Author's Note:

Hey everyone!

One thing I realized while drafting this fic is that slice-of-life is actually very hard to write, so kudos to all you SoL writers out there! I think I'm going to try to post a chapter a month a minimum as I can't see this fic surpassing 120,000 words - so I'm going to take my time with this and hone my writing skills as I continue to draft and brainstorm ideas for this fic and my others that are yet to be posted. It's also come to my attention that Sand and Snow reached 200 kudos on AO3 and on FFN, so thank you all so much for reading my works and leaving feedback! I'm not as active on here as I used to be but I read every comment and I appreciate every word.

Hope you enjoy the chapter!

Chapter 2
Roses

The autumn air brought an odd chill to the desert winds.

Hiding away in the shelter of his greenhouse, Gaara tended to his many plants in comfortable solitude. The council thought nothing of the dead merchants they had come across on their journey home, aggravating his dormant temper. Despite their promise to look into the incident, he felt their lack of concern was intentional. At least his frustrations could be vented out through careful gardening. The snow lilies he cultivated from Yamagakure months ago still persisted, with the ones that remained in the greenhouse flourishing into brilliant blue blooms that were cold to the touch. His cacti were his prized cultivations, their blossoms of vivid yellows and soft reds slowly receding with the changing seasons. They would bloom again come spring, but that was many months away. In the meantime, the snow lilies and the other flowers were adequate for a calming change in scenery.

As he was changing one of his cacti into a new pot, he felt someone watching him. Cleaning his hands with a dirtied rag, he turned to see his wife standing in the doorway. Nomasaki was dressed in a simple blue yukata, her face pleasant but her eyes spoke volumes of how tired she was. Gaara could not grasp how someone could sleep for ten hours and still be yawning afterwards. It was a foreign concept to him.

"I figured I'd find you here," She smiled. "How are your plants doing?"

"Not too bad." He sighed, turning back to the cactus he was tending. Gingerly, he patted down the fresh soil around its base. "Kankurō forgot to water them while we were gone, but luckily they're still alive. Well… most of them."

She entered, watching him garden from behind. "Is it hard to manage plants? To be a botanist, I mean."

"It's difficult to start, but once you understand the life cycle of your plants then it gets easier with time." A smile formed on his lips as he looked to her curious purple eyes. "And practice. I'm still learning and I've been tending to cacti for over ten years. You learn something new with every species."

Her violet eyes gleamed with wonder, and she smiled back. "Perhaps I should try it, then. After all, I'm going to be spending lots of time at home… while unable to fulfill my shinobi duties, I mean. I might as well take up a hobby that both of us can share."

Her words warmed him. "I can teach you what I know."

"What's a plant I should start with?"

Turning back to his station, Gaara put his gardening tools away. "If you want to try flowers, sunflowers can be a start. They sprout quickly and only need scarce water."

"What about herbs?"

"Peppermint, possibly. It's a good beginner herb. It also might help with your nausea. You should check with Meiyumi first, though... she is your doctor."

Nomasaki sighed. "That's right." Watching his back, her smile faded as she remembered the thought that lingered over her shoulders with a heavy weight. "Speaking of which… when do we have to tell your siblings? I know Temari is coming back to the village tomorrow, to… finalize her immigration to Konoha."

Gaara's hands paused at the counter. Trying to think of the right words, he let out a quiet breath. "We should sooner rather than later, or else they'll start to suspect."

She rose a brow. "What do you mean?"

He froze, realizing his position. Averting his eyes, he focused his attention on his tools. At least with his back to her, she could not see the embarrassed flush creep across his cheeks. "…You look… different."

Not understanding at first, she made a sighing noise.

"Different how?"

Reluctantly, Gaara turned and made a vague gesture towards her. Curious, she glanced down to her chest and suddenly realized what he was getting at. Her once small breasts have grown up a cup size, pushing the fabric of her yukata as if to imply she had a bosom. For the first time in her life, she had cleavage. Timidly, she adjusted the fabric to conceal herself further.

"Y-You're right." She blushed, averting her eyes. "I haven't even noticed, but they have felt swollen over the last week or so… and painful. I'll have to wear something over my dress…"

"Nomasaki, are you scared?"

