Another chapter, although this one may seem a tad sub-par since it's just a sort of a transition chapter. Also, I would like to mention that this is the last chapter I had pre-written to an extent. So, from this point on if you notice changes in writing style or progression it's because everything written from this point onward is done so from scratch.

Disclaimer: Don't own Naruto.

Chapter 36

Kasumi was angry. Not because she'd been beaten up. Nor was it because she'd failed her last mission, resulting in Sasuke running off to Orochimaru. But the fact that her teammate was being forced to take care of one of the people responsible for Sasuke's betrayal was really grating on her nerves. She simply failed to understand how her brother and mother seemed completely unperturbed by it. Did they not see the danger the lazy boy was in by being near the former Sound kunoichi?

"No," Naruto repeated, his arms crossed as he clenched his eyes shut.

"But he could be in danger!" Kasumi pleaded, getting a slight giggle from her mother. The woman wasn't any better than her idiot of a brother on this matter. You'd think she would be more worried about the Uchiha boy, but she seemed content with letting him deal with the situation on his own.

"He's enjoying himself," Naruto shot back, giving his sister a no-nonsense look. "He doesn't mind taking care of her. And I'm sure he'd rather not have to explain to you exactly why he's not in any danger."

"Bu-" the younger redhead began, only to be silenced when she felt a hand place itself upon her head. Turning around, she glared at her mother.

"I think it's rather cute that Tatsuo-kun seems to have taken an interest in her," Kushina mused, getting a chuckle from her son. "Although I'm still a tad concerned about his taste in women, I can't say I don't see why he's so attached to her."

"You're just saying that because she has red hair," Naruto fired back. Kushina had the good grace to blush at being caught.

"Well aren't you sassy," the elder woman responded, giving the boy a knowing grin. "And when exactly do I get to meet this girl you've taken an interest in, hm?"

It was Naruto's turn to blush. Kasumi's head snapped around to him so fast, Naruto wondered if she would inadvertently break her neck in the future. "What?" she questioned, looking at him with suspicion-lined eyes. "Who?"

Rolling his eyes at her sudden change in attitude, Naruto wondered if his sister was bipolar or something. "It's not like that," he stated, crossing his arms once more as he met the young kunoichi's gaze. "Hinata-hime and I are just getting to know each other better for now."

"Hime you say?" Kushina teased, giving him a Cheshire grin. "Aren't you just the cutest, Naruto-kun."

"Wait you know?!" Kasumi inquired, giving him a confused look. "I thought you were too dumb to figure out how she felt?"

"Wait you knew?" Naruto fired back, giving his sister an accusing glare. "And you didn't tell me?"

"Everyone but you knew," the younger sibling replied dryly, causing the blonde to gape at her. "So how'd you find out?"

Grumbling under his breath, Naruto sank deeper into his seat. "Tatsuo told me," he muttered, getting nods of understanding from the other two women. "Still. Why didn't anyone tell me?"

"It's not something people can just tell you," Kushina chided, giving him a mock glare. "A woman's feelings are personal and should be respected."

"Well clearly," Naruto retorted, rolling his eyes at the notion. "Tatsuo was the only one with the guts to tell me. And now both of us are happier because of it."

"Wait what about Tatsuo?" Kasumi stated, recalling what she'd originally been pestering the teen about. "We need to go see if he's okay! C'mon Big Brother, just tell me where he's staying!"

"I promised him I'd give him an extra day," the Uzumaki boy would not budge on the matter. "And I'm keeping that promise even if it costs me my life."

"But what about Tatsuo's life?!" his sister continued, giving him a pleading look. "We can't trust her!"

"Are you saying we can't trust Haku-kun either then?" Kushina interjected, getting a stunned silence in return. "Because he and that girl seem to be in similar situations, no?"

"T-that's different!" her daughter insisted, crossing her arms and frowning. "Haku is…" She trailed off, seeing the predatory looks the other two members of her family were giving her. Cursing herself for opening her big mouth, she slouched and took the teasing that came after.

Tayuya woke up wrapped around a pillow. Her arms and, to a lesser extent, her legs were firmly squashing the soft thing into her body. She let out an incoherent string of mumbles, trying to fall back asleep. But no matter how hard she pressed her eyes shut, she simply couldn't sink back into the world of dreams. Her mouth opened wide in a yawn, as her eyelids fluttered open. There was a dull light pouring through the sheet that covered her, which made her let out a displeased whimper. "Go the fuck away you stupid sun," she muttered, attempting to bury herself deeper under the safety of the covers and her pillow.

