Hi everyone. AYFS here. Listen, whilst reading the last chapter, I came across a small mistake. One that wasn't picked up by anyone else…and honestly, I don't blame anyone.

In Chapter 3, just before Itami begins his recount of when he first met Naruko, I wrote 'Most of Team 3 and 4…'. It should have been 'Most of Team 2 and 3…'. Initially I had planned on giving Naruko command over team 4, but then decided to give her Team 2 instead. I cannot remember what make me make the change sadly.

Also, sorry for the very long wait. The website I usually use to stream my anime went FUBAR (And no, I am not saying which one it is) and a fan of this story suggested a new one. Therefore, give thanks to 'I love Inyouchu Anime' that I am finally able to continue the story. Please Note that it does not mean that this will become a primary

Comments/Answers to your reviews:

iZuikaku: I already said that Issei in this AU is deadly scared of Medics and that the only female on his team just so happens to be one…Isn't that sadistic enough already? Besides, I just added Issei to fill the gap that Kuribayashi left in Team 3…I left him as a perv, but made him more useful by making him a CQC specialist…something that he will never become in Highschool DXD…powerful? Yes. Good at hand to hand combat? Need I answer the question?

William Thunderion: Ah…sorry about that…was having a dull moment when I added his name later on (I had initially planned on just putting the Konoha 11 there) and thought that looked at his father's name like a westener would…i.e. I thought Sarutobi was the given name of the third Hokage. By the Time I begin writing this upload, I will have rectified that problem.

As for why his name and that of the other Jonin was added later…I thought it would make more sense for there to be at least some veterans in the team.

And since we are on the topic of names, Aburame Shino's name within the team is going to be Shinobi from now on as it sound better than Shino *pause* B. Also, I think it adds another link between in the story between Naruto and Gate…

Perseus12: Thanks. I hope the other chapters will continue to impress.

Pravda93: Thanks for the like. Well, Issei got what he deserved and all. If you feel sympathy for Issei though you may want to skip parts of this next upload…it could be painful…

Alex2909: In which way? Her seductiveness or the fact that she likes toying with everyone?

Now, onto the story. I know I skipped a lot of the story in the first bit, but that was done intentionally as Naruko is on another team. Her story will be very different…

But for now, Personal roster time:

Name: Uzumaki Naruko

Rank: 1st Lieutenant

Specialization: Sniper, Assault, CQC

Affiliation: JSDF, Rangers, Special Forces

Call sign: Maelstrom

Official Titles: 'Red Ghost Sniper', 'Queen of Pranks'

Unofficial Titles: 'Rambo of Japan', 'Deadly, short tempered Redhead', 'Hot Bombo Sniper', 'Sniping Gender Changer', 'Hot Devil of Death', 'The Sniper any Male would want to get a shot at'

Physical features: FF-cup size and proportional hips, hourglass figure

Hair color: Red

Eye Color: Violet

Additional Info: Orphan who grew up on the streets, views Minister Tanō as a surrogate grandfather, extremely loyal to her friends, very short temper, known to react Violently when groped without permission,

Name: Kruibayashi Shino

Rank: Sergeant Major

Specialization: CQC

Affiliation: JSDF

Call sign: none

Official Titles: None

Unofficial Titles: Short, scary Bimbo'

Physical features: E-cup size and proportional hips, hourglass figure, Somewhat muscular physique,

Hair color: Brown

Eye Color: Brown

Additional Info: Worked her way up the ranks of the military, hates perverts to the point of physically threatening them if they get to close, prefers to let her actions do the talking for her,

Chapter 4

Italica

After Naruko finished remodeling Issei's face, she, Itami and Pinya sat down to officially form a truce and temporary alliance.

Meanwhile, Team 3 was restocking their ammo from the supply tailor Team 2 had brought along…well, one of the trailers that is.

"Man, that is a lot of firepower you are carrying around." Kurata commented, seeing that the trailer also carried a few Grenade Launchers and AT missiles.

"When we set out we found LT-chan grumbling about how we were armed for an assault or something…" Kiba said.

"At first we thought she was going crazy…" Tenten added.

"…but after opening this trailer for the first time…well…you can guess the rest." Neji finished.

"Yeah. No kidding." a mummified-head Issei said. "Are you sure your designation is 'Recon' Team 2 and not 'Combat' Team 2 or 'Team of Mass Destruction 2'?"

The members of Team 2 had a moment of Déjà vu…their thought had almost been the same to the letter…

Suddenly Hinata screamed, making every JSDF personal get on the defensive, but grumbled seeing the false alarm…Issei's hands had managed to find their way onto her tits…which were very sizeable…and far larger than the DD-cup threshold…

Well…the males didn't feel sympathy for Issei for what he got afterwards…even though Hinata knew very well how to kick…and where… They did feel a drop of sympathy for the fact that Issei may not be able to have any offspring…ever…

Hinata walked away, crimson red face, ignoring the fact that she may have completely crushed his manhood.

"My cousin let you of light there." Neji said, approaching the grounded form of Issei. "…but if you ever do that again, I will personally make sure that having no balls will be the least of your problems…I. Will. Cut. It. Off!" he punctuated each word with a scowl.

Issei nodded, whimpering due to the pain he was feeling. The fact that Neji and Hinata didn't have pupils per se was frightening him enough…add an anger element to that…Issei's conscious, subconscious, unconscious and soul placed Hinata on the no-go list…making it the second name to go on that list. The first being a girl in his old school who scared him by actually enjoying the times he placed his hands on her tits…though what made her get placed on the list was the fact that she later tried to get into HIS pants…Raynare was called a slut ever since then…and what made him put her name on that list was that she actually enjoyed the title and went about laying almost every male and most of the females in their grade within the first year…usually out-fucking the males both in the single sessions and the orgies she roped them into…

Whilst Naruko had the superb figure that would put the likes of Raynare to shame, the reason she was not on the list is because she hasn't done anything to traumatize him to that level…yet…
She had come close though…

With Hinata

Hinata was crying behind a corner following the recent event. Neji, Kiba and Ino were trying to comfort her. Shino joined in a bit later.

"You know, Hinata-san…" she said, "…that was a very good kick you gave him." She said kneeling down before her. The looks from the other three told her that it wasn't helping.

"She was repeatedly teased and molested in school." Neji said. Instead of surprise, as Neji and Kiba had expected, Shino actually felt sympathy for the bluenette.

"You…know what she went through?" Ino asked.

Shino nodded. "In my school I had the largest bust out of anyone…even the females in the grades above me had smaller assets." She sighed, recounting a clearly painful memory. "For most of my high school carrier, I was known as the 'school slut' and try as I might, I couldn't get rid of the rumors that the older females started spouting around."

"Why didn't you change schools then?" Kiba asked.

