After Gaara said goodbye to Chizhao, he happily embarked on his journey home.
He couldn't wait to share the good news with his uncle, Yashamaru.
If Yashamaru knew, he would surely be happy for him.
"I'm home, Yashamaru!"
Opening the door, he saw Yashamaru wearing a light-colored apron, holding freshly cooked food. His smile was warm like the sun: "Welcome home, Lord Gaara."
Gaara happily sat at the table, watching Yashamaru place the food in front of him, and excitedly said, "Yashamaru, listen to me, I made a friend today!"
Yashamaru's hand paused slightly, and his tone was as gentle as ever: "That's wonderful, Lord Gaara, would you like to share it with me?"
Immersed in joy, Gaara didn't even take a few bites of the meal in front of him before vividly recounting to Yashamaru how he met Chizhao.
"Chizhao...?" Yashamaru softly repeated the name, the image of the little girl who accidentally bumped into him that afternoon appearing in his mind.
Could it be her?
"Yashamaru, I think I found the medicine you mentioned." Gaara's little face was flushed, one hand clutching the position of his right heart, his eyes sparkling.
"Here, I can feel it, it doesn't hurt as much anymore."
Yashamaru's expression softened. He picked up a tissue and gently wiped the stain from Gaara's mouth, his voice full of tenderness:
"I'm truly happy for you, Lord Gaara, you must cherish it."
"Mm-hm! Chizhao is my first friend, I will definitely cherish her!"
That night, Gaara, as usual, did not sleep. This time it wasn't because of Shukaku inside him, but because of his heart, which was beating unusually fast from excitement.
He held the teddy bear in his hand, recalling the bits and pieces of the day, a subtle smile unconsciously gracing his lips.
Gaara hugged the teddy bear tightly to his chest, as if making a wish: "Please let tomorrow come quickly."
The desert at night was exceptionally quiet, with only a gentle breeze rustling the dunes, making a faint ssshing sound.
The lights of the Village shone through the windows, warm and soft, giving a sense of tranquility.
The residents had long since fallen asleep, anticipating the dawn of the next day.
The morning air still carried a hint of chill. At the main gate of Hidden Sand Village, Chizhao watched Jiraiya, clad in his travel gear, gradually disappear into the distance, her heart filled with complex emotions.
If she didn't pay close attention to the progress of things, Jiraiya might just disappear from this world.
If such an important figure vanished, it would trigger a series of chain reactions, and Chizhao couldn't even imagine the consequences.
Returning home, she locked herself in her room, fiddling with the transparent tempered film in her hand. The only SSR-level Ninjutsu had been taken away by Jiraiya.
Chizhao lay dejectedly on the ground, looking at her small palms, her eyes devoid of sparkle.
As a child now, what could she do?
She couldn't openly snatch other people's Ninjutsu; if her special ability were discovered, she might be locked up and subjected to severe torture.
But now, she couldn't just sit back and do nothing.
The tempered films were limited in number and easily disappeared. She had to maximize her benefits, acquire as many practical Ninjutsu as possible, and prepare more tempered films just in case.
But how can I do bad things while still maintaining my good person image?
Sigh~ I can only take it one step at a time.
Ending her wild thoughts, Chizhao picked up the scattered tempered films from the ground and pulled one out, tucking it into her embrace.
After glancing at the little king's main body, which was still curled up in its shell, she hurried downstairs.
After lunch, Chizhao was about to go out when she saw Keiko hand her a bento box.
"What is this?"
She curiously opened the bento box, only to see several fried meatballs emitting an enticing aroma.
Their golden surfaces shimmered in the sunlight, making them look utterly delicious.
"Yesterday, I heard you say you became friends with Gaara, so I wanted to make something delicious for you to take and share with him, as a way to express my apology to that child."
"Thank you, Grandma, you're the best!"
Keiko's gesture deeply touched Chizhao. She happily spread her arms and hugged Keiko tightly.
Such an understanding, kind-hearted, and gentle family member was truly wonderful!
