Finally, Haku and Zabuza had joined in drinking. It made them very cosy. Ino had all but been pulled into Zabuza lap. She was either a little drunk at this point or was a master manipulator because they were talking so closely, only a breath away from locking lips.

Naruto and Sakura were in an equally contemptible position but nowhere as much as Ino's. Squished in between the two women was a pink-faced 'Haku' with both his arms sleazily around the girl's waists as if they were his concubines. Naruto could feel his hand squeezing at her waist, trying to feel the flesh under her yukata.

"I'm a bit of a big deal around here," Haku grinned smugly, probably feeling like he was on top of the world with two beautiful women wrapped around him.

"I can't really get into details about what I do," he chuckled and rolled his head back. Sakura gently rested a hand on Haku's lap. Her green eyes immediately caught Naruto's own. She stared Naruto down, trying to convey a silent message. Haku looked down at the girl curiously, noticing her expression, "what's wrong, honey? Am I boring you?" he asked. His eyes were cold as he twerked an eyebrow up.

Sakura smiled at him in a friendly, aloof way that only alcohol could achieve. "No, I was just worried," she giggled. "I hope you're not doing anything dangerous," she added. Haku looked suddenly soberer. The forsaken arm he had around Naruto let go, and he angled his body towards Sakura.

"Would it be a problem if I was?" He brought his head closer to Sakura, words only she was meant to hear whispered near her ear. Sakura blushed on cue while Naruto resisted rolling her eyes. When they first met Haku, he acted charming and friendly. It seemed now that he had a few drinks in his system, he wanted to play the 'bad boy.' Sakura titled her head down, looking to her own lap, a sign of shyness to his intimacy.

The sleazy mood of the now near-empty bar came as a cold presence made itself known to the group. "Gato." The newcomer stated disapprovingly, the flushed man looked out from Ino in annoyance, and she tilted her head curiously.

"Gato?" Ino echoed cutely. "Zabuza, honey? What's this guy on about?" She asked inquisitively. The large hand that had been resting on Ino's lap slipped itself scandalously in between the slit where the fabric overlayed. "Don't worry about him, baby." Gato grinned, "that's just something my business associates call me." He then buried his head into Ino's neck, making her squeal delightfully like a harlot.

The man in question coughed awkwardly. Naruto would have felt bad for him if he wasn't the lacky of a corrupt corporation. "Are you sure right now is such a good time to be…" the man trailed off scanned the group wearily. "I just think, sir, perhaps after that encounter a days ago that maybe now you would-"the man instantly stopped talking when his eyes landed on Gato.

Gato no longer had his face lavishly nestled in the crook of Ino's neck. His eyes seemed to slice the man that was pitifully under Gato's gaze, genuinely putting new depth to the term "if looks could kill." Naruto perked up at this new development in the room. She had a strong inkling that this was no doubt a reference to Tsunade's trip to Wave.

"Sato." Gato started. At this point, even the Haku impersonator had seized his obnoxious ministrations of groping Naruto through the fabric of her yukata. He looked anxiously between Gato and Sato. His eyes pivoting between each man, most likely figuring out his own next move. Having decidedly made up his mind, Haku's arms relinquished both Naruto and Sakura from their binds. He swiftly stood up with a drunken stagger, swaying his way over to the predator and the prey.

He lazily slung his arm over the shoulder of Zabuza, ignoring Ino, who was still perched on his lap. "I think our man here has everything under control?" Haku cheered, grinning up at Sato. Sato seemed to still be frozen to the core and made no move of action. Zabuza grunted. The room instantly warmed as the killing intent that had quickly swamped seemed to be suctioned out by a mere grumble.

Sato relaxed. He nodded his head sternly at Zabuza. "I suppose you do." He stated. He turned, his eyes coolly landing on Naruto and Sakura in ill-conceived suspicion before he turned on his heels to make an exit.

Haku returned to his post of sexually harassing Naruto. The Gato head honcho also returned to feeling up Ino without the barest mention or acknowledgment of their previous engagement with the disconcerting male.

Naruto resisted sighing as the men returned to getting plastered with newfound gusto, but now they were remarkably less chatty and a lot more physical. Haku had attempted to pull Naruto up onto his lap. Still, Naruto was quick to excuse herself to get some water.

