Chapter 44
A Day in Konoha

"The gates are just a few kilometres ahead, Gaara-sama. I've scouted the area, and all is clear."

"Thank you."

Within a flicker the masked tracker-nin vanished before his eyes. Since their departure from the Land of Rivers the day before, their exchanges have been brief, duty-driven, and scarce. Few bandits and missing-nin had dared to approach their travels, with Nomasaki finishing them before Gaara could even be aware of their presence. She had proved to be an efficient substitute for Kankurō, it seemed. And he had only three days left. His chest felt heavy as he followed the wooded path, burdened with the guilt that dared to seep through. Although he could not see her, he knew she was close.

And his time with her was growing thin.

Screw the council, screw the elders... and screw that godforsaken tenet.

Making excellent timing, the two Suna shinobi reached the village gates of Konohagakure almost exactly on schedule. While they made their way through the gates, the budding tree branches danced lightly in the winds above them, the arrival of spring lingering on the warming winter air. Much like the other villages, Konoha was in the midst of great prosperity and change. Two guardsmen escorted them to the Hokage's estate, with the tracker-nin appearing out from the shadows and keeping close watch beside the Kazekage with a wolfish visage. Few villagers stopped to stare as they passed, with subtle voices clinging to the cold winds that blew that late winter. Konoha was not a stranger to snow, but all that Nomasaki noticed was ice. Even the trees dared to bud, propelled by the land's eternal season of spring. The villagers seemingly ignored their foreign presence, bustling through the streets, setting up the wooden framework for new structures, and embracing the new technology that emerged since the war ended. The village was expanding and at a rapid rate, catching the curiosity of the Sand ninja who were used to their status quo of isolation of stability.

As they approached closer to the courtyard beyond the Hokage's mansion, they could see a silhouette of a man striding through the gardens alone, examining each plant carefully and with curious thought. Toying with a small flowering plant, Hatake Kakashi was seen in the garden from a distance – the Sixth Hokage and newly inaugurated, wearing the typical red and white robes of leadership. Sensing the two shinobi approach closer, he straightened his back and gave a friendly smile from behind his masked appearance.

"Ah, Gaara-sama!" He spoke, turning towards the Sand ninja. "You've had a good trip, I assume?"

"Kakashi," Gaara spoke, a small smile visible as he paused before him. "Nice to see you again, officially as the Sixth Hokage this time. Have the other Kage arrived as well for the Summit?"

"Not yet, but they should be arriving soon enough." As Kakashi turned to the silent masked ninja at the Kazekage's right hand, he exchanged a glance of familiarity – his mind searching for their identity as he examined their petite stature and snarling porcelain shroud. Catching a glimpse of their strange purple eyes, a light switched in his memory. "You've brought only one bodyguard? You look familiar, I must admit."

"Yamamori Nomasaki, sir." She bowed to him, respectfully. "We've met before, when Konoha helped rescue Kazekage-sama." Removing her mask, she looked up at his dark eyes as a friendly smile was painted on her lips. "I led the Sunagakure pursuit team in the Land of Rivers. And... I believe we share a distant ancestor, being you are keen to summon dogs."

The wolf-girl. "Ah, yes. It's good to see you again." He smiled back. "You were Kazekage-sama's assistant back then when we met, weren't you?"

Nodding, Gaara glanced at her briefly, noticing her proud smile as her response. "She's one of Suna's top tracker-nin, having returned from a leave-of-absence. Her father is Kyō-sama, the chieftain of Yamagakure."

Kakashi met her eyes, watching her don her mask. "I see. I've met Kyō-sama not too long ago, he seems to be a good man. Small world it seems, being that you're connected by blood."

"He's a good ally of ours, being that he's from our lands. Nomasaki is actually the one responsible for reinstating the Yamamori clan there, in cooperation with her father." Gaara entered. "Kankurō's away on an assignment with the puppet corps, so she was summoned... as she was the best replacement being that she's a sensory type."

He admires her, Kakashi noticed, Very much so, it seems. "I've heard rumours. At least another clan was able to narrowly avoid extinction. It's about time the shinobi world grew more accepting of differing bloodlines, especially now that peace is upon us."

"I agree, Hokage-sama." Nomasaki nodded, her mask snarling towards him.

"Kakashi-sama! The other Kage have arrived at the Land of Fire's borders!"

