Rabbit Princess [Gaara] [2]

☾ 55 ☽

Upon this, Tsukiko, Naruto and Yamato looked at Motoi upon what he had revealed. Naruto, in particular, looked the most incredulous, given that he had just told the Kumo-Nin that the Dark side of him was equally powerful.

Tsukiko's mind was already working overtime in wonder as to what she could do in order to help Naruto out with this issue as quickly as she could. It was vital.

"How am I supposed to beat that guy?" Naruto asked.

"Well, that I do not know," Motoi admitted.

"Octopops trained here too, right?" Naruto said. "I can ask him..." His face distorted when he remembered Killer Bee. "No, he won't tell me. Not with that attitude,"

"Probably not," Motoi replied.

"Hey, Motoi-San..." Naruto said suddenly, turning around to look at him. "Can you tell me more about Octopops? Like how he grew up, and his personality. Maybe I can get some hints from that. Maybe I can figure out the difference between us,"

"I don't like talking about other people," Motoi told them.

"It's alright," Tsukiko said before Naruto could pester him, because she felt like there might be some other things going on here. "We understand,"

"But Tsukiko and Naruto, you're both Jinchuriki just like Bee-Sama," Motoi said, looking at them all of a sudden. "Being able to control the Nine Tails has a direct effect on world peace. I'll do it,"

"Thank you!" Naruto exclaimed eagerly.

"I told you earlier..." Motoi spoke. "Since you're both also Jinchuriki, you can imagine the kind of life he's had. And it's just as you would imagine... formidable power breeds fear and antagonism. Bee-Sama has always been shunned and considered a nuisance by the villagers. But he never got depressed or complained even once.

"He was always cheerful... always trying to work the people around him. More than anything, instead of being ashamed that he was a Jinchuriki, he didn't hide that fact. To me, he seemed to take pride in himself. The reason why he was able to take pride in being a Jinchuriki... was probably because of his older brother, the Raikage.

"From days past, in order to prevent betrayal, Jinchuriki have commonly been selected from close blood relations of the Five Kage like siblings, or even spouses. A Jinchuriki is a power used to protect the Kage, the head of the village. It is also a symbol of the Kage's strength. I think Bee-Sama tried to be a fine Jinchuriki for Lord Raikage's sake. It's said that he mastered his training at the Waterfall of Truth in no time. I deeply respect the kind of person Bee-Sama is. I consider him to be one of the heroes of Kumogakure,"

"Such a well-loved Jinchuriki," Yamato acknowledged while Tsukiko felt more curious as to how a Jinchuriki was given this respect. It seemed hard to achieve that. "Bee-Sama must be quite a person. And you too," Tsukiko watched as Motoi's face fell.

"I know!" Naruto exclaimed excitedly, unaware of Motoi's expression. "Can you ask the Octopops for training hints on my behalf, Motoi-San?"

"I can't do that," Motoi replied.

"Why not?" Naruto asked, crushed.

"I have no right to request such a thing," Motoi muttered. He paused for a moment, looking conflicted and then looked up at them. "I once tried to kill Bee-Sama,"

Upon this sudden and unexpected revelation, Tsukiko, Naruto and Yamato were all stunned. Tsukiko felt like she had gotten a whiplash and it took her a moment to process this information, staring at Motoi in sheer incredulity of his confession. It was clear this was not a joke.