Naruto groaned as he slowly opened his eyes, his head throbbing. The first thing he noticed was the weight on his wrists—they were bound tightly with chains, and his legs felt similarly restricted. He tried to move, but the chains rattled, keeping him firmly in place. His eyes blinked into focus, only to notice the strange sensation of someone playing with his fox ears. His groggy mind tried to make sense of it.
"Anko, stop doing that…" he muttered, his voice heavy with sleep. But the sensation continued, more insistent than before. That's when it hit him. This wasn't Anko.
Naruto jolted awake, startled, his hand shooting forward in reflex. He grabbed the person touching his ears and shoved them away with a forceful push. "Get off me!" he shouted, his hand landing on something soft and unfamiliar. For a split second, he blinked in confusion, his hand still resting on… someone's chest?
His eyes focused, and he saw a girl with red hair glaring at him, her face twisted in irritation. Before he could even process the situation, her fist flew forward, connecting with his face and sending him crashing backward. Pain exploded through his nose, and he felt himself slam into the cold, hard floor with a groan.
"What the hell?!" Naruto yelped, rubbing his face as he tried to sit up, only to feel the sharp tug of the chains that still held him captive.
Tayuya stood over him, her face red with a mix of rage and embarrassment. She clutched her chest defensively, her eyes burning with indignation. "You perverted little freak!" she snapped, her voice seething with anger. "Who the hell do you think you are, groping me like that?!"
Naruto blinked, his head still spinning from the punch. His nose was throbbing, and his hands were bound tightly by chains covered in strange seals. "W-Wait, what?" he stammered, trying to piece everything together. "You're the one who was touching my ears first, lady! The only pervert here is you! And who ties up a guy just to touch his ears, huh? Where the hell am I?!"
Tayuya's face flushed even more at his words, but she quickly regained her composure, glaring down at him. She crossed her arms over her chest and gave a huff. "You're my prisoner, idiot. As for where you are… well, let's just say you're not in Konoha anymore." She raised an eyebrow, a smirk forming on her lips. "What kind of moron falls asleep on a strange woman's lap, anyway?"
Naruto's ears twitched in irritation, his teeth grinding together. "What kind of crazy woman kidnaps a fox boy just to pull on his ears?!" he shot back, his frustration growing. "I didn't ask for any of this! One minute, I'm minding my own business, and the next, I'm waking up tied to a wall like a piece of meat!"
Tayuya rolled her eyes, clearly unamused. "Dumbass. I didn't kidnap you because I wanted to play with your ears." She crouched down in front of him, her expression turning cold and serious. "You're going to be my master's new test subject."
Naruto's eyes narrowed at that, suspicion gnawing at him. "Test subject? For what?" he asked, his voice laced with caution.
Tayuya's smirk widened. "For messing with his curse mark, you idiot. You messed with something you shouldn't have. My master didn't appreciate you tampering with it."
Naruto blinked, confusion spreading across his face. "Wait, wait," he said, holding up his hands as much as the chains would allow. "The person who put that curse mark on Anko—he's pissed at me for messing with it?"
Tayuya clicked her tongue, clearly irritated. "Yes, you moron. Maybe next time, don't mess with things that don't belong to you."she snapped, her eyes narrowing as she glared at him.
Naruto leaned back against the wall, trying to process what was happening. "So, this 'master' of yours, he's mad because I removed that cursed thing from Anko?" he asked, his tone incredulous. "Well, maybe he shouldn't be slapping curse marks on random people in the first place!"
Tayuya's eyes flickered with annoyance as she stood back up, crossing her arms. "Your attitude is going to be the first thing my master fixes when he gets back," she muttered, turning on her heel. "It'll be fun watching you squirm. He thought it would take me a few days to capture you, so he went off to take care of some other business."
Naruto groaned, slumping back against the wall as the chains clinked against each other. "Oh great, so I get to sit here until this 'master' of yours shows up? How long is that going to take?" he asked sarcastically.
Tayuya shrugged as she began to walk down the hallway. "A few days, maybe. Not that it matters. You're not going anywhere, fox boy." She paused for a moment, glancing back over her shoulder with a sly grin. "Keep that sense of humor for as long as you can. It won't last once my master gets his hands on you."
Naruto watched her disappear down the hall, his mind racing. He couldn't believe this was happening. Who the hell was this girl, and what kind of mess had he stumbled into now? He tugged at the chains on his wrists, noticing the seals carved into the metal. They were designed to suppress chakra, but Naruto had been in worse situations before. This wasn't going to stop him.
"Alright… let's think," he muttered to himself, focusing his mind. The seals weren't perfect—they slowed the flow of his chakra but didn't block it completely. All he had to do was gather his chakra slowly, pull it together bit by bit, and override the suppression.
He closed his eyes, his breathing slowing as he concentrated. It would take time, maybe an hour or so, but if he worked carefully, he could break the suppression and get out of these chains. His mind settled into the rhythm of his chakra, slowly building it up.
Naruto smirked to himself as he felt the faint flow of chakra begin to respond. "You're not keeping me here for long," he muttered under his breath, his eyes narrowing with determination.
This wasn't the first time someone underestimated him, and it sure as hell wouldn't be the last.
Naruto worked carefully, his chakra slowly overriding the seals on the chains that bound him. It wasn't easy, but after a painstaking effort, he finally managed to weaken the suppression enough to place one of his own paper talismans over the chains. The seals flickered and faded, and Naruto felt the flow of chakra return to him. He smirked in satisfaction as the chains fell to the floor with a soft clatter.
He rubbed his wrists, his eyes darting around the dimly lit cell. The thought of simply leaving crossed his mind, but then he remembered the curse mark—the whole reason he had been caught up in this mess. There might be documents or information here that could help him understand more about it. If there was a chance to learn something, he couldn't just walk away.
With a smirk, Naruto created a paper clone, instructing it to wrap the chains back around itself and pretend to still be imprisoned. The real Naruto slipped silently out of the room and into the hallway, his feet making no sound on the stone floor. He moved quickly, checking doors as he went, until he found what looked like an office not too far from his cell.
The door creaked open, and Naruto stepped inside. The room was dimly lit by a single lantern, casting long shadows across the rows of scrolls that lined the shelves. Naruto's eyes scanned the room, and he immediately spotted his own scrolls—ones he thought were lost. They lay on the desk in the corner. With a relieved grin, he hurried over and picked them up, checking them quickly. Luckily, he had placed seals on them, so they appeared blank. "Good thinking, me," he muttered with a satisfied nod, tucking them away.