"A little." She admitted. "To tell you the truth… I'm more frightened to tell my father."

"Why is that?" He turned, curiously. "He was supportive of us getting married."

She gave a sigh. "Well… I'm his only child, and an heir to the Yamamori bloodline." A playful smirk formed on her lips and she snickered. "To him, you're the not only the desert-folk who married me… but the desert-folk who impregnated me. Might be best to bring him the news softly, especially if his vanguard has wolves and bears amongst them."

I didn't even think of that. Wolves and bears would no doubt be arriving at their door when Kyō ventured to the desert. And Yamagakure was due for a meeting in Suna to discuss the status of the allyship. Time was scarce – and so was patience, apparently. Ignoring the thought, Gaara directed his focus back on his plants. "Kankurō suggested we have a dinner tomorrow, all of us." He said. "It will be the last gathering like this for a while, so I've taken the liberty of booking the day off and gathering the ingredients. We'll be having roast camel. You like camel, right?"

She averted her eyes, sadly. "I see…"

Hearing her quiet tone, he put his tools away and made his way to her. Placing a comforting hand on her shoulder, he gave an assuring smile. "It's nothing to be worried about. We can tell them together and that'll be it. It'll all be over tomorrow night, I promise."

"If you say so. I really wish that… no one else had to know our business." She sighed, surrendering to his urging. She smiled up at him, warmed by his closeness. "I suppose this is something I should get used to, being a Kage's wife and all."

Softly, she touched his face and kissed him. Holding her protectively in his arms, he returned her affection and embraced her. Resting his head against hers, his ringed eyes became lost in thought, his smile fading from his lips. "It can't be that bad… It's just politics."

"Politics and old men." She laughed in a sigh. "But you're pretty great… I have to admit."

Meeting his face, she gave a gentle smile as she placed her hand on his cheek. Stepping out of his arms, she started for the door but stopped upon catching the glimpse of the blooming pampas grass on the bottom shelf. The plant had a brilliant white plume, appearing as soft as clouds. She knelt, touching the delicate plumes and studying them curiously.

"What plant is this?"

"Desert pampas grass. Be careful, the blades are sharp."

A sudden pain burned her senses.

Looking down, she saw a stream of red flow from her finger down to her wrist. The leaves were as sharp as freshly honed blades, and sliced her flesh as if it were nothing. Red marked the pampas grass, and the sight caught her off guard. Standing, she examined her cut and put her crimson finger between her lips to stop the bleeding. A glimpse of white below drew her in, and she near froze from the sight. Below where she stood was a plot of white desert roses, and her blood had painted one. The small droplets of crimson stood against the pure white pedals as if in warning, the foreboding red clashing against the peaceful white.

Life and death.

A chill passed through her, her violet eyes wide upon the roses. "That's not a good sign…"

"That doesn't mean anything." Gaara assured. "It's just a cut, Nomasaki."

Meeting his ringed-eyes, she swallowed her intuition. Looking back to the bloodstained roses, she felt her heart grow uneasy. But still, she pushed against the foul imagery.

"…You're right. Just a cut."

But I will be the one bleeding.

The next day brought exhaustion.

Just as Gaara said, Temari arrived at the gates of Sunagakure by daybreak. Shikamaru had accompanied her this time – and his first since their recent engagement that drew strong ire and objection from the council and elders. Luckily for the couple, the council had better plans than to pester them for their impending union – but instead had Gaara working to the bone under a pile of paperwork on the one day he was supposed to spend at home. Worn out from the brutal heat of the journey, Shikamaru slept on the couch in the living room while his fiancée sat across the kitchen table from the Kazekage's wife – her recently wed sister-in-law. While the green tea cooled down, Nomasaki instead drank water and listened to Temari talk while satisfying her emerging hunger on a tray of freshly made lemon cakes. If Meiyumi caught her red-handed, it would guarantee the cakes would be taken from her and replaced with something healthier – and with much less lemon.

That was a risk Nomasaki was willing to take.

