Rating: M

Warnings: Violence, Sexual References

oOoOoOo

Previously, on In The Presence of Enemies:

"He's got the two-tails!" Kakazu roared in rage.

It was as he saw Kakazu running at him menacingly that Naruto finally completed his rushed ninjutsu. "Gyaku Kuchiyose no jutsu," he whispered, and was very happy to see smoke swirl around him.

"Blonde hair, yeah? And scar-marks? Sounds like the nine-tails, yeah?"

There was a moment of silence before Itachi spoke, reluctant as ever. "Naruto-kun… has become strong."

"I want the nine-tails. Alive!"

He heard her gasp and a shuffle of clothes as she did so. His face was burning. She did look good, though. He swallowed and ran a palm over his face in frustration. "What's your name?" he asked.

She was silent and he opened his eyes just in time to see her mulling over her situation. Eventually she came to a decision.

"Nii Yugito, Jounin of Kumogakure, Serial Number 11736."

oOoOoOo

Part 2: Salvation - A Story of Eleven Tails

oOoOoOo

"Nii Yugito, Jounin of Kumogakure, Serial Number 11736."

"Gah!" The boy sighed. "Is that all you know how to say? You were more talkative last night."

"Nii Yugito, Jounin of Kumogakure, Serial Number 11736."

He blew out a long breath of frustration. "It's not like I'm asking for every single secret of Kumogakure, here! I just wanna' know about the Akatsuki guys you faced off with. What their skills and weaknesses are and all that."

She glared at him, as uncooperative as ever.

"You suck," he muttered resignedly before turning and trudging his way downstairs.

Yugito let out a harsh breath of relief as he left her alone. He was wearing her down, through sheer annoyance no less. He was most assuredly not a natural-born interrogator but he'd already extracted more information about her than she was comfortable with anyone having. Of course, given his apparent intellect, she didn't think he'd realised it.

He was a complete unknown, because he wasn't acting like any shinobi of Konohagakure she'd ever encountered before. He wasn't hostile, by any stretch of the word.

He wasn't like any shinobi from anywhere she'd ever encountered before, if she was completely honest.

He had absolutely no regard for his own safety; he left her unrestrained, and had given her kunai back; granted, he hadn't put the kunai directly into her hand and bared his throat, but he had left it in her room with her, in a very accessible position on the chest of drawers.

Has he no sense of self-preservation?

And why couldn't she seem to bring herself to attack him and make her escape? She was almost fully recovered from her attack, after all; her wounds were healing, and she could feel the demonic gathering of chakra within her growing every minute.

And still she stayed in this room, allowing him to bring her food and fresh bandages.

Yes, she decided. He was a complete unknown.

So she'd decided to say nothing - only the standard answers of name, rank, and serial number to his seemingly unending questions. He was annoyingly persistent, and she was relieved that he didn't seem the slightest bit interested in progressing further in the interrogation process. There had been zero threats of rape or torture. She honestly didn't think it had even crossed his mind.

Was he so pure of heart, then? Or was he just an idiot? She reflected carefully on all of his facial expressions…

Definitely an idiot!

She swiftly stood up and rid herself of the pyjamas she'd been given, deftly donning the lilac robe that had been laid out on the bed for her. It was a smooth texture and a pleasant feeling fabric; it felt soft and intimate against her skin. A Konoha dog he may have been, but he had good taste. He'd come in, blushing fiercely as he hesitantly deposited the robe on the bed before flitting quickly back out the door. The robe and the blush had endeared him to her even more, and she knew he hadn't even intended it; he was completely oblivious to both the way he appeared and her inner turmoil.

Stupid Konoha dog!

He was young for a shinobi – at least in times of peace. He couldn't be more than sixteen, if she had to guess – probably even younger. Sometimes it seemed he could be as young even as fourteen. What was strange was that she felt a kinship with him – small though it was – as though he was somehow familiar to her.

She hoped it was only because he'd saved her life, and not because of some 'deeper meaning', so to speak. There was no way in hell she was going to allow something as pathetic as Nightingale Syndrome or Stockholm Syndrome to develop between them. Especially not on her side.

That being said, she hoped he wouldn't think her unappreciative just because she didn't answer his questions. She was very appreciative – no one wanted to die, especially her. And so far Uzumaki Naruto hadn't asked for anything, except some information about Akatsuki. If she wasn't so loyal to Kumo she might have been swayed by his earnest requests, but she was a loyal kunoichi to the core.

It was really all she had.