"I had 6 friends there…I couldn't just leave them." She answered. "After entering the 10th grade, some of the older males started abusing two of my friends…" she closed her eyes and closed her hand into a fist at the memory, "The next day I was called into the principal's office on charges of assault. I explained to him everything, the names, the false rumors, the abuse…heck, I even suggested he bring in a gynecologist to prove that I was still a virgin." By now Hinata was looking at her wide-eyed. "The principal just stared at me, then called for my homeroom teacher. When he arrived, he confirmed my statements of being called names and having rumors circulating about me, he was horrified. Unfortunately, there was nothing he could have done as most of the instigators were writing their mid-year preliminaries at that time and removing them would certainly give the school a bad reputation."

"That is enough…you don't have to continue." Hinata said. Her school carrier had never been that had. Yes, she was in a similar situation as Shino, having had the largest bust and all, but her peaceful nature allowed her to have many friends at least.

Even the normally stoic Neji was showing sympathy for the brunette. Kiba looked as though he was about to tear someone apart in anger and Ino was pale. She was actually feeling disgusted with herself as she used to be a bully herself.

Hinata and Neji then realized something. On the outside, Shino may appear like a bit of a bitch, and yes, she has a personality that made her appear like a happy bruiser, but on the inside she was very similar to Hinata: caring, gentle, peaceful, but she was also willing to stand up for others, even willing to break rules to do so.

"And here I was thinking that you were some Kung-Fu woman with a stick up your ass…" a new voice said. They turned around to see Sakura, Tenten, Lee, Shino, and a few others standing behind her.

"In all honesty, I never expected you to be the caring sort." Sakura continued.

"I learned to care after getting to know Ruko-chan." Shino said. "If you think my life was harsh…her's makes mine look like a walk in the park…"

"Please explain." Shinobi said.

"It is not for me to say." Shino looked at him. "Some of the things she said are…let's just say that I don't think anyone but her should tell you…"

"Was her life that bad?" Neji asked.

"From the few things she told me, yes." Shino answered. "And don't just go and ask her…I honestly believe that her wounds may not have healed completely yet…or at all…"

"I didn't see any wounds on her…" Issei said, approaching. He had only heard Shino's last words so he didn't know what was going on.

"Fuck off, pervert." Shino beat Neji and Kiba to those words. "You already made an traumatic impact on Hinata…we don't need you to do the same to anyone else."

"Hey, I will try my best to keep my distance from her from now on." He said. "I swear on my honor as a CQC specialist. But what is this about Naruko-chan and scars?"

Before anyone could answer he heard a loud 'click' behind him. Turning around, he got face to face with the muzzle of a Barrette 50 .cal Sniper Rifle less than three inches from his face.

"Care to repeat what you called me?" he heard the redhead on the other side of the barrel say with a sickly sweet voice…and a face that promised a very painful death at the wrong answer.

"Now, now…" Itami said, placing his hand on the rifle and pushing it away. "He was just asking a question about you, that is all."

"For some reason that makes me want to puke." Naruko muttered, but switched the safety back on.

"Lt. is it true that you had a hard life?" Lee asked. Shino face-palmed…she had just told them not to ask.

But it was not Naruko who answered.

"She has had it harder than all of us…possibly harder than anyone in the JSDF." Itami said.

Issei completely misunderstood the statement. Luckily for him, he kept his mouth shut.

"Itami-Taicho. There are enemy scouts half a click out to the south east." Sōichirō called over the radio.

"Roger that." Itami answered.

"Neji, Hinata. The two of you go and take up over-watch in the church tower at the centre of town." Naruko told the two cousins. "You may take your DMR's with you."

"Itami-dono. Would you and Naruko-dono take up positions at the southern Gate?" Pinya asked. "I don't have the men to spare on that front…"

"Let Itami handle that Gate." Naruko said. "I have sent two of my people to the tower over there to watch for enemy movement. I'll have the rest of my people guard the north and west gates."

"Thank you." Pinya said, relief evident in her voice.

Later that day, near evening

Itami was patrolling the wall around the southern gate when he was contacted by Naruko.

"Oi, Slacker. Is it just me or is it far too quiet on our fronts?" Naruko asked.

"What makes you say that?" He asked.

"Well, according to Shikamaru's analysis, the bandits will go wherever they find the least resistance." Naruko said.

"Well, Pinya-hime probably is planning on making our fronts seem like just that…" he was interrupted by Naruko.

"That may be true, but it appears as though the majority of these bandits are survivors from the recent battle at Alnus." Alarm bells started going off in Itami's head. "Those guys will see us and know they won't get past us."

"And since we are covering three of the 4 possible entrances…" Itami said.

"Right. I am already putting 2 LAV's on standby. If everything goes to shit, I'll let you know." Naruko said.

"What about the two in the tower?"

"I already ordered them to watch the eastern gate. I sent Kakashi up there with as backup."

"And where are you going to be?"

"I will be where I am needed." She answered.

Before Itami could answer, Kakashi called in over the radio.

"Naruko, you may want to come up here with your rifle…You are not going to like this!"

Shortly afterwards

Naruko went to pick up Pinya and Itami before heading over to the tower.

"What is going on?" Naruko asked, climbing up the ladder with her Rifle slung over her shoulder.

"It were better if you saw for yourself." Kakashi said, pointing towards a clump of trees. He also had a small computer in his hand.

"Patch in the rifle-cam." Naruko said as looked through the scope. Pinya gasped when she saw the image suddenly appear on the screen.

"What am I looking at?" Naruko asked, though the answer was blatantly clear.

"Some form of siege machine. I have never seen anything like it." Kakashi said.

"A Dragon Tube?" Pinya gasped, getting over her shock of seeing images on the small unknown device, only to jumped right back into shock seeing WHAT was ON the pictures.

"A what now?" Naruko asked.

"A powerful siege machine that spits Fire or pressurized Air over long distances." Pinya explained. "Usually it is used in conjunction with a mage or spirit user, but lesser ones have been known to exist that shoot steam into the faces of the defenders."

"So basically this thing is a jumbo sized flame-thrower…" Naruko muttered. "Any weaknesses?"

"You mean apart from the fact that it is very big and difficult to maneuver?" Pinya asked. "Well, if the Mage of Spirit user were to be taken out, then the weapon wouldn't be able to work…at least not one of this size. But they usually are protected by a shell of wood or metal to protect them from arrows."

"And how far can the thing fire?" Kakashi asked.

"Depends on the magic involved." Pinya said. "If it is a fireball spell that is accelerated by air, it wouldn't even have to move from there to be able to bombard any location here in Italica."

"Kakashi…how far do you think it is? 1-4 Mikes?" Naruko asked.

"Probably more like 1-5." he answered.

"Not bad for something made from wood." Naruko muttered.

"Care to explain what the numbers mean?" Neji asked.

"This Dragon Tube thing has a range of roughly 1.5 miles." Kakashi said.

"In any case, we need to do something about that machine." Naruko said.

"Got any Ideas?" Kakashi asked. Naruko reached for her radio.

"I may have a few." Naruko told him before dishing out orders through the radio.

