(2021/12/16) Author's Note:

Hey everyone!

Surprise chapter drop earlier than expected! This one is more fluff and less intense than previous ones, so I hope you enjoy! The big chapter is coming up sooner than you think - probably within the next few updates. I also just wanted to say I'm officially taking a break for the holidays to catch up on sleep and reading, and to decompress from the school/workload I've faced for the last while. I'm going to try to take a mental break from fanfiction until possibly after the New Year so I can regain some writing-steam and not get burnt out (and hopefully by then my updates will be more consistent and my other fics won't go neglected lol).

As always, thank you all for reading! xx

Chapter 10
Nomasaki III

Winter arrived.

The desert winds grew colder, but the absence of snow and ice left Nomasaki feeling hollow. Reaching six months, her homesickness only grew stronger. She felt as if the hormones surged through her like wildfire, compelling her to a teary mess when she would imagine the snowy meadow and her clan who awaited her return. Her bones ached for her homeland, for the white and silver that graced the mountains and its forest – and the howling of wolves upon the bitter winds. In Sunagakure, the land was a dulled grim gold and the winds did not howl – for the winds here were silent. Nomasaki knew she would be able to return to Yamagakure again someday, but despair lingered where hope should be. She did not even have the heart to tell her father of the risks that would come with the delivery. She decided it was better if he did not know. But the thought of causing her father further agony pained her. He already lost his wife to disease and near lost his daughter once before in that blackened cave, but never before had Nomasaki walked upon the tightrope of death so close.

And all because of the impending childbirth.

I can't do that to him, or Gaara, she decided, I will conquer this… no matter what it takes.

As she placed her hands upon the worn inscriptions on the sandstone floor of the sealing chambers, she could feel the skin of her palms burn fiercely. As her pregnancy grew, so did the pain of the scar on her arm. The blood-seal placed upon her did not appear since the night of Temari's wedding, but she dreaded at the thought of seeing it again – unless it was the day she finally unlocked it and freed herself. She was already a prisoner once to the curse seal Kenzō placed upon her tongue as an underling, and now as a married woman she was under a mortal sentence – a parting gift from the man who tortured her and seemed to only exist to make her and Gaara's life miserable. She decided if she survived the birth, she would make it her task to personally eliminate Tenbu and all that their legacy touched.

"Even beheaded, a wolf's head still has the power to bite," as her clan would say.

Tenbu was as good as dead in her eyes.

The inscriptions beneath her hands were drawn in blood, taken from one of her thumbs that she bit with a fanged tooth. Sitting on her knees, she held her burning hands onto the seals while she looked on to the open and tattered scroll that sat rolled out before her. The words were etched strangely, the phrasing hardly comprehensible. It seemed as if a language she did not understand. Given the age of the scroll, it was not surprising. While the inscription glowed under her palms, she could sense her chakra growing erratic and her forehead becoming coated in sweat from the exertion.

A great wave of red light rumbled through the inscriptions and soon faded.

Nomasaki winced, clutching her hands into her sleeves. "Damn it…"

"You should be more careful with this fūinjutsu training of yours." Meiyumi chided, sitting at the opposite end with her arms crossed. Nomasaki asked her to come for assistance in case she lost her strength – and Meiyumi would not have let her go alone anyways. Before long, she stood and came to her side, using her medical ninjutsu to heal her burns. The medic gave a concerned look from her brown eyes. "Your hands are all burnt, just look at how tender your palms are!"

Meiyumi was right. Looking at them in the green aura of healing, the skin was scorched. Nomasaki's palms were a bright pink, as if she attempted to quell a cooking fire with her bare hands. Even closing them hurt. "I have no choice. If this is what it takes, I'll do it."

"It almost reminds me of when I tried to teach you medical ninjutsu back when we were chunin." Meiyumi sighed. A faint, humoured laugh passed her lips. "Your chakra is certainly hostile."

"I have the blood of a beast, as they say." Nomasaki smirked, brushing off the pain. "My chakra doesn't take well to certain things, as I've learned over the years. Carrying a pregnancy also doesn't help, I can hardly mould enough chakra to form the hand-signs."

