naruto-story Chapter 392 Gaara's Happiness
Chapter 392 Gaara's Happiness
It was late at night in Sunagakure, and the Kazekage's office window was still brightly lit.
At this time, Gaara, the Fifth Kazekage, was still sitting behind his large desk, buried in a mountain of documents.
Reports, budgets, diplomatic documents, border outpost reports, ninja mission assessments... all sorts of scrolls and papers almost overwhelmed him.
Barring any unforeseen circumstances, tonight will likely be another all-night work night.
As the youngest Kage in the history of Sunagakure, Gaara carries an exceptionally heavy burden. The village is facing a shortage of high-level combat talent, and there are voices within the village questioning his seniority. But the most fundamental problem is the long-standing issue plaguing Sunagakure—a harsh environment and extreme scarcity of resources.
When he first took the position of Kazekage, the pressure from all sides, both inside and outside, once made him feel suffocated and unable to sleep at night.
But whenever he felt tired or lost, that warm, sun-like figure in his heart would always appear at the right time, giving him encouragement and strength.
To live up to that trust and friendship, and to achieve the goals he had set in his heart, Gaara gritted his teeth and persevered step by step to get to where he is today.
More than six months ago, a turning point quietly arrived. A new type of grain, with its extremely low price and amazing environmental adaptability, was introduced to Sand Village. It could grow tenaciously and mature quickly in the barren sandy soil, greatly alleviating the village's food pressure and finally lightening the burden on Gaara's shoulders.
Although the number of documents requiring his personal review never seemed to decrease as a result.
"Gaara, I'm coming in."
There was a gentle knock on the office door, which was then pushed open. Kankuro walked in carrying a thermos lunchbox and placed it on an empty spot next to the pile of documents.
"Here, this is a late-night snack, it's still hot. You should take a break, staring at documents for too long will strain your eyes."
Kankuro looked at the undisguised exhaustion in his younger brother's eyes and spoke with the concern and heartache of an older brother.
"Yes, thank you, Kankuro." Gaara put down his pen, raised his hand to rub his sore temples, his voice tinged with weariness, but he still thanked him earnestly.
Looking at Gaara like this, Kankuro felt a pang of sadness. Just a few years ago, after Orochimaru's "Konoha Collapse Plan" came to an end and Gaara regained his senses, his life was finally filled with sunshine again.
No longer do I need to live in constant fear, worrying that my "younger brother," who exudes a dangerous aura, might suddenly lose control and take my life.
Over the years, the fear and estrangement of the past have long since melted away, and he is finally able to care for his younger brother, who bears too much responsibility, like a real older brother.
"Also, I brought this for you, the latest one."
Kankuro pulled out several small, well-sealed card packets from his pocket and placed them next to his lunchbox—these were the newly released "Gekinin Den Collector's Cards".
Gaara's eyes, which had been slightly dimmed with fatigue, brightened slightly when he saw the card holder. He nodded, and with a slightly urgent tension, quite different from when he was handling official business, he reached out and took the card holder.
To the other people in Sunagakure who knew the situation, this might just be a harmless little hobby of their young Kazekage, even a bit childish.
He collects these cards popular among teenagers. But Kankuro, who often buys them for him, vaguely senses that Gaara's collecting interests seem to have a more specific and clearer purpose...
Gaara deftly opened the card holder and carefully examined each card. However, as the last card was pulled out, the glimmer of light in his eyes quickly dimmed, and his shoulders slumped slightly.
He sighed softly, his disappointment evident, and opened the drawer of his desk, casually putting in the cards he had just unsuccessfully taken out. There were already quite a few other non-target cards from other series accumulating there.
"Didn't you... get the card you wanted?" Kankuro asked cautiously.
"Hmm..." Gaara responded softly, then, as if realizing his emotions might be affecting his brother, he tried to adjust his tone and spoke in slightly clumsy but sincere words.
"It's alright, it's just... a matter of luck. It's late now, you should go back and get some rest."
