Darui walked slowly over, laziness radiating from him. Behind him followed the solemn-faced sensory ninja Shi, along with Omoi, who had a lollipop in his mouth and looked as worried as ever.
Right behind them, another sand ship bearing the emblem of the Land of Wind lowered its gangplank.
Gaara, the Fifth Kazekage, walked down with a huge gourd on his back.
Twenty years had brought sweeping changes, but time had left few traces on his face. His dark-ringed eyes remained striking, and he seemed even more composed and reserved.
The fluctuations of chakra surging around him were more astonishing than ever. He truly deserved his reputation as a genius. Even without the Tailed Beast's power inside him anymore, Gaara's combat strength was still as solid as iron.
One could even say that those long twenty years had instead been like fire refining gold, making him more unfathomable than ever.
"Twenty whole years have passed. Who could have imagined that the isolated village once shrouded in thick fog year-round would become a futuristic metropolis beyond anything we could even dream of!"
Gazing at the sight before him, Gaara could not help letting out a long sigh, his eyes filled with incredulous shock.
Although Sunagakure had hardly been idle over the past twenty years, amassing an astonishing fortune at a frenzied pace, comparing it to the steel jungle before him was like a wealthy country landlord stepping into an imperial palace.
Even if they emptied every last copper coin from Sunagakure's treasury, they probably could not scrape together enough money to build half a city block here.
"Lord Kazekage, welcome!"
Haku's voice reached him, gentle yet clear, like a breeze passing over a lake.
Hearing that familiar yet unfamiliar voice, Gaara instinctively turned his head. The instant his gaze settled on