SEC Chapter 289 Fruit
Chapter 289 Fruit
"I...Gaara!"
The atmosphere was heavy inside the Konoha prison. Although Orochimaru was the true culprit, the fact remained that Sunagakure had coordinated the attack.
After Naruto rescued Temari and Kankuro from the snake venom and cured them, they were sent back here for temporary care. Given their current status, Konoha would never have provided them with hospital beds if they hadn't been on the verge of death before; fortunately, the two are now basically fine.
When the Konoha ninja opened the prison door, Temari rushed forward in a panic. She carefully examined her younger brother and found that although his eyes were red and swollen, his face still had wet tear stains, and his voice was a little choked, there were no obvious injuries on his body. Her heart, which had been hanging in suspense, finally settled down, and she breathed a long sigh of relief.
Standing behind her, Kankuro, besides sharing the same worry as Temari, had a face full of shock and disbelief.
Is this Gaara? Gaara... can he actually cry? The younger brother in front of him, who seemed fragile but was no longer cold, was a stark contrast to the image of the demon in his memory who only knew how to kill, leaving him momentarily dazed.
"Thank you so much! Thank you... thank you so much for saving Gaara..." Temari bowed deeply to Naruto, her voice filled with sincere gratitude. However, when the words came to her lips, she didn't know how to address this powerful yet young blond boy, and her words seemed somewhat restrained.
"It's...it's okay..." Naruto waved his hand, forcing a smile, but the smile looked somewhat stiff and unnatural.
This wasn't because of Temari's gratitude, but because of the cold, clear notification sound that had just rang in his mind, and the content that followed that had given him a jolt.
[Ding! Congratulations, host: Your bond level with the original character "Gaara" has increased to level 100! (The relationship has undergone a fundamental change!)]
Current relationship: Absolute symbiosis.
[Relationship Description: The other person has placed your existence at the very top of their hierarchy of meaning and value in life. Your will becomes the highest standard for their actions, and your existence is the sole anchor for their perception and understanding of the world. This relationship has transcended ordinary dependence or trust, deepening into an inseparable, absolute symbiotic state.]
[Reward points earned: 4600!]
[Note: The highest level for family members is 7; they cannot undergo qualitative changes!]
Naruto didn't know that he just wanted to pull Gaara out of that distorted worldview, to show him that there were other possibilities, and to let him know that he was worthy of being cherished... Why did it turn out like this? This description made Naruto feel a little uneasy.
Once the necessary post-war cleanup and preliminary interrogation are completed, the prisoners of war from Sunagakure will most likely be released and repatriated to the Land of Wind.
After all, maintaining a superficial alliance between the major ninja villages involves complex political considerations... Naruto shook his head and decided not to think about these troublesome matters any further.
Ultimately, it was all Orochimaru's fault... Naruto attributed his chaotic thoughts to the culprit.
However, before everything is completely settled, Naruto still has a few important matters to attend to. First, he must explain to the Third Hokage and Jiraiya Orochimaru's "last words" about his past before his "sealing" (death).
Secondly, he desperately wanted to check on his friends' safety. Although with strong individuals like Kakashi and Might Guy around, the chances of his companions encountering any mishap were extremely low, he couldn't feel at ease without seeing it for himself.
Especially Satsuki… Naruto felt a strange pang of longing. It had only been a few hours since they parted, but it felt like ages since he'd last seen her…
He felt a little confused by his overly strong concern, and thought that the idea was somewhat dangerous.
"Naruto-sama!"
A slightly hurried voice interrupted his thoughts. A Konoha ninja jogged up to him and respectfully reported.
"The Hokage informs you that once you have finished dealing with your matters, please come to the Hokage Building immediately. The Hokage has important matters to discuss with you."
"...Huh? Me?" Naruto didn't react for a moment. "...I understand."
He felt very unfamiliar and awkward with the title "sir". He turned his head and saw the Chunin, who was obviously older than him, bowing his head respectfully, and he understood.
It seems... the power I displayed on the battlefield has completely changed some people's attitudes towards me. Receiving such formal treatment within Konoha Village is a first for him.
Naruto nodded to Temari one last time, preparing to turn and leave. However, his sleeve was suddenly gently tugged from behind. He turned around and met Gaara's eyes, which seemed to speak volumes—clearly filled with unease and a plea for him not to go.
"Gaara!"
Seeing this, Temari quickly stepped forward and somewhat awkwardly pulled her younger brother's hand away from Naruto's sleeve, then immediately gave Naruto an apologetic look. But as soon as she looked up, she saw Gaara's other hand stubbornly and quietly gripping Naruto's clothes again…
"...Um," Naruto looked at Gaara's eyes, which seemed to look like those of a small animal afraid of being abandoned, and his heart softened. He explained in a gentle voice, "I'm just going to take care of some things. I'll be back soon, I promise. Don't worry, I'm in Konoha, I won't go far."
Hearing his assurance, Gaara slowly released his grip. However, the main reason he released his grip was that he realized he seemed to have caused Naruto trouble, which made him feel somewhat uneasy.
Finally, under the shocked gazes of Temari and Kankuro, who looked at him as if they were seeing their younger brother for the first time, Naruto left the prison.
Walking back to Konoha, now that the attack was over, Naruto decided to go home first and put down his belongings.
Back in his small apartment, he took the Pokémon egg with the strange green circular pattern from the sealed scroll and carefully placed it back into the specially made insulated incubator on his bedside table.
Naruto wondered if keeping it in the sealing scroll counted as "carrying it with him"... But anyway, so many years have passed, and there's not even a hint of it hatching.
Today is an exception. In the chaos of the village being attacked by ninjas, he dared not leave such an important egg alone at home. Now that the battle is over and the crisis is over, he naturally has to free it from the storage scroll.
He reached out and gently stroked the large, warm eggshell, letting out a soft sigh. This was his future summoning beast partner…
After all, whenever Naruto uses the Summoning Jutsu of Mount Myōboku, he summons the Great Toad Sage, making Jiraiya completely afraid to let Naruto touch the contract of Mount Myōboku again.
Imagine that in the future, Satsuki is standing on the head of the blue snake, and Sakura is on the slug. You have to find some decent summoning beast to stand on, right? Of course, the deeper reason is Naruto's deep longing to be with those pure and beautiful creatures from utopia.
Despite the fact that so many years have passed and the egg remains unmoved, Naruto has developed a deep affection for it, even though it is just an egg.
"Okay, I'm leaving..."
Naruto gently patted the eggshell, said goodbye as usual, and prepared to turn and leave.
Then--
"Crunch."
A very faint yet exceptionally clear crisp sound came from behind him without warning.