Author's Note: YOSH! Chapter 4. I'm on a roll. I want to challenge Shadow Fox as the most reviewed Naru/Kin story by some point.

ALSO! I think it would be really cool if any of you that are good artist and are reading this would do a Naru/Kin picture. Draw it, ink it, use photoshop to finish it. Whatever you want. Try using scenes from this fic like when she comes out of the Edo Tensi and she jumps into his arms as the first person she sees. Or something from this chapter. Though I really don't care at all. I can't link to it if it's above PG-13 though...I might link to your devientart account or something so people can find it. Got it memorized?

Firefly25 my beta/brainstormer gets a thanks for helping me get this making sense.

Also the capitalizing Ramen was a joke for just last chapter. XD

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Naruto lay the shaking ex-oto-nin down on his bed. "Poor Kin-chan..." He was scared for his new friend. She'd just been stuck in a box for almost a week for crying out loud! He clenched his fist in anger. If I get my hands on whoever did this to her... Hoping to keep the Kyuubi back he tried to stop the thought. No that's wr- Oh but Naruto...you know you want their blood... Naruto jumped back as the Kyuubi's message echoed in his mind. GO AWAY YOU DAMN FOX! He screamed back inside his head.

Hahaha! Too bad. I wish I could. Or did you forget that the Yondaime made the impossible? Naruto growled. Fine then just leave me alone ok? He doubted this would work. And it didn't.

Bah! You're too weak to be a proper host. Fool boy.

Naruto held in a growl. You jerk...all the teachers hated me and taught me to do it wrong because of you. It's YOUR fault I'm weak!

Fine then! I'll give you a hint and make you a bet! First the hint, use those damned Shadow Clones correctly! They transfer information back to you when dispelled you moron. And secondly if you can kill a Jonin level ninja by yourself by the end of the year I'll let more of my chakra go towards healing your wounds. I don't want a weak container boy!

Naruto's mouth fell open. O...okay! Anything else you want Fox? But when he didn't hear the voice again he walked back over to sit on the side of the bed near Kin. "Kin-chan..."

He stroked her hair hoping to calm the shaking girls nightmares. I know what nightmares can do...poor Kin-chan... He sighed. He didn't want his friend to be in pain.

The abandoned Sound kunoichi shivered and grabbed Naruto's arm in her sleep. Kin...please be ok...

Kin was having troubled dreams...

'You are worthless'.

'You dumb bitch!'

'Weak little girl!'

'Girls can't be strong! Give up!'

'Stupid Sound nin! I'll make you pay for what your kind did to us!' Yes that was the most recent. Then she'd been placed under a genjutsu. And all her horrors had played through her mind tenfold.

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Ibiki had just returned from a B-rank mission. The only bad thing about time away from the 'office', as far as Ibiki was concerned, was getting caught up on what had transpired in his absence. Thankfully, this absence had been brief, so it wasn't like he'd missed much. The highlight seemed to be the debriefing of an Oto genin who'd turned up inexplicably alive in one of the coffins Orochimaru had raised with that kinjutsu of his. That he remembered the girl in question was a mildly interesting coincidence, but...

He reread the account of how the debriefing had been carried out. And did so again. And did not bother to hold back the curse that came unbidden to his lips. What Yashiro had done was completely unnecessary - the girl, as Kakashi had noted in an addendum, was lucky to retain her faculties..."YASHIRO!..." He growled.

He stomped off to report such vulgar misuse of power to the...Oh shit the Hokage is dead... He stopped in his tracks. I'll have to wait till we find a new one. The Council won't do shit.

In the meantime, I am in charge of the Interrogation Unit, and therefore could hold this Yashiro accountable for his excesses... And that made for a minor bright point on the day.

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Halfway through the night Naruto had ended up needing to hold Kin as he sat against the wall so that her thrashing didn't knock her off the bed and hurt herself. "Calm down Kin-chan! It's only a dream." Slowly she calmed down. Once that happened and exhausted Naruto fell asleep.

The former oto-nin slept peacefully the rest of the night without having struggled out of Naruto's grasp.

OoOoOoO

Naruto woke up in the morning as the sunlight came through his window. Kin had rolled over to the side in his arms and was tightly clutching his arm with her own. He looked down at his friend in surprise. I don't want to wake her...it took her forever to sleep peacefully last night.

After waiting fifteen minutes and seeing that the clock read 9 AM he decided to atleast TRY to make her let go so he could ease the rumblings of his hunger. Naruto slowly wiggled his arm out of his grasp and put a few pillows in his place.

He looked down at her before he went to make some ramen in his kitchen. Finally at peace Kin-chan? I'm sorry that you were hurt like that. I promise I won't let anyone hurt you like that again! What kind of Hokage would I be if I can't protect my friends?

He went to get his ramen. He'd wake her up after that.

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Kakashi had told Sakura and Sasuke to meet him at training ground 11 at nine. He was late as usual.