A few minutes passed by as she slowly grew more aware of the world around her. For the first time in years, she felt good. Her body felt well-rested and free of the usual aches that plagued it. Her mind was buried in a haze of grogginess and her muscles refused to tense completely. Finally, having laid there for several unproductive minutes, she shifted herself around. The sudden emptiness in her stomach pushed her forward. Slowly moving the sheet off of her head, she glared at the thin opening the curtains left. The thin crevice that allowed the accursed light of the morning to disturb her heavenly slumber.

Twisting around, she let her eyes travel across the ceiling before moving to the rest of the room. Almost instantly, her gaze came to rest upon the slouched form of her caretaker. He was seated in a chair that was placed a few steps away from her bed. His head was tilted to the slide, bobbing a tad as he attempted to find a comfortable position to enjoy his own sleep. A pang of guilt resonated through the young redhead's heart upon seeing him that way. He'd spent the entire night watching over her. Or at the very least, simply staying there so that he'd be there if she needed anything in the middle of the night. All the while she'd been completely content with drowning in the luxury that came with her new accommodations.

She watched him for a moment, his headband slightly tilted in a way that made his hair stick out oddly from beneath. The bandages around his eye were mostly intact, if a tad loose. His clothes were dishevelled, as they should have been if he'd slept the night in a seated position. His lips were curled into a tired smile, although it may just have been her groggy mind playing tricks on her. "Idiot," she muttered, unknowingly giving the teen a small smile. Turning to the bedside table, she found a glass and a covered jug of water. He really had taken every precaution to try and make her life as comfortable as possible.

Her hands went to work, pouring herself some of the cool liquid. As it entered her dry mouth, she couldn't help but enjoy the sensation of it flowing down her throat. To think, only days ago she'd been about to die. And now, she was better off than she could have ever hoped to be whilst in Otogakure. Placing the glass down on the table once more, her eyes darted aside to catch movement. The noise caused had apparently snapped the raven-haired youth out of his own slumber. He darted up, muscles tense as his single eye scanned the room. Upon landing on her though, he seemed to calm down. "Glad you're up, Fuckface…" she called, giving him a slight wave. "Now help a lady out. I need to go to the bathroom."

Taking a moment to let his thoughts catch up with him, he gave a tired sigh before rising to his feet. "I'll go get the crutches," he stated groggily, before turning around and nearly tripping over the chair he'd been sitting on. Steadying himself and the piece of furniture, he shot her a glare when he heard her giggle at his misfortune, before swiftly exiting the room.

Around fifteen minutes later, Tayuya sat quietly at the table. Her eyes darted back to the entrance of the room, eagerly awaiting the arrival of breakfast. Tatsuo had told her to wait while he went to whip something up for the two of them, but the alluring scent of charred meat was really starting to get to her. If it weren't for the fact that going all the way to the kitchen to take a peek would require unholy amounts of effort for little payoff, the redhead would have done so several minutes ago. She blushed when her stomach let out an audible growl, promptly stuffing her face into her hands in hopes of blocking out the heavenly aroma.

Her head snapped up a minute later when she heard the telltale thudding of steps down the hall. She tried her best to ignore the raven-haired Uchiha when he entered, but her nose simply wouldn't allow it. Turning her head, she took note of the dull grey apron he wore. Tatsuo gave the girl a mock glare upon seeing her giving him a teasing grin. "Keep it up and you can cook your own meals," he stated, swiftly crushing any further thoughts of unruly behaviour. Placing down the bowl of cooked rice in the center of the table, he gently laid down the tray which contained several grilled cuts of fish. "You can start if you want. I'll go get tea first."

Tayuya didn't even hesitate, swiftly grabbing her smaller bowl and scooping a good chunk of the cooked rice into it. As her caretaker left the room, she swiftly nabbed two pieces of fish and began her meal. It was delicious, she concluded upon taking the first bite. Not as glorious as the ramen they'd enjoyed yesterday, but it was still a vast improvement over what she'd previously been used to in life. Heck, it was definitely better than the gruel she got served in prison. She didn't even blink when she found herself staring at an empty bowl. Without a shred of hesitation, she served herself seconds.

