Vixen
Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews. I hope you enjoy this chapter.
Naruko talking to Kyuubi in bold.
Kyubbi talking to Naruko in bold italics.
Chapter 4
The next day, Naruko and Sasuke set off on their mission. Their mission was a simple one. They had to escort Lord Ayaki to the Cloud Village in the Land of Lightning. It was a simple, yet long mission.
"So is this your first time going to the Cloud Village?" Naruko asks the Lord as they set off.
"Oh yes. I'm quite excited about the prospect of establishing trade between our two lands." The Nobleman replies.
Ayaki meant an uncommon figure and idly, Sasuke muses that was certainly accurate. He had long red hair that reached all the way to his ankles and chocolate brown eyes. The Uchiha placed the man somewhere in his early thirties and he had a lanky build.
"Hopefully, your mission is a successful one." Sasuke offers politely.
His traveling kimono was made of the finest blue silk that Sasuke had ever seen as well. Oh yeah. He was definitely a Noble.
Nobles loved to flaunt there wealth. Oh well. At least Ayaki appeared to be a kind Noble. So Sasuke decided to count their blessings that they weren't going to be stuck escorting a completely spoiled brat on this long mission.
"Well that's cool. Don't worry about anything. We'll get you there safe and sound. Believe it!" Naruko says with a grin.
Sasuke shakes his head in amusement at Naruko's antics. At this point, he was starting to think that there was never a single moment that she was ever tired. Her energy seemed absolutely limitless.
That was likely a good thing in this case though. It was a long journey to the Cloud Village. He knew why the Hokage had sent them on this mission, but he was still surprised that Minato would be willing to send his daughter on such a long-term mission. As far as he could tell, Naruko had never been away from home for longer than a week at a time before. This was going to be a first for her.
"That's very good to hear. Though isn't a bit unusual to only send two ninjas on a mission like this? I was under the impression that ninjas generally performed missions in groups of four." He muses.
"It varies. For someone of your high profile, it's better to be discrete. Three people traveling will attract less attention than five." Sasuke tells him.
"Oh. Well I suppose that makes sense. You two are on the same team, I take it?" He asks good-naturedly.
Naruko blushes slightly. It wasn't that she was embarrassed about being engaged, it was just that she didn't expect it to come up on the mission. It was still all so new to her and the memory of Sasuke's kiss was still burning brightly in her mind from the night before.
"We aren't on the same team. Truthfully, this is our first mission together. Naruko and I are engaged though." The raven haired ninja replies smoothly.
Sasuke could only hope that the word sounded more natural than it felt on his tongue. Engaged. He was engaged. He was engaged to a beautiful woman that he barely knew. Life could be strange sometimes.
"Oh! I had no idea! That's wonderful news! Well you two certainly do make a lovely couple. I suspect it doesn't matter that you haven't been on missions together before. You are used to working as a team anyway." Ayaki says cheerfully.
"Yeah. Don't worry. We'll get you there safely." Naruko says as she glances at Sasuke.
The truth was that they had never worked together on well anything. Even at the Academy, Iruka wouldn't dare assign them to the same group. He knew that would only end in a fight and now they were getting married. It was bizarre.
"Are you used to traveling long distances on your feet, Lord Ayaki or should we see about acquiring some horses?" The Uchiha asks.
"Well I like to think that I'm in good shape, but I wouldn't say no to some horses. I do love them so. So does my wife actually. I got her one for her birthday last year actually. She loves that stallion. Quite honestly, sometimes I think that I should be jealous." He says with a wink.
"Well horses are pretty awesome." Naruko says sagely.
Alright. Well Sasuke had learned something already. She liked horses. That was something. Well at least it was a little bit more than he had known at the start of this mission anyway.
"Yes, they are. So when is the big day for you two?" He asks as they continue walking along.
"We haven't decided yet." Sasuke answers.
"Ah. I take it you proposed recently then. Well you have all the time in the world." Ayaki says good-naturedly.
