Chapter 23
Descendant

The dawn was as brisk as it was harsh.

Fastening the straps of her backpack and adjusting her mask, Nomasaki left her apartment as still and as silent as a shadow could be. Eyes were watching her within the fading dark of night as the morning slowly crept closer, leaving her to pretend as if she could not sense their suspicious glances. Inside the main pouch of her pack was Hanone's scroll, the presence of him close by allowing her to breathe easy for the time being. If any of her "comrades" chose to seek her out, they would have to deal with him first. It was only fair they would see fanged jaws if they dared to take out one of their own recruits.

The thought entertained her, at least.

Making her way down the clay steps, she paused to take in the light of dawn through her snarling porcelain shroud. It would be at least one day on foot to get to the Land of Claws - the land where she near met her demise as a lowly genin those brief two years ago. At least this time she was no longer a walking target – the Kazekage was this time. Being an escort and bodyguard was something she was not acquainted with – let alone with the one she promised to take out for the resistance. They had to find someone else for the job now, she reminded herself, I refuse – I would rather die from my treachery than go through with it.

And that was the truth – she knew it deep inside.

"Hey! Nomasaki, down here!"

Catching her off guard in her daze, the familiar faces of her old teammates graced her for the first time in ages. Standing at the edge of the alleyway, Meiyumi stood smiling in her chunin garbs as a black-clad Shinto was beside her, meeting the gaze of her tracker-nin mask with that familiar smirking grin he tended to wear on his lips. It was a comforting sight.

Taking off her mask, Nomasaki hurried down the stairs to meet them. "Meiyumi, Shinto," She started. "What brings you here?"

"Just passing through!" Shinto beamed. "We have a new assignment in the western part of the desert. Meiyumi is coming along as our medic just in case the battle gets tough!"

"Oh, please!" Meiyumi groaned. "Trust me, the only battle you'll be fighting is the battle against heat stroke!"

Nothing has changed about them, Nomasaki thought with a smile, That's a relief.

"Where are you off to at this hour?" Meiyumi asked, smiling her way. "Does the tracking unit have some sort of special assignment for you? I still can't get over how fast you were promoted to jonin, that's incredible!"

Nomasaki did not understand that either. "Sort of," She began to answer. "I... was chosen to be the bodyguard for Kazekage-sama to the Land of Claws."

"The Land of Claws? Isn't that the place where those Ishigakure ninja came from that time?"

She nodded. "Yeah, it's... strange. But it's for the recognition of a peace treaty between our lands, so I think I'll be alright." Sensing a pair of eyes upon her, she saw the gleam of stern concern painted within Shinto's expression.

"So you'll be with the Kazekage, then?" Before she could provide an answer, he averted his narrowed glance from hers and put his hands in his pockets. "I see..." Looking back to her, she could see the hidden hatred that lingered behind his eyes. "Just be careful, Nomasaki. Just because he's no longer a jinchuriki, it doesn't mean he isn't dangerous."

Meiyumi scoffed. "Shinto, you're forgetting our teammate's a wolf for crying out loud!"

"No, Meiyumi – you don't see it," He shot back. "His sand has a mind of its own! He may be our Kazekage, but he's still a danger to our village...–," He eyed his nervous purple-eyed friend. "...and to those he calls his 'friends'."

Kenzō should have recruited Shinto, she realized.

Even years later, his hatred for Gaara still remained strong. It was a relief he did not know she helped retrieve him from the Akatsuki – he would have stormed off instantly. And what if he was right? What if his sand was still as dangerous as it was with Shukaku? Caught between her heart and the warning, it was a bitter pill to swallow. Searching for words to speak, she saw him turn away and start for the village streets at his back. Noticing his leave, Meiyumi called for him but he failed to answer, disappearing into the waking plaza of civilians and shinobi. Before chasing after him, she turned to Nomasaki with an assuring smile.

"Don't worry about him," She said. "He's been going through a lot lately. He's trying for the ANBU so he hasn't been getting much sleep. I'm sure he didn't mean it to be rude."

But what if he did?

"I heard through the medic grapevine that you helped those Konoha shinobi and the Suna squadron recover Kazekage-sama." Stunned, Nomasaki struggled to say something before Meiyumi's smiling shake of her head dissipated any worry she had. "Don't worry, your secret's safe with me! I only found out from the classified report from the head medic." She whispered, light-hearted. "That's probably the bravest thing you ever did, especially since there's still an uneasiness around the village. It's admirable!"