When Tatsuo returned to the room, carrying another tray with cups, a teapot and a bowl with sugar, he had to blink upon seeing the half empty bowl that once contained the rice. There were only a few pieces of fish left as well. How in the world did she eat so quickly? He was only gone for around ten minutes!

"Oi, Fuckface!" she called, earning an annoyed glare in response. "This shit was amazing. I didn't think you knew how to cook like this."

Placing the tray with tea on the table, Tatsuo took a seat across from the girl and served himself from what remained of breakfast. "You learn a lot of things once you're an orphan," he stated, missing the slight flinch from the redhead. "I'm glad you enjoyed it though. Makes me feel all warm and fuzzy."

"Fuck you," Tayuya uttered, crossing her arms before reaching forward to pour herself some tea. "Still though. I could get used to this."

"Don't get too comfortable," he stated, getting a raised eyebrow from her. "I'm only being assigned to you for a month. After that, I'm probably going to be leaving the village for a while."

"Oh," the girl's voice was low, almost disappointed. Tatsuo looked up just as she ducked her head, averting her eyes from his own. "Yeah. I should've expected that one I guess."

"You seem upset," Tatsuo uttered. "I thought you'd be happy to see me leave. Didn't think you were particularly fond of me."

"Yeah," he heard her mutter once more. She placed her hands around the cup before her and kept quiet.

The two sat in silence for the next few minutes, Tatsuo eating breakfast whilst she sipped at her beverage. "I'm sorry," the Uchiha boy finally spoke, causing her to jerk her head up and stare at him. She was clearly confused. "I…don't want to leave. And I'm really not exactly fond of the idea of leaving you by yourself." He was careful to take note of any form of change in her behaviour or outward reaction. But there was no real change other than the furrowing of her brow. "But there are some things I have to deal with. And to do that, I need to leave."

Another pregnant pause followed his words. The silence was unnerving, to say the least. "How long?" Tayuya inquired after a moment, gazing at him with something akin to resignation.

"Three years," Tatsuo replied tiredly.

"That long, huh?" it wasn't really a question. More of a confirmation. "You know, Fuckface. I like you."

"Color me surprised," the raven-eyed boy replied with a cheeky grin. She scowled at him.

"Not a lot," she clarified. "But still. It's enough that I'll miss you once you're gone."

"Why?" he couldn't help but ask.

"You're different," she replied honestly. "I don't know what it is about you, Fuckface. But the way you talk to me. The way you act around me. It all makes me feel like I can trust you."

"I see," what else could he say. He didn't know what it was that he felt towards the girl himself. "I'll be back after the three years are up."

"Three years is a long time," she said, a solemn smile on her face. "A lot can happen. I might not be around when you get back, Fuckface."

Again, the two were silent. Neither knew what else to say. Their relationship was an odd one. One built upon insults and confusion. It was something not easily understood. And yet, Tatsuo found himself wanting, desperately, to understand. Wanting to see what it was that he felt towards the girl before him. And he was fairly certain that she wanted to know as well.

"How about we head to the field out back?" he offered, hoping to alleviate some of the tension in the atmosphere. "We could talk or something. Or just sort of laze about, I'm not against that idea either."

"You know what," Tayuya spoke up, giving him a quizzical look. "I take it back. I don't get you at all."

"To be fair you never said you did," he teased, getting a scowl out from her.

"Fine!" she relented, throwing her arms up into the air. "Let's go talk about our shitty lives then! I don't even care at this point!"

"Volume…" he chided, earning a glare from her that had him chuckling. "Alright, just let me put away the dishes and leftovers."

"You better teach me how to cook before you run off in a month!" she stated, crossing her arms and giving him a withering look. "I'm not going back to living off of those garbage nutrition bars and fucking soldier pills after this shit." Her hands idly motioned towards the empty tray that once held fish.

"I'll make sure to do that," he replied, giving her a smile before moving to clean up. It would be an interesting month, no doubt.

"Is she alright?" Kiba couldn't help but ask out loud. His bespectacled companion merely quirked an eyebrow at the question. The brown-haired genin pointed over to their female teammate, who seemed lost in a fantasy. "She's been pretty out of it for the past hour."

