Chapter 77: Hanging on

Some chaos had been expected as she ran through the streets. But this explosion had clearly overcome her expectations. The screams and yells could be heard streets away from the place Kagome could feel the demonic presence of the Kyuubi. Empty prayers circled her mind, only for her to force them to stop as she landed on top of one of the adjacent rooftops.

The scene in front of her was almost the one she predicted; the girl didn't need to guess to imagine what created the mess that now risked the entirety of this unrelated, trading town. Sasuke's patience was thin under the best of circumstances, and when Naruto was involved, those circumstances were never any good. No matter how hard the Uchiha tried, he would've never been able to not throw a punch once the blond decided to be stubborn. Who was one to start the fight didn't matter. Not right now. So it wasn't surprising to spot the black markings of the cursed seal marring Sasuke's skin. And neither Suigetsu trying to get the onlookers back nor the two Konoha shinobis who'd rushed to the impromptu battlefield were unexpected sights. That wasn't what made her freeze as she tried to assess the situation...no. It was Naruto's wrapped appearance that forced her to stop.

Because it wasn't just chakra that surrounded her childhood friend.

Chakra alone would never manage to obtain that shade of crimson. That viscous texture that sported the ever-familiar hue of blood as it enveloped the prankster's form.

The energy coursing through Naruto's body was too much for him to handle. Behind the vibrant red, his skin had to have peeled off as the demonic chakra covered his form. And only four tails were out. If not for the sliver of his familiar aura buried underneath the Kyuubi's violent energy, Kagome probably wouldn't have been able to tell who was standing in front of Sasuke when she arrived at the mess that had once been a bar. The beast who'd stolen her best friend's shape cared not for the screams of the civilians trying to scramble away nor the yells Haruno kept letting out. Nor for the pain the medic felt as she tried to get too close, only to be pushed back by one of the swirling tails. A quick glance showed the unnamed shinobi joined Suigetsu in trying to force the civilians away from the immediate danger zone.

It wouldn't be enough.

Sasuke's stronger attacks had too wide a range, and the Kyuubi knew no restraint. Before long, the town would become a mass grave. Beside her, she felt Juugo and the so-called Yamato landing on the rooftop, taking in the scenery.

"What do you need?" Kagome couldn't force her eyes to leave the fight as she threw the question to the ANBU.

"Need?"

"What. Do. You. Need?" Stress bled through her voice. "Tsunade-sama wouldn't have assigned you to Naruto if you couldn't do anything to contain the Kyuubi. So what do you need?"

"...I need him to stay still for a bit...preferably away from all these people."

Slender fingers played with a senbon as she waved her left hand, sending Juugo to follow her previous orders. "Got it…do try to keep up."

Reiki pulsed through her grasp, enveloping the metal within her hold. The piercing eyes of the beast were on her before the senbon hit the ground in front of it., completely forgetting about its previous opponent. She was right. Jinchuurikis were attracted to it, or, at the very least, the monsters they kept locked inside were. Something to ponder at a later date when she wasn't about to enter the fray. For now, all she could be grateful for was how it allowed Juugo to rush in, tackle the Uchiha, and take him out of the battlefield. A bitter smile on her lips as she saw how Sasuke's movements grew sluggish and stopped.

He was going to bite her head off once he regained consciousness.

"It's quite rude to take over other people's bodies." Her voice too, fell on deaf ears. "Do give it back to its rightful owner."

Her ears rang.

The Kyuubi's roaring response was more than enough to give her an answer. If the demon was capable of intelligence, it didn't care for her words. Violent chakra gathered, thrown her way. Curses ran through her mind as one of the projectiles failed to scatter after clashing with her needles. Shimmering pink rose around her, the rest of the demonic energy fizzled out at first contact. But the Kyuubi was starting to move away. Trying to contain its attacks would drain her. Dispelling those was harder than dealing with Shuukaku's chakra. Remaining here wasn't a viable option.

"If you insist on playing, though…" The drug wouldn't knock Sasuke out for long. She had to end this quick. "Let's play tag!"