The bar was nowhere near as busy as it was earlier in the night, indicating how late it probably was. A few drunks were mulling about at the seats where she had previously seen Sukea, but much to her own disappointment, the brown-haired man, was nowhere to be seen. Resisting a sigh, she waited patiently to be served. Just as the bartender was pouring the water for Naruto, a hand tapped her shoulder.

Sudden excitement hit Naruto that perhaps Sukea had not yet left. Biting her tongue, she spun around so fast that her wig defied gravity by staying put. Haku grinned cheesily at her. "It's amazing how you can continue to bubble with so much energy Usagi-chan."

The disappointment was rife, but she tried her darndest to not show it. Sakura was still attached to Haku at the hip. She smiled pleasantly at Naruto; however, there was something terse about her smile. "Zabuza and Minako have decided to take a midnight stroll..." Sakura trailed off thoughtfully. "She told us to not wait up for her. Zabuza will escort her home tonight." She lamely finished, a little wistful.

Haku slapped Sakura on the back. "Don't worry about her. She's in good hands." He winked. Sakura looked up at him and smiled. "I'm sure she is."

Haku grinned back and turned to Naruto. "Drink up, honey. I've been entrusted with escorting you two lovely ladies home." Naruto tilted her head curiously at him. "Surely you didn't think a gentleman would allow two beautiful ladies such as yourselves to embark on the streets alone at this late hour?" Before Naruto could even reply, Haku cut her off. "Of course not! Now finish that water, and I'll lead the way to the ryokan."

Not even bother to question how Haku knew where they were staying Naruto downed her water and allowed the man the grapple onto her once more as they exited the bar. The walk was eerily quiet. "I do hope Minako-chan is okay." Sakura said into the silence. Naruto turned a critical eye onto Haku, who had raised an eyebrow.

Sakura blushed. "It's just… a man and a woman all alone at night. I would be a bad friend if I didn't worry…" she stared at the stone ground bashfully. Haku chuckled. "Zabu-kun wouldn't harm a hair on Mina-chans head. I've never seen the man more infatuated in my life." A blatant lie if Naruto had ever heard one. She could admit she may be a bit slow on her own feelings, but she's read enough of Ero-Sennins novels to see all Zabuza saw in Ino was easy fu- her thoughts were cut off when Haku leaned down to girls height to whisper conspiratorially.

"Infact, I think he may even want to marry the girl."

Well bloody hell. Does this guy take them for idiots? Who the hell wants to get married after just a day and a half of meeting each other. Sakura gasped, "really!?" She exclaimed. Haku made a hushing noise. "Not so loud, Ami-chan. They could be walking home as we speak, we don't want to ruin the surprise."

Sakura embarrassingly put her hand over her mouth as she looked at Haku sheepishly. "Sorry…" she whispered light and then smiled blissfully. "I'm so excited for Mina-chan," she hummed.

A bulb began to light in Naruto's brain. This is who they were supposed to be, simple village girls. Whimsical, romantic, and enthralled by the idea of marriage and settling down. She was supposed to be expressing the same longing for domestic bliss as Sakura. That culturally ingrained feminine side that made trafficking girls like this so easy.

But she just couldn't do it, she was no actor, and the notion of a shotgun wedding to her meant nothing. Wisely, Naruto kept her mouth shut and hoped no one looked at her. When they finally arrived at Inn, Naruto and Sakura both bowed in gratitude to Haku and began to say their goodbyes.

Both girls dropped dead on Naruto's bed. Her room remained the undiscussed meeting area, where Sai continued to take permanent residence on a chair in the corner. If he ever actually slept was still a silent debate that warred internally in Naruto's head.

Naruto peeked at her exhausted friend, "do you think Ino will be okay?" She asked. Sakura let out a deep sigh, releasing some tension, a lazy hand dragged across her forehead. "She will be," Sakura promised.

A mouse scuttled into the room from a window left ajar. Sai stood abruptly, ushering the mouse into his hand as it popped. "Ino and leader of Gato left the bar approximately 5 minutes ago," he said with a slight narrowing of his eyes.

Naruto sat up abruptly, her exhaustion vanishing at the moment. "We should tail them!" She exclaimed, ripping her wig off and throwing it onto the floor to the disdain of Sakura. Sai didn't reply, contemplating the next steps of their plan.

