First story, try to bear with me. Starts with Naruto in the hospital after fighting Sasuke in the Valley of the End. Goes straight to trip with Jiraiya with special somebody. Any and all reviews I'll read so don't hesitate to critique. It's appreciated.

Naruto lay in his hospital bed thinking about leaving with Jiraiya to train. The pervy sage said he had almost three years until Orochimaru would take over Sasuke's body. Thinking about all the awesome Jutsus he could teach him made him giddy with excitement. If he trained with ero-sensei there was no way he couldn't save Sasuke. A weak groan took him out of his thoughts as he looked across the room.

He hadn't noticed the bed across from his was occupied, and the occupant was now starting to stir. He watched as a head peered out from under her blankets. Their eyes locked with one another. Neither making a sound as they were trying to figure out who the other was. Naruto had a look of confusion and curiosity, while the other person had a look of exhaustion and irritation.

In a slightly weak tone the girl across from him broke the awkward silence. "You idiot. You can't save him." She tried to readjust to a more comfortable position before pain shot up her legs forcing her to stop moving.

It took Naruto a minute to process what the strange girl said before it finally clicked. He screamed back in reply, "I'm not an idiot! I'm Naruto Uzumaki! Future Hokage and I will bring my friend back! Dattebayo!"

The girl looked at him incredulously before responding. "Datte-what? You really are an idiot." Naruto tried to cut her off but she continued. "I've been awake for a while listening to all your blabbering. You can't save someone who doesn't want to be saved. Idiot."

Naruto went from anger to confusion at that, even ignoring the last comment she added. "What do you mean by that? I'll drag him back here kicking and screaming if I have to." The deadpanned look she gave him actually made him think for a second that maybe he couldn't.

"You really have no brains, do you shithead?" She said that as more of a statement then a question. "He came on his own to us, to take him to Lord Orochimaru for power. He doesn't care about you. Don't bother trying to save him."

Naruto stared at the girl who was becoming more familiar by the second. The gears in his head were speeding up, processing what she said. "Come to you? Wait…" then it dawned on him. "You're that girl Shikamaru fought! Why are you here?"

Outside of Room

Kakashi, meanwhile, stood outside the door, with his back leaned against the wall listening to them inside. Maybe I should go in there. Getting loud in there. He was quickly brought out of his thoughts as Tsunade and Shizune approached him. He gave a simple nod which was returned by the two.

Tsunade spoke first. "So is he awake?" Kakashi gave another nod. Then the sound of yelling from Naruto in the room prompted them to end their conversation. Tsunade stepped into the room leaving Shizune and Kakashi outside.

Shizune stood a bit awkwardly looking at him. They weren't exactly close friends, but she could tell he was upset."So Kakashi. You look troubled. Everything alright?" His mask covered most of his face, but the way he was staring at the floor, lost in his thoughts was easy for Shizune to tell something was bothering him.

Kakashi stared at the floor for a few moments thinking of a reply. He hadn't really talked to her much before. The most they had done was exchange greetings when they saw one another. Perhaps that was more of his fault but he was like that with most people. They stood in silence a few more moments before Kakashi shrugged and then replied.

"I failed. Sasuke left the village and Naruto almost died."

Shizune nodded in understanding. Now she could see why Kakashi was down. Having one defect from the village and almost killing the other one could weigh on someone's conscious. "It's not your fault Kakashi. You couldn't stop it."

Kakashi shook his head in disagreement. "I could have. Maybe not stop Sasuke, but I could have trained Naruto more. Instead I played favorites and focused most of my attention on Sasuke. I failed my students."

Shizune placed her hand on his shoulder, drawing his eye to meet hers. "It's not too late to make up for it. And you didn't make Sasuke leave. He did that on his own. You couldn't have predicted that." She gave him a warm smile that seemed to help cement her point to him. "I hope you don't dwell feeling guilty." Again smiling warmly she added, "We don't want you becoming even more of a recluse." She then walked away down the hallway, leaving him to his thoughts.

He stared at her as she left, contemplating her words. Perhaps she's right. I can't change what happened, but I can be there for Naruto to help him. I have to make up for my mistake. Kakashi then walked away to contemplate Shizune's reassuring words. Jiraiya was going to take Naruto with him, but once he got back he would try to make it up to him, somehow.

Hospital Room

Tsunade walked into the room to find the two arguing. She waited a moment for them to stop at the presence of the Hokage. Respect was apparently lost on both of them as they paid her no attention. She began tapping her foot impatiently before finally snapping.

