Naruto: Passerby and Returnee

Chapter 374 Strolling

"Naruto-sama, it's been a long time."

Shin, who was in charge of coordinating the Chunin Exams, took time out of his busy schedule to pay a visit. For this benefactor who had saved the two brothers from dire straits, offering his complete loyalty from this day forward wouldn't be too much. But this man was very different from others; he never demanded loyalty through a cursed seal contract, and even disliked the title "Sir," preferring to treat them as equals, like friends.

"It's been a long time since I last wrote. I told you not to call me 'sir' anymore. How have you been lately? The desert climate is drier than Konoha, which isn't good for the lungs..." Even though they had come to bother them in the evening, Naruto warmly received the two brothers. He even remembered their previous illness, bringing them lung-soothing medicine and telling them not to push themselves and to apply to return home if needed.

"Matsuri, you must stay close to Naruto-sama and absolutely do not cause him any trouble."

"I know, brother, you've said it so many times."

The brothers' little chatter didn't affect their plans for the next day. On the last day of preparations for the ceremony, Gaara famously skipped work, sending his sands early in the morning to deliver a message to Naruto, asking him to meet him somewhere in Sunagakure. So, Matsuri, who had decided to listen to her brother, went to see him early in the morning only to find Naruto nowhere to be found.

"Skipping work?" Naruto knew Gaara's carefree nature, and his first words upon meeting him were a teasing remark. He'd been a candidate before, so he knew today was supposed to be the busiest day, confirming the ceremony's procedures. Yet Gaara had actually asked him out—even more capricious than him!

"There's a clone." The sand clone can last a long time; it just needs to return before it ends.

Great minds think alike! Naruto, who also likes to use clones to fool others, casually gave Gaara a thumbs up.

"What did you want to see by calling me out here?"

Don't get me wrong, this is exactly what it means. The Seventh Hokage rarely left Konoha, and neither did Naruto Uzumaki. He was the pinnacle of the ninja world for a long time, and the number of missions that required his involvement was pitifully small, so he visited Sunagakure very infrequently. Moreover, every time he came, he was always burdened with heavy tasks. Fortunately, the Kazekage was always cooperative, and they would finish their official business in a race against time before they had time to stroll around the village.

Gaara is the type who's cold on the outside but warm on the inside. He appears indifferent to everything, but actually loves to show off. Every time Gaara visits Sunagakure, he takes him to see his prized creations. For example, he'll point out which commercial street has been developed so successfully, which building is particularly magnificent, and which park's finishing touch was his work...

In short, once you get to know Gaara, you'll realize he's a really interesting friend.

This time, Naruto guessed correctly again, but... he guessed in a slightly different direction.

“That is…” A patch of green stood out against the yellow sand. Before he even got close, Naruto saw the open sand that was protected from all danger.

"I got some inspiration in the Land of Owls, so I came back to give it a try." Gaara's tone was calm, but he struck what he considered his coolest pose.

Unfortunately, when faced with such a land, Naruto never focused on the people, but instead asked uncertainly, "Can I go down and take a look?"

With permission granted, Naruto shamelessly burrowed into the ground, carefully examining the growth of the desert plants, looking even more dedicated than the Sand Village's herders. Gaara was a little bewildered, but when Naruto jumped down, he instinctively followed. The two of them, crouching low to the ground, looked like two robust fruits had sprouted from the earth.

After confirming the situation for a while, Naruto stood up and his first words were, "You guys take such good care of your plants."

Huh? Naruto knows about this? He just brings back the seeds and hands them over to the specialist who grows herbs, and they only come to check on them periodically.

"They even provided a special nutrient solution, and the fertilizer was plentiful. No wonder each plant can grow so big." Naruto sniffed the sand and said, "But this is a bit... how should I put it... putting the cart before the horse? No, it should be said to be going against the grain? Anyway, that's the idea."

"What does that mean?" Gaara's comprehension was decent, but he still didn't quite understand.

“This grass is called sea buckthorn. It’s cold-resistant, drought-resistant, and can thrive in poor soil. It’s edible and can be used as medicine. It’s an excellent plant for stabilizing sand. But you’re treating it like royalty. Doesn’t that contradict its cultivation principles?” Naruto asked gently with a smile, “You want to solve the desertification near Sunagakure, right?”

Gaara nodded.

"Then you need more than just seeds; you also need professional guidance. This plant is indeed very good, but it's easy for it to age prematurely if planted directly in sand. Some preliminary measures are needed. If your growers weren't so skilled, they would have had a hard time even germinating."

Now Gaara finally understood, and he instantly comprehended the pained expressions on the faces of those envoys every time he used his Eyes of Sand to spy on them. It turned out he had only completed half of his pilgrimage, causing them all so much suffering.

"I will send an envoy to the Land of Owls to learn from them in a while." Gaara nodded, indicating that he had remembered.

The leader, who had unintentionally given his own people free advertising, maintained a helpless smile. Gaara in his past life had never ventured in this direction; new experiences certainly bring new inspiration. However...

"Don't send them directly. Use some other reason, at least to fool the Daimyo." Naruto spoke about politics for the first time in front of the still young Gaara, and unusually, he was straightforward and without any beating around the bush.

Gaara's blue eyes widened slightly, but he didn't ask any questions, only nodded. Although he didn't quite understand the intricacies of the situation, Naruto wouldn't harm him, and these suggestions were worth considering.

The two then went to another experimental site, which was not a plant testing field, but belonged to the children.

"This is the first commoner school in Sunagakure. It has only enrolled one class of students so far. It will only get better and better in the future." Gaara tried to find an excuse for the school's desolation.

"Most of your ninjas are from Sunagakure, since you're stationed on the desert border, conditions aren't as good as in the heart of the Land of Wind. However, perhaps we could broaden our recruitment criteria a bit; teaching adults survival skills wouldn't be a bad idea. Your ninja training is an elite program, and many who are eliminated don't fare very well..."

Gaara remained silent, engrossed in taking notes. At that moment, he deeply felt that Naruto was the miracle who could rewrite the fate of ninjas.