"It's a pain, but I'm glad it's done." Temari signed. "Was it this tedious when you applied for your dual-citizenship?"

"Just about." Nomasaki snickered, licking the lemon from her fingers with fangs protruding and visible. "It did take some time, but having proof of my birth was an entirely different problem, however. After the war, the Suna Hospital was willing to make a birth certificate, but they wouldn't give in until I harassed them enough… and my dad managed to pull a few strings." Envying the green tea across the table, she took a reluctant sip of her water. "But dual-citizenship has its perks. I can go back and forth from here to Yama seamlessly without any trouble… in most cases, I should say. How come you didn't apply for it? You could use it to go from here and Konoha."

"My life is in Konoha now," Temari sighed. "I didn't see any point in dual, to be honest. I'll only be here on the odd visit, nothing that warrants a long-term stay."

With a concerned air, Nomasaki glanced towards the couch across the room. "How is Shikamaru?"

Sleeping silently under an open book on shogi tactics, the Nara lay on his back in deep slumber. Having been only used to the seasons of Konoha his whole life, journeying through the desert under the scorching and merciless sun near the climax of summer made him unbearably tired. Still, he was lucky enough to avoid sunstroke. He scarcely complained on the way to Sunagakure, but he could make no promises on the way back to Konohagakure when their visit was over and dealt with. No doubt he would fully embrace the way of the shirker when it came time to leave.

"Should be fine." Temari snorted, amused. "I'll wake him up after a few hours. He's not used to the desert climate. The heat makes him lazier than usual, it seems -," Watching Nomasaki stand from her seat and return the empty glass and plate to the sink to be washed, something she saw made Temari raise a brow in suspicion. "Since when did you have… those?"

"What?" Nomasaki paused, turning around to face her. Following Temari's glance, she looked down upon the shapely fabric of her dress. And it was then that she realized that she forgot to wear a coat or a haori. She felt as if her heart had just skipped a beat. She found out, she realized, Lie good and quick. "M-My chest?" Heat swam to her face, her timid voice stammering. "I-It's always been like that. I mean… since I grew into it, I should say… I'm wearing a yukata so it's… easier to tell."

Unconvinced, Temari leaned back in her chair with narrowed eyes. "Uh huh…"

Sensing her eyes studying her, Nomasaki flinched. "W-What are you looking at me like that for?"

Temari crossed her arms. "I don't know how to put it, but you seem… different."

"Different h-how?" Nomasaki repeated, trying to keep a calm face – but to no avail. "N-Nothing's changed about me - I'm married now, but that's about it -,"

"You know… you're really bad at lying, Nomasaki."

"I-I'm not lying! I'm being honest, I swear."

"Then why are you stuttering?" Temari scoffed. "You used to stutter way back when we were younger in our chunin days if you were nervous. Is there something going on?"

Nomasaki shook her head. "N-Nothing is going on -,"

"Did Gaara do or say something to hurt you?" Temari near sat up in haste, anger filling her gaze. "If he did anything of the sort, just say the word and I'll go set him straight -,"

She shook her head again, only more frantic. "G-Gaara didn't do anything!"

…Except got her pregnant.

Crap, another lie.

Swallowing her panic, Nomasaki did her best to smile and laugh off the awkwardness. "E-Everything's fine, believe me. I-I'm just… feeling jittery. You're back after such a long time and we're helping you prepare for your marriage to Shikamaru. It's a busy time."

Temari was still not convinced, her green eyes conveying hardened suspicion. "Right…"

Someone knocked at the door, drawing their attention away from each other. Pulling over a dark red haori from the coat-rack, Nomasaki opened the door only for Meiyumi to barge in. Frustration marked her brown eyes, her glance locked towards her in urgency.

"There you are!" Meiyumi huffed, out of breath of running. "I've been looking everywhere for you! You're late!"

Confused, Nomasaki raised a brow. "Late? Late for what?"

Meiyumi near stomped her foot, even with her medic robes on. "You missed your appointment this morning! I had to reschedule you in almost four times! Four times, Nomasaki! Do you have any idea how pissed off my supervisor is?! They said we might as well have tumbleweeds for patients if they're not going to show up!"

