Author' Note (2021/05/24): New chapter alert! I was contemplating writing a chapter like this back when I was doing the rewrite near two years ago, so better late than never I guess... right? I wanted to showcase more interactions between my OC and her teammates, so this chapter is a resolve to that. Also this chapter borrows elements from the manga (chapters 610 to 656, but just the ten-tails part - no dialogue is borrowed this time around).

There will be 2-3 more chapters to be posted for this as I continue with edits, so thank you all for reading! xx

Chapter 36
Team Hashira

A demon was summoned forth when they arrived.

When they reached the centre of all the thousands of chakras, the two Suna kunoichi watched the behemoth in the distance lumber closer as its shrieking wails echoed off the eerily still night air. Its form was gigantic, grotesque, and beyond comprehension. A large red eye containing the sclera of the Sharingan and Rinnegan reflected from its ghastly glow. Frozen in shock from the mere sight, Nomasaki gulped down her fear that dared to swell into her throat. She could sense the essence of all nine tailed-beasts flowing within the essence that exhumed from the great monster. Shukaku was nothing compared to the beast she saw standing as if a mountain to the thousands of ants that surrounded it on the grey waste of a battlefield. She hoped it was all a bad dream, but her heart knew it was indeed true.

"What… is that -?!" She stammered, her wolf-blood shaken by the chakra. "It can't be -!"

Temari nodded, her eyes narrowed. "The ten-tails. Those bastards managed to revive it after all!"

Another wail pierced the skies from the distance. Giving in to her curiosity, Nomasaki tapped into her senses and was drawn into its terrifying grasp. The nature enegry it contained was beyond vile - beyond the foulest of creations. It was pure malice. She felt as if the air was heavy with its might, grasping hold of her very breath. She brought her senses back to reality. "And to think just sensing Shukaku used to strike fear in me… compared to this, the one-tail is merely a fragment."

"Damn it all." Temari scoffed, getting her war-fan ready. "We still have to do our best and follow our orders. It must be stopped, whether the Five Kage are here or not."

Nomasaki nearly forgot. Gaara's fighting Uchiha Madara, the man who conspired this entire plot... If Madara is anything like this beast - her thoughts paused, pain rumbling numbly through her ribs as she remembered the kick the Uchiha struck against her. "Do you think that... the Five Kage -,"

"Don't even think of that." Temari cut her off. "We have to focus on this monster, the Kage can come later." She gave a glance of sympathy. "I worry, too. If they lose... Well, I don't even want to think of that." Stepping forward, she eyed the hundreds of shinobi behind her. Fans and scrolls were in their hands, ready to cast their jutsu at any moment. Nomasaki knew she had to be ready as well, preparing herself for a wind-release jutsu. "Wind-release users! Ready your positions!" The beast lumbered closer, and she struck down her fan. "Now! Wind Release! Air Current Wild Dance!"

Following the wind-unit, the beast was restrained by the combined efforts of the lava-release, water-release, and fire-release units. Once given the order to approach for battle, the beast suddenly burst free and took a new form. Its long limbs emerged from the debris and smoke, striking any who dared too close, and its bulging eye seen all. Its new form was humanoid in nature, elongated, thrashing, and horrifying beyond belief. Suffering a blast of wind, hundreds of shinobi were flown away. Just a mere burst of air from its mouth sent them reeling.

Securing her footing, Nomasaki felt her feet stop skidding on the earth and situated herself. The rest of their troops was scattered across the battlefield, some dead and some dying, but the majority were still alive. Alive, thank heavens. But she was separated from Temari. Her chakra was distant, but it was alive and strong. But now she was on her own. Startling herself, she felt a familiar group of chakra appear behind her. Wiping the dried iron from her lips, she turned and took the sight of them in with her own eyes. Shinto's familiar warm grin was a welcome sight, as was the doting healing nature of Meiyumi. Once more, Team Hashira was reunited.

"You've become bolder since our last mission as a team, Nomasaki." Shinto smirked, grasping his bloody arm while he quelled curses. "I heard you tried to even face Madara head on… You've got some serious guts now."

She could not help but feel relieved of their presence. "Shinto! You're alright!"

"You idiot!" Meiyumi chastised, punching him lightly on the shoulder. "Don't go casting jutsu with an open wound! Let me heal you first," Noticing a pair of purple eyes watching them, the medic turned and beamed towards her, "Ah, Nomasaki! It's you! I was wondering when Team Hashira would meet in this war! Are you okay?"

