Chapter 17
The Assistant

Near two days have passed since Gaara was captured by the Akatsuki.

Trapped within a state of unease, Nomasaki continued to fulfill her duties as assistant despite her superior being nowhere to be found. The council was constantly surrounded by a strong panic and disarray, their shouts audible throughout the weaving corridors despite the chamber doors being sealed shut. Suna-nin were running back and forth from failed expeditions and messages from those brave enough to attempt to search for clues. The casualties piled up within only twenty-four hours of the Kazekage's capture by the Akatsuki. The slain border patrol shinobi were discovered by Kankurō upon his departure to recover Gaara from his kidnappers, and scouts from the morning after recovered the bodies of the ANBU who watched the skies that night - but it took hours for the coroner to identify them from the scattered bloodied pieces.

Kankurō was yet to return.

He could be gone, too, she thought, Just like Gaara-sama...

Temari was nowhere to be seen. Having been in Konoha during the attack, her former jonin training captain was far from taking action. Standing within the council chambers as the shouting elders voiced their frustrations, Nomasaki felt utterly helpless. Useless, even. It had been two days since the absence of Gaara's chakra, and never did she imagine she would grow to miss the feel of Shukaku's invasive presence. She could use her sensory abilities to find him, she was certain. But even when she protested, Kankurō insisted he go alone. "You'll only get in my way!" was the last thing he said to her before disappearing that dreadful night of sand and fire.

Still... I have to do something.

Leaving the chambers that early morning, she made her way towards the vacant office of the Kazekage. She found herself wondering if she would ever find Gaara inside that room ever again. If Gaara died he would be robbed, he only just became Kazekage. But she had to remember - anyone could be killed in a shinobi's world, even those carrying the strength and burden of 'Kage'. No one was immortal as much as she wanted to believe. Already her eyes were growing heavy with sleep. She hardly slept since the night he was taken, rushing back and forth between the council and Baki to coordinate the response of the village - and she was absent of Kenzō and his demands. Strangely, she could not feel the presence of that man's chakra anywhere within the vicinity. Could he have fled? If fate were kind, that man would never return - but fate was never one to be kind to those who wished to change it.

A brooding presence entered her senses.

Pausing in the silent corridor, she prepared herself for facing them. She thought she sensed them earlier, but her tired mind and exhausted senses were ready for burnout. They lingered as if a fly-on-the-wall, crawling within he shadows and creeping towards her with their vulpine mask entering her thoughts as they drew close. She firmed her expression, washing it of distaste. "I can sense you, Tojiru. Why are you following me?"

Sliding out from the stucco wall with his teleportation technique, the masked tracker-nin stood. He towered over her, his eyes gleaming through the slits marked with green and orange. His katana was sheathed, but she soon found herself fixating on it. She could never fully trust him - comrade or not, Tojiru gave her a feel of unease.

"Just keeping tabs for Kenzō-sama." He stated, his voice eerily calm. "We're in a very crucial situation, wolf... If you screw up, our whole operation is a failure!"

Her eyes narrowed at his words, confused. "What exactly is your operation?" She questioned, pushing herself to utter the words. "I'm a spy - I was ordered to report back with intel on Kazekage-sama to Kenzō-sama, nothing more -,"

He scoffed under his breath. "You know nothing, outsider."

Her racing heart propelling her forward, her expression stricken with a panicked realization. "If it's to overthrow Gaara-sama -!"

A force pushed her and the papers of her clipboard littered to the floor.

Throwing her back against the wall, Tojiru pressed his arm over her neck and pointed his gleaming blade towards her. She tried to pull his grip away from her, but he was remarkably stronger than she previously thought. Eyeing his glare through his mask, she glared back at him as her blood boiled furiously beneath her skin. If this was death, it was ill-met.

Tojiru leaned closer. "I wish I could slice your throat right here and now!" He spat. "You stole my pride as right-hand man... all because you are gifted with that filthy beast-blood you hold so dear! I wonder what would happen if I spill it..."

She eyed him viciously, her teeth becoming fanged. "You wouldn't dare...!"