Hearing Gaara's concern for him like this, Kankuro felt a warmth rise in his heart once again. This was a scene he could never have imagined a few years ago.
As for which card Gaara specifically wants... Kankuro also bought a pack himself to try his luck, perhaps...
"Oh, right," Kankuro pulled another card from his pocket and handed it over, "I bought a pack myself and got this one. See, is this the one you've been wanting?"
Gaara looked up. On the card in Kankuro's hand was a half-length portrait of a girl with black hair and black eyes, and delicate, aloof features, with the following text below.
[Uchiha Sasuke's Sharingan]
"The last remaining bloodline of the Uchiha clan, a genius female ninja who inherited the clan's renowned bloodline limit, the Sharingan. She possesses exceptional strength."
"At the same time, she is also the fiancée of Naruto Uzumaki, the hero of Konoha, who has been officially recognized by both families and made public... Why are you making that face?!"
Kankuro read the introduction aloud while observing Gaara's reaction. However, when he read the last line, "Naruto Uzumaki's fiancée," Gaara's expression changed.
It was an expression Kankuro rarely saw on Gaara's face, a mixture of loss and even a hint of heartache.
Gaara's reaction pained him greatly, but the "point" of his disappointment was so strange that he couldn't help but blurt it out.
If it weren't for the fact that Gaara and Naruto had an extremely close relationship—every time Naruto visited Sunagakure, no matter how busy Gaara was, he would drop everything to happily greet him—
If it weren't for this reaction, Kankuro would almost have thought that his younger brother was in love with Uchiha Satsuki and was so disappointed because he couldn't have her.
Could it be...? No, no...? Impossible, right?
Kankuro felt helpless looking at his younger brother's unusually dejected expression. He took out another card that might be more in line with the "goal" and tried it out.
"It seems that's not the one you want..." He carefully pulled out another card from his pocket, which was in a separate card set, and showed it to Gaara.
The card's material and luster are clearly more unique, with even subtle gold foil patterns along the edges. The card features a smiling, blond-haired boy against a backdrop of the Konoha emblem and the silhouette of the Hokage's hat, a symbol of legacy, with a prominent title.
[Hidden Edition: Naruto Uzumaki's Successor to the Hokage]
"The shop owner said that this hidden version is the hardest to get in this batch, and has the highest rarity," Kankuro added.
"—!"
The moment Gaara saw the card, his tired, slightly dim emerald eyes suddenly lit up, and the weariness on his face disappeared.
"Yes, yes, yes! This is it!"
He took the card from Kankuro's hand with some haste, his movements gentle. He carefully examined Naruto's smile on the card, and looking at his younger brother's undisguised, slightly infatuated, gentle smile, Kankuro felt a cold sweat break out on his back.
"Thank you, Kankuro." Gaara looked up at his brother, his voice carrying a tone of obvious joy and satisfaction that Kankuro hadn't heard in a long time. His smile was clean and sincere, revealing a touch of childlike cuteness.
"Oh? Haha... That's good, I'm glad you like it."
Gaara's sudden and infectious joy caught Kankuro off guard. He chuckled dryly, then adopted the composed demeanor of an older brother, cleared his throat, and said, "Well... I won't disturb your work any longer. Don't stay up too late, and remember to have a midnight snack."
With a heart full of unspoken thoughts and a little bit of secret satisfaction at being relied upon by his younger brother, Kankuro quickly left the Kazekage's office.
After the door closed, the office fell silent again. Gaara carefully held the newly acquired Naruto hidden card, his gaze catching sight of the [Uchiha Sasuke] card left behind by Kankuro on the table. He casually swept it into the wastebasket beside the table.
Then, Gaara stood up and walked to the huge bookcase against the wall. He slowly pushed the heavy bookcase to one side. Behind the bookcase, a door was revealed—this was the lounge area inside the offices of the successive Kazekage.
He unlocked the door with a special key that only he possessed. Behind the door was Gaara's completely private "healing place," which he did not want anyone to see.
The moment I stepped into the room, I was greeted by a world of gold and blue.