Author's Note (2020/05/29):

Hey everyone! I am back with a new chapter - and the last fight scene for this fanfiction. Writing in general is hard, and writing fight scenes are very hard, so I'm glad this chapter settles that aspect of the story. I was stuck on this chapter for at least a month, so I'm also glad (and relieved) I finally finished it and can move on with other things.

The break from posting gave me more time to delve into my other interests and helped to alleviate some concerns I have when writing this story. I always hate my own work, so I started to despise writing this story for the last few months. I'm aware that my story is definitely not the best out there and that Canon X OC ships are sort of frowned upon, but I'm very happy and grateful for anyone who has gone out of their way to kudos/favourite/follow and review/comment my work - I appreciate it so much!

I hope you all enjoy this final fight chapter - stay safe! xx

(see end for more notes)

Chapter 73
To Kill A Bear

The wastes were silent as they were dreadful.

Sheltered behind a great cliff of twisting grey rock, the medic formed the hand-signs for her healing jutsu. The green aura swirled around her gloved hands, its veil encompassing the space between. Cautiously, Meiyumi moved her healing jutsu to the wound on Nomasaki's thigh. The gash was more than a day old, narrowly avoiding the chance of fester and infection. Gritting her teeth, Nomasaki felt the heat of her wound thaw as the flesh finally closed over completely. The cold numbness of her muscles warmed as the green energy danced over her exposed skin, relief filling her with its grace after days of darkness and pain. She cheated death for another day, however narrowly – if not for Gaara.

As she watched Meiyumi and her healing hands, she felt a wave of guilt pour over her. If she were not captured by the enemy, none of what was happening would befall them. If she were not so reckless, she would be able to fight alongside them. As she sat before her medic friend, Nomasaki's thoughts ran rapid aimlessly, searching for further cause to blame herself for the ongoing hardship. Even as they hid carefully behind the black oily stone, she could still sense the vile and blood-tinted chakra of Koga and his beast form. The scent burnt her nostrils as she breathed, chilling her spine with unease from the roaring and still winds of dawn.

With her gash upon her thigh healed, Meiyumi scanned the area of the crude sand-ridden puncture that lay in her abdomen. It must be the Kazekage's doing, she thought to herself, No doubt he loves her – his sand stopped the bleeding. Her brown eyes narrowing, she focused her chakra carefully, knowing what she must do would be painful. As she moved her green healing aura from her friend, she prepared herself for what was to come.

"Stay still, please." She said. "This might sting a bit."

Heeding her words, Nomasaki gave a brief nod. Biting her lip, she silenced her stinging agony as she felt the void of sand be pushed from her body. On the outside, Meiyumi's medical ninjutsu repaired and sealed her mortal wound. On the inside, it felt as if she were on fire. The grains pushed out of her slowly, their grains snagging onto the flesh that they bound. Her insides felt as if they had become sandpaper, scraping against her being as they left her being. Her fingers dug into the grey earth beneath her tightly, her nails near breaking from the burning pain. As time passed, it at last became bearable. Relaxing her grip, she breathed easy. Focusing her energy, Meiyumi's healing jutsu strengthened as all the sand left the deep wound, filling with the life it near lost.

"You sure got yourself into trouble this time, haven't you?"

Catching her attention, Nomasaki turned towards her. Although Meiyumi's eyes were locked upon her wound, she could still sense the stern and unimpressed glint to her eyes and voice. It was her 'medic's voice', pained with the familiar tone of friendship and concern. Having not seen each other since her doctor's visit, the sight of her fresh and reckless wounds took Meiyumi by surprise and disappointment.

"I know that you've been a tracker-nin for over four years, and Moro-sama's right-hand," Meiyumi sighed. Rising her head to meet her friend's stunned violet eyes, she felt the anger rise to her words. "… but goddamnit, Nomasaki – take care of yourself!"

Taken aback, Nomasaki averted her gaze. "I'm sorry…"

Smiling lightly as the anger passed, Meiyumi brought her attention back to the wound that was near healed. "At least it wasn't a fatal blow. You near struck a kidney… and you lost a lot of blood. You must've had a near brush with death."

