"All right, I've said what I had to say. Whether you believe it or not is up to you!"
Gaara was not as patient and earnest as Naruto, nor did he share the long-standing bickering bond Naruto had with the Nine-Tails. His personality was also rather cold.
So,
when Shukaku resisted his persuasion, he naturally fell silent.
Though his relationship with Shukaku had eased somewhat because of Xuanyu, Gaara did not actually like these so-called Tailed Beasts, nor did he want their so-called power.
Because of the Tailed Beast's existence, he needed more Chakra to maintain a balance with it. Although Shukaku no longer went berserk as often as before, Gaara still had the vigilance he should possess.
To the current Gaara, this identity as a Jinchuriki seemed like a shackle.
A chain that restricted his strength and his friendships.
Now that he had witnessed Xuanyu's terrifying strength, he was even more certain that even without the support of a Tailed Beast, a person could become very strong—at the very least, no weaker than a Tailed Beast.
But why?
Why were the people of the villages still pursuing the power of the Tailed Beasts?
Was it because the power of the Tailed Beasts was stable combat strength that could be passed down continuously?
If Shukaku disappeared from within him now, Gaara might feel somewhat disappointed, but his body would certainly feel much lighter.
"Brat, the relationship between me and the Sage of Six Paths isn't something you can speculate about. He wouldn't harm me! If he wanted to harm me, he wouldn't have created me in the first place!" Shukaku seemed to realize that his words had gone too far and began to explain himself as well.
One human and one Tailed Beast—though they could not be called perfectly in