A sadness flickered behind the medic's eyes. "And you're sure this is what you have to do? There's no way to… -,"

"Yes." Nomasaki nodded, her face cleansed clean of emotion. "Meiyumi, stand prepared. I'm going to try it again." Cautiously, Meiyumi heeded her words and stepped back. Forming the hand-signs she deciphered from the scroll, she placed her palms back onto the inscription. "Secret Art! Blood-Sealing!"

A burst of red glow shone within the blood drawn upon the floor.

Chakra pulsed through Nomasaki's veins, her wolf's blood writhing at the feel. The power she sensed from the seal intimidated her, but she pushed through. It felt as if she had a massive weight laid upon her shoulders, anchoring her down towards the sandstone – but she resisted with as much strength as she could muster. A sudden burning pain shot through her scar, and her hands began to burn again. She smelt burning flesh, alerting her greatly.

Unable to control it, she surrendered her palms away and the red glow faded once more.

She felt herself recoil in pain, her scar throbbing as if on fire and her palms scorching hot. She bit her lip as best as she could while she clutched her hands against her dress, quelling every curse she could think of. "The pain is… unreal."

"Take a break, Nomasaki." Meiyumi entered. "You've been at it for hours straight as it is."

"Your friend is right, my lady." Shijima answered, stepping out from the shadows of the chamber. "Such a jutsu would take time to master, and you've been working on it for merely a month. Rest."

Nomasaki stood. "But I have barely three months left! I -," Her words stopped. Biting her tongue, she averted her eyes out of shame. "…I need to decode this technique and survive when it unleashes. I must conquer it." Picking up the open tattered scroll, she found herself staring at two words that seemed written as if an ancient language. She thought she saw a word that said 'vessel'. It made her feel both hopeless and frustrated. "If only the scroll was easier to understand…"

My mother would have known these things. She must have. Maybe I should ask the snake to perform Edō Tensei on her and some Uzumaki, if I end up going mad from this.

"What language is this even written in?" Meiyumi groaned, looking over her shoulder. "I can make out some words, but others look so strange."

Nomasaki sighed. "It's an old tongue, I'm guessing."

"Ancient." Shijima paused, taking in the scroll with a single glance from her concealed eyes. "My family had scrolls written in this language. My father taught me some basic words. It's a… harsh tongue, before the Warring States Era even existed."

Why didn't you speak sooner? You've been guarding me for months, yet you've been keeping this secret. She wanted to say more, but she did not want her emotions to get the better of her. Nomasaki turned, her violet eyes surprised and face calm. "Does it have a name?"

"My father called it 'desert-tongue'. The real name for it is unknown, I'm afraid."

"I see…" Nomasaki sighed, looking back at the aged scroll and its markings. "How strange for a scroll from the mountains to be written in such a language…" She held her thumb to her lips, her fanged teeth grazing it lightly. Perhaps some of those old legends were true. Maybe I have more desert-blood in me than I care to think. A feeling of pleading entered her heart, leaving her to meet her bodyguard's nearby glance. "Can you teach me, Shijima?"

Shijima nodded. "I can teach you what I know, as my knowledge is limited. But please, my lady – rest."

How can I rest when everything is working against me?

Heeding her bodyguard's words, Nomasaki rolled up the scroll, tying it closed, and placed it back onto the center inscription on the floor. Before she could say anything, she sensed a chakra approaching from beyond the door, but it still appeared foggy through her dimmed senses. Interrupting the three kunoichi, Maki approached from the joining room at the far-side of the chamber. Although she was Nomasaki's fūinjutsu instructor, she merely observed the training with the rest of the Suna Sealing Corps who went back and forth through the large caverns of libraries and sealing chambers. While the blood-sealing was being decoded, Maki took on a supervisory role – by monitoring the chakra of the room through her barrier ninjutsu. If anything were to go awry, her jutsu of the binding-cloth would take care of things.

"My lady," Maki spoke, drawing their attention. "Kazekage-sama is here. Should I send him in?"

Her words instantly lifted her mood.

A light smile formed on Nomasaki's lips. "Yes. Thank you, Maki-senpai."

When Nomasaki saw him enter, Gaara was without guard and by himself.