"Ten, you like playing with fire, don't you?" she said.

There was a moment of silence, then…

"What do you have in mind?" Tenten answered and even though they couldn't see her, they knew from the tone of her voice that she was smirking evilly.

Unnoticed by the others in the tower, Neji gave a shudder at the tone his secret girlfriend used.

Later that night

It was clear that the Bandits were expecting the defenders to do something. They had placed guards every 20 meters in a large circle around the Dragon Tube. None of the civilians or normal defenders could have gotten past them without raising the alarm.

Unfortunately for the bandits, Itami and Naruko weren't normal defenders…or normal soldiers for that matter…

"You sure that these explosives will work?" Itami whispered.

"Trust me…Tenten is an Weapons and Explosives fanatic." Naruko whispered back. "She could build an H-bomb from scrap materials and sewer water."

In Italica

Neji jumped slightly when Tenten suddenly sneezed…whilst working on a claymore anti personal mine…

Back outside

"That doesn't make me feel any better." Itami whispered.

"Hey…you are not the one who has to carry all this stuff." Naruko hissed/whispered. It was true. Tenten had given them 6 pounds of C4 and half a kilo of Thermite. Their plan was placing it inside the barrel: The Thermite would ignite to any flames used by the mages, but they also added an impact fuse in case they used solid ammunition propelled by air. Either way…the first use should blow the device to pieces.

In any case…Naruto was carrying all of this stuff on her back.

20 minutes later

"Well, that was way too easy." Naruko whispered as they leopard crawled away.

"So much the better." Itami lazily whispered. His duty had been to keep watch for any patrols while Naruko climbed into the Barrel and placed the explosives.

"I am just surprised you didn't run away." Naruko whispered.

"Who said I wasn't running away?" he answered.

"Rory?" she asked. He nodded.

"She scares the crap out of me sometimes…" he said. By now they were safely away from the Bandit sentries.

"I thought you were an Otaku…I thought you liked Goth Lolis." she smirked.

"That is true, but she is a sadist…" Itami protested.

"In other words she is your type?" she continued.

"Says the one who has a girl stalking her…"

"Hey, Shi-chan is the only one who can keep up with me in CQC…well, if neither of us are holding back, I doubt I could win against her." Itami stared at her.

"Your tone of voice makes it appear as though you are a les!" Itami said finally.

"I wouldn't know…never been in a relationship with anyone before." Naruko shrugged as she stood up. They were close to the City walls by now, just outside of the sentry fire's light. "You should know better than everyone just how deeply I had buried my emotions up until I met Shi-chan."

"If possible, you'd have buried them deeper than the core of your own personal world." Itami answered standing up as well.

Sometime later, Italica City Hall

"I thought you were going to destroy that device." Pinya shouted.

"Oh…it will be." Itami said.

"How? I have yet to see this ball of fire you spoke off!" Pinya shouted. Behind her those of her knightly order stood. Most of them agreed with Pinya's words.

"Well, look at it this way…" Naruko said. "What would dishearten the enemy more…Their weapon exploding when they use it for the first time or it blowing up in the middle of the night?"

"How the hell should I know?" Pinya shouted.

"Then put yourself in their shoes." Kakashi said.

"What would you feel like if your new weapon got destroyed when you use it for the first time?" Sōichirō added.

Pinya opened her mouth to argue, but then the meaning of the words sunk in…and not just in her. All of the Rose Knights came to the same realization.

"They would lose spirit." Pinya finally said.

"And fight with far less vigor." Shikamaru added his thoughts. "Your people and the townspeople need every advantage they can get."

Pinya couldn't believe her ears.

"You…what…why?" she asked Naruko and Itami.

"You yourself said that Italica is a neutral city state." Itami said.

"And we of the JSDF fight to protect those who cannot protect themselves." Naruko finished. "Your empire may have started this war, but that doesn't mean it needs to end in violence."

"And we shall do our best to protect the innocent civilians of those countries that do not partake in this war, be it from Bandits or the Empire or any other threat." Kakashi finished.

With that, the members of Teams 2 and 3 left and returned to their posts, leaving a group of stunned knights behind.

Next morning

The defenders as awoken by the sound of battle cries that signaled another assault by the Bandit army.

Up in the tower, Neji was looking at the display through the telescopic sight.

"Lieutenant, the enemy is on the move." He reported.

"Any movement by the Artillery?" Naruko asked.

"There are people pushing it forward." Neji reported. "And it looks like someone is standing behind it with a staff of some sort and some weird outfit…definitely a wizard."

"Roger that. Pinya-hime is standing on the balcony overlooking the courtyard just inside the gate." Naruko told him. "Let's hope that the bandits haven't yet discovered the explosives."

Down in the courtyard

Pinya was standing there, looking at the various defenses the defenders had set up. Two lines of barricades made from sharpened poles and a palisade like structure behind each of them.

She was glad that the JSDF had offered to take over guarding the other three gates as she now had all of her available knights here at the eastern gate, forming a screen between the gate and the remaining guardsmen. Behind said guardsmen were the men and women who formed a crude militia.

"Princess. The Bandits are rolling up their Dragon Tube." One of her knights who was standing on the battlements called out to her.

"Let's hope those JSDF people spoke the truth." Pinya said. Less than a minute later the ground shook as a violent explosion erupted from outside the city walls.

"What the…?" Pinya said as she held onto the railing.

Cries of fear and horror were heard from outside the walls, only to be drowned by the shouted orders to advance.

"Princess…the enemies Dragon Tube…It just blew up…it has been destroyed!" the knight shouted. All around Pinya could hear shouts of victory from the defenders and couldn't help but feel the morale rising.

"Those green idiots…I will have to thank them later…" she muttered behind a smile.

With the response team

"I'd say that is our cue." Naruko said as they heard the loud explosion.

"No Shit Sherlock." Shino said as the engines of the LAV started.

"Daicho, the bulk of the enemy is heading to the southern gate. They must think that there is a mage with long distance magic spells on the eastern side." Neji called over the Radio.

"You hear that, Lazy Ass?" Naruko said. "You are going to have visitors."

"A little late, don't you think?" Itami said over the sound of gunfire. "No need to send backup though. That M2HB you gave us is making it difficult for us to shoot with anything else…"

"Then let the M2 rest and let your rifles sing for a bit." Naruko suggested.

"There is no need for that." Neji radioed.

"Explain." Shino said.

"The bandits are retreating. At least 50 casualties from what I can see." He reported.

"Copy that." Naruko switched to the Team wide frequency. "All Units, get some rest but keep some people on watch at all times."

"Roger!" Came the response.

"Overwatch, if both of you need to rest at the same time, let me know." Naruko said.

"Copy that." Hinata said.

"Why don't we just go and take care of the survivors?" Lee asked. "It is straining my youthfulness just sitting here…"

"If you have that much energy, why don't you go and help the eastern gate with whatever help they need?" Naruko asked. Honestly…she was wondering how Lee and Guy made it past the ranger trials with their 'Springtime of Youth' vocabulary.

