Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Borderlands.

xXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

Blood and Bullets

xXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

Chapter Ten

"Ugh...What happened?" Maya groaned quietly as she sat up in the back of the Titan's cab, holding her head with one hand while keeping her eyes shut. Hearing the truck's engine and feeling the vibrations of it moving across some mild rough terrain, she figured she had just dreamed everything up, but that's when she opened her eyes...

"Oh, hey! Finally decided to come back to the Land of the Living, huh? I was starting to wonder if you'd ever wake up." Gaige teased while glancing back at Maya from her spot behind the Titan's steering wheel, grinning from ear to ear at the groggy Siren. Maya's eyes instantly shot open in shock; it hadn't been a dream. A second later, the Titan was swerving eradically, just barely missing a large boulder three times the size of the truck. "H-HEY, HEY! BACK OFF! YOU'RE GOING TO MAKE ME CRASH!"

xXx

Ducking back around the corner as his TMPs finally clicked uselessly from empty clips, Naruto didn't so much as blink as bullets pinged and ricocheted against the adjacent wall it shared the corner with. Reloading the twin pistols, the Ghost of Pandora grumbled unintelligibly under his breath while holstering them. Swiping his hand over his storage device, he retrieved an old Longbow model grenade and his Unforgiven revolver. As he rethought his chosen plan of action, Naruto couldn't help wondering if he was actually lucky enough for it to work. Then again, a Hail Mary wasn't always simple or easy...

Peeking back around the corner for only a split second, Naruto quickly guessed the distance between him and the Tracker, who had him bottle-necked at the end of a thirty foot long hallway while taking cover behind a solid metal table that was lying on its side. Taking a moment, he adjusted the grenade's short-range teleportation trigger so that it was a bit of a delayed 'jump' to help compensate for the distance.

"Please, let this work..." Naruto briefly prayed before kissing the grenade and his revolver for good luck. Taking one final breath to steel his resolve, he stepped out from around the corner while cocking his left arm back, only to chuck the grenade down the hall as hard as he could. Summoning up a Phaseshield immediately afterward to protect himself from the following barrage of bullets, Naruto kept his eyes on the grenade as it sailed through the air. The Tracker saw it as well and tried shooting it out of the air with his rifle before it could get close, but just as he squeezed the trigger, the baseball-sized explosive suddenly vanished in a crackling flash of blue-purple light as his shot missed.

"What the-" Was all the Guardsmen assassin got out before he cut himself short, his eyes going wide with realization and fear. Time slowed to a crawl for both combatants as the Tracker jumped into the air to vault over the upturned table while taking aim at the black-clad blonde across from him with his Dahl sidearm, a desert camouflaged Anaconda, after retrieving it from the storage unit on his left thigh. At the same time, the grenade flashed back into existence a few feet behind the Tracker just milliseconds before Naruto dismissed his Phaseshield as he raised his Unforgiven revolver, aiming right back at the Tracker. Only a few milliseconds later, the grenade timed out while both man-hunters fired their respective firearms simultaneously.

Naruto let out a short-lived cry of pain as the Tracker's bullet struck him in the left shoulder with enough force to jerk his body back and knock him off his feet, only for his own bullet to punch a hole through the Tracker's own left shoulder. As both bullets hit their targets at the same time, the grenade detonated, the concussive blastwave throwing the Tracker into the wall beside the entrance to the hallway on his side while the table he'd previously been hiding behind was ripped apart by the explosion. Hitting the ground on his back, Naruto let out another cry of pain as his shoulder wound was jarred, his vision going white for a moment because of the dime-sized hole tunneling through the joint. Gritting his teeth, Naruto blocked out as much of the pain as possible as he started getting back up without the use of his left arm.

