Chapter 36
Once Temari and Nomasaki returned from Konoha, the Suna Council and Kazekage received their message…
With occurrences of Tenbu assassins appearing in various outposts within the Land of Wind, Suna stepped up security.
Having ANBU posted at every nearly every corner of the village.
Scanning the area thoroughly for invaders and assassins alike.
Although the Kazekage clan lived far within vast desert, their descendants were unknown and scarce.
Meaning Tenbu's prime targets were within the heart of Suna: the Fourth Kazekage's legacy.
The famed Sand Siblings who gained their notoriety during the Konoha Crush mission many years ago.
Following the meeting, the Kazekage's mansion began to be heavily guarded by ANBU, making it near impregnable to the outside.
"Remember, if you see any of those men… attack on sight!"
Tenbu were indeed a group hellbent on taking over the previous niche of the Akatsuki…
And their political motives were becoming disruptive…
Late one night…
Sitting on her bed with a book cracked open, Nomasaki began to grow more tired as the clock ticked past midnight.
She was only ten pages away from reaching the story's end, but her sleep was beginning to make an appearance.
As she briefly dozed off on her hand, she sensed a cold wind enter her window.
Jolting her awake with the feel of its chakra, the sand blew through almost instantly.
Within a wisp of wind and sand, Gaara appeared in her room, startling her greatly.
"Ah!" She hopped towards the window, closing it to stop the draft.
"You scared me!" She chuckled, stepping towards him.
Tiredly, yet with adoration and cheerfulness, she looked up at him.
"I thought you weren't coming over until tomorrow! Didn't you say you had some council business to take care of?"
Longing in his stoic and calm eyes, he gazed into hers.
A soft smile on his lips.
"I couldn't wait." He spoke, quietly. "I had to see you."
Warmly, she smiled up at him.
For a brief moment, he stared at her, intently, as the moonlight filled the room.
As she could feel his eyes gazing deep into hers, she could feel her face begin to redden.
"Can you… be still?" He asked, in hush tones. "I would like to… try something."
Blushing and nervous, she nodded.
"Y-Yes."
For a brief moment, he hesitated.
Closing his eyes, he leaned in and kissed her.
Placing his hand at the back of her head, his fingers in her silky golden hair.
Gently, she returned the affection, kissing him in return.
Carefully, she placed her palms on the sides of his face.
Letting him know the feeling was definitely mutual, and being careful to not have her fangs make an appearance.
Her internalized excitement might even be enough to distract her from controlling her wolfishness.
She took the risk.
Passionately, and with a sudden force, he kissed her again.
As she wrapped her arms around him, she could feel him push her down onto her mattress.
Their bodies pressed against each other on top of the blankets.
As things became heated, he found his hands straying to her waist as his throbbed for hers.
Holding her tight against him as his lips continuously crashed into hers with no sign of stopping.
Without thinking, as she lay submissive under him while they kissed, she led his hand to her robe.
As he touched the fabric of her full chest, he felt a soft, warm sensation.
This jolted him.
Pausing, he backed away from her.
Turning and sitting on the bed opposite from her after noticing her nearly exposed breasts, which he touched by accident.
Her robe was beginning to slip, and her laced bra could be seen clearly in the night.
Sensing a disconnect, she turned to him with a concerned glance.
"Gaara," She spoke, softly and confused. "W-What's wrong?"
Embarrassed, he closed his eyes.
Not looking at her, as if in shame.
Feeling a cold draft, she looked down and realized her position.
Swiftly, she fixed her robe, pulling it closed.
She leaned in, her lilac eyes pleading.
"What is it?"
"I'm sorry." He spoke, quietly, not meeting her glance.
Opening his eyes slightly, he averted his gaze.
Sadly.
"I'm afraid of being… intimate." He confessed, quietly. "I've been trying to overcome it since we reunited during that last mission, but…"
He held his head down, shamefully.
"I never thought I would be with someone at all, or would want to be with someone physically… But with you,"
His gaze saddened, he turned to her.
His seafoam eyes pained.
Full of shame and deep longing.
"I would do anything."
His words surprised her.
Gently, she smiled at him.
"Hey," She cooed, as she placed her hand on his.
Her touch startled him for a moment, yet comforted him from the feel.
"It's alright, I understand. I'm nervous too, but… we can get past this, together."
Her gestured relieved him.
Humbled, he looked down at the floor.
A small smile on his face.
"Don't tell Kankuro." He joked, almost whisper-like.
"I won't! Why would I do that?!"
After a quiet laugh, Nomasaki moved in closer towards him.
Leaning her head on his shoulder.
"I… sorta have an idea. To, um… try to make you more comfortable."
"What's that?"
Looking down, she blushed at the thought.
"Sleep with me, just for tonight." She whispered. "I know you have insomnia, and I asked last time, but-"
To her surprise, he kissed her forehead.
Very softly and silently.
Looking deep into her eyes, he nodded.
"Okay."
Adoringly, she smiled at him.
As she made her way into her bed, Gaara laid down on the blankets.
Like the time they were in Yama together.
"I'm… not ready to try sleeping in the blankets," He began. "But I can hold you, like last time."
Moving her body close to him, she sighed.
"As long as you're comfortable, I'm happy."
As he could feel her curves nest beside him, he began to feel hot in the face.
Faintly, he blushed from her sleepy closeness.