As he continued to rummage through the office, Naruto found several scrolls containing information on the curse mark and Orochimaru's various experiments. He frowned as he skimmed through them, realizing just how dangerous and twisted this place was. But there was something else. Something odd.
On a side table, Naruto found his orange jumpsuit—or at least, what was left of it. The sleeves were torn, and it was in rough shape, but it was unmistakably his. "Well, it's better than this suppression outfit," he muttered to himself, pulling on the tattered jumpsuit. Even if it wasn't perfect, it felt like a piece of him was back.
Naruto spent hours in Orochimaru's office, rifling through every scroll and piece of paper he could find, his mind working to gather as much information as possible. But after a while, his stomach growled, reminding him that he hadn't eaten in what felt like forever. With a sigh, he stood up and left the office, following a map he had found that led to the compound's kitchen.
He walked casually through the dimly lit hallways, taking his time, as if this were his own place. When he finally reached the kitchen, Naruto opened the fridge and grinned when he spotted a few desserts inside. "Pudding?" he muttered with a grin, pulling out one of the cups labeled with what looked like Orochimaru's name. "Sorry, snake guy, but I'm starving."
Naruto was halfway through eating the pudding when he froze. His ears twitched, picking up the faint sound of footsteps. Someone was coming.
Then, a familiar tune drifted through the air—the sound of a flute playing a melodic tune. As the footsteps grew louder, so did the music, and Naruto's stomach sank when he heard the lyrics:
"There once was a perverted fox boy,
Who touched a red-haired girl's chest, oh joy!
Now bound in chains, he sits in disgrace,
As punishment for touching the lady's space.
Oh, perverted fox, what a fate to see,
Now trapped for experiments, no longer free!"
Naruto's face turned bright red as the lyrics hit him like a slap to the face. He hurriedly ducked behind a cabinet, stuffing the rest of the pudding into his mouth as quietly as possible. His heart raced as the footsteps approached the kitchen, and the song continued:
"Fox ears and a tail, how strange indeed,
To touch the girl's chest was his greatest need!
Now locked away, where no one can find,
That perverted fox has lost his mind!"
The kitchen door creaked open, and Tayuya stepped in, her flute still pressed to her lips as she played, her voice ringing out in perfect rhythm with the melody. She didn't seem to notice Naruto hiding as she sauntered over to the fridge, her fingers dancing over the flute as she kept playing.
"He thought he was sly, a fox full of tricks,
But now he's the one caught up in the fix!
Oh, perverted fox, your fun's at an end,
Now let's see what happens when you offend!"
Naruto peeked from his hiding spot, his face still flushed with embarrassment. He couldn't believe she was singing about that! His fists clenched in frustration. How could this girl write an entire song about him groping her by accident? He hadn't even done it on purpose!
Tayuya, oblivious to Naruto's presence, continued playing her song, clearly amused by the whole thing. She hummed a little as she opened the fridge, rummaging through it for a snack, her flute resting at her side.
Naruto, still crouched behind the cabinet, took a deep breath, trying to calm his racing heart. He couldn't stay hidden forever, but at the same time, he needed to figure out a way to get out of this mess without getting caught.
Maybe I should just run for it… he thought, his eyes darting toward the hallway. But before he could make a move, Tayuya started playing her flute again, the melody light and teasing as she continued her mocking tune.
"Oh, fox boy, where could you be?
Still hiding, still sneaking, trying to flee?
Come out, come out, wherever you are,
You won't get far, not from this star!"
Tayuya stood in the kitchen, her lips forming a sly smirk as she put away her flute and pulled out her compass. The needle pointed directly toward the cabinet where Naruto was hiding. She tapped the compass lightly with her finger, her voice dripping with sarcasm as she spoke, "Yeah, I'm not stupid, fox boy. I know you escaped."
Naruto's heart sank, but he quickly pulled out his wakizashi, readying himself for a fight. His mind raced. She had caught him, but there was no way he was going down without a struggle. He tightened his grip on the hilt of the blade, his fox ears twitching as he listened for her next move.
Tayuya quickly summoned her Doki, she followed it with her flute rising to her lips. She snarled as her Doki charged toward Naruto. The three imposing figures loomed over him—one wrapped like a mummy, its pale white body spewing phantom creatures with multiple gnashing mouths, another with long, wild hair wielding a massive club, and the last, its eyes covered in bandages, bearing sharp claws attached to its wrists. Naruto's hand gripped the hilt of his wakizashi tightly as he darted forward, slashing at them with precision, but each of the Doki creatures moved with an unnatural agility, parrying and dodging his attacks effortlessly.
Naruto cursed under his breath. These weren't just regular summons—they were beasts with deadly precision, and in such a tight, enclosed space, his movements were limited.
Without wasting time, Naruto quickly grabbed two talismans from his pouch—one marked with wind, the other with fire. With a swift motion, he threw them into the middle of the room. The talismans detonated instantly, sending a small explosion of wind and fire through the cramped kitchen.
In a blur, Naruto used the Body Flicker technique, vanishing from the center of the blast and diving into the hallway just outside the kitchen. The explosion sent a wave of fire and wind careening through the room, slamming into the Doki creatures. One of them, engulfed in flames, let out a ghastly wail as it disintegrated into ash.
Tayuya, shielding her face from the explosion, cursed under her breath. "Damn it," she growled, her teeth grinding together in frustration. "These stupid Doki are useless in tight quarters." She could feel her connection to the now-dead summon flicker and fade. The loss of one of her creatures only enraged her further.
Naruto, now in the hallway, darted back toward her with a confident smirk on his face. His speed was impressive, and before Tayuya could react, he was already in front of her, his palm outstretched for a powerful strike. She quickly raised her flute, playing a sharp note to command her remaining Doki, but Naruto's hand grazed one of her beasts as he lunged.
Tayuya's eyes widened as she saw the small fire talisman Naruto had placed on the creature. "What the—?" she started, but before she could finish, Naruto leaped back, detonating the talisman.
The second Doki, now covered in flames, let out a guttural screech before crumbling into smoldering pieces. The force of the explosion sent Tayuya flying backward, her body slamming into the far wall.
Tayuya winced as she stood up, her eyes filled with rage. "You damn fox bastard," she hissed, wiping a bit of blood from the corner of her mouth. "You think you've won, don't you?"
Naruto, unphased, raised an eyebrow as he calmly throughout out a barrage of wind paper shuriken. "You're down two Doki, and you're in close quarters. I wouldn't say you're doing so hot," he said, his tone casual, but his eyes sharp.
