Upon hearing the news, Naruto Uzumaki was stunned. "Sasuke went to sea?"
Although he had assigned people to monitor Sasuke's movements, Amegakure, being a small village in a small country, had limited manpower. It was nearly impossible to cover all bases.
"Which sea?" Naruto asked.
Setting down his teacup, Gaara crossed his arms over his chest and replied, "My village's ninja, while escorting a merchant ship from the Land of Wind to the Land of Water, encountered another ship. Sasuke and someone resembling Kabuto were on that ship. After receiving this intel, I became concerned that Sasuke and Kabuto might target Kirigakure - Hidden Mist Village, so I informed the Mizukage to prepare in advance."
Naruto hesitated. "Sasuke shouldn't have any reason to attack Kirigakure, right?"
However, he still affirmed Gaara's actions. "You did the right thing, Gaara. While it's uncertain if Sasuke intends to target Kirigakure, after his defeat in the Battle of Konoha, his mind is extremely unstable. The possibility of him attacking Kirigakure cannot be ruled out."
Holding his now-empty teacup, Naruto was deep in thought. "Should I allocate some ANBU to investigate in the Land of Water? But with Obito's mysterious death and his inability to be revived through Edo Tensei, this remains an unsolved mystery. Allocating manpower now would be—"
As a close confidant, Gaara understood Naruto's dilemma with just a glance. He smiled and said, "How about this, Naruto? I'll have Suna's ANBU keep an eye on Sasuke's movements. The moment I get any news, I'll inform you immediately!"
Naruto hesitated. "That doesn't seem right. Suna's ANBU also have their own duties; they shouldn't be distracted by my matters."
But Gaara responded firmly, "This isn't just for you. Sasuke's movements concern the stability of the ninja world. Since Suna is aware of this, how can we not take it seriously?"
Hearing this, Naruto realized that any further refusal would seem pretentious.
He expressed his gratitude, "Gaara, I truly appreciate this."
Gaara smiled. "There's no need for thanks between us."
After packing up the tea set, chairs, and tent, the group continued their journey. By dusk, they arrived at the ruins of Roran in the Land of Wind.
Roran had long since become a wasteland, but the temple housing the Dragon Vein remained intact.
Standing before the temple, Naruto wore a puzzled expression.
"Why do I feel a sense of familiarity with this place, even though I've never been here before?"
He shook his head, dismissing the thought.
"Maybe it's because I've seen so many of the Ōtsutsuki clan's temples that whenever I see a temple, I can't help but associate it with them," he mused.
Gaara explained, "The Dragon Vein is the lifeline of the earth. This temple merely seals the source of the Dragon Vein. Extracting the entire Dragon Vein would be no small task."
While large-scale excavation was secondary, Naruto was more concerned about the aftermath. "Gaara, Roran is part of the Land of Wind's heritage. What does the Daimyo think about this?"
Gaara reassured him, "Don't worry. I've already consulted the Daimyo. His stance is that while the Dragon Vein is sealed, it remains a potential threat. If it can be relocated, they would be more than happy."
Naruto nodded. "That's good then. As long as it doesn't cause trouble for Suna."
Gaara said, "I'll help you. I'll use sand to lift the land covering the Dragon Vein to the surface."
The group instinctively stepped back.
Gaara raised his arms, and an immense amount of sand surged forward, lifting the land around the temple, including the temple itself, into the air!
Sweat dripped from Gaara's face. "Naruto, it's all yours now!"
"Got it~!"
Naruto clasped his hands together.
Planetary Devastation! (Chibaku Tensei)
The Dragon Vein contained immense chakra, making it suitable as the core for Planetary Devastation!
Rumble, rumble, rumble!
The entire land of Roran crumbled, transforming into countless massive boulders that engulfed the Dragon Vein. The result was an unprecedentedly colossal Planetary Devastation, so massive it obscured the sky!
This scene left Suna's shinobi utterly speechless.
Kankuro exclaimed, "Hey, hey, is this some kind of joke?"
Temari added, "His power is on a completely different level from ours!"
Baki muttered, "Naruto Uzumaki… terrifying! Thank goodness he's not an enemy of Suna. Otherwise—"
Gaara gazed at the massive celestial body and calmly remarked, "With that size and weight, using Flying Thunder God to transport it would be unrealistic. Returning it will be quite the ordeal."
"I've got a solution~" Naruto smiled as he formed more hand seals.
Earth Release: Ultra-Lightweight Rock Technique!
Buzz!
The Planetary Devastation sealing the Dragon Vein instantly became thousands of times lighter!
Lowering his hands, Naruto said, "At this weight, it can be transported with Flying Thunder God."
Gaara sincerely praised him, "As expected of you."
Naruto turned serious and said, "By the way, Gaara, Suna has helped me so many times, but I haven't properly repaid you."
"Do you have any ideas, Naruto?"
While Gaara personally didn't care about gains and losses, as the Kazekage, his actions represented Suna as a whole. Supporting Naruto, whose current status was controversial, surely drew criticism. Too much of it could undermine his position as Kazekage.
Naruto understood this well and didn't want to make things difficult for Gaara.
"The Land of Wind is a vast desert with scarce resources, making it the economically weakest among the Five Great Nations. I have an idea: if we could turn parts of the desert into oases, it would greatly benefit the Land of Wind's future development."
Baki responded matter-of-factly, "Lord Naruto, forgive me for being blunt, but that's wishful thinking. Landscapes are formed over millennia, and their existence is a settled fact. Do you think the Land of Wind hasn't tried similar efforts over the ages? They've all failed. It's beyond human capability."
Naruto chuckled. "If humans can't, then shinobi can, right?"
Baki frowned. "Aren't shinobi human?"
Without answering, Naruto slowly raised his hand and began forming seals.
Buzz!
The mask of Sage Mode appeared on his face!
"This… this chakra!?" Baki and the others were visibly shocked.
Naruto declared confidently, "The First Hokage, Hashirama Senju, used Wood Release to bring peace to a war-torn world. Those who admired his prowess regarded him as a figure on par with the Sage of Six Paths, earning him the title 'God of Shinobi.'"
Baki, visibly shaken, asked, "The God of Shinobi, Hashirama Senju… Are you saying you've attained power equal to his?"
Breaking his silence, Sasori of the Red Sand made a shocking statement. "No, it's not equal. He's surpassed the God of Shinobi."
Clap!
Naruto clasped his hands together.
Sage Art: Wood Release: Eternal Forest Creation!
Rumble, rumble, rumble!
In the vast desert, a forest miraculously sprouted, blooming across hundreds of miles!
Amid the stunned gazes of the onlookers, Naruto lowered his hands. His gentle smile radiated hope.
"This forest will endure. The vitality of the trees will nourish the land. It might take five years, ten years, or even longer, but one day, it will transform the landscape, turning this desert into an oasis."
Gaara extended his hand in friendship and said sincerely, "Naruto, on behalf of the millions of citizens of the Land of Wind, thank you for your gift!"
~~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~~
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