Questions burned inside her, and she wanted so very badly to abandon protocol and speak, to ask questions and give evasive answers in turn. There were worse people she could talk to, she knew. And his voice was pleasant enough. Not particularly deep and still ringing of youth, but it set her at ease and provided some measure of comfort. She really shouldn't allow herself to feel this way, she knew, but she couldn't help it.

He was just so genuine. It was impossible not to relax around him – or to relax as much as possible when he wouldn't stop babbling nonsense.

A knock sounded on the door, before he opened it and entered, a hand covering his eyes. He was respectful, if nothing else. No, that wasn't true – he had neither respect nor manners, but he was mindful of her privacy.

"Oi, Yugito, you're not getting changed, are ya? I've got food down here for you."

She thought about repeating her name and rank again, just to annoy him, but her stomach answered for her, rumbling greedily.

The boy chuckled and hesitantly removed his hand from his eyes. He smiled, taking in her robed form, free of bandages and ill-fitting pyjamas. "Hungry, huh," he joked. Then he beckoned with a hand. "Come on, let's go get a feed."

He turned and left the room, not even watching her, completely unconcerned with an attack from behind. He's definitely the most surprising person I've ever met, she conceded thoughtfully. A truly idiotic ninja.

She trailed behind him slowly, taking in the surrounding stimuli and environment. The halls she traversed were painted a mild, welcoming blue – perhaps indicative of a family home. Framed photographs hung upon hooks as she descended the stairs. She eventually reached the bottom and looked around, taking in an open room with a low-set table in the middle, with food laid upon it. A sliding glass door was across the room, providing a pretty view of the forest. An open window in the corner gave way to a slight breeze, refreshing the air.

Yugito quickly swiped the air with her tongue, tasting salt and moisture – it tasted like the ocean; perhaps Naruto had spoken the truth and she really was somewhere near the Land of Waves. With one more look around, she settled herself gingerly on the floor in front of the table.

Even as she fought against the feeling, the whole room set her at ease; it just seemed so domestic. Did Naruto live here with his family? Why would a Konoha ninja live here?

Safe, she thought. It makes me feel safe, if such a concept exists.

Naruto certainly seemed to think it did. He was casually shoving food in his mouth and slurping down his drink, completely oblivious to any kind of table manners or hostly decorum. He caught her looking at him, and she felt heat creep up her neck.

"What?" he asked, his cheeks bloated with fish.

He was so very… unpolished.

"Nothing," she muttered, allowing her loose hair to fall forward, acting as a shielding curtain from his sharp gaze. He was stubborn and oblivious to some things, but she was fast learning that in some ways his eyes saw everything. Very blue eyes, she realised.

"Eat, eat!" he encouraged.

Yugito wrinkled her nose at the smell of fish. It was rather generic, very common, and she most assuredly would have preferred a tuna influence (especially tekkadon), but there clearly wasn't any being offered. She could remember hearing about Wave country a number of years ago; it had been a rather poor country, if she recalled correctly – under the control of some dictatorial tyrant. She couldn't be certain, of course; this place had never been a great priority for the ninja population of Kumogakure.

Hesitantly, she raised a bite to her mouth, her teeth gently brushing against the chopstick. Her eyes widened slightly as she chewed delicately and swallowed. "This is good," she said with surprise. Her surprise increased when she saw Naruto puff out his chest proudly.

"Of course it is," he bragged, "I made it!" He thrust an excited fist in the air.

Her brow twitched in amazement. Is he retarded?

"Didn't catch it, though," he continued, oblivious to her impression of him, "Inari probably did – he's got lots of fishing poles in his room. He and Tsunami aren't here right now, and old man Tazuna will be back in a few days, so it's just us. Don't worry, I'm good at cooking –"

"Who are these people you are referring to?" she asked.

Naruto blinked at the interruption. "Eh? Oh! They live in this house – I was visiting them when I came across your battle with Akatsuki. Yep, yep," he nodded eagerly. "This was my final destination, so this is where we fled to. Akatsuki doesn't know that, though, so they won't get their hands on either of us."

Anger crept up Yugito's spine; her face reddened. "You were there, for the entire battle? And you did nothing to help?" Then again, why should he help? Their respective countries weren't exactly allies...

"Huh? Oh, nah, I only showed up when your chakra disappeared. Then I waited a few minutes to see what they would do, and one of 'em did this weird ritual thing where he stabbed himself, so I cut off his head – it was awesome!"

"A ritual?" she said blankly.

"Nah, that bit was boring; I meant cutting off his head was awesome."

"No, no! What was the ritual about?"

"Oh, yeah – he seemed like he was just a real religious nut! But I guess you get all kinds of crazies in this world, huh."

"You're one of them," she muttered before she thought to rein in her mouth.