"Leave her be," Kurenai stated, appearing next to her team in a swirl of leaves. "I just found out what happened a little while ago from her father. She'll be unfocused for a day or two."

"What happened to her, Sensei?" Shino inquired, turning his gaze over to the woman.

"Her and Naruto finally decided to come clean," the crimson-eyed jounin replied with a pleasant smile. The revelation made Shino's eyebrows shoot up, whilst his Inuzuka companion simply gaped in stunned silence. "Don't pester her about it needlessly. If she wants to talk to you two about it, she will."

"But-" Kiba had barely spoken up when he found his mouth covered by Shino's hand.

"Understood," the stoic Aburame intoned, moving to push the other boy away. "We will begin our warm up exercises while you speak with Hinata-san."

Giving the boy a grateful nod, Kurenai watched the two walk off onto the field before she sighed and turned to the shy girl beside her. She'd yet to really notice her presence, which was proof enough of how lost in her thoughts she was. "Hinata-chan," the raven-haired woman called, placing a gentle hand on the girl's shoulder. The reaction was immediate. The young Hyuga's eyes snapped wider before her head jerked around towards her. "How are you holding up?"

"It's amazing," the girl let out, shuddering as her eyes grew hazy. She had a dopey smile on her features that made Kurenai's heart swell. She almost never saw the girl behave like this anymore. It warmed her soul to see her so happy. "Naruto-kun and I spent the entire evening talking about one another. He was so nice and warm and confident and-"

"Calm down, Hinata-chan…" Kurenai giggled seeing the girl blush. "I'm sure you're very excited about this new budding relationship of yours. But you need to be able to put it aside for the time being so that we can focus on training."

Hinata's eyes grew confident, something that had the elder woman stunned. "Yes, Kurenai-sensei!" she proclaimed, before rushing off to join her teammates.

Left alone, the raven-haired jounin couldn't help but wonder where the sudden rush of confidence had come from. It wasn't until she heard someone speak that she snapped out of her own thoughts and returned to the real world. "She seems to be doing better," her head turned up to stare into the cerulean blue eyes of Naruto Uzumaki. The blonde genin was perched on a branch above her, giving her a knowing grin. "I didn't think she'd take my words that seriously."

"What did you tell her?" Kurenai couldn't help but ask, curious of the reason behind her student's newfound drive. As her eyes watched the girl throw herself into laps, she couldn't help but quirk an eyebrow. Hinata had never been this enthusiastic.

"She told me she didn't like to fight," Naruto stated from his position above her, watching Team 8 go through their morning exercises. "So I told her that if she worked really hard, I'd talk to Granny Tsunade about teaching her some medical skills. That way she'd still be able to be a good ninja and wouldn't have to fight anyone unless absolutely necessary."

"Although I appreciate the effort," the elder woman stated, tilting her head slightly to gaze up at the boy. "I'm not sure her clan would like her learning things outside of their areas of expertise."

"Well then they can just bring all their concerns to me and I can kick their sorry behinds," the Uzumaki boy stated firmly, eyes hardening at the thought. "Hinata's a great person. She deserves to have the choice of doing something she wants instead of being forced to do something by her family." A moment of silence followed before the boy continued with a cheesy grin. "Besides, if it's Granny Tsunade who decides to accept her, I doubt any of those old bastards will have the guts to argue with her. She'd probably knock them through a few walls with a quick flick of her finger."

At that, Kurenai couldn't help but laugh. He was right. Who was she to decide what Hinata should and shouldn't do? So long as the girl wasn't doing something that would hurt her, she'd gladly support every decision she made.

"Kurenai-sensei?" the voice of her Inuzuka student caught her attention. Looking to him, she found him staring at her worriedly. "Who're you talking to?"

Eyes darting up, Kurenai blinked when she found the once-occupied tree empty. The fact that Kiba of all people hadn't even been able to pick up Naruto's scent was tantamount to his skill in being stealthy. Or perhaps she'd just been speaking with a clone. Shaking her head, she waved the brown-haired youth off before walking towards the rest of the team. A small smirk presented itself upon her face as she gazed upon Hinata's smiling face. As far as blessings went, Naruto had hers hands down. Now if only Asuma could grow a pair and ask her out, all would be right with the world.