She was already running by the time her senbons hit the ground, the demonic energy lapping at her heels. The fox was fast, but she was still faster. Shock waves from the Kyuubi's chakra would leave some damage to the trading town left behind. Along with all of Konoha's team. Useless, completely and utterly useless, all of them. Burning through chakra to stay ahead wasn't a good plan. Naruto's body couldn't last much longer, and all the methods she'd searched for wouldn't be easy to pull off alone. The price to pay wouldn't be easy either. Decision made, Kagome cursed. That bunch of pathetic idiots better find their way here fast. Sasuke wouldn't patiently wait for her to go back to him.

Jumping down, she stopped dead in the middle of a small clearing. Her full stop barely gave her a second to breathe, the fox shooting past her before racing back. To the tailed beast, her reiki was a neon sign; hiding would never be an option. Even genjutsus could only hide her for little more than a heartbeat. Cursed bloodline, indeed.

Blood painted her lip as she rushed her bitten finger across a hurriedly chosen scroll. Fog covered the clearing, thick enough to obscure the fox's crimson chakra as it tried to launch an attack against her, the corrupted energy crashing against the stolen barriers. Cracks filled her ears, loud, strong. Reiki rose within her. Her shimmering barrier was barely up by the time the third shield violently shattered. It pushed against her. Gritting her teeth, Kagome sent more reiki to her hastily thrown jutsu. Three of the strongest barrier summons at Orochimaru's disposal, and Kagome wasn't sure they did anything to soften the blow. Reiki would have to suffice for attacks and defense; chakra would only be good to keep her speed up. And Konoha's dogs were still trying to catch up. Of, fucking, course.

"I'm sorry…" Truly, the girl wasn't sure who she was saying this to. "But you'll have to bear with a little more pain."

Keep up, she'd said, and then just vanished.

Speed was one of the skills Kakashi-senpai warned him about when debriefing him about the overall strengths the two rouge nins basted of. Out of the three original members of Team 7 Higurashi Kagome was by far the fastest. Chances that she'd neglected to work on it during the last three years were slim. After training with the traitorous Sannin, there was no way she hadn't grown faster. And still, Yamato could only silently curse when she disappeared, a raging jinchuuriki hot on her trail.

Frustration grew within him as he did his best to appraise the situation. Everything related to this secret mission was risky. They needed to strike a very delicate balance with only a handful of people they could rely on. Still, Tsunade-sama was right; the mess the Council created couldn't be ignored, so there was no choice but to act. Maybe it was that silent pressure had made them become careless, because the Higurashi girl had been right to get mad at him.

In order to negotiate with the girl alone, he wouldn't be able to monitor the Uchiha's movements. Kakashi warned them of the conflict-ridden friendship the two boys shared, even shared his fears that the vengeance-obsessed Sasuke could really come to hate Naruto after their fight at the Valley of the End. But the girl was the one in charge of their plans, and she'd clearly placed keeping their reputation clean in a high place within their priority list, so they took a gamble. Where the blond was easily excitable, they'd trusted the Uchiha would avoid direct confrontation as long as they remained in a populated area. Choosing to focus only on the girl as she was more likely to hear them out, they overlooked the fact that Uchiha Sasuke was no better at keeping his temper under control when it was Naruto on the other side of the verbal spar. And now, the balance was crumbling to pieces.

"Yamato-taicho!"

Sakura's voice was pained when she called out, and the ANBU didn't need to ask about the violent burn on her left arm. The young medic was failing to heal it. The pinkette was Tsunade-sama's apprentice; she was supposed to be talented enough that Godaime trusted her to jump onto the battlefield. But the wound refused to fade under the pale green of her healing chakra. The Kyuubi. She probably got too close to the fighting. One mistake after another.

Tense wasn't enough of a word to describe the jinchuuriki's relationship with his teammates, so he allowed them all to go on their own. A stupid decision. Since, now, he had one of his team members out of control, another injured, and the last...

Sai was nowhere to be found.

Yamato almost cursed out loud. Sai hadn't waited for his orders. The one person everyone agreed had to have been involved with the Uchiha disaster was Danzo. The man loved to boast control over everything and anything, and he was clearly attempting to influence the mission. He wouldn't have picked a regular shinobi to infiltrate this assignment, not when both the Uchiha and the Higurashi were almost extinct and powerful bloodlines. His preferred militaristic methods would sooner have the two teens killed, and Naruto forcefully contained if necessary. And Yamato just lost track of the man's personal agent.

