Kumo was not like the other big hidden villages. Anyone who had been permitted to venture into the village could tell you that. It was a surprisingly luxurious place, all things considered, and its people appeared to be as happy as anyone could expect them to be. To the untrained eye, it was no different than walking through the streets of Konoha, the self-proclaimed greatest and most peaceful of the great five. Tayuya, of course, was not untrained, and her eyes saw more than she imagined the shinobi here would have liked her to. Much to her surprise, the air of peace and tranquillity was in fact not a widespread genjutsu. Everyone living here truly was happy, and there was no sign of foul play or a façade. She figured that made sense. Outside of a chunin exams, it wasn't exactly easy to get into Kumo, so why would they bother putting on a mask for those they permitted entry.

With a careful sideways glance, Tayuya spied the reason this place was so well off. The shinobi of Kumo roamed the streets openly, in full uniform, armed to the teeth at all times. Those that weren't openly visible stayed to the shadows, but there was no mistaking it, every inch of Kumo was heavily manned. The deeper she got into the village, the worse it seemed to get. Yes, it made sense for a hidden village to have a standing force of shinobi ready to go at any time, but this was excessive. The militaristic paranoia of the Raikage was overkill, but damn if it wasn't impressive. With Kumogakure's geographical position, combined with their pure numbers of supposedly trained shinobi, they could likely knock back any direct attack. And that wasn't even accounting for their precious perfect jinchuuriki.

Speaking of the jinchuuriki, Tayuya hadn't seen hide nor hair of either of them. Not that she was supposed to. Her task was simple, infiltrate the village, get a lay of the land, get back without tipping anyone off. Simple. It was because of this oh so boring task that Tayuya even found herself dressed the way she was, with not a single weapon or suspicious pouch on her person. A baggy tan shirt, a pair of fitting black shorts, and her hat over her head with her long red hair flowing freely from the back, a single long bang running down in front of her face. She wasn't even allowed to bring one of her more useful puppet arms with her, being stuck with her civilian model one. Clenching her wooden digits tightly, she had to fight the urge to curse loudly. It was the least she could do to cover the stupid thing in a light genjutsu to make it appear like a normal arm. She didn't need any of these happy go lucky fuckers asking her about it.

Rounding a corner, she picked up her pace as she headed for what was considered a tourist hot spot. Sightseeing wasn't a necessity, but it did help her look like a regular civilian passing through. Not that it mattered. Kumo was so sure of its own strength that no one seemed to have given her a second glance the whole time she had been here, save for the one following her. Now that could be a problem, but Tayuya was sure it was fine. There were likely people following everyone around, it wasn't like they didn't have the manpower for it. It wasn't until she got to the hot spot, a lookout of all things, that Tayuya realised the depths of her situation. Trying to disappear into the crowd did nothing, she could still sense them following her like a hound. 'Well fuck,' she thought as she made her way to the handrail that stood between the public and a seemingly bottomless drop off a cliff face.

Tayuya tried her best to act impressed and awestruck by the sight as she leaned on the railing. It was okay, she guessed, but nothing too special. Just a sea of cloud as far as anyone could see, with clear blue skies above and the occasional mountain top poking through. Hidden in the clouds. How on the nose could you get when naming a village, seriously.

"Beautiful, isn't it?"

Tayuya could already hear Naruto chastising her for not being careful enough as she turned to look at her newfound company. A tall woman with long blonde hair and the symbol of Kumo proudly worn on her forehead. So, this was who was tailing her all this time. At least it wasn't some creepy dude. "It's pretty cool," she replied forcing her voice to be much softer and pleasant than normal. Selling the civilian act was truly a torturous experience for Tayuya. "You're a ninja here, right? Must be nice. The air is so fresh up here." She felt sick.

The woman just stared intensely at Tayuya before offering a small smile. "It is," she said. "What brings you here?"

Tayuya smiled brightly. "Just travelling. I heard Kumo was a nice place to visit, so here I am," she said, pulling a small pamphlet from her shorts pocket. "I've been following the guide so far. Seen come cool places, but I dunno, something just feels off. Might just be me. I'm going to give it a couple of days and see if the atmosphere here sinks in. Hopefully I can enjoy it all properly. Say, you don't have any suggestions, do you? You live here, so you'd have all the insider knowledge. Any good spots I should check out?"

"That depends," the woman began. "What are you interested in?"

"Music," Tayuya answered without missing a beat, her smile never leaving. "Any kind, I'm not fussy."

"Hmm, well, in that case, you should go and see the singing cliffs to the east of the village. It should have been in the guide."

Tayuya groaned. "Yeah, it was. But when I went there, I couldn't hear anything. It was just really windy and bleh."

The woman nodded in understanding. "You went there in the middle of the day," she said. "Try late evening or early morning, when the wind is gentler. It is quite pleasant."

Tayuya grinned widely. "Will do. Thanks, err, I don't know your name, miss?"

"Yugito, of Kumogakure," the woman said with a small bow. "And you are?"

"I'm Tayuya of…" she paused and frowned sadly. "I guess nowhere anymore. But that's okay. Travelling suits me better anyway. Good for the soul and all that jazz." She was going to punch herself for acting like this later.

Yugito quirked her brow at the redhead. What a strange girl. "Why exactly are you travelling, Tayuya. If you don't mind my asking."

Tayuya shrugged. "Don't really have a reason. Woke up one day and figured why not. Hasn't been too bad so far. You should see some of the weird musical stuff the different villages have. And the music. Always a shock to hear what other people enjoy. I haven't looked into your village's musical tastes yet, but don't you worry, it's getting investigated any day now."

"Oh, and I don't suppose your investigations have anything to do with spying on Kumo, now does it?" Yugito asked, her tone shifting and gaze hardening. Even as Tayuya responded with no more than a perplexed look, she didn't back off.

"Spying? Like a ninja?" Tayuya asked, faking ignorance. "Why would someone want to spy on music?" Playing dumb was good. Sounding dumb was good. Civilians were dumb. Be like them.

Yugito rolled her eyes and stepped towards the girl, not at all surprised when Tayuya flinched back at her sudden move. "Why are you really here?" she asked.

"I-I told you. I'm just travelling. I swear," Tayuya said shakily. She wasn't at all worried, despite Yugito being taller, and most likely stronger, and faster, and they were in the middle of her village. No, she wasn't scared. But a civilian would be, so she had no choice. "I'm not even a ninja."

"Really? Then what is that genjutsu on your arm hiding?" Yugito asked, now glaring at the girl with full force.

'Fuck my life!' Tayuya cursed to herself. She was barely concealing anything; it shouldn't have even registered to anyone unless they really, really focused on her. Were Kumo shinobi that paranoid? Fuck that had to be a shitty existence if they were. "I don't want any trouble," she said nervously.

"Too late."

