Chapter 42
An Arrangement

The sun intruded through the worn curtains of her bedroom.

Waking reluctantly, Nomasaki sat and stretched her arms with a yawn. It felt as if an eon had passed since she last spent the night in her tiny apartment. It was the same as she left it. Books spilled out from the scarce shelves, the kitchen was spotless, and her bedroom seemed as if no one had slept in that room in two years. Dust and cobwebs filled the spaces between the clay walls and ceiling, prompting her to get dressed and clean. Pulling back her sleeves, she swept every crevice and corner, sorted through all her books on stories of fantasy, non-fiction history, and botany. A book detailing desert herbs, flowers, and plants fell as she fumbled. Looking at the aged cover, she felt her heart sink.

This is something Gaara should read, he would like that.

Shaking off the thought, she put the book away.

Her conversation with her friends at the stall stuck with her as she brewed a coffee. Meiyumi complained of being assigned missions and hospital-duty at the same time, Shinto boasted about rising through the ANBU ranks, and she told them all about her stay in Yamagakure. Spending time with them made her realize how much she missed being in Suna, but the thought of Gaara sitting in his office made her wonder if she should go back to the north after her mission. If he was angry with her, she would rather not know. And there was no telling when she would be summoned to see him by one of her superiors.

The village streets were as loud as ever that morning.

Before departing to the Land of Fire to relay intel between Suna to Konoha, Temari stopped by the tea shop before the village cliffs. If her luck could have any claim, she found herself meeting up with a friend she has not seen since the war. Sitting across from her at the table was Nomasaki, her expression friendly but cautious. She was clothed in a blue and white dress that resembled a causal kimono with short sleeves of mesh armour. Although hidden from Temari, the newfound desert heat caused her to sweat and ache through her winter bones. At nearly age twenty, she grew into a fair young woman with shining gold hair that near reached her waist, while her light purple eyes still appeared strange to those around her. Temari noticed a stronger glint of confidence to her eyes, as strange as they were to her still. Temari was sort of amused.

She seems bolder in a way, showing her arms like that, she thought, She's a small one but the muscle tone is there.

Despite her ascendance into womanhood, it seemed Nomasaki refrained from escaping from her shield of meek modesty, choosing to stay dedicated to the shinobi lifestyle and keeping to herself. As she was rising through the ranks as a shinobi, she chose the solitary life of the north. Returning to Suna only the night prior, she hardly had any time to herself. She did not even have time to leave for necessities such as groceries or household things, unaware of how long she would decide to stay. Crippled with the anxiety of facing Gaara, she sent only a few letters to Temari despite their friendship and mutual respect, their respective lives as kunoichi destined to different paths.

But Temari at least answered them and answered them timely.

"I'm not saying he's a bad person or anything," Temari continued. "But he can be difficult to read at times. So I wouldn't take it as he's being harsh. He just doesn't know what he's doing. You sent him three letters! Even just one would be enough to confuse him."

"Oh, right." Nomasaki nodded, timidly glancing at her from across the table. "Maybe it'll be a bad idea if I approach him about it, then? Since it's... been so long, I guess since I... sent them. Right?"

"That's not the case either. He should still have the decency to write back! I told him he should have, but did he listen? No, he did not." Temari turned, closing her eyes as she placed her hand under her chin. "If you're going to tell him the true reason why you left your job as his assistant and went north, you have to come clean! Tell Gaara how you feel but be very clear about it, or else it'll go right over his head. He was actually pretty upset when you left, you know. I never seen him so down before. Honestly, he hardly leaves his room when he's not in the office." As she peeked towards her, she could see her friend's averted and blushing glance in silence, sensing the dozens of nervous thoughts floating inside her head. Smirking, she turned to her. "You still… have feelings for him. Don't you, Nomasaki? You love my brother, after all that's happened?"

Jolting in her seat, Nomasaki propped her head up, holding her trembling palm towards her lips. Her cheeks reddened tremendously. "T-Temari-senpai -! Not so loud…!" She whispered, nervously. "H–He could be anywhere…! His sand...–!"

