(2022/01/08): And so it begins - the story's midpoint!

I decided for this and the following chapter to be written in third-person omniscient, such as with the previous fic in this OC-centric/GaaOC series. There's a lot going on in these chapters, so I will be switching back to POV alternating for chapter 14 (when it is eventually posted). From writing in the POV style, I realized how much I actually appreciate some of these characters and their unique experiences - and in turn it makes me appreciate that style when reading other works of fiction both fanfiction and fantasy/sci-fi.

I'm *hoping* to have the next chapter posted by next week but it's a long chapter, so it might be posted later than intended!

As always, thank you for reading! xx

Content advisory: childbirth, trauma

Chapter 12
The Toll

Winter clung desperately to the desert lands.

The frigid winds slapped their cloaks as they trekked through the infinite expanse of desert and sand. Not a single buzzard dared to hover in the skies, and they only saw a few scarce carcasses of bare bone where the flesh had been picked clean. It was as if nothing else existed in the vast empty world. Sakura never saw the desert in such detail before – having only hastily passed through on missions, but Sasuke already had enough. He trekked through the desert once before when the moon near fell from the skies and an Ōtsutsuki threated to destroy the world. But he decided once was enough for a lifetime. If Sasuke saw another sand dune, he thought he would go mad. Remembering the mention of the deserter-turned-chieftain of Yamagakure, Sasuke figured the man had to be mad in at least one way if they endured almost twenty years of solitude in such hostile terrain. But then he remembered that the man betrayed Suna to marry a beast-woman, and to him it seemed that was madness in itself.

The winds rose again, slapping his cloak violently against his legs as he ascended a dune. The winds are still cold, he thought.

A presence flickered in his senses.

Turning to the west, his Rinnegan scanned the lands that lay before his sight. Nothing lingered, but the winds spoke of the chakra in its howls. It was not Shukaku – the beast was far to the northeast. Sasuke could tell, for a tailed-beast's chakra was never far in his senses. But this presence was unlike Shukaku. It was bestial, sinister, and unnatural.

But there's a strange chakra upon them, he narrowed his glance towards where the village lay, And it's headed towards Sunagakure.

"Sasuke?"

Sakura's voice brought him back.

Turning to meet her curious green eyes, he feigned a calmness and moved past her. "We need to go to Sunagakure."

"Oh?"

Noticing the distance growing, she hastily caught up, her heeled sandals sinking into the sands.

"R-Right! Sorry, Sasuke."

Gaara and Kankuro left for the summit earlier that morning.

The Kazekage understood that his wife was having increased difficulty walking far distances without getting too fatigued, so they parted ways in the porch instead of the village gates. Gaara took her in his arms and held her strongly, promising to be back as soon as he was able. When she told him not to worry, he gave a light smile and kissed her forehead. Meiyumi told them Nomasaki was in good hands, and reminded Kankuro to text her when they reached Iwagakure. As they left, Nomasaki could tell from the tiredness on Gaara's face that he did not want to leave. But he was the Kazekage, so it was his duty.

And she had to accept that as a wife to a Kage.

Her back ached while she sat at the kitchen table. Toying with a red apple in her hand, she felt her mouth water the longer she marveled at it. Her fangs bit into it with a loud crunch, and for an instant she was reminded of the taste of bone and marrow. She wished it was – and soon enough, she could make the hunt again once her child was born. After she swallowed a juicy morsel, she sensed Meiyumi giving her a dismayed look from across the table.

"It's just one apple, Meiyumi." Nomasaki assured. "It's not like I'm constantly eating lemon-cakes."

Meiyumi giggled. "Be careful. If you eat anymore, you're sure to pop!"

Before Nomasaki could take the next bite, she froze.

Resting the half-eaten apple on the table, she glanced towards the door with a hint of wariness to her eyes. Her chakra sense was foggy as ever in her mind of hormones and stress, but she could sense at least a flicker of a presence she wished she did not detect. Of all times… he has to show up.

Meiyumi rose a brow. "Something wrong?"

"My lady," Shijima entered, her hands tightly grasping the hilt of her blade. "A strange-eyed man and a kunoichi are requesting to see you. Should I let them in, or should I engage in combat?"

"Who could they be…?" Meiyumi uttered, but Nomasaki heard her words well enough. "No hawk was sent."

Nomasaki stood, taking her time to make sure she did not strain her back. "It's alright, Shijima. They're from Konoha."

The bodyguard nodded, hesitantly retracting her hand from the katana. "Very well."

You'd be a fool to fight the Uchiha, even if you do have a botched Sharingan. Nomasaki watched Shijima leave with poise, and then return with their untimely guests. Sakura stood as if she did not know how to introduce herself – and it was evident in her expression that she did not plan on visiting so soon. Close by, Sasuke locked his mismatched eyes to the pregnant kunoichi with a sternness.

"Uchiha Sasuke," Nomasaki said, narrowing her glance back at him. "What are you doing here?"

