Some people bathe in the sunlight, yet their hearts remain ice-cold.
No matter how dazzling or warm the sun is, it can never shine into a closed, dark heart.
Gaara was exactly like this.
He sat on a swing, swaying slowly, accompanied only by a small teddy bear in his hands.
Watching the other children bustling about and playing together, the only thing he could do was watch silently.
He raised his hand, attempting to peek at the sun through the gaps in his fingers, but the light was so blinding that he couldn't help but squint.
Fortunately, his sleep quality had been quite good over the past month or two. At least there hadn't been any instances like before, where the monster would take over his body the moment he fell asleep and start destroying the village.
This allowed the Hidden Sand Village to experience a brief period of peace. Although the gazes others directed at Gaara remained cold and heartless, his mood had improved slightly.
All of this stemmed from that Food Pill.
Gaara left the swing and, after walking for a while, found himself back at that shop.
He walked inside subconsciously. For some reason, the Anbu ninjas performing their protection mission in the shadows did not react at all to him entering the Higanbana Shop.
Gaara felt as if this shop possessed a special kind of magic that could isolate all the bad things from the outside world.
He stepped slowly into the store. To the Anbu hidden in the darkness, this scene seemed perfectly normal—so normal that their expressions didn't change in the slightest.
Upon stepping inside, Gaara saw that sun-like smiling face, just as he expected.
No, perhaps this smile was even more dazzling than the sun.
Ordinary sunlight could not reach Gaara's heart, but people's smiles could brighten his inner world.
The manager before him was one of only two people in the Hidden Sand Village who would smile at him.
Under Simu's guidance, the clerk Chizuko had also gained a new understanding of this "monster child" whom everyone in the village loathed.
The boy simply looked like a regular, somewhat shy child. He wasn't scary at all like the legends suggested.
"You've arrived, Gaara."
The manager offered a smile.
Gaara returned a brilliant smile of his own. "Good morning, Mr. Manager."
"Good morning."
Simu pulled a box of Food Pills from the shelf and asked, "Is little Gaara here to buy Food Pills again?"
Gaara scratched his head, looking a bit embarrassed.
"I'm really sorry, Mr. Manager. Even though I say I'm buying them every time, I've never actually paid."
Although Gaara truly wanted to pay, he simply had no money.
Even though his father held the prestigious position of Fourth Kazekage, he did not enjoy the privileges of an official's son. Instead, he had been burdened with a heavy obligation from the moment of his birth.
Simu patted Gaara's head affectionately and said with a smile, "Don't worry, you've already paid the corresponding compensation."
Gaara looked up at Simu. "Even though you always say that, I don't think I really have anything to give you."
Simu smiled slightly at those words.
In truth, his words were not a lie. Every time Gaara consumed a Food Pill, a portion of the Tailed Beast chakra within his body was taken away.
While the amount wasn't massive, it was easily worth hundreds of Food Pills.
With Gaara's help, Simu's analysis speed of the One-Tail's chakra had increased significantly, reaching 4.2% now.
Simu estimated that in a short while, he could begin putting the Tailed Beast chakra into preliminary use.
Of course, before official implementation, he still had many data points to collect.
After taking a Food Pill as usual, Gaara did not choose to leave immediately. Instead, he asked Simu a question.
"Mr. Manager, why does nobody like me?"
Little Gaara's face slumped into a small pout, looking deeply troubled.
For a child, having no playmates was indeed a matter of monumental importance.
Simu chuckled. "That's not true. I like you very much, Gaara."
Having never heard such words before, Gaara's face instantly turned red. He said shyly, "No, Mr. Manager... I mean, everyone in the village seems afraid of me. They don't dare play with me, even though I have no intention of hurting them."
As he spoke, the smile on Gaara's face faded, and he returned to his gloomy state.
Simu shook his head with a smile. "Gaara, predators always walk alone."
"Predators?"
Gaara looked up, his face full of confusion. He clearly didn't understand the meaning of the phrase.
Simu explained earnestly, "Gaara, what do you think would happen if a tiger mixed into a flock of sheep?"
Gaara thought for a moment and replied, "The sheep would run away because they are frightened."
Simu nodded. "Exactly. The sheep run because they fear the tiger's fangs. So, what if the tiger said it had no ill will and just wanted to be friends with the sheep?"
Gaara knit his small eyebrows, thinking for a longer time this time.
"The sheep would still run away."
Simu nodded approvingly. "Correct. No matter what the tiger does, the sheep will stay away from it, because the tiger possesses the power to tear them all apart and kill them!"
Gaara nodded as if catching a glimmer of understanding. "Does Mr. Manager mean that I am that tiger?"
The smile on Simu's face grew wider. "That's right, Gaara. You possess the power to destroy the entire Hidden Sand Village. You are the strongest predator in the village. Therefore, it is absolutely impossible for those sheep to play with you."
"Only a beast is qualified to be the partner of another beast."
"Only a beast is qualified to be the partner of another beast?"
Gaara murmured the words repeatedly as he left the Higanbana Shop.
As he passed a park, a soccer ball came whistling toward him. Before Gaara could react, the sand on his body easily caught the ball.
He reached out with both hands and held the ball to his chest.
Several children ran over from the distance. Just as Gaara was about to return the ball to them, they began pointing and whispering about him.
"Look, the little monster stole our ball! Give it back to us, quickly!"
"Yeah, give it back!"
Gaara's brow furrowed slightly as he tried to explain, "I didn't... I wasn't..."
He extended his hands, preparing to throw the ball back to them, but that single movement terrified the children, causing them to flee in a panic.
"Run! The little monster is going to kill someone again!"
"I am not!"
Gaara's eyes widened, and he reached out his arm, desperate to call them back.
Unexpectedly, as he reached out, a surge of quicksand whistled forth, piercing toward one of the children's backs like a sharp blade!