Sasori coughed lightly. "I need your help with something." Gaara paused slightly, not expecting Sasori to come to him for help.
"Something only you can do."
"Okay."
Hearing that it was something only he could do, Gaara agreed without hesitation. His quick acceptance surprised Sasori, who had expected Gaara to refuse. Was this person really so easy to talk to? It seemed his previous attitude toward him had indeed been a problem. This Tailed Beast Jinchuriki was unexpectedly a decent person.
With Gaara, a sand-making machine, joining in, Sasori the iron-blooded foreman's puppet construction crew got to work. In his spare time, Sasori also made a small puppet for Gaara as thanks—a little puppet that could perform some movements with a bit of Chakra, basically meant as a toy. For example, it could open its mouth and fire poisoned needles, or open its stomach and launch blades coated in deadly poison.
Having rarely received gifts from anyone, Gaara was delighted by Sasori's present. Every day, he carried around the puppet Sasori had given him, one modeled after Gaara himself. It looked similar to Kinzamoku No. 1, except Naruto's appearance had been replaced with Gaara's.
"You really like that little thing. It doesn't look like much," Shukaku said, unable to understand why Gaara liked this puppet, which looked no different from a piece of junk wood to him.
"Because it's one of the few gifts I've received."
"Because of me?"
...Gaara wanted to deny it, but he could not bring himself to say the words.
"Tch! It's not like I wanted to be sealed away!"
"I'm sorry." Hearing Shukaku's dissatisfied voice, Gaara apologized instinctively.
"What are you apologizing for? You weren't the one in the wrong!" Seeing how much Gaara liked it, Sasori, who wanted to earn more money for the