Hmm...the dobe isn't here yet. Maybe he got kicked off the team. Sasuke thought as he ignored Sakura's attempts at conversation.

The copy-nin finally arrived a nine forty. As he was about to speak Sakura interupted him. "Where's Naruto?" She asked. "I didn't ask him to come." Kakashi answered in annoyance.

CHA!!! Now I have Sasuke all to myself! I bet Naruto got kicked off the tea- She noticed Kakashi's glare and shrunk into herself.

"NOW if I can continue...something has come up and Naruto will be gone for a bit. He's leaving Konoha with Jiraiya and we don't know when he'll be back. Also he is taking a friend with him. You'll meet her after he returns most likely."

Sakura blinked. Naruto? A girl? Sasuke's reaction was completely different. WHAT! That dobe being trained by a legendary sannin?!

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By this time Naruto had gotten Kin up and about. "Come on Kin-chan! Put your henge on and I'll have you meet my friends!" He said happily hoping to cheer her up.

Kin nodded. "I'd like that." She made a handsign. "Henge!" Her image was now that of the day before. "Let's go..." She TRIED to sound confident.

OoOoOoO

Naruto had taken Kin into town to have her meet his friends and classmates. She was again under the blue-haired slightly shorter henge. She was not used to a large village (or one with a lot of light for that matter) and tended to blink in surprise at the sheer number off people in the few undamaged parts of the city.

Whenever they strode by a decimated or otherwise war-torn area she would twitch in regret. Each time Naruto would ask her what was wrong and she would wave it off.

"Nothing Naruto-kun...nothing is wrong." Fortunately Naruto had the understanding of a toothpick in most cases and took her word for it.

After not very long at all they ran into Kurenai's team. Kiba immediately took a crack at Naruto. "Hey Naruto! Who's your girlfriend?"

Naruto, Kin, and Hinata all blushed at once. Naruto for the general meaning of the comment. Kin because she could imagine it. And Hinata...out of jealousy. Which caused her to blink. Je-jealous? B-besides...she can't be.

Naruto quickly denied it. "Where'd you get that idea dog-breath?" This quickly lead to a shouting match between the two. Neither noticed Akamaru sniff at Kin.

But Shino did. Akamaru...is acting like he's smelled her before...

Finally they got around to civilty.

"Oops...sorry and hello guys, Hinata." The kunoichi squeaked at being acknowledged, for the moment too tongue-tied to form words.

"This is Kin; she's, umm, visiting for a while. Kin-chan, that's Kiba and his pal Akamaru; the tall guy is Shino - don't feel bad, he's always quiet - and that's Hinata-chan behind him..." Naruto pointed to the Genin as he said their respectful names.

Kin smiled weakly and waved. "Hi..."

There was an echo of, "Hello Kin-chan." From everyone but Hinata's was undoubtably the weakest.

As Shino observed Kin he was once again glad his Aburame-trademark coat concealed the lower half of his face... and, now, the thoughtful expression thereupon.

One of his kikaichu had sniffed the new girl as a matter of course; the

scent, it quickly reported, was vaguely familiar. So Akamaru could be correct.

Kiba looked down at Akamaru. "What do ya MEAN she smells familiar? I've never seen her before." He winked at Kin. "Though I'd like to get to see her more."

This caused Kin to quickly hide behind Naruto with a little 'Eep!'.

Naruto glared at Kiba. "Hey! What are you doing?"

Kiba took that as grounds that she was Naruto's. So did Hinata.

Oh no...Naruto-kun, Don't let her be your girlfriend...Hinata pushed her fingers together, this was making her nervous.

The dog user grinned. "Finally over Sakura eh Naruto?"

Naruto didn't know what he meant. "Huh?"

Hinata's heart skipped a beat. Then he...she...they aren't...YAY!

Shino finally spoke up. "Time to go. These must be delivered."

Kurenai knew all about Kin's...predicament. And could afford other thoughts. Perhaps Anko was right. These two do seem close.

Team 8 left quickly to catch up to the Aburame who was deep in thought.

Recollection supplied a name quickly enough: Tsuchi Kin.

Which, in turn, raised several questions. How was she here - word had been that none of the Oto genin had survived the chuunin exams – and why was she here?

Next, she didn't seem quite the same as he recalled from the exams... no, that Kin hadn't been nervous at all.

And if that wasn't interesting enough, here she was with Naruto of all people.

Not that Shino had anything against him, of course; it was simply that for as long as he'd remembered, other children had been encouraged to avoid the blonde.

Even if he was growing out of that 'dead last' label.

And the last question...Why was she using a Henge? This was not the cocky, scathing, and tempermental Tsuchi Kin from before. This was a nervous Tsuchi Kin in a Henge...

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Next Naruto led Kin to the park. On the way they BOTH got horrid glares from villagers. Most were at Naruto though.

This gave Kin a reason to think some more. Why are they glaring at him like that? His family couldn't have been THAT bad! Could they? She looked at her new friend. No...not if someone so kind came from them...