In one corner of Sunagakure stood a temple that had once been filled with incense and worshippers, not at all inferior to the Fire Temple of the Land of Fire.
During the time of the Second Kazekage, the temple's monks had been dismissed, leaving behind only a single old monk.
With overwhelming power, the Second Kazekage sealed the One-Tail, Shukaku, into that monk's body.
From that day on, the temple became Sunagakure's prison.
The Fourth Kazekage, Rasa, walked slowly into the depths of the temple.
A guard hurried over and bowed before the newly appointed Kazekage.
"Kazekage-sama! Old Monk Shukaku hasn't shown any abnormalities!"
Hearing the report, Rasa thought to himself that these guards didn't even know the old monk's name anymore. They had started treating Shukaku as if it were the monk's name.
From the Second Kazekage's era until now, more than thirty years had passed. Bunpuku had perfectly contained Shukaku for all that time—so perfectly, in fact, that the village had forgotten the terror of once living under Shukaku's shadow.
Thinking of the Second Kazekage, Rasa's heart filled with admiration.
Only after sitting in the Kazekage's seat could one truly understand how terrifying and how great that man had been.
He had created puppet techniques, sealed the One-Tail, and developed Magnet Release secret arts.
That had been Sunagakure's golden age.
More than thirty years had passed since then, and instead of advancing, Sunagakure had regressed.
The village's greatest strengths were still puppet techniques and Magnet Release secret arts.
Rasa had not only failed to push Sunagakure to a new height—he could not even bring a few advisors under control.
Chiyo and Ebizō were constant headaches.
And the rising newcomer, Pakura, was hardly easy to deal with either.
Rasa said to the guard, "The master's name is not Shukaku. From now on, address him as Master Bunpuku."
"Ah?" The guard was startled. He had been stationed here for five years, and this was the first time he had heard the old monk's real name. "Yes, Kazekage-sama. From now on, I'll address him as Master Bunpuku."
Rasa walked to the cell and, through iron bars more than twenty meters tall, saw Bunpuku sitting in meditation within.
Bunpuku's beard was long and white, nearly dragging along the floor.
He opened his eyes and saw the Kazekage standing outside.
This Kazekage was someone he had never met before—a young man. He had no idea what had happened to the Third Kazekage.
Rasa spoke first.
"Master Bunpuku, I've brought the Shukaku Tea Kettle. Do you know the sealing formula for it?"
The instant those words left his mouth, a shrill laugh rang through the prison.
"Oh-ho-ho! Old monk! They think you're too old now. They're ready to throw you away! They locked you up for over thirty years—don't you hate them?"
Rasa's gaze snapped to Bunpuku's abdomen.
Shukaku's voice was reaching the real world?
Had the seal weakened?
Bunpuku noticed where Rasa was looking and calmly explained, "There's nothing wrong with my seal. I simply pity Shukaku, so sometimes I allow his consciousness to come out."
Rasa froze.
Had Bunpuku's control over Shukaku reached that level?
He had never heard of anyone being able to release only the Tailed Beast's consciousness.
"Let me see the kettle," Bunpuku said.
Rasa took out a scroll and unsealed the kettle.
Sand gathered on the ground, shaping itself into a beast-like arm that seized the kettle and drew it back into Bunpuku's lap.
Rasa thought to himself that Bunpuku had sealed Shukaku for decades without ever allowing his chakra to leak. It seemed the old monk had truly gained access to certain aspects of Shukaku's power.
Looking at Bunpuku's hunched back and his frail body—a body that seemed as if it might snap just from sitting there—Rasa felt a trace of regret.
If Bunpuku had been twenty years younger... no, even ten...
Rasa would have tried to send him onto the battlefield.
But Bunpuku was too old now.
At over eighty years old, he could not endure the strain of war.
Better to follow the original plan: seal Shukaku into the kettle, then hurl the kettle onto the battlefield.