"Huh?" he asked, his eyes squinting.

"Nothing," she demurred. He really was a bit of an idiotic ninja.

Another few minutes of silence passed as they both consumed the food he had set before them. Yugito ate politely, grateful for the sustenance, while Naruto stuffed his face as though the food would grow legs and run away. 'He would probably be foolish enough to chase it if it did…'

Eventually, she couldn't help herself. Just who was this person, who claimed to rescue her from Akatsuki, probably knowing she had a demon sealed inside her? And why did he feel the need to bind her wounds and feed her fish and make her feel relaxed and safe?

She had to look at him.

His hair was blonde, and at first glance it appeared spiky, but upon acquaintance she could see that within the straightened spikes were small waves and rivulets of hair, a brilliant golden colour; she imagined it would gleam brightly in the sunlight and fade slightly in the shadows. He was attractive, she noted with some surprise. His skin was smooth and blemish-free – a highly attractive quality in anyone's mind. She supposed that since his mouth was so hyperactive that the only impression of him you could manage was that of his voice. But once you actually looked at him…

Yes, rather attractive.

His shoulders were broad and he was well muscled, she noted, eyeing the tight short-sleeved shirt that clung to him like a second skin. 'His muscles are toned, but not overly bulky; a perfect balance for a shinobi, providing strength and minimising bulk to maximise speed – this guy is not to be underestimated, even though he's so young.'

"W-Why are you looking at me like that?" he asked her, shifting nervously in his seat.

It was only then that Yugito realised her neutral perusal of him had morphed into a glare, influenced no doubt by the realisation that he may just be able to physically match her in a fight. "Why did you do it?" she finally asked, struggling to get the words out. Her voice was choked, her throat tight.

She couldn't understand why.

"Uh, do what?" he asked, squinting again.

"Why did you face off with Akatsuki just to help me?" she snapped.

His face bristled at her tone and his jaw tilted stubbornly. "I told you, I was helping someone who needed it."

She knew it wasn't him that she was angry at – on the contrary she was very grateful to him; it was her own self who inspired her current ire. She should have been strong enough to engage those two bastards, but they'd just kept getting up again no matter how many times she'd killed them. It seemed even the bijuu couldn't match up to Akatsuki. Were they truly immortal beings?

In the meantime, he was the only one around for her at which to vent her anger.

"I didn't need your help!" she retorted bitingly, her voice filled with misplaced rage.

"You sure as hell did!" Naruto snarled, standing up and slamming his hands down on the table in front of her. Bowls and cups rattled in the sudden silence. "If I hadn't come along, they would have yanked your demon right out of you and you'd be dead!"

"And what business is it of yours?" she bellowed, eyes flashing as she stood up to match him. "Why do you even care?"

"I care," he bit out, "Because I won't let them steal someone else's life!" She jumped in fright as he moved swiftly towards her, prowling like a graceful panther in his anger. Her back slapped firmly against the wooden wall as she retreated warily from him. "I care, because you are a human being, and so many of us have already fallen prey to them!"

He continued towards her and she gasped as his body pressed close against her, and she was stuck between his hardness and the wall. Heat and righteous anger radiated from him; it scalded her, making her breathless.

"But why?" she demanded. "Why? Why would you care about any of the Jinchuuriki? Normal people just don't do that!" Why did this subject inspire such passion in him? And why was she allowing herself to be drawn in by him?

His face softened slightly. She thought that maybe it had occurred to him that she wasn't fighting against his caring; her problem was simply that she couldn't understand it. His breathing slowed slightly, even though his chest still rose and fell powerfully against hers; his hands loosened on her shoulders.

Heat continued to ooze from him – she felt irrationally warm inside.

The boy's face became blank as he continued to stare at her. "I know what it's like to be alone in this world," he whispered.

Yugito shifted uneasily. The mood in the room had changed suddenly, and he was too close. He had too much of an effect on her – he cared too much, and she was too vulnerable to him.

Why him?

This was too much. Too close. Too vulnerable.

She had to get away from him, but even as she started to move his body pressed against her with more force, and she was stuck. She wasn't trapped – she could have forced her way out, but...

"When I found you," he continued, his voice hoarse, "You were... you were strung up, like a slab of meat. Your arms pinned to the wall, stabbed through the hand. You hung there, lifeless, and you were all alone in the world, and you had no one to help you."

Yugito searched his eyes desperately for any sign of deception, but she found none. He honestly cared about someone he'd never met – he cared, though he knew she contained a demon.

"I care," he concluded gently, "Because I made a promise a long time ago, to live a life without regrets. And I would have greatly regretted not helping you the other day."