"What is going on?!" Sakura's demand broke his self-deprecating thoughts.

"Higurashi is acting as bait." His explanation was dry, but there was no time to waste. "We need to catch up. Now!"

Confusion still danced within the kunoichi's eyes as she nodded. That could be dealt with later. Jiraiya-sama warned him how close to death he'd gotten when the boy got out of control before; if memory served right, it was one less than what the boy showed right now. There would be no guarantees about what would happen if the girl failed to stay ahead of him. Disaster wouldn't be enough to describe how that would end up. Not with how attached Naruto and Sasuke both remained to the girl, neither of them was likely to have subdued reactions. Rage and guilt would swallow the two of them, and nothing good would ever come out of it. Meaning he really had to hurry the hell up.

At least, there was no way to miss the path Naruto took. Silver linings, Yamato figured while racing through the destroyed forest.

Pointless as it may be, he could focus on the positives. After all, he'd managed to confirm that negotiating with the Higurashi heiress wasn't a dead end.

Drugging her partner wasn't an action he'd thought the girl would ever make, but it was still a logical decision. Fighting an out-of-control jinchuuriki was a big risk, so taking the Uchiha out of the line of fire was unsurprisingly a priority. If the young man was as stubborn as the files said, underhanded tactics like that were probably the only way o make a quick retreat. But that was it. There was no need for her to take on the role of bait and place herself in danger. Remaining on the battlefield would serve no purpose. Perhaps Sasuke was willing to cut all bonds, but the girl was not. Instead of using the chaos to follow after her partner, she'd stayed and led the Kyuubi away, all to help her childhood friend.

Yes, when it came to the girl, negotiations could still work. As long as they were careful with their promises, and Naruto remained persistent in his pursuit, they had a chance at reaching an agreement. If they could reach an agreement before any drastic measures were taken, public opinion could still be controlled, and things could go back to a relatively peaceful balance. So he had to hurry the hell up and stop the fight.

Three teenagers had the potential to change the entire political climate of the village, and he couldn't afford to lose even one of them.

In hindsight, fighting Gaara back during the Chuunin Exams truly hadn't been that bad.

Her control over reiki had been less than imprecise, her mastery over powerful jutsus beyond limited, her speed admittedly lacking. She hadn't been in a bad condition, but she'd also been far from top shape. Thanks to her fight with Neji (which she never got anything out of other than letting the Hyuuga hear too much of her genuine feelings), her chakra reserves hadn't been full either. Claiming she'd been unprepared to fight a jinchuuriki after less than a year as a genin would be an understatement. Especially when compared to her current situation, and yet, her odds had been better. For one, Sasuke had been with her, and the support from the Taishos was undeniably and firmly reliable. The few attacks she couldn't avoid by herself were redirected or stopped by any of them. For another, Gaara's ritual had been imperfect, and the Ichibi's power couldn't hold a candle to that of the Nine-Tailed Fox. Its sand crumbled away almost as soon as her reiki-covered needles touched them, a stark contrast to the balls of raw chakra the Kyuubi threw at her.

Besides all that, was the fact that her hands were effectively tied. All of her increased mastery barely made a difference when she couldn't freely attack without risking seriously harming her childhood friend. The fox's healing factor was beyond anything she'd seen, but Naruto's body was still human. Reiki already did some severe damage to a person's chakra network under normal circumstances, and she'd never tried to use her kekkei genkai against Naruto, so there was no baseline to fall back on…and the useless bunch that was meant to act as her backup still wasn't here.

If only Sasuke were…

No…

The Uchiha was way too volatile for him to provide proper support when it came to their childhood friend. Even if Naruto's anger hadn't been triggered by her stubbornly dense partner, he'd rather seriously hurt Naruto if the alternative was to let her get injured. It would be better for everyone for him to remain far from this fight.

Left!

