Sensing movement behind him, Gaara turned with a dazed expression.
Before him appeared a figure radiating light, yet somehow gentle and soft.
"Gaara."
Granny Chiyo wore a warm smile as she gazed at the utterly bewildered young man before her.
At the same time, with Granny Chiyo's appearance, the dim and silent space around them suddenly transformed, becoming brilliantly bright.
One by one, familiar figures from Sunagakure emerged behind Granny Chiyo.
Their faces bore sunny smiles as they looked at Gaara with gentle amusement.
"Gaara..."
"Gaara."
"Gaara!"
"Gaara!!"
"Everyone..."
The dazed expression on Gaara's face began to fade, and a dazzling light appeared in his eyes.
"Gaara, I'm leaving the village in your hands now."
Granny Chiyo let out a kindly laugh.
In an instant!
Gaara's entire mental space was enveloped in soft, gentle light.
Seven days later.
Kirigakure, the Mizukage's office building!
Knock! Knock!
A light tapping sounded outside the Mizukage's office as Hoshigaki Kisame and Neji entered from outside.
Looking up at the two who had just walked in, Terumi Mei raised her head from a pile of paperwork and stretched.
Her curvaceous, full figure was immediately on display.
"You're back. How did the mission go?"
"Hm? Where's Nagato?"
Terumi Mei crossed her arms, leaning back lazily in her chair.
Noticing that only Hoshigaki Kisame and Hyuga Neji had entered, a puzzled expression appeared on her face.
Hyuga Neji wore a respectful expression as he spoke softly.
"Oh, is that so? In that case, it seems Nagato didn't manage to get Uchiha Sasuke's eyes."
Terumi Mei raised an eyebrow slightly, her tone carrying a hint of teasing.
Hyuga Neji paused for a moment, surprised that Terumi Mei had guessed correctly, and nodded gently.
"What was the final result?"
Terumi Mei looked at the fatigue visible between Hoshigaki Kisame and Hyuga Neji's brows, asking in a calm voice.
Though Terumi Mei appeared to be asking both of them, most of her attention was focused on Hoshigaki Kisame.
From the moment he entered, Hoshigaki Kisame had remained silent, seemingly trying to lower his presence.
Sensing Terumi Mei's sharp gaze, he couldn't help but grimace.
Strictly speaking, this mission had been a failure.
If there was to be punishment, it would fall on him alone.
After all, Hyuga Neji had nothing to do with this mission—he was just along for the experience.
And Nagato was from Amegakure.
That was why Hoshigaki Kisame hadn't spoken since entering.
"Shukaku the One-Tail was taken by Uchiha Madara's people."
"Sunagakure's Chiyo used the forbidden jutsu 'One's Own Life Reincarnation' to save the jinchuriki Gaara."
"Also, people from Konoha appeared during this mission."
"Before she died, Chiyo entrusted the position of Fifth Kazekage to Gaara."
Hoshigaki Kisame showed a somewhat helpless expression as he briefly summarized the general course of events.
After hearing Hoshigaki Kisame's words, a look of astonishment flashed through Terumi Mei's eyes.
She hadn't expected so many things to happen at once.
And one of Sunagakure's pillars, Chiyo, was actually dead!
All to save a jinchuriki who had already died.
This was somewhat beyond Terumi Mei's expectations.
She also hadn't expected Konoha people to appear during this mission.
Was Konoha planning to use this opportunity to win over Sunagakure?
Terumi Mei wore a thoughtful expression, her deep blue-painted nails tapping the desk at a characteristic rhythm.
After a moment.
"Prepare a detailed report of the mission and submit it, Hoshigaki Kisame."
"Also, you've worked hard on this mission. Go rest now."
Terumi Mei turned back and spoke softly to Hoshigaki Kisame and Hyuga Neji.
Hoshigaki Kisame's eyes widened slightly.
From Terumi Mei's words, it seemed she wasn't treating this mission as a failure.
"Yes, Lord Mizukage!"
Hoshigaki Kisame and Hyuga Neji bowed respectfully and left the Mizukage's office.
As the two departed, Terumi Mei withdrew her gaze and stared at the desk before her.
"How surprising. I didn't expect you to entrust your life to the next generation."
"I really underestimated you, Lord Chiyo."
"With Sunagakure's Chiyo dead, the originally tense relationship between Sunagakure and Konoha should ease."
"However, before this, our village had already established considerable cooperation with Sunagakure."
"In the short term, an alliance between Konoha and Sunagakure seems unlikely."
"The situation is becoming increasingly serious. We need to move faster."
Terumi Mei's face showed a thoughtful expression as she murmured to herself.
As she spoke, she seemed to think of a certain extremely idle person.
On a street in Kirigakure.
The flow of people coming and going, combined with the sounds of vendors calling out from time to time, made the entire street exceptionally prosperous.
In front of a yakiniku stall in the center of the street.
Yuto and Haruna were staring wide-eyed at the grill filled with barbecue.
"How much longer until it's ready?"
Haruna put her small hand to her mouth, swallowing saliva as she asked for who knows how many times.
"You've asked seven times in one minute already!"
"If you speak again, I'm eating all of this myself!"
Yuto looked somewhat exasperatedly at Haruna beside him, reminding her with righteous seriousness.
Sure enough, faced with the threat of losing all the delicious food, Haruna immediately widened her watery eyes at Yuto.
At the same time, she covered her mouth with both small hands.
Seeing Haruna's action, Yuto showed a satisfied expression and nodded gently.
The yakiniku vendor watched the two being silly in front of his grill, the corners of his eyes twitching involuntarily.
He didn't know who the little girl was, but he certainly knew Lord Yuto!
This was Kirigakure's hero!
After all, someone in the village had secretly sold portraits of Lord Yuto.
Although they were caught after a few days, he had managed to buy one in advance.
The vendor hadn't expected the real person to look even more approachable and friendly than in the portrait.
If he hadn't seen the portrait beforehand and known this young man was the village's hero Lord Yuto, anyone would have thought he was just an ordinary person.
"Lord Yuto, it'll be ready soon!"
The vendor had a solemn expression as he spoke respectfully.
[
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