Chapter 27
The Costs of Duty

She waited until near nightfall to take her last glimpse of the outside.

The land was barren, sweltering, and foreign to her eyes - yet it was still land, and it was the land she called home. The owl-masked tracker-nin escorted her quietly from her apartment to the meeting chambers where their master lurked. Growling at the shinobi, Hanone barred his fangs while Nomasaki commanded he stay. "I'll be back soon," even as it left her lips her glance gave away her lie. Reluctantly, the beast stayed. For the first time since her jonin promotion, she felt a strange sort of pride. She was determined to cling to it as long as she was able.

Within the bowels of the Kazekage estate, she emerged into the darkened chambers as the heavy doors thundered behind her. Sitting on his makeshift throne of sandstone, Kenzō lifted his gaze towards her. With a curt nod, the owl-masked tracker-nin stood off to the side as Nomasaki paused in the room's centre. Her glance at him was firm and her face cleansed of any trace of fear. She was as ready as she ever was to meet her fate. "I'm here... what do you want?"

Kenzō scoffed. "Watch your tone, girl... Or else your punishment might turn more severe than necessary. Surely, you must know why I've summoned you."

Her lips moved before she realized. "...You're going to kill me."

"Kill you? Not at all." He retorted, his voice cool and crisp. "The Kazekage and his loyal siblings are gone... for a time, which makes this the perfect time to plant our sown seeds. Our operation must take hold, it is the opportune moment to strike!"

Her fists stiffened.

A coup... "I refuse to act." She spat. "I may have that seal, but I'm no longer bound by your will. Moro-sama is my commander, not you."

"That brute can't command you, only I can. He came to me last night requesting he take you from under my wing... and I refused. I'm the overseer of this unit, the late Fourth made certain of that! You can't escape me that easy... not even if you attempt to use my own pawns against me!" Her glare wavered, the fear bubbling up her throat. "There's that look. Your eyes tell me you're afraid, well... you're going to be terrified by the time I'm done with you. Kneel."

Fear propelled her. "Sir, I -,"

"Kneel!" He shouted, his expression dark and spiteful. He turned to owl-face. "Sōhei, get my whip. This beast needs to be trained."

Nomasaki froze.

She cheated death, but at a cost. Her clenched fists began shivering as a tremble swept through her whole body. Already she felt the eyes of the tracker-nin around her stare through their porcelain masks. They were the ones from when she was first cornered in Suna, she remembered, and the ones who restrained her when she received her curse seal. And now they were here. She pushed herself to stare ahead, avoiding Kenzō's spiteful grin with all her might. I must not let him know I'm afraid, she reminded herself, Wolves devour fear... I must stay strong. But her shivering proved otherwise.

"Kenzō-sama," He hesitated. "I don't think that's called for in this situation -,"

"Give it to me. Now." Kenzō barked. Watching Sōhei take his brief leave into the shadows, he appeared before his master with the long and worn whip of dark leather. Kenzō looked to the whip, then to owl-face. "Since you seemed so interested... I'll let you handle her."

Sōhei flinched. "Sir -?"

"Do it, and do it now!" Kenzō glared. "Unless you want to be the next one to be lashed!" He eyed to the two tracker-nin who stood beside his seat, their masks cat and lizard. "You two - hold her down... in case the wolf in her blood tries to rise."

Before she could react, the cat and lizard-masked tracker-nin grasped her forcefully by the shoulders and pushed her to her knees. She protested, but they managed to hold her down with a swift blow to her back. Coughing, she felt one of the masked shinobi grab the back of her collar and push aside her hair. Her heart sank as she heard them rip the blue fabric. I made this dress myself. Cold struck the skin of her back as their hands pushed her kimono over her shoulders. She grappled with shivering hands to cover her breasts as the two stepped aside. Footsteps sounded behind, and the owl-masked shinobi soon paused as they glanced at the traitor's back with visible hesitation.

The air stilled.

