Archie the talking grasshopper hopped into the cell. He was exhausted, the poor Uzumaki bug.

Archie found he rather liked talking. But he needed to do as Naruto-sama said. Then he'd go back and talk all he want.

The redheaded Uzumakis looked at him like he was a bug. He was, but he hopped on one of the short-haired ones' heads and began to speak.

"Naruto-sama sent me!" he announced in a deep bass (to his ears. The Uzumaki all heard a squeaky voice instead.). "I am to tell you that there is someone here that she wishes saved - if it's possible - and she's wondering when you will be able to get out."

Archie waited.

"Two more months, little grasshopper," one of them said at last. "Unless you have a better time. And date."

"Not at all," the grasshopper replied. "Uzumaki-sama should be a chuunin by then."

"Which nation does Uzumaki-sama reside in?" asked another, face alight with hope.

"Konohagakure no Sato," Archie replied. "She lives as an orphan. But she is truly Uzumaki-sama. She holds Kyuubi."

"Oh, so our clan head is a genin and she holds the Kyuubi. Nice. I approve." The redhead sat back. "Are you a singing grasshopper?"

"Once upon a time, I was," Archie replied. "But I was sealed by Kazama-sama. Naruto-sama sent me to tell you this." Archie settled on the Uzumaki he was standing on's head. "I'm tired, so I'm going to fall asleep. Oh, and the guy she wants you to save is called Hyuuga Hizashi."

Archie fell asleep.

~:~

"I was thinking," Naruto began, "why don't we go try to kill that Kiri team?"

"Nah, I think all the cameras are picking up our words, and I don't think that killing the Kiri team first would make Kakashi-sensei too happy. Just because we don't like them doesn't mean we should kill them," Tayuya admitted with a grimace. She wanted to kill them, but it really wouldn't let them be any less barbaric. Plus, they still had the whole 'Sanity Measurement' to go through. Kiana had warned them that if they discriminated against the Kiri ninja from the start, they probably would not make it to chuunin.

"Plus, you're 'No-Kill Naruto', remember?" Karin asked with a grin.

"Oh, yeah, I forgot," Naruto nodded. "That's okay, though. Tayuya can kill them if she wants."

Tayuya grinned frighteningly.

Naruto paused.

"Guys, have any of you ever had snake?"

"No," Tayuya replied, curling her nose. "Why would you ask -"

Naruto did lightning-fast hand signs.

"Fuuton: Gale Palm!"

Slapping the air, wind exploded from her hand, howling through the forest.

A giant snake appeared.

Tayuya gasped. "Orochimaru."

"Hello, Tayuya-chan," Orochimaru said silkily. "It's been a while."

"You," Naruto said, glaring at him, "are the one who put Tayuya's cursed seal on her?"

Orochimaru grinned sadistically. "I can't wait to give you a cursed seal, Naruto-chan~"

Naruto felt a chill coming up her spine. "Uh... One question before you do that. Where would you put that Cursed Seal?"

"On the back of your neck, of course," Orochimaru said, frowning. "Why?"

"To be honest, I didn't really want to ask, nor do I want a Cursed Seal," she said to him. "So... No, thanks." Her hands blurred. "Fuuton -"

"Doton: Mud Wall!"

A wall came out of nowhere.

She canceled the jutsu she was just going to do. Signs flashed, and she forgot to call out the name of the jutsu. She slammed her electrified finger into the wall and uttered a small scream as it snapped. The wall crumbled.

She leaped back, Tayuya fumbling with her flute, Karin frowning -

"Naruto behind you!"

Naruto turned, but was too slow. Orochimaru bit on her skin, and Naruto knew. She didn't want it, but she'd take it on if that meant she kept her family safe.

"I'll be back for you two later~" Orochimaru laughed. Naruto didn't even realize he'd stopped biting her. Pain hit her body, radiating from the seal.

And then Naruto blacked out.

~:~

Karin was scared. Naruto wasn't moving, and Orochimaru had just left (she shuddered to think what would have happened if she'd stayed in Kusa. Orochimaru would have probably appealed to her 'I'm all alone in the world where I have no family' side of things.), and Tayuya looked scared.

Tayuya was never scared.

"Kiana!" Karin's terrified yell echoed through the forest. "KIANA, HELP US!"

She didn't know what the hell she was supposed to do.

~:~

Kiana looked at the Sandaime, hate in every fiber of her being as she was restrained.

Call me, Naruto-sama! She begged in her mind. Call us. We're waiting for you. That was the main reason the seal she'd been working on with Nagato hadn't worked.

The Queen hadn't called them.

Kakashi, too, was likewise restrained, but for that reason and the fact he was their jounin instructor. He looked like the wolves his clan was famous for making a pact with.

Kiana stilled.

"Fine," she said, with a beaming grin. "I won't help them, and neither will Kakashi. I need to pee."

"Escort her, Kurenai." The Sandaime wasn't willing to take chances. As Kiana exited, she suddenly popped right back in and frowned.

"Can someone show me where the bathroom is?"

Oh, right. She wasn't even supposed to be there.

"Kakashi, show her to the bathroom. Genma, follow them and make sure they don't run off," ordered the Sandaime.

They had said that Kiana and Kakashi could not directly help the Uzumaki head.

Indirectly, however... Well, they hadn't specified.

So, Kurenai followed her into the girl's bathroom, let her do her business, and left.

Unknown to Kurenai and Genma, Kiana and Kakashi had a specific connection to wolves and foxes. And, well, if there just so happens to be a smokeless summons that carried messages that knew Uzumaki handsigns (or ANBU handsigns, in Kakashi's case) to their multiple allies and convinced them (by order) to work with the other species... Well, that was a complete secret held by Kiana and Kakashi, after all.

~:~

Karin shivered as she held herself by the fire. Moving Naruto had proved to be futile, because neither Tayuya or Karin wanted to touch her.

So, instead, they'd utilized seals. Nothing human could pass the literal barrier that they'd erected.

Animals eyed them, but it was the wolves that arrived that put the Uzumakis on edge.

"Relax, ningen," a wolf rumbled. "Fox. Who called you here?"

"The master called us both to help fellow clan members." Foxes converged. "Kitsune magic prevails, wolf."

"I smell none that can be defined as my pack," growled the head wolf. He prowled around them, pausing when he stepped near Naruto. "This one smells of the old pack leader. I will have my pack protect her."

"We're her pack," Tayuya grunted, making them pause. "She is our Alpha."

"Who's the bitch?" the wolf questioned.

Karin recognized the term. Submissive, bitch...

"Uh, she doesn't have one yet," she admitted.

"Odd," the wolf said.

"It's actually quite common for humans not to have one when we're pups," Karin replied.

"Hm." The wolf sat down next to Naruto. "I smell evil and darkness coming off of her."

"That would be Orochimaru's Cursed Seal," Tayuya blurted. "It feeds on your want for power."

"So shouldn't she be awake by now?" Karin asked, frowning.

"Maybe this is what the Sage was talking about when he gave her the gifts?" Tayuya suggested.

Karin paused. "Orochimaru would've tagged you or I," she said, adjusting her glasses. "What if she doesn't want the seal, but accepted it because Orochimaru would have tagged us?"

"I don't know, but I ain't touching the shithead. I don't touch dead bodies, and she sure as hell looks dead," Tayuya flatly said.

"Let's just get some sleep," Karin sighed. "Hopefully we'll be able to help her more in the morning."

The duo fell asleep in uncomfortable positions, well aware of the wolves and foxes prowling outside their camp.

For the moment, they were safe.