A/N: Okay, so nobody cry, scream or panic. Have no fear for your sanity- this is the elusive, incredibly overdue eleventh chapter of Bared Naked and you are not imagining it. Despite what I posted on my profile, I'm postponing rewriting this story before posting new chapters because I deemed it cruel and unusual punishment for everyone who has been patiently (and not so patiently) awaiting this brand spanking new chapter. Please enjoy.

Chapter Ten: Reunion

The Nine-Tails, the supreme leader of the Kitsune species, stared down in amusement at the sight before her, openly laughing at the lone kitsune standing against her and her army. He was in his hybrid form, displaying qualities of both kitsune and human, and across his back was the emblem for his –now dead- company, the crowned phoenix. A mere five tails, the kitsune glared up at her but the act of defiance would probably have been more effective if his life blood hadn't been slowly bleeding out through the wounds of all shapes and sizes littering the small, hunching form. The injuries bled freely as he panted for breath, bright crimson footprints trailing behind him showing the wobbly route he had traveled into the room and probably also marked the path he had taken to here as fast as possible.

"So, little soldier, as the last survivor of your company, will you choose to join me of your own free well or do I just make you a puppet?"

The Tenko laughed, and so did all the other kitsunes assembled in the clearing, some out of genuine amusement, some out of fear, save the soldiers directly surrounding the Nine-Tails. This section remained eerily silent and the lack of sound and movement drew more attention to the group than any sign ever could. Implying the threat better than anything else ever could.

Dejection weighed heavily upon the five-tail's already slumping shoulders as it looked into the lifeless eyes of the Tenko's new collection of personal guards, the pale faces staring blankly ahead sightlessly. He felt tears prickle, its sight blurring as it automatically began matching faces with names, of recognizing the scents of each individual underneath the cloying odor of… being no more. The five-tails swallowed back the bitter bile and anger rising in his throat, the memories of the once lively group forever sullied.

"Do you like them?" The Nine-Tails asked, idly reaching a paw out to stroke a claw delicately over the back of one of her guards. Karasu, the infamously stubborn leader of company two, didn't react in the slightest to the fondling, the two headed dragon symbol she had once been so proud of now soiled and ragged, bloodstained by some wound that could not be seen. "They refused to follow me initially but, as you can see, I've… swayed them to my way of thinking. Now they're my perfectly obedient servants."

Because the dead were far beyond any capacity to care about the affairs of the living.

Rage built up within the Five-Tails. Their Tenko had slaughtered all potential replacements should she be removed from power, had stolen their lives, ripped out their souls and denied their flesh peace. She had destroyed their honor and tarnished the honor of kitsunes everywhere all to satisfy her insatiable greed and lust for power! This was not what Inari had intended and could not be allowed to continue!

"You are not my Tenko." The Five-Tails was close to collapse but his voice and his outrage was clear, and the words carried easily over all assembled.

The audience chamber fell silent and a wave of fear washed over them all, eddying around and gaining momentum to become an almost tangible film in the air, creating a kind of feedback loop that only made things worse. The kitsunes forced to bear witness to the Tenko's conquest of the last holdout were all afraid, all so very afraid and the room stank with, overwhelming and their collective senses until they could feel nothing else.

"What?" This was no longer amusing to the Nine-Tails and that one word cracked like a whip through the room, holding the promise of severe punishment for the offender or for whoever she decided to vent her anger on. As if to drive this point home, the Tenko's paw stretched and elongated into something vaguely humanoid and she wrapped those long fingers absently around one of her silent guards, squeezing as the silence stretched and the fear built.

"You are not my Tenko!" The Five-Tails yelled, incensed as his fury snowballed. The other members of his unit were dead, sacrificed for his protection so that he could report news from the frontlines. They had been overwhelmed, the humans were being slaughtered by the Hounds, and all of it had been planned by one of the very Pillars charged with keeping everyone safe. His company… his friends… sacrificed as pawns for this farce.

He could not let it end here, could not let such an atrocity stand. He was the last holdout, the last kitsune remaining barrier of defiance, and he had to try to stop this. He glared at the Nine-Tails and prayed, prayed long and hard not to her but for Inari to give him the strength needed, for the god to step in and stop this fiasco before there was nothing left-!

But no sign appeared and he felt no different than he had before praying. There would be no divine intervention to stop the insanity; just one single dying kitsune against the supposed living embodiment of their deity.

Hidden behind the Tenko's fingers, there was an audible snap as bones popped under pressure and a gush of red fountained forth from between those long, cruel fingers to puddle on the floor as Karasu was finally allowed peace.

Something brushed against the defiant kitsune's cheek, a gentle caress that reassured him, easing all doubts, telling him that he was not wrong in his conclusions. This was not Inari's way and he had to do what he could while he could before he, too, ventured to the Great Den after Karasu's freed soul. Bidding the spirit thanks and praying for its safe journey, the five tails forced himself to stand at his full height, ignoring the resulting pain as he did so, and in the back of his mind, he silently began reciting the Final Prayer in preparation, his training automatically kicking in.

~Inari, who guides our souls from the Great Den, I beg you to guide me to sit at your side in your sanctuary … ~

The Five-Tailed kitsune, his true name now lost to history, stared up at the Nine Tails and screamed wordlessly, a tortured sound that seemed to come from deep within the figure as it gave voice to the emotions roiling inside him. There was rage and agony, fear and despair and all of that came spilling forth as the defiant figure managed to form words of power, suddenly glowing brilliantly like a star fallen to earth. "I renounce you! You are not my Tenko! You are not Inari's chosen!"

