The setting sun.
The last trace of golden light from the residual sun scattered across the western desert, painting the vista in brilliant gold.
The fine sand covering the ground was dyed like gold by the sunset, breathtakingly beautiful.
The occasional grains of sand lifted by the breeze were clear and crystalline.
Yura silently watched the scene.
"Beautiful, isn't it?" a voice came from beside him.
Someone walked up, staring intently at the west, admiring the view with him.
Without looking, Yura knew it was Yuno.
This was outside the walls of Sunagakure (Sand Village). The two of them—no, dozens of other ninja, high-ranking Suna officials, and numerous residents—were all waiting here for the hostages captured by Konoha (Leaf Village) to return.
"It's a shame! It only looks like gold. How great would it be if it were real gold! If everything were gold, wouldn't our Sunagakure be saved?" Yuno sighed sincerely, a persistent sorrow on his face.
Yura did not answer, remaining silent.
Yuno was used to it.
His companion had become even more taciturn since leading a small group on an S-rank mission.
Yuno knew some parts of that mission—it was a mission of treason. Therefore, he completely understood Yura's change.
Moreover, after that mission, everyone in the squad besides Yura was left with deep psychological trauma and was currently still in recovery.
Compared to them, Yura was quite the hard man!
Thinking of the person Yura had met during the mission, Yuno recalled the reason for their failed invasion of Konoha this time.
He sighed deeply. "It's been three days. They should be back by now, right?"
"Mhm," Yura replied with a perfunctory nod.
"Yura..." Yuno paused, reflecting on the main culprit for the failed expedition, and finally couldn't hold back.
He turned his head, his eyes full of confusion. "Is Uzumaki Naruto really that strong?"
Yuno simply couldn't comprehend it. Was the Uzumaki Naruto advertised in the newspapers truly that powerful?
Yura was silent for a moment, then gave a slight nod.
"Mhm."
Yuno knew that though Yura was a man of few words, having grown up with him, he knew one thing: Yura never lied.
"Heh heh."
Yuno laughed, the sound carrying a touch of helplessness.
In the distance, one, then a few, then a dozen, and then more figures topped the tall sand dunes, appearing in everyone's sight.
"They're back! They've returned!" a ninja shouted.
Everyone rushed forward at once.
"Welcome back, heroes!"
"Welcome the heroes home!"
A flurry of slogans was shouted.
The populace welcomed them sincerely, and the atmosphere was incredibly fervent.
Although these returnees were hostages defeated and detained by Konoha, they were still people who risked their lives for the future benefit of Sunagakure. They were all heroes of the Sand!
The sentiment, 'The enemy of my enemy is my hero,' rang true here.
However, in stark contrast to the cheering crowd, the returnees were utterly dejected, having discarded their armor and weapons. Some hadn't even fully recovered their wits.
A member of the welcoming party spotted a friend among the returning heroes, walked up, and vigorously patted the person's shoulder, offering encouragement: "Why so down? Next time, we will definitely win next time!"
He was full of ambition. Though they lost this time, they were sure to win next time.
Would they become anti-war?
No, they were merely anti-defeat!
The scene was bustling. Infected by the atmosphere, the hostages felt much better for a moment.
On a hastily erected platform, the elderly Elder Chiyo delivered an important speech.
She reviewed the past and looked forward to the future. Only after the people on the scene had swallowed several mouthfuls of sand did she finally announce the dismissal.
Subsequently, a grand welcoming banquet was held inside the village.
This was a banquet of victory, a banquet of pride!
This banquet was meant to tell everyone in Sunagakure that they, the Sand Village, had not been defeated!
They simply hadn't won!
Yura didn't eat at the banquet; he wasn't particularly hungry.
More importantly, the food on the tables was rather meager—not even enough for the returning 'heroes.'
Yura's task was to patrol, walking back and forth through the venue. This was a mission he had volunteered for, allowing him to gather intelligence.
"Ptooey! This is disgusting!"
A returning hero spat out a mouthful of sand-covered rice cracker.
Yura turned to look. He recognized the man as Daiki, a Chunin who had participated in the operation against Konoha.
He currently had one arm in a sling, apparently injured in the battle.
Daiki thought back to the treatment he received in the Konoha prison. Then, looking at the few miserable 'dishes' on the table, he couldn't help but complain: "That's it? This isn't even as good as the food in the Konoha jail."
