novelraw Chapter 493 Gaara Visits the Prison
Chapter 493 Gaara Visits the Prison
Chapter 493 Gaara Visits the Prison
Located on the eastern side of the Star City metropolitan area, at the edge of the Youhe Plain, lies the Xiong County mountain range.
As evening fell, the setting sun cast a lonely orange-red glow over these lush, verdant mountains, far removed from the hustle and bustle of the city.
The mountain wind whistles through the forest, creating a sound like ocean waves.
A winding mountain road is the only man-made passage into the depths of these mountains.
At the end of the highway is a huge mountain cross-section that has been flattened and reinforced.
At the very center of the cross-section is the entrance to a deep tunnel, about ten meters high and fifteen meters wide.
Above the entrance, there are no signs, only a cold, hard concrete structure and a dense array of surveillance cameras.
Ahead of the tunnel entrance is a wide platform enclosed by a high-voltage electric fence and a low concrete wall, with sturdy guard posts.
The checkpoint, and several tall watchtowers.
Ninjas dressed in dark gray uniforms and fully armed stood solemnly at their posts, creating a tense and oppressive atmosphere.
This is Blackrock Prison, the largest, most heavily guarded, and most dangerous or important special prison under the jurisdiction of the Star Kingdom's secret service.
Hidden deep within the mountains, isolated from the world, it is the final resting place for countless secrets and evils.
squeak-
With a slight braking sound, a dark green, enclosed military vehicle with military license plates came to a smooth stop on the concrete ground in front of the tunnel checkpoint.
The car door opened, and three figures got out one after another.
Leading the group was a red-haired boy, about thirteen years old, with delicate features, but his brows carried a composure and aloofness beyond his years—it was Gaara.
He was wearing a blue-gray vest from the Land of Stars, a Star Ninja headband on his forehead, and a huge gourd that seemed disproportionate to his size on his back.
Following closely behind him were Temari and Kankuro.
After getting out of the car, the three of them simultaneously looked up at the huge tunnel entrance that seemed to lead to the center of the earth, and at the heavy security surrounding it.
The evening breeze carried the coolness of the mountains, ruffling their hair and the hems of their clothes.
Kankuro surveyed his surroundings, muttering under his breath, "This is... the legendary Black Stone Prison? The largest and most secure prison of the Land of Stars' Dark Side? Just this entrance alone makes it hard to breathe."
Temari frowned slightly and subconsciously tightened her grip on the handle of the Samsung fan she carried behind her back.
Gaara's face remained expressionless, his blue-green eyes calmly sweeping over the checkpoint and tunnel entrance.
He could sense that beneath this mountain lay countless powerful and hidden chakra auras, belonging to both guardians and imprisoned beings.
Just then, a small door on the side of the tunnel entrance opened.
Three people came out from inside.
The leader was exceptionally tall and muscular, almost two meters tall, wearing a tight-fitting black leather combat suit with a dark gray long overcoat casually draped over it.
He had short, dark blue hair that pointed upwards, a face resembling a shark, and small, shark-like eyes.
On his back was a giant weapon wrapped in layers of white bandages, with only the handle visible at the end.
Greatsword - Samehada.
Kisame Hoshigaki, Captain-Commander of the Dark Division of the Land of Stars.
Behind him followed two ANBU ninjas dressed in ANBU uniforms, wearing animal masks, and exuding a restrained and cold aura.
Gaara, Temari, and Kankuro were all taken aback when Kisame Hoshigaki appeared in person.
The rumors and strength surrounding this captain of the Anbu were already legendary among the ninjas of the Land of Stars.
"Captain Hoshigaki!" The three bowed slightly at the same time.
Temari reacted the fastest, immediately taking out a hard document with a special emblem from her ninja tool pouch at her waist and handing it over with both hands.
Kisame Hoshigaki's shark-like eyes swept over the three of them indifferently, lingering on Gaara for half a second longer, seemingly somewhat interested in his chakra fluctuations.
He then tilted his head slightly.