Yugito pounced. Tayuya didn't even have time for her eyes to widen before she was grabbed by the wrist, her arm twisted and pulled out straight as the woman's other hand grabbed her by the throat. This bitch was fast, and freaky strong too. With an audible shunk, her arm came free, the hold Yugito had on her failing as the puppet limb hung limply in her hand. Tayuya could have taken the moment of distraction to blindside Yugito with something, anything, but she didn't. She couldn't. What was she supposed to do if she outright attacked a shinobi in the middle of their own village. She could already feel the numerous eyes now trained on the two of them from the moment Yugito rushed her. There was only one option, and it was going to disgust every fibre of her being.

Tayuya's remaining hand grabbed weakly at Yugito's arm, the woman's hand still firmly around her throat, but not so much as to do harm. She shook in Yugito's grasp, trembling under the Kumo Shinobi's hard but confused gaze. As the tears started filling her eyes, she felt Yugito's grip loosen enough to slip out of, and she did, pulling away and spinning on her heels with all intention to run only to trip and stumble over her own feet, tumbling to the ground in a one-armed heap. Rolling herself over, tears now barely being contained, she looked up at Yugito fearfully as the taller woman just stood there, dumbfounded, the puppet arm still in her hand.

"Please… don't hurt me," Tayuya pleaded, slowly crawling back from Yugito. "I didn't know it would get me in trouble. Please." She should have been a fucking actress with the performance she was putting on right now, but if the conflicted look in Yugito's eyes was anything to go by, at least it wasn't for nothing. Pathetic soft-hearted wimps deserved to be fooled. If they couldn't see through the lies, then that was on them. That was the most basic rule of genjutsu, even if she wasn't using any genjutsu in this moment.

Yugito, for her part, could only stare at the miserable one-armed girl with a look of shock and confusion. Glancing at the arm in her hand, it didn't take any real observation skills to see that it was the bare basic of prosthetics, if maybe slightly unique in its attachment method. No weapons or anything remotely dangerous about it, although now that it was disconnected from its owner, it had very clearly taken on the image of a prosthetic. 'A genjutsu to make her fake arm look real. Interesting,' she thought. That explained that, but it didn't explain how the girl could use genjutsu, even a small one. Yugito wasn't the best of sensors, but even she could tell the girl had some advanced chakra. It could have just been a result of constantly using a small genjutsu for prolonged periods, depending on how long she had been missing the arm. Either way, she needed to figure it out.

"Lady Yugito, do you need assistance?" another Kumo shinobi asked as she approached.

Yugito wasn't unaware that a good number of her fellow shinobi were now all watching the scene, ready to jump in and assist at her command, but she also took note of the large number of civilians and tourists watching them, watching her. To the onlookers, it was an unsightly image. One of Kumo's jinchuuriki assaulting a poor civilian girl who just happened to be a cripple. Lord Raikage would just love this kind of publicity for his beloved village. This was going to bite her in the ass hard if she didn't fix it right now. "No. It's fine. Just a simple misunderstanding, that's all," she said, receiving a nod from the other ninja before all attention was swiftly pointed elsewhere.

With a deep sigh, Yugito walked over to Tayuya and kneeled in front of her, feeling no small amount of shame as the girl flinched away from her. She knew better than most what it felt like to be judged before getting to say your piece. How could she have done the same to this poor girl. "Here," she said gently, holding out the prosthetic. "I'm sorry."

Tayuya shook her head. "No. If it's just going to get me in trouble, then you keep it," she said, not looking the woman in the eyes.

"You aren't in trouble," Yugito assured her. "This is my fault. I should have given you a chance to explain. I'm sorry. I promise you won't be bothered about this for the rest of your stay in Kumo. You can put the genjutsu back on if you like."

Taking her arm back carefully, Tayuya reconnected it and wiggled her fingers. "What's the point. Everyone's seen now. Won't make any difference," she muttered. "Can I go now?"

Yugito pursed her lips. She wanted to believe this was all just a mistake, that Tayuya was what she appeared to be, but part of her just couldn't drop the feeling that something wasn't right. God help her if she was wrong. "No," she said. "I have some questions."

Tayuya glared up at the blonde pitifully. "Fine."

"Not here." Yugito offered her hand to Tayuya. "Come on. I owe you a meal at least. We can talk somewhere with less eyes."

Somewhere in the wiser parts of Tayuya's mind, she knew that accepting such an offer was a mistake. Never let an abductor take you to a second location and whatever else people would tell young girls. But she wasn't technically being abducted, yet, and she had a ruse to maintain, so what harm could it really do. There was always the failsafe she had from Naruto if things got too out of hand, so the risk was minimal at best.

"Okay."

No one would ever know anyway, and free food was free food.


Konan watched with a blank face as Tayuya followed the blonde Kumo-nin. If it weren't for the fact that she knew the redhead could take care of herself, she might have intervened and gotten the two of them out of there. Now, however, Tayuya was on her own, as was Konan. That suited her just fine. Babysitting wasn't her forte anyway. If things got out of hand, both of them still had access to the failsafe hiraishin seal given to them by Naruto. Actually, assuming Tayuya could maintain the ruse of being an innocent civilian, her situation could work in their favour. Naruto had voiced his intentions to keep Kumo on their good side for the time being, so developing some report with its shinobi was a good start. Not that Konan thought for a second that such a thing was Tayuya's intentions at the time. The girl had a weird way of just being in the right place at the right time, much to her own chagrin.

Dispersing along with the small crowd of onlookers, Konan made her way back towards the heart of Kumo. She was being followed, much as Tayuya had been. A simple formality of being allowed within the village walls. It was just unfortunate that they had so hilariously underestimated her. They had checked her for weapons, of which she didn't need, and they had assessed her chakra, that had been easily concealed via the use of seals. Overall, the security of this supposed great shinobi village left a lot to be desired. Perhaps the recent time of peace had affected Kumo more than they would have liked to admit, save for the simple show of numbers.

As she continued on her way, she made a point to stick to main paths and roads, venturing into several stores and random places so as to appear as nothing more than a simple visitor. In a way, Konan enjoyed the simple task. Being able to see the peacefulness maintained within a village, even as isolated and fragile as it may be, reminded her that the world wasn't always a bad place full of war and death. She had spent too long in Ame, fighting endlessly and striving for peace which the country would likely never know. Getting out in the world had been good for her. Too bad none of this was made to last. The peace of the shinobi villages was suspended on strings pulled so tight that anything could set them off now. For example, a rogue shinobi infiltrating the headquarters of the Raikage.

Konan almost smiled at the idea. Naruto had not given her express permission to go and cause any upset within Kumo, however he didn't specify that her methods for completing her task were restricted in any form. It wasn't like he would get mad at her anyway. His sense of humour would see the funny side of it. Going off course, she made her way towards the base of the mountain that housed the Raikage's… office? Konan wasn't sure what to call the giant structure. It was a massive blue coloured structure, taller than any other in the village, covered in massive windows as opposed to solid walls. It was a beautiful piece of art at the heart of the village, whilst also being a blatant show of strength. It offered no defensive qualities outside of being centred in the village, openly challenging anyone game enough to try and make a fool of them.

Challenge accepted.

"Excuse me, miss," a dark skinned Kumo shinobi said, appearing in front of her suddenly. Her previous tail. "This area is not available to the public. If you would please head back the way you came, you may continue as you were."

