Hiruzen persuaded me to die

"No! I can't die!"The Fourth Kazekage suddenly shouted."Sunagakure can't live without me!"

However—Hearing this, Pakura's expression turned colder."Then what about me? Am I disposable to the village?! Can I just be cast aside?!"

The Fourth Kazekage's face stiffened, but he quickly argued again:"Only I have the power to suppress Shukaku!If you kill me now, and it escapes in the future—no one will be able to stop it!"

Naraku Hyuga chuckled softly."You don't have to worry about that.I'll take Shukaku with me."He glanced sideways."Sunagakure won't have to worry about the tailed beast rampaging again."

The Fourth Kazekage was left speechless.It was like saying, "You don't have to worry about pain anymore... because soon you'll be dead."And the most tragic part—No one could stop Naraku now.

Suddenly, the Fourth Kazekage's eyes lit up with a glimmer of hope."Gaara! He's going to kill you!"He shouted behind Naraku."He's going to take Shukaku from your body!""If that tailed beast is pulled out, you'll definitely die!""Don't be fooled by him!"

Gaara trembled.He stared at Naraku, unsure and shaken."What do you think?"Naraku didn't explain himself. Instead, he looked at Gaara curiously."Why did you protect me just now?"

After a long internal struggle—Gaara finally asked the question that plagued him.Just moments ago, when his own father ordered Chiyo to kill him,Naraku protected him.But why?

"I'm interested in your future," Naraku replied, kneeling before Gaara."I want to see what kind of person you'll become."

"Also, don't worry about dying from having the beast removed.I've got a way to save you.Although... it might hurt a bit."

Naraku paused, his tone casual.

Gaara's expression darkened.After a long silence, he said quietly but firmly:"Please.Even if you're lying, it doesn't matter."

Even if it meant death—After today, after everything his father did—Gaara wasn't sure he wanted to live anymore anyway.

"Try not to cry from the pain," Naraku said with a half-smile.

Chakra gathered at the tips of his five fingers as he slammed his hand into Gaara's stomach."Seal: Release!"

Boom!A violent surge of chakra exploded out!

The sheer force created a shockwave through the cave.Naraku frowned slightly."As expected… still unruly."

He swiftly formed a seal."Four Elephant Seal!"

A grey-green gourd appeared in his right hand—the container for sealing Shukaku.

From his palm, an ethereal chakra hand emerged, diving straight into Gaara's abdomen!

"Damn it! Let me go! Let me go!!"Shukaku's shrill voice echoed—But he didn't even have the chance to manifest a full form.

He was dragged out in his pure chakra state!He couldn't resist at all!

And this was just a basic sealing jutsu?

Shukaku was terrified.

Naraku clicked his tongue."Tch… Still not as good as the Adamantine Sealing Chains."

The Four Elephant Seal, while functional, was still a normal sealing technique.It worked on chakra—But on tailed beasts, it lacked the true strength of Wood Style or Mangekyō Sharingan.

Naraku had to rely on raw power to forcibly suppress Shukaku.In contrast—The Adamantine Sealing Chains of the Uzumaki clan were far superior.

Even a dying Uzumaki Kushina had been able to bind a fully released Nine-Tails.And that Nine-Tails was complete—Unlike the one cut in half by Minato.

Naraku suspected that the Adamantine Sealing Chains had a deeper origin—Possibly tied to the Gedo Statue, which could also produce chakra chains capable of sealing tailed beasts in seconds.

"Ugh…"Gaara groaned, his face pale as life rapidly drained from him.With Shukaku's chakra forcibly pulled out,He could feel his vitality slipping away.

"So you lied to me after all…"That was Gaara's last thought before his consciousness faded.

Suddenly!

A surge of green chakra filled with life energy poured into his body!

"What... is this?"

Almost instantly, Gaara felt his body recovering.Even the injuries caused earlier by Shukaku's resistance were healed.All because of this vibrant chakra.

"I told you—I had a way to save you."Naraku said lightly, putting away the gourd with the sealed Shukaku.

With access to Six Paths-level Yang Release,Naraku could even bring Gaara back from death.Let alone save him while he was still alive.

Gaara sat in a daze, barely able to react.The monster in his body—was gone.The constant madness, the whispers, the fear—All gone.

Suddenly!

Bang!

Naraku threw a punch at Gaara's face!

But Gaara didn't move.

A wall of sand automatically rose and blocked the punch.

"See anything?"Naraku asked.

"Wh-What?"Gaara was confused.

But then—he understood.

"Why… is the sand still protecting me?"Shukaku was gone, wasn't it?

The sand's automatic defense had always been Shukaku's doing.

"The sand protecting you… isn't from the tailed beast."Naraku's eyes narrowed as he examined the phenomenon.

He could sense something… strange.Something profound.

A miracle.

"That miracle… is your mother."

Gaara was stunned."If it's not the monster… then who is it?"

The Fourth Kazekage, Rasa, looked at the sand shielding Gaara.

"Could it be… Karura's will?Still guarding this child…?"

Even Elder Chiyo stood dumbfounded."Is it possible... that his mother's will still lingers… even in the sand?"