Tayuya grit her teeth, playing another tune on her flute. The last remaining Doki, the one wrapped in mummy-like bandages, moved in front of her protectively. Out of its mouth spewed more of the pale phantom creatures, their many mouths chomping in Naruto's direction, absorbing the wind chakra he had imbued into the paper shuriken.
Naruto's eyes gleamed with curiosity. "So, they can absorb chakra, huh?" he muttered, watching the phantoms hungrily consume the shuriken. "Interesting. I guess I won't get to see what the other two could do, though."
"Keep talking, fox boy," Tayuya spat, annoyed by his calm demeanor. "I'll have you dead on your back before long."
Naruto shook his head in amusement, his voice light and taunting. "By the way," he asked, completely out of the blue, "what's with the security around this place? It's practically nonexistent."
Tayuya blinked, caught off guard by the casualness of his question. "What the hell are you—"
"I mean, come on," Naruto continued, scratching the back of his head. "You've got a whole compound here and no guards? Your master must have an ego the size of a mountain to think you could handle this place all on your own, especially after losing two of your summons this quickly."
Tayuya clicked her tongue, irritation clear on her face. "Oh, you think just because I lost a few Doki, I'm done?" She smirked, an evil grin spreading across her face. "You're a bigger fool than I thought."
Naruto shrugged. "Well, it sure looks like you're struggling."
Tayuya's smirk widened, and her eyes gleamed dangerously. She was already formulating her next move, knowing exactly what she had to do. I'll make him think he has the upper hand… then I'll catch him off guard with Phantom Sound Chains. She let out a fake sigh, as though letting her guard down.
"Normally," she said, her tone nonchalant, "this place would be crawling with guards. But Master had some… personal business, so he took most of our men with him. It's just me here, babysitting you."
Naruto grinned. "Wow, that's pretty reckless of him. Putting all his trust in you." His eyes then flickered with mischievousness. "By the way, question? Did you like my ears? You were fluffing them pretty hard earlier. Reminded me of one of my teachers—she's obsessed with them."
For a brief second, Tayuya faltered, her face flushing with a mix of annoyance and embarrassment. "Shut up!" she snapped, but her fingers quickly returned to the flute as she began to play her most dangerous tune.
This idiot won't know what hit him, she thought. The music of the Phantom Sound Chains resonated through the room, invisible waves of sound creeping into Naruto's ears. She watched with satisfaction as his eyes widened, his movements slowing, his body starting to tremble as the Genjutsu took hold.
Naruto stumbled, his knees buckling as he fell to the ground, seemingly paralyzed. Tayuya lowered her flute, a victorious grin spreading across her face.
"I didn't even have to use my second stage curse mark to beat you," she mocked, walking toward him. "Looks like you're not as tough as you thought, huh?" She crouched down, her hands reaching for Naruto's neck, ready to choke him unconscious. "And here I thought this would be a challenge."
But just as her hands tightened around his throat, Naruto's arms shot up, wrapping around her waist. Tayuya gasped in surprise as Naruto hugged her tightly, then, in one swift motion, he lifted her off the ground and suplexed her headfirst into the stone floor with a loud crack.
Tayuya's vision blurred as her head collided with the ground, pain exploding through her skull. She tried to summon the strength to activate her curse mark, but the impact had left her too dazed to respond.
Naruto stood over her, dusting himself off casually. "Genjutsu's a nasty thing," he said, his tone smug. "I thought you'd try to put me to sleep again like last time. But I was prepared this time." He pointed to the seals he had placed on his chest and arms, glowing faintly with chakra. "These activate whenever I get hit with a Genjutsu. It's not going to be that easy."
Tayuya groaned, struggling to sit up, but her remaining Doki vanished into thin air, their energy spent. She stared up at Naruto, her body aching, her pride shattered.
"You… bastard…" she hissed, her voice weak.
Naruto just grinned down at her. "Looks like the fox boy got the better of you, huh?"
Tayuya woke slowly, her head throbbing as the world around her came into focus. The cold, damp air of the cell greeted her first, followed by the uncomfortable weight of chains binding her wrists and ankles. She tried to move, but the restraints kept her firmly in place, the metal biting into her skin.
Groggily, she lifted her head, her eyes narrowing when she spotted Naruto sitting casually across the room. He was leaning back against the wall, a small cup of pudding in his hand. His eyes, however, were focused intently on a scroll he held, the light from a nearby lantern casting long shadows across his face.
"About time you woke up," Naruto said casually, not even bothering to look up from the scroll. "You've been out for an hour. Thought you'd be out longer, honestly."
Tayuya gritted her teeth and tugged at her restraints, but they didn't budge. Her head throbbed as the memories of the fight flooded back—his trickery, the Genjutsu, the impact of her head slamming into the stone floor. "What the hell did you do to me?" she growled, her voice raspy with anger.
Naruto didn't even blink, his attention still on the scroll. "Relax. I didn't do anything you wouldn't want." He took another bite of pudding, then added with a smirk, "Well, not yet anyway."
Tayuya's eyes flashed with fury, and she began struggling against the chains again. "I swear to—"
Before she could finish, Naruto snapped his fingers, and one of his paper clones appeared beside her. The clone quickly grabbed her head, pressing it firmly against the stone wall as a cold wakizashi pressed lightly against the side of her neck. Tayuya froze, her heart pounding as she felt the sharpness of the blade just inches from her skin.
"Good, you're listening now," Naruto said, finally looking up from the scroll with a mischievous glint in his eye. "Don't worry. This won't hurt. Well, not much, anyway. Just relax, and it'll be over in a few hours—give or take, depending on if I mess up or not."
Tayuya clenched her jaw, her body tense. "What the hell are you talking about?"
Naruto held up the scroll, showing her the intricate sealing techniques written across it. "Orochimaru's protection on this scroll is pretty weak, y'know. It only took me a few minutes to crack it." He traced his finger along the edge of the paper, his eyes gleaming with a strange mix of confidence and curiosity. "Turns out, my Fūinjutsu is superior to his in this regard. So, here's the plan: I'm going to modify the curse mark around your neck."
Tayuya's eyes widened in alarm. "You… you're going to mess with my curse mark?! You idiot, you'll kill us both!"
Naruto chuckled, waving off her concern. "Nah, it's not that dangerous. I've been studying these scrolls for the past hour while you were napping. I've got it figured out." His tone was far too casual for Tayuya's liking, and it made her even more uneasy. "See, the curse mark? It's designed to overwrite your free will. The more you use it, the more obedient you become to your master—Orochimaru in this case. But lucky for you, you don't seem to use it all that much, relying more on your Genjutsu. That means there's still time to fix it."
