Author's note (2020/03/20): Hey everyone! I hope you enjoy this chapter, it was one of my favourite to write - it has some touching fluff in it. I'm currently in self-isolation following the COVID-19 outbreak, but I'm okay! I'm trying my best to prevent the spread, I have some family members I'm worried about so I'm working from home until April most likely.
That being said, I have a ton of free-time to write so my writing hiatus is short-lived. I have the ending clearly planned out so I'm going to try to keep an upload schedule of posting a chapter every Friday until this fic is completed.
Thank you for reading! xx
(See end of chapter for more notes!)
Chapter 64
Two Names
Sleep alluded them that cold night…
As midnight came to pass within the desert lands, the two lovers lay on their backs upon their mattress, concealed by the satin blankets that wrinkled over their bare bodies. Across the floor, the remnants of their clothes pooled upon the carpet, painted in the growing presence of the moonlight. Since they began to share a bed, they often spent their nights lost within their affections. Surprising Nomasaki to no end, the Kazekage was nearly as out-front about his desires as her. Although he was beginning to read her body like a book in their tender moments, she could still sense his timid nature sneak through the shield of his ringed-eyes of turquoise. She thought it was flattering. To have such an effect over one of the world's most feared shinobi enticed her to no end. Panting slightly as she caught her breath, Nomasaki looked up to the ceiling above, a soft smile painted on her lips.
"You know what?" She spoke. "You're surprising me."
Turning his head on the pillow, Gaara examined her amused expression. "How so?"
"Since our first night together a few weeks ago," She smiled to herself. Looking to him at her side, she could feel his gaze upon her within the bed. "I've noticed you've been more… willing. You're not as rigid as stone, if I can be blunt."
"As are you. You're not as timid." He replied, his expression holding slight surprise as he averted his glance to the bed. "I never realized… how strong you are."
As she could feel her cheeks flush with nervousness from his remark, she clutched the blanket over her breasts – averting her glance away from his eyes. "I-I… didn't seem… too wolf-like… Did I?"
Surprising her, he placed his palm upon her flushed cheek. Turning to him, her lilac eyes met his warm seafoam eyes – feeling every bit of warmth from his glance. Slowly, she could feel her embarrassment melt away as they shared a loving gaze together. "Don't worry," He answered, a gentle smile on his pale face. "You were human."
Smiling back at him, she placed her hand over his, taking in his expressed affections as they lay in their bed. Although only living together for less than a month, every night felt as if it were a new moment to be shared. Within her heart, she felt truly happy. Striking her curiosity as she gazed into his eyes, she noticed the tattoo hidden upon his forehead. Marked on his pale skin forever was the inscription 'love', and it was a hard feature to miss upon looking at him. Since the day she first met him seven years ago, the mark had always made her curious. Moving the strands of red away from it with her delicate fingertips, she gave it a heartfelt glance – her expression appearing slightly solemn.
"What is it?"
"You once told me your name means 'a demon who loves only himself'," She said, her voice quiet, retracting her hand back to her cover of blankets. "I just remembered."
"You never told me what your name means," He mused, changing the subject abruptly. "Can you tell me?"
"My name doesn't mean anything, really." She spoke playfully. "It's an old name from my homeland, it means 'a blossom in the field'. My... mother chose it."
"A 'blossom in the field', huh? It suits you well." He turned to her, a faint smile on his lips. "You are… a hopeful person. Strong-willed, too. Like those flowers on your mountain."
"You saw the flowers?" She smiled. "I shouldn't be surprised, since you're a botanist."
"Not a professional botanist," He caught himself smiling a blush. "Those flowers… what are they called?"
"Snow lilies, they bloom only in the Land of Mountains. They're one of the rarest in the world and the most beautiful. I think so, anyways."
"Like you," He nodded, smiling gently. "Nomasaki."
Hearing him say her name the way he did filled her with unspeakable bliss.
