Yes I'm still here and no I didn't forget about you beautiful fucks.
Since I've been gone awhile, you might want to re-read the last chapter.
Merry Christmas and happy holidays!
Hope you enjoy!
"You need my help? For what?" Naruto asked.
"Perhaps it is better if I show you."
Naruto nodded and hopped onto Chishikis' back and prepared to take flight. Chishiki flapped his wings and the leaves shook with each gust.
'This'll never get old.' Naruto thought happily.
He loved the feeling of the wind blowing past him and he was enjoying the silent, scenic ride but there was something he needed to ask.
"Hey Chishiki..."
"yes?"
"I saw something... weird back there."
"Ah... I see. What you witnessed was the early stages of the dragon life cycle. When a dragon is born, they cannot think and are driven purely by instinct. They are drawn to the forest and as a result, must survive there until they obtain higher thought."
"But... you guys are cannibals?!"
"Only if need be. There are other things to eat there."
"So... what happens after they "obtain higher thought"?"
Chishiki flew through a cloud causing Naruto to come out slightly damp.
"At that stage, they will begin to seek out others of like mind. Essentially, they are assimilated back into our society, thus completing the cycle."
Naruto was strangely fascinated by all this knowledge and there seemed to be an infinite amount of things to ask and learn about, but a burning question came to the forefront.
"What about Seiteki? He looks younger than some of the dragons I saw back there."
"The young one? He is the exception, because he is your familiar."
"Familiar?"
"Familiar is what we call a dragon who is no longer drawn to the forest and will never return. When you summoned him, you tore him from the cycle. As a result, he will stay with you. He will grow in power, but not in size or mentality. Though he may pick up some human quirks"
"So summoning him made him my familiar? Does that mean you're my familiar too?"
"No. Only adolescent dragons can become familiars, as they develop a strong bond with the summoner. Sometimes it is so strong that the pair is able to share thoughts and feelings, but that is rare."
Then Naruto had a devious thought.
"So if I summon a bunch of baby dragons... I could have an army of familiars!"
Chishiki laughed loudly. "Good luck with that! Baby dragons are notoriously territorial and will fight to the death."
Naruto imagined for a moment, 100 tiny dragons, all hissing and growling at each other, setting things ablaze and just in general causing mayhem.
"... babies are kinda scary."
"You can say that again."
They were beginning to land in a nearby clearing. Naruto could see some familiar faces, or rather... snouts... scales?
Anyway, he could see Chikara laying on the ground with Jaakuna nearby. He could even see Seiteki atop Chikara's head, jumping up and down, trying to get his attention.
"This is what I need you for." Chishiki said as he touched down.
Naruto looked at Chikara and was beginning to understand. His intimidating aura was gone and he was just lying there, like he was trying to melt into the ground. It was weird to see such a proud dragon looking so... small.
Naruto jumped down and rushed over. "What's wrong with him?" he asked.
"We aren't sure." Said Jaakuna.
"He's been this way since we fought Shukaku."
Naruto stared at Chikara in thought, analyzing him. As he did so Seiteki excitedly rushed over to him and once again nestled in his hair.
Undisturbed by Seitekis antics, Naruto continued to analyze the red giant.
Even though they were of two completely different species, Naruto could easily identify the problem. He was all too familiar with the emotions Chikara was feeling, some would call him an expert.
'I guess no one's immune to it...'
He felt certain that he knew the cause of this, but wanted to be sure, so he simply asked.
"Are you upset that I sent you back?"
There was a low rumble from him in response.
"... I did it to protect you."
"I know." Chikara responded.
"Then why are you upset?"
"Because YOU had to protect ME. I should not need your protection nor should I have lost to that stupid tanuki."
'Wounded pride isn't too hard to fix... I'll get you back to your old self!' Naruto thought happily.
"But you did." Naruto said matter of factly.
"What?" Chikara growled out.
"You did lose. And you did need my help, so maybe you're weaker than you thought."
Chikara stood up and glared down at Naruto, flames billowing out from his mouth.
"He's going to get himself killed." Chishiki muttered.
"You would dare insult me?"
"If you were anything like the Chikara I first met then no, but you? Definitely."
Chikara's body exploded into flames, scorching the ground beneath him and distorting the air around him.