His expression remained unmoving. "I see my hawk was delayed. I'm here to investigate that blood-seal of yours by order of the Hokage." He spoke. "He wanted to see how true that so-called vision was, and to test Orochimaru's theory. He's at the summit and was unable to come himself."

Nomasaki felt her patience waning. "A pity."

"I'm not here to waste time." Sasuke cut her off, sensing the dismay on her tongue. "Where is the scroll?"

"At the Sealing Corps."

Curtly, the Uchiha turned on his heel back towards the open doorway.

"Sasuke, you can go alone." Sakura spoke aloud. When Sasuke met her face, she gave a light smile of assurance. "I'd like to stay with Nomasaki and Meiyumi for a bit before we travel some more."

The Uchiha turned away. "Suit yourself."

And the door closed behind him.

The path to the Suna Hospital was longer than Nomasaki remembered.

Her legs were tired from the weight she exerted upon them, and her breaths grew heavy at the mere sight of stairs. Hardly any villagers were on the road when the four kunoichi departed the estate – the winter days proving grim and silent even for the folk of the desert lands. To her, it was a blessing. It was bad enough there were dissidents who would have loved to see her in such an unwanted state, but she was embarrassed from even Meiyumi witnessing her slow and tiring waddle. She breathed a sigh of relief when she ascended the final section of stairs.

With Shijima guarding the door, Nomasaki sat in the examination room with Sakura standing by and watching as Meiyumi conducted the tests. Meiyumi took Nomasaki's weight and blood pressure, followed by measurements of her belly and an ultrasound. Nomasaki thought she could not be more embarrassed than she already was. Meiyumi was the only one other than Gaara who saw her large, swollen belly – and now Sakura. She felt as if she were submitting to unwilling exposure, but medical-nin were nosy shinobi – as she heard Meiyumi joke once. Timidly, Nomasaki opened her maternity dress below her breasts with its buttons and pushed it down for the gel to be applied. The sudden cold near provoked a shiver, but by this time she had grown used to it.

"Hmm," Meiyumi sighed, moving the doppler gently, "Your baby is healthy – kicking away. But they did not flip yet, they are still feet-first."

"How long until then?" Nomasaki asked.

Meiyumi looked to the black and white screen, then back to the device. "I'd say by the look of things, two weeks. They seem particularly comfortable."

"I agree." Sakura added. "When you're closer to your due date, they'll move to the birthing position. It's nothing to worry about right now."

Taking their words into account, Nomasaki held her tongue from saying what she wanted. I have a lot to worry about, she thought, My husband is gone, the seal still lingers on my arm, and now an Uchiha is prying his way through my fūinjutsu studies. Maintaining a calm exterior, she sat up from the bed and pulled her dress back over her belly after wiping away the scant gel that remained.

Meiyumi went over the clipboard with zeal. "Your vitals are looking great! How do you feel?"

"Heavier." Nomasaki chuckled, her hands held to support her belly. "Just going up the stairs is exhausting, as you've seen me today."

"What about your contractions?"

"Still the same. They come and go from time to time, nothing too bad."

Meiyumi smiled. "That's good! Let me just fill this in on your charts…" Standing from her chair, she turned as she paused by the doorway. "I'll be right back."

While Meiyumi was gone, Sakura turned to her with a smile. "You must be excited."

"Excited?" Nomasaki jested. "I'm terrified."

Sakura could not help but laugh. "You'll be fine, Nomasaki. If anyone can handle it, it's you." She gave her a glance of encouragement. "Kunoichi have to be strong, right? Giving birth is like child's play for us… compared to everything else we have to go through." Sighing, she looked down to her lap in thought, whispering upon her lips. "I wonder if I'd be able to do it someday…"

Nomasaki heard her anyways, leaving her to raise a brow. "You… want to start a family with Sasuke?"

"U-Um n-no, that's not what I said!" Sakura flustered. "I -,"

There was a silence – and Nomasaki froze, her widened eyes locked to the window.

Her senses could not make out the chakra or its intent, but the feel provoked a shudder to her spine. Memories of the darkened cave of glowing jade and flames that licked the black night skies crept into her mind, drawing her to a standstill. Her breath grew frantic, anxiety rising into her throat.

This chakra, she realized, There's no mistaking it… the bastards!

Sakura stood. "What's wrong?"

"They're back…!" Nomasaki spoke, her bewilderment near a whisper. Promptly, she winced as she stood and straightened her legs, the weight of her belly hurting her back. "Sakura, we have to get back to the estate!"

"What is it?"

A faint rumble sounded, then the tremor approached.

The floor rumbled beneath them, the appliances and machines of the examination room shaking as if an earthquake. Both kunoichi near lost their footing, grasping to metal bars and cabinets to avoid falling to the tiled floor. When the quaking settled, the chakra became clear to Nomasaki – her worst fears realized.

"I can sense Tenbu – they're here in the village!" She tsked, placing a palm over her belly as she felt another contraction rise. "And of course, when Gaara is gone… of all times!"

Another rumble sounded – but the screech came pouring in.