Tayuya glared at him, her mind racing. "Fix it?" she spat. "You have no idea what you're doing. That seal is Orochimaru's! It's not some toy you can just mess with!"
Naruto shrugged, unfazed. "Maybe. But like I said, I've cracked the basics. I'm just going to modify it—keep the benefits, get rid of the mind control. That way, you'll still have the power without that snake bastard controlling your every move."
She wanted to scream at him, to tell him he was insane, but deep down, there was a part of her that wanted to believe him. The curse mark had been weighing on her for as long as she could remember, Orochimaru's voice constantly lurking in the back of her mind, influencing her thoughts, her actions. The idea of freedom, of being free of his control… it was tempting. But she wouldn't admit it. Not to this idiot.
Naruto stood up, stretching his arms. "Look, I'm going to get started now. Just sit tight, and don't fight it. This might sting a bit."
Before she could protest, Naruto placed his hand on her neck, his fingers cold against the skin just above the curse mark. He attached a few paper talismans to her skin, the symbols glowing faintly as he activated them.
The curse mark reacted immediately, its dark tendrils spreading across her skin, the familiar burn flaring up. Tayuya winced, her body tensing in pain, but the talismans began to work, slowly reducing the intensity of the sensation.
"See? Not so bad," Naruto said, his voice calm and focused. "It'll hurt at first, but the talismans are dampening the pain."
Tayuya's breaths came in short gasps as the hours dragged on. Naruto worked in silence, carefully adjusting the seal, occasionally muttering to himself as he made corrections. Every time he made a mistake, the pain flared up again, and he would have to reset, cursing under his breath. But each time, he got closer.
The process felt endless. The pain ebbed and flowed, sometimes sharp, other times dull. But slowly, something started to change. Tayuya could feel it—the curse mark's grip on her mind loosening, the weight of Orochimaru's influence beginning to lift.
Naruto was sweating by the time he made the final adjustments. His hands were trembling slightly from the concentration, but his face lit up with satisfaction as he finished the last stroke of the seal.
"There we go," he said, wiping his forehead with the back of his hand. "It's done."
Tayuya blinked, her vision swimming as the last remnants of the curse mark's control faded away. She could feel something different—clarity. For the first time in what felt like forever, her mind was her own. The violent urges, the constant whispers of obedience to her master, were gone. Orochimaru's will had vanished, replaced by her own.
She stared at Naruto, too exhausted to say anything, her body still trembling from the ordeal. But deep down, she felt something she hadn't felt in a long time—relief.
Naruto slumped against the wall, breathing heavily. "Man… that was harder than I thought," he muttered, his exhaustion clear in his voice. "But it worked. You're free now."
Tayuya looked down at her hands, her body still weak from the process. Her thoughts were her own again. She didn't have to fight against that voice anymore. Slowly, she lifted her head to meet Naruto's gaze, her voice hoarse as she finally spoke.
"Why… why did you do this?" she asked, her tone no longer filled with the same venom. "Why help me?"
Naruto, still catching his breath, grinned at her with that same carefree attitude. "Why not?" he said simply.
Tayuya stared at him, a mix of confusion and something else flickering in her eyes. She didn't know how to respond, but for the first time in a long while, she didn't feel the urge to lash out. Instead, she just nodded, too tired to fight.
Naruto lay back against the wall, staring up at the ceiling. "Get some rest," he said, his voice softer now. "You'll need it."
Tayuya closed her eyes, exhaustion finally taking over. For the first time, the silence in her mind felt peaceful.
Naruto sat cross-legged, his breathing steady as he focused on the task at hand. Around his neck, he carefully placed the talismans he had crafted, each one designed to help him modify the curse mark that had been plaguing him for so long. His experience with Tayuya's mark had given him a better understanding of how it worked, but his own curse mark was far more complex. It pulsed with a deeper, more primal energy, something beyond just chakra.
He sighed and muttered to himself, "This one's tougher…"
As he continued, Naruto noticed a distinct difference in his curse mark compared to Tayuya's. It seemed to draw on a third type of energy—neither physical nor spiritual—but something more raw and ancient. As the mark pulsed with power, Naruto felt his senses heightening, his strength increasing. It was clear that this energy was linked to something more—something called "Nature energy." The documents he had skimmed mentioned a "Snake Sage" and an elusive "Sage Mode," both of which intrigued him. It was something he needed to look into further once this was over.
For now, though, his focus remained on one thing: severing the connection that allowed any form of mind control to override his will. He adjusted the talismans, his chakra carefully guiding the process as he made the necessary modifications. It was a delicate task, and after an hour of careful work, he felt the familiar tug of the curse mark loosen.
Naruto exhaled in relief as he finished the final adjustment. He activated the seal, feeling its power surge through him. But this time, there was no pain, no overwhelming influence. Instead, the lines that snaked around his body simply glowed with power. He stood, stretching, satisfied that he had neutralized the mind control aspect of the curse mark.
A grin spread across his face as he looked deeper into the scrolls he'd gathered from Orochimaru's office. One section in particular caught his eye: a "Second Stage" of the curse mark, described as an awakening of even greater power. His curiosity got the better of him, and he knew he had to test it out.
Gathering the ingredients listed in the scroll, Naruto set up a small ritual in an abandoned corner of the compound. He placed himself in a large, reinforced barrel, sealing it tight to enter a near-death state, just as the scroll instructed. He left behind a few paper clones, giving them specific instructions to untie Tayuya and keep watch over his unconscious form.
As the process began, Naruto's consciousness faded, his body falling into a deep, suspended state. The transformation would take a few hours, but he was confident in his clones and the isolation of the spot he'd chosen.
Meanwhile, Tayuya woke up, her body sore but unbound. Her head felt a little foggy, but something was different. The oppressive weight of Orochimaru's influence was gone—her thoughts were her own. The constant voice that had pushed her to obey, to serve blindly, was silent. She stood, rubbing her wrists, glancing around until her eyes landed on her flute, resting neatly beside her.
"That fox bastard…" she muttered, a strange mixture of irritation and curiosity in her voice. But despite her anger, there was a sense of relief. She felt… free.
Tayuya picked up her flute, brushing off the dust. For a moment, she considered just running—disappearing and never looking back. But something held her back. Maybe it was curiosity, or maybe it was the lingering sense of unfinished business. Either way, she decided to find out what happened to Naruto.
As she wandered through the compound, gathering supplies, she mulled over the events of the past few hours. "Where did that idiot fox go?" she muttered, frustration bubbling up again.
