Cold. Gaara was no stranger to the feeling as a native of the Land of Wind's harsh climate, but he couldn't remember a time where he had experienced such absolute cold. Suppressing a shiver, he looked around the barren plain that he found himself standing on.

Gaara surveyed the empty horizon, seeing nothing but grey skies. With nothing else to do, he began to walk forwards, aimlessly. He walked for what felt like hours, with the cracks in the dry ground being the only things to change. Eventually, something began to change. Trees rose from the ground alongside Gaara, forming into an avenue. Walking down the center of the path, he registered somewhere in the back of his consciousness that these trees were wrong- towering imitations of real plants roughly shaped from worn sandstone.

This paled before the sight before him. A towering gate, gently lit like a photograph of a happier time stood at the end of the path of trees, silently waiting. Gaara continued forwards, the gate looming larger and larger as he approached. At the threshold, the gate shimmered like a mirage before he could step through. The golden tones of a fading summer day passed away, paling into the thin greys of a dying fire's smoke. The view through the gate vanished entirely, transforming into a black void as Gaara stepped through.

Looking back over his shoulder, Gaara could only see a pale square of light, a great distance away. So, he continued forwards. Eventually, he saw another patch of light in the direction that he had been traveling. Passing through the veil, he emerged to an arena. More than ever before, the silence struck Gaara like a slap in the face, and almost palpable lacking of something that should be there. The stands were full of passionate faces that all began to blur into one another, creating a haze. The crowd didn't move like it should, instead shuddering in large waves waved passed through the figures like wind through grass.

Dominating Gaara's view was the shape in the center of the arena. A silhouette of a man, crouched low to the ground stood in the absolute center of the empty field. White bolts of lightning wreathed the silhouette, hanging frozen in the air like the bolts of a terrifying tree. Gaara blinked, and when his eyes opened again, he saw the silhouette's arm buried in his chest. In that moment, Gaara felt his heart pounding, dimly realizing that he hadn't felt it move in far too long. The world went grey, or maybe it had been the entire time, as he focused on the only two colours in the world. The bright blue of the lightning and the vibrant red of his own blood battled for dominance, staining the world with their intensity.

The chill in Gaara's bones deepened, and the arena twisted, the crowd shifting into the dense foliage of a forest in a second. The silhouette vanished, replaced by the indistinct form of an familiar stranger. Gaara felt like his mind refused to process the shape in front of him, only translating snippets of his form. The result was a pastiche of features that refused to resolve into a person- a bright smile, the shock of yellow hair, the overwhelming orange of a jacket. The figure still had his hand on Gaara's chest, but instead of piercing into it like a spear, it lay flat on his chest. The touch sent an indescribable agony shooting through him, his thoughts struggling to form. "Who… Was this?"

"How did I get here?" Gaara turned around, craning his neck up to look at the clay building that had appeared behind him. He stepped forwards, passing between the thick iron bars that filled the structure's one wide door. Once inside, he scanned the walls, looking over the ornate pictures and geometric patterns that told some forgotten story.

"Why does this feel… So familiar?" Gaara kept searching the pictograms for some sort of meaning even as cracks began to form, radiating across the building. The structure began to collapse inwards on itself, chunks breaking free and falling towards the ground in eerie silence. Gaara didn't react to the collapse, even as the falling debris dissipated into clouds of dust.

After what felt like an eternity, Gaara was again standing in the same barren plain that he had started in, under a pure white sky. As he watched, the horizon began to creep closer, the edge of the sky being obscured by clouds of dust. As the ground under his feet began to crumble away into nothingness as well, Gaara's attention was taken by his hand. "Who's hand is this? Ah… It's mine."

The image of the arena and the forest flashed back in Gaara's mind again, rapidly fading out of focus. "Was it a weapon?" Without thinking, he placed his hand on his chest. "Or was it able to become something that could support others?"

Gaara looked up again, seeing a new figure. "Is that… Me?" It was fuzzy, and moved fitfully, reaching out as if it was falling from a great height. "No…" Staring at it, Gaara felt that pain in his chest ring out again. Reaching out, he stretched out his hand and caught the figure, locking his hand in its.

The previous night, Kakashi's team had set up a simple camp. The group sat in silence around the small campfire that Kakashi had started, staring into the flames. Off to the side, gazing up into the stars as he leaned back against a tree, Sasuke spoke up. "So, what exactly is this extraction that we're trying to prevent?"

"Presumably, they're attempting to make a new jinchūriki using the Ichibi, Shukaku." Chiyo answered without looking up.

Sakura looked over at the elder. "A new Jinchūriki… Why would they do that?"

Chiyo looked up to look her in the eyes. "Each Tailed Beast holds tremendous power- power that people have been trying to bolster their military might for generations. The only way that the power could be somewhat controlled, however, is through sealing the beast in a human host."

"If these things have so much power, shouldn't their extraction pretty complicated as well? After all, how do you take one out of a host?" Ieyasu spoke up from where he had been attentively watching the conversation.

Chiyo nodded, breaking eye contact to look back into the fire. "You're right, the extraction process is long and complicated. The performers must unravel the beast's chakra from the living host's and separate the two."

