Naruto: Satoru Uchiha

The rustling sound from the trees grew louder as two figures emerged, appearing out of nowhere.

It was Ghost Lantern Hozuki and Bai, both hanging upside down from the branches.

"Hi!" Ghost Lantern Hozuki greeted cheerfully, swinging slightly as she waved at the group below.

Bai, on the other hand, remained silent, simply stepping into view with his usual calm demeanor.

In an instant, the once-spacious tree became crowded, with four people now hanging upside down like an unusual display of sugar-dusted dango skewers.

"Ah, so that's what the bandage guy meant," Naruto blurted, staring at the lineup of dangling figures.

His comment made Sakura's eye twitch as she quickly yanked him back.

"Naruto, please! Do you ever think before you speak?" she hissed.

Even though she couldn't deny that she had the same thought, now wasn't the time for such an observation. Shouldn't we be focusing on their strength?

Temari and Kankuro had similar thoughts, their eyes narrowing as they watched the newcomers.

They're exceptional at concealing their presence, Kankuro mused, beads of sweat forming on his brow. Who are they?

Their unique forehead protectors—featuring an unfamiliar symbol of three intersecting circles—only added to the mystery.

Meanwhile, Sasuke remained silent, his expression darkening.

They're all so strong, he thought bitterly, watching as Ghost Lantern Hozuki and Bai settled into place. How can they be this strong? And me… I'm still so weak.

He clenched his fists, frustration boiling inside him. How can I protect anyone like this?

The weight of his inadequacy pressed heavily on him.

The tension in the air was thick, each person lost in their thoughts, when a sudden cracking sound broke the silence.

"Ah, I knew it," Satoru said with a bright grin.

With a light leap, he jumped off the tree, his short white hair catching the sunlight as he landed gracefully on the ground.

The tree groaned loudly under the sudden shift, and then, with a deafening crack, it toppled over.

Dust and leaves exploded into the air as the once-sturdy tree collapsed.

The rest of the group scrambled to find safe footing, their movements a mix of urgency and awkwardness.

Ghost Lantern Hozuki and Bai had anticipated the fall and landed with ease. However, Sasuke and Gaara, caught off guard, stumbled as they hit the ground.

"Hahaha!" Naruto's laugh rang out, pointing at the disheveled pair.

"Sakura-chan, look at them! That's so funny!"

Sakura slapped a hand over her face, wanting to disappear.

How is this idiot my teammate?

Temari and Kankuro exchanged glances, their expressions filled with thinly veiled disdain.

"How can someone be this dumb?" Temari muttered under her breath.

Meanwhile, Satoru stood with his arms crossed, his grin wide as he looked at the fallen group.

"Ha! That was embarrassing," he said, his tone laced with teasing. "Pretty unrefined, don't you think?"

Everyone stared at him in disbelief, their earlier impression of him as a mysterious, powerful figure quickly crumbling.

Even Ghost Lantern Hozuki couldn't hold back her exasperation.

"Lord Satoru, are you sure this is the best way to introduce yourself?" she asked, her tone dry.

Satoru shrugged nonchalantly. "What? I didn't push the tree over. You guys were just too heavy."

Ghost Lantern Hozuki's eyes narrowed suspiciously. "Too heavy? How fat do you think I am?"

Satoru, without missing a beat, pointed at Bai.

"It's not you. It's Bai," he said, his voice light and casual.

Hozuki turned to look at Bai, her gaze skeptical. Bai, as composed as ever, showed no reaction.

Her eyes traveled to Bai's slender frame—thinner than her own—and then shifted to Gaara, whose massive gourd sat prominently on his back.

Understanding dawned on her face.

"So that's what you mean," she muttered, glancing at Gaara.

Satoru nodded sagely. "Exactly. The gourd is the real culprit!"

Gaara, who had been silent until now, narrowed his eyes dangerously.

The sand around him stirred, reflecting his growing agitation. His cold, beast-like gaze locked onto Satoru.

"You're ignoring me," he said, his voice low and threatening.

Satoru tilted his head innocently. "Ignoring you? Not at all. I just think there's one too many people in one place."

The nonchalant response left Gaara momentarily stunned. Even Kankuro and Temari exchanged bewildered glances, unsure of how to respond.

Naruto, however, clapped his hands together as if he'd just solved a puzzle.

"Ah, I get it!" he shouted, pointing at Gaara. "Mr. Bandage means the guy with the giant gourd on his back is too heavy and broke the tree!"

The group fell silent.

Even the ever-stoic Gaara twitched at the remark, the sand around him churning more violently.

Satoru smirked, seemingly unbothered by the rising tension.

"Exactly, Naruto!" he said, giving him an approving nod.

Sasuke sighed deeply, running a hand over his face.

Why does he always act like this?

Even Sakura couldn't hide her disbelief.

"This guy… He's just like Naruto," she muttered, shaking her head.

Gaara's gaze burned into Satoru, his voice carrying a deadly calm.

"You should choose your words carefully," he said.

But Satoru merely chuckled, brushing off the warning like dust from his sleeve.

"Oh, lighten up," he said with a grin. "After all, it's just a tree."

>>>>>

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