"After a while, you just get tired of all the shit…" Tayuya stated idly, sitting in her wheelchair whilst waving her arms about. "I mean, there's only so much crap you can deal with before you decide to look out for yourself instead of all the fuckers around you." Her gaze drifted back onto the field, where she watched her caretaker doing push-ups. The teen was dressed in a pair of loose trousers and a sleevelessgrey shirt. His muscles flexed with each dip whilst sweat dripped down his face. He'd taken the bandages off, saying that his eye felt much better now than it had the day before. Gazing upon his form, Tayuya couldn't help the slight smirk that appeared on her face. He wasn't too bad looking, now that she took the time to appreciate his physique.

He was taller than she was, if only by an inch or two. His skin was a tad tanned, though not overly so. His hair was a mess, something she was beginning to like. And his muscles were fairly evident. Not overly massive like some people, but present in just the right places. He'd probably be pretty decent in a scuffle. Had to be, with how he'd managed to kick Kabuto's ass.

"If you're going to ogle me like a piece of meat," he called to her, eyeing her for a second before continuing. This was his third set of thirty push-ups. "You could at least try and be subtle about it."

"Why?" the redhead retorted, rolling her eyes at the notion. "You've got a pretty sweet bod. I ain't about to be some pussy and sneak glances."

"I'm touched," he replied, giving her a teasing smile. "And here I thought you saw me as nothing more than a dumb genin."

"Well you're wrong," Tayuya fired back, giving him an equally evil grin. "You're at least a dumb chunin."

Another bout of quiet followed. The only thing breaking the silence being Tatsuo's grunts and Tayuya's snickering. After another ten or so push-ups, the raven-haired youth rose to his feet before stretching his arms.

"What about you, Fuckface?" he heard her ask, promptly turning around to look at her curiously. "Why are you so lazy and chill all the time? It ain't like most ninja."

"Is me being 'chill' a problem," he questioned in return, bouncing on his feet for a few seconds.

"Not even close," Tayuya replied, leaning on her hands with the elbows on the armrests. "I actually like you more because of it. But the Uchiha Clan wasn't exactly known for raising such laid-back ninja."

"Well," Tatsuo began, rotating his shoulders for a moment. "I wasn't always this easy-going. Used to be a pretty chipper kid back in the day."

"Back in the day?" the redhead snickered at his words. "You sound like some old geezer."

"Laugh all you want," the boy replied, giving her a weary look. "But I'm as much of a mess as you are on the inside."

"Oh yeah?" the girl taunted, a predatory grin on her face. "You want to talk about it you big baby?"

Rolling his eyes at her jibes, he shrugged before forming a single handseal. Another copy of him popped into existence beside him. Tayuya stared at the clone for a moment, before watching the original lay down on the small patch of hard earth. There was a large patch of area in the backyard that was devoid of grass, perfect for training she mused. The clone stepping onto the original's feet, Tatsuo began performing sit-ups.

Tayuya idly wondered how well-built he was under his shirt, but swiftly crushed the thought in favour of simply turning her eyes to the clear blue sky. She was quickly becoming used to the peace and quiet that came with living with the Uchiha. It was amazing how good it felt to have someone to talk to who wasn't bothered by her brash attitude and crass language. Sure she wasn't particularly fond of the way he dealt with her cussing. Being teased and chided whilst your words didn't even make the other person bat an eye always felt annoying. But at least she could hold a decent conversation with him.

"Hey, Fuckface…" Tayuya called, watching as he seemed to perk up at her words. He tilted his head towards her, indicating that he was listening even as he continued his exercise. "Don't we have an appointment with the bimbo today?"

"Surprised you remembered," Tatsuo returned, causing her to blink before looking at him annoyed. "We'll head out after I'm done with this set."

"Fine by me," the redhead shot back, returning to her previous task of eyeing the teen like a piece of meat. "I'm not complaining about more eye-candy."

"Of course not," Tatsuo couldn't help let out, letting out a knowing sigh.

"So let me see if I understand this correctly," Haku began, gently rubbing his forehead to ease his confusion. "You want me to help you stalk Tatsuo-kun?"

"Yep," Kasumi nodded animatedly at the elder boy's words, apparently extremely proud of her idea.