Turning to his master, Kenzō gave Sōhei a curt nod. When he turned back to the shivering kunoichi, he cracked the whip against her skin. For the first lash. she was silent, still and proud as the very mountain where she was born and raised. The second, she bit her tongue as pain slashed her - her pride and silence pushing through. The third lash drew blood. The fourth caused her to cry out, and her pride finally wavered. She thought she heard the owl-masked shinobi say "I'm sorry..." as the whip left her bloodied back. I know, she thought. The fifth lash brought tears to her eyes, her back shivering. Hesitating, Sōhei took a good look at the damage he had done and decided it was enough.

Kenzō raised a brow. "Hmm? Why stop so soon?"

Owl-face dropped the whip, startling her ears. Kneeling down, he tied the torn ends of her kimono's collar together and helped her stand. As he met her eyes through his mask, he seen both the understanding and the deep-seeded contempt. "This is wrong. She was only following orders, and she made her own choice to decide against them of her own will." He glared back at the councillor. "She's one of my comrades. This goes beyond the scope of my duties, sir. Sorry, but I'm no sadist."

"You dare defy me, Sōhei?" Kenzō questioned, looking rather disappointed. "After all I've done for you... from taking you in as one of my own?"

Owl-face eyed him through his mask. "You've become a monster. I don't serve the like of those."

"Seize him!"

Within moments, the two tracker-nin sprang from their spots in the darkness and descended upon the owl. One blow to the stomach with the butt of his blade knocked out the cat, while the lizard proved more difficult. Their swordplay was fierce but it was brief. Just as the lizard thought he had time to cast a jutsu, Sōhei proved faster than his former comrade. "Genjutsu! Bird of Prey!". Lizard froze - their vision darkening as a mirage of a great owl swooped towards him with its talons drawn, ready to make the kill. Within seconds, lizard-face was on the floor. Just before Kenzō could stand and attack Sōhei himself, the owl-masked shinobi vanished with his teleportation jutsu.

As she stood in marvel of what she just witnessed, she felt a fragment of hope. The wet wounds on her back felt cold against the fabric that clung to her, and still - she found herself growing braver. Turning on her heel, she decided it was time for her to leave as well.

"You're not done, just so you know... We have much to discuss." She immediately froze. She turned towards him, her violet eyes glaring in his direction. "So tell me... what made you think you could escape my grasp so easily?" Firmly, she stood her ground. Kenzō scoffed under his breath. "Wordless? No matter... I'll speak for you." Slowly, he emerged from his seat and began to descend from the throne. "For years, I've planned my moves carefully... very carefully. The village is weak, its shinobi nothing more than glorified genin, and its people are tired of the bloodline which ruled it for near a century. It's time a new ruler changed the village... one who has the best interests of the land at heart." He paused beside her. "I originally planned for Tojiru to assist me in this, but he is unfortunately no longer with us... Well, most of him. Won't you like to speak to that, wolf?" From the corner of her eye, she saw him draw out the vulpine mask of the man she slain. Its green and orange patterns were faded from the sun, and its visage was cracked and broken. Even in death, Tojiru was sent to torment her. She shuddered. "I sent my best after you when you defied your commands... Tojiru. He was my right-hand... and here I have my men find him at the banks of a river in a distant land. Why is that?"

He knew. He knew. He knew.

"I… –!"

A loud crack echoed throughout the room – his hand striking her across the cheek. She fell to her knees. Wincing from the pain, she tried her best to contain her cries of pain and urge to fight back as she could feel her blood boil underneath. He was a councilman, and a senior one at that. If she attacked him, she would easily have been painted as the aggressor and locked away within the cells of the Sunagakure Prison far within the desert – if they were being merciful, that is. From where she stood with him, being locked away would be her best bet for survival. Swallowing her pride and accepting her repercussions, she remained passive as he began to pace around her, circling her like the buzzard he was.

"I sent him to test your abilities... knowing full well he could fail. But I certainly didn't expect you to kill him... I was expecting a caged wolf instead."

Panicked, her thoughts raced as her fingernails dug into the clay floor below. Her worst fear was finally realized and she was ill-prepared. Pleading for the smallest mercy, she could feel her arms tremor at her sides as the sound of her breath awoke her from her internal panic. All she could do was tell the truth, for that was all she had left. Sitting calmly, she placed her palms upon her dress' lap and locked her gaze upon the floor, the dull gleam of her violet eyes near hidden from her head as it hung low.

