Last time:

Standing in the thick fog with his red eyes focused on the woman standing in front of the bottom of the waterfall, he let the body fall to the ground. One more. But he didn't have to seek the other man out, as a man wearing a purple monk's robe appeared in front of him.

"Who are you? This area is off limits right now," Miroku told the stranger. Then he spotted Shippou lying on the ground.

"Too late. And no place is off limits to me," he told the unfamiliar man, as he, too, fell to the ground. "As to who I am, I'm just … an admirer." He dropped a yellow daffodil on the ground in front of the monk.

Unwanted Chapter 8

In the blink of an eye, he was standing behind the woman. Reaching around her, he grabbed her hands, and crossing her arms over her breasts, he pulled her back against him. "I'm glad to see you survived. You have a bad habit of lying—you're not immune to snake venom."

"If you have spilled blood in my sanctuary, I promise you will regret it, Uchiha Sasuke."

A smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. "Most women would scream or call for help when someone grabs them when they're naked and helpless."

"Do you make a habit of grabbing naked women?"

"Ah, so you don't consider yourself helpless, and yet … I don't think you can get away from me," he tightened his arms around her. "I haven't spilled any blood. Yet. Your comrades and the two ANBU nearby are merely unconscious for the time being."

"Genjutsu?"

He smiled outright at her tactics. "You think if you keep me talking, you will be able to get away. But talking is all I want. For now." The truth was, he hadn't intended to make his presence known to her at all. His snakes had confirmed that she hadn't succumbed to the poison. When they told him she was planning to do a ritual purification here tonight, he had been unable to resist the temptation to witness it. He was curious. Still, he hadn't planned to approach her.

"You want to talk?" It was all she could do not to squirm uncomfortably. She certainly didn't want to have a conversation with him looming over her like this. At least her breasts were somewhat covered with their arms. He just had to grab her when she was making her offering to the waterfall instead of when she was down in the water, where she would at least be partially covered. She turned her head to look at him. "Your timing leaves much to be admired. I'm afraid I'm not dressed for entertaining guests. What did you want to talk about? If you're looking for Naruto, he's training at a different location."

He frowned at that. "I'm not here to talk to Naruto. He and I have said all we have to say to each other."

"You may say you don't want to talk to him, but you seem to be going out of your way to get his attention. You were trying to use me to provoke him when we fought, and now you're here in Konoha. Or are you just missing your home? You've been gone for a long time, but it's still here. All of the people who love and care about you are still here."

"All of the people I cared about are dead. My brother killed them."

"That's not true. Your friends are still here."

"Friends are just baggage. I don't need them."

Kagome bent over suddenly, then threw herself backwards, using the muscles in her legs to push forcefully from the watery ledge she was standing on. They both went tumbling back into the deeper water of the basin, but he didn't loosen his grip.

When they surfaced and he found a place where he could stand up waist-deep in the water, she continued to twist and kick her legs for a few minutes before stilling. "Nice try. Please don't stop wiggling around on my account-it's quite enjoyable. But don't think I am so foolish that I would let go of either of your hands and allow you to summon a weapon to use against me. I was convinced you were resigned to this position for the duration of our conversation, but if you're uncomfortable, perhaps I should adjust my grip." He lifted her right hand from her left shoulder and moved it down so it was across her waist, exposing her right breast, which was just above the water. For the first time in her life, she wished she was a little shorter. "Is that more comfortable?"

Refusing to be baited, she told him, "If you aren't here for Naruto, then I have to assume you're planning to try to take me to Orochimaru. And I'm not going to go peacefully." The muscle in his jaw tightened and she felt his body tense.

"No," he said coldly and tightened his grip on her again. "I won't let him get his hands on you. He was planning to experiment on you to see if he could extract the reiki from your body, but after Kabuto told him what we had learned about you and your abilities – how easily you went through that barrier and how quickly you healed Genma and got him through it, and even got Shikamaru's shadow through it, he was so taken with the possibilities of your power that now he wants to bond you to him by marrying you himself since you aren't already married to Naruto. But if you should marry before he is able to capture you, he would still take you as his lover so he can sire children and potentially have even more reiki to work with. He believes he can bend you to his will with genjutsu and medication. He thinks you may be able to restore his body and lengthen his life, and then he won't need me or anyone else."

Her brow furrowed as she contemplated him. "And you want him to need you?"

He laughed bitterly. "No. But I would rather kill him as weak as he is now without you revitalizing him."

"I thought you were willing to give up your body to achieve your goal."

"There is nothing more Orochimaru can give me in terms of strength or power. I don't need him."

"If you are truly cutting ties with Orochimaru now, you can come home and I can remove that curse seal."