Sasuke nods. It was just easier to let the Nobleman assume that it had been a love match. While he was certain that the other man would have understood why they were entering into an arranged marriage, it was better to just let him enjoy the fairytale.
People tended to be such suckers for that sort of thing. Allowing him to believe that they were in love was just kinder. It would put him in a good mood and that would make the journey easier on all of them. There were few things worse than traveling with a grumpy companion.
"Yeah. It's just that our families are really excited about the wedding and they are going kinda overboard on all the preparations. It's probably going to take awhile to get everything set up." Naruko adds.
The Lord nods in understanding. Yes, he was well aware how planning a wedding could quickly become a rather complicated affair. The fact that Sasuke came from such a prominent Clan and Naruko was the Hokage's daughter likely didn't help matters.
"Well I wish you both the best of luck. So how did the two of you meet?" He inquires.
"We attended the Leaf's Ninja Academy together." Sasuke answers honestly.
"Ah Academy Sweethearts. That's adorable. Not many people make that work these days. It's a shame really." He muses.
Sasuke just nods his head. He didn't really want to lie to the man. He seemed alright for a Noble. Right now, he was just letting him assume things and not bothering to correct him when he was wrong.
That wasn't technically lying, but it was close enough. Sasuke felt a bit guilty. He didn't feel guilty enough to lay all their cards on the table though. This man didn't need to know why they were getting married. It was none of his business. It was highly unlikely that they would ever seen him again after this mission, anyway.
"Yeah. Our relationship is definitely unique." Naruko says with a slightly nervous laugh.
She really hoped that the Nobleman stopped asking personal questions soon. She and Sasuke had never exactly decided on how they were going to break the news to everyone who wasn't close to them. If this kept up, they were going to have to improvise.
"That's always good. So what's it like being a ninja?" He asks.
Sasuke mentally sighs in relief. Thank goodness. The man had changed topics and this time it was one that Naruko was eager to discuss. The blonde happily babbles with Ayaki about Ninja Life, until they came upon a small village and they found a place that was renting horses.
"I see those headbands. You're ninjas. There's a good chance these horses aren't going to make it back, isn't there?" The owner demands.
"Hey! We'll bring them back! We aren't going to let anything happen to the horses!" Naruko protests.
"We will do our best to ensure that they are returned safe and sound. If that doesn't happen, we will compensate you for 150% of their value." Sasuke informs the man.
That seemed to calm him down. Naruko blinks. Damn. Apparently, the Uchiha knew how to bribe people really well.
"Alright. I suppose that we have an agreement. I want to have that put in writing though. I know that ninjas have a habit of forgetting about "trivial" details such as this." The man says as he takes out a scroll and begins drawing up a brief contract.
Sasuke suddenly wraps his hand around Naruko's waist. He knew what was going on in her mind. There was at least a 50-50 shot that she was either going to run her mouth or take a swing at the seller.
He was after all, implying that ninjas were less than honorable in their business transactions. That was like waving a red flag in front of a bull. This man was clearly stupid.
"I don't have problem signing the agreement. I wouldn't have said that I'd do it, if I wasn't sincere. Uchihas always keep their promises and so does the Hokage Family." Sasuke informs him with more than a little steel in his voice.
"Whatever kid. I know that probably means something to ninjas, but it doesn't to me. To me, you are the same as any other group of people interested in renting a horse. Please sign here and initial there." He tells Sasuke as he hands the man the scroll.
"Sasuke, remind me again why you aren't just shoving a fireball down his pants?" Naruko asks, much to the amusement of Lord Ayaki.
"Naruko, don't tempt me." Sasuke replies as he signs the contract.
"You ninjas are all the same. Savage brutes. Well I guess ninja money spends the same as civilian money. You should watch your mouth though. Not everyone is going to put up with such barbarianism." The man says.