A timid snicker escaped Nomasaki's fanged smile as she rubbed at her eyes still tired with sleep. "Oh, my bad." She laughed. "I slept in today."

"You should be glad I'm a licensed practitioner – and your friend, too!" Grabbing her firmly by the hand, she led the kunoichi out into the vast corridor outside. "Let's go!"

A few stutters passed Nomasaki's lips urging Meiyumi to not pull so hard, but eventually her voice disappeared as the door to the Kazekage's residence closed shut with a thud. Seeing the exchange clearly from her seat at the kitchen table, Temari crossed her arms against her chest and narrowed her green eyes down at the counter in thought. Something was not sitting right at all. But Temari did not want to make any hasty assumptions.

Stirring from his brief slumber, Shikamaru let out a yawn and stretched his arms. Noticing her silence, he turned to her. "What is it, Temari?"

"Something's up." She said. "I'm not sure what, but something strange is going on."

"No shit… They managed to wake me up, how troublesome." Shikamaru scoffed, putting on his shoes. "What makes you think so? She acts weird on a good day…"

Temari sighed, resting her hand under her chin. "She's acting weirder than usual, nothing more than that." But something doesn't add up… if only Gaara was here so I could question him directly. Damned council and their yammering…

And she was left to ponder her thoughts.

Hours later, the council finally released Gaara from his duties.

With his sleeves pulled up, he sautéed the vegetables in olive oil and spices and tended to the camel roasting in the oven. Sitting at the kitchen table, Nomasaki watched with eyes glazed with hunger. Already the aroma of cooking meat was causing her to mouth to water. She did not know which made her feel more in awe – the food being cooked or the fact that her husband was the one preparing the dish with such ease and precision.

She leaned forward against the table, resting her chin upon her hands. Watching Gaara's back as he made supper, she could not help but smile. "I didn't know you were such a good cook."

"Work often gets in the way," He let a laugh pass his lips, humbling him. "Between this and botany, living without parents made me want to learn how to do these things on my own. Rather than relying on housekeepers that my family would hire."

She gave a playful smirk. "The housekeepers were probably scared to death of you."

"They were." He said, moving the sauteed vegetables onto a baking sheet. After putting them in the oven, he switched on the timer and washed his hands in the sink, drying them with the dishtowel that hung nearby. He turned to her, smiling back. "But in recent times, not so much. They're more scared of you now, if anything."

Realizing what he was getting at, a shudder passed through her shoulders of the memory. Already she pictured herself clad in her dense furs, breaking through the glass in a haze of white and red. The shards prickled her as if icicles, piercing her flesh as she rampaged the village streets in frenzy. Shame enveloped her, although somewhat humoured in passing. Averting her eyes from his, she became small.

"I forgot about that time when I smashed the window… no wonder."

"It's all in the past…." He assured, turning his attention to the dishes that needed cleaning. "Nothing to worry about."

The scent of food flowed to her nostrils, near making her rise from her seat to follow it. Her instincts propelled her blood to boil with a beast-like hunger, itching for the moment to sink her jaws into the cooked flesh. Catching her off-guard, her stomach panged in knots. A chuckle passed her lips, excitement brimming from her violet eyes.

"It smells so great!" She sighed, laying her head down onto the table's worn surface. "I can't wait to eat… I'm starving…"

Gaara eyed her curiously. "Didn't you just eat a plate of lemon cakes earlier?"

"You knew about that?" She snickered, blushing. "It's embarrassing… Normally I can't even eat two, let alone ten!"

"How was your appointment?" He asked, his smile fading as he turned back to the dishes. "I'm… sorry I couldn't be there with you. My duties still forbid me from these times with you… I should've used a clone this time around."

Nomasaki gave a soft smile. "It's alright, this one was just a follow-up." She assured. Remembering the words of the doctor, she glanced down to her tiny bump in a heartfelt and warm gesture. Gingerly, she placed a palm over where it hid behind her obi. "But… the next one is when we can see it… on the ultrasound. It will be… three months, so they can show us."