Her voice was calmer, sweeter.

Tinged with a warm tone that teetered on the side of passive aggressive, Nomasaki accepted her friend's words with a shameful nod. "Yeah," She answered, a small smile etching itself on her lips. "It was… unorthodox. Remind me to not try that a second time." Watching Meiyumi focus on healing her, the wave of concern rose within her, her smile fading. "Where are the others that came with you?"

"They're fighting the remnants of Tenbu inside the mines." Meiyumi replied. "The enemy is weakened, so by the time the rest show up, this will all be over… thankfully." Her brown eyes

narrowed, grief and anger tinting her gaze on the closing flesh. "Tenbu unleashed an attack on the village… They used some sort of explosive in the heart of the village by the plaza – the bulk of the Kazekage's estate is destroyed, and we lost some of our shinobi…–,"

She could not bring herself to say his name.

Shinto.

His death was still fresh in her tears, his final words paining her to remember. He died only a day ago, but his untimely demise was something she did not anticipate in their future. He was still young, he was an ANBU, and he could not die. But he did. Just as their sensei Hashira fell in the war, Shinto gave his life to protect others. A noble sacrifice, but the cost pained her heart to acknowledge it. Forcing away the oncoming sorrow, she remained calm and stern as she focused on healing the wound.

"They say it was Kenzō, the disgraced councillor who did it."

Her gaze locked upon the wastes in their view, Nomasaki's eyes looked on unmoving and eerily calm. The sound of his name angered her, twisting inside in its wrath. She remembered the words she heard as she awoke in her jade prison – the strike in Suna, the call for bait. No doubt in her mind that it was he who done it – he done the same to the Sunagakure Prison. Remembering his death eased her, relieving her of any past fears and guilt.

The memory of his pleas before dying comforted her.

"I killed him – Kenzō." She spoke flatly. "I cut off his head like the snake he was…"

Meiyumi flinched, turning to her wide-eyed. "You killed him? Really? So does that mean... your seal is gone?" Nodding once, Nomasaki's view of the wastes remained. Shocked, Meiyumi swallowed her words and focused on her healing jutsu. Not knowing of the monster Kenzō truly was until his arrest and imprisonment before the war, remembering the confession of her friend still struck her with fear and hurt. For years, her comrade was tortured and used by the councillor and his ambitions – and with his arrest she was free. "I see… That's a relief, at least."

In silence, Nomasaki's tensed eyes eased as her glance upon the grey wasteland calmed.

The scent of blood and power still lingered on the air, with dread soon following. She could sense chakra as she used to, able to pinpoint every presence within her range. Gaara and his siblings were locked in combat against the monstrous black bear of Koga's doing, and the other Suna shinobi were in the dark descent of the mines, fighting off the last of Tenbu's loyal men to their cause. Amongst her and Meiyumi were three additional ninja, their faces concealed by the turbans and veils of the ANBU and armed and on the defensive in case a stray Tenbu mercenary found their way to their hiding place behind the stone. Sensing the familiarity of the chakra around her eased her spirits momentarily. What unsettled her to no end was the bear. Borne from a forbidden jutsu and blood ritual of ancient times and fables, her wolf-blood coursed through her veins in a boiling urge. It would take another beast to stop it, she thought, I have to do something. Realizing the familiarity of the Suna chakra that surrounded them, a thought crossed her mind as her eyes wandered in a hopeful curiosity.

"I see there are ANBU with us," She said. "Where's Shinto? Is he here with the others?"

A jolt shuddered through Meiyumi's fingertips as the sound of his name met her unsuspecting ears.

Shinto.

Sorrow forced its way into her throat, choking her oncoming breaths and watering her brown eyes drained of sleep. Only a day ago he was alive, clinging to life in a pool of blood and saying his last words before his long-time friend and teammate as the Kazekage bear witness. Holding back her grief, she closed her eyes tightly and swallowed the lump in her throat, a calm and concise air enveloping her exterior as she continued to heal her friend.

Silence was her answer.

