Disclaimer: Nope don't own Naruto, and I never will. I'm only saying this because I'm at gunpoint. I do own Naruto…I mean I don't!
Story: Fem!Naru Minato tells Kushina to flee to Suna, if something were to go wrong in Konoha after his death. Because of this, somehow Naruto is raised in the Sand.
Set as an AU.
Spoilers: …Probably?
Warnings: The usual stuff? I mean, most people who read my stuff are repeated readers, so they should know…otherwise…eh…
Pairings: Yondy!Kazekage/Fem!Naru

Suna no Hoshi
Chapter Eight: When the Wolves Come Howlin'

Rasa wasn't sure whether or not to qualify the mission as a success once Naruto had retold the whole thing to him.

Since they'd arrived in the night, the official report would be in the morning. And since he sensed them coming, he quickly headed to the noodle bar, despite it being closer to dinnertime. As he hesitantly predicted, Naruto headed straight there. Though happy to see each other, he hadn't expected the story that would come out of her mouth.

Dear Kami, a full-on riot in another country?

Not to mention that apparently his two sons were huge lightweights, with Kankuro being a karaoke drunk while Gaara was a dazed drunk. Where was Baki in all this? How had all that come to happen? And don't even get him started on how all three of them had their first taste of alcohol, never mind how bad it went.

Kazuhiro seemed to be sharing his disbelieving reaction, unable to scoop up an order of noodles into a bowl.

He cleared his throat. "I…That is…very eventful for your first C-rank," he said lamely.

And fuuinjutsu! She freakin' knew Sealing. He didn't know whether to be impressed or despair. Besides that, it was definitely a sign she was Minato and Kushina's kid.

The mission had been completed and successfully…but the aftermath was just nasty. At least nothing was linked to them, and no news of some sort of repercussions was heading their way. At least not yet.

But yet that torch Naruto threw…He had a bad feeling about it…

"Oh, Tenoh, do you wanna see the Rasengan I was talking about?" she asked him.

Bingo. That was his opening.

He ignored Kazuhiro choking on his breath yet again.

"Sure, mikan-hime. Show me what you've got," he smirked at her.

She smirked back and grabbed his hand, practically shooting out of there with him only barely able to fling money onto the counter for their food. She headed straight to her team's usual training spot, stopping and turning to him with a grin.

"Watch, watch!" she said excitedly, and then she held out her hand and concentrated, within seconds forming a familiar spinning ball.

He inwardly winced. Yup. Definitely Minato's Rasengan. They must've left her with some things somehow, and she managed to learn (or was in the process of learning) them in the years she'd been living in Suna.

"I hear you've been trying to learn the Hiraishin too, while you're at it," he laughed lightly, with his face and body lax and nonchalant. He put his hands into his pockets and gazed at her.

"Yeah, how'd you know? I think I remember mentioning the Rasengan to you when I was talking about that day with Baki-sensei, but I don't remember if I said anything about Hiraishin," she tilted her head inquisitively.

'Cute,' he thought suddenly. He mentally shook his head and focused back on the problem. With a quick rush, he was suddenly by her side without any warning, tilting her head back and the point of a kunai at her neck without her noticing or seeing anything. Her eyes were wide as she stared at him.

"T-Tenoh, what are you doing?" she asked hesitantly.

He grimaced and gave her a remorseful smile, turning the kunai around and gently tapping the ring of the handle against her forehead, before letting her head go and taking a step back.

"I would say you're not that good enough to warn off foreign assassins," he tilted the corner of his lips wryly briefly. "I would suggest you not advertise your ability to use the Rasengan, an infamous jutsu of a rival village's kage, nor the ambition to conquer the Hiraishin, a notorious jutsu in itself without any of the associations with it. Especially with your looks," he said seriously, hinting at the end.

She visibly deflated, but nodded.

"Perhaps if it's a life or death situation, and it's best to have your teammates around for support," he continued gently. "Otherwise, Naruto-san, keep it secret for now."