SMACK! Suddenly, the civilian goes flying into the nearest wall. Sasuke was on him in a flash. Almost faster than Naruko could blink, a very angry Uchiha had his hand wrapped around the other man's throat.
"If you have a problem with ninjas in general, I don't really care. It's not your fault that you're stupid and that you didn't know who you were speaking to. That woman that you just told to watch her mouth is my fiancée. Tell her to watch her mouth again and I'll show you REAL barbarianism. Maybe, I'll do the world a favor and cut out your tongue. That way no one has to listen to your stupidity. Got it?" Sasuke asks.
The man gulps. Suddenly, he wasn't looking into the eyes of another man. He was looking into the ruby red eyes of a demon.
"I un-derstand." He stammers out and Sasuke releases him.
"Good. You have your contract. We'll likely be back in a couple of weeks. A month at most. I hope for your sake that you learn some manners by then. Here's your money." Sasuke says as he tosses the payment at the man.
"He's certainly a dramatic one, isn't he?" Ayaki whispers to Naruko who nods in agreement.
The blonde had always known that Sasuke was a proud person. He loved to strut and show off. She figured it was an Uchiha thing. She just never expected him to lose his cool like that because he was defending HER!
"Well we got our horses." Sasuke says smugly as he walks over to them.
"Yeah. We got our horses and one traumatized civilian." Naruko observes and Sasuke shrugs.
He didn't feel guilty. The idiot had insulted his fiancée. Whether or not it was a love match, didn't matter at that moment. Naruko was going to be his wife. If someone insulted her, they were insulting him.
Quite honestly, he wished the man was a ninja. Then Sasuke would have really been allowed to drive the point home. He was defending his Clan's Honor. Any ninja would have understood. Sadly, that wasn't the case with civilians.
"He's lucky he wasn't a ninja. We should get going. If we're lucky, we can make it to the next village before dark. If we aren't, we should be able to make it to a meadow that's fairly close by and we can camp there for the night." Sasuke points out.
"Alright. Sounds good." Naruko says as they all mount their respective horse and take off.
"Ah there's nothing better than a horseback ride through the countryside." Ayaki muses.
A few hours later, it became apparent that they weren't going to get to the next village before nightfall. The two ninjas decide that it would be best to make camp. Naruko was putting up the tents and Sasuke was using a Fire Jutsu to start a campfire.
"If you want to have dinner now, it's okay." Sasuke informs the Lord.
"Wonderful. Dinner and a show." He replies cheerfully as he watches the two of them make camp.
Ninjas were fascinating to Ayaki. Rarely, did he have the chance to interact with them so directly. It was even more rare to see a ninja couple out on a mission together. It was quite the intriguing show, really.
"Yeah! I guess we are pretty awesome! I got the tents set up ba-baby." Naruko says happily.
Damn. That was a close one. She had almost called Sasuke a bastard. That would have definitely got Ayaki's attention in a really bad way. Thankfully, she had managed a save.
"Good job, Vixen. Do you want to take first watch or second watch?" Sasuke asks.
"I'll take first watch. You can get some sleep." She tells him with a smile.
"Alright. Goodnight, Naruko. Goodnight, Ayaki." Sasuke says as he enters their tent.
Ayaki nods as he enters his own tent. He felt perfectly safe with the knowledge he was being protected by the Hokage's daughter and an Uchiha. He almost pitied any bandit stupid enough to attack them.
Naruko sighs as she sits by the fire. She knew that at some point, they were going to be expected to share the same tent or room. Right now, they were splitting guard duty. They had an excuse. That wouldn't last forever though.
"I don't know what you are so nervous about. Mating is one of the most natural acts in the world. I don't see why humans make it so complicated." Kurama says.
"I barely know him! That's why it's so complicated!" Naruko protests.
She was still in shock that he had kissed her forehead and placed his hand around her waist. Frankly, the blonde hadn't expected Sasuke to be the one who initiated well anything. The Uchiha Clan had always seemed so unapproachable. They tended to keep to themselves and that was one of the reasons why they were getting married in the first place.