Turning, the white-haired man irked. "You don't have to use -sama, Shizune. It's not necessary."

From across the courtyard, the slender dark-haired medic-nin waved towards them, clutching her clipboard against her kimono. "Raikage-sama, Mizukage-sama, and Tsuchikage-sama will be in Konoha in approximately two hours with their bodyguards! I'll begin prepping the chambers for their arrival."

"Excellent," Kakashi nodded. "I'll call the meeting when they arrive." Once Shizune was gone to fulfill her duties, he directed his attention back towards his foreign visitors. "You two must be tired from your journey. You can rest, if you'd like. We have rooms for you, if needed."

"That won't be necessary, the journey wasn't especially harsh." Gaara replied. "But thank you for the generous offer."

With a nod, the Hokage formed a single hand-sign. "I'll be seeing you."

And he vanished with the Teleportation Jutsu.

While the young Kazekage stood in the still courtyard, he noticed a quiet air from the bodyguard who was at his side. Turning to her, he took in her silent pondering as she looked up at the hawks circling the tower upon the village steppes – their wings curved in elegance and ferocity as they swirled in the blue skies above. It's from Sunagakure, he realized, It's one of our hawks... but from the Tracking Unit. "What is it, Nomasaki? Is it news from Moro-sama?"

"Yes, actually." She nodded. Even through the slits of her ferocious mask, her eyes appeared soft and shy. "Forgive me, Kazekage-sama, but I have to go check in with the aviary to relay our status to the Suna Council. I'll make sure to meet up with you before the meeting starts. You're alright on your own?"

"I'm fine."

Hearing his answer, she nodded. As he watched her leave his side, he saw the faint glimmer of her gold hair in the sun from behind the mask she wore to hide her identity. The strange sinking in his chest returned as she departed from his view, his emotions aching with the need to tell her everything and to be at her side. Damn everything and anything that led us to this. In just days, he could lose her forever.

And his time was running out.

"Gaara!"

Turning to the direction of the beaming voice, he seen the tall and welcoming presence of his close friend approaching – Uzumaki Naruto. Upon meeting his glance, he noticed his freshly cut blond hair peeking over his forehead protector and a bandaged arm at his side. The last time they seen each other in person was at the end of the war more than two years ago – and he was coping with the loss of his dominant arm. Much has changed since then, and the two have both grown wiser as they reached early adulthood – witnessing the peace their lands struggle to achieve finally come to fruition.

"Naruto," He greeted, a light smile on his pale features. "It's nice to see you. How's your new arm?"

"Better than ever!" Naruto grinned, gesturing to its fixed bandages in a brief flex. "Thanks to Granny Tsunade, I'm back to my old self again! That mission on the moon really pushed it, though." As he stood before the young Kazekage, he could see a fading silhouette clothed in the Suna flak jacket departing the mansion's courtyard – their gold hair glimmering in the sun, triggering a sense of familiarity in his mind. "O-Oh, who's that? Did you get a new bodyguard?" He pondered to himself, holding his bandaged hand up to his chin in his thoughts. Jolting his memory, he realized who it was before his friend could give an answer. "Ah, it's her! Nomasaki, right? I feel bad for forgetting her name after all this time... my bad, you know. It's an odd one to remember."

"She's filling in for Kankurō while he's away." Gaara nodded, averting his glance in slight embarrassment. "She's with the tracking unit now, so she's temporarily filling in my bodyguard position." But soon enough she'll return to her mountain and I'll be made a pawn to sire heirs for those damned elders.

"I see," Naruto sighed, placing his hands on his hips – smiling off into the sunny distance. "Isn't she also your assistant?"

"Was." He corrected. "Not since the war ended. She's a tracker-nin now, and splits her time between two villages."

Turning to him, Naruto's eyes widened slightly in surprise. "You don't say?" His memory flickered. "Ah, yeah! I remember now - that mountain village was rebuilt recently, wasn't it? Kakashi-sensei mentioned something about that." Standing beside him, he sensed a silent discontent within Gaara. His blank gaze into the distance made it clear. Something was amiss. Warmly, he gave him a friendly wide smile. "Want to go somewhere to catch up? It's been a while since we hung out as friends, rather than just ninja. I'm headed to Ichiraku, want to join?"

