Was Gaara a normal person?
"Of course he is!"
Naruto answered without a moment's hesitation.
Gaara was not only his friend, but also a fellow jinchūriki who had already achieved Naruto's dream of becoming a Kage.
Even if he had been a little abnormal in the past, he was definitely normal now.
"I see. Gaara is normal, and you're normal too, which means the two of you are the same kind of person. Is that fair to say?"
Tokiwa spoke as though she had everything figured out.
"Yeah."
Naruto noticed nothing wrong with her reasoning and nodded immediately.
Kakashi had already realized what Tokiwa intended to do, but he neither stopped her nor warned Naruto.
Naruto's lack of self-awareness had always been one of his greatest weaknesses.
Using this opportunity to make him recognize that flaw might actually be good for him.
"Then if we prove there's something abnormal about Gaara, that would also prove there's something abnormal about you. Correct?"
Tokiwa performed a direct substitution.
Under normal circumstances, the logic was completely ridiculous.
Unfortunately, Naruto's brain was incapable of making the turn.
Hearing her words, he inexplicably became fired up, slapped his thigh, and leaped to his feet.
"Of course! I believe in Gaara just like he believes in me! Throw whatever test you want at him! Gaara will take everything you've got head-on!"
Tokiwa did not even need to guide him any further.
Naruto had enthusiastically jumped into the pit all by himself.
[Naruto, that woman dares look down on Tailed Beasts and jinchūriki. Shake her hand. I want to say a few words to her.]
Just as Naruto was becoming strangely passionate, Kurama's voice sounded inside his mind.
"Sure. But don't scare her, Kurama."
Naruto turned to Tokiwa.
"Kurama wants to talk to you. Let's shake hands."
Naruto did not doubt his beloved friend and companion Kurama for even a second.
He merely assumed Kurama was being his usual straightforward self.
The moment Naruto and Tokiwa shook hands, however, Kurama transferred a portion of his chakra into her along with a bundle of information.
Tokiwa heard a voice beside her ear and froze.
She looked up at Naruto, then revealed a meaningful smile.
Kurama had concealed the exchange from Naruto by transmitting information through chakra.
In the original story, he had used the same method when transferring chakra to Kakashi, secretly instructing him to allow himself to be absorbed so he could attack Obito from inside Kamui.
Now Kurama had used that technique early to propose a secret alliance with Tokiwa.
One of the most important plans the Tailed Beasts had devised to resist the prophecy involved wearing down Naruto's "joystick durability."
As long as enough of it was consumed elsewhere, there would be nothing left for the Tailed Beasts.
First, they had to ensure Naruto continued using his self-created shortcut whenever he entered Sage Mode.
Second, they needed to find additional methods of exhausting him, in case the vitality granted by his Uzumaki bloodline and status as Asura's reincarnation allowed him to recover too quickly.
During their earlier discussion, Kurama had suggested that Gaara—the One-Tails' jinchūriki, who already possessed suspiciously intense feelings toward Naruto—should help reduce some of Naruto's durability as well.
That had become Shukaku's assigned task.
Shukaku had spent the entire time making excuses and dragging his feet.
Admittedly, Shukaku itself would not be the one sacrificed. Only its jinchūriki would.
And from Gaara's perspective, it might not even qualify as a sacrifice.
But Shukaku was still the great One-Tail.
Did he have no dignity?
Besides, the plan had been proposed by Kurama.
Everyone knew Shukaku and Kurama disliked each other more than any other pair of Tailed Beasts.
Why the hell should Shukaku obey him?
Now Kurama had finally found an opportunity.
Right in front of Naruto, he secretly allied himself with Tokiwa, whose ultimate objective differed from theirs but whose required process was remarkably similar.
Kurama did not reveal the Tailed Beasts' circumstances to some random kunoichi they had only just met.
He merely explained what he needed her to do and offered a little friendly guidance.
As for why a Tailed Beast would request something like that, there was no need for him to explain.
She could speculate on her own.
That was far more consistent with how Tailed Beasts normally communicated with shinobi.
Tokiwa did not find it suspicious at all.
On the contrary, she believed that with a Tailed Beast secretly assisting her, her chances of success had risen dramatically.
…
Several days later, the three Konoha ninja and Tokiwa arrived at Sunagakure.
Gaara had learned in advance that Naruto was coming and personally went to the village entrance to welcome him, giving Naruto an extraordinary amount of respect.
Even when his older brother Kankurō reminded him that he was now the Kazekage while Naruto remained a mere genin, Gaara refused to change his decision.
He told Kankurō that Naruto was the future Hokage he personally acknowledged.
Naruto was also the Nine-Tails' jinchūriki.
The two of them were equals.
Gaara even dragged Kankurō along to help welcome him.
Temari came as well.
All three siblings appeared together.
Aside from Granny Chiyo's absence, this was effectively the highest reception Sunagakure could offer.
Chiyo had not stayed away because she feared an awkward encounter with her admirer Kakashi.
She simply had not returned from her beach vacation in the Land of Water yet.
Temari had originally refused to attend.
Had Makoto been visiting, perhaps she would have shown him some respect.
But Naruto?
Why should she personally welcome him?
Gaara explained that Naruto was not coming merely as himself. He was visiting to spread Sage Mode.
Furthermore, Gaara had recently accepted Amegakure's invitation to join the Tailed Beast–Jinchūriki Alliance and had transferred a portion of Shukaku's power into Naruto.
Through Shukaku and Naruto acting as a relay, Gaara could now communicate with any Tailed Beast or jinchūriki.
Hearing Gaara mention Makoto and Sage Mode reminded Temari of her time near the Dragon Vein, when Makoto had temporarily allowed her to experience a form of "Sage Mode."
She had thought about that power for a long time afterward.
Unfortunately, she had no way to train it alone, and she had been too embarrassed to travel to Amegakure and ask Makoto for help.
Could the Sage Mode Konoha was spreading now be the same kind she had experienced back then?
Those considerations finally persuaded Temari to join the welcoming party.
However…
"Gaara! It's been ages!"
When Gaara extended his hand for a handshake, Naruto completely ignored it.
Instead, he pulled Gaara into a powerful embrace and, from an angle nobody was supposed to notice, gave his backside a quick squeeze.
"Gaara, you've got fat."
"…"
Those frivolous words and that shocking action had naturally not been Naruto's own idea.
This was the first stage of Tokiwa's "bet."
Before they arrived in Sunagakure, she had described this style of greeting and reached an "agreement" with Naruto that it was perfectly normal behavior between close friends.
At worst, it was merely a little playful.
Gaara would absolutely never develop any strange ideas about Naruto because of something like this.
So Naruto did exactly as she instructed.
Unfortunately, Temari happened to be standing at precisely the right angle to see Naruto pinch Gaara.
She was instantly stunned.
Could there have been another reason Gaara insisted that she and Kankurō come with him?
Had he brought them here to publicly announce his forbidden bond with Naruto?