Naruto: Passerby and Returnee

Chapter 378 Blue Sky, Yellow Sand, and Hope

The Sand Village's desert is far more dangerous than the Forest of Death. In the forest, the biggest worry is wild beasts and ambushes from other groups, while in the desert, the biggest worry is... survival.

Compared to forests teeming with resources, the desert presents a significantly greater challenge to survival. Therefore, the number of examiners in Sunagakure is more than double that in Konoha, precisely to rescue examinees in unforeseen circumstances and prevent unnecessary casualties. Unfortunately, the desert is indeed unpredictable; halfway through the third exam, a sandstorm swept in.

"This is not a normal sandstorm. Although it is very faint, there is human chakra in the sand." Without the main body being there in person, being able to distinguish between natural energy and human chakra is already the limit.

"You don't need to tell me, it doesn't look normal." Someone who had been spending a lot of time in the lab and hadn't been out on fieldwork was thrown into the desert, which he disliked the most, on the grounds that it was the most mobile place.

"Haha, indeed, they came as soon as they were told. I'm a little curious about how they did it."

Tobirama's eyes were filled with disapproval. This kind of ninjutsu with such a wide range of effects clearly required a huge amount of energy, making it completely unsuitable for Naruto in his current state. Moreover, finding the person who used the jutsu in the vast desert would be extremely exhausting.

"I just mentioned it casually, why are you looking at me like that? I didn't actually go looking for it."

Naruto genuinely felt that his seniors were overreacting. Now, any suggestion he made that involved significant changes, whether joking or serious, would be met with strong opposition. He admitted that he had indeed been a bit of a troublemaker in the past, but he had never gone too far. Did they really need to treat him like a thief?

Tobirama answered him with a cold snort. They were huddled side-by-side in a makeshift hole, listening to the howling wind above. Although they said the Sand Village's affairs were for them to handle, they had still sent people, just to be their last resort. Regardless of how Gaara and the other examinees performed in this conspiracy, at least they wouldn't die.

The silence was really unsuitable for Naruto, but since he usually talked about work and ideals with his seniors, even if he racked his brains, he could only think about topics related to this conspiracy.

"Uncle Tobirama, what is the purpose of this sandstorm?"

"To wear down that little wind spirit's energy."

"Can't you take Shukaku without consuming it?"

"It's just a safer approach. You can still force it, but only if you're not disturbed."

"Oh, then it won't just be about wearing down their strength, it'll also make the Wind Shadow Guard unwilling to provide assistance."

For powerful sensory ninjas, even sitting still, they can always know the movements around them. They naturally discovered that the chakra in the desert was gradually gathering in the sandstorm, with only a small number of chakra sources still running wild in the sandstorm, including the two most powerful ones.

"I'm afraid Fu is going to suffer along with them."

"Aren't you in a hurry to save people?"

"It's not like they need me for everything. I think they can get out of trouble without us having to step in. Want to take a gamble?"

Such unpleasant events would likely occur regardless of historical changes, but Gaara eventually became the Kazekage peacefully, demonstrating that even without a backup plan, they weathered the storm; he simply didn't know the process. Time marches on, and his allies and enemies constantly evolve; this ebb and flow is inevitable, and he can't protect everyone forever. Rather than providing nanny-like protection, it's better to let them face the storms of life, so their hard work isn't wasted.

While Tobirama was reliable when it came to serious matters, it didn't stop him from having a strange competitive spirit. The bet was eventually set up, and both sides placed bets on granting each other a favor. With the bet in place, both sides became even more rigorous in their assessment of the juniors, offering them absolutely no favors and simply observing them from a distance.

Originally, it seemed that the two Jinchuriki were restricted by the Chagama and could only wait to die on the spot. Unexpectedly, a group of Konoha ninja happened to be nearby, and they happened to have eyes that could see what was happening here. Without hesitation, they stepped forward.

The enemy's trump card was chakra absorption; however, this reinforcement that descended from the sky included a pure taijutsu ninja and a ninja who used bladed weapons. The green tornado and flying metal disrupted the enemy's rhythm. Then, a special eye saw the weakness of this technique, severing the connection between the teapot and the two Jinchuriki. The backlash from using the "divine weapon" also descended upon the enemy.

"Haha, wasn't that amazing, Uncle Tobirama?" Naruto, who had won the bet, clapped for his friends in the corner. He knew his friends were capable of doing it.

"...You won." A bet's a bet, Tobirama admitted defeat quite quickly, and he was pleased to see his junior's growth. However, what this troublesome fellow beside him was up to was what he needed to worry about.

"what do you want to do?"

"It's nothing major, just keeping something safe." Naruto took out a scroll with a seal that was exquisite yet rough, and he felt that anyone who knew a little about sealing techniques could break it.

"what is this?"

"It's a scroll."

Tobirama frowned and said, "Naruto, you know what I'm asking."

Naruto sighed and said, "It's precisely because you always have this attitude, Uncle Tobirama, that I don't want to say anything. It's about time to accept reality."

Tobirama's hand holding the scroll trembled slightly, but he then put it away as if nothing had happened.

"If I had given in to reality, the Edo Tensei would never have been born."

“Yes, that’s true. In the research on reversing life and death, you’ve gone further than anyone else.” Naruto laughed freely and said, “However, there’s no need for us to be so fixated on life and death. Even if you no longer have a beating heart, don’t you still care about the future of this world?”

“I’ve said it before, what I want to create is a truly beautiful ideal world, not an empire built around me.”

“Hui, who can maintain his original aspirations even without me, is the true hope of this world.”

The sky was exceptionally clear after the sandstorm receded, the pure blue seemingly within reach, as if one could reach out and touch it. This pair, one large and one small, one old and one new, lingered under the blue sky for a long time, until they "watched" their offspring return to safety before disappearing from sight.

“Naruto, as I’ve said before, you are very important to ‘Hikari’, no matter what. It’s too early to think you’re history now. You still have many tasks to complete in your generation.”

So please try your best to live on, Naruto.