He was quiet for a moment, and he rested his chin on her head. He had never considered the possibility of actually getting rid of the curse seal altogether. It had caused him excruciating pain, and Kakashi had tried to suppress it, but he could easily access that power now and the pain didn't bother him. Was he willing to let it go? "I'll keep your offer in mind."

"Are you planning to kill him before you fight your brother?"

"Yes."

She thought about that for a minute. "Are you planning to fight Naruto before you fight your brother?"

"Naruto is the one who insists on pursuing me and fighting. I told him years ago I was cutting all ties, but he refuses to let me go. So, yes, I am willing to kill him, too, before I find Itachi."

"You are … his best friend. He cares about you. The others here do, too."

"None of the others ever knew me."

"Even if that's true, they still care, and you know he knows you. You say you are willing to kill him, yet you didn't come here looking for him. But you are deliberately provoking him right now for some purpose."

"Right now?" Leaning forward, he slowly looked down her body and back up, smirking a bit when her cheeks turned red. "Why hasn't he married you yet?"

She took a deep breath and slowly let it out before answering quietly, "You know what I am. The Third Hokage made a contract with my village. Naruto didn't know anything about it. Apparently, no one else in your village knew, either. Sesshoumaru, my Tsukikage, has given him three months to decide whether or not to honor the contract."

Sasuke's eyes narrowed speculatively. I should have known he wasn't smart enough to let the village arrange a beneficial marriage for him. "He's an idiot. And you're a tool, like all shinobi are, simply serving some purpose and sacrificing yourself for your village. I suppose as the Enjo-sha you brought a lot of money into your village's coffers, or perhaps you served as the bargaining chip for some kind of alliance. What happens if he decides not to marry you?"

Straightening her shoulders and lifting her chin, she told him, "I hope it doesn't come to that, but naturally, a penalty would have to be paid. However, Sesshoumaru has made an agreement so Naruto's life will not be forfeit, because that wouldn't be fair, seeing as how he didn't agree to the original contract in the first place. But I am proud to be able to help my village, and I will serve in whatever capacity they need me. I pledged as much when I became a shinobi, but whether as a shinobi, the Enjo-sha, or simply Higurashi Kagome, I will gladly do all that I can—it is my duty, but also a privilege, and my honor demands I do it to the best of my abilities. My actions reflect on my land, my Tsukikage, and my comrades, as well as my family name. I will do the same for Konoha if it becomes my home. You can think of me as a tool, a weapon, or a bargaining chip, if you want, but it is an honor for me to take on that role, and I find strength in that."

"A lot of shinobi talk about honor and duty, but most don't really understand it. When Itachi killed our clan and left me alive, he told me I wasn't worth killing because I was weak. He didn't just dishonor our name, he ripped away every shred of my honor. The only way I can ever reclaim that is to prove him wrong by killing him. And yet, everyone here seemed to think I should just shake it off and forget getting 'revenge.' They wanted me to pretend I was like everyone else and live the life of a 'normal shinobi.' But it was never about 'revenge'—it's my duty to avenge my clan, and I can't be a 'normal shinobi' if I have no honor."

Kagome took a deep breath and closed her eyes. She nodded slowly. After her mother died, her father had told her she was worthless and a burden, so he sent her out to make her own way or die. She had become determined to prove her worth and had tried to become a great shinobi—someone he would be proud of. But, it wasn't enough, and he died before she became the Enjo-sha. She often wondered if he would have been proud of her then. But she had learned not to place all of her sense of self-worth in her father's opinion. She let the respect of her comrades and Sesshoumaru, and her own sense of accomplishment fill that empty space her father had created in her.

"To place such a burden on a child is more of your brother's dishonor. I won't tell you I understand how you feel because I haven't experienced a tragedy on the scale of losing an entire clan, but I do understand why you see it as your duty to avenge them. That sense of duty is proof that you do have honor. Striving to become strong—to be the best you can possibly be is also proof of that. And yes, I do understand your desire and need to prove your brother wrong by showing him you are stronger than he is, and to do so, you may have to kill him. However, you did already have honor. You had the respect of your comrades, and the gratitude of your village for your service. Every day that you fulfilled your duty to them, you added to your honor. And I think they would have supported you and helped you to fulfill your duty to avenge your clan, when they felt you were ready to do so. You didn't have to leave, and you can still return."

"Your view of things is very interesting, Higurashi Kagome. Not necessarily right, but I suspect that's more because you are a stranger to this land and you don't know Konoha, so interesting nonetheless. At least you aren't crying false tears of sympathy and pity or trying to claim you understand how I must feel. You are completely wasted on a fool like Naruto."

