章節 305: Chapter 305 Do You Still Want Me?
"If everyone can't come to an agreement tomorrow, we should just leave." In the room, Tsunade put down her sake cup and rub her temples, complaining, "Arguing with those stubborn fools is really exhausting."
"Fine by me. I'm tired of being here anyway." Naruto chimed in, and put away the sake cup with one hand discreetly, "Staying here won't lead to any results."
"You don't care either way, but I'm the Hokage." Tsunade tried to get the sake cup but found nothing. She immediately looked dissatisfied and stretched out her other hand to grab Naruto's collar.
"Hand it over."
"Drink less." Naruto said as he took out a half-cup of sake from the seal space, "Haven't you been grooming Kakashi-sensei to take over as Hokage, Tsunade-sama? You obviously don't want to be tied up in official duties all day long."
"That's two different things." Tsunade took a sip of her sake, "I really don't want to be stuck in that damn Hokage's Office every day, but for now, there's no other choice."
"Konoha needs me. When Kakashi is ready to take over, then I can leave."
"Where will you go?" Naruto asked curiously.
"I'll continue traveling, where else can I go?" Tsunade said, "You think I'll stay in the village, reliving memories every day? Only new experiences can dull the pain of old memories."
Perhaps due to the unsuccessful discussions and the influence of alcohol, Tsunade opened her heart a little to Naruto.
"That makes sense." Naruto agreed, "I'd like to travel around too. There's nothing stopping me now. Once I become a Jonin, I'll leave the village and go on a trip."
"You're planning to leave when you come of age?" Tsunade glanced at him sideways.
"Pretty much." Naruto replied, sharing a bit of his future plans, "I plan to visit different places, see the customs and cultures everywhere."
"Take on a couple of missions a year, earn some money to eat. Perfect."
"Two or three missions? Is that enough money?" Tsunade scoffed. Her neck was a little red from drinking. She tugged at her clothes, revealing a large expanse of pale skin, but she didn't care.
Naruto didn't care either, as if he looked completely immune to the sight. He looked at her unabashedly, leaning back in his chair with a relaxed tone, smiling as he said, "If I run out of money, I'll just borrow from you, Tsunade-sama. I won't starve."
"Borrow from me?" Tsunade chuckled, "Sure, I'll lend you some… just call me big sister."
Naruto gave the same sneer as Tsunade, "You can lie to me, but don't lie to yourself."
With a thud, Naruto, along with his coat, was thrown out of the room, crashing into the wall of the hallway. Tsunade, seemingly a bit tipsy, glared at him sharply.
"Heh, send the dinner to my room."
After saying that, the door slammed shut.
Naruto winced as he rubbed his sore back, standing up slowly. Fortunately, this floor was reserved exclusively for Konoha, so there was no one around in the hallway.
He sighed, regretting his quick tongue, and sluggishly made his way back to his room.
However, when Naruto knocked on Tsunade's door with the dinner cart later that evening, his sexy female boss seemed to have forgotten about the unpleasantness from the afternoon, motioning for him to come in.
Fortunately, Tsunade does not hold grudges, so they enjoyed a light and pleasant dinner.
…
The next day.
It was the final day of the talks that Tsunade had mentioned, and the atmosphere around the negotiation table was so tense it couldn't possibly get any tenser. It felt like a powder keg that had been pressurized for far too long, ready to explode at the slightest spark.
Even the normally gentle Mei had become assertive, coldly reprimanding the people from Kumogakure and Iwagakure. Her views aligned with Tsunade's, believing in the strength of the younger generation.
Raikage is like the godfather of the Shinobi World. He talks about the rules of the Shinobi World all the time, the realm of the strong, and how it was all about survival of the fittest.
Gaara, the Kazekage, also has a very sharp attitude. He held little regard for the older generation like Raikage and Onoki. Despite his young age, he remained calm, and he managed to counter Onoki's provocations word for word.
Onoki, still behaving like an old rogue, relied on his seniority, exuding a tyrannical air. His remarks were full of barbs, even going so far as to mention Gaara's father, the Yondaime Kazekage, and how he met an untimely end.
As for Tsunade, the Hokage, she had come here just to cause a quarrel and had no intention of taking responsibility for the Nibi's incident.
Raikage: "All the Missing-nin come from your four villages. Shouldn't you be sending out Shinobi to eliminate them? There are no traitors in our Kumogakure!"
Ohnoki: "Raikage-dono, that statement is a bit excessive. We've already issued bounty notices for our Missing-nin and distributed them to all nations. Only when we get clues first can we make targeted efforts. Otherwise, it's like looking for a needle in a haystack."
"Besides, the problem of Missing-nin has existed for a long time. You can't just ask us waste our village's resources just because Nibi's Jinchuriki from your Kumogakure was kidnapped."
Mei: "Tsuchikage-dono is right. We in Kirigakage have also had many Missing-nin before, but in recent years, we've dealt with most of the ones we could track down."
"Most of the remaining Missing-nin are on the level of Jonin or higher, and hunting them down requires significant manpower and resources."