"Judging by your blushing I'd take it as a 'yes'. After all, you sent all those letter despite him not writing back. That speaks for itself." Temari sighed to herself, looking down with closed eyes at her crossed arms. Meeting Nomasaki's stunned and blushing gaze, she gave a light smile and her green eyes gleaming in the faint daylight that danced through the yawning above them. "It's alright. He may be my brother, but honestly… you're the only one I could really trust with him. You're level-headed and understand him, and you don't treat him like some sort of celebrity…" Gesturing to the gushing voices towards the village plaza, she let out a subtle disgusted groan as she pointed in their direction. "Like them, at least."

Following her gesture, Nomasaki turned behind where she sat towards the plaza. Crowded around the storefront of a merchant, a large group of young girls ranging from civilian, to genin, and chunin-level status squealed in unison – their faces red and frantic. "I saw him! I saw him! I could only catch a glimpse of his red hair, but I saw him!" one shouted. "Kazekage-sama is so hot! He's too handsome to stay single for so long! I wonder who will be his wife? Could it be me?" squealed another. "Our village hero! I would die for him!"

As she listening to their praises, Nomasaki frowned slightly while examining their fluster and desire for his affections. For the duration of her time as his assistant, she often would witness clusters of his fans crowd along the mansion's gates. This resulted in her asking them to withdraw from the gates if he needed to leave his residence for what ever reason. Gazing at them, she felt a lump in her chest. Since the war, she could not bring herself to visit. She wanted to reveal her feelings to him - all of them, but she lacked the necessary courage to do so. What would he even think? I should sooner go back to Yama before any slip of the tongue. It tore her to think of approaching him. Turning away, she looked down, her eyes closed halfway in sorrow.

"But…" She started, quietly. "Should I… really tell him? I mean, I haven't spoken to him since after the war ended, when I moved to Yama with my father… and that was almost two years ago…–,"

"Nomasaki, you just have to take the chance! He's in his office right now, if you want to see him yourself. I can't guarantee he'll answer to a letter given that you've already tried that." Temari replied, her eyes narrowed in her usual brashness. "If it's bothering you that much, just telling him should be enough! I don't think he'll know what to say, but honestly - if you ask me, he'll be... relieved." Crossing her arms over her chest, she closed her eyes as she nodded in lecture. "But remember, he's bad at reading emotions. He can be totally clueless to this stuff, despite his cool exterior. He's the Kazekage, but he's a total dumbass when it comes to these things... Sometimes it doesn't translate well, so you have to…–",

A cry sounded on the winds.

Drawing her away from conversation, Nomasaki could sense a familiar presence nearby to where they sat. Feather-like, as if the very winds themselves. It was Sōhei's, she realized. His chakra signalled a message. Soon enough, she saw the brown hawk circling above on the high winds. Its distant cries within the grey winds alerted her, realizing what it all meant. The tracking unit was calling for her after two years of silence.

It's time, then.

"Hey! Are you even listening to me?!"

"O–Oh, sorry." Nomasaki jolted, smiling in embarrassment to her friend's dismayed expression. "I think the tracking unit is sending for me, actually. I was summoned here for an assignment, so I should probably get going. Hopefully now I can find out what the assignment is rather than being left in the dark." As they stood up and started for the streets, she gave her a friendly glance. "When will you be back in Sungakure? I'm not sure how long I'll be around, but I'd like to chat with you again since it's been so long."

"Hopefully soon," Temari sighed. "The ambassador role really is getting hectic lately. I had a long assignment in Konoha due to problems with the 'peace-times', or as the Hokage-sama describes it. I'm being called back, but for how long? I don't know. But if I'm in the area, I'll be sure to let you know. Believe it or not, I missed talking with you, too. And you can drop the 'senpai'. We're equals, so don't worry about it." Turning to her as they began on separate paths, she smiled back. "I'll see you around."