Guided by instinct, Kagome jumped, gritting her teeth. Later. Figuring out how to deal with Sasuke's refusal to let go of unearned grudges was something she could do once she wasn't dodging lethal projectiles. Loud cracks of the forest falling all around her kept rising. Three senbons left her fingers. Not yet. Carelessness carried a heavy weight. Any injury could become the last tear that would forever shatter their bonds. Should she switch tactics? Their plans to deal with the Kyuubi would still work even if she had to act on them on her own. But that would leave her drained, and they were planning to walk into an ambush in less than a week. Waiting for her to recover would be a waste of time they could not afford. No. It wouldn't do.

Another crack. Another jump. Wires slid through her fingers.

The single aura of the pale teen who'd been pushing back the civilians, Sasuke's replacement, refused to move from the place he'd settled a few seconds ago. She couldn't place him. Not any more than she could place Yamato-san. Not an academy graduate, not a genin or a chuunin from their generation despite his apparent age. The less of her hand she showed, the better.

Right.

Nothing but a cesspool of corruption and incompetence, that's what Konoha was. Two needles pierced demonic chakra. Four dug into the ground. Out-of-control jinchuurikis truly resembled natural disasters. Intense, destructive, deathly…and completely blind. Obliterating anything and everything on their path.

"Higurashi!"

"About time you caught up," she glanced to the right; the ANBU wasn't hiding within the shadows. Reiki began to pool on the thin metal around her fingers. "Don't waste your break time!"

It only took a flick of her writs to lift the wire web.

Shrieks pierced the air, an attack of its own right. He didn't flinch. Instead, Sai's black eyes studied Higurashi Kagome's form. Intersecting arms kept the wires up, lifting the intricate pattern the girl had weaved on the ground via missed shots. Attempting to take a single step into the clearing was to beg for dismemberment. And yet, the jinchuuriki struggled against his bondage with all his limbs intact. Dull wires made for pointless weapons, but these were covered by soft pink. Reiki. This had to be it. Reinforcing the delicate weapon just enough, all while burning the jinchuuriki to stop him from actually touching the thin thread of metal. This was the reason behind the girl's worth.

"Whenever you feel like it." Tense words left her tongue as she glared at the new arrival. It couldn't be easy to keep that energy at the right balance to keep the web from breaking without drawing blood. "Feel free to move, shinobi-san."

"R-right!" Yamato jumped into action.

Wood sprouted from the ground, wrapping around the stupid blond. A kekkei genkai that was only supposed to belong to the First Hokage, and there was also a seal on the man's palm. The Higurashi winced, pulling on her wires.

Uchiha Sasuke was a target for elimination. The boy was too unstable, already a traitor, for all of the offensive capabilities the sharingan offered, it did him little good when it came to keeping his head off the chopping block. In fact, it may have made things worse for himself. And yet, nothing on the files given to the ROOT agent gave him the impression the other boy was particularly notable. But Higurashi Kagome was to be retrieved and delivered to Danzo-sama. The details of what her fate would hold hadn't been shared with him, but Sai could make an educated guess. Her blood was the one valuable thing she had, that and the fact that she was a young female.

Their bloodlines were, at the end of the day, the only thing that made them in any way noticeable. Although he'd admit that, regardless of their skills, or lack thereof, the one thing the shinobi was forced to accept was that they could erase their trails with far more efficiency than he'd given them credit for. Even if this fight ended with his target escaping without a trace, there would be another chance at the abandoned compound. Were that encounter to end with yet another failure, however, chances of tracking them would almost vanish. Otherwise, Sai would've been sent to hunt them down without having to endure having to act the tiresome charade that came with being part of team Kakashi.

Battling against the jinchuuriki as she was, the girl's attention barely flickered his way. Having the other two members of his so-called team here would be troublesome, but it should still be manageable since the three ink snakes he'd released as he gave chase hadn't been noticed yet. Should he make a move now? It would warn the Uchiha, but the files claimed either one of them would work as bait for the other.

His ears rang as the jinchuuriki screamed again.

It sounded painful. It was loud enough for Haruno, who'd finally managed to catch up, to back off the almost start she'd attempted to do. Yamato-taicho was struggling, and the Higurashi winced before finally letting go of her wires. Dark eyes narrowed, orders on the tip of his tongue. Letting her go like that was not an acceptable course of action.