"O-Oh, thanks." Nomasaki said, a tinge of guilt dampening her relief.

"I must ask," Giving Meiyumi a curious glance, she suddenly saw the concern that tinted her brown eyes. "Since you've been promoted, you don't seem like yourself. Is... everything alright?"

This surprised her.

"I know you're probably under a lot of pressure from the higher-ups in the tracking unit, and you're also the Kazekage's assistant... but I just want to make sure you're okay with the path you've chosen."

The path that was chosen.

That was something she had to remind herself what she chose.

She never chose to be a shinobi, she never chose to be a tracker-nin. But she did choose to be a kunoichi of Sunagakure – and to abandon her mission for the sake of saving her friend. She was not used to making choices, but she now had to think about that she would choose for herself in the future if she was blessed to have one in the first place.

Freedom – that was what she wanted.

Maybe if she told Gaara of her assignment, he could help her escape – and she could return to the mountains once more. But that was a fool's dream - and a fool she had been to let the thought even cross her mind.

"Meiyumi!" A voice called out from the village streets. "The platoon has gathered at the gates!"

And before she could say anything, her friend had departed with a wave into the crowd at her back. She hoped she would see them again. A cry of a hawk circling in the clouds above alerted her, drawing her to its dance upon the smooth winds of a nearing desert spring. It was the tracking unit's hawk, she soon realized. Hearing its distant shrieking upon the skies, she started for the barracks.

Unlike Kenzō and his followers, Nomasaki held no fear for Commander Moro and his men. Although Moro was a frightening man with great strength and Scorch Release, he valued his subordinates and the village above all else. Only his demonic mask struck fear to her. Still, not even Moro could release her from the shackles the scheming councillor forced upon her. At least in the pipe-shrouded chambers where the tracking unit made its home, she felt safe if only for a moment.

Entering the darkened chamber down the flights of decaying clay stairs, she stood before her commander.

Moro eyed her sternly. "As you know, you've been assigned that mission by the council." He spoke, his presence dominating and stern. "You are to escort the Kazekage to Ishigakure to sign the peace treaty put forth by their chieftain. I advised the council to not let you embark, but Kenzō-sama insisted. Somehow, he convinced the council to agree with him on the assignment in the first place, knowing that our leader is not yet at full strength following the incident. Not sure how he did, but I suspect he left out the crucial details... such as Ishi's treacherous past and waning strength. The Land of Claws is a nation unknown to us in recent years, but their animosity towards our village remains the same. I understand they were the ones who invaded your own village, and for that I suggest you be on your guard." His eyes narrowed at her through his mask. "Stay sharp, outsider. I know you're an underling of his, but keep your wits about you. That man only cares for his own ambition, he has no love for his comrades."

She eyed him back through her wolfish shroud. "I'm thoroughly aware of that."

Watching her take her leave, her commander took notice of something. "A moment, Nomasaki."

"Yes, Moro-sama?" She turned, pausing in her steps.

"It has come to my attention that you've been given that seal... is this true?"

Her heart froze. Nodding once, she eyed him cautiously. "Are you going to... punish me, sir?"

"Did you step out of line?"

She hesitated her words. "I... went against orders to remain in the village when the Kazekage went missing." She confessed, flatly. "Kenzō-sama... he used the seal to...-,"

"I'm not going to punish you." Moro interrupted. "Why should I punish a rookie who is their own shinobi - their own will? Our Kazekage was captured by the enemy. Lots of our own went to retrieve him. If I were to punish every subordinate who left Suna to bring back their leader, I'd be commanding the Intel Division's torture unit - not the tracking unit." His words surprised her. "You're amongst comrades here. I don't know what kind of work that rat Kenzō has you doing, but you can rest assured you won't find that here."

She nodded. "T...Thank you, Moro-sama."

As she departed up the clay stairs, Moro watched her closely with a suspicious glint to his eyes. Her will is broken, he realized, Kenzō must have really gotten to her, the poor thing. He would soon have to take matters in his own hands, no doubt. Before anymore of his subordinates become converts of Kenzō's will.

And he had to act fast.

Without exchanging many words, the Kazekage and his assistant departed for their assignment.

