Gaara's Awakening
In the dim glow of the cave, Gaara's eyes repeatedly blinked, trying to adjust to the light, while his ears picked up the faint sound of voices.
Two people were talking.
Their voices reverberated through the dim, fungus-filled cave, creating an atmosphere of intrigue and mystery. Gaara strained his ears to listen, captivated by the conversation that unfolded before him.
"Multi Shadow Clones, Edo Tensei, Flying Raijin technique, Reaper Death Seal, Eight Trigrams Seal, Spirit Transformation, Eight Gates. What even are these, I have never even heard of such Techniques," one voice exclaimed, laced with pure astonishment. Gaara could almost feel the speaker's wonderment at the array of unfamiliar jutsus.
"I have about a few hundred more jutsus I got from the root, though those are mostly nature transformation jutsus so you have probably heard of them," the second voice responded, its tone calm and composed. The mention of the root piqued Gaara's curiosity, but he listened further.
"Alright, I have checked all the seals in the cave; nobody tried to enter here last night," the second person continued, his words echoing with a sense of caution, as if they were guarding against potential threats.
"Even if they did, they would have probably blasted themselves off by one of your seals," the first person chuckled, their amusement evident as they envisioned the potential fate of anyone daring to breach Enkai's barrier.
Yagura, the person Gaara had recently met, sat on the ground, his attention focused on a massive scroll spread out in front of him.
Near Yagura, a mysterious figure stood upside down on the ceiling, clad in a black ninja suit that defied convention. Gaara's curiosity piqued; this enigmatic newcomer, the first to notice Gaara's presence, remained an unknown entity, shrouded in mystery.
"Oh, you're up?" Yagura waved at Gaara, acknowledging his wakefulness. "Did you sleep well?" he inquired with genuine concern.
"Yes," Gaara nodded in response before his curiosity took over. "Where are we?"
Yagura opened his mouth to respond, but before he could, the mysterious stranger, whose name Gaara had yet to learn, intervened. "We are on the outskirts of the Land of Fire and the Land of River and on our way to the Land of Sky," he stated matter-of-factly.
With a graceful leap, he descended from the ceiling of the cave and landed in front of Gaara. Extending his hand for a handshake, he introduced himself, "I am Enkai, the nine tails' jinchuriki, and the leader of the organisation you're now a part of."
Gaara, momentarily taken aback, accepted the handshake, absorbing the weight of Enkai's words. He tightened his grip on Enkai's hand during the handshake, his expression firm. "Nice to meet you, but this is not what I agreed to," he said, his voice steady, "I am not joining any shady organisation without proper knowledge of it."
Enkai regarded Gaara for a moment before letting out a slight chuckle. "I think you're misunderstanding here; you don't have a choice about whether you can join my group or not. You have to join, unless you want to die," he stated bluntly.
Yagura's shock was palpable, his hand clutching his head in disbelief. This confrontation was far from the scenario he had discussed with Kai before.
Gaara, however, met Enkai's words with a cold glare. "...Is that a threat?" he questioned, his tone laced with determination. If Enkai showed any signs of hostility, Gaara was prepared to defend himself.
Enkai responded with a mocking chuckle, his confidence unwavering. "Of course not, that was not a threat; it's a fact," he retorted, his tone laced with an eerie calmness.
Gaara's hand twitched, his instincts urging him to take action.
Before he could make a move, Enkai continued, diverting the conversation to a darker topic. "Hidan and Kakuzu were arguably the weakest members of the Akatsuki, and now that they have failed to capture you, stronger and stronger members will come after you," he warned, his eyes as black as a black hole, holding Gaara's gaze with an intensity that sent shivers down his spine.
"And it's not like the five great villages are too weak to protect the jinchuriki. If they want to, then they might just be able to protect us, but will they protect us?" Enkai's words cut through the air, a stark reminder of the universal disdain for Jinchuriki, leaving Gaara feeling vulnerable and exposed. Gaara gulped, his resolve tested under Enkai's intense stare.
But Enkai wasn't finished.
He took a step forward, his voice unwavering. "If Akatsuki got their hands on every single Bijuu, they would unleash power so strong, so great that the world would be destroyed," he declared, the weight of his words hanging in the air.
However, his ominous tone shifted into a sinister grin as he looked directly at Gaara. "But you don't need to worry one bit because if you choose to walk out of here, then you will be long dead by that time," he finished, his smile sending chills down Gaara's spine.
Gaara's expression turned serious. While Gaara held onto the belief that no village would abandon their Jinchuuriki, the harsh reality of the world they lived in was undeniable. The gravity of his situation weighed heavily on his shoulders, and Gaara knew he had to make a decision.
