Chapter 159: Ambition to Seize Land from the Wealthy in Hidden Sand Village [Part 2] (Patreon)

Chapter List: Naruto: Sakura Blizzard

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"This flavor, it's so delicious..."

Temari's chopsticks kept reaching out, yet she maintained the etiquette befitting a kage's daughter.

The dishes at Ichiraku Ramen were personally prepared by Uncle Teuchi, and his years of culinary expertise were no exaggeration. Each dish was rich in color, fragrance, and flavor. Even Sakura and her group, who were used to eating here, couldn't control their appetites. And now, for Temari and the others from the Wind Country, who had never tasted these dishes before, the experience was even more overwhelming.

"Ninjas shouldn't indulge in culinary desires!" Kankuro, his mouth full, spoke with some vagueness.

"Could you swallow before talking like that?" Sakura gazed at him with a half-smile, saying, "I think your words would have more credibility that way!"

"While ninjas shouldn't indulge in culinary desires, it's necessary to occasionally savor good food!" Kankuro's chopsticks hesitated momentarily as he spoke, then he earnestly defended, "Besides, we're not on a mission right now. It's normal to relax a bit!"

"You're embarrassing." Although he appeared to eat slowly, Gaara had actually eaten just as much as Temari and Kankuro. He couldn't stand it anymore. If it weren't for their blood relation, he wouldn't have wanted to admit this gluttonous person was his older brother.

"Gaara, don't just single me out. You've been eating quite a bit too!" Maybe emboldened by the good food, Kankuro subconsciously retorted. Once he realized what he said, he broke out in a cold sweat and his expression turned somewhat fearful.

"Crack..."

A crack formed on Gaara's chopsticks, and he turned his head slightly to look at Kankuro, his gaze filled with killing intent.

"Breaking private property comes with a fine, you know!" Sakura's soft voice interjected, instantly causing Gaara to release his grip.

If it were in Hidden Sand Village, Gaara wouldn't have cared about these words. It was just a pair of chopsticks—how much could they be worth? Besides, no one would dare demand compensation from him. But now they were in Konoha, not to mention the upcoming plan. He couldn't act recklessly here. Besides, just based on the price, Gaara's intuition told him that these chopsticks were probably worth an astronomical sum. For the sake of his small fortune, Gaara decided to endure it for now. After all, that's what Ninjas did. They got used to suppressing their urges.

The looks Temari and Kankuro gave Sakura seemed like they were gazing upon a deity. They had witnessed Gaara back down for the first time, an unfamiliar feeling indeed.

After finishing their meal, everyone sat with a cup of hot tea. Temari and Kankuro conversed happily with the others, and even Gaara, usually reserved, seemed somewhat thawed.

In reality, Gaara had many doubts at the moment. He didn't know why, but ever since he had encountered Sakura's group, the strange presence within him had become eerily quiet. It was as if he had encountered something he feared. This left Gaara deeply puzzled. This entity wasn't even afraid of his own father, the Fourth Kazekage. How could it fear a few Genin?

However, in reality, Shukaku was actually cowed at the moment. Not to mention continuing to cause a ruckus within Gaara's consciousness, he wished he could turn invisible or shrink into a corner to reduce his presence. Just a moment ago, Shukaku was causing quite a commotion in Gaara's seal. Then he suddenly felt a strong sense of threat. The appearance of two forces with the Six Paths Sage's chakra around Gaara made Shukaku instantly shut up. Although he didn't know the details, sometimes it's best to be a bit cowardly—better safe than sorry. Shukaku didn't want to end up in an embarrassing situation.

The two forces that frightened Shukaku naturally came from Naruto and Sasuke, who possessed the power of the Six Paths. As sons personally separated from the Six Paths Sage, facing their father was truly terrifying.

When the group separated outside, a deep friendship had already formed between them. However, thinking about the upcoming plan, Temari and Kankuro couldn't help but sigh. They knew that this so-called friendship would likely shatter in an instant.

"Why does Naruto seem a little upset?" After Temari and her group left, Sakura looked a bit puzzled. "Does he dislike Temari and them?"

"Looks like Sakura's quite interested in that stoic guy named Gaara?!" Naruto's words carried a strong undertone of jealousy, causing Ino and the others to chuckle softly.

"He's a Jinchuriki like you. His life has been very tragic!" Sakura sighed, then educated Naruto and the others about Gaara's life. "Because of the presence of the One-Tail Shukaku, a total lunatic, Gaara has never dared to sleep since he was young. And Shukaku keeps causing a ruckus in his mind. Add to that, as a Jinchuriki, he's also unpopular in the village. He has no friends whatsoever. Most importantly, Gaara has a father as brainless as him, who not only sends people to assassinate him all the time, but even forced Gaara's uncle to try and kill him. His uncle ended up being pounded to death by Gaara's sand, and before dying, he left some damning words. As a result, Gaara turned into what he is now—someone who avoids contact with others and is constantly filled with murderous intentions"

"Is he a Jinchuriki too?" Naruto recalled his life before meeting Sakura and the others, being despised by the whole village and enduring the villagers' malice every day. If it weren't for meeting Sakura's group later on and finding friends, he might have ended up like Gaara.

"Is his father brain-dead?"

Hinata and the others were focused on another aspect. As a father, sending people to assassinate his own child? How absurdly foolish.

"According to the Fourth Kazekage's thinking, he was afraid that the Jinchuriki might suddenly go berserk, so he specifically sent people to assassinate Gaara to test the strength of the seal!" In truth, Sakura felt that the Fourth Kazekage was likely genuinely mentally unstable.

"But why do I feel like he was afraid the One-Tail Shukaku was sealed too securely, so he went to great lengths to release Shukaku?" Sasuke voiced his inner doubts. Jinchuriki couldn't endure excessive stimuli, fearing that their emotions would spiral out of control and lead to the Tailed Beast going berserk. However, the Fourth Kazekage's actions seemed intentionally designed to provoke Gaara's emotions and push him toward a breakdown. It was as if he was intentionally trying to force a rampage.

"Well, the thinking of a brain-dead person is fundamentally different from that of a normal one!"

In the end, Sakura and the group reached a consensus. The Fourth Kazekage was truly a mentally unstable fool.

(End of this chapter)

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Next Chapter >>Chapter 160: Iruka's Close Call