Naruto: Systematic Shinobi

Chapter 273 273: The Throne Of Heaven - 14

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Gaara stared out over the edge of the roof of the hotel, eyes on the massive looming Hokage monument after Daiki left.

Arms crossed, his mind replayed everything the other boy had said to him, to them both. And more specifically, the words the boy had left hanging in the air before parting with them.

'And I'll leave you with this too. My eyes are special. And that automatic sand defence, is not an ability of Shukaku. With these eyes, I can see the soul of your mother clinging to you. She worried for you so much, she lingered on even after death, protecting you.'

His eyes felt suspiciously hot and prickly. He had to keep blinking to stop it from overwhelming his vision.

He had been wrong.

He remembered Daiki's words to him as well, when he was stalking Rock Lee, the desire for his blood pumping a manic beat in his head.

'Shukaku isn't your mother. Your mother is dead. She died bringing you into this world, so don't disrespect her like that.'

Those words now, took on an all new meaning.

For all his life, he'd struggled and loathed the world. Nobody had loved him, so he would love only himself. Only, that was not true.

It was completely wrong.

He had been so loved by his mother even as he killed her coming into this world, that she…refused the call of death itself to watch over him? To protect him?

Something warm burned in his chest and left him breathless, 'She did not even know me. All she knew was she was dying as I was coming out of her, and yet she loved me so much?'

How was it possible for her to already love him so much? And…what did he do with that love?

Used it as a sword.

'Be proud of who and what you are.'

'Wear like armour and it can never be used to hurt you. Don't brandish it like a sword.'

Once more, Daiki's words rang through his ears. His words to him then, were more telling now he realised. He had known, that he was abusing the love he'd always craved.

'How foolish I was.' Gaara thought bleakly. Something had changed along the way since he met Daiki that day. Something in him had shifted. And Shukaku, had been suspiciously quiet.

Perhaps because of Daiki's offer to fully seal it away where it could not influence him at all?

As it turned out, there was never anything wrong with him at all. He had never needed to seek validation for his existence. Just as Daiki had told him, 'My existence, was validated the very moment I was born.'

His lips twitched, and he found himself smiling and a sense of joy and happiness, of contentment he'd never remembered close to feeling in his life, filled him to the brim.

"Gaara?"

The voice of his sister sounded concerned made him look over his shoulder at her, seeing a worried frown on her face, "Yes?" he asked, taking in her worried face.

Mothers other child, just like Kankuro. And how had he treated them? He had been a fool. It was never their fault, he had just taken it out on them childishly. It was all father-

No, Rasa's fault.

"Are you okay?" Temari said, reaching out hesitantly, before placing a hand on his shoulder that sent a spike of warmth through him, "You're crying."

He was?

Reaching up, he brushed a hand over his check and his finger came back wet. And it was then he realised she was correct. He was indeed crying.

It was not an unfamiliar sensation. He had cried many times when he was younger. Out of sadness and loneliness and pure unrestrained rage.

But this was different. Felt different. It did not feel as heavy as it had then. In fact, he felt lighter. Happier, as if a weight had been lifted from his shoulder.

"I am fine Temari, thank you though," he smiled at her, and he was surprised himself at how easy it was, "I am simply, happy? I suppose you could say."

"…Alright," she smiled back, and didn't broach the subject. Very tactful of her, and mature he noticed. Something he would not have noticed about his older sister before, "That guy is like a natural disaster isn't he? A hurricane even. He just blows right in, upends everything chaotically, gives you no chance to counter and shoots off somewhere else while you're reeling from it."

That was a good analogy for Daiki. He was very much, larger than life. It was like, he lived at a different level.

Was that simply something innate to him, or was it a trait of being a truly perfect Jinchuuriki and having ascended beyond mere human limitations? He was like the hero of an epic.

Or was it simply because he had taken on so much, gained so much? It would be impossible to know without asking the boy. He wanted to know more about his fellow jinchuuriki. So different from him and others like that Naruto fellow.

And yet, so happy. Always smiling, having a good time, 'Could I…become like him?' Gaara wondered. To live so grandly, so brightly. To enjoy life so much. That was the kind of existence his mother would want for him, right? To live enjoying his life to the fullest just like Daiki, to be so innately proud and happy in who he was.

It was then Gaara realised, he was full of admiration for the other boy, and yet jealous at the same time.

"Yes, that is a good analogy for Daiki." Gaara eventually responded. All the while, his mind wondered. How did he become like Daiki? It was more than just personality, it was his strength as well, his ambition, everything.

If he wanted to be like him, he had to obtain similar aspects.

'Without your sand, the average genin could kick your ass around.'

Daiki's words floated through his ears again, his admonishment of his weakness. They were not wrong. He had never had to increase his overall abilities, because none had ever been able to hurt him before.

