Naruto: The Ninja World's Life Buyer

Chapter 238 Absurd Fundraising, Sunrise over the Desert

Although Sousuke wanted to leave immediately, things didn't go as planned.

A yellowish curtain rolled up on the horizon. A sandstorm was coming.

A massive sandstorm, blotting out the sky, swept in like a wall. The caravan was forced to retreat back to town and stay at an inn.

Outside, the wind howled fiercely, and sand lashed against the wooden walls, making a dense rustling sound.

Because of the sandstorm, many people sought refuge inside, making the place extremely crowded.

Sosuke sat at the table in the corner, closing his eyes to rest.

At that moment, a man dressed in a tattered kimono, holding a wooden sign, wandered around the lobby.

The wooden sign reads: "Fundraising for saving Lord Kazekage."

"Please, everyone, have mercy! The Kazekage has gone missing, and Sunagakure needs money to search for the great Third Hokage!"

"Just donate one hundred taels, and Lord Fengying will surely reward you handsomely upon his return!"

The man walked up to Sosuke's table, a broad smile on his face, and shook the broken tin can in his hand.

There were only a few pitiful coins inside.

She certainly knew the inside story of the Kazekage's disappearance. But seeing someone using the Kazekage's name to swindle and deceive people still felt like an insult to Sunagakure.

She was about to have an outburst.

"Wait a moment."

Sosuke stopped her.

A strange smile flashed in his eyes.

Of course he knew where the Third Kazekage was. That unfortunate fellow had probably had his internal organs ripped out by Sasori of the Red Sand and turned into an incorruptible puppet, stuffed into some scroll.

Looking for Kazekage? Should we look in Sasori's collection cabinet?

This is absurd. It's kind of funny.

"What's your name?" Sosuke asked.

"My name is Sanlang." The swindler's eyes lit up, thinking he had found a fat sheep.

Sosuke took two gold bars out of his pocket and threw them on the table.

Clang.

The sound of the gold bars was crisp and melodious.

Everyone around looked over, their eyes wide with disbelief.

The conman, Sanlang, swallowed hard; his hands were trembling.

"Sir, this is—"

"This is my sponsorship for Lord Kazekage."

Sosuke leaned back in his chair, a half-smile on his face.

"How much money can you raise in this refugee town, though?"

"Take this money and head to the border of the Land of Earth. Take a look around the vicinity of the Iwagakure stronghold."

"Those people over there are rich. Spread the word about the Kazekage's disappearance, and the Iwa ninja will be happy to hear it. They might even reward you more."

Scammers don't care where they go, as long as there's gold.

He grabbed the gold bars and thanked them profusely.

"Thank you, sir! You're such a kind person!"

The swindler bowed and left.

Yekura looked at Sosuke with incomprehension.

"Are you burning money? You actually gave money to that kind of clumsy scammer?"

"Don't you find it interesting?"

Sousuke picked up the tea cup.

He was just acting on impulse. He'd spend some money to have some fun when something amusing happened. As for whether this conman could survive after getting the gold bars, what did that have to do with him?

Ye Cang shook her head and stopped talking. She realized she couldn't keep up with the businessman's train of thought.

The sandstorm raged all night.

People were sprawled out on the floor of the lobby, sleeping haphazardly. Sosuke sat in a chair, resting with his eyes closed.

early morning.

The wind stopped.

The inn's door was pushed open.

The outside world has changed. The roads are buried by thick yellow sand, and sand dunes tens of meters high have risen on the edge of the town.

The air became exceptionally clear and clean due to the settling of sand and dust.

Sosuke stepped out of the inn and onto the soft sand.

He walked up a high sand dune.

The rolling sand dunes stretch to the horizon.

A pale, fish-belly white dawn appeared on the horizon.

Immediately afterwards, a red sun rose from the horizon.

The sunrise in the desert is extremely pure and extremely magnificent.

Golden sunlight spilled onto the sand, turning the whole world into a warm orange-red.

Sosuke squinted, facing the sunlight.

He took a deep breath of the fresh air, which smelled of sand.

"It's so beautiful."

"I offer my simplest praise," Sosuke said softly.

Ye Cang also came up, gazing at the red sun.

Golden light was reflected in her eyes.

"In the Land of Wind, this is just an ordinary morning," she whispered.

"But often, we're so busy surviving that we don't have time to stop and take a look."

Sosuke turned his head and looked at her.

"Now we have time."

The sun rose fully, dispelling the desert's chill and bringing warmth.

Sosuke stood up and patted the sand off his pants.

He turned around and looked at the trade route leading to the Land of Fire, which was faintly visible in the distance.

"Let's go."

He stretched.

"It's time to go home."

a few days later.

The Land of Fire, Konoha Village.

Takao Estate.

The carriage drove through the towering iron gate.

Ye Cang looked out the car window at the enormous estate.

The lawn was neatly trimmed, the shrubs were trimmed, and there was the luxurious main house.

They are wealthy and powerful.

"Boss, you're back."

Kaori was already waiting on the steps of the main house.

She was wearing a light purple long dress, and her hair was tied up.

Kaori glanced at Yekura briefly upon seeing her.

"This is Ms. Yekura."

Sousuke introduced.

"The Chamber of Commerce has just hired a senior technical advisor. He will be living in the manor from now on."

"Hello, Ms. Yekura."

Kaori stepped forward, a gentle smile on her face.

"I am Kaori Uzuki. I am responsible for the boss's daily life."

Yecang nodded.

She sized up Kaori. Although Kaori was dressed casually and had a gentle smile, Yekura keenly sensed that the way she walked and the frequency of her breathing proved that she was also a top-notch ninja.

