"The last thing people want is absolute freedom..."- -Unknown

100km North Of The Land Of Fire

Within the thick lush forest surrounded by hills and cliffs, a dark figure was seen perched on a tree with his blue eyes set dead center on the shrubs below. "This is it…" He muttered, fluttering his eyes once more around the area. Even under the afternoon sun, its light failed to breach through the canopy masking the area in near twilight darkness. A perfect place for a hideout.

'Now where are you hiding…'

He sat down on the branch with his legs crossed and closed his eyes. Not a moment too soon, an orange pigment started forming around his eyelids connecting him one with nature. He could feel the gentle breeze swaying the leaves above and down to the colony of ants working on their daily routine. He could visualize the network of tunnels created by these little critters down to where they kept their Queen, spawning eggs which were being picked up by her workforce. Now he could feel a very odd gape in the dirt, spewing out a putrid smell containing a bunch of chemicals that could only be picked up by an animal, or a very skilled ninja.

'There you are…' The whiskered man mused. '…15 active chakra signatures…30 faint ones…and hella lots of corpses.' He visibly scowled. 'Too bad that bastard isn't in there but I'll be glad to play around with the things you called 'toys'." He opened his eyes and stood up with an expression that could kill.

Standing at 6 feet tall, the man wore a dark blue Jounin vest and black long-sleeved shirt inside. An equipment pouch around his waist and black cargo pants with another pouch on his right leg. Bending his knees forward into a jumping stance, the black ninja sandals squeaked as he let his body fell forward. Blood rushed through his veins as his calf muscles tensed, creaking the branch on his feet. One could even see the foxy grin entrenched on his face before he propelled down like a rocket fired from a cannon.

A moment ago

"Is the patient prep for procedure?" A masked surgeon asked, walking down the dimly lit hallway along with his assistant.

"For the fifth time, yes sir. Ready as she was an hour ago." He stated, obviously annoyed of his senior's tardiness.

He recoiled slightly at his junior's jab. "Come on man, don't blame me for it. The patient Kabuto-sama sent was a bloody nightmare to work with. He expected me to stabilize a man who's internals were in complete shambles. And now he's dead. I might as well hang myself before I turn into one of his monsters." He cried out, sweat pouring down his protective uniform.

"Shit dude. But It's alright." He assured him. "The guy was just a throwaway. The subject we're going to work on now is his prized possession and in good condition. Luckily, she'll be fairly straightforward to handle. Here…" He passed the clipboard over to his colleague.

He skimmed through the profile with an intent gaze. "20 years old…Coma for 6 years…Inject subject with MK-6174…revive subject if possible…observe effects…proceed with absolute caution." He sighed tiredly for being up awake for over twenty hours. Grunting, he flipped to another page and stopped dead in his tracks. "Oh you gotta fucking kidding me."

"What's wrong?" Concerned, he eyed the clipboard to see him flipped onto the profile picture of the subject.

"We're working on her?!" He sputtered, fear reaching his eyes.

"Yeah."

"Fuck me. This is a huge risk!"

"What are you talking about?"

"Fucking great…" He sighed exasperatedly before turning to his partner. "Since you're practically new here, I'll summarize it for ya. Project MK has been going on for almost a decade and all previous attempts had resulted in catastrophe. Even if the subjects had their minds broken or utterly brain-dead, they will go into rampage and die, or just die once receiving a dose of MK. Not even a cursed seal would stop them, as a matter of fact, subjects with the cursed mark are ten times much more dangerous. So to put it simply…"

"Fail or succeed, we're dead…"

He snapped his gloved fingers. "Exactly…we can't test it on a guinea pig or onto another live subject. All MK's are different as they're made for a specific subject. Orochimaru-sama was very particular about this. What's crazy Kabuto-same requested not one dosage, but ten times more than the necessary amount. Is he actually trying to kill her?"

"Uhhh…" He shuffled his feet, nervously scratching the back of this head before pointing a finger up like an idea had popped. "…maybe he made a breakthrough!"

