Friendship Gone Sour

No one else, including Naruto, expected Gaara to be so disrespectful.

The atmosphere at the dining table was frozen solid, and the instigator— the Fifth Kazekage of Sand Village —sat there with a serious expression, as if discussing a matter of vital importance concerning the survival of the village.

So, were all the things Gaara said true?

Of course not.

Gaara isn't a professional gourmet. His appreciation of food is at most limited to the simple level of "delicious" and "not delicious".

His analyses of the soup base's oiliness, the noodles' chewiness, the char siu's cooking time, and the soft-boiled egg's doneness were merely fragments he had jot down while observing Naruto cooking, pieced together from various sources.

What those words were really trying to express wasn't about the taste at all.

Instead—he was throwing a tantrum.

Just like a child.

I had been eagerly anticipating Naruto's arrival.

From the day he learned that Naruto was coming, Gaara began to look forward to it. He imagined sitting at the dining table with Naruto, listening to Naruto tell him about the interesting things that had happened recently, about things he didn't know about, and about the stories that had happened in the days Naruto was away from him.

It was just him and Naruto, just like every time they had met before.

But now, Naruto has someone else by his side.

Uchiha Satsuki.

That's not all; what's even worse is that this guy ruined the only chance he had for Naruto to cook him a meal himself.

Yes, Satsuki's cooking skills are just as good as Naruto's.

In terms of deliciousness, of course, the same applies.

From a technical standpoint, there's nothing wrong with the Ramen that Satsuki made. It was indeed delicious, indeed exquisite, and indeed deserved all the praise.

But— Gaara didn't want to eat "delicious Ramen".

He wanted to eat "Naruto's Ramen".

The focus is on the people, not the food.

Moreover... Gaara's gaze fell on the bowl of noodles in front of him, and a very faint, almost imperceptible resistance flashed in his dark green eyes.

The thought that this bowl of noodles was made by Satsuki made him feel—it was truly tasteless.

This feeling was indescribable, and he didn't even want to think about it. He was just instinctively resisting the fact that the small, private connection that originally belonged to him and Naruto had been taken over by someone else.

Silence fell over the dining table.

Temari stood there, Temari, unsure what to say. Her gaze darted back and forth between Gaara and Naruto, her mind a complete mess.

Kankuro lowered his head even further. He wished he could hide under the table, wished he could disappear on the spot.

The expression on Satsuki's face had changed from its initial stiffness to a subtle complexity.

She looked down at the Ramen in front of her, which had been criticized mercilessly.

The noodles she made were described like this... But Naruto always said they were delicious!

"Um... Gaara..." Naruto's voice broke the suffocating silence. "Is Satsuki's ramen really that bad?"

"It's not bad." Gaara shook his head seriously.

"It's not as good as Naruto did."

Then, his eyes stared straight at Naruto, filled with unwavering expectation. "Naruto... can you do it next time?"

"..."

Uchiha Satsuki put down her chopsticks, her eyes narrowing slightly; she had finally realized something was wrong.

As she watched the scene unfold, Naruto smiled and promised to make Ramen next time, while the Fifth Kazekage of Sand Village jumped for joy the moment he heard the promise.

Satsuki looked at Gaara, who was currently chatting with Naruto, and noticed the gentle expression on his face that she had never seen before, and the focused, almost obsessive look in his eyes when he gazed at Naruto...

This guy's attitude towards Naruto is strange, very strange, even nine-tenths strange.

Of course, Satsuki knew that Naruto used to frequently use the Flying Thunder God Technique to visit Sand Village. Naruto had mentioned this to her more than once, always in a casual tone, as if Gaara were visiting an ordinary friend.

She always thought that Gaara was like Choji and Kiba to Naruto—just an ordinary friend with whom he could eat and chat, but nothing more.

But now she doesn't think that way anymore.

She had actually noticed something amiss before, but at those times, her attention was occupied by other things, and she didn't think about it deeply.

For example... on his wedding day with Naruto.

Satsuki's memories began to rewind, returning to that dreamlike day.

She remembered all the gifts she received that day. They came from relatives and friends, and from her comrades in Konoha —each gift represented a sentiment, and each one was worth cherishing.

But there was one gift that, compared to all the others, was simply a game-changer.

One hundred catties of Gold Dust, ten boxes of top-grade secret spices from the Land of Wind, fifty jars of ancient oasis-brewed wine, twenty boxes each of candied fruit and sugar crystals made by a nobleman's royal confectionery chef, one hundred sets of ninja tools crafted by Sunagakure's top artisans, and -- a permanent mining right certificate for a small chakra-conducting metal mine.

Those gifts were almost as lavish as state gifts.

But... Gaara didn't offer a single blessing that day.

He attended the wedding and presented a gift that shocked everyone present, but from beginning to end, he never said "congratulations" to her, nor did he say "I wish you happiness."

At that time, Satsuki was immersed in immense happiness and did not notice this detail.

But now that I think about it...

Doesn't that sound like a scene from one of those romance novels she used to read?

Those who have failed in their pursuit of happiness say nothing at the protagonist's wedding, simply offering the best they can. Then they stand in a corner, watching the protagonist's happiness, bearing their own resentment and disappointment alone.

She looks exactly like a loser.

Loser.

When the word popped into Satsuki's mind, she was startled.

Is it really possible?

No, no, no, that shouldn't be the case.

Gaara is the Kazekage of Sand Village, how could he Naruto...

But once the seed of doubt is planted, it will grow uncontrollably.

Satsuki stared at Gaara's retreating figure, a hint of suspicion flashing in her dark eyes.

Meanwhile, Gaara, who was excitedly chatting with Naruto, was completely unaware of the scrutinizing gaze behind him.

"They really have a good relationship, don't they?"

After the meal, Temari was clearing the table, stacking the dishes as she casually remarked.

Her gaze swept towards the living room— Naruto had just been dragged away by Gaara, who said the stars outside were beautiful and she wanted to go see them with Naruto.

"Huh? This..."

Kankuro was about to slip away unnoticed when Temari's words froze him in place. He stiffly turned his head, forcing a smile that looked more like a grimace.

"Yes... after all, Naruto was Gaara's first friend."

"..."

Satsuki sat there quietly, her eyes gazing towards the balcony, lost in thought. Then, she turned her head and looked at Kankuro.

Is that so?

"Two people watching the stars together? Don't you think that's a bit much?"

Fine beads of sweat began to appear on Kankuro's forehead.

"Well... um... it's normal for good friends to look at the stars... right..." he stammered, not daring to look at Satsuki at all.

"Don't go yet," Satsuki's voice rang out again. "I have a question for you."

Kankuro stood frozen in place, feeling his back soaked with cold sweat.