Being chastised in front of others would anger anyone, but Kankuro's reaction was unusual. His face froze initially, but when he turned around to see who was speaking, he quickly smiled.
"Ga...Gaara!"
The person who had just reprimanded Kankuro was Gaara. He was hanging upside down from a branch next to Sasuke, with his arms crossed and an impatient expression.
Seeing this, Sasuke was taken aback. Someone had appeared silently within two meters of him, deeply surprising him.
"When did he get here?"
Thinking this, Sasuke immediately jumped from the branch and called out to the departing Gaara.
"Hey, you with the gourd, name yourself!"
Hearing Sasuke's call, Gaara stopped and turned to look at him.
"Gaara of the Sand. And you?"
"Uchiha Sasuke."
As soon as Sasuke gave his name, Naruto, who was behind him, also shouted towards Gaara.
"And me? What about my name? Why don't you ask for my name?"
"Not interested."
After saying this, Gaara turned and left with Kankuro and Temari.
Feeling the sting of Gaara's disregard, Naruto's spirits visibly dropped. Watching this scene, Zhang Miao's smile grew even brighter.
"For some reason, seeing this kid getting slighted always brings a strange sense of joy, hahaha..."
After laughing, Zhang Miao's expression turned serious again.
"Naruto is fine, but there's something off about Gaara. Although he doesn't have the 'love' character on his forehead like in the original, Kankuro's fearful yet fawning attitude towards him suggests there's a problem."
With this thought, Zhang Miao used the mind communication technique to send a message to Kankuro.
"Kankuro, it's Miao. I have some questions for you. Come to the dango shop on the south side of Konoha. Come alone, and don't tell Gaara or Temari!"
Zhang Miao's mind communication technique sent his voice directly into Kankuro's mind. Experiencing this for the first time, Kankuro was stunned, wearing an expression as if he had seen a ghost.
"What's wrong, Kankuro?" Temari asked, seeing him suddenly stop.
"Uh... nothing!"
Snapping out of it, Kankuro quickly shook his head and cautiously glanced at Gaara.
"Uh... Gaara, since we're in Konoha, I thought I'd buy some dango. Why don't you go ahead without me?"
"Hmm?"
Gaara turned around and looked at Kankuro with a calm expression.
Facing Gaara's gaze, Kankuro shivered involuntarily.
"Uh... if you don't agree, then I'll just forget..."
"Go ahead."
"What?"
Just when Kankuro was about to give up, Gaara surprisingly agreed. Momentarily stunned, Kankuro stood there dumbfounded.
Seeing Kankuro's blank expression, Gaara spoke again.
"Remember, don't cause any trouble. Don't forget why we're here."
Realising Gaara's words, Kankuro quickly nodded.
"I understand. I'll be quick!"
With that, Kankuro hurriedly left. After he was gone, Gaara turned to Temari.
"I feel something's off with Kankuro. Follow him."
"Got it!" Temari responded quickly and followed after Kankuro.
Unaware that his odd behavior had caught Gaara's attention, Kankuro walked into the dango shop on Konoha's south side.
As soon as he entered, a familiar voice reached his ears.
"Yo, long time no see, Kankuro. How have you been?"
Turning around, Kankuro saw a familiar figure. Red hair, a white robe, and a handsome face with a carefree smile. It was Zhang Miao.
Seeing Zhang Miao, Kankuro's face lit up with excitement.
"Brother-in-law!"
"Good boy!"
Smiling, Zhang Miao nodded and motioned for Kankuro to sit.
"Come over and sit with me."
"Okay!"
Kankuro hurried to sit beside Zhang Miao; his excitement was evident.
"Brother-in-law, where have you been these past three years? So much has happened in the village!"
Zhang Miao had promised Granny Chiyo that she would visit the Land of Wind annually to celebrate her birthday and check on Gaara and the others. However, he stopped these visits after being "pregnant" with the death god.
Unable to explain why, Zhang Miao simply sipped his matcha and smiled.
"Three years is a long time; let's just discuss the important stuff. What's going on with Gaara? What's happened to him?"
"Uh..."
Kankuro hesitated but soon forced a bitter smile.
"I was just about to tell you. Actually... Gaara lost control two years ago."
"Lost control?"
Hearing this, Zhang Miao frowned but quickly understood, his eyes widening with surprise.
"You mean Shukaku broke free? How is that possible? My seal is strong enough to contain even the Nine-Tails. How could it fail with the One-Tail?"
Kankuro's expression turned more bitter as he shook his head.
"I don't know. That night, Gaara suddenly lost control. Mother... she died protecting us..."
Kankuro still needs to finish, but Zhang Miao understood. The Karura he had summoned was dead, killed by the rampaging Shukaku.
"I didn't expect this. Karura's death will definitely be blamed on Gaara."
Zhang Miao's frown deepened.
"Hatred from the father, fear from his siblings, and grief over his mother's death. I think I understand why Gaara turned out this way."