Sensing the tone, Nomasaki turned to her only to meet her head hung low and eyes averted from her glance. It was then she suddenly knew the answer that was left unspoken. Her eyes widening, she felt the wind leave her body as hurt and sorrow quivered inside.

The truth, the painful truth.

It was written all over Meiyumi's silence and shivering.

"Meiyumi–," She choked back the rising sobs. "No…–,"

Please no, she wanted to cry out, Please no – not Shinto.

But it was too late.

He was gone.

Keeping her head hung low, the medic gave a saddened nod. The unspoken truth struck her like a knife to the heart, lodged and throbbing with loss and grief. The memory of his smiling face she remembered so well graced her in person only a few days before, but forever it would remain a memory. The Pure Land was where he belonged, away from the realm of the living and all its faults. The god of death claimed him to his table, joining him as their sensei Hashira did on the line of duty. There were so many lost to her in the last known days – Sohei, Commander Moro – and now Shinto. And she near joined them herself if not for the sands that saved her from what awaited. She felt the tears from her eyes run down her cheeks in a stunned grief, her eyes wide and face frozen. The tears felt hot against her cold and scratched face, her chest feeling full and empty all at once. Looking away, she returned her gaze towards the twisted grey hills of the wastelands in the distance.

"He… told me to come in his stead… for you." Meiyumi answered, her voice low. "He's gone…"

Holding back the sobs, Nomasaki's fingers trembled as they dug into the dirt. The tears flowed silently from her calmed yet distraught eyes, dripping onto the black earth one by one. She felt the sobs cut through her throat like nails, taking all her might to keep them silent. Keeping her composure, she remained locked onto the faint light that lingered beyond the grey wastes.

"Damn him…" She sobbed, quietly. "Damn that bastard…"

The vapid winds of battle shocked around them, slamming into the black earth with a mighty wail.

Sand, wind, and flame burst forth from each strike, the monstrous bear of writhing fury roaring while every slash of its claws pushed back any approaching attacks with its rage-fueled jutsu of red shadows. Even as far from the battle as they were, the winds were soaked with a dark power that chilled Nomasaki to the bone. A beast's power, a power tainted and distorted by forbidden arts – a curse. The scent of the beast burned her nostrils, the nature energy in her blood turned vile in the winds. She could feel the wolf inside her beg for release, the boiling in her blood warming her clenched palms in the black earth as she sat wide-eyed and shaken.

"M'lady," A Suna shinobi approached them from behind, his expression tense as he readied his weapon. "We should leave for the wastes immediately! The battle is getting out of hand!"

Before Meiyumi paid any mind to his words of warning, a loud crack echoed before them. In a blast of sand-ridden winds and blinding blue flame, the blast erupted from the pits of the black earth that rumbled. Black stone shattered all around them, the fragments of glowing jade piercing the earth where they fell.

"Look out!"

Concealing them overhead was a shield of earth, a jutsu cast together by their guards who stood by. The oily black stone slid from the barrier, crumbling away likes coals from the impact with the eerie spears of gleaming energy. In the distance, the bear's wails of rage stilled the air as Gaara and his siblings continued the engage the monster. A fallout from the battle, she soon realized. Gathering herself, she saw the shards of ginkō that now surrounded her. Flinching her hands on the dirt, she felt her spine jolt from the sight. Strangely, the fear she sensed from the ore and its nature energy was no more fearful than the beast that roared in the distance. The blood in her boiled in the skin of her hands, her fingers clasping the black earth as her mind searched for a desperate plea for release.

She had to do something – she must do something.

Bringing herself to look directly at the ginkō shard in front of her, the nature energy within its jade shell taunted her with its wordless threats. Already she could imagine her scar burn and twist from the mere glance at it.

The blood ritual Koga performed with her Kekkei Genkai was botched.

Botched…

"Those who use the blood of another to awaken the beast lose themselves in turn… cursed to madness and death…"

The words she remembered from Hanone were clear as day to her now. She cheated death more times than she could count, and she believed she was already driven mad by the idea that hatched in her mind. She had to be mad for what she was thinking of doing, no sane person would. She was already a beast – the beast was merely sleeping. Swallowing her gut-ridden fear that twisted inside, she turned to Meiyumi behind her as she sat herself up from the black earth below.