Nomasaki nodded, smiling back. "I'm fine, just bruised." She narrowed her eyes cautiously. "Where's Hashira-sensei?"

"With the other wind-release users of the formation."

Shinto smirked. "So we've all survived. I must say, this adds some bounce to my step knowing that!" The smirk faded from his lips as he stared towards the demon in the far distance. "This thing is monstrous… Is it true that this thing is all the tailed-beasts combined?"

Nomasaki nodded, glaring at the beast. "My sensory abilities never lie."

"Shit…" He breathed. "We should be careful, then."

A bloodcurdling scream erupted.

As they looked up into the skies, they saw thousands of thorns thrust down from the heavens. They pierced the ground with an earth-shattering rumble, exploding through flesh and bone with a loud crunch and gasping wails of pain while death soon followed. There were bodies littering the battlefield before them, with those lucky enough to retreat fast enough or take shelter avoiding the spears of imminent death at least for a time.

"We have to get out of here!" Nomasaki signalled. "We must get out of range!"

"Lead the way!" Shinto nodded, leaving Meiyumi's healing for later.

The waves of attack from the ten-tails kept coming, slashing through the shinobi beside them while they scaled the towering broken cliffs of fallen rock. A shot of the sprawling projectiles came again from the beast, and they were directly in its path. Weaving hand-signs as quickly as she could, Nomasaki frantically cast a wind-release jutsu to counter the approaching threat. Striking the attack in a slice of wind, the wood burst as if into a hundred pieces, each of them impaling the cold earth before her stance. Shinto cast an earth-release shield to defend as they scaled the top of the shattered cliff, his pained arm prompting him to clutch it tightly as he ran with his teammates. While a hail of thorns fell anew, some burst through the boulders beside them. A slew of rocks tumbled down in Meiyumi's path. Shadows soon eclipsed the medic, causing her to trip on the small rocks below.

"Meiyumi, watch out!" Shinto yelled. Before she could react, he was standing over her, ready to cast another earth-release jutsu. The pain of his arm sweltered, causing him to fall to his knees in pain. "Come on! Earth Release! Earth Wall!" The wall that formed was weaker than the one from earlier, crumbling already from the stone that created its shape. Damn it, it didn't work. "Stay close, Meiyumi. I'll protect you!"

"Shinto! Meiyumi!" Nomasaki ran back towards them. The rocks rained down from above, gravity pulling them closer and closer each step she made. I'm not going to reach them in time! Please, let me reach them! A sudden chakra entered her senses as faint as the winds themselves. She was reminded of her early genin days, his calm and kind eyes, his careful instruction, and his care for his students. That chakra, there's no question. "No..." Tears swelled in her eyes. "Hashira-sensei!"

Her cries failed to meet his ears.

As swift as the winds themselves, Hashira-sensei threw the two chunin Suna-nin away with his wind-release. A loud crack echoed in the still air, and bone broke. Lifting themselves from the debris, Shinto and Meiyumi saw a faint outline of red oozing from the beneath the boulders. Their lives were saved in exchanged for that of another. And Hashira-sensei did not give a moment's hesitation.

"H-Hashira-sensei -?! Hashira-sensei!" Meiyumi shrieked, tears streaming from her eyes. "No!"

Holding back sobs, Shinto got up and ran to the pile of rocks that covered him. Casting each aside with curses escaping his lips, Nomasaki and Meiyumi watched in shared sorrow as their sensei was revealed under the rubble. He was still breathing, albeit faintly, but his organs were crushed beyond repair. Seeing his state prompted Meiyumi to rush to his side and use her medical-ninjutsu. She knew it was futile, but she had to do all she could.

"Don't move, sensei." She spoke, sobs breaking her quiet voice. "Don't move... please, let me ease your pain."

Nomasaki eyed the dying man with eyes wide with loss. Hanone's sacrifice suddenly flashed before her very eyes, the rain of white and red shattered through her mind as vivid as it happened only a night ago. "You threw yourself in the way… but why?"

"The same reason why the old must sacrifice themselves for the young… so they can survive…" Hashira managed, his voice weak with blood. "You are my students, my legacy… I must protect each of you at all costs…"

"But why, sensei?! Why?!" Shinto shouted. "You shouldn't have… -!"