"Oh?" Konan said in feigned surprise, fishing her own guide brochure out from her bland grey cloak. "Why is that?"

"The area beyond is only accessible to shinobi. I'm sure you understand, not just anyone can go looking around," he said politely.

Konan tilted her head and pouted. "Well, then perhaps one of Kumo's prestigious shinobi could give me a guided tour?" she asked, her voice sending a shiver down the man's spine as she gazed deep into his eyes. "I bet I can make it… fun."

The man, to his credit as a shinobi, or against the credit of Konan's seduction skills, held firm and merely shook his head. "I'm sorry. But no exceptions. Please, turn around."

On the inside Konan could only shrug at her failed attempt. It was worth shot. She would have preferred to be closer to the Raikage's office before doing anything too overt, but this was good enough. "Such a shame," she said under her breath. Before the man could say anything else, a piece of paper peeled away from Konan's cloak and slapped itself over his mouth, silencing him. As he went for his sword, more paper sprung towards him and bound his hand. They were in a quiet area, Konan had made sure of that, so even as the man struggled to fight her paper, no one would see or notice. She decided against simply continuing on foot, and so as soon as the man lost consciousness, she gently rested him against a nearby building and retrieved her paper from him. The seal she was using to conceal her chakra was deactivated, and in impressive response time, she was surrounded.

"You will come with us," a Kumo Anbu said sternly.

Konan smiled at the woman. Being found out in the middle of a village was of no risk or concern for herself even without the failsafe. She was confident she could fight her way out of almost any of the five great village's if she absolutely had to. Today was not that day sadly. At least this way she could draw some attention away from Tayuya. If the girl was smart, she would get out during the ensuing commotion. "No," Konan said, her body suddenly losing form and collapsing into sheets of paper that drifted away with the wind, leaving the Anbu to scatter in response.


A grumbled to himself as he continued to lift the large dumbbell in his left hand, a small stack of papers clenched in his right. Physical fitness and health were of particular importance to the shinobi of Kumogakure, and he, as Raikage, fully embodied that. Actually, some would consider his devotion to be a little over the top, yet no one would dare question the results. He was a hulking man of immense size and build, with a figure that he didn't shy away from displaying as he roamed around freely without a shirt. Keeping that in mind, there were not many who were prepared to deal with a kage, who was intimidating enough to start with, while he kept himself busy lifting weights in their presence.

Mabui had no such issues. She had long since become accustomed to her leader's antics. A might have appeared large and scary, but Mabui had seen enough of the man to know at what times he was harmless. That included right now.

"So, that snake is finally dead," A said, putting the report down. "Good. That will save me from having to deal with him in the future. What of the Uchiha?" It was disturbingly common knowledge by now that the last loyal Uchiha of Konoha had abandoned his village to go run amuck with Orochimaru. Why the Hokage allowed such a thing was neither here nor there. For A, all that mattered was that another powerful clan was potentially up for grabs. Konoha was a fool to act so half-heartedly in regard to such things.

"He has not returned to Konoha," Mabui said. "We aren't sure of where he is, or where he intends to go, but it wouldn't be hard to track him down I imagine."

A nodded. "Put a team together. Extend an offer to the little welp," he said. "A bloodline like that shouldn't be left to wander so freely." Yes, an offer. He would give the Uchiha a chance to come peacefully. After that he would simply take matters into his own hands. Kumo had blundered its chances at obtaining the byakugan some years back, and he would be damned if he missed the opportunity to claim the Sharingan for his village. If Konoha weren't going to pick up their game, then all was fair.

Mabui bowed. "Of course, lord Raikage," she said. "And what of the intruders?"

"Have they still not done anything?" he asked, quirking an eyebrow at his assistant. That was disappointing. A had been hoping that the two women that had entered the village today were going to present him with something fun to do. It was the sole reason he was pumping weights in anticipation.

"No, my lord. Yugito is with the younger one now. Her presence here is apparently harmless in nature," Mabui explained. "The second woman, however…"

A looked at Mabui expectantly as the words died in her throat. That wasn't like her at all. "Spit it out then," he said.

"She is right behind you," Mabui said with a surprising amount of professionalism and lack of surprise at the sight before her.

A's eyes widened slightly as he turned around to face the giant glass wall that let him overlook his beloved village, only to come face to face with the blank stare of a blue haired woman. Well, half of her at least. Only the top portion of the woman's torso was formed while the rest of her body was still floating around the air in sheets of paper. 'This is new,' he thought to himself, still not stopping in lifting his weights as he casually changed hands. "Can I help you?" he asked.

Konan quirked her brow at the man. She was expecting to have been attacked by now. This was good. Maybe the Raikage wasn't as unreasonable as his reputation made him out to be. Without a word she once again lost her form, the swarm of paper scurrying across the glass towards its edges before burrowing between the glass and the frame that held it. Slip by slip, the paper wiggled its way into the Raikage's office, until they hurriedly converged to a single point just in front of the Raikage's desk. By the time Konan had reformed, she was disappointed to find the Raikage and his assistant still standing there unphased and without any extra guards jumping to action.

"You were expecting me?" Konan asked curiously.

"I was expecting… something," A said in annoyance. "You have ten seconds to explain why you broke into my office before I tear you in half."

Konan didn't flinch at the threat. Seems Kumo's security wasn't as lacking as she thought. Hopefully Tayuya would figure out they had been made soon enough. "I'm here to give you a warning," she said, earning a hearty laugh from the man.

"Hah! So, you infiltrate my village, break into my office, all to threaten me?" he asked. "That is some death wish you have there." Had the whole situation not been so amusing to him, he would have already taken her head from her shoulders. He did find it funny that it was usually always the women who had the gall to pull such stunts. "Okay then, let me hear it. What village wants to try their turn at challenging me?"

"I represent no village," Konan said. She had discarded her Ame headband some time ago now. "Have you heard of Akatsuki?"

A rolled his eyes. "You're one of them? That ragtag group of self-important rogues. Figures."

"I was… but not anymore," she said. "I came here only to warn you of their plans. They intend to capture all the tailed beasts. Kumo has two. You should take efforts to ensure their safety."

"You came a long way for nothing," A said, finally dropping his dumbbell and cracking his neck, tiny spark of lightning arcing between his fingers. "Let me guess, that girl that came here earlier today. She's off trying to scout the village, maybe find my jinchuuriki herself?" It was the stupidest plan he had ever been insulted with the thought of.

Konan tilted her head curiously. "Girl?"

"Your accomplice," Mabui said. "The girl with red hair and a prosthetic arm."

"You mean the girl one of your shinobi assaulted earlier for using a genjutsu?" Konan asked, her face betraying nothing. "She isn't mine. Do as you see fit. But I would ask you to not ignore my warning. Akatsuki will be on the move to claim whatever jinchuuriki they can. Rumour has it your two jinchuuriki are exceptional. I hope for your sake those rumours hold true."

