55: Chapter 55 AllianceTemari stayed in the Land of Waves.
It wasn't entirely because of that awkward first meeting, but more because of her concern for the safety of Sunagakure and Gaara, and because Naruto's concept of "joint defense" really impressed her.
Over the next few days, Naruto personally accompanied Temari on a tour of some non-core areas of the Apocalypse Trading Company, including the bustling yet orderly port and the well-planned warehouse area.
Instead of flaunting military force, he focused on demonstrating the Chamber of Commerce's logistical capabilities, intelligence network, and material reserves.
"If Sunagakure is indeed attacked by Akatsuki, the Apocalypse Merchant Guild can use the fastest land and sea routes to transport urgently needed medical supplies and strategic equipment to your village, and provide limited military support if necessary."
Naruto pointed to a huge map of the ninja world and drew several transport routes on it.
Temari looked at the map intently.
She had to admit that Naruto's resourcefulness and efficiency far exceeded her expectations.
This is definitely not the kind of structure an ordinary chamber of commerce should have.
During the visit, their relationship gradually warmed up, and some unexpected little incidents occurred.
For example, when inspecting the newly built shipyard, a sea breeze suddenly lifted Temari's skirt.Fortunately, Naruto was standing upwind, blocking most of the view, leaving her only with a broad back view and a casual "It's windy."
Temari, clutching the hem of her skirt, blushed and whispered a thank you.
For example, during a dinner party, Temari accidentally knocked over her wine glass, and the wine was about to spill onto her light-colored clothes.Naruto quickly used a napkin to block and wipe it up, and most of the wine landed on the napkin and his own sleeve.
He casually changed his napkin and continued the previous conversation.Temari looked at his slightly damp cuffs and felt a little guilty, as well as some strange emotions.
These little acts of heroism and damsel in distress may seem insignificant, but after happening so many times, even Sakura, who was acting as Naruto's temporary secretary, couldn't help but feel a pang of jealousy.
"Hmph, so what if she's the princess of Sunagakure.Lord Naruto even personally shielded her from the wind and drank alcohol." Sakura recorded the data while stabbing the words "Sunagakure's Needs List" in her notebook with her pen, making them unrecognizable.
After a few days of getting to know each other, Temari's feelings towards Naruto became much more complicated.
He was calm, skillful, and possessed a maturity and courage beyond his years.His occasional displays of thoughtfulness were just right and did not offend her.
More importantly, the strength he demonstrated gave Temari real hope in the fight against the Akatsuki organization.
Ultimately, Temari held several secret talks with the high-ranking officials of Sunagakure through secure channels provided by the Chamber of Commerce.
After conveying in detail the Akatsuki's threat and Naruto's proposed cooperation, along with their assessment of the Apocalypse Merchant Guild's strength, the Sunagakure leadership quickly responded after some debate.
"Sunagakure has agreed in principle to establish a strategic partnership with the Apocalypse Merchant Guild." Temari handed the secret letter to Naruto with a serious expression.
"The first phase of cooperation includes intelligence sharing, the establishment of emergency supply channels, and.inviting the Apocalypse Merchant Guild to visit Sunagakure to discuss joint defense matters in detail."
She looked at Naruto: "Kage-sama, I hope to have a face-to-face meeting with you in person."
This result was within Naruto's expectations.
When faced with a threat of the Akatsuki level, having a powerful ally is always better than having a potential enemy.
"Okay." Naruto nodded."I will go there myself."
He paused, then looked at Sakura, who was listening intently to him: "Sakura, get ready, you're coming with me this time."
"Me?" Sakura was taken aback at first, then her face lit up with surprise."Yes!Naruto-sama!I'll go prepare right away!" She practically skipped out, completely forgetting that she had just been throwing a tantrum.
Having her accompany us is not only to provide her with a reliable medical assistant, but also to acknowledge and reward her recent efforts.
Temari watched Sakura's excited departure, lost in thought.
A few days later, everything was ready.
Naruto, accompanied only by Sakura and a small, elite guard, sailed to the Land of Wind aboard the fastest ship of the Apocalypse Merchant Guild.
Inside the cabin, Sakura appeared both excited and nervous, as this was her first time visiting another country as a "core member of the Apocalypse Commerce Association."
"Lord Naruto, now that we've arrived at Sunagakure, is there anything we should be careful about?" Sakura asked humbly.
Naruto looked out at the vast ocean and said calmly, "Observe more, talk less, do more.Show our value and sincerity, but don't be obsequious.Remember, you now represent the Apocalypse Merchant Guild."
