"So now you know you were wrong? Or have you simply finished playing around?"
Kai's voice was calm, almost flat, without the slightest rise or fall.
"It seems fists and 'conversation' weren't enough to teach you what submission means."
As he finished speaking, he slowly raised his hand.
"W-wait! Wait! Human—no, my lord! So you can use Magnet Release too? You should've said so earlier…"
Shukaku knelt on the ground, its massive body trembling uncontrollably.
If it had known Kai could use Magnet Release, why would it have bothered with those little tricks?
It would've behaved obediently from the start.
"Magnet Release?" Kai shook his head. "I just learned it from you."
He said it casually, without hiding anything. There was no need to.
But when those words reached Shukaku's ears, they stirred a storm of terror in its heart.
Just learned it.
Such simple words.
Yet the information behind them was far more frightening than the beating earlier.
"Huff… huff…"
Shukaku drew several deep breaths, trying to calm the fear inside it.
But the more it breathed, the more terrified it became.
Even the fur along its body began trembling.
This wasn't merely strength anymore.
This was something monstrous.
Inhuman.
A Kekkei Genkai… learned just like that?
Shukaku didn't doubt the claim for a second.
Someone this powerful had no reason to lie.
Without warning, a phantom pain surged through its body.
Its flesh, its mind—even its soul seemed to remember the beating from earlier.
Pain returned.
Fear followed.
Shukaku's thoughts fell into complete chaos.
With Magnet Release stolen and its sealing power casually stripped away—
What cards did it even have left?
Conversation…
Yes!
Conversation!
A bolt of realization flashed through its mind.
It collapsed to its knees and wailed.
"My lord! I think we should talk again! Ten minutes—no! A whole day! A whole year if you want!"
"We can talk as long as you like! Just please don't hit me again… meow…"
As it spoke, Shukaku cautiously lowered its enormous head and rubbed against Kai's clothes.
Given its huge body, the gesture looked… awkward.
Its body was too big.
Its head too large.
Its claws too long.
Instead of looking cute like a small animal, it came across as strangely greasy.
"Too late."
Kai glanced at the creature with visible disgust.
Then he flicked his finger lightly.
Buzz—
The stream of black sand coiled in his palm suddenly shot forward like a black serpent.
Crack.
Crack.
The air itself seemed to freeze and fracture.
"That's not Magnet Release!"
Shukaku instantly felt something far more terrifying than physical force.
A chill that pierced straight into its soul.
Almost instinctively, it remembered the chain.
The strange chain that could instantly suppress all of its chakra and power.
Clang.
Clang.
Black chakra clung to every grain of sand like a parasite.
Even the Magnet Release sand began to transform under its influence.
Pff! Pff! Pff!
When the black sand serpent wrapped around Shukaku—
It felt as if countless invisible needles were stabbing into the deepest parts of its soul.
Its body screamed.
Its soul howled.
Even the chakra inside it seemed to cry.
"AAAAAAHHHH!!!"
The One-Tailed Shukaku released a scream unlike anything before.
The sound was so miserable that even Gaara outside the sealed space suddenly stopped in his tracks.
Clutching his head in agony.
"Pain! Pain! It hurts so much! Stop! Please stop! My lord, I beg you—meooow!!!"
Shukaku desperately clawed at the black sand serpent coiled around its body.
Sand scattered everywhere under its frantic scratching.
But nothing worked.
The black chain felt like a part of its body.
Or rather—
A rule that existed above it.
Body bound.
Mind sealed.
Pain forced upon it.
"Still planning to play tricks?" Kai asked calmly.
As he spoke, he withdrew the chain after placing the Spore God Seed.
"No! No tricks! None at all, my lord… meow…"
Shukaku squirmed weakly on the ground and rolled over.
Exposing its belly.
Its massive body suddenly shrank.
Soon it was only about the length of an adult forearm.
Like a small raccoon cat.
The jar-lid cap still sat on its head as it hopped over to Kai's feet and rubbed against his leg.
Now that looked more appropriate.
Kai casually patted the little sand raccoon's head.
It was limp like mud, kneeling purely on instinct.
Looking down from above, he met its dull eyes—eyes emptied by fear and pain.
Then he spoke calmly again.
"So… tell me."
"What should you call me now?"
Shukaku trembled violently.
It already knew the answer.
But the pride of a tailed beast instinctively resisted that title.
So it simply rubbed against Kai's pant leg again, hoping to muddle through.
But—
Clang…
The chain deep within its soul trembled slightly.
The faint sound alone made Shukaku jolt violently.
Bad!
He's going to strike again!
Shukaku trembled even harder.
Kai acted as if he hadn't noticed.
He casually stroked the jar-cat's head.
"Remember. From now on, call me Master."
"Master? N-no… I'm the stron—"
The jar-cat suddenly sprang up.
But the moment it met Kai's eyes—
Those calm, dark eyes without the slightest ripple—
Shukaku froze.
Its heart skipped violently.
A sense of danger devoured its thoughts.
It didn't hesitate anymore.
"Master…"
The word slipped out.
And strangely enough—
Once it actually said it, it didn't feel so bad.
It rubbed its head against Kai's leg again.
"Master, Master… I was wrong. Meow…"
"Good kitty."
Kai rubbed the jar-cat's head once more.
Then he turned and vanished.
He had already obtained what he wanted.
Making Shukaku call him "Master" had simply been a moment of petty amusement.
Meanwhile—
In the outside world.
The atmosphere on Konoha's streets had grown strange.
After regaining consciousness and seeing Kai gone, Gaara finally let out a breath.
"That hateful man… he's gone…"
Pop.
In the next second—
A familiar figure appeared once again…
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