"Teeth or fire. Choose your death."
"or... we could test your strength, and maybe, you can prove me wrong."
"You wish to test me? How?" Chikara asked annoyed.
"I'm bound to get into a fight sooner or later." Naruto said, shrugging.
"I bet that in our next fight you'll still lose!" He said, pointing a finger.
Chikara lowered his head so that he could look at Naruto eye to eye. The heat radiating from him was painful but Naruto did not back away. He was afraid he would lose his eyebrows but he wasn't about to back down.
"I will show you the meaning of strength! Do not keep me waiting."
The flames surrounding him died down and he took off without another word. As he disappeared into the clouds Chishiki spoke.
"I figured you could help but... how did you know exactly what to say?"
"He's stubborn, like me, and if there's one thing stubborn people love to do, it's prove other people wrong."
"Where do you think he's going?" Jaakuna asked.
"I am unsure... but wherever it is, I'm certain he will return stronger than before." Chishiki responded.
Suddenly, the sounds of the forest stopped. The next second, each dragon perked their heads up and looked in the same direction.
It was freaking Naruto out.
'What caught all of their attention?' he wondered.
He looked to where they were staring, but saw nothing. The only thing worthy of note was that Mundana's cave was in that direction. They were released from their strange trance-like state and Chishiki turned to him.
"Akai shi would like to see you."
"No way..." Naruto said in awe.
"You guys can talk with your minds?" Naruto deduced.
"Not exactly. Akai Shi is the only one able to speak, we just listen." Jaakuna answered.
"It is best if you depart soon." Chishiki said.
"Wait, what does he want to see me for?"
"... he did not say. You should go find out." Chishiki stated.
Naruto nodded and took off towards Mundana's cave.
He had reached the caves entrance, once again his eyes were drawn to the great big piles of white bones strewn about the ground. He would probably never get used to that.
He took a step forward, the bones rattling against each other as he did so, alerting Mundana to his presence.
A shadow dropped down in front of him and began to unfurl into the form of a dragon. Mundana looked the boy in his eyes.
"You've finally arrived. Pleasure to see you again."
Although he was addressed in a friendly manner, Naruto was no less intimidated than the first time they'd met. As opposed to the three brothers, who exuded a powerful yet regal aura, Mundana's was... chaotic. Naruto had a feeling that summoning him would embed fear into enemies and allies alike.
"Will you take me to the boss?"
"Of course, come with me."
Mundana led him further into the caves, not making a sound as he stepped over his collection of... calcium.
A shiver went down Naruto's spine. Mundana was definitely the scariest by far.
The pair had reached Akai Shi's lava pool. He was, of course, resting within it and he opened his eyes as they approached. Naruto had a sudden thought.
'I wonder if that's like a hot tub for him. Maybe he gets wrinkles.' He thought, chuckling.
"-thing I wish to show you."
Naruto stared blankly for a moment before his body filled with panic.
'Shit! He was talking!? I-I wasn't even listening! Oh god oh god what did he say?'
"- me". Akai Shi finished.
'...I did it again!'
Naruto was having a mini heart attack, but that feeling was quickly replaced with awe as Akai Shi began to slowly rise up from the lava to his full height. The molten rock was cascading down the smooth surface of the dragon king's body before splashing back down into the pool.
'Wait...' Naruto thought.
'Smooth?'
He looked closely at Akai Shi and indeed he was completely smooth, not a scale to be seen. How strange...
Akai Shi began to delve deeper into the caves, each of his steps causing the ground to quake; Mundana, having completed his task, began to make his way back. With both dragons moving in opposite directions, Naruto wasn't sure what to do, he felt like a kid whose mother left them in the cashier line.
He really should've been paying attention.
"I am waiting for you child." Akai Shi's voice rang out. He was already out of sight but his voice boomed through the cavern.
"Got it!" Naruto said, finally realizing what he needed to do. He ran after Akai Shi, hoping he didn't notice Naruto's daydreaming.
Akai Shi and Naruto entered an enchanting new place, one that amazed Naruto with its beauty, but more importantly, oozed power in colossal quantities.
This place was, for lack of a better term, a mind fuck.