Sakura braced for impact. "Nomasaki!"

Careful not to hurt her belly, Sakura forced them both down to duck. An ear-splitting blast shattered the building, destroying a quarter of the entire hospital. Fire exploded, voices screamed and shouted, and the once quiet winter day came to a screeching halt. The cool desert air suddenly entered the room – and the reality of the attack set in. Debris and glass fell around them, but luckily they were not injured.

Sasuke, where are you? Sakura thought. She looked down to her friend who was crouched under her. "Are you hurt?"

Nomasaki shook her head. "No, I'm fine. Thanks, Sakura."

Sensing something to her back, Sakura turned to see the wall come crashing down towards them. With her monstrous strength, she held it back with one hand while the other held Nomasaki close. "Shannaro! This wall is heavy… damn it!"

Meiyumi maneuvered her way past fallen ceiling and blown concrete walls to get to them. When she saw the Konoha-nin holding the wall by herself, she formed hand-signs for an earth-release jutsu and assisted in pushing it away. "I take it you're both okay. That's a relief. If it weren't for Shijima, I might've been crushed!"

"Where can we go that's safe?" Sakura urgently asked. "What was the extent to the damage?"

"We should try to get to the shelter, below the main floor." Meiyumi answered, grabbing the necessary papers and first-aid equipment. "This wing is heavily damaged – an enemy of some sort set off a ring of explosives that flattened the wing adjacent to us! The ceiling could cave in!"

The ground quaked again.

"How far are we from the shelter?"

"We need to get to the stairs," Meiyumi said, helping Sakura stand and balance Nomasaki on her feet. "At the other end of the hallway."

Another blast sounded as they made it to the hallway Meiyumi spoke of.

The lights flickered overhead, but not a soul dared to be where they were. The second floor was safer below, but where they stood at the third floor was riskier for a quick escape. Although Shijima, Meiyumi, and Sakura could maneuver a way out, it was much more difficult for a pregnant woman to do so – especially at such a late term.

The world around them quaked again, and Nomasaki fell onto her knees.

Meiyumi knelt to catch her. "Nomasaki! Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm alright." Nomasaki nodded, trying to stay focused and calm. "Ungh…!" Wincing, she clutched her belly as a contraction pulsed its way from her hips into her core. It was stronger than the last, and near took the breath from her lips. She grit her fanged teeth. "Damn Tenbu… They blew up the estate that last time… to think they had the nerve to strike the hospital. It's me they want…"

Sakura agreed. "We need to get you somewhere safe, and fast -,"

Shijima appeared before them, releasing her blade from its scabbard and taking her battle stance. A chakra was drawing near – Nomasaki could feel it. And there was two of them – both heading directly towards where they were. Shijima could feel it, too – her hand clutched tightly to the hilt of her katana and the other ready to cast a jutsu if needed.

"They're coming!" Shijima warned. "My lady, get back!"

A dead silence entered.

Through a hail of broken glass, a figure clothed in black shinobi garbs and turban concealing their face burst forth in their direction. Shijima intercepted their strike with her blade and blocked with her katana single-handedly. The adversary was tall, strong in muscle, and held their blade as if a true swordsman. Every slash was met with the kiss of steel screeching and burning the once-still air of the open and fragmented corridor – and Shijima sensed an opening near their lower side.

But the enemy saw her strike first.

With agility near as swift as the wind itself, the enemy avoided her strike completely as if effortlessly. In the blink of an eye, Shijima was kicked directly in the stomach and flung violently into a pile of rubble. Dust clouded where she landed, and she did not spring back. Only silence crept willingly.

"Shijima!" Nomasaki shouted, her heart racing.

Then the second chakra entered.

A flicker of red startled Nomasaki at first, but then she realized it was the Uchiha. His black cloak fluttered as his body flickered to guard them – and from under it, his blade was drawn. The enemy broke forward, racing towards him with his katana to strike. Sasuke met his slashes evenly, even managing to push the enemy back on their firmly held footing. With his red eye glowing in full ferocity, Sasuke eyed the adversary with his Mangekyo Sharingan. Catching him off guard, the enemy did not freeze or even react.

"What the hell?" Sasuke spat, meeting blade with them again. My Sharingan should've connected. Unless…

"Sasuke!" Sakura yelled. "Look out!"

Above, the enemy propelled themselves from the ceiling.

Fire surrounded their stance, breaking through the floor where Sasuke stood. Nomasaki shuddered as she saw the flames, her past trauma coming back to haunt her in her moment of strife and anxiety. Sakura saw her fingers shiver in Meiyumi's grasp. Alarmed, she turned back and Sasuke and the enemy were nowhere to be seen – all except for a massive crater that now cut through the floor.

Before Sakura could say anything, the enemy suddenly appeared between them.

There was no time to react. In great speed, they formed a series of hand-signs with a bloody palm and slammed it onto Nomasaki's pregnant belly.

"Secret Art! Blood Sealing!"

