Naruto: Starting with Tsunade-san

"Huh? What's this thing?"

It was a semi-elliptical object with a cylindrical protrusion at the top. The overall appearance resembled a fossil dug out of the ground, exuding a strong sense of antiquity.

Looking closely, there was a large circle on it, inside of which was a square. Within the square were nine smaller circles of equal size, arranged in a 3x3 grid. The design gave off an air of mystery.

Tōshirō paused for a moment. He had a feeling he'd seen something like this before.

But he couldn't recall where. Typically, if something left an impression on him, it was likely not ordinary.

Objects from two-dimensional worlds often looked quite different when rendered in three-dimensional reality.

Tsunade grabbed the object, glanced at it, and curled her lips. "Looks like a piece of junk. Just toss it."

She wasn't just saying it—she actually threw it away.

Fortunately, Tōshirō reacted quickly and managed to stop her from discarding it.

"Hey! Don't just throw my stuff away!"

"It's just a useless rock. What's the big deal?"

"What do you know? This thing looks ancient—it could be an artifact! Maybe it's worth a fortune."

"Tch…"

"Hmph."

The two glared at each other, then turned their backs, walking away in opposite directions.

Satō watched the two of them and shook his head helplessly.

Over the past few days, the two of them had bickered non-stop on the ship, as if they couldn't go a single day without arguing.

Satō had been observing this dynamic.

The deep history between the Senju and Uchiha clans came to mind, and he couldn't help but think that these two had truly inherited the bloodline traits of their respective clans.

Meanwhile, Tōshirō cleaned the so-called artifact thoroughly with water, scrubbing off the fishy smell. It wasn't very large, so he tucked it into his backpack to carry with him.

...

Late December

The Land of Wind, desert region.

Sandstorms raged as the wind howled, carrying sand and debris everywhere. As far as the eye could see, there was nothing but sand—endless sand.

Even in the morning, the desert was blisteringly hot. By noon, it felt like a furnace, with the heat distorting the air.

"So hot…"

Tōshirō drained the last drop of water from his flask and began to complain.

He felt like he was just one sprinkle of cumin away from becoming a piece of grilled meat.

It was late December, but the weather here was hotter than midsummer.

He couldn't help but marvel at how the people of Sunagakure managed to survive in such a harsh environment.

It didn't make sense to him. If the environment was so terrible, why not just relocate?

Sure, the other four major nations wouldn't let them claim their land, but with Sunagakure's power, they could easily take over smaller countries if they wanted.

Could it be that they were staying out of some sentimental attachment?

As Tōshirō continued his internal complaints, Tsunade, wearing a hooded cloak, spoke up beside him. "It's so hot. Tōshirō , use your Ice Release to cool me down."

"No way. I'm not your portable fridge."

Although Tōshirō's words refused her request, his actions didn't stop. He summoned some ice and distributed it to his companions.

White Fang accepted the ice with a word of thanks. Although the heat didn't seem to bother him much, he appreciated the gesture of goodwill and didn't decline.

He glanced at Tōshirō deliberately, thinking how interesting this Uchiha was—without the Sharingan's Kekkei Genkai, but instead possessing the Ice Release Kekkei Genkai.

Tsunade smirked, "Now that's more like it."

However, when her turn came, she gloomily realized that she didn't get any ice.

￣へ￣

Ice?

Where was her ice?

Tōshirō , clearly annoyed, said, "None for you. Figure it out yourself."

Hearing this, Tsunade wasn't pleased and gave him a death glare.

"What's your problem? Beg me for it. Who knows, maybe I'll take pity on you and conjure some ice just for you."

Tsunade gave a fake smile, "Are you asking for a beating?"

"Ah, here we go again." Sato shook his head. "Sakumo, you're around their age. Try to talk some sense into them."

"Forget it. I don't want to get involved in this. Anyway, they'll make up in no time like they always do."

White Fang gave a wry smile.

After exchanging a few more barbs, Tōshirō suddenly noticed something ahead and stopped arguing.

Tsunade, feeling triumphant, pressed on, "What? No comeback? Finally scared, huh?"

"Idiot, look at that!"

Tōshirō dropped his playful attitude and pointed into the distance, where a massive structure loomed.

Following his gaze, Tsunade noticed it too. "Could that be Roran?"

"Most likely…"

Looking at the structure surrounded by desolation, Tōshirō couldn't help but wonder how it was built in such an environment. Even if it was constructed, how did people sustain their daily lives here?

With nothing but desert all around, forget food—even securing enough water to support the city's residents seemed impossible.

Carrying these doubts, Tōshirō and the team entered Roran. It wasn't until they were inside that he understood how Roran managed to thrive in the desert.

The answer was simple: inside Roran was an entirely different world from the desert outside.

The buildings were tall, slender, and densely packed, mostly white, exuding a modern European vibe. Compared to this, even the relatively prosperous Konoha felt like a slum.

The grandeur of the architecture alone spoke of its prosperity, not to mention the abundance of water and resources. It was even hard to believe that the climate here was so different, considering the desert just outside.

If there were some kind of barrier around Roran, it would make sense. But nothing about Roran suggested the presence of a barrier.

As they walked through the city, Tōshirō didn't spot a single ninja. There was no one to set up a barrier, and regular people wouldn't react to a barrier, so there was no point in creating one in the first place.

Still full of questions, Tōshirō followed his team into an inn. Instead of booking a room, they headed straight to a specific room number and knocked politely.

After a short while, a middle-aged man with a grim expression opened the door, scrutinizing them carefully.

Sato exchanged a code phrase with him, and the man's demeanor immediately softened. He invited them into the room and shut the door.

He was a Sunagakure ninja responsible for assisting Tōshirō's team, primarily by handling the aftermath of the mission and ensuring the Konoha team eliminated their target as agreed.

When the Sunagakure ninja noticed Tōshirō and the others, he frowned and said in a reprimanding tone, "Why are they all kids? What's wrong with you Konoha ninja?"

Sato chuckled, "Judging a ninja's strength based on their appearance is not the behavior of a competent ninja."

The Sunagakure ninja's face stiffened, and he fell silent.

Out of curiosity, Tōshirō asked about Roran and why it was so unique.

The Sunagakure ninja scowled, as if to say, "Don't ask unnecessary questions."

Tōshirō felt a little awkward.

Sato stepped in to ease the tension, "Anyway, let's focus on planning and achieving our objective."

The Sunagakure ninja nodded in agreement.

(End of Chapter)

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