"I would, believe me." He sneered into her ear. Slowly, he lifted his hold away from her and sheathed his blade. She coughed into her sleeves, grasping her throat lightly. It felt all too similar to how his superior would threaten her. Tojiru glanced to her in contempt. "But... Kenzō-sama wants me to keep you alive... for now. Keep your nose out of business that isn't yours. Wolves like to go sniffing about like dogs, so it would be wise for you to know your place." His glare tensed, his dark eyes gleaming through his mask's vulpine eyes. "And remember... we don't take kindly to traitors!"

As quickly as he appeared, the tracker-nin vanished. Gathering the remnants of the scattered sheets of reports, Nomasaki sorted her clipboard hazily. Hearing the shouts of the council echo down the hall, she ignored them and continued on her path. Entering the darkened room, she placed the reports on the desk and took note of the cacti that left unattended from their master. If Gaara did not return, there was no telling what may happen to the village. Another war may emerge on the horizon, and unrest was unfortunately certain.

If things come to that, I will escape, she decided, I will be a coward and flee but I will survive.

She hoped in her heart that he would return - one way or another.

"Kankurō-sama! They found him!"

"Found him?! Where?"

"In the desert - his puppets were destroyed!"

Striking her attention, Nomasaki entered the hall and saw the messenger relaying the dire news to the head councillor Zarō. Her heart dropped, shaken by the words spoken in the corridor. Two of the Kazekage clan's few descendants would sooner see early graves, it seemed. Still, the fact he was still alive was nothing short of astonishment. Making her way towards the men, she held on to the cautious hope that remained.

"Sir," She entered, her expression calm and eyes pleading. "Is there a change in status?

"Go to the emergency wing of the hospital," Zarō commanded, his face stern and urgent. "Inform Baki-sama of the intel and await further orders from him."

She nodded. "Yes, sir."

Emerging from the estate was a strange phenomenon. The sun was dimmed, a sand-ridden haze coating the noticeably vacant village streets. An attack may come from an opposing village - or power. One dared not be too careful during these times, and the village had learned that lesson times over in their unfortunate history. Hoping to see the familiar face of Meiyumi as she entered the hospital, Nomasaki was instead greeted by the scar-faced superior who awaited her arrival. Baki appeared to have known before she had a chance to say the words from Zarō, and instead led her towards the emergency room beyond the triage.

Writhing in great pain, Kankurō convulsed on the operating table in pools of sweat and muffled screams. The nurses who attended him attempted to stabilize him, but his movements were too erratic and his breathing was growing rapid. His heart monitor was reading off the charts, worrying the medical staff greatly. Poison was the weapon, and its bite was slow but more deadly than the sharpest blade. Baki spoke with the doctors and Nomasaki glanced to Kankurō in frightened shock. He could die, she realized.

"How are we supposed to create an antidote for a poison we've never seen?" One of the doctors lamented. "We have to hurry. Kakurō-sama has maybe three days tops, and who knows how long he's been afflicted since the battle... He could have maybe one day left."

Baki narrowed his glance at his former pupil as he lay sleep with morphine. "First Gaara, now Kankurō... Surely their family is cursed."

Stepping out into the hall, Nomasaki watched as the two Honoured Siblings entered the room. The elders Chiyo-sama and Ebizō-sama, she remembered. To no avail, the former prolific medic-nin and puppet master was unable to uncover an antidote. Kankurō's fate was sealed by that ill-fated pursuit of the cloaked fiends. Hours passed and she soon awoke suddenly in her seat, lifting herself up from the spread of the cushioned chairs beneath her. Already, the sun had set and evening was finally setting in. She heard shouting and the words "White Fang of Konoha", and soon enough Baki approached her with more tasks to take care of for the council.

A team of foreign shinobi lead by Temari suddenly burst through the emergency wing.