Hashira coughed, his breathing faint. "No, I had to… A sensei must leave his students with a legacy that can be passed on to the next generation… It was my duty as a sensei… and as a shinobi of Suna…" Even in his weakened state, the man managed to smile. "All three of you, look at you… I couldn't be more proud of the shinobi each of you had become…" He looked first to the medic, watching her healing hands desperately try to close his fatal wounds. "Meiyumi, you are the most caring… healing even a dying man… Shinto, you've surpassed even me in skill… You'll make a fine ANBU someday… and Nomasaki," When her sensei turned to her, he smiled with pride. "You may have come from an outside land, but your will to the village is amongst the strongest I've seen… You're fiercely loyal… and your strength as a kunoichi is admirable…"

Tears glistened in her silent eyes. "Sensei,"

"Meiyumi, you can stop healing me…" Hashira assured, his voice fading. "I feel myself slipping… My… time… has… -,"

Silence.

And he was gone.

Meiyumi fell over him, shaking with grief. "Hashira-sensei!"

"He died an honourable death, yet... -," Nomasaki spoke, the rising tears breaking through her calm voice. As if this war could have gotten any more hopeless. All there is around us is death. First Hanone, and now Hashira-sensei. She wondered who was next. "He left us with his legacy. We must cherish it as his students."

Soon enough, more medics arrived to examine the dead. While Meiyumi sobbed as she covered his body with a black tarp, Shinto stood and wiped the tears from his eyes. He eyed the ten-tails in the distance, its tails lashing like whips in the wind while its eerie cries cut through the dark night. "And now we must finish his work, as his students." He replied, firmly. "It's time that Team Hashira assembled for a final time, we must fight back!"

Heeding his call, Nomasaki took her position at his right side. Seeing him glance to her, she gave a nod of calm while her eyes evoked sternness. "I'll be taking the lead from here, Shinto. I trust your judgement, but you are the careless type when it comes to these things. You tend to go charging in head-on."

A blush spread across his cheeks. "You've changed, Nomasaki." He averted towards the beast, flexing his arms for a jutsu. "You once were too shy to do anything and now you near have as much guts as me!"

She gave a smirk, shielding her hurt. "Those who can't adapt must go extinct… as the saying goes."

"Don't forget me," Meiyumi joined, taking Shinto's left. "I may be the medic, but I'll be watching your backs and will be defending the formation."

Shinto nodded, clapping his palms. "Team Hashira, deploy!" His jutsu activated, vanishing into the winds while the two kunoichi scattered. "Genjutsu! Desert Mirage!"

Approaching over the hills of split rock, thorns, and death, a hoard of miniature monsters dashed towards those who survived to onslaught. They lumbered forth in great speed and strength, shattering earth and stone with their strikes. Taking the form of a wolf, Nomasaki cut through several with her claws and fangs. Leaping over a host, she returned to human form and cast a wind-release jutsu. "Wind Release! Summit Storm!" She bore a hole through them, splitting them into lifeless fragments. Shinto planned his moves carefully, using his Desert Mirage cloak to sneak up on his unsuspecting and erratic opponents. Placing paper bombs onto their grey husks, he took shelter as they were blown to fiery pieces. When his genjutsu ran out, he cast earth-release techniques to impale those who charged, and turned to see one at his back. "Genjutsu! Jaws of the Viper!" The ten-tails spawn suddenly froze in its attack, shuddering from the jutsu that bound its mind with illusionary venom. Meiyumi then entered and struck the monster with a strong kick. "Taijutsu! Desert Flower!"

At last, the spawns that approached them became less and less.

Nomasaki could sense nature energy emanating from them, but as they died their life force returned to the earth from which it came. Their foes were effectively hive-minds of the demon that bore them from its ghastly limbs. Seeing more approach from the horizon, she readied herself for another jutsu, but her chakra shook through her recent wounds. She was nearing her limits. My chakra must still be weak from fighting the Edō Tensei and the Uchiha... damn it. "Shinto, Meiyumi," She shouted. "Watch out! More are coming!"

A crack sounded.

Then a pained scream.

Shinto grasped what remained of his arm, the blood leaking from his fingers that grasped the spot where it was torn. "You giant bastard!" He fell to his knees, laughing off the agony with no fear of death. "Damn it, it got my arm!"

Nomasaki whipped her head to him, her eyes wide with horror as the monster's shadow loomed over him. "Shinto!"

Hurriedly, Meiyumi started healing what remained of his arm, her green aura shining like a beacon in the sea of approaching grey spawns. Shinto saw them before she did, his eyes narrowed in anger. "Meiyumi, look out!" He spat through gnashed teeth. "Shit, there's too many!"

A howl sounded on the silent winds.