Red burst forth from their hands, coating Nomasaki's lower half in what appeared to be vines of blood. Pain erupted through her. She screamed of agony, writhing on the cracked tiled floor of debris and ash. Contractions surged through her abdomen, leaving her lower half going numb from the pain. Her arm's seal also activated, its red inscriptions glowing and swimming upon her scar.

Meiyumi rushed to her side. "Nomasaki!"

A burst of flames swam from the crater.

The enemy jumped back while Sasuke reappeared from the floor below, readying their blade in anticipation. Sasuke formed a series of hand-signs – and Sakura recognized them immediately. "No, Sasuke!" She shouted. "She has a fear of fire!"

"Damn it all!" He cursed. Before the enemy could react, he hastily formed different signs as a current of lightning flickered around him. "Lightning Release! Chidori Stream!"

The burst of blue shocks made contract with the enemy's own blade – jolting them with the Chidori's fury. Stepping back, the enemy's clothes began to give off steam and they lost strength if only momentarily. Evaluating the situation with haste in mind, they looked back to one of the shattered windows. Sasuke saw this, and pursued with his blade. But the enemy was fast – and burst through the shattered window to the streets below. Running to the window, Sasuke scanned the area with his Sharingan and deduced where they may be headed.

Crafty bastard, I'll give them that. Nomasaki's wails of agony interrupted his thoughts. Turning back, he saw Sakura and Meiyumi knelt over her, with Meiyumi holding the she-wolf by the shoulders and Sakura feeling her pulse on her wrist. He narrowed his mismatched eyes in frustration. And now this…

"Everything hurts -!" Nomasaki cried out from gnashed fangs, tears near running down her cheeks. "It feels… like I'm on fire -!"

Sakura sensed her pulse grow, confirming her suspicions. "This isn't good… The seal seems to have triggered her labour!"

"What -?!" Meiyumi gasped. "She's not due until a few more weeks! The baby is still breeched!"

Sakura narrowed her green eyes firmly – her medic-nin demeanor taking over. "We don't have a choice. We must perform a delivery!"

Walking over, Sasuke eyed Nomasaki while she writhed as the blood-seal pulsed her body to its will. Meeting her teary and widened eyes of pain, he activated his Sharingan. In a matter of seconds, she was asleep. I'll be cursed at when she wakes up. Troublesome beasts, wolves are. Wordless, Sakura looked up to him as if to yell but nothing came to her lips by the time Sasuke glanced to her.

"What did you do?!" Meiyumi shouted. "Why did you -?!"

"So the enemy can't find us." He explained, flatly. "Her screams will lead them back here, if anything. And if there are more… they'll know she's here. However, the genjutsu will only last five minutes because of the sealing jutsu that they used on her. In the meantime, we need to deal with that blood-seal – and sooner rather than later. It would destroy her and Suna if left alone." He paused by the broken window, giving them a glance of foreboding. "I'll pursue him. Keep the she-wolf safe – there may be more. We can't risk Tenbu getting her or the child." He met Sakura's worried green eyes with conviction. "I leave the rest to you, Sakura."

His cloak cracked in the winds as he jumped – leaving the realm silent.

"How can we release the seal?" Sakura asked, feeling hopeless. "It's a blood-seal, right? How can we possibly stop it in time?"

Meiyumi smoothed the hair from Nomasaki's forehead, solemnly. "Nomasaki decoded the technique, but the plan was to have Maki-senpai help her."

"Where's Maki-senpai?"

Meiyumi held her head down, her face concealed by her thick brown hair. "…She's on a mission."

"I'll help carry my lady." Shijima entered. When they turned, they saw the bodyguard approach with a limp to her right leg and her hand grasping her shoulder tightly. She was injured, but not gravely. "I think I dislocated my shoulder, but I am well enough to protect her… I am sworn!"

Sakura stood, starting for her. "Let me heal you first,"

As the Konoha-nin used her medical jutsu, Meiyumi pulled out her phone. Kankuro would no doubt miss a call if she dialed, so she decided to leave a text message. He should see this, even if there is a summit going on. Hastily, she typed out the words as best as she could and hit send by the time Shijima was properly healed. Helping lift the unconscious kunoichi on one side while Shijima took the other, Meiyumi gestured her nod towards the direction to the nearest intact hospital room.

"This way, hurry!"

The summit was a tense occasion.

Iwagakure was a strange sort of land to the outsider leaders and their vassals who arrived, but for the elderly Tsuchikage, it was to be expected. A steward of the Earth daimyo was sent to act as mediator, a young man near as gangly as a bamboo stalk. He lacked the authoritative manner of Mifune from the Land of Iron, but he was at least able to speak clearly.

Ōnoki began the meeting by bringing up the matter of Tenbu's return – citing the attacks on travellers and traders who frequented the roads of the Land of Earth and Land of Wind. His tongue grew harsh when he mentioned the Yamamori clan-head Ekashiba, saying that he was convinced it was the wolves that were behind the atrocities. Gaara quipped back first – holding back his tongue from saying anything he would later come to regret. The Kazekage reminded the other Kage seated before him that he saw those slain spice-traders himself, and not a single mark from a claw or a tooth was found. When Ōnoki called Gaara out for his bias on the matter, he responded calmly by stating he may have married a wolf – but he knew better than to believe the false rumours of sheep.

