Yuu's Assignment

Uchiha Yuu explained a few precautions, telling him not to use ninjutsu for the time being.

The man was not his companion. Knowing that Sunagakure would likely betray them in the future, Yuu had no intention of playing saint and did not fully heal his injuries.

"Thank you."

Feeling the pain in his chest, the Sand ninja incredulously touched his wound. Only a pale scar remained, proving that he had been injured just moments ago.

A moment later, a ninja came over to report the situation, reading from the list he had compiled:

"Report, sir. The supplies have been inventoried."

"Fifty percent of the food was damaged. The donated weapons suffered little damage, but the Explosive Tags were all swept away by the Great Waterfall and can no longer be used."

The Sunagakure Jonin's face darkened to the color of liver in his fury. Forcing down the rage in his heart, he ground out through clenched teeth:

"Amegakure! We cannot exist under the same sky!"

"Konoha, how was our route exposed?"

His tone shifted as he began questioning Konoha, making the atmosphere between the two sides increasingly tense. The Konoha Jonin at the head of the group was not afraid that they would fall out, but he was also puzzled by the matter.

"I don't know either. You should understand that damaged supplies benefit neither of our sides."

"Send these supplies back first, then investigate which link in the chain went wrong."

Now was not the time to argue. No matter how furious they were, they had to send everything back to avoid further complications.

If another wave of attacks came, it would be difficult to protect the remaining supplies.

In truth, the Konoha Jonin already had a vague suspicion. Uchiha Yuu had returned bearing signs of battle, yet he had clearly left the battlefield. Coupled with Uchiha Shuiyun's disappearance, there was a strong chance Shuiyun had done it.

He could not say that in front of the Sunagakure people, lest they use it as an excuse to demand compensation again. Konoha was not some fool with money to burn. How could they keep giving Sunagakure supplies again and again?

Uchiha Yuu did not ask about what they were discussing. Instead, he lowered his head and collected the Ibuse venom left on the ground.

He carefully gathered it into test tubes. If he encountered Ibuse in the future, developing an antidote in advance would neutralize its greatest threat.

Since more than half the supplies had been lost, their pace noticeably quickened.

When they reached the border of the Land of Wind, the landscape was completely different from the Land of Fire. The desert weather was scorching and unforgiving.

The wind blew sand into their faces, making it impossible to keep their eyes open.

Fortunately, the ninja leading the group had prepared conical hats in advance. They were the most common gear in the Land of Wind.

"Our Sunagakure ninja have it far worse than Konoha's, whether in supplies or education. We can't compare to you."

The ninja Yuu had saved was resting on a pile of straw at the back due to his injuries. Seeing the confusion in Yuu's eyes, he knew Yuu had never been to the desert before and explained further:

"But don't underestimate us. Sunagakure has its own specialties. Poison and Puppet Technique are what allow us to stand among the Five Great Ninja Villages."

Though they could not match Konoha's prosperity, confidence could be heard in his voice. His faith in the village came from the Third Kazekage's leadership.

Known as the strongest Kazekage, that title was never empty. It had been earned through strength.

Before the Third Kazekage, Sunagakure's situation had been even worse than imagined.

After entering the Land of Wind, they encountered a group of Sand ninja who had come specifically to receive them.

However, when the replacements saw the damaged supplies, their faces were full of shock. Only after some conversation did they learn that Amegakure was behind it.

Once both sides arrived at Sunagakure, the mission was finally considered complete.

Uchiha Yuu stood at the outskirts, observing Sunagakure's natural terrain. In the world of Naruto, it had seemed nothing but desolate.

Only by seeing it in person could he appreciate Sunagakure's layout. The outer layer effectively blocked the wind and sand.

But compared with Konoha, their living conditions were undoubtedly much worse.

Just as they were preparing to leave, a Jonin appeared at the village gate and immediately stopped them:

"Everyone, Lord Kazekage wishes to meet you."

Those words made the atmosphere delicate. The Konoha ninja even discreetly drew their weapons in case anything unexpected happened.

Seeing their wariness, the Sunagakure ninja hurriedly shook his head and softened his tone.

"It is to discuss this attack. Please do not overthink it. Since we accepted Konoha's supplies, we will not go back on our word."

Their concerns eased, the Konoha ninja's furrowed brows relaxed as they followed him into the village.

Since the discussion inside concerned matters between Konoha's upper ranks and Sunagakure's upper ranks, the others were arranged nearby.

Uchiha Yuu noticed the looks some children gave him. Most were curious, though some were naturally afraid.

"Hey! Are you Konoha ninja?"

An orange-haired girl stood on a rooftop, looking down at them from above, her proud expression written all over her face.

Due to their identities and the village they were in, the Chunin and Jonin being watched by Pakura could not act. They merely cursed at her a few times, wanting to drive her away.

But Uchiha Yuu, among the group, recognized her.

"Pakura..."

She did not yet possess the dashing bearing she would have in the future. She was merely a blonde little girl about his age. As for her strength, daring to appear before Konoha ninja showed that she had some courage.

Looking over, he could see a group of little followers hiding behind her.

Their gazes met at just that moment. Pakura was drawn in by his appearance. Every member of the Uchiha Clan was strikingly handsome or beautiful, and because of Sunagakure's location, most boys in the village had rough skin and could not compare with those from Konoha.

"He's so handsome!"

As expected, looks were justice. Back at the Ninja Academy, that face alone had attracted plenty of young admirers.

As he grew older and entered adolescence, Uchiha Yuu's features had gradually sharpened, giving him an air of cold arrogance.

"Ahem."

Remembering how proudly she had jumped out just now, Pakura figured she must have made a bad impression. Wanting to salvage her image, she leaped down from the roof and gave a brief introduction:

"I'm a Sunagakure ninja, Pakura!"

"What's your name?"

Her slightly flushed cheeks startled the group of Sand ninja kids behind her. It was their first time seeing Pakura embarrassed.

Was this really their big sister?

The Konoha ninja all looked as though they wanted to laugh but were forcing themselves not to. A few of them even egged Uchiha Yuu on.

"Go for it, Yuu. Lure that Sand ninja back to Konoha."

"Don't worry, the Hokage will pay your bride price."

"Kid, it's time to show your worth!"