A/N - Chapter two. Here we go.

DISCLAIMER - I do not own Naruto.

We reached the spot pretty quickly. Still, when it was just a bit further, I told Warwick to go ahead and scope the area before we got there. With the command, he dashed ahead of us and disappeared into the woods. The sight made me wary, but I knew he would be fine.

Just as we were jogging up, he was running back out, giving a bark.

"Good job," I praised as I came to a stop and began walking into the woods. A few more minutes, and we were on the sight.

I walked over and grabbed one of my bags, pulling out the huge folded plastic blanket. As I was pulling, Ino asked softly, "Is this the place, Tayuya?"

"Yeah," I replied carefully, turning and giving her a smile, "I left it here just in case I needed to come back. Plus, searching an area with your supplies on you is a bad idea."

She moved around my working area, watching me for a moment as I unfolded and stretched out the plastic. When she noticed it was getting a bit more difficult to handle, she stood up and helped. Grabbing the ends, we both pulled and stretched until it was perfectly straight.

"Do you find people often?" She asked as we placed the blanket on the ground.

"No," I mumbled, "But when I do, they try to kill me."

"Oh," she murmured, standing as I pulled out rope. I looked up at the trees around me, trying to find the good low branches that I used the other night, "Well I didn't try to kill you."

"Yeah," I drawled as I spotted the tree and walked over. Tossing the rope over the low branch, I took my time tying it securely before moving to the other branch, "So you can imagine my surprise when I saw you and you looked as scared and worried as me."

"You are the first I've seen in a while," She admitted as I tied the rope on the second branch, "People period have been none to few on my end."

"Same until these past days," I grumbled with another big tug on the rope. When I was sure it would be staying just the way I set it up, I backed away and grabbed the plastic blanket from the floor. With Ino's help we tossed it over the dangling rope, which allowed it to hang as the sleeves hung to the floor, "I thought you were part of the group down stairs… they have been chasing me for a couple of days now."

"Chasing you?" Ino eyes widened.

I moved back to my bag, grabbing the three huge nails I managed to keep along the way. The others were lost or…used for some other purpose that I didn't have the stomach or the heart to pull it out and keep it afterwards.

Going to the closest sleeve, I found the middle metal hole and put a nail through, grabbing a big cracked branch from the ground to help me pound the nail into the dirt. It was a bit hard and clumsy work, so I ended up tiring myself out pretty quick. With a huge sigh, I walked around and went to another hole.

"Well not exactly chasing, just kind of finding me every now and then," I explained with a mumble, my eyes fixed on the nail I was pounding at, "Three days in this area, and that guy always seems to spot me from a distance. This time I was in the house and saw the door was open, but the moment I did I saw that there were two people walking in the distance. Before I could dart out of sight, one of the guys saw me."

"Then there must be a small town around here," Ino murmured as I walked around to place my last nail in.

"Not the friendly kind, if there is," I warned with a glance towards her, "I hope you don't plan on visiting."

Her blue eyes shifted as she walked away with this unsettling expression. Frowning, I stood up correctly and followed her, my eyes on her back figure. Besides her ripped clothes, she looked fine. No scratches, bruises, or a single mark on her flawless skin. Her blond hair was surprisingly well kept, which made it look even brighter in the glaring sun rays that were piercing through the trees. Her boots were worn and backpack one toss away from being completely ruined. The combination of her and her materials didn't add up to me.

I glanced down at my skin and saw all sorts of bruises and marks. The latest pain were at my knees, which I'm sure were already swelling up. If I didn't sit down soon, there would be no way in hell that I would be able to travel tomorrow. Yet, knowing this, I continued to stand while watching the girl that was with me.

The silence must have spread for a while. The only reason I noticed is because Ino's blue eyes ran questioningly to mine. She held my gaze for a moment as I simply stared right back. Then, through the connection, I asked, "Are you… looking for someone?"

Biting her lip, she tore her gaze away from me. Frowning sympathetically, I stepped forward and pressed softly, "Did you lose someone? Did they get lost?"

"No," She answered, turning her back towards me, "It's nothing, forget it."

