But Rasa was at a loss as to how to tell Karura.
It wasn't that Karura would disagree.
She had once been a Jinchuriki candidate and had studied how to control Tailed Beast Chakra under Monk Bunpuku!
If Karura hadn't been older—and Jinchuriki training needs to start from childhood—the Village might have made her the Jinchuriki of Shukaku.
But given Karura's personality, she would definitely be unwilling to let her child become a Jinchuriki who was treated differently.
And it was the Shukaku Jinchuriki, the most unstable among them.
Karura seemed to see that Rasa had something to say but was hesitating.
She asked with some doubt, "Rasa, is there something you want to tell me?"
"This—"
Rasa glanced at Yashamaru, signaling him to take Temari and Kankuro away.
Yashamaru understood Rasa's look and stood up to invite Temari and Kankuro to eat elsewhere.
"Temari, Kankuro, the Kazekage has something important to tell your mother. Let's go eat in the next room."
Yashamaru set aside some food suitable for children and cleared the space for Rasa and Karura.
Temari and Kankuro were taken to the next room by Yashamaru.
Temari was a bit confused: "Uncle, does Father have something important to tell Mama?"
Yashamaru patted Temari's head and said dotingly, "Yes, Temari, this is a major matter for the Village."
Yashamaru glanced sideways at Karura's bulging belly before quickly averting his gaze.
He had clearly guessed what Rasa was going to discuss with Karura—the matter of the Shukaku Jinchuriki.
From the start, the Village's plan for Shukaku was to seal it within the child in Karura's womb.
Karura had also undergone contact related to Shukaku.
It was only because Rasa, as the Kazekage, didn't want his own child to suffer such great hardship that he had initiated the training of other Shukaku Jinchuriki candidates within the Village.
But three consecutive experimental subjects who were compatible with Shukaku had gone on a rampage one after another.
So, the sealing of Shukaku returned to the original proposal.
That is, sealing it within the child in Karura's womb, using Karura's special Chakra to counter Shukaku's power.
To be fair, Yashamaru didn't want his nephew to become a Jinchuriki and suffer a lifetime of cold shoulders.
If he himself were qualified to be the Shukaku Jinchuriki, he would definitely endure it all in the child's place.
Unfortunately!
He did not possess that talent.
Furthermore, if it wasn't sealed in the child in Karura's womb, Shukaku's power could not be controlled by Sunagakure.
The tea kettle sealing Shukaku was now riddled with holes.
Time waits for no one!
Yashamaru brought Temari and Kankuro to the next room. Kankuro grabbed Yashamaru's sleeve and pleaded, "Uncle, can I go see Lord Sasori?"
Yashamaru shook his head: "No, Kankuro!"
"Why?!"
Kankuro was confused; children like them didn't know that the Third Kazekage was suspected to have been killed by Sasori.
"No means no!"
Yashamaru didn't explain; Sasori was too dangerous for Temari and Kankuro.
Back at the Ninja Academy, Yashamaru had noticed the unconventional Sasori.
In Yashamaru's eyes, Sasori was full of poison, looked down on everything, and regarded life as nothing.
Yashamaru didn't dare let Kankuro come into contact with Sasori.
Kankuro immediately stopped eating out of spite: "Hmph, I'm not eating."
"Kankuro! Kankuro!"
Yashamaru had a very gentle personality; seeing Kankuro refusing to eat, he patiently tried to coax him.
...
Rasa finally spoke about the matter of Shukaku.
"..."
Karura remained silent.
The couple looked at the rich dishes Yashamaru had prepared on the table without moving their chopsticks, seemingly having no appetite at all.
After a long time.
Karura broke the silence, looking at Rasa and asking, "Is it absolutely necessary?"
Rasa nodded: "The seal on the tea kettle is becoming more and more fragile. If Shukaku rampages once more, I'll have no choice but to seal it with Gold Dust."
"If that happens, I'll have to spend a lot of time every day reinforcing the seal. With the Five Kage Summit coming up, I don't have that much time."
"It's better for the Village to fully master Shukaku's power."
Karura touched her belly, feeling some pain: "Does it have to be my child?"
"..."
Rasa didn't know what to say.
Should he say that the Kazekage's son is of noble birth and should enjoy life from the moment he's born, so let a commoner's child seal Shukaku instead?
Could he say that?
Ninja are a group of people with great responsibility, and the Kage among Ninja must have responsibility beyond ordinary people.
"Karura, as the child of the Kazekage, one is born to make sacrifices for the Village."
"I understand!"
Karura nodded, giving her silent consent.
In the original work, Minato and Kushina knew about Naruto's miserable childhood through their Chakra inside him.
To say that Minato hadn't spoken a word to the Third Hokage since learning about Naruto's mistreatment was complete nonsense.
From the moment Minato sealed the Nine-Tails in Naruto's body, he knew he would be ostracized, but what could be done? That's how a Jinchuriki whose identity is exposed is treated.
A better case was someone like Killer Bee, who isolated the whole Village—if my heart is strong enough, you can't isolate me.
A worse case was someone like Gaara.
Because he was a failed Jinchuriki, even his father wanted to kill him.
If anyone is to blame, blame Danzo; he was the one who leaked Naruto's identity as the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki.
Minato's advice to Naruto was simply to endure it.
As the son of the Hokage, if you don't endure it, who will endure it for you?
Ninja are not nobles; the more one is a descendant of a great figure, the more one must bear the corresponding obligations.
Loyal bones are buried everywhere in the green mountains; why must one's body be returned wrapped in horsehide?
For a Kage, the interests of the Village far outweigh their own.
And compared to power, what does the hostility of some mediocre people matter?
As long as he possesses the Nine-Tails, even if Naruto were not the reincarnation of Asura's Chakra or the orphan of the Fourth Hokage, he would inevitably be a high-ranking official of the Village in the future.
Naruto showed everyone all his suffering and pain through shared memories, but he kept quiet about the benefits!
The number of times the Nine-Tails's power saved Naruto is uncountable!
Karura asked, "When will Shukaku be sealed?"
Rasa replied, "Before I go to the Five Kage Summit."
Karura nodded: "I will be prepared."
Saying that, Karura took a portion of food and went to her room to eat, leaving Rasa alone to worry silently.
"Sigh..."
Kankuro was throwing a tantrum, insisting on seeing Sasori.
Kankuro was extremely passionate about the Puppet Technique and held Sasori, the genius Puppet Artiste, as his idol.
Yashamaru had no choice but to find Rasa.
"Lord Kazekage, Kankuro is making a fuss about seeing Sasori."
"He's rebelling!"
Rasa happened to have nowhere to vent his frustration; he got up, went to Kankuro's room, grabbed him, and gave him a good beating.
"Father, I was wrong! I was wrong!"
Kankuro cried out in pain!
After the beating, Rasa's worries cleared up a bit, and he actually agreed to let Kankuro see Sasori.