Venturing off into the unforgiving desert as the early rays of the morning swept across the dunes, they left their tracks behind in the sand. With the winter months soon approaching their end, their travels to Ishigakure of the Land of Claws were delayed by the unpredictable terrain of the Land of Mountains by which they shared a border, forcing the young Kazekage and his assistant to take a detour through the Land of Rivers to the far east. As they navigated on their path through the dense shrouded forest beyond the desert, they could feel the cold essence of winter on the winds that blew against them. Although spring was close, winter still claimed the land with an iron-firm grip.

Later that night, they set up camp as they neared the Land of Claws' border – preferring to take refuge in the forest than the merciless wastelands that riddled the Land of Claws' landscape.

Nestled between the Land of Rain to the east and the Land of Mountains to the west, the Land of Claws was a place where no souls wished to be born – it was a land devoid of nature, life, and prosperity. Ishigakure was a largely neutral nation, but still exhibited hostility towards other lands who dared to venture through the wastes. It was a realm of exiles and calamities, a nation where Suna had banished many of its Kekkei Genkai-bearing clans following the rise of the First Kazekage out of fear of rebellion. Knowing full well that her clan was a prime target of Ishigakure, Gaara suggested on waiting until morning to cross the wastes to Ishi, something that deeply relieved her – the memories of her capture still fresh in her mind.

Sitting below a tree in front of the faintly dimming embers of their fire, he watched the sparks crackle and fade into the night – seeking warmth in the cold winds he was not used to, his hand clutching the white cloak that sat on his shoulders as he could begin to see his breath before him. Across from him at the other side of the fire, Hanone was laying down, his beastly eyes gazing into the flames as his long, white body was curled around the fire. On the wolf's back, Nomasaki slept soundly, her hands held close to her face as they lightly grasped onto his thick snowy fur in the night, her tracker-nin mask close by.

"She didn't want us to rest from the journey, despite how tired she really was." Hanone spoke. "…and her disdain for the Ishi ninja who destroyed her clan and village."

"Why is that?" Gaara asked, looking up to him, curiously. "Why would she?"

"She knows about your insomnia… She thought resting would be a burden to us."

With a sympathetic gaze, Gaara observed her sleeping, his ringed-eyes watching closely, perplexed by the idea of sleep as she slept silently on a bed of white fur. For his whole life, he struggled with his insomnia, a side effect of being the jinchuriki of Shukaku – the beast's horrifying thoughts tormenting his sleep and contributing to his mania. Since having the one-tail extracted, sleep had still alluded him – not once in his life had he slept a healthy amount and despite his best efforts, he could still not sleep. Watching her lay in comfort struck his interest, hoping that one day he would be so lucky.

"She needs her rest…" He replied. "She's our sensory guide, so her well-being is crucial."

Scoffing at him, Hanone whipped his tail from his response. "Don't forget me due to arrogance, young Kazekage!" The wolf snarled, briefly. "She summoned me to cover more ground as well! You Sunagakure ninja act so entitled…!"

The wolf's snarl slightly alarming him that night, he looked up towards it – his expression calm and expressionless. "I apologize." He said, as he locked eyes with the beast, almost passive-aggressive. "My intention wasn't to offend you, but after all… you have a nasty temper."

After hearing the wolf release a growl from its closed jaws, he stared back into the diming fire, pondering his words as he thought about the mission at hand. Abruptly, the Suna Council requested their Kazekage and his assistant to respond to a peace treaty with Ishigakure, completely aware that Gaara was significantly weaker without his tailed-beast and that his assistant was a previous target by the Ishi ninja due to her clan and homeland – something did not sit right with him at all, and not once had they partaken in a mission together alone.

So why now?

The more he pondered about the circumstances, the more it troubled him. While sitting silently before the fading embers, he thought of his assistant's clan and what little he knew – that they were wolves – but that was all he was aware of. Her entire clan was a mystery to him, and he never had the will to ask – but with the mission at hand, he felt he had to find out in order to understand why her people were targets.

"Hanone, I need to ask you something."

"What is it?"

Looking up at the wolf across from him, he glanced at its beastly eyes through the light of the fire – his ringed-eyes visibly stern and narrowed. "The Yamamori clan… what became of them?"

