Chapter 189: Jinchuriki
The monk tracking Gaara was named Houichi.
He was the disciple of the previous Jinchuriki, Bunpuku.
Bunpuku was also a monk, but relatively speaking, he was quite obscure.
At least he didn't cause as much trouble as Gaara.
To be precise, it was all Rasa's fault.
Although Jinchuriki are disliked, most of them are actually quite normal.
They either find a place to live quietly or blend into the Village anonymously.
The Hidden Cloud Village is considered an exception.
The two most miserable Jinchuriki are naturally Naruto and Gaara.
Especially Gaara.
Due to Shukaku's lack of cooperation, he was constantly under high pressure.
He couldn't sleep properly.
And his father, Rasa, would often send assassins to kill him just to test if he would go berserk.
His logic was truly bizarre.
Just locking him up somewhere would have been better than that.
The final result was that Gaara's temper became extremely bad, and his reputation was ruined.
Being able to become the Kazekage this time was a bit of a stroke of luck.
But many people still felt that a Jinchuriki would go berserk.
As for Houichi, besides that, he wanted to avenge his master.
He was in no hurry to make a move.
As a monk, he was supposed to be compassionate.
He just had a problem with Shukaku.
And incidentally, he wanted to showcase his achievements in learning Sealing Jutsu.
The Genin participating in the exams were not his targets.
After Gaara finished transferring the examinees, Houichi appeared holding a biwa.
"You're probably not an examinee, are you?"
Gaara noticed his figure, his eyes narrowing slightly.
Houichi was far too calm in the sandstorm.
An aura of extreme confidence emanated from him.
"I am not."
Houichi took out a plectrum.
"So, you are someone who opposes me?"
Gaara had never seen Houichi before.
Because of his unique past, he had been monitored since childhood and had no contact with others.
Additionally, Houichi himself was relatively low-key, having been studying Sealing Jutsu all this time and only recently returning after completing his training.
"You could say that."
Houichi nodded.
"Can you tell me who is behind you?"
Gaara asked with a calm expression.
Because of Houichi's special Sealing Jutsu, he didn't sense any danger.
This was even truer for Shukaku inside him.
It was still fast asleep.
Even if it had Kurama's malice sensing, it would likely be the same.
It was mainly because so many people in Sunagakure harbored malice toward it.
Having one more Houichi wouldn't make a difference.
"I'll tell you in a moment."
Houichi began to play the biwa with the plectrum.
A melodious sound rang out.
Gaara sized him up, his right fingers already slightly curled; he could react to any aggressive action.
Compared to the last Chunin Exams, he had improved significantly.
First, his communication with Shukaku had greatly increased his proficiency in using his Jinchurikipowers.
Second, after Shukaku stopped causing trouble, he resumed a normal routine, giving him enough time and energy to learn other things.
For example, Taijutsu.
Jiro was his Taijutsu coach.
Actually, as seen in the original work, Gaara was probably the only Jinchuriki whose strength was held back by his Tailed Beast.
After losing Shukaku, his strength was not inferior to any Kage.
Ripples of sound waves swirled around Houichi.
A moment later, a golden chain extended from his body.
The chain appeared in the air, swaying slightly with the music.
Like a living thing, it paused for a few seconds, sensing Gaara's presence.
The chain vibrated, seemingly with a hint of joy, and rushed toward him.
The speed was not particularly fast.
Seeing this, Gaara controlled the sand to form a shield in front of him.
But the chain seemed intangible, passing straight through the sand shield.
Just as Gaara tried to dodge, the chain accelerated, like a tiger spotting its prey, and suddenly plunged into his body.
"Eh?"
The sleeping Shukaku felt its breathing become difficult; it opened its eyes and saw the chain around its neck.
It was still a bit confused about the situation and blinked a couple of times.
Then the chain tightened.
Caught off guard, its body was forced to be dragged outward.
"???"
Shukaku immediately woke up and asked, "Gaara, what's happening?"
"I don't know."
Gaara was also a bit dazed.
And the worst part was that his body could not move.
An extremely powerful suction was continuously draining his Chakra and Shukaku.
Once completely drained, Shukaku would be dragged out of his body.
Correspondingly, a Jinchuriki dies when they lose their Tailed Beast.
But for some reason, Gaara remained strangely calm.
While he was thinking about how to escape, Shukaku encountered the biggest crisis of its life.
"Yo, isn't this Shukaku?"
Kurama's voice rang out.
The tone was exceptionally annoying.
Shukaku's expression instantly turned sour.
Originally, it didn't take it seriously; even if it was dragged out, it would just be a matter of changing Jinchuriki.
It might even be able to run away in the process.
But now it was being seen by Kurama.
It felt like a "social death."
And Kurama was still talking.
"Why aren't you talking? We haven't seen each other for just a few days, and you're already being hung up and beaten?"
"Shut up!"