Naruto sighed and gave him a pout, but she looked resigned. Abruptly, her demeanor changed and she'd straightened up and gave a small smile to him. It wasn't her "Prince-ly aura," as he'd come to call it…She was just much more serious than he was accustomed to. It was the most alarming and an uneasy reminder of a certain sannin, who liked being carefree most of the time, but could flip on the serious switch when he chose to or needed to be…

"Hai, I got it, Tenoh. Thanks."

"You're welcome," he was almost mumbling. "Head home now, you got it? It's late. See you tomorrow."

He watched her leave first, before sighing and running a hand through his hair. Well, a mess was possibly avoided. Only a spy of Jiraiya's caliber would be able to find out about this, and he dreaded that confrontation.

He headed home, only to find his family gathered at the table and acting miserable. Gaara still look a little hung over though…

"What's up with you three?" he said, startling them with his unnoticed entrance.

His daughter huffed and held up a letter.

"Opening my mail now, are you all?" he asked dryly, rolling his eyes as he took it from Temari.

"Sure, yeah, whatever," Kankuro said dismissively, and he wasn't sure if it was from still lingering effects of his hangover or Kankuro just being his usual impertinent self.

"That's what you get," Temari snapped at him, though she cautiously looked over to him. He refrained from informing them that he already knew about the drinking and rash end of the mission, from their teammate no less. Besides, no one was supposed to know he was in close contact with her anyway. "Ah, Otou-san…it's from the Capital…that Daimyo pig," she scrunched up her nose in disdain.

Rasa scowled and stiffened, quieting and ignoring his kids as he focused on the letter. He grimaced at the order for him to come to the Wind Capital, and he crumpled the letter up and practically stomped over to the sink, throwing the crumpled up paper into it and then turning on the faucet.

'Drown, drown, drown,' he thought viciously. Of course it was just a letter, but it could substitute in his thoughts for a certain person. He turned to his kids and agitatedly informed them of the news, which caused them all to further be miserable.

"Kankuro, Gaara, your team will accompany me to the Capital. Temari, I will leave you to help head the security around here, alright?" and then he headed towards the table, took a chair next to Gaara and slumped tiredly in it.

This was such a mess. Already, he missed the soothing presence of Naruto and how things felt so much more simple and lively, and he regretted having dismissed himself from her so quickly.

If there was anyone he really hated in the world, it was the Wind Daimyo.

The thought didn't leave his head as the week passed and it neared the time to depart for their Capital. Team Kickass went through several more of the usual D-ranks, and thankfully a few more C-ranks that were uneventful and rather calm. And then they were all meeting at the village's Gate, where Rasa formed a shadow clone –a trick that Minato had sent his way as a gift a long time ago. His clone was dressed up in his Kazekage robes, while he was there in his normal clothes.

This was going to be tricky. He'd have to rely on the others not blurting anything out and going along with him at first glance, while maintaining his own cover. He would have to tell her the truth soon…

He waited just the right amount of time, as his timed entrance allowed himself and his clone to be there first and look normal. Team Kickass came in practically vibrating, while Baki was grumpily trailing behind. They stopped when they saw him and his clone, all four backtracking (though three of them for much different reasons than the last one).

"Kazekage-sama," Baki started hesitantly.

"This is Tenoh," his Kazekage clone interrupted, speaking in the different tone he'd sorted for him for Naruto's benefit. "He will accompany us as backup."

His two sons and Baki stared at him. Then glanced at his clone. And then back to him.

Rasa just stared resolutely back.

Naruto gave him a small smile and a little wave, before turning back to the Kazekage with an attentive aura, again that odd shyness and quietness coming from her. Rasa shifted awkwardly at his spot.

"Let's go," his clone ordered.

They set out and went at a fast and silent pace. The three other males in the group were relentless in their confused but concentrated stares towards him. At the pace they set, they were at the Wind Capital in no time. In fact, much quicker than Team Kickass' travel to the Land of Rice in their first C-rank.

And they were unfortunately met with the Wind Daimyo even more quicker than that.

In Naruto's opinion, the man was a jackass. She didn't like him at all and wasn't impressed with him. She was usually a friendly girl and got along with everyone, but this guy rubbed her the wrong way and she really didn't like him. At all.

