"Well, Boss, let's do this! My uncle's a bit touched in the head 'cause his seal's crap, so we're gonna suppress him and then reseal him."
Naruko stretched atop the massive red toad.
"Just help me reach his head!"
Gamabunta charged at the gigantic raccoon-like monster, but Shukaku unleashed a barrage of Wind Release: Drilling Air Bullets.
"Water Release: Great Water Bullet," said the toad, releasing a volley of water projectiles to intercept the incoming attacks.
"Listen here, tadpole, I can't keep this up for long. We need to restrain him before you jump and wake the Jinchūriki!"
"Nah, relax, Boss. You just need to cut his arms. He's made of sand, after all, and even if they reform, it'll take time."
Then Naruko grinned madly, an idea forming.
"Hey, Gama-Boss, if some of my clones enter your mouth… can you spit them out like a Bullet Jutsu?"
"You serious?"
Naruko kept grinning and nodded.
"Well, I guess I can… What's your plan? Don't tell me you've gone mad!"
"Oh, you'll love it! Just take off his right arm and scatter my clones all over him! I'll do the rest… je je je… Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
She created seven clones. Gamabunta reluctantly opened his mouth, and six of them jumped in.
"Let's do this! Prepare yourself, Uncle Shukaku!"
"WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU, CRAZY FLESHBAG?! I'M NOT YOUR UNCLE, KAMI DAMMIT!"
Shukaku roared, launching another volley of air bullets.
"NOW!"
Gamabunta, using his powerful haunches, rushed forward in a zigzag pattern, dodging the attacks with terrifying agility.
Then, instead of tackling the Ichibi head-on, the toad chief feinted—and in one clean slash, severed Shukaku's right arm.
The sand demon barely reacted. His arm began reforming instantly, but that wasn't the goal. Shukaku screamed in rage, ranting about killing them, which distracted him just long enough.
"Toad Style: Clone Bullet Jutsu! Now we got ya!"
Gamabunta spat out the six clones in rapid succession. Four flew over the beast's head; two targeted the remaining arm.
"Secret Jutsu: Kongō Fūsa!" the clones shouted as glowing adamantine chains erupted from their left arms.
Four chains wrapped around Shukaku's neck, linking together into a collar. The clones began rappelling down their own chains like descending into a ravine. The other two clones spiraled their chains down the beast's arm.
The original Naruko placed her feet into a clone's hands and was launched into the air, soaring toward the raging Bijū's head. Shukaku tried to swat her away, but the chains disrupted his chakra, slowing his movements just enough for her to dodge.
"Alright, Uncle! I can't have you destroying the Leaf! Girls—pull!"
The clones on the ground pulled, amplifying the disturbance in Shukaku's chakra. He couldn't raise a sand shield to protect Gaara.
In desperation, he yanked his arm free from the chains and lunged—but too late.
"UZUMAKI TAIJUTSU ŌGI: WAKE UP BITCH!"
A thunderous slap echoed through the forest.
The world went still.
"NO, NO, NOOOOOOOOOO! I JUST GOT OUT! I DON'T WANNA GO BACK IN THERE! PLEASE, JUST FIVE MORE MINUTES! NOOOOOOO!"
Shukaku wailed as his form crumbled into sand.
Both Gaara and Naruko began to fall—but Gamabunta caught them and gently placed them on the ground.
Naruko approached Gaara with a grin. A red handprint was clearly visible on his face.
"No! Stop! Don't come near me! I don't want to disappear! Noooo!"
Gaara screamed, crawling backward to escape her.
"STAY AWAY!" Temari shouted, struggling in a clone's iron grip.
Naruko just smiled and enveloped Gaara in a tight hug.
"Hush, my brother. You're safe. I won't hurt you. We're the same."
"Why? How are you so strong? Why not kill me? I don't understand…" Gaara whispered, confused and afraid.
"Because we're family. You're what I could have become if not for my precious people."
Naruko sighed and relaxed her hold.
"It hurts, doesn't it? The stares, the hate… the fear. That pit of loneliness that swallows your will to live. I've been there, Gaara. You kill to make them fear you—and through that fear, reassure your existence. But that path is flawed. Eventually, they'll exile you… or kill you."
Her red eyes gleamed with understanding and compassion.
"For people like us, forced to carry the sins and fears of the ninja world, there's only two roads: acceptance or madness. She saved me… brought me to a new home… gave me family and showed me my mother inside my seal…"
Naruko smiled dreamily at the sky.
"You asked why I'm strong? It's to protect her. To protect all of them."
"But how? How did you do it?! I'm alone! No one cares about me!"
Gaara shouted desperately.
Naruko giggled.
"No, my brother…"
She pointed at Temari.