Shukaku couldn't keep its composure and shouted, "If Gaara wasn't so weak, how could I have been caught?"
Kurama said sarcastically, "The classic 'can't win, so blame the teammate'?"
It often played games in the illusion space.
It had long since transformed into a Canyon Pianist.
"I told you, shut up!"
Shukaku was furious, "Wait until I get out, I'll beat you to death!"
It began to resist the golden chain.
"It's useless."
Outside, Houichi smiled faintly.
Resistance wasn't entirely useless, but as long as it didn't break free, the chain would keep draining.
In other words, it was only a matter of time.
Bunpuku was a perfect Jinchuriki and understood Shukaku too well; the Sealing Jutsu he left behind was not much worse than the Adamantine Sealing Chains.
Of course, there were drawbacks.
The chain possessed a certain level of sentience, and Houichi did not have complete control over it.
"Come out then!"
Kurama taunted in the Tailed Beast channel.
Shukaku was shaking with rage; although its facial changes couldn't be seen due to its color, if it were human, its face would be bright red by now.
As a Tailed Beast, it felt powerless for the first time.
Naruto shook his head, waited for a few minutes, and asked, "Have you had enough fun?"
"Not yet."
Kurama took a moment to reply to him.
"Don't you still want to spar with it?"
Naruto reminded it, "If we wait any longer, it's going to be dragged out. If it changes Jinchuriki, they might not be as easy to talk to as Gaara."
Kurama paused.
Not because Naruto's words were very reasonable, but because it remembered the 100% Unarmed Sword Catch.
That would be much more satisfying than this current war of words.
"Fine."
Kurama's tone was extremely magnanimous as it said, "Since that's the case, this old man will show mercy and let you off."
Shukaku thought it sounded ridiculous.
When did this stinking fox learn to be magnanimous?
It seemed more like it was giving Naruto face.
Tsk.
Kurama, you've fallen to such a level.
Becoming a human's dog.
Shukaku suddenly felt the anger it had felt before dissipate.
At least it still maintained the dignity of a Tailed Beast.
Naruto revealed himself.
Houichi immediately noticed him.
Another Jinchuriki?
He didn't sense it; his internal chain told him.
His chain didn't like anything else, it only liked to suck Tailed Beasts.
The kind where if you don't give it one to suck, it will suck you.
It belonged to chaotic order.
It didn't distinguish between friend and foe.
So Houichi was taking a risk by using this Sealing Jutsu.
But it would be worth it to handle a Tailed Beast.
Especially since another one had just arrived.
An excited smile appeared on his face, and the speed at which his right hand plucked the biwa doubled.
Compared to Bunpuku's unshakeable calm, his self-restraint was clearly lacking.
He couldn't reach the level where 'form is emptiness, and emptiness is form.'
Houichi's actions piqued Naruto's interest.
More accurately, it was the biwa in his hand.
There was a line of lyrics in a song he liked in his past life.
"Who is playing a melody of 'Dong Feng Po' on a biwa, as time peels away on the wall."
Since he'd encountered it, he shouldn't miss it.
Naruto threw several Kunai.
Houichi didn't care and continued to play his biwa.
The Kunai approached.
A protective barrier similar to a barrier suddenly appeared around him.
Clang, clang.
The Kunai bounced off and scattered.
At that moment, another chain emerged from Houichi's chest.
"Naruto! Be careful! Don't let it hit you, or you'll lose the ability to resist!"
Gaara looked somewhat anxious.
Houichi's Sealing Jutsu was clearly targeted at Jinchuriki.
Although Naruto was stronger than him, he was still a Jinchuriki.
After sensing Kurama, the chain became even more excited than before, sweeping through the air at a faster speed.
It reached Naruto almost instantly.
But it didn't hit.
Houichi's body froze in place; he stared wide-eyed at Naruto, who had suddenly appeared in front of him, and instinctively asked: "How could you..."
"How could I be so fast?"
Naruto pressed down on his biwa.
The music stopped.
The two chains swirled in the air, having lost their target.
Naruto thought about how some people always shake their heads or wave their hands and legs when singing, and once held down, they can no longer sing.
Now the chains seemed to have a similar meaning.
Their simple intelligence couldn't understand what had happened.
But due to the loss of direction, the chains pointed their sharp tips at Houichi.
"No!"
Houichi looked terrified.
This was the most absurd part of this Sealing Jutsu.
He had absorbed Shukaku's Chakra.
To the chains, he was also a target.
With two muffled groans, Houichi was completely surrounded by the chains.
Gaara was shocked by the sudden turn of events.
What seemed like an extremely troublesome matter to him had undergone a shocking reversal within seconds.
But the result was quite good.
He glanced at the struggling Houichi and asked, "How do we undo this?"
Naruto raised an eyebrow slightly.
This guy's personality has completely flipped compared to the early stages.
He could even let Houichi go, despite him trying to kill him.