"Can you hear me, Naruto?" She wasn't running away. Instead, she was walking forward; towards the raging blond. "You can't forget you are not the prisoner here. This is your body."

"Higurashi…" Yamato-san's tone held a warning that went ignored.

"It's alright." Her steps were slow but unfaltering. Enveloped in a soft glow, her hands reached toward Uzumaki Naruto's face. "You are stronger than the fox. He can never become the jailer. So listen to my voice and come back. I've got you."

Non…sensical…

Her actions were illogical.

She'd abandoned the blond the same way the Uchiha had done. Turned her back on him and left the boy bleeding out when the two raptors left the village. Loyalty couldn't be a trait either clan heir possessed, and yet, here she was. Not only was the heiress blatantly unaware of her surroundings, but she was wasting all chances for an easy escape, one after another. Just so she could…do what? Yamato-taicho had Naruto trapped, her presence was unnecessary, and there was no guarantee the blond could even register her voice. For all intents and purposes, her actions were just pointless.

One word was always used when the blond tried to argue with him. It was a useless word, so Sai dismissed it along with the rest of his pointless drivel. And yet, it came to his mind as he kept watching what was happening.

Friends.

Uzumaki Naruto kept calling the two rogue nins his friends, willfully ignoring the fact that they'd left him behind. Insisting the ROOT agent didn't really understand the meaning of the word, even after the pale teen recited its definition. No matter how nice the emotion was, feelings were pointless baggage for an efficient shinobi. The fact had been drilled into his head for as long as he could remember. What happened here was, in and of itself, more than enough proof of that. Because the Uchiha hadn't seemed to mind having to injure his so-called friend. But the stupid boy hadn't been entirely wrong either, had he? Why else were tears falling from the girl's eyes?

His concentration faltered.

It always happened when it was him standing in front of her. Hesitation broke through her determination.

Myth and reality had become intertwined when it came to information about her abilities, and the increasingly paranoid Fugaku made sure there were no written records of her progress. And she'd continued with the practice. That her powers seemed to have a special effect on the Tailed Beasts wasn't meant to be common knowledge. But she couldn't ignore his pain. Not when the blond had been the one person who they'd called a friend. Her decision to hunt down the one responsible for their pain remained unchanged. Still, letting go of this tattered bond hurt too much.

There had been no other way to get out of the village. Naruto had to stay behind and had to remain ignorant of their reasons. Eventually, time would numb the pain, the prankster would find a new place within the village, maybe even his feelings towards them would vanish. It was a possible future she dreaded as much as she hoped for. With Tsunade-hime in charge, as long as the corrupt council members were dealt with, Konoha would be the safest place for their childhood friend. If that was the case, Kagome was prepared to convince Sasuke to keep their vengeance targeted and then vanish. It wouldn't be easy, but she felt confident she could pull it off. Itachi wasn't the sort of person who'd wish for innocents to become collateral anyway. But every time their childhood friend appeared in front of her reaffirmed the fact that Naruto wasn't willing to let go either. Stubbornly chasing after them with no regard for the risk he was placing himself into, he was still trying to reach out for them.

Demonic chakra licked at her fingers, attempting to escape the seal the ANBU was pushing it into. Careful, the girl sent her reiki to the surface. Not too much, or it would affect the seal itself. Just a push.

Perhaps she'd been going about this all wrong.

Thinking too much about how to soften the pain of all their losses instead of avoiding them altogether. Ignoring the situation for three years did absolutely nothing for no one as Sasuke refused to confront his emotions, Naruto became even more determined to find them and she…Kagome was left unbalanced on a tightrope. But maybe it was time to make a run for it. Reaching the other side or falling. Either would be better than getting stuck, paralyzed halfway through.

Skin finally touched skin as the red chakra faded, leaving behind the battered body of her best friend.

She didn't back down as the restraining roots loosened there hold. Uncaring of the blood that was now soaking her sleeves as her arms went to wrap around him. These transformations were dangerous. Biting her tongue, the girl closed her eyes, willing the tears that slipped from them to stop.

"Ka…gome?"