A ninja wearing a cat-face mask immediately stepped forward, took the document with both hands, carefully checked it, and after confirming that it was correct, whispered to Kisame Hoshigaki, "Captain-Commander, it's confirmed. It's a special visitation permit issued by the Supreme Command Office, with Lord Minato's signature and special approval seal."
Kisame Hoshigaki nodded, his gaze returning to Gaara and the other two, his expression cold and businesslike: "Follow me, kids."
After saying that, he turned and walked toward the checkpoint building next to the tunnel.
His steps were steady and powerful, and even with his back to Gaara and the other two, he brought them an invisible sense of pressure from a top-tier expert.
Gaara and the other two dared not delay and quickly followed.
The checkpoint appears more modern and secure from the inside than from the outside.
They first passed through a security checkpoint resembling a door frame, which shimmered with a pale blue light. The device emitted a slight hum as it scanned for any dangerous items or chakra fluctuations they might be carrying.
Then, a Hyuga branch family ninja with his Byakugan activated stepped forward and carefully "examined" the three of them from head to toe with his all-seeing eyes. He even paid special attention to Gaara's gourd and Kankuro's puppet scroll. After confirming that there were no contraband or dangerous items, he nodded to Kisame Hoshigaki next to him.
"Alright, go in." Kisame Hoshigaki gestured.
Through the back door of the checkpoint, they officially entered the seemingly endless, enormous tunnel.
The tunnel is very wide, enough for four large trucks to drive side by side. The ceiling is an arched dome, inlaid with rows of bright fluorescent tubes, illuminating the inside of the tunnel as if it were daytime.
The walls on both sides are made of smooth special alloy plates, without any decoration or markings, except for some inconspicuous vents and protrusions that appear to be monitoring or defense facilities.
The air temperature was constant, but somewhat low.
Apart from the faint echo of their footsteps in the tunnel, there was no other sound; the silence was unsettling.
Kisame Hoshigaki, walking ahead, had a tall and silent figure, like a moving reef.
Gaara followed a few steps behind him, his gaze calmly fixed ahead, but his heart was far from at peace.
Gaara's knowledge of this Dark Division Commander was limited to some basic information circulating within the military.
Born in Kirigakure during the "Village of Blood Mist" era, he later left Kirigakure for unknown reasons. He was impressed by Lord Shura and followed him to the Land of Stars, becoming one of the earliest core members.
Because of his formidable strength, ruthless style, and absolute loyalty to his mission, he was appointed to the important position of Captain of the Dark Guard.
He himself was bestowed with the legendary ninja sword, Samehada, by Lord Shura!
His strength is unfathomable; he is a recognized Kage-level powerhouse.
The fact that such an important figure personally came to guide these three "juniors" shows the special nature and importance of this visit. On the other hand, it is probably also a form of invisible surveillance and deterrence.
The tunnel seemed to have no end.
They walked for about ten minutes before a silver-gray metal elevator door embedded in the wall appeared ahead.
The elevator doors were as smooth as a mirror, and next to them was a touch screen the size of a palm.
Kisame Hoshigaki walked to the touchscreen, extended his finger, and his fingertip glowed slightly with chakra. He quickly swiped and tapped the screen a few times, seemingly entering a complex password and authorization verification.
A few seconds later, the screen lit up green, and with a mechanical whirring sound, the heavy metal elevator doors slid open to both sides.
"Let's go in." Kisame Hoshigaki was the first to step into the elevator.
The elevator has a large interior space, enough to accommodate more than ten people. The interior walls are also made of smooth metal, without any decoration, except for the ventilation openings at the top and a row of floor buttons.
Kisame Hoshigaki raised his hand and pressed one of the buttons.
The elevator doors slowly closed, a slight feeling of weightlessness followed, and the elevator began to descend smoothly and rapidly.
"Your visiting time is only sixty minutes." Kisame Hoshigaki said with his back to the three of them, his voice sounding somewhat muffled in the enclosed space, yet each word was clear.
"The timer starts the moment you enter the cell and the door closes. When the time is up, no matter what you are saying or doing, you must leave immediately."
"Do you understand?"
"Yes, I understand. Thank you, Captain-Commander," Gaara replied in a deep voice.