Gaara's expression remained serious as he absorbed Enkai's words. Despite his initial resistance, he found himself torn between the world he knew and the one Enkai presented. Enkai, sensing Gaara's internal struggle, placed a comforting hand on his shoulder, his eyes clouded with the weight of his own history.
"The earliest memory of my life I have was when I was seven years old. Do you know what that memory was?" Enkai's voice carried a haunting tone as he shared his past. Gaara remained silent, captivated by Enkai's story.
"It was the memory of Konoha shinobis hunting me down," Enkai revealed, his eyes meeting Gaara's with a sympathetic gaze. "Even if Akatsuki wasn't after us, would you rather live among people who will always hate you? Disgust you? Or would you rather stay with us, where everybody will treat you the same, like a clan, like a family."
Gaara's gaze wavered, torn between the harsh reality of the world and the promise of acceptance within Enkai's organization. "Let me think about it," he finally said, his voice steady but conflicted.
"Sure. We will be staying here for a few more days. I hope to hear your decision after that," Enkai responded, his tone understanding. Gaara nodded in acknowledgment, his mind swirling with thoughts.
As Enkai turned to walk away, an unsettling grin crept across his face, unnoticed by Gaara but sending shivers down Yagura's spine. The atmosphere grew heavier, laden with an unspoken tension.
Yagura, aware of Enkai's masterful manipulation of Gaara, felt a sense of foreboding. He, as the former mizukage, saw Enkai's true nature, recognizing the subtle signs of manipulation that others might overlook.
After a moment, Gaara broke the silence. "Then is it just us in your organization? A bunch of children?" he inquired, probing for more information about the mysterious group he had become a part of. The weight of this knowledge hung heavily on Yagura's shoulders as he observed the unfolding events, his mind filled with a growing sense of unease.
Gaara's question hung in the air, demanding an answer to shed light on the mysterious organization he had found himself entangled with. However, before Enkai could respond, Yagura's spirited protest filled the cave.
"Hey! I am not a kid, I am an adult!" Yagura declared with flaring nostrils, puffing out his chest in defiance. He then took a deep breath, proudly asserting, "I am a turtle! Turtles don't age after they hit puberty; that's why I look like a thirteen-year-old!"
Gaara stared at Yagura, caught off guard by the unexpected proclamation. Meanwhile, Enkai struggled to suppress his laughter, failing miserably as he burst into uncontrollable laughter, his amusement echoing through the cave.
The tension that had filled the air moments ago was momentarily broken by Yagura's bizarre declaration, bringing an unexpected wave of humor to their conversation. Despite the seriousness of their situation, laughter filled the cave, if only for a brief moment, providing a respite from the weighty decisions and uncertainties that loomed over them.
After the laughter subsided, Enkai, still wearing a faint smile, addressed the group. "Well, even though most of us are children here, I am sure we can get things done in due time," he said, his tone reassured yet determined.
He turned his attention to the scroll of seals placed in front of Yagura. "For now, let's look at the contents of the seal of scrolls, assign a jutsu to learn," Enkai suggested, his eyes flickering with anticipation.
Enkai approached the scroll, gesturing for Gaara to join him. They both sat down in front of it, studying the intricate contents that lay before them. After careful consideration, Enkai made a decision.
"Okay, so all three of us will learn the Multi Shadow Clone Technique because it's really useful, and as jinchuriki, we won't experience excessive chakra drain from it," he explained, his confidence evident in his choice.
He then turned his attention to Yagura. "Additionally, Yagura, you will also learn the Spirit Transformation Jutsu and the Eight Gates Technique," Enkai continued, his voice carrying a sense of purpose. Yagura nodded, eager to expand his skills.
Enkai's gaze shifted to Gaara, his assessment blunt. "And you will only learn the Eight Gates Technique because you look physically weak and your focus should be solely on that for now," he stated matter-of-factly, prompting a questioning look from Yagura.
"Wait, why are you the only one not learning the Eight Gates?" Yagura inquired, curious about Enkai's decision to not learn a seemingly powerful taijutsu technique.
"Because I am busy and I don't need it," Enkai replied, his tone casual.
He stood up and walked in front of a cave wall. With a single finger, he tapped the surface, triggering a massive explosion that reverberated through the cave. Spiderweb-like cracks spread rapidly, showcasing the destructive power of his technique.
