"..."
Tsuna didn't go far from where he left Gaara. He felt his body almost give out since he had exhausted himself to his very limit. However, his mind was still sharp—sharper than usual, even.
"Hmm?"
He muttered after using his bending to check his surroundings.
To his surprise, Tsuna found himself able to sense things clearly over a wider range. He could now see the detailed landscape in his mind.
It wasn't just the rough shapes of things around him.
Tsuna could vividly see the shapes of bushes, trees, rocks, and even the river in a holographic view in his mind.
"I guess that's the perk of having my connection strengthened after my soul completely harmonized with my body..."
With his mind, soul, and body completely united, Tsuna could now feel his Earth Bending had reached the advanced level's limit.
"When I accept the reward for my main mission, I should be able to fully enter the threshold of the expert level..."
Would he get a new variation of Earth Bending later?
Since he already had earth, metal, and sand at his disposal, Tsuna was looking forward to what kind of ability he would get next.
Another good thing for him was that no one was quietly following him as they usually did.
"...That's good, now I can rest a bit."
Tsuna was sure the chaos had made the ninjas who secretly watched him focus on more pressing matters. He quietly made his way toward a random bush to hide.
He sat in a lotus position, ignoring the slight discomfort from the bush, and looked at the transparent screen in front of him as he muttered, "...Seed of Chakra, huh?"
[Mission Completed!]
[Congratulations! You have completely suppressed Ichibi from wreaking havoc in Konoha!]
[Receive the reward now? Y/N]
[Note: Once you accept, the seed of chakra will be planted in your body, and you will start your ninja journey!]
"...I'll accept the reward later," Tsuna muttered as he closed his eyes and focused on resting.
The area around Tsuna was completely peaceful.
The wind brushing past the leaves and the sound of the river flowing filled the air with a natural melody. It felt like Tsuna's presence had completely disappeared from reality.
"Gaara! Where's that bastard---Huh!?"
Temari shouted angrily, seeing Gaara's wretched state. She widened her eyes in shock, noticing tears in Gaara's eyes.
Gaara looked down, his expression covered by shadow.
"Was it just my imagination?"
She couldn't help but wonder, as Gaara's expression now looked nonchalant and normal.
"He's gone..."
"...Is he... dead?"
Temari asked, feeling a mix of emotions gnawing at her chest.
Gaara shook his head, "Dead? I was the one who almost died on his hands..."
"Huh? You must be joking, right?"
Kankuro couldn't believe his ears.
Temari was equally stunned, blinking in disbelief.
Both of them looked around and saw there wasn't much destruction, which meant Gaara hadn't fully transformed.
"...Does that mean that guy defeated Gaara before he could fully transform?"
Kankuro looked at the aftermath in shock.
Temari scanned the area, her eyes wide with surprise as she silently wondered, "Is it even possible to stop Gaara before he fully transformed?"
They didn't know what had happened, but they were glad Gaara was still alive. They helped him to his feet.
"...!"
As they did so, Temari and Kankuro widened their eyes, seeing Gaara's lips curl into a smile that shocked them to the core.
"He did smile sometimes..."
But this smile was different from his usual bloodthirsty one. Temari felt that Gaara's smile seemed strangely peaceful as the red-haired teenager looked up at the sky.
"..."
Gaara didn't know what was happening, but he felt a completely new emotion, something he had just experienced as he muttered, "...is this... peace?"
That day, as Tsuna woke up, he felt refreshed, and his recovery seemed slightly improved. It might have just been his imagination, but it was great nonetheless.
"The chaos is already over, huh? But what is this atmosphere..."
Unfortunately, the second he stepped into the village, he felt a gloomy atmosphere despite the conflict seeming to be over.
After returning to Ichiraku Ramen Shop, he learned that Hiruzen Sarutobi had perished during the chaos at the hands of his own disciple, Orochimaru!
The Sand Ninjas, realizing they had been used by Orochimaru, were detained while feeling guilty about the chaos they had caused.
Konoha kept them in the village until everything was cleared up.
"So it happened just like in the original story, huh?"
Tsuna thought silently as the day passed like a page-turning in a novel.
The gloom surrounding the village persisted, especially on the day of the funeral for the Third Hokage.
Tsuna trained as usual, even sparring with Guy.
However, Tsuna noticed that Guy wasn't as talkative as usual, which made him hesitant to ask about being a ninja, despite having already accepted the reward for his additional mission.
In his body now flowed chakra, just like any other ninja in Naruto's world.
"I guess I'll figure things out on my own for now," Tsuna decided, opting to handle things solo for the rest of the day.
After finishing his training, he made his way back to the ramen shop to work.
"Hmm?"
To his surprise, he found a red-haired teenager along with his two siblings in front of him.
They, like any other Sand Ninja, couldn't leave the village but were allowed to move around under heavy scrutiny.
Tsuna could sense several presences quietly observing from the shadows. Scratching his head awkwardly, he mumbled, "Well, this is awkward..."
"..."
To make matters worse, the three of them just stared at him without saying a word, causing Tsuna to feel his lips twitch slightly. He turned to Temari, who immediately looked away and huffed discontentedly.
He couldn't help but sigh as he offered, "You guys wanna come in? I'll treat you to my new recipe."
"..."
Without uttering a word, the three of them made their way inside.
Tsuna sighed once again as Teuchi and Ayame greeted him and their unexpected guests.
Tsuna then wore his apron and began serving the three customers.
Before long, Gaara and his siblings found themselves staring at three beautiful bowls of ramen placed in front of them.
"I guess this is fate," Tsuna chuckled, seeing their surprised expressions.
"Come on, don't just stare, give it a bite."
Gulp!
The three of them gulped nervously as they then took a bite, and the moment they did...
"...!"
As the first steaming mouthful of ramen touched their tongues, an explosion of flavors danced across their palates.
With each bite, the warmth of the dish spread through their bodies, a comforting heat that reached their very cores.
"This..."
Temari couldn't explain it, but she felt her eyes welling up with tears.
With each spoonful, memories flooded back—distant yet vividly clear.
The warmth of the ramen felt like a gentle embrace, and Kankuro's eyes reddened as he finished his bowl.
"...What... is this... feeling?"
Gaara couldn't help but ask, his confusion evident. It felt strangely familiar, yet he didn't seem to know what it was.
"It feels good, doesn't it?"
Tsuna's voice echoed, and they all turned to him with shocked gazes.
He had crafted this ramen after catching a glimpse of what resided within Gaara's sand—a profound feeling that transcended even death.
A warmth that brought a sense of calmness to the soul that he was also familiar with.
"That is what it feels like to be embraced by your mother..." Tsuna continued, smiling warmly at them.
They didn't realize it, but tears slowly stemmed down their faces.
"Mother's... Embrace? So, this is what I've been receiving from you, mother..."
Gaara murmured, tears still streaming down his face.
He felt the sand from his gourd slowly enveloping him as if reassuring him that she was always by his side, which made him choke.
He had slept peacefully last night, a sensation entirely new to him since Shukaku had been unusually quiet after being subdued by Tsuna.
Gaara looked at Tsuna, who was casually washing the dishes, and muttered, "...Thanks."
---
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