Nodding, Nomasaki smiled lightly as she gave a small wave in the village streets. "Yeah. Bye, Temari."

As she watched her distant friend depart to the village's exit, she calmed herself. In only a few hours, she could leave on her assignment and return to Yamagakure in a few days and retreat back to her clan's forest and meadow. It will only be a few more days, I can do this. Turning towards the direction of chakra she sensed with stern eyes, she was prepared to answer the call. Above, the hawk cried against the smooth winds, making her wonder why she would be summoned for an assignment that not the council could disclose.

Perhaps Gaara had something to do with it.

Only time would tell.

The deep chambers of the Tracking Unit rang with a tinge of nostalgia.

Pushing aside the memory of her torture and curse seal, Nomasaki entered the main pipe-covered room and passed through the guard of masked tracker-nin. Animal shrouds of dog and fox watched her enter. Although the colours of their masks were different than the ones she remembered, she suddenly found herself remembering the past. They're on your side, they're on your side. Don't look back, keep walking. She caught herself growing more paranoid. Brushing off the intrusion, she followed the chakra belonging to Moro and Sōhei to the final chamber.

A strange fragment of light coated the room, breaking any shroud of darkness that lingered.

She saw Commander Moro standing at the room's centre, with Sōhei standing diligently at his side. His owl masked remained the same, mysterious yet friendly. Moro was not wearing his mask, and she could see every scar that painted his aging face of cracked skin and hard and stubbled jawline. Approaching without fear, she entered the room in a calm confidence. Even while dressed in her kimono and lacking the presence of her mask, she did not hesitate to kneel for her orders.

Her eyes locked to the floor, she spoke and broke the silence. "You summoned me, sir?"

"I must say... it's been awhile, outsider." Moro sighed, a faint smirk on his serious features. "Good to see you unscathed."

"The journey wasn't difficult." She smiled back, meeting his glance. "Just... uncomfortable. Going from snow to sand does a number on your joints no matter your age, believe it or not. The changes in climate are astoundingly different."

Moro nodded. "I'm sure it does." Folding his arms against his flak-jacket chest, his face stiffened back to duty. "As you've been made aware by our hawk, the council deems it fit to request your services. Being that I sit on the council, I actually suggested you for this particular assignment and persuaded the others to follow suit. I figured two years was a long enough break from duty, so I pitched a simple task for you to get yourself acquainted with your shinobi way once again."

With a nod, she stood. "I haven't left my shinobi way behind, Moro-sama. If anything, I'm a stronger shinobi since I left. The mountains proved good for me."

"Well said." Moro smirked. "It'll be good once we have you back in our ranks. I understand you have dual-citizenship now, so you are now able to move freely between your two countries. This is be of great benefit to us, and in turn the tracking unit itself."

"If I can ask," She pressed, her eyes curious and wary. "What sort of assignment will I be embarking on, sir?"

"An escort mission, B-rank."

"Should be simple enough. Whereabouts?"

"To the Land of Fire. You will be escorting our Kazekage-sama to Konohagakure for the upcoming Five Kage Summit."

She thought her heart was about to stop.

Standing frozen before her commander, she felt a slight shiver creep up her spine. "K... Kazekage-sama?"

"You will leave at dawn tomorrow." Moro nodded. "Being that you're... familiar with him to some capacity, I suggested you as the candidate. He is currently without a bodyguard, so I thought 'who is better suited than the 'Wolf of the Desert'? You will be gone for approximately one week. Is that clear?"

"...Yes, sir." She agreed, putting any reluctance to the back of her mind. "I won't let you down."

Moro nodded, his sternness easing. "May the desert gods protect you, outsider."

Leaving the chamber, she stepped out from the large iron doors and left behind the light. She blurred out the chakra of the tracker-nin who guarded the doors and ascended the stairs to the surface with her mind drawn to a blank. She was now forced to deal with the inevitable.

May the desert gods find me and give me the strength to face him.