"I... can explain," She began, her quiet voice shaking as she averted her glance. "I was... acting in self-defence...–," The crack of his palm against the back of her neck left her gasping for breath as she felt her body strike the cold floor below.

"Lies!" He shouted. "You are my tool! Because of you, our entire operation is at stake! Tojiru died so you could live? What a pathetic exchange..." As she struggled to lift herself up, she could feel her whole body shiver from the reality she faced in that room. Standing before her, his feet solidified their place as he glared down at her in disgust for the beast that quivered on the floor. "You knew the orders you were set to follow… Is this how you expect to pay your debt to Suna? By treachery? I should've sent my men after you when I had the chance… and lock you up where you can no longer embarrass me! I no longer have use for a broken tool such as you."

"I'm… not broken…! And I am no tool...-,"

Falling back, his hand cracked her cheekbone yet again.

"You disobeyed commands!" He yelled, his eyes burning through hers in rage. "You broke your shinobi oath. As a Jonin, you're a complete and total disgrace… Shinobi obey orders from on high, and never question the mission at hand. You disobeyed your orders given… that is a crime far worse than death in the shinobi world." He formed a hand-sign. "I'll remind you of that! HAH!"

The seal on her tongue erupted into a fire she could not swallow.

It trembled down to her throat to the pit of her stomach, curdling a painful wail choked on agony. Clutching her throat, she feared the burn might escape. No matter how tight she grasped, it continued to writhe upon the inscription forever embedded onto her tongue. Her lungs begged for air, the seal leaving her to heave over the floor. If Kenzō allowed it, it could be the end of her - the end of the Yamamori line. He watched her suffer with eyes glazed with distaste.

"You're an embarrassment to our ranks. You failed to fulfill your debt, you failed to prove yourself as one of our own... and you failed to kill the Kazekage."

In her moment of suffering, she found the courage to rise her glare to meet Kenzō's face in the dark. Her violet eyes drew daggers and there was a sudden absence of fear. The pain became bearable, and she became one with the seal. Noticing her resistance, he scowled. "No..." She muttered, mustering the strength to lift herself up. "I did not fail... I kept my oath...!" Glancing up to him, a faint line of a smirk appeared on her bloodied lips while she stood strong. A strange sense of pride washed over her, reminding her that she had nothing more to lose. She lost - and she was willing to sacrifice all her remaining honor. Knowing that her death was imminent, she felt all the weight from her life vanish from her trembling shoulders. "I kept my oath... as Kazekage-sama's assistant! I was his confidante, and I am... his friend! My love for him is stronger than my fear of you!"

She said it.

Love.

At last, she finally admitted it to herself out in the open – and before the glares of her enemy. In the scowling face of her adversary, she saw the reflection of her unwavering admiration. She almost did not recognize herself for a moment. It was not the bloodied lip or the bruises that were carved into her cheeks that surprised her or the lashes on her back, but the courage laced within the flecks of her violet eyes.

"What's this?" He furrowed, disgusted. "Could it be that you feel something for that creature? The failed jinchuriki who his own father – the Fourth Kazekage – wanted dead?" A snort escaped him as he laughed. "I should've known... You monsters do tend to flock together, as wretched as you are... A tanuki and his wolf... how disgusting!"

"The one who's disgusting - is you," She retorted, her eyes brave. "You're the one betraying the village... not me. You sent missing-nin after us hoping to capture me and kill Gaara-sama. You sent the order to the council to make the Kazekage travel to the Land of Claws knowing full well he was still not at his full strength, knowing I am a walking target to Ishigakure because of my clan... you were conspiring against us all along!"

"And what if I was? What are you going to do about it? You can't tell anyone thanks to your seal. My secrets die with you!"

She narrowed her eyes and gave a subtle smirk. "That may be, but I must thank you, Kenzō-sama. Because of you, I no longer fear death. I would gladly give my life if it meant I could drag you down to hell with me! Secrets and all..." She glare hardened, as if the wolf itself eyed its prey. "I will find and kill my father on my own terms, and not because of you! I owe you nothing!"