Wrapping his arms around her, he noticed her skin was not only soft, but slightly cold to the touch.
As if it were the smoothest and most comforting ice.
"Your skin," He said. "It's cold."
"Hm?" She turned. "I've never noticed. You desert-folk are more sensitive to the cold, anyways."
"Desert-folk?"
Sleepily, she chuckled to herself.
"It's a what we called anyone from the Land of Wind," She sighed, quietly. "When I grew up in Yama. Hanone would call you that all the time to me."
Sadness entering her eyes momentarily, she remembered her wolf guardian.
His thick white fur, the presence of his protective chakra.
Her comrade.
"I know it's been more than two years since, but... I miss him."
For a moment, Gaara thought to himself.
Feeling her grief and sorrow from her loss.
Although he did not quite like Hanone or what he had to say, he was not used to not hearing his snarls or jabs.
Resting his head on the pillow beside her, he turned to her.
Sympathetically gazing into her eyes, hoping to ease her pain.
"No offence, but we don't exactly have a word for your people." He replied. "Since Yama was isolated and we had little contact."
She sighed, as if in understanding.
"What do you call others not from the desert, then?" She asked, looking up at him with a soft smirk. "Anything at all?"
"'Foreigner'." He answered.
Noticing how comfy she appeared in the blankets, he could not help but gently smile to himself in awe.
"Or in your case we can now say… mountain-folk, if that's alright."
Somewhat hiding her face in the blankets, she giggled to herself as she blushed.
Nuzzling herself closer to him.
"I've never asked, but… how are you able to sense things?"
His question surprised her from her near-engagement with nighttime sleep.
"Hm?" She turned to him, sleepily. "You mean my sensory skills?"
Looking into her lilac eyes, he nodded.
"I've never really thought about it because it's so second-nature," She began, looking up at her ceiling. "But I think it's the same as the animals, so nature energy."
Softly, she smiled to herself.
Taking in the comforting and strong chakra that surrounded her in her bed from her visitor.
It filled her senses with warmth and peace.
The fire to her ice, yet still so meant to be.
"It requires precise chakra control. If I can't control it, I revert to my wolf form. So I always have to concentrate."
"Is that how you are able to sense me?" He asked, silently. "Even as my sand?'
"Yes."
Gently, he held her tighter.
Burying his expression of comfort into her golden hair.
He could have probably fell asleep if he wanted to, he was so at ease with her that night.
"I noticed the Kazekage's mansion being under tight surveillance as of late." She began, quietly. "Tenbu… I hope we're able to stop them soon."
"You have nothing to worry about. They're not after you." He assured. "Even so, they're nothing but mere bandits with a vendetta against my family."
Her eyes held visible concern as she lay in the bed beside him.
Despite his words of comfort to ease her thoughts.
"Yes, but…" She continued. "I worry about you."
Looking up at him, she gently smiled.
"Just because you're the Fifth Kazekage doesn't mean I won't stop worrying about you in times like these."
"No matter how many times I tell you not to worry?"
She nodded.
"I will always worry about you, because I care about you." She whispered, preparing for sleep. "I love you."
Surprised by her choice in words, he felt warm inside.
Gently, he smiled to himself.
"I love you, too." He whispered. "You should go to sleep, you need your rest."
Turning over in the bed to her side of the pillow, she glanced at him for a moment.
"And you?"
"I'll try my best… sleeping isn't exactly easy for me." He replied, quietly. "But in case I can't, I will say…"
She turned to him, curious in what he was about to say.
"Goodnight." He smiled.
Blushing from his words, she beamed.
"Goodnight, Gaara."
And so they shared the night together…
As moonlight filled the room…
The next morning, Nomasaki awoke…
Turning over in the bed, her fingers grazed the blankets.
Surprising her, she touched nothing.
Only the space between.
Sitting up in her wrinkled robe, there was not a trace of him left in her bed.
Only tiny grains of sand were present where he lay beside her the night before.
She held the grains in her palm, letting them slip through her fingers.
Sadly, she sighed to herself, getting out of bed and heading towards the hall.
As she walked past the window, something gleamed at the corner of her eye.
Pausing, she turned towards it.
To her surprise, there was a tiny plump cactus on the windowsill.
Dotted with glistening chunks of un-melting ice and lush blue blossoms.
A rare and beautiful find.
It was the cactus species from the Land of Frost they talked about on their first date.
Humbled, she smiled to herself from the surprise gift.
Suddenly, she noticed something was nestled beside it in its pot.
A note.
Opening it, she read its contents aloud: "This is for you. See you soon. From the desert-folk… Gaara."
Flattered, she caught herself blushing.
She smiled to herself, softly.
He truly was a thoughtful man, she thought.
Turning, she placed the note by the cactus and walked towards her closet.
Opening its handles with a slight creak, her lilac eyes turned serious and determined.
"I'll see you when I return, I promise."
Staring ahead at her mission attire.
Her tracker-nin mask facing her in its menacing and mysterious expression.
Its shape was likened to that of a wolf, with pointed ears, elongated snout, and slanted eyes.
Painted in red-markings as if it were paying homage to a pagan god: Amaterasu.
Her tracking unit comrades often called her the 'wolf of the desert' for her skills and blood.
A sign of respect, but also a sign of slight fear.
Placing the mask on her porcelain face, she prepared for her next mission.
She had to do her part in protecting those close to her…
And help discover the hideout where Tenbu were hiding…