"There are definitely no simple people around this man," Ye Cang thought to himself.

"Kaori, take her to settle in."

Sousuke ordered.

"Arrange a south-facing room for her on the second floor."

"Yes."

Kaori led Yokura up to the second floor.

Ye Cang was slightly taken aback when he pushed open the door to the guest room.

The room was large, with a soft wool carpet. Sunlight streamed in through the floor-to-ceiling windows, and a pot of blooming orchids sat on the windowsill.

The bathroom door was open, and there was even a large bathtub inside.

This was a world apart from her residence in Sunagakure.

Hot water is always available.

Kaori walked to the wardrobe, took out a clean yukata, and placed it on the bed.

"You can take a shower first to wash away the fatigue from the journey."

"Does your boss treat all his subordinates this well?" Ye Cang couldn't help but ask.

Kaori smiled.

"The boss is never stingy with money if someone is valuable."

She walked to the door and turned around.

"Ms. Yekura, I know what you've been through. Don't overthink it now that you're here."

"Here, all you need to do is live well and enjoy life. Then, do things for the boss when he needs you."

"This is the simplest transaction."

After saying that, Kaori gently closed the door.

Yecang stood there for a long time.

She walked to the full-length mirror.

The woman in the mirror has tired eyes.

She unbuttoned her coat.

"The simplest transaction—"

She went into the bathroom, filled the tub with hot water, and stepped into the warm bathtub.

Warmth enveloped her.

She closed her eyes and let out a long sigh.

It took Sosuke a full half-hour shower before he felt he had thoroughly washed the sand out of his pores.

He changed into a loose-fitting yukata, put on wooden clogs, and went to the second-floor terrace.

-

The afternoon sun was a bit dazzling, but the manor was shaded by green trees, and compared to the scorching sun of the Land of Wind, the temperature here was like paradise.

"I'm finally alive."

Sosuke slumped into the rattan chair.

"Boss, lunch is ready."

Kaori came over carrying a tray.

"What is it?" Sousuke sat up straight.

"You've been complaining about desert rations for so long, I think you probably can't eat anything too greasy now."

Kaori placed the tray on the small round table next to the rattan chair.

A refreshing aroma wafts over you.

It was a large bowl of chilled buckwheat noodles.

The noodles rest on a bed of crystal-clear crushed ice, with a few slices of deep-sea fish beside them. The fish meat is a translucent pink, with clearly visible marbling.

On the far side, there is a small porcelain bowl containing dipping sauce.

"This is grapefruit vinegar. It's made by juicing fresh grapefruit, adding some kombu broth and light soy sauce."

Kaori handed over a pair of chopsticks.

"Try it, it's sweet and sour, refreshing, and very appetizing."

Sosuke took the chopsticks.

He picked up a pinch of buckwheat noodles, dipped them in the grapefruit vinegar, and slurped them into his mouth.

"hiss"

The noodles are icy cold, with a refreshing grapefruit aroma.

The acidity is just right, not harsh on the throat, and greatly stimulates the salivary glands. The subtle sweetness neutralizes the saltiness of the soy sauce, perfectly bringing out the aroma of buckwheat.

"It's so delicious."

He picked up another piece of deep-sea fish and dipped it in vinegar. The fish was firm and chewy, and with the addition of grapefruit vinegar, it had no fishy taste at all, only a sweet and fresh flavor.

He ate very quickly.

The hardships of living outdoors during this period have transformed this simple bowl of cold noodles into an unparalleled delicacy.

In less than five minutes, he finished a large bowl of buckwheat noodles and fish slices, even drinking the dipping sauce.

"Eat slowly, there's more in the kitchen."

Kaori watched from the side, her eyes gentle.

She picked up a towel and gently wiped the sweat from Sosuke's forehead and neck.

The towel had been soaked in mint ice water.

The cool sensation of mint penetrates the skin.

"I'm not eating anymore, I'm just about 80% full."

Sosuke put down his chopsticks, leaned back, and sank into the rattan chair.

Kaori cleared away the dishes, brought over a small stool, sat down next to Sosuke, and gently fanned him with a palm-leaf fan.

A gentle breeze rustled through the glass wind chimes hanging at the edge of the terrace, making a clear, melodious sound.

"jingle----"

That was the wind chime with goldfish painted on it that they bought during their last date.

"The Land of Winds is no place for humans to live."

Sosuke closed his eyes, enjoying the cool breeze and the lingering scent of mint, and grumbled on and on.

"The wind there feels like sandpaper scrubbing your skin when it blows on your face."

"They ate something even more outrageous. Gerbil meat, can you believe they ate that?"

"And that Fourth Kazekage—"

Sosuke changed his posture.

He turned to his side and rested his head on Kaori's lap.

Kaori's thighs were plump and soft, and her body temperature could be felt through the thin fabric.

Kaori adjusted her posture to make him more comfortable. She maintained a steady rhythm with the palm-leaf fan in her hand.

"What's wrong with Fengying?" she asked softly.

"That guy is too cunning."

Sousuke closed his eyes.

"For the sake of his own rule, he sold out the village hero to Onoki. If I hadn't acted quickly, Yekura would really be a corpse now."

"But it's all good, I got a free high-level thug."

"That Ms. Yekura seems to be a very strong-willed person," Kaori said.

"Hmm, a stubborn, militant type."

Sosuke's breathing gradually became steady.

His voice grew softer and softer.

"jingle----"

As the wind chimes rang, Sosuke fell into a deep sleep.

Kaori gently fanned him, using him as a human-shaped pillow, letting the afternoon slowly slip away in the breeze.