"Get...wrecked..." The blonde growled out breathlessly as he glared down the hall, knowing he had hit the Tracker like he had wanted. The hole in his own shoulder hadn't exactly been a part of the plan, but it was an acceptable price to pay for his suicidal plan actually working out like he had wanted. Left arm hanging limply by his side, Naruto started shambling his way down the hall as he popped out the Unforgiven's rotary drum to see how many shots he had left in it. Counting four unused rounds, Naruto flicked his wrist to jerk the cylinder back into place and cocked the hammer back just as he reached the end of the hall, already aiming the Unforgiven at the side where he'd seen the Tracker get thrown. "That slippery motherfucker..."

There were two different doorways on either side of the room, the Tracker having scurried down one of them. Spotting a decent amount of blood on the floor from the bullet hole in the Tracker's shoulder, Naruto followed it with his eyes towards the doorway on his left. Narrowing his eyes, Naruto moved to the wall beside it before peeking around the corner to find an unlit hallway. It was too dark for him to make out any note worthy details, something that made him hesitate; the Tracker obviously had the home-field advantage at the moment.

Taking a moment to patch himself up while he could, Naruto temporarily traded his Unforgiven for the small Eridium stone he'd brought with him. Taking a deep breath to brace himself and closing his eyes to concentrate, Naruto quickly dug the bullet out of his shoulder, growling with pain through gritted teeth, before using the stone to heal the wound. Heaving a small sigh of relief as the pink-ish purple glow of the stone's strange properties worked its magic on his shoulder, Naruto leaned back against the wall for a few moments before finally retrieving his revolver again.

He hated Trackers...

xXx

"Maya! C'mon! He told us to leave for a reason!" Gaige attempted in changing the Siren's mind, but it wasn't working. Marching down the rocky corridor that led to the Tracker's shack, Maya double-checked her Maliwan Venom submachine gun to make sure it was fully loaded while Gaige and the Hyena Brothers trailed behind her. The young anarchist had been shocked into silence for a moment when Maya had stopped the twin mechanical beasts from slowing her down in her hunt for Naruto; she was not happy with him. "What if it's too dangerous for us to be here?"

"That's exactly why I'm going back." Maya growled before her tone softened slightly as she mumbled under her breath, but never slowed her pace or hesitated. "I love that insufferable bastard too much to just leave him behind like that..."

Gaige stopped in her tracks upon barely hearing those words, eyes wide with surprise. She knew Maya loved the blonde Warlock, but to such an extent? As a small smile crept on to her lips, Gaige recalled a memory of when Axton had done the exact same thing for her...She really should apologize to that crazy Commando later. Shaking her head slightly, Gaige continued following after Maya while digistructing her Bandit brand 'Sketer Oberkill' shotgun, the hulking drum-fed quad-barrel shotgun of red metal resting comfortably in her slender arms despite its obvious size and weight.

"If we get yelled at, I'm blaming everything on you...you know that, right?" If Maya hadn't been so upset with Naruto and dead-set on getting back to him, she just might have laughed at how childish Gaige sounded when she said that...

xXx

"Ngh!" Biting his bottom lip in an effort to muffle the pained groan, the Tracker leaned his head back against the wall he had ducked behind further down the dark hallway, the high-grade Insta-health field-med injection quickly working on stitching his shoulder wound up. He'd been lucky it was a through-and-through in a non-vital area, the bones in his shoulder relatively intact with some serious damage done to his left scapula; the large calibur bullet had punched a hole through the bone plate. Still, his arm was pretty much out of commission now and he had no doubt he'll be missing a chunk of flesh where the gunshot wound was going to most definitely scar.

Hearing something, the Tracker froze and went silent before carefully peeking around the corner. Thanks to the light of the previous room, the man hunting him was silhoetted against the brighter backdrop, making it easier for him to both hide from the Ghost of Pandora and watch him at the same time. He had to move, though. He couldn't stay there. The Ghost was very perceptive and would find him if he didn't move on. Moving towards the vent-turned-escape-route near the wall beside him, the Tracker retrieved an item from the dispenser at the bottom of his pack with one hand while glaring back over his shoulder towards Pandora's Ghost.

