Symphony
Chapter 4: The Gift
Yue woke her body entangled with that of her familiar's. "What is it Beloved?" The raspy voice asked, Gray eyes blinking. "Its morning. We slept an entire day away." His eyes widened. "I see, then it is time to bathe and make ready the tournament begins today?" He asked. "Yes it does." They took off to the bathing room and Yue scrubbed them both clean. Blue fur and silver hair shining she brushed them soft. "I do enjoy your hands in my fur but the water here is not as soothing." Yue laughed. "We are used to bathing in hot-springs, Love. Its vastly different." With a few curses, growls and a yelp Yue was dressed. She stood before the looking glass, twisting and turning to examine herself.
"I feel foolish." The gray eyes were amuses again. "You do not look it Beloved One. You look lovely." She smiled at him. "Thank you Dear-heart." The dress was an off the shoulder style with an empire waist. Her silver hair was parted and the upper half was held back from her face by a carved pearl comb in the shape of a fox. Her ears stood proudly atop her head. Her tail had been brushed and now flowed gleaming behind her. The skirt of the dress was black with blueish-purple fire swirling and dancing across it. The top half was a lovely pearly blue with a crescent moon embroidered in shining thread of silver. Her familiar wore a thick silver collar with large crescent moon shaped Amethyst and Emeralds embedded in it. "I remember why I despised these events.." She laughed at him. "I figured you would remember why we avoid these things." A knock came then and she called out. "Who calls?" A chuckle came from outside. "Lady Kyuubi, It's I." She chuckled. "Please enter Fireshadow." He opened the door and upon seeing her and her companion gasped.
"Great Lady, your a breathtaking sight." She smiled at him, gesturing to her familiar. "This is Shino. He is my messenger and personal Familiar. I am told they are called Summons in your land." The Hokage was shocked, their at the young woman's side was a five-tailed blue fox with gray eyes. It was a nin-fox, they had not been seen in over a hundred years. "I see. He suits you quite well." Her tail flicked and she reached for her shawl. It was a thin nearly sheer garment also embroidered with the same flame pattern as her gown. "I have gifts to present before the second task begins." He nodded and offering her his arm the three departed. They made their way to the grounds outside the Forest of Death. Her horse stopped just outside of sight and she easily dismounted. "I will present my gifts and rejoin you." He smiled and nodded the rest of the group moving on. Shino stayed out with her horse, not wanting to attract too much attention yet. She stepped into the clearing and only the most alert noticed her. She reached out and felt for the energy of one of the two who called to her, slowly walking in that direction she found three figures against trees separate from the others. All three sets of eyes were on her as she walked towards them.
She finally located which of the three bore the signature when she was only a few strides away. She passed the first two without a sound. She met the male's eyes and smiled. "I greet you Sanshou. It is tradition among my people to offer a gift to a warrior we wish to see fight well. To you I offer this gift." Gaara had never seen such a woman before, silver hair and purple eyes. He wondered what she had called him. There was no fear in her scent and she smelled like Desert thunderstorms, night and flowers. He was about to refuse when he heard it. 'Wait boy, what she addressed you as is not rude but very respectful. Sanshou is a title meaning Master of Sand. She is complementing you.' The demon laughed. *Master of Sand, Eh? I believe I will accept this "Gift" of hers.* He focused again on her, before speaking. "I accept your gift." She held out her hands and his eyes widened slightly. Sitting in her hands was a crystal vial in the shape of a star, it was hung from a chain of silver.
Within in it though was sand the color of starlight and one of the darkest night. "This is a sand-glass. Within it is sand taken from my favorite place, The deserts of Moon and Night." Shukaku purred within him. 'Take it boy, and thank her. I have never seen sands from the Moonlands before. She is a lunar warrior. It is a worthy gift.'Gaara reached out and gently plucked the glass from her hands. "Thank you." She smiled at him. "May the Lord of the Sands bring you a worthy opponent." She bowed slightly, turned, and walked away. 'I'll be damned!'Shukaku laughed andGaara mentally sighed. *Now what demon.* 'One of my titles is Lord of the Sands. She wished you a worthy enemy to kill. Her people believe in killing an enemy to end the threat of them ever returning.' Gaara opened the chain and placed it around his neck. He felt a soothing energy caress against his own. *What is that feeling?* Shukaku purred again.'Its the female's power, she blessed the sand-glass. It like being home in the Desert.'Gaara snorted but didn't verbally agree with his demon, but he too seemed to feel the Desert's warmth on his skin.
Yue easily tracked the second signature, then she heard him and sped up her stride. The crown parted for her and she saw him and his two pack-mates. "Naruto!"He whirled around and saw who stood a few yards from him. "Yue?" She smiled, and he saw her ear for a second. "Yue!" He rushed forward and hugged her, she happily hugged him back. "I missed you." She purred in his ear. He blushed brightly. "Thanks, I missed you too." She smiled at him. "I have a gift for you." His eyes widened and she held it out to him. It was a necklace but hung from the chain was a fox clutching a moonstone. "A fox?" He said looking at the charm wondering if she knew. She laughed. "I'm a fox Naruto. I thought the ears would have given me away." His eyes went huge. "Wow. Thank you." She smiled and hugged him again, whispering something in his ear, before turning and walking away. "I will be cheering for you. Fight well." He grinned and as she got the the edge of the clearing. "Believe it!" She grinned at him before vanishing.