Not even Kankurō accompanied him. Meeting his face, she noticed something was different about him – particularly around the eyes. He did not seem as exhausted as he was, with his expression calm and pleasant. He had been getting more sleep as of late, focusing mostly on his work and spending as much time in the greenhouse as possible. He was able to spend the nights with her when he could, and she appreciated that small gesture. Even so, they were never alone for long. Shijima was always lurking beyond the doors to their residence, watching every shadow move along the corridor in case one dared to strike – and Kankurō often dropped in to visit with Meiyumi as she did her weekly checkups. It was beginning to become too risky for Nomasaki to leave the residence often, as her pregnancy was now painfully obvious. Nomasaki was grateful for her friend's dedication to her as a patient, but she would prefer if she had alone-time with Gaara for at least a few hours.

Perhaps today, things would be different.

Shijima met him in the room's centre, knelt and with her head bowed in servitude and duty. "Kazekage-sama. I've been watching over your wife as you requested. No threats have appeared since leaving the residence."

"Thank you, Shijima." Gaara nodded. He looked to Nomasaki, a light smile near visible on his face under the scattered fluorescent lights. "You've been hard at work. How are things?"

Once Shijima stood and backed away, Nomasaki walked to meet him. Her excitement to see him suddenly changed to guilt and embarrassment. She averted her glance from him, looking down at her burnt hands. "I'm getting closer every day, but… some elements of the scroll are hard to decipher. I keep burning my hands from the chakra, too."

"Let me wrap them for you." Meiyumi jumped in. Before Nomasaki could object or tell her she was alright, her friend already had the bandages out from her first-aid kit. As Nomasaki winced from the bandage being tied over her damaged palms, Meiyumi tsked. "Honestly, Nomasaki… you need to take better care of yourself. Especially since you'll be a mother soon! If you can't take care of yourself, how do you expect to take care of your own kid?" Her brown eyes glanced to Gaara, and a snicker passed her lips. "They better be more like Gaara and have some sort of Ultimate Defense… if they're like you, I'll be patching them up steady!"

Nomasaki looked away, feeling her face turn flushed. "I-I'm okay. I-I don't push myself too hard -,"

"Ah-ha!" Meiyumi pointed. "You're stuttering again! That's your tell – you're lying!"

"I-I'm not lying, just nervous."

"Are you nervous or just embarrassed because your husband is here to see this?"

"N-No, that's not it -,"

"Geez, Nomasaki… even before you married him, you always get so flustered around Gaara."

She felt her cheeks redden in protest. "N-Not always -!"

Meiyumi tied the last bandage wrapping, making a tidy bow over Nomasaki's knuckles. "Anyways, you should give your hands a break at least for a few days. They're already raw, Nomasaki."

"As I said earlier, I agree with the medic." Shijima entered. "Let me escort you home, my lady."

Gaara spoke. "I can take it from here."

"Kazekage-sama?" Shijima raised a brow.

Confused, Nomasaki gave a wary glance. "Don't you have work?"

"I finished early." Gaara replied. "I wanted to have more time to spend at home, since I've been overworked lately." He lightly smiled at her. "Did you want to have supper?"

Just hearing the words made her stomach growl. She had been in the Sealing Corps chambers all day, reading and attempting the jutsu which scarcely any time to have lunch. Meiyumi brought apples and lemon-cakes for her to snack on while continuing her work, but what Nomasaki really wanted was venison from a fresh kill. Even if there were no venison in Suna, she knew there were camels and antelope. The prospect of it alone near made her blood boil in hunger.

She could not help but give him a wolfish grin. "Only if you're making it."

Gaara closed his eyes and sighed as he put his hands into his pockets. She noticed his lips curved into a slight smirk. Humoured. "You're persistent."

Once Maki and her underlings disarmed the barrier, Shijima bowed her head and took her leave, with Meiyumi telling Nomasaki to not mould chakra until her hands were healed. For the first time in months, it felt as if the burden of the seal and the vision did not hover overhead. It seemed as if a normal day, with no threats to be seen or heard – and for their home waiting for them to come back once the day was done. She wondered if things would ever stay that way again. In her heart, she could only hope. But for now, she wanted to pretend at least that she was just an expecting wife – nothing more.

Taking Nomasaki by the hand, Gaara led the way back home.

