gates.
"Uchiha!"
Fire flashed in Pakura's eyes—a hint of battle lust flickering within them.
Having heard tales of the legendary Uchiha clan throughout the shinobi world, she'd long planned to test her skills against them. Now she'd finally encountered one.
"Pakura."
The kind-hearted Karura, not wanting to cause an incident, tugged at her companion's sleeve and whispered urgently, "This is Konoha. We shouldn't draw too much attention."
Her fighting spirit interrupted, Pakura had no choice but to suppress it. She nodded curtly. "Don't worry. I know my limits, Karura."
The Sand ninja, seeing Konoha for the first time, were immediately overwhelmed by the prosperous scene before them.
The streets were immaculately clean, free from relentless sandstorms and choking dust. People didn't need protective face wraps, and the shops lining the streets emitted enticing aromas of food and merchandise. For Sand Village ninja born and raised in the desert, everything here seemed like paradise itself.
They even witnessed precious water—the most valuable resource in the desert—being used casually here to wash streets, water decorative flowers, and for children's play.
A powerful sense of envy welled up in their hearts.
Why?
They'd been born to struggle against the merciless desert, enduring the torment of dust and sandstorms, fighting tooth and nail for every drop of water.
Meanwhile, those born in Konoha lived carefree, comfortable lives!
Thinking about this stark inequality, the Sand Village ninja felt increasingly resentful. Their eyes unconsciously filled with bitter hatred as they observed the Konoha citizens.
Similarly, the villagers of Konoha harbored deep animosity toward these foreign visitors.
The two great nations of Fire and Wind shared a border, leading to frequent friction and warfare. Their relationship was far from friendly. Not to mention that the Second Shinobi World War had ended only recently—many war survivors walked these streets, allowing seeds of hatred to sprout and spread.
"Where did this bunch of beggars come from? Coming to Konoha to beg for scraps?"
"Hey, can you smell that? They reek! Haven't bathed in weeks, probably!"
"So dirty. Typical Sand ninja."
Disparaging chatter rose from the surrounding crowd.
The villagers' faces showed open disgust as they deliberately raised their voices, mocking the Sand delegation without bothering to lower their tones.
"You damned lowborn trash!"
Finally, one of the younger Sand genin couldn't endure it anymore. Murderous intent flashed across his face as he swept a deadly glare over the villagers. "Say that again if you dare!"
The villagers were startled by that killing intent. In their panic, several took stumbling steps backward and fell to the ground in disarray.
"Hmph. Is this all Konoha civilians amount to?"
Seeing their fear, the genin felt considerably better and sneered mockingly. "Guess you're not so impressive after all!"
"Sentaro, that's enough."
Karura's delicate brows furrowed with concern about escalating the situation. She lowered her voice to stop him. "Stand down."
"Yes, Karura-sensei."
However, Sentaro remained unperturbed, even casting another defiant glance at the frightened villagers. "A bunch of cowards! If this were a battlefield, I could kill you all with a flick of my wrist!"
"Get out! You Sand ninja scum!"
Seemingly provoked beyond endurance, a young child picked up a nearby pebble and hurled it with all his strength.
Thunk!
Sentaro, unaware of the child's action, was struck squarely in the eye socket by the stone.
Although the impact wasn't severe, the stinging pain in his eye combined with the barely suppressed laughter from his teammates instantly enraged him. "You little brat! You're asking for death!!!"
He hurled a shuriken directly at the child.
"No, Sentaro! Stop!"
By the time Karura saw what was happening and tried to intervene, it was already too late.
"AHHH!"
The razor-sharp shuriken sliced through the air with a distinctive whistle.
The child's face turned deathly pale as their parents screamed in horror.
Just as a young life was about to be brutally ended, a black figure suddenly materialized between the child and Sentaro.
CLANG!
The deadly shuriken was caught cleanly between two fingers.
The Uchiha clan crest—a red and white fan—was emblazoned on the back of his loose black robe, burning itself into the Sand ninja's collective consciousness.
"I'm so sorry! It's my fault for not properly supervising him!"
Karura released a breath of relief but immediately recognized the severity of the situation. She hurriedly explained with obvious nervousness. "Sentaro didn't mean it! Please, forgive him!"
What had just occurred could, at best, be characterized as a fight sparked by verbal provocation.
But attempting to murder a civilian in broad daylight? That was an entirely different matter—a serious international incident!
The other Sand ninja immediately moved to surround and protect Sentaro, clearly understanding the gravity of what had just happened.
Only now did Sentaro realize what he'd done. His face drained of color, and his lips trembled visibly.
Clink.
Uchiha Kazuki casually discarded the shuriken, turned to face the tense Sand delegation, and spoke with a gentle smile. "No need to apologize. Young people are naturally impulsive. It's completely understandable."
"Thank goodness..."
Karura released another breath of relief, gratitude evident in her expression. "Thank you for forgiving his mistake."
At that moment, Sentaro also relaxed slightly. A hint of contempt rose in his heart. So Konoha isn't as formidable as the rumors suggest after all.
But the very next second, Uchiha Kazuki's tone shifted completely. "However... wrongdoing must have consequences."
"What are you planning to do?!"
Pakura's pupils contracted sharply, sensing the underlying threat in his words.
In an instant, Uchiha Kazuki's figure vanished entirely from the Sand ninja's sight.
Without any warning, his speed was simply beyond comprehension.
By the time Pakura and Karura registered what was happening, Uchiha Kazuki had already used the Body Flicker Technique to appear behind Sentaro like a phantom in the night.
Sentaro felt bone-chilling cold race down his spine. His pupils dilated to their absolute limits as terror consumed his features.
That Uchiha's Body Flicker... so impossibly fast!
"Wait, stop!"
"Don't!"
Pakura and Karura both moved to intervene.
But unfortunately, they were still several meters away from Sentaro—and those few meters were more than enough distance for a jōnin to accomplish anything.
CRACK!
A sickening snap echoed through the street.
Sentaro's neck was forcibly twisted, his head rotating a full 180 degrees.
In front of the entire Sand delegation and the gathered crowd, Uchiha Kazuki casually snapped a Sand ninja's neck. He then withdrew a handkerchief, elegantly wiped his hands clean, and maintained that same gentle smile throughout.
"My apologies. You spoke too slowly."
[End of Chapter 58]
Author's Note:
Well... THAT escalated quickly! 😨
Kazuki just executed a foreign ninja in broad daylight to make a point: Konoha will NOT tolerate disrespect. This is both a power play and a calculated message to the Sand Village—don't underestimate us.
Notice how Kazuki gave them a chance to stop him, but they were simply too slow? That's the cruelty of the shinobi world—hesitation costs lives. Pakura and Karura just learned a harsh lesson about Konoha's strength.
What will be the fallout from this execution? How will the Sand Village respond? And what horrors await in the actual Chunin Exams?
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