That dire evening, a squad of Konoha shinobi had arrived in the village to answer the call to help recover their missing Kazekage. Within a matter of hours, Haruno Sakura – the pupil of the famed Slug Princess and Fifth Hokage of Konoha – healed Kankuro from his battle with Sasori of the Red Sands, completely neutralizing the poison in his system and saving his life. Within the confines of the Sunagakure Hospital, his muffled screams of pain could be plainly heard by anyone on the same floor. Although saved from his near-fatal scrape with death, the treatment proved exhausting, causing him to pass out shortly after as the narcotic effects of the antidote kicked in his system. Strangely enough, the appearance of Temari and Kankurō's cure propelling Nomasaki to push herself to seek out Gaara. With the two siblings and a pursuit team at their backs, they should have no problems in recovering their missing ruler.

One could only hope.

Sitting idly by on the bench in the waiting room area, a blonde shinobi clothed in black and orange sat beside his stoic and solemn sensei – Uzumaki Naruto, stretching his arms in anticipating for battle. "As soon as Sakura finishes," He said, sternly. "We move out!"

"Rein it in a bit, Naruto." Kakashi replied, sternly.

Dismayed by his sensei's response, he averted his glance in an annoyed expression – slumping down in his seat with his arms folded across his chest. "Whatever, but we shouldn't be wasting any more time!"

"The answer is no! You're not going out after Gaara-sama on your own!"

"I'm a jonin-level shinobi! I can take care of myself!"

Curiously, Naruto peered down the hall of the winding Suna hospital – scanning for the voices he just heard moments ago. Far down the corridor, he seen Baki – Gaara's former sensei, speaking down at a girl he never seen before. Wearing a blue and white kimono-like dress, the golden-haired girl stood argumentatively in front of Baki – her stance solidified before him and her eyes narrowed up at him.

"You're a capable kunoichi, but you're no match for the Akatsuki," Baki argued. "You must wait until a pursuit squad is assembled!"

Her lilac eyes glistened with her forming tears as she tried to keep her emotions at bay. Gaara was gone, kidnapped by the enemy they were routinely warned about, and they could do nothing but watch as it happened. The village was scrambling to resolve the matter, but at the same time they were doing the bare minimum. It angered her, as both Gaara's assistant and as someone she considered a friend. "But by then it will already be too late!" She shot back. "I'm a tracker-nin! I can use my Kekkei Genkai to find him, and –!"

"Those enemies came into the village single-handedly and defeated Gaara-sama!" Baki yelled at her. "Do you really think you have a chance against them?!"

Flinching from his aggression, she bit her tongue.

She knew that deep down, Baki was right – she did not stand a chance against his captors.

"If you go after them, you'll only end up like Kankuro…" Baki stated, turning towards the open emergency room. Following his gaze, she could see Kankuro being treated by the pink-haired kunoichi from Konoha – being cured from the noxious poison that nearly killed him, with Temari standing closely by his side in worry for his condition. Submitting to the argument, Nomasaki turned back and lowered her head, looking down at the floor in silence with saddened eyes. "In the meantime," Baki began. "We need all of our shinobi to stay in the village in case of an ambush. Our Kazekage is gone, leaving us vulnerable for attack." With that being said, he walked over to Kakashi and Naruto – interrupting their silent conversation. "It's getting late. You'll need a place to spend the night."

"We have no time to rest!" Naruto objected. "We have to go and rescue Gaara!"

From hearing Gaara's name mentioned, Nomasaki listened to their conversation intently.

"Naruto, saving Gaara is our top priority right now, but we need rest." Kakashi spoke. "We've been travelling nonstop for days. Anymore and we'll out-do ourselves."

Baki nodded, turning to Nomasaki, who was still in the hallway. "Nomasaki!" He commanded.

Quietly, she walked over. "Y-Yes, sir?"

"Show the Konoha shinobi to their rooms."

Turning towards them, she suddenly felt a massive and eerie chakra within her senses, reminding her of the terror that Shukaku enveloped. Scanning for the source of the vile chakra, she was drawn to the young man who appeared her age – an orange and black clad ninja with whisker-like markings on his cheeks. As her fright-stricken eyes examined him from afar as he did not notice her gaze, she remembered Gaara's description of the ninja who steered him from the path of darkness.

