Chapter 59
Spring On the Winds

Finally, the crisp airs of winter faded into the skies.

Within an instant, it seemed as though the ice gave way for the budding flowers of the soil and the cherry blossom trees shook their hibernation shrouds and burst with an aura of calming pink. On that morning within the dense forested lands of the Land of Fire, the small troupe of desert-dwellers made their way upon the worn path, heading towards the direction of Konohagakure. Attending Naruto's wedding to Hyūga Hinata would prove be the event of a lifetime, with every Kage and their respective entourages journeying to the village within the forest to pay tribute to the happy couple – and the hero of the great war that plagued the lands only two years ago. As the young Kazekage and his siblings continued through the Land of Fire, a warm spring breeze flew past them, swaying the leaves on tree branches as if in a welcoming manner, signifying that spring was indeed on the winds. While they chatted about what the big day would bring, they approached the cover of shadows from the trees above, the path soon weaving into the depths of the dense and lush forest, the sunbeams peeking through the canopy with a friendly warmth.

As they made their way through the forested road, Gaara paused, feeling as though he was being watched from the cover of shadows. Sensing a chakra nearby, but unable to tell if it was an adversary or not, he took it as a warning. Far beyond the path, he could feel a pair of eyes locked onto him from the trees – peculiar, he thought. Narrowing his ringed-eyes, he glanced towards he felt them staring. "Temari, Kankurō," He spoke, his tone stern. "You go on ahead."

Curiously, they both paused, turning to him, noticing the sudden stern expression upon his face that morning. "What is it, Gaara?" Kankurō asked. "Something wrong?"

Gesturing towards the forest path behind, Gaara prepared himself for an encounter – whether it be human or beast. "There's a person tailing us, but I don't think it's cause for alarm." He replied. "I'll only be a moment."

Slightly confused, Kankurō nodded, brushing off his concern. "Sure thing, little brother."

"We'll wait for you up ahead," Temari added, walking forward. "Don't take too long, now."

As the footsteps of his brother and sister faded away into the forested path ahead, he directed his attention towards the darkened thicket. Alone, he looked into the forest with a serious glance, solidifying his stance in the dirt, ready to potentially face an unexpected enemy – the thought of Tenbu and their mercenaries entering his mind.

"Show yourself!" He ordered, briskly. "I know you're there."

Suddenly, within the movement of the tree leaves, he turned to meet his adversary. Behind the blackened trunks of the trees and looking directly into the darkness of the surrounding forest, his eyes widened slightly. Before him, a silhouette of a wolf was staring into him, their ghostly white figure locking eyes with him as the forest around them fell silent. The creature's eyes gleamed from the scattered sunlight, revealing them to be a subtle shade of lilac, although a hint of strain was seeped into them. Stepping out of the darkness as if flowing from the image of the wolf, a masked shinobi appeared with a shudder and a wince of burning pain, their utters of injury silenced by their porcelain shroud. With long golden strands tucked in behind their wolf-shaped mask and wearing the Suna flak jacket, he knew exactly who it was. While his expression and stance calmed, his eyes grew concerned.

"Nomasaki?"

The masked kunoichi nodded, biting her lip to suppress her tinging muscles as she knelt before him. "The council wanted to make sure you were safe and asked the tracking unit to shadow you," She answered. "Being that you're venturing off alone with your siblings during this difficult time, as those mercenaries from Tenbu are becoming a nuisance." Glancing down for a moment, her saddened eyes thought of her comrades in the tracking unit – worry overtaking her mind between their in-vain searching for Tenbu's hideout and her broken Kekkei Genkai. "I was originally tasked to perform domestic duties while I wait out my strength, but…" Meeting his concerned gaze, she gave an assuring glint from her violet eyes. "I opted to accompany you on this assignment. They trust me greatly, so there was no need for thorough convincing on my part."

Her comment surprised him, his eyes slightly widening from her words. As dangerous as Tenbu were, she narrowly escaped a potentially fatal mistake if she were to stay in Suna. There was no telling when she would be deployed to scout for Tenbu's whereabouts, with no choice in the matter as their numbers in the tracking unit were low as it was – and her abilities were not yet fully restored, as he could see the pain within the eyes of her mask. For a moment, seeing her before him gave some assurance, but the troubling thoughts of worry would not cease in his mind.

