They stopped for the night and the team immediately set to work putting up camp; setting up a perimeter of alarms and traps. Then they all converged, Naruto piling deadfall she'd collected that Sasuke set alight with a quick Jutsu, and Sakura created a ceramic cooking pot that she and Sasuke quickly fired and cured with another set of Traveler Jutsu. Naruto pulled out a scroll for food storage and unsealed it, along with her personal pharmacopoeia that she'd been adding to the entire trip.

Theoretically (and indeed, in practice), all the Genin should and could cook- insomuch as semi-burning meat could be considered cooking, but Naruto was the only Genin of her team with actual cooking experience, so the production of meals involving open flames was left to her purview. Sakura filled the pot with water and set it halfway into the flames of the merrily burning fire, then stepped back out of Naruto's makeshift 'kitchen'.

No one spoke much, the events of the day still weighing heavily on their minds. Naruto turned to check if the water was boiling yet and stilled in place, watching the pot intensely.

"Naruto? Is something wrong?"

The blonde didn't move, "Sakura, does that pot have any flaws in it?"

The pinkette stood stock-still, "Kuso! No one move!"

Sasuke looked over from where he was keeping watch, "What happened?"

"Just... just a delay in dinner preparation. We'll handle it."

Naruto shook her head, "Actually, Sasuke, could you come here for a minute? We could use a little help. And walk softly."

They must have presented quite the sight: a full team of Genin all carefully stalking a cooking pot. The Uchiha narrowed his eyes against the light of the fire, "What do you need me to do?"

"Do you know a Jutsu to quickly and safely leech heat from something?"

He glanced from her to the water, "Yeah, I can manage something."

"Can you do it without breaking the water's surface tension?" Sasuke nodded and Naruto stepped back to give him room. A few handsigns later, he was sucking in a breath that visibly stole the heat from the air- and, Naruto assumed, the water.

When he was done, Naruto urged the others back and quickly created a Shadow Clone that approached the pot and cautiously tapped the side, creating ripples. When nothing happened, the clone turned to them with a grin and thumbs-up before dispersing. Naruto let out a sigh and moved forward again. She pulled out a kunai and made a long scratch on the inside of the container before sitting again.

"Thank you, Sasuke."

"Hn."

Even after the day they'd had, his monosyllabic response still managed to make her roll her eyes, and she turned back to her chore with a small smile.

Their client stared in his bowl with an uneasy look, "What is this?"

Naruto shrugged, stirring the pot, "It's travel porridge. Kaachan taught me how to make it. It's just cracked grains with re-hydrated meat and dried fruit."

Sakura took another bite of her own portion, "What did you use to season this, Naru?"

"A couple things, but it's probably the Coltsfoot you're really asking about. It's a useful seasoning because it has a naturally salty taste."

"Well I like it. It's good."

Sasuke looked at his oddly, "It's... odd."

Naruto twitched, "No one's forcing anyone to eat anything. By all means, whoever doesn't like dinner is free to dine on the bounty of ration bars we have."

Sasuke didn't reply- but he didn't reach for their bags, either. Naruto dug into her own bowl, barely even tasting it. It was 'odd'; savory with a mild sweetness from the berries. It wasn't common fair, but it was warm and filling- and she liked it.

"Fine then, tomorrow I'll make ramen for dinner."

Sasuke and Kakashi's hands both shot out and they shouted at the same time: "No!"

She narrowed her eyes and Kakashi-sensei's hand made to the back of his neck, "What I meant was, I really do like your porridge, Naruto. It's delicious." Sasuke nodded vigorously. Agreeing with their sensei so long as it saved them all from ramen-hell.

The blonde gave them a narrowed-eye stare to assess their sincerity -Sasuke and Kakashi sincerely didn't want to eat ramen morning-noon-and-night for the rest of the trip- and nodded shortly, "Kay, then." The males both gave a visible sigh of relief and when back to their meals.

"Oi, Naruto." She glanced up at her broody team mate. Sasuke didn't look at her, staring towards the pot, "What was that, earlier?"

