Future Plans

A/N: Thank you for the reviews thus far, you guys. Really means a lot, really keeps the ideas a' comin'.

Chapter XII: A Little Piece Of Me and Propositions

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"Why're you shivering?"

"'Cause it's fucking cold."

"Oh…."

"Dude, seriously….Just 'cause I'm freezin' my balls off doesn't mean you gotta feel that too. Be glad you're immune to such things like weather."

Someone sighed. "My breath doesn't even fog up…."

Naruto would have entertained the Uchiha farther into the discussion but other matters required his attention. He turned back towards the ever-stretching forest, eyes flared against the darkness that had claimed the day. While the fox still fought with him relentlessly over control of his body, the last two months had not gone by without him gaining something from his war-drenched comrade.

The blue of his eyes were illuminated pools of fire, able to see a good distance into the gloom surrounding them. He could have taken more of the fox's chakra but, bypassing his initial distrust, being too greedy tended to widen the hole needed for that bastard to crawl through.

Just let go, little one. One time and I'll not ask for another….

That so well known voice of dread lurched up from Naruto's subconscious. He frowned, going to speak when Sasuke beat him to it.

"Keep your mangy ass where it is, stupid fox," he ground out, causing Naruto's eyes to widen even further.

"Oh shit, I totally forgot you could hear him too…."

Sasuke nodded as the voice once again spoke. Uchiha…I have long since wondered why you associate yourself with the vessel of the very creature who slaughtered your clan members. Do you not wish to kill the little one?

For a moment, Sasuke and Naruto looked up into each other's eyes—then chuckled with matching brotherly grins.

"What a weak ass attempt," muttered Naruto shaking his head.

"And this coming from one of most fiercest biju around." Sasuke scoffed. "Sounds like you've been domesticated down to mere snippets and yelping."

The voice within Naruto's mindscape only offered up a bone-chilling laugh, one that wiped clear both genin's faces until Sasuke was staring at Naruto and Naruto was staring down at his chest.

Laugh. It fuels the empty, the afraid. But know this. Should you continue to pursue this path of bringing back the Uchiha…your body will be strained, little one. And when your mentality falters for even one second…I will turn your body into a mangled husk and be born again.

And the presence faded before either Naruto or Sasuke could respond.

"Well…I think we were just expertly shut down," yawned Sasuke, a semi-transparent hand to his mouth.

"Sasuke…go to sleep. It's my watch. Get some rest before you lose yourself, man—I can feel something within you, something heavy. The fact that you haven't mentioned it means I don't have the right to ask about it…but when you wanna, y'know…talk, I'm here, bud."

Had Sasuke been his old arrogant self that remark would have gotten a snort and a "yeah, right", but he was a changed ninja and grimaced, feeling as if he'd been struck in the gut.

"Y-yeah…thanks…."

And Naruto watched the spirit go, back towards their camouflaged tent that held the rest of teammates, all of them probably asleep.

Naruto chuckled to himself, leaning back against the cold tree next to him. Who was he kidding? He could feel their chakra signatures from here and every single one of them was taught, awake and heightened. If he even twitched a muscle to signify an enemy presence they'd be out in a flash, kunai at the ready.

But luckily…that's not the case, thought Naruto and he returned his gaze to the darkness. He stood on a tree branch ten meters above ground, just high enough for an undisturbed view at all angles.

"You've been standing watch for over three hours—isn't it somebody else's turn yet?"

The voice that echoed next to Naruto would have sent him toppling to the ground if he hadn't already heard it…countless fucking times. He half-glanced at Anko, knelt down at his side.

"The fuck…do you…want?" he yelled as softly as he could, hissing it through his teeth.

"Oh to poke fun at you." She stared him up and down, licking her lips. "I still can't get over your change of clothes. I guess it's true what they say: the suit does make the man."

"It's not a suit."

"Same principles. You have got to leave your hair in that ponytail—it's so cute!"

Naruto sighed, trying his damnedest to stay focused. He and the rest of his cell had been trekking for the better half of their departure day, making good time through the trees en route to a small porting village. It was presumed in the mission statement that Mizuki was trying to flee to Whirlpool country. Why? It was their job to stop him and find out.

"Yes…that does seem quite strange doesn't it? Mizuki…escaping to Whirlpool country," mused Anko, looking quizzical. "What're your thoughts, kitten?"

"My thoughts are how're you doing this?" His question was met with a coy smile and Naruto folded his arms to the cold.