Suddenly, footsteps echoed down the hallway, growing louder with each passing second. Tayuya tensed, her hand instinctively reaching for her flute as she recognized the familiar heavy tread of the approaching figures. The rest of her team—the Sound Four—appeared at the end of the hallway, moving quickly toward her.
The biggest of the group, Jirōbō, stormed toward her with an irritated scowl on his face. "What the hell happened to the kitchen?" he growled, his massive stomach rumbling. "I was going to eat, and the whole place looks like a bomb went off!"
The two others, Kidōmaru and Sakon, exchanged uneasy glances. Kidōmaru, the spider-like member, folded his arms and asked, "Are we under attack? Who did this?"
Tayuya rolled her eyes and leaned against the wall, trying to play it cool. "Calm down, you idiots. It wasn't an attack. It was that fox boy I caught earlier. He escaped and knocked me out. I just came to, and I was about to go after him."
Sakon, with a twisted smirk, stepped closer. "So, you got your ass handed to you by some kid with fox ears?" he sneered. "Must've been pretty embarrassing."
Before Tayuya could snap back with a retort, a heavy silence filled the hallway. The sound of footsteps—slow and deliberate—approached from the shadows. The group turned toward the source of the noise, and Tayuya's eyes widened in shock.
From the darkness, Naruto emerged. But this wasn't the same Naruto she had fought earlier. His eyes glowed a deep, menacing red, and his ears and tail had taken on a fiery crimson hue. His once bright blonde hair had darkened to match, and his body had grown taller, more muscular. His skin was darker, and his sclera had turned black, his irises glowing a blood-red. The aura around him was palpable—dense and oppressive, like a predator stalking its prey.
The Sound Four stared, momentarily frozen by the sheer presence Naruto now exuded. His transformation was unlike anything they had seen before.
Jirōbō took a step back, his face paling. "What… what the hell is this?" he muttered.
Naruto's lips curled into a dangerous grin, his fangs glinting in the dim light. "You're looking at the new and improved me," he said, his voice lower, dripping with raw power. "What's the matter? You guys don't look too happy to see me."
The tension in the hallway was thick, the Sound Four unsure whether to advance or retreat. Tayuya's grip tightened on her flute as her mind raced. This wasn't the Naruto she had met before. This was something far more dangerous.
Naruto took a slow step forward, his red eyes locking onto each member of the Sound Four. "So… who's going to be the first to test out my new power?"
Tayuya stood frozen, her back pressed against the cold stone wall. She could barely process what was happening in front of her. Naruto's transformation had shaken her to the core—this wasn't the same fox-eared kid who had been playfully mocking her hours earlier. His red eyes gleamed with a terrifying, predatory intensity. She didn't even consider transforming into her second curse mark stage. What was the point? The strength Naruto was showing far surpassed anything she or her team could muster. The others didn't seem to grasp that yet, but Tayuya had seen enough. She wasn't going to fight him—she had no desire to die today.
The other three members of the Sound Four, however, were far less cautious. They activated their curse marks, the black lines spreading across their skin as they tried to transform into their more powerful forms. But before they could fully shift, Naruto moved—no, blitzed—across the hallway with blinding speed. In the blink of an eye, he slapped talismans onto each of them, causing their transformations to falter. The curse marks flickered and then fizzled out, reducing them back to their base forms.
"What… what the hell?!" Kidōmaru stammered, his spider-like limbs twitching in shock. "Why can't I transform?"
Naruto's lips curled into a lazy smile as he inspected the glowing seals now stuck to their bodies. "Oh, nice. Those talismans worked perfectly," he mused, sounding almost amused as he flicked the edge of one of the seals. The Sound Four stared at him, their eyes wide with disbelief and confusion.
Jirōbō, the largest of the group, snarled in anger, refusing to accept what was happening. He charged at Naruto with a roar, his fist swinging down toward Naruto's face with all his considerable strength. The impact should have shattered bone, but when Jirōbō's fist connected with Naruto's jaw, the fox boy didn't even flinch.
Naruto's grin widened. "Oh, I'm quite durable now." With a casual flick of his wrist, he backhanded Jirōbō with enough force to send the massive man spinning through the air like a top. Jirōbō crashed to the ground, groaning in pain, his head spinning.
Before anyone could react, Kidōmaru shot out a thick web, his signature attack. But Naruto was faster—he grabbed a wind-enhanced talisman from his pouch and flicked it toward the web. The wind chakra shredded the webbing with ease, scattering the sticky strands into the air.
"Nice try," Naruto said, his voice light and teasing. "But you're gonna have to do better than that."
Before Kidōmaru could react, Naruto closed the distance in a flash, grabbing him by the neck with one hand. With a sharp yank, he swung Kidōmaru like a ragdoll, hurling him straight into Jirōbō, sending both of them sprawling across the ground in a tangled heap.
Sakon, the most cautious of the group, decided now was the time to cut his losses. He backed away slowly, then bolted down the hallway, his feet barely touching the ground as he ran for his life.
Naruto let out a small sigh. "Guess he didn't want to play anymore." He raised his hand and created a giant paper shuriken, enhancing it with wind release. With a flick of his wrist, he launched the massive shuriken down the hallway, its razor-sharp edges cutting through the air with terrifying speed.
Just as the shuriken closed in on Sakon, he split apart, his body dividing into two, narrowly avoiding the spinning blade. The shuriken embedded itself into the stone wall with a deafening crash.
Naruto raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "Interesting. I thought your group was called the Sound Four, but there are five of you. Guess Orochimaru can't count." He chuckled to himself as he pulled out a scroll, glancing over the contents casually, as if he wasn't in the middle of a fight. "Actually, maybe that explains it. He probably has multiple compounds like this one. That would explain why this place seems so… underwhelming."
He muttered to himself, flipping through the scroll while the Sound Four watched in stunned silence. Tayuya's heart pounded in her chest as she realized how powerful Naruto had become. He wasn't just toying with them—he was experimenting on them.
"Oh, sorry about that," Naruto said, looking up from the scroll. "Didn't mean to ignore our little fight. Tell you what, I'll let you guys use your first-stage curse mark abilities. Might make this a little more fun."
The moment the words left his mouth, Kidōmaru, Jirōbō, and Sakon felt the curse marks reactivate. The black marks spread across their bodies, enhancing their strength and speed. But even as the power returned to them, none of them felt confident. Naruto wasn't fazed by any of it.
