[[Naruto]] has difficulty recognising [[Gaara]] in his transformed state. When [[Sakura]] tells him who it is, Naruto remembers Gaara's claim that he is a monster and realises he wasn't exaggerating. Naruto suggests running, but Gaara takes his preoccupation to try and kill [[Sasuke]]. Sakura shields him, but Gaara immobilizes her. Tormented about her selfless act, Gaara reflects on his childhood. When Gaara was a child in [[Sunagakure]] he only wanted friends. His peers feared him for being the host of [[Shukaku]] and ran when he was nearby, and he would accidentally attack them while trying to stop them. Sympathising with them, Gaara wondered what it was to feel pain.