"Meiyumi!" She shouted against the winds. "Quickly, I need you to strike me with that shard!"

Sitting on her knees, the medic gave a shocked cough from the dust that swirled in the cool air, taken completely aback by what she was hearing. The memory of her disturbed chakra in the hospital room haunted her, only to be further tainted by the street-side stories of a large white wolf bursting through the village streets in a fit of blind and confused rage. Meeting her friend's eyes, she saw they were calm and stern, but she wondered if the familiar impulsivity was once more sitting at her shoulder waiting to strike and sabotage everything. Meiyumi had to be the voice of reason – just as she was in their days as Team Hashira.

"What the–?! Are you mad–?!" She yelled back, furrowing her brow. "Nomasaki, you know what happens when you're near–!"

"Trust me!" Nomasaki was unmoving in her decision, her stern violet eyes painted with urgency. "It's the only way I can break through this seal on my Kekkei Genkai! I have to help them!" Worry entering her expression, she reached for her sleeve and pulled it up to her elbow, exposing her ghastly pink rivets in the faint light of dawn. "There's no time! Please – help me!"

Hesitantly, Meiyumi studied her face cautiously.

Nomasaki's eyes were pleading to her – begging, even. Like a mountain in the wind, there was no point in waiting for her to back down. Begrudgingly, the medic grasped the large shard of glowing jade in her gloved hands and inched herself closer. Eyeing the pink and scarred groves of Nomasaki's pale forearm held out for her, she tried to judge which would be the best spot to strike. In her hands the ginkō felt eerily alive in some strange way, its energy flowing under the crystal that shrouded it. Although calm and prepared for the pain that awaited her, Nomasaki's arm was trembling. Even the mere closeness to the ore stiffened her.

"Alright," Meiyumi breathed, preparing herself. "Stay still,"

Looking her in the eyes, Meiyumi watched her friend nod in unsettled silence.

Swinging the shard in the air, she brought the sharp crystal back down and pierced it into the crevice that marked Nomasaki's scarred arm. Crimson oozed from the fresh wound, the glowing jade shrieking its high-pitched wails of death as it made contact with her feral blood. Pain burst through her to every nerve on her skin, burning throughout every limb, every opening, every fresh wound that claimed her. Forcing herself to withstand its fury, Nomasaki gnashed her teeth and clapped her bloodied palms together.

Reverse Sealing… be undone!

Unravel… Be broken… Release!

Her blood boiled violently, coursing through her veins as the floodgates burst open with the feral warmth that awoken. Gritting her teeth in her strained jaws, she hunched forward with her hands pressed onto the stone. Her nails grew claw-like and her nostrils flared into a ghastly visage with each snarling breath from her lungs. Her human face twisted into that of a canine, teeth barred and fanged, eyes slit, and a hidden power ready to burst at the seams. She could make the change at any second – she could feel it.

She had the control this time, her wolf blood bending to her will at last.

"Get back – now!"

Startling her, Meiyumi stepped back just in time.

A growl-ridden bark passed through Nomasaki's lips as the lost coat of white enveloped her, coating her in its unbridled energy as her shape changed in a blur of white and feral blood. Shifting from her familiar human skin, she became a wolf once more. Powerful limbs of white fur grounded her, her beastly purple eyes opening fully as the creature she was destined to become. Her body felt free of any bounds, her boiling blood warmed and hers alone. Towering over her shocked and stricken allies, the white beast let out a piercing howl from its fanged jaws against the cool winds marked with death and curses. Locking its sights towards the giant black-furred beast in the distance, the wolf arched its back, digging its sharpened claws into the black earth. A snarl escaped its curled lips, breaking the winds in fury. Powerfully, the wolf leapt with a bark of feral rage, dashing against the black earth in haste towards its prey.

It was time for the hunt and the kill was in plain sight.