"No one really knows what happened to them, to say the least. Even I don't know what became of that clan, and I've been around for nearly a thousand years." The wolf's eyes narrowed at the burning flames. "All I do know, is that the Yamamori originated from the Land of Mountains. They were mountain-folk with strange purple eyes and possessed a Kekkei Genkai which gave them the power to become a wolf… much like the werewolves in your humans' folklore. They were a battle clan with great strength and stamina, feared in combat, and defended Yamagakure for generations… However, as the years passed, their legacy caught up with them and they were wiped out by Ishigakure… with any of their few survivors scattering themselves to the winds, and the clan being shunned by Yama as a scapegoat for their isolation and troubles…"

The beast glanced at the sleeping girl on his back, his yellow eyes closed halfway in sympathy for her suffering – remembering the broken young girl who summoned him in the mountain meadow. She was so fragile, so small, and so helpless – a pup without its mother, he thought. Seeing her become who she was filled his ancient heart with pride. She was more wolf than he could have imagined - luckily taking after her mother who he once called his master.

But the young woman possessed the eyes of her father.

"There must be others bearing the name of that clan, there has to be. Nomasaki is not the last of her kind… I know that much of her people."

Resting his head on his large paws, the great wolf fell asleep – his silent breaths escaping through his tightly closed jaws. Alone, Gaara sat awake from his insomnia, thinking about the possible reasons why the council sent him on this assignment. As he sat below the tree, he gazed at Nomasaki who lay sleeping, noting her peaceful appearance. Seeing her sleep so silently captivated him in his curiosity and desire for a full night's rest. Looking down at his cold hands with worn eyes, he pondered about his assistant, her clan, and the mission.

Hoping that sleep would graciously arrive to him someday.

As the morning arrived, they continued on their journey to the Land of Claws.

Making their way further down the pathway that connected the Land of Rivers to the wastes, with Gaara choosing to walk beside the large wolf as his assistant sat calmly on its back, her mask clinging to the back of her flak jacket. The air was thick and cold that day, while small flurries of snow fell from the sky above them, painting the air in white. As they approached further north, the frost coated the trees on their path, while a thick blanket of snow covered the ground. For the first time in over three years, Nomasaki seen snow – her heart aching from the long separation, her eyes glistening with joy as she felt its familiar frosted tinge. Familiar to only the desert climate, Gaara walked alongside Hanone with a thick white cloak over his shoulders to keep warm. Although he was not visibly uncomfortable, the snow and the cold was strange to him – chilling him in a way almost alien to him. To make matters more inconvenient for him, there was no sand for him to make use of, and the frozen earth beneath would be difficult to reach in case of attack. Trying not to think about the council's insistence of the mission, he walked on in silence – ready to complete the assignment and return to Suna.

Hanone's nostrils flared as he took in the cold air while they walked. "We're close to the Land of Mountains," He spoke through his fangs. "This climate… how I've missed it."

Surprised from his words, Nomasaki nodded, a soft smile on her lips – her breath visible in the cold. She felt at peace. "I still can't believe it's been almost three years, since… I left."

Noticing Gaara beside her as she sat atop her wolf, she noted the thickness of the cloak upon his strong shoulders. Clad in only her standard shinobi attire, her long-sleeved black shirt with its matching pants and flak jacket kept her sufficiently warm. But then remembered she was not exactly the average person. With the wolf's blood that flowed in her veins, the cold did not bother her in the slightest. Whereas Gaara beside her did not have such a tolerance, and by looking at his stern eyes she could see that he had a slight shiver as he walked. As someone from the sands where no snow has ever fallen, she was not surprised.

"Kazekage-sama," She smiled towards him. "Is this your first time seeing snow?"

Drawing his attention, he turned. As the snow began to fall, the vibrance of her lilac eyes gleamed through the powdered white that surrounded them. It had been a while since he seen them in a such a way. The tone of dutiful sternness he knew from working alongside her was replaced by the familiar kindness and warmth he remembered from when they were genin. In the snow, she seemed different to him. She appeared at ease, calmer, and stronger in a way. Unbitten by the cold, she sat on her wolf's back smiling and content. Glancing back to the skies of white above, he gave a small nod. "Yeah. It's strange, almost. It's cold, wet, and surprisingly soft. It's the opposite of sand, yet... in a way so similar."

Taking in his words, she smiled at his answer. Remembering that fateful day years ago when they first properly met, she was glad that he thought the same. Sand and snow were total opposites, no mistaking that – but yet were the same. Maybe not in composition, but in essence. Having small-talk with her leader was always welcome, but it was seldom had between them. Although thankful for the recent months where they could discuss things more openly together, she felt guilty for the weakness he suffered from the tailed-beast's extraction. Having his powers over the sand recovered comforted her, just as his words were.