I stopped mid step. With a sigh, I rubbed the back of my neck and looked back at the tent. Sighing again, I moved forward, "Well the tent is ready- the best we can do for a tent at least. Are those the only clothes you have?"

She nodded with her back still facing me. Crossing my arms, I frowned and continued, "I know of a store just a couple of miles towards the sun rise. They still had a decent set up of clothes there; maybe we can find you some new ones."

"How'd you find the place?" As she asked the question, she finally turned towards me. Her blue eyes were back on mine and she was watching me steadily. With a shift, I replied, "During my travel to this area. I grabbed what I could, but have to be mobile and stuffing clothes in my pack wasn't going to help that. Kept it in memory though, for whenever I need to go back- even stashed some clothes in the ceiling."

Her smile was heartbreaking. I'm not sure if it's because I'm not used to being around another person, but seeing her move her lips just to make such an expression burned my chest. The laugh she gave me danced around as she teased, "Do you have a thing for ceilings?"

I blinked at the question, but then realized what she was getting at. When I met her, I was tossing her up in a ceiling and now I had just said I put some clothes in the ceiling as well. Then, in the strangest wave of emotions, I felt myself smiling as well- not only that, I even laughed. Warwick, who had been laying down on the ground, perked up at the sound. His head tilted as I continued to laugh and explained, "No, but they are completely convenient."

She didn't seem convinced, only smiled and allowed me to ramble on about how many times a ceiling had saved my life. I'm not quite sure why, but my words were coming out like vomit that couldn't be stopped. Just speaking, talking to an actual person, brought this overwhelming sense of relief. It was like I was holding my breath this whole time, and I was finally able to breathe.

Just because she was listening to me.

The whole time I talked, I worked. I brought out the food and set a small fire- very small. We sat, gathered around it, as Warwick ate his bowl of beans cold. My can was set next to the fire, the thought of treating myself to a hot meal was too good to pass up despite the long wait. Ino had decided to eat her beans cold as well, her spoon scooping up the food from the can itself.

As I stared at my can, wondering if it was even warm in the inside, I drawled, "With some new clothes, and some materials, I think you would be set for travel," Then, with a sudden thought, a frown pulled at my lips as I continued, "And you can set off to do what you wanted."

"Thanks," She mumbled, looking down at the half empty can in her hands.

I watched her carefully, "But if you have all of that, there won't be a point of staying over here- unless you are staying for some other reason."

Sighing, she looked up at me and asked in a kind of harsh tone, "Am I being that obvious? Does it truly look like I have some other motive?"

Her tone forced me to look away. Frowning hard at the ground, I apologized, "I'm sorry, it's just that you are the first person I've talked to in… a very long time. My manners are shot to all hell, and if I had any I wouldn't press about your life and your choices- but honestly I'm worried."

"Why?" She asked, a frown on her face as well, "Why are you so worried? You don't even know me."

I shifted, not understanding fully myself. With a breath, I tried to explain, "When you find a person that isn't trying to kill you and steal away your resources- in this life time- it's like making a minor friend. I'm worried because you are the first person I've seen who is actual decent and normal, and you want to stay in a town that has a village of brute guys and maybe girls who do nothing BUT steal and kill whoever wanders by."

Looking up from the ground, I stared into her eyes and pressed, "So you know, yeah I'm going to be worried. Of course I don't want you doing that."

She didn't respond, but she didn't have to. In the silence I watched my can again, looking in the hole and seeing it starting to bubble. Grabbing my knife, I tried to hook it on the inside of the can and carefully slide the thing way from the fire. It almost fell over twice, which reminded me why I never tried to do this more often, but with some patience I was able to move it a safe distance.

When I was done with the fire, I put it out. Ino didn't ask why, I'm sure she already knew. Keeping a fire at night was dangerous enough, so if we had to have the luxury, it had to be kept short.

It was stumbling to be in the dark for a bit, but soon enough my eyes adjusted. I ate my beans, enjoying the taste of warmth. All too soon, they were gone. I enjoyed every bite; honestly I had a warm meal every two months if not longer. Tossing the cans into a neat pile to the side, I gathered our bags and placed them a couple of feet away from the tent, hiding them inside a bush.