Uzumaki Naruto.

Her vision went dark momentarily.

Water rippled below her feet.

A pair of gleaming red eyes sneered down at her while a smile of fanged white teeth grinned behind a prison of gold bars from a sealing jutsu. The creature, whatever it was, had coarse orange fur and nine rippling tails that flowed behind its crouched body. She suddenly felt fear. The chakra she sensed felt eerily similar to Gaara and Shukaku, leaving her to jump to a shocking conclusion.

A nine-tailed beast, she realized, The nine-tailed fox...!

The beast roared, forcing her out from the realm where she was thrust into.

Sweat formed on her forehead, her eyes wide and shaken.

It felt just like that time with Shukaku, she thought as she glanced towards the ninja, He's a jinchuriki like Gaara-sama. Snapping out of her daze, she turned back to Baki's direction. "Yes, sir." She spoke with a nod, silently, as he walked off into the operating room – checking on Kankuro's status. Calmly, she started towards the visiting Konoha shinobi. "Please, follow me. I'll show you where you'll be staying with us."

Naruto watched carefully at her as she approached, curiously – narrowing his glance at her defeated light purple eyes. As they made their way through the winding hall of the Kazekage's mansion within the heart of the village, the Konoha jinchuriki curiously peered at the silent young woman who guided them. Growing somewhat suspicious of who she was, he watched her carefully. Looking at her light purple eyes, he became perplexed by their vivid appearance – a strange eye color.

"So… who are you, anyway?" He asked, curiously. "A Suna-nin?"

"Yamamori Nomasaki," She answered as they walked, nodding subtly and keeping her gaze locked on ahead. "I'm the Kazekage's assistant."

"The Yamamori clan," Kakashi spoke with a sigh, reminiscing. "I can honestly say, I haven't heard of one in a long time. Not since my days in the Konohagakure ANBU, they were rumoured to be in the Land of Frost. I've heard the clan disappeared years ago, but they're from the Land of Mountains, not the Land of Wind." He glanced to her. "How did a clansman from the north end up in the deserts to the south?"

Hatake Kakashi made her uneasy.

His chakra felt strangely as if it contained a tiny fibre of her own. There's no way, she convinced herself, This man is not... No, it's not him. Keeping a calm face, she ignored her seething hatred for that man for a moment. "I'm from Yamagakure, where we originally came from. However, the village was destroyed… so I ended up here." Sadly, her eyes closed halfway, remembering what little she knew of her clan's origin. "Our clan was ancient, some say existing for as long as eight-hundred years. Many battles were fought using my clan in the past, causing them to be feared and shunned by others. In old times, if we of the clan were discovered by our enemies, they would have us killed or hunted for bounty. Since then, all Yamamori had kept their bloodline a secret, and scattered themselves across the lands."

"I see." Kakashi sighed. Glancing to her, he gave a light smile under his mask. "In my family it was rumoured that the Hatake's were descended from a Yamamori at some point, possibly from a political marriage. Who knows? Maybe we share a common ancestor at some capacity."

I knew there was something about him that seemed familiar, she realized. "And your father was the White Fang?"

Kakashi clued in. "You heard that? I have to admit, Chiyo-sama took me by surprise." He nodded. "Yes, he was."

Stunned by his words, Nomasaki thought carefully of what he said. Thankfully her suspicions were wrong - that man was not her father but possibly a potential long-lost distant cousin. Dogs and wolves being related made her unsure if she should be humbled or slightly insulted. Still, the reputation of the White Fang lingered within Suna through the generations, and Kakashi was the man who copied a thousand jutsu. But the mention of the Land of Frost took her completely by surprise. She knew there were tales of the giant direwolves that roamed the snowy lands - but were they possibly her ancient people?

The answer was better left unsaid.

"So, you're the Kazekage's assistant?" Naruto asked, pressingly – his blue eyes conveying concern for his friend. "Gaara's assistant?"