"Actually, I feel very fortunate that he is my intended. Naruto is very admirable. He's completely dedicated to getting stronger and improving himself. And as strong as he is already, he isn't arrogant. He's very kind and always cheerful. And he's extremely loyal to his friends and to the village. He's also really rather charming," she smiled.

"Dedicated, cheerful, and loyal. Are you talking about Naruto or Kiba's ninken, Akamaru?"

"That's your best friend you're talking about." She tilted her head as she looked at him. "Are you envious of the way he gets along with so many people so easily?"

"There's only one thing I might be envious of him for, and that's this," he moved her hand around to cover the small red circle with a swirl in it that decorated the side of her right hip. "This mark is why you are the Enjo-sha, isn't it?" he asked quietly, leaning down so his mouth was right next to her ear.

"Yes," she admitted, unnerved by the sudden change in his demeanor. He had gone from a fairly-polite and curious would-be kidnapper to a slightly seductive and suggestive captor in one short sentence. She decided to expand the topic so it didn't seem so … intimate. "Originally, my older sister was the Enjo-sha. I didn't even know I had any priestess abilities until I was 12, and the Enjo-sha for the Leaf Village's jinchuriki had to be the most powerful priestess in our land at the time."

She was a little relieved when he moved her hand back around to the front of her waist, but his breath in her ear made her shiver when he spoke. "So, you're the most powerful priestess right now."

"That's what they tell me."

He smiled at the way she said that. "I'm surprised they didn't test you as a child when they saw the mark."

"I guess no one saw it, except my mother, and she was a foreigner. She didn't know it might be significant, and she died when I was five."

"You didn't know its significance?"

"When I was older, since my sister was the Enjo-sha, I did learn that the previous brides for jinchuriki had clan marks because it was mentioned that she didn't, but I didn't spend much time with her so I didn't know any details. I certainly didn't know my odd birthmark was a clan symbol. There is no Uzumaki clan in my land. You know, since we're having such a nice, civilized talk, why don't I just slip on my robe and make us some tea?"

His eyes lit with amusement and his lips twitched. She really was very unusual and entertaining. "I think we both know that this conversation is almost over. I'm sorry I can't stay to greet the ANBU and your friends. That wasn't the plan."

"What was the plan?"

"I just came here to … see you."

"Well, you succeeded," she said wryly.

His lips twitched again. He was tempted to take her with him, but he would have to take care of Orochimaru first.

"Do you want me to tell Naruto anything for you?"

"Yes." He pressed himself more tightly against her back and took advantage of the way she had her head turned to see him to capture her lips in a demanding kiss. There was nothing soft or gentle in it, and unlike the other time he had kissed her, he didn't seem to be searching for something. This time, his lips were firm and insistent, like he was telling her something, but her only thought was that she was in a very precarious position and she needed to get away. Jerking her head away to break the kiss, she felt his lips trail down her neck.

"I won't tell him that. You're just trying to rile him up."

"Am I? But you're not sure it would rile him up, are you? The question is are you underestimating his rivalry with me or his feelings for you? He's an idiot, but I can't believe he's that much of an idiot. But if you refuse to tell him, I'll have to make sure he gets the message." And he ducked his head and sank his teeth into the juncture of her neck and shoulder. He had learned many things from Orochimaru, and although he had never thought this would be useful, he did now. He knew Orochimaru used his senjutsu chakra and an enzyme from Jugo's blood to bestow his curse marks on others. He didn't want to seal that kind of power in her. He simply wanted to seal some of his chakra in her so he could find her no matter where she was. He had read something in one of the books in the Naka Shrine about his clan's history describing how his ancestors had done something like this as a safety measure for their spouses. It also left a visible mark showing what clan they belonged to. It seemed appropriate, and thanks to Orochimaru's chakra in his curse seal, he could elongate his teeth into snakelike fangs like the sannin himself. Raising his head, he told her, "You have his mark, and now you'll have mine."

Turning her head to stare at him in shock, she winced at the pain that began to flow through her from the site of the wound he had inflicted. "What have you done?!"

Staring back at her, Sasuke was a little in shock himself. Who was she that she kept making him do things he hadn't planned to do? Last time, he hadn't planned to stab her and poison her. Or kiss her. And now, he hadn't planned to approach her at all, let alone put a mark on her. And she kept making him think about things he had never considered before. When Orochimaru first told him Naruto was getting married, he didn't believe it. As irritating as it was, he had to admit that Naruto was as single-minded as he was. Although he was going about it in a different manner, he was completely focused on the goal he had set for himself, which was to bring him back to the village. Now, suddenly, it seemed like Naruto was looking beyond that goal and actually allowing himself to have a life aside from training and striving for more strength and power. So, he had to see the woman the idiot was going to marry. And she was … interesting. Her sense of duty and honor were admirable, and her wit and her spirit held an allure that was quite charming. And she was beautiful. Maybe Naruto wasn't such an idiot.

