"Shukaku, long time no see!"
The voice rising from beneath his feet was quiet, yet it sent chills through Shukaku's towering body. He knew that voice all too well. The memory of its owner crushing him felt as fresh as if it had happened just a moment ago.
Lowering his head, Shukaku searched the ground with his tiny, beady eyes and spotted Zou Hyuga waving at him.
Although Zou Hyuga had changed into a Red Cloud Robe, Shukaku could never forget that mask or that flat, unruffled tone.
Simply because he had destroyed a few buildings, the man had beaten him to death, not even deigning to make use of him.
"What do you want now?" Shukaku's deep voice rumbled, with even a hint of grievance in his tone.
Zou Hyuga smiled. "Relax. I'll be careful this time. I won't kill you."
Shukaku's face twisted at those words. Instinctively, he tried to flee, but the remnants of the Sealing Jutsu Formula held him in place. He could not escape at all, like a small, helpless tanuki.
Hiruko was taken aback by the sight. He certainly did not believe this was a Tailed Beast's true nature. The only possible explanation was that his companion was so powerful that even a Tailed Beast feared him.
He reckoned that with the strength he had gained after the ritual, he could defeat a Tailed Beast, but it would be a difficult battle. Nor would the beast display such terror.
It seemed he still was not strong enough. Forget matching the leader or Tobi-he could not even match the president.
Kazekage Rasa was no less shocked. He had never imagined that Shukaku, whose power Sunagakure coveted even while regarding him as a natural disaster, could appear so weak.
Yet the man's words also revealed that