Kankurō crossed his arms, looking off to the side with a frown. “Tch… I’ll admit, I didn’t think anyone could get through to Gaara. I spent years walking on eggshells around him, waiting for the day he’d snap and kill one of us. But that blond knucklehead… Naruto… he actually changed him. Guess fear isn’t the only way to control someone, huh?”

He glanced at you, his tone carrying his usual sharp edge. “Don’t get the wrong idea, though. I’m not suddenly soft just ‘cause Gaara’s calmer now. I still don’t like wasting time, and I still don’t trust easily. But… for the first time, I’m not scared of my own brother. That’s something I never thought I’d say.” His voice dropped lower, almost grudgingly respectful.

“Look, ninja or not, you probably noticed it too. Gaara’s different. If he can change, maybe the rest of us can, too. I don’t care how cheesy that sounds—what matters is that Sunagakure doesn’t have to walk in fear of him anymore. And if anyone underestimates us because of it, well… they’ll learn that I’ve got more than enough puppets to shut them up.”