Temari and Kankuro nodded quickly.
"It's just business as usual." Kisame Hoshigaki glanced at Gaara in the reflection on the elevator wall, a hint of curiosity seemingly flashing in his shark eyes.
"I thought you wouldn't come for several more years. I didn't expect you to come so soon."
Gaara and the other two felt a chill run down their spines.
He knew their purpose for this trip was far from simple, and he also seemed somewhat surprised by Gaara's growth rate, or rather, the speed at which his character had become firm.
bite-
With a crisp beep, the slight feeling of weightlessness disappeared, and the elevator came to a steady stop.
The elevator doors slid open silently again, revealing a scene completely different from the tunnel above.
This is a relatively narrow corridor.
The corridor was milky white, with soft lighting, fresh air, and even a faint fragrance, making it feel like a special care floor of a high-level research institute or hospital, rather than a prison deep underground.
On both sides of the corridor are rows of tightly closed metal doors, each with only a number and a small observation window.
Kisame Hoshigaki stepped out of the elevator, followed closely by Gaara and the other two.
The corridor was eerily quiet, with only the echoing footsteps of a few people.
Kisame Hoshigaki was clearly very familiar with this place. He walked straight into the depths of the corridor without looking to the side, and finally stopped in front of a metal door numbered "B-10".
Next to the door, the wall was replaced by a huge, transparent piece of tempered glass.
This pane of glass covers almost the entire wall, and through it, you can clearly see what's inside the room.
Gaara, Temari, and Kankuro all stopped in their tracks, their gazes fixed on the room inside through the large, transparent glass pane.
The sight inside the room stunned the three of them, their faces showing undisguised surprise.
The room was large, at least fifty or sixty square meters, but it was not decorated like a prison cell.
The floor is covered with light-colored wooden flooring, and the walls are a warm beige.
One corner of the room is a spacious living area, furnished with a beige fabric sofa, a glass coffee table, and even a small LCD TV.
On the other side is a simple dining area with a refrigerator, microwave, and small induction cooker.
Inside was a large single bed, covered with clean bedding.
There's even a separate bathroom separated by frosted glass.
At this moment, on the sofa in the living area, a man who looked to be in his thirties, wearing a comfortable dark brown hooded sweater, with his short brown hair neatly combed, and a serious yet slightly tired expression, was sitting with his legs crossed, holding an open newspaper in his hand, seemingly engrossed in reading it.
On the coffee table next to it, there was a cup of steaming tea.
"This...is his cell?" Kankuro couldn't help but ask in a low voice.
This was vastly different from the dark, cramped cell he had imagined, containing only a hard bed and a toilet.
Temari's eyes widened as she looked at the man in the room, then at Kisame Hoshigaki beside her, who remained calm, and she was at a loss for words.
Kisame Hoshigaki didn't seem surprised by the three's reaction. He stood in front of the transparent wall, looking at Rasa, who was still reading the newspaper and completely unaware of the situation outside. He explained in his distinctive voice, "This observation window is made of specially made one-way transparent bulletproof glass. You can't see or hear anything outside from inside."
"The building materials of the entire room are mixed with black chakra rods, which have a strong suppressive and disruptive effect on Magnet Release, a bloodline limit that relies on manipulating metal sand. Here, his Magnet Release can only exert 20% of its normal power, and if he tries to mobilize chakra on a large scale, the pre-set sealing techniques and anesthetic gas in the room will be activated."
He paused, his gaze sweeping over the modern furniture and appliances in the room, and added, "As for the layout—the Magnet Release bloodline limit, especially for a genius like him who has developed Magnet Release to the level of 'gold dust,' is a living research sample that the research department values very much."
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"Over the years, he has had his blood drawn, samples taken, and various tolerance and genetic tests done by those crazy people in white coats countless times."
"If we don't let him eat well and live comfortably, and maintain his physical and mental state at a relatively stable level, it would be a great loss to the scientific research of the Star Kingdom if his body collapses or his mind breaks down one day."