The walk home reminded her of the night of Temari's wedding.

Unbothered by the world around them, they passed through the flowering courtyard that still bloomed in the cool desert winter. Briefly, the stopped by the greenhouse to check on the flowers and herbs that grew inside. Nomasaki saw her sunflower was still alive, climbing the garden stake to reach the rays of sun that entered through the glass ceiling. Gaara seemed pleased. Once inside their home, the two took to the kitchen as a team. Gaara cooked the slices of beef for the skewer, while Nomasaki sauteed and chopped the vegetables. The meal was everything she hoped for – it was savoury, coated in spices, and was fresh as she imagined in her mind. It was wild bovine, which was not as gamy as venison but held the same flavour she wanted. When they were done with dinner table conversation, they cleaned the dishes together. Nomasaki liked to wash them, and would rather have Gaara dry them. If he were to clean the dishes, the sink might as well have been filled with sand. Even still, she insisted Gaara wear gloves while he dried them. The last thing anyone would want was to get a mouthful of sand while eating a meal.

Gaara did not understand the concern, but complied, nonetheless.

Surprising her, they went unbothered all evening.

After having a lemon-cake, they spent the rest of the day in the living room. Laying on her back, Nomasaki stretched herself out on the large wine-colored couch and lightly ran her burnt hands over her pregnant belly. Across the room, Gaara sat in the armchair with his head buried in a book with thick binding. Nomasaki could faintly see the title from far away, making out the words 'Plants of the Plateau'. She would read herself, but her fatigue and hunger pushed her limited patience. Shelves filled to the brim with books lined the wall behind where Gaara sat, leaving the prospect of choosing something to read to become a daunting task. She decided she would read at a different time. As she lay on her back, she closed her eyes and let her thoughts leave her – choosing to soak in the welcome silence.

She heard the wisping of pages, which signaled to her that Gaara made it to the next chapter. "How are you feeling?"

"Full." She sighed, a light laugh passing her lips. "Even so, I feel like I could have another lemon-cake before bed." A thought entered, leaving her to shudder. "At least I don't crave pickles or seafood… I hate those things…"

Gaara scoffed. "I'd think you would know by now there's no seafood in Suna."

"That doesn't change my opinion." Nomasaki sat up carefully, giving a snide grin. When she leaned against the couch, she felt the ligaments of her back muscles stretch painfully and the weight of her belly came to the foray of her awareness. Glancing down, she saw the bump spread under the thin white sash and caressed it lovingly. She could not help but smile warmly, even if the tears were not far away. "Six months, huh? I hope those rude elders are lying and I won't give birth to a pup instead of a baby."

"You weren't born a pup." Gaara froze, slowly pulling the book down as he stared at her. "…Were you?"

She chuckled. "I have no idea. I hope not… that would've scared the midwives half to death."

Putting his book away in the shelf behind him, Gaara stood from his seat and joined her on the couch. Comfortingly, he put his arm around her and admired her with his glance. "What should we name them?"

"A good name, a strong name." She spoke, looking down at her belly. "Do you think it will be a daughter or a son? Would the council be upset if it's a daughter?"

He scoffed. "I don't care." He looked to her curious glance with a warm smile. "I'm going to be a father, and that's all that matters."

Nomasaki smiled back, her cheeks warm with love and her purple eyes near gleaming with the tears that dared to shine in her glance. "Everything feels so fast." She said, looking down at her dress. "At first, it felt like it took forever to get to this point… but they'll be born in a few months. Weeks, even." Her smile faded, guilt and sorrow creeping in. "And the seal…"

He placed a hand on her thigh, his ringed-eyes firm with hope. "We're figuring it out. Don't worry about that. You're doing everything you can, and you're getting closer to decoding that jutsu. I have faith in you, Nomasaki." He held her hand softly, meeting her violet eyes that gleamed in the lamplight. The love was seen plainly in his glance, devoted. "And I'm here for you, always."

She nodded despite the encroaching tears, smiling gently. "Always."

A sensation struck under her palm. It was not the burn from her wounds of the sealing, but it was from what lay under her clothes. Looking down, she felt it again. A kick. In awe, she smiled adoringly and felt another kick lightly touch her hand. It was a strong and healthy kick, too. She laughed lightly to herself, her cheeks blushing in content.