~… to allow me to run in the forests where there is never any hunger, where there is no thirst, where there is no want or fear or loneliness …~

Pulling his twin swords, he charged her, the equivalent of a light bulb taking on a sun, and prayed with everything he had as the false god retaliated, sending her puppets to stop him. As he cut through the bodies of friends, of playmates from childhood, he prayed, for his people, for Inari to protect them from her and from themselves, for Inari to not abandon his servants due to the action of one no matter how heinous. They had been without a proper guide for so long that they had gotten lost on the path He had laid out generations and wars and countless deaths ago-

~…Where all are welcome, where all are happy, where there is only play and laughter and love until the Great Ending of the Cycle…~

-More wounds, more lost blood, his vision cluttered with gray shapes that would not go away even as he bared his teeth. He cut and he hacked recklessly, chest heaving for breath as he fought through to her-

~…Please guide me, Inari, to that place when my soul is freed from the confines of my mortal body…~

-There was a blow, a searing, blinding blow and he stumbled to the side, his nervous system belatedly registering that he suddenly only had one arm-

~…Because I fear that I will be unable to find it on my own. Amen.~

Another hit and then crushing weight as the thing grabbed him, squeezing the breath from his lungs, the life from his body. He gasped uselessly, choking, eyes rolling and as his heart beat raced in his ears, he remembered a portion from The Story That Began All Stories, and it played in his head as the false god vented its anger at being defied.

And false gods really hated being defied. Really, really hated to be defied, and so in her rage she tore him to pieces as she tried to wring a scream from him…

…but Inari smiled, stroking the fox spirit's ear tenderly, and all at once she could see it, see the peaceful place he described and feel that the concepts of pain or fear were foreign and indeed unheard of there. Warmth stole over her, begging her to walk forward toward the sanctuary her god had created for his servants, but the kitsune remained firm and sat on the cold ground that made up the bed of earth for what had been her body.

…But the Five-Tails resisted her to the end, never giving her the satisfaction, and laughed in her face until the last breath left his body. In the black that overtook his vision, light blossomed, and he knew intuitively that he was seeing a place that did not exist in this realm, that existed separately from the struggles of reality. Distantly he could make out familiar shapes waving at him, familiar faces that he knew were gone, whose bodies he had witnessed become still and silent, but were now whole and clean and smiling!

With a final pull, he was free from the body of flesh he had inhabited for so many Cycles, and for a moment he was nearly overcome by the sudden sense of loss that pervaded him over this fact. But then that sadness was overcome, swept away as the joyous urge to run filled him, and then he was running, reaching for the others and the only thought left was 'Home!'

***

Kisame studied the tower before him with a frown, idly running his thumb over the small decorative skull at the end of Samehada's hilt. He had calmed enough on his way over here to not recklessly launch into an attack on the building immediately in an effort to finish his lone task and return to his partner and so the missing nin stood, examining his target.

In the middle of nowhere, outwardly there was nothing remarkable about it other than the fact that paper talismans had been strung at regular intervals all along the outer walls, indicating that it was obviously meant to be some sort of prison. A very special prison if the seals were any indication, Kisame decided with a snort. Some of the jutsus were simply chakra suppressing or chakra absorbing but there were some that were more intricate, ones that Kisame was not familiar with, and he puzzled over them in a brief indulgence of curiosity.

Not that it mattered since, in a few seconds none of it would exist but he former Mist ninja continued to stare at the elaborate talismans, brows furrowing at the complicated Sanskrit writing until a nasty smile lit his features. He recognized one of the characters and he stared at the scrawling symbol for demon, smiling toothily. No wonder the Kyuubi wanted this place gone- Konoha had created a place to safely lock it away. He walked forward and carefully peeled one of the talismans off, ignoring the bite and sting of electricity as it arched across tower's surface in response, trying to drive him away. He ignored the pain as he worked and, when he finished, Kisame carefully rolled the seal up, tucking it safely into an inner pocket of his cloak.

Stepping back, Kisame put his hands together and used one of his most destructive jutsus to destroy the building, leaving only small pieces of rubble in its place. What remained of the talismans were worthless now, the ink running in illegible streams as water soaked into the stiff paper, and, task complete, the former Mist ninja walked away to retrieve the bag Kyuubi had ordered him to take with him. Why the hell he had had to take kittens on this mission, Kisame didn't understand, and he hefted the bag roughly, unable to suppress his disdain over being ordered about.

A tugging sensation in his chest caught his attention, making him pause mid step and put a hand over the spot where the feeling seemed to originate. Rubbing vigorously for several moments did nothing to relieve the feeling and Kisame frowned irritably, growling to himself about it as he began moving back the way he had come in an attempt to ease the sense of urgency abruptly plaguing him.

***

Kyuubi had been right about her inability to defend herself and her kunai went spinning, embedding itself an inch from Kazuki's left ear in the trunk of a tree where he stood on the other side of the small clearing.

The bite of the blade was sharp and immediate and the Nine-Tails allowed herself the wince that crossed her features as the dagger impaled her palm, her barrowed body's long fingers instinctively covering the shallow hand guard to grasp it firmly and use it as a hand hold to disarm her attacker. Forcing chakra into her legs, ignoring the pain that lanced upward from her knees and ankles suddenly being forced to move after such a long period of staying stationary, Kyuubi leapt backwards out of reach while yanking the stolen dagger from her wounded hand. The adrenaline pumping through her system muted the resulting pain, allowing her to concentrate on the individual as she surreptitiously worked her joints in preparation for a lot of wear and tear.

The identity of her attacker was hidden beneath the oversized hood of the long coat he wore and the rest of the protective clothing adorning his hands and feet. By scent alone she knew he was male and the feel of the energy spilling out from his body and the quickness of his movements as he pulled another weapon from his back screamed that that he was a kitsune. No human, even a shinobi, moved that fast, not without chakra helping the movement along. The new dagger glittered in the sunlight, catching the light and making it dance as the wielder whirled it with long practiced ease. His blade, she realized, was identical to the one she had just taken from him moments earlier, the markings decorating the hilts written in the Old Language that had once long ago been the common tongue of this land.

