Lumenatrum back with Ch 10 of Spiral Tailed.

First off, I want to apologize. Most of this delay was out of my hands. Homework and distractions were keeping me from doing this. Also, my home computer has this program that I don't like to work with. I have to work with my grandmother's computer to fully feel that the work is good. I will try not to let it get so delayed.

Disclaimer: I don't own the Naruto series. This is chapter ten, you should know that by now.

Story, that is where we are going.

Bird

Naruto yawned as he and Tayuya walked a beaten path that winded through a vast field. Information they got from the last village they passed through, had told them to follow a path that was usually used for business between two political centers in the border country they had entered. When they first entered, they didn't expect the country to be so sporadically settled. The first town they went through was half a week trek from the border. When they got their directions, the destination was considered to take five days to get to.

All of that considered, Tayuya was a little uneasy as to if the mission was still up for grabs. When they first heard and went to accept the mission, it took them almost a week to get to the border from where they were. Then four to the next town, and three to the one they received info from. Now the three days they used while on foot, and considering how long it might have took the ones Naruto eavesdropped to get to that town, it was not likely the job was able to be taken anymore.

But Naruto still had hopes, if not was sure, that the job was still open. To that, Tayuya sighed, the boy's attitude familiar by that time. The boy was kind of an open book, or a fifty-foot sign, to her. Although in reality they hardly shared anything, if they shared at all. In a way they only knew basics about each other. Tayuya knew more, only because every event since their meeting gave on a lot about the blonde.

"What are you thinking about?" Tayuya heard from her side. She was about to answer "us" but decided against it in the face of the chaos that response could only lead to. "Everything." Was what she came up with. It was vague, yet to the point, and good enough, since Naruto didn't prod. But instead, he spoke back, "I know, just one thing after another. But things should settle down." He grinned, "Since, you know, we aren't being tailed anymore." Tayuya nodded back, and they settled back to walking in silence.

Some time later, the sun started to set. Tayuya yawned heavily. "Sleepy?" Naruto asked with a grin. "Of course." was the response. They had skipped rest the night before to save time. After receiving Tayuya's answer, Naruto decided for them to stop. Naruto unloaded his pack, and emptied the contents form it. Naruto was unhappy to find that Tsume Akuma had torn up another one of his shirts. He glared at the claws, which so gingerly lay on the ground. That had been the fifth shirt, leaving him only seven more. It seemed as though the claws liked to destroy his pajama shirts only, which Naruto grumbled at and Tayuya laughed calling it 'divine justice' to his wardrobe. He had one pajama shirt left.

"Dammit." Naruto moaned out. "Why don't you just seal them?" Tayuya suggested. Naruto looked at her and began to scratch the back of his head. That was all the answer she needed. "You don't know how to seal?" she asked with sight disbelief. Naruto shook his head. "Do you have any sealing scrolls?" Tayuya asked, trying to help his since she knew. Naruto answered with a question, "Why would someone who doesn't know how to seal, keep sealing scrolls?" Tayuya was a little pissed from Naruto's response, "Sorry, just trying to f*****g help."

"Do you know how to seal things into a person's arm?" Naruto asked. Tayuya shook her head, "No, we weren't taught that. Besides tattoos aren't my thing." Naruto nodded, "Yeah, no need in desecrating your skin." Both their minds went off on how that could be interpreted, and both of them interpreted it as him complementing her skin. Their faces grew red, and Naruto suggested getting camp ready.

A fire crackled in the middle of the camp Naruto had setup off the path. They sat on mats that they were going to sleep on. The mats were cradled near the warmth of the fire, but not too close as for the mats to catch on fire. Their eyes were locked on the fire that danced to the front of them. The weather in the country was like that of a desert. Not surprising, since to the east was a desert that the country shared with Wind. The day was hot and dry, while the night was close to freezing. Not as bad as the desert, but it was getting close.

Tayuya sat at the end of her mat, closer to the fire, hugging her knees. Naruto had his coat so he wasn't as affected by the climate. He had suggested for her to wear one of his spares but she refused. He didn't know why she was so averse to wearing his coat, since she was already wearing some pants and a shirt of his. She said it was because it was the color, and it being a noticeable target. It was crap, since they were not in a mission yet.