Nodding, a small smile appeared on her lips. "Yes, I am." She replied, softly. "I have been his assistant for almost a full year now, since the day he became Kazekage."

"I take it you know Gaara pretty well, huh?" Naruto pressed, narrowing his blue eyes.

Nomasaki's eyes widened for a moment, then saddened as she paused. "Yes…" She said, quietly. "I do." Turning to him, she gave a subtle, friendly smile. "Gaara-sama has told me about you, Uzumaki Naruto… how you changed him into a better person and helped him make his own path. I've heard nothing but good things about you." Slightly surprised by her words, Naruto nodded in return, softly smiling as he thought of his friend. With a slight creak, she opened the door before them, revealing two beds inside. The room was made of solidified clay, with quaint sheets and a bright lamp beside the single window. A guest room, if he ever saw one. "These will be your rooms during your stay. It's not much, but all we can offer."

"Thank you." Kakashi nodded. "These will be more than enough."

"And if I can make a request," Slightly surprised by her words, the Konoha ninja turned to her – curious of what she was asking of them. Looking upon them with a serious yet pleading glance, they could see the hurt and pain in her eyes. "Please, save Gaara-sama… For our village's sake."

Pausing from her request, Naruto gave a friendly smile and a brief chuckle, grasping the strap of his backpack as he stood with his sensei. "Of course we will!" He promised. "We'll save him! You can count on us!"

Smiling softly, she nodded from his words - hopeful. "Thank you." She said, quietly.

Starting down the hall once they went their separate ways, she anticipated what awaited her in the near future. Could this be her call to save Gaara? As she began to feel a brief rush of determination, she thought to herself of the young man she met from Konoha.

Uzumaki Naruto, I can see why Gaara has taken a liking to you… You give people hope.

Entering the emergency room at the Sunagakure Hospital, Nomasaki stepped within the boundaries of the operating table where Kankuro lay unconscious. His treatment was only just completed, and he cheated death for yet another day. The room was visibly vacant of doctors, nurses, and medical-nin, with only the ambient vital machines present with their faint pulses of noise in the background that night. As she walked inside, she felt a coy chakra approach her from her blind-spot. Pausing as she turned towards them, she jolted slightly from meeting their gaze. Chiyo, the well-renowned elder of Sunagakure – the elder sister of Ebizo and one half of the Honorable Siblings. Standing before the purple-eyed young woman, the elder gave her a blank expression of exhaustion. She must have been watching over Kankuro, she thought, Why else would she be there?

"O-Oh," Nomasaki stammered, bowing her head slightly. "Chiyo-sama –,"

"Enough of the formalities," Chiyo sighed. "I am but a senile old woman. Don't trouble yourself, girl."

"M-My apologies," Nomasaki nodded, beginning to feel awkward from their encounter. Although Chiyo was famous for her previous acts of the wars and achievements for the village, she was also famous for her vivid temper and low patience. She was being careful to not set her off. "I was merely trying not to disrespect –,"

"Disrespect?" Chiyo scoffed to herself. "You're an amusing one, I'll give you that. You may have won the council over, but you can't fool me!" Peering into the strange violet hue of Nomasaki's eyes, the elderly woman narrowed her glance towards her – uneasy. "Someone from a different land and village… like those Konoha shinobi who showed up unannounced and took over our own rescue mission…"

"Forgive me, Chiyo-sama… but those Konoha shinobi are helping us -,"

"And how are you helping us, may I ask? Are you looking for the Kazekage?" Flinching in her stance before her, Nomasaki struggled to make her lips form the words to her answer in time. She was forbidden until given orders to set off on her own – and she was playing right into the elderly woman's hand. Her quivering mouth failed to express her reply, as the elder smirked lightly at her stunned expression. Satisfied, the old woman folded her hands behind her back, walking off towards the exit. "I rest my case."

"Chiyo-sama," Nomasaki pleaded, her tone quiet and calm as she stepped towards her. "With all due respect, Sunagakure is my home. I must stand by until orders are given… –,"

"And Sunagakure is resorting to letting those from other lands claim our village as their home?" Chiyo barked back, pausing in her steps and refusing to meet her glance. "Such a dishonorable time, indeed."