Slightly surprised from the request and change of subject, Gaara glanced to his offer. Mulling it over briefly, he knew he longed to spend time with his close friend – and to push aside the tormenting thoughts about his impending forced marriage to a total stranger.

"Lead the way,"

Sitting beside each other on the cushioned stools, they conversed about the many changes in their lives since the war ended. Although Gaara had only been at Ichiraku a few times his last visit, he felt comforted and secure by the shop's aesthetics and scent of the menu – his thoughts still jumbled with a crumbling reality yet assured at the same time. Despite his desire to come clean to Nomasaki and confide in Naruto for advice, he felt he could not push himself to make a move on either front. Worry clouded his judgment, prompting him to remain in solemn silence as he pondered an escape from the council's insistence on the marriage. Unfortunately for him, the culture of Sunagakure was heavily in favor of arranged marriages – especially in the case of the remaining noble families whose existences and authority were dwindling within each new generation. Knowing of Naruto's engagement to Hyuga Hinata since his last visit only months before, it was the same fate inflicted upon himself – only of Naruto's own decision. While he pondered the upcoming marriage, he thought of his friend marrying for love.

Could he possibly do the same and break the cycle?

That's a foolish proposition. The council would certainly waste no time laughing in my face.

"So… I'm getting married in a few months."

"Married?" Gaara asked, turning to him surprised. "That soon?"

With a big wide smile, Naruto nodded. "Yup! We decided that we can't wait, so we're having the wedding in the springtime when the cherry blossoms are in bloom." He grew bashful, averting his reddening face with a chuckle. "That whole situation on the moon sorta... sped things up. What can I say? Love is a very strange thing."

It is, believe me. And I took too long to realize. "Congratulations, then." Gaara said, a small smile on his lips. "I'm happy for you, Naruto."

"Thank you!" Naruto beamed. "It means a lot! You're all invited to the wedding, Nomasaki, too!" Leaning in closer to his ear, he gave a mischievous grin. "By the way… Are you and that wolf-girl together or what? You seem awfully close for just bodyguard and Kage... and I've noticed since the war."

Stunning him, the unexpected accusation flustered him greatly. "N-No…!" Gaara fumbled, visibly embarrassed. "What do you mean? We're just… friends. She's fulfilling her assigned duties, nothing more."

Looking at the bulletins across the counter from where they sat, Naruto let out a groan as he put his hand under his chin. Pondering his memories of the two, he remembered the time they helped rescue the Kazekage nearly four years ago in the Land of Rivers, and then the war came to mind. Her fierceness to help him by giving her chakra was an act of duty - but it was also out of love. Even when they arrived in Konoha following the war's end, Naruto could remember the way they met each other's glances with pleasantries and held respect. To him, it was obvious.

"I don't buy it." He sighed. "The way you two look at each other… it definitely means something. Even I could see that! Are you sure you're just 'friends'? I mean... even the way you act around her is different."

Sadly, Gaara's eyes closed halfway as he looked down at the counter as he thought about his feelings for her – they ran deep. Since their separation after the war, he knew he always longed for her and reuniting with her for the mission only strengthened his desire to be with her at last. How could they be together at all, especially due to their current circumstances? Would she even accept his affections knowing he ignored her letters? And for all that mattered - did she hold the same feelings towards him after all their time spent apart? They were questions which had no answers.

He decided to tell the truth, as hard as it was.

"To be honest, Naruto… it's complicated." He started with a sigh. "I… do like her, a lot. But she was my assistant, so we have a lot of history together. She was made an agent of a now-imprisoned dissident who wanted my head, and she was dealt the punishment of a curse seal on her tongue... all because of her loyalty to me." The scars of her lashes entered his eyes, burned into his memory. He pushed them aside. "...I gave her leave to return to where she came from, and still... she chose to come back. Even for a short assignment such as this... and I'm unable to tell her I... love her." Hopeless was on his voice, making Naruto fall silent. "I'm unsure of how to approach her about this. I'm not exactly the best at expressing how I feel… being open with others is something I still struggle with. I couldn't even answer her letters she sent, all three of them..." While he thought more of his current situation, his glance saddened. "I should've made things clear to her after the war, but… I hesitated… Now I'm in a position where I'm not sure if I'll ever get the chance to tell her."

"I had no idea. That's rough." Naruto sighed, his blue eyes wide in saddened shock. "Why not write back?"