He deadpanned. "Without sufficiently testing the after effects that may result the death of the patient? If he did, why push it onto us instead of doing it himself?! He could've at least provide us with some data!"

Both swallowed a huge lump once they reached the operation room. They exchanged fearful looks behind their masked visage before opening the double doors. The chamber was dark for the exception of the overhead light beaming down onto the patient strapped on a hospital bed. A band of electronic medical instruments surrounded her with the heartbeat monitor beating in long intervals. Pushing their worries to the back of their heads, they decided to proceed on with the procedure with a calm cold-like demeanor.

They studied her vitals and state before heading onto the main event. "Bring'em in." The head doctor ordered. Pushing the tray into the light was a briefcase. He unlocked it with a number code before opening it to reveal within filled with exactly ten test tubes containing an ominous purple liquid carefully stored in soft styrofoam. They then extract the liquid into their syringes, neatly placing them side by side onto a tray. Standing opposite of each other by the bed, they nodded to each other and began operating their test subject.

"Begin the injection procedure..."

"Hai."

"...1…" Left wrist.

"...2…" Right wrist.

"...3…" Left Thigh.

"...4…" Right Thigh.

"How are her vitals?"

The assistant investigated the monitor, face scrunched. "…Unchanged…"

"Affirmative, proceed."

"...6…" Heart.

"...7…" Liver.

"...8…" Neck.

"...9…" Bladder.

Beep

They immediately turn their heads towards the monitor to see her heart rate had increased by 10%. They halted the procedure and started reading her vitals. Minutes passed and they observed her heart rate continued to maintain at a steady frequency. Unresponsive and unchanged. The head doctor breathed out a sigh of relief. "Scared me half to death." He picked up the clipboard and read over the instructions once more. "…inject her brain…of course…" He voiced half-expectantly and rolled his eyes then noticed his assistant had prep the specialized drill.

"It's ready, sir."

"The final step." He muttered, leveling his gaze at the tool.

"Yes, sir."

"Hand it over, I'll do it."

"Here you go."

"Thank you, turn her over." His assistant did as instructed and combed up her red hair. The drill already filled with MK-6174, the doctor pressed the trigger a couple of times before carefully aligning it onto a specific part of her head. "Now…for the cerebellum."

Meanwhile

He dodged the booby traps, silently incapacitated multiple guards and set free the prisoners deprived of their spirit. He frowned at their weakened state, silently contemplating as they painfully grunt and moaned at his sudden appearance, eyes widening as big as they possibly could. Copies of the whiskered shinobi appeared beside him in a puff of smoke before they escorted the captives out of their cages and into the outside world they longed for. The original stood alone in the dark chamber with his arms crossed, thinking, listening, sensing. Then he felt a bleep in the distance, buried in pitch black darkness but grasping to dear life. He turned around and with a single step, he disappeared in a gust of wind.

Appearing before the double steel doors with his knee to his chest, with a swift kick he forced them flying off their hinges and into their respective directions knocking out a pair of unfortunate surgeons. Walking in, he crooked his brow at the unconscious redheaded person strapped on the hospital bed. Head facing down as blood trickle down to the cold floor forming a small puddle. His right hand was immediately shrouded in orange chakra as he placed his open palm onto the surgically opened wound. A moment had passed and the sound of the dripping echo fade away along with the glow of his hand.

Sighing, he undid the straps holding down her limbs and gently turned her over. He did a double take.

"You're-!" It was unmistakable. Her narrow visage. Her undeniably pinkish red hair. She was involved in the assassination of the Third Hokage. She battled his group to retrieve that bastard. She was supposedly killed by Temari of the Sand. She was part of the abolished Sound Four. She was Tayuya of the Sound.

Anyone would be alarmed when he took out a kunai before plunging it into…her straps. Without a layer of clothing covering her skin, he spawned his old sage cloak he first used in the battle for Konoha fighting Pain. He wrapped a clean white towel around her then shrouded her with his cloak. Picking her up to a piggy-back, he would have noticed the cursed seal on her neck had begun to pulsate before fading away like a burning piece of paper. With Sennin Mode still active, he took a single step and disappeared instantly.