"Moreover, by cooperating with the research, he can also receive some rewards, which can be used to exchange for things that improve his living conditions, such as better tea or more newspapers."
Kisame Hoshigaki's explanation is very direct and realistic.
There is no warmth, only naked value exchange and consideration of interests.
As the defeated party, Rasa had no choice.
He was doing "well" here, not out of kindness, but because he still had "research value".
After saying that, Kisame Hoshigaki stopped looking at the observation window and turned to walk towards the heavy metal door next to him.
There was no keyhole on the door, only a small slot about the size of a palm.
He took out a jet-black metal card from his pocket and swiped it lightly on the card slot.
With a soft "beep", the indicator light next to the card slot lit up green.
Immediately afterwards, a low, grinding sound came from inside the door, and the heavy metal door opened a crack inward.
Kisame Hoshigaki opened the door halfway, stood to the side of the door, and gestured for Gaara and the other two to enter.
"Go inside, the timer has already started."
Gaara took a deep breath and then slowly exhaled.
He glanced at Temari and Kankuro beside him, whose expressions were complex, a mixture of nervousness and anticipation. He nodded slightly to them, then took the lead and stepped into the room.
Temari and Kankuro exchanged a glance and quickly followed them inside.
Click.
A soft sound came from behind me; it was the sound of a metal door being closed from the outside.
It completely isolated the inside from the outside.
Inside the room, Luo Sha, who was sitting on the sofa reading a newspaper, naturally heard the faint sound of the door opening and closing behind him.
Without turning his head, he said in a slightly impatient tone, "Wasn't this week's sampling done yesterday? Why are we doing it again? Can't those people in white coats give us a couple of days of peace and quiet?"
His voice was somewhat low, clearly indicating that his long period of solitude and isolation from the outside world had numbed him considerably.
For the past five years, apart from regularly cooperating with research, he has hardly seen anyone.
Almost every time this door is opened, it means another blood draw or some uncomfortable test.
At first he would be angry and resistant, but later he gradually became numb, and only this conditioned reflex of aversion remained.
However, this time, there was no emotionless reply from the researchers or prison guards as usual, nor the sound of them pushing the equipment cart in.
A silence.
Luo Sha turned his head with a hint of doubt.
Then, his gaze met those three familiar yet somewhat unfamiliar eyes that were staring intently at him from the doorway.
Time seemed to freeze for a few seconds at that moment.
Although five years had passed, and although the three children in front of him had lost much of their childishness, grown taller, and undergone a huge change in temperament, Luo Sha still recognized them at a glance.
Gaara's eyes held a calm composure and a subtle sharpness, Temari's face showed a youthful spirit and a hint of tension, and Kankuro's darker expression was hidden beneath his makeup.
However, what was most glaring was their blue-gray uniform vests, representing the ninjas of the Land of Stars, and the five-pointed star headbands on their foreheads that shimmered slightly under the lights.
Sunagakure Village no longer exists.
But he, the child of the Fourth Kazekage, became a ninja of an enemy country.
Luo Sha's facial muscles twitched slightly.
He put down the newspaper in his hand, his movements somewhat slow, then leaned back on the sofa, his legs still crossed, his gaze sweeping back and forth between the three children, finally settling on Gaara's calm, unwavering blue-green eyes.
Luo Sha's lips twitched, revealing a strange, bitter smile: "What, you came to see your useless old father, and you didn't even bring anything?"
His words were clearly sarcastic, but the weariness and resigned desolation in them made Temari and Kankuro tremble. They subconsciously avoided his gaze and stood there somewhat helplessly.
Gaara did not respond to his sarcasm.
He calmly walked step by step to the sofa opposite Luo Sha, and then sat down.
He stood with his back straight, his gaze meeting Luo Sha's without flinching, as if engaged in a silent contest.
Seeing Gaara so calm, even exuding an air of subtle control over the situation, a hint of surprise flashed in Rasa's eyes.
He looked Gaara up and down, his gaze lingering particularly on Gaara's eyes, which were no longer dark-circled, and his almost indifferent expression.
"It seems—" Rasa spoke slowly, his voice low, "that you have—completely taken control of it?"