Maybe there was something to be said for making plans for the future. On the one hand, it spoke of the confidence Naruto must have that he was going to come out of their fight alive. When it came to facing Itachi, he had always believed he would kill him and finally avenge his family and his own, personal honor. Or had he? Was he not making any plans for the future because deep down he thought Itachi would win? He had already given up everything. His village. His teammates. Their trust and respect. Even his own sense of who he was or who he could be. He had sacrificed them without blinking an eye. Was Naruto right? A shinobi's life was short and hard. Maybe it made sense to live that life to the fullest, surrounded by people who care about you. Otherwise, it might be kind of pathetic to simply spend one's whole life training and pursuing strength only to die with nothing and no one to mourn you. What was the point? He had never thought of it that way before, but now … Maybe he should be making plans for life after itachi's death. Maybe he could finally live again, because Itachi may have left his body alive, but he had killed him just as surely as he had killed the rest of their clan that day. He had tainted his heart and filled it with hatred and killed all chances that he might have a life and a future, but maybe … maybe it wasn't too late.

And just as soon as he started having these thoughts, he comes here and finds out that Naruto really is an idiot because he might not marry this girl after all. He had heard the uncertainty in her voice when she told him Naruto had three months to decide. She really didn't know if he would honor the contract or not. He had known no one here truly believed in duty and honor-they were empty words they spouted to get someone else to do their dirty work. Naruto didn't deserve her. Maybe he would take that decision out of Naruto's hands. For the first time ever, he wondered if his father had arranged marriages for him and Itachi. As head of the clan, it would have made sense for him to have done so. To keep the bloodline pure to be sure to continue to pass on the sharingan, his father would have chosen Uchiha brides, so they would have died at his brother's hands like everyone else. Would his wife have been anything like this woman in his arms?

She made a movement with her hand to cover the bite, and still holding on to her hand, he allowed her to, watching as her eyes closed and she drew a deep breath. Then her knees seemed to give out and he let go of her hands to catch her and hold her up. He turned her so she was facing him and felt just a moment of doubt and regret as he looked into her now open, pain-filled eyes. He had thought the reason only one out of ten people survived Orochimaru's curse marks was due to the unstable enzyme in Jugo's blood, but perhaps it was simply sealing foreign chakra inside someone else. Or perhaps that damn enzyme had tainted his chakra. He was surprised when she raised a glowing hand and touched his chest, encasing him in a pink sphere. In a low, rough voice, she simply said, "Go," and the sphere shot into the air and went speeding through the night, causing a cacophony of sounds from the birds and animals in the trees whose leaves it rustled as it flew by, coming to a stop only when it slammed into a cliff a considerable distance away from Konoha.

Kagome fell into the water and struggled to stand. The pain was radiating throughout her body now and it felt like fire burning under her skin as it grew steadily in intensity. She couldn't see the bite mark itself, but she could see red flames decorating her shoulder and spreading down her arm and the right side of her chest. She stumbled and fell in the water again. Then she felt herself being lifted and carried over to the grass. "Shippou."

She saw two ANBU members suddenly appear and heard Miroku tell them, "He's gone. There's no trace of his aura here." Then he was standing next to Shippou and looking at her in concern. "Kagome-sama, what happened?" He had picked up her robe, but seeing the strange marks spreading over her skin, he just wrapped it loosely around her instead of putting her arms in the sleeves and tying it.

"He bit me." And then she gave in to the pain and passed out.

…

"Ho! Did you feel that?"

The sound of the nine-tailed beast's voice from within broke his concentration, and Naruto stopped and stood still for a minute. The damn thing had been trying to take advantage of his anger all evening to wreck his training, but he hadn't talked to him for a while. "What?"

"That large blast of reiki. Unless I'm mistaken, your little priestess just blew someone right through the barrier and out of Konoha."

"Kagome?" Dispelling his shadow clones, he leaped down beside Kakashi. "Kagome's in trouble!"

"Lead the way," the copy nin told him as he nodded to Yamato, who quickly got to his feet.

They arrived at the waterfall just after the Interception Division, who quickly and quietly conversed with the two ANBU already there before disappearing in five different directions.

Running up to Shippou, who had Kagome in his arms, Naruto yelled, "What happened?!"

"Kagome-sama entered the water and Shippou fogged up the area around it. Then I felt an unfamiliar aura on the other side of the basin, and when I confronted the man, he must have used some kind of genjutsu to render me unconscious," Miroku told him. "It was so quick, I didn't realize it was happening. When I came to, Shippou was carrying her out of the water. She seemed to be in a lot of pain and now she has these strange marks spreading all over her body. She said he bit her."