"Tell me, Nomasaki," Gaara started, as they were making their way down the snowy forest path. Curiously, she turned to him as she sat on the wolf's back – his voice catching her attention. "Yamagakure, what was it like? You've never spoken of it before."

Surprised by his question, she turned to meet his glance. "R-Really?" She stammered. "You want to know?"

"Hanone said it was close by," He replied. "It's your homeland, so I'm curious."

From hearing the young Kazekage mention his name, Hanone let out a subtle growl. "After all this time as your assistant, you still never bothered to ask...?!" He snarled through his fangs, quietly. "You desert-folk are so ignorant...!"

"Hanone, please." Nomasaki patted him, slightly embarrassed. "Don't say that."

"No," Gaara answered. "He's right." Surprising her slightly, she turned to him, noticing his eyes looking on towards the snowy path with a somewhat saddened glint. Used to his stoic and expressionless demeanor, seeing him appearing slightly saddened and guilty made her curious. "You're my assistant," He replied. "And being such, I neglected our friendship at times due to my duties as the Kazekage. For that, I'm sorry." As the flurries continued to fall, he looked up to her, his expression showing a faint genuine smile, masking his past guilt. "So if it's alright, I would like to know more about you. Not as the Kazekage, but as your friend."

Humbled by his words, she softly smiled at him. As she structured her words in her head, she looked up to the snowy skies above. "Well," She began. "Yama was a very peaceful place. Since our village was on a mountaintop, it was always snowing. Winter lasted all year long. Our village was very small, and we had few shinobi, but we were happy there." Slowly, she held her head down, her gaze saddening. "I was… raised by my mother in the village. I grew up without a father. He left when I was very small." Looking down at the wolf who's back she sat upon, she placed her hand on his white mane. "Hanone told me of my father… My mother wouldn't tell me of him, but only through Hanone would I find out it was for good reason…"

"What reason was that?" He asked. "If you don't mind me asking."

Turning to him, she locked eyes with him, sorrow and contempt tinting her lilac eyes for the words she spoke. "My father was a Suna ninja."

Surprised, felt his heart stop in his chest from her words. Sunagakure, his homeland – she was one of them. Desert, sand, winds, heat – all the elements that bothered her contained the essence of her mixed blood. Contempt rising within her, she averted her gaze from his, looking down at Hanone's back of snow-white fur before her, her expression turning blank while her violet eyes evoked seething rage.

"During the Third Shinobi War, Yama was prone to ambush and had few ninja in the village. In order to protect the Land of Wind's border, platoons from Suna were stationed in Yama to secure our border against the Land of Earth. That's how my mother met my father." A small smile formed on her lips, trying to mask her contempt for her absent parent that she never knew – the man she only knew as 'father' in her memories. "They were very much in love. They planned to live out the rest of their lives together, until the end of their days. Then…" Gritted her growing fanged teeth, she attempted to suppress her anger as best as she could but it was futile. She could feel her hands quiver upon Hanone's fur as she sat, her eyes becoming heavy with guilt. While the memory of Hanone's words to her before she participated in the Chunin Exams rang through her mind, she relished in the bubbling anger that was cracking through the surface of her blank exterior. "…I was born." She uttered. "My father discovered the Kekkei Genkai my mother and I possessed… and was disgusted. He left the village and was never heard from again. He broke my mother's heart, and I believe that's what killed her. Not her illness."

"I'm sorry to hear that..." Gaara said, quietly, averting his narrowed gaze. "It must have been difficult for you."

Her lilac eyes narrowed at her pale hands, cleansing her face of emotion as she examined them. "That was one of the reasons why I became a shinobi. I wanted to make myself braver. Stronger. That's all I know of my father to begin with. He's a ninja… I thought maybe if I became one too, I'd be able to understand him when we finally meet." Attempting to hide her sadness, she briefly chuckled to herself. "I don't know how I would react if I met him. I... want to know him, so I can try to understand why he left but..." She grit her teeth, her canines appearing slightly larger than usual – her anger returning to her natural calm voice. "...I deeply resent him for what he did to my family. What kind of father thinks of their own child as a monster?"

Resonating with her words, Gaara turned to his side, his eyes narrowing as he remembered the difficult upbringing he had with his father – the Fourth Kazekage, Rasa of the Gold Dust. All his early childhood he spent in isolation with lack of affection and menacing thoughts from his tailed-beast – the comfort he had being his loving uncle who later betrayed him by attempting to assassinate him on his father's order – because he thought of him as a failed experiment, a monster.

