Seeing Chiyo's body collapse, Sakura immediately rushed over and caught her with her own body, keeping the old woman from falling to the ground.
Just then, a faint "thump... thump" rang out.
Although the sound was very faint, everyone present was strong and had exceptionally keen hearing, and they all heard it.
Everyone's expression abruptly changed, because that was the sound of a heartbeat, and it came from inside Gaara's body, though he had already died.
As the rhythmic thumping continued, Gaara's aura gradually strengthened, and the rise and fall of his chest grew more pronounced. Clearly, Gaara really had come back to life.
Chiyo heard the sound too. A satisfied smile appeared on her face, her aura plummeted, and her eyes closed.
Sakura cried out in grief:
"Granny!"
Everyone hurriedly turned to Chiyo, but she no longer responded at all.
Hidden in the shadows, Ye Feng had known this scene would happen, but witnessing it in person still left him shaken. The lingering trace of disgust he felt toward Chiyo vanished as well.
Just then, a line of dark figures appeared on the distant horizon.
Ye Feng turned to look. They were all Sunagakure Ninja, apparently here to rescue Gaara.
Ye Feng felt deeply relieved:
Luckily, this part of the plot hasn't changed much. Gaara's position as Kazekage is now secure, and Naruto has gained Sunagakure's friendship! A happy ending for everyone!
Minato Namikaze, however, was not particularly happy at the moment. He had sent letters inviting the villages to a Five Kage Summit, but Sunagakure and Kirigakure had yet to reply, while Iwagakure and Kumogakure had outright refused. The Raikage had even declared that he had no fear of this "Akatsuki" organization and would simply wipe them out if they dared come.
Minato Namikaze slammed his desk in