It was still dark outside when Karin woke up from her blackout. The TV was still on, lighting up the small hole in the wall apartment with its monochromatic flickering. She couldn't make anything out, her glasses and hair smeared with the drool soaked into the pillow. Groaning faintly in disgust with herself, the girl wiped as much saliva as she could with her blanket. Drooling was a bad habit she developed back in Kusa after coming home exhausted from the long days of shinobi duties. She was reminded of her new status not only as a citizen of Konoha but as a shinobi.

Then the darker thoughts seeped in, reminding the girl of her emotional strong-arming of her boyfriend into sending Mei Terumi back to the hellish warzone that was The Bloody Mist. Karin wished she could say she had no qualms about it, but even in her wallowing throws, her intelligence never wavered. But it was clouded by emotions. Emotions she was growing impatient with.

There could have been another way.

Karin could only think of this now, having slept on the idea and cleared her mind. She still didn't want the other girl anywhere close to Naruto and herself, but something could have been done. Almost anything in Konoha would be better for her than sending her back to Kiri to live as a little more than a caged bird surrounded by starving cats. Naruto wanted nothing more than to help her, and she didn't want him to because of anything more jealously and selfishness.

She held her damp pillow to her face and screamed her lungs out.

What have I done‽ Why am I such a selfish bitch‽

Venting hard into the plush pillow again, the redhead didn't think that she would wake up Naruto, he slept log. She formed angry fists and punched the bunched-up blankets. Soft poofs were the unsatisfying feedback her fists produced and she repeatedly wailed on the simple comforter. Karin didn't know what else to do to just let her searing anger out, but it was what she could do at the moment.

Huffing and feeling her anger subside, Karin stood up. Her night clothes were an utter mess, disheveled and half-folded into themselves. She didn't care about that right now. Naruto was owed an apology. A really big apology. One Karin sincerely meant.

She recalled his chakra being overtaken for a brief by the Kyubi. He gave into his anger for a faint moment and it was Karin's fault. The more she intellectualized the whole situation, the more she realized just how terrible she was. It was one thing to know that something is bad, it is an entirely different matter to truly understand why it was.

The redhead nearly sprinted five feet from her couch to his bed. His empty bed.

"Where is he‽" Karin exclaimed, nearly hyperventilating. "It's twelve at night! Where could he even go‽" Delivering a quick slap to her face, she recomposed herself. "Mind's Eye, Mind's Eye."

Closing her still slightly puffy eyes, Karin focused.

His chakra was easy to find. It was halfway across the village, accompanied closely by a colder signature she recognized as his teammate Sasuke.

What are they doing out this late at night?

As her thoughts concluded, another four signatures came into vision. Focusing harder, she watched as the chakra was being manipulated and drained. They were fighting another signature but there were three, no, four more watching them.

Without hesitation, Karin left the apartment on fleeting feet not even closing the door behind her. Smoke danced underneath her nose but, the redhead didn't notice, whatever was happening to Naruto was more important. She leaped from rooftop to rooftop gracelessly, grunting as she rocketed herself on every step. She made her way to the Hokage's home.

Tsunade can help! She can send some Jounin or something! Karin concluded. If that falls through, then...

The girl knew she wasn't particularly powerful in the bigger picture, but with a few aces up her sleeve, she could be useful.


Naruto awoke in his bed when the moon was nearly directly overhead. He didn't need to look at the clock to tell it was almost midnight. Eleven o'clock is what his clock read.

The TV was still on but Karin was slumped over her pillow sound asleep. It was a normal thing for her to fall asleep watching whatever shows or movies caught her eye. She never had a TV back in Kusa and had taken to watching it like a fish to water. It didn't matter if it was some crappy game show or some soap opera romanticizing domestic affairs of nobility, she watched it all. Naruto wasn't even sure why he still had the electric box. He spent most of his time out on missions or training, only coming home near the end of every day to eat and sleep.

Before Karin showed up, his TV served as little more than a paperweight that came with the apartment, courtesy of The Third Hokage. At least now it was being used by someone.

Karin.

His thoughts then shifted to the sleeping girl. All he wanted to do was make her happy. She was the person closest to him and vice-versa. However close their relationship was, it had conflict like any other. And this was a major one.