"Both of you shut up!" Both of their heads snapped to Tsunade in surprise.

"When did you get here granny?" Tsunade let that one slide on account that Naruto was still injured; but it still frustrated her, evidenced by the tick mark on her forehead. The girl snickering at the comment in the other bed didn't help.

Agitated Tsunade began. "I suppose you're wondering why you're here, or even alive." Naruto was going to say something, but the glare Tsunade gave him made him know better. She directed her gaze back to the girl in the bed. "You were found in the forest with your legs crushed under trees."

The girl glared at Tsunade before looking back down in remembering the ordeal. In a hushed slightly suspicious tone she asked, "Why did you save me? I failed Lord Orochimaru. I deserve to die." Naruto stared at her in disbelief. How could someone deserve to die? That wasn't right. She looked up and locked eyes with him for a brief moment before looking back down in shame.

Tsunade watched her a moment before continuing. "That may be how that snake does it in the Sound Village, but here no one is treated like that." She let that sink in before continuing. "We saved you, but you're not out of the woods yet."

The girl interupted in a slightly annoyed tone, "Did you just make a pun?"

Tsunade coughed into her hand lightly at getting caught with that quick jab at the girl. "I put your legs back together, but without proper treatment you won't be able to walk again."

The girl stared at her legs thinking what she should do. She couldn't escape, not with her legs and other injuries. Even if she miraculously got out of the hospital, evaded patrolling shinobi, and somehow slipped out of the village, what then? She couldn't return to her own village, Orochimaru would kill her for failing. Screwed was all she could think. There really weren't any other options to choose from so she gave in. Sighing, she then asked, "What do you want from me?"

Tsunade smiled, thinking that this was a lot easier then she had hoped for; but she knew the girl didn't have any other options. "You were part of the Sound Four. You have information on Orochimaru. Information we can use. So here's what's going to happen. You're going to renounce all ties to the Sound Village and Orochimaru."

The girl nodded, "Done."

Tsunade smiled, happy with her success, "Two, you're going to give us any and all information on Orochimaru and the Sound Village." The girl nodded. "Finally, you're now going to be a proud kunoichi of Konaha. Do all of that and you'll be treated like everyone else here. If you don't, you'll be interrogated and probably never see the light of day again. Agree?" Tsunade knew she wasn't really giving her a choice, but she didn't care.

The girl nodded in defeat. "Good." Now to begi-" She was cut off as Jiraiya came through the window. He looked at her, then Naruto, and finally the girl in the bed.

"Tsunade, I came to tell Naruto to get ready for our trip." Pointing at the other bed, "Who's the girl?"

Tsunade shrugged at the man. Why couldn't he couldn't just use a door like most people? "Meet the newest ninja of Konoha. She has information about Orochimaru." Jiraiya studied the girl a few moments before she responded.

"What the fuck are you looking at old man?" His eyes bulged a little at her disrespect she gave him. Before he could say anything Naruto tried to defend him.

"Hey, don't talk to Pervy Sage like that!" Jiraiya looked at his disciple in irritation. None of these kids have any respect.

"I can talk to the perv however the fuck I want, shithead!" The two started arguing forgetting about the two Sannin in the room. The two looked at each other thankful that the two adolescents were in beds or else they might tear each other apart. That however didn't exempt them from being torn apart by Tsunade, if the vein protruding from her forehead gave any indication of her irritation.

As Naruto and the girl started getting louder, Tsunade lost her temper and finally cut in. "That's it!" Pointing to Naruto, "You just earned yourself punishment." Naruto gave her puppy dog eyes that weren't fooling her for a second. "Since you and your girlfriend here get along so well-"

Simultaneously they yelled, "Girlfriend?"

Tsunade waved them off as Jiraiya snickered at the comment. "Since you two get along so well, she's joining you on your training trip."

This time, the two and even Jiraiya yelled out in surprise, "What?" Jiraiya then looked at Tsunade disapprovingly waiting for a reason.

"She has info on Orochimaru, and probably his hideouts. You can use that out there better than we can here. Also, you can keep a eye on her instead of wasting resources on ANBU to watch her." She pointed to a Naruto, "Naruto gets to push her wheelchair until she's better, so that's his punishment for being a brat." Naruto and Tsunade gave each other a mutual scowl before she continued.

"Also, you get to train two people instead of just one, helping the village, and punishing you for being a perv. And I won't have to worry about the council on my back with a former Sound ninja in the village until you're done with her. Everyone wins."

