Here's another chapter please enjoy.

Disclaimer: I own nothing, not Naruto or any of its characters.

Blood Bonds

Chapter 6

Clearing her throat Tsunade eyes the strange red haired girl, who had been knocked out a moment ago before she quest20ioned the now awake Minako, "What were you two doing at Orochimaru's hideout?"

Instead of answering the Hokage's question Minako decided to instead reply with a sarcastic remark to help vent her anger that had remained from before she was knocked out, "Why, I'm Orochimaru's daughter."

Becoming annoyed at the girl's obvious lie and uncooperativeness Tsunade narrowed her eyes and let her voice hint at her annoyance, "I doubt that."

Also narrowing her eyes Minako practically snarled, "No duh, I was kidnapped!"

Slightly pleased at getting this information Tsunade nodded towards the still knocked out Megumi, "Then what about her?"

"SHE was tied to a freakin tree." She snarled out as she glared at the obvious captain of the team from earlier. "You better hope I don't get my hands on you, pretty boy" Minako stated before reverting to her calm, uncaring self after venting the rest of her anger.

Taking notice of Minako's attitude towards Sasuke, Tsunade diverted her attention by adding to her previous question, "Before you were captured by team 7."

Shrugging her shoulders Minako responded coolly, "How would I know?"

Tsunade's eyebrows twitched irritably at the conscious girl's behavior. "Well then, would you mind giving me the details of your stay at Orochimaru's?" Tsunade asked slowly.

"yes." The girl replied simply. Several of the people in the room knitted their eyebrows in confusion before getting the comment.

Sasuke scowled at the girl, as Sakura glared at her with murderous intent. Naruto simply looked at the girl with a frown on his face while Sai stood slightly behind the others, paying more attention to the brunette than the conscious girl.

Megumi slowly opened her eyes to gaze blurrily around at her surrounding, quickly taking them in. Not quite processing what she saw Megumi yawned and began to stretch what limbs she could, which effectively drew the attention of just about everyone in the room as she too regained consciousness.

Leaning over a dark haired woman whispered in Tsunade's ear. Turning to look at the woman Tsunade scowled and stated, "I know that Shizune. I have eyes."

Turning her attention to the brown haired girl Tsunade asked Megumi, "Will you tell us what happened during your stay at Orochimaru's hideout?"

Drowsily tilting her head, Megumi responded, "Huh? I didn't stay at Orochimaru's hideout."

Tsunade sighed and rubbed her forehead. Addressing the other shinobi in the room Tsunade stated, "We're not going to be able to get any information out of them, today at least and they don't seem to pose any kind of threat. Can one of you take them in for the night?"

The group of ninja that had been present in the room while Tsunade questioned the girls, each of said ninja looked at Sasuke, obviously hinting that he should take the girls in since he resided in the Uchiha compound which had plenty of room for him and the two girls.

Scowling at them Sasuke grudgingly volunteered to house the girls for the time being.

Tsunade nodded pleased that she didn't need to force any of the shinobi in the room to take the girls in.

Still scowling Sasuke walked over to the girls and grabbed the rope that tied them together, making quick work of the twisted string.

He easily hefted Minako over his shoulder while depositing Megumi under his opposite arm against his side.

Squeaking fairly loudly Megumi began to wiggle around in the ropes that now bound her alone, no longer connecting her to Minako, whereas Minako smiled sadistically and asked with fake amusement while pressing her entire body against his back,

"Do I feel heavy to you?" her innocent sounding voice betrayed by the smirk she didn't try to hide.

Sasuke didn't bother to answer Minako's question and decided to go through a less populated route to the Uchiha compound to avoid the minute chance that one of them could get away from him and possibly lose him in the crowd.

When they arrived at the compound both Minako and Megumi noticed that Sasuke sped up his pace as they passed a certain section of the compound before he entered a smaller building towards the outskirts of the compound.

"Pretty boy's afraid of ghosts, shocker." Minako whispered in his ear tauntingly. Sasuke chose to ignore the girl other than flashing a quick glare in her direction.

Maneuvering through the halls of the building Sasuke dumped the girls in a windowless room and told them sternly before locking the door and leaving the room, "Don't leave."

"Damn, I can't stand not feeling the sun on my face for any longer than I already have. Why doesn't HE try being kept inside a windowless building with crappy electricity and practically no utilities for 3 days?" Minako questioned angrily as she cut both herself and Megumi loose.

