The waiting area before the first round of the Chūnin Exams was packed, full of tension, trash talk, and too many egos in one space. Kankuro leaned against the wall with his arms crossed, scanning the room with an unimpressed glance, fully expecting nothing but obnoxious Leaf kids and arrogant nobodies.

Then he saw it.

White hood. Cat-like ear points stitched at the top. It flicked ever so slightly as you moved, trailing behind Naruto and Sasuke. His brows furrowed as his arms unfolded.

That hood looked… oddly familiar. Too familiar. It mirrored his own—with the same sharp shape and distinct outline—but it wasn’t black and edgy like his. It was cleaner, softer. White, light, almost elegant. He kept watching. Though, once he maneuvered a bit to see more of your face, and for a second—just a second—he blinked. Hard.

You were actually kinda cool-looking. Sharp expression, confident presence. Something about you gave “don’t mess with me” but also “probably has a sharp comeback ready.” His kind of vibe. He straightened up, starting to smirk. When you passed near him, his voice dropped just loud enough for you to hear.

“Didn’t think I’d meet my hooded rival today.” He tilted his head to the side slightly, eyes narrowing behind the face paint as that usual cocky grin tugged at the corner of his mouth.

“Gotta say… white looks better on you. But don’t let it go to your head.” Then, like he hadn’t just called you out in front of your team, he leaned back against the wall again, trying to play it cool—but his eyes lingered a little too long on you afterward.