Team 7 stayed in the Land of Waves for a few more days.
For one thing, Sasuke needed time to recover after taking dozens of needles.
For another, Tazuna's Great Bridge, which Sen's "Advent of a World of Flowering Trees" had mangled beyond recognition, still needed some finishing touches.
The morning sea breeze carried a faint tang of salt.
Naruto and Sakura helped the workers haul lumber, sweating buckets.
Sasuke sat in a wheelchair, watching a spot not far away with a complicated look in his eyes.
There, Sen lay comfortably on his own luxurious lounge chair, wearing sunglasses.
He held a glass of chilled juice and directed several Wood Clones as they worked on the bridge.
"Hey, Number Two, reinforce that pier over there. Don't blame me if it collapses later."
"Number Three, trim those extra branches. They're an eyesore."
Sen sipped his juice and barked orders like a rich old landlord.
The Wood Clones worked without complaint, casually pressing their palms against the bridge deck.
Crack! Crack!
The gaps the giant trees had torn through the bridge deck were instantly packed tight with newly grown, exceptionally hard iron birch.
Even the bridge piers beneath the sea were tightly wrapped and reinforced with thick roots, making them a hundred times sturdier than reinforced concrete.
Watching this miraculous "Wood Release bridge repair method," Tazuna was moved to tears.
"A miracle! This is nothing short of a miracle!"
He clasped Sen's hand, looking ready to drop to his knees and kowtow.
"Lord Sen, if it weren't for you, we'd never have finished this bridge in our lifetimes!"
Sen pulled his hand away in distaste and wiped it on his lounge chair.
"All right, all right, old man. Spare me the flattery."
"This is barely any trouble. Just consider it payment for