Naruto: Passerby and Returnee

Chapter 403 Returning "Home"

"See, isn't everything alright?"

The first time experiencing the Flying Thunder God Technique, one feels a little dizzy, and with Gaara's injuries not fully healed, he almost stumbled when he landed. Fortunately, Naruto's hand supporting his shoulder was strong enough that he regained his balance and looked up to see the gates of his own ninja village.

I'd heard the Flying Thunder God Technique was incredibly convenient, and it truly is! However, casting it over long distances must consume a lot of energy; otherwise, why would he sense the fox on Naruto's side becoming restless?

"It's Lord Kazekage!"

"Great! Lord Kazekage is back!"

"Quickly! Go and greet the master!"

The two sides of the stone wall instantly became bustling with activity, and many people couldn't resist leaving their posts to come down. The one who rushed down the fastest was their captain.

As soon as Yura landed, he knelt down, his only eye red and swollen, looking as if he was about to cry. Gaara rushed forward to pull him up, but couldn't budge him at first, and Yura's head landed straight on the sand.

"I am truly sorry, Lord Kazekage! This is all my fault for failing to report the situation sooner!"

"No one could have predicted this kind of unexpected situation. Yura, you did a great job by preventing the enemy from setting foot on Sunagakure's land." Gaara had truly changed a lot. Three years ago, no one would have imagined that this god of war would actually comfort his subordinate. His subordinate was deeply moved and collapsed to the ground without a word before he could even reply.

"Yura?"

"Captain! What's wrong with you!"

A large, wailing crowd, originally there to welcome the Kazekage, ended up only able to rush their captain to the hospital in the chaos, while also trying to arrange a stretcher-drive for the Kazekage. Gaara decisively refused, only watching the departing team with some worry, after all, Yura was very important in his future plans.

"Sorry, please excuse the commotion," Gaara said somewhat helplessly, having been forced to appease the guards at the door and get them back to their posts.

"Mr. Yura, it seems you haven't rested since you were kidnapped, so it's quite normal that you suddenly fainted." Naruto patted Gaara's shoulder nonchalantly and said with a smile, "You've got quite a few good friends now."

Gaara was infected by that smile and also smiled faintly. Come to think of it, he hadn't properly thanked Naruto yet; Naruto must have done a great deal to get him back alive. But before he could speak, Naruto gently nudged him, encouraging him to continue forward.

"Hurry up, everyone is waiting for you."

Beyond the narrow passage lay a large open space, originally intended for the convenience of assembling troops, but now transformed into a plaza to welcome heroes. Ninjas and civilians alike had gathered there, their cheers rising like endless waves, piercing the sky layer upon layer.

The first to rush forward was Temari, who had just returned to Sunagakure. She had only accepted a routine overseas mission, but upon her return, she was stunned by the devastating news. One of her two younger brothers had been poisoned by Sasori and was lying in bed, while the other had been kidnapped by Akatsuki and was in critical condition. She was so anxious that she almost disobeyed orders to go and rescue him. Fortunately, the people of Konoha were incredibly fast. The negotiations had barely ended when the rescue team returned victorious. Only Gaara was temporarily sent to Konoha for treatment.

Although her younger brothers were all stubborn and disobedient from a young age, as the older sister, she genuinely felt sorry for not being able to help them in crucial moments.

"Welcome home." A thousand words were condensed into this brief blessing. Temari smiled from the bottom of her heart, but her nose tingled and her eyes were warm.

Thankfully, they were both alright, otherwise how would I explain it to my mother?

Gaara was also somewhat dazed when he saw his sister. Even when he was severely injured and taken away, he hadn't completely lost consciousness. The past years churned in his memory like a revolving lantern, and he truly felt that he was going to die at one point. It was precisely these echoes that made him realize that his blood-soaked and lonely past wasn't just filled with pain; the companionship of his blood relatives had never left him, but he had been trapped in his own world and unwilling to acknowledge it.

Until the very end of his memories, a blond, blue-eyed child entered his blank world. The young boy finally stopped curling up and crying. That person, like the sun, helped him break down the barriers between himself and the world, allowing him to rediscover beauty and joy.

Thinking of this, Gaara couldn't help but glance back, only to find that the person had long since disappeared, and behind him were guards who had quietly slipped away from their posts. They quickly flew back when they met his gaze.

This grand welcoming ceremony was entirely spontaneous; everyone came without even knowing when Gaara would return, only that it would be today. Kankuro had originally wanted to come too, but his condition—being able to walk with crutches—was too embarrassing, so he obediently waited at the hospital, pressing his face against the window, staring intently at the path he would inevitably take to get here. Only when he finally saw Gaara's figure clearly did his heart truly relax, and he lay down on the bed and fell asleep immediately.

"We simply don't know how to thank you enough." During a break from Gaara's examination, Maki, who had finally finished his work, had time to come to the inn where the Konoha ninjas were staying and gave them a ninety-degree bow.

"That's too kind. Konoha and Sunagakure are allies; we were just doing our duty." Naruto was the one who came out to greet them. Kakashi-sensei was still lying down; he hadn't yet fully adapted to the Mangekyou Sharingan. Sakura, on the other hand, was observing Kakashi-sensei's condition, looking for ways to alleviate the aftereffects.

"However, the fact that the Kazekage was rescued with almost no losses is thanks to Konoha, and gratitude is a must. If you need anything in the future, please feel free to contact us, and we will do our best." Maki made this promise, believing that Gaara would say the same.

However, Naruto was no longer the sixteen-year-old Naruto. He smiled calmly and said, "Is this Sunagakure's promise to Konoha, or yours to us?"

Maki had a very deep impression of Naruto. Whether it was forcing Sunagakure to defect during the Konoha Crush plan or consolidating Gaara's determination to abandon the mission during a meal in the Land of Owls, these were not things that could be done by strength alone.

Even though they had only met a few times, Maki had absolute confidence that Naruto could become Hokage, even more so than when Gaara was running for Hokage.

So, he also made a rare joke about Naruto.

"Is there a difference? In a few years, these two promises will be the same."