Naruto knew that they were underground and yet he could look up and see the sunlight piercing through the trees. Where the sun bathed the ground, moss, grass and even small trees grew, and in the areas where leaves or rocky overhangs blocked it's grace, bioluminescent plants thrived, adding to the mystical sight.
From the surface, through the large roots of the ancient trees, a river flowed down into the grove. It had clearly been flowing for a long time, as it cut out a circular path that left an island in it's center. The island was partly bathed in sunlight and partly shrouded in shade, a perfect balance of both.
Seiteki also seemed amazed by the sight of Kobayashi island, so much so that he left the warm fluffy sanctum of Naruto's hoodie to explore. He seemed particularly interested in a warm rock sitting in the sun.
"This is Kobayashi island, a sacred place for dragon kind. As you can tell, this is where we go to shed our scales." Akai Shi explained.
Naruto could see scales everywhere, glittering in the sunlight. He peeled his eyes away from the gorgeous place and turned to the boss summon, he was about to speak but was baffled by what he saw.
There was a chill flowing off Akai Shi. And the cause? ...His scales.
"What just... I thought you didn't have scales!" Naruto proclaimed.
Akai Shi laughed. "I always dreamed of seeing a human's reaction to that!"
"How did you do that?" He asked, admiring his icy scales. Literally. The scales were made of crystal clear ice.
"I did nothing. My scales grow uncontrollably against my will. If I were to allow it, they would grow so much that I would be immobilized. It is the reason I so often reside in the lava pool."
"So you mean that the lava... melts your scales?"
"Precisely. In fact, it is the only thing hot enough to melt them. Although, it is not a pleasurable experience. I would liken it to staying in a hot bath for too long."
'I knew it!' Naruto thought.
"But enough about me. Can you feel it? The power this place holds?"
"Hard not to, it's even more suffocating than yours. What is it?"
"The scales. They each radiate a portion of the dragons power which can be absorbed, and with so many of them... well, surely you see the potential. Do you wish to harness it?"
Naruto nodded enthusiastically, excited at the prospect of being a step closer to his dream. He made his way over to the island and with every step he could sense more and more of its accumulated power. He stood in front of some large rocks and turned back to Akai Shi for instruction.
"You only need to sit still and let the power flow through you, but there are two things you must be wary of."
Naruto nodded, ready to learn and making sure he actually heard what Akai Shi was saying this time.
"If too much draconic chakra flows into you, your body will be super charged with power but it will also begin to burn, inside and out. If this happens, you must jump into the waters a soon as possible."
"What's the other thing?"
"In the event that you take too little chakra, it will run rampant in your system if not expelled, and could permanently damage your chakra coils or worse."
"So then… if I have to choose, is it better to take more or less chakra?"
"If you wish to continue being a ninja, I suggest taking more."
Naruto was a bit shaken by the dangers of using this power but decided that it was worth the risk. He still wasn't exactly sure what would happen once it entered his body, but if it was coming from the dragons it must be worth it.
Naruto sat upon a rock, closed his eyes, and began to focus. He could feel the chakra flowing all around him, permeating the air. As he relaxed, the chakra began to seep into him, flowing through his coils. It reminded him of when the nine tails chakra would leak out, except without all the negative emotions that came with it, just the power.
It was intoxicating.
More and more of this powerful chakra began to flow through him and as it did so, he could sense everything around him, it was almost like he could see without his eyes, like a sixth sense.
Naruto was eager to find out what else this chakra could do and continued to let it flow into him. He could feel his muscles swell with strength, his ears could pick up sounds from much further away, he could even smell the blooming flowers on the surface. Then there was a tingling sensation, coming from deep within him, he wasn't sure what it was but it was growing in intensity.
The feeling seemed to explode suddenly and he opened his eyes to see his body covered in blue flames. The searing pain was all over his body and he screamed as he ran towards the river. The water sizzled as he jumped in.
He could hear Akai Shi laughing as he pulled himself out of the water but ignored it. He was singed all over but as he lifted his now ruined shirt he could see a small area of skin around his stomach had burned off, leaving the pink flesh to be seen underneath.
'HOLY CRAP! I was only on fire for like 3 seconds! No way I'm doing that again!' He ranted.