Because I'm ashamed. "I didn't know what to say at first... words aren't easy to come by for me, exactly. Besides, it's too late."

"It's never too late to write a letter. I think she'd appreciate it, even if it is a few years behind."

Guilt slowly tapered off his shoulders. "...I did try to write back to the first one."

"Keep going! Write the rest! At least it's a start, right?"

"Suppose I do," Gaara said. "But what after? What more is there?"

Sympathetically, Naruto looked towards his troubled friend – understanding his hidden inner strife from behind the shield of his expressionless seafoam eyes. Not once had he expected Gaara to turn to him for advice on relationships, but he was more than willing to lend a friend a hand. Happily, Naruto closed his eyes and grinned at him – slightly alarming him from his reaction.

"Well, you'd have to come clean and tell her. Letters won't do it justice, so you should tell her yourself in person!" He beamed. "There's no harm in giving it a try! Tell her how you feel when the time is right! Maybe take her out for food or something? Relationships are tough and it can be scary telling someone how you feel, but they're totally worth it with the right person." He turned towards him in his seat, gesturing with his hands as he spoke – smiling in a friendly and eager fashion. "If you think she's the right person, you've got nothing to worry about! You're the Kazekage, you can swoon her no problem!"

Turning to him, Gaara softly smiled. "Yeah…" He spoke, quietly. "Thanks, Naruto." In response, Naruto chuckled – happy to have helped his friend. Sharply, in a quick moment, Gaara glared at him and leaned in closer – his hidden dark nature seeped out. "Don't say anything about this to anyone…" He whispered, almost threateningly. "I mean it."

Who is the scarier one... the former psycho or the beast-girl? He went for both. "I-I'll forget it even happened! Your secret's safe with me!" Brushing off his brief sweat, he reached for the menu and scanned it thoroughly for his next ramen choice. "Anyways, we should order something!"

"Sorry I'm late,"

When they turned to the soft voice, they seen Nomasaki approach them from the village street. Even from the shroud of her mask, her glance still appeared somewhat serious and blank. Dutiful. Gone for not even an hour, and Gaara was once again reminded of the pressure between them. "You're back," He greeted, his face as if made from stone. "And the message?"

"Yes." She nodded. "Moro-sama asked for a status report, so one was sent over. Also, the hawk contained another scroll."

His eyes narrowed slightly. "Another scroll?"

"I didn't open it, but its briefing says that –,"

"Ah, Nomasaki!" Naruto beamed. "Join us! We're just about to chow down!"

"Thanks, but I'm currently on duty –,"

"Duty, duty..." Naruto shrugged, paying her no mind. "Sit with us!"

Sensing the confusion, Gaara eyed her. "It's alright. We have an hour before the Summit starts."

"If you say so," She submitted. Taking her seat at Gaara's side, she kept her hands at her lap and took in the sight of the large menu hanging overhead. Her stomach grumbled, reminding her it was hours since her last hunt. She wondered if the ramen had pork from wild boar like the one she preyed upon in the forest. She wanted something she could sink her teeth into, at least.

Naruto flinched when he turned to her, taken aback by her eerie porcelain mask. The snarling beast of white and red struck his awareness. "Are you seriously not going to take that mask off? It's unnerving."

"It's a bit striking, isn't it? Sorry about that." She smiled behind her shroud. "But... I'd very much like to keep it on."

Reluctantly, Naruto eased off. "Anyways, how did you find Konoha, Nomasaki? You were here before but never got to see much, right?"

"I just went to the aviary, but your village is lovely. I really like the forest that surrounds it." She shuddered, the scent irking her. "Although, there is a stench of dog I can't stand... I was never fond of dogs, as wolves tend to despise them."

Naruto grinned. "That's just Kiba! Don't mind him!"

"Kiba?"

"He's from the Inuzuka clan! They use dog-styled ninjutsu."

"Oh, well that makes sense. Wolves typically find dogs to be foul so that explains why my senses are bothering me." She smiled, happily. "I also heard the village talking about your upcoming wedding. I'm happy for you, Naruto! I'll try my best to be at the wedding, if my duties permit of course."

"You'll be there, definitely! You and Gaara will be going as a coupl-AAH!"

Suddenly, under the long counter, a tiny stream of sand pinched Naruto's thigh in an instant before he could finish his sentence. Pretending he didn't notice Naruto's dramatic screech, Gaara turned to her. "What were you trying to say earlier?"