Gaara's steady hand on the dishcloth froze on the plate he was cleaning. Turning back to her, his expression was stunned and warm of emotion. Even just from his eyes, she could tell he was moved. "…Really?" Seeing her give a cheery nod from the table, he turned back and smiled from the heart. "Then I'll be there, I promise."

Warmed, she smiled back.

"Are you seriously cooking?"

Drawing their attention towards the porch, Kankurō entered boastfully as he tossed his shoes in the porch. Before they had a chance to say anything, he plopped himself down onto the couch in the living room and laid back. His mission was only two days long, but the aches in his legs and shoulders were more pronounced than usual. The heat did him no favours – especially when clad in black puppeteer robes.

"That assignment was a pain in the ass… It feels good to finally relax."

"At least someone can…" Gaara muttered.

Kankurō scoffed. "Look, you're the Kazekage – you basically gave up any free-time for the sake of your duty to the village. A noble sacrifice, but a sacrifice of your sanity… I don't know how you do it."

"Neither do I," Gaara agreed, giving a half-handed smirk as he took the food from the oven. "When are Temari and Shikamaru coming back?"

"Any time." Kankurō said. "They were still in the council chambers when I walked by. She was giving one of the elders a piece of her mind, that's for sure. I could hear the yelling from outside your door!"

It was not long enough after that the dining room table was soon crowded with guests.

Seated at the head was Gaara, with Nomasaki to his right. Beside her was Shikamaru, followed by Temari across from him. Kankurō sat at the end, a vacant seat beside him. Meiyumi was invited, but her medic-nin duties prevented her from attending. Unlike the coupling of his siblings with their significant others, the council could not care less what Kankurō did with his love life. At least there was one of Rasa's children who would not be pestered by grouchy old men and their tenets. Once the food was brought to the table and Gaara at last took his seat, Kankurō could not help but give a smirk under his tired expression.

"It's been so long since we sat at a table and ate together, probably not since after the war." He said, leaning back in his chair nonchalantly. Turning to the Konoha-nin, he gave out a nod in approval. "And our first with Shikamaru. Welcome to the family, deer-guy."

"Thanks." Shikamaru nodded, glancing to the meal laid out on the table. "So what are we having? I'm a stranger to desert cuisine so this is all new to me."

"Roast vegetables and camel, garnished in spices. Sake on the side." Gaara entered, a light smile etched on his face. "It's not the best Sunagakure dish, but it's one saved for… special occasions."

Kankurō scoffed, reaching over to grab the bottle. "Special occasions? Never took you for a sentimental guy…" As he poured his drink, he passed the bottle to Nomasaki. "I might as well give you this first, you drink more than me."

Nervousness setting in, Nomasaki grasped the bottle and passed it down the table. "I-I'm not drinking sake tonight."

He rose a brow. "What? You… turning down alcohol? What kind of wolf are you? Are you feeling okay, Nomasaki?"

"Drop it, Kankurō." Gaara interrupted. "She said no."

Confused, the puppeteer drank his shot. "Whatever… no need to be so defensive."

Anxiety setting in, Nomasaki averted her attention to the meal.

Garnished in many spices and glazed in olive oil, she saw the chopped roasted camel at the table's centre, surrounded by smaller dishes of sauteed vegetables, hummus, and freshly made bread. It was surely an impressive meal, the sweet and strong smell of spice and flavour filling her nostrils and churning her stomach in a beastly hunger. And now she could finally eat. Soon enough, the dinner guests began to fill their plates. The more she stared at the roasted camel, the more her stomach growled and swayed. Then the nausea resurfaced. Distress suddenly overcame her, prompting her to pull herself out from her seat and dash towards the bathroom while cupping her mouth.

"I-I feel sick, excuse me!"

The door slammed shut behind her.

And the muffled sound of her retching echoed down the hall.

Before Kankurō had the chance to put the food in his mouth, he swallowed his gag reflex and pushed his plate away. "Well… I just lost my appetite."

"Kankurō…!"

"Ow!" The prick of his sister's fingernails dug into him as she pinched his arm. Swatting her hand away, Kankurō grasped his arm muttering curses while Temari pretended she did not notice. A scoff spat its way through his teeth. "Jeez, Temari… easy with the pinching!"

