Author's Note:

Hey everyone, Alucard1959 here. I wanted to address this for a while now so please read this before you continue.

All of you who have been supportive of my stories, I must thank you from the bottom of my heart, and I just wanted to say I am sorry if my updates will be very slow for the next few months. Money's getting very tight in my household seeing as both me and my guardian don't have a job and it's just got me really down. And I know there are tons of more problems in this world, mine aren't that ground breaking, but I've just been in this writing funk and I just wanted to say sorry in advance.

Thank you for reading, on with the SHOW!

Chapter 11

Blood in the water: the First Kill Blues

I own Nothing

"Keep up Cheshire, we should have been there an hour ago," Naruto commanded, stopping a few feet in front of Ayame -code name Cheshire- while he impatiently taps his foot in the dirt.

"Well excuse me for being human!" Cheshire complains, walking past the bend of the road Naruto had already passed while she sluggishly treks onward towards him, "I needed to rest for a minute."

"Yeah, and I gave you a minute, 2 to be exact." Naruto stated coldly, picking up his pace once again, leaving his used and abused apprentice in the dust.

"It's a figure of speech, asshole!" She yelled, gaining her second wind, her motivation changing from keeping up with Naruto to clobbering the crap out of him. They have been walking the same path for about an hour looking for the hidden passageway to the resistant stronghold.

They had passed the border between Kirigakure and its other neighboring territory but for some reason, the designated area the resistance leader told them to find had disappeared or something because they couldn't find a single entry point. So, like the stubborn jackass Naruto is, he wouldn't give up until he finds the entrance, which means no breaks for him or for Ayame.

"Stubborn bastard can't just give a girl 10 minutes of rest. Is that too much to ask?" She mumbled, finally catching up to her master. "It's not like he has to carry 200 pounds of weights on his arms or anything."

"Are you still complaining?" Naruto asked, scanning the forest that they have been circling for about an hour for some sign of movement, any sign of a base, "When I was at your level I was forced to care 250 on each arm and 300 on each ankle."

"Well, I'm sorry to disappoint but I'm not like you." Ayame sighed, playing with the armband that carried the 100 pound weight.

"And that's a good thing Cheshire; it means you can be normal." He said with a smirk, but his smirk soon disappeared once he heard a rustling in the bushes. He looked to the right and noticed a slight glare from a metallic object before he saw a flurry speeding kunais rushing towards Ayame and him.

Quickly, he shot two bones from his forearms, creating two short bone spurs that stuck out from his arm, "stay behind me!" Naruto yelled as he deflected the flurry of sharp projectiles with quick flicks of his arms. As soon as he deflected the incoming projectiles he found himself surrounded, four ninja's in counting and each one with the same symbol for the Mizukage's personal guard.

"Sensei, what's going on?" Ayame questioned, whipping out her own pair of weapons, preparing herself for the upcoming battle.

"It seems the Mizukage has noticed our presence." He explained, ripping out the bones that protruded from his forearm and held them at the ready, creating his own hand held weapons, "keep your eyes open and stay sharp. These guys are no pushovers. They are at least Jounin level."

"Jounin! I can't handle that level of ninja, you told me yourself!" Ayame hissed, her eyes scanning frantically around the battlefield while the enemy ninja's disappeared from sight.

"I know, that's why I said keep close to me. I will take them out, just stay behind me." Naruto reassured, crossing his fingers together to create four other shadow clones, "spread out and search the area for those four. Do not let any of them get near Cheshire, you got it?" he ordered, getting a loud, "Hai" from his doppelgangers who disappeared into the surrounding forest.

"Are you sure your clones can handle this?" She asked, relaxing her stance just a little bit, leaving herself more vulnerable to a hidden threat.

"I don't know. I might be strong, but this ninja's have the home field advantage. It's hard to say right now, but don't let your guard down Cheshire, they can be anywhere." Naruto ordered, feeling her muscles relax only to tense once more when he gave his order. Naruto then closed his eyes and trained his ears to listen for any subtle movements in his surroundings; he couldn't risk Ayame's life with his carelessness.

As Naruto caught the sound of a snapping branch, it was far too late. The four supposed Mizukage Task Force charged the scene, three taking Naruto by surprise while the other grabbed Ayame, throwing her from her master.

"Cheshire!" He yelled frantically, worried for his apprentice while he had his own hands full with the three highly trained ninja. Thinking on his feet, he picked up his discarded bone blades and prepared for battle, "if you hurt one hair on her head I'll-"

"You'll what? Bone us to death?" One asked with a smirk, referring to his odd choice of weaponry.

Naruto just gritted his teeth and tightened his grip on his calcium enriched daggers, "I'm gonna enjoy ripping you three into pieces."

As Naruto started off towards his three almost identical looking foes, Ayame was having her own battle with the Jounin that separated her and her master. "Do you think you can take me on little girl?" The Jounin questioned, pulling out a kunai and began twirling it, trying to intimidate the newbie.

"I-I'm not afraid of you!" Ayame yelled, whipping out her black blades and prepared to take him on, head to head, "Come on Ayame, get a hold of yourself. Naruto is counting on you, you can't die here!"

"Then come on girly, I want to see what your insides look like!" He laughed, rushing the petrified Ayame, raising his kunai to strike. Using his momentum against him, she waited until he was in her range of movement and stepped to the side while leaving her extended leg out to trip the incoming Jounin.

He stumble a little but regained his footing, only to feel the butt of Ayame's Kukri Machete crack into the back of his skull, hard! It sent him stumbling forward, giving Ayame the opening she needed, "This is a Jounin? Ha, what a joke." Ayame thought with a smirk, ready to deliver the final blow, only to see the so called "joke" had disappeared from view.

"That hurt you little shit!" She heard before she felt a boot dig into her gut, causing her tremendous pain. Her breath hitched in her throat, leaving her breathless while she tried to regain her composure. She looked to her side only to see a speeding fist connect to her masked face, sending her to the ground. "You think a cheap little stunt like that will beat me?!" He yelled as he sent another kick into the ribcage of the downed waitress, kicking the remaining air she had left in her body outward. "I gave you too little credit, you bitch! You might give me a little more entertainment than I thought."