"How are you feeling?" He asked, his glance concerned. "Are you able to control your Kekkei Genkai?"

"Not quite," She spoke, averting her gaze towards the greening grass. "I can change form, but my body… it still hurts. At least I have more control, but I'm still far from feeling like myself."

"Do they know?"

"No," She shook her head, her voice low. "The tracking unit knows nothing of it."

"I see," He nodded, looking down with eyes closed halfway. "Is it safe for you to hide such a thing from them? Moro-sama named you his right-hand, what would he do if he found out?"

"I can't imagine I would be punished. Suspended from duty – yes. But punished? No." Hiding an assuring smile behind the cover of her mask, she glanced up at him. "My mission from now until after the wedding is to see that you and your siblings reach Konoha safely and return to Suna. That's a direct order from the council, and I intend to see it through." Her lilac eyes averting him for a moment, she grew guilty and embarrassed. "My apologies I can't attend the wedding with you. It's been a while since I've spoken to Naruto, I wish them all the best."

Feeling somewhat comforted by her words, he nodded, a small smile on his lips. "I'll make sure to give them your message."

"You're too kind," She chuckled, lightly. "I'll be seeing you when you return, yes?"

"Of course."

Smiling under her mask, she gave a brief nod as she stood on her feet. "Until next time,"

As a breeze swayed through the trees, within a tremor and a wince, she traded her human skin for the pelt of a wolf – her muzzle releasing a pained snarl as she bounded through the forest past him – disappearing within the shadows as a flash of white, unseen except by the winds. Despite being relieved to see her safe with his own eyes, deep down he felt concern for the inevitable. Although she was safe from harm, thoughts of Tenbu still flooded his mind. She was a tracker-nin, and with that, she accepted the responsibilities and the risks of being a shinobi. But still, he did not want her to get hurt by those who were after him – who may also be after her, leaving him torn inside. Brushing aside his troubling thoughts, he turned his stance and started on his way to rejoin his siblings along the forested path – hoping that he could enjoy at least a moment of peace.

Near the Hokage's mansion in the heart of the village, the Kazekage and his siblings were invited to stay at the elegant suites in the upper district. Luxurious, simple, and prestigious, they were welcomed guests in their chambers with the other Kage following suit and sharing the suites next door, with guards and ANBU lining the vast corridor that housed the five leaders and their entourage. Thanks to the word of Tenbu, the ANBU were working overtime in their best abilities to quell a possible ambush during the one of the most important political marriages in Konoha's history – ringing alarm bells within the inner circles of the great villages, news of Tenbu spreading from east to west. On the table before them as they sat on the velvet couches, there was a bottle of unopened sake and some chocolate sweets laid out for them – gifts for attending the wedding, perhaps? Disappearing from sight within the large room, Temari sneakily approached the sliding door, stepping behind the couches in utmost silence - hoping to not gain the unwanted attention of her brothers.

"Where are you off to, Temari?" Kankurō smirked, glancing towards her. "Going to meet up with that Nara guy again?"

Jolting, she could feel her body freeze in a state of fluster. "Huh?!" She whipped her head towards him, her face turning red instantly. "N-No! I-I'm stepping out, and it's none of your goddamn business!"

Taking a shot of a sake as the sliding door slammed shut, Kankurō leaned back in his seat, relaxing after a long day's journey on foot. "Geez," He sighed. "In a bad mood again, like the last time we were in Konoha…" With a sneaky grin on his face, he turned to his younger brother, who sat across from him with his arms folded against his chest – the Kazekage's expression stoic and trapped in his internal thoughts. "Do you think she's still seeing him, Gaara?"

Gaining his attention briefly, Gaara put his thoughts aside in his mind. "Who knows," He replied, turning to him. "I wouldn't be surprised. And she's right – that's none of our business. Although, if true, I'm not opposed. Shikamaru seems… to fit her well."

Chuckling to himself, Kankurō leaned forward, placing his glass on the table. "I would've never thought that I would be the only single Sand Sibling," He sighed, pouring another drink. Gesturing the bottle to his younger brother, Gaara shook his head in response – still swearing off alcohol. With a shrug of his shoulders, Kankurō took another sip of sake. "I'm still surprised you and Nomasaki really hit it off!"