Kidōmaru was the first to break the silence. His voice trembled with a mix of fear and rage. "Are you just testing your abilities on us?" he shouted, his fists clenched.
Naruto's response was immediate. In an instant, he was in front of Kidōmaru, his hand wrapping around the spider-like shinobi's throat with brutal force. Naruto slammed him into the wall, cracking the stone behind him as Kidōmaru gasped for breath, his legs kicking uselessly.
"Well, of course," Naruto said, his voice calm, as though it were the most obvious thing in the world. "What else would I use you for?"
He glanced at the scroll in his hand, his eyes skimming the text. "From what I can tell, you guys aren't exactly useful for much else." He tossed the scroll aside and smirked down at Kidōmaru, his red eyes gleaming. "It says right here, the only one who isn't fully under the curse mark's influence is Tayuya. That's why I spared her. She didn't need to rely on it as much."
Tayuya stiffened at the mention of her name, but she remained silent, unsure of what to do. Her mind was still reeling from the fact that Orochimaru's influence was truly gone, and now Naruto had shifted from ally to something far more dangerous.
Naruto's grip tightened on Kidōmaru's neck, his voice dropping to a menacing whisper. "But the rest of you? You're nothing but tools. Orochimaru used you as pawns, and now…" He threw Kidōmaru to the ground, watching him gasp for air. "Now I'll do the same."
Sakon and Jirōbō scrambled to their feet, but it was clear they were terrified. Naruto had crushed their hope of winning in an instant.
"You're going to live out the rest of your lives as my test subjects," Naruto continued, his voice cold and uncaring. "No matter how short."
The moment Naruto's cold words left his mouth, the panic set in. The remaining members of the Sound Four—Kidōmaru, Sakon, Ukon, and Jirōbō—felt their hearts pound in terror. Tayuya stood off to the side, spared from their fate, but the others knew they weren't as lucky. They realized that if they didn't fight now, they'd become permanent experiments in Naruto's twisted game.
"Enough of this crap!" Sakon snarled, his body trembling with anger and fear. "We'll tear you apart, fox boy!"
Naruto smiled casually, his red eyes gleaming with amusement. "You can try."
Without hesitation, the Sound Four activated their second-stage curse marks. Their bodies began to contort and shift, their skin darkening as grotesque features overtook them. The air around them thickened with violent chakra, and their power surged, transforming them into monstrous forms.
Sakon and Ukon were the first to complete their transformation, their bodies morphing into demonic oni-like creatures. Their skin turned a deep crimson, their irises glowing yellow, and dark black sclera surrounded their eyes. Their mouths stretched from ear to ear, filled with sharp, canine teeth, and their black, jagged lips curled into cruel grins. Their fingernails elongated into deadly claws as they advanced toward Naruto.
Kidōmaru followed suit, his skin turning a deep, dark red. His once gray hair now flowed long and wild, and a grotesque horn grew from his forehead, shoulders, and elbows. His mouth stretched unnaturally wide, and the third eye on his forehead opened, glowing with chakra-sensing power. He grinned as he crafted a massive bow from his own body, a grotesque weapon he had perfected for precision kills.
Jirōbō's transformation was the most drastic. His skin turned a mottled brownish-red, and his mohawk extended into a long, spiky mane that fell over his shoulders. His massive frame was covered in thick, wart-covered flesh, giving him an even more monstrous appearance. His eyes turned yellow, with dark sclera, and his hulking frame radiated raw, physical power.
Naruto stood his ground, unfazed by their transformations. "Nice upgrades," he remarked, cracking his knuckles. "But you're still outmatched."
Jirōbō charged first, his massive fist swinging toward Naruto with a thunderous roar. The power behind the punch was enough to shatter the stone walls of the compound. But as Jirōbō's fist closed in, Naruto didn't even bother dodging. He raised his hand casually, catching the giant's punch with ease.
The impact sent a shockwave through the ground, but Naruto's feet didn't budge an inch. "Not bad," Naruto said, his voice calm. "But I'm stronger."
With a flick of his wrist, Naruto twisted Jirōbō's massive arm, sending the giant stumbling. Before Jirōbō could recover, Naruto's foot slammed into his chest with brutal force, launching him backward like a ragdoll. Jirōbō crashed into the far wall with a deafening thud, the stone crumbling around him.
"You'll pay for that!" Sakon and Ukon shouted in unison, their voices overlapping as they lunged at Naruto from both sides. Their claws swiped at him with terrifying speed, aiming for his neck.
Naruto smirked, dodging their attacks with fluid grace. He moved like the wind, effortlessly sidestepping their strikes. With a sharp motion, he grabbed Sakon by the wrist, twisting it with a sickening snap.
"Too slow," Naruto muttered, driving his knee into Sakon's stomach, sending him flying backward. Ukon tried to attack from behind, but Naruto spun around and slammed his elbow into Ukon's ribs, shattering bone with the sheer force of the blow.
Before Sakon could recover, Kidōmaru's voice echoed through the hallway. "Die, you freak!"
Kidōmaru stood at a distance, his massive bow drawn. His third eye glowed ominously as he released a barrage of chakra-infused arrows, each one aimed with pinpoint accuracy at Naruto's vital points.
Naruto's eyes flashed, and with a quick flick of his wrist, he summoned several paper talismans infused with wind chakra. He flung them forward, the talismans cutting through the air like blades. The talismans collided with Kidōmaru's arrows, slicing them in half before they could even come close to hitting him.
"Nice try," Naruto called, his voice mocking, "but you'll have to do better than that."
Kidōmaru's frustration boiled over. He drew another arrow, this one larger and more dangerous than the others, its tip glowing with concentrated chakra. "Let's see how you handle this!" he yelled, releasing the arrow.
Naruto's eyes narrowed as the arrow closed in, the energy crackling with deadly intent. With a quick movement, he pulled a talisman from his pouch and activated it. A swirling vortex of wind chakra erupted around him, deflecting the arrow harmlessly into the stone ceiling, which exploded into dust and rubble.
"You talk too much," Naruto muttered, his voice deadly calm. In an instant, he appeared in front of Kidōmaru, moving faster than the spider-like shinobi could react. Naruto's fist slammed into Kidōmaru's gut, doubling him over in pain. "Stay down."
Kidōmaru gasped, blood splattering from his mouth as he fell to his knees, clutching his stomach in agony.
Before Naruto could follow up, Jirōbō roared, having recovered from the earlier hit. His massive body crashed through the rubble as he charged at Naruto, his eyes filled with fury. "You're dead, you hear me?!"