Now she realized that their insular nature might not have been strictly voluntary. It looked like they had been isolated at least partially by the rest of the village. How much of that was intentional and how much as unintentional was a matter of debate, but that was her current impression of the situation.
"I'll make this simple for you. You both agreed to get married for the good of your village, yes?" He begins.
"Yes, we did. What's your point?" The blue eyed ninja inquires.
"You are going to get married anyway. You might as well act like it. You're clearly attracted to him or your heart wouldn't racing so much. I've been in enough human hosts to realize such things. Your mother's heart once raced around Minato in a similar way." He reasons.
Naruko didn't know how to respond to that. On one hand, that was a good thing. Her parents had a very happy marriage. On the other hand, she wasn't sure how she felt about Kyuubi's implication. He was implying that she liked Sasuke and she barely knew him.
"You're such a perverted fox!" Naruko grumbles.
Sasuke watches Naruko from his position in his tent. Well their tent, he mentally corrects himself. It almost looked like she was engaging in some conversation, but he couldn't' see anyone else there with her.
"Either she's crazy, mutters to herself, or the Nine Tails actually talks." he mutters.
He had never really thought about it much before, but it was likely the Nine Tails was actually able to communicate with her. That brought to mind several interesting questions. What exactly did a demon talk about?
Blood and gore was a given. He wondered how much of an interest in human affairs the Nine Tails actually had though. How much could he see of what Naruko saw? Maybe couldn't see anything and she just told him what was going on?
"Hopefully, he can't see THAT." He mutters in disgust as another possibility occurred to him.
What if Kyuubi could see them while they were together. Sasuke was far from shy about his body and he wasn't bashful about the topic of intimacy in general. That was still a far cry from actually being an exhibitionist though.
"I'm probably going to have to talk to Naruko about this. That's going to be awkward." He says with a sigh as he flops down into his sleeping bag and soon drifts off.
Naruko was taking the first watch. He might as well take advantage of that fact and get some sleep. Not doing so would be very stupid. Sasuke was many things, but stupid wasn't one of them.
About two hours later, Sasuke was awoken to the sounds of fighting. He immediately activates his Sharingan and cautiously gets out of his tent to assess the current situation. There were about four clones surrounding Ayaki and likely twice that fighting what he was almost positive were bandits.
"SHADOW CLONE JUTSU!" Naruko calls out and the kunais were suddenly going flying.
It looked like she was trying to pin them to the tree. He smirks. She was such a CopyCat. He had done that to her, not that long ago.
The Uchiha rises to his feet and races towards some of the bandits. It didn't take him long to get into position. There wasn't much need for flashy jutsus when deal with bandits. An old favorite would do.
"LION'S BARRAGE!" He says as he slams his foot and arm into the back of one of the bandits.
"Hey! Bastard! Glad to see you woke up!" Naruko chimes merrily.
"It was kinda hard not to. You weren't exactly being very quiet. " He mutters as he dodges a punch thrown at him by another of their attackers.
Ayaki blinks in confusion at the blonde's nickname for her lover. He shakes his head and decides to ask about it later. Right now, he could only hope that the ninjas would make quick work of the bandits.
He was in reasonably good shape, but he couldn't take on five bandits himself. It looked like Naruko and Sasuke didn't seem particularly intimidated by the fact they were outnumbered though.
"What the Hell? The crazy bitch can make copies of herself?" One of the bandits asks as he tries to yank himself free from the tree.
"They're ninjas, you idiot!" Another says as he tries to run away.
Sasuke wasn't having any of that though. He sighs and throws out his demon wind shuriken at the coward. It slams against his collar and pins him to a rather large, nearby rock.
"Well you got that much right. Somehow, I doubt you five are ninjas. So you better start talking." Sasuke mutters as he advances on the now very much terrified looking man.
"Please! No! We are just bandits. We didn't know that you were even ninjas!" He exclaims.
