Gaara had already been staying in Konoha for quite a few days.
During this time, aside from restricted locations like the Ninja Academy's internal areas and the Hokage Tower—and aside from being forbidden from leaving the village—his daily life wasn't much different from anyone else's.
Souma searched around for a while.
Eventually, he found Gaara sitting on the swing outside the Ninja Academy.
The swing, already several years old, let out creak, creak sounds under the combined pressure of Gaara and the gourd on his back.
"If you're going to use the swing, at least put the gourd down," Yagyū Souma said lazily.
"Your chakra's sealed anyway. You can't control it now."
"..."
Gaara lifted his head, his gaze cold and distant.
A familiar yet unfamiliar shinobi walked toward him.
They'd crossed paths several times, but Gaara had never truly fought Souma—
Only shortly before the Chūnin Exams did he realize that the times he'd been secretly sabotaged were all thanks to Konoha's famous prodigy standing in front of him.
"Get lost," Gaara said with undisguised hostility.
"Or I'll kill you."
His tone carried pure loathing.
To enemies, he only knew killing.
"You can't beat me," Souma replied calmly, eyes half-lidded, a faint smile on his face.
"And you're currently sealed. So how about you calm down and sit properly so we can talk?"
"I heard you've been wandering around the village lately."
"I could easily say you're spying on Konoha's secrets," Souma added lightly.
"Interested in paying ANBU a visit?"
"You—!"
Gaara glared at him furiously.
Gradually, he turned his head away, unable to meet Souma's eyes.
Souma's killing intent wasn't as overtly terrifying as his own—but the pressure born from sheer strength and mental dominance made Gaara feel like he was suffocating.
Turning away just now had been pure survival instinct.
Realizing that only made Gaara even angrier.
He'd always been the one others feared.
Since when had he been afraid of someone?
He forcibly turned his head back—
And the pressure grew even more unbearable.
Gaara's face went deathly pale. Sweat poured down his face, yet he stubbornly refused to look away, staring at Souma as if locked in battle.
A few seconds later—
His body went limp, collapsing back onto the swing.
"Souma-sama, this—?"
"It's fine," Souma said calmly.
"He'll be under my supervision for now. That's Lady Tsunade's decision, so don't worry."
"If you want to stay and watch, you can."
"N-no need."
The ANBU ninja bowed slightly and vanished.
Terrifying…
Just eye contact alone had knocked out the normally unstoppable Gaara.
What kind of technique was that?
Wasn't it said Souma couldn't use genjutsu?
The ANBU's heart shook violently.
Souma glanced in the direction the ANBU had left, then shook his head.
A Hyūga clan member.
If it were before, he might've had some interest in the Hyūga.
But now?
Their core techniques weren't shared, and he didn't possess the Byakugan.
There wasn't much foundation for cooperation anymore.
If anything, the Hyūga were more likely to come begging him later.
Souma turned his attention back to Gaara and frowned.
Regret…
He should've had that Hyūga ANBU help carry Gaara to the hospital—or somewhere else.
Now—
He could only handle it himself.
Souma brought Gaara back to the dormitory—
Gaara's room happened to be right next to Naruto's.
After easily "entering" the room, Souma set Gaara down, formed hand seals, and released one layer of the sealing formula on him.
…
The next moment, Souma's mental energy invaded Gaara's inner world.
Inside a dark, sealed space—
Shukaku lay sprawled on the ground, sleeping.
Suddenly, a beam of light pierced in from the outside.
Shukaku squinted, then sensed that all-too-familiar presence—
"You brat! You dare come in here again?! I'll kill you!"
Shukaku roared furiously.
Souma smiled, walking closer.
Golden light flared around Shukaku, sealing formulas interlocking as they instantly restrained it.
"Watch your mouth, Shukaku," Souma said calmly.
"Recently, I mastered a new technique. If you don't behave, I might consider… replacing you."
"Heh. Idiot. Go ahead and kill me if you can!"
Shukaku sneered, utterly dismissive.
Tailed beasts didn't truly die.
This human would be dead long before it ever vanished.
Replace it?
Ridiculous.
Souma grinned. His expression was gentle—almost friendly.
But in the next instant, Shukaku felt something deeply wrong.
Its soul—
Was being invaded.
Then—
Chi!
A soft sound rang out.
Its head throbbed, like being bitten by a mosquito.
Shukaku froze for a moment, then burst out laughing.
"Hahahahaha! You think this can kill me? What a joke! Go home and play with mud, brat!"
Souma said nothing.
His mental projection simply stood there, smiling.
Shukaku felt uneasy.
"You're not stupid, are you?"
"Trying to amuse me?"
"Heh—if it weren't for this sealing technique, I'd have eaten you already!"
It kept ranting, its tone savage.
But gradually—
Something felt off.
There was a subtle change in its mind.
A faint… other voice.
At first, Shukaku thought it was imagining things.
But then—
"Eat you!"
"What did you do?!"
"You—!"
"Roaar! Get out here, you damn bug!"
Shukaku roared in panic and fury, rapidly directing its chakra and mental energy toward the anomaly.
Finally, it found it—
In a corner of its consciousness, a miniature Shukaku was crouched there.
Shukaku devoured it in one bite, then stared at Souma in shock and rage.
"You… how did you do that?!"
"A small experiment," Souma finally spoke.
"You can think of it as my ability to cultivate a new Shukaku consciousness."