Keiko also hugged the little person in her arms, her voice doting: "Don't play too late, come back early."
"Got it!"
With that, Chizhao took the bento box and jogged all the way to their meeting spot.
From afar, she saw the red-haired little boy standing there, their gazes meeting in the air.
Chizhao, meeting his smile, couldn't help but quicken her pace.
"Chizhao, you really came, that's great!"
Seeing her arrive, the heavy stone in Gaara's heart finally lifted, and he became genuinely happy.
Looking at the joyful sparkle in the pale green eyes before her, Chizhao's mood also brightened.
"I promised you, of course I'd come! And this..."
Chizhao opened the bento box, and immediately, a fragrant aroma filled the air. Although she had just eaten lunch, smelling this scent made her feel hungry again.
"Wow, it smells so good! Did you make this?" Gaara asked in surprise.
"No, my Grandma made it. She said to share it with you."
"Really?"
Gaara had a surprised expression. He could hardly believe his ears; there were adults who were willing to share food with him. This made him feel a bit overwhelmed, even lightheaded.
Looking at Gaara, who was practically drooling in front of her, Chizhao tentatively asked, "Do you want to eat now?"
"Yes, I do!"
Just as she wished! She was also incredibly tempted; Grandma Huizi's cooking was the best in the world!
And so, the two children sat under a big tree, happily devouring the meatballs, one after another.
Just as the two were eating with great delight, a shadow loomed over them, and a sense of oppression immediately enveloped the surroundings.
Gaara's hand paused, and a meatball rolled to the ground, stopping at the feet of the newcomer.
"Gaara? Didn't I tell you to stay home? What are you doing here?"
"Father....Lord...."
The newcomer was Gaara's scoundrel father, Rasa, and standing behind him were a man and a woman. Chizhao didn't need to guess to know it was Kankuro and Temari.
Rasa stood against the light, his expression in the shadows revealing a hint of coldness and arrogance.
His gaze shifted from the meatball to the fearless Chizhao, and he let out a cold snort.
"To become someone valuable to the Village, you shouldn't be doing such trivial things here!"
Chizhao was furious. How did eating a fried meatball become a matter of value?
This old geezer can't stand to see his son happy, can he? Oh, right, he only thinks about the Village's interests and doesn't care about his own family.
"Uncle! Is being hungry valuable to the Village?"
Gaara, who had been looking down, heard this and looked up in surprise, staring at the earnest Chizhao.
Kankuro and Temari were also stunned; they had never seen anyone dare to speak to Lord Kazekage like that, especially a child.
Temari was the first to react, her voice stern as she shouted, "How dare you! To speak to Lord Kazekage like that—"
Rasa raised a hand to stop Temari's impending accusation. He stared coldly at Chizhao, as if trying to see through this fearless little girl.
"What do you mean?"
"I don't know what the Village's value is. I only know that eating fried meatballs makes me happy, and that is the value of fried meatballs. As long as I am happy, then the existence of the world has value."
How about that? Wang Yangming's 'Mind is Reason' from his School of Mind. Shouldn't this give you, old geezer, a good lesson?
A gentle breeze blew, stirring up the surrounding yellow sand, followed by a brief silence that made her, who had been full of confidence, feel a little uneasy.
Why did everyone go silent? Did my childish words shock their fragile hearts?
"Heh, it's merely the self-comfort of the weak."
What?
Rasa's eyes showed disdain as he turned to look at the distant houses, ordering without looking away:
"Gaara, for the next few days, train Ninjutsu with Kankuro and Temari at the training ground. Don't be late, do you hear me?"
Gaara's small hands gripped his clothes tightly, and he bit his lip, looking pitiful and helpless.
"I said... do you hear me?!"
Rasa's tone seemed to carry a hint of anger, his voice several times louder than before.
Startled, Gaara, under such powerful pressure, uttered a voice that was almost inaudible:
"I... I understand, Father... Lord."
Temari glanced at Gaara with a touch of heartache, wanting to say something, but in the end, she was pulled by Kankuro's clothes and gradually left with Rasa.