Before the elderly Tsuchikage could say anything in rebuttal, Kakashi entered and agreed that the Yamamori were innocent and mentioned Ekashiba himself sent a scroll to the Konoha Aviary to tell them of what they saw on the tense borderlands. Gaara breathed easy in his seat, thankful that he always had an ally in not just Konoha, but in Kakashi himself.

A spoke next – citing a sudden quiet in the Land of Hot Water to the south.

Drawing in the attention of the other four Kage, he told them of disturbing silences that have been reported of Yugakure – the ill-fated village that birthed the immortal shinobi Hidan of the Akatsuki. When proposing a sleuth to determine if Tenbu had anything to do with the village's sudden abandonment, Mei interrupted and stated that there was no way to tell without causing an international crisis – for the Land of Water claimed dominion over those contested lands. The steward witnessed the Raikage and Mizukage argue back and forth while fidgeting and attempting to intervene with the confidence of a trapped mouse.

Amidst the loud banter and chaos, Kankuro felt his phone buzz in his tunic's pocket.

He froze immediately, his brown eyes gone wide in utter shock.

Gaara glanced to him at his side. "What is it?"

"Meiyumi just texted me…!" Kankuro shoved the phone in front of him, obstructing the view of the discussions. "Look…!"

Kankuro's whispers were loud enough to deafen the argument of the two Kage from afar. Thinking nothing of it at first, Gaara took the phone in his hand and adjusted it under the light of the fluorescents so he could see the message.

When he saw it, his heart instantly sank.

Written in all caps in a single text, the message read "N IN LABOUR".

No… Not now, anytime but now, he thought, his throat tight with nerves, Of all times for me to be away! Gaara could hardly manage words. "What the -?! Is she sure?"

"I don't think a medical ninja would get labour confused." Kankuro said, taking the phone back. Before he could say anything else, Gaara promptly stood from his chair and fastened his cloak to his shoulders and donned his Kazekage hat – retracting them from the discussion table with haste. "Where are you going?"

"Home." He answered, his voice stern as iron. "We need to leave – now!"

The Raikage stood, angered by his movement. "Kazekage-sama, what's the meaning of this?!"

"I'm sorry but I must leave." Gaara replied, facing the rest of the Kage. "I'll report back through video when I'm back in Sunagakure."

"What?!" A bellowed, striking his fist onto the table's surface. "It's your lands this issue pertains to! You can't just leave a Kage Summit! Think carefully before you act rash, Kazekage-sama – we may be in an era of peace, but you leaving without permission could be seen as defiance to the alliance!"

Defiance, Gaara thought spitefully. "My wife is in labour." He spoke, his tone crisp as ice. "I have to leave – this meeting can continue without me."

The Raikage's anger dissipated into a look of surprise, while the accompanying silence of the meeting chambers echoed a similar sentiment. Ōnoki gave a snide grin, seeming at least slightly pleased. "Heh. So the she-wolf is having pups, is she?"

"Raikage-sama," Kakashi entered, calmly. "I would like to think a matter such as this is acceptable to bid a Kage leave. Don't you think?"

A snapped back, embarrassment and anger sprawled over his expression. "Don't push it, Kakashi!"

The Mizukage smiled kindly – genuinely. "Send Nomasaki-sama my regards."

From hearing their well wishes, Gaara felt a fraction of his stress leave his shoulders – but the burden it left still weighed. "Kankuro,"

Kankuro fastened the final latch of his cloak, nodding back. "Right!"

In a burst of sands, the two teleported to the lands outside.

The afternoon sun was high in the skies, beating down on the yellow sands that lurked beyond the rocky terrain of plateau that lay before them. Using the sands from his gourd, Gaara made clouds of sand for them to travel by the winds. In a matter of moments, the half-day trek to Sunagakure was reduced to mere hours. Grasping the Kazekage hat tightly to prevent it from being cast away, Gaara increased his speed in urgency. All he could think of was Nomasaki entering labour alone and with no one to help her. Even if Meiyumi was there at her side, no one else could aid her in the blood-seal undoing. For all he knew, she might already be dead.

I hope I'm not too late, he thought, Wait for me, Nomasaki – please!

And the desert soon approached.

Her vitals beeped on the machines incessantly.

Slowly, Nomasaki opened her eyes. An oxygen mask was over her face, giving her more air than she could swallow, and she vaguely felt the adhesives of the heart monitor that were stuck to her exposed skin of her arms, neck, and forehead. Coughing, she pulled the mask away and attempted to sit up. At that moment, everything hit her at once in its full fury. The longer she awakened, the more pain she began to feel spread throughout every nerve in her body. Her muscles twinged as she tried to move. It was as if she were made of freshly carved stone – frozen.