"A Youthful decision indeed." Guy said.

"…and you, Guy, can join him…" Naruko added.

The two stamina freaks sped off with that towards the eastern gate.

"That was pretty harsh of you…" Asuma said.

"Not really…they deserve to do something like this…" Kurenai, who had the misfortune of being in the same LAV as those two, said.

"I wasn't talking about about Lee and Guy…I mean, what have the Townsfolk done to deserve having those two helping them?" Asuma asked.

"I overheard several of them claiming that we have absolutely no troubles whatsoever…What, should I call them back?" Naruko asked.

"NO!" she didn't need a radio to hear the answer…

Chapter 5

Bandit camp

"What are the demons of Alnus doing here in Italica?" one of the ex Imperial officers asked.

"They probably used their sorcery to predict our attack on this city and quickly conquered it…" another one said.

"I doubt it…" the Bandit leader said gruffly.

"What makes you say that?" the first asked.

"Because if they had, there would have been men stationed all along the wall. Also, I saw the remaining guardsmen and knights of that flower order assemble at the eastern gate, but it didn't look like they are going to leave." The leader said.

"Then that is where we should attack!" the second stated.

"Agreed…we still have the ram…we can break the gate down and storm the city before anyone knows what is happening…" the leader said.

Unknown to anyone in the tent, a small barely visible spirit orb dissolved into nothingness.

With the caster of the Spirit orb

The green haired Siren opened her eyes before turning to the guard captain next to her.

"No suspicious movement between us and Italica." She told him.

"Good work, Myuute." The man said.

"I will see if I can get my spirits into the city." She said before heading towards Italica.

"Be careful." He called out. She waved in acknowledgement.

Shortly afterwards, Italica Church tower

"That lady is either really stupid or really brave." Neji commented. He and Hinata were tracking Myuute's movement since she left the bandit camp.

"Overwatch to Group Leader. We have a single figure approaching the city. Female by the looks of things." Hinata spoke into the radio.

"What is she doing?" came the reply.

"She is walking towards the northern gate, staying just outside the light from the sentry fires." Neji said, which Hinata repeated into the radio.

"Keep her in your sights, but hold your fire." Naruko said.

"Roger."

North Gate

"Have everyone get out of sight." Naruko quietly called out to Shikamaru.

"Where are you going to do?" he whispered back.

"Probably scare the crap out of her." Naruko said with a grin that sent a shiver down his spine.

Short time later

Myuute used her wing like arms to enhance her jump over the wall and into the courtyard, which to her surprise was empty. Only…it wasn't empty.

"If I were you…" she flinched so violently that she lost a few feathers from her arms, "…I'd stay silent and state your reason for being here!" Behind her stood a tall (taller than her at least) red haired female holding a large single sided Dagger with a rough edge on one side. (Think about Rambo's survival knife)

The woman had violet eyes and…looking further down…Myuute couldn't help but feel jealous of her assets.

"If you like what you see, you will have to defeat me in single combat to get a feel of them." Naruko said, completely throwing Myuute of balance as she had not expected her to say that. The next thing she knew the edge of the knife was pressed against her neck.
"Now, if I were you, I'd start talking." The tone in Naruko's voice told Myuute that she wouldn't have the option to negotiate.

"I…I have come to warn you…" she began.

"Then get straight to the warning!" Naruko growled. All around men and woman in green started appearing…which startled Myuute as she hadn't sensed their presences at all…either.

"The bandit leader…he is…" she didn't finish the sentence before the alarm went off at the east gate. "Too late. He is attacking."

"What do you mean?" Naruko asked.

"He is planning on making a continuous assault on the eastern gate with the entirety of his forces." She said.

"So he is planning a breakthrough by using continuous waves to eventually breaking through the defenders?" Naruko asked to confirm. She nodded.

"A little late now, don't you think?" Naruko asked.

The sirens answer was delayed out by another explosion…to Naruko it sounded like the eastern gate collapsing…

"Hey, I was as surprised as you were when they began their assault!" Myuute said.

"You know one of our lookouts have been following your movements since you left the camp?" Naruko asked. The siren's eyes widened. "And once your destination was confirmed, they returned their attention to the bandit camp, only to see the advance units approaching the eastern gate?" the eyes looked as though they would fall out.

"What? How…" Myuute began.

"You should probably add that we could have shot her long before she even arrived at the gate…" Neji's voice came over the radio in the native tongue.

This shocked Myuute so much that even her green feathers were paling.

"Anyway, I'd get over to the eastern gate if I were you…" Neji continued. "The Bandits have brought in a couple of heavy hitters."

"Make them eat lead!" Naruko said into the radio, then called for one of the LAV's to make ready to move out.

"What about her?" Shikamaru asked.

"Have Sakura watch over her." She answered as she quick-marched towards the LAV.

Shikamaru sighed, muttered his favorite word, then turned to the siren. "Let me warn you about the person I am bringing you to." He said. "Do NOT piss her off…she is very likely the most scary and violent person in our group when angry. She may be a medic, but when she is angry, all that is thrown away."

The siren was nodding so fast that Shikamaru thought her neck might snap…heck, he thought he heard something pop…

Southern gate A.T.M (aka At That/The Moment)

Team 2 was watching in confusion as their resident demi-goddess was suffering for some reason.

"Uhm…Leilei…what is happening to her?" Itami asked the light blue haired Sorceress standing next to her. She, along with Tuka, a high elf survivor, were brought back to Alnus alongside the refugees from Coda village, with Rory joining them

"She is feeling the souls of the dead rushing through her into the next world." Leilei said in her stoic voice. "To her, it has the same effect as…"

Rory suddenly cried out in ecstasy and a small puddle appeared beneath her.

"…a very powerful aphrodisiac." Leilei finished.

"Any way we can help her?" Issei and Itami asked.

"Don't get in her way." Was Leilei's simple answer.

"Huh?" the two men and some of the others nearby asked, only to barely dodge Rory as she sped past them.

"Quick, after her!" Itami called out. "Overwatch, this is Recon 3 Leader." He shouted into his mic.

"Recon 3 leader, this is Overwatch. Have you lost something?" Neji called in at the same time.

"Uh, yeah. Rory has just gone AWOL. If you see her, please don't shoot her." Itami said.

"Well, in that case, get your slacking ass over to the east gate." Naruko's voice came over the Radio. "I am almost at the east gate to help…things are almost FUBAR there."

"Hai, hai." Itami muttered.

"Don't 'Hai, Hai' me. Get your ass in gear or I will radio in to Alnus to put up webpage blocks on all of your favorite Doujin sites." Naruko threatened.

Well…the team that followed him had trouble keeping up with him…with the LAV…and he was running…

With Hinata and Neji

"Overwatch to Fox, do you want to see something funny?" Hinata radioed.

"Sure, patching in to your Rifle-cam." Naruko answered.