"I declare single combat!" Kyuubi hissed, catching movement from Kazuki and Eiki out the corner of her eye. The pair appeared unarmed as they abruptly stopped closing in but that meant nothing since any kitsune worth his or her salt was a master of illusion. "No one interferes until the match is over!"

The Lords and Ladies sat back immediately, giving Kyuubi the sneaking, sad suspicion that they had no qualms about their ruler being killed before their eyes. Even Selene made no protest, no move to intervene or argue, her lovely pale face smoothing out into a blank expression that gave no sense of emotion. Nope, no qualms at all, not even from her former lover. Kyuubi ignored the ache in her heart born from this realization and mentally pushed aside the sense of betrayal gnawing at her.

Naruto's omai-toh understandably were unhappy but they obeyed. Looking vaguely amused, Eiki glanced over the new arrival before turning his attention back to Atarah and the others, while Kazuki remained as he was, calm and focused as he scanned their surroundings. Frowning, his irritation evident, Shinju kept his hands on Itachi, absently petting the brunet to keep his hands busy while the coming fight played out. There was no guarantee that the trio wouldn't simply jump in if it looked like she was losing and this fact was both irritating and comforting as Kyuubi squared off across from her opponent, remaining still as she concentrated on her attacker, keeping her grip on her sword loose as she looked for potential openings.

"No magic." And again the hooded kitsune's voice was quiet, giving no hint or clue as to his emotional state. It was empty, dead. A killing voice. "Just the blade we each hold as we begin."

"Deal!" Kyuubi said with false cheer, giving a mock salute with the tip of her weapon, adrenaline already flooding her system, filling her with a false sense of invincibility.

A heartbeat later, they were both moving, both ducking and weaving with inhuman speed as their blades clashed, the swords seeming to sing as metal collided in blow after blow.

***

"Sakura, there's nothing in this direction but the Forbidden Zone!" Naruto said, having to hurry to keep up with the determined kunoichi. "If we go any further, we'll run into ANBU. We should try another direction."

"No!" Sakura said, landing on a branch and whirling suddenly to face him, shoving a finger so fast into his face that only the blonde's quick reflexes kept her from nearly taking his eye out. "Sasuke is out here somewhere! We've been going around in circles and this is the only place left to search!" Near tears, she turned and cupped her hands over her mouth to magnify her voice as she began shouting. "Sasuke! Sasuke, can you hear me?! SASUKE!"

"Sakura…" Naruto put a hand to his head and prayed for patience, realizing that, as wound up as she was currently, there was no getting through to his teammate. It was difficult to process the possibility that they could have lost the Uchiha so soon after just getting him back. Naruto felt a pang in his heart at the thought and swallowed hard before shaking the thoughts away. Sasuke was missing, but so were Hinata and Neji, and perhaps running into the ANBU would help Sakura put things in perspective, like that not only was Sasuke a priority.

"Forget the Uchiha!" Kiba yelled, landing beside him with Akamaru. Dismounting from the dog, the brunet cupped his hands over his mouth and began shouting as well. "Hinata, Hinata are you here? HIN-AH -Taahhhhh!"

Landing beside Naruto, Lee began to lift his hands to his mouth and the blonde quickly grabbed him from behind, covering the taijutsu master's mouth firmly before the other could begin shouting as well.

"Stop, stop! Screaming won't do any good!" Naruto yelled at the other two. "If they'd have been able to answer us then they would have done it long before now!"

"He's hurt." Sakura said, looking desperate. "I mean, they're hurt." She added hastily after a glare from the males with her. "Or are otherwise unable to communicate with us. We should divide the search area and split up into two groups to systematically cover it al-mphf!"

Her instructions were unceremoniously cut off by Naruto's hand as it abruptly covered her mouth, his other hand already pinning her arms tightly to her side. She struggled, outrage clear, and Naruto released her, ignoring the unpleasant threats she hissed as he listened and watched for the fast approaching presence he could feel heading their way. Kiba and Lee apparently felt it too and both took fighting stances beside Naruto as they all stared in the appropriate direction, kunai at the ready.

It was difficult to tell who was more surprised when the foliage parted and the team of genin came face to face with Kisame Hoshigaki. The missing ninja landed gracefully one branch short of their position and frowned at them all, one hand hovering near his sword hilt while the other drifted toward the bag hanging at his side.

There was a silent moment as both sides considered each other but the second was quickly broken by Sakura.

"What have you done with the others?" She demanded, with what Naruto considered overdramatic flare. The kunoichi used the kunai she held to gesture at Kisame defiantly. "Tell us where they are and we'll go easy on you!"

Naruto, Kiba and Lee stared at her in naked disbelief. Had she lost her mind?

Oddly, Kisame seemed to be wondering the same thing and the former Mist ninja looked at the other young males for confirmation as he attempted to conquer a sneer that kept quirking at the corners of his wide mouth.

Somehow, S-class missing ninja or not, the Akatsuki member's expression really pissed the blond off.

"Y, yeah!" Naruto said loudly, stepping forward, one hand already inside his belt pouch. "Tell us where they are and I won't kick your ass from here to Wind Country!" Turning his head and moving his hand to hide his mouth from the enemy, he instructed the others. "I'll keep him busy here while you go search behind him. If he has Hinata and the others, then they can't be far away!"

"Right." Kiba said, Akamaru seconding it with an enthusiastic bark.