As she met the gleam of his eyes, she could not help but smile while she felt a flush upon her soft cheeks. He may appear rigid at times, but he certainly had his tender moments – she thought to herself, humbled and awed at his words. To her, it was still unfathomable for her to imagine sleeping in the same bed as him – yet it was her reality every night. Although he still had his routine stirrings from insomnia, he would still at least attempt to gain a full night's rest while his lover soundly slept on her side of the bed. If he could not sleep, he would still hold her close either way. In a way, the night was where they were the closest to another. Unlike the daytime when they were separated by their responsibilities, the night was where they could finally reunite without the callings of work or duty. Coming to an empty home after work was something she was used to, but when Gaara arrived at the rise of dusk hours later, she felt truly at ease. Being with a Kage was not an easy feat – nor was being with a 'foreign-born common-folk', as the disgruntled elders put it – but nonetheless, they made it work as if effortlessly.
Closing her eyes as she smiled to herself, she lay her head of woven gold upon his strong bare chest. Her delicate fingers tracing the warmth of his skin in a soothing nature. He truly was the fire to her ice, she thought to herself. Unlike her cool-to-the-touch skin borne of snow, his was comforting, warm, and gravitating. For a moment, she imagined the soft sands of early summer – a season that was only weeks from approaching. Without even trying, he pulled her to him as if a magnet – and she wanted nothing more than to feel his warmth for as long as time would permit. Knowing the fragility of the shinobi world, she wanted every moment to count.
And she would not give up without a fight.
"I'm not sure how my name fits me as it once did..."
She felt the change in tone from his voice as it breathed through her. Unlike only a few moments ago, his voice was not coated in his contentment, but in slight sorrow. Empathy entering her violet eyes, she could see the past pain that still lingered behind his expression. She remembered the rumors and stories of his past well, all of them striking fear into her heart. All his mania, the killings, his father, and Shukaku's merciless influence – they left their mark on him forever, and she could see it before her very eyes. The red of the kanji chilled her in a way that was both uneasy and sympathetic. She felt fortunate to have crossed paths with him when she did – and she knew he felt the same way.
"'A demon who loves only himself' ... or a 'self-loving silk'..." He repeated, laying upon his back, his eyes looking towards the ceiling. "My name...–,"
"When I look at you, that can't be further from the truth…" She began. "You're so kind and care so much for the village… and for me." Meeting his surprised glance, she gave him a gentle smile, placing her palm along his jawline. "I can tell that you love me, just by looking into your eyes. I know."
Edging closer in the bed, he tenderly kissed her forehead. "That's true," He agreed, smiling back at her with adoration in his ringed-eyes as he touched her porcelain cheek. "There is nowhere I would rather be than right here."
Softly, their lips met once more, embracing each other within the cover of the sheets. Surrendering to her desires to him once more, she lay her back upon the mattress as he made his way over her, cradling her face in his palms. It had been less than an hour ago since their last time, and a second wind had surprisingly approached.
The moment felt perfect.
"Kazekage-sama!"
Startled, Nomasaki could feel herself flinch underneath the sheets – unaware of the guest who urgently knocked at their door. Pausing in his affections upon the smooth skin of her collarbone, the voice from outside their home ruined his train of thought. Gathering his clothes, Gaara hastily dressed himself, a dismayed scowl painted upon his grumpy exterior.
"Shit…!" He muttered under his breath. "What now…?!"
Making his way to the door of his home from the shadows of the hallway, he opened the doorway to find a trembling Suna ninja waiting for him, their expression both urgent and frightened. A new recruit, he thought.
"What is it? I'm retired for the night. If possible, can this wait until–?"
"Gaara-sama," The ninja stammered. "It's from the ANBU and the puppet corps! There was an explosion at the Suna Prison… Nearly all the guards were killed, one is unaccounted for at this time… as well as a high-security prisoner. We suspect that it was a planned occurrence – a prison break, for lack of a better term."
"What?" Gaara jolted, taken aback by the news. "Who was it? Who escaped?"
Gritting their teeth, the Suna ninja hung their head low. "Kenzō-sama, sir…!"
Gaara felt his chest seize from the mention of that dreaded name.
The dissident.
It was nearly three years since the councilman's arrest and confinement. Who would have known that the disgruntled dissident who manipulated the shadows of his chamber would cause such an upset that late night. The reasoning behind it raised suspicions, unsettling his once calm thought. The prison was equipped with more than one hundred guards who swore fealty to their oath to protect the village and was standing just shy of a century within the vast and unforgiving scorched dunes of the Demon Desert to the south. Hearing of an act of such destructive force was unimaginable. It then made sense why he had not heard back from Kankuro or the puppet corps, he thought – clearing out the dead must have been a daunting and horrific task.