In the blink of an eye A covered the distance between them, leaping over his desk and slamming his fist straight into Konan's face. His own expression fell as the woman crumpled underneath his attack, exploding once more into parchment that filled the room in a storm. The irony of a kage being forced to fight literal paperwork was not lost on A or Mabui. Even as his lightning armour burnt through some of the sheets that ventured too close to the man, most still managed to slip back out between the frame of the window. In the chaos, neither sets of eyes noticed a single card sticking to the ceiling and melting perfectly into its surface, a seal glowing brightly for a moment before disappearing.

"Why is that window not properly sealed?" A asked with a deep frown.

Mabui sighed. "It would be if someone would stop breaking said window, then we wouldn't have needed to engineer it for a quick replacement," she said sternly, glaring at man who had the decency to avoid eye contact. "You've no one to blame but yourself."

A didn't dare argue. He knew better than to pick a verbal fight with Mabui… or a physical one for that matter. Something told him she would fight dirty. Staring out the window, he watched the swarm of paper go beyond the boundaries of the village. The idea of someone getting into Kumo didn't bother him. He had complete faith in the strength of his shinobi and his people. Anyone stupid enough to have walked so boldly into an open maw deserved to be destroyed swiftly. What did concern A, more so than a rogue ninja waltzing into his office, was the thought of someone, anyone, targeting his jinchuuriki. Yugito and B were not just Kumogakure's weapons, they were as good as family, and any threat against them was a threat to the whole village.

"Mabui, I want teams attached to B and Yugito at all times for the time being," A said sternly. "They do not leave the village without my say so, and not by themselves under any circumstances. Until we verify that woman's warning, Akatsuki are to be treated as hostiles on sight."

Mabui nodded and quickly left to see her lord's orders be put into action, leaving A to his thoughts. He knew that mercenary group was bad news, and the fact that he knew that Iwa was utilising them was also unsettling. Still, there wasn't a doubt in his mind that Kumo would come out on top of whatever storm was brewing in the elemental nations. A, like his predecessors, had never once let himself or his village fall into a false sense of security and peace. No, they were ready for anything that might rear its head in their direction, he was sure of it.

BBBBBBB

Following Yugito had been a mistake. That much had become clear to Tayuya by now. The woman herself was rather pleasant, polite even as they found a quiet spot to sit down for lunch. What Tayuya wasn't expecting was for the two of them to be joined so quickly by a team of Kumo-nin. Tayuya was fully prepared to maintain her meek vulnerable act for Yugito, which had been working a treat so far, but to hold the façade for the whole group was already grating on her nerves. The only plus side to the situation was the free food and drinks. Kumo was a weird place full of weird people, but Tayuya couldn't fault them on their food. It was worth the headache.

"So, Tayuya, where did you learn how to cast genjutsu?" Yugito asked casually. It was a simple enough question given how they had met. By this stage, Yugito was completely aware of what had happened in the Raikage's office only minutes ago. The team that now accompanied them had managed to silently let her know what was happening, along with the suspicion still focused on Tayuya being involved. She was annoyed at being assigned babysitters, but she couldn't complain. All that mattered right now was figuring out if Tayuya was involved and in what way. A simple enough task.

"Oh, well, I always had a knack for it, I guess. Didn't know what it was until someone saw me and told me what I was doing," Tayuya said with a small amount of pride in her voice. Her natural talent in the ninja art was always something she liked about herself. Her face suddenly fell as she remembered what that talent had managed to get her involved with, who's attention it had caught. "I was trained… for a while. It didn't work out."

"Trained as a shinobi?" Samui asked bluntly. She was a tall fair-skinned woman with blonde hair and an eternally cold expression on her face from what Tayuya had seen. "By whom?"

"Suna?" Omoi, a dark-skinned young man with short spikey white hair, asked. "That would explain the puppet arm, and also the low level genjutsu. They are not a village known for producing many strong genjutsu users."

Tayuya's eye twitched. If only these idiots knew what she could truly do with genjutsu.

"How'd you lose the arm?" Karui, a dark-skinned, red-haired woman, asked suddenly. The collective group all gave her a pointed look in response. "What? It's a fair question."

"I stayed in Suna for a while after I lost my arm," Tayuya answered honestly, making a point to move said arm under the table shyly which didn't go unnoticed by those present. "They didn't train me in anything outside of how to use my prosthetic. As for how I lost it…" She rubbed her arm where the flesh ended and the wood began, wondering just what kind of heart tugging story she could whip up about how she lost her arm. The truth wouldn't have helped her, but maybe a half truth would offer some amusement. "…my boyfriend cut it off." The kumo-nin all gawked at her in silence and Tayuya had to fight the urge to laugh at their expressions.

"Your… boyfriend?" Karui asked, eyes wide and voice not quite rising to the occasion. "I hope you mean your ex-boyfriend."

"No. Current boyfriend," Tayuya said casually. Referring to Naruto as her boyfriend felt super weird and gross, not that she planned to stop. It was sort of… nice. "To be fair, we weren't together when he did it. He didn't even know who I was. But I can't really blame him. It was a tough situation. He did help me recover from it. Even paid for the prosthetic."

"That's sweet… in a messed up kinda way," Karui said with a disturbed look on her face.

"When was this exactly?" Samui asked. "Sunagakure had an incident with their jinchuuriki a few years ago. The village has been in a state of near lockdown ever since. That arm doesn't look very old."

Tayuya eyed the blonde woman in annoyance. 'Great. The cow is too cold to care about the sob story. Typical. And are those things even real?' she thought to herself, glancing down at the Kumo-nin's chest before regarding her own. Surely those would get in the way at times. They had to. "We got out before that, thankfully. But you're right, this arm is newer. The old lady that made it still sells me replacements as I've grown." Chiyo had been a pain in the ass, but she always came through when it came to Tayuya's arms.

"And your boyfriend," Yugito said, the word clearly not sitting well with her given the information she had to work with on the man. "Where is he?"

"Uhhh, I don't know," Tayuya said. As lame as that answer may have seemed, it was the truth. She didn't have a clue where Naruto was at the moment. He had run off with Guren to do something, leaving Konan, Jugo, and herself to venture all the way up here to Kumo. Tayuya was used to him disappearing at random times now. He always came back, usually in some beaten and bruised state, or the more often than not manically cheerful. It wasn't as if she was worried. Okay, maybe sometimes she worried, but he would never know. "I'll meet back up with him somewhere along the way." With a shrug she went back to her food, ignoring the less than pleased expressions on the kumo squad's faces.

"So, you are not a shinobi, and yet you have talent in Genjutsu, were permitted to use the coveted puppet arts from Suna, and claim to have been trained for a time by someone you will not name," Samui rattled off, her eyes burning a hole into Tayuya's head. "That all seems… too convenient."