Naruto sacrificed his morality to make her happy and it cut him deeper, beyond what he previously believed. The blond ripped himself apart inside each time that moment rewound and played in his memory. All he ever wanted to do for Mei was grant her father's wish for a better life for her. Karin's stubborn covetousness had slithered its tendrils around the whole idea and sunk it before she could even rationally think about it. And the worst part about it was he knew that she knew. It was a bullet he regretfully bit.

He knew her life was hard, even harder than his own much like Gaara's. Those who lived lives of such hardships never left it without some sort of damage to their well-being. Gaara became a bloodthirsty psychopath. Karin was possessive of what she perceived as hers. He resented the village for shunning him for so long. All were natural byproducts of their upbringings.

The boy fought with himself to overcome his deep-seated resentment toward the villagers. He still struggled with it now and then, much like his repressed anger, but he wanted to move forward with his life. No one was going to help him with such a task, or would perhaps even be capable, but he had to try. And try to help others he saw himself in.

If Gaara can overcome his hatred, Karin can definitely overcome her...whatever it is. Maybe then I can work out something with Mei. He sighed. I just hope I can do it fast.

That was the plan he settled on.

He was pulled away from his thoughts by someone crashing into him. Naruto hadn't even been aware he'd wandered outside into the ill-lit streets of the village.

Spooky.

Picking himself up, he saw it was Sasuke.

"Hey Sasu-"

"Run, Naruto!" Sasuke hurriedly shouted as he quickly climbed to his feet and yanked his friend. Sasuke cursed vociferously as he dragged his teammate along with him. "What the hell are you doing out here‽"

"I can ask you the same thing! What are we running from‽"

"Some ninja broke into my house while I was still awake and I don't know what they want!" He exclaimed as fast as he could. "I used the Phoenix Flower Jutsu and jumped out the window and started running! I'm pretty sure I set my house on fire!"

"Are those the guys that are following us?" Naruto asked, looking over his shoulder.

"If two of them are a girl and a big guy, then yes!"

"You aren't getting away from us, Sasuke Uchiha!" One of them shouted. "That bounty on you is gonna make live like kings for the rest of our lives!"

"I ain't goin' back to livin' on shitty rations! You hear me‽ I ain't goin' back!" The girl shouted.

"Bounty Hunters‽ You got any idea who put a friggin' bounty on your head?"

"I don't have a clue!" Sasuke answered. "Tsunade killed Orochimaru didn't she?"

"Ninety percent sure!"

"Ninety‽ Why not a hundred‽"

"I was kinda recovering from being dead at the time!"

The boys were stopped in their tracks by a massive bulk of a teenager. His rotund features and impressive stature stamped into an aggressive pose. He was ready to strike when Naruto formed his go-to seal and summoned a small army of clones, half of whom were disguised as Sasuke.

"Scatter!" Naruto shouted. The clones obeyed, taking off in every direction.

Going along with his teammate's plan, Sasuke sprinted down a nearby trash-ridden alley with a few pairs of clones. Naruto was not far behind him when he looked back. And not far behind Naruto was another person, one of the people after him.

"I saw you look back, Uchiha!" He shouted. "I know that's the real you!"

Shit! The Konoha shinobi thought simultaneously.

Suddenly, the trailing enemy was in front of Sasuke. He stopped as quickly as he could as did the rest of the clones. The ninja wasn't much taller or older than either of the younger boys but had a darker complexion. Attached to his shoulders were two sets of arms and on his face was a smirk. He cracked all of his knuckles at once. Across his forehead was tied the hitai-ate displaying his allegiance to Oto.

"Just stand there and make this easy. I'm not in the mood for a struggle."

"Tough shit, 'cause we are!" All of the clones shouted.

They ran at the tan ninja without hesitation, fists and weapons at the ready. They were ineffective, wiped clean in an instant. Each one who got close to their target was struck once with enough power to dispel them. Naruto and Sasuke hardened their eyes into scowls befitting their anger and repressed sense of fear.

"Aw, don't be like that. They just ain't strong enough to for me." He mocked, withdrawing his hands. "And neither are you two."

Sasuke struck the air where the enemy had been seconds ago and he was sent flying down the alleyway. The enemy shinobi had kicked the back of the Uchiha's head.

"Sasuke!"

The Uchiha groaned as stood on shaky feet. The tender area of his head pulsed painfully however paling against the wound left on his pride. Growling, Sasuke activated his Dojutsu, his charcoal eyes became a deep red, and a set of three tomoe marks floated within.