Trying to fight her attacker, she flipped over onto her back and swung with an arced slice, only for the Jounin to dodge the pitiful excuse for a swing and then grip her wrist, "you know, I was told to finish you two off quickly, but now I'm having too much fun. I'm gonna kill you slowly and painfully, I wanna watch as the life leaves your EYES!" The madman yelled as he lunged at her, his arms extended while his fingers locked around Ayame's throat.

While Ayame began to feel the fear that came from a life or death situation, Naruto's battle was taking a little more time than he anticipated. Every time he had an opening he would sneak a peek over at Ayame's battle, causing him to lose focus and giving the Jounin's an opening.

"Come on, you were talking all that good shit just a second ago. Where did it go?" One of the carbon copy Jounin's asked with a smirk, sending a flurry of Kunai's in Naruto's direction while his eyes were trained on Ayame's abuser.

"Naru-kun! Look out!" Kurami yelled, catching Naruto's attention just in time for him to dodge the incoming attack.

"I have to save Ayame-san!" Naruto thought, analyzing his surroundings, wondering where the hell his clones might be. "She's getting throttled over there!"

"You won't be any good to her if you're dead!" The concerned demon queen voiced, bringing up a good point only for it to fall on deaf ears. Naruto's eyes and focus was solely on the downed Ayame being choked out by the slimy hands of the Mizukage's top task force.

As his eyes were honed on his apprentice's ass-kicking, he was oblivious to the incoming round-house kick that soon connected with the side of his head, sending the powerful Naruto to the ground. "God-dammit Naruto; focus for god sake, watching my man get his ass kicked isn't something I am willing to tolerate!"

Slowly trying to rise to his feet, he was met with another kick to his downed face, almost punting his mask, and quite possibly a few of his teeth, off his face. His mind began to spin while the group of three began to go for more vital area, whipping out kunais and shurikens as the used the distraught viper as their own personal testing dummy. Each one taking turns throwing volley after volley of weapons into his exposed back, each one hurling their collected pieces of polished metal a little harder each time.

Naruto's mind registered none of it, hell, he has faced far worse abuse in the caverns that he resided in when he was just a boy, a few cheap blades invading his back wasn't anything new. But, he did feel something, a deep seated tightening of his heart every time he saw his student try and fight her way out of the man's choke hold.

She tried everything she could. She first used the remaining blade in her left hand to try and cut herself loose from the crazy Jounin, but that plan proved hazardous as he swatted the blade from her lose grip and clocked her across the face before going back to her throat.

Soon enough, the lack of oxygen going to her brain made her even more desperate, if that was even possible, causing her to flail her arms around, reaching to try and find any way to get his arms off of her bruised gullet.

"I…...I failed her," Was one of the few short little quips that echoed through Naruto's jumbled mind. Why did he feel this way? He knew if he just stood up, sliced these weak bastards throats, and rushed over there none of this would be happening and Ayame would be safe and sound….but something was preventing him from moving.

Maybe it was the fact that this was the first time he ever saw someone he cared about in danger.

Every mission he has ever had that required actual skill was usually a solo mission, and if he had to tag along with another nameless ANBU he at least knew the ANBU could keep up or smart enough to stay out of his way. Not this time, this time he was teamed with a woman who he has grown quite fond of, no matter how many times he tried to keep her at an arm's length she found a way to worm her way into his cold, scaley, unbeating heart.

And now his affection, whether it be sibling or romantic, is causing him and by a greater extent, her great pain. Her's being far more physical pain while his is emotional.

His mind, now almost numb to most complex emotion, was having trouble dealing with such quick and harsh feelings flooding in all at once, causing a metaphorical shutdown and reboot.

While Naruto's brain took its sweet time to kick start back on, Kurami was really starting to worry. Not really about Naruto's physical body, even though she still hates watching her mate get hurt regardless, but more about his mental body. He has always had a fragile mind, what with Orochimaru's poking and prodding, dangerous experimentation, brutal lessons, and his disturbing drive to make Naruto an emotionless weapon.

Now, Kurami did teach Naruto all she knew about how his kind felt emotions, seeing as she and her Bijuu siblings had their own set of feelings and how to react to them. But Kurami knew teaching him this stuff was like building a house on a sand dune, it might sit fine for now, but sooner or later it will slowly sink into the foundation.

"Naru-kun, please get up!" she demanded with a sweet tone, trying to get through the haze that surrounded her domain, "I know you must be feeling helpless right now…..kinda like how I feel right now. But you can't just lie here and give up. Ayame needs you, the Resistance needs you…...I need you, I will always need you. So please listen…...and get your ass in gear!"

"*Bump*, *Bump*" a thick, bass-filled thump echoed through her domain, a faint growl erupted from the bowels of Naruto's throat. Naruto's body began to move on its own, the words of Kurami and the drive to protect Ayame now being the only thing that clicked in his skull. Confused and slightly intrigued at what exactly was about to happen, Kurami watched with bated breath as Naruto's body began to go under a few changes.

Naruto's unnatural pale skin was soon given more color when his Curse of the Earth curse seal kicked into its first stage, allowing the seal to expand and black, hard lines spread all over his body in contorted and parallel lines.

His limp body was now on its feet, his posture slouched as his arms dangled in front of him like a marinate who's been put up for display. He raised his dangling head up ever so slowly, revealing his slited yellow eyes through the eyeholes in his mask.

"You have made a grave mistake," Naruto hissed his voice monotone as usual but laced with venom and hatred, sending a shiver down the trained assassin's spines.

"Says the man who's filled to the brim with throwing stars and kunais," one brave fool remarked, believing he and his band of brothers could easily take him down, thinking their previous scuffle was enough to base his victory on.

A brave fool indeed.

Once the man's remark on the throwing weapons that were sticking out of his back like grotesque growths reached Naruto's ears, he began to push many bone spurs through the already open skin. One by one the weapons fall from their perch in his back onto the floor, clanging together as the Jounin's began to feel their lunches slowly rise from their stomach when they caught a glimpse of the jagged and twisted bones that jutted from his back.

