Okay, people… it seems you want Kin to be bi. I'm okay with that… actually, I was kinda' planning on it before I asked, just to see if Kin should be straight instead… oh well… (I didn't really bother reading through all the votes… if memory serves, there's only three votes for 'straight' and I stopped counting 'bi' votes at about a dozen…)
And as for Naruto's hair… it's sorta' slicked back to make him look a bit more snake-like. (don't know if I said it already…) I don't think he has it that way too often, though… just when he leaves the base.
I'm going to TRY for my new '4000+ words per chapter minimum' that I'm doing in TBH, but there're no promises here. I WILL definitely keep the 2000+ word minimum, though.
I also realize that I was improperly depicting Stockholm syndrome. When Naruto said it, he was joking. The chapter title, however, comes from the proper meaning; 'to form a bond with one's captors' like Ino's doing with Kin and Tayuya. In the original case of Stockholm syndrome (a robbery in Stockholm, Sweden) the captives grew attached to their captors, in some cases even leading to lasting friendships after the incident. What Ino's going through isn't too far from that… yet.
Naruto was right… the last week was hell.
It'd taken three days to fully evacuate the site, which had run him ragged, followed by a counter-intelligence mission to spy on the Konoha shinobi closing in on their position only to find they weren't there. This had lead to another three days of people moving back in, although at a considerably more leisurely pace than previously. Put bluntly, he was tired. Very tired… "And we're still moving stuff tomorrow…" He sighed.
Naruto was laying down in his field again, Tayuya laying on top of him, resting her head on his chest. "Don't worry about it, let someone else handle it…" Tayuya muttered, half-asleep.
"Hey, don't pass out on me, now… you promised me some fun tonight, didn't you?" Naruto asked, eliciting mischievous grin from Tayuya.
This grin soon faded, however, when Tayuya remembered what she'd been meaning to ask him. "Why are we out here?"
"What do you mean?" Naruto asked.
"The only time you bring me out here is when you've got something to say, so say it before I pound the fuck out of you." Tayuya had only been out here to Naruto's field three times in the past. When he asked me to be his girlfriend, when he asked me if I wanted to sleep with him, and when he told me he had feelings for Kin, and asked if he could date her too… Tayuya sighed as Naruto looked away sadly and did the same. "It's that Ino girl, isn't it?" Naruto winced. "If you're going to sleep with her, do it already, and get it over with…"
The blonde under her glanced upward for a moment, meeting her eyes before returning his gaze to the grass and flowers beside him. "I never said I wanted to sleep with her…"
"It's too fucking obvious…" Tayuya muttered. "I've seen the way you look at her. It's the same way you used to look at me and Kin."
Naruto sighed again. "She's from Konoha…"
Tayuya chuckled, lifting herself off of him. "So are you…" She said, walking back towards the bunker.
---
Ino patiently awaited Kin's return from the mess hall with their dinner and the latest news on Sasuke. She may be a captive, but she's still a gossipmonger…
When Kin returned, she was giggling while holding a tray with two plates of food. "Every other girl's after him." She said, setting down the tray. "He's turning down each and every one of them, though."
"Why would he do that?" Ino asked. "I thought guys loved having women fawn over them…" She added sarcastically.
"Not all men like women, y'know…" Kin muttered, shrugging her shoulders playfully. "Just like not all women like guys…"
"I've never met any gay men or lesbians, so I really wouldn't know…" Ino said, grabbing her plate and sitting down on her bed.
"And then there's people who like… both." Kin said with a curiously indistinguishable note to her voice while she bit her thumbnail. If Ino didn't know better, Kin was trying to sound… seductive…
Ino blushed slightly at the thought of it. "You mean bisexuals? Uhm… not sure if I've met any of them, either…"
"Oh, I'm sure you have, they're not all that uncommon, y'know. There's more bi people than gays or lesbians, but most bisexuals just shrug off their feelings for the same gender, thinking there's no way they're anything but straight…"
---
Sasuke was sitting opposite Orochimaru at the head table in the mess hall, glaring down the old snake as the Sannin returned it with a wry smirk of his own. Glancing down, Sasuke pushed a small wooden block forward. "Check."