Jiraiya scrunched his eyes staring at Tsunade, ignoring the perv jab. "That's actually a good point. But, what about her legs? Doesn't she need special attention?"

Tsunade shook her head, and walked over to a cabinet in the room, pulling out a bottle of ointment. "As long as she keeps her legs straight, and applies this healing ointment to them every day, she should be good in about a month, along with proper rehab, which you'll help her with." She threw the bottle to Jiraiya and he caught with a little disdain.

"Okay, but how is this win-win for everybody? How do I win?"

Tsunade shrugged before replying, "Maybe she'll be a deterrent to you being a pervert everywhere."

The girl snorted while Naruto laughed as Jiraiya gasped at the comment. "Me stop being a pervert? Impossible!" Tsunade sighed before leaving the room.

Jiraiya stood there looking at the two teens as they stared at him. One was barely able to conceal his excitement, and the other was not even trying to conceal her contempt of the whole situation. "Alright, get ready kids. We'll meet at the gates in two hours. I'm going to go talk to Tsunade some more." With that he left the two teens in the room by themselves.

They stared at each other for a few moments trying to process what all just happened. Until Naruto jumped out of bed and began changing into his clothes. "What the fuck are you doing Shithead?"

Naruto stopped and looked back at her sheepishly. "Sorry, forgot you're a girl. You mind?" She turned away angrily as he finished changing. When he got his sandals on, he exhaled. "Alright, we only have a few hours until we leave. I'm going to show you around the village so you can see your new home."

She snorted and glared at him. The smile he was giving was huge and seemed unreal. Bitterly she replied, "Fine, just get me my clothes." He started grabbing her stuff and throwing it at her. When he finished he stared with a goofy smile, making it unintentionally awkward. "Hey shithead, you're not watching me change, turn around."

Naruto's face reddened as he realized what she was saying and spun around instantly. "Sorry, I wasn't trying to." She glared at him suspiciously before beginning to change. As she started pulling off her hospital gown, she groaned in pain as she shifted to get it off. He stood there listening to her struggle to change.

She got most of her clothes on with pain, but she was having a hard time getting her shorts on. She wasn't able to lift her wrapped legs, or really even reach down that far. Her body was still battered from the fight she barely survived. After a few minutes of failed attempts she gave up.

"Naruto." He started to turn around before she yelled. "Don't be a perv, close your eyes." He did as instructed and waited for what she had to say. She sighed in mild defeat before speaking again. "I need help getting my shorts on. Turn around with your eyes closed and help me."

Naruto nodded before replying. "Ask nicely."

She snorted clinching her fists trying to stay calm. "Fine, please help me or I'll put you in a genjutsu and cut off your manhood shithead." Naruto gulped before turning around with his eyes sealed shut and stumbling over to her bed. She threw the shorts at him. He caught them and slowly lifted up her legs, pulling them up a little. He pulled them about halfway before she spoke. "That's far enough; I can do it from here shithead." He backed away and turned around again.

"Can you stop calling me shithead, please? My name is Naruto."

She groaned as she pulled her shorts up the rest of the way. "You're Shithead now. Get me a wheelchair so we can go." Naruto grumbled before leaving and coming back quickly with the wheelchair. She looked at him, then the wheelchair, then back at him. Waiting for him to get the message. When he didn't she scowled, then pointed at her legs.

Naruto finally got it and picked her up, and sat her down in the chair. "Okay, where are we going?"

Naruto started pushing the chair and began running at full speed. "I'm going to show you around the village, let's go!" Her eyes bulged out as she held on for dear life.

He had kept running, pointing out things while he talked nonstop. He did this until they only had a few minutes to get to the gate. He saw it up ahead and slowed down a bit. "Okay, well that's the gate right up there."

She took the chance to catch her breath before gesturing for Naruto to get closer. He unwittingly stooped lower to see what she wanted. In flash she punched him on the top of his head, leaving a comically sized welt. "Don't ever do that again!"

He rubbed his head in agony. "You hit harder than Sakura-chan." She waved him off not caring who this "Sakrua-chan" was. Before she could reply he did something she didn't expect. "Sorry, I didn't mean to make you mad." Now she had a dumbfounded look on her face as she tried to register what he was saying.

"Why are you apologizing to me? Shouldn't you be mad at me?"

Naruto looked at her genuinely confused before replying, "Why?"

