Tailed Beasts are extremely special beings.
As pure chakra lifeforms, they possess a form of true immortality. Even chakra that has been separated from their main body can retain self-awareness, much like a Shadow Clone.
This was clearly demonstrated when Minato split Kurama into Yin and Yang halves. It was also seen later when Shukaku appeared within Naruto's consciousness using only a portion of chakra extracted by Obito.
Even the Sage of Six Paths himself was able to linger at the boundary of the ninja world after death and continue protecting it, precisely because of this nature.
Because of this, it would be inaccurate to say that Shukaku was not tempted by Uchiha Hayashi's proposal.
It had lived in this desert for hundreds of years and had no desire to leave it. However, staying meant that sooner or later it would inevitably be captured by that troublesome human, the Third Kazekage, and sealed into another jinchuriki.
At the same time, its playful nature stirred. It genuinely wanted to see the Leaf Village, the place where Kurama resided. After all, what it had to give up was only a small portion of chakra, something insignificant to a being like Shukaku.
With that thought, its gaze once more settled seriously on Uchiha Hayashi.
Could this child truly be the person the old man once spoke of?
That did not seem right.
In Shukaku's memory, Indra had been gloomy and sharp edged, but the boy standing before it carried a warmth that felt closer to Asura.
Had something gone wrong with reincarnation?
"Hey, have you decided yet?" Uchiha Hayashi looked up and asked again.
Being stared at by Shukaku's massive eyes, it would be a lie to say he felt no pressure. Tailed Beasts were complicated beings. They harbored extreme hostility toward humans, yet at the same time longed to coexist peacefully with them.
As Mito once said, Tailed Beasts needed to be treated with sincerity.
Most people would scoff at such a statement. After all, these creatures hardly looked gentle or lovable. But Hayashi would not. As someone who understood the future, he knew their true nature well.
At their core, they feared loneliness but did not dare approach humans easily. They yearned for understanding, yet were accustomed to solitude. As long as one showed enough patience and goodwill, a Tailed Beast would eventually respond.
Of course, if one lacked patience but still wanted to befriend a Tailed Beast, there was another method.
Beat it into submission.
The First Hokage had wanted to befriend Kurama. Did Kurama have a choice? Naturally not.
Unfortunately, Hayashi lacked that level of strength. So he chose a more cautious approach. The future was uncertain, and if he could establish goodwill with the Tailed Beasts early, like Naruto eventually did, collecting their chakra in advance would only benefit him.
Becoming the Ten Tails' jinchuriki carried risks far too great, not to mention the shadow of Black Zetsu lurking behind everything. Acting early was far safer than trying to intervene during the Fourth Great Ninja War.
All this required was a little sincerity.
After hesitating for a long while, Shukaku finally spoke.
"I can give you a portion of my chakra. However, once that chakra is exhausted, my consciousness within it will disappear. You must let me meet that fox as soon as possible."
On the surface, it looked extremely reluctant, as if making a painful concession. In truth, it was in a very good mood.
It had already planned everything. Once it infiltrated the Leaf Village and met Kurama, it would find an opportunity to slip away, then head to the Cloud Village to look for Little Hachi.
Just thinking about it made things interesting.
Under its control, sand condensed in front of Uchiha Hayashi. Moments later, a palm sized Shukaku appeared before him.
"You're actually pretty cute," Hayashi said with a smile.
The small Shukaku bared its teeth in response, but did not attack. Hayashi took out a sealing scroll, then rather unceremoniously grabbed the little Shukaku by the neck and sealed it inside.
Shukaku snorted softly. Its main body then sank back into the desert, disappearing completely.
Great White, coiled around Hayashi's neck, slowly lifted its head and swallowed the scroll marked with the character "One," its eyes filled with clear disdain.
Hayashi patted its head lightly, then turned and walked toward the Sand Village's sealing unit.
---
On the front lines, Hatake Sakumo was leading Iwakura and Yin.
The White Fang short sword gleamed with blue lightning as it slashed into a steel puppet. Lightning Release spread across the puppet's body like a spider web, but its power was clearly suppressed.
Only a shallow mark remained where the blade struck.
The steel puppet countered with a heavy punch, compressing the air itself. Sakada flipped backward with ease, reappearing several meters away as the attack smashed uselessly into the sand.
Iwakura was indeed Chiyo's son. Although he could not control ten puppets simultaneously like his mother, he was capable of manipulating six.
More importantly, his style differed from Chiyo's. Chiyo's White Secret Technique emphasized individual puppet combat ability, with each puppet possessing unique mechanisms or ninjutsu.
Iwakura, however, had developed the Purple Secret Technique, focusing on coordination and reinforcement. His puppets emphasized enhanced attack and defense, often operating in pairs or trios.
Having already destroyed two puppets, Sakada glanced at his subordinates. He knew this fight could not be dragged out any longer.
He quickly formed hand seals.
"Hatake Secret Technique!"
Lightning wrapped around his body as a sharp, oppressive aura surged outward.
This technique forcibly boosted his power at the cost of physical strain. Afterward, a period of weakness was unavoidable.
But there was no room for hesitation.
Iwakura's expression changed drastically. He had not expected Sakada to still possess such strength. Unwillingness and shock surged in his chest.
From childhood, he had been called a genius, rarely encountering rivals among his peers, until he met Hatake Sakada.
Although they had never truly fought before, Sakada's swordsmanship had left an unforgettable impression.
Even now, despite being told repeatedly by the Third Kazekage that Sakada was inferior to him, Iwakura had always regarded him as a lifelong rival.
Only now did he truly understand the gap between them.
So it was not strength that had been evenly matched, but appearances.
The realization was bitter.
"Iwakura, use that technique," Yin said, leaning on her fan as she gasped for breath.
Iwakura nodded, pushing aside all distractions. With a flick of his fingers, the remaining four purple puppets gathered around him.
Under precise control, they fused into a single form. Chakra surged through the threads, flooding into the puppet's body. Its size expanded rapidly, growing larger with every passing second.
Beside him, Yin formed over a dozen hand seals. Wind Release roared forward like massive waves, stirring the desert into rolling dunes that advanced layer by layer.
Within the raging wind, the purple puppet expanded to five or six meters in height and stepped forward.
"Purple Secret Technique, Blazing Hell Wind Array!"
At the same time, Sakada completed his technique.
Lightning fell like jagged branches from the sky, carving deep fissures into the ground and tearing through the sand. The energy converged into the short sword in Sakada's hand.
In the next instant, his figure blurred, tracing a blue arc as he charged straight into the overwhelming ninjutsu.