Sage's Resurrection

Chapter 41

"So... Shukaku's gone?" Naruto asked.

"It seems so." Gaara nodded. "It's unfortunate, really. Whatever the Akatsuki wants the biju for... there's no way it can be anything good."

"How are you feeling? Kurama says that it feels awful for the biju to be extracted."

Gaara rubbed his temple. "It feels... empty. My chakra network has been repaired, but I'm drastically weaker now. I can't really do big moves as of now, and I have to stick with what's in the gourd. No more massive 'get away' moves for me, either."

"That sucks. Do you think that I could help you in any way?"

Gaara shook his head. "Even if you were going to strengthen my chakra coils, you'd have to be here, pumping chakra into me daily for months to make notable progress. It's just not feasible."

Naruto grimaced.

"Yeah, I know. I don't like it either. But that's it. I'm just going to have to get better with my chakra."

Gaara extended a hand. "It seems that your time here is running out. Take care."

Naruto took it. "Likewise. I'll see you around."

—

"... and that's what happened."

"How interesting." Hiruzen leaned on his fist. "Well, that's going to make Sand much more anxious of their position in the future. I'll have to request that the Daimyo lend some of his soldiers there..."

"Then, is there anything we can do, Lord Hokage?"

He shook his head. "No. Dismissed, Kakashi."

Kakashi collapsed on the floor.

Seems like that jutsu costs a lot of chakra.

"I'll fetch a medic. Seems he's got chakra exhaustion again."

The four left the office.

"Do you want to do anything?"

Hinata shook her head. "I must report this mission to my father as well. He's always quite anxious to know whether I succeed or not."

Sakura yawned. "I'm going to take a long shower and nap after this."

"I'm down. You have anything in mind?" Sayuri asked.

I heard that a new restaurant opened, do you want to see it? He asked.

—

"So, I've already asked earlier, but what did you do during your trip?" Sayuri poked an egg, sending golden streaks cascading into her bowl.

Naruto absent-mindedly swirled his drink around. "Training, obviously, but I've also been looking around the world."

"Like a hermit?"

Naruto laughed. "A little bit, yeah."

"So what did you see?"

Naruto took a sip. The drink was a little tart. "I saw a lot of things. Some good, some bad, you know how it is. There was this one time, I got in a drinking contest with everyone in the bar. That's how I found out I was immune to getting drunk. Shame that Jiraiya had to foot that whole bill and was hungover for weeks after, but still."

"So that's why you ordered a spirit for your drink..." Sayuri murmured.

"Then there was that other time when Jiraiya threw me into an active war zone to fend for myself. Not the best, I'll admit."

Sayuri frowned. "Grass country?"

"Yup. That was you, right?"

"I should've put more thought into that than I did..."