And she had to once more don the mask.

The council chambers echoed with the ramblings of the elders.

As Gaara sat in on the routine meeting with the Suna Council, he listening to the grunting and conversation among the councilmen. Although a weekly occurrence, the event was near enough to bore him to sleep. Even the great stone statues of the Kazekage behind him paid no interest in the trials of man - let alone status updates from non-pressing issues. The only issue that seemed the least bit interesting were tales of hoards of bandits sacking towns on the country's outskirts - but they were all but unconfirmed. Not even the approaching Chunin Exams were worth discussing. With eyes tired of insomnia, the Kazekage listened patiently and waited for discussions to cease. Much to his dismay, his siblings were both absent for an indefinite amount of time. Kankurō was about to leave on an assignment with the Puppet Corps, and Temari was halfway across the desert by now.

And she just met with... her.

Shaking off the thought, he sat silently in his chair and looked on at the senior advisor with stern eyes.

"With that being said, recent events dictate that you would be heading to Konohagakure to discuss this matter with the convening Five Kage Summit."

Zarō agreed. "Although the war avoided a revival of Princess Kaguya, the Rabbit Demon... there still leaves the matter of the existence of the Ōtsutsuki clan. Whether they are legend or not, it's due time the matter is investigated before another revival plan hatches in the minds of the power-hungry and vile."

"Would the disgraced Uchiha survivors know anything of this?" An elder pressed. "The one called Obito and the missing-nin Sasuke?"

"The 'pardoned' Sasuke..." Zarō scoffed, folding his arms. "The Hokage-sama had the nerve to pardon him, and the other one, too! But yes, they should know. As we speak, Sasuke travels the lands in search of evidence of the clan's presence. That was the price he paid for his freedom."

"What say you, Kazekage-sama?"

"It seems somewhat sudden for a summit to be convened. Having only received the notice this morning, I have to admit I am ill-prepared." Gaara replied, his ringed-eyes slightly narrowed. "At the moment I am without a bodyguard to accompany me, as Kankurō is on an assignment with the puppet corps… and Temari is –,"

"…suspected to be in Konohagakure with a man from the Nara clan. Something the council is not entirely fond of…" Turning to the direction of the retort, a councilman with a greying beard made eye contact with the young Kazekage. Their shared glance turning into a subtle glare. "Kazekage-sama, are you aware of the history of your clan, of the Kazekage?"

"Scarely," He admitted. "But what of it?"

"The Kazekage clan was one of the great noble families of the Land of Wind… leading the people to settle in this land that is now Sunagakure." The elder began. "Your great-great grandfather Reto saw to this and became the First Kazekage. Because of our village's isolation and lack of resources, keeping the Kazekage bloodline pure over generations secures the future and stability of the village… as to contain the line of succession, one of the clan must take on the position of Kazekage. That is why he either banished those containing Kekkei Genkai from Suna those many years ago, or sealed their powers away... He protected your noble family - and the others who pledged in service - to ensure the stability of succession."

"Succession?" Gaara raised a non-existent brow. "What are you getting at?"

Giving a smug smirk under his beard, the councilman chuckled briefly under his breath. "That's essentially why the Suna Council selected you at your young age, Gaara-sama. You are the final true heir to your clan, Reto-sama's legacy. Your father's legacy, containing the Magnet Release. Your ancestors all took measures to ensure the purity of the bloodline, to defend Suna from the threats from those of Kekkei Genkai wishing to usurp the power established by the system of succession." Remaining silent, Gaara glared at him from across the table. "Being that you of the proper age, you must follow in their footsteps and do this action for your clan and for the sake of your people. You must know what I'm inferring to, aren't you?"

"Not at all. What are you dancing around, councillor? Out with it."

"Gaara-sama, it's time that you picked a wife."

The air grew still.