"Whenever you're close, they start to kick." She smiled at Gaara. "My heart still beats fast when you're near… just as it did when I first realized I loved you. I think they're picking up on my habits."

Gingerly, Gaara placed a hand over her belly. After only a moment, she felt his chakra grow surprised and soon saw a heartfelt smile form on his stoic face. "They have a strong kick." He remarked. His hand trembled slightly, as if to keep his emotions at bay. "I still can't believe I'm going to be a father… It's… amazing."

"And I'm going to be a mother." She echoed, her cheeks rosy while she gave a teary smile. "Gaara, I can't wait to meet them! I hope they're just like you."

Before she could say anything more, she felt Gaara's arms take her in for a gentle embrace. He buried his face into her gold hair, his hands softly placed over blue fabric that covered her back. "They'll be kind like their mother… that's all I could ever hope for."

Holding him close, she could not help but smile from his heartfelt words.

But the reminder of what was to come in the future lingered sinisterly in her thoughts.

And soon came the night.

In her dream, she found herself in her familiar realm of white and silver.

The snow was falling softly from the skies above, touching her warm, rosy cheeks as she stood in her short-sleeved dress of kimono and mesh. Her breath swirled into vapour as she took her first conscious breaths. The cold never bothered her, but her skin had grown too used to the desert in her years of living between two separate worlds. She found herself wishing she had one of her fur cloaks with her to shield her from the frost that bit at her exposed arms.

Walking further into the world of white and cold, her footsteps crunched upon the frozen ground as if music to her ears. Soon enough once her child was born, she could return to Yamagakure and see the snow in person for the first time in months, which to her felt as if an eternity. Placing a hand over her abdomen, her touch startled her to halt in her steps. No bump was present. Looking down, her belly appeared as if she were never with child – and she did not feel the weight of her labour or the strain on her back. Taking a breath of ease, she assured herself that it was only a dream.

The further she kept onward, the more the cold began to slowly fade. Reaching a simmering and delicate heat, she heard sand grains move under her soles. Surprising her, her world of white turned into a world of sand. The realm was empty, but soon she could see the faint silhouette of a sandstone-carved bench in the distance. Thinking it was only a mere mirage, when she touched it and her fingers sensed its age and shape, she realized it was not an apparition at all. Taking a breath, she sat and looked onward into the white ahead.

Thoughts crept to her, reminding her of the scarce time she had left when she would wake.

She felt near hopeless.

"I was wondering when I would get to meet you."

The voice struck her from her daze.

Sensing a chakra appear beside her, Nomasaki turned to see a woman of sandy-blonde hair sitting at the other end of the bench. She wore a simple long-sleeved dress of a maroon shade and had a light-yellow scarf draped loosely around her neck. Meeting her kind eyes, Nomasaki noticed they were of a deep indigo shade – near purple, like hers. The woman's expression was one of warmth, bewildering her.

"Me?" Nomasaki asked, startled. "Who are… Who are you?" As she saw the woman give a soft smile, she realized she could sense her chakra. It was warm and carried a faint familiarity – one that reminded her of her husband. Her heart jumping in her chest, she put two-and-two together and realized what was happening. "Wait! You're… -! Gaara's mother?"

The woman smiled. "Karura."

The shock receding, a smile formed on Nomasaki's lips. As the thoughts came to her, tears entered her eyes from the reminder of what Gaara told her of his mother – the one who brought him into the world and gave him his name. Looking back to the white ahead, she rubbed the tears that dared to leave her eyes and kept her composure.

"Your mother told me all about you."

"Did she?" Nomasaki lowered her gaze in fond memory. "I hope it wasn't anything embarrassing…"

Karura let out a short and sweet laugh. "Not at all. She said you've been through so much – just as my son has…" Her voice paused for a moment. "…I'm sorry your life was so difficult."

"It wasn't without struggle, that's for sure." Nomasaki sighed, her glance upon the realm of white that lay ahead. "That's just the life of a shinobi. We all have our burdens to bear, some more than others."