"Sakura's cooking pot had no flaws in it when she put it on to boil, so the water went superheated." At the blank look that was as good as a question, she went on, "Superheated is when water becomes hotter than what it would take to boil, without boiling."

It was Tazuna that asked, "How do you heat something past boiling without having it boil?"

Naruto wasn't surprised he didn't know, as a civilian, and probably not much of a cook. She looked to her pink-haired friend, "Sakura?"

The pinkette's back straightened and she went into lecture mode, "For a liquid to boil, it has to be bubbling. That bubbling is for releasing heat in the form of steam. But in order for something to boil like that, there needs to be a flaw in the cookware, a scratch, a bump, something for the bubbles to start forming. With new pots, a cook will usually add a wooden skewer, chopstick, or spoon, something to help with bubble formation until the pot has acquired a flaw or two.

"Without these places for bubbles to form, the water will bypass the boiling stage without any way to release its heat, and then the first time the surface tension is disturbed, either by being jostled or adding something, the water will bubble and boil and release all its steam at once- violently. The superheated water will explode over everything around it." The silence was absolute, and Sakura wouldn't look at anyone as she stirred the fire, "We learned about such things in one of our early Kunoichi classes, as a vital infiltration and distraction tactic. Infiltrate the household or palace as simple kitchen staff, set up a flawless pot and superheat it, then walk away. Next person to disturb it sets off the trap and brings everyone running, and it's simple from that point to slip about as you'd like to accomplish whatever your mission is."

No one else spoke to break the uneasy quiet as their client realized that the children he'd hired really were the trained killers he hadn't believed at first.

"We have to come up with a plan."

Naruto and Sasuke both looked over from where they rested, staring out into the night. The blonde sat up and crossed her legs, "What do you mean?"

"Those ninja before, they were only Chuunin, and they were still so difficult. Things are only going to get harder from here on out. The enemies will all be tougher than the ones we've already faced. We need a plan on how to deal with enemy shinobi that are out of our league."

The very turn of phrase grated. 'Out of our league'... It offended Naruto's sense of pride, and she could see the tensing of Sasuke's jaw that meant he was grinding his teeth. But at the same time, none of them were stupid -okay, Naruto wasn't book-smart but even she wasn't an idiot- the Chuunin had very nearly been out of their league, and Naruto and Sasuke were more physically-inclined than Sakura even after a month of Kakashi-sensei's tender mercies.

Naruto nodded reluctantly as her team sat down beside her, "Okay, so as Shika would ask: Queries and theories? What are our exact goals in a fight?"

It was Sasuke that spoke up, "We'll need different basic plans for different objectives. We aren't giving up Tazuna, so his protection is the top-most priority for the immediate future. At the same time, there are going to be times when we're completely outclassed; the goal then will be to hamper and escape."

Sakura hummed in acknowledgement, "Deception, just like when we faced Kakashi-sensei. He let down his guard because he thought we were focused on beating him when we were after the bells all along."

Naruto shifted in place, voice quiet, "I don't like using the Shadow Clone Jutsu." Twin pairs of eyes turned to her and she looked away, "It... hurts. When they die, their memories return to me. Maybe I'm just a coward."

Sakura's eyes widened in horror while Sasuke grimaced, "No one could be called a coward for having a distaste for dying again and again."

She shivered, "But at the same time, if it's a matter of losing you guys or a few bad memories." Her hands tightened on her ankles, "I'll use it without hesitation. So... So add the Shadow Clone Jutsu to whatever plans we come up with, because according to the others, there's no way to distinguish between a Shadow Clone and the caster. And no way to tell between a Henshin-Transformed Shadow Clone and the original target. Henshin is semi-permanent, more so than the Clones themselves, so even if the Clone is killed, it'll just poof away while still maintaining the Henshin. The worst that can happen is the enemy assuming we can all use Shadow Clones."

Sakura took one of Naruto's hands and squeezed reassuringly, giving her a comforting smile, "That's a good idea, Naru, and thank you."