Now she was more confused than Naruto. "Why? I just hit you. We attacked your village! My old team almost killed your friends. We took Sasuke. How do you not hate me?"

Naruto stared at her pondering what she said. He looked up, rubbing his chin in compilation. "I don't know. We stopped the attack so that's fine. My friends are going to be fine. Um, technically Sasuke came to you, that idiot. Now you're a shinobi of Konoha. So you're family. I can't hate you."

She actually blushed at that. No one had said anything that nice to her before, not that it was really a compliment. Back in the Sound Village it was everyone for themselves. All she could muster up was, "Thanks. Shithead." He face-palmed to that, sad that she was still calling him that.

"My name is Naruto. I don't call you…" He stared at her a little surprised, and feeling a kind of stupid. "What's your name anyway?"

"Tayuya." She still didn't understand why he was being this nice to her. Naruto smiled before moving behind her and started pushing the wheelchair again.

"I hope you'll call me by my name eventually Tayuya."

She smirked before replying, "Whatever Shithead."

Hinata and Sakura saw Naruto pushing a girl in a wheelchair as he walked right by them without noticing and was confused. "Who's that with Naruto-kun?"

Sakura looked at them then back at Hinata. "Tsunade-sensei said that he and that girl are going on a training trip with Master Jiraiya." They watched as Naruto and Tayuya approached the gate.

Hinata poked her fingers together nervously. "She was p-pretty." Sakura shrugged leaving Hinata in silence. "Guess we'll have to train even harder to keep up with them if they are training with the legendary Sannin." Both of them nodded in agreement, determination set on their faces. Just wait Naruto-kun. I'll get really strong.

Naruto and Tayuya approached Jiraiya as he studied them. When they got to him, he led them, walking out of the gate. "Alright, we are going to be gone three years. I'll teach you what I can but you have to give all you got you two. Understand?"

Naruto nodded enthusiastically while Tayuya nodded with a snort. "Okay Tayuya. We're going to hone your skills in taijutsu. Not really going to be working on your flute."

Tayuya started freaking out in her chair. "Why the fuck can't we work on my flute? That's how I use genjutsu! And what's wrong with my taijutsu?" Naruto started laughing a little before she tried to reach back and smacked him. "Shut up Shithead!"

Jiraiya shook his head. "I talked to Tsunade about you. Her info says genjutsu is your primary, if only skill set. That's good, but what happens if someone gets close to you?"

"Well I-"

Jiraiya continued, not letting her finish. "And what if I had earplugs in for your flute? Or had a team to expel the jutsu? If all you have is long range, then you'll lose as soon as someone gets close." Tayuya looked down trying to think of an answer to prove she was right. When she couldn't she just sighed.

"Alright."

Jiraiya nodded with a smile. "You kids may think I'm a perv, but I'm still a Sannin for a reason." However his words were on deaf ears as the two began to argue over who was stronger. He grunted in disapproval and was still ignored. After a few minutes of this his patience snapped and he yelled at them. "That's it. Both of you say something nice about the other!"

Both teens stopped arguing and looked at him in confusion and simultaneously said, "But Pervy Sage!"

He shook his head, "No buts. Can't have you guys at each other's throats for the whole trip. Do it now or we're going back. Tayuya, you can go first."

She looked at him seething with anger before clinching her jaw, and trying to compliment Naruto. "You're not that much of an idiot. Shithead." She looked up at Jiraiya, and his glare told her that she needed be sincere. She looked back at Naruto trying to think of something. She gulped before looking down and saying with heavy reluctance, "I like your blue eyes. Shithead."

She didn't see the huge grin plastered on his face as he relished the compliment, albeit forced. Jiraiya looked at him waiting for his. Naruto looked at his sensei then back down at Tayuya as he kept pushing. "Thanks Tayuya. Um." He looked at Jiraiya, "I don't really know that much about her Pervy Sage." Jiraiya just nodded, waiting for Naruto to say something to get it over with.

"Well uh. Hmm. I guess I really like your hair, Tayuya. Its long and pretty and red." Tayuya actually blushed while staring down at her legs.

Subconsciously she reached a hand up and brushed it through her hair timidly. "T-thanks."

Jiraiya smiled at the two. Maybe this trip wouldn't be so bad. "Alright kiddos, with that out of the way let's get this trip started. Wave goodbye, we'll be back in two and a half years. Naruto looked back at his home as they got further and further away. Tayuya, on the other hand sat idly, fidgeting her hand through her hair a little. Maybe he isn't a total shithead.