"This hurts so much…!" She gnashed her fanged teeth in held agony. "He put me in a – genjutsu, damn him…!"

Meiyumi rushed to her side, frantically. "You're awake!"

"Meiyumi," Sakura called from the monitors. "Where are her charts?"

"Over here – this is all we have."

Once she found the clipboard on the table under the shelf of gauze and surgical equipment, Sakura scanned them thoroughly. Upon seeing her last recorded heartrate and the reading from the monitor, she quickly raced into action. As the monitor printed her and the baby's heartrate, the numbers spoke for themselves – time was running out. And the pain Nomasaki was in only added more to the pressure. If she continues the labour with this blood-seal activated, she'll bleed to death.

"We must stabilize her!" Sakura shouted. "Her heartrate is rising, we need her on an IV!"

While Meiyumi rushed to bring over the fluid and medication, a blue flame of chakra surrounded Sakura's index finger. Carefully and with utmost precision, she sliced open Nomasaki's blue dress to examine the state of her pregnancy. Shock filled her green eyes at what she saw. In only moments, the crimson seal pulsed and spread further over her body – growing larger each passing second. It appeared as if a web of blood, its inscriptions written in a language she could not understand.

This is worse than I thought, she realized, It's unlike any jutsu I've seen.

Nomasaki winced as the needle punctured the vein of her forearm, her pain silencing her from making a noise. Surrendering to it all, she kept her eyes tightly shut while she fought off every urge to scream out from the pain that claimed her entire being. To Sakura's dismay, her heartrate only went down momentarily, rising again with the seal growing stronger.

"Nomasaki, you have to undo the seal!" Meiyumi pleaded, her brown eyes near wet with tears. "Maki-senpai isn't here, but you must try!"

"I know… but the pain…!" Nomasaki tried to speak, but she cried out in agony. "It hurts…!"

Shijima held her hand, her touch strong and firm with promise. It startled, Nomasaki at first – near distracting her enough from the seal that wrought her. "You can do it, my lady." Shijima spoke, her conviction strong. "I'll lend as much chakra as I can to help you. I may not have as strong a chakra as you in nature energy, but I can at least lend my strength in your time of need."

"Shijima…" Nomasaki uttered, her purple eyes wide and teary. "You don't… ungh! You don't have to…-,"

"I'm sworn to protect you." Shijima pledged. "My sister foretold your death. I want to help you defy that destiny!"

She was being honest – Nomasaki could tell from her chakra.

Warmth swelled into her heart, provoking tears to run down her cheeks. Thank you… Shijima.

Swallowing her fear of death and the pain that engulfed her body, she reminded herself that she could still move. Flexing her fingers slowly, she sensed the tense muscles in her arms – and decided it was time for the stone to shatter.

"Sakura, Meiyumi… stand back," She warned, her voice cracking with agony. "I'm going… to try the jutsu now… I just need to… concentrate…"

Her hands felt as if gravity worked against them.

Slowly, she forced them up to form her hand-signs. Her mind was foggy from the effects of the medication, the pain, and the seal's power that pulsed in her core. Forming the first hand-sign, her palms shook violently and threatened to fall back to her sides. She grit her fanged teeth, attempting to push through with sheer willpower.

But the fear of death returned.

Shijima placed her hands firmly over her shuddering shoulders. "Remember what you studied for months, remember the formula!"

Shijima's grip tightened as she sensed her chakra surge to the kunoichi who lay on the hospital bed, a pain shocking through her like volts from a lightning-release jutsu. The bodyguard kept strong, standing by. From the mere acquisition of her bodyguard's chakra, Nomasaki's strength against the blood-seal grew. Her hands soon steadied, forming her remaining hand-signs without the same strife.

"Remember the words from your people!" Shijima shouted. "My lady, remember!"

While the seal pulsed and writhed in her blood, Nomasaki kept her hands together as much as her body wanted to give up. Karura's words to her came to mind – the vessel and the toll. Whether it was divine intervention or merely a figment of her dreams, what Karura told her resonated. "The blood-sealing requires a vessel to pay the toll. You are both." - and that was what Nomasaki decided to do.

Fighting off the pain, she slowly moved her shaking hands towards her lips and bit one of her thumbs until she broke through the skin with a fang. In only moment, she began to bleed. "I am… the vessel and the toll!" She recited, remembering the words of the jutsu. As pain rumbled through her lower half and scarred arm, she pressed her thumb into her elbow and ran her blood over the scar and to her wrist. "Blood of my blood, flesh of my flesh… I give my mortal body as a conduit, for the contract that binds my will to this earth!"

The seal suddenly pulsed, violently.

"Ungh!"

In a burst of eerie red light, the blood-seal suddenly grew – weaving over her limbs and to her neck.

There was almost not a part of her that was not covered in its deathly embrace.

"Nomasaki!" Meiyumi shouted. "The inscription is spreading over her whole body!"