"Orochimaru!"

Kakashi moved the robe so he could see her shoulder. "It does look similar to the curse mark he gave Sasuke, but it's not the same. The markings are red, and I don't see a seal like the one on the back of Sasuke's neck."

"Does Orochimaru have black hair and red eyes?" Miroku asked.

"Red eyes?" Kakashi asked in surprise. "Was he wearing a black cloak with clouds on it?"

"No. White haori, dark pants with some kind of concealing cloth or apron, and a large purple rope."

"Fuck! No way! That's Sasuke!" Naruto clenched his fists and grit his teeth.

"There is a seal forming directly over the bite wound," Shippou pointed out. "It's getting darker as the markings spread. Miroku, I hate to say it, but the placement of that bite …"

Inside Naruto's head, the nine-tailed beast howled with laughter, then his low, raspy voice gleefully announced, "That's no curse seal. I haven't seen that done for centuries, but someone else put a claim on your bride." He laughed again.

Closing his eyes and entering his subconscious to face the bijuu, Naruto scowled at him. "What are you talking about?!"

"Long ago, when some of the clans chased after greater power, a few shinobi entered into relationships with youkai and hanyou. How do you think all of the kekkai genkai originated? Some of them even adopted some youkai traditions. If the person who bit her were a demon, that would be a mating mark."

"How do we get rid of it?"

"Since the person who bit her is human and not youkai, he injected his chakra instead of youki. I have no idea what that will do. A normal mating mark will fade in time, if the match is not consummated. Heh heh! But even a priestess can't remove it. They aren't allowed to interfere in such matters," he smiled maliciously.

Gnashing his teeth together, Naruto glared at him ferociously. "There has to be something we can do."

"If you let me take over, we can go chase down that bastard right now. He can't be far."

He's right. He can't be that far if it just happened. I could get him! We could finish this once and for all.

Red seeped into his eyes. It was tempting—really tempting. Really, REALLY tempting, because that bastard had gone way too far now. He had hurt Kagome again. But …

Kagome.

He had to take care of her before he killed Sasuke. His eyes reverted to their normal blue. "How can I help her?"

The nine tails glared at him, but studied him carefully for a minute. He was surprised when he actually answered him. "She was born with your mark. You can probably stop the spread of those markings with your chakra."

"You mean I should bite her?"

The kyuubi laughed again. "With those dull, human teeth? Just slice through your mark and infuse some chakra."

"Okay. Thanks."

"Don't thank me. Just remember that you need me. My power is far greater than anything you can accomplish on your own no matter how hard you train, and I'll be here when you are ready to take your revenge. I can help you make sure that bastard never hurts anyone you care about again. Remember that."

When he opened his eyes, he heard Kakashi talking to Miroku and Shippou. "If it isn't a curse seal, then I don't know how to suppress it, and I don't know how long it will remain actively spread over her body like this. I do know it is probably extremely painful. So, all we can do is take her to the hospital and try to make her comfortable."

Miroku nodded. "I think we may have to travel to the Fire Temple when she is able."

"Wait. Put her down." Naruto hadn't actually seen his clan mark on her, but he had caught a glimpse of something on her hip when Kakashi had moved the robe to look at her shoulder.

Shippou lay her down carefully, and Naruto kneeled down and turned her on her side. Even unconscious, her body was tense with pain. Her fists were clenched and her breathing was ragged. The red, flame-like markings seemed to cover most of her body now, but when he moved the robe aside to uncover her hip, he saw that there weren't any around the circle with a red swirl in it. They came down almost to her waist on her right side, and he could see some across her stomach. They also ran all the way down her legs, but her right hip only had his clan symbol on it. When he took out a kunai, Shippou grabbed his arm.

"What are you doing?"

"The nine tails said my chakra might be able to help her." He made a cut across the center of the circle and placed his hand over it and let his chakra flow through it. After a few minutes, the markings started to recede. Removing his hand, Naruto was surprised there was no sign of the cut he had made. He just watched for a couple more minutes to make sure the markings were really fading away, and after adjusting the robe to make sure she was covered, he picked her up. He could feel the tension in her body ease, and her breathing returned to normal.

Kakashi reached over and moved the robe off of her shoulder again, and it fell around her waist. The markings are almost gone from the front of her torso as well, and a seal has formed where Sasuke bit her. Assured that Naruto's chakra had indeed suppressed whatever Sasuke had done, he couldn't help the last thought that struck him: Looks like Konohomaru didn't get everything completely right, either.