"This is a technique I copied from one of the Sannin," Enkai explained, his voice resonating with authority. "As you can see, it makes me really strong. Besides, I will be incredibly busy in the future, so I probably won't have enough time to learn new complicated techniques anytime soon anyway."
Enkai's words hung in the air, emphasizing his mastery and the demands of his role. His decision to avoid learning the Eight Gates became clear, as Gaara and Yagura absorbed the reasoning behind his choice.
However, the real reason he wasn't learning a technique as legendary as the eight gates was because of Enkai's status as Kurama's Jinchuriki brought with it a promise of power, the potential for the awe-inspiring Nine-Tails chakra cloak and even the legendary Susanoo.
In the grand scheme of things, mastering the Eight Gates, although undeniably potent, paled in comparison to the immense potential he held within him.
"Enkai, did you fight one of the legendary Sannin as well?" Gaara inquired, his curiosity getting the better of him and pulling Enkai out of his thoughtful reverie. Enkai looked at Gaara, who appeared genuinely surprised, and then noticed the gleam in Yagura's eyes.
The dim light of the cave flickered, casting eerie shadows on the walls as Enkai's words resonated through the damp air. "It looks like the Sannin are truly known worldwide," he mused, his voice carrying the weight of ages past. A contemplative silence settled, broken only by the distant echoes of water dripping somewhere in the depths of the cave.
Enkai's sigh cut through the quietude like a blade, heralding the revelation he was about to share. "No, but Hanzo did," he began.
Yagura's shock was palpable, his eyes widening in disbelief. "You know Hanzo? The demigod Hanzo?" His words tumbled out in a flurry, each question punctuated by astonishment.
"I know Hanzo is strong, but I didn't know he was famous enough to get that kind of reaction out of you," Enkai remarked, his voice a mere whisper in the cave's vast expanse.
"Are you joking? Who wouldn't know Hanzo?" Yagura chuckled, his laughter laced with reverence, as he continued, "In his prime, he used to fight against the Third Hokage and the Third Tsuchikage on even grounds. Each time he stepped on the battlefield, he would kill hundreds of ninjas, forcing the strongest in the battlefield to sacrifice themselves just to save their troops from Hanzo's wrath."
Gaara nodded in agreement with Yagura's account, his expression grave. "He was one of the strongest Ninjas in the history of shinobi," Gaara added, his voice carrying the weight of history. "What makes it even more remarkable is that he was a commoner with no kekkei genkai. He wasn't even from one of the great villages, yet anybody who wasn't a kage couldn't even stand a chance against him."
"I see, anyways," Enkai nodded and tried to change the topic because conversations related to Hanzo made him feel guilty.
After all, Enkai could have saved Hanzo if he truly tried to, but Enkai let him die. In a way, Enkai killed Hanzo who took care of him when he was at his weakest in this world, Enkai wanted to avoid that guilt.
"Hey, don't 'anyway' us! Tell me how you know Hanzo?" Yagura pressed on, causing Enkai's poker face to falter slightly.
Enkai took a deep breath, his voice steady but laced with regret. "He was my father," he admitted, his words hanging heavily in the air, revealing the burden he carried.
The cave trembled as Enkai's revelation hung in the air like a heavy fog, shrouding them in a newfound understanding of their leader's past.
"...What!? And you're telling me that now even though we have known each other for months!" Yagura's shock reverberated through the chamber, his voice echoing off the stone walls in disbelief. Before he could express his bewilderment further, Enkai, swift and decisive, seized the seal of scrolls and stowed it away in his gloves.
"Let's get a move on, unless you want death by crushing boulders," Enkai urged, his tone carrying a sense of imminent danger.
"What do you mean?" Yagura's confusion etched deep lines on his forehead, his eyes searching for answers in the dim light of the cave. Enkai, however, offered no explanation. He vanished from the cave with the swiftness of a shadow, leaving behind only echoes of his presence.
Gaara, ever perceptive, stepped into the conversational void, his eyes fixated on the cave's rooftop. "I think he meant that," Gaara said calmly, his voice steady despite the impending danger. He pointed upward, directing Yagura's attention to the faint cracks snaking across the surface.
Yagura's eyes widened as he followed the intricate patterns of the fractures, his gaze tracing their origin back to the exact spot where Enkai had tapped the wall before. Realization dawned on him, a chilling understanding of the imminent peril that loomed above.
"W-Wait for me, Kai! L-Let's run, Gaara! Run!" Yagura's voice cracked with fear, desperation lacing his words. He turned towards the space Gaara had occupied just moments ago, only to find it empty.
"You damn traitors!" Yagura's scream resounded as he made a run for his life.