"Oh," Her memory jolted. "The council just sent that other scroll. The briefing note attached said they need you to return as soon as the summit is finished. It's odd, it doesn't state why but it's apparently urgent. I didn't open it, since it's specifically addressed to you - the Kazekage."

Taking it from her hands, his eyes scanned the parchment's outer contents – reading the fine print of their demand for him to return after the delayed meeting. "I see…" He spoke, gazing at its notes with eyes closed halfway – knowing full well what was to await him when he returned to the village. It left a stinging hole in his heart, and time was running out. "Well, don't trouble yourself over it." He assured, meeting her curious glance. "There's nothing to worry about –,"

"Oh look, a horoscope chart!" Naruto exclaimed, flipping through the newspaper on the counter, attempting his best to force the two to converse. "Let's test out compatibility… When's your birthday, Nomasaki?"

"Uh," She spoke, slightly awkwardly, curious as to why he suddenly interrupted their conversation. "March 13, why do you ask?"

"Just wondering!" He chuckled, scheming. "Would you look at that! You're a Pisces, so that means your perfect match is a Capricorn!" From the corner of his eye, he glanced towards Gaara in a passive aggressive fashion. "So someone who just had a birthday in January would be a good match! What's your blood-type?"

"Um… Type O."

"Ah-ha! Your perfect match is a type AB! Someone stoic and controlled! Gee, I wonder who we know who's like that…–?"

"Naruto," Gaara interrupted, somewhat annoyed, becoming aware of what he was attempting to do. "You don't have to ask her all of these questions."

"Ah come on, it's just fun and games!"

"N-Naruto, there you are. I was looking for you."

Appearing from the streets was a violet-haired kunoichi. Her eyes were wide and doe-like, her lilac irises near white from the sunlight. It was only after Nomasaki sensed her chakra that she realized who she was. Naruto smiled to her, a faint blush spreading across his cheeks. "Hinata! I was just grabbing some lunch with our friends from away. You remember Gaara, right?"

"O-Oh," Hinata timidly greeted. "Yes. Hello there."

"Hinata, this is Gaara's bodyguard - Nomasaki," He gestured. "Nomasaki, this is Hinata. She's my fiancée!"

Bowing her head slightly, her mask met the Hyūga's kind and timid glance. "It's a pleasure to meet you." When the young woman remained silent in reply, Nomasaki could feel her near-white eyes examine her carefully. "Is there... something wrong?"

"Bodyguard? I-I'm sorry," Hinata stuttered, bashfully. "I-I thought you were... I thought you were the Kazekage's girlfriend."

The two foreigners froze instantly in their seats.

A flush of red spread under Nomasaki's mask, while Gaara remained still as stone. As calm as he appeared, his ringed-eyes were wide and a faint red still managed to flush across his cheeks. Noticing their reaction, Naruto snickered while Hinata began to panic. The Hyūga averted her worried eyes in embarrassment. "M-My apologies! I didn't mean to cause trouble."

"Don't apologize, Hinata!" Naruto laughed it off, albeit awkwardly. "Everyone makes mistakes like these sometimes!"

Growing embarrassed, the Hyūga averted her flushed face. "B-But N-Naruto... you told me -,"

"Ah, Hinata - you're so funny! Ha, ha!" He could feel the sweat form on his brow. "I must've said too much! Sorry about that."

Averting his eyes, Gaara kept calm and grasped his knee tightly under the table. "...No need." Glancing to Nomasaki, he noticed her timid eyes locked to her lap. "We should be leaving for the summit soon, the other Kage will be arriving at any moment."

"R-Right." The masked shinobi nodded, standing from her seat. "It was nice to meet you. Congratulations on your engagement."

"Don't mention it!" Naruto waved. "See you two in a couple of months!"

As they started down the village street, Gaara looked to his bodyguard with wary eyes. "Sorry about that."

"Huh?" She turned. "...It's alright. It was a... simple mistake, that's all."

He thought he could see a faint flush under her mask, but he paid no mind. The only mistake is that I waited too long.

And he had three days left.

The summit took place within the grand chambers of the Hokage's residence, with each of the esteemed rulers seated behind their village crests.

