"You're the One-Tail?"
Little Gaara blinked his big, curious eyes and stared at the creature half-submerged in the black cauldron, only its head showing as it napped.
"You don't look that strong..." he muttered.
"…"
Shukaku's eye cracked open, shooting the kid a disdainful side-eye.
"Brat from the Kazekage's house, scram. Don't bother me while I'm sleeping."
He knew this little one—some mysterious Fourth Kazekage's son. Not someone he could afford to mess with. Better to get this kid away and enjoy some rare, peaceful downtime.
Who knew what that bastard old man was thinking?
Just because Shukaku didn't need food or a paycheck, that geezer had him gathering sand and flattening the terrain around the village.
The worst part?
That guy had the gall to sigh sentimentally and say, "If only I'd met you earlier… paving those grass tiles wouldn't have been such a pain."
Seriously?
Utterly beast-abusing!
Unbelievable!
Though, to be fair, there was a small benefit—pulling extra shifts meant not seeing that woman.
Not that he was scared or anything! As the strongest of all the Tailed Beasts, Shukaku could flatten even that fox-faced Kurama with a single swipe. Why would he fear some woman who didn't even have the power of the Ten-Tails?
…Well, maybe he respected her a little. She was the Sage of Six Paths' mom, after all.
Stretching lazily, Shukaku bounced inside the cauldron and glanced out the window. A shiver ran through him.
That woman's probably arriving soon!
Even as the strongest Tailed Beast, he figured it was best not to run into her. What if he accidentally hurt her? That'd be embarrassing... best to give the old Sage some face.
He turned toward the curious little brat.
"Hey, kid!"
"I'm Gaara!" Gaara declared seriously, blinking up at him. "Everyone calls me that. I'm Gaa—"
"I know!" Shukaku snapped, clearly annoyed. "Look, brat, I—"
"I'm Gaara!"
"Yeah, yeah, I got it, brat."
"Gaara!"
"Shut it, brat!"
"…Gaara."
"…"
Why is this kid so stubborn?
Shukaku stared at him in disbelief. Time was ticking, and he couldn't afford to waste it any longer. With a sigh, he said, "Gaara, I—"
"Yeah! My name is Gaara."
"…"
Is this little runt messing with me?
Shukaku squinted at the kid, who looked delighted just because his name was finally pronounced correctly.
"Ahem. I am the strongest Tailed Beast in the entire shinobi world. As it happens, I'm still looking for a kid to follow me around and play the flute. You—"
Before he could finish...
"You wanna teach me ninjutsu?" Gaara's eyes sparkled as he tugged at his tiny nose. "Should I go ask my dad first?"
"…"
Shukaku was at a loss for words.
This little idiot... where did he say anything about ninjutsu?
He just didn't want to stay cooped up in this dumb cauldron. All he wanted was someone to take him out for a walk!
Seriously!
It's not because he was afraid of that woman showing up.
But looking into Gaara's excited, hopeful eyes, Shukaku felt a strange twinge inside.
I am the greatest of the Tailed Beasts, after all.
See? Another child drawn to his immense power!
"Well, since you've so sincerely begged me—" Shukaku suddenly leapt up and plopped himself squarely on Gaara's head.
"I'm not some cold-hearted beast. I'll give you a chance, kid."
He glanced again at the window.
"Whether you'll be accepted as my student depends on your next move. Now, take me outside!"
But—
"Huh?" Gaara pouted, clearly unenthusiastic.
"But I still need to modify my Mini 4WD car! I'm gonna win first place in the race!"
There was a tinge of disgust in his voice.
"You want me to go out now? Then forget the ninja training."
"…"
Are all Suna brats this annoying?
He, the most powerful Tailed Beast, just got rejected?!
Maybe it was time to show this little punk what he was really made of...
He was more than just adorable!
...
Konoha.
As Naruto's so-called "Mini 4WD coach," Kakashi felt completely drained.
He hadn't even taught a single full day of class before Naruto got stolen by Guy of all people.
Honestly, it was like a slap in the face.
Kakashi sighed deeply as he watched the two green-clad goofballs—one big, one small—shouting and charging around the track.
Sensei… I've let you down.
His teacher had been so handsome, so kind, a total prince among men—and now his kid was turning into...
Kakashi sighed again.
If his teacher were still alive, he might've forced even Kakashi—the slightly-more-handsome disciple—to wear one of those ugly green jumpsuits.
Leaning lazily on the railing, Kakashi looked down at Naruto's "training," brow furrowed and voice resigned.
"…Well, I guess this isn't too bad either."
In the civilian and kids' divisions of the Mini 4WD race, chakra wasn't allowed. Unlike the ninja category—with its complex rules—these participants only needed to focus on running fast, swapping batteries quickly, and building a tough, speedy car.
They could even design offensive accessories. A lot of kids down there had added "teeth" or "scythes" to their cars. Some parts could be bought in stores, but others had to be custom-made—and that cost a lot more.
For the ninja division, the cars were often self-designed and expensive to build. Since chakra was involved, you could control the car directly—make it jump, turn, whatever you wanted.
If you didn't know how to design one yourself, shops offered templates you could tweak and modify.
Kakashi leaned back against the railing and stared lazily at the entrance.
"Looks like I won't need to train him for a while..."
Guy could handle the physical training. As for the car itself... Kakashi figured he'd have to help Naruto modify it properly. If he just used store-bought parts, competitors could easily scout out his setup.
And revealing your full setup was a huge taboo for a ninja.
As for his own car...
"Will it be ready by tomorrow?"
...
Elsewhere—
"You'll regret this, Hiruzen!"
BANG!
"Still the same as ever," Hiruzen muttered, not bothered in the least. He puffed on his pipe with a mild smile.
"Well then... that puts my mind at ease."
Even though Danzo was always scheming behind the scenes, his loyalty to the village was undeniable. His love for the Leaf was no less than any ninja who bore the Will of Fire. With Danzo overseeing things, even if the Uchiha were plotting something, ROOT would handle it swiftly.
Whether Danzo wanted to go or not—
Did it really matter?
Looking down at the file in his hands, Hiruzen's expression turned businesslike.
"Well then... the matter of the Uchiha's travel request is settled."
Meanwhile, outside the door.
"Well, I didn't expect that..." Danzo muttered to himself with a sigh. His lips curled into a cold smirk.
"Looks like I won't have to sneak off on my own this time."