"And now...it begins..."

Five days later

Three years had passed since the Invasion of Konoha that turned the village into a literal crater. All focus were shifted into its revival and they had the Kazakage to thank to for the imperative supply of raw materials. Their stagnant economy had since boosted turning the formerly ravaged village into a bustling modern city - but it never lost its identity for the faces of the Five Hokages still loomed over, watching over their populace. In the center of a public park had a particular bronze statue erupted on a pedestal with many surrounding posing for a photo. Standing with his arms crossed wearing a familiar cloak and a 'wavy' shinobi headband. The artist had memorized his face from all the photos and reluctant interviews, whiskered and the look that inspired thousands. His signature foxy grin. Engraved in marble on the pedestal titled, 'Uzumaki Naruto: Hero Of Konoha'.

"Bringing her here wasn't part of the mission." Said the Fifth Hokage, leveling her stern gaze at the spiky haired blond.

"As the person who wrote out the mission - which is you, it stated: Rescue all prisoners and test subjects. You gave me full authority over the mission and I'm ready to take responsibility no matter the consequence." He stated, standing his ground in the presence of authority. "I'm ready to give my arms away even if it means giving her another chance."

She refrained from clicking her tongue, knowing the adamant blonde would do exactly just that. Sighing, the buxom woman leaned onto her arm chair. "I know you're not a brat anymore but her very presence is putting everyone on edge, especially Shikamaru. Would you deny that?"

He shook his head, not knowing the proper answer.

Shizune's face softened, petting Tonton's head. "Why are you so keen on protecting her?"

They gave him a moment to answer for himself, a well-needed skill he had to earn in order to move on. "I want to help her. I want to know what she thinks, how she lives, how she can cope when the world had already moved beyond what she can recognize. See if she is capable of change. If I can't do either of those, how can I possibly help Sasuke?"

Tsunade lifted her brow. "Are you implying that you could persuade her to join our ranks?"

"That wasn't my intention but when I heard she put up quite a fight against Shikamaru, she'll be amongst one of the trickiest genjutsu users in our arsenal." Stated the Jounin, hoping they would buy it.

He was right, though. The village lost plenty of their specialist mind-benders from the invasion and the Sound girl joining in would be beneficial to their cause. The Hokage and her assistant shared the same look before nodding and went back to the Uzumaki.

"It is difficult for me to deny such a personal request from you as long as I sit here, but for the opportunity that has presented us…I will allow you to watch over her." Taking out a document from the drawer, she stamped her insignia and handed it over to the stunned blonde with a cheeky smile. "She's now in your care."

His face scrunched as he read it and produced a puzzled gaze at them. "You knew I'd do this?" He motioned at the approval form that was made in advance.

She shook her shoulders and casually waved it off. "Ehh. You're not that unpredictable when it comes to charming others in order to help someone." When she said that, he scratched the back of his head in embarrassment with a huge grin. "Off you go, brat. She's still asleep but you might catch her when she's awake."

He hastily folded the paper into his jacket and proceed to run straight to the doors as he waved them from behind his shoulders with a beaming smile. "Thanks baa-chan! I owe you one!"

"That's Hokage-sama to you, damn brat!" The door closed and they watched through the window to see him running across the compound into the direction of the hospital. A small smile grew as they longingly stared at his back.

"He's grown up so fast." She sighed endearingly, hugging the piglet affectionately like as if it was the blonde.

"Oink!"

Folding her arms beneath her breasts, she thumbed her chin in thought. "Someone with that kind of gift is probably a good idea to be on your side, not to mention useful." Shizune nodded in agreement. "Look where I am now! Slaving away in paperwork while that brat gets to be out there and make actual change. I almost envy him."

"Don't sell yourself short, Tsunade-sama. Your decision to make him fully independent was the right choice." Her assistant assured her.