"Are you sure you'll be alright?" Lee asked. "Perhaps two on one would be better…"

"We have to assume that the others are hurt and unable to travel on their own." Naruto said harshly, never looking away from Kisame. "Otherwise they would have attempted to contact us by now or escaped. If I'm wrong then one of you can hurry back to help but if I'm right, all of you are gonna need to be there to help carry them! When I attack, get going and don't stop!"

"But-"

"Relax, Sakura!" He turned and grinned at her, winking cheekily. "I'm a one man army- there's no way this goon can beat me!"

"I don't have time to play, brats!" Kisame said, irritation evident. He had a hand on Samehada's hilt but hadn't yet pulled the sword. "Why don't you-"

Naruto launched himself at the missing nin, a blur of orange that forced Kisame to keep moving to avoid the high kicks and solid punches directed at him.

"Go! Go, now!" The blond yelled when he realized his teammates hadn't moved. Despite their doubtful expressions, his voice seemed to startle them into movement and all three quickly vanished among the trees. When he could sense them no longer, Naruto ceased his assault on the former Mist ninja and leapt away to put distance between them.

"Give it up, kid." Kisame said, making a dismissive gesture with his hand. "You don't have a chance against me and we both know it so why don't you go play elsewhere?"

"I wanna know where you got that bag." Naruto said without permeable, gritting his teeth against the immediate urge to retaliate at the jibe. He kept his gaze on Kisame's face but in his peripheral vision he saw that the contents of the bag in question were moving.

"Knock it off, fuzzballs!" Kisame hissed suddenly, reaching inside the bag and pulling out a furry clawing mass.

Naruto gaped, then jabbed a finger at the missing ninja having a staring match with the growling feline. "Is that one of my kittens?! What are you doing with my kittens? Where am I if you have my kittens, damn it!?"

"Shut up! If you want them, you can have them." Without warning, Kisame chucked the kitten he held at the blonde and Naruto had to scramble to catch the terrified feline before it could fall to its death.

"It's okay, little one, shh." He cooed, recognizing and cuddling the blue furred female. Upon finding herself in his hands, she immediately began purring and crawled up onto his shoulder, working herself deeper into the juncture between his neck and shoulder. "Yeah, I'm glad to see you to- AH! Stop you monster!"

Pinning the female with his chin, Naruto had to drop his weapons and used both hands to catch the two other kittens abruptly sent sailing through the air toward him. Catching them awkwardly, terrified that he would drop them, the blonde clasped the pair to his chest protectively, cradling them as he cursed at Kisame. "You bastard! How could you do that to three defenseless- Hey, get back here, Asshole!"

Quickly securing the three kittens inside his jacket, Naruto automatically followed after the fleeing missing ninja, intent on getting answers about not only the kittens but also about the seal etched into Kisame's forehead.

***

The swords chimed one more time, hitting a pure high note that marked the end of the dance before one blade went spinning in a wide arch, burying itself deep in the ground a hair's width from Atarah's knees.

"I win." Kyuubi said, panting, letting her ragged voice echo with malice as it washed over them all, daring any of them to challenge her lawful victory. She didn't dare take her eyes off her enemy, trusting Naruto's omai-toh to keep her safe from unseen attacks as she kept her attention focused on the body a twitch away from being impaled by her sword. She had to struggle to control her breathing, to keep it even and hide the fact that she was completely out of breath. "I have defended my right to hold this territory against challengers and as its ruler, I order the lot to leave! You have exceeded your welcome by leaps and bounds and if you are not gone in five seconds, I will remove your heads."

They all began talking at once, becoming an irritating cacophony of noise as they attempted to drown each other out. In her peripheral vision, she could see Kazuki wince and Eiki clamp his hands over his ears. Unable to afford showing such weakness Kyuubi nonetheless wished that she could do the same.

"SILENCE!" Fed up, she held up a hand to forestall any further comments from them. Remarkably, the gesture worked and in the quiet that followed, she turned to look at the hooded kitsune. "My attacker, do you yield?"

On the ground, keeping his hands in plain view, her opponent nodded shallowly and carefully around the tip of Kyuubi's sword would allow.

"Not good enough." Kyuubi growled. "Let me hear the words of your surrender or I will impale you. I have no mercy left for anyone today."

His voice was steady as he spoke. "I yield to you, great and honorable Kyuubi, and surrender both my flesh and spirit into your service."

Satisfied, Kyuubi handed back the sword but did not offer him a hand up, instead leaving him on the floor as she walked away to deal with her 'guests,' pleased that he remained on the ground.

"Return to your Families and prepare them for travel. Head for the Land of Sacrifice and present yourself to the vessel of Shukaku for inspection. Do not sneak into his territory- he will know and he will have no problem throwing you out…"

"Then we will remove him from power." Atarah cut her off, and something in his expression said that he would be happy to do it.

Kyuubi smiled sweetly at him and let all the barely controlled rage rising within her show. "Then I will rip you limb from limb and leave your Family to fend for themselves as the humans destroy the world around them. We will all be watching from the safety of the Fortress. Have a good time."

Atarah's lips compressed into a thin line as his face paled considerably and sweat began to gather at his temples.

"Anyone else want to comment on what they will or will not do to Gaara? Anyone?" Kyuubi looked at them all and, though the Lords glared mutinously, they and the two Ladies remained blessedly silent.

"Excellent!" She said brightly before her voice dropped several octaves and became nothing but menace. "Now, you will all go and present yourself to Shukaku's kit and remain in his lands until I bid you entrance into the Land that Dances like Flames in the Sunset. That is all. This audience is at an end now get the fuck out of my territory. "

The Lords and Ladies stood and stiffly bowed low, disgruntlement over being dismissed so crudely wafting from them like a bad perfume but unable to complain about it. Kyuubi wrinkled her nose as she watched them go, unwilling to take her eyes off them even for a moment as bitter anger curled in her gut. She had proven that, even in this form, she could still defend herself against another kitsune warrior, that she could still manipulate magic effectively, that she still had the will and power to turn them all into pretzels at her whim. She had shown that she was still in Inari's favor and that bought her a lot of leeway that she would have to use carefully as she both secured Kit's safety and tried to mitigate the damage set to take place in the near future.