Gaara met his gaze: "If I can't even control the monster inside me, I'm not worthy to see you."
This statement is both an answer to the Luo Sha question and a declaration.
He declared that he was no longer the dangerous "weapon" who could not control Shukaku's rampage, but a ninja who had mastered the power of the tailed beasts and was qualified to pursue the truth.
Luo Sha's pupils contracted slightly.
He stared at Gaara for several seconds, and finally, he slowly nodded, a hint of indescribable emotion in his eyes.
"Really? That's good."
He turned to Temari and Kankuro, who were still standing dumbfounded near the door, and, regaining his fatherly authority, said loudly, "What are you standing there for? This is my place, after all. Go, there should be some fruit in the fridge, wash some and bring it over."
"Ah? Yes, yes!" Temari and Kankuro seemed to wake from a dream and quickly responded.
They hurriedly ran towards the open-plan kitchenette area on the other side of the room.
Sure enough, there was a small silver refrigerator there.
Opening the refrigerator door, the sight inside made the two of them pause in surprise.
The refrigerator was crammed full of various seasonal fruits: juicy peaches, bright red strawberries, half a watermelon, and plump grapes.
Many fruits are considered luxuries in the Land of Winds.
There was also milk, juice, and several boxes of nice-looking pastries in the refrigerated compartment.
"This—" Kankuro couldn't help but lower his voice and whisper to Temari, "He's doing better here than we imagined? This isn't prison at all! The food is even better than when we were in Sunagakure—"
Temari didn't say anything, but silently took out a fruit basket and began to select fruit.
Her feelings were equally complicated.
Seeing that her father seemed to have suffered no physical pain, she breathed a sigh of relief; on the other hand, Sunagakure had long been destroyed, and countless of her comrades had already assimilated into the Land of Stars like them, while the Fourth Kazekage had become a prisoner—
Soon, Temari had washed a plate of strawberries and peaches, and Kankuro also came over with a fruit platter.
The two placed the fruit platter on the coffee table and then sat down with Gaara.
Luo Sha naturally reached into the fruit plate and picked up the biggest and reddest peach. Without peeling it, he took a big bite, and the peach was juicy.
As he chewed, he gestured to Temari and Kankuro with his eyes: "Eat up, don't be shy. Although life here is stifling, like a tailed beast locked in a cage for research, there's plenty of fruit. The Land of Stars is generous in this respect, probably wanting to keep me, their sample, in optimal condition."
Temari hesitated for a moment, then picked up a strawberry and took a small bite.
The sweet juice melts in your mouth.
Kankuro also picked up a peach, took a bite, and found it to be very sweet.
Gaara didn't touch the fruit; his gaze never left Rasa.
Luo Sha slowly finished eating a peach and threw the pit into a trash can a few meters away.
He took a tissue, wiped his hands and mouth, then leaned back, sinking deeper into the soft sofa, placing his hands on his lower abdomen, and shifting the position of his crossed legs.
He raised his eyelids, his gaze falling once again on Gaara's face.
"Alright," Luo Sha said slowly, breaking the silence.
"As for catching up, there's probably not much to say. You went through all that trouble to come see me in prison; you couldn't possibly be missing your failed and heartless old father, could you?"
His gaze swept over Temari and Kankuro, finally settling on Gaara.
"Speak, what do you want to ask? Or rather—what do you want to figure out?" Luo Sha's voice was calm, even carrying a hint of understanding.
He could probably guess some of it.
The temperature in the room seemed to drop suddenly in that instant.
Temari and Kankuro unconsciously held their breath, nervously watching Gaara, then glancing at Rasa.
Gaara clenched his hands on his knees for a moment, then slowly relaxed them.
He met Luo Sha's gaze, and beneath those calm eyes, there seemed to be turbulent undercurrents.
He slowly asked the question that had been buried deep in his heart and tormented him for many years: "I want to know—"
He paused, as if he needed to gather all his courage to say that name and that night.
"Back then, Yashamaru—Uncle—"
"Why—why do you want to kill me?"
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"Dead silence."