Reach back towards the nearest bone; Naruto snapped it over and, with speed unlike any other, slashed at the one closest to his left, slicing the man's throat open while the blood sprays out like a disturbing sprinkler system.

"Shit!" The middle fool yelled, reaching for his Tanto only to see the bone man's fist come hurtling towards him. The man's fist was soon revealed to have four identical bones spurs poking out from the groves his knuckles used to be. Connecting with a sickening wet *thunk*, Naruto's disturbing new twist on brass knuckles smashed into the front plate of his skull, crunching what was once his forehead into his brain cavity, caving it in.

Finally opening the way for a clear shot, Naruto extended his right hand, spreading out his fingers while he yells, "Four-Finger Drilling Bullets!" allowing his four main, outstretch fingers fire off four bone pellets into Ayame's attacker's back.

"Fuck!" Yelled the man, feeling the bone bullets plow their way through three parts of his back while the fourth one only grazed his trapezium muscle. Feeling the man's grip leave her neck, Ayame gasped, pulling in as much air as possible as the black dots that invaded her view were slowly dissipating. As her vision started to come back to her so does her fight reflex, her body and mind soon caught up to what exactly was happening and caused her to take the opening her master gave her. She looked to her left to find her discarded blade mere inches from her.

A rush of adrenaline spread through her body as she reached her hand out, gripped the blade's handle, and swung wildly at the distracted attacker; slashing through the man's throat. Trying to stop the bleeding, the Jounin quickly wraps his hands around his own gullet and blocks the waterfall of red liquid from flowing anymore. Ayame's selfish desire for survival caused her to dig her black blade into the bleeding enemy's stomach, and again, and again,...and again.

Ayame rained down stabbing after stabbing into this bastards gut and chest at a unnerving rate as she chanted, "Die, Die, Die" each time the machete pierced through the man's skin.

Naruto caught a quick glimpse of the scene before the last remaining Jounin snapped from his shock and attack, slicing Naruto's right arm with a kunai. Naruto's attention soon came back to the task at hand and turns his back to his attack before pushing back; impaling the Kiri ninja with the calcium rich bone spurs that jut from his back.

The numerous bones that riddled Naruto's back ruptured the man's body, ripping through his skin like it was nothing more than wet paper, puncturing organs, slicing arteries, and slashing muscles. Naruto then retracted his back spurs, allowing the twitching mass of ripped flesh that was once a Jounin fall to the ground.

Naruto looked back towards the slowly dying Jounin and saw his choppy breathing and bug-eyed stare. He wasn't dead yet, it was like watching a bug that you only squished half off trying to stay alive only to watch as it flails around before it crocks. "P-P-Please…..kill….m-me!" he heaved out, his words catching in his throat as he tried to voice his pain.

"No," Naruto uttered, seeing the man's pain stricken features contort into a chilling plea for a quick, merciful end, "you will suffer," were his final words on the situation before he rushed over to his apprentice to see if she was alright.

He arrived on the scene to see the now dead corpse of Ayame's attacker whose lifeless, limp body was draped over Ayame's upright, screaming form. She was still stabbing the dead fool in the stomach and chest as she yelled, "Die you fuck, just die!" while her petrified features were still hidden behind her mask.

Naruto then peeled the freshly made corpse off his apprentice and disarmed her, making sure she wouldn't try to hurt him or herself by mistake.

"Easy Cheshire, easy; he's dead, he can't hurt you anymore." Naruto assured her, trying to snap her out of her unmoving stupor but was having trouble. Ayame's body has frozen still, her arms now lazily draped to her sides while her eyes stayed glued to the corpse a few feet from her.

"Cheshire?" Naruto asked, trying to get her attention only for her to continue her petrified stare. "Ayame-chan," he spoke softly, pulling his viper mask and hood off, revealing his genjutsu features, catching Ayame's attention.

Once her eyes were pulled from the corpse she looked over her attire and realized a very disturbing fact, she was now drenched in her attacker's blood. She could feel the red liquid has seeped through her pants and the lower half of her tank top which was now staining her white, porcelain skin. What followed was a shrill shriek from Ayame once she finally realized the buckets of blood that had stained her clothes and skin.

Her next action actually surprised Naruto. She began to try and rip of her clothing, ripping at the fabric like it was nothing as she tried to get the blood soaked garments off.

Naruto reached out and collected her fidgeting hands with his and drew them close to his chest, trying to get the woman's attention.

"It's okay," he whispered, finally getting her to look into his eyes and calm down, at least for now anyway. Her once blood curdling screams soon turned into weeping sobs as her eyes filled with tears. She slipped her mask off and reached out to grab Naruto, wrapping her arms around his neck while she cried into his shoulder, guilt and sadness gripping her.

Naruto wasn't too keen on her forced contact but he knew she needed someone, and besides, he knew how she's feeling. He wished he had a shoulder to cry on with his first kill, not the kick to the ribcage he did receive.

So, being ever hesitant, Naruto slowly snaked his arms around her frail body and patted her on the back, "there, there" he soothed, "everything's going to be alright."

Once he was able to soothe her pain and she was allowed to empty her emotions onto his shoulder they both cleaned themselves up and slide back on their masks. Naruto knew Ayame's first kill still haunted her but they couldn't stay out in the open, so he told her that they must move on and once they found the Resistance base, then she could truly open up her feelings.

Before they took off to find the base he removed his cloak and draped it over Ayame, hopefully keeping her from staring at the stains and having another mental breakdown.

They walked for another 5 minutes until they came across two individual's standing in their way.

One of the individual's had short, rugged blue hair, and dark eyes. The meek looking man wore square, black-rimmed glasses connected to ear protectors, a blue pin-striped shirt and camouflage pattern pants. The traditional forehead protected for Kiri was imbedded in the front of his chest, held in a holster which the man uses to care a massive blade on his back. The sword itself is wrapped in bandages leaving only a double hilt visible for Naruto and Ayame to see.

The other man to their right looked to be middle aged and had the same blue hair as his companion, but with a more moosed - up style. His left eye was blue and his right was covered by an eye - patch, he wore a talisman on each ear like a ear-ring with the kanji for a humble form of "to hear" (Sho, ukutamawa(ru)) written on them twice on each side.