While discussions occurred, the Kage sitting across from each other in the shadowed meeting place. Up above the round table, the chosen bodyguards for each Kage remained concealed in shadow within the rafters – carefully examining the meeting and their respective leader with stern glances. From the silent cover of her wolfish mask, Nomasaki kept a watchful eye on Gaara as she listened to their ongoing secretive discussion with the other bodyguards.

"So, that's the current status, eh?" The elderly Ōnoki sighed. "Still no evidence of the Ōtsutsuki clan in our world, at all?"

"At the moment, yes," Kakashi nodded, stern-eyed. "But please be aware that Uchiha Sasuke has only been searching for just over two years, now. He has just recently left the Land of Fire, so there is still reasonable suspicion for the other lands."

"Hm..." The Mizukage pondered. "A reminder that it wasn't the decision of all five Kage to release the Uchiha under pardons... For all intents and purposes, the two should be imprisoned for life - if not executed for their crimes."

"I understand wholeheartedly, but we've done enough killing." Kakashi countered with tact. "Uchiha Sasuke is a valued asset and is gathering intel to protect our villages, while Uchiha Obito is assisting the protection of our world with his Space-Time ninjutsu... through acting as the Shadow Hokage. Because of their combined efforts, Konoha and all our lands are safe and if anything - prepared for the revival of Princess Kaguya or if the Ōtsutsuki clan dares to attack."

Angrily, A slammed his fist onto the meeting table, rattling the wooden structure and sending a clear message of his frustration to the other Kage and their bodyguards. "We've only just achieved peace amongst the five lands!" He shouted. "The Akatsuki was defeated! How could there possibly be more of those bastards still waiting to strike?!"

"Raikage-sama," Kakashi reminded, his voice calm as he could sense the air become tense in the meeting room. "The recent incident with the moon is an indicator that there is a possibility there are more outside of our world. Ōtsutsuki Toneri is a descendant of the branch house that went undetected for years. If we can find them and destroy them, we can then maintain our peace."

As the sounds of the Raikage's teeth gnashing in anger rose while he stood from his seat, Mei asserted her authority – straightening her back and affirming her place. "Hokage-sama is right," She agreed. "We can't risk it due to the peaceful times we are currently blessed with. In order to protect the world and our future, we must be prepared for a potential strike from those beings."

Surrendering as the eyes of all the Kage were on him, A averted his glare in frustration – returning to his seat at the meeting chambers. Brushing off the slight obstacle of emotion, Kakashi directed his attention to the silent Kazekage who sat with eyes locked on his closed palms – lost in thought about the unknown threat.

"Anything on your end, Kazekage-sama?"

Catching his attention, Gaara fixed his posture and looked towards the glances of the four Kage who sat around him – prepared to share his troubling news. "Suna has also been searching on our end independently, given that the desert can be especially treacherous for outsiders." He began, his voice low. Glancing at Kakashi, his turquoise eyes narrowed. "At the moment, we found nothing. However… there have been some disappearances of our shinobi during these expeditions, but we can't conclude anything yet."

Narrowing his dark eyes in response, Kakashi nodded. "Strange..."

"To add to what the Kazekage-sama is saying," Ōnoki jumped in, the others turning to the elderly man. "We have also experienced some odd disappearances of our scouting shinobi along our southern borders. At first we assumed it was the action of Yamagakure, a small village that was only recently restored that we previously had gripes with prior to the Third Shinobi War..."

Nomasaki's grip on the railing tensed while her mask watched all.

Ōnoki firmed his glance at the Kage. "But, after a meeting with their chieftain... we discovered that this was not the case in the slightest. In fact, it leads to more questions than answers. They say their shinobi and those wolves were following a presence that appears to vanish upon the winds, leaving no trace."

"No trace?" Mei raised a brow. "How so?"

Intently, Nomasaki listened from above. She remembered those stories from the Yama-nin, telling the others in their unit of the strange chakra that would appear upon the outskirts of the tundra and then vanish upon detection. It was a strange feeling, and she remembered its feel through the back of her mind. They appeared only three times - once when she first arrived, again on the night her father was made chieftain, and for a final time the day before she descended the mountainous peak for the desert. Whoever they were, she wondered if they waited for her to leave in order to strike. Holding out for hope, she convinced herself that Yama would never be invaded again, like the night she scarcely remembered painted in fire and blood.

