A/N: I know I said I would wait for a review *shifty eyes* so sue me I'm bored!

Anyway I've had this chapter for awhile now. A long while.

Disclaimer: Naruto Does not belong to me.7^7

Chapter four: Tales, Sound, and Orochimaru!

Some new faces introduced.

Naru soon tired of being in the hotel and hot spring. For one she wasn't allowed out of bed so she couldn't use the hot spring anyway and for another Kabuto was at her bedside everyday and night watching her.

"Will you go away!" she finally shouted irritably at him sitting calmly next to her. She was sitting up in bed after the third day which according to Orochimaru was incredible. Naru still couldn't get over the fact that he was good. He told her that after his experience with the strange erhu sounding music he was out for a solid week and in bed for a month. The way she was going though it would only take her half that time to get back on her feet. Thank Kami for freakishly fast demon induced healing abilities.

"I'm here to watch you in case of a .... relapse." was Kabuto's apathetic reply. The light from the open window shown across her bed illuminating dust motes hitting Kabuto's glasses creating a glare so that his expression was impossible to read.

Ever since she had woken up she felt as if the others were walking on eggshells around her, Kyuubi she felt was worse. She remembered vaguely asking him something but she couldn't remember what. Even more disconcerting were the flashes of something barely remembered, like a dream that was shredding away into oblivion in the face of the morning light.

She ignored Kabuto not wanting to talk to him; he had been her constant shadow for the past three days. For some reason Orochimaru didn't trust her to wander around by herself not that she could as of yet. "The village close to here is the sound right?"

Naru asked casually blankets gripped in her nervous fingers. She hadn't talked to him feeling like she was being unfaithful to Neji even though they hadn't even so much as kissed yet. She blushed missing Kabuto's reply thinking about it.

"Hello?" Kabuto said sarcastically tapping her on the forehead.

Annoyed Naru looked and was about to blast his ear off with a well said insult when what he said registered. "Leader of sound village."

"What? Well if he's the leader here why did he want to go and destroy Konoha! I mean why would he want to throw all this away! Or even risk it!?" Naru felt herself seething. Of all the asinine self serving stupid things he could have done this was the worse.

Orochimaru bemoaned the fact that he lost and his plan to destroy Konoha was ruined but here he was a leader, he was in a village which according to Kabuto respected him and he was willing to throw all that away? Not only that but he was treating her like she was the untrustworthy one! Huh!

The silence had fallen between them yet again. It seemed that it would be impossible to hold any sort of lengthy conversation, when Kabuto spoke up.

"It wasn't his fault." Naru looked up sharply a brow arched in enquiry. She let go of the blanket smoothing it down with her hands then retrained her eyes back on the gray haired youth beside her.

At the moment the light failed. His eyes were filed with sadness, Naru knew that he was going to tell her a story so she leaned back getting comfortable.

"Orochimaru had been disappointed, yes very disappointed, when he wasn't made the next Hokage. But he knew that the third had a valid reason for what he did. And The Yondaime did prove to be a good Hokage. Even admitting to this his thirst for knowledge and power forced him to leave the village he had been born in, raised in, that held his memories. After the Yondaime died he had something else to occupy him so rather then go back he stayed where he was."

Here Kabuto paused looking at Naru to see if she was listening, she was, so he continued.

"When the Yondaime died fighting the nine tail he was in an organization called the Akatsuki a group of ninja who had been labeled as missing nin for one reason or another. It was thought that there goal was to capture the demon vessels and take out the demons, Orochimaru found that wasn't the case at all. What they were really after was a weapon. The weapon could control people and demons or those who possessed them. They were even more vulnerable. At the time all that anyone knew was that some old hermit living in the mountains had it. Then one night the leader got a message saying where it was. He went and retrieved it. For awhile he used it to control the vessel's demons who had taken possession of them. At the time the Akatsuki weren't bad they were good in fact, the missing ninja were all outcasts falsely accused. But then the evil nature of the weapon was found. It began to warp the leaders mind so that one day before he could lose control completely he left to get rid of the weapon never to be seen again, that person was Madara Uchiha."

Silence descended as Kabuto paused to gather his thoughts. Naru's mind whirling around with questions but one question burned brighter then the others.