He stood there staring at the wound and prodding at it lightly. The blue flames weren't making any sense to him, his whole body caught fire but only his stomach had taken serious damage. It was like some parts of the flames started cold and then got hotter with time. If he took too long to get to the river then he was a goner.
"Giving up so quickly child?" Akai Shi asked.
He steeled himself and walked back to the rock, taking a seat once again. He put his hands together and focused, letting the chakra flow into him. Once again he felt the power, the heightened senses, the feeling he could do anything.
Then he felt that same tingle from before, hardly long enough for him to even register its presence. Once again he could feel the chakra explode but this time he stopped absorbing it as soon as he felt it burst. His eyes shot open as he felt that searing pain but he wasn't covered in flames.
The pain was coming from within and it was rising, from his stomach to his chest and finally to his throat. He dropped to his knees as blue flames began to uncontrollably spout from his mouth. He held his throat in pain and continued to projectile vomit fire. His eyes were tearing up by the time he dunked his head into the river.
Naruto fell to his side still clenching his throat and stayed there unmoving.
"Do you wish to continue? You don't have to."
Naruto tried to respond but all that came out was a raspy moan. Instead he pulled himself together, stood up, and dragged himself back to the rock. He sat upon it and focused.
Akai Shi watched the boy as he endured the pain and sat upon the rock.
'His determination is admirable, though I wonder how long he can hold out before he gives in…'
Naruto's right arm suddenly burst into flames, all the way up to the elbow, but Naruto didn't move. Akai Shi could see that he shut his eyes tighter, either from the pain or to try and focus. The dragon king didn't want Naruto to suffer permanent damage so he splashed the river water onto him extinguishing the flames.
Naruto spoke in a pained, raspy voice. "Thanks"
Akai Shi looked at him in slight surprise, it was only for a moment before the flames were extinguished, but it seemed like Naruto was able to smother them somehow.
'Perhaps a better question is how long until he masters this?'
Naruto sat still and closed his eyes once more.
Akai Shi had continued to watch Naruto as he attempted this over and over, it had been so long that the rock he sat upon was scorched black. Akai Shi was beginning to tire and his scales were getting way out of hand, he would need help moving now.
Night had fallen for what he believed to be the second time, in the absence of the sun the bioluminescent plants dominated the grove, lighting the way for whatever nocturnal creatures thrived there.
Two days had passed, he couldn't imagine how Naruto felt, having to endure all that strain with no rest. He had new found respect for Naruto and his determination.
The blond finally collapsed out of exhaustion but surprisingly was still conscious. Any normal person would've passed out a hundred times over by now.
He was in pretty rough shape, looking him over, there were more burned areas than not but luckily they didn't burn down into the muscles or fat. With some healing ointment he'd be good as new in no time.
Akai Shi tried to move but his scales had grown too large and were overlapping preventing movement, he needed to call in Mundana for the boy and the brothers for himself. He took a moment and did just that. The sounds of the forest above stopped as his message was heard throughout the dragons domain.
A moment later, Mundana entered the grove, the plants illuminating his shadowy figure.
"You called my liege?"
"Yes, I need you to take the boy and his familiar. Be sure to see to his wounds and send them off with extra healing ointment."
"Of course."
Mundana approached Naruto's prone form, he had really gone overboard with the training. Mundana prepared to grab him by his tattered clothes and carry him that way. Like a cat carrying its young.
Just as he bit down onto his shirt Naruto said "I can... stand."
"Do you have the strength?" Mundana asked.
Naruto began to struggle to his feet, but then he paused and let out a small laugh.
"Can I lean on you Mundana?"
"Certainly."
Naruto grabbed hold of Mundana and hauled himself up little by little. He got onto his feet and then called out to Seiteki.
Seiteki looked up sleepily from his resting rock. Truly, he had found the best rock to sleep on and now he had to leave. He let out a small whimper and gave it a longing snuggle before flying over to Naruto. His hood had been burned off so Seiteki chose to sit upon Mundana's head instead.
Mundana began to escort the two of them out of the grove and towards their healer, Tsukurou. They went slowly but Naruto was stumbling along, grunting in pain as they went. As they passed Akai Shi Naruto suddenly stopped walking. He looked upwards to the dragon king, some of his face having been singed.