Megumi looked at her, "they didn't let you go outside for 3 days? Then where did you learn how to fight?" she asked.

"Indoor training grounds, horrible indoor training grounds." Minako shuddered. "Anyway, I am not going to be withheld from nature, after I've already had my electronics taken away."

Megumi gave her a face at the mention of Minako's love-hate relationship with technology and nature and her finicky ways. "Besides…I'm hungry." Minako continued with a snort from Megumi at the return of the black hole that was Minako.

"Fine, then find a way out on your own. Don't come crying to me if you get raped by a duck-butt haired Uchiha." Megumi responded.

Calling Megumi's bluff Minako approached the door and began to pick the lock on the door with multiple bobby-pins that she pulled out of her hair.

Megumi's façade shattered when Minako succeeded in picking the lock and opened the door and quietly slipped out of the room.

After waiting a moment to strengthen her resolve Megumi too left the room and began to search the house for Minako while remaining cautious of the Uchiha that was also residing there.

Unknown to her was that Minako had gone in the opposite direction and had already found her way outside and was formulating a plan to reunite with Megumi and escape from Konoha also that she was heading straight for the very Uchiha that she was trying to avoid.

Sasuke was turning a corner on his way to the room he had put the two girls in with several rice balls in hand for the girls to eat, when someone bumped into him. He instantly reacted by grabbing the person's arm.

He narrowed his eyes when he noticed that it was one of the girls who he had volunteered to let stay at his home, he was relieved it was the brown haired girl who was quieter and would be more willing to cooperate than her blue eyed companion.

Tightening his hold on Megumi's arm, Sasuke questioned exasperated at all the trouble the two girls were causing him, "Where did the other one go?"

Looking around nervously Megumi answered by pointing in the direction Sasuke had just come from.

Raising an eyebrow Sasuke replied, "That's the direction I just came from."

Not missing a beat Megumi responded, "Well that's the direction she went."

Sighing Sasuke put the rice balls into one of his currently empty pouches and dragged Megumi by her arm despite her following obediently behind him.

Sasuke walked through Konoha still practically dragging Megumi behind him. The streets were dark with the exception of the areas that were lit by the light from any shops on the side of the road.

A shadow flitted through the darkness across from them. "What was tha-"Megumi began, but was cut off when Sasuke pulled her along as he took off after the shadow.

Naruto was walking down the darkening streets when he spotted a shadowy figure dart across the street a yard or two ahead of him. Closely following the shadow he also Sasuke along with the girl they had brought back with them after they had infiltrated Orochimaru's hideout.

Sasuke stopped in the middle of the road after losing sight of the mysterious figure, only to be confronted by Naruto who had been on his nightly ramen run.

"Hey, what are you doing with that girl and where'd the other one go?" Naruto asked suspiciously now noticing the girl who accompanied Sasuke.

Sasuke told Naruto that he had lost one of the girls who he had been put in charge of, after which he glared openly at Naruto daring him to say anything.

Not bothering to ask if Sasuke wanted his help finding the red haired girl, Naruto stated enthusiastically, "Well we need to hurry up and find her then!"

"Not we, me, idiot." Sasuke responded coolly.

As the two conversed Megumi bit her lip, drawing blood and as he responded to Naruto's comment, Megumi quickly twisted her neck around and painfully bit the hand Sasuke was using to drag her along.

Sasuke quickly pulled his hand away, not because the actual bite hurt but a moment after she pulled away his hand felt like it was burning.

Focusing chakra into her leg muscles Megumi ran as fast as she could away from the two ninjas that stood there slightly shocked at her actions.

After a moment the two team mates nodded and went after the escaping girl.

As she ran Megumi once again focused on Minako's chakra attempting to find out her location in the village. Finding the chakra signature, Megumi changed directions and sped off to Minako's location.

Minako silently stood upon one of the taller trees in Konoha a sleek but small tabby cat lightly sitting upon her shoulder. It was obvious from her posture that the cat weighed nothing to the girl, despite the light weight and small build that was her form.

The girl nodded at the intelligent eyes of the feline beside her. "Thank you for lending me your sight." She said coolly as she nodded slightly to the cat.

The cat bowed her head in return, her eyes sparkling with the same mischief that often shone in Minako's own eyes before disappearing in a puff of smoke.