Yugito felt her eyes widen by an impossible margin. She stammered for an answer, but was completely dumbfounded at his reasoning. It was logical, but people like him just didn't exist in her world. She'd never met anyone like that.

His hand came up to cup her cheek gently – she turned her cheek into his warm palm, even as she cursed herself for it – and his voice was full of sorrow. "Have you truly lived a life so lonely that it's inconceivable that someone might care for someone else who has lived a similar existence?" he whispered. All of his previous anger was gone, eradicated in the wake of the glimpse he'd had of her soul, she was sure.

It was all just too much. The death of two of her teammates, slain by the Akatsuki scum; her battle with said bastards and her subsequent defeat; waking up in a strange place with a strange person, a strange person who cared about what happened to her – who could see into her very soul …

It was just all too much.

Tears welled in her eyes and she tried so desperately to hold back the great wracking sobs that wanted out of her…

And she just couldn't do it anymore.

She sagged against him, collapsing heavily into his startled frame as she sobbed her pain and misery. And then she felt herself sinking, safe in his arms, to the floor beneath them, and she was cradled in his lap, and she felt warm and safe.

For a long time, she sobbed.

oOoOoOo

Yugito rubbed her eyes tiredly as she moved through the forest, Naruto at her side. Occasionally their arms would brush, and she would feel unnaturally warm again, unable to stop herself from remembering the feeling of being wrapped up in his arms.

She could remember her meltdown, and the shame and mortification that had followed. He hadn't cared; he'd simply wiped her tears rocked her back and forth.

Eventually she had come regained her composure, finding herself tucked snugly against his side with his arm about her shoulders.

"How is it you don't care that I have a demon inside me?" she finally whispered, her head cushioned against his chest. For over an hour, she'd lain in his arms, unable to fall into the welcome oblivion of sleep.

He seemed reluctant to answer her. Did he not trust her or was there some other reason? There was some kind of male logic at work here, she was sure.

"A friend of mine was like you," he murmured finally. "The Ichibi."

There was silence as Yugito processed his words. 'Was like you'. Did that mean his friend was...

"I'm sorry," she whispered.

He was silent.

Behind her she heard a movement. He had raised his hand, she knew, but she couldn't decipher what he was doing...

There was a tender touch on her hair...

... and then his hand fell back down to the floor without touching her further.

At the time, she'd had neither the energy nor the will to move away from him and rebuild her mental defences – to cover her vulnerabilities. She had absently promised herself that she'd distance herself from him tomorrow or the day after.

That day had come.

She hadn't touched him in any way since, afraid as she was to succumb to his unconscious lure.

There'd been no more talk of any of it and he hadn't brought up her breakdown once. They'd waited another day for her to heal properly and he'd picked up the pay-packet for his mission (he was far too free with information), and they'd (he!) decided that he would escort her to the land of Kumo.

She'd fought that decision, of course; her pride as a kunoichi would allow her to do nothing less, but she was secretly grateful that he'd taken the decision out of her hands. She hadn't really had a choice at all.

"Well," he said, "I'm going to Kumo – nice time for a holiday – and you can tag along or not; whatever you like."

Simultaneous with their departure, he'd sent off a message to Konoha, relaying his situation and decision. Then they'd headed to the north edge of the island of Waves. She'd thought he'd been headed for a port where they could buy or barter passage on a boat or ferry, but that had not been the case.

He'd stopped on the beach and walked to the water's edge and summoned… a frog? A rather small frog, to be entirely accurate. And he'd taken her hand, sending an unnerving feeling running up her arm, and stretched out his other hand towards the frog. She'd watched, quite alarmed, as the frog began to literally chomp on Naruto's arm, its toothless mouth expanding, swallowing him up before moving down his arm to their connected hands. Yugito had fought fiercely to get away, but Naruto's grip had been too strong (probably enhanced by chakra), and then the darkness had swallowed her, within the frog's mouth.

She'd clung to Naruto, knowing she was still alive and not in hell only by the feel of him.

"Don't worry," he whispered against her neck, causing goosebumps to rise, "This is how it's supposed to go."

Eventually, after an undetermined amount of time, the process had reversed itself and she'd found herself crawling from a bloated mouth onto the beaches of Lightning Country.

And here they were, walking towards Kumogakure through the forests.

"Just so we're clear," she spoke up, "We're never travelling by those frogs again. You're lucky that thing didn't slobber all over me! Don't know how it managed not to, considering we were in its filthy mouth for hours on end."

"So we're travelling together again, are we?" he teased.

"Shut up."

They walked in silence for another minute.

"They're toads, you know."

"What?"

