Making Friends

Gaara slowly opened his eyes, awakening from the mysterious sealed space within his body. He took a deep breath, then fixed his gaze firmly on the group and began to recount Shukaku's demands.

"This... how can this be allowed! Absolutely not!" Ebizo's eyes went wide, his face full of shock as he shouted loudly, "If we let that vicious thing out, won't our village suffer massive destruction again?"

Just then, a sharp, grating voice suddenly rang out from inside Gaara: "Hmph, hey, you old geezer! How dare you talk about me like that!"

Immediately after, a jaw-dropping scene unfolded—half of Gaara's face instantly transformed into Shukaku's visage, the ferocious expression paired with the bizarre shape looking utterly ridiculous.

"You... you can actually speak human language!" Ebizo and Chiyo exclaimed in unison, staring in disbelief at the half-human, half-beast before them.

"Hahahaha, of course I can talk! You ignorant humans!" Shukaku laughed triumphantly. "Remember this, I am the mighty Sand Shukaku-sama!"

Then it turned its head toward Jimo, who stood nearby, and taunted, "Hey, kid, that fight we had last time wasn't nearly satisfying enough! If you've got the guts, pick a time and have a real match with me!"

Faced with Shukaku's challenge, Jimo remained exceptionally calm. He gave a slight smile and replied unhurriedly, "Sure, let's save it for next time! But before that, don't you and Gaara have an important agreement to settle? Let's take care of that first."

With that, Jimo shrugged nonchalantly, as if Shukaku's threat hadn't fazed him in the slightest.

"Except for you lot! As long as Gaara and any three people from the village make friends while looking like this, then he'll have passed my test!"

"No problem!"

Jimo answered with great confidence.

Earlier, while Gaara was still in the consciousness space, Jimo had already split into over a thousand shadow clones to spread the news throughout the village. When everyone heard it was about helping Gaara control Shukaku's power, they were initially terrified, but fortunately, Jimo had spent a long time with Naruto and was quite skilled in the art of talk-no-jutsu.

That was how the many residents of Sunagakure agreed to the plan.

On the bustling main street, the crowd suddenly parted like startled fish, leaving a wide path. There stood Gaara in the center, his body beginning to undergo astonishing changes.

His skin gradually turned yellow, with blue patterns emerging across it. In an instant, Gaara had completely transformed into a massive, imposing Shukaku, its appearance truly fearsome.

Yet, despite the terror Shukaku's presence inspired, the people forced down their inner trembling and braced themselves to greet the colossal beast. Some voices quavered, some faces turned ashen, and others' legs went weak, barely able to stand.

Shukaku watched these trembling villagers and found it somewhat amusing. Its low, raspy voice rang out: "How boring! You lot greet me on the surface, but inside you're scared to death! This kind of two-faced behavior doesn't meet the requirements of my trial!"

Hearing Shukaku's words from the side, Jimo shook his head helplessly and said, "I forgot that you can sense the malice in people's hearts!"

Shukaku glanced at Jimo, a hint of surprise in its voice: "Oh ho, I didn't expect you to know so much! So you're aware that we Tailed Beasts can perceive the malice in human hearts. Hmph, but even so, few dare to truly face the darkness within themselves." With that, Shukaku let out a low roar, as if declaring its authority to the entire village.

After that roar, the villagers completely lost their nerve and scattered in all directions.

"Hahaha! This is the might of me, Sand Shukaku-sama!"

Shukaku laughed, its sharp, raspy voice even more grating.

"Big tanuki! It's a big tanuki!" A little girl with twin ponytails, her face full of surprise, caught sight of Shukaku, spun around, and bolted. She kept glancing back as she ran, as if the terrifying figure might chase her at any moment.

"Hahahahaha! See, everyone's afraid of me! You insignificant humans, daring to disrespect the great Shukaku! How could I possibly lend my power to someone like you? Do you think after you're done using it, you won't seal me away mercilessly, just like those before you?"

Shukaku burst into wild laughter, its voice deafening, echoing through the entire space. By now, Shukaku's emotions were growing more intense, and powerful energy radiated from its body, making the air itself seem to freeze.

In this tense moment, Jimo and several other high-level ninjas nearby were already on high alert. Their faces were grim, weapons tightly gripped, fully focused on Shukaku's every move, ready to respond to any danger.

But then, something unexpected happened. The little girl who had fled in panic came running back, followed by several children around her age. They trotted over, panting, and stopped in front of Shukaku.

"Wow, what a cute big tanuki!" one of the children exclaimed, pointing at Shukaku with sparkling eyes.

"I am Sand Shukaku! Not some tanuki!" Shukaku roared angrily, its eyes wide, mouth gaping to reveal sharp fangs, trying to scare off these reckless brats.

But the children weren't afraid of Shukaku's threats at all; instead, they found its anger even more amusing. "Oh my, look, the tanuki can talk!" another child clapped and cheered.

"I told you, I'm not a tanuki! Get off my tail!" Shukaku bellowed, but to no avail. A mischievous little boy had boldly grabbed Shukaku's thick tail and started playing with it.

"Shukaku-sama? Doesn't this count as them not being afraid of you?" Jimo seized the moment, a glint of cunning and hope in his eyes. Hearing this, Shukaku paused slightly, pondering inwardly. Indeed, as Jimo said, though these were just a few snot-nosed kids, they showed no fear toward it, even a hint of eagerness.

Shukaku's gaze slowly swept over the children's innocent faces, trying to detect even a trace of fear or dread deep in their hearts. But to its surprise, it found nothing but curiosity and excitement.

"This..." Shukaku hesitated for a moment, then finally sighed in resignation. "Fine, I underestimated you little brats. Maybe it's true what they say—'a newborn calf fears no tiger'!" With that, its massive, imposing form began to blur, and the powerful aura surrounding it gradually dissipated.

As Shukaku's appearance faded, Gaara's figure slowly emerged. His sand-formed body instantly lost its shape, collapsing loosely and scattering to the ground.

Just then, one of the children blinked, looking puzzled, and asked, "Big brother... where did the tanuki go?" At this, the other kids crowded around, chattering with questions.

Gaara looked at these adorable little ones, and a gentle smile involuntarily spread across his face. He crouched down, lightly patted the questioning child's head, and replied softly, "The big tanuki got tired, so it went home to rest!"

The children nodded, half-understanding. Then another child asked in a babyish voice, "Will the big tanuki come play with us again?"

Gaara smiled and nodded firmly. "Of course! The big tanuki will come play with you often from now on!" He stood up, gazing at the children's happy faces, feeling a warmth he had never known before.

The group returned to the sealing barrier, and Gaara summoned Shukaku.

"Though this test wasn't ideal! You passed anyway. I'll lend you my power!"

The next moment, Gaara transformed into the massive form of Shukaku.

"So this is... the power of a Tailed Beast!"