Quietly picking his way down the lightless corridor, Naruto kept his left hand clenched, focusing his Warlock powers in preparation for a quick Phasewalk to avoid any more serious injuries. In his right was his Unforgiven revolver, fully loaded and ready. Reaching an intersection of sorts with a simple storage area on either side of the hallway, Naruto cleared the right side first, only to hear the clank of metal hitting metal. Whipping back around while Phasewalking a few feet off to the side to dodge any bullets that might be fired at him, Naruto saw only the grate of a vent with an armed and now-triggered claymore sitting in front of it.

Lunging to the side with another momentary burst-use of his Phasewalking ability, Naruto narrowly avoided being shredded with shrapnel as he landed on his side, the claymore detonating at the same time in a blast of momentary flames and metal shards. Growling audibly as he got back to his feet, Naruto stepped back around the corner while glaring at the somewhat mangled vent grate, small fires dotting the charred remnants of the containers and shelves that had occupied the two storage alcoves.

Not wanting to give the Tracker any more of a lead than he already did, Naruto didn't waste time clambering into the narrow tunnel after his prey...

xXx

Gasping in pain as a bullet tore through his side, the Tracker stumbled for a couple steps, bouncing off the wall beside him as he kept trying to run. A second bullet tore through his left leg, dropping him just as he reached a short flight of stairs, which he proceeded to fall down. Coming to a stop with his back to the wall, the Tracker was about to try standing up again, to keep running, when a third bullet suddenly struck him in the stomach, punching through his armor and making him cry out in pain. Weakly glaring up at the Ghost of Pandora staring down at him from the top of the stairs, the Tracker knew he was done for.

"I guess...I really should have...listened to Jaeger better..." The Tracker wrasped out with a wry chuckle, only to cough a little bit as he simply sat there, holding his bleeding stomach with one hand. "Just so you know...I'm not gonna talk..."

"Why would I waste my time trying to interrogate a dead man?" Naruto growled out quietly as he lowered his revolver before simply storing it. Drawing one of his dual-bladed swords, Naruto drew his arm back for a swing, but waited for a moment. "Any last words?"

"Yeah..." The Tracker mumbled, a bloody grin hidden by his helmet. Opening his other hand to reveal the grenade in his hand, the Tracker tried lunging for the former Wraith of the Guardsmen. "DIE!"

Eyes going wide, Naruto immediately Phasewalked back to the top of the stairs before the Tracker could grab him. Dropping to the ground just as the grenade went off, Naruto simply laid there for a few minutes. As the smoke cleared from the blast, he stood up and peered back down the stairs to find the scattered remains of the Guardsmen Tracker, the surrounding area scorched and mangled from the explosion. He'd been cutting it too close recently, taking too many risks. He should have just shot the man from the top of the stairs to finish him off...

"...ruto!" Hearing the faint sound of something calling his name from back down the corridor despite the slight ringing in his ears, Naruto slowly turned around just as Maya and Gaige came sprinting around a corner towards him. "Naruto!"

"..." He stayed silent as she ran up to him, his sword slipping from his fingers moments before he simply wrapped his arms around her when she got to him. Caught a little off guard by the sudden embrace, Maya just kind of stood there for a moment before slowly wrapping her arms around him as well, his face nuzzled against the side of her neck. "...I told you to go..."

"You ever try that kind of shit again and I'll kill you myself..." Maya mumbled quietly as her grip on him tightened, burying her face against his shoulder to hide the couple tears that threatened to fall. "...I can't lose you."

"...Let's just get going." Naruto whispered before slowly pulling away from her, picking up his sword and sheathing it as he started heading for the exit amongst the maze of dark, winding corridors. Drying her eyes and putting her Venom away, Maya started following after him, Gaige bringing up the rear with her shotgun still out. The youngest of them blankly stared at their backs in silence, both because she felt kind of sorry for the two disfunctional lovers and out of nostalgia as she recalled a similar moment she'd had with Axton in the past.