Watching the elder's back as she left the room left her with a bad taste in her mouth. Such a cranky old woman, she thought, How could she be so bitter in a time such as this? Glancing towards the floor with a frown, she wondered if she overstepped her bounds.

"Don't… mind her, Nomasaki,"

Alarmed by the voice, she turned towards the bed where Kankuro lay behind her. He was awake and was speaking clearly. Much to her relief, he seemed alright. The Konoha shinobi must have healed him well, judging by his quick tongue making a return. Sitting in the chair before the bed, she gave him a concerned glance from her violet eyes.

"Are you able to wake?"

Weakly, he sat up from his rest, the bandages wrapped around his torso bending as he lifted himself from the bed mired in blood and poison. Once he was up, he looked down at the stiff coverings that concealed his deep wounds, his dark eyes narrowed.

"The Akatsuki… you'd be a fool to go after them," He started. "Just look at me… that's your answer."

"Do you know who it was who attacked you?" She pressed. "Did they have Gaara-sama?"

Gnashing his teeth, the wounds pulsed faintly as he remembered the name of the one who near killed him – the one who created his beloved puppets so many years ago. Turning towards her, he met her glance, narrowing his gaze as he gave a subtle nod. "Sasori… of the Red Sands… it was him." He said. "Gaara was captured by the other one… the one with the white bird."

The rumors were true – Sasori, the infamous criminal of the sands had indeed made his return. Judging by Kankuro's injuries, he was lucky enough to be alive to tell the tale. Having only heard stories of him from her comrades, she could not even fathom the feared strength such a man possessed. The Secret Red Technique of One Hundred Puppets, rumored upon the winds to have defeated an entire country alone – an enemy such as Sasori of the Red Sands would be near impossible to defeat alone.

"I see." She sighed, averting her glance in guilt. "I'm sorry I didn't go with you."

Hanging his head down low, he let out a humored chuckle. "If Gaara knew you tagged along, he would be furious." He replied, catching her attention. "He would've wanted you to stay here. You're his sensory guide and assistant, you're too valuable to be put at risk." Turning to her, he gave a serious expression. "I'm his brother, I have the right to rescind that… and put my life on the line."

A light smile on her lips, she stood up from the chair, starting towards the doorway at the front of the room. Pausing her hand on the doorknob, she gave a nod towards him. "I have to go. I'll relay you any updates from the council as I hear back."

Before she had the chance to turn and take her leave, a presence of a chakra caught her by surprise. Pausing, she met the aged glance of Elder Ebizo. He stood by quietly towards the edge of the room by the doorway, keeping a close and careful watch over the young man on bedrest. Turning to her, she could see a faint gleam of his eyes through his heavy wrinkled brow. Although the younger half of the Honorable Siblings, he appeared as if older than his sister.

"Ah, it's you." He spoke. "Kazekage-sama's assistant, is it?"

"Y-Yes, sir." She nodded, her heart prepared for another lashing. Formalities, she remembered. "Ebizo-sama."

"Ebizo is fine, my dear," He assured with the raise of his palm. A calm and apologetic air came over his aged expression. "I would like to apologize on my elder sister's words. I must admit, we old-folks are not used to seeing outsiders in our lands. You're from the Land of Mountains, I heard. It's a terrible thing what Ishigakure did to your homeland. Truly terrible." His face stiffened, examining the strange hue to her violet eyes. The eyes of an outsider. "Tell me... as someone who is an outsider born of a different land than our own, why do you feel so strongly for our Kazekage?"

His words struck her.

Alarmed, she could hardly muster an answer. "Ebizo-sama –,"

"I can see it in your eyes," He said. "It's the same with the Konoha shinobi who've arrived. They are all willing to risk their lives for another village, for our Kazekage's sake. Tell me, young one – why are you so willing as well?"

She felt her heart pause in her seized chest.

Why was she so willing?

The question was one she had to ask herself.

