26 The elders
The desert had come into view.
Golden sand stretched to the horizon, shimmering under the sun like a living thing. Naruto leaned forward slightly and looked down at the massive toad beneath his feet.
"Gamaken," he said, raising his voice over the rushing wind, "can you cross the desert at the same speed we came here?"
Gamaken glanced up, his expression apologetic. "Sorry, Naruto-kun. I can't. Sand's bad terrain for long-distance leaps. It'll take a few more hours, and if the heat gets worse, it'll slow me down even more."
Naruto nodded without hesitation. "That's fine. Take us as far as you can. We'll decide from there."
Gamaken didn't argue. He adjusted his stance and leapt forward, plunging into the desert with heavy, powerful bounds. Temari quickly pointed out the direction, guiding them toward Sunagakure as the heat began to press down harder with every passing minute.
Back in Konoha, the atmosphere inside the Hokage's office had turned poisonous.
The door slammed open as the three elders marched in, fury written all over their faces.
"This is getting out of hand, Tsunade," Koharu snapped. "We didn't raise objections when you promoted Naruto to jōnin without consulting us. Now you've sent him out again, immediately after returning."
Hamura nodded stiffly. "Naruto is a strategic asset. A defensive pillar of the village. You can't deploy him recklessly."
Danzo folded his arms, his voice cold. "I warned you. The boy is unreliable. You should have handed him over to me for proper training. We wouldn't be having this discussion if you had."
That was enough.
Tsunade slammed her fist into the desk.
Wood exploded outward, shards skidding across the floor as the desk collapsed into ruins.
"You three will lower your voices," she said, standing slowly. Her chakra pressed outward like a suffocating weight. "You do not order me around."
She looked directly at each of them, eyes burning. "You're only still sitting in those seats because I don't have the manpower to replace you yet. Make no mistake. The Hokage doesn't need elders. Elders advise. I decide."
Danzo's expression tightened.
"And since when," Tsunade continued, "do I need your permission to promote a shinobi under my command if they're capable? Keep your threats to yourself and get out of my office."
Her gaze locked onto Danzo. "And don't hide behind Root. If you try anything, I'll bury you first."
Behind her, Kakashi subtly lifted his headband, the Sharingan glinting into view. Shizune stepped forward, tightening her gloves, her stance calm but ready.
Danzo calculated quickly. He might handle Tsunade alone. Maybe. With Kakashi and Shizune backing her, even Root wouldn't walk away intact.
Koharu and Hamura felt it too. This wasn't Hiruzen. There was no nostalgia here. No hesitation.
"Get out," Tsunade said again.
They did.
Koharu paused at the door, huffing. "You'll regret this, Tsunade."
Tsunade waved a hand dismissively. "I've heard that before. Leave."
The door shut.
Silence followed.
Tsunade exhaled and dropped onto the couch, rubbing her temples. "I really need replacements."
"We're short-staffed," Shizune said carefully. "Like you said."
Tsunade snorted. "Sometimes I wonder why they don't just die quietly."
Shizune winced. "Lady Tsunade…"
"I know," Tsunade muttered. "That's why they're still breathing. But at this rate, those three will be the death of me."
Outside, far beyond Konoha's walls, Naruto raced across the desert toward a village already under siege.
Gamaken kept leaping forward, each bound heavy and deliberate. He was still fast, but the heat was getting to him. I could feel it in the way his landings lingered a second too long, the way the sand dragged at his feet. Temari noticed it too.
"That's enough, Gamaken," I said, bending my knees. "You can stop here."
He looked up, surprised. "I can still go a bit farther, Naruto-kun."
"It won't help," I replied, steady but firm. "You'll just exhaust yourself. Temari and I will handle the rest from here."
We jumped down into the sand. The heat hit immediately, dry and sharp, like the desert was daring us to keep moving.
Gamaken sighed, rubbing the back of his head. "Sorry I couldn't do more."
"You kidding?" I said, meeting his eyes. "You cut the travel time by half a day. If it wasn't for you, I wouldn't even be inside Wind Country yet. You helped a lot. Thank you."
That seemed to ease him. "Alright then."
"I will. See you, Gamaken."
With a final nod, he vanished in a puff of smoke.
I turned to Temari. "How far are we?"
She scanned the horizon, eyes sharp despite the worry etched into her face. "If we push hard, we can reach Sunagakure by evening. Worst case, early tomorrow morning."
"Good," I said. "Then let's move."
We took off, chakra flaring at our feet as we sprinted across the dunes. No shortcuts now. Just speed, endurance, and stubborn refusal to slow down.
I glanced at Temari as we ran. She kept biting her lip, her focus fractured despite her pace never slipping.
"You don't need to worry about Gaara," I said after a while. "He's tough. They won't break him."
She shook her head. "I'm his sister, Naruto. Worrying is part of the job."
I couldn't argue with that. "Then he's lucky. Not everyone gets someone like you watching their back." I paused, then added quietly, "I promise you this. I won't let anything happen to him."
She didn't answer right away, but her stride steadied.
From my backpack, Pakun stuck his head out, squinting at us. "Could you two finish flirting after the mission? You're messing with my concentration."
"We are not flirting," Temari and I said at the same time.
Lady Katsuyu, in her small form on my shoulder, chuckled softly. "No need to interrupt, Pakun. They're just… connecting. Perfectly natural."
That did not help.
Both Temari and I flushed instantly.
Pakun groaned. "Great. Now the slug's encouraging it."
I cleared my throat and focused back on the horizon. Sunagakure was still far, but not unreachable.
The desert roared around us, heat rising, sand shifting beneath our feet. But neither of us slowed.