Although Neji, Lee, Naruto, and Sasuke had all expended a great deal of strength in the recent battle, none of them dared to rest. After all, there was still a mber of the Akatsuki inside the cave.
Moreover, compared to the strong lineup on their side, the team inside consisted of only Sakura, Chiyo, and Kakashi.
Thinking of how dire the situation must be over there, no one dared suggest taking a break. Each of them dragged their exhausted bodies back toward the cave.
What they did not expect, however, was that by the ti they returned, the battle inside had already ended.
When Naruto rushed back into the cave shouting, Kakashi and the other two were already lying on the ground, gasping heavily for breath.
Just like in the original storyline, even with only Chiyo and Sakura, Sasori could be defeated. Now, with an even stronger Kakashi present as well, winning against Sasori was naturally not a problem.
And that was exactly how it played out. Against Sasori, Kakashi's Lightning Release blade techniques proved devastating, while Sakura and Chiyo complented each other perfectly with their puppet techniques.
In the final clash—Ten Puppets versus the Hundred Puppet Performance—Sakura and Chiyo gained the upper hand, and Kakashi finished the battle with a decisive Chidori, piercing straight through Sasori's heart.
Thus, Akatsuki's "Red Sand Scorpion" t his end.
This battle against Deidara and Sasori was far easier than in the original story. No one present suffered serious injuries, making it a complete victory.
After confirming that everyone was more or less unhard, all eyes turned toward Gaara, who lay there quietly.
Naruto looked at Gaara's body, his expression filled with grief.
"He was so strong during the Chūnin Exams… how did things end up like this… damn those bastards."
Yet the one most overco with sorrow was not Naruto, but the silent Chiyo standing nearby.
Unlike in the original story, Gaara had not ford such a deep bond with Naruto. After returning to Sunagakure, his temperant did not improve imdiately.
At the ti, the Kazekage had died and there was no one capable of holding the village together. In that critical mont, Chiyo and Ebizō were forced to step forward.
Ebizō temporarily assud the role of Kazekage, while Chiyo voluntarily took charge of the three siblings—Temari, Kankurō, and Gaara—Sunagakure's most gifted young talents.
Because of this, Chiyo's relationship with Gaara was far deeper than in the original story. In fact, Gaara's ability to move beyond hatred without Naruto's influence owed much to Chiyo.
At first, Chiyo did not think highly of Gaara either. But as ti passed, she began to notice how much this obsessive young boy resembled her own grandson from years past.
Both had grown up without parental affection.
Both possessed an almost terrifying level of obsession.
That similarity struck Chiyo deeply. She began to pay closer attention to Gaara—initially treating him as a replacent for Sasori. But as Gaara's inner ice slowly lted, her feelings changed.
She truly accepted Gaara, genuinely treating him as her second grandson. Under her watchful care, Gaara gradually shed his violence, began to accept his siblings, learned to care for others, and eventually beca the mature and open-minded Kazekage he was today.
But now, her long-lost eldest grandson had killed Gaara, and she had watched her beloved grandson die before her very eyes.
At that mont, the complexity of Chiyo's emotions was sothing no one else could truly understand.
When Sakura—after examining Gaara for a long ti—finally said, "There's nothing that can be done. Even my teacher couldn't revive soone," the long-silent Chiyo suddenly moved.
Stepping forward, her hands lit up with a green glow even stronger than that of ordinary dical ninjutsu.
Without saying a word, Chiyo gently placed her hands on Gaara's chest and silently poured the green light into him.
"Granny…?"
After the battle, Sakura had grown quite close to Chiyo, and mustering her courage, she spoke up.
Sakura couldn't bear to watch the elderly woman continue consuming her chakra like this, so she gently tried to dissuade her:
"Granny, please don't waste any more chakra. Gaara is already—"
At that mont, Hoshiyomi suddenly grabbed her arm. After a mont of silence, he spoke:
"This isn't dical ninjutsu. This is Chiyo's life force."
As soon as those words fell, everyone was shocked. Not only were they astonished by such an unfathomable technique—one that directly infused life force into another—but they were even more stunned by Chiyo's resolve.
She was planning to trade her own life for Gaara's.
Naruto, both shocked and deeply moved, spoke up from the side:
"Granny Chiyo, you…"
As the transfer of life force gradually stabilized, Chiyo finally managed to spare so strength to speak.
She glanced at the surrounding young people, their eyes red with tears, and gave a gentle smile:
"A bunch of little brats crying like this—no ninja dignity at all.
"This is my own choice. Trading the life of a worn-out old woman like for a Kazekage with limitless potential for Sunagakure—shouldn't that be sothing to celebrate?
"Seniors burning themselves out to light the path forward for the younger generation… that must be what you people of Konoha call the Will of Fire."
Seeing that the atmosphere was still heavy, Chiyo lifted her head and looked at Hoshiyomi:
"Gekko Hoshiyomi… I've competed with Tsunade in dical ninjutsu my entire life. And now, at last, I've completed a technique even she couldn't achieve. When you go back, you must tell that slug woman for . Being able to boast to her just once makes dying worthwhile."
To be honest, Hoshiyomi didn't particularly like Chiyo. But looking at her calm profile now, he found himself unable to say anything in Tsunade's favor.
After a long silence, Hoshiyomi said nothing. He simply extended his hand and placed it on Gaara as well. Yang Release chakra—already successfully transford—began flowing steadily into Gaara's body.
Seeing this, Naruto suddenly rolled up his sleeves and stepped forward:
"If it's okay… let help too."
Chiyo looked at Naruto and Hoshiyomi in shock for a mont, then suddenly burst out laughing:
"Sunagakure… lost without injustice."
Just then, the support team led by Temari and Kankurō finally arrived. Seeing the concern on their faces, Chiyo gave a weak smile and spoke her final words:
"I've made many mistakes in my life. Even in old age, I stubbornly clung to outdated beliefs.
"Thinking back now, if I hadn't been so stubborn, perhaps so many mistakes wouldn't have happened, and the rift between Sunagakure and Konoha wouldn't have grown so deep.
"I've done too many wrong things. At the end of my life, I shouldn't be pointing fingers at the future of Sunagakure anymore. The future belongs to you young ones."
After saying this, Chiyo slowly closed her eyes.
This seventy-year-old woman used the final glimr of her life to illuminate the path Gaara had yet to finish walking.
...
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