Chapter 164: Gaara of the Sand Waterfall

Knock, knock, knock!

Samui knocked and then opened the door to the Raikage's office.

"Where is Lord Raikage?" she asked, noticing the absence of the Fourth Raikage.

"Lord Raikage has gone to train," Mabui replied without looking up from the files she was processing at the desk.

"Here, the Hidden Mist and Leaf villages have withdrawn from the joint investigation against the Akatsuki," Samui said, tossing the intel onto Mabui's desk and folding her arms with a sigh.

Shishou had once told them he would make all five major ninja villages withdraw from the joint investigation. It hadn't taken long for him to start making good on that promise. With the Mist and Leaf out, only the Rock and Sand villages remained.

Mabui glanced at the intel, her mouth pressing into a thin line. "If even the Mist and Leaf, the two villages least likely to withdraw, have pulled out, it won't be long before the Rock follows."

She had often dealt with Onoki, the Third Tsuchikage. Knowing his ways, Mabui figured the Rock village's withdrawal was imminent.

Just then, an intel officer walked in, handing Mabui a letter from the Rock village. Samui and Mabui exchanged knowing looks.

"Shall we tell Yugito?" Samui asked once the officer had left.

"Of course. Let's go inform her and check on her training progress. We need to find a way to recruit that man, Shishou," Mabui said, standing and straightening her business skirt before picking up the intel and heading out.

"I heard Shishou has quite a close relationship with the Fifth Mizukage, Mei Terumi," Samui speculated as they walked.

"Which is why we need to find a way to lure him away from her," Mabui responded, not looking back.

"And how do we do that?" Samui inquired.

"Who knows? We'll have to figure out what he wants," Mabui said. "With his abilities, he could have anything. I noticed he had many women around him the last time I saw him..."

"Maybe you and Yugito together could catch his eye," Samui teased. "I'm sure he'd prefer your impressive assets."

"Are you really going there?" Mabui warned.

"Okay, okay, I surrender," Samui laughed.

They continued bantering until they reached the training area where Yugito was practicing. Upon hearing about the failed joint investigation, Yugito's eyes shone with admiration for Shishou, though a hint of sadness clouded her face as she moved to the window.

"When will Shishou come to see me?" she wondered aloud, staring at the clouds.

...

Near Sunagakure, the Village Hidden in the Sand.

After spending two whole weeks with Shizune, Shishou made his way to the outskirts of Sunagakure, preparing to find an opportunity to meet Gaara. To awaken the power of the Ten-Tails, he needed to collect all the tailed beasts' chakra. He already had access to the Two-Tails, Three-Tails, Six-Tails, Eight-Tails, and Nine-Tails. Now, he needed the One-Tail, Four-Tails, Five-Tails, and Seven-Tails.

The Four-Tails and Five-Tails were with Nagato, making them inaccessible for now. The Seven-Tails hadn't yet been sealed into Fuu in Takigakure, leaving its location unknown. Hence, Shishou decided to focus on the One-Tail, Shukaku.

Knowing Gaara's troubled past—abandoned by his father, mother deceased, and tormented by Shukaku—Shishou figured it would be relatively easy to manipulate him. However, he planned to secretly extract Shukaku's chakra while Gaara slept, avoiding suspicion that would lead to a renewed joint investigation.

As night fell, Shishou used the Phosphorescent Worms to mimic a sandworm and burrow into Sunagakure. He left a Flying Thunder God mark in a shadowy corner, successfully infiltrating the village. Using his Mangekyo Sharingan, he hypnotized a guard to find Gaara's location.

Gaara's residence was isolated due to his uncontrollable outbursts and tendency to injure others when sleep-deprived. Shishou found him standing in a small, secluded courtyard, staring blankly at the moon with a teddy bear in hand.

"Up so late and not sleeping—no wonder your dark circles are so heavy," Shishou muttered, hypnotizing the servants and guards before approaching Gaara.

Gaara watched him with vacant eyes as sand whirled protectively around him. With each step Shishou took, the sand clung more tightly to him until he was covered by the time he reached Gaara.

Gaara, his red hair and lack of eyebrows making him look even more menacing, clenched his fist. "Sand Coffin!"

Instead of the expected bloodshed, Gaara collapsed as Shishou's Sharingan took hold.

"So this is the love Karura had for Gaara," Shishou mused as the sand gently lowered the unconscious boy to the ground.

"Seeing as it's for your mother, I'll help you out," Shishou murmured, placing his hand on Gaara to extract Shukaku's chakra.

Suddenly, a powerful gust of wind struck Shishou, whipping his clothes. "Release Gaara!" Temari, wielding her large iron fan, glared at him furiously.

"Ah, it's the Iron Fan Princess," Shishou remarked, turning to face her with a light smile.

Temari, three years older than Ino, Hinata, and Sakura, stood tall and fierce, like a bristling tigress. Seeing no response from Shishou, she raised her fan higher and shouted again, "I said, release Gaara!"