The tidal wave surged down.
Gaara's figure appeared extremely small as a flicker of fear crossed his eyes, and he quickly wanted to manipulate the sand under his feet to flee from the spot.
Rasa stood in the distance and loudly halted his intention: "Gaara, do not run away! Use all your strength within to summon out that monster, Shukaku!"
"..."
Gaara's urge to escape came to a halt.
The Fourth Kazekage's command was something he couldn't defy, not because of Rasa's identity, but because of the strength and accumulated authority Rasa had over the years.
Gaara mustered the strength to lift his head and looked at the incoming wave. The dark circles around his eyes were the result of long-term sleeplessness. He just bit his lip and said: "...I understand, Father."
"Lord Kazekage!"
Jonin Maki looked at the Fourth Kazekage beside him, gritting his teeth as he advised, "This Jutsu's power might not be something Gaara can withstand. Even if Lord Kazekage doesn't consider him your youngest son, you should at least consider that he's the One-tailed Jinchuriki of the village, right?"
"Maki, there's no such necessity!"
Rasa waved his hand to interrupt Maki's persuasion, merely looking at Gaara's struggling figure amidst the waves, and coldly said, "If Gaara can't utilize Shukaku's power, then he's just a failed experiment with no significance of existence."
After speaking, Rasa added, "First, he is the One-tailed Jinchuriki of the village, the ultimate weapon that can be used for the village, a ninja who must sacrifice his life for the Hidden Sand Village, and only last is he my son."
"..."
Maki found it hard to continue persuading.
As a Kazekage advisor, he couldn't make any decisions in place of the Fourth Kazekage. He could only, at times, offer appropriate suggestions for the Fourth Kazekage to choose from.
"Quicksand Waterfall Flow!"
Gaara was still desperately resisting the Roaring Wave.
Wave after wave of yellow sand under his control delayed the waves' onslaught, only to have its defenses washed away by successive waves.
Crash boom, crash boom!
The surging waves completely destroyed Gaara's defenses, and the red-haired little boy was adrift in the waves, even swallowing a few mouthfuls of water.
As the waves continued to advance, ready to overwhelm the group of Hidden Sand Ninja, Rasa could no longer contain himself. He finally took action: "Magnet Release: Golden Sand Waves!"
The gold dust and yellow sand in the ground were all swept up!
A golden sand wave crashed head-on into the waves controlled by Uehara Naraku and broke the momentum of the surf!
The yellow sand mixed with gold dust quickly sank into the ground, forming an indestructible golden rectangular embankment, blocking the Roaring Wave's onslaught.
Uehara Naraku had no choice but to stop his attack as the water on the ground gradually flowed away without Chakra's support, and the water level slowly fell.
The Fourth Kazekage's Magnet Release is quite interesting.
Gaara finally steadied his steps and once again manipulated the yellow sand to gather into the Sand Gourd.
"It was said in the Ninja World that the Fourth Kazekage really favored his youngest son, which is why he always kept him beside him, but it doesn't seem like that's the case here!"
Uehara Naraku bent down, took a look at the Fourth Kazekage, Rasa, then at the still somewhat exhausted Gaara, and couldn't help clicking his tongue softly: "Tsk, your subordinate is in danger, and you take action, but you don't save your own son. This doesn't seem like what a father would do!"
When Uehara Naraku heard this rumor initially, it left him speechless. Surely, he didn't travel to Gaara's Infinite Tsukuyomi dream?
Uehara once thought he had arrived in a fake Ninja World. Now, witnessing Rasa treating Gaara so cruelly was somewhat reassuring.
Gaara ignored Uehara's words. He didn't care how his father treated him but only raised his hand to manipulate the yellow sand to rise into the air!
"Sand Coffin!"
The yellow sand swept toward Uehara Naraku!
This was Gaara's most adept Jutsu and one of his favorites to use!
Uehara Naraku used the Aerial Dance to nimbly thread through strands of yellow sand, diving towards Gaara: "Secret Technique! Dusk Blade!"
A purple Chakra Broadsword appeared beside Uehara!
A mass of yellow sand also appeared beside Gaara, quickly forming a shield wall to block Uehara's attack!
This yellow sand was left behind by Gaara's mother, Karura, always protecting him, ensuring Gaara was always under the defense of the Sand Shield.
Crash!
The purple Chakra Broadsword cleaved onto the Sand Shield!
With the momentum of his descent, Uehara Naraku shattered the Sand Shield in one blow!
"How can anyone break through the sand's defense?"
Gaara's small mouth opened slightly, his eyes staring in shock at the falling Uehara. He nervously took a few steps back, which only incited Rasa's discontent.
Standing afar, the Fourth Kazekage voiced his displeasure: "Gaara, do not back down; quickly force out Shukaku's power within you!"
"..."
Gaara fell into silence.
The eight-year-old little boy slowly lowered his head, obscuring his expression, but still conveyed a sense of suppressed loneliness and sorrow.
Especially to Uehara Naraku, who knew Gaara's story.
Gaara lost his mother at a young age, and his father Rasa forbade anyone from contacting him, even ordering Gaara's uncle, Yashamaru, to assassinate him.
Yashamaru was the only person who cared for and looked after Gaara, only to be forced, under Kazekage's orders, to carry out the assassination attempt, ultimately dying from Gaara's attack.
This event led Gaara to totally embrace darkness...
According to one of the Ninja World laws, darkness amplifies power by three times, but redemption just gives it away.
After that, Gaara became a bloodthirsty and powerful Jinchuriki.
Yet Gaara's father, Rasa, still tirelessly sent people to assassinate Gaara, treating this son as if he weren't his own...
Compared to Gaara of the Hidden Sand Village, the life of Konoha's Nine-tailed Jinchuriki was indeed better, at least Uzumaki Naruto didn't face unjust assassination attempts and even had a few friends.
"There are indeed fathers like this in the world..."
Uehara Naraku sighed, as a hint of a smile flickered at his lips: "If not for my unsuitable age, I would have really wanted to say something to you."
The yellow sand quickly gathered to shore up before Gaara again!
The little red-haired boy peeked from behind the Sand Shield, his fierce expression somewhat subdued and a bit curious: "What is it you want to say?"
"Hmm... become my son!"
Uehara Naraku suddenly stretched out one hand!
After performing this peculiar action, Uehara stroked his chin and mused: "Little one, do I seem approachable when I say that?"
"I... will kill you!"
Gaara's face exploded with rage, and under his control, the yellow sand surged anew toward Uehara Naraku: "Sand Coffin!"
This Rain Village Ninja in front of him looked just like those fresh Genin graduates from the village, perhaps around the same age as his sister, Temari.
He must be mocking him intentionally!
"Don't worry, I could never bear to kill you!"
Uehara Naraku laughed softly, swung up his purple Chakra Broadsword in his hand, and, after shattering the yellow sand with a deft flick, raised it high!
Crash!
The Sand Shield before Gaara was shattered once more with a single strike!
Uehara Naraku didn't stop, managing to strike Gaara with the Chakra Broadsword before the sand regrouped.
Gaara was blasted away, cracks visibly running across his face.
The Sand Armor clinging close to his body was shattered by Uehara Naraku, scattering as yellow sand everywhere!
A froth of blood spewed from Gaara's mouth.
"Cough, cough... You've enraged me!"
Gaara suddenly lifted his head, revealing a face half-human and half-monster!