After Sailing with the Pirate King, I Returned to Konoha - 239

Chapter 239: Kosei’s Dilemma, Naruto’s Awkwardness

"The whole moon?"

Naruto blinked, momentarily stunned.

Then he accepted the fact.

Of course. If they were beings from beyond the stars, only a seal this grand could match.

"So the legend about the Sage of Six Paths creating the moon is true, then? That means the one who defeated that Ōtsutsuki was the Sage of Six Paths?"

The legend of the Sage of Six Paths creating the moon had always existed. Even Naruto, who rarely paid attention in class, had heard it.

But he had always treated it as just a story.

At those words, Gaara’s expression suddenly turned strange.

"Well, that’s not wrong. It was your so-called Sage of Six Paths, together with his brother, who defeated that Ōtsutsuki member."

He did not wait for Naruto to react before adding:

"In other words, their mother."

"?"

Seeing Naruto’s shocked, incredulous look, the usually expressionless will of nature actually smiled for the first time.

Though the smile vanished as quickly as it appeared.

"So you can make that face too? I thought you could guess everything."

"I already said, the chakra of your world was born from the Ōtsutsuki. Isn’t it only natural that the so-called Sage of Six Paths, the founder of ninjutsu, also shares Ōtsutsuki blood?"

“In other words, some of you carry their blood in your veins.”

By now, most of Gaara’s face had returned to its original human form, leaving only one eye fixed on Naruto.

"Don’t rush off yet. Finish listening before you go."

Startled by the big news, Naruto instinctively grabbed Gaara’s shoulder and shook it a little, only to be met with the will of nature’s laughter.

"Haha—I’ve already been severed from him—"

"I can’t stay long. Even if I force myself to remain in this body, he will slowly be absorbed by nature, turning into a silent, unmoving statue."

At that, Naruto remembered the stone frog statues at Mount Myōboku, failed Sage Mode practitioners. So that was the root cause.

Gaara had never possessed the talent or training to master Sage Mode. The only reason he could maintain it for so long was that the will of nature was "operating" for him.

Now that the connection was cut, there was nothing more he could do.

"If you want to know more—enter Sage Mode yourself, then come find me."

With those final words, Gaara’s body fully returned to human form. The horn on his head disappeared.

The Heaven’s Curse Seal Orochimaru had left on his neck seemed to fade, turning pale and vanishing beneath the skin.

"Like I’d ever do that again."

Naruto took a sip of sake and grimaced, refusing to be tempted by the suggestion.

He already knew enough. He could ask for gossip later, after things had settled.

"But—Ōtsutsuki, huh—getting more troublesome all the time."

He said it with a carefree expression, not a hint of worry.

"Umm—where am I?"

Just as Naruto finished the fight and started sipping his drink, Gaara, who had been amnesiac for so many days, finally woke up.

Memories suppressed by the will of nature flooded back, sending a sharp pain through Gaara’s head.

"Ugh—ah!"

Watching Gaara clutch his head and roll around, Naruto clicked his tongue and, almost without thinking, offered him the sake gourd.

"Want a swig to numb the pain?"

Clearly, Gaara in this state had no interest in responding.

This scene was witnessed by Kosei and Karin, who had just arrived.

The two girls emerged from opposite sides of the woods, glanced at each other, then turned their eyes to the two men in the clearing.

Their gaze settled on the rolling Gaara—and on Naruto, who was offering him sake.

“If I said he was like this and it had nothing to do with me, would you believe me?”

For some reason, Naruto felt inexplicably nervous under Kosei’s stare.

He quickly put the sake gourd away and casually wiped his hands.

"Naruto-san, no matter what, you shouldn’t give alcohol to a minor."

Karin’s words completely deflated Naruto.

The two groups finally arrived as things settled down.

"Naruto Uzumaki , it really is you."

Unlike Zabuza’s complicated expression, Haku looked much friendlier as he glanced at Naruto.

He bandaged Gaara’s wounds and nodded with a smile.

Naruto, however, did not seem to care much about their reactions, only giving a perfunctory nod.

His attention was entirely on the small figure nearby.

"Hey, Dark Circles, do you remember me?"

Kosei crouched beside Gaara, poking his forehead without hesitation. Where the horn had been, the kanji for "love" was now visible.

Incidentally, Kosei could not read.

She fretted about Gaara’s condition, but kept sneaking glances at Naruto behind her.

When their eyes met, she quickly turned away, pretending not to notice, but her hands betrayed her.

"Ow—I remember, I remember! I even have a name."

Gaara winced at Kosei’s poking. In his usual mood, he would have exploded in anger.

But he had not forgotten his amnesiac days.

In Kosei—and the two caretakers—he had experienced a kind of familial warmth he had never known before.

It was something he had not felt since his uncle’s death.

For Kosei’s playful antics, even Gaara, with his memories and personality restored, had a high tolerance.

He would probably grudgingly agree if Kosei asked him to play horse right now.

"Oh, name—right—name?! What’s your name, Dark Circles?"

Kosei was distracted by thoughts of her dad, so her first words were half-hearted, but she quickly snapped to attention.

She looked at Gaara in surprise.

Gaara was about to answer, but another voice cut in.

"He’s Gaara. See, this is the kanji for ‘love’."

Naruto reached out and tapped Gaara’s forehead, earning a fierce glare from the One-Tail Jinchūriki.

"Hey! Don’t touch me!"

Gaara did not like Naruto.

Not just because he had been beaten by him twice.

But also because, during his amnesia, he had been chasing after this guy, a feeling of helplessness that reminded him of obeying his father’s orders.

Smack!

Kosei’s little hand slapped Gaara’s forehead. She looked sternly at him.

"Dark Circles, this—Naruto Uzumaki-san just saved you! If it weren’t for him, you’d still be controlled by that thing."

Kosei wanted to call him "Dad," but the words stuck in her throat.

She did not know how to explain to her dad from this era that she was actually from the future.

What if he did not believe her?

What if he thought Kosei was a liar?

She was only four. Normally, she could rely on her bold nature, but when it came to matters of the heart, she was helpless.

Too little experience.

If she’d at least finished primary school, she wouldn’t be in this situation.