"Toads, not frogs; they get pissy if you call them frogs." She could see his grin out of the corner of her eye.

"How about you and your toads go and jump off a cliff!" she snarled.

"Oh, they do –" he chirped.

Dear god, why is he so damned chirpy?

"– you see, in Myobokuzan, there's these great big cliffs and waterfalls, and they bomb-dive from the top to see who can make the biggest splash. It's really fun –"

"Do you ever shut up?" she exclaimed angrily.

Naruto stopped speaking and blinked at her abrasiveness. "There's no need to get snippy just 'cause you've never bomb-dived with the toads," he mumbled.

"I don't give a kunai's tit about the toads!" she shrieked.

She saw his face scrunch up in absolute confusion at the expression 'kunai's tit', before he let it go, favouring irritation with her new-found mood. "Then what's up your ass?" he sniped.

Yugito grit her teeth and ignored him, stomping ahead.

What was up her ass?

Gee, maybe it's the fact that I've known this guy for less than three days, and I've already broken down in front of him like a blubbering baby; something I've never done in front of anyone!

She let out a tired sigh as her frustration melted away, replaced only by weariness. Yes, that was the problem – he'd seen the depths of her soul as no one else had, and she hated him for it.

She was snapped out of her contemplations by a hand on her shoulder. She looked up, stumbling backwards as Naruto roughly dragged her behind him, shielding her with his body.

"Who's there?" he called into the trees.

Silence greeted him.

Yugito stretched out her senses, having caught on to what was happening. After discovering who was nearby she decided to speak up. "Samui," she called.

A figure blurred from the surrounding foliage and landed in front of them, standing tall and proud. Beside her, Yugito noticed Naruto squinting at the new arrival. Maybe he normally wears glasses or something. "Naruto, this is Samui. She's a friend."

"Indeed, I am a friend," Samui spoke smoothly with authority, her blonde, layered hair shimmying delicately with the slight movements of her head. "But even I need to be sure you aren't under duress."

"Eh? Under duress?" Naruto parroted.

Yugito blushed, looking around uncomfortably, avoiding Naruto's gaze. "Cats have nine lives," she muttered.

"Huh?" Naruto said again.

"Your password is… correct," Samui smirked. Certain of Yugito's identity and free-will, she sauntered forward, briefly appraising Naruto with her eyes. Her face sobered slightly as she looked Yugito over. "Nice change of clothes. Word was you got taken by Akatsuki… who's the stiff?" Her head tilted towards Naruto.

Those three sentences could have been summed up by 'what happened, Yugito?' she thought.

"Who you callin' a stiff?" Naruto challenged.

"Naruto!" Yugito barked. "Don't start antagonising people! Please. I know you excel at it."

"Antaga-what?" he queried.

Yugito sighed. "Nevermind, let's just go."

Samui seemed most interested in Naruto, and Yugito knew why. As the host of the Nibi, she was normally a very reserved person, speaking only when addressed; it wasn't any average shinobi who could get under Yugito's skin. Great, now she knows something happened between us. Probably thinks I'm bedding him. Now there's a thought - vomit!

The next half an hour was spent ascending a mountain range to get to Kumogakure itself. Naruto's voice was very frequently heard as he complained about the uphill climb and the lightning that flashed in the distance.

"Does he ever shut up?" Samui muttered out the corner of her mouth.

"No," Yugito replied forlornly.

"Could just knock him out and carry him."

Yugito shook her head. "He's more durable than he looks."

Samui grunted.

They both shared a look and stopped as they simultaneously realised Naruto wasn't immediately behind them. "Naruto, what the hell are you doing?"

"What am I doing? I'm taking off my damn cloak! We're about to get in the middle of thunderstorms and all that, and it's the only one I've got, so I need to keep it dry."

"Won't you get wet?" Samui asked with a lofted eyebrow.

"Bah, water's water," Naruto returned as his jacket puffed into smoke and a small scroll appeared in his hand, which he promptly tucked away into a pocket. "Good time for a shower, anyway."

Yugito glared at him. "You're an idiot," she muttered as she turned and continued her ascent.

"And you're a tight-ass," he rejoined easily.

For the next few minutes she fumed. Until it started raining. Then she sulked.

Naruto began bouncing around excitedly, running forward and back and around her and Samui. He repeatedly called out in the rain, cupping his hands around his mouth to try to listen for some kind of echo, she suspected. She would have told him to stop being a prick, but she was distracted by the way the wet shirt clung to his torso, and the way the muscles corded and bunched in his chest and back and arms. Her mouth felt dry.

"Yummy," Samui purred beside her. Yugito glared and elbowed her. "What?" Samui asked. "Nothin' wrong with looking."