"I still have my beast scrolls following her. It will reveal her location to us once she is out of sight. It would be best if we waited until that moment…" he trailed off. Naruto bit her cheek in irritation. She felt so useless. She wanted to be there for every moment. She wanted to be the backbone that could intervene in any moment that things turned sideways.

Naruto stood up, stretching her limbs a bit in her yukata. "I don't suppose I could take a stroll, need some fresh air and all," she tried to say as casually as possible. Sakura bolted up immediately. "Naruto…" She growled, her exhaustion apparently paling in comparison to her rage. "Don't you dare go after Ino. We need to work as a team!" She screamed to Naruto's quickly retreating figure.

Naruto slammed the door shut to echoing of her name. Darting right down the hallways, her hair still pulled up tight in a bun, starting to loosen with the aggravation of her movement. She wasn't going stray. She really was just going outside for some fresh air… and if she happened to catch sight of Ino, well, that was just a coincidence, wasn't it?

The first thing she noticed in the stillness of the night was a curious stray black dog. She shut the door to Inn behind her, perking the dog's attention. A black feather ear twitched as beady dark eyes immediately caught onto her.

Blinking, Naruto waved awkwardly as the dog trotted up to her. "Hey there, little guy.." she cooed, letting her hand be sniffed. She observed the dog, "you really are just a stray, huh.." she sighed. Giving the dog an idle scratch. "You stay here, okay… I'll be right back." The dog tilted their head in response, and Naruto began to walk away.

To her dismay, the soft padding of paws against stone followed her, peeking behind her. Sure enough, the stray dog seemed to have decided she was its newly appointed owner. And even worse, she could see the tell-tale sign of pink hair stomping through the entrance from the Inn through the glass-paneled window.

Tsking, she sharply picked up the pace, fully aware she still had a makeshift seal on her chakra. Naruto kept to the dark, avoiding street lamps while still trying to claim there was nothing at all suspicious about her brisk walk in the middle of the night.

Making a couple turns down some streets with no particular direction, she knew she was definitely off Sakura's radar. A small victory, to be sure. But as she continued to walk towards the general vicinity of the main shopping district, the much more logical and reasonable part of her brain began the berate her.

"Foolish girl. You should have stayed where the painter boy kept all the information." Kurama grumbled into her head.

"You're still here? Vacation not turning out as fun as you thought it would be?" She grumbled under her breath. She could literally feel the fox demon roll his eyes!

"Go back to the inky one."

Naruto huffed. She knew deep down that her minor transgression was probably more inconvenient than it was helpful. With a regretful sigh she turned around, ready to return to Inn and pray to whoever out there that was listening that nothing important went down on her stroll.

Climbing a tree to get a better vantage view of the fastest way back to Sai and Sakura, she paused as her eyes tailed someone less than 100 meters from her.

'Haku' was loitering outside a rather regular-looking house. It was voyeuristic to finally see this man when he wasn't masking his authentic self. Smoking, the man harshly threw the cigarette to the ground, not even bother to stamp it out before he stalked closer to Naruto's tree.

Holding her breath, he stood right at the trunk. He tsked at the dog, who was sitting obediently at overgrowing roots. "A stray?" He commented. The dog growled in response, immediately standing to attention. Haku barked out a laugh, "oh, you've got personality. I like you." He leaned down to scratch the dog's ears, just narrowly missing the snap of vicious jaws.

He scoffed and withdrew his attention. Another man approached the tree. Naruto tried her best to merge into the tree, thanking the heavens that the shadow of the night was hiding her. She held her breath when she immediately recognised the man as Sato.

"What took you so long, Sato?" Haku grumbled. Sato didn't acknowledge his apparent tardiness. "Is Gatō still entertaining his latest infatuation?" Sato merely replied. Haku snorted, "infatuation? That's what you're calling it? Don't tell me you're jealous, Sato. You know she's just business." Sato shuffled awkwardly. "She's a liability." He stated simply.

"Keep saying that once you have the money in your pocket." Haku sneered. Sato huffed irritably. "She's in town with two other girls! Wake up you idiot, you should have either taken all three or none at all, they are witnesses, and they will draw attention to us-"He was cut off. Naruto cursed as one of her feet lost footing, causing the branches around her feet the shuffle suspiciously.

"Company?" Sato looked up with narrowed eyes. Haku's head snapped up, his eyes glowing with chakra.