Yugito sighed deeply and rubbed her eyes. There went any idea of playing it nice. Samui was an exceptional shinobi, but god she could learn some tact. If Tayuya really was just a curiously talented civilian traveller, then the last thing the shinobi of a village should be doing was interrogating them on nothing more than suspicion. Too late for that now. "Look, I want to give you the benefit of the doubt here," Yugito said softly to Tayuya, getting the redheads full attention. "But you came to our village, used a genjutsu within our walls, have a prosthetic from a village that we are not allies with, and our sensors pinged you as having surprisingly strong chakra despite whatever you're doing to conceal it. We are just doing our job, so help us help you and give us a good explanation for all of that, and we can all go back to our lives."

Tayuya grinned nervously under the eyes of the four kumo-nin. "Oh…" she said. She was screwed. Why did she even agree to come here in the first place. It wasn't like Konan could have literally done everything herself. The former Akatsuki member was a one-woman army for fuck sakes. "My chakra is sealed."

"Say what now?" Karui asked.

"Yeah, you know, with the fancy drawing ninja stuff," Tayuya said, pulling the collar of her shirt down to show a small seal just under her collarbone.

"Fuinjutsu," Samui said, sharing a strange look with Yugito.

Tayuya nodded and smiled. "That's the one."

"Why?" Yugito asked. "Did someone force that on you? We can remove it if that…"

"No!" Tayuya said sharply, pulling her shirt back up quickly. "Sorry, I just… I need it." Looking around at the varying looks she was now receiving, she tried to shrink back into her seat a little before looking pleadingly towards Yugito. She seemed to be the more sympathetic of the group. In other words, she was the sucker. All Tayuya had to do was get her on her side and she could get out of this mess and never come back. "If I tell you the truth, do you promise you'll let me go?"

Yugito gave the team accompanying them a hard look that let them know to keep out of things. She turned back to Tayuya with a sincere smile and nodded. "As long as you aren't a threat to Kumo, we have no reason to keep you here," she said.

Tayuya took a deep breath. There was no missing the underlying meaning to Yugito's words. If she couldn't convince them that she wasn't a threat, then she was stuck here. This was going to suck, but she had to sell the act now and she had to sell it hard. She did have people to get back to after all. "Do you know who Orochimaru is?" she asked meekly, receiving a nod. "That's who trained me. At least, I thought it was training. I was just another one of his experiments. I thought I was going to be an awesome ninja, kicking ass, taking names. I was a kid. Just a stupid kid. He took things… things I'll never get back. And the moment I was too weak to be of use, he got rid of me."

"Like, as in belongings or something?" Omoi asked curiously, not noticing the pointed looks from his female comrades. Losing things you liked sucked, but it wasn't that bad.

Without a word Tayuya lifted her shirt slightly, much to the horror of the kunoichi present. While her body had accepted and fully incorporated the organs Orochimaru had transplanted into her, she didn't have the regeneration of a jinchuuriki or anything of the like to avoid the scars left from such procedures. That wasn't to say it left her a horrific mess. Her body was still rocking in her own opinion, and Naruto's too if the way he looked at her was any indication. She just had a few scars that clearly weren't earnt in a fight. The look on Samui's face in particular was worth remembering. Having that cold bitch finally crack was worth the bullshit of having to pretend to be weak.

Yugito, Samui, and Karui all shared a look. Everyone had heard of Orochimaru and his inhumane experiments, but not many from Kumo had seen the outcome or effects of such acts, nor met anyone who had survived. It was a jarring realisation that such horror stories were in fact not as farfetched as many would have assumed.

"I wanted to be a ninja," Tayuya said sadly, lowering her shirt back down. "But after everything he did, I never will be. That's what the medics in Suna said anyway. So, the seal stays. It keeps me grounded. Reminds me of what I am now. Just plain old Tayuya." Blinking away the tears that threatened to escape her eyes, she levelled a hard stare at Yugito. "Does that answer your question?"

Yugito was silent for a moment, watching Tayuya intensely. She was waiting for the girl to slip up, for this whole sob story to be an act, for lord Raikage's suspicions to be justified. The longer she stared the more she doubted her initial thoughts, until she came to a conclusion. Tayuya wasn't a threat. She was just a broken girl. A girl that had been dealt the harshest hand at life courtesy of the shinobi world and was now being scrutinised by more shinobi just for trying to live her life. Yugito had never felt a more emotional kick in the guts. Kumo was a strong war ready village, but they weren't meant to be monsters. Above all else, kindness within their own walls was to be what they strived for. This wasn't kindness.

"Leave," Yugito said, gesturing to the team sent to watch over her. They could do their mission from a distance. Her tone didn't leave room for argument, not that Samui would have tried given what they had heard from Tayuya. The three bid a polite farewell before retreating to a save distance. "I'm sorry. I really am. You shouldn't need to explain yourself like that, to relive those memories. We are just very cautious about people who enter our village. I hope you understand."

Tayuya smiled. "It's okay. I understand," she said. "And thank you. You know, for not being mean about it. I know you didn't have to be this cool with everything."

Yugito mirrored the girl's expression. "I need to head off now," she said. "Please, continue to enjoy your time in Kumo. I will make sure no one bothers you again."

"Hey, uh… maybe we could hang out some time?" Tayuya asked awkwardly, catching the blonde kunoichi off guard. "You seem cool, and I don't know anyone here. You could show me some stuff about Kumo and… no. Sorry. Stupid idea. You're busy and…"

"No," Yugito interrupted quicky. It was not every day that someone invited her to 'hang out' so to speak. Not many in Kumo hated the jinchuuriki but friends were still hard to come by when you spent your life training to be the perfect weapon. "It's fine. I'd love to. I'll just have to check when I am free. I can find you later if you're still in the village. Is that okay?"

Tayuya grinned and nodded. "Riiight. Ninja stuff," she said, winking knowingly at Yugito.

Yugito chuckled and shook her head at the girl before biding her farewell and leaving. Tayuya waited a few minutes before allowing her expression to fall, now confident she wasn't being watched like a hawk. Curse this place for making her go through that. If the food wasn't so good, and free, she would have thrown up on principal. Somewhere in the afterlife, Tayuya just knew that her old team were laughing at her misfortune. Those bastards couldn't even pay to see her act all sweet and vulnerable, and yet these Kumo assholes got it for nothing. Thank whatever deity was still watching over her that Naruto hadn't seen any of that, or worse, Guren.

Oh well, it was worth it in the end. It may have taken Tayuya a little longer than it should have, a fact she would chalk up to her own chakra being sealed, but there was no doubt about it now. Yugito was definitely one of Kumo's jinchuuriki. She could sense the same dark chakra dwelling inside Yugito that she had come to associate with Naruto, albeit in a much lesser amount. Sometimes she forgot just what the Kyuubi was supposed to be, what it represented. It was hard to remember that the fox was the most powerful and dangerous creature in existence when it was locked up inside a goofy idiot like Naruto. That aside, at least now Tayuya had some good intel to bring back to the group, as well as a good cover within kumo. As much as she loathed the art of infiltration, Tayuya was starting to wonder if it was her calling. She sure could lie with the best of them.


"What are we doing out here?" Guren asked.

They had been walking for hours now. Obviously, whatever they were doing wasn't a time sensitive issue otherwise Naruto would have teleported them somewhere closer. Still, Guren hoped there was a good reason for all this walking. As annoying as it may have been to be left in the dark about most things, it would be much more annoying to be strung along pointlessly for the jinchuuriki's amusement.