"You're well-spoken." Karura turned to her, smiling softly. "Nomasaki, was it? What a lovely name… your mother told me she named you for the flowers on your mountain." She looked up to the white skies above. "I would've loved to meet her when I was still alive. Rasa would've taken us to visit if the council hadn't pressed him to charge your father with treason… that took a great toll on him – on my husband. Mikomi had a lot to say when we finally met in the afterlife."

Karura's words made her faint memories of the red moon come back.

In her Infinite Dream, her family lived together in harmony in a peaceful Yamagakure – where her clan and the wolves reigned strong. Her father took her to visit her grandparents in Sunagakure once a year, and he would visit the family of his childhood friend Rasa – the Fourth Kazekage. She remembered the visions showed her a happy young life, playing with Gaara and Naruto in the Kazekage estate's courtyard while their parents reminisced about their times as genin. And years later when she became chieftain of her village, she was reunited with Gaara again – and they grew to love each other. Her dream was truly one of clairvoyance, one that could even put the Hōki heiress to shame. Her genjutsu dream would have been real if not for such unfortunate circumstances. She wanted to weep in joy for how things could have been – and how things have become.

Holding in her sorrow, she choked back a sob and kept firm. "She was always the best at stories."

"She told me of your mountain, and of your clan… and how proud she was of you." Karura awed, closing her eyes. When her eyes opened, she glanced down to her lap in what appeared to be guilt. "As a mother, all you could ever want was to see your child live a fulfilling life… and be happy." Looking to the young woman beside her, Karura gently smiled. "I'm glad my son has a wife as strong and kind as you."

Nomasaki flinched, surprised. "Y-You know?"

Karura giggled. "A mother has her ways, even in the Pure Land."

"Wait," Nomasaki stammered. "How can you… be with me? I'm not -,"

"No, nothing like that – you're only sleeping." Karura assured, seeing the shy panic arise. "I'm able to because of your chakra. You are of the Yamamori, an ancient clan of people who naturally contain nature-energy in their blood. Like the other old clans, your bloodline can tap into visions – and sometimes even the next world, but only momentarily. I was able to contact you through this short window of opportunity, but I wanted to speak with you even still."

Nomasaki sighed, relieved. "Gaara will have a hard time believing in me, that's for sure.

Karura giggled.

Once her laugh faded from her lips, she lowered her gaze, and her expression became one of sorrow and guilt. "Gaara was made a jinchuriki against my will, but as a wife to the Kazekage, I agreed it was the best for our village. How wrong I was…" She lamented. "He endured so much strife, so much hatred and loneliness… I couldn't be there for him, other than protecting him vicariously through the grains of his sand – although it was merely a manifestation of my parting from this world. I wasn't there to help him be loved… or teach him how to love others. The sand only shielded him from hate, yet hate was all he knew. I…-," Her words stopped. Nomasaki thought she heard Karura weep, but the woman's grief was washed away by a warmed pride. "But now, he's loved by his friends, his family, his village – and he found love with you." Karura turned to her, meeting her vibrant purple eyes with a gentle smile. "I have to admit, I never thought he would marry a wolf."

Nomasaki smiled back. "I never thought I would marry a tanuki."

Karura laughed pleasantly. "And now you're with child."

A sadness struck Nomasaki. "Yes… but," Delicately, she placed a hand over where her swollen belly once was, her glance looking down towards it in a sense of fear and guilt. "Something terrible will happen if I don't figure out how to stop the blood-sealing placed on me…"

"I'm well aware." Karura spoke. Her voice was calm as wind – understanding. "The jutsu that claimed my life force was of that variety. Rasa and I had faith in Chiyo-sama, and she fully believed she understood the formula… but something went wrong."

Nomasaki turned, surprised. "What happened?"

"As the Suna elders have told us, the blood-sealing for a tailed-beast requires a toll – usually the blood of the jutsu user." Karura began, glancing down at her lap. "But the jutsu went unused for generations, not since the last jinchuriki of Shukaku who lived during the reign of Reto-sama. The jutsu required a great toll, one that was even more demanding than blood itself. For such a technique, a human sacrifice was required – a life for a life." Her voice grew quiet, saddened. "So as a result of the sealing… I entered early labour and took my last breaths after seeing my newborn son."

"I see…" Nomasaki sighed. "So it's truly hopeless, isn't it?"