Kyuubi closed her eyes sadly. Stupid, stupid humans.

"Tenko?"

Opening her eyes, the Nine Tails realized that, though the others had obeyed her command, one certain dark haired kitsune had not. Kyuubi immediately felt suspicious of this development, especially when Selene smiled at Kyuubi as she glided over, her movements more graceful than any dancer who had ever lived. Selene was mystery and sexuality given life and, though a wary Kyuubi knew of the other's tricks intimately, the Nine Tails could not help but watch, captivated as the dark haired kitsune put a little extra sway in her step, drawing attention to her slim waist and wide hips, prompting Kyuubi to think of other things…other ideas…

Like that time in the villa by the beach in Greece, back when such a country had existed. They'd made love from dusk till dawn, the sound of the waves crashing against the shore as background music while the moon watched overhead. In the rare instances they went out, they'd been treated as gods, revered by the humans, living in harmony, happy and content as they reveled in one another.

Kyuubi felt a peculiar swelling sensation accompanied by an uncomfortable tightening in her pants and, after a perplexing moment, discovered that her wandering thoughts had caused Naruto's body to physically react. Distracted by the realization that now the Nine Tails could quite literally burry herself deeply inside Selene, Kyuubi took an eager step forward inwardly pleased as Selene's smile widened enticingly, pale arms opening in invitation

And just like that, Kyuubi's world narrowed down to Selene and Selene only. The Nine Tails felt small warning flickers of pain flash through her body as she moved toward the dark haired kitsune but the sensations were immediately dismissed. Nothing else mattered except Selene and getting to her and doing anything she wanted…

Hands suddenly ghosted over Kyuubi's cheeks teasingly just as Shinju's violet eyes entered her field of vision, instantly dimming Selene's sensual pull though Kyuubi could still feel it clinging to her. The adrenaline from the battle and the rush of endorphins from being victorious just seemed to feed the arousal Selene had awoken, making any thought beyond engaging in some sort of sexual act difficult. Shinju wasn't helping either as he closed the small gap between their bodies, pressing against the blonde and letting Kyuubi know that he was ready to consummate his position as one of Naruto's omai-toh.

He was taller than Naruto by several inches but still came up to the blonde's chin when he dropped to his knees, ensuring that Kyuubi did not have to look down too far as she gazed down at him, a flush of warmth tingling along her skin as his fingers traced a path along her jaw line. He smiled up at her gently, a small glimpse of teeth flashed demurely up at her to gain attention, just before warm lips pressed against Kyuubi's collarbone, the small touch making her shudder slightly. One kiss was followed by another, then another, and soon a line of kisses traced a hot line from Naruto's collarbones up to his chin and across the underside of his jaw.

Shinju flicked his tongue out, running it quickly over her bottom lip, doing it again more firmly when Kyuubi made a noise low in her throat and tried to capture his lips. The eight tails stayed just out of reach, though, and it became a game between them, a game the Nine Tails was determined to win.

"That's as far as you go." Kyuubi heard Kazuki say and she automatically turned her head to watch him step in front of an unhappy Selene who had been headed in Kyuubi's direction. As the brunet attempted to pass him, he unceremoniously lifted her over one broad shoulder, holding her there briefly before tipping her backward and allowing her to drop to the floor in a heap. "Tenko told you to leave and you will. Whether you do so under your own power is the only question remaining."

Before any kind of concern or pity could take root inside Kyuubi at the sight, Shinju banished them by claiming Naruto's lips, his tails wrapping possessively around her waist and suddenly Kyuubi couldn't find the energy to be bothered about Selene anymore.

"We should find a den." Shinju whispered, licking at her chin to gain her attention once more. The sounds of a scuffle rose from the direction Kyuubi had just been looking in but Shinju turned her away before she could see what the problem was. "Bespelling the Tenko is quite a feat, even for Selene, and Eiki will enjoy reminding her that such things are unforgivable. Ignore them for now and Let us find a place of safety so that Naruto and I can continue this in private without an audience."

"Audience?" Kyuubi repeated blankly as she pulled at the straps of his light armor. She blinked rapidly, knowing that she should recognize the word and bothered that she couldn't, not with Shinju's scent in her nose, his hands on her skin, and the pounding beat of her heart drowning out all thought.

"You said you were going to heal him!" If the new voice was not enough of a mood killer, the one that came next definitely did the trick.

"I said stop, asshole! Now tell me… Oh gross! Knock it off Kyu!"

Yup, nothing like being caught making out by your Kit to bank the fires of lust.

Kyuubi pushed at Shinju and the kitsune obediently stepped away, giving her space to calm herself as she struggled to come to her senses. Looking upward, she spotted the pair high above on a tree limb, Kisame wearing an expression of anger, Naruto one of horror as he blushed from his neck all the way to the roots of his hair.

"I have upheld my side of the bargain to the letter." The Nine Tails drawled, frowning at Kisame before shifting her attention to the young blonde. "Kit, why are you here? Did you not go out to help look for the missing Hyuugas?"

"Hello Naruto! What's this about the Hyuugas?" Eiki asked, coming with Kazuki to stand near Shinju. "Little Hina-chan and Ne-chan have been abducted?"

