Gaara didn't say a word and silently closed his eyes, as if he wanted to kill them all.
"Neh, since we've met twice in quick succession, that counts as fate. Please let us treat you to a meal!" Sakura invited the Sand Trio, but when her gaze passed over Gaara, she paused slightly. That gourd behind Gaara—she could clearly sense the will of Karasuki concentrated within it. That should be Karasuki, the mother of Gaara and wife of the Fourth Kazekage Rasa. Even after death, she still wished to protect her child from harm, although unfortunately, Gaara's heart had already been broken beyond repair.
"Are you really being this generous?" Temari questioned their intentions with suspicion. "Could there be some hidden agenda?"
Like pretending not to pay after the meal and making them cover the bill?!
"Don't always think everything's a conspiracy. I really just want to make friends," Sakura said with a smile. "And don't worry—we're treating everyone. It's on us."
"You're serious?" Temari still felt uneasy. Who could blame her? Their mission in Konoha wasn't pure, so they constantly suspected others' motives.
"Please come in!" Sakura promptly led Gaara and his companions into Ichiraku Ramen Shop.
"Wait a second... This is your business?" Suddenly recalling what Sakura had said earlier, Temari's head spun.
"That's right! It's one of my investments—I own part of the shares!" Sakura said casually, yet Temari suddenly felt like vomiting blood.
"I'm working hard every day running around doing missions for only a few hundred or thousand ryōs in payment, while someone younger than me has already built such a big enterprise! And by her tone, this seems to be just one among many businesses of hers!"
Thinking about how each meal at Ichiraku Ramen Shop costs millions, Temari felt a bitter emotion rise within her—not jealousy over how fast the other person earns money, mind you, just irritation towards these damn capitalists who only serve the wealthy class, exploiting ordinary people like blood-sucking vampires. The Leaf Destruction Plan they're conducting isn't wrong—it might actually help the ordinary people. Yes, indeed.
Temari mentally convinced herself, justifying the upcoming plan. She couldn't fall for these capitalists' tricks. Taking down Konoha was the only way to save the people who'd been suffering.
Yet upon entering the shop and smelling the delicious aroma of the food, Temari immediately tossed all those thoughts away into the moonlight.
Chapter 159
The Sand Village Vows to Fight the Rich and Distribute Land [Lower]
"This scent... it's absolutely incredible."
Temari kept picking up dishes with her chopsticks continuously but hadn't forgotten the etiquette expected of the daughter of a Kage.
The meals at Ichiraku Ramen Shop were personally prepared by Mr. Ichiraku himself, whose decades of culinary expertise were no exaggeration. Every dish was visually appealing, fragrant, and tasty. Even Sakura and her group—who ate here often—couldn't control their appetites. How much more so for Temari and her group who hailed from the Land of Wind and had never tasted these delicacies before?
"A ninja shouldn't lose focus over indulgence in food and comfort."
Kankuro had his mouth full of food, making his words hard to understand.
"Could you swallow before speaking?" Sakura gave him a half-smile. "I think your words would be more convincing that way!"
"While ninjas shouldn't indulge in gourmet pleasures," Kankuro froze his chopsticks mid-air as he launched into a righteous defense, "occasionally savoring good food is necessary! Besides, we're not on a mission right now - relaxing a bit is perfectly normal!"
"You're embarrassing me!" Gaara, who despite seeming to eat slowly had actually consumed just as much as Temari and Kankuro, finally couldn't take it anymore. If not for their blood relationship, he'd really rather not acknowledge this gluttonous man as his Brother!
"Gaara, don't talk - you've eaten plenty yourself!" Perhaps emboldened by the delicious food, Kankuro instinctively shot back. As soon as the words came out, though, he immediately broke out in cold sweat and his expression turned fearful.
"Crack!"
The chopsticks in Gaara's hand developed a visible crack as he glared at Kankuro with murderous intent.
"Damaging private property of the establishment means you have to pay compensation, you know!" Sakura casually remarked from the side, instantly causing Gaara to loosen his grip.
Had this been in Sunagakure, Gaara wouldn't have paid these words any heed - after all, what were just a pair of chopsticks worth? And no one would dare ask him for reparations anyway. But now they were in Konohagakure. He needed to keep his cool and maintain discipline here given the upcoming plans. And judging solely by his intuition, Gaara suspected those chopsticks must be priced at astronomical levels. For the sake of his own secret savings stash, Gaara decided it was best to show some restraint for now - after all, this is exactly the kind of hardship every ninja must learn to tolerate.
Temari and Kankuro watched Sakura with eyes filled with awe, as if looking at a deity. This was the first time they'd ever seen Gaara back down from anyone. It was such an amazing sight.
After finishing their meal, everyone held cups of hot tea while sitting there. Temari and Kankuro happily chatted with others, and even the perpetually aloof Gaara showed signs of thawing in his expression.
Actually, Gaara had many questions in his mind at this moment. Strange as it seemed, since meeting up with Sakura and the others, the beast sealed within him had become unusually quiet, as if it had encountered something it feared deeply. This made Gaara feel profoundly perplexed - if this beast wasn't afraid of his own father, the Kazekage himself, how could it possibly fear mere genin-level ninja?
In reality, Shukaku was truly terrified right now. Not only did he stop causing a ruckus within Gaara's seal, he now wished desperately to become invisible or at least curl up into a ball to minimize his presence. Just moments ago, Shukaku had been making noise and throwing a tantrum inside Gaara's seal when suddenly he sensed an intense threat. The sudden appearance of two beings radiating the Sage of Six Paths' power near Gaara made Shukaku fall silent immediately. Although confused about what was happening, it was best to play it safe. Even someone as clever as Master Shukaku could afford to avoid an embarrassing misstep.
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