And then she hated him when he acted condescending to the Kazekage and spoke down on him. She bristled angrily, like a furious feline, and had the urge to claw the man's eyes out.

Naruto fumed quietly to herself, looking thunderous as she watched the proceedings. She made sure to blank out her face whenever attention was drawn her way, but she wasn't happy about this at all. And she made sure to rant about it to Tenoh later, when she separated from her team and paced irritably in her assigned room. She was loud in expressing her displeasure about the Kazekage's treatment at the hands of that "super jerky, greedy asshole of a waste dump trashcan born of human shit mated to horse shit."

Tenoh stared strangely at her when she said that.

He also seemed strangely awkward too. She didn't understand that, but she didn't pry.

She growled angrily. "Kazekage-sama shouldn't have to deal with the likes of that guy."

Tenoh cleared his throat, scratching the back of his head. "He'd…he'd appreciate the support and your vehement defending of him. K-Kazekage-sama would probably be really grateful and thankful for your encouragement."

She turned kind of quiet and gave him a shy grin. "Really?"

He blinked. "Uh…yeah."

There was a loud knock on her door before Kankuro hollered out. "Yo! Naruto-chan, let us in, let us in!"

Naruto glanced in surprise at her door, but headed over and opened it as Tenoh shifted and averted his eyes every which way about. His kids ambled in, Gaara a lot more smoother than Kankuro. They stared in surprise at him, while Naruto closed the door, but he gave them a warning glance and they awkwardly looked away.

"Gaara, Kankuro, this is Tenoh. Tenoh, these are my teammates," Naruto obliviously introduced them.

They stared at Tenoh. He stared back.

"Nice to meet you," he said firmly.

Kankuro made a strangled sound in his throat, forcing out a confused smile.

"N-nice to meet you too, Tenoh-san."

Gaara nodded at him, before pointedly looked at the floor to hide his own confusion.

"You know, we should practice something while we're out here waiting," Naruto suggested. "I need something to distract me and keep me busy, so that I can keep from snapping at Daimyo-baka."

"Good idea," Kankuro perked up. "I'm gonna ticker with my puppets. They need some fixing up and adjusting."

"I will practice taijutsu katas," Gaara said. "As been noted, my taijutsu has been lacking."

Naruto unsealed a scroll from a leather bracelet previously unnoted by the others.

"I'm going to work on figuring out the Hiraishin," Naruto announced. She smirked at Tenoh. "You never said I couldn't keep working on it~" she sing-songed.

Tenoh grunted and waved a hand at her dismissively. "Do whatever you want," he rolled his eyes.

So Naruto worked on the Hiraishin as everyone else worked on their respective stuff. Later on, there was yet another knock on the door, and Baki was the person on the other side this time. He, also, stared at Tenoh, who scowled at him.

"Hello, Baki-sensei. I've heard a lot about you from Naruto-san. I'm Tenoh. Pleased to meet you," Tenoh smiled sweetly, too sweetly as he stared daggers at the other.

"Pleased to meet you, Tenoh-san," Baki said dazedly.

"Eh, I think I'll work on fuuinjutsu. Maybe it'll help me unlock the Hiraishin anyway," Naruto huffed.

That interested Tenoh, however, who came over and sat by her.

"I'm not an expert at fuuinjutsu, but I've always been interested in it," he admitted, looking over what she was working on.

"I'm working on a sensor 'rod,'" she told him. "If it works, it'll be like how we can use chakra to pulse out and sense others, only this wouldn't alert people when activated. I could leave it around an area that we're scouting, use a single chakra paper the others would be linked to, and charge it with chakra to activate the others."

His eyebrows nearly flew up. It sounded very impressive and useful. He couldn't see how it could work, but then again he wasn't a Sealing expert and this was probably beyond his current level of expertise.

So he just quietly sat by her, observing with a keen eye (even if most of it went over his head), and she would occasionally explain something to him.

He didn't pay attention to Baki, who stared dumbly at him, his oldest twitching and trying to throw all his attention on his puppets and not end up blurting out all the questions he wanted to burst out with, or his youngest missing a part of the taijutsu kata he was working on again and again, because he kept getting distracted and glancing at the two of them.