Surprised, Gaara jolted from the mention of her name. "O-Oh," He acknowledged, averting his glance in fluster. "Thanks. She… said she can't make it to the wedding."

"Ah, really? That's too bad."

Sitting in silence, Gaara looked down upon his lap, pondering about many things. Tenbu, the wedding, the council, his relationship, wolves, the strange weapon that rendered his partner defenseless – all fighting for dominance in his troubled thoughts. While his eyes narrowed in suspicion, he could not help but think about what may wait in the future.

"By the way, since it's been at least a few months," Kankurō began, turning towards him with a curious look to his dark eyes. "Did you two…?" Realizing his brother's eyes upon him, he averted his glance in awkward regret. "Never mind, I shouldn't be asking… That's none of my business."

"What?"

"Did you two… ya know…? Seal the deal?"

Confused by the broken question, Gaara was unreachable, his eyes conveying his perplexed curiosity. Dismayed by his glance, Kankurō turned away, coughing awkwardly into his fist, hoping to hurdle over his fatal mistake of a question – but Gaara's glance towards him seemed determined to figure out what it was he was going to ask.

"Did you… do it?" Kankurō uttered, quietly. "Did your sand… get…–? No, no… that sounds wrong… Forget it!"

"I don't understand…?" Gaara pressed, raising a nonexistent brow at him, his eyes narrowed. "What are you asking?"

"I told you, it's none of my business!" Upon seeing Gaara's furrowed brow in stubborn sternness, Kankurō grimaced to himself – wishing he never began to ask the question in the first place. With a shiver, he averted his glance, focusing on his beckoning sake. "Did you two… have sex…?"

Instantly, Gaara's expression went blank, his face turning red in embarrassed fluster as his palms flinched at his lap. Thoughts suddenly running rabid in his mind, he was barely able to embrace her, let alone be intimate in such a way, his awkward fear towards it taking hold in his psyche – gnawing at his unspoken vulnerability. "K-Kankurō–!" He could only bring himself to stammer his name, biting his tongue in held fury.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" Kankurō cowered, avoiding eye contact. "You kept asking me to repeat the question!" After a long pause in awkward silence, he let out a shameful sigh, the quiet room echoing in their shared stiffness. "Let's just… forget I even asked that."

"Agreed."

After a moment passed, an idea entered Gaara's mind – there was something he had to investigate, and at last – it was his chance to leave the awkward conversation. Standing up, he started for the door, pausing as he slid its wooden frame open to the corridor.

"Kankurō, I'm… going out for a while."

The laboratory of the Konoha Hospital was alive with the heartbeats of the monitors.

Focusing intensely on her subject, Sakura's green eyes narrowed at the constrained shard of crystal within the testing chambers. Carefully, she pressed the button upon the machine's controls, watching the brief bursts of electricity flicker upon its gleam. Within the grey-walled confines of the laboratory, she worked tireless on unlocking its secrets.

"Just a few more trials, and…!"

Alerting her slightly, the sound of the closing door caught her attention. Upon turning to see who entered, her eyes widened in slight shock from the unexpected arrival of the guest. Entering the room filled with medical tools and computers was the crimson-haired Kazekage, stepping towards the testing chambers where she sat.

"Huh?" She stammered, surprised. "Gaara-sama-!"

"Sorry to interrupt," He spoke, calmly. "I understand this is a critical time."

"N-Not at all! What brings you here?"

Pausing before the testing apparatus, his ringed-eyes narrowed at her, sternly. "I came to inspect that material myself," He began. "I was told about the attack in detail, so I would like to confirm my own suspicions about it."

After a brief nod, Sakura entered the code onto the keyboard, the mineral slowly releasing from the glass testing chamber. Taking the odd glowing mineral into his palm, he examined its glossy grey surface, its silvery gleam echoing in the fluorescent light. While he focused, he suddenly felt a great change – his magnet-release activating in his palm, slightly trembling the mineral shard he held in his hand. Shocked by the response, his seafoam eyes widened.

"What is it?"

"Sakura!"

Alerting the two of them, as they turned towards the doorway, a familiar face burst through as if in a delayed rush – Naruto. Close behind him, but walking in a calm and steady manner was Tsunade, the previous Fifth Hokage, her brown eyes stern as she entered the lab. "Sorry about the wait, I had some last-minute wedding-things to take care of!" Naruto chuckled lightly, pausing before them with his hands placed in his pockets. Noticing his old friend within the room, he gave a beaming smile. "Oh! Gaara!"