"You owe me your life, or have you forgotten that?" Kenzō shot back. "I was the one who allowed you to enter this wasteland of a village, from one outsider to another. I came to this land with nothing and I saw the same within you, so I tossed you a bone out of pity... and the need for your unique chakra." He grinned in the darkness before her. "You see... I hail from a country once destroyed by Shukaku - the Land of Claws, where my people were banished thanks to the First Kazekage Reto-sama. It's only fitting I take back what's rightfully mine from their legacy of lies and bloodshed."

Her eyes widened. "You -! The Land of Claws?"

"You seem surprised." He remarked. "How could you've not yet known? We have more in common than you'd like to admit, it seems. Both of us are outsiders... pledging our lives for a place that wouldn't care if we died tomorrow. My homeland is where my clan were exiled by the First, the wastes of the Land of Claws. Like a phoenix, my legacy will rise from its ashes and claim the Land of Wind through careful espionage and playing all my cards right... and I will take back what is rightfully mine!"

Her muscles aching from her strikes, she glared with her face both injured and stoic. She was no longer trembling, but still as a mountain. Not even the wind could move her if it dared to enter. While she stood on her feet in silence, she could feel the wolf within her stir with the want to retaliate. Her instincts were at the forefront of her mind, her inner beast boiling in the blood beneath her trembling skin.

She had enough.

"You're power-hungry and selfish." She shot back. "Kazekage-sama – Gaara – is neither of those things! Where is your honour, my lord councillor? Do you have any left, or did you have none to begin with?"

"Stupid girl! I should've known better than to trust a filthy beast!" Before he had a chance to strike her one final time, she swiftly grabbed his wrist with her palm – squeezing it with great strength as she edged closer to him with a ferocious glare. Her lilac eyes appeared feral to him as they locked onto his gaze – seething with controlled anger. Struggling, he could not break her grasp – shocking him from her actions. "Hn…?!"

"I'm no beast… but my summon is…!" She spat through her growing canines, her wolfishness coursing through her veins in retaliation. "Strike me again, and it will be the last time you have hands! I dare you to try… but I can't promise you he'll hold back... I know I won't!" Her glared hardened. "I'll break your wrist right now if you dare touch me again!"

Sweat beading on his face from her threat, he could feel every bit of rage from her words as she held his wrist enough to break it. "You...! You wouldn't -!" Damn her, he thought. She was stronger than he anticipated. Unfortunately for him, her training as a tracker-nin worked in her favor better than his. Thinking that he could harness and control the Kekkei Genkai of the forgotten clan of the mountains was a poor decision on his part. Her feral glare and intent to kill proved it. His double-edged sword came back to haunt him.

"Kenzō-sama! Stop this, at once!"

As the black leather clad commander approached, Nomasaki promptly released Kenzō from her hold and stepped back as she saw her captain draw near. Accompanied by two tracker-nin who walked silently at his sides with their masks and sheathed blades, Commander Moro paused before the two of them – his attention directed towards the scheming councilman.

"Commander Moro, you arrived at the perfect time..." Kenzō ordered as he clutched his sprained wrist. He gestured to Nomasaki, who stood silent and bruised close by. "Get this foreigner-traitor out of my sight! She broke her oath and went against the assignment given to her by her superior. She murdered my right-hand in cold blood - Tojiru! Have her sent to the Sunagakure Prison to await trial by council –,"

Glancing towards her and noticing the pained tint in her eyes, Moro turned back to the councilman with a stern expression. "No. That won't be necessary." The tracker-nin at his sides prepared to unsheathe their katanas. "If anyone is going to be facing trial... it's you. Your reign of terror ends here!"

Kenzō flinched. "What?! How can you…?! You serve under me! Or have you forgotten that, Moro-sama?"

"I serve no one but the village." Moro glared. "I care nothing for your thirst for power or your little schemes... I've played this game long enough and I've grown tired of your manipulative tactics. I'm taking back my unit from under your wing." Nodding to the tracker-nin at his side, they both vanished and then reappeared before Nomasaki, swiftly bringing her over to their commander's side of the fray.

"The outsider is mine!" Kenzō hissed. "She serves me!"