The orange eyed kitsune was absently wiping at blood on his claws but he paused to give Shinju an exuberant thumb's up sign that made the Nine Tails arch a brow. With a start, the Nine Tails realized that, not only was Selene mysteriously absent, but so too was the Hound's carcass, and the fox quickly looked around to find them, unsure if she should feel pleased over either fact. Disconcerted, she looked at the ground and found that all traces of her battle with the beast had disappeared; even the shirt she had stripped off was gone.

"Stop calling them that." Kyuubi muttered automatically, eyeing Eiki briefly before returning her gaze to Kisame and Naruto's clone, following the pair as they leapt to the ground not far from her current position. "But yes, Hinata and Neji are missing, as is the newly returned Sasuke Uchiha."

There was a collective growl from the assembled kitsunes at the name before they all spit on the ground in disgust. The gesture was not lost on Kyuubi but she could not fault the others for their continued anger and contempt of the massacred clan, so she ignored their behavior as she watched Kisame head for the Uchiha.

"Are plans being made to find the missing kits?" Shinju asked, his brow puckered in thought. It was an expression he wore often and, if he had been human, there would have been tell tale wrinkles marring the smooth pearl-like skin. "We have not spotted them among the festival traffic going out of the city-"

"Did you give the kittens to this maniac?!" 'Naruto' stormed over indignantly, interrupting their conversation, his hands occupied with balancing the three squirming felines on his shoulders.

Kyuubi ruffled his hair once he was close enough, her hand trailing to pet the kittens in turn."I asked him to take care of them briefly, yes, as he carried out a mission for me."

"Hey guys. What kind of mission?" The clone asked suspiciously, eyeing her up and down briefly before turning to nod at the three kitsunes smiling at him. He looked around the clearing, his eyebrows shooting into his hairline as he noticed the hooded kitsune laying on the ground and the two Akatsuki members. "And who's that on the ground? And- Oh, my God!- is that Itachi U-mphf! "

"No," Kyuubi interrupted, firmly clamping a hand over the clone's mouth before it could reveal the brunet's identity. "That is my new servant…uh…"

The clone arched a brow, waiting for her to say a name, and Kyuubi mentally cursed for not considering this situation earlier. Looking over her shoulder, the Nine Tails looked at the Uchiha as she considered a list of potential names before finally settling on one, feeling it take hold the moment the new name left her lips. "Raven. His name is Raven."

'Naruto' pulled her hand away and pointedly rolled his eyes at her choice. "Well, that's original. What's his name? Sharky?"

The blonde was pointing at Kisame and the former Mist ninja threw a glare at them as he continued to tend to Itachi. As they watched, the taller of the two pulled a blue handkerchief from his coat and began cleaning the Uchiha's face. Kyuubi sucked on her lower lip, considering their interaction before speaking. "No. His name is Fluffy."

"Fluffy?!" Naruto promptly doubled over, clutching his middle as he laughed hysterically, the kittens leaping to the ground as he did so.

"Tenko," Shinju said smoothly during the lull in conversation. "We should get out of the open before anything else occurs. We have been lucky thus far but this is an area that the ANBU patrol frequently."

Kyuubi pinched the bridge of her nose, shoulders slumping as her energy began to ebb. The day's events were beginning to take their toll and she would need to rest as soon as possible or else run the risk of doing permanent damage to Kit's body. Walking over to her previous opponent, Kyuubi offered him a hand, barely suppressing a pained groan as she hauled him to his feet, then began helping him clean up, roughly brushing grass from the back of his coat.

When she had finished, Kyuubi swept her gaze over everyone in the clearing, dusting her hands off absently. "Naruto, when you are done laughing, head back to Sakura and the others. Everyone else, we're going underground."

"What about the kittens?" Naruto whined as Kazuki patted the blonde's head affectionately, making the blonde's wild hair even wilder.

"They will be remaining with me." Kyuubi said, looking down at the animals in question, frowning over the fact that, once again, it seemed that the brown furred kitten and grey tabby were fighting. Irritated, she addressed the felines, startling the pair into jumping away from one another. "What the hell is your problem? Since we got outside all you do is fight with each other!"

She bent to pick them up but stopped immediately when the movement made her feel dizzy. Abruptly straightening only compounded the sensation and Kyuubi felt herself reeling backward, still trying to balance even as her knees turned to rubber. Wind-milling her arms did nothing to help her maintain her balance and, feeling resigned, the Nine Tails mentally cursed as she closed her eyes in preparation for her imminent meeting with the floor.

She was caught before she could hit the earth and Kyuubi relaxed into the arms that gently cradled her, easily holding her weight. By scent alone she knew who had caught her and the blonde mumbled a thanks to Kazuki as the kitsune adjusted his grip to something more comfortable.

"You need to eat more." He commented, looking down at her and frowning thoughtfully, hefting her again to gauge her weight. There was no tension in his muscles as he did it, no change in his breathing to indicate that he was exerting himself in any way. Kazuki could hold her like this for the next week if she asked him to and still give no sign of strain.

"What I need to do is go lay down." Kyuubi muttered, putting a hand to her head as she laid it against Kazuki's chest. Kit's spirit was beginning to stir, disturbed by the fight and the stress from the audience with the others. Once he was awake he would instinctually usurp her control over his body and it was possible that she may not get another chance to speak again before… Before. Hoping that Naruto would forgive her, she erected several barriers to insulate him from any more outside stimuli and hopefully prevent him from awaking any further.

"H, hey, Kyu, are you alright?" The voice was hesitant and Kyuubi blinked as she turned her face toward the speaker, finding herself looking into the worried blue eyes of Kit's clone. She reached out and gently ruffled his hair, smiling at him fondly. Her kit, given to her after her true offspring had been slain, sacrificed by his human father to save a worthless village from her grief fueled rage.