Rasa said, "Master Bunpuku, the Third Kazekage has disappeared, and war is coming soon.
Sunagakure must use the power of its Tailed Beast, just like the other villages.
Kumogakure now has a perfect Jinchūriki who can use Tailed Beast chakra freely.
Iwagakure's Jinchūriki has used Tailed Beast Balls on the battlefield more than once.
Even Konoha's Jinchūriki has fought Hanzo and left him at a disadvantage.
But Sunagakure's Tailed Beast is still stuck at the stage of being perfectly sealed and never allowed to leak chakra.
Master Bunpuku... I know this is cruel to say... but Sunagakure must try to use Shukaku as a weapon."
Bunpuku raised his head and stared at Rasa for more than ten seconds.
Seeing that the young Kazekage did not retreat in the slightest, Bunpuku lowered his head again.
What could he do now?
He was simply too old.
Over several decades, he had forged a friendship with Shukaku—but the village had no need for that friendship.
What it needed was a weapon.
Battle power.
And those were not things he could provide.
Nor could he say the village was wrong.
The cost of losing a shinobi world war was simply too terrible.
Rasa waited patiently for Bunpuku's answer.
Bunpuku slowly closed his eyes and entered the sealing world.
"Shukaku... I'm going to die..."
"Oh-ho-ho! You're not about to die—you're finally about to be freed," Shukaku said, clearly delighted. "Back then, you were a great monk spoken of in the same breath as Great Monk of the Fire Temple, yet you still ended up becoming a prisoner together with me.
A few years ago, the guards said Great Monk died suddenly. Never thought you'd outlive him too.
And now you can't even remain a prisoner. Sunagakure has discarded you.
You call yourself human, yet you're not even as good as a beast like me!"
Bunpuku lowered his gaze to the two characters written on his palm—heart and receive—and said quietly,
"Shukaku, there's no need to cling to whether one is human or beast.
We've shared this place for over thirty years. If not friends, then at least companions.
Whether human or beast, in the end we all long for companionship, for bonds, for love.
Shukaku... one day, you'll find someone who can truly understand you and accept you."
Shukaku looked at the pitiful old man and thought to himself that this man was every bit as stubborn as the old Sage of Six Paths.
And yet, for over a thousand years, Shukaku had never once found a Jinchūriki he truly accepted.
Shukaku said, "I'll admit, you do remind me a little of that old Sage. But the village you belong to couldn't be more different from your ideals.
And don't start talking about how, after you die, I should continue looking after Sunagakure. You know I won't agree to that."
Bunpuku lowered his head and brought his hands together.
The two characters—heart and receive—became a single word:
Love.
"I can only accompany you this far, Shukaku. I hope that one day you'll meet the person who can dissolve the hatred in your heart. As for what happens after I die... that is no longer mine to control."
When Rasa saw that Bunpuku remained silent for so long, he said,
"The Third Kazekage disappeared too suddenly. Many things were left unfinished.
In the secret scrolls, I saw that the kettle can also perfectly seal Shukaku.
But the sealing formula for the tea kettle was lost.
Master Bunpuku... do you know that precious sealing technique?"
Another sand hand appeared beside Bunpuku and gently returned the kettle to the outside of the prison bars.
"I do know the Tea Kettle Seal, but..."
Rasa assumed Bunpuku was about to name a condition.
Whatever the condition was, Rasa was ready to accept it.
Shukaku was too valuable to the weakened Sunagakure.
Rebuild the Temple of Wind?
Care for Bunpuku's disciples or descendants?
Anything—Rasa would agree.
"But..." Bunpuku said, "this kettle is not called the Shukaku Tea Kettle. It is called the Bunpuku Tea Kettle.
This was a vessel I created together with the Second Kazekage back then, as a backup in case sealing Shukaku into me failed."
Rasa froze.
He had just corrected the guard for not knowing Master Bunpuku's name...
And yet he himself hadn't known the kettle's true name.
"I apologize, Master Bunpuku."