Slashing away at the sands that spilled towards it, the bear stood on its hind legs to lunge at the caster. Seeing the bear approach, Gaara felt his wound pulse in his core, gnashing his teeth as he avoided the monster's counter. Before the bear could deal another swipe of its giant clawed paws, a wall of wind slapped against its muzzle. Turning its attention towards Temari, the bear roared and lumbered onwards towards the fan-wielding kunoichi. Underneath the black stone cracked and shattered from its massive weight, rolling thunder echoing from the pounding of its paws. Frozen, the bear growled and snarled as it struggled to free itself from its invisible trap. With all his strength, Kankuro held the beast at bay with his puppet ninjutsu, the chakra strings grasping onto its thick furred legs.

"Damn it…!" He grunted, matching its strength with all his might. "This thing is strong–!"

"Kankuro–!"

Before he could react to his sister's yell, he found himself thrown from where he stood. The bear burst from the chakra strings that bound it immobile, swinging its massive paw towards him and his idle puppet. Smashing against the black stone behind him with the clatter of his puppet's limbs, the impact was softened by Gaara's sand and quick thinking. Pain rumbled through him as he managed to pull himself up on his knees. Across from them was the monstrous bear, roaring and galloping its way towards him. Its paws thundered in its path as its red eyes locked onto the three Sunagakure shinobi that angered it.

"Can't you stop it with your sand?" Kankuro turned to Gaara as he appeared at his side. "We need to slow it down!"

"I'm still weak from my wounds," Gaara answered back, glaring towards the beast. "My sand's speed is greatly reduced from my loss of chakra earlier." My strength is failing me, too – he wanted to add, but his pride prevented him. A Kazekage could not show weakness, even in the direst of situations. Sunagakure followed power – and those descended from the Kazekage clan were blessed with the power to lead. Even as he stood near his brother, he could feel the throbbing pulse of his deep gash twist and burn through his core. Sweat dotted his forehead, the cracking Sand Armor underneath giving way to his shielded skin. His strength was crippled. If he moved too hastily, the wind of life could easily leave him, the wound and its presence dictating his movements. Of all times to have taken such a wound, he cursed himself, eyeing the bear that charged towards them.

A howl broke against the still air.

A howl.

The sound was as chilling as the winds that plagued them, the noise fading beyond the black cliffs. Gaara froze, his eyes wide. He recognized the tone, its pitch, everything about it. Nomasaki. As sudden as it rang out, it vanished. Startled by the noise, Kankuro readied his guard beside his younger brother, his puppet clattering its joints as he summoned his chakra strings to its movements.

"Don't tell me…" Kankuro muttered under his breath. "There's another beast?"

A faint wave of rolling thunder beat upon the stone in the distance, its sound getting louder as time passed. The bear was still charging, its frothing muzzle of jagged teeth prepared to cut through its prey. Snarling soon broke through the winds. It was getting closer, the clattering of claws on black stone and feral panting soon audible to their ears. When Gaara turned towards the east, he stood stunned at the sight that befell him. A wave of thunderous white was approaching, the glint of beastly purple eyes tearing through the sight of the giant bear that charged.

"No," Gaara spoke, still frozen where he stood. "It's her–!"

Before Kankuro could grasp his words and what they meant, the wolf had made its hunt.

In a haze of black and white, the two beasts collided with one another. Roaring, barking, and exchanging vicious snaps and snarls of their jaws, they rolled against the black stone in a thunder. Latching onto the great bear that was near twice its size, the white wolf crashed into its side with its jaws wide and muzzle barred. Tearing through muscle and flesh, the wolf clung into its fold of thick black fur with the crunch of its gleaming fangs. The bear let out a horrid shriek to the winds, rearing on its hind legs. Swiping its paws, the bear narrowly missed the large white parasite that pulled itself onto its back where it could not reach. The wolf would not release its bloodied grip, the snarling and growling from its sharply locked jaws unmoving from the fur of the bear's neck. The more the bear struggled, the more the wolf clamped down with its razor-like fangs, tearing and ripping its flesh with each movement. The wolf's claws dug into the beast's back, refusing to be knocked off its mount, irritating the bear to no end as its thrashed and wailed about. A burst of crimson leaked from the wolf's hold, spraying onto its immaculate white fur.