Time was very slow as they stayed there. Rasa got a report from his clone every time he finished talking with the Daimyo (and he was preferring this method of dealing with the Lord of Wind much better, seeing as he didn't have to deal with the man directly and be stuck in his presence for hours on end).

Really, all he was getting was the usual negotiations talk between the Capital and Suna, with of course Suna getting the shortest stick and getting shafted by their Daimyo. After that, he had to deal with complaints about everything, with only the complaints about guerilla attacks from a rebel faction peaking his interest. Meanwhile, he was preferring his time spent with his sons, Baki, and of course Naruto.

He only managed to extricate himself from the Daimyo when he was called away by the man's equally aggravating wife. He finally tracked down Team Baki, where Naruto had literally made a practical army of clones, twenty marching stoutly on the walls of the large ballroom, ten on the pond outside, and various numbers either kunai balancing, something to do with a water bottle, and several other odd and even rare chakra exercises being performed.

"Yo, mikan-hime," he gave her a two-finger salute, before freezing and looking over at the rest of her team. He coughed nervously and averted his eyes from their stares and gaping mouths, rubbing the back of his neck. He headed her way. "What's with all the clones? And the chakra exercises?"

Never mind the fact she was using an extensive amount of shadow clones. He knew the consequences of the jutsu, and he definitely knew that the multiple clone version was deadly and no one could ever use it. That she was using it so massively was alarming and no short of impressive. He himself could only use the regular version, and make only six at that.

"My chakra control can end up like shit," she said bluntly. "If I don't keep up with the exercises, my control will degrade. And that's a big no for medical jutsu too. So I do this regularly –maintaining helps to keep my chakra control from being sucky."

"How's the talks going?" Baki interrupted, and he barely refrained from sending over a glare at the other man.

"Horrible," he said shortly. "He's an ass, like always."

Naruto growled. "Bothering Kazekage-sama again…why I oughta…" But then she switched gears, smiling mischievously. "Speaking of politics, did you know that…"

And dirty gossip spewed forth. He sweatdropped. Of all the different kinds of politics going on in the palace, she would choose to focus on the dirty laundry…

There was a loud boom somewhere in the distance, and all three of them tensed and became alert. Rasa took charge.

"Baki, center point," he barked out. "Team, spread out. After me!"

He hadn't really thought that there would be any attacks while they were there, much less a direct attack on the Capital palace. Still, they were there and they were obligated to fix things, seeing as they were specifically this country's militaristic force.

"Tenoh," Naruto snuck by his side. "I got those chakra sensors ready."

He blinked. "Already?"

He hadn't even thought she could finish them at all, much less so quickly.

"Yeah. And I have them posted all over the palace."

He almost stumbled. When did she have time to finish those things, create a bunch of them, and then post them all over the palace?!

"…Good. Activate them and tell me how many there are in the palace," he ordered, focusing on leading the defense.

"220 palace staff, 35 royals with Kazekage-sama with the top of them, the five of us, and about twenty assailants."

He had to backtrack mentally, though he almost did so literally. How in the world…

"Naruto-san…I know those things are supposed to sense chakra, so you can sense the number of people…similar to a chakra sensor pulse…but how can you differentiate?"

She shrugged nonchalantly, while her team looked resigned.

"No biggie. A few adjustments on the Seals should pulse out from the ones all over the palace to the Master Seal paper on me, and identify everyone's chakra sigs. So I know who's who, according to the chakra signatures category pulses I assigned to everyone meant to be in the palace that correspond to the matching Seal."

Wait, what? That just blew his mind, from the concept and quick formation of the fuuinjutsu work to just the whole application right now.

And did this count as an account of "invasion of privacy?"

He shrugged in his head. She was a shinobi, and so long as she wasn't caught…

"Right. We need to make sure they don't escape either, so we should find the exits and blockade them first."

"Handled~" Naruto sing-songed cheerfully. "My sensors have an additional Seal that'll act with every one of the others together, and create a barrier and should focus on a certain chakra signature category, aka the enemy."

