A Friend's Visit

Some interesting gossip has been circulating in Sand Village recently.

These messages, like the wind in the desert, silently seeped into every corner, from market vendors to Ninja returning from missions, from old people on the streets to young girls experiencing their first love; almost everyone was talking about the same thing—their Fifth Kazekage, Gaara.

As the youngest Kazekage in the history of Sand Village, Gaara has been the focus of attention in the entire village since the day he took office.

He led this once impoverished and backward village to prosperity, thwarted countless plots against the residents, and brought unprecedented prosperity to the village.

Not to mention his handsome face.

In fact, over the years, many young girls in Sand Village have fallen for this young Kazekage, and quite a few women have even mustered the courage to express their feelings directly to Gaara.

Overt, covert, subtle, direct—all sorts of ways to express love and affection.

But Gaara's reaction is always the same: he listens politely, then refuses decisively, without any room for negotiation or exception.

Over time, a speculation began to circulate in the village: Was Gaara planning to dedicate his entire life to Sand Village and never have a partner?

This guess sounds reasonable and fits Gaara's image perfectly—the Kazekage who would give anything for the village.

However, recently, some people have noticed something is wrong.

The story begins when Gaara took a few days off; no one knows what happened during those days.

But everyone saw how Gaara looked when he returned after the holiday; he had changed.

When dealing with village affairs, he would suddenly stop, a dazed expression appearing on his face.

That expression wasn't one of fatigue, nor of being absent-minded; it was something more subtle—like recalling something beautiful, or perhaps anticipating something that was about to happen.

When he appeared in public, he was no longer the perpetually calm and composed man he once was. The corners of his mouth would occasionally turn up slightly unconsciously, and a soft light would flash in his eyes. He looked... how to put it, much gentler.

Anyone with dating experience would immediately understand what that means.

That's the radiance that comes with anticipation of meeting someone, the kind of expression only people in love have—an expression that can't be hidden.

Could it be that Gaara —in a place unknown to everyone—with someone whose identity remains a mystery?

The speculation spread like wildfire, but no one could guess who it was, because no one had ever seen Gaara get close to any woman other than his sister.

No one knows where he went or who he met during those few days of vacation.

The truth is known to only three people in the world.

They are Gaara himself, Kankuro, and... Granny Chiyo.

After quite some time, Gaara's house finally welcomed back his most welcome guest.

Every time this guest arrived, it would trigger a state of alert throughout Sand Village. After all, his identity was far too special; his every appearance was enough to put the Anbu Sunagakure high alert and make the Ninja responsible for security on high alert.

But things are different now.

Under Gaara's personal instructions and with the increasingly close cooperation between the two villages, the visit of this guest no longer required those cumbersome security procedures.

In fact, if the guest hadn't found it too much trouble, Gaara have even wanted to organize a grand welcome party every time he came.

Uzumaki Naruto, along with his wife, Uchiha Satsuki.

This time, Naruto came to visit his old friend whom he hadn't seen for some time. Satsuki, on the other hand, simply accompanied him.

At dusk, warm yellow light shone on the exquisite dishes at the dining table, releasing an enticing aroma.

"How is it? Is the taste alright?"

Naruto sat at one side of the dining table, a hopeful smile on his face, looking at the three siblings from Sunagakure across from him.

The meal in front of you was prepared by Satsuki herself.

To be honest, it's quite impolite to ask a guest to prepare dinner. But if the guest is a near-world-class cook and offers to cook, then the situation is different.

Temari picked up a piece of stew, put it in her mouth, chewed a few times, and her eyes instantly lit up.

"Delicious!" She put down her chopsticks, turned to look at Satsuki, her eyes full of amazement.

"Did Naruto teach you this? I thought this level could only be achieved through talent... Could it be Sharingan ability?"

Satsuki did not answer; she simply lowered her eyes slightly, a proud smile playing on her lips.

Of course, she wouldn't reveal Naruto's secret. She wouldn't reveal that thing called [Starry Sky Connection - Abyss of Myriad Realms]... or rather, the system.

She wouldn't reveal that she now shares everything with Naruto —including his cooking skills.

Temari received no reply and didn't seem to mind. She turned to Kankuro beside her, ready to share her amazement.

"Wow, that's amazing, isn't it, Kankuro... Kankuro?"

However, Temari noticed that Kankuro's condition was a bit off.

Kankuro was staring at the bowl in front of him with his head down, his whole body in a strangely stiff state. His gaze was evasive, and he dared not look in the direction opposite him. His face was full of guilt and unease.

"Oops? Sorry, I was daydreaming..."

He snapped back to reality, his voice a little hoarse. "Yeah, that's amazing. It's almost exactly the same as Naruto's, and just as delicious."

He immediately praised her, trying to sound natural, but his eyes still didn't dare to glance at the person opposite him.

After all, the secret he was carrying was far too big.

If that Uchiha Satsuki on the other side knew that he had turned her husband's likeness into a puppet—and a female version at that—just to satisfy his younger brother's unspeakable desires...

Kankuro felt certain that he would be killed.

He swallowed hard and lowered his gaze even further.

Temari gave him a strange look, but didn't ask any further questions. She turned her head and looked at her younger brother at the other end of the table. "Yeah, right, Gaara."

Gaara was sitting there, a steaming bowl of Ramen in front of him. He held chopsticks in his hand, his gaze fixed on the ramen.

Then he spoke.

The atmosphere at the table froze for a moment when the word "no" was uttered.

"The taste is completely different."

Gaara's voice carried an undeniable certainty. He raised his head, his eyes fixed on Naruto, filled with something very complex.

Serious, persistent, and with an inexplicable sense of loss.

Temari's expression froze, and the slight smugness on Satsuki's face also froze in mid-air.

"This broth, while rich, doesn't have the clear consistency that Naruto makes. The oil isn't evenly distributed, making it a little greasy."

Gaara put down his chopsticks and began to analyze the situation seriously.

"While the noodles were cooked to the right firmness, Naruto's noodles were chewier, and each noodle absorbed the broth to just the right degree. The flavor penetrated the outer layer and the inside of these noodles differently."

"The seasoning of the char siu is right, but the cooking time is a little off. Naruto's char siu has a slightly charred edge, but the inside remains tender. This one lacks that quality."

"The yolk of the soft-boiled egg was set well, but the white was slightly overcooked. Naruto's eggs always had the yolk and white cooked perfectly at the same time. This one, the white cooked a little earlier than the yolk."

"The scallions were chopped too finely, which ruined their delicate aroma. Naruto's chopped scallions were just the right size, releasing their fragrance into the soup without overpowering it."

He finished speaking in one breath, then looked up at Naruto.

Those eyes held a light that was almost stubborn.

"Naruto's cooking is the best."

The whole thing boils down to one thing.

Gaara wanted to eat Naruto made himself, not something Satsuki made, not something anyone else made, but something Naruto made himself.

(Next chapter preview! What if Satsuki discovers Gaara's secret...?)

Kankuro: Hmm, can we reconcile?