"He's a Konoha dog," Yugito muttered, not sure she wanted to think about the reason why she didn't want Samui looking at Naruto.

"I don't have a dog!" Naruto called back to them as he came closer, still dancing in the rain. The two ladies tensed and shared a look. Sharp ears!

"Kiba does, though. But that's the deal with his whole clan; they partner up with their dogs in ninja training and everything. It's kinda cool." Naruto skipped ahead again, diving through clouds of mist.

"Does he realise he's giving away Konoha secrets?" Samui asked rhetorically.

Yugito didn't bother to reply. "We're almost there; let's pick up the pace."

And so they did. It was another hour before they made it into the village proper and were escorted into the Raikage's office. During the journey, Naruto looked around avidly, squinty-eyed, trying to take in what he could as they moved through the streets. A platoon of Kumo jounin shadowed him at all times from the rooftops, watching as he hopped energetically from foot to foot.

Eventually the Raikage swept in, big and black and imposing. Naruto whistled at the sight of him. Yugito felt his warm minty breath wash over her neck as he leaned over and whispered in her ear, "Are you sure he's the Raikage? Doesn't look too bright."

"What was that?" The Raikage boomed, rage crossing his face as he stood up from his seat.

"Well I didn't say you weren't bright," Naruto muttered petulantly, "I just said you don't look too bright."

"You little runt!" The Raikage leapt swiftly and appeared in front of Naruto, his fist drawn back to deliver a powerful strike. To Yugito's eye, Naruto didn't even seem inclined to dodge; content to just take the hit. She winced as a loud abrasive crack echoed through the air. The expected sound of broken walls and glass didn't come, however.

Naruto was standing there, his head turned away sharply, a significant bruise forming on his cheek. A soft fizzle in the air indicated that he'd used a large amount of chakra to reduce the impact of the blow. A single tooth popped out of his mouth as blood dripped from the corner of his lips. "Ow," he muttered.

The Raikage blinked.

To take such a strike without avoiding it…

Yugito decided to act before everyone got too riled up. "You deserved that one, Naruto," she smirked.

"Doesn't mean it didn't hurt," he whined childishly.

"Y-Yugito?"

She turned her gaze from Naruto to look at the Raikage. "Heya boss-man!" she said cheerfully.

Everyone seemed taken aback by her upbeat attitude; she couldn't blame them, since she was usually more of a downer. And she hadn't been this cheerful even half and hour ago. Apparently Naruto had rubbed off on her.

The village leader gaped at her for a moment before sweeping her into a fierce hug. "Damn! Good to see you, soldier. I thought Akatsuki had you for sure! I guess you really do have nine lives, eh."

"Um," Yugito shifted uncomfortably. "Actually, Akatsuki did get me. They had me beat, and then I woke up and Naruto was looking after me, giving me bandages and food and clothes." She gestured vaguely to the robe she was wearing.

"Y-You're wearing a robe..." one of the Jounin said blankly.

"Oi!" Naruto chirped angrily. "I chose that robe! What's wrong with it?"

"You –?" the Raikage began, pointing at Naruto while looking incredulously at Yugito. He seemed unable to finish his sentence. His finger moved back and forth between Naruto and herself. Yugito felt her face heat up; she knew what they were all thinking.

Naruto was oblivious to the thoughts and insinuations in the room. "What's he talking about?"

"Nothing," the Raikage growled, then winced at his harsh tone. Yugito knew he didn't want to be nice to anyone from Konoha, but Naruto had rescued one of his best shinobi and brought her back. "What's your name, boy?"

"I am Uzumaki Naruto!" he cried with a crisp salute.

"Indeed, Uzumaki. And how is it you brought Yugito back to us?"

"Oh, man! It was awesome! I cut off this guy's head, and he kept talking – wasn't dead or anything –"

"Naruto," Yugito interrupted with a sigh of suffering.

Naruto's upper lip twitched at the interruption. "What?"

"Maybe I should tell the story, okay?"

Naruto narrowed his eyes and grumbled at her. He turned and stalked to the window, looking out over the village. She could hear his grumbling, and it amused her. The words 'boring' and 'stick-up-the-ass' caught everyone's ears.

Yugito spoke succinctly, summarising what she knew about Naruto's rescue of her and his bringing her home. Naruto tried to explain again about his beheading of the one called Hidan, but Yugito shushed him.

"So… you ran away?" Samui teased when Yugito had finished relaying the events of the past few days.

Naruto glared at her. "I didn't run away! I made a stratatical decision to retreat –"

"Strategical," Yugito corrected.