"But the Akatsuki were evil and they ended up being taken out by the united effort of the hidden village's anbu. It was recorded to be almost as bad as the Great Shinobi War. What happened?" Naru knew something wasn't making much sense and she wanted to know what.

Sighing Kabuto opened his mouth to answer the question when he was interrupted by the entrance of Kidomaru one of the sound four.

Naru and Kabuto surveyed him coolly. Naru at first had been wary around him, not only because of his six arms but because he had been there at the attack. Now she looked at him in a hostile way because Kidomaru interrupted the story and she wanted to find out why Orochimaru attacked the village.

"Kabuto you are wanted by Lord Orchimaru Sama in the council chamber and Jiraiya would like to speak with you." The bit about Jiraiya was said to Naru who nodded her response too exhausted to speak much. Kabuto nodded to her then stood and walked out of the room Kidomaru following close behind.

While she waited Naru reviewed all that she had been told trying to piece together the bits she had been told and figure out those they hadn't gotten to.

So Orochimaru had been with the akatsuki and apparently they hadn't been as evil as she was led to believe. But why did he leave and why did they attack the ninja nations? She couldn't figure these questions out with the little information she was given but what she could figure was that perhaps the reason Orochimaru attacked had to do with the weapon she heard about.

The ability to control others even demons. She reflected.

That's not as good a power as you might think not for the victim or the user. The weapon has a mind of its own and corrodes the soul of who ever wields it till the controller becomes the controlled. Kyubi spoke of this as if he had first hand knowledge but how could that be then again he was centuries old.

I'm not that old, Kyubi growled sensing some of her thoughts.

Just then the door opened to allow entrance to Jiraiya. After looking around the room once he sat heavily in the chair Kabuto had vacated.

Naru studied him astounded to see how tired he looked. He had dark rings under his eyes and his clothes were wrinkled. His hair was a mess too. Suddenly she said. "Give me my bag." she said it so imperiously that Jiraiya was already half way there before his brain caught up with him.

He was scowling slightly when he came back but dropped the bag on her lap nonetheless. As he watched her she reached in her bag and pulled out a brush.

Motioning for him to turn the chair so that his back was facing him she lifted the brush. "Oh what are you going to do young fox?" Jiraiya said not complying.

Naru glared until Jiraiya sighing turned the chair sideways then sat so his long hair was exposed." Viewing it critically she figured it wasn't too bad more like he had just done the barest maintenance on it.

Brushing with surprising care she waited for Jiraiya to ready what he was going to say.

"Do you remember what happened three days ago?" is what came out his eyes were nearly closed. The room had grown dark as the sun set so the light was from lamps in the room. Naru sat up his long white hair in her hand the other wielding the brush.

"Some. Not all" She replied reluctantly. She didn't like to think of the incident. She had heard such beautiful music and her heart ached at its absence. So in order to dull the pain she tried to forget. As if!

"Well what do you remember?"

"I remember going in the hot spring, Kabuto and Orochimaru, being attacked, see they attacked me! And the giant snake then Hime was attacked and then....and then I don't remember." The brush paused above Jiraiya's hair her eyes were narrowed her eyebrows were puckered as she struggled to remember what had happened after Hime had been attacked.

"Music!" she exclaimed picking up her brushing once again. "I remember music. It sounded like the Erhu and it was so lovely. It must have come from some sort of spirit."

"More like a demon" Jiraiya said softly but Naru didn't hear. "Now tell me did you dream about anything afterward." Again the brush stopped then began to shake.

"Naru what's wrong! Jiraiya stood up turning to see her eyes were wide and she was shaking.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! DONT! IT'S NOT HIS FAULT!!!! IT'S THAT!" Naru yelled thrashing around all she could hear was yelling and "Kill it Kill it!" she didn't know what it was but she knew it was being controlled.

She began struggling to get out of the bed as if she could go to that memory and stop the atrocity she felt was going to happen, but steel bars were keeping her from getting up.

She got her arm free and punched what was holding her. Naru heard a grunt but the bars didn't loosen.

"NARU!" blinking Naru looked around. She was still in the room in the village hidden in the sound. The feeling of panic was slowly fading. And the iron bars belonged to Jiraiya. Then a thought came to her. "What is it what is this weapon?"