"Hey!" Naruto glared at him and quickly pulled up the robe to cover her breasts again, while Yamato's face turned red and he quickly spun around so his back was to them. It had been slightly embarrassing just watching Naruto sit there with his hand on her hip, because with the robe off of it, significant portions of her were exposed—like her entire backside. Thankfully, Naruto had kneeled down on the other side of her. But at least that exposure had been for a legitimate reason. He was beginning to really wonder about the senior jounin. He hadn't seemed like a pervert when he was in the ANBU, and he had never heard anyone say anything about Kakashi being a pervert since then—other than his taste in reading material, but the more he was around him, the more he was beginning to think he was one of the biggest perverts in Konoha.

"I was just checking to see what the final seal looks like," the copy nin said blandly.

Naruto gritted his teeth. It was a mother-fucking uchiwa fan. Right there on the side of her neck! Sasuke was a dead man. At least the top was just a pale pink and not a bright red. "I'm taking her to the hospital now."

"Good idea. I suppose we need to inform Lady Tsunade of this latest incident, even though the ANBU will be making a report," Kakashi said.

Yamato nodded. "The ANBU are already searching to determine how he managed to get in undetected. The barrier team only detected something or someone leaving."

Naruto stopped and turned to face him. "The nine tails said she blasted him out of Konoha with her reiki. That's what caught his attention."

"Yes, I felt it, too," Miroku agreed, and Shippou nodded. "It broke the genjutsu."

"So, a human practically gave her a demon mating mark. With those eyes, I guess I'm not all that surprised," the kitsune commented. "Perhaps he should have been born a demon."

"You might really think so if you met his older brother," Kakashi told them. "The sharingan gives the Uchihas unparalled mastery with genjutsu and many other advantages and forms of attack in battle, and Itachi's sharingan is far more advanced than Sasuke's."

"Great. Nice to know there's another would-be demon running around somewhere. Your village seems to have a little problem with your missing nin hanging around and causing trouble. Perhaps Konoha needs some hunter nin," Shippou suggested. Then he followed Naruto across the field.

…

Kagome ached all over. Is someone carrying me? She groaned softly and her eyelashes fluttered before her eyes opened and she saw Naruto's angry expression. "Shikamaru was supposed to kill that elephant."

Naruto looked down at her. Obviously, she was completely out of it.

Moving in his arms, she said, "Let me down."

"You don't need down. I'm taking you to the hospital."

"I don't need to go to the hospital. I need to see what that bite did. I can't believe he did that after I offered to remove his curse seal."

He stopped walking. "You offered to remove his curse seal?"

"Yes, and I think he was considering it. Come on, let me down. I think I'm okay now."

"Oh, so you're fine?"

She smiled at him. "Actually, yes, I think I am." Aside from feeling like I was trampled by an elephant again.

"Are you kidding me? You seriously think I'm going to believe that? You passed out because you were in pain and you had markings all over your body from that bastard biting you like some damn vampire or something. And now you've got his fucking clan symbol on your neck."

She touched her neck with her hand and looked at him in shock. "His clan symbol? That's not how it should work. Let me down. Maybe I can remove it myself." Her brow furrowed as she thought. His clan symbol? She pressed on the spot where he bit her and winced. That's right where …

"It's not a curse seal, Kagome," Shippou told her. "Don't try to remove it. It could be dangerous. If it was made with youki and you tried to remove it, it could be fatal. Since it was made with chakra, who knows?"

"If it was made with youki … he bit me where a demon would leave a mating mark." She blinked. "That's … an unfortunate mistake."

Naruto laughed humorlessly. "You think he did it by mistake? Not Sasuke." He never did anything without a reason. He was too cold and calculating. He had made enough excuses for him over the years. He wasn't about to write this off as a 'mistake.' He tightened his grip on her. He should have been there. It was his fault and his knew it. But who would have ever believed Sasuke would come into Konoha? He had underestimated the lengths he would go to in his quest for vengeance, and now he had underestimated the lengths he would go to for … what? Did Sasuke do this to get at him? Or did he do it to get her? The nine tails said he had placed a claim on her. Well, he wasn't getting her.

"You did manage to get rid of him after he bit you, didn't you, Kagome-sama?" the monk asked her. "I mean, I don't know how long we were out, but it seems like a significant amount of time passed after I confronted him before your reiki broke the genjutsu's hold. He didn't have a chance to …"

Her eyes widened. "Yes! I mean, no! Yes, I was able to throw him out after he bit me, and no, he didn't … do anything like that."

"What did he do?" Shippou asked.

"He wanted to talk."

"While you were naked?"

They all looked at her, but she didn't have an answer for that.

"What did he want to talk about?" Miroku asked.