As the chamber fell silent, gasps quickly filled the room from the listening councilmen to the elder's words. Surprised by the advisor's request, Gaara's eyes widened – utterly shocked by the command. Not once had he ever considered marriage in his lifetime, or even being with someone romantically. But his thoughts of his former assistant led him to consider otherwise. To him, marriage was something he never deemed a concern – not a single councillor had voiced such a concern since the beginning of his reign. All voices had remained silent. And now I'm pushed into a corner... the bastards.

Stunned and wide-eyed, he struggled to process a response. "A wife?"

Zarō nodded, reluctantly. "This is a rather old tenet, but he's right. An heir is needed for the future of Sunagakure."

An heir.

The word sent a jolt through his spine.

Looking to his former sensei, he sought clarity. "Baki-sama, what say you on this... heir-nonsense?"

Baki sighed. "To tell you the truth, I agree with Zarō-sama. It's an old tenet that secures the Kazekage clan in the role of leadership of the village, but without the clan there is no doubt the village may collapse... just as the Bloody Mist did during the bloodline purges. Your clan is near extinct, save for your elder sister and elder brother, but you carry the Magnet Release and they do not - so it's of utmost priority that your bloodline's future is sealed sooner than later."

It was not the answer he wanted nor the answer he hoped.

"The Hoki family is eager to marry their eldest heiress to one of the Kazekage clan, the clan head's daughter... Hakuto-sama. She is a fair young woman, with a special chakra and skills in the healing arts. No doubt she could provide you with sons." The advisor explained. "Being that you're the Kazekage, it's upmost priority that you wed and produce a heir to the Kazekage bloodline. Since your clan is lost within the sands of the desert, the Hoki family is the best option. They are closely related to your people and are one of the few surviving noble families of the Land of Wind. Their loyalty is of the strongest of the four surviving noble families who rallied behind Reto-sama at the village's founding. Surely, the heir you produce will reign as the Sixth Kazekage."

Shielding his shock, Gaara glared at him in retaliation. "If I refuse?"

"That simply won't happen. We've arranged a marriage already for you with the eldest daughter." The advisor countered. "When you return from this meeting in Konoha, you will meet your future bride at the oasis and will be married in the gardens by summer's end."

Standing up from his seat, he grasped to leadership in the argument. Scanning for eyes to take his side, he did not see any willing. Not even Moro was in attendance - and the one day he failed to show. Gaara stood before the council still visibly shaken and emotionally blank, with anxiety and frustration making a forefront in his mind. "Do I at least have a say in the matter? As the Kazekage, I should have the final say... regardless of tenets."

Zarō crossed his arms and let out a sigh. "Should you find a suitable bride elsewhere, we may reconsider… but the future of your bloodline is sealed. I'm afraid the village does not have a choice. It's either this, or a potential coup and unrest for many generations to come."

Gaara was irked.

They're using the village as leverage... how dare they.

"What's more," Another elder chimed in. "If Temari-sama and that man of the Nara clan from Konoha were to become married and produced a child, that child would be next in line of succession for the position of Kazekage... being that the child would be the only descendant of their generation of the Kazekage clan." His glance troubled, Gaara's eyes widened slightly as he watched the elder speak. "This marriage is not only to ensure the production of a direct heir, but also to ensure the survival of Suna for future generations." Making eye contact with the troubled young leader, the elder narrowed his aged eyes towards him - locking their gazes between each other. "Gaara-sama, regardless of if you accept this arrangement... it is crucial to Suna that you wed for the sake of your clan - and the very village itself."

Beside the elder, Zarō flipped through papers in his clipboard. "Moving on from domestic issues… Kazekage-sama, you will be accompanied to the Five kage Summit in Konohagakure by Yamamori Nomasaki of the tracking unit, as her sensory abilities are of upmost importance. She will serve as a stand-in to Kankurō-sama's bodyguard duties for the time being until you return."

His heart froze.

Gaara eyes widened from the name, surprised and somewhat nervous of the mention. Since her resignation at the end of the war, they last spoke to each other when they said goodbye to Shukaku in the desert – as they held hands standing side by side while the winds caressed them. And her letters to him went unanswered. Deep down in his heart, he knew his feelings never changed over the last two years despite her absence. But the notion of meeting her again was something he had not yet prepared himself for in the slightest.