His outfit consisted of a standard striped, grey suit, with a green Haori that had white trimmings that stopped halfway down, over them.

"Who are you and why are you snooping around our territory?" The older man asked, folding his arms across his chest to try and look intimidating, something his partner lacked greatly. While the older fellow seemed to carry an air of strength and dignity, the other seemed meek and unimpressive.

"I could ask you the same question," Naruto answered, scanning the duo while he pushes Ayame behind him. After the attack they just went through he can't trust anyone who wears those symbols, not unless they give him a good reason too.

"A-Ao, we might want to inform Mei-sama about t-thi-" the weaker of the two tried to say before the other interrupted.

"Chojuro, speak with purpose and volume. You sound like a weak little mouse," the now named Ao retorted, "and back in my day we killed anyone who trespassed on Kiri soil. Not run it by someone."

While the two seemed to bicker about what course of action they should take, Naruto had already pegged the two before him. "The smaller one seems meek and useless, but that sword on his back begs to differ. The sword reminds me of one of the seven major swords I've heard about, and since we are in Kiri that makes a lot of since. He must be strong, especially if he has one of the swords of the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist, so I cannot underestimate him."

"The other seems prideful, calm, and stuck in the past, at least that's what I was able to pick up on by that "back in my day", statement. He seems to try and put down his partner…..no, maybe putting down is the wrong word. Maybe he is trying to scold him like a parent to a disruptive child. His right eye is covered, meaning either he has been wounded or hiding something, which isn't that surprising seeing as my village has the "famous" Kakashi Hatake, the Copy Cat Hatake. These two seem like quite the characters, but I can't let my guard down for a second."

Once the two polar opposites finished their little argument, they turned their attention towards Naruto and his apprentice, "Now, I will ask you one more time, what are you doing trespassing on our land?" Ao asked with authority.

"It wouldn't be wise to tell them I am the reinforcements Konoha sent to help out the resistance. Who knows who these two are working for?" Naruto thought as he decided to pick his words carefully, "My reasoning for trespassing is none of your concern, one-eye." Did I say pick his words carefully? I meant to say he will throw caution to the wind.

"How dare you, you insurable brat! I am a highly decorated veteran and I demand respect," Ao said with a scowl as he eyes the teen that stands definitely before him, "you may have been able to take down three of Mizukage's top guards but you have no idea who you are messing with."

Behind Naruto's mask his eyes slightly widened, his surprise was soon replaced with aggravation at his lack of awareness in that battle, "Dammit, how could I be so careless?" he questioned himself as he tried to think of a way out of this. His only options were either complete denial or to engage in another bloody battle, so, he chose the only one where both he and Ayame might have a chance of surviving, "I have no idea what you are talking about."

"My sensing barrier picked up four unauthorized bogies entering our territory, each one identical, from their height down to their attire. The group I was stationed on went to intercept, taking down those four and capture them with minimal casualties to my group. Once we caught them, they bit off their tongue and exploded into smoke once their bodies were drained of blood. We then stumbled upon you and you're so called "apprentice", killing four of the Mizukage's top guards. I have proof that you might be a threat to me, my partner, and our entire operation so don't you dare try to pretend you have no idea what I am talking about." Ao hissed, whipping out a kunai and pointing it dramatically at Naruto.

"So that's where my clones went." Naruto sighed, "if they didn't interfere that battle would have been over much quicker.", "I am not here to cause trouble, I'm actually here to do the opposite, but you must trust me when I say I cannot tell you." He sighed; he couldn't find a proper way out of this other than coming clean. Besides, he recalled the meeker of the two say something about a "Mei-sama", meaning there's a slim chance that this is the resistance he was looking for.

"Trust you? Boy, I barely even know you," Ao fired back, still unconvinced of Naruto's story, "Besides, you have been lying to me since the moment we meet, why should we not just slice you and your friend up right here and now?" He asked.

"Because if you do, the help the resistance needs will be gone," Naruto explained, throwing his cards on the table, hoping his theory was correct, "all I can tell you is I am here to join the resistance and help you win this war."

Both Ao and Chojuro were taken back by that statement and decided to have a little huddle before coming down to a final conclusion. Naruto decided to listen in on their little heart to heart by adding some chakra to his ears, increasing his hearing range by a good margin.

"What the hell is that boy talking about?" Ao started, "he's just one boy, he couldn't turn the tide."

"M-Maybe he's the r-reinforcements Mei-sama sent f-for." Chojuro voiced.

"That's all Konoha sent? A Child that probably hasn't grown his first chest hair, back in my day, we would never send such a greenhorn into a warzone; they would crumble under the pressure." Ao retorted, stealing a glimpse at the supposed child.

"B-But what if he is? And besides, h-he volunteered, we need all the h-help we can get. T-T-This is no time to get picky." Chojuro said, trying to be the voice of mercy and reason. He knew if Ao had his way, he would have wasted the disrespectful punk but Chojuro saw a powerful ally in this boy.

"But what if he's a spy? Can we risk that? We've already lost five outposts this month, the Mizukage could be sending him in to try and see what else he can learn from us." Ao argued, trying to show his timid comrade that this just doesn't seem to add up. Maybe he was being too paranoid but if his paranoia keeps Mei and the resistance alive then he will continue to do it.

"At least their being precocious," Naruto thought with a sigh. He knew this wouldn't be easy but still this is getting rather annoying, but who ever said an S-ranked mission was going to be easy. And he couldn't really fault them for being so wary of him and his actions, war is not won with blind trust, you have to question everything before you act and make choices that put your people in the line of fire.

After another minute or two of them murmuring back and forth while each on steals glances towards the masked boy dressed in black, they finally came to a conclusion. Ao raised his hand and signaled towards the tree, revealing 14 individual ninjas that were hidden in the canopy.

Once again Naruto gritted his teeth in frustration, "and once again I was taken by surprise. I think I might be losing my touch," He remarked to himself as the 14 individuals dropped down, surrounding him and his student.