He dropped it because he hated being ridiculed on his clothes. He hadn't had a stealth mission in his life, so what was the big deal if he wore it. He liked the color, and wasn't just going to drop in because of everyone else's opinion. When he got his stealth and assassination missions, then, he would put it away until he came back from the mission. He was a genin, he could wear his casual's during a mission.

Naruto sighed and laid back. His mat parted when he did. It was yet another thing the claws had cut. He wished for a way to know things that he didn't.

He sat back up and brought his palm to his face. He remembered the library he had seen in his mind back when the Kyuubi first was absorbed into him.

He asked Tayuya to keep an open eye, in case of any thing. He closed his eyes, and pulled himself into his mindscape.

Naruto found himself sitting in one of the chairs that surrounded the table in the center chamber. He looked around finding every thing. He walked south to find the alcove of doors. He remembered that straight-ahead lead to the room that locked the Kyuubi's chakra inside. The left, iron, door he remembered had an odd foreboding feeling to it. And finally to the right was the library.

Naruto slid open the door and scanned the entire room. The shelves were filled to overflow with works; any of them could hold some kind of jutsu. He walked down the room, looking over all the scrolls and books the room held. He spied out some of titles of the work, finding out that none of them were shelved in any particular order. He walked all the way to the end, and fell over a table he forgot was there. The table and himself flipped over and found themselves on the ground. He groaned as he got up. Two works caught his eye; a scroll that read spirit jutsu and a tome of some kind with a title that read Rise and Fall of the Only King of Kitsune. He flipped through the book, finding out it was about the life of the Kyuubi. He was going to read it, but the scroll was about jutsu.

Naruto pulled it open, finding that he already read the first jutsu on the list. Kisune-bi No Jutsu[1], Naruto wondered if he could do it now that he absorbed the Kyuubi. He went through the appropriate hand signs and focused on the wall to the front of him. He opened his mouth and a small fireball shot out. Naruto felt as though it was more than slightly like Sasuke's, but that bastard could die now for all he cared.

Naruto then remembered that the jutsu could also shoot the fire out of his limbs. Naruto formed the seals and pointed his finger forward, causing the fire to blast from the tip of the finger. He did it again, this time his endeavors earning his lightning to blast from his finger. Naruto smiled at the stream of electricity as it shot from his palm.

He performed the jutsu many more times and by the time he stopped the wall was broken and charred.

Naruto read through more, performing different jutsu as he read them. It was a while before he remembered the task at hand. He was about to put down the scroll when some thing caught his eye. Kengen no jutsu[2]. He read the purpose:

For the manifestation of objects into either world, mental or material world. Used along with a protective jutsu it can enable secret meeting places in the mental realm. It can also allow items particular to ones mind to be allowed into tangibility. But remember if the object is destroyed in its original realm it will cease to exist in the other realm.

Naruto made note of this jutsu and made sure to memorize it. As soon as he was definite that the jutsu was memorized he went to look for sealing jutsu. Naruto went down each shelf and spied at the titles of each work. He found most of the works were history, and that they went extensively onto some subjects. Some had specialty works like formal ethics on a variety of species, and how to make certain medicine. Then he found what was likely the work he was looking for, Ninja Jutsu.

He took the scroll from its place and pulled it open. The scroll was considerably big and soon Naruto found himself struggling to keep the paper in order. Trying to not do any damage as he did, Naruto made his way to the table in the back, at least there he could make sure that the bulk was a little stationary.

He laid the scroll on the table as soon as he got there and stated to check the scroll out. Within a minute Naruto found what he was looking for. It was an arm sealing jutsu, similar to that of Stripe's arm seals. The jutsu was also simple enough for him to take out and put back the claws any time he wanted. Right next to it was a scroll sealing jutsu. Naruto smiled at his luck. It was then that Naruto spied the Hone Saisei No Jutsu. Naruto was going to make note of it when repercussions dawned on him. If he healed her fully, she would have the ability to leave. She would not have a reason to stay with him. He would be by himself again.