"We suspect they are either missing-nin or a rouge group similar to that of the Akatsuki." Ōnoki said. "They appear to know sensory techniques where they can mask their presence, and perhaps even Space-Time ninjutsu. I suspect they are targeting shinobi of Iwagakure and Sunagakure... judging by their movement patterns thus far."

Gaara nodded, his ringed-eyes narrowed. "So it seems. We'll continue to monitor the situation on our end."

"We'll trust in Suna and Iwa to relay intel on this matter." Kakashi entered, breaking the silence. Turning to the Kage, he gave a serious-tinted gaze to each of them as the summit was reaching its climax. "In the meantime, I understand that the times have changed since the war, so I thank you all for your cooperation and your patience. Being that the moon is no longer a threat, we can at least rest easy for the time being. If Konoha discovers anything in the future, I pledge as the Hokage we will be certain to alert the other villages."

While the summit was reaching its end and domestic issues were signaling the end of the discussion amongst the Five Kage, Nomasaki sat silently upon the rafters alongside her counterparts from the allied villages. Taking in the conversation of the Ōtsutsuki clan and the mysterious chakra, she could feel her heart pound in her chest as she remembered the previous horrors of war she and her comrades endured for the sake of peace. Was it possible that everything could be lost now that it was finally within their reach?

As she continued to fulfil her guardship duties that meeting, she continued to watch Gaara with deep care from beyond the shadows – determined to keep him safe at all costs to the best of her ability. Despite the cover of her porcelain mask, she could also feel her emotions beginning to seep through the cracks of her shinobi exterior. The longer she watched and guarded him, the more she realized the strength of her feelings for him.

And they were unwavering.

The Konoha Library was as silent as a crypt.

"I'll send a scroll to the council to relay the events of the Summit," Nomasaki spoke as they entered. "Is there anything else you need of me?"

"No, that's fine." Gaara replied, seating himself at the table surrounded by endless crammed shelves. "I'm going to take my time to gather the needed intel. There's... something else I need to do as well, so you can feel free to look around if you want."

Her violet eyes smiled behind her mask. "Alright. If it please you, I'd like to look for books on fūinjutsu. I think I've finally gotten a handle on the basics thanks to the scrolls Maki-senpai lended me after the war, so I'd be interested in trying the next steps."

Sparking his interest, he studied her. "Fūinjutsu, you say? What brought this about?"

"My tongue may not have been ripped out with hot pinchers, but it might as well have been. I'm looking to break the seal." Her eyes were firm in their conviction and her wolfish mask snarled. "Also... I want to break the seals of others who suffered the same fate. That seems to be the right thing to do, after all that has been done. Don't you think?" Before Gaara had a chance to say anything back, she turned on her heel and gave a brief smile. "I'll be back later. Let me know if you need anything."

And she was gone.

While the afternoon sun grew orange in the skies of an ending winter, the Kazekage wrote in his scrolls as he read through mountains of books. Time had scarcely passed before he hesitated to put them away and take out his parchment paper instead. He wrote the first letter, and now he decided it was due time he wrote the second. The pen glided across the blank page while the words came to mind from the heart.

"Nomasaki,

I did receive your letter… but I've been struggling to write back. It's not that I don't want to write to you (I do), but finding the right words is challenging at times. I'm not the best at expressing myself, so I appreciate your kind patience. Actually, it's something I always appreciated about you. You've always been kind, and you see the good in people – no matter the eyes. Did you see good in me when we met those seven years ago? I wonder if you did.

Tell your father he has an ally in the Kazekage, and congratulations on his appointment. When I spoke to my father during the war when he was under the Edō Tensei, he mentioned that they were once friends. Strange how fate works, isn't it? As for you, I wondered that myself. If Yamagakure stayed peaceful, you might have been the chieftain who's now sitting on the mountain. You have the skill and you've grown into a shinobi befitting a leader – you changed the old laws on your homeland forbidding women in ninjutsu, that is no easy feat to change the customs of the past (trust me, I would know – just ask the elders on the council).

And for what it's worth… I miss you, too.

These nights where my insomnia is at its worst, I find myself thinking of you. I miss talking to you, spending time with you even if it was doing nothing but work. Your presence is in a way… comforting to me. We should look at the moon together, next time we see each other. Would that be alright with you?

From, Gaara"

And by then, the day had ended.