Gaara, with his hands clasped on the table, spoke, "Sunagakure has already tracked down an organization called Akatsuki, whose members are all powerful Missing-nin from various villages."
"Sasori, the Shinobi who defected from Sunagakure many years ago, is currently working for the Akatsuki."
Tsunade tapped on the table, "Let's stop wasting time. Raikage, if you have something to say, just say it directly. Don't accuse us with baseless excuses. What's your real motive?"
As expected, the talks broke down. Raikage flew into a rage, and Tsunade walked out immediately. Mifune, the leader of the Land of Iron, sent someone to try to mediate, but Tsunade simply stated there was nothing left to discuss.
"Go tell those people from Kumogakure that they should either come up with some realistic proposals or just leave." Tsunade said, her gaze turning cold, "And they should stop bringing up Uchiha Sasuke. Whether or not the Hidden Cloud has Missing-nin is debatable. Anyone can talk pretty."
The people from the Land of Iron delivered the message to Kumogakure, and they unexpectedly gave in.
Naruto had already started packing his things but was told by Tsunade to stay one more day for a final meeting tomorrow. She said nothing more before leaving.
That afternoon, Naruto accompanied Tsunade as they carefully reviewed the documents sent by Kumogakure. After two hours of reading, Naruto was starting to feel tired, but when he turned around, he saw Tsunade was still meticulously examining the documents.
Yawning, Naruto decided to go for a walk. Not wanting to disturb Tsunade, he quietly slipped out by himself.
Stepping outside, he stood under the inn's eaves. Looking out at the snow, as soft as cotton, he exhaled a breath of warm air, his gaze drifting into the distance to ease the strain on his eyes.
Kumogakure's attitude didn't really concern him. The stance of the Mizukage, Mei, seems to be inclined towards Tsunade, but in fact, she has reached a temporary tacit understanding with Tsuchikage.
Konoha and Sunagakure are allies, so naturally, their opinions were aligned. With Mizukage and Tsuchikage in agreement, Kumogakure had no grounds for moral condemnation of either side.
As a result, the talks had formed a three-way deadlock. In the end, Kumogakure compromised and said they would solve the Nibi's incident privately.
The primary focus of this summit was on resource-sharing, with an effort to seek cooperation among the four nations.
Kumogakure had initially intended to use the Nibi's incident to force the other four nations to make concessions, but they didn't expect that no matter how tense the situation was, none of the other Four Kage budged. And as soon as Tsunade said she wanted to leave, Kumogakure was dumbfounded.
They couldn't afford to let this rare Five Kage Summit they convene end in failure, with nothing but arguments to show for it. After much deliberation, Kumogakure finally relented.
'This is a good sign, at least, it breaks the deadlock.'
Just as Naruto was letting his thoughts wander, he suddenly heard someone coming downstairs. Thinking it might be Tsunade, he instinctively turned his head, only to see Temari's melancholy face instead.
The wind and snow had grown stronger. A wooden plank was suddenly lifted by the gust and quickly swallowed by the falling snow.
The surroundings weren't exactly quiet, with the wind howling, drowning out the sound of the snow hitting the ground. Yet, amidst the chaotic white noise, Temari's footsteps and her heavy breathing were clearly audible.
Konoha and Sunagakure were staying in the same inn but on different floors. And next to it was the inn shared by Iwagakure and Kirigakure. Most of the time, this place felt deserted.
As for Temari's matter, Naruto had already cleared things up with her last time. He had said they were starting fresh, with all past grudges written off, so she didn't need to go out of her way to help him anymore.
Seeing Temari's absent-minded look, Naruto initially wanted to ask if she had heard him the last time they talked, but he reconsidered. After all, it'd be a hassle if she misunderstood again.
Maybe it was the cold or something else, but Temari's voice was a little hoarse.
"Do you still want me?"
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章節 306: Chapter 306 Please Don't Abandon Me
Ten minutes ago.
Inside Gaara's room on Sunagakure's floor.
Kankuro rubbed his head and said irritably, "Gaara, I think those guys from Kumogakure are doing this on purpose. We've wasted days going back and forth with them, and now, just as we're about to leave, they suddenly start showing sincerity."
Under the light, Gaara was reading the documents on his desk. His cold expression softened slightly when he looked up at Kankuro and spoke, "This is Kumogakure's usual negotiation style. They act like a violent gang, trying to intimidate, and when that fails, they will show sincerity."
Upon hearing this, Kankuro slammed the cooperation documents sent by Kumogakure down on the desk, scattering them, "That kind of village is really outrageous! Right, Temari?"
Kankuro looked at Temari, only to find that she seemed distracted, so he called out again.
"There's nothing surprising about it. Kumogakure has always been domineering." After putting down the documents, Temari stood up, said she was going out for some air, and left the room.
"Temari's been acting strange lately." Kankuro retracted his gaze and said, "Right, Gaara?"
"Hmm." Gaara responded without even raising his head, and continued reading the documents.
In the hallway, Temari looked toward the entrance on the floor below, her thoughts scattered. She didn't hear clearly what Naruto said that day, but she understood what he meant.