"Kenzō?" He repeated, his eyes widened from the name. "Are you sure?!"
"Yes, sir."
"Very well," Gaara sighed, narrowing his glance into a serious glare. His growing tiredness was beginning to ease off him once again. Coming over him like a wave of unspoken nerves, he felt his eyes become heavy while his mind woke from its longing for slumber. A night of insomnia was waiting for him – and he knew it would be a long night. "Alert the ANBU and the tracking corps," He commanded. "We must recover him at all costs. He's a threat to Suna, we can't allow him to escape! There's no telling what his plans are."
"Yes, Kazekage-sama!"
Once the ninja was gone from his doorstep, the troubled Kazekage closed the heavy wooden door with a lock and started back down the hall towards the bedroom. Stepping inside as the door closed behind him, he met the concerned glance of his lover from the cover of the bedsheets, her violet eyes wide and frightened. He could tell from the mere glance of her that she heard everything. Her faintly trembling palm on the blanket proved it to him.
"Gaara?" She said, her voice quivering. "That messenger -,"
"It's nothing," He assured, making his way to the bed. "Just go to sleep."
"Did he… did he really escape? K... Kenzō?" She stammered, looking up at him. "Is it true?"
"He can't harm you now. He's not anywhere near Suna." He said, placing his hand on her shoulder as he sat upon the mattress. "Remember, Commander Moro relieved you of your mission years ago, and I cleared you of any wrongdoing. You were pardoned–,"
She shook her head. "I still have my curse seal. If he... comes back, he would surely try to kill me for what I did."
"I'll protect you. You know I will. There's no way he could cross our borders without us knowing -,"
"It's not just that," She countered, her lilac eyes deep with worry. "He might be after you."
The pain in her eyes shook through him.
He understood her fear, and he felt it, too. More than anything, he felt a heaviness in his heart. Sitting beside her as he looked into her fearful eyes, he remembered the colored bruising that marked her cheek that day before the war. Kenzō's doing, the evidence etched upon her in splotches of blue and purple. It was years since that day, but the memory continued to anger him greatly. Just as they had finally come together, he could sense an outside force vying to rip them apart from another no matter the cost. The sorrow crept up to his throat as he met her distressed expression.
Perhaps the timing was not perfect, after all.
It never was.
In the shinobi world, peace was seldom common – just as was growing old. Death waited in all corners, welcoming any shinobi that dared to cross him. But in the era after the last war, the peace was supposed to last – they all believed it would. Nothing lasts forever, he knew that. But if something had to last forever, he wished it was the comfort and love he felt as he lay beside his lover in their warm bed every night. He would give anything to keep her safe – even if it killed him. He knew it. Masking his despair behind the guise of his ringed-eyes of turquoise, he feigned a light smile. Moving his fingers to her cheek, his soft caress drew her attention to his calming expression. Her surprise made him feel relieved for but a moment. He could not help but feel warmed as he looked into her purple eyes – the eyes of spring. Smiling gently, he gazed into her eyes of lilac.
"There is no way that Kenzō can hurt me, I promise. As long as I'm the Kazekage, this village will be safe. You are safe. I promise you that."
As she could feel a timid blush warm her cheeks, she glanced down at her blanket-covered lap. She could sense his chakra wrap around her within that room, its strength and ferocity comforting her in a way reminiscent of his sand-shield. I am a halberd, she thought, I'm the halberd to his shield. He vowed to protect her – but she held into herself her desire to do the same for him.
But she was no shield.
She was a wolf, above all else – and she knew her place.
That was where she decided, and if it was to protect him – so be it. His gaze upon her melted away her fear that night, allowing her to forget the thoughts that troubled her. Swallowing her rising shyness from her fluttering chest, she gave him a warm smile.
"Would the Kazekage be willing to… come back to bed?"
"Gladly."
Leaning closer towards her as he removed his shirt, he softly held her face in his palms, kissing her as gentle as could be within the night. As she held him close, the two fell into the blankets within the darkness while the candle slowly faded into a pool of wax where it stood upon their nightstand. Forgetting what plagued them, they became enveloped within the moonlight once more…
In the warming winds, summer was on its inevitable way towards the lands that lay coated in sands.