Sakura processed what she was saying for a moment before interrupting. "Untangle- Wait, doesn't that mean that-"

"Yes. The former host will die." Chiyo closed her eyes. "Both of Shukaku's former jinchūriki met the same fate when it was extracted from them."

Naruto looked up over the fire, smiling broadly as he caught Sakura's attention. "Don't worry. I'll save Gaara!"

She shook her head, tears beginning to brim in the corners of her eyes. "It's not him that I'm worried about!"

Ieyasu cut in with a sharp nod. "It's the both of you. We don't want to see either of you suffering like that."

"Well, let's focus on one thing at a time." Sasuke stepped away from his resting spot, moving towards the tent. "We can't save anyone if we don't actually get some rest." Sasuke was backed up by Kakashi and Chiyo, both of whom gave a short nod as they began their final preparations for the night. Minutes later, the team was asleep in their shelters, save for the night watch.

Magoichi squinted, focusing on the star chart in her hands as the dim light from her fire wavered in a faint breeze. She looked up at the sky, then back down at the chart, then back up at the sky. This was repeated several times before she let out a huff, testilly rolling up the chart and shoving it back into its lacquered case.

"Almost nothing." She muttered to herself, stoking the fire. "Even the stars are unfamiliar…"

Stifling a curse before she yelled it out into the wilderness, Magoichi hurled the stick that she had been using to tend the fire backwards into the river valley behind her. She closed her eyes, listening to the clatter as it fell the long way down to the water below. "I've got a day left- two at most. If i can't find a more stable situation by then, I'll be out of options."

Sighing, she ran her hand down her face, turning back to her makeshift shelter. The fire faltered as she walked past, collapsing further into itself as she slumped back into the lean-to. She closed her eyes, trying to center herself as she listened to the soft sounds of wildlife echoing around her. As she focused, her thoughts began to drift, taking her back to when she was young.

"... And that one right there is called Hokushin." Magoichi pointed straight up, guiding the young Sayaka's gaze to the star in question. "As long as you can see that star, you'll always be able to find North."

Sayaka gave a firm nod, not looking away from the sky. Magoichi looked down at her, smiling softly. "There's no more important star out here when you're trying to survive, but did you know that if you look at enough of the others, you can tell the future?"

Nose wrinkling up into a frown, Sayaka shook her head. "That's stupid."

Magoichi recoiled in mock surprise, holding a hand over his heart. "I'm serious!" Sayaka didn't respond to the display, just shaking her head while she looked up at the stars. Magoichi sighed softly. "Well, if you don't believe me, let me tell you a story."

"Back when my father was young, he lived in a poor village. One year, the harvest was even smaller than usual. He didn't want to be a burden for those around him, and so one night, under only the light of the stars, he left to go join a monastery. He settled in there, and began to make a life for himself. Unfortunately, the harvest was bad all across the region, and so the Lord demanded that more rice be brought to him. A band of his men showed up at the gates of the monastery."

"Send out your food, or we'll burn this place to the ground!" Sayaka jumped slightly as Magoichi raised his voice.

Dropping his tone back to normal, Magoichi continued. "The head of the abbey came to the top of the gate, and told the Lord's men that there was no food to spare, so they would have to burn them alive. They hesitated at that, because while they feared the Lord, none of them wanted to burn a bunch of innocent monks. So, the head of the group called out again."

"Send out a man to be killed, or we'll burn this place to the ground!" Sayaka scowled up at Magoichi as he shouted again.

Grinning back down at her, he continued. "Of course, when he heard that, my father was eager to volunteer. The head of the abbey refused, telling him that he was too young to throw away his life. So, later that evening, he grabbed his hood, and snuck out, ready to give himself up. Before he went out to the Lord's men, he looked up at the stars one last time."

He pointed up again, at a tight cluster of stars. "That right there is what he saw shining down at him. While he was looking up at those stars, several people stumbled into the clearing after him. Looking around, my father saw five of his fellow monks, all of whom had snuck out to sacrifice themselves. Realizing that each of them was willing to lay down their lives for the others, they decided to instead band together to fight off the Lord's men. After the fight, they decided to devote themselves to fighting for those that needed it- and so, the Saica were born."

Her frown deepening, Sayaka looked back up at Magoichi. "But what did that have to do with stars?"

"Well, do you know what that group of stars is called?"

Sayaka looked back at the sky, pausing for a moment before answering. "Mutsuraboshi?"

"Nope! Well, actually, yes, but that's not important!" Magoichi pulled Sayaka closer to his side, ignoring the small huff. "It's also called Subaru. And that night, the Saica clan united, just like the stars above them."

"... I still think that it's a dumb idea." Sayaka pouted, though her frown was fading away.

"Well, just wait till you're stuck out here by yourself someday. That's when you can really see the spirits of the stars." Magoichi paused, stretching his arms backward. "For now though, we should head home. No reason to get lost for the fun of it!" He smiled in the light of the waning moon, and took Sayaka's hand in his rough one. Soon, the pair was carefully finding their way back again.