"…She's been trying to protect you. You're not alone. Once you accept her, others will follow. You don't need many people. Just the ones who truly care."
The clones released Temari. She ran to her brother, tears flowing.
Gaara looked stunned.
"I'm sorry, Temari… for everything. Can you forgive me? Can we start over?"
Temari hugged him tightly, and for once, the sand didn't react.
"Of course I forgive you. You're my little brother. All I've ever wanted… was to have you back."
"Well, let's check that seal."
Naruko squinted at his exposed torso.
"Mom says Uncle Shukaku's a total tsundere. Maybe he acts batshit crazy because the seal's hurting him—and Gaara by extension."
Without shame, she ripped Gaara's shirt open.
"WHAT THE HELL IS THIS?!" she shrieked.
"Who the fuck drew this?! This turd of ink couldn't seal the crap out of a toilet!"
"What's wrong with it?" Temari asked as the others approached.
"EVERYTHING! No mental protection seals, no chakra filters, no control suppressors. And don't get me started on the Ichibi's side of it. The moron who made this just shoved Shukaku into a box barely big enough to breathe! Of course he went nuts!"
Naruko growled, cracking her knuckles.
"When Hashirama Senju handed out the Bijū, his wife—Mito Uzumaki—provided sealing formulas for every one. But NOOOO. Why use Uzumaki seals when we can do our own half-assed crap?!"
She unsealed a brush, dipped it into chakra-infused ink, and began writing elegant, complex symbols across Gaara's body and even into the earth beneath him. The markings shimmered, reacting to each stroke, forming a massive seal array.
No one dared interrupt. Not even Kankuro.
"Alright, here we go!"
She slapped her palm over Gaara's heart.
"Nine times Nine Tails… a seal to protect both host and beast! Uzumaki Style Sealing: Nine-Tailed Companionship Seal – Transference!"
All the seals converged into a spiral centered over Gaara's heart. Nine small spirals inside a ring of indecipherable runes pulsed with life. Gaara thrashed—but didn't scream. Then, for the first time in his life, he sighed in peace.
"It… it's gone… The screams, the rage… the bloodlust."
He spoke quietly, blinking in disbelief.
Naruko grinned from ear to ear.
"Hehehe. Now that's how you do a seal right. Time to meet the tenant! Oi, Makeup-kun, come over here! You too, Shino-san, Kiba-san, and Lazy-san!"
She waved them over.
"For the record, I've got clearance from the Hokage to do this kind of stuff—but I still need witnesses. And since I can't risk a Yamanaka mind dive, you're tagging along."
She glared at the Leaf nin.
"Everything that happens between Gaara and me is top-secret. Got it? You tell only the Hokage. No one else."
Noting their confused stares, she clarified:
"We're going to dive into Gaara's mindscape through the seal. Meet Shukaku. Explain the seal's functions. Check on his sanity. It's completely safe."
"…What do you mean by a pull to the inside?" Kiba was asking when he and the others suddenly found themselves standing in a vast cavern of sandstone pillars illuminated by torchlight. At the far end, a transparent veil-like curtain revealed what looked like a sleeping Shukaku.
Gaara looked around, confused. His mindscape was usually a raging sandstorm. And this… was the first time he'd ever had guests.
The group moved toward the massive form of the Bijū, subtly nudged forward by the grinning blonde kunoichi.
"OOOOOYYY, SHUKAKUUUUU! Get up, Uncle! It's not nap time yet!"
Naruko's voice echoed off the cavern walls. The colossal creature stirred with a groan. Everyone except the Jinchūriki quickly hid behind the pillars.
"Ugh, my head… Stop yelling, please!" the sand beast begged.
"Bah, you can sleep later. Let me explain your new seal." Naruko grinned.
"The Nine-Tailed Companionship Seal is designed for coexistence. It builds your relationship, and as it evolves, the seal gives you new features. Right now, it's in its base form. That means you've got a perfect habitat and full control over your chakra, but Gaara can't access it without your permission. You're basically in a five-star hotel suite, Uncle."
She smirked and continued, "Later stages will give Gaara a Bijū chakra reservoir, shared traits, and even let you experience the world through his senses. Reach full trust, and you'll be able to manifest as a cute little chibi version of yourself out there! Like… a weird, adorable chibi clone jutsu? Nah, I'm not telling you all the perks, but trust me—it's worth it."
Shukaku rose to all fours, lowering his massive head to the teens' level. His voice was raspy but full of remorse.
"Kid… I'm sorry. That seal was driving me insane. I couldn't sleep, and it was suffocating… I know that's no excuse, but come on. You understand why I lashed out at humanity, right?"
Gaara stood speechless. The monster of his nightmares—the one who whispered horrors into his ears—was now apologizing. He wasn't just a beast… he was also a victim.