For a long time, he believed it.

"My father said I was a monster."

His words surprising her, she turned to him, her eyes shocked and sympathetic. "Your father?"

"I was primed to be the ultimate weapon for Suna when I was Shukaku's jinchuriki. I was... basically raised separately from my own siblings." As he walked, his eyes showed visible contempt towards the horizon. "'A demon who loves only himself'... That was the name I was given. It was his plan that I become a jinchuriki before I was even born. And because I couldn't be controlled, he deemed me a failure." Turning to her, his expression softened. "Whether a jinchuriki or from a certain clan, that does not make you a monster. It's what you decide to do with that power that can make you a monster." He looked down on his snowy path, his ringed-eyes closed in shame. "I've done things in my past I'm not proud of," He lamented. "Such as proving my existence in... cruel and cold ways towards others. That made me a monster. But...–," As they met eyes that moment, she felt the security and warmth of his words. "You are not a monster, Nomasaki. Your father was wrong. When you confront him, he will realize his mistake with shame."

Her eyes tensed on the road ahead. "He will do more than realize his mistake... he's going to pay for it!" She spat through her teeth. "When I find that man, I'm going to look him in the eyes as he tells me every bit of truth... and end him like the pathetic excuse for a father he is."

Gaara became solemn, knowing it all too well. "You seek revenge?"

"It's not revenge - it's what he deserves." She corrected. "He abandoned my family and left us... and he did so believing we are monsters. It left me to suffer the destruction of my village and the loss of my mother. Well... I'll show him who the monster is, whether he accepts his fate or not."

Catching wind of his silence, Hanone grumbled as he watched the back of the young leader walk beside him. "Hm? Kazekage, you're awfully quiet. You didn't like what your assistant had to say? It's the truth... every word. Nomasaki would be doing him a mercy. A man such as that has no place to be amongst the living and suffer no consequence. Death awaits him by her blade."

Gaara turned to her with empathy marking his expression. "You shouldn't."

"Why shouldn't I?" She questioned, growing defensive. "You've heard what I said. It's justice."

"It's not worth it, revenge. It would only create more suffering."

"What would you know about...-?"

Gaara stood firm, prompting Hanone to pause against the crunching snows and snarl from the intrusion. "I was made a jinchuriki against my will! I know more about seeking vengeance than you." He shot back, narrowing his eyes at her unmoving face of growing anger. His expression softened, remembering his past. "There is also an uncomfortable similarity between you and... someone else... You both seek revenge to fulfill your purpose."

Her face eased, raising a brow in curiosity while Hanone silently snarled under her. "...Who?"

"Uchiha Sasuke." Gaara answered, flatly.

"Uchiha... Sasuke? Who is that?"

"He is, or was... a shinobi of Konohagakure. Like you, he was the last of his clan."

His words surprised her, quelling her anger. "How are we alike?"

Averting his glance, he was reminded of the person he once was. "Back when I was... a monster, I fought him. We had the same eyes back then, eyes that sought only the darkness to affirm our existence. Hatred, revenge, power... that was all we wanted out of our lives. I was lucky enough to escape from that darkness, but Sasuke... he is now on a path that no one can follow." Looking to her, he saw the stunned surprise upon her face as she heard him speak, as if understanding his words completely. She appeared a shell. Still, he saw what was within her from a mere glance. "Your eyes... When we met, I saw in them a shared loneliness. But there is no darkness in your eyes, only hope. You're not meant for the path of an avenger, Nomasaki. You are too good of a person. If seeking revenge is something you feel is necessary, I encourage you to give it a second thought. You could always change your path. I did."

She sat upon her wolf in stunned silence.

There it was again, she thought, My path...

"Don't let him steer you from your goal," Hanone grunted. "He wouldn't understand the pain you feel... That bastard of a father of yours is as good as dead."

Her thoughts began quarrelling with each other. "Maybe... he's right, Hanone."

Hanone huffed, disgruntled. "You can't be serious...?!"

"If I meet my father, when it happens... maybe I should hear him out, hear what he has to say." She spoke, her voice low and broken. "He might... be sorry for what he did, after all. He can't bring my mother back, or fix his absence, but...-,"

"If you follow through with that line of thinking, then you are weak!"

