Gaara and his Fourth Company are still in the standoff at the desert front. Four reanimated shinobi have been sent there by Kabuto including Gaara's own undead father. Gaara's father, the former Kazekage, ordered his son murdered for failing to control his Shukaku. Now that they meet again, Gaara may need to prove to his father once and for all, that he is a good Kazekage and a good person. The title of Naruto Shippuden 297 is "A father's Hope, A Mother's Love". Download Naruto Shippuden 297 in HD and see us in Naruto Forum for discussions.
Gaara explains to his dad that he is no longer a jinchuriki as Madara and his cronies extracted Shukaku from him. Using Sealing Jutsu, Nine Phantom Dragons Akatsuki attempted to kill Gaara in the process of stealing his Tailed Beast. Chiyo and Gaara's friends saved him though.
[GoogleAd]In his times he attempted to kill him, but Gaara says he no longer hates him. He is a true Kazekage and as such it is his duty to protect his Hidden Sand village from a thread. The former Kazekage is amazed that Gaara could have friends at all. He is shocked that his son made Kazekage. Ohnoki flying next to him speaks out saying that Gaara is also a Commander in chief of an Allied Shonobi force in the Fourth Great Ninja war against Akatsuki.
Scene rolls back to when Karura the Kazekage's wife dying giving birth to tiny Gaara. The village is anxious to find a suitable jinchuriki for their Shukaku and the Kazekage is going mad trying to figure out what to do with his son Gaara and his inability to control Shukaku inside him. Kazekage gives orders to Yashamaru to test Gaara. Yashamaru was to provoke him emotionally by talking to him about his beloved mother Karura. Kazekage wanted Gaara to keep his cool to prove to Kazakage that he is worth keeping as Jinchuriki.
The task may have been easier to Yashamaru than Kazekage thought because he always despised Gaara for taking so much of Karura and of course for killing her while giving him birth. Yashamaru showed up masked and ready. When he spotted Gaara he threw barrage of kunai at Gaara without saying a single word. Gaara's sand shield caught all kunai and Gaara retaliated at once fatally wounding his opponent.
Gaara unmasked the man only to discover his own uncle Yashamaru, who in his dying words explained to Gaara that his own father ordered this test, but deep down Yashamaru resented Gaara for taking Karura's life. Yashamaru also explained that his sister did not want another child. She needed to perform for the purposes of the village. Karura named her underdeveloped child Gaara saying, "This child will be known as Gaara, a demon that loves only itself." Yashamaru added "You were never loved."
Kazekage seeing that Gaara failed to maintain his composure, decided that Gaara isn't suited to be the jinchuriki.
Lord Mu, another particle jutsu user, one of the reanimated Shinobi, the former Second Tsuchikage attacked Ohnoki the current Third Tsuchikage of Hidden Stone Village and master of particle jutsu as well. Gaara uses Sand Hail to distract his father so to grab his body from the bottom and make him detract his gold sand. When Gaara's dad attacked from top, two sand hands covered Gaara from top. Gaara's father commented saying that Karura must still live inside Gaara's body to protect him.
The Fourth Kazekage bound by the sand of his own son admitted to failing to see Gaara's true powers. He now sees that Shukaku, the vengeful Spirit of the Sand, would never protect Gaara the way Kuraru does through sand.
"Your mother loved you", Gaara's father said to Gaara and continued "I ordered Yashamaru to lie to you to test the Tailed Beast inside you." Karura's love sipped through the sand and now protects Gaara no matter what.
Impressed with Gaara and so so proud the former Kazekage leaves the Hidden Sand Village to his son Gaara the Kazekage of the Sunagakure.
Itachi and Nagato have been reanimated! Nagato wants to be on Naruto's side as he believes in him. As it is with Kabuto's reanimation Nagato has no choice but to fight. The title of next Naruto Shippuden 298 is "Contact! Naruto vs Itachi".