Naruto felt just the slightest bit awkward about carrying their new companion. Tsume, as she'd introduced herself, might be as tall as a ten-year-old but she sure as hell wasn't shaped like one. The rump resting in his arm was wide and womanly, soft too, she even had breasts nearly the size of tree fruit, they looked large on her miniature torso.
The look in her eyes kept him from taking any enjoyment out of this. So guarded, so hard, like any second she might lunge forward and bite open his jugular before diving off into the bushes. Those teeth were damn sharp he knew all too well. It's why he was the one carrying her, better he take that hit than any of the others, especially if they really did end up fighting an entire fangfolk tribe.
Those teeth were of course why someone had to physically restrain her. Not like a rope bind would delay her for more than half a second if she decided to sprint for it, and while it was completely plausible that she lied about her leadership position in the tribe, it never hurt to have another bargaining chip. Even with her unenthused tone, it was a relief when their new friend spoke up.
"Why bigfolk even want ears anyway? Alchemy? Spells?"
"We don't care about your ears, the bigfolk in charge just want proof that we're killing you. I'm sure you can imagine why they want that," Sasuki replied without emotion, still watching every leaf and branch with strained wide eyes as they walked.
"Yes yes, makes sense, that was third guess,"
"How many warriors does this 'egg eater' tribe have anyway?" she used the opportunity to ask.
"Fifty or so,"
"Do we have any kind of plan?"
"The giant will make distraction, they will flee up the mountainside to try to avoid her, we will shower them with stone and dart while enemy is exposed,"
The hum Sasuki gave seemed satisfied enough. The remainder of their tense, midnight hike passed in silence. Shadows seemed to dance endlessly in the flickering light of the massive torch Sakura carried, but it kept the bugs away and the comfort of that could not be overstated. Besides, it was endlessly better than walking around blind.
Especially when they finally reached their destination. Nothing but a few tents betrayed their arrival, but within minutes of seeing them dozens of the little fanged fucks had bled out of the forestry to surround the group. Sasuki wasted no time in drawing her knife, or making her demands of Tsume.
"Go on then, tell them what's happening,"
"The Fey and his humans have agreed to repay tribe for their crimes," Tsume began, loudly bending the truth. "In exchange for those slain, they will lend us magic and giant-might to destroy the Egg Eaters once and for all! They will lead the charge and suffer the rain of rock while we strike from the flank! Great stone cliff and the caves it protects will finally be ours!" she bellowed, earning an excited cheer from the assembled mass.
Naruto was shocked by the jovial air. Hadn't they killed thirty of these people? Based on what he saw here that was half their tribe or close to it, surely at least one of these people had a blood relative or a lover or some reason to hate them beyond reason!
Yet they barely seemed to care.
Maybe these things really were monsters.
Whatever they were, it seemed they were scrambling immediately. Some disappeared into the dirt, some poked through the tents, a half dozen or so even donned armor. It was just leather wraps but still! Part of him was unnerved once again, surrounded by nearly half a hundred little folk with their jagged spears and wicked knives. Still, Sasuki had a point, and made it clearly, that so long as she was within a dozen paces death was a flick of the wrist away for their new friend. This… chieftain?
"So your king or chieftan or something of this group?" he asked, curious but more so just eager to break the silence.
"Speaker," she corrected without interest. "Damn fool! Have you no sling?" she demanded abruptly, grabbing one of her kin seemingly at random from the ocean of them running to and fro. Her victim only squeaked, seemed to shrivel under her gaze, and then ran quickly back the way he came, disappearing into a hole in the dirt.
"Speaker," Naruto confirmed offhandedly. "How far is this place?"
"Not two fingers of time, we can be there before sunrise," she said. None of those tall folk assembled knew what the hell 'two fingers' meant, but it couldn't be more than a few hours if they'd reach it before sunup. "We wait for dawn. Enemy has powerful, powerful druid that must die quick for victory. That is your job big raven!" she said, pointing at Sasuki demandingly.
"Fine, you're staying close to me though,"
"Yes yes, so you can kill me if I attempt treachery I remember," she agreed dismissively. "I make distraction, you secure the kill," her gaze turned to Sakura. "You distract everyone else, my warriors will attack from afar. Once they're all bunkered down into cave we reconvene!"
"Do I help with that?" Naruto piped up.
"You stay back and stay alive!" she said, in a tone that showed not the faintest bit of love for him. "If you die many die. Even small cut from fangfolk weapons are lethal eventually," as she spoke the miniature woman took a small animal skin pulled into a loop from her belt, and a bag. "Take this and throw with other slings, but living is first order!"
"Okay," he agreed immediately, taking the surprisingly heavy bag of stones first. "Although just so you know I've never used a sling before. Or uh, any ranged weapon actually so…."
Tsume barely seemed to hear the words, trekking to the southeast as her kin, who now had something of a headstart on them. She took one final look around the, now deserted, camp.
"Alright, we are ready,"
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