The street below the Kazekage building was bathed in warm sunlight, sweeping away the usual grim chill.
A few months were enough to change many things.
A ball rolled to the corner of the street and stopped beside a pair of tiny feet. Several children chasing after it froze instantly, their faces showing a mixture of habitual fear and curiosity.
Gaara lowered his head and looked at the ball.
He did not move.
Yet a wisp of tawny sand slipped out of the gourd on his back like a living tentacle, gently scooped up the ball, and slowly delivered it before the youngest child.
The children were stunned.
The boldest child hesitantly reached out, hugged the ball, and asked softly, "Y-you're not a monster anymore?"
Gaara remained silent.
Temari, standing beside him, tensed up and instinctively wanted to scold the child.
Kankuro frowned as well, his hand reaching for the puppet on his back.
But Gaara merely raised his head, his pale green eyes calm and undisturbed. He looked at the child, then at the massive gourd behind him.
Sand poured forth again.
This time, it did not form claws or shields. Instead, it piled up and took shape in midair, becoming a small, adorable tanuki.
The tanuki tilted its head. It looked seventy percent like the legendary One-Tail, Shukaku.
"Wow!"
The children cried out in delight, and all their previous fear vanished.
"It's a sand tanuki!"
"Cool! Can you make it move?"
Gaara's fingertips twitched slightly.
The sand tanuki awkwardly waved its paw, as if greeting them.
For the first time, pure, tinkling laughter rang out for him.
Standing some distance away, Temari and Kankuro watched their younger brother surrounded by children, their expressions complicated.
"This guy..." Kankuro scratched his head, his tone more relaxed than ever. "He's better