Chapter 528: Someone Else Is the Promiscuous One
After welcoming the Konoha group, Gaara was about to lead them into the village so they could rest, have something to eat, and then discuss business.
Naruto, however, couldn't wait.
He grabbed Gaara's hand and started pulling him in another direction.
"We already ate on the way here. Let's find somewhere to talk business first. Come on, Gaara—you're the Kazekage, so take us somewhere."
"...All right."
Gaara was startled by Naruto's enthusiasm, but deep down he was delighted.
Taking care of business first was fine.
Once that was done, they would have time to relax and enjoy a private gathering together.
The Land of Wind didn't have much.
But it certainly had no shortage of open land.
Even though the Dragon Veins had been removed and the earth had begun to recover, there was no way such a vast desert could be restored in just a day or two.
The only reason recovery was even possible was because the land in the ninja world was alive and filled with natural energy.
Otherwise, turning such a massive desert back into fertile land would have been about as impossible as turning a fried egg back into a raw egg and hatching a chick from it.
Gaara led the Konoha group to a private training ground outside the village.
As one of Sunagakure's strongest sand users and the One-Tail's Jinchūriki, many of Gaara's techniques had enormous destructive power.
Naturally, he couldn't practice them inside the village.
This was the place where he usually trained.
"Naruto..."
"One Thousand Years of Death~"
As soon as they arrived, Gaara was just about to speak when Naruto suddenly slid behind him and launched an attack.
Naruto didn't use any force.
It wasn't like Kakashi's version, which could send someone flying with a single strike.
Of course, even if Naruto had used full strength, it wouldn't have mattered much.
Gaara was protected by his Armor of Sand at all times.
"Uzumaki Naruto! What the hell do you think you're doing?!"
Seeing this, Temari finally couldn't hold back anymore.
She rolled up her sleeves and charged forward, ready to beat Naruto up.
This was too much.
She had tolerated him secretly pinching Gaara earlier.
But now he wasn't even pretending anymore.
He had just openly used that attack on Gaara in front of everyone.
Gaara was the Kazekage—the face of Sunagakure.
Humiliating him like this was absolutely intolerable!
"Stop! Temari, stand down!"
Gaara raised a wall of sand between them.
Temari looked at him in confusion.
Could it be… Gaara was really in love with Naruto?
Otherwise, why would he still protect him at a time like this?
"Temari, look at this sand. It's Mother's power."
Gaara gently shook his head and raised a hand.
A stream of sand flowed through his fingers.
Thanks to Shiromo's reminder, Gaara had long since realized that his mother, Karura, had left behind her love and power to protect him.
The legendary "Mom Susanoo."
The sand inside Gaara's gourd that automatically protected him without his own control was Karura's power.
Temari already knew this.
But why was Gaara bringing it up now?
"Mother didn't stop Naruto either. That means she knows he has no ill intentions toward me. Right, Naruto?"
Gaara smiled softly.
"..."
Temari was completely speechless.
So that was what he meant.
The automatic sand defense hadn't blocked Naruto's One Thousand Years of Death.
Therefore...
His mother had approved of Naruto attacking him.
Temari wanted to argue, but for a moment she couldn't think of a single rebuttal.
She suddenly had the urge to rush to Amegakure, use the Impure World Reincarnation to bring her mother Karura back, and ask her in person whether she really approved of this marriage.
But she quickly calmed herself down.
She forcefully erased the idea from her mind.
It wasn't because she thought using the Impure World Reincarnation would disrespect the dead.
It was because she was afraid Karura might actually approve.
And then they'd all be doomed.
"Gaara, thank you for trusting me."
Naruto looked at Gaara with complete sincerity.
"Yeah, Naruto..."
Before Gaara could finish speaking, one of Naruto's shadow clones somehow appeared behind him.
In one swift motion, it yanked Gaara's pants down.
"..."
Gaara's face instantly turned bright red.
"..."
Smack.
Temari slapped her own forehead.
She had nothing left to say.
Nothing left to do.
Could someone please save these two star-crossed lovers?
Watching Naruto's smooth series of moves, Tokiwa became even more convinced that Naruto was the emotional-bonds type of ninja.
The only problem was that he had completely misunderstood himself and believed he wasn't.
Even Kurama, inside Naruto, fell into deep thought.
It was true.
Everything Naruto had just done was the result of Kurama secretly working together with Tokiwa to trick him.
Naruto himself was an innocent victim who knew nothing.
The problem was...
This "victim" was acting exactly like a willing accomplice.
Naruto wasn't actually a very good actor.
Yet everything he had done today had flowed so naturally.
It was...
Completely true to his nature.
"Kurama, do you remember the story from the Limited Tsukuyomi?"
The Two-Tails, Matatabi, suddenly thought of something and spoke.
"What are you trying to say?"
Kurama frowned.
Was Matatabi suddenly trying to insult him?
Otherwise, why bring up the Limited Tsukuyomi?
"You all only read the Limited Tsukuyomi novel. Yugito and I actually witnessed that world ourselves."
"Many things in the Limited Tsukuyomi world were the exact opposite of reality."
"For example, in the real ninja world, our Jinchūriki are hated by everyone."
"But in the Limited Tsukuyomi world, the entire ninja world coveted their beauty."
"In that world, the Nine-Tails was a promiscuous fox."
"So... is it possible that in the real world, it's the other way around?"
"That the promiscuous one isn't the Nine-Tails...but Uzumaki Naruto?"
After laying out her reasoning, Matatabi arrived at her conclusion.
"That's entirely possible."
"That actually makes sense."
As Kurama listened, his tightly furrowed brow gradually relaxed.
"Matatabi's analysis is right. Naruto is the promiscuous human. Otherwise, in the prophecy, he wouldn't have..."
"Exactly!"
The Tailed Beasts all chimed in one after another, agreeing with Matatabi's conclusion.
Meanwhile, outside, Naruto began explaining himself.
"Gaara, what I just did to you was actually just some of the pranks I used to play around the village when I was bored... except for One Thousand Years of Death. I only learned that after I met Kakashi-sensei."
"Ever since I was little, I was isolated, hated, and treated as the incarnation of the Demon Fox. Gaara, I went through the same things you did."
"But later I realized…"
"Crying doesn't accomplish anything."
"Tears only matter if they fall on someone who cares about you."
"But pee is different."
"If pee lands on anyone, they'll all care."
"So I chose the second option."
"That's my ninja way."
"Gaara, I know your experiences are similar to mine."
"So I hope you can face all of this with the same optimism I do."
Naruto spoke with complete seriousness, delivering what sounded like profound words of wisdom, leaving Gaara utterly dumbfounded.
(End of this chapter)