"I don't doubt it but I couldn't help but to feel a bit insecure when he goes onto missions by himself." It might simply be her maternal instincts calling out but it wasn't just about it. They hardly heard any news pertaining the Akatsukis since he defeated the leader of the group, Pain. They could have gone underground and continued development but it was all speculation by that point with no concrete data to back up. The threat still exists.

Turning her back from the window, she started walking towards the door. "Come on Shizune, let's give our new guest a special visit."

A teardrop appeared on the side of her head. "Aren't you just excusing yourself to get away from work?"

Walking down the hallway of the hospital, Naruto spotted his pineapple-haired friend standing on guard and called out to him. "Yo! Shika!"

"It's about time you showed up." He snickered, facing the sheepish blonde. "I assume Hokage-sama finally allowed you to see her?"

"It's more than just that." He implied, noticing a tint of red from the corner of his eyes and faced the viewing window. "How is she?"

The Nara folded his arms and stood next to the blonde, gazing into the room. "Surprisingly? She seem to fair much better than the last time I saw her."

"Was she awake?"

Nodding, he continued. "She woke up a couple of days ago around midnight and our security cameras found she was walking aimlessly around the room then stared outside the window for almost half an hour like a gargoyle before heading back to sleep. She's well fed and hadn't treat the staff with any discontent…Kind of… Oh and the cloak you gave her?"

"What about it?"

"She wouldn't sleep without it." His former classmate shifted his brow and pointed at the pillow the girl currently had her head on. It was wrapped in his own cloak while a trail of saliva slipped from the corner of her mouth, staining it. "When the nurse was about to replace the 'pillowcase', she made quite a scene and insists on keeping it. And said 'if anyone touches it, I'll fuckin jab a scalpel down your blowhole!'…something like that."

Naruto chuckled nervously. "So…she's the same as I remembered?"

Shikamaru sighed dejectedly. "Unfortunately, exactly the same as I remembered. Except…" He took out a clipboard and skimmed over it. "…we couldn't find the curse mark on her."

He tilted his head, looking at the sleeping redhead intending to find what was off. "Didn't you said she transformed into some kind of a demon when she fought you?"

"I did. The same way as did the Sound Four. And didn't you report the room she was in was something like out of Frakenstein before blowing up the entire underground system?" He jabbed him.

Naurto shrugged his shoulders. "I burned everything to the ground. No one should be subjected to those experiment nor should anyone stumble upon those research papers. I will not allow these kinds of things to be repeated. Not on my sight."

From the corner of his eyes, Shikamaru noticed the subtle change in his voice and his clenching fist. "That's fine. I understand you completely. Continuing on…" The blonde switched his gaze to the clipboard. "…after the doctors screened her, she seems to be in perfectly good health. Nothing in her system that would cause an alarm. No sign of the curse mark appearing even when she's pissed off. However, her psychological state remains in question. All in all, she can be discharged as soon as she's awake."

"That's great…" He smiled at the news and returned to the window with a wide look on his face. "You mean like now?

"Yeah…" He looked up at the window. "…when she's a…wake."

There she was, standing before them with only a few layers of glass separating them. Naruto waved to her but she didn't respond, only an empty look on her face. He moved back and forth, side to side to see if she can see him from the other side. She seemed to turn her head when he was out of view. He then made funny faces, stretchering his cheeks open and saucer eyes that would make a baby cry. Naruto then leaned in to the equally confused Shikamaru.

"Can she see us?" He whispered.

"No way. It's a one way mirror." He replied quietly, completely unnerved by her blank expression. Even if a racket would occur in the hallway, the sound would not travel into the room.

"Oh is that so?" He sighed in relief. He folded his arms and lean in to the window to get a better look of her face. "Her hair seems all messy but I can understand, she just woke up. Heh, I sort of like it! It makes her look adorable and c-" Suddenly, a feminine hand shot out from the glass, gripping his neck into a choking hold. Shikamaru took a step back, shocked. "…-ute." He was then pulled into the window - shattering it completely and was sent flying across the room, slamming his face onto the opposite wall. He felt her iron grip on the scruff of his neck and was lifted off his feet, cheek pressed onto the wall.

