Unaware of Mirai Uchiha's expression, Gaara's perpetually shadowed eyes now sparkled with anticipation.
From childhood onward, no one had ever managed to hurt him.
Any attempt to harm him would be instantly blocked by those irritating grains of sand.
People always claimed it was the power of the sealed beast within his body.
Gaara hated this strength. He wanted nothing more than to become normal like everyone else.
Every time he saw others bleeding or feeling pain, jealousy overwhelmed him.
He longed to understand the true sensation of pain.
Even when he tried to hurt himself, he couldn't—those annoying grains of sand were always guarding his body!
Now, at last, someone had pierced through his sand defenses and wounded him.
Gaara had no other thoughts—only the desire for this man to hit him harder so he could fully feel the sensation of pain.
Seeing Mirai Uchiha unmoved, Gaara's expression gradually twisted into something manic.
You won't hit me?
Then I'll have no choice but to kill you!
Gaara focused his mind, and once again, waves of sand surged toward Mirai Uchiha.
Seeing this unfold, Mirai Uchiha felt a pang of frustration.
Under normal circumstances, he should now severely reprimand this arrogant kid who didn't know his place.
But Gaara's way of thinking was clearly different from most people's.
It was unclear whether Gaara perceived punishment as torment or pleasure.
In the brief moment Mirai Uchiha spent pondering, the sand had already engulfed his entire body.
Gaara slowly extended his palm: "[Sand Binding Jutsu]!"
A sinister smile curled on Gaara's lips as he imagined Mirai Uchiha's body crushed into meat pulp.
Yet, the next instant shocked Gaara beyond comprehension.
The sand hadn't caused him even the slightest damage!
"[Blocking Technique Absorption Seal]!"
The chakra embedded within the sand was absorbed by Mirai Uchiha, and the lifeless grains fell uselessly to the ground.
Looking at Gaara, still frozen in shock, Mirai Uchiha raised his hand and slapped him across the face.
Another desperate wave of protective sand surged forward, struggling to stop Mirai Uchiha's movement—but it was utterly ineffective.
Smack! The slap cracked across his face. Blood trickled instantly from the corner of Gaara's mouth.
Rather than becoming angry, Gaara instead grew even more excited, shouting, "Yes! Just like that!"
"More! Give me more! Hit me harder—make me feel alive!"
"Hahahaha..."
Smack! Before he even finished speaking, another slap struck his face.
Then...
His abdomen, chest, head, legs... Mirai Uchiha hit every part of him.
Gaara slowly shifted from excitement to terror.
Yes, he did want to feel some pain, but if this continued, wouldn't he really be beaten to death?
Out of fear, Gaara tried to draw on the power of the monster sealed inside him.
Unfortunately, the monster that had tormented him daily, making it impossible for him to sleep, now seemed to have completely vanished, giving no response at all to his calls.
Only a small patch of sand remained outside, still trying to shield him but with no real effect.
Slap!
Slap!
Slap!
...
"P-please stop! I-I'm going to die…"
Gaara couldn't help but beg him to stop.
Seeing how weak and exhausted Gaara was, Mirai Uchiha stopped her attack, squatted in front of him, and softly said, "Can we talk properly now?"
Gaara nodded quietly. "What do you want to ask?"
Mirai spoke calmly, "Gaara, I can help extract the monster sealed inside your body and let you live as a normal person."
Hearing this, Gaara was momentarily stunned, asking incredulously, "You're telling the truth?"
"You can really remove the monster inside me?"
Mirai nodded. "Of course."
"What should I do?" Gaara asked, somewhat excitedly.
Mirai thought for a moment. "First, take me to your home."
Without hesitation, Gaara immediately stood up and started walking in a certain direction.
Mirai silently followed behind.
After passing through several alleyways, the two arrived at a shabby earthen house.
The interior was extremely simple, with various items scattered messily across the floor.
Witnessing this scene, Mirai couldn't help feeling moved.
Compared to the original story, in this reincarnation Gaara's living conditions seemed even worse than Naruto's had been back then.
"Gaara, is that you coming back?"
A figure appeared at the doorway.
Looking over, Mirai saw that the newcomer was a little girl around six or seven years old.
The girl wore torn and patched-up clothes, while her golden hair was tied into four buns at the back of her head.
Her delicate features looked very cute.
"Gaara, Kankuro messed up the room again—don't get angry. I'll clean it right away…"
After Temari finished speaking, she noticed there was a stranger in the house.
Instantly, her eyes turned sharp. "Who are you?"
"What is your purpose approaching Gaara?"
Seeing Temari's defensive posture, Mirai smiled gently. "I don't mean any harm."
Temari fell into a heavy silence.
As Rasa's children, all they had ever felt in Sunagakure was hostility.
She knew better than to expect unprovoked kindness from anyone.
Seeing Temari blocking his path, Gaara spoke coldly, "This person can help me remove the monster inside me. Don't interfere with us."
Upon hearing this, Temari's expression changed.
Unlike her younger brothers, she had already come of age under their father Rasa's rule.
So she had been exposed to many hidden matters.
Temari not only knew that the monster within Gaara was the One-Tail, but also understood that a Jinchuriki would die after losing their Tailed Beast.
At once, Temari grabbed Gaara's arm, trying to pull him away.
Gaara fixed Temari with a cold stare. "What do you think you're doing?"
Temari urgently said, "Gaara, you'll die if you lose the monster inside you!"
"He's trying to harm you!"
Gaara, however, unconcerned, pushed her hand aside and spoke indifferently, "Whether I live or die no longer matters. I'm completely fed up with this torment."
"Do you have any idea what it's like to even dream of sleep?"
"I was born to be used. Everyone sees me as a monster. There's no love in this world."
"Even if I die, I must escape this life!"
After hearing Gaara's words, Temari shed tears from sorrow. "Kankuro and I really care about you, as do Mother and Yashamaru..."
"Don't mention them! Even at their last moments, they hated me!!!"
The mere mention of Karura and Yashamaru sent Gaara spiraling into fury.
He roared in anger, sending a wave of sand hurtling toward Temari.
Thwack!
Mirai Uchiha raised her hand and scattered the sand, then turned her head toward Temari, saying, "Don't worry. I won't let Gaara die."
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