"The Three-Tails' chakra? Is this boy the Three-Tails' jinchūriki?"
After helping his wife sit upright, Minato looked up and asked.
"No, that's not right... He's only housing a portion of chakra, not the actual beast."
The Nine-Tails quickly calmed down. Looking at Karatachi Gui, who was enveloped in Isobu's chakra, he was deeply puzzled. "Why does he have Isobu's chakra?"
"Perhaps the Fourth Mizukage gave it to his child himself."
"No... You can't sense it, but I can. Isobu supplied this chakra willingly. Even its activation just now was meant to protect him..."
"In other words, this wasn't a safeguard left by the Fourth Mizukage being activated, but something Lord Isobu did?"
Minato understood what the Nine-Tails meant.
Seemingly pleased that Minato addressed Isobu with the same courtesy, the Nine-Tails patiently explained, "Exactly. And it wasn't taken from him or controlled by any other means. I can even faintly sense a little of his consciousness within this chakra..."
"His actual body isn't in the state we previously assumed. He most likely isn't being controlled!"
"He isn't being controlled?"
"That's right. I can be cer... Hm?"
The Nine-Tails suddenly let out a startled sound, because another change had occurred in the arena—
"Gaara, Gaara? What's wrong?"
In Sunagakure's spectator section, Temari and Baki watched anxiously as Gaara crouched on the ground, seemingly in great distress. His eyes were tightly shut, and a little cold sweat trickled down his face.
"I... I..."
Gaara's head felt as though it would split apart. He couldn't even get a complete sentence out.
"Wh-what on earth is happening?"
It was Temari's first time seeing Gaara like this. At a loss, she looked at Baki, who appeared just as frightened.
No matter how they looked at it, he seemed about to go berserk.
"H-hang in there, Gaara!"