With every subtle movement of the enemy, Sasuke saw volumes of information he could not decipher. Every inch of minute movement of the enemy's body became more than familiar like the Uchiha knew every possible movement the enemy was capable of. With even the faintest of muscle twitches under his enhanced sight, he would not be caught off guard like that again.

"You think those eyes scare me punk?"

"They should!"

Invoking his newfound boost in ability, Sasuke sped through handsigns and spat a grand fireball directly at the Oto bounty hunter. The Oto nin attempted to avoid it but found himself held in place.

"You aren't going anywhere!" Naruto declared. The blond focused chakra both his own and the Kyuubi's into his biceps and his feet. While by no means the physically strongest ninja of his young generation, training with Jiraiya had built his muscles up significantly. With the chakra focused on his feet, Naruto was anchored to the stone floor.

"What do you think you're doing idiot‽" Shrieked the taller boy. He tried to pull himself free, writhing and twisting in Naruto's grasp. Both sets of his arms were pinned underneath Naruto's hold. Being untrained to use single-handed seals, there was little he could do but let the curse seal activate. "You're gonna get hit too!"

"I can take it! Can you?" Naruto answered back without noticing the shift occurring in his prisoner.

The orange fireball swallowed both boys whole and passed through them, leaving both in the agony of stinging burns. When the fireball dissipated, only the Sound ninja remained standing. His gray top was singed beyond repair and fell to the ground in a pile of black ash. He was visibly wounded by the burns inflicted on him yet he stood on his feet.

"I'll admit, that hurt, but it still ain't enough to take me down." The shirtless rogue remarked with a snide undercurrent. "Looks like the same can't be said about your friend."

Sasuke silently stared back. His eyes were dilated at the friendly fire of his teammate, then relaxed a moment later. Naruto fell from hire up and delivered an ax kick to the enemy ninja. The Naruto on the ground poofing into a cloud of smoke.

The Oto ninja staggered in a concussion-glazed view of the world. Blinking rapidly and stumbling around for a few moments before reaching a standing pose. He shook his loosened senses back into their proper places. If his mark wasn't activated, he wasn't sure he'd still be conscious.

"You little orange piece of shit!"

"Are you done playing yet, Kidomaru?" A new voice asked from above. All three in the alleyway looked up and spotted the other Oto ninja staring down at them. "Hurry up and capture him before we get noticed."

The one who looked like the leader was ashen-haired and wore blue lipstick, neither Naruto nor Sasuke could tell the androgynous ninja's gender. Naruto couldn't help but remember Haku, Two of the other ninjas were the aforementioned big guy with disproportionately smaller facial features and the girl with red, almost pink, locks of hair poorly concealed by a black skullcap.

"What the hell you starin' at dumbass?" The girl cussed, staring back at Naruto specifically.

How many redheads am I gonna meet?

"Quit starin'!"

"I'm not staring!"

"Tayuya, quit flirting with the enemy." The big shinobi said off-handedly.

"I ain't flirting! He just won't quit starin' at me!"

"Your friend was trying to kill us, then you show up! How am I not supposed to stare at you?"

"Kidomaru ain't my friend!"

"Knock it off, Naruto!" Sasuke shouted. "We gotta beat this guy!"

"Even if you somehow beat Kidomaru, you still gotta fight us." The ashen-haired leader laughed. "And neither of you are strong enough to do that!" The rest of the Sound Ninja jumped down into the alleyway, two behind them and the biggest one ahead. Tayuya stayed on the rooftop. The two Konoha ninjas were surrounded.

"Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu!"

"Phoenix Flower Jutsu!"

Scores of Naruto clones flooded the alley while Sasuke jumped over Kidomaru and spat three fireballs behind him. Kidomaru reached to grab the Uchiha but a swath of powerful strikes to his back launched him forward. Naruto and Sasuke regrouped.

"You got a plan, Naruto?" The Uchiha asked.

"Not really, but I got something forming. Stay in the crowd." The clones bunched into a set of blockades and stood on each other's shoulders to create a small dome of orange. The dome moved as fast as it was capable of. The gentle whisper of a flute was heard then the barrier's west side was destroyed by a spiked metal club leaving a thick smoke.

"Did you think some shitty little clone fort was gonna stop my Doki?" Tayuya mocked. "Now you're dead and the reward is ours!"

"We only get full price if he's captured alive! You just halved it, you dumb slag!"

"The hell did you just call me, fatass‽"

"Jirobo, Tayuya, shut up!" Sakon coughed from the far end of the smokey alley.