"Yeah, that's what I said," Naruto waved his hand absently. Yugito caught the glimpses of everyone else in the room, knowing they were wondering how she put up with him for the last three days without killing him. Or perhaps without killing herself. She smiled slightly at them. It was good to be home.

"Yo!" a voice chirped. Everyone watched, startled and bemused, as a rotund figure jumped on top of Uzumaki Naruto's head. "Hey bro!"

"Huh?" Naruto scrambled to pull the thing off his head and held it up, squinting at it. "Kosuke! Where'd you come from?" he cried, but continued speaking, not bothering to wait for an answer. "Hey, little buddy! Are those the goggles I gave ya?" His excitement melted away as his look turned inquisitive. "Oi, what are you doing here?"

"The old lady sent me, bro."

"Tsunade no baa-chan?"

Yugito cleared her throat delicately. "You – you call Tsunade of the Densetsu no Sannin…. 'baa-chan'?"

"Of course! She may look young, but she's really an old hag. It's all genjutsu." Naruto closed his eyes and nodded resolutely to emphasise his point.

Silence reigned in the office for a moment. The... thing called Kosuke waggled his feet as he was held up in mid-air. Yugito had no idea what to say to Naruto's proclamation. A shinobi who didn't show respect to his Kage…?

"Anyway, she says that since you're here, you can be the new liaison to Kumogakure. Temporarily, of course."

"Liaison? With Cloud?" Naruto scratched his chin before beaming and giggling. "Finally she's acknowledged my brilliance! My power and awesomeness!" Naruto began to jump around, swinging his fists wildly in excitement. "First it's liaisons, and then chuunin, then I'll jump right to Hokage. Mmmm-hmmmm!" He continued to giggle and swing his fists.

"He's only a genin and taking on Akatsuki?" someone muttered. Yugito's ears perked up at that thought.

"Do we need a liaison with Konoha?" the Raikage leaned over and muttered in Samui's ear.

"No," she replied, "I think Hokage-dono is just trying to make sure we don't have a reason to arrest Naruto-san for trespassing."

Naruto's enthusiastic efforts only jerked to a stop when his fist thudded into the wall, and cracks began to spread. He ran a hand through his hair sheepishly. "Erm, oops!"

"Don't worry about it, Naruto-san; Raikage-sama does it every other week," Samui explained.

"I do not!"

"You do, actually; I'm the one who always places the work order." She turned and pointed to the shattered wall that had once held a glass window.

Naruto turned to look at it, blinking in surprise. "Wow!" he cried. "I thought it was an actual window!"

"Liaise," Yugito heard one of the Jounin sneer; it was Shi, a sensory and medical ninja. "Why do we need to liaise with Konoha dogs?"

Naruto gave a grumbling sigh. "Oi, I'd appreciate if you didn't insult Konoha, or its dogs, eh," Naruto said lightly.

"And what are you going to do about it?" Another jounin sneered. Darui, she knew. Yugito noticed the Raikage lean back against his desk, seemingly content to let the confrontation play out.

"Hm? Do? Eh, not much." Naruto closed his eyes in thought.

Yugito had a bad feeling….

"Yeah, that's what I thought," Darui muttered.

A smirk bewitched Naruto's lips, just for a moment, and his eyes snapped open, directly meeting Darui's. Yugito felt a great crushing weight pressing down on her, and she flinched away from eyes that were suddenly a sensual crimson, filled with an all-encompassing malice. Those eyes, she thought. Could they be –?

It was over as quickly as it had come – it truly only had been for an instant. But in that instant everyone in the office had felt something otherworldly; something demonic. Darui, who the feeling had been focused at, had actually gasped and taken a step backwards before he realised what he was doing and stepped back into line with the other jounin. Sweat beaded his brow.

"Enough!" the Raikage barked. Yugito turned to look at Naruto; his eyes were blue once again and an amicable smile had settled on his face.

What the hell was that? she wondered

Darui swallowed audibly, looking anywhere but in Naruto's direction. His hands seemed to be shaking, as though he was experiencing severe alcohol withdrawal.

Kosuke – the damned toad – was quivering from his perch amongst Naruto's blond locks.

The Raikage's eyes were intense upon Naruto, who wore that same friendly smile; almost as though he hadn't just done something to a formidable Kumo jounin. "You have brought my ninja back to me, and now it's time for you to leave." The large black man's voice brooked no argument.

"Of course, Raikage-sama," Naruto said pleasantly. "I hope we shall continue good relations between Kumogakure and Konohagakure." He gave a mocking bow and his eyes seemed uncharacteristically malicious as they flickered to Darui.

