Give me a name

Gaara trudged through the desert, barely able to feel anything but the oppressive heat and his own exhaustion. The sight of an oasis—a glimmer of water and a patch of green—was almost surreal.

At first, he thought he might be hallucinating. But no, oases were a natural occurrence in deserts, he reminded himself, though something felt off. The climate, vegetation, and dryness of the surrounding soil didn't match the oasis's lushness. Gaara was sure flash floods, which he hadn't seen, were the only natural way to bring water here, or else it'd require breaking rock formations deep underground.

"Oi, kid, you thirsty? Or is the sand looking more appealing?" Shukaku's voice snapped him out of his thoughts.

Gaara didn't answer, instinctively stumbling forward and plunging himself into the water, clothes and all.

"I was drinking that," Shukaku muttered, but Gaara ignored him, savoring the coolness. The water felt euphoric, a welcome reprieve after days of wandering.

The thought echoed in his mind: An oasis in the desert... again and again. Suddenly, he felt something was wrong. His eyes shot open. If this is just an oasis, why am I still submerged?

Looking up, he saw his shadow clone on the water's surface, calmly sipping with his cupped hand. Gaara tried to swim up, but no matter how hard he pushed, the distance only seemed to stretch. He poured more chakra into the effort, but it was like the water had turned dense, heavy, and unyielding. His vision blurred, and the last thing he saw before blacking out was his clone dissolving into mist.

---

Gaara awoke with a start, every muscle tense. He immediately tried to manipulate the earth beneath him, instinctively relying on his control over sand. But his chakra reserves were empty—something he'd never experienced.

"Was it a genjutsu?" he muttered, trying to make sense of his surroundings.

"I doubt it," Shukaku replied within him, sounding surprisingly calm.

Gaara initially suspected Shukaku of yet another escape attempt, but he could tell the tailed beast wasn't behind it this time. Nor did he sense any genjutsu affecting them both. Without fully understanding the situation, he decided to wait and recover.

"I'd advise against trying to draw chakra," Shukaku cautioned.

"Why?" Gaara asked, unsettled.

"Because there isn't any to draw from," Shukaku said flatly.

Gaara felt a chill; he didn't understand how that was possible. Ignoring the warning, he tried to summon chakra anyway, only for Shukaku to intervene, "Go ahead if you want to turn into sand. In this scenario, we'll both die."

For the first time, Gaara sensed genuine caution in the beast's tone.

"What are we dealing with here?" Gaara asked.

"Not an enemy, but from what I can sense... we're no longer in the desert," Shukaku replied. "Feels like we've entered a place like the Shikkotsu Forest—a realm born of natural energy."

"So, the oasis... it was a gateway?"

"Seems that way. I anticipated something like this might happen," Gaara admitted.

"That's reckless, kid."

"Necessary," Gaara replied. "Now, I have a chance to train."

"You'll be dead by nightfall," Shukaku warned.

"Then I'll start with meditation," Gaara responded, taking a seat and closing his eyes.

"Don't force it. Let it flow naturally," Shukaku advised, though Gaara could hear a hint of interest in his tone.

The presence of natural energy was almost overwhelming, yet somehow familiar. Gaara recognized it was partly due to his and Shukaku's affinities—sand and earth, inherently tied to the natural world.

Eventually, Gaara proposed a contract to Shukaku, an exchange of trust for strength. In simple terms, Gaara offered Shukaku greater freedom within the seal, while in return, Shukaku would train him in handling this energy. Both parties agreed that if one failed to meet the contract's conditions, the other would have the upper hand.

With the contract sealed, Gaara allowed Shukaku limited freedom, but the one-tailed beast chose to stay within the confines of the seal, maintaining a cautious distance.

---

Their training began, encompassing physical, mental, and spiritual disciplines—all without the use of chakra, relying solely on natural energy. The oasis reappeared at times when they needed it, always different from before, confirming Gaara's suspicion that it was more than just a body of water. He took note that it was only shallow now, its density no longer pulling him under.

This was a place of mystery, he realized, a sacred realm within the desert itself. As he continued his training, Gaara pondered potential titles to describe the evolution he was undergoing here: Desert Sage? Sand Sage? Or perhaps…