Chapter 344: Punishment

Chapter 344: Chapter 344: Punishment

Helping Gaara establish a psychological advantage over the One-Tail, Shukaku, was only the first step. If Gaara wanted to truly conquer Shukaku, he still had a long road ahead of him—and that was obviously something Hyuga Kagami couldn’t do in his place.

However, the gap in strength between the young Gaara and Shukaku was simply far too vast at the moment.

That was why Kagami needed to secure a stable period of growth for Gaara. Otherwise, the psychological advantage Gaara had only just established wouldn’t last long before Shukaku shattered it once again.

Having made up his mind, Kagami didn’t immediately stop roasting Shukaku.

After being scorched by the golden flames for quite some time, Shukaku’s struggles gradually began to weaken.

Unlike the domineering black flames of Amaterasu, Kagami’s golden flames were considerably weaker in raw power. However, they had an advantage of their own—they could burn chakra, using chakra itself as fuel to intensify the flames.

And that made them a perfect counter to Tailed Beasts, because Tailed Beasts themselves were essentially enormous masses of chakra.

Once Kagami used the ocular power of his Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan to ignite the golden flames, he no longer needed to continuously expend his ocular power to sustain them. Shukaku’s own chakra would become the fuel that kept the golden flames burning.

That was also why Kagami had been able to defeat Shinno, the Moryo Jinchuriki, with his golden flames back in the village.

Seeing that it was about enough, Kagami waved his hand and released the sealing formula that had been binding Shukaku’s mouth.

The moment its mouth was freed, Shukaku—despite already being extremely weak—immediately began roaring again.

"Damn Uchiha! I’ll never let you get away with this!"

Kagami said coldly, "Looks like you still haven’t learned your lesson."

Too lazy to seal Shukaku’s mouth again, Kagami directly exerted his ocular power, intensifying the golden flames.

"AAARGH...!"

In an instant, Shukaku’s agonized howls reverberated throughout the entire cavern.

Kagami turned to Gaara beside him and smiled. "Music to your ears?"

Gaara nodded somewhat nervously, though there was far more excitement and exhilaration in his eyes.

Deliberately raising his voice, Kagami said, "You’d better get used to it. From now on, cries like these will accompany you as you grow!"

Gaara was a little surprised. "You’re going to keep punishing him like this?"

Even Shukaku stopped howling at that.

Its attention immediately shifted toward Kagami as it waited for his answer—or rather, for its sentence!

Seeing Shukaku glaring at him with hatred, Kagami smiled and explained to Gaara, "My unique golden flames aren’t ordinary fire. They can absorb the chakra of whatever they’re burning and use that chakra to sustain themselves. And Tailed Beasts aren’t just masses of chakra—they can also regenerate their chakra endlessly. So as long as I wish it, the golden flames burning on its body can continue for a hundred years... a thousand years!"

It was like setting fire to a piece of charcoal that could never be consumed. As long as no outside force interfered, the flames would continue burning forever.

Of course, Kagami’s words contained a fair amount of exaggeration and deliberate intimidation.

After all, even if the golden flames really could continue burning indefinitely, the Four Symbols Seal restraining Shukaku wouldn’t last nearly that long.

And once the restraints of the Four Symbols Seal disappeared, Kagami was certain Shukaku would have some way to extinguish the golden flames on its body.

Hearing this, Shukaku immediately panicked and shouted, "Damn it! Put out these flames!"

Kagami’s intimidation quickly proved effective. When faced with someone powerful enough to subdue it with ease, Shukaku was nowhere near as unyielding as Gaara had imagined.

"That’s hardly the attitude of someone asking for a favor."

Kagami casually crossed his arms as he spoke.

Kagami himself had never experienced what it felt like to have his entire body scorched by flames, but he was certain it couldn’t possibly be pleasant. So he was confident Shukaku would eventually submit.

The only question was how long it would take.

Sure enough, Shukaku reluctantly said, "Fine, Uchiha! You win! Now put out these damn flames!"

Kagami replied indifferently, "It seems you’re begging the wrong person."

Shukaku immediately flew into a rage. "WHAT?! You want me to beg this brat?! He’s nothing but a snot-nosed little worm! He doesn’t even have the right to negotiate with me!"

Shukaku could barely accept submitting to an Uchiha who carried the bloodline of the Sage of Six Paths. After all, every Tailed Beast—even the strongest among them, the Nine-Tails—knew just how terrifying those scarlet eyes could be.

But asking it to submit to Gaara, who was only six years old?

That was something Shukaku simply couldn’t accept.

Kagami said with complete indifference, "You don’t have the right to negotiate with me either. Either submit... or silently endure this endless punishment."

Shukaku immediately tried to tempt him. "Kill the brat and become my Jinchuriki yourself! Then all of my chakra will belong to you!"

Gaara looked toward Kagami worriedly.

Kagami, however, said disdainfully, "I have no interest in you."

Shukaku was both shocked and furious. "You...!"

"Make your choice. I don’t have time to waste here with you." After a brief pause, Kagami continued slowly, "I don’t know when I’ll come back next time, so I suggest you make the wise choice."

Shukaku fell into a deep struggle.

Even as a Tailed Beast, it found the torment of being scorched by those golden flames unbearable. Yet asking the violent and prideful Shukaku to submit to a six-year-old child was something it simply couldn’t bring itself to accept.

Just then, Gaara stepped forward.

"Shukaku, you don’t have to submit to me now. But someday, I’ll prove to you that I’m not weak. One day, you’ll acknowledge me willingly!"

Then Gaara turned toward Kagami and pleaded, "Please... let him go."

Gaara’s actions caught Kagami somewhat by surprise.

He had originally intended to force Shukaku into submission, buying Gaara enough time to increase his own strength. He hadn’t expected Gaara to step forward of his own accord and plead on behalf of the very Shukaku that had tormented him day and night.

Kagami couldn’t help thinking to himself, "As expected of the man who’ll one day become the Fifth Kazekage and hold Sunagakure together!"

"Since you’re pleading on his behalf, I’ll spare him this time." After a pause, Kagami continued, "But if he starts causing trouble again, tell me anytime. I’ll make him understand that there are many things in the shinobi world far more terrifying than death!"

With that, Kagami extinguished the golden flames covering Shukaku’s body and withdrew from Gaara’s mental world.

After returning to his senses, Gaara hurriedly bowed deeply to Kagami.

"Thank you for everything you’ve done for me."

Kagami waved a hand dismissively. "Lord Kagami ordered me to do it. If you want to thank someone, thank Lord Kagami."

After leaving Gaara’s room, Kagami began pondering to himself, "Since I’ve already decided to cultivate Gaara, I might as well find a few more promising kids and train them together."

In the shinobi world, children with genuine potential were either already part of the major hidden villages or had long since been scooped up by Orochimaru.

After thinking it over for quite some time, Kagami could only come up with one other candidate—

Karin, who possessed the bloodline of the Uzumaki Clan...