Naruto chuckled as he watched the gentle rain fall from the sky.
The fact that it rained in the desert wasn't merely due to the lake-like volume of water Kisame had summoned earlier. It was evidence that the recent explosion had drained every last bit of moisture from the air, creating dense clouds that now released rain.
A man-made natural wonder. Naruto couldn't help but feel increasingly satisfied with his subordinates.
Especially with Deidara and Sasori.
Initially, Naruto had recruited them because every member of the Akatsuki brought a unique flair, and he needed them to complete his vision. It was more a matter of necessity than admiration.
But now, he saw their brilliance.
The Weapon Blessing had elevated the duo's strength to a whole new level, firmly placing them among the top within the Akatsuki, if not the entire Naruto World.
Sasori, with his Sandaime Kazekage puppet, had already reached Kage-level strength. With the Weapon Blessing, the enhanced Sandaime Kazekage puppet transcended to a Super Kage-level force.
As for Deidara, his recent explosion spoke volumes.
The blast wasn't merely personal strength… it was a war-grade catastrophe. A calamity unleashed by one individual, an existence beyond what could be measured by normal standards.
To ordinary people, Deidara wasn't just a Shinobi, he was a natural disaster, a force of destruction rivaling the gods themselves!
Even the Five Great Nations would tread carefully around someone like Deidara, likely treating him as an honored guest out of fear of his capabilities.
After all, give Deidara a year, and he could potentially circle the world, leaving nothing but destruction in his wake.
Most importantly, Deidara was only nineteen, a young man brimming with potential. No one could predict where his limits lay in the future.
"Don't think you're getting away this time!"
A cold voice echoed from the horizon, breaking Naruto's musings.
A mass of flowing sand streaked across the sky like a cloud, racing toward them.
"Well, well, someone's come knocking."
Naruto couldn't help but chuckled. After all, there was only one person who could ride a sand cloud like that… Gaara.
It seemed the explosion Naruto had unleashed earlier had caught the attention of Sunagakure.
Explosions of such magnitude were a potential threat to any village. Taking the initiative to find and apprehend the culprit was the only way to neutralize the danger.
Thus, Gaara's swift arrival after the second explosion made perfect sense.
But Gaara never expected that when he got closer, he actually felt two familiar auras.
One is the aura of a servant that is both familiar and unfamiliar, and the other was a presence that commanded his instinctive submission. This is Naruto's aura, which naturally dominated a servant like him.
"Naruto-kun? What are you doing here?"
Gaara's initial tension melted into delight as he sped up. Leaping from his sand cloud, he rushed directly pounced onto Naruto.
The intelligence Gaara received informed him that Naruto had been captured by Uchiha Itachi, Konoha's Missing-nin. He had dispatched several teams of Sunagakure's Shinobi to search for Naruto's whereabouts, so finding him here was a joyful surprise.
Patting Gaara's back, Naruto could feel the genuine concern in his actions and couldn't help but feel gratified.
After all, Gaara was once an isolated, self-centered monster. But now, he openly expressed his emotions and goodwill. This transformation was a testament to his growth, a change Naruto found deeply fulfilling.
It gave him the sense of pride a father might feel watching a rebellious child mature.
"Alright, alright, don't get too worked up. You're asking why I'm here? Of course, I'm helping you capture some criminals."
"Criminals?"
Gaara blinked, then stepped back from Naruto's embrace. As he turned to survey the group, he noticed the ragged appearances of the people around him.
Among them, one figure particularly stood out, a man with no arms and half a head.
However, Gaara's attention quickly shifted to someone else entirely. His gaze locked onto Itachi, and an immense surge of sand erupted from his gourd, "Uchiha Itachi, I finally caught you!"
If there was anyone Gaara despised most, it was Uchiha Itachi.
Itachi had put Naruto in danger and caused Sasuke to disappear. In Gaara's mind, all these wrongs had been tied to Itachi.
However, the impulse lasted only a moment, and soon he was dumbfounded.
