Naruto: Drop System

The next morning.

Yagyu and Temari left the Leaf Village, heading toward the Land of Wind.

With four days left until the inauguration of the Fifth Kazekage, they took a relaxed pace, stopping by some scenic spots in the Land of Fire. Just like his past travels with Kurenai, Yagyu took some beautiful photos of Temari with a film camera, and they took a few selfies together as well.

During one of these, Yagyu casually put his arm around Temari's shoulder, making her blush and her heart race.

Knowing how she felt about him, Yagyu neither advanced nor rejected her but kept their interactions a bit closer than usual, subtly nurturing her feelings.

Temari was different from Sakura and Karin. As the elder sister of Gaara, soon to be the Fifth Kazekage and the Sand Village's "princess," any relationship would have political implications. Unless his status rose further, getting romantically involved with her would require an explanation to the Sand Village, which might lead to their leaders strategizing ways to formalize the relationship through diplomacy.

However, Yagyu needed to wait for the right time to act.

Temari, of course, was unaware of Yagyu's cautious reasoning.

Being close to him filled her with excitement and endless daydreams.

For two days, Yagyu took her on a tour of the Land of Fire, deepening her feelings. To everyone else, Temari appeared as the confident, dignified Sand princess, but around Yagyu, she became as shy as Hinata, contrasting with her usual demeanor. Small gestures from Yagyu would make her happy for the entire day, and even a little more closeness could set her imagination ablaze.

Once Yagyu developed the film from their photos, he was sure she'd end up sleeping with their picture nearby.

After two days of this, he finally led her out of the Land of Fire, and with a single use of the Flying Thunder God Technique, they crossed into the Land of Rivers and appeared in the desert of the Land of Wind, heading toward the Sand Village.

"Hmm?"

Not long after, Yagyu abruptly stopped, turning to look in a specific direction with a slight frown.

"Yagyu-kun, is something wrong?" Temari asked, appearing beside him and gazing at the vast desert with curiosity.

"In that direction, I sensed a huge chakra presence that appeared suddenly and vanished just as quickly."

Yagyu shook his head, adding, "But it disappeared immediately, so it's probably nothing. Let's keep going."

He continued with Temari toward the Sand Village, but along the way, he instructed his Wood Clones spread across the shinobi world to investigate.

Yagyu's sensory abilities were unmatched in the shinobi world; he trusted his instincts.

That sudden, immense chakra presence was no mistake.

A powerful chakra appearing out of nowhere could mean the Three-Tails had fully revived—or maybe it was something else altogether.

---

A few hours later, Yagyu and Temari arrived at the Sand Village.

There, he was given the highest level of respect usually reserved for Kage-level dignitaries.

If he'd entered with fanfare, he might have received a warm welcome from the entire village, much like the Hidden Cloud delegation received at the Leaf years before.

Yagyu had earned tremendous popularity in the Land of Wind due to the oasis he'd created—a popular destination for both civilians and shinobi that showcased the power and allure of a Wood Release ninja.

If the Land of Wind had an oasis in every city, it would transform their lives.

For this reason, the Sand Village and the Wind Daimyo had repeatedly attempted to negotiate with the Leaf and the Fire Daimyo, hoping to commission Yagyu to create more oases. However, both Tsunade and the Fire Daimyo had firmly declined, understanding the strategic implications of such a shift.

They knew better than to give the Wind Country the means to change its landscape fundamentally.

But the Sand Village kept trying, showering Yagyu with hospitality that exceeded even the respect shown to the Kage.

Seeing Temari's apparent interest in Yagyu, the Sand elders entrusted her with his care, hoping to unite them.

If Yagyu married the Sand's princess, he'd be considered a son-in-law of the Sand, strengthening ties between the two villages.

This was precisely why Yagyu refrained from advancing too quickly!

Finally, the day of Gaara's inauguration as the Fifth Kazekage arrived.

Like Tsunade's ceremony, the villagers and shinobi gathered early, filling the streets surrounding the Kazekage building. Even rooftops and lampposts were packed with people.

Everyone looked up at the rooftop of the Kazekage building, eagerly awaiting Gaara's appearance.

In three years, Gaara had won over the Sand Village with his strength and good looks, much like how Naruto transformed from a demon fox into a hero in the Leaf.

With Chiyo and Ebizo's support, Gaara's status as a jinchuriki was ignored by those who knew him, and he gained many loyal followers.

The Sand Village, the weakest among the Five Great Nations, had suffered in recent years.

Since Rasa's death, they had struggled to find a suitable leader.

With the acting Kazekage Chiyo now retired, the village had gone three years without a formal leader, affecting morale and scaring away potential clients.

Both their economy and strength had stagnated, even falling below their state three years prior. At least back then, they had Rasa with his Magnet Release Gold Dust techniques.

"From this day forward, I am the Fifth Kazekage of the Sand Village. I will lead and protect you all!"

Gaara didn't keep the villagers waiting long; he soon appeared on the rooftop in his Kazekage attire.

From a shaded rooftop nearby, Yagyu and Temari stood with arms crossed, smiling as they watched the scene.

Boom!

Just as Gaara's speech prompted cheers from the crowd, Yagyu suddenly dissipated into a cloud of white smoke.

"A Shadow Clone? No… it's…"

Temari, momentarily startled, initially thought Yagyu had left a clone in his place, but then her expression changed as she realized the technique. "Reverse Summoning!"

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