"She was relieved of her assignment recently by my authority and… at her own request. She is no outsider, she is of the village such as myself." Moro affirmed. "A reminder to you that she briefly served you and your fellow conspirators – not the entire Suna Council. As Commander of the Sunagakure Tracking unit, I would like to have more faith in our council than that."

"Commander Moro," Kenzō argued, as if bargaining. "Listen to reason – the tracker-nin corps has always been faithful to my cooperation. The Fourth himself allowed me to –,"

"The Fourth is dead." Moro barked, putting his foot down – as his masked subordinates eyed the councilman with narrowed eyes through their porcelain shrouds. "From this day forward, the tracking unit hereby rescinds its collaboration with your dissident ways." Shocked, Kenzō jolted from his words – gritting his teeth in frustration. "The tracking unit has always stood for the good of Suna, and your motives are putting the future of the village in uncertain jeopardy."

"You can't possibly be serious? The Kazekage–!"

"Is our Kazekage!" Moro interrupted, sternly. "The village has never been in a better position politically in its entire history until now. Our village is prosperous and peaceful… and not thanks to you." He turned to his tracker-nin support, gesturing towards the councillor. "Arrest him!"

In a movement as swift as the wind, the masked shinobi released their blades. Kenzō blocked them with ease, pushing them away with blocks and kicks. Under his robes, he was wearing shinobi armour, its plating barely visible in the dark. The tracker-nin hit the ground with a thud, while the other was gathering themselves from their throw across the chamber. Sensing Kenzō gather chakra, Nomasaki suddenly grew fearful. His chakra is dark, she realized. Moro must have realized as well - and he formed a series of hand-signs in rapid speed to outdo the conspirator.

"Not so fast!" Moro yelled. His hands clapped together. "Scorch Release! Incinerate!"

A bright ball of flame erupted from Moro's lips and pooled into his hands. Releasing it as one blast, the chamber of night filled with white fire. Nomasaki watched in shocked amazement as the flame burst in the room's centre in a blinding flash. The heat sweltered within the vast chamber, creating a strong rising wind. Alerting her, her senses detected the councillor's chakra. "Moro-sama!"

Turning towards her voice, Moro saw the silhouette of Kenzō behind the sandstone throne. He evaded the deadly attack, but the bottom of his robes were scorched to ash. "You're a bigger fool than I thought... and here I took you as an ally sharing a similar ideal. Clenching his fists at his sides in anger, he gnashed his teeth and gave a dark glare. "You're going to regret this day… Mark my words!"

As if it were a genjutsu, the councillor vanished within the shadows.

And his chakra was finally gone.

"I highly doubt it," Moro spoke under his breath. Turning to Nomasaki, he noticed her gaze was directed towards where Kenzō disappeared – her lilac eyes containing evident fright for his return. His sympathetic nature of his growing age seeped out of him, glancing at her with concern. "Were you hurt?"

Jolting slightly from the commander's question, Nomasaki turned to face him. The right side of her face was near blue from the councillor's strikes against her – painting her porcelain skin along her cheekbone. Rubbing her face with the blue sleeve of her dress, she looked down at the floor with her eyes closed halfway. She nodded, averting her gaze in guilt. "I was... lashed, and beaten. I'll be fine, but... thank you, Moro-sama."

After meeting her guilt-ridden glance, he turned his back towards her – his palms folded at the back of his flak jacket. "For now, keep this under wraps from the council. I will sort things out… being we want to stop the coup before it can take place. Keeping Sunagakure safe is our top priority, it's our duty as shinobi." Sensing her solemn nod behind him, he glanced towards her – his eyes narrowed. "I'll send my men after Kenzō in the meantime, and leave some to protect you. He seemed reluctant to let you go, so I have to assume you're a target of his."

Obediently and thankful, she nodded. "Understood... thank you..."

Dark approached quicker than she thought.

Stepping out of the estate's grounds, Nomasaki scanned her surroundings alert and paranoid of any would-be spies who were waiting for the right moment to strike. The grounds where shrouded in shadows, the night sky dimming the last flicker of the sun beyond the sands of the great desert. The towering buildings that she passed appeared as if they were reaching out towards her, her frantic heart pounding in her chest as she walked on alone. It would only be a matter of time before Kenzō would make his final move – and kill her and whoever else defied his commands. Gaara was still in the Land of Iron at the Summit, days away from either intervening or meeting an inevitable coup staged by his senior advisor.