Hearing the faint noises of vomiting down the hall, Shikamaru pushed his plate aside as well. "How troublesome…" He sighed. "I think I'll pass on the camel, too. Something weird about eating an animal this dry makes me want to not eat anything."

"I should go and check on her," Gaara stood, his expression concerned. "She's been getting sick lately."

"Lately?" Temari rose a brow. "What do you mean by lately?"

"A few weeks."

"Really?"

Gaara nodded. "Yes." Seeing his sister's suspicious glance, he grew cautious. "What is it?"

"I wonder…" Kankurō pondered. "Does this have something to do with that heir-business?"

Temari groaned, shooting him an annoyed look. "Kankurō, are you seriously asking if Nomasaki is -?"

"Something's weird about this…" Kankurō continued, crossing his arms against his chest. "I mean, Nomasaki will eat any meat – even camel! But she took one look at the food and ran off to the bathroom. And she refused the sake! She loves alcohol – too much, if you ask me. It's not like her. Also… she looks… more feminine than usual. And you're acting weirdly secretive about the whole thing."

They figured it out, damn it. Gaara narrowed his glance. "Your point?"

A mischievous grin formed on Kankurō's lips. "Is… Nomasaki pregnant?"

"What -?" Gaara flinched, taken aback. "What do you mean -?"

"Does she have a bun in the oven?" Kankurō chuckled. "You know… knocked up. With child. Expecting. That sort of thing."

"She can't be pregnant -," Temari added, stunned by the realization. "Come to think of it… since when did she have a chest? I mean, she was always flat-chested."

Shikamaru leaned to her ear for a whisper. "Not to mention she declined sake, her Achilles Heel… It all adds up, if you ask me."

"Gaara -!" Temari stood, shocked. "Is she -?! Is Nomasaki pregnant?"

And he was trapped.

Reluctantly, Gaara surrendered. Calming his stance, he nodded and looked down towards the floor. "…Yes."

Rising from the table, Kankurō ran and wrapped Gaara into a brotherly chokehold, rubbing his knuckles at his thick red hair as if he were a child. "'Atta boy, Gaara!" He snickered. "Congratulations, little brother!"

"Let go of me!" Gaara struggled, pushing his brother away with his sand. "Damn it, Kankurō."

"How far along is she?" Temari pressed, her green eyes excited. "Did you just find out?"

"…Almost two months."

"Two months?! That long?" She gasped. Then a sudden thought jolted her memory. "Wait… this doesn't add up. Your wedding was only a few weeks ago. How can she be pregnant for that long?" Suspicion flooded her mind, her glance growing wary and narrowed. "Unless…"

Gaara met her glance with confusion. "Unless what?"

"Gaara, when did she find out?"

He averted his glance, holding his tongue. "…Three days before the wedding."

Kankurō chuckled. "Got a jump on that heir-stuff, I see."

"Shut up." Gaara spat, shooting him a glare.

"Gaara, you didn't…" Temari groaned. "I mean, how could you be so careless?"

"Don't judge a man, Temari." Kankurō entered, a sly grin on his painted lips. "Sometimes a few extra seconds makes all the difference -," It only took a mere second for Temari to smack him. "Ow-!"

"I wasn't being careless." Gaara firmed.

Seeing their eyes upon him, he averted his glance as he felt the warmth spread to his cheeks. As if instantaneously, he remembered that day well. The red of her kimono, the sound of her tickled laughter, and the secrecy and threat of being caught. And the heaving and shattering of the desk. It was all too memorable to forget – and now the reminder had evidence.

"We… got carried away."

"Must have been quite the event." Kankurō chuckled. "So… what was it that made the most stone-faced and rigid person become careless? I'm curious."

Gaara hesitated.

"…We broke my desk."

"Your desk?!"

"Alright – it was a surprise," He admitted, sensing the embarrassment in the room. "But we're… looking forward to it."

