The Enemy Uchiha Yū Had Been Waiting For

From the face formed in the piled-up sand, he could vaguely make out that it was the mother of the three siblings. Gaara could not help reaching out, wanting to touch that pile of sand.

"Your tailed beast's power has already been sealed by me."

Uchiha Yū gave him a timely reminder. Watching him sink into his memories, he added,

"The one who had always protected you was not the tailed beast, but your mother. Though she has already left this world, her chakra was stored within the sand. That is the most precious and gentle thing you possess—the thing you had been searching for was actually right by your side all along."

Seeing Gaara's eyes brimming with tears, no matter how twisted his nature might have become, one fact could not be denied: Gaara was someone who was desperately starved of affection.

His gift for talking people down was not as strong as Naruto's, but timely help and guidance for the heart could still pull Gaara out of his dark world.

As Uchiha Yū rose to his feet, a ray of sunlight fell upon them. The timid siblings standing nearby immediately rushed over to protect Gaara. No matter what, Gaara was their family. As his older brother and sister, they had to protect their little brother!

"Even if they feared you in their hearts, one thing cannot be denied: your family still loves you."

Gently rubbing Gaara's head, Uchiha Yū turned his gaze toward the two of them. At that instant, Kankurō felt immense pressure. The ninja before him had suppressed a tailed beast with one hand. With their strength, there was no way they could resist him. Trembling, Kankurō released his puppet, but before he could speak, Uchiha Yū directly interrupted the thoughts in his mind.

"Don't worry.