In the distance, Natsuki and Rasa stood on the upper floor, observing the unfolding scene.
Rasa's limbs felt a bit stiff as he fixed his gaze on Yashamaru and Gaara in the distance.
Natsuki activated his Sharingan, the mangekyo in his eyes whirling with intensity.
Having witnessed the events from afar, he let out a sigh of relief and directed him to float over on a cushion of sand.
"Tap...tap..." The sound of footsteps echoed.
Gaara lifted his head, spotting his father Rasa with a usually cold expression.
Though still stiff, Rasa squatted down and drew Gaara into his arms.
"I'm sorry, Gaara."
Gaara was taken aback, pulling away from his embrace. "Dad, what did you say..."
Rasa stood there and murmured, "It was not my intention for you to become a Jinchuuriki..."
"What's a Jinchuuriki?" Gaara, momentarily soothed by Yashamaru's love, now spoke with a touch more calmness.
Observing from a distance, Natsuki couldn't help but roll his eyes. What kind of education was provided in Sunagakure Village?
At six or seven years old, Gaara didn't even know the concept of a Jinchuuriki.
No wonder he endured so much hardship without being equipped with the fundamental knowledge. How had Gaara managed for so many years?
Oh, it seems Naruto didn't know about it when he was a child. No wonder they became close friends later on.
However, Gaara's seal is much more severe than Naruto's.
Although the Nine-Tails' chakra could influence Naruto, he never knew about the tailed beast within him during his childhood.
In contrast, Gaara was easily affected by Shukaku's influence.
If he accidentally fell asleep, Shukaku would emerge and harm people indiscriminately. This led Gaara to believe he was a monster.
"A Jinchuriki is someone who has a tailed beast sealed in them, and you are the Jinchuriki of the One-Tailed Shukaku," Rasa explained, his grip tightening on his clothes.
"Is the monster inside me called Shukaku? Why me, Dad?" Gaara questioned.
Rasa nodded, "Because I am the Kazekage, and I must protect the village. Gaara, my favorite child, you are the best among all your brothers. Only you can control Shukaku's power. That's why I chose you."
Gaara, seemingly hearing hallucinations, held his head. His father had just called him his favorite child and the best.
"Why did Father..." Gaara began, filled with questions, expectations, and fear of his father's potential deceit.
Rasa continued to stroke Gaara's head, concealing the look in his eyes.
"The village is in constant danger. If I show favoritism towards you all the time, it would put you in even greater peril."
"I'm sorry, Gaara. Can you forgive Dad?" Rasa embraced Gaara once again.
Feeling an unfamiliar warmth, Gaara murmured, "Dad, I don't blame you. It's my fault. I couldn't control Shukaku and ended up killing many people."
A flicker passed through Rasa's eyes. "It's not your fault. That's Shukaku's problem. I reached out to people from Konoha this time to help strengthen the seal. You won't be in so much pain in the future."
"Really, Dad?" Gaara's eyes lit up with surprise.
Gaara desperately wanted to sleep, but the fear of Shukaku emerging and causing harm prevented him from doing so for years.
Rasa nodded. "Yes."
Yashamaru was overjoyed to witness the reconciliation between Rasa and Gaara. Rasa's words brought happiness to Gaara.
"Master Kazekage, when will the people from Konoha arrive?" Yashamaru inquired eagerly.
"I've already arrived."
Natsuki emerged from the shadows, the Sharingan in his eyes gradually ceasing its rotation and returning to normal.
[Ding! Congratulations to the host for greatly changing Rasa's life trajectory.]
Congratulations to the host for acquiring: Gold Dust, Desert Suspension X1
He felt a sense of joy that she could now fly, even if it was just once. However, he sensed a potential loophole that could be exploited.
Rasa was taken aback and then cast a deep gaze at him.
He turned to Gaara, pulling him along, and instructed Yashamaru, "Yashamaru, go and prepare the materials for the sealing technique. Remember, don't disclose it to anyone else. Do it on your own."
Yashamaru was momentarily surprised, but he caught his wink directed at the sand wall in the distance.
Up there stood the higher-ups of Sunagakure Village, where Chiyo and Ebizo lived in isolation.
It was Chiyo who had insisted on making Gaara a Jinchūriki back then.
"Yes! I'll get to it right away!"
Certain matters were best kept from Chiyo to avoid unnecessary conflicts within Sunagakure Village.
...
In the secret room of the Hidden Sand Village, a multitude of ninjas guarded the perimeter, ensuring that no information leaked.
Yashamaru had diligently prepared the materials necessary for the sealing technique.
Gaara, experiencing his father's attention for the first time, clung tightly to Rasa's clothes, as if afraid that everything would disperse if he let go.
Casting a complex gaze toward Natsuki, Rasa gently touched Gaara's head.
Having devoted over a year to practicing the sealing technique, Natsuki had become well-versed in the Hokage series' four seals.
The Four Symbols Seal wasn't a single seal but rather a series of sealing techniques.
It ranged from basic blocking of psychic beasts, sealing chakra, sealing tailed beasts, and, ultimately, sealing dragon veins for Fourth Hokage—all utilizing the seal.
While every village had its specialization in sealing arts, there were only a few ninjas who truly specialized in this field.
Sealing required considerable time, energy, and a substantial amount of chakra.
Success also depends on talent; lacking talent could result in wasting a significant amount of time in the early stages.
During the Third Ninja War, there was little time to spare, and few had the luxury of dedicating significant time to the sealing arts.
After all, in the initial stages, the sealing technique had limited combat effectiveness and primarily served as auxiliary support.
Individuals with powerful chakra often held important positions, leaving them with little time to dedicate to practicing sealing techniques.
In the current ninja world, research on sealing techniques has regressed significantly.
Many ninja villages had lost or failed to pass down their sealing techniques, and even the once proficient Land of Whirlpools, known for various sealing techniques, met its demise.
After acquiring the Uzumaki clan's chakra, Natsuki discovered that, besides the increased chakra capacity, becoming more adept at sealing techniques was the primary advantage.
Performing sealing techniques had become remarkably easy for Natsuki.
However, sealing a tailed beast required a larger magic circle for effective catalysis.
Fortunately, all the materials Yashamaru had brought were quite suitable.
Drawing a massive four-image array on the ground, Natsuki instructed Gaara to stand in the center.
Gaara appeared timid, a little scared, yet also somewhat expectant.
"Kazekage-sama, would you like to witness Gaara's inner world?" Natsuki inquired.
He suddenly asked, producing a brief surprise from Rasa, who stood next to him. After a brief pause, he nodded slowly.
"If you can."
Natsuki beckoned Rasa to join them and then placed his hand on Gaara's head.
With his father by his side, Gaara noticeably relaxed, leaning against Rasa for support.
Ensuring everything was in order, Natsuki stood firm, adjusting the hand seals on his hands. Ink runes illuminated from his palms.
Natsuki's hand on Gaara's head initiated the process, and the runes slowly crept up Gaara's body along his arms.
Initially nervous, Gaara found reassurance as the runes crawled without any peculiar sensations.
With the increasing number of runes, the massive magic circle on the ground began to illuminate.
"Four Symbols Seal!"