Sandstorms were a common sight from beyond the crater that contained the village. Much to their good fortune and the forces of nature, the strong cliffs that surrounded their home shielded the vast settlement from the scorching elements. Inside the examination room of the Sunagakure Hospital, Nomasaki was eager to be away from the dry and hot air that plagued the village. The air conditioning was soothing to her in a strange way – but made her long for winter once again. Although a naturalized citizen for over seven years, her cold fair skin still became burnt when exposed to the blinding sun for too long. Sometimes she felt as if she were melting. Gaara assured her that was not the case.
Sitting on the examination table, she watched Meiyumi skim through her charts at her desk. Since the end of the war, her friend had taken up residence at the hospital under the teachings of many senior medical officers. Although an apprentice practitioner, her healing jutsu was as exquisite as ever and her knowledge of ailments and their solutions was amongst the best of her colleagues. Nomasaki was glad to have her as her doctor for the day. Having not seen her for a while since their last encounter, she felt guilty for not visiting her former teammate and close friend – and self-proclaimed 'sake-buddy'. From Gaara's insistence and her own paranoia, she decided to make an appointment. Slightly nervous, she sat upon the clothed table beneath her with her hands folded onto her kimono's lap.
"Your chakra is slightly disturbed," Meiyumi sighed. "That's… odd."
"Disturbed?" Nomasaki asked, confused. "How so?"
Flicking through the sheets on her clipboard, Meiyumi narrowed her eyes at the chart before her. Its path was appearing strange to her, its direction unstable and perplexing her questioning gaze. Nervously, Nomasaki watched in silence. "Your chart is displaying an erratic pattern," Meiyumi turned to her. "Are you able to mold jutsu?"
"Yes, that hasn't been an issue. Except…"
Nomasaki's mind stopped for a moment. She felt the sudden slight boil of her blood as she wracked her thoughts for the right words to best explain herself. Despite her Kekkei Genkai becoming much easier to control since the encounter in Konoha months ago, there were still times where she felt she was back at square one. Especially since moving in with Gaara.
Was something setting her off?
Perhaps I'm just was stressed from the adjustment, she thought, That had to be the reason. But what if it was something else – something more? Her glance drifting in her thoughts, her narrowed eyes conveyed her uncertainty and her deeply-held shame.
"Except what?" Meiyumi raised a brow. "You stopped talking all of the sudden."
"O-Oh, sorry." Nomasaki nodded, embarrassed from her absent-mindedness. Feeling the pink of her scar, she glanced down at its marking still evident upon her arm. It still throbbed – months after the attack. "My Kekkei Genkai… it appears to be coming in waves. It's… getting harder to control. Ever since I got this scar, I haven't felt the same." Her glance saddening, she pulled down her blue sleeve and averted her eyes. "I thought I was improving, but…–,"
Meiyumi narrowed her eyes slightly at her friend's arm that was covered by a sleeve. Not once had she heard of such an affliction in her apprenticeship. Brushing off the glum tone of the room, she gave a light-natured smile. "That's strange for you, knowing how often you use it." She sighed. "I'll be honest, I miss seeing you tear our opponents to shreds sometimes."
Nomasaki jolted, embarrassed by her comment. "I-It's not that I mean to–!"
"I'm kidding, I know you're not like that." Meiyumi smiled, fiddling with the medical tools before her as she organized them. "Still, for how soft you are, it surprises me you stuck with the tracking unit all this time." Diverting her attention away towards the idle computer at her side, she began typing on the worn keyboard. "I'll schedule you for another appointment in about two weeks' time, so we can monitor your chakra and see if it improves."
Sliding herself off the clothed examination table, Nomasaki straightened her back. Patting down the dress' fabric at her lap, she gave a light smile towards her friend. At last, her long-awaited appointment was over. "Thanks, Meiyumi."
Starting for the door after they shared a communal nod, she took a calmed breath. She was eager to get home and tell Gaara the news that everything was alright. Although the disruption of her chakra disturbed her greatly. She decided it was better to not think anything of it.
For now, at least.