Raikage-sama waved a hand and Naruto was escorted out. Everyone left in the office let out a breath as the atmosphere relaxed somewhat. "Darui, what did he do to you?"

Darui slowly stepped forward. Sweat ran down his temple. "I don't really know," he said, uncharacteristically subdued. "It was similar to feeling your killing intent, or perhaps more like Killer Bee's. But it was far more powerful."

"Like Killer Bee's?" Samui asked with narrowed eyes. "You don't think –?"

"I-I don't know. If I had to guess I'd say so," Darui concluded.

"Does Konoha even have a Jinchuuriki, though?" someone else asked.

Yugito felt anger spear through her heart. He is a jinchuuriki? Why didn't he tell me? Then it occurred to her that he was under no obligation to tell her, and she still owed him for saving her life.

Besides, how do you just tell someone you don't know about something like that? 'Hey there, I'm Naruto. I have a demon inside me, nice to meet you!'

The Raikage paused in thought for a moment before dragging the female kunoichi out of her thoughts. "Yugito, I'll need to know everything about that boy."

"Of course," she agreed, inclining her head. But I really want to... "Raikage-sama, can I….?" she trailed off, tilting her head in the direction Naruto had gone. "He saved my life," she murmured quietly.

The Raikage scowled. "Fine," he barked, "but make it quick!"

Yugito nodded and bolted from the office. She leapt over buildings and eventually came to the city walls. Only a small doorway was open to allow anyone in and out. The two guards nodded to her as she approached. She nodded back as she stepped through.

Naruto was waiting for her on the other side. "Yo!" he greeted.

"Hey," she said, voice reticent.

"I'm, uh, sorry about what happened in there. Got a bit enthusiastic, I guess," Naruto said sheepishly.

Are you like me, Naruto? Do you too hold a monstrous demon inside you? Are you terribly lonely?

She didn't give voice to the questions.

There was an uncomfortable silence, and Yugito had so much that she wanted to say, but she just couldn't.

"So, I was gonna go –"

"I'm sorry for –"

They both stopped at the same time and shared a grin. Naruto gestured for her to speak. She bit her lip and stepped closer. "I-I was just…. thanks…. for saving my life…"

For once, Naruto's face wasn't set in a mischievous grin. He seemed to understand the gravity of what she was saying. "Sure," he murmured, appreciative of the solemn mood.

She felt as though his eyes were piercing her soul. Again.

"And here." She threw a roll of paper at him. "It's a scroll I wrote out yesterday while you were asleep, about the Akatsuki members I encountered. Their strengths and weaknesses and such from when I fought them. You should give it to your Kage."

"Thanks."

"Naruto, are you..." Yugito balked; she couldn't bring herself to ask him. "W-Well, that's all," she said nervously, flattening a hand against her hair. "I should –" She gestured over her shoulder with her thumb.

"Yeah," he agreed. She nodded and turned to walk away.

"Hey Yugito!" he called after her.

She whirled around, surprising even herself with her eagerness. "Yes?"

Naruto gave her the thumbs-up and a toothy grin – a truly ridiculous pose, but somehow it suited him. "Don't be a stranger. If you're near Konoha sometime, or you ever need help…. Look me up, okay?"

"O-Okay," she smiled hesitantly. She doubted she would have any further contact with him, but she'd leave the option open. She wasn't as averse to the prospect as she felt she should have been.

He smiled back and nodded before giving an awkward wave and turning and walking away.

Yugito stepped back within the walls of Kumogakure, pulling up short. Her lips were twitching, as though she wanted to smile. "See you later, Uzumaki Naruto," she whispered.

Then she sobered her facial expression and headed back to the Raikage's office to give her official debrief.

The End

oOoOoOo

A/N: So I have laid the ground-work for the romance. They have plenty of sparks, so there's attraction and passion. The next step, were I to continue the story, would be to incorporate more of an emotional connection. However, were they to meet again I feel as though Yugito would be more stand-offish, in an attempt to control her unprecedented reaction to Naruto.

That emotional connection, however, shall not be written by me.

I hope the difference in their mental processes came across accurately – Naruto seems to only notice things on a superficial level – Yugito is a beautiful woman, for example. Yugito, on the other hand, notices things in far more detail and is far more critical and analytical of everything that happens.

I honestly didn't plan to have the scene with the Raikage and Kumo contingent – Naruto was just supposed to drop Yugito at the gate, but this is what popped out. All the stuff in the manga regarding the Kage summit convinced me that it would be alright to introduce a few of the Cloud shinobi.

And thus, this story is complete.

Any feedback is, of course, welcome and taken into consideration.

Regards,

bourkem