"Kukuku… Sasuke-kun, you are quite good at strategy, aren't you?" Orochimaru replied, picking up the tile Sasuke had just moved, and sliding one of his own to its place. "But not quite as good as me…"
"That is why I'm learning from you, which reminds me…" Sasuke said, overturning the table, causing several of the two-dozen or so girls encircling the two of them to shriek. "WHY HAVEN'T YOU TAUGHT ME ANY NEW JUTSU YET!?" Sasuke roared. "All we've done this past week is play SHOGI!"
"Kukuku… not very patient, are we, Sasuke-kun?" Orochimaru chuckled. "What good are jutsu without the strategy to use them properly?"
"Even weak jutsu, with excellent strategy, can be devastating in battle, right, Orochimaru?"
"I see you still remember my first lesson, Naruto-kun… I'm impressed." Orochimaru said, turning to the blonde who'd just spoken. "If only Sasuke-kun would understand that as well…"
Naruto's eyes drifted to the far hallway, only to see Tayuya giving him a suggestive glance. "I'm gonna go… take a shower." Naruto muttered as he started to walk away, stopping in front of Sasuke. "You look tense… ever thought of having your way with one of your fangirls? I'm sure they wouldn't mind…" Naruto said, motioning towards the hoard of girls standing next to them, causing each and every one of them to flush red.
Sasuke's eyes went wide. "Y-you can't be serious!?" Sasuke said, his voice slightly more shrill than it should've been. "I'm not going to just 'have my way' with them!"
Naruto brought a hand up to rub his chin. "Ah, so you really are gay…" Sasuke flushed red as about twenty girls started whining at hearing it.
"I-I am NOT gay!" Sasuke yelled, causing the girls to perk up a little.
"Well then…" Naruto said, glancing over to the girls, pushing forward one that'd been drooling at the sight of Sasuke for as long as he'd been in the room. "…sleep with her tonight."
Sasuke's face grew crimson, as did the girl Naruto pushed forward and most of the crowd. "I…I-I'm not going to just…"
"You call yourself a man acting like this? If you can't even stand sleeping with a girl, you're obviously gay." Naruto said before turning to make his way to Tayuya's room. Without turning back or stopping, he added; "Oh, and if memory serves, she's a virgin. So I can have the medics check and see if you really DID or not tomorrow afternoon."
Orochimaru walked up beside Naruto and matched his page, leaving Sasuke at the mercy of about two-dozen girls. "So, what was that about, Naruto-kun?"
"Sasuke needs to loosen the fuck up, and you need to breed more Uchiha just in case, am I wrong?" Naruto said, adding a sarcastic note at the end.
"Ever planning… eh, Naruto-kun?" Orochimaru muttered. "Sometimes I worry you're a little too good at my job, ne? Kukuku…"
"Damn right, I'm good at it." Naruto said with a smirk.
"By the way…" Orochimaru muttered. "How did you know she was a virgin?"
"Are you kidding? I didn't. Damned if I know who's done who around here..." Naruto muttered. "All I know is there IS a way to tell if a girl's had sex recently… something about bruising her insides? I dunno. I'll just have Kabuto check her out tomarrow."
"Kabuto?" Orochimaru asked, chuckling.
"Whether me or the girls like it or not, he IS a certified… everything…" Naruto scoffed. "That boy knows too damn much about the female body for his own good…" Naruto stopped abruptly, turning towards the door leading to Tayuya's room. "Now, if you don't mind, I'm going to be… releasing pent-up stress for the next few hours." He added, opening the door.
---
After a few minutes of eating silently after the conversation diffused into awkward silence, Kin decided to break it… "Ino, why do you hang out with me?"
"Well…" Ino started, setting her food aside. "You're funny… sweet, kind and caring, even if a lot of people don't bother to see it. And besides, It's not li-" Ino's words were cut short as Kin pressed her lips to hers, slipping her tongue into the blonde's mouth before she could close it.
As Kin pervaded through Ino's mouth, the blonde couldn't help but lick her tongue against her friend's, if only just a little before pushing her away. "Wh-what the hell, Kin?" Ino asked, at this point more embarrassed than shocked or angry.