Slipping under Naruto's right arm and wrapping an arm around him as she fell in step with him, Maya couldn't help worrying for him. He was always getting hurt and while it was a common thing to get into gun fights all the time on Pandora, she could still tell that he had started taking more risks than he did when they first met. Could his recklessness be because of her? Was she some how the cause of it?

"How'd you find me? This place is a fucking maze..." Naruto mumbled curiously, though monotonously, as he glanced at the many other pathways scattered all around them.

"You guys weren't exactly covering your tracks. We just had to follow the carnage and listen for gun shots." The Siren asnwered softly, attempting to tease him about it, but failed miserably as she eyed the blood that soaked Naruto's clothing and armor around his left shoulder where he'd been shot earlier. Except there wasn't a bullet hole in his arm, only a rather fresh looking scar. Ignoring it for the time being, Maya just held him in silence as they walked. She used to see their violent lifestyle as something normal, but now...Now, she just wanted to live a quiet life somewhere with Naruto, where no one was going to try to kill them every other day, where they could just live their lives together in peace...

'Fat chance of that ever happening.' She mused cynically, resting her head on Naruto's shoulder as they started nearing the exit...

xXx

Having returned to the shack with the Tracker's Dune Ripper, Gaige and Maya were inside getting some food made for them all to eat while Naruto was back with the vehicles, doing something in the Titan while Spaz and Taz took care of securing the area. Hearing a quiet sigh, Gaige looked up from the small pot of skag meat stew she was making to see Maya sitting off to the side, knees drawn up to her chest with her arms around them. She looked rather...depressed, something that worried the Mechromancer.

"Hey...What's going on, Maya?" Gaige asked softly as she moved over to the Siren, sitting down beside her and putting an arm around her shoulders. Maya didn't answer, looking off to the side instead. "Come on. Talk to me...Please."

"He's going to get himself killed if he keeps this up..." The blue haired woman finally mumbled as she buried her head in her arms, tightening her grip on her legs. Gaige frowned slightly while glancing over at the busted up door that separated the room they were in from the garage. "He keeps getting hurt every time we go anywhere. I get it; we're on Pandora and it kind of comes with the territory, but...Even when we were fighting Jack, none of us ever got messed up this often..."

"You're scared...Aren't you?" Gaige quietly asked. Although it had been intended to be a rhetorical question, Maya still hesitantly nodded without lifting her head. "...Me and Axton had the same kind of issue. Only, it was me that was being reckless and getting hurt all the time. He kept trying to tell me to be more careful, to stop taking so many dumb risks...but I never listened. I got mad at him and...said some things I shouldn't have."

"Sounds a little too familiar..." Maya whispered, her voice quivering slightly as she fought back her tears, thinking of the times she kept pressuring Naruto into opening up to her, into telling her about the skeletons in his closet. If Gaige and Axton had separated because of similar issues...did that mean she and Naruto were going to end up the same way? Gaige was quiet for a few seconds, unsure of how to actually help the woman she saw as an older sister. She was starting to shake a little bit, having obviously been suppressing a lot of emotions recently and had finally reached her limit. "...I can't lose him...I-I don't know what I'd do with myself if I lost him now..."

"I know I'm not really helping matters right now, but..." Gaige trailed off for a moment before taking a deep breath, holding Maya a little closer. "Axton once told me something a long time ago while we were out hunting. If you approach something fast and aggressive, it'll get defensive almost immediately and attack, thinking you're a threat. If you approach them calmly and slowly, however, you'll have an easier time of getting close to them without causing a fight. At the time, I thought he was just giving me hunting advice. Now, though...I realized he was trying to get through to me when we first started having problems. Maybe...you should try doing the same with him."

"...M-Maybe..." Maya stuttered out quietly. They sat in silence for a couple more minutes before Maya finally shifted, prompting Gaige to let go of her as she started standing up. Eyes still a little watery and starting to redden, Maya started shuffling towards the garage, leaving Gaige to tend to their dinner. Sighing quietly and hoping she hadn't just done something that would make things worse for them, Gaige went back to the small cooking station she'd set up and tended to the food.

