18: Chapter 18 Reunion with the Sand PrincessThe aftershocks of the Konoha Crush plan have not yet completely subsided.
The village was filled with the smell of gunpowder, blood, and sorrow, with the weary figures of ninjas and the occasional cries of villagers mingling among the ruins.
The death of the Third Hokage weighed heavily on everyone's hearts like a boulder.
Naruto quietly left the edge of the ravaged forest.
Shukaku's rampage was forcibly stopped, and Gaara was deeply moved by his words.The siblings from Sunagakure should be able to handle the aftermath.
Sasuke needs time to process the negative emotions, while Sakura is probably still immersed in fear and lingering dread.
These are all temporarily irrelevant to him.
He needs to rest, recover his nearly depleted chakra, and digest the gains from this battle.
[Current Villain Value: 1053 points]
He bypassed the main road and walked back along a quiet side road.
His clothes were torn in the battle and covered in sand and sweat, making him look quite disheveled, but in the chaotic Konoha of today, no one would pay much attention to him.
As he approached the familiar apartment building, he spotted an unexpected figure.
Temari.
She seemed to have been waiting there for a while, leaning against the wall with her arms crossed, and the Samsung fan standing beside her.
She had changed into clean clothes, but her brows betrayed her weariness.Seeing Naruto return, she immediately straightened up and looked at him with a complicated expression.
"You." she began, seemingly unsure how to address him, "Are you alright?"
Naruto stopped and looked her over.
Compared to the shame, anger, and shock I felt before, I was now more confused.
"I won't die." Naruto said calmly, continuing to walk towards the stairwell.
Temari took two steps to catch up: "Wait!My name is Temari, daughter of the Kazekage of Sunagakure."
Gaara.has stabilized for now.
Kankuro is taking care of him.
Naruto grunted in response, indicating that he had heard, and continued walking.
"Those things you said to Gaara before."
Temari quickened her pace to walk alongside him, turning her head to look at his sharply defined profile."Why.do you know all that?"
Those words struck at Gaara's deepest wounds and desires, something even her older sister had never truly touched or understood.
Naruto finally stopped and turned to look at her.The afterglow of the setting sun gilded him, and his eyes remained expressionless.
"I saw it," he answered simply."Despair and loneliness are sometimes written in the eyes."
The answer was incredibly mysterious, yet it surprised Temari slightly.
She recalled Gaara's eyes, which were always filled with hostility and emptiness, and was momentarily speechless.
Naruto said no more and continued upstairs.
Temari watched his retreating figure, bit her lip, and spoke again, her tone sincere: "No matter what.thank you.Without you, Gaara might.the consequences would be unimaginable."
She paused, then lowered her voice: "Thank you.for saving me too."
Recalling those intimate and embarrassing moments from before, her ears felt hot again.
Naruto simply waved his hand, didn't turn his head, and disappeared around the corner of the stairs.
Temari stood there, gazing at the empty stairwell.
This boy from Konoha is powerful, mysterious, and brutal.
He saved her and Gaara, yet seemed completely unconcerned.
She stood there for a while, then finally turned and left, leaving that golden figure deeply imprinted in her heart.
Naruto returned to the cold apartment and locked the door.
A wave of fatigue washed over me.
He collapsed onto the floor, staring at the ceiling, slowly adjusting his breathing, and feeling the chakra slowly returning to his body.
So much happened today.Shukaku's rampage, the first real-world application of Vacuum Wind Blade, Gaara's psychological blow, and.
But he also knew that the more strength he revealed, the more attention and trouble he would attract.
There were no unusual reactions from the "raccoon" side so far, indicating that his actions had not yet aroused direct suspicion from the higher-ups.
But how long this calm can last remains to be seen.
He closed his eyes and began to review his battle with Shukaku, digest his experience using the "Vacuum Wind Blade," and think about how to use this power more effectively.
After an unknown amount of time, it became completely dark outside the window.
A soft, hesitant footstep sounded in the hallway and stopped at his door.
It's Sakura Haruno.
She seemed to have been standing at the door for a long time, her breathing rapid and unsteady.
She could hear faint breathing sounds from inside the door, and knew that Naruto was inside.
What happened today was too shocking, far beyond her capacity to bear.
The terror of Shukaku, Sasuke's helplessness, and.Naruto's figure tearing through the sandstorm like a god descending to earth.
Fear, lingering fear, and a twisted tremor from the impact of the powerful force intertwined in her heart.
She raised her hand, as if she wanted to knock on the door, but then hesitated.
The finger hovered in mid-air.
In the end, she still didn't have the courage to knock.
As if all her strength had been drained, she leaned against the door, slowly slid down, buried her face in her knees, and let out extremely suppressed, intermittent sobs.
She stood outside the door, too afraid to come in or leave.
Naruto, inside the door, could clearly hear the subtle vibrations coming from the door panel and the suppressed sobs.
He opened his eyes and glanced in the direction of the door.
He ignored it, closed his eyes again, and continued his rest and review.
As the turmoil gradually subsided, some were immersed in grief, some struggled with fear, and some planned for the future.
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