Temari and Kankuro's expressions changed instantly, and their bodies stiffened.
Kankuro could even hear his own heart pounding wildly in his chest.
This problem has also troubled them for many years; it is a wound in the hearts of the three siblings that has never healed.
"You—" Luo Sha slowly began, "Shouldn't you have already guessed it?"
Gaara's heart felt as if it were being gripped tightly by an invisible hand!
Rasa slightly adjusted his posture to make himself more comfortable, his tone chillingly indifferent: "Since you have grown to the point where you can completely suppress the One-Tailed Beast and have the strength to stand here and question me, and Sunagakure is already history—then there is no point in hiding it any longer."
He paused, as if Zi Guang had traveled through time back to that bloody night, back to the moment of decision that determined his son's fate.
"The village needs a human jinchūriki."
"We need a weapon that can play a strategic deterrent role at critical moments."
Luo Sha's voice struck the hearts of my three siblings, Ai Luo and his sister, word by word.
"However, your 'weapon' isn't very stable or reliable, causing Shukaku to frequently go berserk."
"Sunagakure paid a huge price to seal Shukaku inside you, but it has been slow to become a fighting force. This in itself is a failure and a risk."
"So, I gave Yashamaru a task." Rasa's gaze finally settled on Gaara's face, which had lost all color.
"I'll have him push you to the brink, stimulating you in the most cruel way, to see if you can control your emotions and control Shukaku."
"And let him tell you—"
At this moment, Luo Sha's voice finally showed a very subtle fluctuation, but it quickly returned to its icy tone.
"I tell you, it was your birth that killed your mother, Galuro."
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Tell him that he hates you because he loves his sister so much.
"I hate that your birth took his sister's life, I hate that you are alive."
"...
'
Gaara struggled to breathe.
His eyes widened, his pupils contracting violently from extreme shock and pain, and his body began to tremble slightly uncontrollably.
Temari suddenly covered her mouth, tears welling up in her eyes.
Kankuro gritted his teeth, his fists clenched so tightly that his nails dug deep into his palms.
Rasa, seemingly oblivious to their reaction, continued, "If, under such prolonged and stimulating training, you cannot control Shukaku—"
He didn't finish his sentence, but the implication was clear.
"And if, after such a long period of training, you can control your emotions and control Shukaku's rampage—" Rasa's gaze went to the huge gourd behind Gaara, and then back to Gaara's trembling body.
"So, at least that proves you still have the potential to be used as a 'weapon.'"
"Yashamaru's mission was to use his life as the price for this test."
"Just—just for—" Gaara's voice was hoarse. He stared intently at Rasa, his eyes bloodshot, filled with indescribable pain, fear of the evil in humanity, and extreme anger at this absurd reason.
"Just for such a ridiculous reason?! To test the value of a weapon?! You actually let your uncle—Yashamaru—kill me?! And let him—say those things?!"
His body trembled more and more violently, and his chakra began to surge and overflow uncontrollably. Fine sand slowly rose from the gourd's mouth, forming a thin layer of mist around him.
The lights in the room flickered slightly due to the violent and painful fluctuations of chakra.
Faced with Gaara's questioning and his near-rage state, Rasa finally showed a hint of guilt on his face.
How could he not be in pain when his brother-in-law assassinated his own child?
But then, he straightened his back, met Gaara's fiery gaze, and his voice suddenly rose, carrying an almost obsessive insistence, as he said, word by word, "All of this—".
"It's all for the village!"
"For the continuation of Sunagakure! For the future of the Land of Wind!"
"In the ninja world, weakness is the original sin! Without sufficient power and weapons that inspire fear, resource-poor ninja villages like Sunagakure are constantly at risk of being swallowed up and destroyed by powerful nations!"
"Sacrificing a few for the safety and future of the entire village—this is a choice that Shadow must make!"
"Even if this sacrifice is my brother-in-law! Even if it's my son!"
His words shattered the last glimmer of hope in Gaara's heart.
Inside the room, only Gaara's heavy, painful breathing, Temari's suppressed sobs, and Rasa's resounding, cold "righteousness" echoing in the empty room remained.
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