"I also heard the rumours,"
Freezing in her steps, Nomasaki paused before the doorway. Grasping the doorknob, she turned back to her estranged friend. Meiyumi had a devious-looking smirk painted on her lips. It was similar to the face she would make when they would be drinking together, she realized. It was an odd occurrence.
Curiously, she raised a brow. "What rumors?"
"You and Kazekage-sama, of course!" Meiyumi awed, grinning from ear to ear. "I never thought you had it in you. You're brave for even just approaching him in that way! It was obvious you liked him, though – we all knew since we were in the war together."
The words from her friend's mouth made her flinch.
Everyone knew, she thought, How embarrassing.
Unaware of her feelings for him since the beginning, she wondered if it was that obvious all along. Telling Gaara himself was one thing – making their relationship public before the disapproving council and villagers was another. Although the council was easing on their hardened stance against it, snide comments about her parentage were still whispered amongst the elderly councilmen. She could deal with that.
What upset her the most was Shinto.
Having not seen him since the war, she knew of his deep distaste for Gaara since they were children on Team Hashira. His hatred for the Kazekage might have even been greater than that of Hanone's when the wolf was still alive, but nonetheless – Shinto was a shinobi – and shinobi served the strong. Entering into the ranks of the Sunagakure ANBU opposite of her, he was a dedicated servant of the village who answered to the person he despised most.
She wondered if Shinto hated her now as well.
She took his long and drawn-out silence towards her as evidence, carrying it in her heart every time she crossed the shrouded faces of the ANBU as she strode by them while wearing her snarling mask of the tracking unit. Gaining friends had come somewhat fluidly to her as she adjusted to life in Suna over the last seven years, but losing a friend was as unbearable as having none. Having heard the story from Meiyumi when they were genin together, she understood why his hatred was so strong. Haunting her memory when she would see Shinto glare on at Gaara from afar, she remembered when Meiyumi told her that Shinto lost his parents due to an enraged Shukaku. Years before she collapsed in the desert, the one-tail emerged suddenly in the heart of the village and killed nearly a hundred civilians in its unbridled wake of death and sand. Gaara was mad, then – she remembered – and a child of mere six-years.
So was Shinto.
That dreaded night, Shinto's parents were amongst the many victims of the faulty seal that bound Shukaku to the son of the Fourth Kazekage, the boy fraught with uncontrollable madness. Since that day, Shinto did not fear the prodigal jinchuriki – he hated him with every fiber of his being. Even after Gaara changed his ways and became the beloved leader Sunagakure hailed as the Fifth Kazekage, Shinto still clung to his deep-seeded hatred. Time only festered his hatred. She sympathized with him in that regard, remembering how she clung to the hatred that was connected towards her once-estranged father. The father she never knew growing up with her ill mother in the snowy mountains.
Hatred was a powerful thing, she thought.
Just as powerful as love, hatred was borne from it along with pain. They were similar forces, albeit a double-edged sword. "Um… yeah," She said, her voice unknowingly quiet as she averted her gaze. "Was it really that obvious…?"
"Speaking of which," Meiyumi jolted in her seat. "Nomasaki – are you being safe?!"
Safe, she thought to herself – what did she mean?
Suddenly, she clued in.
She realized.
Flustered by her friend's worried and eager expression, she watched as Meiyumi frantically skimmed through her charts at the computer's desk. Seeing her flip through the pages so fast made her nervous. "Well, I-I…– t-that's n-not really any of your concern -!?"
"Of course it is! I'm your doctor today. Did you need me to write you a prescription for birth control, or -?"
"T-That won't be n-necessary," Nomasaki smiled, awkwardly. "My body is going through enough already." She froze. Her face reddening in embarrassment, she let out a feigned cough and averted her gaze. "C-Chakra-wise! N-Not anything else!"
"I sure hope so… You don't want to be tied down with a family too soon... even if he is the Kazekage!" Meiyumi snickered. "Anyways, you should meet with Shinto and I for drinks! Like old times."
"Oh," Nomasaki jolted, surprised by the name.
Shinto.
Meeting with him again since the last time they spoke would be an awkward experience for sure. Although she missed him, she felt it would be an ill-fated reunion. Having not seen him in nearly months, there was no telling what he thought of her now – especially if he also heard the same rumours Meiyumi eagerly spouted of the half-blood being with the Kazekage. She hoped her past teammate would give her an exception. Giving a light smile, she hid her shame and nodded.