Sakura heard the monitors beeping growing louder and more erratic. "Her heartrate is unstable, she could into cardiac arrest if this goes on any further!"

"Stay focused, Nomasaki-sama!" Shijima grit her teeth, her grip on her shoulders strong. "Breathe!"

All noise around Nomasaki faded from her ears.

She heard her heartbeat pounding through her chest, beating hard and fast as she fought against the creeping death. The marks of the blood-seal nearly made their way to her face, their vines lashing closer to her lips. Choking her.

She heard her heart again – and then her vision went white.

Through her eyes, she saw her life.

Under a snowy doorway in a lighted porch, she saw the orange-haired figure soothe an infant while their mother wept. The man lifted the woman's chin to meet her teary violet eyes, and he said "I'll be back soon, Mikomi. I promise you." – and gave a parting smile and faded into the snowy night. When Nomasaki blinked, she saw herself as a small child playing in the snowy meadow with her mother. Mikomi found her daughter hiding behind a tree, pulling her into close embrace and telling her how much she loved her. Flames entered her vision – and she soon recognized them as the fire from her mother's funeral pyre. Nomasaki stood ten years old and weeping, mourning the loss of her only parent as the few villagers who came to bid farewell began to disappear into the forest at her back. Blinking, she found herself mounted on Hanone's back as they raced through the snowy woods for the first time – the feeling of freedom filling her heart.

And then the flames returned – swallowing Yamagakure and all her memories with it.

Sunlight appeared – and eclipsing it was the image of a ringed-eyed boy of red hair. She almost perished in the desert, and he found her – bringing her to Sunagakure. She met Meiyumi and Shinto in her new life as a genin of Team Hashira, and felt herself growing a little braver of the world around her. She saw Shukaku take over Gaara's mind and attack her, the red staining the shoulder of her white tunic. What she saw next was the moon overhead, and the silhouette of herself donning her wolfish mask of porcelain and its red markings. Kenzō's voice lumbered in the darkness, "You are my tool. You are to serve me… until death!" – she saw the bright and shining glimmer of her blade slash at Tojiru, and the sun rose to give way to all the Suna shinobi who came to rescue their Kazekage from the Akatsuki in that green meadow.

Darkness returned.

Five lashes marked her back for life, the cold air of the chamber gnawing at her like the curse mark on her tongue. But she was able to escape and leave Kenzō for good – and she found allies in Sōhei and Commander Moro. War broke out soon after, plunging her into a nightmare that would never leave for as long as she lived. Opening her eyes, she saw Hanone's blood on her hands as he lay dying – and looking up, she saw the ten-tails rampage.

"You're alive! Thank heavens…" Before she could speak, her father held her close – and she found him.

The rest was sweltered in darkness from the curse of the red moon.

When she awoke, she was hugging Gaara as the winds blew by their battle scars. Nomasaki then saw herself return to Yama with her father, and kissing Gaara under the softly falling snow of the meadow.

"I love you, Nomasaki."

But the darkness came back.

In her prison of jade ore, she defeated Kenzō and sliced off his hand, "I was never yours!" – and her blades kissed him, severing his head from his body. Kōga fell soon after, emerging into battle as a demonic bear and fading away into a miserable pile of flesh and bone – swallowed by the very sands he sought to destroy. And miraculously, the darkness retreated in favour of a summer's day. Amongst the blooming cacti and desert flowers, she married the Fifth Kazekage – the man she grew to love through all her life's challenges. One hand was held in his, while the other placed itself over the small bump of her growing pregnancy.

Everything faded back to white – and then she found herself in her clan's forest.

The trees were a brilliant red, clashing against the snowy world in a vibrance that was unseen before. Snow was lightly falling, coating the cedars and winter trees in a veil of white and silver. Catching her off guard, a lone and deep howl sounded against the rising frigid winds. As she turned to its call, the snows and wind picked up in strength, clouding her vision.

And it was white once more…

Her heart pounded loudly through her ear, awakening her back to the living.

Nomasaki snapped her eyes open, breathing in the airs as if parched from her lungs, and clapped her bloodied hands together strongly. "Blood Seal… Release!"

Startling the three kunoichi who watched over her, the red of the seals that covered her body entirely suddenly shone like a violent crimson star – dying. The air grew thick with chakra, and Nomasaki's body soon was engulfed by the red worms that swam over her mortal form. Power hung densely above, ready to crash down at any moment.

Shijima could tell – pushing the others to get down. "Take cover!"

A high-pitch screech sounded – then the red burst forth.

The room as they knew it was destroyed. Papers blown from the cabinets, monitors and machines disconnected and broken, and glass shattered and scattered across the floor. The red that covered Nomasaki burst from her, staining its blood and ash onto anything the blast touched. Upon the hospital bed, Nomasaki was unconscious and unmoving.

Hesitantly, Meiyumi peeked up from the floor but all she saw was dust and debris. "Did she…?"

"My lady!" Shijima called, seeing her lifeless. Gathering herself, she ran to her side and noticed that the seals no longer covered her. Taking her wrist, she sensed a pulse. "She's alive – she has a pulse!"

