Chapter 268: River Country

Naruto, Sasuke and the others stayed in the Sand Village for another two days.

In the past two days, Naruto has devoted himself to helping Gaara solve his training problems.

Naruto was very patient in answering Gaara's questions during training.

Under Naruto's guidance, Gaara's vision was like seeing the light through the clouds. The problems that had troubled him for a long time were gradually solved, and his understanding of training also reached a higher level.

Two days passed in a flash, and when the separation came, Naruto and Sasuke took Kimimaro on a new journey.

Starting from the Sand Village, the journey ahead of them became even longer.

However, Naruto looked relaxed. To him, this was just a new journey.

On this day, the three of them passed through the country of rivers.

As they stepped onto this land, a different picture slowly unfolded before their eyes.

Compared to the Kingdom of Wind, the Kingdom of Rivers has undulating terrain and rolling mountains, like a giant dragon winding and stretching out across the earth.

The mountains are lined with green trees, and the lush trees are intertwined to form a vast green ocean.

The ever-flowing rivers further reflect the unique national conditions.

Soon they arrived at a small town, where a bustling crowd of people were moving around.

On the streets, the hawkers' cries of wares rise and fall one after another, like a symphony full of the breath of life.

Various stalls are lined up on both sides of the road, with a dazzling array of goods that are dizzying.

Due to the large number of rivers, the fishing industry in River Country is quite developed.

On the stalls, there are all kinds of fresh fish, including plump carps swimming happily in buckets, their tails swaying and splashing water;

There are also silver crucian carps neatly arranged on the chopping board, and the fish scales are shining brightly in the sun.

Some rare river fish also attracted the attention of many customers; their peculiar appearance aroused people's curiosity.

The fishermen proudly introduced their catches to passers-by and told about their experiences of fishing on the river in the early morning.

Their faces are filled with the joy of a good harvest. Although they live in this barren land, the prosperity of the fishery has brought them a glimmer of hope and satisfaction.

In addition to fresh fish, there are also various fish delicacies.

The aroma fills the air in front of the grilled fish stall. The sizzling grilled fish is golden and crispy on the surface, tender and juicy on the inside, and sprinkled with a handful of special spices. The tempting aroma makes people salivate.

Fish ball soup is also very popular. The white fish balls roll in the steaming hot soup. The soup is fresh and delicious. A sip of it seems that all the fatigue in the body has been dispelled.

Naruto took Sasuke and Kimimaro to the various stalls with great interest, his eyes full of curiosity and excitement.

Especially the various fish delicacies made Naruto unable to move his legs. He was like being cast under a spell, standing in front of the stalls emitting tempting aromas, staring at the delicacies with his eyes, his saliva almost flowing.

I saw that each stall was filled with a wide variety of delicious fish dishes.

Some are grilled fish that are golden and crispy, with the fish skin slightly bulging under the charcoal fire, shining with an attractive oily sheen. When you gently pick it up with a bamboo stick, the tender and juicy fish meat is exposed, emitting bursts of burnt aroma;

Some are steaming hot fish ball soup, with plump and round fish balls rolling happily in the pot, the milky soup bubbling constantly, exuding a rich flavor, sprinkled with some chopped green onions and coriander, it is even more mouth-watering;

There are also fish cakes made with fish meat, which are fried until golden on both sides. Take a bite, it is crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. The delicate taste of the fish meat spreads in the mouth, mixed with a light taste of spices, which is extremely wonderful.

Naruto would go to this stall and ask about the cooking method and price with shining eyes. Then he would run to that stall and stretch his neck to smell the aroma of the food. He kept muttering, "Wow, this looks so delicious, and that smells so good. What should I do? I want to eat both!"

Kimimaro and Sasuke looked at Naruto helplessly.

Sasuke crossed his arms, frowned and said, "Naruto, can you be more thoughtful? It's just some food, you're so greedy."

Kimimaro nodded silently on the side. Although he didn't say anything, his expression clearly showed that he was speechless about Naruto's greedy look.

But Naruto didn't listen to their words at all. He was still immersed in the world of food, thinking about tasting all these delicacies so that his taste buds could fully enjoy the unique fish feast of this river country.

Just then, a child about five or six years old slowly walked up to Naruto.

At this time, Naruto was squatting on a stone, holding the steaming fish balls he had just bought in both hands, and eating them with relish. He looked so satisfied, as if there was nothing more delicious in the world than these fish balls.

When Naruto looked up and found someone standing in front of him, he was stunned at first, his cheeks were bulging, and his mouth was stuffed full of fish balls, making him speechless for a while.

But after just a moment, he showed his signature bright smile, but because there was food in his mouth, the smile looked a little funny.

He tried hard to swallow the fish ball in his mouth, then casually wiped the corner of his mouth with his sleeve, stood up and looked at the child in front of him.

The little boy was wearing slightly worn coarse cloth clothes and his face was dirty, but his big eyes were exceptionally bright, staring at the fish ball in Naruto's hand with longing.

Naruto scratched his head and asked with a smile, "Little boy, what do you want to talk to me about?" The little boy did not answer immediately, but continued to stare at Naruto for a while, as if hesitating about something.

After a while, he whispered, "Big brother, the fish balls you are eating look so delicious. I... I haven't eaten them for a long time. I'm so hungry."

As he spoke, the little boy's eyes revealed a hint of desire and a little shyness, and he swallowed unconsciously.

When Naruto heard this, he suddenly felt a surge of sympathy in his heart. He looked at the few remaining fish balls in his hand, handed them to the little boy without hesitation, and said, "Come on, little friend, big brother will treat you to some!"

The little boy's eyes suddenly lit up, but he hesitated again. He looked at Naruto, then at Yuwan, and whispered, "But... but I don't have any money to give to my big brother."

Naruto laughed, patted the little boy's head and said, "No need to pay, just think of it as a treat from your big brother, eat quickly, or it will get cold and won't taste good."

The little boy hesitated and reached out to take the fish ball.

At this moment, a child about 8 years old suddenly rushed to the little boy in a hurry, with a little panic and vigilance on his face, his eyes were wide open, and he glared at Naruto fiercely, as if his eyes hid his defense and dissatisfaction towards Naruto.