The blonde smiled back, "Hey, I'm willing to die for my friends- as many times as it takes."

Sasuke wasn't one to initiate physical interaction, it had taken Naruto years just to train him to tolerate when she started it, but he nodded at her and touched his knee to hers, "We shouldn't underestimate the usefulness of the Academy Basic Jutsu. The simpler it is, the less likely the target is to notice it. A Substitution at the right moment could be life-saving, and, if used properly, disorienting. Naruto, when you flood an area with your chakra, plants suck it up like sunshine. We wouldn't even have to count on a Quick-Release Seal to bring out logs. Imagine the enemy's confusion if we Substituted, not with a simple piece of lumber, but an entire tree."

Sakura's face lit up, "We could change about the entire battlefield to our advantage. Especially with the Advanced Substitute. Pair that with a couple basic Genjutsu that you and I can do... These tactics would work for both the Protecting and the Escaping plans."

Naruto spoke up, "Hey, when you two need to do a Jutsu and we're close enough, use my chakra."

"What?" It was Sakura that asked, but Sasuke was looking at her just as questioningly.

"We're away from the village, and even though I've managed to scale back my reserves, I still have vastly more chakra than any of you, and no way to easily get rid of it. It's been a month and my control without dipping into the Leylines is still abysmal. So I've got this huge amount of chakra that I can't use to its best advantage, and you both have Jutsu that can use lots of chakra."

Sasuke looked like he'd swallowed something bitter, but he nodded, "When facing Kakashi, I used nearly all of my chakra. I wouldn't have been able to use the Grand Fireball at the end if I hadn't been drawing on your chakra for it. I've been training all month with Kakashi to push myself further, but you're right, Naruto: you still have far more than all of us- possibly combined."

"So, how are we supposed to keep Tazuna protected?" Sakura crossed her arms, "I can't just keep using Twin Burial, it's cutting our fighting effectiveness by a third. Kakashi-sensei's been teaching me more Earth Style Jutsu, I'm not just stuck on long-distance support and distraction techniques."

Naruto snapped her fingers and grinned, "Oooh! I just had a wicked idea!" she looked excitedly back and forth between the others, "What you two were talking about, with the Substitution Jutsu. Remember when Sasuke and I set up all those traps for Kakashi-sensei? We could make more traps and Seal them in scrolls, then bring them out and Substitute them into place at a moment's notice! With the way you two were talking about changing the land and the Genjutsu, this would work even better with them!" Her smile melted away and she grumbled, "Granted, we'd have to be careful not to catch each other." She added, recalling all too well the feeling of being snared in her own trap. She didn't relish the thought of that happening again in an actual life-threatening situation.

"Our council." Blue and green eyes turned towards Sasuke, "When we had our underground war council. Sakura, couldn't you create an underground orb like that without having to be in it?"

"Well, yeah, I suppose it wouldn't be too hard, but I had to be careful even when we were attacked by the Demon Brothers earlier. The smaller the 'grave', the harder it is to detect, but it also means the smaller the oxygen supply. If we end up dead, or take too long, it'll be dooming our client to suffocating to death."

Naruto's head raised and she wiggled in excitement, "No he won't- not if you use my chakra~! It should cause the same underground-blooming that it did when we were in it."

Sakura smiled at her, "Naruto, you're a genius!"

The blonde beamed at her, "Haha, thanks~!"

Sasuke crossed his arms and closed his eyes, "Don't get too impressed: you're also still an idiot."

Her expression fell to one of instant fury, "Hey!"

Sakura laughed at them both. "Okay, okay, you two. Now we've got a basic plan for protection. Let's come up with a strategy to for escape from high-level opponents."

Naruto, ever one to bounce back easily, perked right back up, "Well I know one Jutsu we absolutely have to add to that list."

Hidden behind a tree with his back to the trunk and eye on their client, Kakashi smiled at his cute little Genin's teamwork.