This time he really did trip, and he regretted making such a clumsy move in front of his kids and Baki (and Naruto)…but this team…(more likely, this girl)…

"That's…just great," he said weakly. "Why don't you set that up quickly, and then we should all split up. Team Baki, go west. Baki, you take north. I'll take south and east."

They did so, and Rasa quickly ended up face to face with his enemy group. It was hardly a battle, considering the differences in level, but he frowned when he saw quite a few renegade jounin mixed in it. He'd expected only civilian opponents, so to have shinobi mixed in was quite troubling.

He made sure they were all incapacitated and tied up, before heading in the others' direction. Doing his own chakra pulse to sense the others, and knowing who they were as he had their chakra signatures memorized, he groaned as he realized the team had split up. It would be just his luck.

He wasn't worried about Gaara; his youngest could take care of himself. Baki was near Kankuro, so he would be alright. Then there was Naruto…she was the one he was worried about and wasn't sure would be alright facing a jounin on her own. He kept on her trail, and hurried when he felt a foreign signature near hers.

He came just in time to see a tall man slam Naruto against the wall, and hear a sickening crack of what he knew was her arm –the one the man was harshly holding against the wall by her head –breaking. Both of them looked roughed up, and signs of battle were clearly evident in the hallway. He was quite smug and proud to at least know that the foreign shinobi had been thoroughly challenged and fought against by his spitfire.

"I admire your tenacity and you've got quite the firepower at your age…but this ends here," the man growled, and the sharp point of a kunai was placed against her throat, very similar to how Rasa had done so not too long ago.

Naruto's sapphire blue eyes grew rather wide and fearful, an emotion Rasa knew was foreign to the girl and not something usually seen or displayed by her (or belong on her either). He was bizarrely angry and wasted no time speeding over and knocking out the shinobi, who crumpled to the floor between them.

She watched the action nervously, staring at the unconscious body on unsteady legs.

"So, when I mean life or death, I mean life or death," he said suddenly, bringing her out of her fear-induced shock. "Rasengan his ass next time, won't you?"

She smiled uneasily at him, but he just inwardly sighed and ruffled her hair.

"Don't worry about it. He was jounin-level, and you are still a genin. What did I say to you about that kind of thing?"

Naruto straightened up a little, feeling slightly better. "I'm good, but not that good?"

"Basically," he drawled. "Now come on. Help me tie him up and drag him to where we can collect all the prisoners at."

"Fine!" she then pumped a fist into the air. "But just you wait. I'm going to get training, and then I'll be super awesome! I'll even be able to kick the asses of jackasses like him easily next time."

Rasa rolled his eyes at her.

Celebrations were under way. Rasa was astounded to find Naruto's arm was already healing and almost back to normal, but nervously covered it up and put it into a splinter anyway. He contributed it to the Kyuubi, and decided that it was best no one noticed her rapid healing abilities in any case.

"Ah, Sabaku-san, I was hoping to have a word with you," the Wind Daimyo's wife purred coyly.

He inwardly groaned and winced. And here he thought he would be able to go through a visit to the Capital without having to deal with her…

She laid a hand firmly on his arm, leaning towards him and stepping into his space. He refrained from showing his displeasure outwardly, though he smiled stiffly and took a step back. She pouted, which looked ridiculous on her, though he began to think about someone else who tended to pout (but at least cutely).

"I was wondering if you could help me out in my quarters, Sabaku-san," she continued to play coy. "I am in need of urgent help, and would very much like your assistance in this."

His smile became even more forced. "I'm very sorry, Madame. I need to regroup with my team and see about securing the prisoners. I hope you can find help with someone available."

She sighed in disappointment. "Oh very well. I'll be off then. My idiot husband's probably had better luck," she muttered the last part, clearly not meaning for him to hear. "I'll go entertain myself with your clone in the main room," she told him irritably.

He almost asked her about it, but instead stopped himself and went to go find the Daimyo himself, to see what she meant. He would rather not have the Daimyo cause a scene or trouble with someone, and have yet another problem to deal with. And yet, a feeling of dread bothered him as he searched out the Wind Daimyo.

