Pakkun was cut off from chasing a couple of squirrels again by a kunai thudding into the ground dangerously close to his face, effectively cutting off his barking while letting the long tailed furry critters he was fixated on, escape as Sai walked up from somewhere to his left and cracked his knuckles menicingly before saying, "Pakkun, there wouldn't be a reason why you're holding us up from reaching Kakashi and Naru...would there?"

Pakkun looked up at the emotionally stunnted young man and bristled a bit. "No."

"Then why are you wasting time chasing squirrels when my friend needs help?" Sai asked in a deceptively calm tone as he thought of Naru and what she must be feeling at this moment in time. He didn't know what exactly was the appropriate way to react to hearing that someone that you considered your only god given friend in the world was wounded so badly, but he could easily imagine feeling pissed about the whole situation.

And maybe irked by the hold up.

Pakkun flattened his ears back against his head and whimpered. It wasn't like he was holding them up on purpose. But he and the squirrels had a long standing feud going and if he even thought that he had the chance to take a few of the annoying furballs out, well, he couldn't exactly help but run off after them.

Sai bent down at the waist and picked him up by the scruff of the neck, causing the little pug to yelp and squirm in his grasp as he put his face level with Pakkun's and said in a falsely pleasant voice. "If you dare to stop and chase those damned squirrels again I will shove a paper bomb so far up your little butt that you'll choke on it before I blow you up-" Sai shook Pakkun slightly then dropped him and pointed towards the others standing thirty feet away waiting on them and growled. "Now move!"

Pakkun lowered his head and started back to the trail, grumbling about how Sai would be lucky if he piss on his feet the next time they stopped to take a short break.

(**********************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************)

About an hour or so after Naru fell asleep again, Kakashi started going over binding oaths, blood oaths, and vows in his mind. He wanted something to bind him to Naru's side. But he didn't want to use anything that could be harmful or cause peculiar reactions.

The last thing he needed at this point was to use the wrong words and end up married to the girl in some way or another. Especially since he wouldn't be able to fight his instincts and stay the hell away from her in a sexual manner.

So he wracked his brain, trying to think while sub consciously monitoring Naru's sleep for any signs of distress. When he kept coming up blank he sighed and let his head fall back against the wall and wondered vaguely if he could use a demon contract.

Granted he'd used one to get himself and Naru away from the enemy before- but did he dare use another to try and repair some of the damage that he'd done? He wasn't sure what a demon contract would do to Naru if he failed to keep his end of things. One one hand it if he signed a demon contract swearing himself into Naru's service, it would be forever.

He would serve her in this life and every life beyond. And that was fine, he could do that no problem. But he worried that if he failed the contract would not only kill him but Naru too.

Naru shifted a little bit under the blanket and Kakashi's head came up so that he could look down at the girl as he felt a slight tug on his arm. Even now an hour later, Naru was still holding onto his hand, trying to comfort him. He reached across his lap with his free hand and gently brushed some of her hair back from her face so that he could see her better.

She looked as relaxed and content as a child with it's parent. Silly girl. He thought affectionately before his mind took a darker turn. God how was he going to take care of her?

Naru herself, was a trouble magnet. She never really meant any harm. Never went looking for trouble, but there was a shit load of assholes and and bastards in the world who saw her as the perfect target. The perfect target for sexual assault, bullying, torture- God the list was nearly endless.

Once word got out that Naru had been captured the villagers would waste no time in reminding her of who had made her their bitch. Which meant that once he was back at the village, he'd have a shit load of people that he would have to make disappear. Not that he minded much. He was completely committed to his service to her.

He just- Naru stirred slightly and pulled the hand holding his own, closer to her until the back of his gloved hand was against her lips. Kakashi stared down at her in shock and felt the intense need to jerk his hand from her grasp. However he stayed still, not wanting to disturb her though he was very, very uncomfortable at the moment.

"Naru?" Kakashi said her name very softly as he tugged slightly on his hand, wanting to get it away from her mouth. Feeling that his hand didn't belong anywhere near her mouth for any reason.

Naru however seemed to have other ideas since she not only tightened her hold on his hand until he thought he heard his bones cracking, but she pulled on his hand until it was somewhere under the covers along with half of his arm. He made a mental note to buy her a body pillow or a stuffed animal and tried again to extract his hand (and his arm) from her grasp when he felt something soft and curvy against the back of his hand and froze in horror.

His mind going blank.

Oh dear god- Naru didn't- What the hell was he supposed too- He banged his head on the floor and lay there for a second cursing Naru's peculiar sleeping habits as he hissed in a distraught tone. "Naru, please wake up and let go of my arm!"