Nomasaki near froze from the call, her spine trembling. Mother? Hanone? No, she realized, It's not them. Was her grief-shrickened mind playing tricks with her? Then, an oddly familiar host of chakra gained towards them as fast and as silent as the winds themselves. "What is this chakra?"

A blinding flash of white struck down the ten-tails spawn before it could strike Shinto or Meiyumi in its fury. In a thunder, the beast was thrown to the ground and shredded to pieces. And then, the spawn was dead. Relieved, Shinto turned to Nomasaki with a smile hiding his pain. "Thanks, Nomasaki! We would've been finished if not for you."

She shook her head, astonished at the sight. "That... wasn't me."

"Huh?" Shinto raised a brow. "What do you mean?"

A sudden mirage of white flew past them from beyond the shelter of rock.

Howls, barks, and snarls sounded as the rumbling of large paws crunched the earth as they ran in pursuit of their targets. It was a small army of large white wolves, towering at near seven-feet at the shoulder. Catching her glimpse instantly, Nomasaki could make out a faint sheen of purple from the beast's eyes as they ran past. Her chest grew light with stunned hope, her heart praying it was not a genjutsu. Left and right, the white beasts destroyed the approaching spawns until their numbers soon dwindled. Not a single wolf had fallen, but grey monstrous corpses soon littered the field of stone. Drawing her attention, a familiar chakra stood beside her. Surprising her, it was the elderly man she remembered from the Land of Frost only days ago. His purple eyes struck her memory instantly.

"This demon is consumed by hatred and is using the life-force of this very land to fuel its tread!" He said, his narrowed violet eyes locked in its direction. "As a Yamamori, I refuse to let that happen!"

"Wait!" Nomasaki called, stopping him before he could join the others. "You said you're a Yamamori -? How can that be -?!"

The man turned to her, and nodded. "For years we lived in hiding, calling ourselves direwolves... that was until we heard a tale of a young woman who could change into a wolf from the distant lands of the desert. We thought all hope had died, until we were told of that youth who rode a great beast into battle! That was enough to convince our scattered people that hope still existed for the future!"

Her eyes glistened with tears. "You mean... You're all -!" Relief and pride swam over her, giving her solace from her grief at least temporarily. "I can't believe it, I thought I was the last one!"

"A Yamamori alone in the world is a horrible thing, but a clan of Yamamori reunited... now that deserves a far different future." The man said. "The pack may be fragmented, but a pack is still a pack! Hearing of the girl riding a great wolf into battle spurred us, it reminded us of why our clan lived in the mountains, our ancestral home… to be the guardians of our people. We're doing our part and protecting all our peoples through fighting in this war!"

She nodded, sharing the same pride. "From one Yamamori clansmen to another, I stand by you!"

After seeing her proud and stern eyes, the elderly man turned away and cleansed himself of his human skin. Taking the form of a large white beast, the creature joined the others in devouring their foes. There had to be at least forty wolves that descended down the split rocks and craters, all to fend off the enemy. They exist, she thought as tears formed in her eyes again, They came back as if from the dead. I am not the last one. She wanted to join them but her exhausted chakra told her to stay, so reluctantly she did so. Still, she was honoured.

"Whoa... so those are really -?" Shinto blinked, astounded at the sight. "Unbelievable! They're really pushing them back, too."

Snarls and growls erupted from the beasts while the tore the spawns to pieces, decimating their once threatening numbers that approached the Suna-nin and those who retreated from the onslaught of thorns. A thundering wail suddenly echoed across the lands, falling as sounds to become silent. Shocking the shinobi, the titanic beast with ten rippling tails began to slowly edge closer and closer out of its earthly prison. The chakra caused the Yamamori to retreat, sensing the change amongst the winds. Nomasaki could feel it, too - and it was a dire signal. That chakra, she realized, This is going to get bad before it gets worse.

Meiyumi shuddered. "What's going on? The ten-tails suddenly moved!"

Shinto saw, flinching from the sight. "What?!" He turned to the kunoichi at his side. "Nomasaki, can you sense anything over there?" She stood still and silent, her purple eyes widened towards the beast in horror. He felt he suddenly knew. Hesitantly, he pressed. "What's wrong? What do you sense?"

"The monster... It's -!" Nomasaki jolted, sensing the sudden change in chakra. Her commander was gone, Hashira was dead, and all were frozen. Biting her lip, she decided it was her turn to lead on. Turning back to everyone around her and the wolves, she signalled to the boundaries that lay behind her. "Everyone, turn back! Turn back! We have to get out of range, now!"