Suddenly the chirping of birds was heard from within the smoke-filled clone dome. Then the crackling of electricity and swirling of air. Two blue lights could barely be seen through the clouds.

Naruto and Sasuke charged forward through the smoke with their hands outstretched, both with a jutsu in hand. The Uzumaki's spinning Rasengan and The Uchiha's chirping Chidori cleared the way for the two boys while their feet carried them almost on their own. Jirobo couldn't react fast enough, finding his stomach being run through by lightning and twisted by a sphere of spinning chakra. He then found himself being moved.

The two boys pressed their advantage, lifting the heavier teenager just enough from the ground, and pushed forward to the street. Jirobo activated his curse mark and let the barbed black lines run along his body however it did little to help. His abdomen was already torn open. Realizing it was futile, Jirobo activated the second stage but neither did it quell his pain and his will was near broken. He couldn't resist anymore; the pain was unbearable.

Killed...by two...hits. Were Jirobo's last thoughts as rubble from the building he was thrown into collapsed on him. His last glimpses of the living world were Sasuke and Naruto running in opposite directions.

"They're splitting up and killed fatass!" Tayuya shouted from the rooftop.

"Leave blondie, just capture Sasuke!" Sakon shouted.


Tsunade hadn't gotten a wink of sleep, only laying in bed in her totally dark bedroom. She'd gone up to the rooftop to get some fresh air and only found the scent of smoke when she creaked the door open. Curious, the mature woman immediately rushed out to the balcony, finding the sight of the old Uchiha District engulfed in an orange inferno.

"Lady Tsunade!" A girlish voice called and Karin appeared after.

"Karin! What the hell's going on‽" Shouted Tsunade. "Why is the village on fire‽"

"I don't know, but Naruto is in trouble! There's some people after him and Sasuke!"

"Did you see them? Do you have any idea who they are?"

"No! I ran straight here when I noticed the chakra signatures!"

Tsunade nearly ripped the railing off in frustration. All the Hokage wanted was some cold air and found her village on fire and her proto-grandson being chased down by some infiltrating shinobi.

Guess that's why I couldn't sleep.

"How many are ninja are after them?"

"Five-wait." Karin hesitated with closed eyes. "Four. They must have beaten one! Naruto and Sasuke split up and they're only chasing Sasuke."

"Stay here and keep watching them. If something happens to either of them-" She slapped the ground and summoned a pair of small pale slugs. Tsunade placed a slug on Karin's shoulder and the other on her own. "Tell Katsuyu and she'll tell me. I'll gather some ANBU to handle the rest." The Hokage flickered away.

Karin kept her red eyes closed and did as she was told.

"Don't worry, Lady Tsunade knows what she's doing." Katsuyu assured with her soft voice.


They aren't following me. Naruto noticed as ducked and weaved through the narrowing streets. His sandals skidded as the boy turned down another alleyway. Bounding from the enclosed walls, Naruto reached the skyline and saw the burning blaze Sasuke created. Jeez, it's gonna burn the whole village down if it spreads further!

Scanning the skyline with his blue eyes, The Orange Chunin watched for movement. Quickly, he reached the moving ninja he spotted and tackled them to the ground.

"Get off me, shithead!"

Of course, it would be her!

Tayuya delivered a powerful uppercut knocking him on his back. He stood up and was batted away by her demon's metal club.

"You may have killed that fatass Jirobo, but he was the weakest of all of us! I, on other hand" Her flute whistled a beautiful, somber tune. Appearing behind her were another two Doki. Naruto scowled. "am the second strongest! Get ready to die!"

"I know the same trick!" Four dozen clones of Naruto appeared standing ready to fight.

"Clones? Remember what happened last time?"

The demons swung their weapons, destroying many of the clones, but leaving the smoke Naruto often used to his advantage. A single clone pushed through with a kunai in hand and flung it directly at the foul-mouthed flutist. It flew past her shoulder, slicing a few locks of long pink-red hair.

"You missed, dumbass!"

The flying kunai transformed into Naruto.

"I wasn't aiming for you!" Tayuya turned. He loosed a shuriken that struck her flute, sending the instrument flying away, landing with a dull clink. The Dokis did nothing to react as they stood still.

"Orange sonofabitch!" Along Tayuya's exposed skin emerged wild black lines. With a strict claw, she grabbed Naruto and slammed him. Striking a few solid blows to his chest, the musician ninja stood and started her search for her flute, but was tripped. Naruto yanked her down to him and struck her upside her head, knocking off her hat and setting her mop of hair free from its confinement. Tayuya slinked a foot beneath her aggressor's abdomen and tossed him forward, cartwheeling herself to a sprint. "It couldn't have gone far!"

