Three tails

"What is it?" Gaara asked, his voice calm but tinged with curiosity.

"I convinced him you were capable of bringing his human out of the genjutsu. It seems to be a very strong one at that," Shukaku replied, his voice echoing within Gaara's mind.

Gaara's expression remained neutral as he responded. "It is not an ordinary genjutsu. It's not like the one the Nine Tails was put under, or anything of that level. The point is, I cannot break it unless he chooses to. At least, not at the level I'm at now."

Shukaku fell silent for a moment before responding. "Oh well, he can probably handle himself."

"I hope so," Gaara muttered under his breath, his mind still racing with the weight of their mission.

They were then given a tour of the major areas of Kirigakure, including places where they would stay for the night. Lady Chiyo led the way, but the Sand siblings and their sensei decided to venture deeper into the village to explore further. However, what they found was troubling. The city was riddled with crime at every corner, and the overwhelming sense of neglect made it difficult to determine where to begin offering help.

"I wonder what assistance they need in particular," Temari pondered aloud, her eyes scanning the dark alleys of the village.

"We just need to offer help to those in need," Lady Chiyo confirmed, her voice steady despite the bleak surroundings.

A heavy silence settled over the group as they considered their options. Theft seemed like a temporary fix, and assault or elimination of a single head would only lead to another struggle or a worse group taking its place. The deeper issue, they all silently agreed, was the village's political instability. The economic problems seemed to stem from the Mizukage's office, with political struggles threatening to unseat him.

At least, that was the conclusion everyone except Gaara arrived at.

Gaara, however, had a different perspective. "Obito could have done better in handling the lower tables of power under the Mizukage," he thought, his brow furrowing. "The Akatsuki shouldn't have been formed yet... No, it should have already been established. It started off as a kind of vigilante group led by Yahiko... But that's beside the point."

The weight of the situation was beginning to settle in. "What is Obito's aim in having the Mizukage under his control?" Gaara asked himself, though the answer seemed to elude him.

Then it hit him.

"What was the Akatsuki's aim? To capture all the tailed beasts."

Gaara paused, his heart pounding as the realization struck him. "Am I the target?"

He couldn't shake the thought. He immediately reached out to Shukaku, his voice urgent. "Is there any other tailed beast nearby?"

Shukaku was quick to respond, his voice filled with something Gaara couldn't quite place. "No," he replied curtly, refusing to give a clear answer to Gaara's question. The reason, however, was more than just avoidance.

Shukaku had sensed something off about Gaara ever since they had arrived in Kirigakure. Gaara's behavior had been strange, perhaps a little too curious about the things that didn't concern him. Shukaku had his own fair share of betrayals, enough to make him question Gaara's actions and motives. He wasn't blindly loyal, nor was he easily swayed by a child's whims.

Gaara, in his obsession with his own thoughts, had forgotten this side of Shukaku. At times, he treated the spirit like a close companion, at other times like a mere tool to be used when necessary.

For Shukaku, it wasn't that he cared about being treated like a pet or an acquaintance. He simply didn't engage unless it interested him. If it didn't, he saw no reason to be involved. And right now, Gaara's questioning about other tailed beasts wasn't something Shukaku felt compelled to answer.

He didn't want to be blamed for anything, especially not for feeding Gaara information that could be used against him. And if truth be told, it frustrated him when Gaara occasionally brought up his weakness—his inability to act freely as the other tailed beasts did. It was a misconception on Gaara's part, one that Shukaku had never fully voiced.

For now, though, it was enough for Shukaku to sit back, watch, and wait. If Gaara continued down this path of recklessness, it was likely that the consequences would reveal themselves in time.