"Nomasaki…?!" He stammered, gathering himself. "Are you sure about that?"

"Hm? What's this?" A councilman rose a brow. "Did you have someone else in mind, Kazekage-sama? After all the trouble we went to summoning her?!"

"Surely we can find a suitable substitute for Kankurō-sama... If we scour every nook and cranny of this village between now and sunrise, that is... which is unlikely given most of our jonin are out completing assignments of their own." Zarō added. "Due to her previous employment as your assistant and the events of the trial, you may wish for someone more... dedicated? Is that it, Kazekage-sama?" Rifling through a small stack of papers, they began scanning for more possible candidates. "Perhaps someone from the ANBU can possibly be of use –?"

"N-No," Gaara interrupted, feeling the embarrassment from his stammering of her name. Closing his eyes, he rose his palm, only slightly. "Nomasaki would be fine, I trust in the recommendation of the council. I apologize for my initial reaction. It's just... she's had a leave-of-absence."

"Zarō-sama," A Suna-nin entered. "The one you summoned has arrived."

"Good," Zarō nodded. "She may enter."

Silence fell when the outsider entered the chambers.

Wanting to pull his eyes away, he felt his glance lock towards her instead. Stepping into the room with the messenger to her back, Nomasaki paused before the great table and faced the councillors with an air of calm. Her glance was firm, washed clean of emotion it seemed. Meeting her violet eyes, he stayed silent as words failed to rise. She appeared the same, yet different to him at the same time. Her hair was still gold, her dress was still blue, and her eyes were still kind. But he began to notice her hair was longer, her dress lacked the long sleeves that once covered her arms, and her eyes held a fierce strength to them. And she had grown fair and slender.

Time had changed her.

"We have been notified of your arrival this morning." Zarō said. "Moro-sama has told you the details of your assignment, I trust?"

She nodded. "Yes, sir. He has. Are there any details I should be made aware before departure?"

"That can be settled upon by Kazekage-sama." Standing, the councillor rose his palm. "This meeting is now adjourned. We will resume discussions upon your return, Gaara-sama." With the creak of chairs upon the sturdy sandstone floor, the elders and councillors stood from their esteemed seats and made their leave out the grand heavy doors that remained open for their passage. Pausing beside the Kazekage, Zarō gave a stern look. "I'll leave you to discuss this matter further before the departure for the Summit."

And then the two were alone.

From one end of the room to the other, the stood before one another for the first time in years. The guilt of his silence soon came back to bite him, twisting like a knife to his chest. Seeing the sheen to her eyes within the intruding light of the afternoon sun, he felt the emotions he suppressed come rushing to the surface. He noticed her lilac eyes were brighter – their strangeness still holding the vibrance of spring.

And she could never be his - if the council and their tenet had anything to say about it.

They decided to toy with him, it seemed.

"It's... been a while, Nomasaki." He started, his face stoic and masking his guilt. "How was... your journey?"

"Nothing I couldn't handle." She said, her voice calm and kind. "How have things been for you? Sunagakure seems to have been in good hands since I left. You were buried in your duties as Kazekage as usual, I trust?"

And I couldn't bring myself to tell you the truth in my letters. "...Yes, it's been bitter work, but the peace has been good for us."

She nodded, a faint smile on her lips. "I see, that's good to hear."

And then her smile faded.

Guilt returned. "I must be honest," Gaara began, averting his glance. "I had no idea they would be summoning you for this, given your absence."

"That's alright." She assured. "I've been neglecting to come back for too long, so it's a welcome diversion."

Catching him by surprise, she walked across the room to face him directly.