"It's alright, I've got you." It was only a little, but her voice still wavered as she skipped through the hand seals, and her chakra rose to cover Naruto's form. "I've got you, so just rest…and remember when everything was as it should."

Exhausted, the blond couldn't even try to pull away before the tendrils of her illusion pulled him into memories of days long past.

"What do you think you're doing?!" Sakura's s reaching grated in her ears.

"All he'll see is a memory of the past. A beautiful dream so he can rest as he needs," Kagome said, taking a deep breath to calm down.

"Higurashi-san…" The ANBU hesitated, clearly nervous since she still hadn't let go of the blond.

"Kagome is just fine," she cut him off. "You're in charge of a very important person to me. Truly, there's no need for formalities."

"Kagome-san, if you could…"

The rush of Suigetsu's sword against the ground was something she really should've seen coming. Just like she should've noticed the black snake that was melting into a puddle of ink after the ex-Kiri nin blade slashed it apart. Yes, ignoring this was no longer a choice she could make .

"And here I thought you people from respectable villages wouldn't be so damn ungrateful," the older teen scoffed, glaring at them before turning towards her. "Sasuke is awake and pissed as hell, princess. He wants you back, and he wants you back now."

"Kagome-san!" Yamato tried again.

"…right." The girl sighed; if all she ended up with was a headache, she'd be lucky. "Suigetsu, hold Naruto for me, will you?"

"Oi, oi!" Suigetsu's outrage was legitimate, she supposed, but she really wasn't in the mood to deal with him. "Did you lose your mind?! This guy was rampaging all over town! I carry that thing, and Sasuke will cut off my head. For sure!"

"I don't believe I was asking for your opinion, Suigetsu." Azure eyes pierced purple. Frost laced her words. And it was clear he'd just realized the mistake he'd made. "So hold Naruto for me, will you? I need to use my hands for a minute."

Violence was a tool Kagome preferred to use sparingly. In many cases, it was unnecessary, and as child, she'd genuinely hated. But to be a shinobi, wielding violence was essential. Still, the girl tried to go for diplomatic solutions when possible; it was also what was expected from a Higurashi, so it served to keep up appearances. Occasionally, someone would be able to see through her charming charade, and Suigetsu was one of those few instances. It would seem, however that Sasuke's legitimate threat was enough to make him forget she could discard the pieces on their side of the board just as easily as the Uchiha did.

"S-sorry," the ex-Kiri nin stuttered, his face paling. "I'll just…carry him for you."

"H-hold on, what…"

"The Kyuubi's chakra injured him badly." Kagome explained before the ANBU could ask his question. "I can't be sure his healing factor will be enough to deal with it, and I'm sorry to say I can't trust his health to Haruno-san."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?!" Again, the pink-haired girl jumped, attempting to start a screaming match.

"That burn on your arm, you were directly hit by the fox's attacks, were you not?" She asked.

"So what?!"

"You couldn't heal it." Her voice wasn't as polite as it could be, but judging who her audience was right now, it really wasn't that big of an issue. "Oh, I don't mean it as an insult towards your abilities, of course, the Kyuubi's chakra is dangerously pervasive. I should know. It nearly killed me, after all." Her right hand moved to trace her shoulder where a scar should've remained had she been a part of any other family. "I am a Higurashi, though, so I can handle these sort of injuries better than most other medics."

"Uchiha was trying to kill him." It was said plainly, almost unfeeling, but this was the first thing the black-haired boy talked in front of her.

Looking at the unnamed shinobi, Kagome only raised a brow. He was probably the one responsible for the snake, yet another face she couldn't recognize. And yet, the ANBU hadn't mentioned him. Kakashi-sensei would've warned him against trying to pull cute tricks like this. Someone else's man, then.

"Please, don't worry." She smiled, pushing back a strand of hair. Her chakra spreading like mist around her. "I'll make sure to return him without a single scratch, so I'd appreciate it if you could be a little patient."

A/N: Still a bit short compared to the usual but I hope it's worth the wait, I actually had to re-work the first draft of this chapter a bit since it felt a bit too rushed. At times juggling different stories makes it tricky to just switch from one to another.

As always thank you guys so much for reading and any and all reviews/comments/criticisms are greatly appreciated.