"Not entirely." Karura replied, looking to her. Her indigo eyes appeared firm – confident. Strong, even. "You have an ancient bloodline in you. You have a chance, a strong chance."

"What do I do?" Nomasaki pled, desperately. "I tried researching what my people know, but nothing helped! I don't know what else I can do -,"

"You need to manifest the seal in you – as a vessel."

Nomasaki's eyes grew wide. "In… me?"

Karura nodded. "The blood-sealing requires a vessel to pay the toll. You are both."

Surprised by the revelation, Nomasaki sat in stunned silence.

Both.

"The vessel and the toll?" She repeated.

As if the snow fell again, the world of sand around them began to fade.

Warmth from the desert soon parted, with the golden sands at their feet disappearing into the expanding wave of white abyss. Beside her, Karura appeared to become translucent, fading into the abyss along with everything around them. It near reminded Nomasaki of when her mother was departing back to the Pure Land after the Edō Tensei was released during the great war. A sadness struck her heart, begging for Karura to not leave so soon. There was still so much she wanted to speak with her about, to ask her – but all the time they had was spent.

Holding back her tears, Nomasaki accepted.

"You're going to wake up soon." Karura spoke, holding her hand lightly. Nomasaki could see her own hand through her gentle grasp. It seemed as if a ghost were holding her. Karura smiled, warmly. "I know this may have been only a dream, but I hope I was able to help you. I can't come back to see you here. My chakra is restricted to the Pure Land so this will be the last time."

Her fingers went through her now, her form fading into the white.

"I will tell Rasa of you. I'm sure he'd be over the moon that his friend Kyō is our son's father-in-law – and that Kyō's daughter is now part of our family."

The white realm soon blurred the world around them.

"…and tell Gaara his mother loves him."

Nomasaki gave a parting smile, tears glistening in her purple eyes. "Thank you, Karura."

And everything went white.

Blinking rapidly, Nomasaki awoke in their shared bed.

Darkness of the night surrounded her, only breaking slightly from the light of the moon that passed through the open window. Rising frantically, she touched her face and felt her the warm and soft skin of her cheeks. She could feel every breath that escaped her lungs, and she could sense her own heartbeat as her hand slid to her chest. Refusing to look down out of fear, she hesitantly moved a hand down past the sash of her nightrobe. The feel of her bump startled her, a rush of relief coming down over her shoulders. She felt a slight movement below her palm, her heart fluttering with comfort. Taking a slow breath, she calmed herself and relaxed onto the pillows at her back.

It was only a dream, she realized.

Sensing a stir, she turned and saw Gaara asleep. His bare back was facing her, but she could see his breath rising and falling as he lay in deep slumber. The blankets were twisted and unkept where she sat on the sheets, but Gaara's side of the bed was immaculate save for the sand that marked his presence everywhere he went. She wondered if she should wake him to tell him of what Karura told her – or if he thought she was mad to dream of such a thing. Still, something within her heart convinced her it was actually his mother herself who appeared in her dream.

Sitting in silence with her hands upon her swollen belly, she contemplated Karura's words. To be a vessel and a toll was something so contradictory one would have to be mad to take the risk. But like the saying of the wayward travellers of the desert who went alone, only fools ever expected to survive – but she decided to become a fool, if that was all it took. She would become a mad fool.

And it was then that she realized what she must do.

Careful not to wake him, Nomasaki edged herself closer to her sleeping husband. She glanced at him fondly, glad to see he was finally able to find solace in sleep from his insomnia and stress. She felt partially responsible, despite his denials when she would ask and apologize. Gently, she touched his face with a delicate hand and kissed his head of crimson red hair. Silently, she rose from the bed and dressed herself more suitably, pulling a loose-fitting dress over her robes. Closing the door quietly behind her, she looked back at her sleeping husband for a final time. Starting down the hall, she left the residence in the silence of the night.

She decided it was time to study more from the scroll Ekashiba gave her.

Notes: The quote Nomasaki remembers of her clan, "Even beheaded, a wolf's head still has the power to bite,", was inspired from Studio Ghibli's Princess Mononoke (1998), which is one of my favourite movies. I thought it would be a interesting nod to make.