After Kankurō escaped, he immediately summoned his subordinates and began assembling troops according to Gaara's request.
Maki, upon hearing that the Kazekage had returned and was organizing the forces, rushed to the command post.
"Kazekage-sama, what happened? More than half of the village's combat shinobi have already gathered!"
As he approached, Maki spotted Kakashi standing beside Gaara and smiled in recognition.
"Lord Hokage! You're here as well!"
Kakashi returned the smile with his usual calmness. "Ah, it's nothing serious. Naruto is getting married, and Konoha is short on manpower. We've asked for the help of our friends from Sunagakure."
Maki blinked, surprised for a second before laughing in relief. "Ah, I see! Hahaha… that explains it."
You couldn't really blame him for being wary. The memory of Orochimaru disguising himself as the Fourth Kazekage and mobilizing the entire Sand Village for war still haunted many. But this time, the scene was peaceful, the air filled with familiarity instead of tension.
Within half an hour, the shinobi of Sunagakure had gathered in full force.
Since it wasn't an emergency deployment, Kankurō calmly explained the mission to everyone, instructing each unit to hand off their local responsibilities before joining the formation.
Once the forces had assembled, Gaara turned toward Kakashi.
"You can begin."
Kakashi nodded but decided it was best to formally address the group. Stepping forward, he smiled under his mask. "Hello, everyone. I'm Hatake Kakashi, the Sixth Hokage of Konohagakure. This time, we're inviting you all to Konoha to assist us during Naruto's wedding."
The Sand shinobi began murmuring with interest. Kakashi continued, "Everyone in Konoha will be attending the ceremony, so we're a bit short on manpower for security and duty posts. Kazekage-sama has kindly agreed to lend us your support. On behalf of Konoha, and in the name of the Hokage, I sincerely thank you all for helping us."
After speaking, Kakashi bowed deeply.
This gesture not only showed immense respect for Gaara, but also honored the entire Sand Village. The shinobi of Sunagakure, seeing such sincerity from the Hokage himself, broke into smiles and laughter.
"Hahaha, Lord Hokage, Naruto is Kazekage-sama's friend—and our friend as well! Of course we'll help!"
"Yes, that's right! Naruto has done so much for the Sand Village already!"
"Yeah! Lord Kazekage owes his life to Naruto. Now's the perfect time to repay that favor!"
"By the way, it's fine for us to stand guard—but we expect Naruto's wedding feast to be delivered to us too!"
"Ha ha ha ha ha!"
The entire camp erupted in laughter. Kakashi couldn't help but chuckle beneath his mask. "No problem. I'll make sure Konoha's logistics division prepares plenty of food for you all!"
Gaara then stepped forward. "Everyone, let's move out."
"OOOHHHHH!!!" the Sand shinobi roared in unison, their morale high.
At that moment, Obito Uchiha stepped forward from the shadows. His single Sharingan began to spin as he activated Kamui. The dimensional vortex expanded rapidly, and in a flash, the Sand shinobi began disappearing one after another into the swirling space.
Gaara turned to Maki. "Sorry to trouble you. Take care of the village in my absence."
Maki bowed. "Understood, Kazekage-sama."
Kankurō stood beside his brother, and both were drawn into the Kamui space along with Kakashi and Obito.
With a resonant whoosh, the group vanished entirely—transported across time and space.
Maki watched them disappear, a faint smile on his face. He then turned to the captain of the guard. "Reorganize the patrols and maintain village security."
"Yes, sir," the captain replied, saluting. After Maki left, the man allowed himself a small grin. "In this era, there's barely a need for vigilance. Peace is finally here."
A young shinobi beside him smiled as well. "Captain, I kind of wish I could go to Konoha too. I've never been there before! A wedding sounds like fun."
The captain chuckled softly. "Be patient. Because of Naruto, the world is at peace. As long as he's around, things will only keep improving. At this rate, the Five Great Nations might truly become united under friendship."
He looked up toward the horizon. "Someday, you'll be able to walk freely between villages with no hostility at all."
The younger shinobi smiled wistfully. "I hope that day comes soon."
Konoha Village
In a blink, Obito's Kamui vortex opened above the streets of Konoha. A large group of shinobi appeared out of thin air—Gaara, Kakashi, Kankurō, and the entire Sand delegation landing gracefully on solid ground.