For a few moments there was silence…then…

"Ha…good one. When did you get the time to edit this?" Naruko asked.

"How can we edit live streams?" Neji asked.

"I don't know." Naruko answered.

"Oh, and I see Issei-san in the LAV behind Itami-san." Hinata added.

For a moment Naruko didn't respond. "…Do me a favor and shoot that guy…please…"

"And deny us the hilarious sight of you beating the shit out of him?" both Neji and Hinata asked with unseen grins.

"…good point…he makes for an excellent lab rat for new CQC moves I make now and then…" Naruko answered in a tone that sounded like she was thinking out loud.

In the LAV following Itami

Issei suddenly shivered and had a really bad feeling about something.

"Getting cold feet already?" Soichiro asked.

Meanwhile, at the north gate

"Shanaroo!" The shout preceded a loud 'crash'.

Why? Well, because a certain siren had made the mistake of calling a certain pink haired medic 'flat chest' while flaunting her own chest.

Myuute was now pissing her pants as she leaned against the wall that Sakura had sent her into via 'knuckle-express'.

"WHO ARE YOU CALLING FLAT?" the medic growled, while advancing onto the scared shitless siren.

'Mother…Father…I had a very Crap life…Sorry…' Myuute thought, waiting for the killing blow to come.

Suddenly Sakura grabbed her by the shirt and started shaking her violently.

And while Sakura started out ranting about her not being 'flat', just 'underdeveloped', the rant soon turned into one where she all but demanded Myuute's secret for having bigger breasts than her.

With the spectators

"Should we intervene?" Ino asked.

"Baka…do you have a deathwish?" Kiba asked.

"Troublesome…" (need I say who this is?)

*munch* Chouji was eating chips…again…

"Well, it is questionable whether this is one of Sakura's methods of interrogation…" Shinobi asked. (1)

"Pretty effective if you ask me…" Ino commented, "…if you want to kill the prisoner during the interrogation that is…"

At the east gate

Pinya had left her place on the balcony to actively take part in the fighting down below and was doing more than holding her own…the militia and soldiers to her left and right however were being pushed back.

"Back! To the second barricade!" Pinya shouted, seeing her lines wavering.

Just then a behemoth of a person cast a shadow over her. Looking up, she saw a heavily armored man wielding a massive mace, ready to strike at her.

"OH SHIIIIT!" Pinya screamed as the man began swinging his mace at her. She closed her eyes, waiting for the end. She heard a loud noise, and thought that her end had come so swiftly that she didn't feel anything.

Only when she heard a heavy object fall onto the ground did she dare to open her eyes slightly…and immediately opened them so wide the eye-balls nearly popped out.

There, on the floor before her, lay the man with a small wound in the chest-plate where his heart is located.

She stared at the wound, wondering how a wound that small could kill a man that large.

"You know…if you keep standing there like a scared little girl these fuckers will have at you…" a new voice spoke up.

The fighting had stopped at the sound of the unrecognizable loud noise moments earlier and now everyone's attention was focused on the newcomer. She had long red hair and wore the outfit of the 'green people', as the people at Alnus Hill were called throughout the Empire and beyond. In her hands was a weird device that had a metal stick pointing out from the front.

"Uhm…what?" Pinya asked, her brain still rebooting, though it seemed her processor was partially fried…it was working very slowly.

"Putting it bluntly, get your ass moving or those fuckers will try to increase the size of their miniature manhoods by having their way with you." Naruko said, bored expression on her face. She brought her weird device up. "Oh and…duck."

"What?" Pinya asked, bowing forward slightly as one does when one doesn't understand something someone said.

Needless to say, she still gave Naruko enough space to shoot the man attacking Pinya from behind.

And the bullet passed so close to Pinya's skull that she felt the air from the passing bullet, making her jump so violently that the straps holding her armor together snapped… The results being that men on both sides fell back unconscious and Pinya wondering why it felt slightly breezy.

"You know, if that didn't cause friendly fire, it would be quite the effective weapon for you…better maybe than your sword." Naruko commented.

"Huh?" Pinya asked, still wondering why it was so damn breezy.

"She can be glad that Sakura isn't here." Shino said.

"True that…she'd probably try to shake her to death due to jealousy." Tenten said.

Pinya by now had had enough of wondering why it was so god damn breezy and looked down.

At the north gate

"KYAAAAAAAA!" the scream echoed throughout Italica, catching Sakura's attention and making her release the dizzy Myuute, who breathed a sigh of relief when the torture stopped…

In the tower

"What the hell was that?" Neji asked.

"Try not to imagine Tenten in the Princesses situation, will you." Hinata said.

"Why?" Neji asked, turning his scope on the source of the scream…and fell back unconscious with a slight nose-bleed.

Back with Naruko

"Naruko, we have a Casualty up here on Overwatch." Hinata's voice come over the radio.

Naruko paused for a moment, then turned to Tenten and Shino.

"Have fun." Was all she told them before walking a short distance away, whilst the screams of pain and fear erupted amongst the Bandits as a semi sadistic CQC specialist and a equally semi sadistic weapons specialist had at them.

"Overwatch, what happened up there?" Naruko asked.

"Well, Neji may just be far too innocent for his own good." Hinata said.

"Why is that?" Naruko asked.

"He may have seen the princess and imagined Tenten in her position…" Hinata said with a small giggle.

"You are slowly turning into a prankster, aren't you?" Naruko asked, "Maybe I should Tell Kiba about your sizes…"

The rest went unheard by Hinata as she went atomic from embarrassment and fainted…Naruko swore she saw the glow from where she was standing.

Not that Naruko really needed the Overwatch team anymore…

She was about to switch to the frequency of the approaching helicopters when she heard a sadistic and…aroused…laugh. Turning she saw Rory land amongst a large group of bandits, halberd held at the side as though she wasn't expecting a fight.

A brute charged at her, swinging his massive chained mace, only to have Rory's Halberd smash into his head with such force it shattered his helmet, then sending him flying into a nearby building, making it collapse.

However, Rory was only one being, albeit an OP one, and could not stop the influx of Bandits into the courtyard. Soon, the group from Team 3 arrived, with Issei jumping into the melee thanks to his boiling blood itching for a good brawl…well he got one.

And although Naruko, Itami and Soichiro provided cover fire, the Bandits were slowly pushing the local defenders back. Soon they would break through the last barricade and swarm into the town.

"Maelstrom. This is Combat Team 4." The voice suddenly crackled into life in Naruko's ear.

"You guys are late." Naruko all but shouted into her mic. "But it is good to hear you. What is your ETA?"

"We are in sight of Italica. We are approaching from the east." Came the response.

"Well, most of the enemy forces are assembled thereon the outside." Naruko said. "Hold fire on any enemy inside the walls. Let the Valkyries fly…and happy hunting."

"Roger that. What is the status inside the walls?"