"I'll be back, soon." He said with a confident smirk.
"I eagerly await your return Naruto-san"
They continued on out of the cave to get Naruto's treatment.
Jaakuna and Chishiki entered the grove and were surprised to see what looked like an iceberg sitting by the entrance, they stared at it in confusion.
"Ah, you've finally arrived!" The iceberg spoke. Jaakuna and Chishiki looked at eachother dumbfounded.
"What does this piece of ice want with us brother?" Jaakuna asked.
"I am unsure…" Chishiki responded.
"You mean to say you don't recognize the voice of your king?!" Akai Shi roared.
Realisation dawned upon Chishiki as he said "O-Of course we do! We were simply distracted by your… form."
"Well it doesn't matter in any case, I need the two of you to help me to my lava pit in order to melt my scales." Aaki Shi stated.
As he spoke, a light bulb went off in Jaaakunas head and he adopted a devious grin. He turned to his brother and began to whisper to him. Chishiki chuckled a bit but then shot him a look.
"Surely you are not serious?" Chishiki asked.
Jaakuna nodded enthusiastically and Chishiki started to look nervous, but also a little excited. It wasn't often he and Jaakuna caused mischief together.
Jaakuna started speaking to the iceberg, trying to restrain his laughter.
"I just remembered! We have a… meatloaf in the oven! We need to go check on it!"
As soon as he said that, the two started walking off.
"What? Meatloaf? You don't even have opposable thumbs! You can't cook! Get back here! I command it!"
Chishiki and Jaakuna continued to walk out of the grove, of course they planned to come back and help him later but they thought his reaction would be hilarious. As they were getting further and further away Akai Shi shouted one last thing.
"YOU DON'T HAVE AN OVEN!"
Naruto had finally made it to the healer's hut. Every step he took, every little movement he made caused him pain.
As they entered the hut Naruto noticed many jars laying about. Some were up on shelves and others were stacked on top of each other.
Seteki hopped off his horsey a.k.a Mundana and began to wander around the hut, recoiling at the scent of some of the jars.
"Tsukurou? This boy is in need of burn ointment."
"understood." A silky smooth voice rang out.
'A female dragon? That's a first!' Naruto thought.
He was excited to see what she looked like, though judging from the size of the hut, she must be Mundana's size or smaller.
Suddenly Naruto was drenched in a slightly viscous liquid. It covered him head to toe but he didn't complain at all. The moment this stuff made contact, the pain was greatly numbed.
"Wow, what's in this stuff?" Naruto wondered aloud.
"No don't-" Mundana started but Tsukurou cut him off.
"It's for instant pain relief, there are some herbs and other healing items mixed with my saliva and some mucus, though the effects don't last for long."
Naruto laughed. They only just met and Tsukurou was already telling jokes! Then he noticed how silent the hut was and his laughter stopped.
"W-why aren't you laughing?"
"Should I be?" Tsukurou asked.
Naruto began to gag.
"HEY! If you puke in here, you're cleaning it up with your bare hands!"
Naruto got himself under control and turned to Mundana.
"She's crazy." He whispered
"Only a little. She's still a great healer."
At last Tsukurou revealed herself, a long slender dragon who looked more similar to a snake, though still with her four limbs. She had wings but didn't seem to need them, as she glided throughout the hut with ease.
She placed down two jars in front of Naruto.
"You will apply this ointment to all affected areas every night for 4 consecutive days. Understood?"
"What happens if I miss a day?" Naruto asked.
"You turn into a slug." And with that she retreated back into her hut.
"Is she... was she serious?"
"I have no earthly idea. Best not to miss a day." Mundana answered.
Naruto nodded fearfully. He called Seteki over to him and prepared to go back. Jiraiya must be waiting for him.
Jiraiya was sitting in front of the camp fire. He was trying to understand what made that girl so tough. If the anbu's failure meant anything, it was that traditional methods won't work.
The day Naruto left for the throat of the world, Jiraiya paid the red head a visit. He didn't hurt her, only made veiled threats. He also implied that he suspected Naruto and her had been talking.
He figured this would make Tayuya pull away from Naruto. After that, hopefully she'll be more distraught and vulnerable. She'd be completely alone and he could get to work on dragging the information out of her.