If the village was to descend into chaos, it would be her fault.

Her fault - the outsider they took in, joined their ranks, and wore their emblem. They let the wolf in through their door and with it brought nothing but misfortune. Her thoughts ran troubled as she continued on her fast pace in the growing darkness, the wind kissing her hot cheek of fresh bruises and chilling her back of fresh wounds. Not a soul was around her, not even the regular guards. It were as if the entire village fell silent - not even the streets sounded of life.

Something did not feel right in her senses at all.

Hearing his paws clatter against the rooftop nearby, she paused as his strong and feral chakra filled her senses. Hanone eyed her suspiciously, his fangs glimmering in the dark. In the blackened night, his white fur made him appear as if a ghost - still and silent against the winds. A faint growl escaped his muzzle, rumbling between them. Seeing him was a thankful sight, but only heightened her need to be worried.

He must be able to sense them, too – she thought.

"Nomasaki," He grumbled, his tail prickling in the winds. "I sensed the chakra of others lurking nearby. What's happened?" Noticing the marks embedded along her cheekbone, the wolf gnashed his jagged teeth with a rising snarl in fury. "Did he do this to you?"

Blankly, she met his furious yellow eyes. "Yes," Averting his snarls, she shuddered at the thought, touching her numb face. "He knows... I've been found out."

"I'll rest his head between my jaws, I swear it!" Hanone fumed, his black nostrils flaring. "He's a dead-man! Let me devour him!"

"Never mind that," She started towards him hastily, her heart frantic. "We have to leave, now!" Before she had the chance to climb onto the wolf's back, the chakra appeared. Ten – no, twenty. Twenty men were darting towards them clad in their animal masks and sheathed katanas. Kenzō's men, she realized – and they were too late. She felt Hanone's thunderous growls emanate through him, his jaws ready to strike and crush bone. The masked tracker-nin leading the charge darted out first from the shroud of darkness with his blade drawn.

"There she is!" He shouted, his demonic shroud of porcelain sneering. "Take her hostage, kill her wolf if need be – Kenzō-sama commands it!"

Hanone arched his back aggressively, poised to attack.

"You worthless human! I'll devour you!"

She saw him in pursuit, the gleam of his blade alarming her. He was closer than she realized. Countering his slash, she grasped his dominant arm that held the blade before it could pierce her, meeting his eyes through his mask in contained feral strength. She was unarmed, clad in her kimono. The only weapon she had was what lay hidden in her blood, boiling furiously as she held his wrist tightly between them. Another tracker-nin came out of the shadows, dancing in the winds above with his blade pointed downward. She sensed their chakra immediately, looking up to meet the snarl of their wolverine shroud.

A daunting flash of white struck them down, throwing them onto the ground with a loud thunderous crack. Snarls filled the night air, the screams of the masked ninja soon drowning them out. No matter the skill of the man, Hanone's great size proved near impossible to avoid. As large as he was swift, the ancient beast nipped and tore at the man's flesh until all movement and wailing ceased. Catching her opponent's guard down, she countered with a downward kick, prompting him to block as he skid across the sand-ridden surface. Running to her wolf's side, Hanone rose his head towards her, his fur painted red around his lips and mane. The masked man he killed would not be rising any time soon – but others would come.

"More are coming," Nomasaki warned as she pulled herself onto her mount on his back. "Quickly – this way!"

With a deep bark, the beast leapt onto the nearby rooftops of clay and stone, bounding in a blinding white against the shadow. The cooling desert winds slapped her face, striking her bruises with no held mercy. She was going to die that night, fleeing atop the back of her wolf. The Yamamori line would disappear, vanishing without a mournful cry on the frigid winds.

Gaara was in danger, she was in danger – all because of her.