"Walking," Naruto answered simply.

"Where to?"

"Nowhere really."

"Why?"

"Just to be sure."

Guren stopped walking, prompting Naruto to do the same as she glared at him. "To be sure of what?" she asked. "You know I don't like games."

Naruto grinned. "I know," he said. "But on the plus side, you passed."

"Passed?"

"Yep," Naruto said cheerfully. "If you were going to stab me in the back, this would have been the perfect opportunity. You didn't, so you pass. Wanna know what you get as a reward?"

Guren could only narrow her eyes at the young man. The thought had crossed her mind, several times in fact. This was the first time she had ever been alone with Naruto since she had been sent to watch him. Naruto was a fool at times, and naïve, but he wasn't outright stupid. Orochimaru had been clear that the only target was the jinchuuriki, so it wasn't as if Guren could have presented a threat to anyone else without jeopardising her mission. Not that she could have done much to them anyway. Jugo was… Jugo. Even if the boy had abandoned Orochimaru at the first chance, Guren doubted she could kill him if it came down to it. And Konan was outright terrifying at the best of times. The only option she had was to go after Naruto directly, if the opportunity arose, or silence the loose end that was Tayuya. That thought had also crossed her mind several times, followed quickly by the realisation of how suicidal it would be. Naruto would have killed her for that even before the two had become an item. Now, Guren wasn't sure there would be anything that could stand between Naruto and his revenge should such a goal ever form in his mind.

It had become obvious very early on that Guren could do little more than sit back and watch, reporting what she could to Orochimaru. Even if that turned out to be pointless. She was never let in on any vital information until it was already too late to be of use to her lord. Then Orochimaru died and everything became much… simpler. There was nowhere to go, nothing to return to. Guren didn't have a home, a people, anything. All she could do was follow along like a lost puppy and hope she wasn't killed. So far, that had worked out. She tried to make herself useful, to find a place among the small group in some way, the way she had when first brought under Orochimaru's care. But Naruto wasn't like Orochimaru. That much was clear. Her fears of being cast aside were growing each day.

"I thought about it," Guren said honestly. It was probably best to not lie straight to his face.

Naruto's smile never fell. "I know," he said. "You kept eyeing my vital points. Kind of obvious. But you didn't, and that's what really matters."

"Why am I still alive?" she asked defeatedly.

"Because everyone deserves a chance," Naruto told her, gesturing for her to continue walking with him.

Guren went back to following him, her brow furrowed in annoyance. "You shouldn't trust me."

"Trust me, Tayuya has been very vocal about that point. But I'm in a good mood, and you seem a little conflicted, so I'm gonna give you a choice," he said. "Know where we are?"

Guren took a moment and thought about where they had started their journey and what direction they had been walking before realisation set in. "We are heading towards Konoha," she said. "Why?"

Naruto shrugged. "Nothing special. Someone wants to talk to me about something. Not in Konoha obviously, but there is something that I'd like you to do if you're up for it. Assuming you make the right choice that is."

Guren hated vagueness. She didn't say anything though. It was clear that Naruto wasn't going to spell it out for her. Figuring it out would likely be half of this little 'test' he was conducting with her. They remained in silence as they continued to walk until they came upon a clearing and waited. Whoever they were supposed to be meeting out here clearly didn't care about being so close to Konoha, even with the current reputation circulating the village. After the absolute chaos brought upon them at Naruto's hands, they had gone into a locked down state not too dissimilar to Suna. Outside of the continued missions being handled by their shinobi, and their participation in the occasional chunin exams, Konoha had been a sleeping giant. No one knew what was happening within its walls anymore, and those that got too close to try and find out never came back. Hell, no one even knew who the new Hokage was yet.

"I see you've kept yourself in good health, Naruto," a voice, all too familiar to Guren, said. "And Guren, what a pleasure to see you are well."

'Oh great. The kiss-ass,' Guren thought to herself, turning to glare at Kabuto as he entered the clearing. How was he even still alive? She turned to look at Naruto questioningly, getting only a nod to say that this was in fact the person they were here to see. Brilliant.

"This had better be good," a second voice, much harsher and gravellier said irritably. "I have better things to spend my time with."

Guren didn't know the second man, but his very presence put her on edge, as did his clothing. A black cloak with red clouds. Naruto was meeting with Akatsuki? What was going on?

"Ah, Kabuto. I was wondering where you would scurry off to after Orochimaru kicked it," Naruto said. "Never thought you'd end up under Sasori."

Kabuto bowed to the jinchuuriki. "I was already one of master Sasori's spies before my employ under Orochimaru. With my mission there concluded, it only made sense to return to my true master."

Sasori chuckled as he shuffled forward. "A hollow and meaningless loyalty, but loyalty none the less," he said, stopping as he stood before Naruto. "You've been a busy little fox. I hope Kirigakure was as fruitful a venture as you thought it to be."

Naruto grinned. "You know it," he said, quickly producing a sealing scroll and holding it out to the hunched over man. "These are some of the bodies we were able to collect, both from Orochimaru's labs, as well as other places. All hold their own secrets and value. But I don't need to tell you that. If anyone can crack the hidden potential of a corpse, it's you." Kiri would have preferred to burn the bodies of their own that had tried to act against the new Mizukage. Had they cleaned up their own mess, they would have been free to do just that. Naruto wasn't so quick to discard of valuable material, especially when he got to it first.

Sasori would have been grateful to the bandana that hid his mouth from view, lest he been seen salivating at the gift he was receiving. Thankfully he couldn't salivate anymore. The only sign of his joy was a strange rattling sound coming from underneath his cloak. "You sure know how to drive a hard bargain. A shame you were not born of Sunagakure. Such ruthlessness would have been worthy of high praise," he said, reaching out and stashing the scroll beneath his cloak. "I take it you have a request. Name your price."

"I need someone in Konoha," Naruto said bluntly.

"Don't we all," Sasori grumbled. The once open and arrogant village had been simple enough to spy on in the past, but recent times showed just how intense their security measures could get. What few sleeper agents Sasori had in Konoha had all been silenced some years ago. Not that it mattered to him. Time would take its toll, security would develop holes, and he would still be here waiting to take advantage. Bodies were easy enough to come by after all. Eyeing Guren curiously, Sasori hummed in understanding. "That explains why you had me bring Kabuto along."

Kabuto perked up at the mention. "I'm honoured that I was thought of for such an important task, but I am afraid I will be of no such use," he said sombrely. "My cover within Konoha was blown while under order from Orochimaru. Infiltrating the village as it is now, is simply beyond my abilities."

Naruto's grin took on a more predatory look as he eyed the bespectacled young man. "I think you'll be more useful than you think," he said, earning an amused chuckle from Sasori and a perplexed one from Guren.