It was only now, he realised, how weak that made him. It was not his strength combined with that of his Bijuu like Daiki was so proud of in himself as a perfect jinchuuriki. It was him, relying on the power of his bijuu like a leech, and now that he knew of it, hiding behind his mothers protection.

He did not like what that said about him. 'The first act to become like him, is to better myself,' Gaara thought, 'What is it I overheard saying all the time about training? The grind? Yes, that is it. I must follow the same path, of the grind.'

And perhaps truly understand what it meant to become a jinchuuriki and not a 'demon'. Would it be possible for him, to work together with Shukaku?

'He called me the weakest.' Shukaku's voice hissed suddenly from deep within him, before falling silent.

Shukaku was different too. Ever since Daiki threatened to seal Shukaku away, and referred to it as the weakest bijuu it had spoke less, tried to influence him less. Even the tone of voice had changed. Before, it had been full of cackles and a demented cooing as it pretended to be his mother.

In the end, he supposed that had just been a farce Shukaku played upon to manipulate him.

"Do you really think I should marry him?" Temari asked suddenly.

He returned his attention to Temari, "Yes," Gaara replied easily, "As I said before, I do not personally care what happens to Suna. But you do. And he was not lying in anything he said."

"…That's the problem, I know," Temari grimaced, "But…he was such a, arrogant dick about it, and didn't even care that he killed hundreds of our people."

"He was angry," Gaara said simply, "He did not show it. But the sheer fact that we targeted his village, which I remind you he takes a lot of pride in and cares for deeply as shown by the broadcast of his battle with Orochimaru, is enough to tell us that. As of now, we are not affiliated with him, and thus not part of what he cares for."

He looked her dead in the eye, and decided to be blunt with her, "Suna will fall, and it is all Rasa and the past Kazekage's foolish decision that have led to such a thing happening," he told her, "You can only make the best out of the situation Suna itself caused for itself. Besides, it is not like you dislike him at all. You very much were quite angry I noticed, when other girls talked to him.

Temari's cheeks burned and she looked away, "I mean, that's different. He's really good looking, and strong and so confident its unreal, it's not a good basis for marriage," she replied, "But well…you're not wrong in the end either. I just don't want to admit our village is so weak, and that our father was such a fool."

He was a fool though. Or as Daiki had claimed, a complete clown, 'Indeed, why did he not kill Wind Daimyo?' Gaara wondered. It seemed like such a simple solution. The man sat upon a massive fortune, and was but a leech. He did nothing for the Land of Wind but collect taxes and live a lavish life. Suna itself, alongside all the official settlements of the Land of Wind paid a tax tribute to the Wind Daimyo.

And to top that off, he barely even lived within the Land of Wind. His residence, and the 'capital' of the Land of Wind, was a small city state at the very edge of the Land of Wind, bordering the Land of Rivers. It was the only part of the Land of Wind with lush grass land and great rivers of water, coming in from the Land of Rivers.

The greatest oasis even in all of the Land of Wind, 'He should have been done away with, his fortune and land claimed.' Gaara thought. On top of that, going for more, they could have negotiated with Konoha for both of them to annex part of The Land of Rivers, and bind their alliance deeper.

Konoha had been reeling with the Kyuubi attack had it not? Then marriage was the true go to for that. 'Father wanted rid of Pakura Of The Scorch Style because she could have replaced him. He should have created a marriage alliance with Konoha for concessions. Konoha would get the Scorch Style bloodline and an S-class kunoichi recovering some of their strength, and we would get much more funds and such to escape the poverty of our village. And it would have made our alliance look far more iron clad to outsiders, a true unified front.'

"If it is any consolation sister, Daiki seems to be the type that jealousy guards what he believes is his, doggedly and murderously so," Gaara tried to comfort his sister, "We will no longer be Suna, we will be Konoha. And that means, our people also fall under that protection he offers. This may actually be the best thing for our people since the inception of our village."

Quite frankly, Gaara didn't see the appeal of being a native of Suna. In the last few weeks, he'd found peace in Konoha, and changed so drastically he could barely recognise himself. And his sister, once she got over her foolish pride in Suna that was completely misplaced and understood how much they would have, he bet she would wonder why she dragged her feet so foolishly.

"You know…it kind of does," Temari sighed and looked up, "His strength is ridiculous, isn't it? And his plans he's so confident in, so sure of. It's like standing in front of the sun. So bright and powerful, and makes others look so small."

Yes, that did sound right.

"Alright, I'll marry him," Temari decided, and he noticed she was looking anywhere but at him, her face turned away so he couldn't see her expression. But he could still make out the flush on her cheek from this angle, "For the good of our people."