In Gaara's dream, a different scene unfolded.
At first, there was nothing. But as his sleep deepened, a raccoon dog covered in black sealing patterns appeared before him.
"Yo, kid."
"Huh? You?"
Gaara stared in surprise at the creature standing before him. Something about it felt familiar—like he already knew this beast, as if it were part of him.
"Hmph, just as I thought. Still a brat. You don't even recognize this great lord."
"But no matter. From today on, you're my jinchūriki. Remember my name."
"I am Shukaku, the One-Tailed Beast, the invincible lord of the desert!"
One-Tail... Shukaku...
Gaara looked up at the huge tanuki before him. His mind flashed to the monster sealed within his own body.
So this is him?
"That's right, it's me. But from today onward, everything will be different."
"You play with sand too, right? Well, let me tell you—this great lord is the true master of sand!"
"I'll teach you. You, and that bastard sensei of yours."
"Kid, with my help, you'll become the strongest ninja there is. Then we'll give that bastard a good beating together!"
Sensei?
Kazuyama-sensei?
Gaara blinked in confusion. How could Shukaku know his teacher?
"You know Kazuyama-sensei?"
"Hmph! Know him? That bastard is a total, complete bastard!"
A bastard? Kazuyama-sensei, a bastard? Is that true?
Kazuyama Gekkō: Well, I suppose plenty of people think I am. Hahaha!
That night was meaningful for Gaara. He finally slept peacefully—and even came to an understanding with Shukaku.
It was only a preliminary agreement, but it was a start.
...
The next morning, the familiar training grounds awaited.
Temari and Kankurō, however, couldn't stop staring at their little brother. Something about Gaara seemed... different today. They just couldn't figure out what.
Their confusion cleared the moment Kazuyama arrived.
"Yo, you're all early."
"So, Gaara? Feels good to have a real night's sleep, doesn't it?"
Sleep?
Temari and Kankurō froze. As his siblings, they knew better than anyone that Gaara couldn't sleep—not deeply, anyway. Otherwise, something terrifying always happened.
Temari had even asked their father, the Fourth Kazekage, about it once. His only answer had been, "Don't concern yourself."
"Mhm! I slept great! And I met a big tanuki!"
"He said his name is Shukaku. He's going to be my partner from now on. He's a bit loud, but actually kind of cute."
Gaara was still a child, untouched by the pain of the future that awaited him in another story. At that moment, he was just a bright, cheerful kid.
The joy of finally sleeping—and meeting Shukaku—had transformed him.
But only he felt that joy. The moment Temari and Kankurō heard the name "Shukaku," they both flinched in shock.
They knew exactly what that name meant in Sunagakure. A Tailed Beast.
The monster that had haunted the entire village for years.
Seeing their fear, Kazuyama chuckled.
"Relax. It's just Shukaku. Gaara will get along just fine with him from now on."
"Right, Gaara?"
At his sensei's words, Gaara nodded eagerly.
After last night's dream, he and Shukaku had reconciled. He could even feel changes stirring within his own body.
He slowly raised both hands, and the sand around him lifted, swirling gently in the air.
It began to gather and shape itself—until, before their eyes, a tiny version of Shukaku formed in midair.
"See? This is Shukaku. Cute, right? Though he's a little hot-tempered and really loud."
Shukaku: ...You win, brat! This great lord—ah, forget it!
Kazuyama laughed at the sight of the mini Shukaku, glancing toward the distance.
There, standing with the Kazekage's headdress catching the wind, was Rasa.
"Rasa, do you really believe what Kazuyama said?"
"If Shukaku were that easy to control, Sunagakure wouldn't have lost so many of its finest over the years."
"Nor would we have suffered so long under Shukaku's shadow."
Chiyo stood beside him, her tone firm. Rasa had told her everything Kazuyama had said last night.
Her reaction didn't surprise him. After all, this was Shukaku—the One-Tail.
For decades, Sunagakure had paid dearly in its attempts to contain that beast.
But Kazuyama's words had left Rasa uncertain.
If Gaara truly could communicate with Shukaku—if they could reconcile—it would be a blessing for the village.
So Rasa chose to believe him.
"Gaara truly did sleep last night. That's a fact."
"Yashamaru watched over him all night—no incidents."
"And you've seen it yourself. His control over sand has improved drastically. Such precision and finesse."
"Without Shukaku's power, that would be impossible."
Even from a distance, from their elevated vantage point, Rasa and Chiyo could clearly see Gaara shaping the sand into Shukaku's form.
Watching him, Rasa became even more convinced that Gaara and Shukaku had made progress.
"Hmph. Do as you like," Chiyo said sharply. "You didn't consult us old relics when you allied with Konoha, either."
"If you've decided to trust Kazuyama, so be it. But if anything happens, you'll bear the responsibility alone."
With that, she turned and left, leaving Rasa alone, still watching the training field.
He watched Gaara's smiling face as the boy proudly demonstrated his sand control—creating Shukaku one moment, a human shape the next—completely absorbed in the fun of it.
In that moment, Rasa suddenly thought of his wife, Karura.
"Karura..."
"I hope everything goes well. If Gaara can truly become Shukaku's jinchūriki…"
"Then he will be Sunagakure's Fifth Kazekage."
As a Kage, Rasa was without question a capable leader. To him, the village always came first.
But he was also a father. He'd always been the kind of man who judged people by their strength alone.
Yet watching the three children grow day by day under Kazuyama's guidance, he realized something—
Sometimes, believing in others isn't weakness.
Especially when those others are your own children.
...
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