"I-I'm so sorry… you don't like me that way, do you?" Kin asked, backing away to the far side of the bed. When Ino gave no reaction, Kin continued. "It's just that… I saw you… in the onsen… looking at the other girls… and at me…"
Ino blushed as Kin said this. She wasn't checking out the other girls, she was comparing her own body to theirs… right? "Kin… I like you, I really do… but I don't think I like girls…"
"How could you know if you've never tried it?" Kin asked. "I'm intimate with Tayuya often enough… although we usually do it… while Naruto's watching…" She flushed crimson as she said this. "I do like girls, Ino… more than that, I like you… How can you say no if you don't know for sure?"
Ino stared into Kin's eyes, but could find no trace of deceit or malice… she was telling the truth… Ino couldn't believe it… a girl, one of her friends had a crush on her. "I… uhm, what do you suggest, then?"
Kin crawled on top of Ino, and whispered into her ear. Ino's face flushed a deeper crimson than she ever had before, but it wasn't because of what she said… it was because of where her hand was. Ino bit her lip to keep from making any noise as she felt her friend's hand slide underneath the panties she'd borrowed from her. "Ino…" Kin muttered, practically moaning her name as she leaned forward and pressed their lips together once more.
---
Naruto woke the next morning to find himself in a very… soft… place. A good deal of pressure constrained him, the warmth he felt didn't help either. Did he die in his sleep, or… wait… Naruto lifted himself up to have Tayuya roll off of him. Glancing around, she'd apparently been reaching toward one of the remaining bottles of sake adorning the headboard of her bed when she passed out, landing herself with Naruto's head squarely between her breasts. "Okay… that was a fun way to wake up…" Naruto said, chuckling as he grabbed the half-empty sake bottle and chugged the remainder of its contents.
Tayuya, however, stirred at the sound of Naruto in her shower. After sitting up rather lethargically, she stretched her arms into the air and yawned before wiping the sleep from her eyes and grabbing for the sake bottle she'd opened last night, only to find it empty. "Bastard…" she muttered, throwing it across the room into a small can filled to the brim with them.
Just then, the water turned off, and a few moments later, a familiar blonde walked out of the bathroom. Naruto stood there in all his glory, drying his hair with a towel. "Oh, you up already?"
"Get me food. Now…" Tayuya muttered, almost glaring at the boy.
"Eh? What's this about?" Naruto asked, feigning ignorance as a broad smile donned his features. Every morning, Tayuya always demanded food. That was just their morning ritual.
"You fucked me, now get me some food. I'm starving…" Tayuya muttered, slipping out from under the bedding, exposing her completely nude form to the world.
"Okay, then… what would you like?" Naruto asked, giving her a soft kiss as they passed each other, Naruto walking towards the door, and Tayuya towards the bathroom to take her own shower.
"I don't give a fuck… as long as it's fucking edible…"
"I guess I'll have to order out then…" Naruto said, chuckling while he put on his clothes.
"You know that'd take too fucking long… just see what the fuck Orochimaru had that bastard cook of yours make this morning and get me some, dammit."
"Yeah, yeah…" Naruto replied, now on the verge of laughing as he stepped into the hall. They did this every morning after sleeping together, and Naruto wouldn't have it any other way…
---
Tayuya questioned the logic of bringing four plates of food back to her room, but all the same, it was for the best, seeing as between the two of them, they ate three of them, while the last was for Ino…
As the two unlocked and opened the door to Ino's room, both were stunned to see what had obviously transpired the previous night. Kin was laying her head on Ino's pillow, while the blonde held her in a soft embrace, resting her head upon Kin's bust.
"Wow… this is interesting…" Tayuya muttered, oddly unable to take her eyes off the spectacle, or even so much as blink.
"Yup…" Naruto muttered, setting the plate down on the small table, still adorned with fresh wildflowers.
"Might be easier for you to get in her pants than we thought…" Tayuya continued, finally able to break her gaze when Naruto walked in front of her to leave. "Where are you going?"
"…out to give the two of them some privacy?"
"Oh fuck no… we're going to wake them up." Tayuya said, chuckling as she began walking over to the pair in their bed. "I want to see the look on their faces…"
Naruto sighed as he walked back into the room. "Okay, but it's your fault if anything happens…"
Tayuya snuck over beside them, and softly poked Kin in the forehead three times. "Hey Kinny, waaaake uuuup…" She said softly, trying to sound as motherly or seductive as possible, Naruto really couldn't tell…
"T-Tayuya?" Kin muttered as her eyes fluttered open, squinting slightly.
