"Kid... even among Jinchuriki, there are hierarchies of power!"
After saying this, as if to prove his point, B borrowed a portion of the Tailed Beast's Chakra from Gyuki, who had just been rudely awakened.
Instantly, a red, humanoid figure with six tails sprouting from its back appeared in the forest.
The sand pellets fired at high speed struck B's Tailed Beast Cloak without even breaking the skin.
"Ah… I said keep it down..."
Below, Naruto rubbed his temples, sounding exasperated.
In the Possessed State, Gaara sacrificed a portion of his rationality in exchange for the power to control the Tailed Beast's Chakra.
But in reality, this was just a 'watered-down' version of Tailed Beast Transformation, its essence merely using Shukaku's leaking Chakra to strengthen himself.
Forget Perfect Jinchuriki form… just manifesting the one-tailed cloak would be a struggle for him.
Now, one 'true' and one 'false' figure faced each other. At first glance, Gaara's side actually looked more monstrous.
Perhaps it was also because Shukaku's aesthetics were somewhat... lacking.
"Roar!!!"
Gaara, in his Possessed State, roared again and charged towards B.
Unlike Gaara, whose heightened emotions were overriding his thoughts, maintaining the Tailed Beast Cloak was as easy as breathing for B.
The speed and strength Gaara gained from his Possessed State meant nothing in his eyes.
Boom-
The sand-formed monster rampaged through the forest, trees snapping and falling the instant they were grazed.
"Die! Bastard!"
Gaara's sand-constructed Tailed Beast Claw traced a wild, erratic arc through the air, aiming to grab B's head.
'Is this kid trying to kill me?'
The six red tails behind B rapidly expanded and elongated, like octopus tentacles, accurately seizing the cannonball-like Gaara.
In the next moment, the six tails transformed into large hands, taking turns slamming the sand monster into the ground.
The thudding impacts were so loud Naruto averted his eyes.
'So brutal.'
Shoom-
The sand composing Gaara's body suddenly dissipated as if it couldn't maintain form, causing B to grab empty air.
Seizing the opportunity, Gaara quickly put distance between them, sand once again covering his body.
'Close combat is impossible for me against him.'
Gaara had regained some rationality. Although Shukaku's frenzied emotions still influenced him, basic thought was possible.
'Then...'
"Wind Release: Infinite Sand Dust Breakthrough!"
Several large mouths split open on Gaara's body, simultaneously spewing sand-laden hurricanes towards his opponent.
The dust not only obscured vision but also relentlessly pelted B, pushing him backward.
'It's working! Good! Just keep this u-'
Gaara's train of thought lasted less than a second before being interrupted by what happened next.
B, who had been ten meters away moments before, was now right beside him, his Tailed Beast Cloak-clad arm extended, precisely striking Gaara's chest.
[Lariat!]
Only a 'buzzing' sound remained in Gaara's mind, followed by a complete loss of sensation.
...
When he woke again, it was already noon the next day.
"Oh! Dark Circles, you're awake!"
On the ink-creature carriage, Kousei shouted excitedly upon seeing the awake Gaara.
Hearing the noise, Naruto pulled back the curtain and climbed in.
The carriage's interior was reasonably spacious, enough for even Naruto's over-two-meter frame to sit without crowding.
"..."
Gaara struggled to push himself up, a sharp pain still throbbing in his chest.
"Relax, that guy B held back. Your injuries aren't severe."
As he spoke, Naruto pointed matter-of-factly.
"I removed most of the pain from your body."
"But I kept a part of it."
"I think keeping some pain lets you know you were the one who lost."
Faced with Naruto's teasing, Gaara curled his lip and turned his head away.
"Just tell me, what will it take for you to let me go back?"
"I've said it before. Either escape using your own strength, proving you can protect yourself."
"Or stay with us obediently until I deal with that masked guy. I won't force you to stay after that."
As he spoke, Naruto pulled Kousei into his lap, pulling out pastries from who-knows-where and feeding them piece by piece to the little girl.
This kid's digestion seemed unnaturally strong… she ate so much without showing any sign of gaining weight.
"Besides, I know your life in Sunagakure wasn't great. Your own father even sent assassins after you."
"Assassinating his own son."
"Why would you want to go back to a place like that?"
This information naturally came from Orochimaru's shared memories. Before killing the Fourth Kazekage, he had thoroughly investigated Gaara's background.
Hearing Naruto's words, Gaara whipped his head around, glaring fiercely at him.
But glares couldn't harm anyone.
After staring for a long moment, the tension drained from Gaara's body, and he seemed to deflate, losing all spirit.
"...You don't understand."
"Becoming the village's Jinchuriki is my only reason for existing."
"Besides that, I can't do anything. No one needs me."
"I am a monster."
"Pfft-"
Gaara was in the middle of his self-pitying monologue when Naruto's snort ruined the mood. He immediately looked up, his expression resentful.
"Sorry, sorry. It's just hearing you call yourself a 'monster'... pfft!"
He seemed unable to hold back another laugh.
Kousei wiped the spit that landed on her onto Naruto's clothes with a look of disgust.
"What's so funny?!"
Anger, dissatisfaction, and even a hint of grievance churned within Gaara.
"Seriously... you've been with our group for a while now. What gives you the confidence to call yourself a 'monster'?"
Naruto wiped the little girl's face with a handkerchief while speaking seriously to Gaara.
In his view, Gaara's complaints were just the kind of 'edgy' state kids fall into when emotionally immature.
Of course, Naruto didn't plan to harp on it too much… pushing him into a breakdown would be a crime.
"Cough-"
"I'll reserve judgment on your 'monster' claim."
"But if you think a person's value lies in becoming a tool for others, then I can only say you're truly pitiful."
"Just like most people in this world."
Seeing Gaara's mix of irritation and confusion, Naruto decided not to beat around the bush and continued.
"Someone I knew once told me."
"A person's value isn't measured by their wealth, or the number of powerful enemies they've defeated."
"-And it certainly isn't, like you seem to think, about becoming a tool and finding meaning in killing for others."
"You need to understand, you are you. You're not an accessory to anyone else."
"The only truly valuable thing in your life is to create memories you won't regret."
As he spoke, Naruto's large hand gently stroked Kousei's head.
"Don't be driven by confusion. Be driven by joy, by love."
Hearing this, Gaara reacted like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, almost jumping up.
"What do you know! No one! No one will ever love me!"
In Gaara's heart, even his uncle, who had loved him, had died by his own hand.
With his dying breath, he had said that no one in the world loved Gaara, not even his mother.
"The only love I need in this world is my own love for myself!"
Seeing the red-haired boy about to bristle again, Naruto used his free hand to push him back down.
"You only say that because you haven't met enough people."
"Being cooped up in that small circle for so long, do you really think the whole world is like that?"
"You said it yourself, they all fear you, are scared of you. But look at our group-"
He gestured around.
"-Including Kousei-chan here, is anyone afraid of you?"
Gaara was momentarily speechless, unable to find a retort.
"So, for now, just stay with us. Travel more, see more."
"The world isn't as beautiful as you might hope, but it's not as hopeless as you think either."
"Even if you're going to throw your life away, at least do it protecting someone you love. That would be a life with some value."
"Power, if used solely for destruction, loses its meaning."
Hearing these words, Gaara remained silent. But Kousei, sitting in Naruto's lap, seemed to think of something. She looked up, her gaze fixed intently on Naruto.
"...Uncle Naruto... if one day, you also died protecting someone you love, and in the end, no one even remembered you... would you regret it?"