"Three CQC specialists and one sadistic demigoddess are…" Naruko answered before being grabbed by the arm by a bandit who managed to get past the defenders. Moments later Naruko felt something wet and sticky sliding up the side of her neck.

"Repeat your last please."

"Uhm…make that three CQC specialists, one demigoddess and one death brining Redhead engaged in a FUBAR Melee." Itami answered for Naruko.

"FUBAR Melee?"

"A bandit managed to get his hands on Maelstrom and licked her." Itami answered.

"…" the silence spoke volumes.

With the approaching Helicopters

"SIR. ONE OF THE BANDITS JUST INITIATED CODE RED FOX!" the radio operator shouted over the sound of the helicopter.

"RED FOX! PILOT, PICK UP THE PACE. I STILL WANT TO GET SOME ACTION TODAY!" Commander Colonel Kengun shouted.

"WHAT IS CODE RED FOX?" one of the troops asked.

"IT MEANS THAT SOMEONE TRIED MOLESTING LIEUTENANT UZUMAKI. " Kengun explained. "SHE GOES BERSERK AND ATTACKS ANYONE HER SUBCONSCIOUS DOESN'T REGISTER AS AN ALLY."

"UZUMAKI…YOU MEAN UZUMAKI NARUKO? THE RED GHOST SNIPER?" the first asked. Kengun nodded. "WHOEVER TRIED MOLESTING HER WAS BOTH VERY LUCKY TO GET HIS HANDS ON HER TITS AND VERY STUPID FOR DOING SO."

"NO SHIT SHERLOCK!" several people shouted.

Back with the slaughter…uhm…battle

Pinya and her Rose knights were as pale as paper at the utter brutality with which the red haired female leader bestowed upon the bandits.

Even from where they stood, they could hear bones breaking and could see as she dealt out powerful and fatal strikes.

After a while the onlookers became aware of a strange noise from the sky, but when they looked towards in the direction the noise came from, they were blinded by the sun.

"What is that noise?" Pinya asked.

As the noise became louder, the battle began to grind to a halt and soon the Bandits were asking the same thing.

Suddenly a flying metal monster flew over the wall with a deafening roar followed by numerous others. Over the loud noise one could hear the sound of very loud music the likes of which has never been heard of in the empire before.

"Iron…Pegasus?" Pinya gasped.

"Oscar 1 to Avenger and Maelstrom. We are beginning our assault on the next pass!" came from Itami's radio.

"Really? Charge of the Cavalry?" Naruko asked. "Wouldn't Ride of the Valkyries be better?"

"Uhm…now that you mention it…" the music stopped and another piece began playing.

"Sorry about that…we started the music a bit early and the music changed."

"Next time put it on repeat." Naruko muttered.

"You hear that Sergeant?"

"Uhm…this Music player doesn't have a repeat function…"

"Are you serious?" Itami asked. "How old is that thing?"

"The one we usually use is fucked, so we had to use this one. Anyway, we are beginning our attack now."

"Roger that, but again, keep the fire on the outside of the walls." Itami said.

Suddenly loud noises were added to the din of the helicopters and although they could not see what was going on, those inside the walls could hear the screams of the dead and dying.

Inside the walls Naruko returned to stand next to Itami and the two of them began taking out the bandits with frightful (at least for the locals and the knights) accuracy.

Suddenly a voice blared over a loudspeaker. "Attention to all friendlies in the courtyard, this is Hunter 1. We are about to clear out all hostiles inside the walls. I repeat…" the speaker repeated the message. "We will commence firing in 10."

Itami, Naruko and Soichiro looked at each other in surprise before rushing into the courtyard to get their allies out of there.

Whilst Naruko grabbed Tenten and Shino, Itami grabbed Rory and Soichiro dragged Issei.

They barely made it out of the Kill Zone before the countdown ended and the Cobra began firing its M197 triple barreled Gatling gun. For several seconds the spray of bullets moved from side to side, kicking up a dust cloud and laying waste to anything the bullets hit.

Once the attack ended and the dust cloud settled, Pinya and the locals gasped in shock and horror at the devastation.

Pinya looked at the Helicopter in horror, thinking about what could happen if the green people attacked the imperial capital.

Soon some JSDF personal roped down from the transport helicopters and secured any prisoners they could.

Itami meanwhile was still holding Rory, who noticed where his hand was…and gave him a demigoddess empowered punch in the face.

Later that day

Itami (who was now sporting a black eye curtsey of Rory), Kengun, Naruko, Rory, Tuka and Leilei were in a meeting with the current leader of Italica, Pinya and Pinya's aide concerning the term of sharing their victory. To the complete shock of Pinya, the leader and the Aide, all that the 'green skins' wanted was tax free access to the merchants and several of the prisoners.

Later, outside the walls

Itami picked out numerous captives, most of whom were females, including the siren that surrendered moments before the final assault that would come with them to Alnus Base.

There wasn't enough space in the helicopters for all of them, therefore Teams 2 and 3 had to carry them back.

"Is it just me or is that guy picking out all of the women?" Shino asked.

"Well, it would make sense." Kakashi said.

"Many of the townsfolk would want to take their revenge on the captives, which would most likely end up with the females being raped repeatedly." Asuma added.

"So that Otaku can use his head once in a while." Shino commented, before suddenly turning and punching someone behind her.

Issei had been sneaking up to her and still had his arms stretched out, hands in a groping motion, when Shino's fist connected with his face.

Sometime later

The convoy of 9 vehicles drove down the road heading towards Alnus Hill.

Naruko was sitting in the lead vehicle, chatting with Several of her teammates…though mostly teasing Naji and Hinata about their innocence…on the Public team channel.

"LT-chan. Dust cloud at 1 o'clock." Kiba radioed.

"All vehicles stop." Naruko said, then climbed onto the roof with the telescope of her rifle in hand.

Looking at the approaching dust cloud, she noticed that Itami and his driver were looking at the cloud as well…their chatter could be heard over the radio.

"Naruko, let me handle this." Itami said, getting out and walking to the front.

Short time later

The cause of the dust cloud turned out to be the bulk of the Rose Knights, heading towards Italica.

They were mostly females…with a slight superiority complex.

Itami, realizing that they were about to become aggressive, shouted for the convoy to hold their fire and get out of here.

With the convoy

"Lieutenant…what do we do now?" Soichiro's voice came over the radio.

"Semper Fi." Naruko muttered.

"Huh?"

"The only thing I learned from Itami is the deeper meaning of Semper Fi." Naruko said.

"No-one gets left behind!" Soichiro said.

"Correct." Naruko said before smirking. "Who is up for some mischief?"

(1): for those who have forgotten by now, Shinobi is Aburame Shino, originally dubbed Shino 'B' but soon became Shinobi due to the pronunciation. Shino A, or just plain Shino, is Kuribayashi Shino.

Chapter 6

Nighttime, Hill overlooking Italica

Shino sighed. "Why couldn't the hentai have been the one captured?"

"Because we'd still have to save his sorry ass." Naruko muttered.