"Naruto," Gaara spoke, slightly surprised to see him so unexpected.

"You're just in time," Sakura sighed, a smile on her lips. Startled to see her previous mentor, she shuddered awkwardly for a moment. "Tsu-Tsunade-sama?!"

"Let's take a look at that substance…" Tsunade said, stepping towards the tray where the mineral sat in ominous isolation. Upon seeing the varying graphs upon the screen, she noticed the red strings of plots burnt on the monitors. "Strange… Have these levels been this erratic during the testing?"

"Yes, Tsunade-sama." Sakura nodded, her voice stern. "Over the last few weeks, the levels have been off the charts, but staying the same all throughout."

Holding the mineral between her painted fingers, Tsunade narrowed her eyes at it, suspicious of its origins. Placing her palm under her chin, she gave a low sigh. "This appears to be different than any other chakra weapon I've encountered… It seems to be made of ginkō ore."

"Ginkō?"

"Yes," She nodded, turning to her past student. "It's a rare form of silver that's found in the far west from here. I've seen it only once during my travels."

"Where?"

Catching her attention, Tsunade turned to the stoic-faced Kazekage, noticing his expression of slate-like stone – his eyes conveying his concern and seriousness all at once. "Kazekage-sama, I didn't notice your arrival." She remarked. "But in the Land of Claws, many years ago."

Shocking him slightly, Gaara jolted from the name – his eyes going wide. "The Land of Claws?"

"There's apparently a large reserve of that ore in their lands, but no one has been able to find it. I wonder…"

"Naruto?" Sakura spoke, turning towards his troubled expression. "Something wrong?"

Stepping forward towards Tsunade, Naruto sat himself upon the floor, taking his form to focus his energy. "Let me take a look at that in Sage Mode," He started, his blue eyes narrowed slightly. "Something feels off about it. I'm going to take a closer look!" Calmly, he closed his eyes, allowing the energy around him to enter his senses. As he breathed in, he could feel the nature energy envelop through him – taking hold within his core. In silent meditation while his eyelids turned orange and toad-like, he suddenly felt a loud and gnawing presence shoot through his senses. Burning through his mind, his eyes widened towards the substance, the presence of the mineral strong and overwhelming. "What the…!? It's… It's full of nature energy!"

"Nature energy?" Sakura stammered, shocked. "That mineral?"

"I can sense it with my Sage Mode," Naruto nodded, standing up, his Sage Mode retreating. "It's definitely nature energy, no question about it."

"If so," Tsunade started, her heels clicking upon the tiled floor. "We have a fair bit of research left on our hands." Pausing before the doorframe, she glanced back at them. "I have some restricted research logs I gathered over the years. They may have some information that could be of use."

As the door shut behind her, Gaara stood in silence as his gaze wandered to the floor, his eyes narrowed in his thoughts. The Land of Claws – the mineral was from the Land of Claws, the barbarians – the land that once hunted wolves. Remembering what Nomasaki told him only nights before as they lay in bed together, he thought of her Kekkei Genkai and the nature energy that powered it.

That was her weakness, and Tenbu knew exactly why – because she was a wolf.

As the afternoon bled into the evening, the village streets became calmer while the skies became painted with an orange tint.

Silently, the young Kazekage entered a bookstore at the side of the village, lurking in a towering section towards the back of the store - away from any wide-eyed customers who were shocked to see a foreign ruler in their midst. Rifling through the shelves, his fingers grazed over the binding of the stack of books labeled under geology – scanning for an appropriate find to wrack his brain.

Searching for a book on rare ores and minerals would be much easier if I was not so paranoid, he thought.

"Gaara! Long time, no see!"

Turning towards the familiar voice, he softly smiled. "Lee," He spoke, watching the young man clothed in green pause beside him. "How've you been?"

"Terrific!" Lee beamed. "I've been training non-stop and–," As he walked closer towards him, he glanced at the books the Kazekage had set aside on the counter. "What books are those?"