"And this is so that you can make sure he's safe," the confused teen continued. "But you can't simply go to him and ask him because…" He trailed off, hoping the girl before him would once more clarify her reasoning.

"Because we can't trust what he'd say!" Kasumi proclaimed, as if it was the most obvious deduction in the world. "He's all buddy-buddy with the Sound girl, so of course he'd say he's fine."

"And the reason for us not believing him would be?" Haku really didn't want to intrude on Tatsuo and his mission. But he was also finding it rather difficult to refuse Kasumi when she looked at him with an expression that seemed more at home on the features of a lost puppy.

"Because he'd never admit it," the Uzumaki girl concluded, crossing her arms and nodding at her own words. "He may think she's nice and all, but I'm not as easily convinced. For all we know, she's just waiting for him to let his guard down so that she can stab him in the back!"

"Not that I don't believe you," Haku began, making sure to choose his words carefully. "But are you certain this is the best course of action? Wouldn't it simply be better to talk with him or at least trust in the Hokage's judgement?"

"That Old Hag's gone crazy!" the red-haired kunoichi uttered, frowning at the thought. "She thinks she's doing him a favor but she's just being dumb."

Giving up on attempting to dissuade the girl from her rash course of action, Haku decided it'd just be best to humor her. If nothing else, he'd at least be able to keep her from doing something too rash. Besides, he wasn't exactly against spending more time with the girl. She'd certainly grown on him. "Very well," he finally spoke, rising from the sofa and stretching his arms. "Allow me to go get dressed appropriately then."

"Can I play with Haru till then?!" Kasumi couldn't help but blurt out, giving the elder teen her most pleading expression. "Pretty please?"

Shaking his head in amusement, Haku waved her towards the large pen in the corner. "Just be careful with him," he warned, giving her a knowing sideways glance that prompted her to give him a nervous chuckle. "We don't want him running off and getting lost again now do we?"

"Care to run that by me again," Tsunade stated, arching an eyebrow as she stared at the blonde Uzumaki before her.

"I want you to help Hinata by teaching her medical ninjutsu," Naruto repeated, arms crossed as he leaned against her desk. "She says she doesn't like fighting unless she really has to. I thought it might be a good avenue to explore."

"You realize that I'm not the best person to ask this of, correct?" the Hokage questioned, leaning back into her seat. "My schedule is incredibly packed. I don't have the time to waste on some genin who's having doubts about their profession."

There was a moment of silence as the two blondes stared at one-another. "What do you want?" Naruto finally relented, rolling his head before standing up straighter.

"Now you're starting to think like a shinobi," the elder woman began, giving him a feral grin. "If you want something from someone in a more advantageous position, you have to offer something in exchange."

"Kind of a stupid time to teach me a life lesson," the genin retorted, taking a seat on the edge of the desk. "But sure, go off. What do you want me to do?"

"I know why you're trying to help out the Hyuga Heiress," Tsunade stated, idly sifting through a few of the documents on her desk. The slight tensing of the boy's body didn't go unnoticed by the Sannin. "And I'm more than willing to go along with your little plan. But in exchange, I'll be assigning you a certain mission."

Naruto didn't respond, simply giving the woman a tense nod. "You won't be accompanied by your usual team," the blonde Hokage began, finally seeming to have found what she was looking for. "Since the Uchiha brat is preoccupied and your sister is not going to be allowed back on active duty for some time, I'll be placing you on a separate squad comprised of some of your fellow genin and a jounin who's got nothing better to do."

That certainly put a damper on his plans for taking Hinata out on the festival night. But if it meant she'd be given the assistance she required, he'd be willing to accept those terms. "When?" he finally asked, giving a tired sigh after concluding that he'd been played like a fiddle.

"Come by tomorrow," Tsunade stated, waving him off. "I'll have everything sorted by then." Seeing the boy give a sigh before trotting off, the Sannin chuckled to herself. She'd most certainly played that hand quite well. Now, not only would she be able to get the boy and his little girlfriend out of the village to have a nice time. She'd also be able to deal with the shitstorm that would come with teaching Hinata, courtesy of her uptight clan. Indeed, everything was going according to plan.

Again, sorry about that bad writing. Not my best work. Honestly, I'm personally not a big fan of transition periods because they're so dull to write. Anyways, hope ya'll enjoyed it for as much as it was worth.

Hope to see you next time.