The chakra bounded behind them, catching up to their path in a matter of minutes. Her instincts flared, her blood growing restless. Jumping off his back, she shook her skin for the pelt of a wolf and ran alongside her guardian. She appeared so small in comparison – as if a pup to its father. Her form was not even a third of his size but it did not lack the shared ferocity that dwelled within. Her violet eyes narrowed and muzzle snarled, catching wind of the approaching chakra. The pursuer leapt forth from the shadows, katana in hand and mask shining in the faint moonlight. The smaller wolf lunged forward, knocking them away into the bowels of the village below. The sound of their descent echoed throughout the dark, the clattering of their claws against the stone turning silent like the white ghosts they appeared to be.

Twenty soon turned to near forty.

The others grew in numbers as quickly as they vanished from her senses, retreating back into the darkness. Making it towards the village alleys where she lived, the two wolves stopped on a roof of a great stone building, its stucco worn and decaying with age. Silence surrounded them. Puzzled, the smaller wolf stepped forward, feeling the wind in her fur and the scents of their pursuers disappearing upon her black nostrils. Reverting to her human form, she stood on the edge of the towering structure with eyes wide with bewilderment.

"It appears they stopped." Hanone entered, his deepened voice calm but still tinged with his guard. "They did not seem to follow us this far."

"What –?" She turned to him, alert. "How so? We were their targets –,"

Hanone's ears flickered, whipping his head towards the approaching presence. A growl rumbled through his curled muzzle, his stance turning aggressive. "One is tailing us,"

She felt the chakra on the winds, bounded closer to where they took refuge. Taking it in, she prepared herself to become a beast once more. Jolting, she remembered who the chakra belonged to – the memory of their porcelain mask soon striking her in her thoughts. It was the owl-mask, the mask who often accompanied the vulpine adversary that haunted her in her nightmares with the rushing of running water. The one who lashed her on Kenzō's orders but stopped and defied the command.

It was one of Kenzō's men – another tracker-nin.

Appearing before them from the cover of darkness, the owl-faced man stood calmly across from them on the rooftop of the nearby decrepit tower. He did not have a blade drawn nor had any twist to his stance, his chakra still and as silent as his movements. Sensing his intent, her frantic heart slowed as she brought herself to meet his eyes. "You can lower your guard," He said. "I'm not one of them."

"Your mask says otherwise, you foul bastard!" Hanone snarled. "Nomasaki, let me kill this one! It will be easy... one bite should do it."

Owl-face ignored the threat. "Moro-sama sent me to guard you. He has others who are engaging with those under Kenzō-sama, the ones pursuing you."

"I thought you were one of his?" Nomasaki questioned, wide-eyed in a subtle panic. "I know you attacked his men and fled... but you were once with Tojiru –?"

"I was, that is... until recently. I defected to join ranks with Moro-sama once again... thanks to you. Moro-sama saw that I return under his command immediately... and to protect you - our fellow tracker-nin."

Her eyes narrowed. "How do I know I can trust you?"

"Do I draw my blade to you? No, as you can see. I've come as an ally – an ally who also wants to see Kenzō-sama gone."

An ally.

The feeling of his chakra proved it.

As still as he was silent, he appeared to be truthful in his words. If he wanted her dead, they would have been engaged in combat by now, she realized. Hanone's stance calmed, but his snarls still lingered, only faintly humming through his closed jaws. If what he said was indeed true, she could at least gain sleep until Gaara and his siblings returned. They would not dare kill her if the Kazekage was present – unless they desired a life of exile in the Demon Desert – or death from a fair trial. Coup or not, Kenzō had to tread carefully before snuffing out his subordinates.

"Rest assured, we of the tracking unit look out for another. Kenzō-sama's lackeys will be hesitant to strike in broad daylight, but we will be watching for them."

She pushed herself to step forward, finding solace in his mask. "What is your name?"

"Sōhei." He nodded, the owl-like features of his shroud gleaming in the moonlight. Sensing the winds grow quiet, he looked towards the shadows below. "It seems we now have the situation under control. The pursuers are defeated for now, but we will continue to be on alert. We'll continue to monitor the coup from behind the scenes... the villagers can't know of this." He turned back to meet her guarded expression, his eyes meeting hers at a distance. "He is not one to give up easily, but sure enough he can be brought to justice when our Kazekage arrives."

When the Kazekage arrives – when Gaara arrives...