His blood went cold and an icy fury entered him as he came upon the Wind Daimyo cornering a scowling Naruto against the wall in a secluded room, roughly handling her injured arm against the wall above her head. It was nearly identical to the scene with the shinobi earlier, and further incensed him.

"Shh," their Wind Daimyo murmured. "You don't want to upset me, right? I can make things very difficult for your Kazekage-sama and for your village. Just do as I say. You are loyal and love your Kazekage and village very much, do you not? You don't even have to say or do anything. Just keep still."

A furious expression crossed her face, but then disappeared and she looked defeated, slumping against the wall. The Wind Daimyo smirked and leaned in, face too close for comfort, but seeing her look so defeated made Nagi snap and rush over, using a pressure point on the man's neck to knock him out as Nagi squeezed harshly.

Similarly to earlier, the Wind Daimyo crumbled, and Naruto blinked up at him in confusion.

"T-Tenoh? What are you doing here?" she asked.

"Doesn't matter," he said shortly, glaring down briefly at the Wind Daimyo. "Are you okay?"

"Never been better," she said weakly, taking a shuddering breath.

He gave her a look and she just shrugged. But then she threw herself at him and he barely was able to catch her and hold her securely, adjusting her into a more comfortable hold as she sniffled into his chest. He felt awkward holding her, but he grew used to it and rubbed her head in comfort.

"Let's get him to his room, huh? He'll think he had too much alcohol and that he passed out, and this was just a dream," he muttered to her.

Reluctantly, he pulled away and bent over to pick up the Wind Daimyo, wishing he could just drag the man there the entire way instead. But it was quicker and less conspicuous, so he dealt with it and got to the man's room in record time, with Naruto trailing after him quietly. Dumping the Daimyo onto the bed, he disgustedly turned and faced Naruto, only to rapidly turn back around in shock and embarrassment.

"What are you doing?!"

"I'm leaving my bra and panty here," she told him dryly.

At that, he turned to her furiously, though he avoided staring directly at her, considering her shirt was off and she was just about to shed her pants.

"Why the hell would you do that?" he growled angrily at her.

But she kept quiet, and he couldn't help looking more directly at her, confused. He saw her look miserable, and regretted sounding so harsh.

"It would be better in the long run if he thinks we did it, right? And maybe he won't trouble Kazekage-sama as much, for at least a little bit. Maybe…maybe I really should have done it with him –" she started guiltily.

"Absolutely not!" he cut her off vehemently. "Kazekage-sama would never condone it! Sure, he's done and allowed a lot of things he's not proud of, but he would never let you do such a thing or ever get hurt in any way."

He hadn't meant to burst out like that or be so passionate…and yet it was also still weird to be talking about himself in the third person too.

"Really?" she asked with wide eyes.

"Yes, definitely," he smiled gently at her.

"O-oh…okay. I'll just take 'em off and leave them on the floor by the bed then…I'll undress him after…" she muttered.

"I'll undress him," Rasa inwardly sighed. If he was going to go along with this, he was not going to let her have to do any more of the dirty work than necessary. "You should also leave your undergarments near hidden under the bed, so it'll look like a mistake and you were either in a rush to leave and/or couldn't find them. It's better than him thinking you left them on purpose."

They both shuddered at that.

He quickly and professionally undressed the Wind Daimyo, and then carelessly and uncaringly scattered the man's clothes off to his side of the bed on the ground. He turned back to see Naruto just finished putting on her shirt back on.

"Done?"

"Done! I'm hungry now! Let's go to the kitchens!" she wrapped an arm around his and practically frog-marched him out of there.

Well, he was a bit hungry as well. And damn. He was starting to crave some ramen now.

On the day of their leave, Rasa had been looking for Naruto, who had mysteriously disappeared that morning. He sent out a chakra pulse and locked onto her signature, and immediately zeroed in on her location. Surprised and wary to see that she was near the cells where the prisoners were being held, he found her just as she looked to be finishing up her business with the shinobi who had specifically attacked her.