Sighing Jiraiya said "Tomorrow we'll have a talk about it tomorrow. Looking even more tired then when he had come in Jiraiya turned and left he flicked off the light as he did plunging Naru into darkness only marred by the moon light.

Looking out she saw the stars and moon in the sky crickets could be heard chirping away and in the distance fireflies blinked. She could feel herself growing tired.

Kit go to sleep now

Not wanting to fight it she lay back but she couldn't seep.

The thoughts and questions were keeping her awake. Just when she was going to give up though a song went through her mind

Sleep child lay all your questions to rest

The morning is time enough for your quest

Of adventure of knowledge of the world and wonder

Now is the time for dreams of magic and splendor

Sleep child think of the moon in her nest of stars

Shining down on you no mater how far you are

Think of the moon light as a winding path way

To palaces of air and islands of flowering May

Sleep sweet sleep deep

Fire warm your spirit

Sleep long sleep dream

Of the morning dew and summer

Think of me as you lie quietly

In the embrace of the dark

Think of the things that you will see

When you wake to the dawning spark

Sweet child close your eyes let the tide

Pull you out into the waves of a dreamscape so wild

Sleep deep sleep sweet sleep sweet

Child….

The Kyuubi was singing softly in her mind and though she would have loved to be shocked and laugh at him about it she was dragged inevitably into sleep. Maybe this is what he would have sung to his kits if he had really had any. She thought drowsily before falling asleep.

******************

The next morning Naru woke up but didn't have the heart to make fun of the Kyubi he had been just too jumpy lately.

Kyuubi?

Yeah? What is it? Do you need something? Is it that thing again?

Was just an example. So she hadn't tried talking to him for real in quite a while.

The first thing she noticed was that she felt almost 100 % better which of course meant that she would get up get dressed and head out the door conveniently forgetting to leave a note. Go figure.

Walking around outside she was refreshed by the breeze. It had been too long since she had been outside and even longer since she had washed. She walked up the road and there was the village. She hadn't realized how close she was to a village which is why the inn was considered to be in it. She stopped then turned back thinking a bath was in order.

After a quick wash she was again out on the outskirts of the sound village. This time she didn't hesitate and headed down to what appeared to be a market place, it was just like any other market place though a little smaller and a lot newer then the one in Konoha.

Walking past people she wondered where she could get a bite to eat when a tantalizing smell wafted into her nose. "RAMEN!"

She screamed and tore off to look for the source of the delectable smell.

"Hey watch it!" the people shouted as she avoided near collisions and ran looking left and right for the stall. She got turned around soon though and found herself in an alley.

Her back was to the opening she was boxed in by buildings on three sides and she was in a patch of shade.

"Hey baby yer kinda cute" a wobbly voice said. Looking behind her Naru groaned it was a drunk villager and he had a bottle of something in his hands.

"Don't be like tha'." he replied. He grew angry as she continued to ignore him.

If I ignore him he will go away she thought

Maybe not came soon after as he lunged forward to grab her shoulder to pull her forward. He tried to put his lips on her mouth but she turned her head at the last second and he kissed her cheek instead.

"Uh gross back off!"

"Is he bothering you?" Naru registered the voice then the absence of the man she was still slightly dazed did I mention she wasn't completely recovered yet?

She jerked her head around when she heard a sound. A young woman was pummeling the man into a bloody pulp. "How." punch "many" punch punch "times have I" punch "told you not to get drunk and" kick "go picking up girls" drop "they don't like it!" she had dropped him to the ground by the end.

She looked impressive standing there over the cowering man. Her hair was cut short in the back and shoulder length in front. Her bangs were died green which went well with her black hair. Her eyes were brown and she wore camouflage pants and a ripped t-shirt with combat boots. She looked up catching Naru looking at her. Smiling she stuck out a blue nailed hand.

"Hi the names Youhi and this is Baka I mean Sekai." Her grin faltered when she introduced the man but soon returned to full force.

"I'm Naru." Naru said taking the hand and feeling it beeing shaken firmly. She couldn't help a smile of her own forming on her face.

The man had brown hair and dark brown eyes. His clothes were a white t stained with alcohol and ripped jeans. A closer inspection revealed he didn't look much older then Youhi who looked to be about 19.

