When Gaara regained consciousness, he found himself standing before the massive cage where Shukaku was sealed.
Ever since he could remember, he had always feared this place—feared this vast, dark space, feared this towering cage, and feared the horrifying Tailed Beast lurking behind its bars.
The One-Tail, Shukaku.
This time, he did not flee in terror or roar in anger.
The body that had been held in Grandpa Zang’s embrace felt only happiness and warmth, sustaining him enough to calmly observe the entity sealed within his own body.
He had never done this before—trying to understand the thing inside him that everyone called a “monster.” Shukaku had initially noticed that Gaara was falling into a deep sleep and intended to seize this chance to overtake his consciousness and break out of this flimsy cage.
But the Gaara who appeared before it this time merely opened his light green eyes and studied it as if they were meeting for the very first time.
Shukaku found its interest piqued for once.
Though the hatred and rage in its heart roared, urging it to use Gaara’s body to destroy, vent, and inflict pain, the child before it looked upon it with an entirely new gaze—one no longer filled with fear or revulsion.
His light green eyes were like a crystal-clear pool in the desert.
“What are you looking at, brat?” “I’m looking at you…” Gaara pursed his lips.
After a moment’s hesitation, he continued, “I want to apologize to you.
I’m sorry, Shukaku.” Shukaku felt a rare wave of surprise.
Then, gnashing its teeth viciously, it growled, “What kind of experiment is Sunagakure up to now?
Kid, you—” “It’s not!” The child’s tender voice cut off Shukaku’s impending outburst of fury.
Gaara took two hasty steps closer, gazing up at the Tailed Beast living inside his body.
“It’s…
it’s because all these years, I never properly considered your feelings.
I just treated you like a monster.
Grandpa Zang said that was wrong, and that I should apologize to you.” “I’m truly very sorry, Shukaku.” As Gaara spoke, he lowered his head in shame.
“You didn’t want to be sealed away, and I didn’t want to carry the seal either.
Our grievances are the same, yet I went ahead and hated you…
I’m sorry.” *Clack.* Shukaku’s lower jaw dropped, crashing onto the ground and dissolving into sand before slowly reconstituting itself.
Shukaku was naturally aware of Osamu’s existence.
Sealed inside a Jinchuriki’s body, a Tailed Beast could experience everything its host encountered, viewing the surrounding world through the host’s eyes.
When the guy calling himself “Grandpa Zang” first appeared, Shukaku had scoffed at him.
None of the stuff coming out of his mouth—about “lining up to return to the mortal realm” or “a mother’s request”—contained a single word of truth.
Yet it was precisely such ridiculous, fairytale-like lies that had tricked young Gaara into crying repeatedly, placing complete faith in this suddenly appeared guardian spirit.
Shukaku had simply waited to watch the drama unfold, convinced that this “Grandpa Zang” was merely another cruel experiment by Sunagakure—a fake illusion created with soul-based Ninjutsu that would dissipate the moment Gaara became completely dependent on it.
However, as it watched on, Shukaku’s conviction began to waver.
Grandpa Zang was re-parenting Gaara.
Gaara’s short life had been deprived of far too many things normal children enjoyed.
A child rejected for so long might look intact on the surface, but underneath was a shattered heart.
Grandpa Zang was gathering those broken fragments, wiping them clean, and placing them back where they belonged.
Night after night, in the old man’s eternally warm embrace, that reassembled heart was nurtured and healed.
Every day, Shukaku listened alongside Gaara to that gentle, loving voice telling wild, imaginative myths, discussing the flaws of this country, and explaining interesting ways for people to communicate with one another.
Gaara’s heart was broadening.
Yet Shukaku had never expected Gaara to grow to such an extent in so short a time.
Even the previous One-Tail Jinchuriki had had his reckless youth.
He had once admitted to Shukaku that if he had faced Shukaku when he was young, he might have treated him no differently than anyone else.
“But after experiencing many people and events and acquiring wisdom, I realized there is no difference between humans and Tailed Beasts.
As long as we treat each other with sincerity and mutual understanding, I believe that one day, humans and Tailed Beasts can coexist in peace.” At this moment, young Gaara had adopted that very same attitude, as though Shukaku were truly just an ordinary, unlucky human sealed inside his body.
What was it supposed to do now?
It was an old creature that had lived for over a thousand years—was it supposed to roar “Get lost!” at a kid who was apologizing to it?
Shukaku scratched its ears in frustration.
If it did that and Kurama found out, there was no telling how much that guy would mock it.
Watching the fat tanuki behind the seal gate rolling around on the ground in distress, the lingering hesitation in Gaara’s eyes faded.
He tried taking a few steps forward, drawing closer to the dark cage.
The closer he got, the more scowling his expression became.
Once he fully took in the cramped, gloomy environment behind the cage, Gaara’s small face crumpled into a frown.
“Honestly…
even if it’s a seal, why does it have to be so dark and cramped…?” If they wanted a Tailed Beast to stay peacefully inside the seal, shouldn’t they provide a comfortable environment, plenty of food, and enough entertainment to pass the time?
Just like the “otaku” Grandpa Zang had talked about—a single warm blanket could seal them away for days on end.
With that thought, Gaara grew determined to help Shukaku improve its living conditions.