Naruto sighed, rolling his neck lazily as Jirōbō's hulking form barreled toward him. At the last second, Naruto ducked under Jirōbō's wild swing and slammed his fist into the giant's stomach. Jirōbō's eyes bulged, and he let out a choked gasp as Naruto's punch sent him crashing into the ground, cracking the stone beneath him.
Jirōbō struggled to stand, his massive body shaking from the force of Naruto's blows. But before he could even fully rise, Naruto stomped on his chest, pinning him down with ease.
"Is that all?" Naruto asked, his tone bored.
Sakon and Ukon, both breathing heavily, glared at Naruto with murderous intent. "You bastard!" they shouted, their voices hoarse.
They rushed at him together, their claws aiming for his throat. But Naruto had already anticipated their attack. With a flick of his wrist, he summoned two paper shurikens, each one enhanced with wind chakra. The shurikens sliced through the air, cutting through Sakon and Ukon's attacks like butter.
Sakon barely managed to dodge, but Ukon wasn't as lucky. The shuriken grazed his arm, leaving a deep gash that sprayed blood onto the floor. Ukon hissed in pain, clutching his arm as he staggered back.
Naruto watched them with mild amusement. "You guys really don't know when to quit, do you?" he said, his voice cold and mocking.
The Sound Four were battered, bloodied, and beaten, but they weren't done yet. Not by a long shot. They gathered themselves, their eyes filled with a mix of desperation and rage as they prepared for one final push.
Naruto, however, remained calm, his red eyes glowing ominously. He hadn't even broken a sweat yet. This was just the beginning.
The atmosphere in the hallway had grown thick with tension, the air heavy with the scent of blood and dust. The Sound Four, now panting and bruised, knew that they were completely outmatched. But desperation fueled them, and in their cursed forms, they were willing to fight to the death.
Naruto stood, seemingly unfazed, his glowing red eyes reflecting the fear and rage of his opponents. His hand hovered over the hilt of the wakizashi strapped to his side, his expression bored, almost detached.
"You're still fighting?" Naruto asked with a casual sigh. "This is getting old."
Sakon and Ukon, still recovering from their earlier clash, exchanged a glance. Their bodies had transformed into grotesque oni-like forms, but despite their enhanced power, Naruto had overpowered them effortlessly. Now, in their desperation, they lunged forward once again, their claws outstretched, aiming for Naruto's throat.
Naruto didn't even flinch.
With blinding speed, he unsheathed his wakizashi, the blade flashing in the dim light of the hallway. The sound of metal slicing through flesh filled the air, followed by a spray of blood. Sakon and Ukon's attack froze mid-motion, their eyes wide with shock as they felt a sharp pain tear through their bodies.
Naruto's blade had sliced cleanly through Sakon's arm, severing it at the elbow. The limb fell to the ground with a sickening thud, blood spurting from the open wound. Sakon screamed in agony, stumbling back, clutching the stump where his arm had once been.
"You… you bastard!" Sakon howled, his voice ragged with pain. He clutched the bleeding stump, trying to stop the torrent of blood. Ukon, in a desperate attempt to protect his brother, lunged at Naruto again, his claws aiming for the fox boy's throat. But Naruto was faster.
With a swift, fluid motion, Naruto spun on his heel and drove the wakizashi through Ukon's shoulder, the blade cutting through bone like butter. Ukon's scream of pain echoed through the hallway as Naruto wrenched the blade free, sending the cursed shinobi staggering back.
Blood poured from Ukon's wound, his breath coming in ragged gasps as he fell to his knees. His eyes were wide with terror, the realization of his own mortality finally sinking in.
Naruto stepped forward, his expression calm, almost bored. "Is this really the best you can do?" he asked, flicking the blood from his blade with a casual swipe. "I thought you'd at least put up more of a fight."
Sakon, still clutching the bloody stump of his arm, gritted his teeth in fury. "You think you can just toy with us?" he growled, his voice trembling with pain. "We're not done yet!"
But before Sakon could make another move, Naruto was already in front of him. With a swift slash of his wakizashi, he severed Sakon's remaining arm, the blade cutting through flesh and bone effortlessly. Sakon's scream of agony filled the air as he fell to the ground, writhing in pain.
Naruto watched him coldly, the glow of his red eyes reflecting the blood pooling around Sakon's body. "You should've stayed down," he muttered, stepping over Sakon's broken form without a second glance.
Kidōmaru, watching in horror, drew his bow, his third eye glowing as he summoned another arrow. He knew he was outmatched, but his survival instincts kicked in. "Damn you!" he yelled, his voice shaking with fear and rage. He released the arrow, its tip glowing with deadly chakra, aimed directly at Naruto's heart.
But Naruto was ready.
In a split second, he spun around, his wakizashi flashing through the air. The blade cut clean through the arrow, shattering it into pieces before it could even come close to him. Kidōmaru's eyes widened in disbelief as Naruto disappeared from sight, only to reappear directly in front of him.
Before Kidōmaru could react, Naruto slashed across his chest, cutting deep into his flesh. The force of the blow sent Kidōmaru crashing into the ground, blood splattering across the stone floor. He gasped in pain, his body trembling as he tried to crawl away, but Naruto wasn't finished.
Naruto raised his wakizashi high, his eyes cold and merciless. "You're done," he said, his voice a low growl.
With a brutal slash, Naruto severed Kidōmaru's arm at the shoulder. Blood sprayed from the wound, and Kidōmaru let out a choked scream, collapsing onto the ground, his body wracked with pain.
Jirōbō, witnessing the slaughter, roared in fury, his massive form shaking with rage. "I'll crush you!" he bellowed, his fists slamming into the ground with enough force to crack the stone. He charged at Naruto, his body glowing with chakra, but Naruto was already in motion.
In one swift, fluid movement, Naruto ducked under Jirōbō's wild punch and slashed his wakizashi across the giant's legs. The blade cut through muscle and tendon, and Jirōbō let out a guttural scream as his legs buckled beneath him.
Jirōbō fell to his knees, gasping for breath as blood poured from the deep wounds in his legs. He looked up at Naruto with wide, terrified eyes, realizing too late that he had no chance of winning.
Naruto stood over him, his blade dripping with blood. "You're not worth my time," he said coldly, before driving the wakizashi into Jirōbō's chest.
The massive shinobi let out one final gasp before collapsing to the ground, blood pooling around him as his life drained away.
Naruto stepped back, surveying the carnage he had caused. The hallway was littered with blood and broken bodies, the Sound Four reduced to a bloody mess. But Naruto wasn't finished yet. His red eyes glowed with a dangerous intensity as he turned toward the remaining fighters, his wakizashi gleaming in the dim light.