Kankurō scoffed. "You better… that kid is going to be something else. A sand-tanuki and a wolf? It's going to be a lot to handle… even for you. Your kid might be one of those crazy hybrid-clan kids people talk about -,"

Nudging him by the elbow, Temari gestured a nod to the hallway as the sound of a door opening drew their attention. Wiping the edge of her lips, Nomasaki walked into the dining room with all eyes on her and a deafening silence. "Sorry about that. What did I miss?" She asked, growing timid. "W-Why are you all looking at me like that? I'm sorry I got sick… I -,"

Bringing her in for a hug, Temari held her close. "Congratulations!"

"W-What?" Nomasaki's eyes flickered, her heart jumping in her chest. "W-What are you talking about -?"

Meeting her stunned expression from across the room after Temari let go of her, Gaara nodded. A small smile was on his lips, as if humble and proud yet his ringed eyes were uneasy. "They know."

"They know -?" She repeated. Reading his face, she froze and instantly blushed. "O-Oh…"

"I knew something was off about you earlier! Your stuttering was a dead giveaway. You're really bad at lying, you know…" Temari entered. "How are you feeling?"

Shyly, Nomasaki beamed. The excitement was clear in her eyes, the purple vibrant and shining. "I'm okay, but it'll be nice once my gag reflex dies down."

As he watched his wife talk with his sister and Shikamaru, Gaara sat on the couch and Kankurō soon joined him. Silence stood between the brothers for a moment, but after Kankurō stretched and relaxed his arms on the cushion did the silence retreat. "Did you tell the council?" He glanced to him. "They were the ones pressing for a heir but I don't think they'll be too happy given the circumstances…" He scoffed. "A wolf and a tanuki… very strange. The First Kazekage Reto-sama is no doubt spinning in his grave. Dad, too."

With a gaze locked towards the floor, thoughts ran through his mind in careful and calculated haste. Firm in his conviction. "I plan on telling them the news soon, after certain things are dealt with."

"What things?"

"…Tenbu might still be lurking."

Kankurō flinched. "What -? Are you serious?"

Gaara nodded. "The assassin who came to Suna before the wedding was after Nomasaki… and there's no doubt in my mind that their allegiance is with the splinters that somehow survived." His ringed-eyes narrowed, anger growing behind them. "…and I'll deal with them soon enough."

Hearing the conversation across the room turn to laughs and cheery banter, the two brothers looked up and saw the vibrance amidst the darkness that brooded at the back of their thoughts. Gaara's heart sank. Of all times, curse the bastards and all they stand for… even on their last legs. If Tenbu truly still lingered after the defeat of Koga, there was no telling what awaited them beyond the horizon. All he knew was that his unborn child and his wife were the targets – and he had to protect them at all costs.

No matter the risk.

The night was quiet from the winds of a dying summer.

Sleeping soundly beside her husband, Nomasaki was deep into slumber. As their guests from Konoha slept in the room across the hall, Gaara decided to attempt getting a night's sleep. Surprisingly, it took him only a matter of a few hours of lying beside his sleeping wife to finally close his eyes. Holding her close, he buried his face into the gold that lay upon the pillow and felt the hum of each breath she took as he drifted into the same sleep. Tiredness approached Nomasaki earlier than usual, breaking her hardened night-owl habits, and now she was lucky to rise before noon. She did not stir in her dreams before – but her nightly visions soon caused her to drift further.

The world was white through her awakening eyes.

In her mind, she lay on a bed of white flowers. Their smell was sweet, wild, and crisp of the cold. Her thoughts immediately went to the beautiful blooms of the white desert roses. It was only then did she realize they were snow lilies from her homeland of the far north, the tinge of cool passing through the robes of her kimono that shielded her back. Their pedals appeared near white, the faint frosted blue shining like the brightest of snows. Breathing easy, she closed her eyes and eased her mortal body onto her bed of flowers.

A sudden warm sensation swam down her legs.

Startling her, she gathered her robes and saw blood painting the inner of her thighs. The red flowed slowly as if frozen by time or the cold, coating the flowers beneath her in an eerie crimson that made a strange fear strike through her every breath. She was not in pain, she was still breathing – but the red soon surrounded her.

And she was the one bleeding…