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About an hour later, in the inn;
Naruto sat in front of a small table provided in the room as he wrote a message in a new blank scroll.
The room was basic, with just the necessities provided and a medium-sized window. What was extra was that the room had its own bathroom.
So after getting the room, Naruto put an intermediate privacy seal on the door before sitting down to write a message for Hiruzen to tell him what he found out and what is causing the tensions between Konoha and Suna.
Naruto wrote every detail he heard or figured out in the scroll before closing it. The decision now was in Hiruzen's hands. Even if it ends with war between Konoha and Suna, Suna will be at a disadvantage from the beginning. Suna's current military and economic situation is bad. Add to that that the Capital of the land of Wind, along with its Daimyo, is sending most, if not all, Missions to Konoha. So, it isn't far-fetched that the Daimyo would refuse to fund Suna if they decided to go to war with Konoha.
Suna's only valid hope is to solve this problem through diplomacy, as of right now, they can't stand toe to toe with Konoha at all. Especially since Konoha started to receive the war reparations from Kumo.
The Ryo and Chakra metal had been perfect for Konoha's treasury and weapons production. While the jewelry was sent to the Fire Daimyo, who was very pleased with them and Konoha's performance in the war against Kumo, making him increase Konoha's funding.
Naruto set down the scroll before biting his left thumb and smearing some of the blood on the palm of his right hand. He then started to weave hand signs before slamming his hand on the table.
Kuchiyose no Jutsu (Summoning Technique)
A web of Kanji appeared and surrounded Naruto's hand as a burst of smoke appeared. And as it disappeared, a small version of Katsuyu appeared in its place.
"Hello, Naruto-kun. How can I help you today?" Katsuyu said, looking at Naruto.
"Hey, Katsuyu. Can you please deliver this message to Sensei? And tell him the sooner the reply is, the better." Naruto said.
"Sure thing, Naruto-kun." Katsuyu agreed, to which Naruto inserted the scroll into her body from the side.
"See you soon, Katsuyu," Naruto said. Katsuyu nodded before disappearing in a puff of smoke.
After the smoke disappeared, Naruto went and lay down on the bed.
"What to do now?" Naruto muttered to himself.
It was too early to sleep as the sun hadn't set yet, and Naruto wasn't sleepy.
A sudden, low noise emanating from his stomach gave him the answer.
"Well, going out to eat it is then," Naruto muttered to himself as he got out of bed and got ready to leave the inn.
An hour later, in Suna's market;
"It seems the situation in Suna is worse than I thought," Naruto said as he looked around
He was feeling disappointed at what he was seeing; almost all the restaurants were closed, and those that were open didn't seem inviting to him. Even regular vendors seem to be struggling with a few of them having things for sale. Naruto doesn't even remember any vendor selling even one fresh produce.
"Looks like I am eating my own food. Let's find a place to sit first." Naruto said with a sigh as he exited the market.
A few minutes later, he came across a place that looked like a park with a children's playground with benches scattered around.
"Now that is just depressing," Naruto muttered to himself as he took in the condition of the park in front of him.
It is deserted. With no one inside, the only people that can be seen are the people who are passing by its outer edges. Naruto could see that the children's playground had dust collected on it, meaning that it hadn't been used for some time. The park itself looked bare and filled with sand. Naruto could see the husks of dead trees and vegetation all around. All in all, this place hasn't been maintained at all.
'Let's just eat and return to the inn.' Naruto thought to himself as he spotted a bench that was free from dust.
After he sat down, He took out a special sealing scroll that contained different types of bento while keeping them hot no matter how much time had passed. He only takes this scroll out whenever he is in a relatively safe zone, like right now. Normally, he would have his special food pill or dried meat when he is on missions, as they are quick and filling.
Naruto unsealed a closed bento before putting the Storage scroll back into his vest pocket.
He then took the chopsticks attached to the bento box before opening the box with slight anticipation. The storage scroll had many different types of bento boxes sealed inside it, and what is unsealed is always random.
"Karaage (fried chicken). This is a tasty one." Naruto hummed with appreciation at the now open box as the smell hit him.
The bento box is larger than a regular one, containing a large portion of rice, golden brown Karaage, pickled vegetables, seaweed, and other sides.
"Itadakimasu." Naruto muttered before he started eating.
After a few bites, Naruto paused before looking up from his meal and to the side.
"Are you going to stay there?" Naruto said out loud while looking at a corner of the building just outside the park.
A few moments later, a familiar redhead peeked out from the corner and looked at Naruto with uncertainty and awkwardness.
"Hello there, you can come near, little man. I won't bite." Naruto joked to ease up the awkward atmosphere.
Naruto felt the little boy following him ever since he left the market. Which was relatively near the Kazekage's building. There were also a few other chakra signatures near, but Naruto could feel them following the little red head and not him.
The little boy came out of the corner and walked slowly towards Naruto while clutching his worn-out teddy bear close to his chest.
He soon stood near where Naruto sat and looked at Naruto without saying anything.
Seeing the boy close, Naruto felt a deep sense of sadness seeing the boy like this. Those very young light teal eyes held so much sadness and loneliness that it made Naruto angry at those responsible. The boy looked around, Mito's age, which was an additional reason to make Naruto feel like this. Naruto could also see that the boy is tired, with prominent dark circles around his eyes that shouldn't be seen on a child his age.
"What is your name, kid?" Naruto asked softly
The boy looked surprised as he contemplated what to say.
"Gaara." The boy replied with a low, soft, uncertain voice.
"Gaara, huh. Nice name. I am Naruto. Can you tell me why you followed me?" Naruto introduced himself before asking.
Gaara looked uncertain and hesitant before speaking again.
"You smiled at me," Gaara said with a quiet tone, which Naruto heard.
"What?" Naruto breathed out, slightly shocked by the unexpected answer.
To be continued.
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