"So, you two have fun last night?" Tayuya asked, causing Kin to look down, only to see long blonde hair flowing over her.
"Oh my god! Naruto! I…" She said, leaning up as she looked over to the boy. "I… I guess I have some explaining to do, huh?"
Ino groaned and leaned up after Kin's jostling movements under her. "Kin? What's wrong? I…" Then she noticed Tayuya was in the room, and behind her, a slightly blushing Naruto. It only took her half an instant to remember that she was completely naked, and another half an instant to take in the air for the horrendous shriek that followed.
After Ino had covered herself with the sheets, and backed into the corner the bed was against, calm seemed to have reclaimed the room. "I… I think I'm deaf…" Kin muttered.
"Wow kid, with pipes like those, you could be a Sound nin easy!" Tayuya yelled, laughing as she turned back to her blonde lover. "Right, Naru…to… what's wrong?"
Naruto was looking downward, scowling at the floor. "Kin, Tayuya… out." He said silently, but it still held the same commanding tone with which no one in all of Otogakure could argue. When Naruto used this tone, you simply obeyed.
Kin swiped up one of the blankets Ino was hoarding, and wrapped it around herself as Tayuya led her outside. "What do you think Naruto wants with Ino?" Kin asked.
"Probably wants to fuck her himself…" Tayuya muttered, chuckling. This caused Ino to flinch, and elicited a storm of angry words from Kin. The world outside the room seemed to vanish however, when Naruto's piercing blue gaze met Ino's soft sky eyes.
"Do you want to leave this place?" Naruto asked, his voice ever calm, yet denoting a maelstrom of emotion beneath his cold visage.
Ino began shuddering after the moment it took her to understand the question, and she nodded as tears began flowing down her cheeks. "Y-yes… I do."
Naruto sighed. "In seven days, you may leave here and go wherever you wish. No one will stop you, nor pursue you." Ino's eyes flushed with a mix of excitement, happiness, and fear as she heard this… it was too good to be true… "The reason for the wait is because in six days, we will launch a full-scale invasion, and destroy Konohagakure."
Ino's heart sank, and tears flowed freely from her eyes. "Y-you can't… you won't… the… v-village…" Her shuddering grew so violent, she could barely speak, Naruto's crystalline voice bringing her back to her sanity.
"We would let you leave in five days…" Naruto said, before his voice grew dark and solemn. "…Should you agree to the conditions therein…"
She couldn't believe her ears… he was going to let her go? If he did, then she could warn the village, and her family and friends wouldn't have to die… she could save everyone… "Anything… I'll give you anything! My body, my soul, anything… just please, let me go!" Ino yelled, as violent sobs claimed her once more.
"You shouldn't simply agree to things without asking what the catch is, Ino. Especially offering such… valuable things in exchange…" Naruto said, causing Ino to whimper quietly. "You're a smart girl, Ino. It's unlike you not to question why we'd let an enemy kunoichi simply… go free…" Naruto added, throwing something onto the bed next to Ino. "When you have your answer, let one of the girls know you want to see me."
Naruto then opened the door, and silently slipped into the hallway, leaving the food on the table. Ino slid forward a few inches, leaning forward to pick up what Naruto left behind. When she picked it up, her mind could barely wrap itself around the implications of it… a long, gray strip of cloth with a metal plate riveted into the middle of it. Running her fingers over the plate, through the grooves and curves in the metal, she knew exactly what it was.
What else could it be… when it had a single musical note engraved into it?
I know, all sorts of questions now… but don't worry, everything will make sense eventually… I hope…
I suspect there'll be another two or three chapters, and then this here'll be done. I might do a sequel fic, but it's not likely, and even if it was, it'd probably just be a few thousand word oneshot.
If there's only two chapters left, then the next one will be rather long, so don't hold your breath… and even if it's three chapters more, I still suspect it'll be a while before I update again.
There's a chance I might go back and revamp the lemon in this chapter, make it longer and such, but there's even less chance of that than there being a sequel fic, and even if I do, it's not going to happen until after I finish the next few chapters, and the fic as a whole.
EDIT: Damn... I was worried about it, and it happened... I called Tayuya, Temari. Oh well... just tell me when I do it, and I'll edit it...