"Chojuro and I have come to a decision," Ao said but paused, almost like it was for dramatic effect. The 14 new faces tensed, waiting for Ao to finish his sentence to know whether or not to kill these two or escort them back to the base. Naruto and Ayame weren't faring so well either, Ayame was a nervous wreck while Naruto was creating several bone spurs in his palm, small enough to stay hidden but long enough to cause major damage.

"We will be taking you back to our camp as our prisoners and our leader will decided what to do with you." he desired, while his team fell into a box like formation around two and shoved off towards the base. It wasn't that far, in fact it was another yard or so before they arrived at another straight shot of road before they stopped.

"What's the hold up?" Naruto called out.

"Keep your pants on," Ao ordered before running through a few complex hand signs as their surroundings began to melt away, revealing a new turan. The road before them dissipated to reveal several wooden houses with a much bigger and reinforced one sat in the middle, surrounded by guards and security measures.

"A Genjutsu?" Naruto questioned as he and the troops walked through the medium sized passageway Ao made for them, "that's impossible, I would have sensed it."

"Sensei," Ayame spoke softly, trying not to alert the ninja's that surrounded them, "what's happening?"

"I don't know, but I think we found the Resistance Base," he said with a smirk, his mission can finally begin but first he needed to find the resistance leader, the mission scroll is for the leader's eyes and there eye's only.

The group soon arrived at the main building that rested in the middle of the base as Naruto and Ayame were roughly ushered into the building with Ao and Chojuro on either side.

"Try anything and I won't hesitate to end you," Ao spoke harshly, trying his damndest to intimidate both Naruto and Ayame but only effecting one.

"I wouldn't dream of it, Ao-san. Like I said, I'm here to help, nothing more." Naruto said neutrally, trying to keep everything cordial, he was going to be here for about 2 months, no point in stepping on more toes.

"Hmph, we'll see about that." Ao said aggressively, eyeing the boy as the rounded a corner and headed towards a heavily guarded room.

"Who goes there?" one of the soldiers questioned,

"Ao, second in command of the resistance force; I have met two people wishing to join our cause; I wish to bring them to our leader for her input." Ao sounded off, saluting the guard.

"Very well, but keep an eye on them. Move along," he ordered, releasing several security seals that lined the outside of the door and ushered the group in.

The room didn't seem like much, it was poorly light with only a few bulbs illuminating the room. In the middle of said room was a long, oval shaped table with about 10 chairs surrounding it, and a map of the area sat in the opening of the table. What really got Naruto's attention was the chair at the far end of the table, it was turned away from the door and he assumed the leader was resting in it.

"Mei-sama, Ao and Chojuro reporting," Ao said sternly, standing straight and proper, like a grunt reporting to his superior officer.

"Ah, Ao and Chojuro, you two are back. I'm glad, I was getting all lonely without you two by my side." a sweetly feminine voice spoke as the chair spun around to reveal a red-haired woman.

The woman in question had a very slender body type, she had green eyes, and from where she was sitting Naruto could tell she had ankle-length, auburn hair that was knotted at the top with a dark blue band, while four bangs hung in front.

She wore a long-sleeved, dark blue dress that falls just below her knees. It seems to be closed at the front with a zipper, and is kept open on the front - right side from the waist down. The dress only covers up the upper part of her arms and the underside of her breasts, probably drawing many eyes her way, even Naruto's, but only quick glances.

He's not stupid enough to look at a woman's cleavage for too long, especially when Kurami is awake.

But anyway, underneath, she wears a mesh armor that covers slightly more of her upper body than her dress. She also wears shorts in the same color as her dress and, underneath those, mesh leggings reached down over her knees.

"The Resistance leader is a woman?" Ayame whispered to her master, but not soft enough, seeing as Mei picked up on it.

"Yes I am, is that a problem?" Mei asked, her smile never leaving her face.

"N-No ma'am, not at all….I just thought that…..well, you know, I-" Ayame mumbled, falling over her own words only to be saved by her master.

"What my apprentice means to say is that we never knew your specific gender so we assumed you might be male. A common misconception," Naruto remarked.

"Oh? And why did you assume I was a man? Can a woman not hold such a high rank as leader?" she asked with a quirked eyebrow.

"Of course not, I just wasn't expecting a beautiful woman such as-"Naruto stopped mid-sentence once his brain caught up with his words, "What the hell I just said" he thought.

Did he really just say to a woman he just met that she was beautiful? What nut-job flirts with a person they just met? Not only that, but he is supposed to be on a damn mission, not trying to pick up chicks, not like he needed one, he's already taken….sorta, kinda.

"Oh my, Ao, Chojuro, why did you bring me such a charming young man?" she questioned with a cute little giggle, low enough to seem respectable and subtle.

"We found these two snooping around our base, trapped in our 3 layered Genjutsu wall. They say they want to join the resistance, we brought them here for you to decide what to do with them." Ao explained, sparking the interest of Mei.

"Chojuro," she said, getting the attention of the timid swordsmen, "what do you think I should do?"

"I-I-I believe we can u-u-use the manpower. W-W-We can't be too picky in t-t-these trying t-times." Chojuro whimpered, making little eye contact with the beautiful red head.

"Very true," she said then looking towards her second in command, "and you Ao, what are your thoughts?"

"I think we should kill them," he said sternly, coming straight out with it, "we may need the manpower but we cannot risk it on the slim chance that he might be telling the truth."

"May I speak?" Naruto asked politely, getting the stink eye from Ao, a nervous sideways glance from Chojuro, and a curious once-over by the leader of the resistance.

"Be my guest," she said, smiling at the boy's formality and educate.

Naruto reached into his cloak pocket that was still on Ayame and produced the mission scroll that was given to him by Hiruzen Sarutobi, he then placed it on the table and slides it towards her.

That action caused Ao to become defensive, ready to pounce on the boy but was stopped by Mei's raised hand; she wanted to know what this new development would bring.

Naruto then bowed to the Resistance Leader and said, "Konoha ANBU, Codename: Viper at your service, me and my apprentice are here to serve under you for the remainder of this war." He proclaimed. Sure, he knew he resigned his ANBU position but it was better for them to hear he was and ANBU than a genin and besides, he was once an ANBU, so he wasn't "technically" lying.