Depositing his armor and equipment on the floor in the back seat, Naruto dropped the back of the front seat down, forming the make-shift bed as he readied a spot to rest for the 'night'. He was exhausted and still hurting from the day's chaotic events despite having already healed from most of his recent injuries. Just as he got everything set up, he heard a faint knock on the open door of the truck, making him turn around to find Maya standing there, her arms wrapped around her middle and looking like she'd been crying a little bit.

"Hey...What are you up to in here?" Maya asked softly.

"Just getting everything ready so we can get some sleep later after we eat." Naruto returned before sitting down and leaning back against what had previously been the back seat, patting the spot next to him. Putting on a slightly forced smile, Maya climbed into the truck and pulled the door closed before making her way over. Curling up next to him and leaning into his side with her head on his chest, Maya just laid there quietly, holding him as her blonde lover wrapped a comforting arm around her in return. They stayed silent for a minute before Naruto frowned slightly, knowing she was most likely upset because of him. "Maya...I'm-"

"I'm sorry..." She cut in, her voice waivering again as she held him a little tighter. She was starting to shake, prompting Naruto to reach over and pull her on to his lap completely, cradling her against him as she buried her face against his neck and shoulder. "I know I've been acting like a bitch recently. I'm sorry for pushing you so hard about opening up to me...I...I just..."

"Shh...There's nothing for you to apologize for. I just...don't want you getting involved in a fight that isn't your responsibility." Despite his attempt to reassure her, Maya only grabbed a fistful of his shirt, pulling on it slightly as she started having trouble holding back the tears again. "I just don't want you getting hurt...and I'm just too stubborn for my own good..."

"And how do you think I feel?!" Maya suddenly snapped, yelling into his chest as she slammed her fist against it, the tears finally flowing freely. "Ever since we met, you're the one that's been getting hurt the most! The nomads! The wreck! The fight with that damn Tracker! Why?! Why are you the only one allowed to get hurt when I can't?! Don't you realize how much worse watching you get hurt hurts me?! I'd rather get shot than get stuck on the sidelines and watch you get hurt again when I could have done something to stop it..."

Naruto didn't say anything, stunned into silence by Maya's words. Closing his eyes and holding her closer, Naruto buried his nose in her hair and breathed in her scent. She was right...It was no different than why he always tried to keep her from getting hurt. Instead, he was only causing her even more pain. In his efforts to protect her, he was only putting himself in more and more dangerous situations. If he hadn't been so hung up on trying to find his missing sister, who has most likely been dead for the past decade, they wouldn't have run across that Tracker. In that fight alone, he'd had more brushes with death than he'd had since meeting Maya.

"I'm sorry..." He whispered softly, holding her even tighter as he kissed the top of her head. They sat in silence for what felt like an eternity, even though it was only a few minutes, before he kissed the top of her head agin. "I love you."

"And I love you..." Maya reciprocated as she sat up slightly, smiling weakly as she pressed her lips against his in a gentle kiss. As they broke apart, however, Maya pressed her lips back against his in another kiss, only a little more lovingly this time as she shifted her position. As she stradled him, Naruto let his hands come to rest on Maya's hips, one sliding down to gently massage her thigh with the other slid up to the small of her back, pulling her closer until she was pressed flush against him.

Letting out a soft moan in response, Maya slowly broke the kiss to look him in the eyes, using a hand to brush aside a couple stray hairs that had fallen in front of Naruto's eyes, his hair tie missing. A loving smile formed on her face as she started cheering back up, never wanting the moment to end. Kissing him one more time, Maya sat up before grabbing the hem of her top and pulling it up over her head, tossing it aside. Before she could do anything else, Naruto had already pulled her back down for another passionate kiss, his hand sliding back up her leg to gently grope her rear end.