I'll protect you. Kyuubi promised silently, feeling determined. I will not forfeit your life for another's gain. You are not expendable and, as much as I am able, I will protect you. "I'll be okay after I have a rest but first I have to figure out what we are going to do about the many problems currently standing in our path."

The clone had gathered up the kittens that thankfully no longer seemed to be fighting; instead they all seemed to be staring at her with an incredible level of intensity not normally seen in felines. It was interesting and vaguely unsettling.

"Fluffy!" Kyuubi called, ignoring the clone's immediate snort of smothered laughter. "Help Raven up and get over here."

"Honestly, Kyu." 'Naruto' complained once he had recovered. "I know he's got dark hair but couldn't you have picked something else? Raven? Really?"

"I don't think it's due to his coloring, Naru-chan." Eiki suddenly appeared next to the clone and draped an arm around it's shoulders, steering the other until they were both looking at the person in question. "The raven plays many roles in stories and legends. He is both hero and villain sometimes driven by greed, sometimes by noble intentions that only he is privy to. Tenko has a habit of choosing names for her servants based on what she sees in their soul- not the traits of the shell surrounding it."

"Okay." The clone nodded then jutted out its lower lip, brow furrowing as he looked at Kisame. The former Mist ninja looked surly and downright homicidal as he approached them, one muscular blue arm around the Uchiha to provide support as the pair walked over. "So explain him then. What does she see in him to give him such a cute and cuddly name?"

Eiki blinked and pulled away from the clone to walk wide around the subject of their scrutiny. Kisame kept a watchful eye on the circling kitsune, pulling Itachi closer against his side protectively until the pale haired eight-tails returned to his previous position.

"Dunno!" Eiki shrugged carelessly in a 'who knows?' manner, shaking his head before smiling broadly. At the clone's frustrated groan, the kitsunes winked and placed a quick kiss on the teen's cheek, dancing out of the way as 'Naruto' took a swing at him.

"If everyone is finished," Kyuubi drawled, trying to contain a smile as she watched the blushing clone scrub at the cheek Eiki had kissed. "We do have things to do and not a lot of time to do them in. Naruto, help search for the others but be careful and stay out of sight as much as you can." Reaching out to grasp his shoulder, she pulled him back to her and kissed his forehead, ignoring the resulting indignant squawk. Releasing her grip on the clone, she herded the kittens off him and onto her stomach, firmly forcing them to lay down before running a hand through the clone's hair again. "Please be careful."

The clone looked at her solemnly for a second before he smiled, showing all his teeth as he grinned broadly, one hand scratching absently at the back of his head. "Leave it to me, Kyu! I'll find the others and make it through the holiday! In fact, I'll be the one to say 'welcome home' to you once everything calms down! Believe it!"

"It's a date, then." Kyuubi smiled but it hurt her doubt filled heart to do so. "I'll see you at week's end when we'll properly celebrate your birthday."

With a wink and a smile, 'Naruto' saluted at her then turned to walk away but stopped short to pivot on heel and thrust a finger in Kisame's face, nearly loosing the digit when the missing ninja snapped sharp teeth at it. "Throw the kittens again, Fluffy, and I'll personally break your arms!"

"Try it, pipsqueak, and I'll use them as moving target practice!" Kisame growled, threateningly.

"Only if you still have arms." Eiki said. He smiled as he spoke but the threat was unmistakably there and real since any of the kitsunes present could literally rip the appendages off. The only question at that point would be if Kisame died by bleeding out from the wounds or by being beaten by the severed limbs.

The clone smirked in victory at the Akatsuki member before departing, swallowed by the foliage as he leapt from tree branch to tree branch.

"So that's what he's like normally." Someone said quietly and Kyuubi craned her neck until she could see the speaker. The voice was no longer flat or dead but filled with curiosity.

"You have seen him before, Håvard." Kyuubi said, puzzled over the comment. "You are my Right Hand, charged with enforcing my will throughout my territory, and I have sensed you nearby when Kit travels. Have you honestly never spoken with him?"

Håvard shook his head, the movement mostly lost due to the hood hiding his face from view. "A shadow does not talk to its master; it merely follows in their wake."

No sooner has he finished that statement then there was a thin blade pressed against where Kyuubi approximated her self-appointed shadow's jugular to be.

"So, a shadow cannot talk to its master," Shinju stated, baring his teeth as he forced his prisoner to arch backwards, baring more of his throat to the blade. "But it's perfectly okay to attack them?"

"Maybe he got confused," Eiki offered, and though he continued to smile pleasantly there was nothing remotely friendly about his tone. The pale kitsune wasn't bothering to hide his bloodlust, making it plain that he wanted to hurt the other kitsune.

"It was the most efficient way to demonstrate that they should obey Tenko." Though his voice was clearly strained, Kyuubi couldn't tell if it was due to being forced into such an uncomfortable position or from holding back the irritation borne from having his actions questioned.

"So is eating them." Eiki said, still sounding vaguely pleasant as he picked blood out from under the long wicked claws his fingers had transformed into. "It is also a much tastier option than fighting."

"Depends on what type of fighting." Kazuki deadpanned, entering the conversation for the first time and earning a very masculine snort from Eiki and Shinju both.

Kyuubi rolled her eyes and absently stroked the kittens' fur. "Save your dirty jokes for later when kit is around to hear them."

"If you're gonna kill him, then do it fast." Fluffy said, looking above and to the left of where they stood, one hand already on Samehada's hilt. "We have-"

"Hold it, demons!"

"-company." Fluffy finished dryly and the Nine Tails had to ball her fists to stop herself from reaching out and smacking him.