"I'm not sure he had a particular thing in mind. He talked about a lot of things. Honor and duty and why he has to kill his brother. His home here and his friends— you, and your persistence, in particular," she indicated Naruto. "He told me what Orochimaru had planned for me, but then he said he wouldn't try to take me to him or let him get me. He says there's nothing more Orochimaru can do for him and he plans to kill him. That's when I offered to remove the curse mark."

"He said he wouldn't let Orochimaru get you? Like he's going to protect you from him? Kagome-sama, it sounds like he did know what he was doing when he bit you. Or at least, he had an idea what a mark like that is for."

I knew it. His grip on her tightened again and his expression turned fierce. Who does that bastard think he is? She's my fiance'-I will protect her!

She looked startled, then doubtful. "Do you really think so? He said it was a message for Naruto—that I had your mark and now I would have his. I think he was deliberately trying to rile you up, but I thought he was talking about some kind of curse seal like the one he has." Looking at Naruto's face again, she sighed. "I'm guessing this wouldn't be a good time to ask you to put me down."

He started walking again at a much quicker pace.

"Can we go to the apartment so I can get some clothes?" She twisted a bit in his arms and managed to get one of her arms through a sleeve so the robe would stay up around her better.

He didn't even glance down at her.

"I'm sorry," she said quietly and settled against him. I'm definitely being more of a hindrance than a helpmate. I'm not helping the situation with his friend if his friend is using me to provoke him. And he had to stop his training for me again. The timing for me being here and this marriage really is all wrong for him. She sighed and closed her eyes as she turned toward him and leaned her head against his shoulder and neck. She caressed his other shoulder gently, running her fingers lightly across his collarbone every now and then.

His stride slowed a bit and he peered down at her. Her face was hidden by her hair, but he could feel her warm breath on his skin. She had asked to get some clothes and he didn't even have a shirt or a jacket to give her, having left those at the training ground. The white robe that was wrapped around her was thin and almost see-through. Her long, dark hair was still wet, and there were some flower petals in it. I should have been there. Actually, I should have taken care of Sasuke a long time ago. She shouldn't be caught in the middle of this. She absolutely shouldn't have been hurt twice. Damn it, Sasuke! What kind of game are you playing? Showing up in Konoha and messing with Kagome has nothing to do with avenging your family. You were willing to kill me the last time we met, but you've never sought me out. Is that what you're doing now? Trying to draw me out? Or are you really trying to take her away? Away from me or away for you? No matter which one, I can't let you do that. I won't let you do that.

Looking down at her again, he felt that same tightening in his chest he had felt earlier that day when he saw her walking toward him after Shikamaru had told him the other things Sasuke had done. She deserved better than this. She was … special to him. No one had ever treated him the way she did. She was always nice, and cheerful, and she was always encouraging him. She had been taking care of him in all kinds of ways since she had come here. He needed to really start taking care of her.

"We'll go to your apartment first, so you can get some clothes."

"I'm sorry you had to stop your training again because of me. Thank you," she said, pressing her lips to his shoulder gently. He closed his eyes briefly, then disappeared from view, leaving a few leaves floating in the air.

Turning to face Miroku, Shippou said, "I suppose we should go see the Hokage, to tell her what we know of tonight's events."

"Yes. She'll be safe with him," Miroku agreed. "Safer than she was with us. At least he knows the enemy." He took the yellow daffodil Sasuke had dropped next to him out of a pocket and frowned. "I know she promised Naruto to let him fight his own battles, and she specifically told him she wouldn't interfere in his plans to bring his friend back to the village, but I think Uchiha Sasuke just made her a part of his plans. "

"Well, let's hope that Naruto does, too."

…

Naruto was pacing back and forth in the sitting area of Kagome's apartment. What was taking her so long? He had told her she might as well just put on something to sleep in, so she could just get in a bed and go to sleep when they got to the hospital. He could see she wanted to argue with him about it, but she didn't. So, why did he feel bad about that?

Does she really think I'm mad because I had to stop training because she was in danger? Or does she think I'm mad at her because Sasuke thinks he's a damned snake now like Orochimaru and he sank his fangs into her neck? None of this crap was her fault.

He would tell her that, too, as soon as she gets out here. Of course, the way things were going, he should probably check to make sure there wasn't a member of the damned Akatsuki waiting in her closet to grab her.

"Kagome?"

He opened the door to her room and looked around. Well, at least she had done what he told her. Kind of. She had put on a pair of pink pajama shorts with a black, jersey-style top with three large buttons in the front. But she was curled up on the bed, fast asleep. He stared at her for a minute, then sighed and closed the door. He was probably going to have to sling her over his shoulder again in the morning to take her to see the old lady. Climbing into the bed, he lay down behind her and pulled the blanket over both of them.