"I… don't understand," Kabuto said, fighting the sudden urge to run for his life. So long as he continued to play the part as Sasori's loyal agent then he was safe. He was too valuable to be disposed of, right? Wrong. He realised that a moment too late as the sharp pain shot through his leg before he jumped back, watching as Sasori's long segmented tail of bladed steel retracted back under his cloak. "M-master Sasori!" he said in disbelief, clutching at the cut on his leg. He sucked his teeth as he could already feel the potent poison of the puppet master working its magic. Why? He was sure he hadn't given himself away, so it must have been something else.

Sasori watched the expressions on Kabuto's face go through the motions. Starting with shock, feigning betrayal and a lack of understanding, until eventually it boiled down to a cold stare. Sasori wasn't stupid, and he knew Kabuto was smart enough to know what was happening. Still, watching his former agent try and figure out where he had failed his ruse was quite amusing. "You didn't think I wouldn't know of your treachery?" he asked insultingly. To think someone thought they could get one over him. The only person who he would concede to in the world of spying was Jiraiya.

"How?" Kabuto seethed.

Naruto raised his hand childishly. "Yeah, that was my bad," he said. "Surprising how much you can learn once you start breaking the minds of some of Danzo's Anbu. If it's any consolation, at least I kept Konan from going after you the moment she found out." Sometimes it did worry those that knew her just how determined Konan was on killing and destroying anything that had Danzo's stench on it. There used to be a really nice mountain top on the outskirts of the land of fire that simply did not exist anymore, and that wasn't even an actual base. To think she called that incident 'practice'.

Kabuto glared at the blonde as he kept his distance. His body was already hard at work fighting back Sasori's poison. He knew trying to fight any of the three before him would be pointless. Guren was the only one he was confident he could take, though not until he had time to cleanse his system. He wasn't as confident as he'd like to be in this situation. A betting man Kabuto was not. Without a word, he took off, leaving the three behind him as he raced towards Konoha. It was close enough that he could make it, and being captured by them was better than the alternative. Being turned into a puppet was out of the question, as was whatever Naruto had planned for him.

Sasori watched as Kabuto fled and turned to Naruto. "My poison won't be able to put him down properly, but I'm not catching him for you. You want him, you get him," he said.

"Guren," Naruto said sternly.

Guren felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end. Naruto's command didn't need to be said. She wasn't sure if this was the choice, to chase down a former ally on Naruto's behalf, or prove that her loyalty wasn't strong enough. Despite this lack of clarity, Guren found herself leaping off after Kabuto without hesitation. Her previous loyalty had been to Orochimaru, and only him. Kabuto was nothing to her. Her new loyalty was to Naruto, and she was finally being given a chance to prove herself worthy. Guren would not fail to prove herself. She had done that too many times in her life. Never again. She picked up her speed as two crystal kunai formed in each hand. Kabuto would not get far at all.

Naruto and Sasori simply remained where they were. The outcome of that little chase neither bothered nor effected the Akatsuki member, and Naruto was also not holding out hope on the off chance Guren failed. Kabuto was a thorn that needed to be trimmed early, anyone with half a mind could see that with enough intel on the medic-nin. As such, they turned their attention back to each other. Naruto had paid his part of their deal, more so than even Sasori could have expected, leaving the puppet master to return the gesture. Bringing Kabuto here was part of it yes, though not nearly enough to make up for the value contained within the scroll he had been given.

"Akatsuki are on the move again," Sasori said. "We are being tasked with collecting the bijuu assigned to us. No set timetable. The two of Iwagakure have already been captured and extracted. A team has been sent to Takigakure to collect the Nanabi jinchuuriki as we speak."

"I know," Naruto said glumly. Not so much about the two jinchuuriki that had already fallen, just more so about Akatsuki being back in action. Konan had warned him of such. It was a humbling feeling to learn the fate of his fellow jinchuuriki, but not enough to make him stop and wallow. He hadn't known them, and likely never would have given their affiliation. Iwa was on its own as far as he was concerned. Still, that was two out of nine already gone, and without knowing how powerful those two had been to start with, it didn't leave a pretty picture for the rest of them. "And you?"

Sasori grumbled under his breath. Something about an insult to art. "Me and my partner are being tasked with the Ichibi," he said. "For obvious reasons, I am the best suited to infiltrate Sunagakure, and my companion possesses a unique skillset that would prove most useful against the village."

Naruto pursed his lips. He had stayed in touch with Temari enough to know that she was extremely powerful and proficient with her new jinchuuriki status, but no one would be prepared enough to go head-to-head with two Akatsuki members and walk out on top, especially when Sasori made the home field advantage moot. "Who's your partner?" he asked. He couldn't get rid of Sasori yet, not that he thought he needed to in the first place. Sasori's partner however was a nobody to him, and if Naruto had it his way, he would be nothing more than a body before he got a chance to move on Suna. There were no delusions in Naruto's mind to think he could sway Sasori to abandon his mission. The best he could do was even the playing field for Temari.

"His name is Deidara," Sasori said, producing his own scroll and handing it to Naruto. "This is all the information that I have amassed on the current members of Akatsuki. It is not much, but I dare say it is more than what information Konan had from her time. Do with it what you will."

Taking the scroll and staring at it suspiciously, Naruto narrowed his eyes at Sasori. "This isn't what we agreed to," he said. Sasori was only supposed to tell him which of the remaining jinchuuriki was next on the hit list. He had not traded nearly enough valuable corpses for the puppet master to so casually hand over so much intel. Something was up.

Sasori huffed. "Our little arrangement has been beneficial to me, but it is time for such things to come to an end," he said. "Consider this a parting gift. My loyalty to Akatsuki has run its course, and this mission to hunt the Ichibi will be my last, one way or another."

"What will you do from here?" Naruto asked.

"Who knows. Art that lasts can take so many forms. Perhaps, should Suna remain intact after my visit, I will see what has become of my old home," Sasori said. "There may yet be something worth salvaging from there before it is lost to the desert."

"Ah, well, it's a shame, but I understand. Tayuya will be a little miffed. She was excited to show you her arsenal and get some feedback."

Sasori's body clicked and rattled with some semblance of excitement at the mention of the former Oto-nin. "That girl has a mind destined for great things," he said. He had offered some assistance to the girl in the past with her prosthetic, but Tayuya had long since taken off with her own special brand of puppet engineering. Some of her creations and ideas had left the puppet master impressed. Her combination of delicacy and pure unbridled chaos was a form of art in and of itself. When Tayuya died, Sasori would see to collecting her body personally, out of respect for a fellow creator, and also out of fear of what the world would do with some of her designs. "Do extend my farewell to Tayuya and Konan. This has been good business. The future may yet hold more opportunities for us to cross paths."

Naruto waved lazily to the man as he sauntered off in the direction Guren had run. "I won't keep you. Look after yourself, Sasori," he said, leaving his now former ally to go about his business. Surely Guren would have caught Kabuto by now.


Tayuya continued to mutter obscenities under her breath as she trudged her way up the mountain. Konan had chosen to set up their base far from Kumo, much to the redhead's annoyance. Had she not needed to keep her chakra sealed until she was sure she was safely away from prying eyes then it wouldn't have been so much of a problem. Alas, she did, and it was. Walking up a mountain like a civilian was bullshit. How did the normies live with themselves, honestly.