"What's this? A lost bunny?" He grinned ferally. Immediately jumping into the tree in a single leap. With barely enough time to curse, Naruto broke the seal, releasing her chakra in a single moment. She wanted to grin smugly when his eyes widened in surprise. Quickly she powered chakra into her palm but before she could shove the glowing blue orb into his chest, a foreign hand smacked onto the back of her head. She turned sharply to see who had gotten up behind her, Sato. Her Rasengan began to falter, sparking and leaking like a broken fountain before disintegrating into thin air. What did he just do?

Well if that's how it's going to be she will just have to do this the good old way. Latching one hand onto the tree, Naruto pushed her legs up against the sturdy trunk to kick off a violent jump. She grappled at Sato, clawing at his face with one hand while holding one sturdy shoulder to keep her balance. He grappled with her, the bastard probably out of practice with physical fighting, only preying on weak and meek villager women. She shoved a knee into his gut, watching in self-satisfied glee as he rasps, doubling over himself as he lost balance. As much as a small victory it was it also meant the leverage that she was holding onto lost its stability.

Sato and Naruto fell straight through the bulky branches, stray blossoming roots sharp enough to scratch at her on the way down ad she fell into the dirt with a heavy thud. Groaning Naruto pushed herself up, her body feeling suspiciously more battered than it should from just a fall. Hissing under her breath she attempted to once again pull chakra into her dusty and dirty hand, shaking in anxiety and it once more leaked and sprayed the thick blue chakra like an uncontained leak.

The black dog from before immediately ran to her aid, licking at stray scratches on her face. Her makeup at this point no doubtedly smudged and smeared from sweat and aggravation. A soft thud and the tinkling of laughter alerted her that this wasn't a one-on-one fight. Naruto snapped her head to look at Haku, smiling down at her cruelly. "Good try there, if Sato hadn't done what he'd done we'd be goners for sure. You are really quite the fighter Usagi."

Naruto's glare wavered as he glanced down at the dog who now stood at attention, growling ferociously at Haku. Naruto tried to tug at the black beast, pushing and shoving. "Get out of here," she urged but the dog would not be budged, if anything he only seemed to move more onto the offensive, paws clawing into the dirt to stand their ground. Haku looking at the dog a bit apprehensively before gulfing out a loud snorting chuckle. But much to his surprise the dog lept at him, a strong jaw hooking onto Haku's leg making the man scream out as he kicked the dog off from him to Naruto's horror. The dog fell meters away with a heartbreaking wine.

"You bastard!" She screamed, forcing her aching legs to stand and she'd move to charge at Haku. He fisted her in the stomach leaving her winded. Haku's hand wrapped around Naruto's waist, not allowing her to fall as he retrieved something from his back pocket. Naruto wheezed uselessly, her stress climbing through the roof, distantly she could hear the dog barking once more. Please, just go. Please don't get killed she prayed, tears threatening to spill as she regained some composure. Her hand moved, arms not as strong as before to shove Haku off her as Haku's own hand shoved something into her face. With a muffled scream, her vision spotted before going dark, the last thing she could see was a black blur charging towards her.

Nausea was the first thing she noticed when she came to. Memories of her final moments before she blacked out flitted by to her own mortification. How was she taken down so easily?

Kurama… She called out into her mind, hearing nothing in return but felt rage burning in her like a muted fire in the distance. Worry prickled her. What did they do...? She blearily blinked her eyes. Foggy as they were, she could hear a conversation around her.

"That fucking mutt bit me!" She could hear Haku complain. "What did you expect? Stray dogs are notoriously vicious," came the reply of Sato.

"Fucking bastard got away before I could rip its fucking head off," Haku growled. Nasua hit her in tenfolds making her double over, only to realise she was restrained.

"Oh look, the spying little bitch is finally awake."

Haku sauntered up to her, pulling a lock of blonde harshly, making Naruto wince. She glared indignantly at the vile man. "I never would have guessed my cute little bunny would be none other than the one and only Naruto Uzumaki." He gave her hair an extra harsh tug, pulling her head up as far as it could when the victim was tied up. "Sato wanted us to off you on the spot." He hissed into her ear. He let go of her abused hair just as quickly as he had griped the locks.

"But what can I say? So much time I spent on you, my dear, only to find out you're Konoha's, little darling? Such betrayal. But I couldn't let you go this easily." He put a hand to his heart mockingly, leering at her slumped form on the floor.