She couldn't help but giggle once more at his introduction; he was so by the books, it was very humorous to see. She grabbed the scroll and opened it, scanning its contents for anything of value.

Once she was done skimming it, she knew it was legit. Mei was happy to see Konoha answered their distress letter but she was disappointed that all she got was two people. Not saying that she wasn't grateful for the extra pair of hands, but it was rather odd for a Hokage to just send two people to help out in a war.

"So, not to be rude or anything, but did your Hokage only send the two of you?" Mei asked gingerly, trying not to imply something or look a gift horse in the mouth.

"Hai Mei-sama, our Hokage sends his deepest apologies," Naruto said, standing from his bow, "Our villages roster of ninjas were either on mission or MIA, I was the only A - ranked Shinobi left." he stated.

"A - Ranked?! You look like a pre-teen!" Ao boasted, getting in the brats face, "back in my day, A - rank actually meant something."

"Not to sound rude, Ao-san, but I assure you my skills do match an A - ranked shinobi." Naruto said calmly, a complete 180 from how he acted when they were in the genjutsu forest.

"Ao-san?" Ao asked with a quirked eyebrow, "what happened to one - eye? What, now that you're in the presence of our leader you decide to show a little respect?"

"If I had known you were a crucial part of the resistance I wouldn't have said that. My deepest apologies, Ao-san," Naruto bowed, shocking Ao with his formality. Ao just sighed in defeat and turned his attention back to his leader, "at least the boy started showing respect, that's more than I can say for most brats his age," thought Ao.

"And what about your Apprentice, is she A - Ranked?" Mei questioned, looking past Naruto to see his apprentice shyly hiding behind her master. Ayame isn't used to having the spotlight; it's much easier to hide in the back and hope you blend in.

"She's only a High C/ Low B - rank, she has no real battlefield experience and she cannot manipulate chakra, but don't let her ranking and lack of jutsu fool you. She absorbs knowledge like a sponge and she has more fight than I've seen in most people her level." Naruto praised, making Ayame blush under her mask.

"Does he really think that?" Ayame questioned mentally. From the past month she's known him she's never heard him praise her, it was mostly, "Do it again, and this time do it right", or, "Put your back into it!" But she would never think in a million years that Naruto actually thinks she was worthy of such a ranking.

Many ninja's strive for such a rank as High C or a low B but she has been able to get it in about a month's time with Naruto's help and non-stop training.

"No Jutsu? How could she be a proper kunoichi?" Ao questioned, stuck in his old ways, "back in my day-" he was about to say only to feel a dark presence. He looked towards his leader to see her eyes closed and her smile still their but a dark aura hung over her head like a cloud ready to rain on Ao's parade.

"Ao," she said sweetly, a little too sweetly, "shut up or I'll kill you."

"Y-Yes ma'am," Ao whimpered, his manly demeanor now being knocked down a peg, "But what did I do?" he thought bitterly.

"To answer your question, Ao-san, she isn't even a kunoichi. She's a civilian waitress/ cook and yet she's still able to reach that level, it's amazing really." Naruto once again praised his apprentice.

"That is quite amazing, Viper-san, you must be a great teacher." Mei said, eyeing both Naruto and Ayame, the latter seeming to be calmer after her sensei praised her. "Even though it's not much, it could help us turn the tide. One person can be the difference between the prosperity of Kirigakure or its complete annihilation."

"I wouldn't go that far. My teachings are only as good as the student, if she didn't work her, pardon my language, ass off then she wouldn't' have taken to my lessons." Naruto explained, feeling Ayame's hand touch his. He looked down to see Ayame looking up at him with a shimmer in her eyes. She couldn't take anymore praise or she might cry her freaking eyes out in front of Mei, all those times he was rude or harsh to her made her suspect that she was nothing more than a failure, but now she knows her sensei's true feelings for her, or at least his feelings about her as a fighter.

"Well, it's nice to meet you both and I welcome you to the resistance, "Mei said, standing from her chair and walking to Naruto, her hand extended in front of her, "My name is Mei Terumi, I hope I get to know you better, Viper-san." Her cute little smile never left her face as Naruto took her hand in his, but once he made contact with her palm he heard a growl echo in his mind. Once the growl was heard in his head his voice mimicked it on it's on, no input on Naruto's part.

"Kurami-chan, what the hell was that?" Naruto questioned, giving the red head a quick shake of the hand before detaching. Mei looked at the growling boy with bewilderment, only to shrug it off and turn to her second and command to give him a few orders.

"Just marking my territory," She spoke with an all too cheery expression.

"Marking your territory? What, do you think Mei likes me too or something?" Naruto asked with sarcasm, thinking this is the same thing with Anko all over again.

"No, that's why I'm marking my territory. I'm gonna make sure she DOESN'T start liking you." She said triumphantly, seeing the red head reseed from Naruto's vision.

"I feel like you're getting a little bit over-protective, Kurami-chan." Naruto said with a smirk, getting a huff from his supposed girlfriend, "It's cute, unwarranted, but cute."

Kurami just blushed a deep red and rolled over on her bed that Naruto created for her in his mind, "S-Shut it, Baka!" she retorted before cutting off her link. Naruto loved getting her to blush; when he was growing up she did that to him all the bloody time and now its payback time.

"Alright, Viper-san, everything seems to be in order. Ao and Chojuro will escort you to your new home for the next two months." Mei chimed in, braking Naruto from his own thoughts.

"Home? Won't I be staying in the barracks like the other soldiers?" Naruto asked.

"Well you would but Ao still doesn't trust you." Mei said with a nervous chuckle, "so, you're going to be staying at one of the closest houses to mine so I can keep a PERSONAL eye on you."

Once again Naruto hears a noise rise up in his skull but instead of a low growl, he could hear a roar echo through his mind, "That bitch!" Kurami seethed with rage, close to reverting back to her fox stage.

Unseen by all, Ayame's face scrunched up into a scowl at the red head flirtatious ways with her sensei, "How dare she do that right in front of me!" was her thought as she tightened up her fist and grinded her teeth.

