As the sealing runes on the array shone brightly, Gaara's eyelids grew heavy and he collapsed into unconsciousness.
Uchiha Natsuki and Rasa's vision blurred, and in the next instant they were in another world.
"Damn it!"
A deafening roar shook the air, instantly piercing their ears.
They stood in a gray-black desert.
The entire sky was covered with storm clouds, sand and wind raging like blades, cutting across the land.
The whole world was soaked in deathly silence.
There was no life in the desert, only a massive shadow fifty meters tall roaring madly in the distance.
Its voice was shrill, deranged.
"This great lord will get out! This great lord will get out!"
Shukaku's words were few and repetitive—it was obvious his mind was far from normal.
But he never stopped. The ceaseless roar pounded in Rasa's ears, making his head ring in pain.
Scanning the area, Natsuki finally spotted Gaara hiding under a half-dome of packed sand, his hands clamped tightly over his ears.
The mound resembled a fortress, sheltering Gaara inside. Faintly, Yashamaru's face could be seen on its surface.
Rasa's expression darkened. "So this is the life Gaara endures every day?"
Natsuki replied, "Yes. Gaara trapped himself inside this sand fortress—no one can get in, and he can't get out."
Natsuki's lips curved into a mocking smile. "I wonder, Fourth Kazekage, if you lived in an environment like this, could you stay calm?"
Rasa's face grew uglier, his fists clenched so tight his nails dug into flesh.
"What do we do now?" he asked.
Natsuki tilted his chin toward Gaara. "Go comfort your son first. We'll face Shukaku head-on."
Rasa followed his lead. When Gaara saw him approach, his eyes shone with hope.
He quickly grabbed onto Rasa's hands. "Father, did you come to save me?"
Rasa gently stroked his son's head. "It's all right now, son. I'm here."
Gaara stared blankly for a moment, then tears welled up in his eyes.
Behind him, the sand fortress grew larger, becoming a towering sand wall.
On the wall, Rasa's face began to emerge in relief.
Nestled in his father's arms, Gaara soon fell asleep.
Rasa carefully laid him down, then slowly rose, turning his gaze toward the frenzied Shukaku in the distance. His eyes were cold.
"Mr. Natsuki, do we need to defeat Shukaku now?"
Heh—this was the first time Rasa had ever addressed Natsuki with respect.
Natsuki chuckled and waved his hand. "This is Gaara's inner world. It's messy enough already—you want to wreck it further?"
Rasa, who had been itching for action, forced himself to calm down.
"Leave the rest to me."
Natsuki didn't waste more words. His goal had been achieved—letting Rasa see the kind of life Gaara endured.
He brought his hands together.
"Haah! Four Symbols Seal—rise!"
Across the desert, black sealing runes burst forth from the sand.
From above, one could see the markings forming a gigantic Four Symbols Array.
Natsuki's hand seals shifted rapidly.
The runes shrank at speed, spreading across the ground and crawling up onto Shukaku's body.
"What is this!?" Shukaku bellowed in panic.
More and more runes climbed his massive form, binding him tighter and tighter.
A suffocating pressure overcame him.
The storm clouds above began to clear, the raging sandstorms fading into a bright, sunny sky.
Shukaku spotted Natsuki weaving seals. "You're from the Uchiha! Release me, brat!
"Or I'll make you suffer!"
"Air Bullet!" Shukaku roared, jaws wide open.
But the chakra sphere that should have formed never appeared. Instead, he blew out nothing but a gust of air.
"What!?" Shukaku's eyes went wide with shock. His jutsu wouldn't activate.
Natsuki pressed harder, the sealing runes flaring.
Layers of black script bound Shukaku, forcing his form to shrink—from fifty meters down to just five. A tenth his original size.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The runes on the ground transformed into massive black walls.
Together they formed a colossal structure in the shape of the Four Symbols Seal, trapping Shukaku inside.
Only a basin-sized opening was left.
Shukaku smashed against the walls with furious strength, but they didn't budge.
Natsuki returned to Rasa's side and gently shook Gaara awake.
The boy blinked, looking around. Seeing both his father and Natsuki, he calmed slightly.
From the sealed structure came Shukaku's furious roars.
"Damn Uchiha! Let me out!
"I'll kill you all! Every last one of you!!"
Natsuki extended a hand toward Gaara.
"Do you want to learn how to be a true Jinchūriki?"
Gaara looked back at Rasa, who nodded encouragingly.
Still nervous, Gaara placed his small hand into Natsuki's.
Natsuki led him step by step closer to Shukaku.
The closer they got, the louder the beast's howls grew.
Suddenly, Gaara pulled away and turned to run.
But Rasa caught him in a gentle embrace. "Don't be afraid, son. Father will always be behind you."
Gaara slowly calmed, his eyes growing firm as he turned back around.
At last he stood before the massive sealed construct, seeing Shukaku thrashing inside.
No matter how the beast screamed or slammed himself against the walls, the prison didn't move an inch.
Only through the small opening did his roars escape.
Natsuki crouched beside Gaara. "Your mother, Karura, always loved you deeply. After her death, she became a spirit, using sand to protect you.
"Now, you can try using sand to seal this window shut."
"Mother… the sand protects me?" Gaara looked at his hands, then slowly lifted them.
The yellow sand on the ground began to rise.
His eyes brightened. "It's true… it's really true!"
Natsuki pointed at the small opening. "Being a proper Jinchūriki means being able to control your Tailed Beast.
"This one runs his mouth too much. If you don't want to hear him, seal it with sand."
Overjoyed, Gaara nodded. He waved his hand, and the sand swirled into the opening.
In moments, the hole was sealed completely.
Inside, Shukaku panicked.
"What are you doing!? Damn it!
"It's so dark in here! Let me out! Let me out!
"Say something! Don't ignore me!"
Once a deafening roar, his voice now came faint and muffled.
Natsuki patted Gaara's head. "See? Shukaku isn't so scary. Next time he starts screaming, just keep the hole sealed.
"When he finally listens, then you can open it again. All right?"
Gaara looked around, thrilled—no sandstorm, no shrill roars.
As his laughter rang out, Natsuki and Rasa's vision blurred once more.
They returned to the real world.
[Ding! Congratulations, Host, for greatly altering Gaara's life trajectory.]
Reward: Great Desert Layer Burial Seal (one-time use).
Natsuki frowned. Not too useful. Maybe Sunagakure still had more "wool" to harvest… Chiyo might be worth trying, though not yet.
No matter how long they spent in the inner world, only an instant had passed outside.
As the two men opened their eyes, Yashamaru hurried over. "Kazekage-sama, Lord Natsuki, how did it go?"
Neither Natsuki nor Rasa spoke.
But Gaara had already awakened. Shaking his head side to side, he whispered, "I can't hear it anymore… it's really gone."
His face lit up with relief, happiness, and exhaustion.
He leaned softly against Rasa's leg, closed his eyes, and fell asleep.
The guards stiffened, bracing for danger.
But Rasa waved them off. "It's fine, Yashamaru. From now on, Shukaku will no longer torment Gaara."
Yashamaru's face broke into joy. "That's wonderful! At last, Gaara can finally sleep peacefully."
Rasa looked down with deep pity. How long had it been since his son had slept soundly…
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