"Still want to keep going?" he asked, his voice calm, almost bored. "Or are you finally ready to give up?"
The sound of labored breathing filled the hallway, the once-formidable Sound Four now reduced to a group of broken, defeated warriors.
Naruto stood amidst the wreckage of what had once been the Sound Four. Their bodies, broken and bloodied, lay strewn across the stone floor, gasping their last breaths. His expression remained cold and detached as he reached into his pouch, pulling out a handful of talismans. These were marked with a fiery red seal—talismans designed for one final purpose.
Without a second thought, Naruto flung the fire talismans at the bodies of the fallen Sound Four. The talismans stuck to their corpses, glowing for a brief moment before erupting into flames. The fire spread quickly, consuming the blood-soaked bodies in a blaze of heat and light. Their screams, their struggles—all of it vanished as the fire reduced them to ash.
Naruto exhaled slowly, his body slowly reverting to his base form. His muscles relaxed, his skin lightened, and the black sclera faded from his eyes. Naruto's irises, fox ears, and tail regained their original color. The violent aura around him dissipated, replaced with an air of calm, almost cheerful energy, as if nothing had happened. He turned to Tayuya, who had been watching the entire scene unfold with wide, terrified eyes, frozen in place by what she had just witnessed.
"Ah, much better," Naruto said, a wide grin spreading across his face. He turned toward Tayuya, who was standing frozen in shock, her eyes wide as she took in the horrifying scene. The brutal fight had left her speechless, and she hadn't moved since Naruto had killed her comrades.
Naruto's cheerful voice cut through the tension. "Come on, let's get going." He said it as casually as if they were heading out for a stroll, not walking away from a massacre. He motioned toward the scrolls and other items he'd collected. "I'm taking the rest of the scriptures from here. No point in leaving them behind. Oh, and sorry about your friends, but…" He paused, his tone softening for a moment. "They were too far gone."
Tayuya's mouth went dry, her hands trembling slightly as she tried to make sense of his sudden shift in demeanor. She had just watched Naruto casually murder the people she had fought alongside for years, and now he was talking to her like it was just another day. She swallowed hard, not sure whether to follow him or run. But running wasn't an option—not now. Not after seeing what Naruto could do.
Still, she wasn't about to stay behind in this cursed place. She took a shaky breath and forced her feet to move, following Naruto as he began walking toward the exit of the compound. The weight of fear hung heavy in her chest, her thoughts racing with uncertainty. Was he going to kill her next? Was she just another pawn in his game?
Naruto seemed to sense her fear. He glanced over his shoulder, his smile never fading. "You're safe, you know. I'm not going to kill you or anything."
Tayuya blinked, surprised by the sudden reassurance. "W-what?" she stammered.
Naruto chuckled, his tone light and almost friendly. "Honestly, you did me a big favor by kidnapping me. I was dealing with some things with my ex-brother." His smile faltered briefly, his tone turning bitter. "He just came back to the village after abandoning me for so long."
Tayuya watched him carefully, still wary of his sudden shift in personality. "So… you're not mad at me?" she asked, her voice quiet, as though afraid of triggering his wrath.
Naruto shook his head, the smile returning to his face. "Nah, if anything, I should be thanking you." He looked ahead, his eyes softening a bit. "Look on the bright side—I got stronger because of all this. So, I'm not angry at you if that's what you were worried about."
Tayuya felt the tension in her chest ease slightly. She hadn't even realized she'd been holding her breath until now. "Thanks, I guess," she muttered, still unsure but feeling a little less terrified. She glanced at Naruto out of the corner of her eye, trying to gauge whether his cheerful demeanor was genuine or just another mask. Either way, she was still afraid to fully let her guard down around him.
As they walked in silence, Tayuya found herself needing to break the tension. Her mind flashed back to the moment she had first captured Naruto and how he had reacted to her music.A sly smile crept across her face. Maybe… she could lighten the mood. Her hand reached for her flute, and she began to play a light, teasing melody as they walked.
The notes of her flute carried a playful rhythm, and as she played, she began to sing:
"There once was a fox with a big, twitchy tail,
Who thought it was fun to follow a girl's trail,
He'd sneak up behind, with eyes wide and bright,
Hoping to peek up her skirt in the night!"
Tayuya grinned, her voice carrying a mocking tone as she continued:
"Oh, this fox was quite naughty, always looking to peek,
With a grin on his face, he'd playfully sneak,
But the girls knew better—they'd swat him away,
And call him a pervert for his games of the day!"
Naruto's face immediately flushed bright red. "W-What the hell?!" he stammered, his ears twitching in embarrassment as he turned to look at Tayuya. "I'm not a pervert! I don't peek up skirts!"
But Tayuya ignored his protests, the teasing smile never leaving her face as she played another verse:
"His favorite game, oh, he'd never admit,
Was sneaking his hand where the girls would sit,
On their butts and their chests, he'd always try,
But each time they caught him, they'd shout and cry!"
Naruto groaned, his hands flying to his face to hide his embarrassment. "Seriously, stop!" he pleaded, his voice muffled. "I don't do that! I'm not a creep!"
Tayuya's laughter bubbled up as she twirled her flute in her hand and kept walking beside him, her voice lilting as she finished the song with a flourish:
"Now the perverted fox, though strong as can be,
Still couldn't escape from his reputation, you see,
For every girl knew, no matter the scene,
That fox boy Naruto was a perverted teen!"
Naruto's face was practically glowing with embarrassment by the time she finished. "I can't believe you just made a song about that," he muttered, crossing his arms and avoiding eye contact. His tail swished behind him nervously.
Tayuya smirked, enjoying the rare sight of Naruto flustered. "What? Just trying to lighten the mood, fox boy," she teased, giving him a playful nudge with her elbow. "You looked like you needed it."
Naruto, still red-faced, sighed. "Yeah, well… you didn't have to make me sound like a pervert…"
Tayuya chuckled, her mood lighter as the tension of the earlier battle began to fade. For now, at least, it seemed she was safe. And maybe, just maybe, this wouldn't be so bad after all.
Author's Notes:
Thank you all for the continued support and reviews! I'm really sorry this chapter took longer than expected—had to work some overtime at my job, and this chapter ended up being a bit longer because I wanted to reach a crucial point in the story. I've really enjoyed writing this part, and I'm excited about how Tayuya's character is starting to develop.
Next chapter, I'll probably dive into the reactions from the other girls regarding everything that's been happening with Naruto. Stay tuned for more!