The jugular.

Violently, the monstrous demonic bear thrashed its body as its screams filled the cool air around them, ringing against the oily black stone that coated the land where they fought. The wolf held on, unrelenting, digging its claws further into its backs and strengthened its bite. Roaring wildly, the bear stood and tossed its body back and forth, its forelimbs swiping at the canine lodged onto its blind spot. Using its gargantuan size, the bear swung its body around as if a lumbering ragdoll. Its power was too great – even the blood pouring from its wound was coursing in fire and energy. Her nature energy, her blood – it was hers, mixed with the vile curse of a jutsu beyond the scope of humanity.

Give me back my blood, demon!

The wolf strengthened its bloodied bite, its dagger-like fangs piercing its flesh deeper than before. Red oozed from the wound, spurting onto the black stone beneath like rain. The bear's movements turned sluggish, the blood loss clouding its further judgement. In a burst of panicked feral power, the bear swung the wolf clean from its back. Before the white beast could lunge with its fangs and claws, the giant bear swung its massive paw, knocking the wolf into the slabs of black stone ahead. Sand cushioned the impact, surrounding its red and white body. Whimpering as it lifted itself up, the wolf whipped its head towards the onlooking demon. Barring its fangs with a snarl, the wolf licked its red muzzle as its violet eyes bore through the bear that stared it down in the distance. Its hind leg tremored, pain rumbling through it as it sat in the sands. Broken.

"Nomasaki!"

In a wind of sands, Gaara appeared before the creature. Growling, the wolf glared towards the demon thundering ahead. Before the bear could charge further, a wave of wind slapped against it. A bloodcurdling roar shrieked into the air, the winds slashing towards its eyes in a haze of red.

Temari.

With her fan drawn out to its three purple stars, a line of red was stretched across it. Her summoning jutsu had been released, the white weasel disappearing in a cloud of smoke when it dispelled. The bear thrashed and wailed, its red eyes sewn shut by its wounds. Blinded. As it panted with its snarls, the wolf slowly reverted back into the human shape it knew. Nomasaki kept her eyes locked onto the wailing bear, her heart and instincts refusing to look away. Wiping away the blood that painted her mouth with her torn sleeve, she suddenly felt the twitch of torn muscle and broken bone. Giving in to her rising pain, she glanced down at her right leg. Her leg was broken, split from the clawed swipe of the monster.

Crouched down beside her, his ringed-eyes went wide from the sight of her twisted limb.

"Your leg–,"

Biting her lip, she grasped her knee with both of her hands and held it down. Watching silently, Gaara witnessed her place pressure onto her kneecap, her arms trembling from the force. As the pain rumbled through her, she resisted every urge to scream as the bite on her lip went deeper. Her bone scraped another on the inside, tremoring through her mercilessly. Screams balled into her throat, her bleeding closed lips keeping them silent. While her lip started to bleed from her protruding canines, she placed more pressure on her kneecap. With a faint popping noise, it was over. Panting as she felt weak from her excursion, she relaxed her numb arms.

"I'll be okay." She nodded, masking her sweating panic with a calm visage. "My leg is still broken, but it's not nearly as painful as earlier…" The distant roars of the monster caught her attention. Whipping her head towards it, her eyes narrowed. "I managed to get its vital point… but the beast still has some fight left – we have to strike, now–!"

Eyeing the monster, Gaara soon realized the ground was fraught with glowing jade ore.

Ginkō.

The shards were larger than he ever seen. Even as he stood far away from them, he could faintly feel their magnetizing pull from his sands. Seeing the faint outline of Nomasaki's pale scar on her arm at his side, his thoughts ran rapid with an idea. Nature energy was extremely volatile, even with the little control its users had. The ginkō would disrupt anything – and the beast was a walking target.

Ginkō was the key.

"Nomasaki, can you still mold chakra?"

Catching her attention, she glanced to him. "I think so," She answered. "Why?"