"Umm, with all due respect Mei-sama, don't you think it would be wise for me not to stay near you." Naruto asked nervously, feeling the dangerous aura rising in him from his tenet, "I mean, if Ao pictures me as a threat, shouldn't I be stationed near him or maybe even Chojuro?"

Mei laughed at the question and said with a sultry voice, "trust me Viper-kun, I have a much stronger bite than those two," getting another uproar from the fox within Naruto.

"I'm gonna rip her pretty face off and use it as a chew toy! Who dare she flirt with you, that's my job!" Kurami howled from Naruto's mind, "Is she trying to piss me off? I think she is, I really do! Sure, she doesn't know I'm in here but I swear she is just trying to push all my buttons….and it's FUCKING WORKING! YOU BITCH!"

"How the hell can you even hear that?" Naruto asked, only to get a grunt from his vixen.

"I can read her lips, and besides, I don't need to hear to know she's being a bitch. I can SMELL it!"

"Oh….okay, that's…...great," Naruto said in between Kurami's very loud quips.

"Fantastic," Mei said cheerfully, "Now, I know you two must be tired. So, you two will have the whole day to get settled in and that's an order." she said cutely. To Naruto her demeanor was utterly confusing, how could a leader of anything be this upbeat and cheery? Sure, he lives in a village with an old man who preaches peace like he was a freaking pastor but even he had his moments of seriousness, especially when he's meeting someone from another village.

Mei never seemed to stop smiling, her bubbly exterior seemed one part enticing and the other half oddly sickening, or at least that's how Naruto would put it.

After his little run in with Mei and after he was able to calm down the raging Bijuu that rest in his mind, he and Ayame were taken to their new home.

On the outside it didn't look like much but the inside was pretty decent, one bedroom with a queen sized bed, one bathroom, a kitchen/dining room, and a living room with a lone leather couch and a lazy-boy.

Once they arrived they were left alone to do their own thing, Naruto un-sealed his and Ayame's gear and they began putting away their clothing, food rations, and other items they brought. It only took the about an hour to finish unpacking, once it was done the two sat in an uncomfortable silence.

Naruto didn't know what to say or do really; he never had any down time. Any actual down time he had between training Ayame and doing missions was filled with vagarious amounts of training till 3 in the morning.

He would go out and train but he didn't want to leave Ayame alone. No matter how much he tries to pretend she will be fine after her first kill he can't shake the feeling she needs him.

He just doesn't know how to approach it, "What am I suppose to say?" he thought, "Get over it, you're gonna have to kill 100 more just like him in a month or two?" He was never known for his subtlety.

"Naruto-kun," spoke his apprentice who took the seat next to him on the couch. She had switched out of her stained clothes and into her usual run around the house attire, a black tank - top and baggy shorts. Naruto could tell she was tired, the bags under her eyes gave it away. Maybe it was because of the weights, maybe the training, or it could be the emotional trauma that occurred 2 and half hours ago. So many choices.

"Yeah, Ayame?"

"Can I….talk to you for a moment?" She said, her voice catching in her throat.

"Sure, what do you want to talk about?" He questioned, even though he had a pretty good idea what it was.

"Everything, something….anything" she said with a tone of bland detachment, "I just need something to get my mind off of….today, please." She rested her head on the back of the couch; her mind now stuck on the image of the poor bastard's dying face.

"Okay, I got time to kill." Naruto sighed, he knew he couldn't be the affectionate person she needs him to be at this point, but if talking about some random items she conjures up will help, then he will do it until the cows come home. "But you have to pick the topic, ladies first."

"Such a gentlemen," Ayame sarcastically said, laughing all the way, "Okay, let's see….I don't know much about your past, can I learn a little? Just a sample of the toddler years of Naruto,"

Naruto's body stiffened, not enough for Ayame to notice but still, he really didn't know if it would be wise to tell Ayame about his troubled past. He didn't know how this will end, either Ayame will find a new found respect for him or something along those lines, or she will cry and their relationship will be forever changed.

Sighing in defeat he got ready to tell her a little excerpt from his younger years, the years that still haunt his dreams.

"...I was stolen from Konoha at the ripe old age of a day old, my parents dead and the village ravaged by the Nine tails attack, it was child's play. For the next 8 years of my life I was subjected to the worst torture a child could endure, physical, psychological, and spiritual. Yep, I was the poster child for abuse, my captor even went so far as to use my body for his own personal biology experiment, throwing in different DNA strands into my body like a disinterested shopper throws items in his cart. I met 7 people, 7 wonderful people during my time there…..and all but one survived."

"C-Can I know their names?" Ayame questioned, holding back her tears. She couldn't believe it, at first she thought he was joking, "Typical Naruto-kun," she thought with a mental sigh, "why can't he take anything other than training seriously", but then she noticed the pain that was laced in each word he let loose and soon enough she realized just how terrible Naruto's life was. She now knows why the man's so broken, many say you learn everything you need to know in life in your first 5 years, and all Naruto learned was how to feel pain and to be used.

She wanted to know the names of those 7 men and women that actually stood out in Naruto's bleak little world and pray for their happiness.

"I can't remember all their names, some were harder than others." Naruto said with a sigh, itching his head, "Let's see…..Well, there were the twins, Sakon and Ukon. Now, normally I would count twins as two separate people, but these two are the exception, seeing as they are attached and all. The next was a fat bastard named Jirobo, he was a bottomless pit and thicker than a brick but he was lovable at times. The one that annoyed me most of all was a six armed freak named Kidomaru, he couldn't just fight you, he had to toy with you like a cat before it eats its prey.

The next one was named Tayuya….she could play the most angelic music I ever heard; she was magical on that flute. But once you take the flute away she's got one of the worst mouths on the face of the planet, seriously, I couldn't believe the words that came out of her mouth.

There was Kimimaro and Juugo, two people that couldn't be more polar opposites and yet they acted like brothers for the most part. Juugo was a massive brute with a soft side while Kimimaro was a straight forward thinker who attacked with grace and procession. Juugo was almost like my brother as well; his sweeter side was one of the nicest things I had ever seen. And finally, last but not least….. Actually, you know what, I think I'm gonna end my story there." Naruto said with a tired sigh, reliving pieces of the past may be therapeutic for some but for him it was just another pain in his ass.