Kazuki slowly lowered Kyuubi to the ground, giving the kittens time to run toward her head and perch on her shoulders. Pain lanced up the blonde's legs the moment her ankles took her weight and she had to scramble to grab hold of something or fall down. Surprisingly, it wasn't one of the kitsunes that came to her rescue but Raven and, despite his own weakened state, the arm he held out to her remained steady as she used it for balance.

"The ANBU have us surrounded." He observed quietly, dark eyes constantly moving. He still had not fully recovered from his wounds but that did not mean he would not fight if needed. Of course, he may have thought that he would slip away during the confusion but, if he or Fluffy tried it, both would receive a very nasty surprise indeed.

But Raven was correct and the already crowded clearing was suddenly overflowing with people both above and below as ANBU arranged themselves on the ground and in the trees to cut off all escape routes. There wasn't just one squad of ANBU, either, and Kyuubi felt her jaw drop as she realized that there had to be at least four complete teams present.

The Nine Tails put a hand to her forehead in an effort to push back the headache forming there. They didn't have time for this! How much of the day had already been wasted? How much longer did she have before Naruto's spirit took control or before Kit's body gave in to the ravages of the damaged seal? The injection she had given herself earlier was, at best, the equivalent of using wads of chewing gum to patch cracks in a leaking dike the size of Sand Country. It was a temporary fix that would not hold out forever.

Time. It waited for no man or kitsune and it always, always seemed to be working against her.

Inari curse it! She mentally snarled, pushing Raven away in her anger as she forced her legs to hold her weight. She cracked her knuckles, the loud pops seeming to echo off the surrounding trees as she glared at the ANBU around them and mentally ran through the spells available in her vast inventory that would disable though not kill the idiots. Choosing one, Kyuubi smirked and instinctively began pulling the energies of the elements around her into her body to power it. With almost vengeful glee, she aggressively stepped forward, opened her mouth to speak the spell and crumpled to the ground as her time abruptly ran out, her precious extension squandered by the events of the afternoon.

Naruto's spirit assumed control and, as she was dragged back to her prison within the jinchuuriki's body, the fox swore she could hear the ticking of a clock echoing around her loudly, the clicking mercilessly consistent.

It was a countdown, noting the passage of each second as Kit's precious life tick-tick-ticked away.

A/N (part 2):

Regarding the wait. Despite what some of you may have wondered about ( and I know this is what some of you have feared because I've been getting frequent reviews asking this question), I did not abandon this fic. In fact, that was never a concern since the plot would sneak up on me at random times -like in the shower or during a particularly boring lecture in class or at three o'clock in the freaking morning- and force me to plan out scenes, battles and back histories of characters so that it would all make sense. The problem with such a sandbox plotline is that there are a lot of different endings to choose from and for a while I got stuck trying to figure out which one would be appropriate to the point that my school work suffered. Of course, the latter was also influenced by the fact I was steadfastly attempting to obtain a degree in a subject I sadly am ill suited for. After coming to grips with that, a long disappointing process I assure you, I changed my major and am now in my last undergrad semester so as a warning there may be no chapter 11 for a while depending on how filled my schedule becomes.

Other bionotes: I am an aunt twice over, my significant other is being deployed shortly, and somehow I have become the question and answer person for other associates recently accepted into the university I attend on top of already being the go-to medical person. There's something infinitely entertaining about answering questions and treating cuts while wearing a shirt sarcastically exalting the negative perceptions people have about others. At least I think so anyway but that's just me and not everyone gets my sense of humor, least of all management.

And now a plea:

I know I don't deserve it but I hope that some of you will leave me some reviews about this chapter. Please don't just complain about how long it took for me to post on this story- I am acutely, excruciatingly,aware that it took forever and do not need to be reminded of that fact. It sounds petty but quite frequently when a site becomes bigger and well known less and less people review which in turn chases away authors. Some of you are wonderful repeat reviews and it may seem as if this is an inconsequential action but it is not- not by a long shot. You wonderful special people most times provide the only insight an author gets and it is highly valued because it gives the author a reference point from chapter to chapter so that, if something isn't working in the story, the writer can find that point and correct mistakes. Personally, it gives me a warm happy feeling when I get a review notification and I recognize the name and this encourages me to work harder on a story even when the review is less than overflowing with praise. It also gives me an early alert to problems and issues in a story (formatting problems, misnaming a character, a section that is completely out of touch with the character/story, etc) that I may have missed when editing or have added last minute in order to flesh out the story. The problem with editing your own works is that I know where I'm going with the story- whether that actually translates or makes sense to someone who doesn't is another matter entirely and without any kind of feedback, it is impossible to know if everyone is following along in the direction I am leading rather than getting lost along the way. Being an avid reader of both fanfiction and books of all genres I hate it when plot lines make no sense. It makes me feel like I have wasted my time and energy investing in a story only to have it bitch slap me with an ending not worth my investment. It's annoying and, in a way, cruel so I try very hard not to do that to you, dear readers, but I have no way of knowing if this is happening if no one reviews!!!

…Sorry. Was channeling the comedian Lewis Black for a moment there.

I am going to try my best to get another chapter out within the next two months but, again, as mentioned above, that will depend on how much free time I have. But I will try- I'll never get any sleep if I don't.

On a completely separate note, I have recently stumbled across Transformers (2007 movie) fanfiction. If anyone if out there looking for a good Sam/Bee story I highly recommend Conceptions of the Self by ChangeIsJustifiable on . Don't read the description- it's what made me avoid the story like the plague in the first place and I've been kicking myself ever since for just dismissing it out of hand due to the damn thing. The description is just… Just skip right to the first chapter and begin reading, trust me. Another excellent, if quirky, Transformers story can be found on AFF and also on FF.N called Cover Me by BlackDragonQueen.

These storied are gems and I highly, highly recommend them.

Hope all is well with all of you and thank you so much for sticking with this story!

Happy tales!