Jiraiya sighed and scratched his head. He didn't like to pull people's puppet strings like this but it was the mission.
Having to rely on the void Naruto leaves behind didn't sit right with him either, but it was the best plan he had at the moment.
Jiraiya turned as he heard a poof. Naruto appeared out of the smoke and collapsed shortly after. Jiraiya rushed to his side and saw all his burns.
"Naruto?! What happened to you?"
"I think... I went a little overboard. My everything hurts."
"Here, let me help."
Jiraiya knelt down and started performing what little medical ninjutsu he knew. As his glowing hands traced over the burns, he noticed with great concern that nothing was happening.
"Naruto...?"
"Hmm?" Naruto said sleepily.
"What did this to you?" Jiraiya asked, dumbfounded.
"Dragon chakra."
Jiraiya stared at his student, surprised at how dangerous the dragons were, even to their own summoners.
He scoffed. "There's no way we'll be able to hit the road tommorow. Not with you like this."
"What? I thought you said this was time sensitive?" Naruto asked.
"it is."
"Then I can do it!"
'Who knew being stubborn was herditary...'
Jiraiya sighed. "All right fine, if we keep pace, we should be getting to our destination at about midday tomorrow, so be ready to pack up."
"Ok..." Naruto said sleepily.
"I don't think I can move though."
Jiraiya laughed heartily and decided to carry Naruto back into his tent so he could pass out in peace. The toad sage was hoping his plan for tomorrow would prove fruitful and he entered his tent for the night.
It was the middle of the night, and Naruto awoke in a panic, and in pain. He had a nightmare that he turned into a slug, and the pain he felt all over alerted him to the the fact that he had forgotten to apply his ointment.
He opened the tent flap to let the chilled night air in. Every motion he made was painful and he started to tear up a bit.
He opened one of the jars and began to apply the fluid, making sure not to wonder what it was made of this time.
Tayuya awoke to a strange sound coming from Naruto's tent. As she listened closer she could hear a groan... or a moan.
She furrowed her brow and put her ear to the side of her tent. There was some kind of wet slapping sound every so often, always followed by a groan or sharp intake of air.
She blushed furiously.
'No way...'
She quietly exited her tent and crawled to the side of Naruto's. She could hear the sounds more clearly now.
'So I'm not crazy! I wonder what he's thinking about while...'
She shook the thoughts out of her head.
'I should go back.'
As she started to return to her tent she noticed that Naruto's tent flap was open. Wide open.
'NO WAY! Maybe he's one of those people that wants to get caught...? KINKY!'
She tried to resist the urge to peek inside but curiosity is a powerful thing.
'Just a quick peek...'
She crawled over to the opening, blushing more and more as she got closer.
As she poked her head into the tent ever so slightly, she covered her eyes, giving herself one last chance to back away lest she be scarred for life.
She brought her hands down and her pervy smile was erased as she looked inside.
"Naruto?" She muttered.
He looked up, surprised that she was still awake in the dead of night.
She crawled into the tent to get a closer look at him. He was clad in only his boxers but she barely noticed that.
He was covered in surface level burns from head to toe, and he was rubbing whatever was in that jar onto himself.
"What the hell happened to you?" She asked.
"I just went a little overboard while training."
"Training? You look half dead! And what the fuck are you rubbing on yourself?"
"This? It's just burn ointment. But I've been here for like an hour and barely made any progress. If I move to fast or if my skin touches ANYTHING I freeze up in pain. Not to mention that this stuff stings."
She could see that one of his arms was burnt all over. Without thinking she gently grabbed it and held it up closer.
Suddenly Naruto grabbed her arm with his other hand. He was squeezing it so hard it hurt. Tayuya looked up to see Naruto's face twisted in pain, and she realized her mistake.
"Sorry..."
Naruto stayed silent and just kept squeezing her arm. With her free arm Tayuya reached over and grabbed the jar.
She reached into it and covered her hand in the slick liquid. She slowly and gently began to apply it to his arm, hoping he would lessen his grip.
The more she applied, the more Naruto loosened his grip. It seemed whatever this stuff was, it had some numbing properties.