"Ah, so this is Konoha Village!" one of the younger Sand shinobi exclaimed.
"Wow! It's so green… so many trees compared to our desert winds!" another said, eyes wide in wonder.
"Hah, no matter what, there's no place like your own village," a veteran Jōnin added, laughing. Still, he couldn't help admiring Konoha's lush scenery.
A sudden burst of chakra signatures flared nearby—Konoha's security forces were immediately on alert. With a few quick whoosh sounds, a squad of Leaf shinobi appeared around them.
The guards raised their kunai defensively, but then blinked in recognition. "Sand shinobi?"
Kakashi raised his hand. "It's all right. They're our allies. I invited them here to assist during Naruto's wedding. They'll be handling duty shifts for us so everyone can attend."
The guards relaxed and smiled. "Ah, that's what this is about! Lord Hokage, you really think of everything!"
Kakashi nodded, turning back to the Sand delegation. "Everyone, follow me."
The group marched through the familiar streets of Konoha, many Sand shinobi glancing around curiously at the bustling shops, the Hokage Monument looming overhead, and the warm greetings of villagers who waved as they passed.
When they reached the Hokage Office, Shikaku Nara was already waiting outside with four other Leaf shinobi.
"Lord Hokage," Shikaku greeted with a bow.
"Ah, Shikaku," Kakashi said with a smile. "I take it Shizune already briefed you?"
Shikaku nodded, hands folded behind his back. "Yes. I've completed the necessary handovers. I must say, this is a clever idea, Lord Hokage."
Kakashi scratched the back of his head, slightly embarrassed. "Haha, well, it was Naruto's suggestion, really."
Shikaku looked past Kakashi and greeted respectfully, "Kazekage-sama, Kankurō-dono."
Gaara and Kankurō both nodded in return. "Good to see you again, Shikaku-dono," Gaara replied with his calm tone.
After exchanging formalities, Shikaku turned to the Sand shinobi. "Everyone from Sunagakure, please come with me. I'll be arranging your assignments for the next few days."
Gaara addressed his men, his expression composed yet commanding. "While we are in Konoha, you will follow the orders of Shikaku-dono. Thank you for your cooperation."
"Yes, Kazekage-sama!" the Sand shinobi shouted in unison, their voices echoing through the corridor.
Even away from home, discipline ran deep.
Kakashi bowed again, his voice sincere. "Thank you all for your hard work."
Shikaku and the four Leaf shinobi behind him also bowed in gratitude before leading the Sand delegation away to begin the large-scale coordination work ahead. It would take the rest of the day to finalize duty shifts and posts.
Once the matter was settled, Kakashi turned to Gaara and Kankurō. "Shall we go meet the other Kage?"
Gaara nodded. Together, they began walking toward the guest quarters where the other leaders were staying.
Meanwhile, across the village, another situation was brewing.
At the Hokage's Guest Hall
Apart from Naruto and Sasuke, all other members of the Twelve had been assigned as guides for the visiting Kage. Each pair was carefully chosen by Shizune. Of course, Shikamaru Nara had been—quite deliberately—assigned to Temari alone.
Shikamaru sighed deeply, rubbing his temple. "What's the meaning of this, Lady Shizune? Why am I guiding Temari alone? Shouldn't I be assisting Kazekage-sama and the others too?"
Temari crossed her arms and frowned. "What do you mean by that? As a guide of Konoha, this attitude is unacceptable! Are you saying you don't want to accompany me around Konoha?"
Shikamaru waved his hands quickly. "No, no, that's not it! It's just… troublesome, that's all."
Temari's expression darkened. She stepped closer, grabbing his collar with a fierce glare. "So you do think I'm a bother, huh?"
Before Shikamaru could respond, a familiar voice interrupted from behind.
"Shikamaru? Temari!"
They turned to see Gaara, Kakashi, and Kankurō approaching them down the hall, all three wearing the same knowing smirk.
Shikamaru sighed in defeat while Temari released his collar with a faint blush.
Troublesome indeed.
Dear Readers
For 60 Advance Chapters Join My Patreon
https://www.patreon.com/NF25
-------
Please Support My Patreon 🥺