"Wait, no, no, no! You can't stop there, who's the last person, what happened to all of them? You can't just cut a story off mid-telling. That's just shitty storytelling!" she whined, actually getting really into his little descriptions.

"Who the hell said I cared about storytelling?" Naruto asked with a smirk, getting an irritated *huff* from his un-amused apprentice, "but what I do care about is knowing more about your past."

"M-M-My past?" Ayame questioned, a blush of embarrassment covered her cheeks, "No, no, you wouldn't want to hear such a boring story. It's nothing like yours."

"Well, that's a good thing that it's not like mine, but that doesn't mean I don't want to hear it," Naruto said cleverly, "everyone has a back-story and I actually want to know yours."

"Really?" she asked timidly, getting a nod from her teacher, "a-alright, but you have to promise you won't laugh at me!"

"I make no such promise!" Naruto retorted confidently.

Ayame just sighed as she gave into his unwillingness to budge and started her little story, "well, I guess I should start off at the beginning. For starters, I was not born in Konoha. My family owned a large stretch of land off the border of the Land of Fire. My father's parents created a farm on that land and it was passed down to my father. We lived there until I was 10, our farm was burned down from a massive drought, and it made all the crops catch on fire like they were bathed in gasoline. It was a gruesome sight. Having nowhere else to go, we moved inland hoping to find sanctuary, and we did, in the form of Konoha." Ayame sighed; she didn't really know her story was that short, it seemed longer in her head.

"I didn't know Ayame was a farm girl," Naruto chuckled, "did you have little braided pigtails and overalls?"

Ayame just blushed and said, "s-s-shut up! I was young, I didn't know any better."

"Wait! No way, you did! You actually did? Hahahaha," Naruto couldn't help but laugh, picturing Ayame as a child walking around in the stereotypical farm girl look.

"I said not to laugh at me!" she yelled, punching the snake boy in his unprotected arm, "see, this is why I don't like sharing."

"Hahaha, okay, okay, I'll stop laughing," Naruto giggled, wiping a lone tear for the corner of his eye, "now, what was farm life like?"

"No, I'm not telling. You might laugh at me again," she said with a pout.

"Awe, come on, I was joking. I actually want to know now," he said with a sigh, he was never good at keeping his trap shut when he needed it to be, "I will stop laughing, I promise."

"No, I'm not falling for it again," Ayame said with a huff, "I'm done trying to open up to an asshole like you!"

"Awe, come on Ayame-chan, that hurts," he said with sarcasm dripping from every syllable, missing the light blush that etched its way onto Ayame's cheeks.

"D-Did he just call me Ayame-CHAN, no way!" She shrieked mentally, allowing her teen like ways to shine through. Many people forget that Ayame's still just a teenager, she's 18 but that's still considered a teen to most people.

"Well tough, that's what you get for laughing at a woman's past." She said, turning from Naruto as to not show her smile.

The next few hours were filled with nothing but those two talking up a storm, each one trying to get to know one another on a personal level. Naruto started to realize Ayame had a deep seeded interest in fight long before they met, seeing as when she was growing up she was seen as a weakling. She was even picked on for the longest time back on the farm.

She also could cook many different dishes besides Ramen and she has been begging her father to let her go and explore other lands, taste other culinary masterpieces, and bring that knowledge back to apply it to their little ramen stand.

Naruto even threw in his few cents; he talked about a typical day in the life of Naruto. Start off the day with a mission (hopefully), then come back form said mission and train until he went to pick up Ayame to train her, after that he would go back and, you guessed it, train some more until the moon was resting over him.

"Don't you ever get bored?" Voiced Ayame after that glimpse into the day of Naruto,

"Bored of what?" Retorted Naruto,

"You know, just training all day and night? Don't you have any hobbies or friends?" she asked, trying to get a little more out of the enigma that sits next to her.

"Hobbies would be pointless and friends are hard to come by when you're an asshole lunatic." Naruto said bluntly, his view on his mental state still skewed.

"Besides, the word "friend" is subjective. It's an emotional attachment to an object, whether it is human or not is irrelevant." He explained, using his usual calculating mind to desensitize a word to him. It's much easier to break down a word than to actually feel what that word means.

"...Am I not your friend?" Ayame asked, hoping to hear a good response.

Naruto looked at Ayame for what felt like hours before saying something that took Ayame by complete surprise, "if you mean, do I have a type of emotional attachment to you…...then yes, you are my "friend", but I still don't like using that word. Such an idiotic word,"

"R-Really? You mean that?" Ayame said teary smile, "I've never had….a friend before."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, don't get all emotional on me," Naruto said, turning to face a wall trying to hide his blush, something about Ayame's smile made his heart skip a beat, "i-it's just a connection our brains create to reduce the likelihood of a hormonal response to a certain form of stress, that's all."

Naruto's scientific techno babble was soon drowned out when he felt two; delicate arms wrap around his neck and pull him back into someone's soft chest, making his blush darken even more.

"Thank you, Naruto-kun; you've made me…..so happy!" Ayame whimpered, her tears dropping onto the side of Naruto's face. Being the emotionally confused man Naruto is, he just laid there, confused on how to handle this situation.

After an hour or so, he and Ayame decided to hit the hay. Seeing as there was only one bed Ayame was given the queen bed, even though she protested wholeheartedly, and Naruto slithered under hers.

"What are you doing?" Asked Ayame as she watched her master slip under the bed like a snake slithers down its hole.

"Sleeping under the bed, I feel safer close to the ground. Easier to react," He replayed, contorting his body into a little ball, keeping himself warm with his own body heat.

"...Okay, you do that then…...I'll be up here…...being normal," she said with an awkward inflection as she prepared herself for bed. Once she finished using the restroom and putting up her hair, she slides into the covers and slips off the light. Before she could fall into a slumber she couldn't help but smile and think, "Momma, I have the weirdest taste in men."

Thank you all for reading, I hope this chapter is too your liking and please review and PM me if you have any questions.