He closed the scroll, asking to be selfish a little longer.

With his goal reached he left the mindscape.

Tayuya sat there in front of the fire, still clutching her knees. She shivered, the temperature getting to her. See turned her eyes onto Naruto, she wondered as to what he was doing. It looked like he was meditating to her. He didn't seem to be the one to stay still like that. She yawned loudly, and cursed him for asking her to stay awake and keep watch. The wind picked up and she hugged her legs more.

Then an idea dawned onto her. Leaning on some one for body heat warms a body, and the benefits were given to two people. So, then Naruto should not mind her just rubbing up against him.

She shuffled up to Naruto, taking in the immediate warmth the boy seemed to let off. She didn't know why but it felt awkward to do this. Her mind was contemplating the ways Naruto could perceive her action. He could twist it into cuddling, and ridicule her for it. Or he could call it cuddling and take part in it as such. But, all her worries melted, as the cold did, from her. She got comfortable and started to close her eyes. But she didn't want to get caught in a position where she could not defend herself, so she stood awake. She sighed and looked up into the sky. She admired all the stars that twinkled down upon them. She seen the moon high in the sky, full and in all its glory.

Moments passed and she thought that maybe that Naruto fell asleep. Then the thought that maybe he was screwing with her came to mind. She looked straight into his face, trying to find fraud in his face. She found nothing, until his eyes opened suddenly. She jumped back quickly, hurting herself as she did. She groaned as Naruto became aware of his surroundings. "Are you okay?" He asked shuffling up to her. She nodded slightly and got into a sitting position. Naruto looked at her, concerned, for a while before he met her eyes and looked away.

Tayuya noticed this, but to steer away from what would undoubtedly be an awkward conversation, she didn't ask why he did that. Instead she said, "What the hell were you doing that involved you sitting there like a statue?" Naruto didn't say anything, but decided on demonstrating. He walked over to the claws that he named the devil in his eyes. He bit his thumb on his left hand, and drew the blood from the new wound. He used the blood to draw onto his arm and make the special seals for the sealing. With the blood hardening on his arm, and the seal completed Naruto gabbed one of the claws in a way to not cut himself and channeled chakra into them. He put the claws up to the seal and in a poof of smoke and a pop, the claws were gone and the seal glowed for seconds before settling into a black color. Tayuya watched in awe as he repeated the process for his other arm.

Soon he was finished and looked at Tayuya with triumph and the want of praise. She yelled at him, "What the f**k! Not even an hour ago you said that you could not seal anything! And now you have done some limb sealing s**t!" Naruto cowered as Tayuya went off on him. He tried to explain but each time a word came out of his mouth she yelled louder. Naruto waited until she stopped to take a breath and, very quickly, explained himself, "I am sorry but there is this place in my mind where I can read all of the Kyuubi's knowledge and him being a immortal means his knows a lot and ninja jutsu is included." By the time Naruto finished he had to wheeze out his breaths. It took Tayuya a while to register all of Naruto's words but in the end all she needed to do was look for deceit. She looked directly into Naruto's eyes, much to his discomfort. She searched for anything that prove he was or was not lying.

She nodded when she accepted the explanation. Then a thought passed though her head. "Did you find that jutsu? You know the one for my legs?" Her eyes glistened with hope, something Naruto regretted since he took a peak towards them. "No." he said, admittedly a little to fast and high pitched, fortunately, for him, she didn't catch it. But a frown did play on her face, to Naruto's displeasure. "Fine," she started downtrodden, "Let's just go to sleep." With that she walked to her mat and laid on it. Naruto's face held a frown for a while, but when he heard her say go to sleep, he fell to the mat without question.

"You refused the mission earlier, because you did, it was unsuccessful. Not only that we have found two anbu to be traitors to Konoha, and lost one in the process. Now normally rooting out a traitor is a happy event, but not when it costs us a mission, and a vital chance to retrieve a… misguided soul. I will be lenient and ask what you think should be done as punishment."