Glancing at the other man suspiciously, he turned to see Naruto smiling and looking okay up at him…but something about it seemed off.

"We're leaving. You done here?"

She nodded cheerfully. "Yep. Done. Let's go."

Something was bothering him. "Alright. Come on."

He glanced back at the foreign shinobi, who looked back at him impassively and revealed nothing. It further bothered him.

"Just…come on, Naruto," he said tiredly.

When they reached Suna, Nagi had learned about that particular shinobi's escape the day he and the others had left the Wind Capital. He was the leader of this so-called rebellion, and had been a former and retired Kiri-nin, that had moved to Wind Country and to the Capital. Long story short…he didn't like how things were in the Capital, or the Daimyo, and now this shit was happening.

Rasa would agree and be on the man's side, if it weren't for the fact that it was causing huge headaches and problems.

The next time he saw Naruto at the noodle bar, he casually mentioned the man's escape and she just gave him a small enigmatic smile. He froze.

Holy fuck.

One of his ninja conspired with the enemy and helped him escape (because the man's chakra had been Sealed, and there was no other way for the man to escape unless help had been given, which was damn amazing considering that it's the very same man that had attacked her). She was helping enemies against their Capital.

Naruto was specifically conspiring against their Daimyo because of him.

He didn't know whether to be impressed and flattered by the strong and very heartfelt devotion and loyalty…or have a heart attack.

He knew she knew he knew, when she hesitantly tugged at his sleeve and looked up at him with imploring, impossibly blue eyes that mimicked one of his favorite gems.

"Don't tell Kazekage-sama" she whispered. "I don't want him to worry or get in trouble."

He felt touched and guilty and all sorts of a mess of emotions inside.

Started 6/3/13 – Completed 6/12/13

A/n: Wah! Sorry for being so late. I finished streamlining/updating my website, which now includes a section for this, as well as future Fem!Naruto fics I'm eager to get to work on, and RL stuff got in the way. But a long chapter makes up for it, right? Hope you guys enjoy and please review!

To Guest: Quite right! Oddly enough, so many characters could be idiot savants in the manga. I haven't done Killer Bee yet, but that would be hilarious! I might do something with that, and have him do some conditioning on the takiyoki crime lord ;)

To Guest 2: He might just forgo the straight jacket and just sign into a mental asylum XD Poor Baki.

To em: Thank you, indeed :D Perfect reaction. As for that Tenoh/Nagi issue in chapter 7, thanks for noting it! You're right. It was a mistake. Must've slipped by and I didn't catch it. Thanks! And yes, they're older, so Naruto and Gaara are 16. Ohh, I have plans for Sasuke! I highly dislike him, so though I don't usually do bashing, this Suna group would probably have no problems messing with his head. The jinchuuriki and genjutsu…XD Aiyah, they are like they're high, eheh. As for Kirabi/Killer Bee, I'm pretty sure Yagura will be next, but Kirabi will probably after him. You say Nagi's reaction at the top –it'll probably haunt him too. And Naruto can definitely rule the world!

To Happy Camper27: Glad you like this! And I hope everyone likes my humor as much as you do!

Omake! (The Genjutsu Tales: Part III)

"Meow!"

A did not have any problems or bad feelings about using Yugito's genjutsu weakness against her. Not when she brought home twenty stray cats (where the hell she found them, he didn't know), and for the past week, those little shits have been scratching up all his furniture and leaving little "surprises." He was not impressed when he stepped in one of those surprises that morning.

The jounin in question was on all fours, sniffing at a ball of yarn before batting at it with a manicured hand. Delightedly, she began playfully rolling it back and forth.

A snickered.

"Sir, isn't that a little mean?" Darius watched his superior warily.

A growled and thrust a mauled up cloth into his face. "You see this? This came from a vintage armchair! VINTAGE!"

He also didn't want to admit his kage hat had been the cats' favorite bathroom.

The ball of yarn flew into the air and smacked him straight in the face, followed shortly after by Yugito tackling him in the effort to get the ball of yarn.

Started 7/1/13 – Completed 7/1/13

A/n: Killer Bee~