Under the gaze of Shukaku, who stood with his hands on his hips and was still a little angry, Gaara explained how Karin had improved his sealing technique for him.
"Huh, so can you enter Tailed Beast Chakra Mode now too, Gaara?"
Naruto asked curiously.
"Yeah, I can use the Tailed Beast Cloak now, but Shukaku refuses to establish a link with me during most fights."
Gaara explained as he continued to soothe Shukaku.
"That's not it! You keep holding back my pay! You promised to bring me more meat!"
Shukaku yelled at Gaara.
A disdainful smile curled Kurama's lips.
Who did you think you were, Shukaku? You called yourself a tailed beast?
Just look at the great Kurama. I ate and drank like a king every day now, watched anime when I had nothing to do, and played cards when I did.
The only downside was that Hashirama and Kushina would occasionally act up inside the space.
Everything else was absolutely perfect.
After some playful commotion, Naruto brought things back on topic.
"Shukaku, Chōmei, the Ten-Tails' shell has returned to the shinobi world."
The instant Naruto finished speaking, Chōmei, who was perched on Fū's head, fluttered his wings and stared at Naruto and Kurama in shock.
Shukaku reacted the same way. His pupils abruptly contracted as he turned toward Kurama, his earlier sulk forgotten.
"That's right."
Kurama nodded.
"How? Didn't the Old Man seal it away?"
Shukaku sounded deeply shocked. To all the tailed beasts, the Ten-Tails was their progenitor.
They had been formed from portions of the Ten-Tails' chakra.
But as they accumulated experience, they had developed their own consciousnesses.
They had become new individuals.
And once they returned to that former shell, their current consciousnesses would fall into an eternal slumber.
It was more terrifying than death.