When Meiyumi stood, she saw that Nomasaki's chest was rising and falling. "The seal stopped?"

Sakura knelt at her side, sensing her pulse with her medical ninjutsu as she moved it over her chest. Her green eyes narrowed as she lowered her healing hands to her swollen belly. "Her heartrate has slowed, but not stable yet." Her eyes traveled to Nomasaki's face, noticing her heavy and laboured breathing and the sweat that coated her forehead. Sakura felt her heart grow heavy at the sight. "And she's still in labour… she's having contractions, and they're getting closer together." Hang in there, Nomasaki. It would be a loss if you didn't make it. Her green eyes saddened, the hope only lingering. What kind of person would even do this?

"Vessel… toll… I… refuse to die…" Nomasaki uttered, delirious and barely conscious. "Gaara, please hurry… I can't do this alone… Gaara…"

As Nomasaki passed out, Sakura stood in urgency. "We need to get her to a delivery room."

"But the baby -!" Meiyumi objected, shocked. "It's breeched!"

"I know." Sakura answered, meeting her eyes with sternness and duty. "We have no choice – we have to flip the baby while it's still in the womb. That way Nomasaki-sama will be able to survive the delivery."

Meiyumi paused, bewildered. "Flip it? How is that possible? Wouldn't that be too dangerous?"

Sakura looked back to the kunoichi who lay unconscious. "If we were to C-section, she would bleed out from all the stress her body is under from that jutsu. It would be too much, even for her to handle. And she needs to be awake." She looked to Shijima and Meiyumi, duty marking her glance. "Help me get her into a patient gown. We need to act quickly!"

And soon enough, they whisked Nomasaki to a delivery room.

The enemy led Sasuke in pursuit in the towering cliffs that overlooked the silent desert village.

After using a powerful lightning-release technique, the black-clothed enemy finally fell. When Sasuke walked over to examine their smoking remains, he kicked them over only to feel the hardened texture of wood. Their face was grinning with broken and crooked teeth, one eye was missing, and the entire left side of their head was blown to pieces. Sasuke knew he was wasting his time – but such a jutsu was one he did not see himself in a very long while. A substitution jutsu, but the like was near undetectable – but then again, Sasuke liked to conserve his newfound abilities in order to save his strength for when it was needed. Still, the trick did nothing to soothe his mood.

"A puppet, huh?" He glared, his dormant Rinnegan masked by strands of black.

A faint glimmer caught his glance. Beside the destroyed puppet decoy was a small carved fragment. Taking it in his hand, he examined it under the sunlight. It was then Sasuke realized it was a shogi piece – and a rook to be exact. The piece was carved from wood that was stained with onyx with the white character for 'rook' scribed in white. A peculiar thing to drop, he thought to himself, It truly was a game, then.

A chakra entered his senses from the sand-ridden winds.

Putting the piece into his pocket, Sasuke turned. "You certainly took your time."

Gaara jumped down from his platform of sand, landing amongst a powerful flurry of grains. His face was hard, his eyes tense, and his hands clenched tightly at his sides. "Sasuke." He spoke, his voice hardened as iron. "You're the last one I would've expected to see here." His ringed-eyes glanced towards the puppet that lay dismembered. "The enemy?"

"A decoy." Sasuke answered. "The real one got away before I could pursue them. I can't sense their chakra."

Another pulse of chakra was caught in his Rinnegan, drawing him instantly towards the source. It was frantic, desperate, painful – and near at death's door. His mismatched eyes glared, knowing full well what it was. The she-wolf…

By the time Sasuke turned back, the Kazekage vanished within the desert winds.

Nomasaki's condition grew dire.

She was conscious, but her heartrate continued to climb while her body tensed from the contractions that grew closer and closer together. Sweat beaded on her forehead, her gold hair sticking to it as she breathed heavily while biting her tongue to quell her curses. Meiyumi stood by her side, checking the monitors and being there for comfort. Her dress was torn off, leaving her in a thin hospital gown that was one size too large and exposed to the cold air. An IV was attached to her wrist, the fluids trying their best to stabilize her worsening condition. She felt the baby kick under her palms, and then then urge to cry out escaped her lips.

Standing guard by the sealed doorway, Shijima flinched – turning towards the corridor.

"Shijima, what's wrong?" Sakura noticed. "Do you sense the enemy?"

Shijima shook her head. "It's Kazekage-sama,"

Nomasaki heard her words, and in that instant, her throbbing heart grew hopeful. She was too pained to cry out his name, but she felt a small fragment of chakra enter her foggy senses. And then she realized it was indeed him. Gaara, she thought, He's here… thank heavens.

Once Sakura prepared the medical equipment, she turned to see the Kazekage enter the room. Emerging through the doorway, Gaara removed the Kazekage hat and met Shijima, who blocked his entry. His face was dire. "Where's my wife?"

And when he was allowed in, he saw her.

Realizing the toll had been fulfilled.