"Sure, it's just I'm… very busy these days so I'm hard to pin down."
"I'd say!" Meiyumi groaned, smirking coyly. "You're dating a Kage and you're Moro-sama's righthand! That's more than the average person can handle."
"I guess that's right," Nomasaki smiled back. "Thanks, Meiyumi."
Turning back towards the doorway after an exchanged smile, she closed the door behind her. Stepping into the clammy hot air of the hallway, she was left alone with her thoughts as she maneuvered her way down the wide corridors of the hospital. As she felt the heat stick to her skin, she gave a slight shiver.
How could she be cold on such a day?
As the two medical-nin examined the odd shard of ore, time ticked slowly.
Before the wide steel tray it was laid upon, Sakura narrowed her green eyes at the unmoving substance. It has been near a month since Naruto's wedding, and nearly two months since the ore appeared in their laboratory. It was eating away her time and her patience. Since that day, neither her nor Shizune could figure out exactly what was contained within the rare ginkō mineral. Sleeping on the couch to the far side of the room, Shizune was catching up on her long-absent sleep schedule. Tsunade was once again on her many travels, vacationing in a far-off land while she hid from loan-sharks and gamblers that crossed her unlucky path.
They were on their own.
Dismayed, Sakura stepped away from the mineral and eyed the charts on the computer. They were unmoving – as usual. Beside the computer was the magnetized chakra-analyzer – a leftover from the nearby lab that was placed during the recent renovations. The device was as large as it was intimidating. She knew how to use the smaller analyzers, but not the desk-bound ones such as the one that sat before her. With a sigh, she decided to wake up her lab-mate and head home. It was past midnight and she had another long day ahead of her tomorrow with a new mission. As she yawned, she unknowingly struck the on-switch for the machine at her backside. Stepping towards Shizune, the machine activated behind her. Attracted to the ginkō ore on the tray, the shard of glowing mineral began to shake. Violently, it began thrashing.
Pausing, Sakura whipped her head towards the device. Shocked, she heard a high-pitched noise ring through the room, muffling out the dim hums of the fluorescent lights above. The mineral was glowing a bright blue glow, hauntingly almost. "What's happening?"
"Huh…?" Shizune stirred, rising slowly from her sleep. Upon seeing the light across the room, she jolted awake. "S-Sakura!"
In a sudden burst of energy, the screeching ginkō ore exploded into a blast of blue flame. Striking the vicinity, a shockwave rumbled through the lab, throwing both kunoichi to the tiled floor. It blew out the lights above in a burst of unfathomable force, the glass from their casings falling to the floor around them as the room became enveloped in sudden darkness. Slowly, Sakura and Shizune rose to their feet, brushing off the shards of glass. Wincing, Sakura pulled a shard out from her arm. Surprising her slightly, Shizune appeared before her in the dark with the green aura of her medical ninjutsu, healing her bloodied wound.
"Thanks, Shizune." Sakura nodded. Looking towards the table where the ore once lay, she narrowed her eyes. "What the hell was that?"
The tray where the ginkō ore lay was marked by a black ring of ash, the chakra-analyzer near melted from the impact. Shocked, she stared towards it.
That was close, she thought – but what happened?
Hearing footsteps rushing down the hall, a team of distressed medical-nin soon appeared…
More notes...
(2020/03/20): Fun fact: my OC's name actually means something! (This is a rewrite fic, I just picked a random name when I was twelve for Quizilla lol also to add - I picked her clan name for the rewrite and looked up the meaning prior to writing)
In standard katakana, her name is written as "Nomasaki" (ノマサキ). Although, in kanji her name can translate roughly to "blossom in the field" (野間咲). Her name is also the same as the Noma Saki (sometimes spelt Nomazaki) lighthouse in the Aichi Prefecture of Japan.
Her clan name, "Yamamori" can be directly translated to "mountain forest", with "Yama" (山) translating to "mountain" and "Mori" (森) translating to "forest". In other sources, "Mori" can be translated to "guardian".
I thought that was an interesting find, to say the least.
Also I want to clarify that I can't read/speak Japanese (I'm a French-Canadian) so if my translation is off - I'm sorry (blame Google).