Naruto shot up, panting harshly, the image of being a fox and her claws going through a Chuunin's chest so vibrant she could almost see the blood. Her heart pounded in her chest.

It was generally a bad idea to startle a shinobi -self-preservation being what it was- but even though Naruto jerked when a hand reached out and touched her arm, the one who did it didn't get a kunai in the hand for their trouble.

She trembled and looked over to see a dark pair of eyes she knew better than her own. "S-Sasuke?"

He nodded, "You alright?"

Her smiling mask snapped into place without a thought and she grinned at him, "Yeah, 'course, why wouldn't I be?"

His hold and expression both tightened, "Naruto."

Her mask cracked, she never had been able to lie to Sasuke. Her shoulders hunched as she pulled in on herself, "I can't stop seeing it. That Chuunin dying. All our experiences, memories... they had just as many. Mizuki called me the Kyuubi and that's- that's what I dreamed about: being the Kyuubi, killing those ninja again."

"That's what you're stuck on?"

She nodded, eyes shadowed by her hair, "How, Sasuke... How are you doing so much better? You saw the same thing I did, didn't you? You saw them, you see how I can't stop it from affecting me, so how is it not affecting you?" She reached out and tangled her fingers in his shirt, leaning into him, "How? How do you do it?"

Sasuke was a very private person. He didn't show anything in front of strangers, and he didn't show much in front of friends, either. Only when he was alone, only when it was just him and Naruto, did he show himself. In those rare times, he was hers and she was his and there was no room for secrets between them. Now, Sakura out like a light from taking first guard shift, their sensei and client asleep, they were alone, and Sasuke was hers again.

He let her cling to him and whispered against her hair, "Because I saw how it affected you. I just... focused on something else. Kakashi's not dead, you're not dead, Sakura's not dead. I'm not dead, and neither is the client. Those are my only goals on this mission, and, for the moment, they're safe -you're safe- and nothing else matters to me. So I guess the answer is... I'm selfish. My team is fine, you're fine, I'm fine. Those enemy shinobi just... don't matter to me. Collateral damage. And, to be honest..." Sasuke's hold tightened, his arms shaking around her, "I'm glad they're dead."

Naruto gasped, feeling Sasuke tremble against her.

"They hurt you, tried to kill you, and I'm glad they're dead. I won't lose you, Naruto. I refuse to lose anyone ever again. And if anybody tries to hurt you... I'll kill them all. If anyone attempts to stand in your way, I'll cleave a path through their bodies. So don't... don't worry anymore. If you're scared, I'll protect you. And if you fear yourself and what you could become, don't; I'm monster enough for both of us."

Naruto didn't know how it happened: How she had woken up and been comforted by Sasuke, only to now be holding the shaking boy in her arms and comforting him in turn. She knew he was afraid of losing her, of losing their friends. Sasuke had gone to sleep happy and woken up with his entire family ripped from his life forever. Naruto hadn't let him stew in his loneliness, she'd dragged him out of his shell time and again, made herself the pillar on which he could lean.

And now they had somehow become each other's crutch. She couldn't bring herself to care. She stayed up, leaned back against a tree, and watched the night as Sasuke calmed down and fell asleep against her. She ran her fingers through his hair and smiled, feeling better than when she'd woken up. ...It was her turn to keep watch anyway.

xxx

There we gooo~ Finally some more non-chibi SasuNaru interaction. And we get to see more fully how it is I've changed Sasuke's personality flaw. When Naruto refused to let him draw back from the group after the Uchiha clan was murdered (and also since Sasuke wasn't there he didn't end up being tortured with it for three days straight... Seriously, Kishimoto, what the hell?), he's gone from an avenger to a truth seeker. And instead of denying all bonds, he's gone to the opposite extreme and grasps them all- TIGHTLY. Sasuke's world is his close friends who he's bonded with, and nothing else, and feels not the slightest guilt over the thought of killing anyone that might hurt any of them. He's determined: he's never going to lose anyone ever again, and he'll slaughter anyone that tries.

XXX