Naruto let go as she finished applying the ointment to his arm. He was about to apologise for grabbing her like that, but got distracted when he noticed her staring into the jar.
She had a serious expression, like she was considering the consequences of touching this stuff... or something else. Evidently she thought this was more important as she dunked her hands into the jar once more. She continued her treatment and started to rub it on his chest.
Her hands began to glide across his torso. He could feel how soft they were. Soft enough that he no longer felt the liquids sting and secretly, he was loving it.
No wonder Seteki loves it when she pets him.
As she finished treating his torso she moved up to his neck. She took a closer look and saw that even the underside of his chin was affected, so she needed better access.
"Lift your head up." She said while gathering more ointment.
Naruto hesitated. Exposing your neck to an enemy shinobi was a quick way to get killed, and at the end of the day, she was still technically an enemy.
But Naruto being Naruto, felt like he should give her the benefit of the doubt.
He lifted his head and she began to apply the ointment with both hands. Naruto tensed up a bit, thinking of how many way she could probably kill him. But, just like his arm and chest, she finished quickly and moved on.
Naruto relaxed, he dropped his guard and Tayuya noticed that. She felt his body relax under her hands.
She glanced at his face to see that his eyes were closed.
'So, he... trusts me?' Tayuya couldn't help but smile slightly.
Jiraiya might decide to kill her in the next few days, but it was nice to finally have a friend.
'Maybe friend is too strong a word...' She thought. Then she remembered what Naruto said in her tent.
'Partner in crime.' She thought with a smile.
It didn't take long for her to finish treating his wounds, and as she gave him a last look over, she noticed that the burns looked better already.
"Thanks Tayuya. I feel a lot better."
She gave him a silent nod and a small smile, then began to exit the tent.
"The least I can do for my partner in crime." She mumbled to herself.
She exited the tent leaving behind Naruto with a big grin. He'd heard what she said.
As Tayuya returned to her tent she glanced at her hands in thought. She began to blush.
'He was basically naked...'
They were finally back on the road, heading towards the town. It's hazy outline visable in the distance.
Naruto had awoken that day to find that his burns had almost healed completely, and he was grateful for that because now he wouldn't be so much of a burden.
But even though they were nearing their destination there was something else on Naruto's mind.
Tayuya had been acting strangely around Jiraiya. Everytime he got into close proximity she would flinch, sometimes even going so far as to step behind Naruto for cover.
He couldn't understand what was wrong and he also couldn't ask since Jiraiya was right there.
He would just have to let it go.
'Maybe she'll get over it.' He thought.
Naruto and company were standing just outside of town, they had arrived a bit past midday, as Jiraiya predicted. They could already hear the large groups of people cheering from inside the buildings.
"Alright, now that we're here, I need to gather some information and I can't do that if I have to watch her." Jiraiya said.
"You think you can handle keeping an eye on her Naruto?"
He nodded.
"Good. I need you to look around for me, here take this." Jiraiya handed Naruto a large coin purse.
"You'll be going casino hopping, you remember who we're looking for right?"
"Yeah. A blonde lady with a temper and big boobs right?"
"No!" Jiraiya reprimanded.
"Her boobs aren't just big! They're humongous!" He shouted.
"Pervert..." Naruto and Tayuya mumbled simultaneously.
They shared a passing glance and smirked. Jiraiya pretended not to hear them.
"Anyway, we'll be staying at the gambler's retreat motel so meet me there at sunset."
"Hey pervy sage, what about her?" He said, pointing to Tayuya.
"What do you mean?" Jiraiya asked.
"Well if you won't be near us then the seal you put on her will start releasing the poison right?"
"Oh, She'll be fine, worst case scenario she'll feel a little sick, a headache, dizziness, and fatigue. Nothing serious."
There was a moment of silence before Jiraiya spoke up again.
"If that's all I'll be on my way, and Naruto... don't lose all of the money." He then vanished into smoke.
Naruto held up the coin purse, feeling the weight in his hand. He turned to Tayuya with a grin.
"You ready to go gambling?"
Another chap coming tommorow, I really want to keep this series up but consistency is not my strong suit.
That being said, I'm going to finish this story. It may take a long time, but unless I die, this is getting done.
Anyway, leave a review if you wanna, I read them all.