In a force of near a hundred, the survivors ran to the hills while the gigantic monster thrashed about in rage. Thorns rained down from the heavens again, but luckily they managed to evade the best of them. The Yamamori clansmen took the wounded upon their backs of white fur and retreated first, followed by those who could carry their own weight. Nomasaki wondered where her father was - or if he was still alive. She did not sense his chakra during the battle, and it gave her a haunting feeling of foreboding.

As the last ones made it up the slope, Shinto shouted at her to hurry up. Casting a wind-release jutsu to shatter the incoming thorns from above, Nomasaki turned on her heel but collapsed from her chakra exhaustion. Blood coughed its way out of her throat. My chakra is almost gone, she realized, I spent too much fighting against those spawns. A presence alarmed her. Glancing behind, she saw the silhouette of black thorns heading towards her. Death arrived for her once again - only now Hanone was not here to protect her from it. She had to face it alone. Pushing herself to move, her legs could hardly stand.

"Nomasaki!" Shinto shouted. "Look out!"

A glimmer of steel rang.

Shocked, Nomasaki could sense the chakra of the Deserter. Father, she realized. In the air, the man had his blade drawn and a rain of shattered thorns fell beneath him. The Wind Blade was as strong as it was when she first saw it, its strength deflecting the oncoming attacks with ease. Her chest lightened, relieved to see that he was still alive. "Dad!"

"Nomasaki, are you alright?" He knelt. Touching her knee, he felt the tremors that rumbled through her. "You've near used all your chakra... Go back with the others, I'll take it from here."

"No," She winced. "I can't let you fight this alone. We all need to retreat!"

"I understand that, but I'll protect the back of the formation." He nodded, his hazel eyes stern. Looking up to meet the eyes that followed him, he narrowed his glance as he saw them descend back for their comrade. "Are these your allies?"

She nodded. "Yes, Meiyumi and Shinto. They're my teammates from when we were genin, on... Team Hashira." The mere mention of her sensei left a lump in her throat, and Meiyumi's brown eyes still shimmered with grief. She gestured to her friends. "This is my father, Kyō of the Wind Blade."

"The Deserter." Shinto understood. "Who could've known that this man is your father."

Kyō nodded, looking towards the direction of the demon. "I wasn't always there, but at least I'm here now."

The ten-tailed erupted into a fury.

"Take cover!"

A forceful plume of destruction swept them by, sending a rain of thorns onto them once again.

Grabbing the hilt of his katana, Kyō leapt through the air and cut down the projectiles down left and right with his swordsmanship, slicing through them like butter while they planned their retreat with the others ahead. The power of the beast suddenly became too great to bear. The monster grew restless, uncoordinated, and angry. The burgeoning eye of ringed-horror blinked rapidly as it lurched back. Within a breath of its massive jaws, the spears of wood shot towards the hordes of fleeing shinobi in greater speed. Even with his Wind Blade, he was no match for the strength of a monster. A spear of thorns entered his blind-spot, stabbing directly through his leg. Bursting through flesh with a crunch.

The swordsman plummeted. "Argh!"

"Dad!" Nomasaki cried out.

In a plume of red and a breathless scream, his leg was shattered. Bones were broken, muscle torn, and blood everywhere. Gnashing his teeth, he fell to the ground below with a thud, his bloodied leg shaking as the wood expanded into great thorns on the other side of the wound. Gathering her scarce strength with panicked eyes, Nomasaki formed hand-signs, sending an impervious wind-release jutsu towards the oncoming wood-release attacks – destroying them within moments. Her limbs shuddered, her chakra growing dangerously low to depletion. Quickly, she knelt down beside him, her knees scraping against the ground.

"Stop moving it!" She said, holding in tears as she watched him struggle. "You'll only bleed more!"

"Ugh... The pain is – unimaginable–!" He grunted, holding back his yells in pain. "I'm still shocked I survived..."

Meiyumi rushed to his side, healing his wound with a strong green aura of chakra. With Nomasaki's help to restrain him, the medic-nin pulled out the projectile as a choked scream trembled through her father's lungs. Flinging the bloodied thorns aside, his wound was finally closing. Frustrated, Meiyumi's eyes narrowed. "This war… It's unbelievable!" She uttered. "The scale of our enemy's attacks… they're non-human! It appears nothing can stop that monster... It's hopeless."

Shinto saddened. "Meiyumi..."