Moaning a little louder than before, she squeezed his shoulder as her hips started gyrating against his of their own accord, never once breaking the kiss as their tongues danced. Rolling over on top of her, Naruto broke the kiss and moved down, his lips wrapping around her left nipple. Biting her bottom lip with a throaty moan as he started sucking on the erect nub, Maya fisted a hand in his hair while holding on to him as tight as possible, her body quivering with pleasure. After a few seconds, though, Naruto released her breast, giving her a moment to relax and catch her breath. Shifting even lower, though, he gently kissed her belly button with a slight smirk, making her blush a little heavily.

"Give me a moment." Was all he mumbled before pulling away from her, making Maya whine quietly in protest while he went to the dashboard. Locking the doors and hitting a button on the dash that caused the armored slats to block the window, Naruto pressed another button that caused the holographic projectors to display a starry night sky all throughout the inside of the truck cabin. Maya could only suck in a breath, staring up at all of the tiny dots of light that were scattered across the ceiling and windows.

"Oh, my god...It's beautiful." Maya whispered, her eyes searching for the constellations she knew about while Naruto climbed back on top of her, her arms looped around his neck. Closing her eyes and moaning softly as he kissed her neck, Maya smiled affectionately, yet a bit teasingly as she ran her fingers through his hair. "You know, I always wondered what it would be like to be made love to under the stars...It's not exactly what I had in mind, but this will do just fine for our first time."

"First time? What are you talking about?" Naruto mumbled in disagreement, pouting slightly as he stared at her. Maya could only giggle softly at the expression while cupping his face with both hands.

"Babe, since we got together, we've fucked and we've had sex, but this is our first time making love to one another." She whispered softly, smiling lovingly still. "And yes, there is a difference between them...Now, shut up before you ruin the moment."

"Whatever you say, dear..." He whispered back playfully before kissing her, pressing closer to her in the process. Moaning softly as their tongues danced back and forth, Maya started pulling her lover's shirt off, their lips parting just long enough to dispose of the clothing article. As his mouth shifted to her neck again, Maya gasped softly in ecstacy as he started sucking on her throat again while grinding against her, a soft whimper slipping out as she started chewing her bottom lip. Feeling one of his hands squeezing her ass again, she started getting a tad more vocal than usual as she started matching Naruto's movements, grinding against him in return while slipping a hand in between them, trying to unbuckle her pants...

Outside, Gaige had just finished getting dinner ready. Wondering what had become of Maya and Naruto, she got up to go let them know that the food was ready to eat. Just as she reached the broken door leading into the garage, however, she froze in her tracks, her face slowly starting to glow red. Hearing the occassional horny moan from inside the truck, although muffled, Gaige simply backed away from the door and went back to her spot. She was just glad that she hadn't forgotten her sleeping bag in the truck...

xXx

"Wait, wait, wait! Hold up!" Gaige exclaimed, confused and just a tad upset about she'd just been told. "You mean to tell me that we came all the way out here...for nothing?! You're not even going to go check to see if the Bloody Queen is your sister or not?!"

"Gaige...I've spent the last ten years chasing ghosts. I haven't found a single piece of evidence that says she's even alive still." Naruto countered calmly, though regretfully. Having already talked with him about it 'last night' while they ate their dinner in the truck, Maya remained silent as she sat beside him, but it didn't stop her from feeling sympathetic towards him. It was a hard decision for him to make. "While I also haven't found any hard evidence that states that she is dead, I can't keep chasing after something that isn't there. Besides, after ten years, you'd think she would try to find me or figure out a way to contact me to let me know that she's okay..."

"So...What do we do now?" Gaige asked, understanding his point. "Are we just going to head back or...can we still collect that bounty?"

"If you still want to, go ahead, but you'll be going by yourself. I don't want any part of it." Naruto answered softly as he stood up and walked over to the rest of their things, packing up the last bits and pieces to put in the truck. "If you do go, you can take the Dune Ripper. Just...try to bring it back in one piece. Please."