Saica's head jerked up, shaking off the faint bit of sleep that threatened to pull her over. Blinking, she scanned the sky again, squinting as her eyes adjusted to the faintly glowing embers left over from the fire. Her eyes settled on a particular cluster- six bright stars grouped together. "Subaru…" She whispered, before taking out the map she had been sketching. Aligning it to the canyon on the other side of her campsite, she made a quick note of the star's heading.

"Tomorrow, I'll head that way. Unifying… let's see if your story pays off, father…"

Haruhisa walked through a vast hallway, squinting as he passed through the rectalcles of harsh light streaming in through the windows. He didn't know how long he had been walking along this particular path, but he had the feeling that it had been a very long time indeed. Though, there was finally a break in the scenery, as he approached a great double door. He blinked and found himself at the base of it, staring up at the intricate carvings covering its surface- designs that he felt that he should recognize, but couldn't make out.

Reaching out to push the door open, Haruhisa's hand instead passed straight through, the door shifting out of his way like a veil of sand. Closing his eyes, he stepped through the portal. When he opened his eyes, he was standing a reception room. The door to the side was pushed open, sand flowing in from what should have been a garden. At the head of the room, in the place of honor, sat a weathered corpse dressed in formal robes, dried up and withered by the desert winds.

"I see.. So this is what lies beyond- an endless reflection on a man's failings." Haruhisa turned away from the corpse, looking out into the desert that spilled into the room. "Would that we have been swallowed by the shifting sands instead."

"As impetuous as ever, Saburōshirō." A low creaking voice filled the room. "Even at the end, you would rather flee than face consequences."

Haruhisa scowled, turning to face the corpse. "I did what I must, more than what should have ever been asked. Yet I see that I've fallen short of your expectations, Grandfather."

There was a loud rattle as the sliding door now behind Haruhisa was thrown open. He looked back to see a group of men, blood pouring from their mortal wounds. The leader pointed an accusing finger at him, speaking from a ruined throat. "And what were we?! Dogs that you must put down?! You were a traitor, and you dragged us to hell with you! We could have made our clan great again!"

The other men gurgled their approval alongside their leader, while Haruhisa stared him down. "Which clan would that have been, uncle? The Amago or the Shingū? Or perhaps the Mori?"

Haruhisa turned back towards the sand, ignoring the loud hissing coming from the group. "Enough. Your spirits tormented me enough in life- Death shall be my own, at least!" He stepped forwards out of the door, the sand whipping up to meet him. A silent sandstorm rose as he walked out, engulfing his view. Within minutes, the room he had left was completely gone, vanished into the swirling cloud.

As he walked further out, his grandfather's hollow voice echoed around him, blending into the rising sounds of wind. "You curse us for your fate, and still you've received everything that you wished for, boy! Is this not your blessed desert coming to embrace you? Before you return to your beloved dust, look upon your legacy!"

The storm in front of Haruhisa parted like a curtain, revealing a tall mountain covered in green trees. An ornate castle perched on top of the peak, standing resolute. "Gassantoda… Then this must be…" Haruhisa looked to his left, the sand dropping away from his vision as he did so. He saw a sandy valley, with a raised path cutting through a small waterfall, and into a sparsely decorated camp.

"That's where I was, before… All of this. And so the wind winds around to find itself home." He blinked, and the scene changed. Now, the interior of the camp was ravaged, and ten bloody figures lined the path. Wincing, he looked away from the sight, back to the mountain. As it came into sight, he watched it change as well. A wave of blackness began to climb up the slope, the trees warping as they burnt away in an invisible flame. From the top of each, a single line of smoke wafted upwards, climbing heavenwards like a thousand sticks of incense were burning at once. The castle warped as well, shifting into a tall, narrow headstone that bore only one word in massive kanji- 'AMAGO.'

Haruhisa's breath caught in his throat as the sandstorm picked up in strength. The howling sands soon blocked the mountain from his view. The sand covered everything in a featureless cloud once more, save the path into the ruined camp.

"Very well. Let the sands erase me as well, and so cover our shame." Hanging his head, Haruhisa began to walk down that path. Passing through the corridor made by his men's broken bodies, he stepped forwards to find a general's seat sitting untouched. He sat, looking back at the storm slowly engulfing the camp behind him, and slowly closed his eyes.

As he did so, he felt the ground crumble around him, as he began to fall. The dim, flickering light filtered through the raging storm was replaced by a harsh bright light that he could feel even through his eyelids. Still, he shut his eyes as he fell backwards, letting his body go limp. Feeling was rapidly fading from his consciousness, as well as his sense of self, like he was drifting off into an endless cloud. So the jerk that shot through his body as something grabbed onto his outstretched arm took him totally by surprise.

Haruhisa's eyes shot open, instantly confronted by the face of a young man that he felt he should recognize, but couldn't place. He stared deeply into his black rimmed eyes, and felt him doing the same in return. A swelling on an indescribable emotion welled up in the hearts of both of them, and they wrapped each other in a tight embrace. Both closed their eyes, shutting them tight against the tears that they felt trying to spill out, and a bright white light engulfed them both.