Shukaku returned to Gaara's body. Gazing at the disordered desert around him, Kazuyama Gekkō's lips curved into a faint smile.
"Kazuyama, Shukaku is one thing, but what about Son Gokū and Kokuō? What's your plan for them?"
Chōmei slowly drew back his chakra, his massive form shrinking until he became a small Seven-Tails perched lightly on Kazuyama's shoulder.
Kazuyama's eyes deepened as he lifted his gaze to the night sky.
"Chōmei, no matter what, the Ten-Tails must never be revived. That belief will be our core."
"I'm sure even the Tailed Beasts who hold grudges will set them aside for now and unite against a greater threat."
Chōmei nodded. After all, the Ten-Tails' revival required the nine Tailed Beasts as its fuel. It would take everything they had to bring it back—losing their freedom completely. No one wanted that.
Kazuyama walked forward slowly until he spotted Gaara sleeping peacefully on the sand. A faint smile touched his lips.
"I wonder if this kid will finally sleep well now. Maybe those dark circles will fade."
"Chōmei, let's go back."
With a flash of light, Chōmei's form dissolved, returning to his own luxurious little space within Kazuyama's body.
Kazuyama hoisted Gaara onto his shoulder. The boy hadn't truly slept in years. Even though Kazuyama's movements were rough, Gaara didn't stir—instead, he seemed to sleep even more deeply.
When they returned to Sunagakure, many villagers saw Kazuyama carrying Gaara, and the sound of Gaara's steady breathing spread quickly. The ANBU immediately reported the scene to the Kazekage.
At Gaara's home—
"Lord Gaara, what's going on here?"
As Gaara's caretaker, Yashamaru was stunned to see Kazuyama carrying him back. What shocked him even more was that Gaara was sleeping soundly, showing no trace of losing control.
"He's asleep—deeply asleep."
"Don't wake him. He probably hasn't had proper rest in years. Let him sleep."
Kazuyama gently laid Gaara on the bed and pulled a blanket over him, then turned his gaze toward the window.
"Tch. You're already here—why not come in?"
Confused, Yashamaru followed his gaze toward the window. Sure enough, a figure stood outside.
That familiar silhouette—he'd never forget it. It was his brother-in-law, the Fourth Kazekage, Rasa.
At Kazuyama's words, Rasa finally stepped into the room. His expression was grim as he stared at Gaara for a long time. Once he confirmed there was no issue, his eyes shifted to Kazuyama.
"He can't sleep."
"Cut it out. What kid doesn't need sleep? Don't project the Tailed Beast's emotions onto him."
Kazuyama understood perfectly what Rasa meant. He was referring to the fact that once Gaara fell asleep, Shukaku would seize the chance to invade his mind and cause him to lose control. But that problem was already solved.
"What did you do?"
Rasa's first reaction was suspicion—Kazuyama must have done something, otherwise Gaara wouldn't be sleeping so peacefully.
"Hey, Rasa, if you want to measure a person's worth, at least use the right method."
"Your son became a Jinchūriki when he was just a child. What he needs is companionship and acceptance—not to be treated like a threat by his father and his own village."
"Even if the villagers fear him, you shouldn't."
"So what if he loses control? You're strong enough to suppress Shukaku when that happens. What are you so afraid of?"
Kazuyama's tone was cutting. As a fellow Jinchūriki, he hadn't personally endured such hostility, but after seeing the truth in the original story, he understood how much every Jinchūriki suffered.
Now that Gaara was his disciple, he wasn't about to ignore it.
"Answer me. What did you do?"
Instead of replying, Rasa repeated his question firmly.
Kazuyama sighed and gave him a look of mild disdain.
"I fought Shukaku—and beat him into submission."
"From now on, Gaara can sleep peacefully. That bastard won't be causing trouble anymore."
Shukaku: …Damn it, was that even a fight? That was pure intimidation!
Kazuyama: Same difference.
Rasa's expression flickered with surprise at Kazuyama's calm tone. But he didn't doubt him. Shukaku was powerful, yes—but even Rasa could suppress him. For someone like Kazuyama, whose strength far surpassed his own, it wasn't impossible.
"You can guarantee that?"
"Of course. Haven't you heard the saying? Before absolute power, no one can remain unmoved."
A faint trace of pride appeared on Kazuyama's face as he declared,
"Starting tomorrow, I'll have Gaara begin learning to control Shukaku's power."
"And don't worry—I'm not taking your son away to Konoha."
"I just want to help him grow stronger."
Rasa looked completely bewildered. He couldn't figure out what Kazuyama's real goal was.
Seeing his confusion, Kazuyama patted him on the shoulder.
"Don't think too hard. Some things only make sense when the time comes."
"All I'll say is this—the shinobi world isn't as peaceful as it looks. There are dangerous enemies lurking in the shadows, waiting for the right moment."
"Sooner or later, we'll face them. Better to unite than to be picked off one by one."
"Enemies?"
Rasa's frown deepened, his eyes locked on Kazuyama's face, searching for any sign of deceit.
But Kazuyama's expression gave nothing away. Even Rasa couldn't read a single hint of what lay behind it.
"Alright, stop staring. You'll understand when the time comes. Anyway, allying with Konoha won't harm Sunagakure—it'll only help."
"Besides, I'm already training both your daughter and your son for free. You should be thanking me."
"Now, I've been up all night. I'm going to sleep."
Kazuyama waved a hand lazily and left the room, leaving Rasa deep in thought and Yashamaru standing there, utterly puzzled.
After a long silence, Rasa finally spoke before turning to leave.
"Take good care of Gaara."
"If he really stops going berserk… that would be enough."
Yashamaru watched Rasa's departing figure, then looked down at the peacefully sleeping Gaara. A small, genuine smile formed on his lips.
He didn't understand what had happened, but something in Rasa's words had changed.
It was the sound of concern—something he hadn't heard in a long, long time.