You's Positioning

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

The other man was not his companion. Knowing that Sand Village was very likely to betray them later, You could not act like a saint and did not completely heal his injuries.

"Thank you."

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

Shortly afterward, a ninja came over to report the situation. Holding the records he had compiled, he read aloud:

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

"Half the food has been damaged. The weapons provided as aid suffered little damage, but the explosive tags were all swept away by the Great Waterfall and can no longer be used."

The Sand Village Jonin's face had turned the color of liver with rage. Suppressing the fury in his heart, he gritted his teeth and said:

"Hidden Rain Village! We cannot coexist under the same sky!"

"People of 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 leading the group was not afraid that they would tear things apart, but he was equally puzzled by this matter.

"I don't know either. You should understand that if the supplies were damaged, it would benefit neither of our sides."

"Send these supplies back first, then investigate which part of the process went wrong."

This was not the time to argue. No matter how furious they were, they had to send everything back first, lest further delays bring more trouble.

If another attack came, it would be difficult to protect the remaining supplies.

In truth, the Konoha Jonin already had a faint suspicion. Uchiha You had returned bearing traces of battle, yet he had clearly left the battlefield. Combined with Uchiha Shuiyun's disappearance, there was a good chance Shuiyun had done it.

This could not be said in front of the Sand Village people, lest they try to extort more from them again. Konoha was not some fool with money to burn. How could they keep providing supplies again and again?

Uchiha You did not ask about what they were discussing. Instead, he lowered his head and collected the Salamander poison left on the ground.

He carefully gathered it into test tubes. If he encountered a Salamander in the future, he could develop an antidote in advance and neutralize its greatest threat.

With more than half the supplies gone, their pace noticeably increased.

When they reached the border of the Land of Wind, the terrain was entirely different from that of the Land of Fire. The desert weather was scorching and harsh.

The wind whipped 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 equipment in the Land of Wind.

"Our Sand Village ninja have it much worse than Konoha's, whether in supplies or education. We simply cannot compare to you."

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

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

Though they could not compare to Konoha's prosperity, confidence could be heard in his words. That confidence in his village came from the Third Kazekage's leadership.

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

Before the Third Kazekage, Sand Village's situation had been even worse than one could imagine.

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

However, upon seeing the damaged supplies, the replacements were stunned. Only after talking did they learn that Hidden Rain Village had been responsible.

Once both sides arrived at Sand Village, this mission was considered complete.

Uchiha You stood on the outskirts, observing Sand Village's natural landscape. From the world of Naruto, all he had ever seen was desolation.

Only by seeing it firsthand could he understand Sand Village's layout. Its outer layer effectively shielded it from wind and sand.

However, compared to Konoha, their living conditions were undoubtedly much worse.

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

"Everyone, Lord Kazekage wishes to see you."

Those words made the atmosphere subtle. The Konoha ninja even secretly drew their weapons in case something unexpected happened.

Seeing their vigilance, the Sand Village ninja quickly shook his head and softened his tone.

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

With their concerns eased, the Konoha ninja's furrowed brows relaxed somewhat, and they followed him into the village.

Since the discussion inside concerned the upper ranks of Konoha and Sand Village, the others were arranged to wait nearby.

Uchiha You 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, pride written all over her face.

Because of their identities and the village they were in, the Chunin and Jonin being watched by Pakura could not make a move. They only cursed at her a few times, wanting to drive her away.

But Uchiha You recognized her identity.

"Pakura..."

She was not yet the valiant woman she would become in the future, but merely a blond little girl about his age. As for her strength, daring to appear before Konoha ninja showed that she had some courage.

Looking in the direction she had come from, he could see a group of little followers hiding behind her.

Their eyes happened to meet. Pakura was drawn in by his appearance. Every member of the Uchiha Clan was strikingly handsome or beautiful, and because of Sand Village's location, most boys in the village had rough skin and simply could not compare to those from Konoha.

"He's so handsome!"

Sure enough, looks were justice. Back at the Ninja Academy, this face alone had attracted quite a few young admirers.

As he grew older and entered adolescence, Uchiha You's features had gradually sharpened, giving him an aloof and arrogant air.

"Ahem."

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

"I'm a ninja of Sand Village, Pakura!"

"What's your name?"

The faint blush on her cheeks surprised the group of young Sand ninja behind her. It was the first time they had ever seen Pakura act shy.

Was this really their big sister?

The Konoha ninja all looked like they wanted to laugh but were holding it in. Several of them egged Uchiha You on.

"Go for it, You. Lure a Sand ninja back to Konoha."

"Don't worry. The Hokage will provide the bride price."

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