Half a month later.
The Land of Wind.
A figure in a gray robe and a bamboo hat stood silently amid the endless yellow sands.
In the distance, the outline of a vast canyon shimmered in the scorching, distorted air.
Deep within the canyon, a faint patch of green stood out against the barren yellow surroundings.
It was a sizable oasis.
Looking at the canyon ahead, Guy slowly shook his head.
"The Land of Wind... it really is barren."
Though the Land of Wind had the largest territory of the Five Great Nations, it was also the poorest, with the harshest environment.
Over eighty percent of the country consisted of unbroken stretches of desert.
On his journey, Guy had seen only a handful of scattered oases sustained by underground water sources.
Everywhere else was desolate.
The canyon oasis before him was the Land of Wind's ninja village.
Sunagakure.
The gateway to the Land of Wind, it concentrated over seventy percent of the country's ninja forces.
Yet even so, all it had to support it was a moderately sized oasis in the desert.
Guy turned his gaze toward the canyon.
"According to the information I gathered along the way, the Fūu Clan has supposedly traveled deep into the Land of Wind. They may be operating near the capital right now."
"But since I'm already near Sunagakure... I might as well take a look inside."
This was no spur-of-the-moment decision.
The Jinchuriki of Shukaku, the One-Tail, was no longer the old monk Bunpuku, but Pakura.
Pakura had even joined the Land of Rain.
With such a change, Guy had no idea how fate had turned out for Gaara, who should originally have been born as a "perfect weapon."
Since he was here, he might as well check.
If he could stir up