"That's supposed to make it better? You were going to attack innocent, defenseless travelers? That's supposed to be your defense?" Naruko demands.
Sasuke couldn't exactly argue with Naruko's point. It was a good one. That wasn't really a point in their favor.
"No! Well yes! I mean just let us go. We ain't gonna do nothing to you guys!" He exclaims.
He was soon proven to be a liar when a sixth bandit that they hadn't known about throws a knife at Sasuke's back. Naruko's eyes widen in horror and she slams the Uchiha into the ground.
"AHHH!" She cries out in pain when the knife sunk into her back.
"You alright?" Sasuke asks in concern.
"That coward stabbed me in the back! Did you see that?! I'm going to go teach him some manners." She mutters as she gets off of Sasuke and yanks the knife out of her back, before charging up a Rasengan.
Ayaki stares in awe. What was that thing? What was she planning on doing with it.
"Naruko, they are just your run of the mill bandits. None of them is worthy of even hearing the name Rasengan, let alone seeing it." Sasuke says in amusement.
"No way! This guy has it coming to him!" She exclaims as she charges at the backstabber and sends him flying with her trademark attack.
He was knocked unconscious almost immediately. Naruko smirks. Well that would serve him right.
"It would be a very good idea not to anger your wife. She seems to have a bit of a temper." Ayaki whispers.
"Oh I know. Believe me, I know." Sasuke whispers back.
Sasuke sighs and forms a couple clones himself to tie up the bandits, before approaching Naruko. He knew that she was injured. It was a "mild" injury in the Ninja World, but even a mild injury could get infected. Infections killed just as often as the actual injuries did most of the time.
"Naruko, get in the tent. I want to have a look at your back." Sasuke informs her.
"What?!" Naruko asks and blushes ruby red.
"You got stabbed in the back. I should at least deliver first aid." Sasuke clarifies.
"Oh right. Um okay. Ayaki, are you going to be alright while I get patched up? The busty blonde asks.
"I should be alright. After all, I have your clones to protect me." He assures her and with that the couple heads into their tent.
Sasuke didn't waste any time. He quickly tugs her shirt off and has her sit down. The Uchiha then proceeds to get behind her and examine her injury. Fortunately, it looked more superficial than anything.
"You got lucky. The knife didn't cut too deeply. It's bleeding, but not enough to be a major concern." He says as he opens his traveling pouch and takes out some bandages, holding one of them against the injury to slow the bleeding.
"Yeah. I know." Naruko says, praying that he couldn't see her blush.
Other than medics, no one had ever seen her in just a bra and her pants before. She told herself that she was being ridiculous. Sasuke was just tending to her injury and they were going to be married anyway. There wasn't really much of a reason to be shy.
He was just being a professional comrade at the moment. It wasn't like he was going to make a move on her or anything. Besides, Sasuke seemed to know what he was doing when it came to First Aid stuff.
"Though I have to admit, this is the first time that I've seen orange look this good before." He muses as he applies some disinfectant cream on the injury and begins bandaging it.
Naruko's eyes practically bulge out of her head at his remark. It wasn't a mystery what he meant. She was wearing an lacy orange bra. She couldn't believe that he had actually said that!
"Bastard! You are such a pervert!" She yells in outrage.
"What? I thought that you would be happy that I'm developing a new appreciation for your favorite color." He says slyly as he hands her one of his shirt.
Naruko looks at him in confusion. Why was he handing her one of his shirts? That didn't make any sense.
"Yours has blood on it. I thought that you might prefer a clean one." Sasuke says, seeing her confusion.
"Oh. Right. Thanks. I take that back. You are only half of a bastard." She mumbles.
"Such progress." He says and shakes his head in amusement.
Well there was one thing that was for damn sure. He definitely wasn't going to be bored ever again. Naruko was many things, but she certainly wasn't boring. That and she looked surprisingly hot in orange lace, Sasuke muses to himself.