Her footsteps paused when they were within an arm's length. Looking up to him, she suddenly noticed Gaara was taller than last time they met. Standing over her, his new height dwarfed her petite stature. Just as she remembered, his crimson hair was messy and unruly and he chose to dress himself in fitted burgundy with a high collar. The only difference she could point out aside from his height, his gourd of sand was even smaller as it sat strapped to his side. As she glanced up at him, she noticed that his mysterious ringed-eyes looked at her the same – the familiar warmth and security she knew gazing back at her. To her, he had grown into a very handsome and wise young man.

He felt nervousness suddenly rise into his throat. "What is it?"

"I wanted to see if your eyes still looked at me the same after all this time." Her expression saddened. Looking down, she averted her glance. "I was worried you... had grown to hate me..."

"I could never hate you."

Surprised, she turned. "Even after I left, and everything else?"

He nodded. "Yes."

Warmed, she smiled. Startling her, she felt something push her from behind. Sand was leading her closer to him, catching her off guard. Nervously, she held her footing to avoid slamming into him. It was only when she was inches away that Gaara realized what was happening. Calling off his sands, he stepped back in bewilderment. Even his sand was toying with him, not just the councillors.

"S-Sorry." He coughed into his hand. "My sand still acts on its own."

She shyly averted her glance to hide her sudden blushing, patting off the scarce grains from her dress. "It's alright. Still, it's assuring to know that your Ultimate Defence is the same as always. Even if it catches me by surprise." Looking back to him, her kind smile faded slightly. "I don't know how long I'll be here, so I don't have much time before the assignment for leisure. Is there anything I should be aware of before we depart in the morning?"

"Nothing out of the ordinary." He said, remembering the task at hand. "The journey will be three days, so prepare accordingly. Think of it as... a standard escort. I'm fully capable of defending myself, but you'll be accompanying me should I require assistance."

She nodded, smiling lightly. "Understood. I'll be sure to not disappoint." As she took her leave, she paused by the open doorframe. Meeting his glance, she gave a parting smile. "I'll see you at dawn, Kazekage-sama."

And when she left, void returned.

Parting as if she were a stranger once more.

Dawn arrived sooner than she expected.

Once risen from her bed, Nomasaki donned the Suna-nin garbs she left behind two years ago. After pulling on her pants and straightening out the sleeves of her shirt, she fastened her worn flak jacket to her chest. Seeing the emblem of Suna in her hand was a surreal feeling. Pushing back the long strands of gold that dared to cover her eyes, she tied the headband to her forehead and faced herself in the mirror. For a moment she did not recognize the kunoichi staring back at her. It felt as if she were looking at a fraction of her past self, an element of her identity she neglected since her departure.

But then she remembered why.

Pulling out the box from her closet, she opened it to find the mask just where she left it. With a clack, the porcelain shroud fit to her face and swallowed her into its identity. Looking back at her through the glass was a snarling beast adorned in red markings appearing as if blood. A wolf who belonged to the desert. The vision took her aback briefly, but soon she settled back into what she ran from. Her curse seal remained dormant, but the mask did nothing but remind her of her life sentence. I cannot run from it, only face it directly. Wolves do not fear, wolves devour fear. Am I a wolf or am I a frightened mutt? That's something I must decide... and prove myself. The more she looked back into the violet eyes behind her mask, the more she could feel anger and courage rising in her boiling blood. With a breath of calm, she assured herself that there would be no further need for worry. Her katana made a snap as it fell into the scabbard on the back of her flak jacket.

And she left her apartment behind and stepped out into the waking morning.

The skies were tinted in a scarce deep blue as night fled from day.

With a cloak fastened to his shoulders and the hat of the Kazekage shiedling him from the creeping light, Gaara approached the rendezvous point near the village's stone wall as silent and as still as a shadow, appearing from his sands amongst the cool winds. In the distance of the rising desert heat, he could see a masked figure standing before the exit. It was her. As he drew closer, a conflict arose in his thoughts. Although he was somewhat eager to see her again, he began to hold dread. He would be spending time alone with a woman he could never have, never confide, and never hold. For he was promised to another. He wanted to curse the council and all their insistence, but he doubted the chance of escaping his determined fate. The village and his ancient clan depended on it - and they depended on an heir. And as far as he was concerned, Nomasaki knew nothing. He decided that was for the best.