It reminded Naruto of himself in the original work—one 'forgiveness hat' after another, even forgiving Obito.
It was simply incredible.
Anyway, he couldn't understand it.
Houichi was also stunned upon hearing this.
It seemed Gaara was very different from the murderous demon in his impressions.
He didn't actually know much about the newly appointed Kazekage.
All the information he had came from Fuyi.
"You need to cut off the Chakra on my body,"
Houichi said after a moment of silence.
Gaara fell into thought.
To cut off Chakra, the best way was naturally to strike the pressure points.
Although he didn't have the Byakugan to pinpoint the pressure points, he roughly knew where they were.
"Let me do it."
Naruto glanced at him and poked Houichi a few times.
The chains lost their target and slowly retracted.
Houichi stood up, his expression somewhat complex.
Naruto reached out, and the biwa on the ground automatically flew into his hand.
"I'm interested in this, give it to me."
"..."
Houichi twitched his lips and said, "Since this item is fated to be with you, please take it."
After being beaten, he had become much more honest.
Gaara smiled faintly, but then quickly regained his calm and asked, "Tell me, who is the person behind you."
Just as Houichi was about to speak, the ground suddenly trembled.
His eyes widened, and he looked around, asking, "What's going on?"
Gaara tried to steady himself, but the ground shook more and more violently.
"An earthquake?"
He asked in confusion.
"Probably not."
Naruto stomped on the ground, "Something is about to come out."
As his voice fell, the surrounding ground collapsed, and countless golden lights burst forth.
The next moment, a five-clawed golden dragon flew out.
Houichi and Gaara were stunned.
What on earth?
There's something wrong with this art style.
The giant dragon soared through the sky.
Almost the entire Desert of Illusions could see it.
Although the Ninja World had the concept of dragons, they were already legendary creatures that no one had ever seen.
The Genin in the shelters and the Sunagakure Ninjawere all dumbfounded.
"Isn't that my Chakra?"
Kurama realized.
It was truly handsome.
But being upstaged by something like a clone made it feel a bit unhappy.
At the same time, Uzumaki Menma, Kakuzu, Fuyi, Fujiwara Tokai, and others appeared.
Gaara was startled when he saw them.
Just as he was about to rescue Fuyi, Houichistopped him and said, "Fuyi is the person behind me."
Gaara froze.
He instinctively turned to look at him and asked, "Are you telling the truth?"
"A monk does not lie,"
Houichi said with his hands clasped together, "The Kazekage spared my life; naturally, I will not deceive you."
Gaara's expression became complex.
He hadn't expected it to be Fuyi.
This highly influential elder of Sunagakure.
But he quickly recovered, his eyes narrowing slightly.
What was the current situation?
While he was thinking, Uzumaki Menma floated up, raised his long sword, and shouted: "Dragon Climb Sword!"
The golden dragon dove down, circling around him, and suddenly let out a long roar.
The scattered golden light isolated the surrounding ten miles.
Kankuro, Asuma, and the others who were originally coming to help were all blocked outside, unable to know the situation inside.
"..."
Naruto rubbed his temples; his head hurt.
What the hell is a Dragon Climb Sword.
Are you Wataru Ikusa or Lu Laoye?
"No rush,"
Naruto reached out his arm to stop Gaara and said, "Let's wait and see."
Uzumaki Menma continued his performance.
"Fujiwara Tokai, you are already surrounded; it's impossible to escape. Hand over the item you got in the ruins."
"???"
Fujiwara Tokai was completely bewildered.
I got a treasure?
How come I didn't know?
He shouted angrily, "You're full of it!"
Fuyi was stunned and looked at him with suspicious eyes.
"I've been with you the whole time; how could I have gotten anything?"
Fujiwara Tokai noticed the look and quickly clarified.
"That's not necessarily true."
Fuyi didn't trust this temporary collaborator to begin with.
"I really didn't get anything!"
Fujiwara Tokai was so angry he wanted to spit blood.
What the hell!
Fuyi frowned.
Judging by the various traps in the ruins, the final treasure must be extraordinary.
He looked at the serious-looking Uzumaki Menmaand the expressionless Kakuzu.
There was no reason for the two of them to lie for someone like Fujiwara Tokai.
"I don't believe you."
Fuyi lunged directly at him.
"What are you doing? My father is the Grand Minister of the Land of Fire!"
Fujiwara Tokai screamed as he felt the threat of death.
Fuyi didn't care at all and knocked him unconscious.
The Grand Minister was nothing; as long as he became the Kazekage, he naturally wouldn't need to be afraid.
Besides, he hadn't killed anyone.
The rest was dealing with these two guys.
He definitely couldn't win alone.
But there were Houichi and Gaara.
Fuyi saw that the two of them were safe and sound and thought Houichi hadn't made a move yet.
He could just lead them to fight Uzumaki Menmaand Kakuzu.
I've been feeling a lack of passion lately, and the content isn't as good as before. Headache.