"Next time, I'm choosing the base location, and it's gonna be smack bang in the middle of everyone's shit," she said to herself. She knew she should have just rented a hotel back in Kumo and dealt with being watched the whole time.

"Hello, Tayuya. I'm glad you made it back safe."

Tayuya turned to Jugo with a questioning look. The giant young man had managed to find a place walking beside her without her sensing him. Curse that senjutsu crap. "Hey Doorbell," she greeted. "What's up?"

Jugo smiled at Tayuya, thankful that the girl had refrained from her usual loud and colourful language in his presence. It tended to scare away the birds that often perched on his shoulders, and the two of them had come to an understanding of sorts. "Nothing exciting. Konan returned some time ago. The Raikage was less than willing to hear out an uninvited guest, but she got the message across I believe."

"Figures," Tayuya muttered. She liked Konan well enough, but she would have preferred to have avoided going so deep into character on this little venture. The former Akatsuki woman's actions hadn't left her with many options. Oh well. "Anyone following?"

Jugo stopped and closed his eyes for a moment. From here he could feel everything on the mountain, and under it. His sensory abilities were impressive under normal conditions, but up here he it was broken. He doubted there would be any chance of something getting past his senses on the mountain, not even Naruto or Konan. "No. You're clear," he answered, returning to their earlier pace.

"That's a good doorbell," Tayuya said with a smirk, patting the boy on his back. "Has Naruto caught up yet?"

"Not yet," he said with a frown. While Jugo knew firsthand that Naruto could take care of himself, he still wished he could have tagged along. He didn't trust Guren to give her life for Naruto like he would. "How was Kumo? Konan said you had an interesting time."

Tayuya snorted. "Yeah, fuckers nearly caught me because of my arm," she said, glaring at the plain wooden limb. She couldn't wait to get her gear back and put a proper arm on. She needed to feel the comfort of having a blade tucked away in her person. "Had to give them the full sob story to get them off my ass. Lucky for me they are a bunch of bleeding hearts. Lapped it up like good little mutts. Even their jinchuuriki was there. You should see her. Tall, blonde, pretty. Shithead is gonna have to do a double take when he sees her for the first time." She cackled at the thought of Naruto tripping over himself. Not that she would blame him. Yugito was hot; no debate there.

Jugo shook his head. "You need to find a better term of endearment for Naruto. It is rude to refer to your significant other by such an insult."

"Hey, when he tells me to stop, I'll stop. Promise. But until then, no," she said, crossing her arms. "Besides, he likes it."

"Of course. Because you have such a good track record of doing what he tells you to do… outside of the bedroom." The knowing expression on Jugo's face was enough to make Tayuya blush brightly and stare at the boy in horror. It would be such a wasted opportunity to not continue. "Remember when I told you that I can sense everything. I do mean everything. Sometimes Naruto forgets to activate the seals that close off your room to my senses. At least I know I have nothing to worry about concerning your loyalty to Naruto. You do show such intense devotion to him."

Tayuya blinked before levelling a smug smirk at Jugo. "Hah, nice one. Like I care what you know," she said, turning her nose up and picking up her pace. She could respect a good dig at her expense, especially from Jugo. The guy really needed to learn some more social skills. "You, uh… you didn't actually sense anything like that, did you?"

Jugo held his chin his thought. "Only a handful of times," he said innocently. "I must admit, the first time I sensed it, I thought the two of you were fighting. I didn't know such an act could be so… rough."

Tayuya continued to walk ahead of the boy, thankful for that fact as she refused to look back at him and show the colour of her face. "Oh, yeah, that. Don't worry, you'll understand someday. Next time we are in a quiet village I'll see if I can't hook you up with some cutie." Why God, why? Had she not suffered enough today. Was her embarrassment truly that entertaining to the universe? Well, even if it was, Naruto was going to learn the hard way to never 'forget' about their little privacy seals ever again. That idiot.

Jugo chuckled quietly to himself as he followed Tayuya. Maybe he should have kept such information to himself. At least Tayuya was taking it in stride. Her offer to help him find a girl to experience such things was something that stuck with him though. Before, he would never have thought of being intimate with anyone, lest his power flare its ugly head. Now, however, with his power under control, he had a chance to live a semi normal life. With the enhanced strength of his sage mode, he would still need to be careful, but he was reassured from what he had sensed of Naruto's and Tayuya's activities that he didn't need to worry too much. Apparently, women were far harder to break than he would have assumed.

Unbeknownst to the two rogues', a pair of cat-slitted eyes watched on from a distance, not losing sight of them until they disappeared into a hidden passage in the mountain side. Yugito could feel the disappointment welling up inside of her. She had truly wanted to believe that Tayuya was who she said she was, but now she knew better. There was no way to confirm if the redhead was a threat, but she was a liar at the very least. It was a real shame. Yugito quite liked the girl. Tayuya had been polite, kind, and her story was one that made Yugito want to crush her in a hug. All a well-constructed act, but for what purpose Yugito didn't yet know.

With a sigh she began her retreat. It was a good thing that boy with Tayuya wasn't a very good sensor otherwise she would have been found out. At least this way she held all the cards. Yugito would report her finding to A, but she would request to keep it quiet for the moment. She hadn't felt any hostility from Tayuya, and neither had Matatabi. With a little time, and from her vantage point of knowing she was being played, perhaps Yugito could figure out just what it was Tayuya and her friends were up to and stop them if necessary. She sorely wanted it to be something that could be sorted out peacefully. Killing the girl would leave a bad taste in the jinchuuriki's mouth, but she wouldn't hesitate if it came to it.

So focussed on getting back to report to the Raikage was Yugito that she didn't notice a piece of paper peeling itself from a tree as she passed by and folding itself into a small bird that took flight after her. Konan could only smile as she walked out from behind a tree and gazed off in the direction Yugito had retreated to. Today had been quite a rewarding day after all. Naruto would be pleased.


A/N:

Another chapter and more stuff in the words. Always wanted to play around with the idea of a ninja actually trying to deceive people, and so that's what Tayuya is doing. Sorry if that's a little boring or weird but I'm had too much fun. Obviously, the focus will be on Kumo for a little. Want to see what I can come up with regarding Yugito since she wasn't fleshed out much in canon.

So, onto the bad news. A fair few of you want this story to become a harem story. This will not be happening. The whole Naru/Temari thing was good fun but that's it. I'm sorry, but I just have no interest in my version of Naruto getting involved in that sort of thing. Maybe one day I'll write a harem story, who knows. It just isn't this one.

As usual, I still refuse to make plans for this story, or anything else I write. Consider yourselves warned. I'm flying by the seat of my pants with this and anything could happen from here.

Any and all reviews are greatly appreciated. The support I'm still getting for this story had been amazing, so thank you all. I am curious if anyone would be interested in me adding some purely humour focused 'Omake' at the end of my chapters, so let me know about that.

Till next time guys.

Soul out.