About three hours into his journey, Naruto began seeing this…this illusion of the purple-haired kunoichi. It had to be an illusion because when the others asked why he was yelling and freaking out he tried explaining it to them only to find out that they couldn't see or hear what he did—not even Sasuke.

Fuck my mind, he thought bitterly and the Anko illusion giggled.

Even though Naruto was a tad bit smarter than he was a couple months ago, it didn't take a lot of brain power to find the cause behind her appearance.

"That damn piece of pie," he uttered and Anko gave a congratulatory clap as she had when he first figured it out. He glared at her. "I passed that shit hours ago! It's not even in my system anymore—go the hell away!"

"You may have passed the food, but not me, kitten."

"Quit calling me that!"

She was standing in a flash, and Naruto noticed that her weight didn't affect the branch at all. The thought was instantly knocked from his mind when he felt something sharp prod him almost painfully on his inner thigh. He glanced down, one eyebrow cocked, then back up.

"Whoa, whoa, wait—I thought you were an illusion? How—you can't touch me!"

Her eyes seemed to glow with a menacing sparkle; her face split in a grin. "I can't...?" she wondered and Naruto had to stifle a yell when he felt the tip of kunai pierce skin. "Then…what am I doing now, kitten?"

The wound was no problem. The fox would take care of it. A bead of sweat ran down the side of Naruto's face yet he forced his beating heart to slow. "What…do you want?"

"I just want to see how you handle this mission."

"Liar." His eye twitched when she jabbed him again, this time lifting the weapon up to the moonlight; it sparkled with his blood. "Do that again and—" he started in a snarl, beginning to rise up.

She instantly pushed herself into him, slamming him back into the tree. "You'll do what?" she prompted throatily. "I'm an illusion. Remember?"

Her words clashed incessantly with Naruto's mind. She had her body to him—he could feel her heat, smell the scent of her candied breath as she leaned down until they were face to face. He could almost taste her lust. Christ this woman…this woman was more animal than anything….

"What can you do to me?" she whispered. "I'd love to know…."

Fuck. Fuck fuck fuck. Naruto repeated the word over and over in his head, feeling the lower half of his body begin to throb relentlessly. Without warning, pushed on nothing but instinct, he jerked his head forward and nipped forcefully at her exposed neck. He'd expected to bite nothing, just air, but when flesh met his fangs his eyes widened.

That stiffness from earlier only intensified when Anko released a soft oooh of pleasure. He stared, not knowing what to say, his lips floundering idiotically.

"I…I…but—you can't be an illusion," he stuttered. "I can feel you, smell you—"

"Taste me?" Anko smiled, standing. "I guess that's up for your mind to decide, isn't it, kitten? I'm merely here as a helping hand to your mission. I'd feel it an injustice to have you die by anyone else's hand other than my own." She stowed her kunai and winked; Naruto throbbed again. "Should you pass this test…it may prove have some mettle after all. It won't be enough…but it'd be a start."

Naruto was confused. With all the blood gone from his brain, understanding riddles was a terrible chore. "Wh-what?"

"Succeed in this mission, and I may take you up on the offer you've yet to tell me. Fail…and your journey for the Uchiha's life will be a very bleak and short one."

Swallowing, Naruto clenched his hands. He understood that just fine. She had to be an illusion then…because there was no way she could read minds—she wasn't a Yamanaka, she possessed no mind-probing jutsu's—and he damn sure hadn't told anybody about his plans yet….

Wordlessly, he nodded. "Right…."

"Good. Now, one last thing. Watch out."

Anko's form faded like the morning mist and Naruto saw something glint in her shadow. Unconsciously, he inched his body to the right and yelled in pain when a kunai struck him in the shoulder.

"Shit!"

He lost his balance and toppled out of the tree, causing an unholy symphony of noise on his way down.

Damn it, Anko…you did that on purpose.

He pulled out his fall and landed gracefully on his feet. Before he could even stand up straight, Crowa, Sakura, Kakashi, and Sasuke were behind them.

"Naruto!" called Sakura, one hand gripping her tanto. "Are you okay?"

With a grunt, Naruto wrenched the kunai from his shoulder and twirled it twice before snapping his fingers around it. The pain grounded him, cooled his anger. "I'm fine. But whoever threw this sure won't be."

Unbeknownst to everyone except Naruto, as shadowy figures began to shuffle ahead of them, Crowa's chakra began to spike. He grinned, the act more beastly than human.

"Time to have some fun."