Shikamaru recovered from his stun and immediately made a seal which sent his shadow to be conjoined with hers. "Stand down! If I feel you struggle one bit, I won't hesitate to knock you out." Before he finished his sentence, three ANBU's appeared behind her with their blades hovering above her neck, back and shoulder.

'Fuck…' Thought Naruto - not considering his safety, but the danger presented onto her. "Ummm, Shikamaru?"

"What?" He responded, maintaining his technique to force her to statue.

"You can pull back," He was about to retort but he cut him off. "…if she make any other sudden movements. Feel free to stop her. And the rest of you, stand down." He motioned at the operatives. "I know you're under baa-chan but just hear me out, let me handle this." They looked at each other and when one of them nodded, they went back into shadows followed by Shikamaru undoing his shadow but remained in the room.

"So uhhhh…" Cheek still pressed, he figured he could at least break the ice. "…how are you feeling?" He could barely make eye contact with her browns.

"You're that brat…" She muttered, sizing the blonde up and picked up something peculiar about him. She narrowed her gaze, memories slowly flooding back at her. "You're that fucking shithead…and you," She scowled from the corner of her eyes to the person behind her. Shikamaru glared back, eventually felt the staredown was reaching its boiling point knowing he was losing all along.

"Before you guys decide to gouge each other eyes out, can you please let me down? It's difficult to breathe here." He split apart the tension by voicing out his apparent discomfort. He could feel her razor sharp glare piercing the back of his head and tear-dropped. "Well, be it your way. Shika, has anyone brief on her yet?"

"Being the enemy of the state and designated rogue shinobi since her country no longer acknowledged she exists, so no." Shikamaru asserted firmly and she visibly startled. That was news to her.

"That's one way to put…" mused the blonde. "Anyway, I discovered one of Orochimaru's labs and found you were being operated and intervened. I briefly read the report about you and you've been in a coma for six years."

"SIX YEARS!?" She pressed in harder to the point he could hear the wall cracking. Shikamaru was about to act and noticed the 'don't' sign on his hand. "WHY THE FUCK I WAS OUT FOR THAT BLOODY LONG?! WHAT THE FUCK DID THEY DO TO ME?! RAPING MY SORRY ASS?! MY TEAM IS DEAD! MY SHITHOLE COUNTRY IS DEAD TO ME! I'D RATHER KILL MYSELF!"

She was about to pour out more of her pent up rage when a wave serenity washed over her. Like she was standing on an endless open ocean without a wave that could disturb her. Slowly, she land him to his feet and loosened her grip. She stared at his back not in confusion, but in relief. Before her hand could drop to her side, he took it - enveloping his warmth before turning around to face her. Toad-like eyes turning back to azure.

"I can't reverse the misdeeds that had been done onto you. I wish I could, but I don't have that kind of power. I know what's it's like to be left behind, forgotten and tossed away. Used and dismantled bit by bit. I know your pain all to well. But…what I can provide is another chance in life. You don't have to forget your wrongdoings, that is up to you to decide but I'd advise you to learn from it. I want to help you to get back up on your feet, not for the betterment of others but for yourself. I don't want you to suffer. I want you to live." Anyone with half a brain would drone out with a stone-faced-serious expression to relate to the gravity of the situation. But what this knuckled-head did instead was grinning like a tenacious fox. Leering with an unrelenting passion that could rival a blazing inferno.

She got caught up in it.

Recovering herself, the Sound girl swept her hand away and folded her arms, discerning him with a narrow gaze. "Fine. I'll take up whatever you offer, just don't expect me to always go along with it." She said in quiet empathy, giving herself up to the strange blonde.

"Heh! I knew you'd come along. Come on, let's get you off those robes and get some clothes!" Grinning ear to ear, he walked past her to grab the spare apparel he brought from home.

