"This is my gift to Sunagakure—and to the Land of Wind."
After that, Uchiha Yorin descended from the sky into Sunagakure itself, then gave a speech in front of both civilians and shinobi:
"You're part of the Ninshū too.
As the leader, I will never abandon a single comrade!
That… is my Ninja Way!"
Most of the time, Yorin didn't actually care about "Ninja Way" or those lofty slogans. But since people believed in that kind of thing, he didn't mind using it when it was useful. The Sand shinobi loved this stuff—so he put on the appropriate performance and boosted his approval rating.
Sure enough, the moment he finished speaking, a bunch of Suna shinobi were moved to tears, crying and swearing they'd "dedicate their hearts" to him.
Off to the side, Kazekage Rasa nodded with wet eyes and told his children, "This is the man you must follow with your lives."
Gaara looked confused, as if he half understood. Kankurō nodded seriously and said, "Yes. I'll work hard."
(He said he wanted to be the world's greatest puppet master, but his main puppets were basically leftovers compared to true masters—so Yorin didn't bother thinking about it.)
Meanwhile, Temari's eyes sparkled as she told her brothers, "Look—that's your future brother-in-law."
Gaara gave a vague "Oh," still drifting. Kankurō, on the other hand, looked like he was barely holding it together.
Everyone knows it: no matter how charming an older sister is, little brothers are almost immune. To Kankurō, Temari was a troublesome menace, and any man who married her was basically volunteering for hardship.
But then he thought again—and decided this was probably Yorin's strategy.
A political marriage to secure peace. Marrying the Kazekage's daughter for the world's stability. It was all… for the greater good.
At that point, Kankurō's admiration for Yorin shot up like a flood.
Yorin, for his part, didn't care what those kids were thinking.
After turning the desert into a green oasis in an instant, Yorin estimated that transforming all of the Land of Wind from desert into oasis would take hundreds of "Primordial Titan" releases.
Then he had another thought: the Land of Rain was drenched day after day. If he repeatedly gathered natural energy over there and "moved" the effect to the Land of Wind… wouldn't that benefit both regions?
He explained this idea to his "future father-in-law" Rasa. The man was so moved he practically teared up again.
If Rasa had ever felt uncertain about marrying Temari into Yorin's circle before, he didn't anymore. In that moment, Yorin felt like Sunagakure—and the Land of Wind's—savior.
Marrying his daughter to him really was the right call.
After that, Yorin planned to return to Konoha—but Rasa refused to let him leave.
Yorin had just bestowed a miracle on Sunagakure; if he turned around and left immediately, people might think Sunagakure had no manners, no gratitude, no proper hospitality.
So Rasa insisted and insisted until Yorin finally stayed.
Yorin couldn't exactly refuse when a Kazekage was practically smiling like a subordinate in front of him. If he gave zero face, that would be too much.
So Yorin sighed and stayed for the celebrations.
He drank with them, and watched Sunagakure's dancers perform.
And honestly—Suna girls could dance.
It was that desert-region style: colorful veils, exposed waists, the music kicking in, bodies swaying like serpents. A kind of Persian–Arab flavor that was undeniably captivating.
Yorin couldn't help watching a little longer.
Sure, the dancers' looks and figures didn't necessarily beat his own partners. Usually, they didn't.
But his partners didn't dance with that same bold, sultry flair either.
Sometimes it was nice to see something different.
Temari, however, did not look pleased.
"I'm studying the culture of the Land of Wind," Yorin said, with the least convincing tone imaginable.
Temari just stared at him—clearly asking, Do you think I'm an idiot?
Yorin didn't. Temari was famously sharp.
But he also couldn't exactly admit, "Yes, I'm enjoying this," out loud.
After grumbling for a moment, Temari's expression softened into a warm smile. She hooked her arm around his and leaned close, whispering by his ear:
"If you really want to watch… come to my room. How about it?"
Yorin blinked.
"I can dance too," she added, "Even if I never trained formally. I'm a shinobi—I'll figure it out."
Yorin's expression wavered.
Private performance was different from watching in a crowd. And if it was Temari… well, maybe after the dance there could be other… "fun" too.
And if he was being honest, Temari was more charming to him than the dancers outside.
So…
Maybe slipping away now wouldn't be a big deal. It was basically downtime entertainment anyway.
Yorin glanced toward Rasa. They weren't far apart.
Rasa clearly caught the meaning of the exchange, but he didn't openly "approve." He only said, politely and vaguely, "If you're tired, Yorin… you should rest."
Yorin nodded.
"Yes," he said. "I probably should… rest."
So Yorin and Temari—hand in hand—left quickly.
Rasa watched them go and muttered, "So this is youth, huh…"
…
Later, in Yorin's guest room, Temari and Yorin spent some private time together (details left to the imagination).
What mattered wasn't the specifics.
What mattered was what came after.
Temari curled against Yorin and smiled.
"You're adorable," Yorin murmured, genuinely. Then, after a beat, he asked softly, "But… Temari. Why?"
"Because I'm happy," she said. "And… I wanted to give you something back."
She nuzzled closer, speaking with a bright, affectionate sincerity:
"I've always liked you, Yorin.
I always thought you were impressive—strong, capable, and kind.
But today… I realized something. Even when I already believed you were incredible… you were still beyond what I imagined.
I always believed you'd lead the world forward—to somewhere nobody could believe. I just thought it would take a very long time.
I worried I might not live to see it.
But now I know I was wrong.
You're even more extraordinary than I thought. Extraordinary enough to make me feel completely swept away.
When you appeared above Sunagakure like a god and gave us this blessing… I honestly felt like my life was worth it.
I wanted to give you everything. Whatever you choose, whatever you decide—I want to support you, even if I look foolish doing it.
People say admiration is the farthest distance from understanding… but I don't think that's true for me. I admire you, and I believe I understand you too.
Even if you can be arrogant, overconfident, a little shameless, and prone to wild ideas… you're still my hero. You're still the best man in the world.
You're the man I love.
And… honestly? At the beginning, I even had this silly fantasy that I could 'control' you—make you fall under my charm. Now it feels ridiculous."
She laughed softly, then looked at him with eyes so full of affection they almost seemed to shimmer.
"Alright, alright—don't make that face. Do you still want to watch a dance?
If you do… I'll dance again. Like I said before. Just for you."
Dressed in her dancer's outfit, she gazed at him with pure devotion.
Did Yorin have any other choice?
Of course not.
He'd already watched for two hours—he figured he could watch two more.
After all, his stamina was good, and he'd just gotten a little stronger too.
Then—
Wait.
A sudden chill ran down Yorin's spine.
He remembered something.
Something important.
And unfortunately… he remembered it a little too late.
Uchiha Hikari stood in the doorway, staring at him with a flat, unreadable expression.
"So," she said, "this is why you didn't come home?"
~~~
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