"I can't completely devour you," he continued calmly,
"but I can suppress you beneath another layer of awareness."
Only then did Shukaku realize—
This human wasn't bluffing.
"Heh, you think I'd believe that? Impossible!"
"No one can suppress me mentally! That was just carelessness!"
Shukaku roared.
"I also have a technique that links multiple minds together," Souma said mildly.
"They share mental energy."
"And frankly, while your mental power is strong, it has a fatal flaw."
"What flaw?!"
"Your soul is bound to your chakra," Souma replied with a smile.
"In other words—every portion of Shukaku's chakra can nurture another Shukaku."
"I can slowly… split you apart."
"You—! You lunatic! You're insane—crazier than Orochimaru!"
…
Shukaku had gone from arrogant roaring to incoherent shouting.
After raging for a long while, it finally fell silent.
"…What are you, really?"
"As you know," Souma said politely,
"Konoha Special Jōnin—Yagyū Souma."
Setting aside what he'd done, his manners were impeccable.
Shukaku was furious—but had no choice but to swallow it.
It realized something terrifying—
This human might truly have a way to kill it at the level of consciousness.
Shukaku might not die.
But it—this Shukaku—might not necessarily be the one that remained.
That was the simple truth Souma wanted it to understand.
Satisfied, Souma sat down cross-legged in the darkness.
"Now we can talk properly."
"Talk about what? I've got nothing to—"
"Hmm?"
"I—I mean, there's no conflict between us," Shukaku quickly corrected itself.
"We don't need to be so tense. Let's… sit down and talk."
Souma nodded approvingly.
Sometimes, strength's greatest function was simply making the other party listen.
This was one of those times.
"I picked up some of your chakra not long ago," Souma said casually.
"???"
Shukaku was full of question marks, but when it met Souma's gaze, it clenched its teeth.
"Yes! I was too violent and failed to control my chakra!"
"Good," Souma nodded.
"Remember that. Don't be so irritable in the future. Understood?"
"Yes!"
Shukaku felt humiliated.
It had been ages—since the Sage of Six Paths—since anyone had spoken to it like this.
And worse—
It had no choice but to obey.
Blind rage was meaningless now.
It understood one thing clearly—
This human held its life in his hands.
Souma smiled.
Shukaku had finally grasped its position.
Things were much easier to discuss now.
"Alright," Souma said.
"If there's an organization planning to target you tailed beasts and gather you together, what do you think their goal is?"
"For what?" Shukaku scoffed.
"Don't tell me it's to gather us for a reunion. Heh. Human motives—humans understand those best."
Its tone was full of contempt.
But then—
It realized it had said something wrong.
"Ah—sorry! I meant the people you mentioned," Shukaku hastily corrected.
"Not you, of course. You're not that kind of person… right?"
Souma shook his head.
"You're powerful, but I'm not interested in controlling tailed beasts," he said calmly.
"I'm more interested in… your form of life."
"!!!"
A huge DANGER sign lit up in Shukaku's mind.
This human was young—but far more terrifying than Orochimaru.
Smarter. Colder.
Orochimaru had taken years to reach certain conclusions.
Souma had seen through them at a glance—and already devised countermeasures.
Its confidence crumbled further.
"A tailed beast as reckless as you," Souma said lightly,
"shouldn't be afraid of death, right?"
"I—I…"
Shukaku was speechless.
…
Before, it truly hadn't been afraid.
Even if it died, it would eventually reform—maybe hide somewhere no one could find.
But now—
Facing Souma, it felt it might truly cease to exist.
"Those were lies!" Shukaku wailed.
"Tailed beasts are afraid of death too!"
"Then you probably don't want to be captured," Souma said calmly.
"I don't know what they want, but like you said, it's definitely not a reunion."
He narrowed his eyes.
"If we become enemies, I will kill you."
"I wouldn't dare! But—wait! I don't know their purpose, but the Sage of Six Paths said we were created to help each other and protect the shinobi world!"
Shukaku puffed out its chest proudly.
Souma stared flatly.
"Protect the shinobi world… while getting chased around like dogs?"
"You—! That's because that bastard Kurama refuses to cooperate!"
"If I were in charge, leading the other tailed beasts, we'd have reclaimed our glory long ago instead of getting sealed!"
Shukaku roared in indignation.
Souma's eyes narrowed slightly, then he smiled.
"Kurama is the Nine-Tails' name, right?"
"Do you want to meet Kurama?"
"What do you mean?"
"If you're interested in mocking Kurama every day," Souma said lightly,
"I can split off a clone of you."
"If you cooperate, I can even let you move freely in the forest."
"You're saying—no. Human, you wouldn't be that kindhearted," Shukaku said warily.
"You're planning to split me and create another me, aren't you?"
Souma nodded.
"Half right. It would be another you."
"But as long as you behave, I promise not to harm your core consciousness."
"Then what do you want?"
"Simply put," Souma said,
"I don't trust Sunagakure to protect you when Akatsuki comes knocking."
"So I'm preparing a backup."
Shukaku hesitated.
It was tempted.
Terribly tempted.
But also terrified.
After long deliberation—
Shukaku clenched its teeth.
"Fine! I agree!"
"At worst, I die! Freedom is still better than being locked inside a human body!"
—Selling one's body and dignity for survival.
Advance Chapters available on Patreon
patreon.com/pikachu614