"HEY!" Issei shouted.

"Anyway, you think Itami is dead?" Shino asked, ignoring the glare Issei was giving them.

"Nah. That Pinya chick would rather strip naked than risk starting a war with us." Naruko said.

"…I…can't believe you just said that…" Shino said.

"I agree with LT-chan…" Issei began, only to have a stone hit him in the crotch.

"Well, that Pinya is hot." Kiba said.

"Do you guys mind?" Tenten growled. Next to her the other members of Team 3 nodded in agreement.

"Anyway, Shikamaru. Got any ideas on how to get in there?" Naruko asked.

"I may have a few…let me watch the clouds a bit more." The lazy tactician said.

"…is this guy serious?" Kurata asked.

"Just wait until he starts explaining his plans." Ino told him.

After a while Shikamaru sat up and came up with a plan that everyone agreed to.

Meanwhile in the Majors Manor

"YOU IDIOT!" Pinya shouted at her two second in commands, who were kneeling before her. Pinya gave them an earful about the military prowess that the people in green possessed.

Shortly afterwards

The rescue teams silently ran past the sleeping forms of the gate guards.

"That Elf has some really useful magic…" Naruko muttered.

"Wait till you see Leilei in action…" Kurata told her.

(The rescue pretty much is as in the anime…just with more participants)

The next morning

For the second time in two days the convoy of 9 vehicles left the trading town of Italica, though this time in addition to the POW's that weren't taken on the Helicopters the convoy carried two VIPs.

Pinya and Bozes decided to accompany them due to Bozes's unprovoked assault on Itami. They wanted to make sure that that action didn't start another war.

Meanwhile, Naruko and Shino were sitting in the leading vehicle, talking with their radio's switched off.

"Ruko-chan, I still can't believe that you called Pinya a chick!" Shino said.

"Well, to be honest, you are one as well." Naruko said absentmindedly.

Noticing the looks of shock and confusion, Naruko just asked, "What?"

"Do you have any idea what that means?" Kiba asked.

"Not really, I just heard that that is what many people call a nice female." Naruko said. (1)

The others blinked…several times before it dawned on them that it was a major misunderstanding on Naruko's side.

After a few minutes of silence, Kiba asked, "So, uhm, LT-chan…have you ever been in a relationship?"

"Nope." Naruko replied.

"Is there anyone you would consider dating?" Kiba asked.

"Not really, though technically I still owe Yashi-chan a Sparring Date." Naruko admitted.

"Sparring Date?" Kiba asked.

"Oh, I challenged her to a CQC spar." Shino answered.

"That isn't a date you know…" Kiba muttered.

"Isn't a date something where both parties go and do something they enjoy?" Naruko asked.

Kiba opened his mouth, then shut it, realizing that she had a point.

"OK…let me rephrase the question…is there anybody that you love?" he finally asked.

"Well, yes. There is Old Man, Minister Tano, who is like a father to me and then there is my best friend Yashi-chan. Also, Rika-chan is like a sister to me." Naruko said.

…That was not the answer Kiba, or anyone listening in, was hoping for.

"So, what about you, Kiba?" Naruko asked. Kiba instantly became motionless and pale, whilst next to him Hinata blushed somewhat. "Is there anyone you are interested in?"

Even Kiba's canine, Akamaru, looked up at Kiba as if expecting an answer.

"Not you too, Akamaru…" Kiba groaned out in exasperation.

Luckily he was saved by Naruko's radio coming to life…

"Naruko, we are nearing Alnus. We are stopping at the brig first before heading over to command." Itami's voice came from the loudspeaker.

"Roger that." Naruko said.

"You are being very quiet…is something happening?" Itami asked.

"Nah. We are just having a round of 'who likes who' here." Naruko answered. "It is currently Kiba's turn."

…Kiba's day couldn't have gotten worse…

"By the way, is that Hinata lady of yours blushing again? I can see the glow from back here!" Itami told her.

At that everyone looked at the bluenette…who was atomic.

"Indeed it is…" Naruko said, before turning to Shino. "Yashi-chan…do you think that these two would make a good match?" she asked, indicating Kiba and Hinata.

"Hmm…now that I think about it, they spend most of their free time together…" Shino said.

"Well, if they decide to enter a relationship, I am not going to stop them." Naruko said. Instantly Kiba sat up straight with a normal face, something mirrored by Hinata. "Though I wonder what Neji would think about it…"

And the world came crashing down on Kiba once again.

Neji may not seem like it, but he was highly protective of his younger cousin…To the point where he chased away any boy that tried dating Hinata during their school carriers…

"Don't worry, Kiba-kun. I am sure that Neji-niisan will make an exception for you." Hinata tried brightening his day. "And if not, I will…" and with that Hinata suddenly went atomic and fainted.

"Oi, Naruko…did someone just burst a lightbulb over there?" Itami asked over the radio.

Two days later

Naruko sighed. It has been 2 days since they returned from Italica and one day since Itami, and several others left for earth to attend the summons. It has also been a day now since Naruko and Shino had their sparring date…from which both ended up covered in bruises and broken noses, but luckily no other broken bones. They didn't mind because they enjoyed letting loose against a strong opponent.

Maybe Naruko had enjoyed it a bit too much…

Because ever since that spar she had been feeling strange whenever she was around Shino.

Now it was reaching a point that she couldn't ignore any longer. She decided to visit the Psychologist.

Fortunately for the the Psychologist was someone that Naruko knew for a while now…more like she was her personal psychologist.

"Ah, Naruko. To what do I owe this pleasure?" she said with a smile.

"I have been having these strange feeling lately and I don't know what they are, Granny." Naruko told her.

'Granny' Tsunade (2) was the only one other than the Old man and Shino that Naruko trusted when it came to her emotions.

"Really now?" Tsunade said, interested in what Naruko was about to say.

Naruko tried explaining the feelings as best as she could, and with every word she said, Tsunade seemed to smile wider and wider.

"You look like you know what is happening to me." Naruko told her.

"Indeed I do, though I just want to confirm something first." Tsunade told her.

"What does that mean?" Naruko asked.

"Is there anything else that you feel?" she asked.

"Yes. My heart feels like it is going to shatter my ribcage." Naruko answered almost immediately.

"Ah, Naruko. You are in love." Tsunade said. Naruko looked at her in surprise.

"How to I cope with this?" Naruko asked. "It is very distracting."

"I can only imagine that it is." Tsunade smirked. "For someone who used to seal away her emotions like you, feeling feelings like love can be pretty overwhelming." Tsunade took on a serious expression. "I will have to speak to the commander about this though. As you are now, your emotions could jeopardize your missions."

"What about Yashi-chan?" Naruko asked. "I cannot just go up to her and confess. She'd think I am drunk or have gone crazy." Tsunade saw her trying to hold back her tears. "She is the closest friend I have."