"Nothing." Kakashi answered. Tsunade tensed up at Kakashi's word. She looked up at the jonin, after doing so well not to look up at him to try to show her disappointment. She needed anger now and a direct stare conveys just that. Kakashi didn't cower; he didn't even react. He stood there nonchalant; his book in hand, pretending that he was not worried in the slightest. But this was the Hokage for god's sake. A death glare form any hokage would have sent a shiver down his spine, especially when the one in front of him could kill him with her finger.

"Nothing Kakashi? You propose we do nothing for your punishment?" Tsunade's voice cracked as she said that, but remained intimidating all the same. Kakashi flipped a page of the book before saying, "Yeah." with his powerful vocabulary. "And," he went on, "we shouldn't do anything about Naruto either." The air around Tsunade changed, "What?" she said with a false saccharine smile upon her face. "Let me explain." Kakashi started. "If we go after him now it would not do anything. Naruto is like an ox when it comes to stubbornness, he won't change his mind no matter what. Not when all the village has to offer him is their glares. And he would reject us because, of the villagers display after the little light show." Kakashi finished and let it sink in.

"But, that does not mean I will give up. Naruto may be stubborn, but I am more stubborn. You are going on the next mission, against your will if it be, and will do nothing to sabotage it. If you do your rank and rights as a ninja will be revoked and you will be put in Konoha's prison, with traitors. Do you hear what I am saying Hatake? You would be in the same position your 'star' pupil is now." Tsunade took a breath, "You're dismissed."

Kakashi left out the door, not turning back to Tsunade.

"Finally we're here!" Naruto exclaimed as the two entered the town. He laughed delightedly to himself. Tayuya quieted him down. "So." She began, "Where are we going?" Naruto gave her a big smile, "I don't know." He said plainly. It would be an understatement to say Tayuya did a little twitch when he said that. "Let's ask around" Naruto said before Tayuya could yell at him.

Naruto walked up to a woman walking in the street. "Excuse me, do you know where I can find a Toritarō?" Naruto asked the woman. The lady seem to ponder this for a while before she answered, "The only one I can think of is the one that is trying to running for daimyo. He is usually in his small estate, almost directly west of here." Naruto bowed to the woman saying his thanks. He turned to Tayuya and nodded.

--Time-skip

Naruto looked up at the destination that they were lead to. It seemed that Toritarō was actually well to do. He lived inside of what seemed to be a small mansion on a good plot of land. The house seemed to loom over the rest of the village, except for some buildings that were more official. The mansion was enclosed by a large gate, which spanned around the land.

Tayuya was about to walk up to the gate and knock to come in when Naruto swooped her up in his arms and jumped over the gate. Before she could question Naruto said, "It would be good to make an impression on the client to sneak up on him." Tayuya blinked at his reasoning and said, "Or, I could alarm him and we get chased out by whatever guards or security he has in this place."

"Well, we are going to find that out now aren't we." Naruto said with a smirk. Tayuya twitched as Naruto jumped up to the highest room in the mansion, a lone figure in the room.

"Dammit, dammit, dammit!" a lone man squawked in his room that overlooked most of his village, or what would be his. He was pacing back and forth, grunting and groaning for what has been all day. A ritual that has become his usual for what was weeks now. "How could he take so long?" the man asked himself.

The man's name was Toritarō, a man that came form a well-to-do family. He grew up privileged, and even after his parents' death he held a strong mound of money around him, and his inheritance wasn't included.

He was a pale man, which was abnormal considering the blinding heat and sunshine the country got almost year 'round. His eyes were small and beady, and were brimmed with a want, of what, he only knew. He was relatively tall in size but had a portly look to him. His hair was jet black and thinning on top. The man seemed to like diagonal stripes to since his clothes were all in that pattern, including his shoes.

"Dammit, Gin, it is your one chance, you better not have screwed it up." The man snarled under his breath. "Who's Gin?" Toritarō heard from behind him. He turned to see a blonde male sitting in his chair and redheaded female sitting on the desk behind him.

