Maki and his two companions hadn't even noticed when their backs became drenched in cold sweat. Just standing next to the Three-Tails, the oppressive pressure rolling off it made their bodies tremble uncontrollably.
To most shinobi, the words "Tailed Beast" were synonymous with terror.
After all, when Gaara, the One-Tail's jinchuriki, had lost control in the past, the damage he'd inflicted on the Sand was beyond counting.
"What's wrong, you three?"
Utakata's expression was as calm as ever as he looked at their tense faces.
"It's nothing."
Maki forced himself to steady his breathing and put on an air of composure. Right now he wasn't just representing himself, but the entire Hidden Sand.
With that, he bent his knees and leapt up onto the Three-Tails' back. The other two Sand-nin exchanged a brief look, their legs shaking, then followed him up.
The moment they stood on the Three-Tails' back, the pressure crashing over them became even heavier.
What kind of person could keep a Tailed Beast this quiet?
Gritting his teeth, Maki led the other two forward, walking along the massive shell that was like a tiny island under their feet.
It didn't take long for them to make out two figures atop the Three-Tails' head.
Their gazes swept over once, then all three pairs of eyes stopped on the young man sitting there.
Maki's expression turned solemn as he strode forward and said loudly:
"I, Maki, have come to negotiate on behalf of the Hidden Sand."
Just as he was about to jump from the huge shell onto the Three-Tails' neck, a calm voice brushed against their ears.
"The fact that I let you come up here doesn't mean you're qualified to walk this far. Stay where you are."
The three Sand-nin froze and looked toward the source of the voice—it was the young man sitting atop the Three-Tails' head: Yuto.
"Konoha's strength is far greater than we anticipated. Right now, the only way forward is for the Sand and Mist to join forces."
Maki's face twisted slightly. But this was not the time to act on pride.
"You Sand need us Mist," Yuto said, propping his chin up with one hand and speaking without so much as turning around, "but we Mist don't need you."
Hearing that, a flash of "as expected" crossed Maki's face. No one understood the Sand's current predicament better than he did.
"You've allowed us Sand-nin to encamp beside you. That means you don't wish to see Konoha wipe us out to the last man. As long as you state your terms, we Sand can consider them."
Maki bowed deeply in Yuto's direction, his tone formal and serious.
"Bring me your One-Tail jinchuriki."
Yuto's voice was mild.
The three Sand-nin's faces changed dramatically. They were about to refuse on instinct—but when they thought of the Sand's situation, their expressions faltered with hesitation.
"I don't have much patience. Agree, or leave."
Yuto's voice stayed flat.
Maki couldn't help grinding his teeth. He turned and said to the two Sand-nin behind him:
"Bring Gaara here."
The two exchanged a glance, then nodded and sped off.
"What do you intend to do?" Maki asked, his voice low as he watched them leave.
Yuto didn't answer. Or rather, he couldn't be bothered to.
For a moment, it felt as if the entire world had gone quiet.
Only then did Maki notice how strange something was: from the moment they'd arrived until now, the Three-Tails beneath their feet had barely moved.
With a body that massive, even its breathing seemed deliberately suppressed.
He looked up at the young man sitting there, and an odd, uneasy fear suddenly rose in his chest.
It wasn't long before the two Sand-nin returned, supporting a weak-looking Gaara between them.
Maki glanced at Gaara, then turned toward Yuto, just about to speak—
And his pupils shrank sharply.
At some point, Yuto had appeared right in front of him. Maki hadn't sensed a thing—he had no idea when Yuto had moved.
Seeing Gaara brought to him, Yuto's lips curved with the faintest hint of a smile as he walked toward the boy.
Yuto did need Tailed Beast power, but he wasn't some underground organization like Akatsuki. As one of the highest authorities in the entire shinobi world, there were plenty of things he could do openly.
Skulking around in the shadows only made people suspicious.
"Who are you?"
As Yuto approached, Gaara's body tensed on its own. A faintly feral bloodlust began to seep from him.
"No need to be nervous. I'm just here to take something."
Yuto spoke softly.
But just as he was about to get close, a surge of sand lashed out at him.
Seeing this, all three Sand-nin went rigid with alarm.
Maki wasn't actually worried that Gaara could hurt the young man in front of them. Just the way Yuto had moved earlier, without him sensing anything at all, was proof enough that this youth's strength was terrifying.
What really worried Maki was that Yuto might hold this against the Sand.
Yuto raised an eyebrow and casually slapped his palm out, scattering the sand in front of him as if it were nothing.
A trace of shock crossed Gaara's face. In his senses, that sand had completely slipped out of his control the instant Yuto struck it.
Yuto lifted a hand and pointed toward Gaara.
At that moment, a fresh wave of sand congealed and rose up in front of Gaara again.
Huh?
An amused look appeared on Yuto's face.
To anyone else, the sand shielding Gaara might all have looked like the One-Tail's power.
But to Yuto's eyes, the two surges of power were completely different.
Gaara's mother… Karura's power, huh?
That thought called up the image of the remnant chakra Kushina had left inside Naruto's body.
Yuto flicked his finger. The sand blocking his path shattered effortlessly.
Before anyone could react, his fingertip had already tapped down against Gaara's forehead.
Inside Gaara's mindscape—
Yuto smiled as he looked at Shukaku, the One-Tail, who was staring at him in stunned disbelief. He gave a little wave.
Roar!
"Who are you?! How did you get in here?!"
Shukaku bellowed, its furious shout echoing through the space.
"Such a handful."
Yuto dug a finger in his ear with an air of annoyance, then pointed forward.
A chain of chakra surged out and, under Shukaku's enraged gaze, speared straight into its body.
"This is… power from the Uzumaki Clan?!"
Shukaku let out another furious roar, but it had no strength to resist.
At a mere thought from Yuto, the chakra chain snapped back like a whip, pulling a condensed chunk of Shukaku's chakra out and drawing it into Yuto's own body.
"Done."
Watching the still-raging One-Tail, Yuto nodded in satisfaction.
Aside from the Nine-Tails, Three-Tails, and Six-Tails, none of the other Tailed Beasts knew who he was. That saved him from having to worry about them spreading his name around.
With that thought, Yuto withdrew from Gaara's mindscape.
From the outside world's perspective, it had all happened in an instant.
Maki and the others only saw Yuto tap his finger against Gaara's head, then pull it back.
Even Gaara himself didn't feel much of anything.
"All right. I'm very satisfied."
With a smile on his face, Yuto turned to the stunned trio of Sand-nin and spoke.
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