"I will speak with her later, after I brought this to the commander's attention." Tsunade said. "Listen Naruko, whatever you do, do not try to rebury those feelings you have." She put her hand on Naruko's shoulder. "It will only hurt you more in the future."

Naruko nodded, then left to ponder on Tsunade's words.

Tsunade meanwhile called the Commander and told him about Naruko.

Afterwards she took out a photo from her desk.

'Whatever happens, I will stay true to my promise to the two of you.' Tsunade thought.

She then called for Kuribayashi.

Half an hour later

"You wanted to speak to me, Tsunade-san?" Shino said, saluting.

"Just because I am hired by the Military doesn't mean you need to treat me like a member." Tsunade told her. "Actually I wanted to talk to you about something regarding Naruko."

Shino's eyes widened and her breath became irregular for a moment.

"Unfortunately I cannot go indepth about what is going on with her, but I would just like to ask you something first. And please be honest with me." Tsunade put on a serious face. "What do you think of Naruko?"

Shino was taken aback by the sudden question.

"Well, to be honest, I have been feeling attracted to her for a while now. At first it was as though I just wanted to remain close friends with her, but about a month after becoming her room-mate, I noticed my feelings becoming more of a physical attraction towards her." Shino said.

"So…what is stopping you from confessing to her?" Tsunade asked.

"She is my best friend. What will she think if I just go up to her and say 'I love you' to her?" Shino asked. "She'll think that I am playing a prank on her. Heck, I don't think she even knows her sexual orientation yet."

Tsunade hid her smirk behind a clip-board.

"Question. Have you noticed anything different about Naruko recently?" she asked.

"You mean other than subtly avoiding me ever since the spar yesterday?" Shino asked. "I just think that is because I dislocated her left thumb."

"I think it is something else…" Tsunade muttered to herself, but Shino still heard her.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"Naruko is struggling against her emotions, emotions that she had long ago sealed away inside her heart." Tsunade said.

"Huh?" Shino asked, not fully understanding.

"Think of it this way…she sealed her emotions like a dam wall 'seals' away the water…" Tsunade said.

Shino's eyes widened in understanding. "…and the dam inside of her is currently breaking."

"Correct." Tsunade said. "More than that I cannot say. Doctor-patient confidentiality. I hope you understand."

"I do, doc." Shino said, getting up to leave.

"Oh and one last thing…" Tunade called out to her.

Shino stopped at the doorway and looked back.

"Please be there when Naruko needs a friend. I have a feeling that it will happen very soon." Tsunade said.

"I'll do my best to do so." Shino said.

After Shino left, Tsunade waited a few minutes, then decided to make another call.

A few minutes later

Shino was walking through the base searching for Naruko. Her talk with Tsunade made her very aware of her own feelings, yet instead of embarrassment, she felt relieved that she could open up with someone about her feelings…even if it was against a 50 year old stingy hag who refused to reveal why she still looked like she was in her late 20's. (Hence her being a 'hag')

Now however, she was looking for Naruko in order to confirm the suspicions she got during her talk with Tsunade.

She just didn't how she would go about confirming said suspicions…or what she'd say to Naruko once she found her.

Eventually she came to the Barracks where she and Naruko had their quarters.

"Hey, Kakashi-san. Have you seen Naruko anywhere?" she asked the silver haired man in the lobby, reading Smut like he always does in his free time…

"Hmm? Yes. I saw her heading towards the Village." He said. She was gone before he could blink. "What's up with her?" he wondered, then shrugged and returned to his reading.

15 Minutes later

Shino walked down the main boulevard of the small (and rapidly growing) village, looking for the distinctive red hair that she could recognize anywhere and at any time. A loud scream caught her attention and she saw a drunk dwarf landing heavily on the ground a few meters away.

Looking towards the origin of the dwarf's flight, Shino barely caught a glimpse of something red disappearing around a corner. And it was the red that she was looking for.

Quickly she ran after it and saw that it was indeed Naruko…but it seemed like something was wrong with her.

But Naruko soon turned another corner and was gone.

"OK. What the fuck happened here?" Shino asked, returning to the point where the commotion began.

With Naruko

Naruko ran without thought or destination. She just wanted to get away from there.

'May your heart be broken by the ones you love, you whorish bitch!'

The dwarf's words struck far deeper than it should have done. The only solace she felt was that she used him as a training pole for her CQC moves…damn dwarf deserved it.

She ran until she left the town…and kept on running.

She ran until she reached the forest…and still kept running.

She ran until she reached a clearing in the forest…where she finally collapsed and began crying her heart out, cursing her heart for feeling as though it was torn to pieces, cursing herself for being in love with someone who most likely won't share her feelings, cursing herself for having sealed her emotions away in the first place, cursing herself…

For several minutes she cried and cursed herself, wishing for the pain to go away.

Meanwhile with Shino

Shino wasn't sure that she was running in the correct direction. She just knew that her heart was telling her that it was the correct way. She had just entered the forest and was running through it.

She had heard what had happened in the town…and left at a run after beating the shit out of the dwarf.

Whilst running, she heard Tsunade's words echoing in her head.

'Please be there when Naruko needs a friend. I have a feeling it will happen very soon.'

After a while, she heard crying and some colorful swearing ahead of her.

Following the voice, she arrived at a clearing where she found the object of her search crying her heart out.

Making a quick decision, Shino began approaching.

Naruko was so absorbed in her crying and self-loathing that she didn't notice Shino approaching.

She didn't notice when the brunette stood less than three feet in front of her.

She didn't notice when Shino kneeled down.

She DID notice that someone embraced her.

She wanted to break away, but found herself unable to muster the strength to do so.

She just wanted to be alone at the moment.

"Why?" she croaked. "Why are you here?"

"Ruko-chan, you need a shoulder to cry on right now…" Shino said.

"No, you don't understand." Naruko said. "Why are YOU here?"

"Because you are my friend…" Shino began.

"NO." Naruko shouted. "Why are you, the one I love, the one I won't ever be with, here?"

Shino was taken aback by her words. "What do you…"

"I am a monster, an orphan, an outcast." Naruko said. "The things I have done, the things people did to me, if people knew…" she stopped talking when Shino put her finger on her lips.

"Do you really think my feelings for you would change because of these things?" Shino asked.

Now it was Naruko's turn to be taken aback.

"Ruko-chan…you said you loved me." Shino said, removing her finger. "Let me tell you this, I also love you."

And before Naruko could come up with a complaint, Shino leaned forward and kissed her.

For Shino, it felt like a large weight had been lifted of her back.

For Naruko, it felt as though all of her troubles were solved at that moment.

A few seconds later Naruko began returning the kiss.

when they ended the kiss, it was due to them both being out of air, and they both looked each other in the eyes.

After a while they both began laughing.

Meanwhile back in the refugee town

The medic looked over the completely beat up dwarf that was carried in through her door and sighed.

"What did he do this time?" she asked.

(1): It is true, isn't it?

(2): You really didn't think I would have let her out, do you?

AND DONE!