On this Summit, the arrangement does not exist. I won't tell her, but maybe I can tell her everything else.

Swallowing his pride, he continued on with a stoic and emotionless gaze, putting aside all anxiety aside for the sake of duty.

His chakra entered her senses upon the winds.

Feeling him approaching, Nomasaki gathered herself. Thankfully under the guise of her mask, no one could tell she was nervously glancing around to pass the time. She would be alone with him for a week. A week. The thought unnerved her, reminding herself she sent three too many letters while she was away in the Land of Mountains. And that she left Sunagakure behind with no hesitation after all the fighting was said and done. Believing in his words, she knew he held no hate or disdain towards her, but the guilt still lingered. He could've lied, she thought, He could've said that to avoid hurting my feelings, yet... in some way I think he was telling the truth. I hope he was telling the truth. Then she realized her senses would have noticed if he lied in the first place. Keeping her scattered thoughts to herself, she decided was going to approach the mission positively, hoping that it would resolve soon with no issue.

Still, she could not help but feel her first mission back as a Suna-nin was a strange coincidence.

When she turned to him as he paused before her, her eyes lit up in her friendly nature. "Gaara!" She spoke, and already she felt her chest begin to flutter with nerves. "It's nice to see you. Are you ready to depart?"

Meeting her mask, he saw the wolfish visage snarl towards him. "Nomasaki,"

Soon, his glance drifted to the rest of her. Despite being masked by her shinobi attire and Suna flak jacket, he noticed she was visibly more feminine in figure, her short stature appearing more womanly to him than ever before. Moving his glance back to her porcelain mask, she saw the faint sheen of violet through the eye slits and could see a faint glow of gold hair tucked away behind it. In his eyes, he suddenly realized that she was beautiful.

Flustered, he averted his glance. "I…–,"

"How rude of you to not address our Kazekage with respect!" A border patrol ninja shouted at her from his barrack along the cliffside above them. "It's 'Kazekage-sama', do not forget that! To think you tracker-nin would know better!"

Turning, Nomasaki lifted up her mask to face the man directly. Seeing the man flinch, a smile formed on her lips as she reminded him of their encounter at the gates only days before. He should be fortunate I decided not to change form today. "My apologies, sir." She acknowledged. "I'll… try to be more careful next time. As should you when addressing visitors to your gates."

"I-It's you -!" The man pointed, shaking. "Y-You changed into a - a -,"

"A wolf, sir." She replied. "Nothing more, nothing less." With a friendly yet serious glint to her eyes, she turned to the young Kazekage. A light smile was painted on her lips, while the intruding sunlight filled her purple eyes. "Shall we… get going, then? Konoha will be at least three days on foot. We shouldn't be keeping the other Kage waiting."

Gaara nodded. "Yes, let's get this over with."

As she put on her tracker-nin mask, she braced herself for the journey. Her mask's eerie snarling expression gleamed from the desert sun, shrouding her in its cover. "Since I'll be your escort on this mission, I want to remind you what my task is. I'll be shadowing you, keeping an eye out for assailants, and actively using my sensory abilities to scout approaching chakras. I am also to follow any commands you may give, at your leisure." She turned to him, her wolfish mask snarling in his direction as he could see the faint glimmer of her lilac eyes. "I trust in your abilities wholeheartedly to protect yourself, but by order of the council I will be tagging along. I hope that's alright with you."

As he looked at her through her mask, he a felt sudden sadness swell up into his chest. He was reminded of the council's words on how he had to marry a chosen bride when he returned. It was not what he wanted, nor was it what he expected. In his eyes as he walked alongside his bodyguard, it was bittersweet for them to be together on the mission.

Entering the vast sands of the Land of Wind's desert, they disappeared into a sandstorm mirage.