"We're going to kill the bear – together," He said, eyes locked on the beast ahead. "I need your wind-release to help take this thing down. Can you help me?"

Pushing back the pain that throbbed in her broken limb, she found the courage to give a light smile. "Of course… just keep that ore you're staring at far away from me."

Acknowledging her words with silence and care, he moved his palm forward. Summoning his strongest sand, he focused his chakra firmly. Magnet Release soon consumed the sands floating before him, molding and forcing the grains together in an air of power. A stream of sand brought the ginkō closer, wielding it to the hardened gold grains. Tightly packed, the sands formed into the shape of a great halberd, its point glowing jade point concealed by the yellow and golden grains that surrounded it. As the beast thrashed about, Gaara aimed carefully, watching the bear's erratic and rage-filled movements. Its vision was blind, but its sense of smell was still there. Quelling its rage with bloodlust, the bear suddenly gained their scent. Frothing at the mouth, the bear roared viciously and charged forward.

Gaara's stance hardened in the sands. "Now!"

"Right!"

Forming the last hand-sign, Nomasaki slammed her palms together. A split second after the halberd was released towards the charging onikuma, she took a deep breath into her belly. Opening her fanged jaws, wind erupted from her mouth with a piercing howl tinging its path.

"Secret Art! Howling Wind!"

Swirling around the melded halberd, the sands burst forth towards the beast in lightning speed and great power. She was a halberd, she remembered, the halberd to his shield.

And a wolf above all else.

The spear lodged into the great beast, its wails echoing through the cool air as if a dirge of death. Piercing the black charging beast directly through its heart, the ginkō point disappeared under the cover of fur as black as night itself. In its rage, the demon roared on its hind legs, thrashing about as the red burst from its chest. Red soon enveloped it, painting the black stone in crimson. A burst of glowing red suddenly surrounded the bear as it cried out in death's embrace, shattering the very earth beneath it. The winds wailed, shattering stone everywhere in its path. Grasping onto Nomasaki, Gaara held her close in his arms as he rose his sands to protect them from the onslaught of red energy and the rain of black stone. Startled by the sudden feel of his warm and protective hold, she watched in awe as the sands stood proud and impenetrable, his expression calm and stern while the winds whipped their hair. Feeling her matted gold strands slap her cheeks, the dark aura to the winds vanished. The jutsu was undone, she realized – and a strange sense of strength returned to her. Almost as if in a breath, she regained what was lost.

Wincing as the winds stopped, Gaara knew he reached his limits. Around them, the massive wall of sand collapsed into nothing. Slowly, his sand receded back into the small of his gourd strapped to his belt, the sweat beading furiously on his brow while his wound twisted and churned from the inside. His Sand Armor crumbled and fell, his last resort exposed and in the open. Noticing his failing strength, Nomasaki could feel it through his tightening grip on her arm. His hand was near shaking.

"Gaara–!"

"I know," He panted, turning to meet her concerned eyes. "It's alright... I'll be fine." His wound pulsed again. Clutching it tightly, he grit his teeth to counter the pain that throbbed through him. "I've used up the last of my strength... but the battle is done. It's over."

She sensed the beast's chakra for a final time.

Only it was not the beast she felt – it was the man.

Koga.

Her eyes widened from the feel of his faint presence, she whipped her head towards where the demon was slain. Falling under its massive weight, the beast of black fur and melded blood melted away into nothing, leaving behind the stench of boiled blood and brittle vengeance.

And it was over.

Author's Note (2020/05/29): The name "onikuma" I used in this chapter and in Chapter 65 comes from a Japanese folktale legend of a demonic bear.

"Onikuma" (鬼熊) literally translates to "demon bear" in Japanese, and was said to have been a yōkai (spirit) that walked upright and possess great strength. They would carry off their prey to the mountains where they lived, and the only way to kill one was to use long spears. In the wild, bears and wolves are antagonistic to each other as they are both predators so I thought it would be interesting to include a battle between the villain (bear) and my OC (wolf).

What's more is that the Kumatsume clan in my story - the name "Kumatsume" (熊爪) means "bear claw" in Japanese.