When I walked back, Ino was still sitting in her spot- which was on a huge branch that broke from a tree. The moment I stopped in front of her, she looked up at me. Her blue eyes were glowing in the dark as she waited silently. With a mumbled, I informed, "I go to sleep early so I can wake up early. If we want to get you those clothes tomorrow and not have to run the whole way, we should probably go to sleep now."

She nodded before standing up, leading the way to the tent. As we reached it, we both stood outside and took off our heavier clothes. Despite it being completely hot during the day, it would be crazy to travel with anything short from two pairs of pants, a shirt, a long sleeve shirt, and a jacket. It protected you from the sun, but also you honestly didn't know when you were going to need the warmth. While during the day it's hot, during the night it's freezing.

I stripped to my first pair of pants and my shirt. Ino took it further and stripped to her shorts and shirt. I didn't think it was a smart idea, but figured if she got cold she could just put on her pants again. The tent was smaller than expected, but that was because I was used to just sharing it was Warwick and not another person besides myself. Wick tried to shift and sleep in the corner, but in the end we had to keep him at the entrance.

As I laid down, it became evident there was no way of sleeping without touching Ino. It was awkward beyond all hell, but I tried not to show my true emotions of wanting to curl outside and dying in the cold. Instead, I pressed against her and whispered my apologies, "I didn't think the tent would be this small."

"It's alright," Ino mumbled, her back pressing against me, "I'm getting cold anyway."

I frowned at her statement, moving and pulling the blankets more on her side. Wrapping my arm around her, I curled and murmured, "You should have kept on your pants."

"With you pressing against me, I doubt I'll be cold for long," She replied.

Sighing, because it was the only way I wouldn't hide from embarrassment, I repeated my apologies, "Sorry about this."

"It's fine," There was amusement in her voice, "Plus… don't you think this is nice?"

I swallowed and shifted, my stomach churning as I whispered, "Yeah… kind of."

"Then why apologize?" Her teasing grew soft as her question drifted off into the night time air. The crickets sang outside, but I saw their music as part of the relaxing silence that was now between me and Ino. In the calm, she shifted; It was only slightly as she moved her hand to my secure arm that was at her waist. She slid her fingers against my skin and mumbled, "I haven't slept with anyone in a while…"

Her touch forced my heart to hammer. Shivering, I shifted and held her closer while murmuring "I only sleep with Warwick."

"Do you often cling to him too?"

The question automatically made me loosen my grip at her waist. I moved to scoot away, but she held onto my retreating arm. Instead, she tugged it back to her waist and pressed her back firmly against me. Taking the hint I settled back in, but I didn't do it with a smile. I was embarrassed as hell for clinging to the random stranger I just met.

"It's alright," She whispered soothingly, her fingertips still dragging against my skin, "I was just asking, it was a silly question."

I didn't reply, the lump in my throat not allowing me to. In the silence, she continued to stroke my arm carefully. Minutes passed when she spoke again, "Tayuya… how old are you?"

A frown slipped my lips. With a quick thought, I admitted, "I lost count of the days and what month it is, but I'm certain it hasn't been a year just yet so… I'm 19."

"I'm 19 too," She whispered, her finger now twirling in a circle, "Do you remember where you were when everything happened?"

I held her closer as the memories of riots and fire roared through my mind, "I'd rather not."

"I would," She mumbled, her touch drifting to my curled fingers. Slipping across my hand, she explained, "I have no memory of anything. I woke up one day, clothes on, shoes tied, bag packed and a map all set for me. Besides that, I remember nothing."

Frowning slightly, I twitched my fingers and opened my hand to hers. I felt as she dragged her digits across my palm as I spoke, "You woke up with no memory of… what? Where you were supposed to go? Who you were with? Did you remember who you were?"