"Not without having a little fun first, that is." He grinned with a shark smile. He crouched down and held onto Naruto's chin, forcing her to hold his stare face to face.

"Quit messing around, Haru." Sato interrupted. So that was his real name. It bothered her more than it should have that it would be so similar to Haku. Haru's face darkened before he slammed his lips to Naruto's. His mouth was putrid. She could feel the bile rising to the back of her throat as his tongue forced entry into Naruto's own. She immediately tried to bite his tongue off. He pulled out quickly, smacking her harshly across the face making her head twist sharply at the impact.

"Vicious bitch." He snarled. "I wanted to be gentle, but we don't need to kiss to get this done." He roughly pulled her yukata open and groped her breast over the singlet. Naruto growled, screaming profanity at the man as she shoved him as hard as she could with arms tied behind her back. Her shoulder slamming into him with as much force as she could muster. Her bound legs kicking in the air, and to her mortification, he enjoyed it.

Satu sighed. "Haru, you are truly disgusting. Get me when you're… finished in here," exclaimed the man as he turned on his heel.

Haru groaned heavily as he pressed himself up against the side of her thigh, letting her know just how aroused he was. She froze at the realisation that he was using her struggles to get off. "Don't stop now. We are just getting started." He commented. Naruto spat in his face. And kami, did it feel good to finally be able to do that.

Thankfully his lecherous hands departed to swipe the gob of spit off him. He stood up abruptly. "I give you chance after chance to do this right." He smiled at her, that same faux charming he used when he was parading as Haku.

He stalked towards the back of the room, where a dark wooden desk sat idly to this moment. Opening the top drawer, he pulled out something metallic. He swayed over to Naruto with a sharp knife, having the decency (or lack off) to look regretful. "I really didn't want it to be like this." He gently glided the sharp surface of the knife over one of his fingers. The shallow touch slicing a cut into him like butter. He crouched back down to her horrified face as he raised the dripping appendage to her lips.

Naruto shook her head from side to side as he persistently tried to shove the bloody finger against her mouth. The knife in his hand fell to the floor with a loud clatter, and his other hand gripped at her jaw, fiercely pushing and pulling to pry her lips open.

"There we go…" he cooed as her lips parted. The finger forced its way in, metallic and sickly blood pooling in her mouth. "If you don't swallow it, darling, I will slit your throat right here," he remarked sweetly. Tears gathered against Naruto's will, blurring her vision as she swallowed the disgusting thick fluid.

He pulled back and stood up to admire her. "Red looks simply marvelous on you, little bunny." He remarked on the blood smeared across her mouth and face. Naruto blinked the tears away, "you know that's not my name." She rasped. He simply smiled at her.

"Ah yes, but to me, you'll always Usagi-chan."

She was such an idiot.

She should have waited with Sakura and Sai. If Haru was doing this to her, it broke her heart to think about what Ino must be going through with Gatō. She was useless. They sealed her chakra. They somehow blocked off Kurama. And all she could do now was survive long enough for Sai and Sakura to infiltrate their hide-out.

She could do this. She will survive, they will get caught, and she will dance on their corpses, she swore. Heat began to coil in her gut, her face became hotter. The scrape of a chair pulled up near her, and Haru heavily sat himself down.

Naruto groaned, trying to curl into herself. "What do you do to me," She asked, panting as her clothes became progressively less comfortable. She was going to sweat to death from heat in a moment.

Haru hummed. "I suppose there's no harm in telling you." He leaned forward, a grin widening. "Kekkei Henkei." He stated, chuckling a little to himself. Naruto glared at him ferociously. "What the fuck do you mean by that?" She spat. Haru recoiled, looking a bit put out. "Someone should really teach you some manners." Rich."

Sighing, he rolled his eyes. "That blood you just swallowed has a rather delightful effect on the people who have the pleasure of tasting my blood." He grinned ferally, "soon you'll be begging for me a like a bitch in heat."

Naruto would have paled at the words if she wasn't feeling so damn hot. "You're a sick bastard," she managed to gasp out. He laughed over her carelessly. "Don't make me shove my cock down your mouth to shut your dirty mouth."

Naruto gagged, "I will bite it off you arsehole," she promised. Haru didn't care. He continued to laugh and have the time of his life as he watched her like prey.