The Leaf Jinchuriki could feel the Kyubi within him holding his no doubt cracked ribs together. He cussed out the Fox before for ceasing to heal him after his battle with Gaara.

Should you die, I will be free. I'll hold you together if to draw out your agony. The Fox taunted. Find your girlfriend if you want to be healed.

Back to his feet, the Chunin threw himself at the Sound Nin who kicked him in the stomach. He grabbed her leg and pulled her down, taking another kick in the mouth. The Chunin felt a tooth come loose but maintained his grip, pulling her down and driving a punch to her chin. Tayuya drove a knee into Naruto's chest. He let out a pained cry.

"Stay down, bastard!"

Tayuya caught the metallic glimmer her flute shined with. Playing a quick few notes, her demons appeared beside her. One brought down the metal weapon on Naruto, seemingly crushing him. The Flutist stopped her cheering before it even began.

"He's a tricky prick. No way that took him out." She was correct, watching the Doki's club being lifted.

The growls of a feral beast came to her ears. A sudden wave of burning chakra paired with a sense of fear overtook Tayuya, stopping her dead. Scratchy black markings covered his cheeks, his eyes became the slits of a wild predator. Enveloping the orange bedecked ninja was a storming cloak of chakra, redder and wilder than her locks. From his head poked two long ears reminiscent of a fox and behind him swished a pair of tails, all of which consisted of the same chakra.

Naruto ripped the club from the demon's hand and clubbed the monster with its own weapon.

No way! He lifted my Doki's club‽ Tayuya thought nearly disbelieving her own brown eyes while she garnered distance. The Doki faded away with the crushing club. I still have the other two and the curse mark!

The girl's skin began to darken, becoming a brown color and her eyes became black and yellow. as Naruto closed the distance.

"You aren't the only one who can transform!" Mocked she.

Her second demon stabbed Naruto with its claw. He dodged every swipe with practiced skill, used the Doki's powerful arm as a step-stool, and kicked the monster's head from its shoulders. The Jinchuriki resumed his advance. The second Doki faded away.

Shitshitshit! He killed two of them that fast‽ What the hell is this guy‽ Tayuya blew on her demonic flute again. The third and final Doki leaned fully back and opened its mouth. From the devil's maw slithered forth a great worm abounded with mouths across its translucent length. Whilst the worm attacked the enraged Jinchuriki, needles fired from the last demon's head. The worm consumed an amount of demonic chakra and writhed after, unable to consume the burning energy, and faded away.

The needles pierced through the chakra aura, Naruto's flak jacket, and exited out his back. He made no motion to acknowledge the pain he might have felt had his rage not consumed his mind. All he desired now was to end this battle and track down the rest.

Tayuya was terrified. All but one of her demons were defeated, the spirit worms did nothing and Blondie seemed to ignore pain.

If he gets close, I'm done for! Tayuya was not skilled in melee combat. Competent enough to hold her own for a period she was, but not enough to engage an aggressive, seeming immune to pain opponent. The final Doki fired more needles and did the same as before. Naruto ignored the wounds mounting in his chest, as long as he could move forward, that was all that mattered.

The demon thrust its spiked head into Naruto's chest as he got close, but the boy felt nothing as blood poured from his wounds and the Kyubi worked its stasis ability. With his clawed hands, Naruto grabbed the Doki's neck and began to twist it. The Doki pushed its nailed head further into the shredded Chunin vest, the longest of the needles poking out the other side. Slowly, the demon's neck twisted, cracking and snapping as the head was forcibly reversed. With a final jut of force, the demon dropped and faded.

"Wh-what the hell are you‽" Tayuya stared incredulously at the chakra-cloaked Chunin. He said nothing as leaped at her with a cocked fist. The blow shattered her flute and breastbone into splinters. She couldn't scream with collapsed lungs, all Tayuya could do was lay there on the rooftop looking on at the starry sky and hope someone could save her before she died. At least, I might see my mom again... She thought as she choked into darkness.

Naruto did not stay, still high on the rage and power of the Kyubi's chakra enveloping him. He raced in the direction of Sasuke, toward the burning blaze. He could barely think straight, however, he knew his objective, and even if on instinct, he would complete it.