Shukaku of the Sand

"I really am sorry... during the ninja wars, Lady Chiyo always came up just short against Princess Tsunade... every carefully laid poison scheme of hers was effortlessly undone by Princess Tsunade, so she gets this worked up..."

Temari spoke while carefully applying medicine to Jimo, her face full of apology. She looked at him, now wrapped up like a living mummy by her own hands, with a slightly guilty gaze. But she was trying to hold back a laugh, only to find it far too difficult—so much so that her face flushed bright red, like a ripe apple.

"I say, if you really can't help but laugh, then don't force it... at this rate, the 'insult' to me seems to be getting worse..."

Jimo gave Temari a helpless glance, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly into a wry smile.

Hearing Jimo's words, Temari could no longer control the surging laughter inside her. A "pfft" escaped her lips: "Hahahaha, sorry, sorry. I couldn't help it for a moment..." As she spoke, Temari laughed so hard she doubled over, tears nearly streaming down her face.

"So, what's your stance?" Jimo, now covered head to toe in thick white bandages, still sat upright and straight, his expression unusually serious, his gaze piercing as he looked directly at the group across from him.

On the other side of the meeting hall, Gaara stood silently, his perpetually cold face now unusually grave; Chiyo frowned slightly, arms crossed over her chest; Ebizo, too, wore a look of deep worry, letting out a long sigh before speaking slowly.

"Back in the day, when Lord Rasa was still alive, even if Shukaku suddenly went berserk and lost control, we still had the ability to suppress it and manage the situation. But times have changed! Ever since Lord Rasa was tragically assassinated by Orochimaru, our village can no longer find any method or means to effectively control that monster..."

At this point, Ebizo couldn't help but shake his head, his eyes revealing deep worry and helplessness. The entire meeting hall was filled with a heavy, oppressive atmosphere, as if even the air had frozen solid.

"I think it's worth a try..." Gaara stared intently at Jimo, a hint of anticipation and caution in his eyes as he slowly asked, "That organization you mentioned, Akatsuki—does every single one of its members truly possess combat power as terrifying as Orochimaru's?"

Jimo nodded slightly, his expression grave as he replied, "That's right. In a sense, they might even be stronger than Orochimaru."

Hearing this answer, the atmosphere around them instantly grew heavy. Everyone knew that if Gaara couldn't rely on the power of Shukaku right now, then with his current strength alone, defeating any member of Akatsuki would be an almost impossible task.

After a long silence, everyone finally made a decision—to respect Gaara's choice.

Gaara took a deep breath and said firmly, "In that case, I'll give it a try! After all, with Jimo here to assist, I believe subduing Shukaku together won't be too difficult!"

Then, Gaara suddenly shifted the topic, asking curiously, "By the way, is Naruto also trying to communicate with the monster inside him?"

Jimo thought for a moment before responding, "As far as I know, that should be the case. Lord Jiraiya has also been tirelessly teaching Naruto how to control and wield that immense power hidden within him."

After hearing this, a resolute gleam flashed in Gaara's eyes. He said decisively, "Good. If Naruto can do it, then I'll try too..."

The group arrived at the sealing cage where the previous jinchuriki had been imprisoned.

"Gaara, try to communicate with him!"

Jimo stood by, ready to transform into his Giant Ape Form at any moment to suppress Shukaku.

Gaara sat down on a cushion, and Ebizo and Chiyo opened the seal inside him, allowing him to actively communicate with Shukaku.

Gaara slowly closed his eyes, sinking his consciousness into the mysterious, deep space within his body. He felt as if he were walking through a long, pitch-black tunnel, surrounded by utter silence, with only the faint sound of his own breathing echoing in the darkness.

After an unknown amount of time, a glimmer of light finally appeared ahead. As he drew closer, the light gradually expanded into a massive exit. When Gaara stepped out of that exit, the scene before him opened up—a vast, boundless golden desert stretching as far as the eye could see.

Just then, a sharp, piercing voice suddenly came from nearby: "Oh-ho-ho, if it isn't the little brat nobody loves! What brings you here to see your Lord Shukaku today?"

With the voice, a gigantic tanuki covered in blue markings burst out from beneath the ground. Its terrifying, ferocious face and sharp, pointed claws sent a chill down anyone's spine.

This was the first time Gaara had ever seen Shukaku's true, complete form so clearly. Before this, although he knew a powerful tailed beast was sealed inside him, its exact appearance had always been vague. Now, seeing it with his own eyes, an indescribable sense of shock surged within him.

"You are... the one inside me..." Gaara began hesitantly.

"That's right! Yes, yes! I'm the monster inside you! And the very thing those Sunagakure folks are afraid of!" Shukaku shouted impatiently.

"I've been bored for so long—come have a spar with Lord Shukaku!"

Before Gaara could react, Shukaku launched the first attack. Opening its massive mouth wide, it spat out several devastating Air Bullets, which hurtled toward Gaara like cannonballs.

But faced with this sudden assault, Gaara didn't panic. He quickly mobilized the surrounding sand, forming a solid sand wall in front of him. With a series of loud "bang bang bang" sounds, the Air Bullets slammed into the sand wall, kicking up a storm of dust.

Shukaku and Gaara were like old friends who hadn't seen each other in years, each knowing the other's every move inside out. Neither could gain the upper hand.

"Enough, enough! This is no fun!"

Shukaku turned around, acting just like a child who hadn't grown up.

"I think we can be friends!"

Gaara walked over to Shukaku and sat down on the ground beside it.

"Hahahahaha! Friends? Don't make me laugh! You've got Lord Shukaku's stomach hurting from laughing!"

Shukaku laughed. "I'm the monster you all talk about, the root of all the suffering you endured as a child! And you want to be friends with me?"

"Jimo is right. Back then, when the tailed beasts were distributed to the various villages, the original intention was for them to protect the villages and coexist harmoniously with humans, not to be treated as weapons or tools!"

Gaara stood up and bowed to Shukaku.

"Jimo? That kid who can turn into a monkey? I wonder what his relationship is with Sun Wukong..."

Shukaku looked at Gaara, pondering for a moment before speaking.

"You want to borrow my power? Fine! Then go make some friends in Shukaku's form! As long as you can prove that there are people in the village who aren't afraid of me, I'll lend you my power!"

"It's a deal!"