Sarada nodded emphatically, her gaze utterly resolute.
"I understand! Leave it to me! I'll visit them one by one and negotiate in person. I'll persuade the remaining three Kage!"
With the matter settled, Sarada prepared to take her leave and head to the next village.
Gaara suddenly spoke, his expression grave as he offered her a serious warning.
"There's one more thing I must warn you about."
"You're underestimating Naruto Uzumaki."
At those words, the relaxed atmosphere in the sitting room instantly grew tense.
"Everyone can see that the future Naruto excels at laying plans and destroying people both physically and psychologically."
"But you've only seen his political maneuvers. You haven't understood his limits or how deep his schemes run."
Gaara's tone was solemn as he spoke of the friend with whom he had faced life and death.
"I understand Naruto better than anyone else in the Shinobi World."
"He grew up bearing the entire world's malice. His character was tempered to its limits long ago."
"He's gentle and sunny on the outside, but ruthless and decisive within. His thoughts run too deep for you to fathom."
"You're betting that he values his reputation and won't want the Shinobi World thrown into chaos. That's an enormous risk."
"If he truly decides to abandon the virtuous image he's maintained all these years for the sake of reshaping the Shinobi World..."
"Forget your Anti-Fire Alliance. Even if the four great hidden villages banded together, they couldn't withstand him crushing them."
"Don't be blindly confident. Don't assume you've found his weakness."
"And most importantly, Naruto has the temperament and intelligence to match his strength."
Night shrouded the entire Kazekage's residence. Wind and sand howled beyond the courtyard, while the atmosphere in the sitting room grew unbearably oppressive.
Sarada stopped in her tracks, her