Though Gaara was the youngest among them,
In terms of strength, he was the strongest.
And now that their father, the Fourth Kazekage Rasa, had been killed, with no new Kazekage yet, they had to hold the banner for Sunagakure high, never letting it fall.
They were, after all, one of the Five Great Shinobi Villages.
Fortunately, Chiyo and Ebizo were acting as Kazekage proxies, shielding them from the worst.
Once Gaara had accumulated enough prestige, they could step back and hand Sunagakure over to him.
The key was for Gaara to build that prestige.
So, at this stage, within their team, Gaara was the captain.
Decisions like this needed to be made by Gaara.
Though she looked at Gaara, Temari's mind involuntarily drifted to Takumi.
Ever since they parted ways after the Chunin Exams, she had taken a great interest in this boy, younger than herself, who possessed outstanding strength and striking looks.
Initially, like everyone else, she was highly wary of Takumi's power.
But now that Sunagakure and Konoha were allies,
She no longer needed to be wary of him.
Her thoughts had shifted.
After all, Takumi's qualities were too exceptional.
Among all her peers, or even all the men she had encountered, he was the most outstanding in every aspect.
The various intelligence she had gathered on him out of caution now served as a way for her to get to know him.
The more she learned, the more captivated she became.
The catalyst for her complete surrender was a strange dream she had some time ago.
That dream was incredibly real.
In that dream, Takumi wasn't a Konoha's Shinobi, but a Shinobi of their Sunagakure, and he shared an extraordinary relationship with her.
She felt that dreaming that dream was entirely because her heart had already accepted Takumi.
And that dream was so vivid; she still remembered every detail.
It was as if the dream had become her memory.
Sometimes, she couldn't even tell if it was truly a dream or not.
Just as she was thinking of Takumi's handsome and majestic figure, after a long contemplation, Gaara finally gave his answer.
"Request reinforcements from Konoha's Takumi."
Gaara spoke calmly. "This incident won't end easily. The enemy is strong. If they attack the village, there will be massive casualties."
"We must avoid that at all costs."
Gaara's words snapped Temari back to reality. She immediately straightened up, adopting a proper attitude. "Understood. I'll send the request for aid immediately."
Then, she looked at Gaara, slightly shorter than her, with admiration.
She noticed that Gaara was gradually becoming more composed.
No longer the boy overflowing with murderous intent,
But an excellent leader who considered the village and the Land of Wind.
'You'll become an excellent Kazekage, Gaara.'
She firmly believed that in her heart.
…
Lying in bed, Takumi thought more and more that the situation felt off.
He decided to just start a fixed-time simulation.
Originally, he wanted to wait until morning.
But his mind was filled with these thoughts, leaving him completely sleepless.
He might as well simulate the specifics to clarify the situation, allowing him to rest easy.
'System, start fixed-point simulation. Let's set it for five days. Orochimaru should make a move within five days.'
[Simulation begins!]
[Four hours later, the sun rises. You wake up, have breakfast, then go out to contact someone to repair your ceiling.]
[At 9 AM, report to Hiruzen about Kurotsuchi's situation. You show shame for not securing enough benefits for Konoha.]
[Hiruzen comforts you in turn, saying your kind heart led to this choice, and he trusts you completely.]
[After dealing with Hiruzen, you go to chat with Tsunade, but find she's busy again teaching Medical-nin.]
[Missing Tsunade dampens your mood slightly. Just then, Sasuke comes to challenge you. Impatient, you crush him with Susano'o, leaving him dumbstruck.]
[At 12 PM, after eating a large bowl of heartfelt ramen at Ayame's place, your mood improves considerably.]
[At 3 PM, the ceiling repair is finished. After inspecting it, you are very satisfied with the workmanship.]
[Then, you spend ten minutes cleaning up the mess.]
[At 4 PM, Kurenai appears. Having learned Kurotsuchi has left, she immediately comes to find you.]
'If I hadn't relieved some pent-up tension myself today, I'd go straight to Kurenai's place.'
Takumi smiled knowingly.
He could fully understand Kurenai's urgency.
First Yugito, then Kurotsuchi – it had been several days since he and Kurenai had spent a night together.
Honestly, he had gotten unused to sleeping without a familiar person beside him.
Luckily, though Kurenai wasn't there, at least he'd had someone to hold while sleeping in the past few days.
And today, he had a nice chat with an admirer – thoroughly satisfying, one could say.
He thought for a while, then his expression gradually returned to normal.
He had serious business with the simulation.
This information wasn't the main point he needed to see.
[You and Kurenai spend a rare night together.]
Takumi's face, which had just returned to normal, immediately broke into another knowing smile.
[The next day, you are pleasantly surprised to encounter Kazahana Koyuki, who came specifically to see you.]
'Koyuki is here?'
Takumi was somewhat surprised, his mind immediately recalling her image.
It had been a long time since they parted in the Land of Snow. He wondered how she was faring governing the country.
[Not only Koyuki, but also the film director who came with her. He hopes to invite you to star in another movie.]
[Upon inquiry, you learn that the previous movie was a huge success. The director wants to capitalize on your enduring popularity by quickly filming a sequel.]
[Though tempted, you can't find a suitable opportunity for a film plot. Moreover, compared to filming, you prefer to spend time alone with the rarely seen Koyuki.]
[You politely decline the director. He is disappointed but says he understands.]
[You gently accompany Koyuki for the whole day.]
[On the third day, because you can't star in the movie, Koyuki loses her reason to stay in Konoha. She leaves the village and returns to the Land of Snow.]
"That's a real shame."
Takumi shook his head, then began chiding himself.
"Isn't it just making a movie? Couldn't I just find some random material? Why be so picky?"
"I'm not even a professional actor, yet I'm this picky. Can't I even pretend for a bit?"
The more he spoke, the more disdainful he became.
Only after saying all this did he realize he was talking about himself.
He fell silent for a moment.
[Koyuki's departure leaves you in low spirits, but with Kurenai's company, you find some comfort.]
[On the fourth day, you have a vague sense of foreboding but can't pinpoint its source.]
[This unsettling feeling, as if danger could strike at any moment, makes you very uneasy.]
[This unease finally erupts fully in the late afternoon.]
[Orochimaru attacks again, and this time he brings the Third Raikage.]
'The Third Raikage?!'
Takumi jolted in surprise.