"Hey, kid!"
Shukaku bounced around in his black cauldron, hopping over to Gaara, who was sitting with his head down, working on something.
"Not going out tonight?"
I was planning to go ride the kiddie rides a few more times~
Heard they added over a dozen new ones out there!
"I've got free time now, so as your great master—"
But before he could finish—
"I'm staying in today and tomorrow, Shukaku," Gaara said, looking up with his big, adorable eyes. "The mini 4WD tournament starts the day after tomorrow. I want to modify my car a bit more so I can win first place."
"What a childish game. What's so fun about toy cars?"
"But... I'm still a kid, aren't I~?" Gaara blinked again, furrowing his little brows. "Besides, I heard Auntie Kaguya wants to enter too. Shukaku, I know you're super scared of her. If she finds out you were out…"
"…Fine, you win." Shukaku stared at him, defeated, and quietly retreated into the cauldron.
"Are all kids this insufferable these days? Just the other day, your sister was trying to yank me out of here too. Seriously... do I look like I want to come out?"
If he came out and the Kazekage misunderstood again, he'd get flushed down a toilet for sure.
He sighed in resignation.
"I'm strong, you know. And huge. Really!"
"I know," Gaara said, head lowered as he continued tweaking the little car. "Big Brother Kabuto said you're a Tailed Beast. I don't really know what that means, but it sounds scary. Still… you don't look scary at all~"
You look dumb—like I could squish you with one hand.
"And about Auntie Kaguya… Dad told me to call her 'Grandma' or 'Ancestor,' but Kabuto-nii said if I did that, I might not even leave behind ashes. So he told me not to."
"Actually, your dad wasn't wrong."
Shukaku spread his stubby arms, sighing again.
"But your Kabuto-nii's right too. She's terrifying. If I had the choice... I'd stay sealed in eternal darkness forever if it meant never seeing her again. I still don't know how your dad managed to bring her out. When I saw her, I really thought my whole beast life was about to end."
"Kabuto-nii is really smart. Mama, Auntie Kana, Granny Chiyo, and Old Man Ebizō all say so. He even helped build my 4WD. But… why are you scared of Auntie Kaguya?"
"Because she might eat me!"
"Are you tasty?"
"…I'm not!"
"Oh~"
"..."
Why doesn't this brat ever follow up with normal questions?
Shukaku stared blankly at Gaara, who was still fiddling with his car, completely ignoring him. He sighed again and shrank back, leaving just his head poking out of the cauldron.
He glanced at the disassembled mini 4WD.
"Is that brat Kankurō entering too?"
"Yup. Only Sis isn't joining. Kankurō-nii and I are in the kids' division," Gaara replied, still not looking up. "Too bad Kabuto-nii's not joining. If he was, I'm sure Sand Village would take first place."
"That guy'd be in the ninja division, even if he did join. A little brat like him—how's he supposed to beat a whole bunch of real ninja?"
"Kabuto-nii has super precise chakra control. But he's too old for the kids' division, and chakra's not allowed there. That's why he's not entering. He said it's embarrassing."
"Hahaha, interesting kid!"
Shukaku chuckled. Then after a pause, his eyes narrowed, and he showed a sinister grin.
"That Nine-Tails Jinchūriki from last night… he's entering too, right?"
....
Meanwhile, elsewhere...
"Orochimaru's not joining?"
"Doesn't seem like it~ That guy's slippery as ever. Not easy to find."
"I see. As expected of the Slithering Snake… so many identities, it's hard to pin him down."
Rasa nodded, looking at Black Zetsu, who had returned a few days earlier.
"And about Kirigakure…"
"You already know plenty," Black Zetsu said casually. "So you can probably guess."
"Obito's not on board?"
"Knew it!" Black Zetsu clicked his tongue.
"You really do know everything, huh?"
"Pretty much," Rasa said with a smile, sipping his warm water.
He whistled lightly.
"If Uchiha Madara and Uchiha Obito find out you've been lying to them, they'll…"
His tone darkened, voice turning cold and threatening.
"…kill you."
"..."
What an insufferable Kazekage.
Black Zetsu stared at him with no expression.
"…Mother is the strongest."
"Maybe so~"
Rasa sighed.
Even he had no idea how powerful Kaguya Ōtsutsuki truly was now—her ninjutsu, taijutsu, secret arts… and with the Sand Village's puppet techniques… Against those so-called "Children of Prophecy" from Konoha still playing with toy cars?
He honestly wasn't confident.
"If there's nothing else, then go. I might just kill you if you stay."
"???"
What's this guy up to again...?
But with things unresolved, how could Black Zetsu leave now?
He paused.
"Mother wants to participate in the Shinobi World Mini 4WD Grand Prix."
"…Dream on," Rasa replied flatly, not even blinking. "You know the situation. Descendants of the Sage of Six Paths are participating. Plus…"
He rolled his eyes and rejected it without hesitation.
"The Sage's chakra still lingers in this world. If anything gets exposed…"
"I know all that. But this current version of Mother… isn't the real one," Black Zetsu said seriously. "Even I can't sense her fully. And there's no way Hagoromo's chakra could detect her."
For some unknown reason, this was just an incomplete projection of Mother.
"So even if she says her name outright, no one would believe her."
"The tournament is in the morning. But the timing—"
"Kirigakure secret techniques."
"…Time can be adjusted," Rasa said, sipping more water. He smiled at Black Zetsu, sighing with false sentimentality. "As the Fourth Kazekage, I must say—your filial devotion really moves me."
"So…"
"So do me a favor after this," Rasa narrowed his eyes. "In exchange, I'll move the ninja division's matches to nighttime."
"…Fine."
"And also…"
"..." Black Zetsu's face darkened. "What else?"
"Relax, just a tiny thing," Rasa said with a grin, sipping again. "I still need a host. That Tobi guy seems to have a talent for it. Let him do it."
"..."
That's it?
September, Year 52 of the Hidden Leaf Calendar
Clear skies. Bright sun.
The First Shinobi World Mini 4WD Grand Prix… officially begins.