"I know this isn't much, but… pretending to be your mother wasn't entirely fake. She's here, too…"
Tendrils of sand flowed behind the veil, shifting color and shape. Before them stood the figure of a red-haired woman—Karura—tears streaming down her face.
"Gaara… my baby…"
She rushed forward, embracing him in a tight hug. As she moved, parts of her body crumbled into sand—but reformed the moment she stilled.
"Mother? But… how?" Temari emerged from hiding, awe on her face. Kankurō remained where he was, suspicion clouding his gaze.
"Temari? Is that you?"
Part of Karura's back shifted into a tendril of sand and wrapped around Temari, morphing into a second copy of her mother that embraced her too—both women connected by living sand.
"When your father decided to make Gaara a weapon… I agreed, reluctantly," Karura said, voice trembling.
"But during the sealing, I discovered they were using a different formula—one meant to turn him into a living killing machine. So, I sealed all my chakra and soul with Shukaku's, and I died cursing the village… especially that bastard of a husband. I've been protecting you ever since. I am the sand shield."
She pulled back to look at them, just as Kankurō finally snapped.
"How can you trust that thing?! For all we know, it's the demon tricking you again!"
"Shukaku can't cross to this side of the seal. That's your mother's spirit, for real. She's bound to Gaara for life," Naruko said firmly.
"But, but…!" Kankurō stammered.
"Kuro-chan," Karura soothed,
"It's okay. I understand your doubts. But it's me—your Okaa-chan. You were always such a clever boy… can't you see your father's cruelty behind all this?"
Kankurō hesitated, torn between fear and longing. Naruko, fed up, bonked him on the head.
"Get over yourself and hug your mom. You still have the chance."
With wide eyes, he finally joined them.
The emotional reunion ended as the Suna siblings turned toward Naruko. Even Shukaku moved closer.
"Who are you, young lady?" Karura asked.
Naruko couldn't suppress her emotions. Red tears rolled down her cheeks.
"I'm Naruko Uzumaki, of the Uzumaki Clan of Kumogakure… I'm Shukaku's niece."
Kiba, ever curious, asked about the red tears as the Konoha ninja stepped closer. Naruko shot them a glare that radiated killing intent, and they froze.
"Why are my tears red? Because I cried out all my human tears in Konoha. Because only humans cry tears… and your village took that from me.
So now… I cry blood."
She turned to Shukaku.
"Uncle, there's someone out there who's planning to capture all the Bijū. Their leader wears a mask and has a lone Sharingan. They'll come for you—so you'd better train Gaara and be ready."
"I see… Thank you. I'll help Gaara. It's the least I can do to make things right."
The tanuki paused.
"But… why do you call me 'Uncle,' young Jinchūriki?"
Naruko's expression darkened.
"Because I'm the child of three people."
The cave behind her darkened too. Two glowing, red, slitted eyes formed in the shadows.
"My momma was sealed inside my human mother. Both of them protected me… loved me. But that man tore the seal open the moment I was born. My parents died, and so did many others. Then the village tried to kill me—because Momma was now inside me. They broke me. But my parents—like Karura-san here—sealed themselves within me and healed me. Now… I'm more Bijū than Jinchūriki."
A chilling laugh echoed through the seal.
Shukaku's fur bristled.
"It can't be! You… you're not… You can't be One-sama's child!"
The laughter turned into full-on cackling.
"Meet my joy and pride, little brother. My firstborn… your niece."
Shukaku's eyes went wide.
"Gaara… listen to me. I know you must hate me. But whatever you do… do NOT make this girl angry!"
"Wow! You make me sound worse than I am!"
Naruko scratched the back of her head sheepishly, flashing a foxy grin.
"Anyway, time to go. The invasion's mostly over and Suna's been defeated. But don't worry—you're technically prisoners now, so I'll keep you safe until you can go home."
"Wait!" Gaara blurted.
"If I leave… can I come back here? Will my mother still be here? Can… my siblings visit too?"
"Of course! Karura-san's soul is intertwined with Uncle's after being stuck together in that awful seal. It'd take decades for them to separate. And even then, your mother won't pass on until the seal is undone. So yeah—she'll be here until, well… you die."
Karura placed a gentle hand on her son's chest.
"Child… I'll teach you how to return here—and how to use your powers right. Is there any chance… you'll ever forgive me?"
"Shukaku… it wasn't all your fault. I forgive you."
Gaara nodded.
"I hope we can trust each other, and become strong—strong enough to protect the people we love. Just like Naruko-san."
Temari began to cry.
Naruko grinned.
The boys turned away, pretending not to wipe their eyes.
Karura smiled, proud of her son.
Shukaku bowed his massive head solemnly.