Whoosh!
Naruto and his group rode Gaara's sand cloud as they made their way to Sunagakure.
Although Naruto's flying speed were far faster, traveling with Gaara was the best choice to avoid unnecessary disturbances.
After all, no one in the village would question the people Gaara brought with him.
In this way, the group easily followed Gaara into Sunagakure.
Just as Naruto remembered from the original work, Sunagakure lay nestled in the desert, its architecture uniquely suited to the arid environment. The sandcastle-like buildings, with their sandy yellow exteriors, were a stark contrast to the lush greenery of Konoha.
Compared to the Land of Fire or even the Land of Hot Water, Sunagakure seemed like a completely different world.
However, the most remarkable feature of the village was its building design. Despite the scorching heat outside, the interiors were refreshingly cool, thanks to their ingenious construction.
Without needing air conditioning, the buildings provided a comfort level comparable to an air-conditioned room, making them surprisingly pleasant to live in.
As one of the Five Great Nations, Sunagakure's unique strengths stood out. While it may have seemed weakened in the original work, with a frequent turnover of Kazekages and threats to its stability, the village's innovations and adaptability were clear indicators of its resilience.
The prevalence of puppet technology alone demonstrated their superior engineering. Without figures like Orochimaru and Kabuto aiding Konoha, Konoha would not have been able to catch up.
The harsh environment fostered strength and ingenuity, pushing Sunagakure to innovate for survival.
It was no wonder that Kankuro, during the Chunin Exams in the original work, had dismissed the carefree attitudes of Konohamaru and his peers.
Compared to the struggles faced by Sunagakure's youth, Konoha's children had lives of luxury, akin to flowers nurtured in a greenhouse.
"Gaara-sama, you're back."
As the sand cloud touched down, a blonde-haired kunoichi wielding a giant fan approached and bowed deeply.
It was none other than Temari.
"I've told you many times… there's no need for formalities."
Gaara replied with a hint of exasperation in his tone.
Now he had already opened his heart and accepted this sister of his.
Temari shook her head and said, "No, you are the Kazekage, so proper respect must be shown."
Knowing there was no convincing his sister otherwise, Gaara waved his hand and said, "Fine, have it your way. Go prepare some food. I want to host Naruto-kun and his companions."
"Naruto-kun?" Temari blinked in surprise as she noticed Naruto. A warm smile spread across her face as she bowed again, "It's been a while, Naruto-kun."
She knew very well that if it weren't for Naruto's influence, Gaara would never have opened his heart.
However, she also remembered that Naruto had been captured by Uchiha Itachi, an event that had driven Gaara to madness as he sent out search teams in desperation.
'Huh?'
'Uchiha Itachi?'
When Temari saw Itachi standing behind Naruto, she froze for a moment.
It was only then that she noticed the individuals Gaara had brought back. Each of them exuded an extraordinary presence, clearly not people to be trifled with.
Still, Temari didn't ask any questions. Unlike before, she now fully trusted Gaara's judgment.
If he had brought these individuals back to Sunagakure, specifically to the Kazekage's Office, it was enough to prove Gaara's trust in them.
As a subordinate, it wasn't her place to overstep and interrogate them.
But while Temari left to prepare food, others were not as reserved, especially Kankuro, who came in carrying Karasu.
The moment Kankuro learned Gaara had returned, he immediately rushed to the Kazekage's Office.
"This is a critical time! How could you leave the village without notifying anyone? What if something happened to you?"
Kankuro scolded with a furrowed brow.
Kankuro's stern demeanor was in stark contrast to the timid attitude he had once shown toward Gaara.
Ever since Gaara had opened his heart, Kankuro had fully embraced his role as an older brother, taking his responsibilities seriously in an effort to make up for the guilt he felt about his past treatment of Gaara.
His frustration wasn't due to a sense of superiority, but was born out of genuine concern for his younger brother.
"That explosion was far too dangerous. Once we detected the target's location, I had to act immediately. Do you really think we can rely on the weaker Shinobi in the village? By the time they arrived, it would've been too late." Gaara rebutted calmly.
"Well… that's true!"
Kankuro admitted, unable to refute Gaara's reasoning.
Although there were some strong Shinobi in the village, none were stronger than Gaara himself.
Having no further argument, Kankuro's attention turned to the individuals standing behind Gaara.
"What? Uzumaki Naruto? Why you doing here? Weren't you captured by Uchiha Itachi? Wait… Uchiha Itachi? What's going on here?"
Upon seeing the group, Kankuro instantly had a hundred thousand questions.
Gaara wanted to explain, but the situation was too complex. Many of the details involved Naruto's secrets, and even though Kankuro was his brother, Gaara couldn't share everything.
Naruto, understanding this, didn't intervene. He wanted Gaara to handle the situation on his own, knowing it would help him grow.
The person who broke the silence, however, was someone unexpected. It was none other than Sasori!
"I never thought I'd see Karasu again. It's not a bad fit in your hands."
Sasori said nonchalantly.
"You actually know about Karasu? Who are you?"
Kankuro narrowed his eyes, focusing on the man with only half a head.
Sasori replied calmly: "I am the puppet master who created it."
After hearing this, Kankuro's eyes widened in disbelief, "You're… Sasori?"
Sasori's heavily damaged appearance made him hard to recognize. Moreover, Kankuro had only seen Sasori's appearance in portraits, so identifying him on sight was difficult.
But with Sasori's open admission, there was no room for doubt.
One detail that further confirmed Kankuro's suspicions was Sasori's missing half-head.
As a puppet master himself, Kankuro quickly noticed the craftsmanship of Sasori's puppetized body. No ordinary person could survive with half their head destroyed unless they had converted themselves into a puppet.
But Kankuro discovered that the most important point is the Chakra Threads.
Kankuro discovered the Chakra Threads originating from within Sasori's puppet body. This indicated either autonomous Chakra generation or a fully self-sustaining puppet, both of which represented the pinnacle of puppetry.
Kankuro had always prided himself on being a talented puppet master, but even he couldn't replicate such techniques. Among puppet masters, only Sasori could achieve this level of mastery.
Moreover, Sasori's comment about being the creator of Karasu solidified the truth. There was no doubt in Kankuro's mind… this figure was indeed Sasori.
Kankuro was dumbfounded. He hadn't expected Gaara to return with such an extraordinary group of individuals.
"I didn't think anyone in the Sand Village still remembered me." Sasori remarked with a faint smirk, acknowledging the truth.
However, at that moment, the sound of shattering plates echoed through the room.
Everyone turned to the doorway, where an elderly woman stood trembling. Her hands shook as she stared, clearly shocked. The broken plates lay scattered at her feet.