"Yes!" Sakura nodded vigorously.
After sailing for several days, the ship arrived at the port of the Land of Wind.
The sweltering heat and the endless yellow sand contrasted sharply with the humid sea breeze of the Land of Waves.
The Sand Village sent a welcoming team, led by Kankuro.
He looked at Naruto with a complicated expression, but his manners remained quite polite.
"Welcome to Sunagakure, President Naruto Uzumaki." Kankuro's voice was somewhat muffled through his mask."The Kazekage is waiting in his office."
Upon entering Sunagakure Village, one can see massive sandstone buildings and fortifications everywhere, and a tense atmosphere permeates the air.
Clearly, the threat from the Akatsuki organization had put the village on high alert.
In the Kazekage's office, Gaara still sported heavy dark circles under his eyes, but his gaze was much brighter than before, and he exuded the majesty of a Kage.
He stood by the window, watching Naruto and Sakura walk in.
"Naruto Uzumaki." Gaara turned around, his voice calm.
"Lord Kazekage." Naruto nodded slightly.
Their eyes met in the air, and without much small talk, they quickly got down to business.
"Temari has already given a detailed report on the threat posed by Akatsuki."
"Sunagakure needs concrete clues, and to what extent the Apocalypse Merchant Guild can help."
Naruto gestured for Sakura to take out one.The scroll reads: "This is a partial analysis of the activities of Akatsuki members Itachi Uchiha and Kisame Hoshigaki, as well as their suspected abilities, collected by the Chamber of Commerce's intelligence department."
Gaara took the scroll, quickly glanced at it, and frowned slightly.
Naruto continued, "As for assistance, the Chamber of Commerce can provide the following support: First, establish an emergency supply transport channel, the list is here; second, share the latest intelligence about the Akatsuki organization; third, in the event of an attack on Sunagakure, provide support including medical care, intelligence analysis, and even military force, according to the agreement."
His proposed solution was clear and specific, fully demonstrating his sincerity.
Gaara paused for a moment, then looked at Naruto: "What are the conditions?The Apocalypse Merchant Guild can't provide these for free."
"Lord Kazekage is a man of few words." Naruto smiled."The Chamber of Commerce hopes to obtain freer commercial access within the Land of Wind, as well as priority mining rights for some minerals."
"Of course, the price will be based on the market price, and taxes will be paid in accordance with the law.This will also benefit the economic development of Sunagakure."
This is a win-win collaboration.Sunagakure gains security and development opportunities, while Apocalypse Merchant Guild expands its resource acquisition and influence.
Gaara exchanged a glance with his advisor Maki, clearly having anticipated this.
"The specific terms need further discussion." Gaara did not immediately agree.
"Of course." Naruto nodded.
With the initial agreement reached, the atmosphere eased considerably.
Just then, there was a knock on the office door, and Temari walked in.She had changed back into her Sunagakure attire and nodded when she saw Naruto and Sakura.
Over the next few days, the two sides engaged in intensive negotiations on the details of the cooperation.
Naruto displayed superb negotiation skills, fighting for every inch of ground while knowing when to concede, which secretly alarmed Gaara and Maki.
As a medical assistant, Sakura also participated in several discussions about wartime medical support.Her solid medical knowledge and the competence she gained under Tsunade's tutelage earned her some recognition from the Sunagakure Medical Department.
Finally, a week later, the Apocalypse Merchant Guild and Sunagakure Village officially signed the "Sunagakure-Apocalypse Strategic Cooperation Agreement." The contents of the agreement are kept confidential, and both parties expressed satisfaction with the outcome.
"Lord Naruto, are we going to stay here for a few more days?"
Sakura asked softly, this was the first time she had participated in diplomatic affairs in such an important capacity.
"What's wrong?Not getting used to it?"
"No, no!" Sakura quickly waved her hand."I just feel.a great responsibility, and the atmosphere in Sunagakure is getting more and more tense."
"It's just the calm before the storm."
Just then, Hibari appeared in a shadowy corner not far away and made a secret gesture to Naruto.
Naruto's eyes flickered slightly, and he said to Sakura, "I'm a little tired, I'll go back and rest first.Sakura, you can wander around some more and get familiar with the surroundings."
After sending Sakura away, Hibari handed over a small encrypted scroll."Through mutual verification with the information from Root's insider and the Merchant Guild's investigation, it can be basically confirmed that Akatsuki members Sasori of the Red Sand and Deidara have left the Land of Rain's base and may arrive as early as tomorrow evening."
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