Just as Tobirama, the Second Hokage, stood there lost in thought, the space directly in front of him suddenly warped, and a black vortex appeared in midair...
A red-haired boy with dark rings around his eyes shot out of the vortex, nearly landing on his backside. Gaara frowned, looking somewhat bewildered at having been kicked out for no apparent reason.
Bracing a hand against the ground, Gaara got to his feet. Still maintaining his Half-Tailed Beast Transformation, he scanned his surroundings warily before fixing his gaze on the man scrutinizing him.
Wisps of fine yellow sand drifted seemingly at random around Gaara as he asked calmly, "Who are you?"
Tobirama Senju glanced at Gaara, then at the spot where the black vortex had appeared. Without another word, he left with a Body Flicker.
"..."
Gaara's frown deepened. Unless he was mistaken, the disappointment in that man's eyes seemed directed at him. But why? What was he disappointed about?
Normally, if the man was a Konoha ninja and an ally, Konoha should have been glad Gaara hadn't been taken away. Unless—recalling how badly the masked man had been injured, Gaara pondered for a moment before a possibility struck him. Was I being used as bait?
Shukaku wasn't surprised in the slightest. Inside the sealed space, he propped his chin on his enormous forepaws, flicking his tail behind him as he goaded Gaara. "See? Whether it's Konoha or Sunagakure, not one of them is any good. Will you consider my earlier suggestion now?"
"..."
Gaara exhaled. "I don't think that would help. And if we ran away like that, I couldn't guarantee they wouldn't destroy Sunagakure in their anger."
Apparently not expecting Gaara to remain so stubborn after facing a threat he couldn't resist, Shukaku stopped swishing his tail and snapped, "Once