"Who I am was something I acquired along the way of me traveling. Besides that, I don't know if I was with anyone, or where I was possibly heading to," her whisper grew faint as her movements slowed to a stop. I curled my fingers with hers as she continued, "That map that was left for me, I can't read it. I don't have the skills and I have yet to find a solid enough land mark that could spot where I am. It's because I can't read the map that I think… I was traveling with someone."

"You woke up after everything happened?" I asked, trying to fit the pieces together, "So you don't even remember seeing the world slowly going to hell."

"No," She revealed, her grip tightening with mine, "I don't remember anything besides everything that happened after I woke up."

I took what she was saying all in. Then, pressing against her, I asked, "What will you do tomorrow then? Where will you go? You think that village has the person you are looking for?"

"Maybe," she murmured softly, "What do I have to lose?"

I set my jaw and pulled her more against me. In a flat tone, I said, "Everything- your life. Don't go there, it's stupid. I doubt they would have such a person."

"I need to try," her soft whisper did nothing to ease me, but her voice was soothing; she was attempting to calm me. I took a breath to attempt to argue with her, but she only interrupted me and asked, "What will I do tomorrow if I don't try? Where will I go? The only lead I have is that village. The only single amount of motivation in my life is finding this person and I don't even know where to start. That village, maybe it has something- something I need to try for. If I don't go there, I will end up just wandering around with no other leads for months…"

"No," I stated, pulling my hand from her. She didn't want to break the contact, but she allowed me to pull away. As I sat up Warwick shifted and raised his head in interest. I glanced and gave him wary smile, which he only whined at and laid back down with an uneasy eye on us. Moving my eyes back to Ino, who was now rolling over to watch me, I frowned and pressed, "They won't have the person you are looking for."

"How do you know?" She asked calmly with steady eyes on mine.

"Because Ino, you are normal," my tone was harsh as I tried to speak reason, "Normal as in you don't shoot the first thing you see- you don't kill a human being just for the clothes off their back! That's what that village is about, I can feel it; and if you are normal Ino, then the person you were traveling with is bound to have a conscious as well."

She didn't look convinced, but I only continued to speak, "That map, I could help you with it. We will search for a land mark, go down a main high way and find a big town. Once we've got a big town and we can spot it on the map, we can find East and West by the sun rise and sun set. After that, we will be able to get where you need to go."

"And you are willing to help me with all of that?" Her voice was cold in tone as her blue eyes stared at mine, "You are willing to simply tag along and help me get a decent footing just for the map? It could take months just to find a city, and I'm supposed to believe that you will join the ride?"

"Yes," I answered. She watched me for a moment, but tore her gaze away from me eventually. As she did, I whispered, "I don't have anything I'm working for but survival. I've been traveling with Wawick, and each day all we do is wander, find a town, search for clothes, food, and maybe a bed to sleep in. Each day, that's what our life is about."

I glanced at black German Shepherd, his yellow eyes blinking while looking into mine. With a sigh, I continued, "Each day, we life with only goal, and that is to survive. Except for our life, we have nothing to lose. But you Ino, you have something to lose if you don't keep moving… so I want to help."

"You don't have to do this," She murmured after a moment, rolling back over to her side as she laid down , "You've already done enough."

I lay back down as well, but kept my arm at my side, "And I'm willing to do more. Just let us help."

"It's probably a waste of time," she stated after a couple of minutes of silence.

"Not if we work for it," I answered, "So I promise… I'll help you remember everything you lost."

It was a heavy promise, one I doubted I could keep. But the warmth of her beside me was something I knew I would miss if I had let her go on alone. I was sure of it, while I slept with her in that tent that night- I was sure that if I had let her go and I was to be left by myself once again, I would slowly grow insane from the lonely nights.

Slowly lose my sanity with the loss of something so simple as comforting warmth through the night.

There we go! I've always wanted to write this type of story. You know, the world is out of order and now everyone is just basically surviving. I have tried... 3 times in total with this type of stories? All usually fell off because I couldn't find the motivation to write it. BUT I like the way I set this one up and how it starts off with them meeting. So, this should be great.

Anyway, no worries, Dawnstar will still be updated most likely by tonight. You know, for those who are interested.

Tell me what ya think.

Shycadet loves, out.