Sozen the Ghost Shinobi

Chapter Thirteen

✦𝕊𝕦𝕟𝕒'𝕤 𝕂𝕒𝕫𝕖𝕜𝕒𝕘𝕖 - 𝔾𝕒𝕣𝕣𝕒 ℙ𝕒𝕣𝕥 𝕋𝕨𝕠✦

Sozen and Gaara walked to the edge of the village, it was quiet and looked like it was right by a training area. There was a solemn swingset that lay almost abandoned near the edge of the clearing towards fencing. The way Gaara looked at it... Sozen saw a brief flicker of Gaara as a child on the swing only he was sad.

Sozen stopped to look at the swing then looked around what he could see of the village. It was almost like Gaara hid here.

"So, the Fujimoto really are perceptive to memories then," Gaara mused with a tense look.

"Not by choice, it happens on occasion if I accompany the person who has an attachment to the area or is reminded of something that ties with great emotional purpose," Sozen explained.

"You sure are keen to explain everything," Gaara noted.

"I just don't want to offend people by thinking I'm probing their memories, because as some would know you can actually tell the difference," Sozen smirked.

The two ended up sitting on the swings, Sozen leant against the metal of the swing. Gaara looked up at the sky before starting his story.

"When I was born, my father sealed Shukaku inside of me. Being a child Jinchuriki, I had little control and ended up going on rampages. The village was scared of me, for something I couldn't understand and I grew cold and lonely. There was always one person that had cared for me but in the end, they tried to kill me too. I became nothing more than a weapon until I met Naruto Uzumaki and then I slowly started to open my eyes," Gaara took a breath.

"Then for the first time, someone other than the Jinchuriki speaks to Shukaku and he became curious as did I. You can do it again can't you? Speak to Shukakau?" Gaara asked.

"I... I can, again it just takes a simple touch and some focus as well as what I believe to be called natural energy. Well, that's what Lady Tsunade told me," Sozen answered.

"Can you try now?" Gaara asked.

Sozen nodded and held his hand out for Gaara to take. As soon as their hands met, Sozen worked his way through Gaara's chakra and into his inner world of sorts. There he stood before Shukaku, Gaara stood beside him with their hands interlocked.

"I have to keep holding your hand or I'll lose the connection," Sozen quietly explained as he smiled at Shukaku.

"So you're the Fujimoto brat," Shukaku scoffed.

"Shukaku, how are you?" Sozen tested.

"Annoyed! A mere child able to communicate with me," Shukaku scoffed, "A weak human able to talk with me after so many years of peaceful murder and solitude."

"I see, then can I ask why you wanted to speak with me?" Sozen humoured the Biju.

"You reminded me of him for a moment," Shukaku quietly mused with a serious look in his eyes, "but, you're not him. You can't control me!"

"Shukaku, my intent was never to control you. I just wanted to help Gaara and see if you wanted to say anything to him. From my assumptions, Gaara has been unable to reach this place which isn't unusual," Sozen explains to the two.

Gaara looked stunned before looking at Shukaku with a curious glance. Shukaku looked torn between two paths, it seemed he chose to exclude Gaara from the conversation as Gaara's form vanished. Sozen whipped around, he needed Gaara to stay here, didn't he?

"You're here under my chakra now, don't worry about Gaara, he's just waiting for you to return," Shukaku huffed.

"So what did you wish to speak about?"