She tag closely behind and Shikamaru watched with intent until the moment she was already beside him. They never exchanged their gaze nor words as they instantly understood the grudge separating between them. As soon as she left, a bead of sweat trailed down his forehead as he wearily sighed. A single ANBU appeared then handed him a letter and disappeared.

He read it and chuckled lightly, resisting the temptation to smack his head. "Heh…I hope you know what you're getting into because I sincerely doubt you did." Putting his hands inside his pockets, he walk out of the room to go home and sleep.

Later

After changing back to his civilian attire which consist of a white t-shirt and striped orange jacket, shin-height black khaki shorts and black sandals, he sat down in the lobby whilst waiting for his companion to bathe and change.

"Hehe…can't wait to show her around the village." He grinned, formulating his next plan of action.

It was already half-past noon and the clock ticked with each passing rhythm of the blonde's patient finger-tapping. Another thirty minutes and he resort to tapping his foot. "It's no big deal, girls usually take this long to get ready. Nooo biggie." Said the whiskered blonde, assuring himself that she would come out of that hallway in the next…ten minutes? Yeah?

Two hours later

The clock ticked along and we now see the Savior of Konoha doing what any common folk do inside a hospital, arms folded - head bobbing. He unconsciously lean his head to the side with his body followed suit which forced him awake midway but it was too late. A resounding knock echoed throughout the lobby and we later see him walking down the hallway rubbing the side of his head, seemingly annoyed.

"Where the heck is she?" He called out to a pair of patrolling nurses and asked for a certain redhead. Both giggled unexpectedly and pointed down to the east section. He thanked them and went his way. "What was that about?"

East section was the children's section. Stagnant white walls emerged with blue of oceans and lagoons. The ambience here was dramatically different than the depressing tone of which he came. He perked up hearing joyous laughter of adolescents and a number of amused staff members standing in front of wide viewing window. Looking in, he was pleasantly surprised by what he saw.

Wearing a slightly oversized red top and black shorts, she knelt down and extend her arms. "Get over here you little twerp!" Grinned the redhead as she grabbed a child by his waist and tickled his sides, causing him to roll around the floor laughing. A young girl sneakily poked her side which made her yelped. The girl promptly ran away as she chase her around the tiny playground. "Gotcha!" The girl happily flail her arms around and more kids join in on the fun. At the end, the school ganged up on her and she was pinned to the floor as they stack on top of each other one after another. Laughing hysterically without a care in the world.

An hour later

Nap time arrived sooner than expected as she stuffed the last child with a blanket. The staff politely thanked her and bowed which she returned before waving to them over her shoulder. She silently slid the door close and turned around to see the blonde sleeping on the bench with a dorky look on his face. Snoring without restraint. She put down the duffel bag and stood over him before crouching down, closer to his ear.

"You saw me didn't you?" Muttered the redhead, gazing at his silly smile. "It was you, right?" She opened the duffel bag and took out the blood-red cloak. Running her fingers along the battle-worn cloth lead to the locks of his yellow hair. She smiled softly, "Thank you, for giving me this chance." She then lean forward with her eyes closed.

Blue eyes went wide as Naruto jerked up, blinking in a daze.

"Come on, shithead. We're going out or not?" The feminine voice made him spun around to see her back facing him, eyeing the blonde from her shoulder.

He stood up, scratching the back of his head sheepishly. "Heh, sorry. Haven't slept for days worrying about you."

She looked straight, hiding her blush. "I can make you sleep and never wake up, would that sound fair for 'ya?"

Naruto scratched his whiskered cheek, feeling an odd warm sensation from it. "There's many like me who wished for it." He mused and continued. "…but the real deal will always be the best."

"Whatever!" She hastily grabbed his hand and strut forward. "Let's get out of here. This place feels like a maze!"

He snickered at the poor attempt to hide her embarrassment. "Oh, it sure is."

Thank you all for reading!