"Keep it down a little!" The person next to him tugged at his good arm.
"Look at this," Daiki pointed to his cheek. "See that? That's the Konoha treatment. I got fat in prison! Look at you!"
Daiki pointed at the person trying to caution him. "Look at the fat on your stomach. Didn't you also get fat during your time in prison?"
"We ate so well in Konoha, and now look at the treatment we're receiving. We're heroes who risked our lives for the Sand Village! This kind of treatment? This food, never mind the taste, isn't enough to fill our stomachs! Half a cracker, half a mouthful of sand! Ptooey!"
As he spoke, he spat out a mouthful of sand.
"Watch your words! Be careful of the Anbu!" another older, middle-aged ninja warned him.
"Hmph!"
Daiki snorted, glanced at Yura standing nearby, and finally shut his mouth.
"Try to understand! The village has no money left!"
"It's all Uzumaki Naruto's fault!"
Someone said this, instantly sparking a consensus among the crowd.
If there hadn't been such a powerful Uzumaki Naruto, their sudden attack on Konoha would have undoubtedly been victorious this time!
Once Sunagakure won, all the things that originally belonged to Konoha—the massive missions and commissions, the unimaginable wealth, and even the vast stretches of fertile black land—would have been theirs!
If they had secured that money and those resources, how could Sunagakure have fallen into such a desperate state?
How could they not even provide a good meal for their returning heroes?
"It's all Uzumaki Naruto's fault!" (x N)
The Suna ninja instantly reached a consensus!
In a moment, complaints about Uzumaki Naruto erupted everywhere.
Yura turned and walked away. He continued to scan his surroundings, silently engraving the faces of everyone who was cursing Bro Na into his memory.
In another corner.
Hearing the widespread complaints about Uzumaki Naruto, Kankuro looked at Gaara, who was silently eating at the same table.
In his memory, Gaara utterly disliked participating in such events and preferred to be alone.
Kankuro didn't know why Gaara had decided to attend this gathering.
Looking around, because of Gaara's presence, only the three of them—Gaara, Kankuro, and Temari—were at their table; everyone else dared not approach.
"Gaara," Kankuro called softly.
Previously, he wouldn't have initiated a conversation, mainly fearing that he might anger Gaara for no reason and be beaten.
But since the battle with Naruto, Kankuro had noticed that Gaara seemed to have changed a lot.
"Hmm?"
Gaara slowly and methodically chewed on a cracker.
Hearing Kankuro call him, he looked up. Although his emerald green eyes were still cold, they were much softer than before.
"Are you leaving?"
Gaara asked the question, then stood up. "Then let's go."
"Mhm."
Kankuro stood up, and he and Temari followed behind Gaara as they left.
Yura walked past them, crossing their paths.
Reaching the end of the hall, Yura looked up at the spherical Wind Kazekage building in the center of the village.
A meeting that would decide the future fate of Sunagakure was currently taking place there.
What a pity.
Yura lowered his head and continued on his patrol.
What a pity he didn't have a chance to go in and listen.
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An Important Announcement: Time to Write Our Own Novel!
Hello everyone!
Thank you all so much for your support; it truly helps me keep going!
I have some exciting news: after translating many fanfics, I've decided it's time to start writing my own Novels! I plan to begin with a new fanfic—I'm currently thinking of either the Avatar: The Last Airbender or Douluo Dalu universe, featuring a Neutral protagonist. That is exactly what I meant by Neutral Protagonist (This refers to the character's Alignment. A Neutral Protagonist is not strictly bound by concepts of absolute good or evil, nor are they necessarily tied to Law or Chaos. Their actions are generally motivated by their own survival, personal goals, or a desire for balance, operating in a morally gray area.)
Once I've written a few fanfics and gained more experience, I can then move on to developing my own original novel soon after.
If you want a direct hand in shaping the main character's destiny and giving input, be sure to join the poll!
I've launched a poll on my P@t reon page!
HOW YOU CAN PARTICIPATE:
1. Head over to our P@t reon page and become a member. (Don't worry, even those with a free membership can join the poll and share their input!)
2. Select any option you desire in the poll
3. Leave a comment on the poll post or send me a DM if you have any specific thoughts or ideas!
p@treon HongMengZi