"Naruto. A moment, please?" Maya asked as she walked a little further away, her boyfriend following. "If she goes, I want to go with her. Just to keep an eye on her, you know? She's like a little sister to me."

"I..." Naruto stopped himself, having been about to argue. Taking a deep breath, he closed his eyes and nodded. "Alright...but I want you to take Spaz and Taz with you in the Titan instead. At least then I'll know you're pretty well protected, just in case things go south."

"...You really don't want to come, huh?" Maya asked softly as she cupped his cheek lovingly. She wasn't bothered by it, but it still worried her. When he shook his head negatively after a moment, Maya smiled sadly before giving him a peck on the lips. "Okay...Do you have an old picture of her, by chance? I don't want to kill the Bloody Queen, just to find out that she actually was your sister, you know..."

"Yeah." He mumbled quietly before retrieving a folded up photograph from one of his pockets. Taking the offered picture, Maya gave it a quick glance so that she had an idea of what his sister looked like. Although it was a ten year old photo, she couldn't have changed too much. Dark auburn-red hair, bright emerald green eyes, tanned skin, a little on the short side. The broad, cheeky grin was all it took for Maya to recognize the resemblance between her and her brother; some of Naruto's old pictures had him with that same smile on his face. Folding it back up and stashing it in a pocket, Maya gave him another kiss on the lips.

"Don't worry about me, okay? We'll be alright." The Siren's reassurance seemed to ease the troubled Warlock's worries, if only a little bit, causing her to smile a little. Taking the Titan's keys from him, Maya started walking back over to Gaige with Naruto following behind her. "So, what do you say, Kiddo? You still want to collect that bounty?"

"Wait...You mean you're coming, too?" The Mechromancer inquired curiously, cheering up a little when Maya held up the keys to Naruto's truck, grinning. "Man, it'll be just like old times!"

"Alright, think fast." Was all Maya said before tossing the keys at Gaige, surprising the girl even more. "You're the only one that can drive a stick-shift, remember?"

"Sweet!" Gaige cheered excitedly. Before she could sprint for the Titan, though, she caught sight of the look on Naruto's face; he wasn't exactly happy about her driving his truck. "Don't worry, Big Bro. I'll bring her back in one piece!"

"Hmph...You better..." He grumbled quietly, knowing she had been talking about the truck, even though he was referring to both the truck and Maya. As said woman walked up to him, Naruto gently kissed her forehead. "I'll be waiting here while you're gone. Just...If anything happens and you need help, contact me immediately. Okay?"

"Stop worrying so much, baby. I'll be okay." Maya reassured once more with a small laugh, kissing him on the lips. Not seeing a change in his mood, she sighed before smiling at him again. "Okay. I'll call you the moment things get out of hand. Happy now?"

"Meh..." The blonde grunted out with a slight pout on his face. She couldn't help frowning slightly, but not because she was sad. She just thought it was too cute that he was actually pouting because she was going on her own little adventure without him; his own choice, but still. Giving him one last kiss, she started pulling away from him. "I love you, Maya. Come back safe."

"And I love you, Naruto." Maya returned, ignoring the gagging sound Gaige teasingly made as she watched them from the Titan. "Stay out of trouble while I'm gone."

"I make no promises there, but I'll try." He joked in response, getting a half-hearted glare from Maya as she climbed into the truck.

xXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

A/N: First off...Fuck bandits and their damn inability to spell a single word right. It's a nightmare for an ADHD writer with a grammar OCD...Second; Well, I'll be blunt. I know it's been forever since I've updated ANYTHING, but...I'm sad to inform you all that it might be that way for a good long while. I'm going to be enlisting in the military soon, Army branch, and I don't know when I'll be able to find the time to work on any of my writing, if at all. Still, I'll try to get at least a couple stories updated before then, but I make no promises. I hope you guys enjoy the new chapter for Blood And Bullets and continue to read my other works.