My Techniques are a bit off

[A figure with face paint carrying a puppet, and a boy with a gourd on his back, an '愛' (Love) kanji on his forehead, and dark circles around his eyes...]

Link glanced toward Temari's direction. On the opposite side of the hallway, the two figures stood with their arms crossed, leaning casually against the wall, their cold gazes fixed on him.

[Kankurō... and Gaara, I presume?]

Temari seemed slightly surprised. "You're not a Nara, are you?"

Link gave her a frosty look, unwilling to continue the conversation. Thoughts like these were best kept to oneself—speaking them aloud suggested ulterior motives, whether to gather intelligence or something else.

Temari appeared unbothered by his lack of response, her expression neutral as she returned to her companions.

Time passed quietly. The two groups of ninja maintained a clear boundary.

Officially, cross-border missions for ninja were prohibited by treaty. However, as Sunagakure weakened, the Daimyō of the Land of Wind began hiring Konoha shinobi for missions, citing cost-effectiveness. This breach of the treaty naturally went unopposed by the Land of Fire.

For Sunagakure, however, these years had been particularly challenging. It was telling that the Fourth Kazekage himself had to meet with a mere merchant to negotiate.

"Click!"

The meeting room door opened. Baki exited first, followed by the Fourth Kazekage, now wearing his hat.

Baki glanced briefly at Link before rejoining the three Sunagakure Genin. The Kazekage strode purposefully toward the stairs, not lingering.

"Negotiations with the Fourth Kazekage went smoothly," Nara Ensui said casually as he emerged. He addressed his team, "Once the discussions with the gold merchants conclude tomorrow or the next day, we should be able to return early."

He added, "From this point forward, Sunagakure's ninja will share responsibility for the client's protection—until the merchant leaves the Land of Wind."

Baki was similarly briefing the Sunagakure Genin, whose reactions betrayed no surprise.

Placing a hand on Link's shoulder, Ensui advised, "Do your best to avoid conflict."

The phrase "do your best" carried a deliberate nuance.

After a nod, Ensui dismissed his team to assume their respective guard positions.

Meanwhile, the three Sunagakure Genin began moving as well. Temari waved briefly before heading downstairs with Kankurō.

Gaara, however, lingered. His bloodshot eyes, filled with twisted killing intent, scanned the Konoha team before he finally disappeared down the hallway.

"His eyes…" Iris murmured, a hint of unease in his voice. "It's like he really wants to kill us."

Ami patted him reassuringly on the back. "Don't overthink it. He has no reason to harm us, and even if he tries, it's not like he could actually succeed."

[If I'm careless, even I might find him troublesome without transforming...]

Link kept his thoughts to himself.

Ensui, however, paid no mind to the menacing glances from an allied village's Genin.

…

Night, the Inn rooftop.

The night sky was clear, stars twinkling brightly. A sharp wind blew through the air, carrying faint traces of sand.

Despite the spring season, the desert's evening chill was nearly freezing, a stark contrast to the Land of Fire's mild climate or the Land of Rivers' seasonal clarity.

Link stood at the rooftop's edge, his gaze scanning the surroundings. Chakra signatures from within the Inn registered clearly in his enhanced sensory range.

Since mastering Delicate Illness Extraction Technique, Link's ability to sense chakra had significantly improved, making him a competent sensor ninja. While his range wasn't massive, it easily encompassed the entire Inn. Even without active sensing, any unusual chakra fluctuation would alert him instantly.

From this vantage point, he could quickly respond to disturbances anywhere in the building.

"Shh~"

Behind him, barely audible over the wind, a swirl of sand began to coalesce.

"I don't like the way you looked at me earlier," the gourd-bearing boy said, his tone oddly detached as he formed from the sand using a Sand Body Flicker.

"Is that so?"

Link had already sensed the chakra disturbance. Without any visible effort, he completed a substitution and transformation technique, turning to face Gaara.

"Well, I didn't like your gaze either."

Under the moonlight, Gaara's shadow extended unnaturally. Just beside it, another shadow subtly overlapped.

[Testing... Konoha's Chūnin...]

Gaara's thoughts betrayed his intent. Raising his right hand, the sand in his gourd began to move.

"Whoosh!"

Link's shadow rose into a three-dimensional form, poised but not attacking—merely standing behind Gaara.

"Rustle..."

In response, Gaara's Sand Shield activated, surrounding him in a protective shell of sand.

Link remained unmoved. The Sand Shield, while formidable, was not impenetrable.

[Unless it's completely airtight and flush against your skin, against a shadow...]

As Gaara's hand extended to attack, Link's shadow found its way through the smallest gaps in the shield.

"Bang!"

Gaara was sent flying as the shadow struck him with precise force, shattering the sand shield in the process. His body hit the ground hard, bounced once, and then landed with a dull thud.

The shadow that had struck him returned to its flat, two-dimensional form, slipping out of reach before Gaara's sand could retaliate.

"Crack..."

Gaara slowly rose to his feet. A slight crack marred his cheek where he had been struck.

Link stood calmly, hands at his sides. He hadn't even drawn a kunai. His expression was cold and composed.

Attacking over a mere glance seemed utterly illogical—though considering Gaara's tormented psyche as a Jinchūriki, perhaps it was understandable.

Still, Link resolved to conserve his chakra and avoid revealing too much. No flashy techniques, no unnecessary damage...

"I'll kill you..." Gaara muttered, his bloodshot eyes blazing as he prepared to strike again.

[Too slow...]

Link's refined combat instincts, honed against Jōnin, left Gaara's movements feeling sluggish.

Before Gaara could complete his next attack, Link's shadow darted forward once more.

"Swoosh!"