"Hey are you hungry?" Youhi asked hearing a loud rumble come form Nauru's stomach. Naru blushed then burst into laughter at the same time Youhi did. Agreeing she and Youhi walked to a ramen stand not too far from where she had gotten lost. Youhi dragged Sekai by his ear the entire way.

'Splash' "Hey what was that for!" 'Splash' "would you stop!" Sekai yelled but his yell was cut off as his head was thrust into a barrel of water by Youhi.

Naru just sat on the stool at the ramen stand. The man behind the counter watched also he had given the boy a special drink and a lecture when he had been brought in. His hands placed a shoulder width apart on the counter. Naru was slurping up noodles watching interestedly the interaction between the two.

She was on her third bowl Youhi had had one and so had Sekai now Youhi was determined to sober him up. From what the man behind the counter had told her Youhi and Sekai had been child hood friends which was why Youhi put up with his ways.

Finally Youhi stopped trying to drown Sekai she left him his hair dripping on his sopping collar looking shame faced next to the barrel.

Naru supposed this was a recurrent if not daily ordeal.

Turning back to the counter now that the show was over Naru placed her bowl on the counter paid and she and Youhi along with a pouting but sober Sekai went out to enjoy the town.

"Jiraiya paced back and forth back and forth in the audience chamber. Orochimaru sat at the table that filled most of the room and Kabuto was no where to be seen.

"Arrrgh! Where could she be! She shouldn't even be able to sit up without difficulty never mind walk out of the building!" But it appeared that she had. The Kyuubi most likely. But now the question was where she had gone.

"Will you sit down please, Kabuto will find her no doubt she has gone out to get some fresh air. The woman here did say she had taken a bath and left." Orochimaru said calmly to his former teammate.

Jiraiya sighed and sat down heavily then began to drum his fingers annoyingly on the table. Orochimaru would never let it show but right then he really wanted some painkiller and a hammer.

"Oh that was so much fun!" Naru said to her two new friends. Yes even Sekai was her friend after he sobered up he apologized to her. From then he had acted nicely with a funny yet slightly corny sense of humor and Naru could see why Youhi stayed his friend despite his problem with drinking.

"Hey kid you're not too bad what are you doing here anyway?" Sekai asked though he had been nice he hadn't asked too many questions before this as they were having to much fun. "I'm heading to the mountains for a year of training but really." she said

Conspiratorially then she leaned in closer and said "but really its an excuse to get away form home for awhile."

"Why?" Youhi said wondering about that she didn't wonder about the training supposing that she was a ninja they had those in the sound village too but why did she leave.

"The Hokage wants me to get married and have a baby but I'm only thirteen how could I be even thinking about that now!" Naru said glad to be able to confide in someone about her problem.

"I'm sure he didn't mean right away if he cares about you enough to consider your kids as grandkids then he wont force you." Youhi said with Sekai nodding his agreement in the back ground.

"You know I could hel- ow!" Sekai had been offering to help her with something and Youhi kicked him in the back of the head. Now he was on the ground and looking up at the two with such a funny look on his face they all broke into gales of laughter.

Minutes later Naru noticed how high the sun was it was past noon! She spent the entire morning here!

"What's the matter?" Sekai asked from the ground. "I have to get back to the hotel near the hot spring I'm supposed to talk to Orochimaru and Jiraiya about something's that happened! They'll be so worried!"

"What Orochimaru you say?! Come-on!" Youhi grabbed Nauru's hand, with Sekai running behind. Youhi led Naru at a sprint weaving up and down streets in and out of stalls. Until they ran smack into someone. The combined wait of Youhi and Naru against the lone stranger knocked the gray haired youth down.

"Kabuto! What are you doing here!?" Naru asked helping him to his feet "I came looking for you to take you to the conference room for a discussion."

"Well I have to go now." Naru said to Youhi and Sekai.

"Hey cheer up we'll see each other again." she smiled and they shook hands with one last hand shake they went there separate ways.

I hope it was worth posting this up. Review or don't type another chapter! Please?

Also Tortal will come in the next chapter oh a Tortal we will go a Tortal we will go yaddayadda blah blah blah to Tortal we will gooooo!

People: *backs away slowly*

Shut up! Don't judge meeeeeee!