'Since it's all written off, then there probably won't be any intersection in the future, right? After all, we're from two different nations. Even though the Land of Wind and the Land of Fire are allied nations, we don't always meet at every event.'
She went to the bathroom and splashed some water on her face. The Land of Iron had good infrastructure, with hot water flowing through the pipes at all times. The warm water on her face, followed by the cold wind, which instantly cleared her mind.
In the mirror, her skin appeared pale and cold, with a classic beauty to her bone structure. A few strands of blonde hair clung to the sides of her face, giving her a soft, almost ethereal look.
Temari walked out of the bathroom and stood by a window at the end of the hallway for a while, staring blankly at the snowy landscape outside. As the Princess of Sunagakure, no matter how bad her mood was, she always found a way to process it internally.
When she was a child, she accidentally overheard her father planning to have Gaara assassinated. She was terrified for a moment, but quickly composed herself and found Gaara to take him away.
Her childhood wasn't exactly chaotic, but it was filled with tension. If she hadn't been so strong, Gaara might not have survived until now. Now, their father is already dead, and Gaara had gradually become a competent Kazekage.
'Everything seemed to be improving, so why did I still feel so empty inside?'
Right now, it's just like the little girl who stood behind the door and heard her father was going to kill her brother seven or eight years ago.
She always looked forward because there was no turning back. That cold, unfeeling family and those nightmare-like years made her instinctively avoid thinking about them.
Just as she was lost, she suddenly heard footsteps coming from the floor below, echoing clearly.
'Downstairs?' Temari's heart skipped a beat, 'There were only two people downstairs, and this sound could only be him.'
'So, he also came out for some fresh air?' Temari herself didn't know why, but ever since that time, his figure had taken root in her heart, and she couldn't forget him no matter what.
It had never been like this before. Even after they parted ways, she had gotten much better. But now, even a year later, just hearing news about him made her nervous all over again.
Just like now. Though she'd been trying to control herself, simply hearing those footsteps had already overwhelmed her. She wanted to know about Naruto's past and wanted to stay by his side.
She didn't know why. It's not like she had received much affection from her parents when she was young. But she was very good at loving someone and knew how to soothe a person's pain.
It was like a natural talent, as if she was born to be an older sister. This was why, despite Gaara listening to no one, he would still heed Temari's advice.
So, when she is kind to others from the bottom of her heart, not many people could resist her.
But with Naruto, it had no effect at all. Temari still remembered his usual heated gaze, as if he was assessing everyone, not really putting anyone in his eyes.
But somehow, Temari fell for it. Whenever he looked at her, she'd listen to whatever he said. If he said east, she wouldn't go west. She just couldn't stop herself from wanting to make it up to him.
She wanted to cover his pain with warmth, wrap his damp heart with hers, and then, along the path of his neck, devour him whole.
As if to say, 'Don't reject me. Let me get closer to you. See, I'm really good at loving someone. Be with me. I know how to love you.' With the softest, most sincere words, she wanted to tell him, 'Trust me, there is light in this world.'
The Land of Iron was covered in snow, and the outside was as abstract as a white-painted landscape. She stood in the hallway for a long time, but couldn't help herself from going downstairs.
And so, the scene that just unfolded occurred. When Naruto turned around, he saw Temari slowly coming down the stairs. She stopped about three or four steps in front of him, her eyes misty as she looked up at him.
"Do you still want me?"
He stared at her in surprise. His impression of Temari had completely changed. At first, he thought she was a bit overbearing, but after getting to know her, he found she had a surprising softness.
Some unpleasant things had happened between them, but after so much time passed, his feelings had already shifted.
"What do you mean?" He frowned.
The snow fell softly, piling on the eaves and covering the ground. Temari looked embarrassed, but she had no way out, so she stepped closer to him.
She pressed herself against Naruto, and surprisingly, he didn't push her away. Temari looked up at him, her heart racing from the excitement. When she met his eyes, her heart tightened, and she felt as though she had thrown everything on the line.
"I'll do whatever you want. I'll give you anything, just please don't abandon me."
The inn was quiet, but the sound of the wind and snow was loud enough to drown out Temari's voice. The whistling sound continued, and with a creaking sound, a branch of a nearby tree snapped under the weight of the snow.
Naruto's expression didn't change. His gaze was always like that. Those who knew him well would say that whether he was staring at a tree or a dog, his eyes looked the same, as if they weren't really seeing anything.
Because he often drifted into his thoughts, it would take him a moment to snap back while exclaiming, 'Oh!' and realized that it was a tree.
He gently pushed Temari away, and asked lazily, "Do you really want this?"
"Yeah." Temari lowered her head, and her face immediately turned red as the tension in her heart relaxed. Thinking back to what she had just said, she wanted to find a crack in the ground to crawl into.
"We don't have much time. We'll probably have to leave this place after the Five Kage Summit tomorrow." As he spoke, he grabbed Temari's hand and intertwined his fingers with hers.
Temari was overwhelmed, so she closed her eyes slightly and whispered, "Then what should we do?"
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