Sunagakure Village, Ninja Academy.
As one of the Five Great Shinobi Villages, Sunagakure had a large population. Even with the village's implementation of an "elite system," many families still chose to send their children to school for training.
Rasa walked casually into the academy accompanied by several guards. No one came to greet him or cheered for him.
This time, Rasa would be giving guidance to students from the second and third grades—an audience of several hundred kids dressed in dark ninja uniforms, forming a dense crowd that stretched across the courtyard like a sea of shadows.
These students were not seeing Rasa in person for the first time, but they still felt much curiosity toward this Fourth Kazekage who continuously helped the village overcome hardships.
Rasa's reputation within the village was quite good; his actions clearly showed his deep love for the village.
Even though he had committed many mistakes, at least currently, every action he took was initially intended for the strength of the village.
Seeing the neatly lined-up children waiting for him, Rasa slowly showed a slight smile on his face.
At the front of the crowd, he also saw his other two children.
Temari and Kankuro.
Temari had pale-yellow hair and wore a dark-colored ninja robe over a tight mesh battle suit.
Looking at her, she appeared both capable and mature, despite being only about eight years old.
As for Kankuro, though only seven, his talent as a puppet master was already starting to shine through.
Wrapped entirely in black robes, even his head was tightly covered.
On his back rested a puppet far too large for his small body, completely wrapped in white bandages so its true form remained hidden.
Rasa's gaze paused briefly on the pair of siblings standing together. He didn't say anything, just raised his right hand slightly to wave at the crowd.
Coming to the school to guide them was simply about personally mentoring a few students he deemed promising.
"Dad sure has presence!" Temari, becoming her father's biggest fan, smiled brightly and nudged her younger brother beside her with her elbow.
"Tch!" Kankuro rubbed his arm without expressing any opinion, though admiration still flickered in his eyes when looking at Rasa.
He was still so young, so how could he not look up to a father like that?
Yet his family life had taught him one thing—you had to stay serious and keep your real feelings deep inside, never letting them show easily.
"Hey, what do you mean by that?" Temari didn't have so many thoughts; as Rasa's favorite child, her affection for her father naturally flowed through her words.
Kankuro crossed his arms, eyes slightly narrowed, watching Rasa on the platform.
...
Back at Rasa's home.
Gaara was five years old this year, but his mother had died during childbirth, and he himself had become a Jinchuriki at an unusually young age. Therefore, he hadn't had many friends growing up, making him withdraw into himself a bit.
Without maternal love, fortunately, he still had many relatives.
His father, Rasa—the respected Kazekage—had always been strict with him, almost never showing a smile.
But deep down, Gaara knew that his father truly did care for him.
Besides, he had an older brother and an older sister.
His older brother had a proud attitude, but never picked on him. Most of the time, he quietly looked out for Gaara. Even the puppets his brother loved so much were something Gaara could play with anytime.
As for his sister, she was just as kind to him too. She had always acted like a mother to him, filling the emptiness in his heart so he wouldn't feel so alone.
Oh, Gaara remembered, he also had an uncle—his mother's younger brother, a medical ninja working at Sunagakure Hospital.
The uncle's name was Yashamaru, a thin man who constantly wore a look of sorrow he could not hide.
Thinking about these things, Gaara continued idly manipulating the sand in his hands.
According to what his uncle Yashamaru told him, this power came from his mother's love—a final act of protection and devotion at the moment of her death.
Gaara also didn't understand why he could never fall asleep. Every time he tried, a masked man would come and wake him up.
Also, there was always a strange voice inside his body—faint yet filled with violent rage—that made him feel extremely agitated.
Fortunately, Gaara always found other things to distract himself, preventing emotions from bursting forth uncontrollably.
The love from his family helped shape how he understood kindness at such a young age. He never wanted to let down the people who cared for him.
With dark shadows heavy beneath his eyes, Gaara sat silently in the courtyard. A swirling ring of living sand circled him as he remained motionless, completely absorbed in his own thoughts.
Maybe this was the most stable condition a Jinchuriki could ever hope for.
Shukaku, the One-Tail, was a Tailed Beast covered in cursed seals—an eccentric, unpredictable creature.
Although ranked low among the Tailed Beasts, Shukaku wasn't the weakest either.
Furthermore, if the battlefield happened to be in the desert, even stronger Tailed Beasts would find it extremely difficult to defeat Shukaku.
The previous Jinchuriki was a monk whose real name no one remembered anymore. The people of Sunagakure called him Bunpuku the Monk.
On the monk's two hands were carved the characters "heart" and "to receive." When he joined them in prayer, they formed the character "love."
Interestingly, both incarnations of the Jinchuriki shared this exact similarity.
Bunpuku, the first Jinchuriki of Shukaku, took many years before finally earning Shukaku's trust. His power was formidable.
Gaara was only a child, unable to communicate with Shukaku. Therefore, his current strength remained relatively weak.
Built within a desert, Sunagakure Village was surrounded by natural barriers. There was only one path leading into or out of the village, making heavy guard sufficient protection. It was nearly impossible for outside enemies to breach unless the threat came from within Sunagakure itself.
Saitama and Sasori hid themselves several kilometers away from the outskirts of Sunagakure.
This place was desolate and barren, constantly swept by strong winds carrying thick clouds of sand that severely limited visibility—perfect for avoiding detection by Suna ninjas.
Saitama and Sasori had already arrived here for half a day. It was around one or two in the afternoon, and the two of them were waiting for the perfect moment to launch this operation targeting One-Tail.
"Where are your men? How's their situation?"
Saitama sat cross-legged on the sand, using his black cloak bearing red clouds as a mat.
"No need to rush; he's already waiting outside the village. We can begin our move once we have the right opportunity!"
Sasori's low voice came from within Hiruko. He controlled the puppet facing Sunagakure Village, his thoughts unreadable.
Saitama asked no further questions. Returning to Sunagakure again was no easy feat for Sasori; his complex emotions were therefore completely understandable.
"We're planning to enter the village at four or five o'clock this afternoon. My men will clear out the outermost layer of Suna ninja for us."
"You should already know the layout of Sunagakure Village, right? This time, our target is The Fourth Kazekage's son—Gaara."
Sasori spoke coldly, gradually sharing his intelligence with Saitama.
Saitama just nodded. He already knew everything, even without Sasori telling him.
Besides, Zetsu had already told him about the layout of Sunagakure a long time ago.
"I'll take care of keeping the Kazekage and others busy. You just need to bring Gaara out of the village. I suppose that should be simple enough for you?"
Sasori continued assigning tasks. With plenty on his mind at that moment, Sasori led the way—and Saitama was more than happy to follow along.
"No problem!" Saitama nodded, while lowering his head to idly fiddle with his fingers.
Time slowly passed, and the two fell silent again, patiently awaiting their chance.
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