Chapter 57: The Weight of a Gaze
The journey to Sunagakure was a tense, silent blur of motion. The seven Konoha shinobi, led by a grim-faced Kakashi and guided by a determined Temari, pushed their bodies to the limit, eating up the miles between the forests of Fire and the deserts of Wind. The rising sun found them already deep into Wind Country's territory, the air growing dry and hot.
As they ran, Kakashi broke the silence. "Temari, give us the full report. What exactly happened?"
Temari didn't break her stride. "I don't have all the details. Yesterday, a squad of our border guards was attacked. The assailant took them hostage and sent one man back with a message: Gaara must come to a designated spot alone before noon today, or the hostages die. The shinobi who returned identified the attacker... as Sasuke Uchiha."
"Impossible!" Sakura burst out, her voice a mix of desperation and denial. "Sasuke-kun wouldn't do that! There has to be some mistake!" Her heart was a battlefield—part of her longed for it to be him, for a chance to see him again, while another part recoiled at the thought of him committing such an act.
"Hmph! I don't care if it's him or not," Temari shot back, her focus unwavering. "All I know is he's threatening my brother. I won't let him succeed."
"Alright, alright," Shikamaru interjected, his voice weary. "Arguing about it now is pointless. We'll find out who it is when we get there."
"Enough talk," Kakashi said, his single visible eye narrowing. "Save your energy. We need to move faster if we're to make it before noon." With that, he surged ahead, his speed increasing dramatically. The others clenched their teeth and followed, pouring on more chakra to keep up.
*Sasuke Uchiha,* Ino thought, her mind racing alongside her body. *Where did you go? I'll find you, and I'll get answers.*
***
Time seemed to warp under the desert sun. Morning arrived in what felt like a blink.
*It's morning,* Ren thought, stretching as he emerged from his personal dimension, refreshed from a full night's sleep. *Gaara should be on his way.* The previous evening, he had had his summon hang the net containing the groaning Sand ninja from a sturdy tree branch before dismissing it. He'd summoned a smaller, watchful canine to stand guard while he retreated into his void to rest in perfect silence and safety.
He looked up at the hostages. "Hope you're comfortable. Your Kazekage will be here soon."
***
Back in Sunagakure, as the sun climbed towards its zenith, two figures passed through the main gate.
"Let's go," Gaara stated, his voice flat. He adjusted the massive gourd on his back and began walking, his brother Kankuro falling into step beside him.
They moved without hurry, their pace measured and deliberate, cutting through the rising heat of the dunes towards the distant line of trees Ren had specified.
They arrived exactly at noon. The scene was exactly as described: their missing shinobi, bruised and terrified, hung trapped in a large net from a tree. And leaning casually against another tree, waiting for them, was the perpetrator.
"Well," Ren said, a cold smile touching his lips. "You're punctual. I appreciate that."
"Sasuke Uchiha," Gaara said, his voice devoid of inflection. "I did not expect it to truly be you."
"Surprised? Why couldn't it be me?"
"Surprised, yes. I did not expect the proud last Uchiha to resort to taking hostages."
"Call it what you want," Ren shrugged. "The method is irrelevant. Only the result matters."
"You wanted me here. I am here. Now release them."
"Of course. My goal is achieved. They're useless to me now." Ren made a flippant gesture towards the net. "If you want to save them, be my guest."
Gaara didn't move, his arms remaining crossed over his chest. His eyes, however, never left Ren. "Kankuro."
"Got it." Kankuro understood the unspoken order. Keeping a wary eye on Ren, he moved to the tree, carefully untied the net, and helped the captured shinobi to their feet.
"All of you, return to the village. Now," Gaara commanded, his tone brooking no argument.
The rescued shinobi looked at him, their expressions a complex mix of fear, gratitude, and shock. They had never expected the monster they feared to come for them.
"B-but, Kazekage-sama... we can't just leave you!" one stammered.
"Go!" Kankuro snapped. "You'll only be in the way here! You know what he's capable of! Do you want to get caught in the crossfire?"
The reminder of Gaara's terrifying power was enough. Their brief flicker of loyalty was extinguished by primal fear. "R-right! We'd just be a burden! We'll go!" In a panicked rush, they scrambled away, leaving Gaara and Kankuro alone with Ren.
"Sasuke Uchiha," Gaara said, his emerald eyes sharp. "State your true purpose. Why go to such lengths to bring me here?"
"It's simple, really," Ren replied, his smirk widening. "I just want to borrow something from you."
"Borrow something? I have nothing for you."
"Oh, but you do." Ren's voice dropped, becoming low and predatory. "What I've come for... is the thing inside of you. The One-Tail, Shukaku."
*"What?!"* Kankuro exploded, stepping forward. "Shukaku? What do you want with that?!"
"Don't be nervous," Ren purred, his attention still fixed on Gaara. "I only need a sample of its chakra."
"Your request is denied," Gaara stated, his voice like ice. "I have no intention of ever using that creature's power again."
"Oh? What a shame." Ren's expression turned sinister. "Well, if you won't use it willingly... then I'll just have to take it for myself."
His eyes snapped open. The familiar three tomoe of the Sharingan were gone, replaced by a sinister, intricate pattern—a six-pointed star design that seemed to pull at the very soul. It was the Mangekyo Sharingan.
Gaara's sand stirred uneasily at his feet. "Kankuro, be careful! My sand senses immense danger!"
But it was too late. They had already looked into his eyes.
"Tsukuyomi," Ren whispered.
The world dissolved.
***
Gaara blinked. The forest was gone. He was in a vast, grey, featureless space. He tried to move but found himself bound to a cold, stone cross, his arms and legs secured by unbreakable chains.
Ren materialized before him, a long, wicked-looking katana in his hand.
"Welcome to my world," Ren said, his voice echoing in the emptiness. "Here, I control everything. Space, time, matter... and pain. How do you propose to fight me now?"
He thrust the blade forward. It sank deep into Gaara's abdomen. A shock of agony, far more vivid and real than any illusion had a right to be, ripped through him. Gaara gritted his teeth against a cry.
*The sand... it didn't react. This is an illusion... but the pain... it's real!*
"For the next seventy-two hours," Ren's voice was a cold promise, "I will subject you to this. This pain exists on a level beyond mere genjutsu. It attacks the mind directly. Let's see how long your spirit can endure."
And so it began. An endless cycle of piercing, cutting, and stabbing. Each moment was an eternity of agony, each "day" a marathon of suffering designed to break the strongest of wills.
In an identical, separate void, Kankuro endured the exact same fate, his own screams echoing in a private hell, completely isolated from his brother.
The real battle for the One-Tail had begun not with a clash of elements, but with the silent, terrible weight of a single gaze.