Her mission had forced her to stay hardened in her stance as a shinobi bound by oaths and duty – Kenzō saw to that. Keeping emotions at bay was a daunting and difficult task, with most times leaving her to question if she was truly a shinobi after all. Still, her heart ached at the thought of losing Gaara.

He could be dead already for all she knew.

She wished she could have been strong enough to break from the world that bound her and seek him herself, but she failed to muster the courage. Hope lingered despite the odds. Remembering her encounter with the jinchuriki from the east, she looked the elder in the eyes and gave a stern nod. "Because Gaara-sama is our Kazekage," She answered. "...and he is my friend."

Her friend.

Time was cruel to her, the word seldom uttered in the last year. Hearing herself say those words pierced her like ice. Her training as a spy and tracker-nin had been unforgettable in more ways than she could fathom. Swallowing the words, she took back what was taken. Kenzō was shrewd in more ways she could count, but never could he blind her to her friendships or take them away – whether they were his targets or not.

"I may be an outsider, but I care deeply for this place. It's my home." She said, bringing herself to speak more. "I would gladly risk my life for the village – or Kazekage-sama."

Ebizo nodded. "Well said."

A chakra suddenly entered her senses.

Knowing the scent well, she felt herself freeze where she stood. Eyeing the doorway, she knew what awaited her outside. Giving a brief bow of her head, she took her leave in silence. After Kankuro gave a nod in acknowledgment, she closed the door behind her. Entering the confines of the hospital halls around her, she could sense she was being followed by Kenzō's tracker-nin – just one. She knew the chakra of the vulpine-masked felon anywhere. Tojiru was watching her carefully from the shadows and she could feel every peer and every crawl. Kenzō wanted something. Narrowing her eyes ahead of her, she started on her way towards the Kazekage's mansion to face him and to see what he wanted next of her.

She hoped an escape would graciously show itself – but that was wishful thinking.

Sitting in a darkened room before her was Kenzō with a masked bodyguard silently at his side. Tojiru. The vulpine-faced lackey had his hand locked to the hilt of his blade at his back, ready to pull at any moment to strike her. Still and concise, Kenzō issued to her his commands, his face hidden by the darkness that plagued the room. Only the sharpened scars of his lips were visible from the scant light where he etched his will. The words Kenzō uttered from the shadows haunted her, their cold tone striking her. She stood wide-eyed and shocked, her mouth and lips unable to form a response. "W-Why am I given such an order?!" She stammered. "I thought you wanted me to keep tabs on Gaara-sama's activity through the tracking unit… why am I not allowed to find him with the others?"

"The Kazekage is gone. He was a threat to our way of life… a jinchuriki of the unstable Shukaku." Kenzō responded from the cover of the shadows, the masked tracker-nin beside him unmoving in threatening silence. "With Gaara-sama taken by the Akatsuki, an opportune time arises for Suna. We can finally rid the village of the burden of Shukaku and its unstable jinchuriki."

"But… why… –?"

Kenzō promptly stood from his shrouded seat, stepping closer to her, his narrowed eyes boring through her in the dark. "You are not to assist in tracking down Kazekage-sama's whereabouts, no matter who commands, whether it be from the Suna Council itself or the ones below. You are not to disobey." He commanded. "By swearing your oath of service to Suna, you act as a proxy in the best interests of the village. Do not forget… we spared you when you arrived here two years ago at our doorstep."

Sadly, she looked down, averting her gaze. "N-No, sir..." She acknowledged, reluctantly. "I did not forget..."

"That would be all."

"If you so much as even think of going against your master's will, I will lop off your head myself." Tojiru sneered, his blade shining in the dark as he withdrew it before her. "I've always wanted a nice pelt. Try not to blow our cover... or you'll be sorry you ever wandered into these parts, outsider."