Reluctantly, Nomasaki acknowledged the medic's words. Two days in, the war was already incomparable to past sufferings. The loss of life difficult to ignore as it routinely echoed through her senses. She entered the war a kunoichi afraid of death, and sat that night a kunoichi who knew nothing but the presence of death. Death was all that surrounded them. She narrowly escaped death herself if not for Hanone – or her father. War was unlike any horror she knew before. Not event the loss of Yama could compare or the vileness of Kenzō and his threats - or even the curse seal that sweltered on her tongue for eternity. It was a pure nightmare.

"I've stopped the bleeding. But it's best not to engage any more with your injury. I'm afraid your days as a shinobi may be done... Your leg, it's injured beyond my expertise." Meiyumi spoke, her eyes grave. "Take cover with us, the rest are fleeing the front lines for the tents along the Land of Lightning's border. The medics there will surely be able to tend to you more so there. I've done what I can, but we must leave for the others."

Kyō nodded. "Thank you."

"Meiyumi," Shinto called as she stood. "Surely this war isn't completely hopeless. We're alive, that's all that matters."

"Yes, but..." Tear fell from the medic's cheeks as she glanced to him. "What more can we do? Our enemy is the Akatsuki, and look at what they've done."

Turning to the horizon, Nomasaki saw what she meant. Bodies littered the battlefield in a haze of crimson, with the scattered blades and headbands glimmering under the pale moonlight that broke through the clouds. A haze of crows descended onto some of the fallen, feasting on the flesh of the broken. Never before had her senses gave her such warning. And the Five Kage were far from her detection.

Shinto turned back to the retreat. "We have to leave. Surviving to fight another day is better than dying in a pointless battle. Hashira-sensei would've wanted us to carry on, for his sake... and our village"

Sniffling, Meiyumi rubbed away the tears that fell from her reddened brown eyes. "...You're right."

Turning to his daughter's widened glance on the remaining alliance that continued to rebel against the massive monster before them, he could see the fear within her eyes. She felt all the chakra around them – living or dead – and she was stricken with the burden of its awareness. Feigning a coy smile, he looked down, closing his dulled hazel eyes. "Go on and join the others, go with your friends. Leave me here. You're young and you've got plenty of fight left…"

Her eyes widening, she whipped her head towards him. "Of course not!" She barked. "I'm not leaving you!"

"You heard what your medic-friend said," He smiled. "My days as a shinobi are gone now... I fulfilled my promise to your mother, and protected you."

Nomasaki grit her teeth, holding back her sobs. "If you die now, mother will be pissed to see you return to her so soon! You must survive! I'll drag you back myself if I have to! I swear it! There's no way I'm letting you die... no way!"

Smiling warmly at her response, Kyō glanced down at his injury. "I see. You're brave… and extremely kind. That's… admirable."

"Stop talking!" She cried, closing her eyes tightly as she averted her gaze – her voice being cut by oncoming sobs as she tried to mask her emotions. "You're hurt!" Standing up, she reached out to him. "We're leaving alive… together!" Once on her feet, she helped him stand up, allowing him to balance his injured leg as he walked. "I've only just reunited with you… There's no way I'm leaving you behind!"

He laughed to himself under his breath. "I guess I have no choice, then." He nodded. "Alright, lead the way."

Surprising her, Shinto stepped forward and helped carry her father from the other side. "We'll take it from here, this way."

Nodding, Nomasaki gave him a warm smile in thanks. "Shinto, thank you."

Following Meiyumi's lead, the shinobi guided the Deserter's steps to safety across the barren wastes.

Meeting her gaze, Kyō could see the tears building up in Nomasaki's gleaming violet eyes. She held back her sobs as best as she could. She is certainly brave, he thought to himself, Mikomi, we've raised a fine daughter... or better yet, you did. I'm just the Deserter called a father. Closing his eyes as he looked down, he nodded. He could not help but feel proud. Weakened and hazy-minded from his blood-loss, he smiled at his daughter. Her glance was locked on the path ahead, her gaze unwavering and her expression strong. A shinobi. Noticing her strength and determination as she eyed the horizon, he had to admit that she was braver than he had ever hoped. His heart ached for the years he missed – and for his late wife of the mountains. I'm sorry, Mikomi... but it looks like I'm needed here for a while. But don't worry, I'll be sure to tell you everything when we meet again.

Together, they made their way to rejoin the rest of the alliance while the battle progressed before their eyes.

And the moon soon turned into an eerie shade of red.

As if made from blood.