Witnessing his confused and shocked reaction, Gaara averted his glance, fluster building inside the core of his chest. He forgot his personal stack was in plain view – his mistake. Remembering the advice Temari gave him about the matter, he thought it would be useful to do some additional readings.

"Ugh… Gaara, you're so clueless about anything to do with relationships and feelings, so why don't you just read about it?"

Although she gave him lessons in etiquette, he was still quite naïve on the concept, rambling on about cacti and the different species within the gardens of Suna. Although it worked, he still worried about his gnawing fear of intimacy, hoping the books would provide some guidance and comfort. At the back of his mind, he thought of the potential jabs Kankurō would make towards him if he was caught with the book he was reading.

"You're reading books on relationships?! What kind of man… no, Kazekage are you?!"

Although his thought was an exaggeration, he still felt it was a plausible scenario. "Lee, those are just –,"

"'How to Build Relationships', 'Emotions 101', 'Healthy Relationships'… 'Romantic… Intimacy'?!"

"…They're for a friend."

Stopped by a park bench under the shadows of the trees, he sat across from the plaza, reading anything he could grasp. As he skimmed through the pages, he scratched his red hair of crimson, his expression confused and dismayed by the contents of the chapter he was reading. With a subtle sigh, he turned the page, feeling mildly hopeless.

"Are they for a friend?"

Surprised from the voice, he propped up his gaze from the book, noticing Lee standing before him with a smile. "Lee!" He stammered. Looking down at his lap, he adverted his glance, ashamed. "Sorry. I'm… just embarrassed." Sadly, he closed the book with a sigh, hanging his head low as he sat on the bench. "I can't even understand the 'Icha Icha' series… To be caught reading these books… I would be laughed at."

"Do not worry!" Lee chimed in. "Our friend Sai still reads those books, and he has a girlfriend! Say… Do you have a girlfriend, Gaara?"

Surprising him greatly, the question caught him off guard. "Uh," He fumbled, averting his gaze. "Well…" Winning over his nervousness, he looked up to him, a soft smile on his lips as he nodded. "Yes."

Smiling widely, Lee beamed. "Amazing!" He cheered, posing in his exercise stances. "I wonder who she is… She must be strong if she is with you, and pretty! A formidable partner for my formidable friend!" Pausing his posing, he pondered to himself for a moment. "I have to be honest, I never imagined you being with someone, Gaara." Chuckling passing his lips, he smiled. "She must be truly amazing!"

Taking in his friend's words, Gaara smiled to himself as the thought of her crossed his mind. "Yes," He nodded, looking up to him. "She is."

"Is that why you're reading these?" Lee asked, skimming through the pages of one of the books at his side. "To express yourself?"

"Yeah," Gaara nodded. "I have to admit, it's… more difficult than I thought."

"You can do it!" Lee beamed. "As Gai-sensei says, 'Any goal is possible, no matter how challenging or impossible'!"

Warmly, Gaara closed his eyes halfway and smiled from his words. "Thanks, Lee."

"Hey, Lee! Come on, we have to go!" Turning their attention towards the village street, Tenten was standing with her hands placed on her hips, an expression of tired dismay painted on her face. "We have to get ready for the reception tomorrow!" She shouted. "We still haven't wrapped Naruto and Hinata's presents yet!"

Realizing how late he was, Lee perked up and started towards her. "My bad!" He laughed. "I got carried away with the time!" With a smile and a thumbs up, he paused and turned around to his friend. "See you later, Gaara!"

Watching Lee run off and depart from sight, Gaara thought to himself alone on the cobble bench, wondering if he really could express his emotions carefully to her. The more he thought of it, the more the burgeoning reminder of the ginkō ore rang through his mind. There was something unsettling about the mineral he sensed as he could feel it with his magnet-release, and he was determined to figure out what it was.

Whatever it may be, and no matter the cost.

Black oily stone painted the landscape.

Deep within the wastelands of the country where Ishigakure was located, the tracking unit deployed from Suna approached the location in a fortnight, approaching the outskirts of the blistering lands at nightfall - where they suspected Tenbu was hiding. As the squad of five masked tracker-nin and their captain approached the cave entrance, they quickly noticed there was no one around – not a single guard or scout to keep watch. However, a large looming presence shadowed behind them as if from nowhere, snuffing them all out within an instant before they had a mere chance to react.

No one escaped...