"This… How is this possible!?"
When he flew over just now, he sensed a familiar yet unfamiliar servant's aura. He didn't expect it to belong to Itachi.
'What is going on?'
'Could it be that Naruto-kun, who had been captured by Uchiha Itachi, had somehow turned the tables and made Uchiha Itachi his servant?'
'But if that were the case, why hadn't Naruto-kun returned to Konoha to report his safety?'
These unanswered questions made Gaara's head spin.
"Naruto-kun, what is going on? Why is Itachi a servant? Why are you with these criminals? And why are you even here?"
"Calm down. I'll explain everything in detail. Come inside first."
As he said that, Naruto took out the villa from his system inventory.
Gaara and Sasori were visibly startled by the sight, as it was the first time they saw Naruto did this.
It was common knowledge among Shinobi to store items in scrolls, but they hadn't seen Naruto use one now. Besides, no scroll could possibly contain an entire villa.
Still, knowing Naruto was no ordinary person, they brushed it off, convincing themselves that anything was possible with him.
After entering the villa, Naruto began introducting, "This is Gaara, the newly instated Kazekage. Ehm… he's also my brother."
"Greetings, Gaara-sama!"
The four Akatsuki's members bowed respectfully.
Naruto's designation of Gaara as his brother clearly established his status as someone deserving their respect.
Gaara, still dazed, was slow to respond, though Naruto's acknowledgment of him as a brother brought visible happiness to his face.
Naruto then gestured toward the group, introducing them one by one, "This is Hoshigaki Kisame, a Missing-nin from Kirigakure and one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist. This is Uchiha Itachi, a Missing-nin from Konoha and Sasuke's brother. This is Sasori, a Missing-nin from your Sunagakure, and this is Deidara, a Missing-nin from Iwagakure and the so-called explosion terrorist you've been looking for. Don't get too worked up… they're all my subordinates."
"Subordinates?"
Gaara was completely dumbfounded.
The names of these people are all well-known. Each of them is a famous Missing-nin who had committed deeds that echoed across nations.
He didn't expect that these fearsome individuals had been subdued by Naruto.
"All right, introductions are over. You four can go about your business. I'll chat with Gaara for a bit."
With a wave of his hand, Naruto dismissed the four. They bowed once more before leaving the villa.
Naruto then detailed his journey and the events that had transpired.
By the time he finished, Gaara's shock had turned into understanding.
"So the Akatsuki had already taken in these guys… And to think all your efforts were for Sasuke. He's truly a lucky guy."
Gaara said in surprise, though his voice also carried a hint of jealousy.
Standing up and leaving the villa, he bowed deeply to Itachi and said, "I'm sorry, I misunderstood you."
Gaara had never imagined that Itachi capturing Naruto had been part of Naruto's grand plan all along.
"We are all doing this for Naruto-kun. There's no need for apologies."
Itachi replied calmly. He had grown accustomed to being misjudged and didn't mind it at all.
Gaara nodded slightly and turned his gaze to Deidara and Sasori.
He didn't expect these two had been sent to capture him. Thanks to Naruto, he had been spared. Otherwise, he doubted he could have survived against them.
Sasori of the Red Sand had been infamous in Sunagakure for years, a legend Gaara had grown up hearing about.
As for Deidara, the destructive power of his explosions was something even Gaara's Absolute Defense might not withstand.
And Kisame… Though Gaara knew little about him, the fact that he was able to crush off half of Sasori's head and two arms with his bare hands was enough to prove how terrifying Kisame was.
The fact that Naruto had brought these notorious individuals under his command was astonishing to him.
'Naruto-kun, you're getting more and more terrifying.'
Of course, Gaara didn't feel any fear. On the contrary, he was overjoyed at Naruto's growth.
After all, Gaara would never forget the most important thing: Naruto had pulled him out of the abyss of loneliness.
Naruto was the most important friend in his life.
No!
He is his brother.