Gaara and Sasori

"Gaara."

Gaara, who had been squatting on the ground watching ants move house, did not move at all.

"Gaara!!"

The voice carried a hint of sternness.

Gaara raised his head to look at the speaker.

Rasa.

His father.

The current Fifth Kazekage of Sunagakure.

He had heard from his mother that his father was supposed to have been the Fourth Kazekage, but the position had later been taken from him.

"Father."

Gaara walked before Rasa and respectfully addressed him.

Yet there was little respect in his voice—or rather, no emotion at all.

"How are things between you and Shukaku?"

Rasa looked coldly at his son.

"He ignored me." Gaara lowered his head.

Once the major ninja villages learned that tailed beasts were the fastest means of advancing to the Dharma Body realm, they naturally began researching them.

For a Jinchūriki to become a Dharma Body, the tailed beast needed to sacrifice itself willingly.

Of course, the Jinchūriki also needed to possess a certain level of strength.

"Useless."

Rasa spoke coldly.

Even that useless Bunpuku could wield the One-Tails' power, yet his own son had shown no improvement after so long.

"Remember, you are my son. Do not disappoint me."

"Yes, Father."

Faced with Rasa's icy words, Gaara responded just as coldly.

There was no warmth between father and son. Instead, they seemed more like superior and subordinate.

To Rasa,

Gaara was merely a tool for Sunagakure to produce a Dharma Body.

And to Gaara, Rasa was merely the Kazekage.

Even if he called him Father.

After speaking, Rasa turned and left. He did not care about anything else concerning this son.

All he needed was for Gaara to become a Dharma Body.

His eyes glanced at the trees in the distance, but he paid them no further mind and simply