Minako started to get ready to leap down branch by branch to the ground as the three figures approached the tree. She stepped lightly to the side where a branch stood slightly below her, only to stumble upon what seemed to be nothing and fell in the opposite direction of the branch towards the fast approaching figures beneath her.

Minako pummeled towards the ground swiftly trying to avoid the branches and twigs, she silently prayed that she would be able to turn and land on her feet with minimal injury.

Her hopes were to no avail as she pushed her body forward a bit too much, accidentally sending herself into an almost graceful series of flips and turns…her face toward the ground in an almost spread eagle position.

She considered for a moment, using the summoning jutsu to land easily. But…before even completing the thought she landed on a hard surface that seemed to be considerably less painful to land on than the ground.

As Naruto and Sasuke were closing in on Megumi they were both surprised when Minako fell from a nearby tree and landed squarely on Sasuke; effectively knocking him flat onto the ground and almost knocking him out.

Not quite unconscious Sasuke was dazed and didn't process the fact that once again the red haired girl had run into him…again.

After chasing the brown haired girl whose name they had yet to learn, Sasuke and Naruto had closed the distance she had gotten when she bit Sasuke in order to get away from them. The moment before he was going to lunge for her, he was suddenly knocked to the ground by a sudden weight on his back.

"Aw the Duck-Butt Cushion Jutsu." Megumi stated inwardly laughing at Sasuke's situation.

Hearing Megumi's comment Naruto began to laugh while Minako smirked at Megumi's attempt at humor, Sasuke growled from his position beneath Minako.

"Thank you, my lovely cushion." Minako responded happily to his reaction, a smirk lighting her face. Sasuke merely narrowed his eyes at the girl's sadistic nature.

"Love you too, cushion honey." Minako smiled slightly as the boy grunted. "Would you get off me already?" he asked irritably. "All in good time, Darling" Minako patted his cheek and situated herself into a sitting position to begin a discussion with Megumi, Naruto snickering loudly beside them.

Before Minako could say anything, Megumi was practically tackled to the ground by a flash of blue, "Aoi-sensei?"

Naruto, Sasuke, and Minako practically stared at the blue haired woman that was just about squeezing the life out of Megumi, "Oh, Megumi I'm so glad I found you! This is the perfect place to resume your training." Aoi gushed cheerfully.

Blinking owlishly Megumi turned her head to look at Aoi and questioned, "But would that be okay? Wouldn't we technically be considered foreign shinobi?"

Pulling away Aoi smiled widely and informed Megumi, "No, it'll be alright. I'm a former Konoha shinobi who is welcome to return to the village whenever I wish and you will be welcome since you're my apprentice."

Just noticing Megumi's lip which was still bleeding slightly from her self-inflicted wound, "I guess you got yourself into a pinch, huh?" Aoi casually questioned, worry slightly darkening her blue eyes.

Licking away some of the blood Megumi tried to reassure her mentor, "No, not at all. There's no need to worry, Aoi-sensei."

Minako let out a loud and feral hiss at the woman who had touched Megumi so familiarly. "Who are you?" She snarled, leaving Naruto and the Sasuke that she was now crouching on with looks of equal shock at the sudden outburst from what seemed to be a normally calm faced girl.

Turning to the red head Aoi responded, seemingly oblivious to the tone the girl had used, "I'm Aoi, kiddo, and I'm obviously Megumi's sensei. Are you Megumi's buddy that was taken to the sound hideout, she worked really hard to bust you out of there. Though I don't believe Megumi ever mentioned your name."

Minako almost instantly relaxed at the woman's tone. This woman could be trusted…and would most likely make a wonderful companion. A small cute smile played Minako's lips as she registered that the woman was of no threat to Megumi. Immediately, one of Minako's fake personalities surfaced as if on instinct.

"My name is Minako." The smile grew a bit to show her teeth, an action that anyone other than a skilled reader of people or Megumi would probably never figure out to be anything other than almost shy kindness.

Minako slowly slipped out of her crouch back into the position of sitting on Sasuke, a fluid motion, most unlikely to draw attention.

Playing along Aoi enthusiastically responded, "It's nice to meet you Minako!"

Turning to Megumi she whispered, "This is the one with your loyalty?"

Receiving a nod in return Aoi added ruffling Megumi's hair, which Megumi tried to shake off Aoi's hand to no avail, "…I like her."

RAWR!

REVIEW!! :)