When she rejoined the Hokage he only smiled at her. "I see you made Naruto very happy." She laughed. "I did. I also had another gift to deliver." He only raised his eyebrow but she would say no more. When Gaara got to the tower he felt the sand-glass warm briefly and looked up. The woman stood their with a welcoming smile for him. He knew it was for him cause she didn't even acknowledge his siblings. His superior eyesight allowed him to make out her mouthed words. Welcome My Warrior For some reason his chest puffed out instinctively. When his siblings looked up all they saw was a flash of silver. When Naruto arrived she growled at a few people seeing his wounds. She felt the collar had protected him in someway.
She made her way to the room where his pack was being healed, seeing the near lack of wounds on his dirty form calmed her some what. Sakura saw the Lunar girl enter and saw where her eyes rested. Then she was suddenly looking into cold amethyst eyes. "From what I overheard you protected your pack-mates alone?" The voice was husky and slightly raspy. "I tried. But they were still injured. I had to be saved again."Yue snorted. "Train harder, I can hear your body scream for nourishment. Answer its cries, Warriors burn a good deal of energy. Do you know Jutsu also deplete the body of minerals? You must eat much and often to be strong. I could snap you with one blow with only brute strength, due your toothpick like figure." Sakura looked down in shame, knowing the Lunar was right. The Lunar was larger and her body well muscled. She had seen the amount of food the other woman ate in one sitting.
"But I want to be pretty, I already look funny due my forehead and pink hair." The female snorted, suddenly right before her. Then Sakura could see her fully, ears, tail, fangs and bright glowing eyes. "You can walk among your village UN-challenged by any. You have pack-mates?" Sakura nodded to both questions. "Why then do you allow yourself to be weak?" Sakura looked to the resting black-haired male a few beds away. Yue hissed nastily. "Fool! Be strong! Make him hunt you, make him prove his worth! As a male, a warrior, and a provider. Pull your head from under his tail and raise it high! In my homeland, when a female steps onto a battlefield the males bow in respect and enemies flee in terror knowing females have true power." Sakura's eyes widened, shocked that the Lunar cared enough to say something. "I want you eating heavy rich foods until you fight. It will aid you to recover strength." Sakura watched her glide over to Naruto's bedside and the Lunar's hands reached out to caress his face and smooth his hair back from his dirty face. She sighed her words. "My poor Naruto."
She purred and moved around grabbing a couple things. She returned to his bedside with a wash cloth and a bowl of warm water. Sakura watched as she cleaned the blondes face and undamaged skin. Sakura had wondered why the healers hadn't done it as they had for Sasuke but had said nothing. The door opened and a head poked through, Yue whirled on the person. A Growl in her throat but on seeing who it was the growl tapered off. "Greetings Naruto's Sensei." Kakashi raised his book in greeting. "Its Kakashi, Lady Kyuubi." She smiled at him a fang denting her lower lip. "Silver-Inu." He looked at her in question. "I smell your Inu companions, and your mane is silver. So Silver-Inu. You name is hard to pronounce yet. I'm still learning your tongue." He nodded, not offended by the nickname. She returned to her gentle grooming, softly humming to him as she cleaned the filth from him. "I am beginning to grow dislike for some of this clan." Kakashi eye smiled. When she was finished cleaning Naruto up she again turned to look at the other two. "I have a gift for you, Silver-Inu." His eyes widened slightly as she reached into a hidden pocket of her dress and pulled from within a gray-blue book and held it out to him.
Kakashi reached out and gently accepted the book and when he read the title his eye lit up. 'Icha Icha Paradise, Special Edition: Dancing-heart.' "Great lady, You are such a lovely soul." She smiled at him the fangs again revealed. "At least, I am sure you will enjoy it. It would only sit on a shelf were I to keep it." He smiled and slid his new treasure into his pouch. Kakashi noticed Sakura was actually eating a proper meal, and then noticed the stance of the Lunar. She had said something to the girl and Kakashi was grateful, a woman could get away saying something. The Lunar's twitched and she smiled. "I will return." She left the room and followed the sound she heard. She tracked the sound until she looking over a balcony spotted him. The Sanshou was sitting on a window sill looking out into the forest. In his hands a carved wooden flute, its soft song alluring. Its melody calling her.
She realized she had heard the melody before then it came to her in a flash. A song Naruto had said came from the Desert. But something was missing, and it took her a few minutes to figure it out. She walked down the nearby stair case, and came only a few steps from him. Then she started to sing. Gaara was startled when a voice suddenly joined him. The Lunar-woman was singing along to his flute, her voice husky and well pitched. The raw enjoyment he could feel from her shocked him, she was so different from anyone he had ever known. He didn't notice it but he was playing louder and truer to the tone of the song as she sang. Yue smiled and threw herself into the song, her eyes not leaving his. Temari and several others heard the music and they went to investigate. On seeing who was responsible silent tears rolled down her face, Gaara was actually playing and that strange girl was singing. Kankuro was shocked to see a his baby brother actually interacting with someone without blood shed.
Shukaku was letting off a pleased growl in Gaara's mind. 'Never before have I heard a Lunar sing. Yet this female chooses to sing to us. She bestowed a gift and respect without fear. What a strange female.' When the song ended she smiled and nodded her head to him the bright smile splitting her face. "I look forward to seeing you on the battlefield my Warrior. May your enemy tremble in fear." He smiled darkly, a twitch in his fingers caused a bit of sand to form a band around her wrist. Though he said nothing, she smiled again and walked away. As she had said she returned to the healing room and found Naruto and his pack gone. She reached out with her senses and realized all the Warriors were moving to one location. An ANBU cleared his throat and bowed. "I'm to escort you to the Hokage's side and you and he are to watch the preliminaries together." She smiled and him, her illusion putting him at ease.
