Short chapter, sorry

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Only to run into Iruka.

The Jinchuuriki looked haunted, in mental pain but also tortured by guilt and fear, his dog by his side and constantly bumping him, as if trying to comfort him. The tormented Jinchuuriki held his wrist out and offered and Naruto looked at him blankly he looked heart broken "I do not deserve the 'gift' you gave my family?" Before Naruto could speak he drew away "no, of course I do not."

Knowing if he didn't do anything now it would mean Iruka would leave the Jinchuuriki for good, believing he wasn't worthy of such a family, that if the guilt was strong enough he might even take his own life he did the only thing he could do. He seized the Jinchuuriki, pulling him to him and bit into his neck, forcing the others to his.

This wouldn't have been going on more than a minute when they heard a cry of familiar swear words and someone was there, trying to pry them apart. Naruto only backhanded him across the cavern.

"Son of a bitch!" Asuma swore at them "you call us urgently and we find you like this, what did you assume we were going to think!" Naruto just pointed without moving away or pausing. Frowning Asuma followed the finger to down the hall, dragging Kurenai with him, leaving Naruto and Iruka to continue undisturbed.

Suddenly Iruka pulled away and reluctantly Naruto released him, without a word helping him down the hallway to join the others in the room, dogs at attention by their master's cots and calmly watching Asuma and Kurenai move between the make-shift beds to try and help the Jinchuuriki and make them more comfortable.

And Kumara still seemed uninfected, calmly helping the half nin half Jinchuuriki with whatever he requested. Only as Naruto set Iruka out on his cot he noticed that the Ancient Jinchuuriki was growing visibly coloured until he cried out "Asuma, Kumara!"

The man instantly knew, used his Jinchuuriki speed and caught the Ancient Jinchuuriki as he collapsed, carrying the red head to the nearest empty cot. Once Iruka was comfortable Naruto approached the couple, saying softly "they will be fine, this will soon wear off and they will be fine. For now we can just try to make them more comfortable and keep an eye on them."

"Why did you do it? You've infected them with Nagato's blood. Now he might be able to control them."

"No, Nagato will NEVER control me or any one I care for ever again. Besides, they decided to do it themselves. They essentially said my blood is the next stage in their evolution" and he told them every thing that was said and done.

"So they were infected through Iruka anyway," Asuma said as he rolled Gaara onto his back as the young-looking Jinchuuriki nearly rolled off his cot. When Naruto nodded solemnly Kurenai added "you gave them your blood so they would share your power to resist."

When he nodded again and added for himself "and you both will need to taste it as well" both refused, "we're staying as we are, here and now. We don't want to risk not being able to turn back."

"You will be more open to Nagato's influence that way."

"We'll just have to risk it" Asuma said thickly and Naruto frowned at him "what about Kurenais choice?" From the corner where she stood over Hirzen Kurenai spoke out "I'm with Asuma."

"If you are sure then I will say nothing more of it." When both said in union "We're sure" Naruto shrugged and turned back to the group. By now Gaara and the two men-Lucian the American and Noel a French men were already growing the wings painfully, a few of the others glowing lumps between their shoulder blades on either side of the spine, the beginning of wings.

Kumara, although he was not tossing and turning like the others, was also raging in fever, his pale-pale skin visibly darkening and going almost red. Suddenly in the corner Gaara gasped loudly and sat up, eyes blurry but the shaking and fever were gone and he seemed tired but fine.

It took the entire night for the rest to reach Gaara stage, Naruto and Asuma carrying them to their rooms & beds or earth holes to sleep the day away.

While Naruto dozed on one cot Asuma and Kurenai kept a loose eye on the tribe but stayed close to Kumara. As an Ancient his blood and biology were different enough to worry them. The others had obviously taken to the change just as Naruto had and were going to be fine, but Kumara was different to them. Neji had told them before he slept that Kumara had barely took to the Jinchuuriki side originally, that he had felt if the boy hadn't of been dying in the first place his body would have fought it off.

Early the next day, VERY early, Asuma shook Naruto awake with a frown "something's wrong."

"What do you mean?" he yawned and started to sit up when he remembered "The others!"

"Are fine" Asuma soothed him back down "I'm not talking about them. I've been trying to call Central Command for over an hour and no one's answering. I'm worried about Obi…them." Naruto didn't notice the slip, only rolled over and motioned Asuma away sleepily "they are fine, let me sleep."

"What makes you so sure about that?"

"Because they would contact me or use their emergency beacons if they were in trouble or danger" and was asleep before Asuma could speak again. So he returned to where Kurenai was watching over Shino's change, not giving her the chance to speak "how is he?"

"Stable thanks to Temari. She said that she knew he'd end up here sooner or later." Asuma frowned at her with "What do you mean?"

"Apparently since his nin abilities came in they've been able to talk to each other. It was his only relief, he could concentrate on her and not get blasted by her thoughts, that's why he and Sakura broke up, they fell in love."

"Did he know what she was?"

"No, he thought she was just a fellow telepathic nin. She told him not to go to the center but he truly thought they could help him. Now he's here they can be together and she can teach him control over his abilities. What did Naruto say?"

"That if anything was wrong they would contact him or let him know." At this Kurenai frowned at him, disturbed by the way he shrugged it off "did you tell him about your premonition?"

"I would hardly call them that Kurenai." She looked at him in horror "you didn't, did you! Why not! If he knew about them…"

"It doesn't matter" he interrupted her firmly "he was still too pale for my liking, he's had too much to try and handle at once without time to rest and recover. Besides my feelings aren't always right, you know that. We'll see what happens, the Akatsuki can take care of themselves. Besides their dogs will sense and warn them."

"I hope you're right Asu baby, because if you're not…"

"I know" he sighed.