Her gut twisted in guilt and fear from the realization. There was no way it could be avoided, the evidence was now out in the open for any and all to witness. The masked men pursued her, Hanone ripped one to bloody ribbons, and she sent one to their death herself by knocking them away into the darkness below. She could easily be framed as the aggressor, the treacherous wolf who double-crossed her leader and broke her sworn oaths and trust.

Gaara would certainly punish her – or worse.

"...Thank you," She nodded back, forcing herself to swallow her words. Although her expression was calm and eyes stern, her heart grew restless and fearful. "I will remember it. You have my trust."

Nodding, Sōhei knelt and formed a hand-sign. "May the desert gods protect you."

And he was gone with the flutter of the rising winds.

Standing still, she stared off into the darkened night. No other chakra surrounded them nor filled her senses, but the faint hum of quaint nightlife danced on the cool air. The fighting gone unnoticed by the common-folk and patrolling chunin in the village streets. Everything seemed as if a blur, the pursuers vanishing as quickly as they initially appeared. Truth haunted her now.

"Would it be wise to trust this one?"

Meeting his beastly yellow eyes as he stepped beside her, she forced herself to appear calm and collected. "We have no other choice," She said, starting towards him. "Hanone, let's go... in case there are more waiting in the shadows."

Mounting herself upon his back, she felt the cool winds strike her throbbing cheekbone. Retreating to her home was her only safe option, her only choice. They would certainly follow her if she fled the desert lands, chasing her to the ends of the earth if they must. Grumbling as he moved, Hanone turned towards their destination. "If another crosses our path, I won't hesitate to rip them apart!"

She remained silent.

She was hoping there would not be another. One enemy was plenty enough to be worried about, let alone another lurking in the darkened shadows. Holding onto his white fur, the wolf descended into the streets below heading towards her alleyway refuge.

While she wandered into her bedroom inside the confines of her tiny apartment, Nomasaki sat on the edge of her bed beside the open window. Gazing out into the crescent moon sky, she felt her heart ache within. The ice held against her cheekbone stung, her bruises regaining the feeling of a gnawing burn, and the lashes on her back would certainly scar her for life. As she lightly touched the bruises on her cheeks with her fingers, her gaze became solemn – pondering her decisions as a shinobi. Her defiance to Kenzō's commands when the Kazekage was kidnapped by the Akatsuki placed her into an unfavorable position – although repeatedly convinced herself that she acted with good intentions. When Temari asked her to be their sensory guide, she felt as if her friend had backed her into a philosophical corner – save the Kazekage or let him die. Despite this act of immediate decision, she knew she would always choose the former no matter the cost. Not only was Gaara her respected superior and leader, but he was also someone she valued as a comrade, and at a great capacity – someone she cared about.

She loved him.

She did.

The words struck her mind again.

She loved him, so much so she stated it before her forced master in her moment of defiance and betrayal. She loved the failed jinchuriki, the once-feared host of Shukaku that sent shivers down her spine at first contact. Guilt spiraled down her thoughts, fracturing her. Her rebelling against the advisor's wishes and its recent consequences caused a deep rift within her mind.

Was duty more valuable than love, or vice versa?

In her eyes, she was beginning to change her opinion on the matter the more she thought of her oath as a shinobi. 'A shinobi must not show their emotions' was the central tenant of the shinobi code – and she knew it was getting harder for her to follow that tenant the more she waited on the Kazekage as his assistant. Her held respect and friendship for the young Kazekage was beginning to blossom as an infatuation – and she had no way of resisting what her heart wanted. Just as Hanone feared and suspected, she had indeed developed feelings for Gaara – her wise and kind superior.

And there was no end in sight.

Before she went to bed with her troubled thoughts of what the future would hold for her, she knew she had to try her best to hide her bruising from him when he returned from the Land of Iron. No doubt that the truth would escape somehow – whether it be from her, Commander Moro, or Kenzō himself. Her main goal when he returned would be to hide everything possible, donning her best mask for the task at hand.

She had to make sure he never found out about her secret assignment – at all costs...

Notes: The name of the owl-faced tracker-nin, Sōhei (僧兵), can be translated to "warrior monk" in Japanese. The sōhei were Buddhist warrior monks from the medieval and feudal eras of Japan, and had once held considerable military power.