Immediately he lightened up, an aura of happiness seeming to radiate off of him. Toritarō rubbed his hands together, and scuffled his feet up to the two. "Oh thank you for coming. So what do I have mercenaries or just some hired blade?" Naruto and Tayuya exchanged glances, and then Naruto dove into his pack, uncovering his headband. Toritarō's eyes lit up like fireworks, "I got a ninja, yes, yes, I definitely have fortune to thank." Toritarō said nodding. He ran up to Naruto, taking the headband out of the blonde's hand. He examined the symbol etched into the metal. There was a squeal like sound that resonated from Toritarō. "Not only a ninja, but a leaf at that." Toritarō made small little sounds that disturbed Naruto and Tayuya.

All the while they were watching him in his display, Naruto was only slightly disturbed, while Tayuya cringed at the man. And the man hadn't stopped; nay he went on scuffling around his room, making sounds that would be disturbing from any grown male. Although he was enjoying how Tayuya was reacting to the man, Naruto cleared his throat. Toritarō looked back at the two and immediately straightened up and walked up to the two, and all around looked a lot more dignified.

"Yes, so, I have assurance you know what I want you to do?" Toritarō said, his voice either playing itself deeper, or he had just gotten serious. Naruto got up from the chair, "Yeah, we know you need a hit. But, for what, we don't know." Toritarō nodded, "Yes I wanted to attract those who work for pennies, since they are usually the most silent. Those two did a good job." Naruto's right brow rose above his left. "So those two were hired?" he asked. Toritarō made a slight thinking gesture, "I suppose you could say that, but, enough about those two. Let's get down to business." Toritarō took his seat behind his desk and faced the two that stood before him.

"Now do you two need back ground, or can I go on without telling you anything?" Toritarō asked. Naruto thought for a second then answered, "Background sounds okay." Toritarō nodded, "First you need to know I am one who is an active participant in government. And, I have always wanted to hold an official office in this town. Unfortunately, my opponent for an office in this city is better liked among its people than me. The two of us are the only one who are running for that office, so, if he disappeared, so do my troubles. That is where you two come in, I need you to kill Nekomaru to get the platform of daimyo."

Again Naruto and Tayuya exchanged glances and finally Tayuya spoke up, "Isn't usually the cat that goes after the bird?" came her cheeky remark. Toritarō's expression did not change form at all, "Girl, word play is not wanted at the time. This is serious, I need this position, and it is in my blood. My father held the position and so did my grandfather. And I am not letting some damn election by the people change that. Ever since the shogun changed the process of choosing a successor, I have slowly felt the position slip from my grasp. I will be daimyo, if skinning a cat is needed, so be it."

"Now you're using word play." Tayuya pointed out. Toritarō crossed his arms, "If a metaphor is needed to avoid the word, I will use it." Tayuya raised an eyebrow, "What 'death'?" Toritarō squirmed at the word. "Don't say that word!" he said. "Death?" she asked again. Toritarō squirmed again. Tayuya started to laugh, "You're afraid of the word 'death'?" Again he squirmed. Tayuya laughed harder, "A man scared of a word! My sides are splitting!"

Whether she was kidding or really cracking up when she started rolling on the floor, Naruto didn't know, but he continued the conversation with his new client. "You want him… skinned in any particular fashion." He said careful not to refer to killing or death. Toritarō nodded, "Yes, yes, I would like you to do it silently. So it would be good if you do it at night, since he is less alert at night that he is in the day."

Naruto nodded, and picked up the still laughing Tayuya from the ground. "You're going a little too far with this." Naruto said to her. "B-b-but it's so funny!" She said back trying to regain her breath. Naruto sighed, and jumped out the window, finding that the sun was setting and his job wasn't too far off.

End of chapter 10. heh, it was as long as a normal chapter. Sorry, I wanted to have it as long as I can get it but the end of the month is dawning, and putting it off more when I could post it now didn't seem smart to me. Besides, I would probably procrastinate.

[1] Kitsune-bi no Jutsu- Kind of the art of fox fire. I am one who loves the myths and lore of another country so it try to put it in my works.

[2]Kengen no Jutsu- technique of manifestation. (As always the site is kind of bad so don't trust it too much.)

With that review, and later.