"I'm not weak!" She shot back. "When I find that man, I'll decide what happens. No one else." Hanone snarled into silence, dismayed by her change in decision. Taking a silent breath to herself, she pushed back the tears that dared to creep into her throat. Calm-faced, she turned to Gaara. "I'll think about what you said." She nodded, containing herself. "I've never really thought about... my path, so that's something I'll have to consider. Thanks for that, Gaara. Er, I mean... Gaara-sama." She turned her attention to the wolf she sat upon. "Hanone, let's go. We have no time to waste."

As she rode on her mount, she remembered her secret. She would find her father when her assignment was completed – if Kenzō deemed her worthy. While she looked at Gaara from the back of her wolf, a sudden guilt had enveloped her. She was acting selfish and she knew it. He did not deserve any of it, not a shard of her help – nothing. She was truly a wolf in sheep's clothing, hiding everything from him.

If I fulfill my duty, Kenzō-sama can reveal to me my father, she thought to herself, But I will never do such a thing – I will protect you in spite of that.

She wondered if her father was even alive to begin with. For all she knew, Kenzō could have been lying to gain her trust – to gain her as a tool. Guilt swelled and writhed within her, fracturing her already vulnerable heart that she held towards the young Kazekage. She wanted to tell him everything, but she knew what awaited her if she did. The seal would be her end.

A sudden presence alarmed her.

"What is it?" Gaara asked, his eyes narrowed slightly. "Pursuers?"

Focusing her senses, Nomasaki caught wind of approaching chakra. Twenty. All of them were converging towards where they were - and with ill-intent. "We have to move! They've picked up on our trail." She patted Hanone's mane. "Can you detect them, Hanone?"

"Yes... twenty of them." The beast snarled. "I sense a powerful foe... We have to act quickly!"

Bursting through the snow-tinted trees, the wolf dashed through the white thicket as his master clung to his back tightly. The chakras were gaining on them fast. It almost reminded her of the time she took the Chunin Exams in Kumo and she was pursued by the Kiri-nin. The snows turned heavy as they made it closer to the summit. Gaara managed to stay close beside them by using his sand as a means of transport, but he was not as fast as the beast from the mountains. Alarming her from her mount, Hanone came to a sudden pause. His claws crunched onto the snow under him as he turned his body around. A snarl ripped through his jaws as his back arched in a predatory nature, prepared for imminent battle. The beast barred his muzzle and his ears rested upon his head, his snarling echoing throughout the snowy landscape.

Nomasaki flinched her grasp upon his fur. "Hanone, what is it? Do you sense something?"

"Scum!" He growled. "They've got us cornered!"

Suddenly, she sensed it, her eyes widening in shock as she could feel a mass of chakra making their way towards them. The presence felt as if they were closing in on them in violent speed, feeling nearly inhuman to her – but how was she unable to detect them? As if in a moment, they were trapped by the pursuers who lurked behind the wall of frosted trees. "He's right -! We've been surrounded!"

"What? How so?" Gaara interjected, preparing himself for combat.

"They're coming!" Hanone growled. "On your guard!"

A sudden stream of lightning came from the ice-covered forest edge.

Nomasaki leap from Hanone's back, drawing her sword in her hand from its sheath. When she seen their adversaries, she flinched. It was a massive bear of a man, clad in black shining armour and a cloak of coarse fur resting on his shoulders. His heavily scarred face seemed eerily familiar to her, but his chakra felt unknown. His eyes appeared to have the same gleam as Kenzō's. They shared the same menacing tone - no question about it. The massive man clad in armour and scars emerged from the forest with a platoon of near twenty men wielding various weapons. Mercenaries or bandits, their ragged appearances proved it.

"Well, well," The man sighed, his eyes locked onto her. "It's the one we've been looking for all this time! It's been quite a number of years since I've last seen your kind. It appears our hunt wasn't finished if you escaped..."

Arching his back further, Hanone's growl ripped through the air, his claws digging into the snow as he barred his fanged muzzle. "You bastard!"

"You know this man...?" Nomasaki questioned, alarmed.

The beast's growls deepened. "He was one of the invaders who destroyed your village! He escaped my jaws but just barely... I'll make sure he doesn't this time around. His bloodied head will rest between my jaws!"

Nomasaki froze. "You mean...! He was one of them -?!"

Haunting her, she found herself suddenly remembering the sight of flames licking the dark sky and the sound of screaming villagers. She hardly remembered that night still, only the calls of her summon telling her to flee and the faint gleam of the invaders armour. As she stared him down, she felt her blood boil while the repressed memories came crawling back to the forefront of her mind.

And now they've found her.