Chapter 60.3- Gamer of the Desert

Ichibi no Shukaku. The one tailed demon racoon. A creature made of sand and spotted with curse marks along its frame. Angry, spiteful, mad, pained, haunted, and for some reason right now, still. I’d removed the genjutsu placed on him, expecting him to lash out and come at me. Expecting to have to pacify him in one way or another. Instead, he just stared down at me. For some reason, that made me even more wary.

“Ichibi?” I asked hesitantly. I knew the tailed beasts were sentient and had some manner off intelligence. I wasn’t sold on the human-like aspect, but I could appreciate that they were intelligent in their own way. Just not as intelligent as we were. Human-like intellect with that sort of power? There was no reason why they should not have ruled the shinobi world as gods.

“Call me Shukaku, Gaara or should I say *xxxxx*”

My heart stopped. It actually did. For a second as I felt myself be seized by panic. I’d not heard that name in over a decade. Not since I was born in this world. Not since I’d cast it aside to take up the mantle of Gaara of the Desert and abandon whatever connected me to that past life.

“How do you know that name?” My clone found its voice first, but I agreed with the question.

“I have been inside you for so long, have I not?”

“But our minds were separate” I instantly disagreed.

“For a time, yes. The seal the old woman placed to seal me in you had no such feature but your Gamer’s mind kept us separate. And then you turned it off to place me under genjutsu. Since then, while you kept me supressed, I had full access to your mind and thoughts.” He said in a gravely voice that somehow still managed to be more light than I’d expected from a being of his size and appearance.

“And so you’re less angry and generally insane because of that?” I flashed a glare at my clone as he asked the question. Sure, I had little doubts that we were strong enough to handle the weakest of the tailed beasts but that was still no excuse to piss off someone who wasn’t even interested in fighting us. It reminded me too much of my younger self, when I was keen to solve every problem with my fists and chakra, and never even thinking of alternatives. There was no reason for me to let Rasa die so early. He could have acted as a shield to allow me to grow in my strength. It was not inevitable that he would have invaded Konoha. He’d only done it in canon because of our nation’s situation. I could have talked him out of the entire meeting with Orochimaru if I’d just given him my ideas for a better Suna ahead of time. So many things could have been prevented in the first place.

“Yes. I have spent years in your head going through your thoughts, and living your life. In some ways, I am as much you as you are.”

“Huh?”

A/N: Saw that one coming?