Meeting the glare of his porcelain mask, Nomasaki glared back. Disgust twisted in her core, her blood boiling beneath her still exterior. The nerve of him, she thought bitterly. Walking off into the shadows of the darkened chamber, Kenzō paused amongst the darkness in thought. Watching him carefully, she stood her ground in anticipation of him returning with another command, her fists balled lightly at her sides. Sensing her discomfort and troubled glance, he looked back at her from the corner of his eye, a smug grin curving on his lips at the helpless tool he kept to himself.

"And if somehow Gaara-sama returns to the village alive, resume your monitoring duties. Those are your commands, Nomasaki. It's in your best interest to not disobey. Unless you would like to experience the punishment of treachery." Before departing within the shadows, Kenzō paused, glancing towards her fearful eyes – boring through them with his in spite. "You are forbidden from searching for Kazekage-sama. If you go against your given orders, you will pay the ultimate price... and I will find out if you do."

Looking back towards the shadows where they stood, she nodded – her expression emotionless and blank, her eyes closed halfway in sorrow.

"Yes, sir."

She left that room as soon as she could.

Feeling her determination sinking into the pit of her chest, she stepped out of the secretive meeting chamber with her head hung low in defeat. There was nothing she could do to save him, finally rendering her hopeless. Stepping away into the winding corridor lit by the dim lights of the night, she started on her path home. I failed, she thought, without even given a chance. She had no choice but to sit and wait for any news on the Kazekage and his whereabouts, her gut churning in its anxiety as she feared the worst was upon them. She could not shake the feeling.

"Nomasaki,"

Jolting from the voice, she turned towards the chakra she sensed close to her whereabouts.

"T-Temari-senpai!" She spoke, wide-eyed – surprised to see her friend at such an hour that night. "What are you doing here?"

"I should say the same to you," Temari scoffed, walking towards her. Pausing before her, she crossed her arms in front of her chest, her green eyes narrowed at her. "What are you doing lurking around the halls of the mansion at this hour? Shouldn't you be home by now?"

Biting her tongue, Nomasaki averted her gaze. "I'm… not allowed to say." She replied, silently. "Orders from above… I'm sorry."

As Temari examined her saddened expression tainted with guilt, something did not sit right with her. It was painted all over her face - but she could not put her finger on exactly what it was. Since they have known each other, she always had her wits about her foreign-born friend, but there was always something about her that made her skin crawl with caution. "You know," She began. "Before we became friends during the jonin training, I was quite suspicious of you. After Gaara recommended you as his assistant, you gained my full trust." Her eyes shot her a somewhat suspecting glare. "But now… I need to test your trust."

Slightly alarmed by her words, Nomasaki glanced at her, her eyes stunned and nervous in their gleam. "What is it, Temari-senpai?"

"I'm gathering a pursuit squad to find Gaara as soon as Kankuro recovers. We need a skilled tracker to guide us." Surprised from her reveal, Nomasaki jolted at her words. "Can I ask you of this? Can I put my trust in you to help find my brother, our Kazekage?"

Looking at her friend's serious expression of determination and bravery, Nomasaki thought about her next move – should she obey and stay within Suna, or should she accompany her friend and rescue their Kazekage? If she was caught disobeying the given orders from the elders, she would certainly be walking on thin ice, but Gaara's life was at stake – there was no telling what may happen to him. However, if she disobeyed, she may be the next Suna shinobi gone missing.

Kenzō would see to that, she knew he would.

She suddenly remembered her actions from only months ago, the night she saved Gaara from the black-clad assassin. Her mission was not concerning of his safety, but she risked it all nonetheless. Her barred canines did the task, the memory of her changing form coming back to her mind. She risked her own life to save him - going against the very end-tenant of her mission.

And he was her friend.

Her friend.

She knew what she had to say.

Her expression turning stern with a gleam of determination, she nodded – accepting the mission. "You have my word, Temari-senpai." She said, quietly. "Please, keep this secret… I don't want the higher-ups to know I'm helping you."

"Understood. We'll leave at dawn... I'll see you there."

As the two kunoichi went their separate ways, Nomasaki left the estate with her chest tight and a lump in her chest. She was making a big mistake, but she knew she would rather die than sit back and do nothing.

This was her chance to prove her worth and repay her debts...