Moving her hair behind her shoulder so he could see her face, he propped himself up on one elbow and looked down at her for a little while. She was a very sound sleeper. He probably could have carried her to the hospital and put her in a bed there and she wouldn't have known it until she woke up tomorrow. Then she would have been pissed. He smiled at the thought. She was right, though, even though he would never tell her that. Since she wasn't in pain now, there really wasn't anything they could do for her there except tell her to sleep, and she was sleeping now. And he didn't think they would let him crawl into bed with her there. Kakashi had been the one to try to help Sasuke with his curse seal, and he had said there wasn't anything he could do about this mark. He looked at her neck and noticed she had covered the seal with a bandage. He was glad he didn't have to see that fucking fan on her.

Leaning down, he rubbed his cheek against hers. "Good night, Kagome." Then he lay down and slid his arm under her neck and wrapped it around her with his hand resting on her arm and wrapped his other arm around her waist. He was quite comfortable spooned up against her, but his last thought before falling asleep was that if they got married, he wanted a bigger bed.

…

He was still very comfortably spooned against her when he woke up—maybe a little too comfortably. He had expected the hard, insistent length in his pants to make itself known, and he willed himself not to press against her like the horny male he was. But he hadn't expected the full, warm mounds of feminine flesh in his hands. He was definitely going to get clobbered this time because he was definitely groping her breasts. Her naked breasts. And he couldn't make himself let go.

He peered over her to see how that had happened. He knew she was wearing a pajama top when she went to sleep. She was still wearing it, but it was completely open in the front. Was that a button in front of her? Yeah, he was going to get hit. Probably more than once. His hands must have crept under her shirt and all three buttons had come undone. One had even popped off the top completely. What kind of pervert gropes a woman in his sleep? He squeezed her breasts lightly as he thought about that.

"Naruto?"

Oh yeah. A dead one.

He forced himself not to cringe or make a run for it. It was easier than he thought considering he still hadn't let go. However, when she turned onto her back, he had to let go of one of them and retract his arm from underneath her. As for the other one, he decided to brazen it out and go down with the ship. If he pretended it belonged there, maybe she wouldn't notice?

"You stayed?"

Propping himself up on his elbow, he raised a brow at her. "Of course. It was either that or dump your sleeping body into a hospital bed. Did you think if you were already asleep that I would just leave you here?"

He saw the corners of her mouth curve upwards even though she tried to hide it. She was impossible, and he found himself smiling at her. Then the look in her eyes changed and the brilliant sapphire blue darkened. She raised a hand and traced his bottom lip with the tip of her finger.

"That smile of yours is dangerous." She looked at him for another long moment before raising up to press her lips to his. She kept surprising herself with her boldness, but she supposed she had it set in her mind that the two of them would have been married for almost a month by now if everything had gone as it should have. And she trusted him. He was exactly who he seemed to be and he didn't pretend to be someone else. He had set admirable goals for himself and he worked his butt off to try to accomplish them. He was friendly, kind, and loyal to his friends and his village. And she knew he was trying to take care of her, even if she didn't need to be taken care of. On top of all that, he had those amazing sky blue eyes and that smile that made her heart pound a little faster. The plain truth was she was rather smitten with her fiancé. And he was hers, and she could kiss him and touch him if she wanted to. And she wanted to.

It was intoxicating to know that he wanted her, too, even if it was just a physical attraction. She wasn't used to being the recipient of that kind of attention. Oh, her friends liked to flirt with her and tease her, but that's the way some guys are. And some guys just like to flatter girls to be polite. But, it was definitely different when Naruto flirted with her. And when he kissed her and touched her, she felt wanted. It was a heady feeling for someone who was more familiar with rejection. So, even though she felt somewhat awkward and off-balance about the growing intimacy between them, she also longed for it.

She suspected that her face was red with the way he was touching her right now, but she couldn't be sure because the way he was touching her was causing her to feel heated all over. His hand had tightened on her breast when she first kissed him, but now, as he returned the kiss and slowly turned up the heat by moving along her jawline to a sensitive spot just below her ear, the palm of his hand lightly skimmed over the tightly-budded nipple, sending little shockwaves of pleasure coursing through her.

He continued to tease her with light touches that made her breath catch in her throat. A satisfied smirk curled his lips when he raised his head to look at her. He felt a very masculine sense of pride that he could cause her to make those small sounds just by his touch. He was completely winging it, too, since he had never touched anyone else like this. She was breathtakingly beautiful, lying there with her skin flushed and her lips slightly parted. Her long eyelashes fluttered as she opened her eyes to look at him. Now they were a dark, midnight blue and full of promises of delights he could only imagine. He couldn't resist leaning down to touch his lips to hers again just briefly before turning his attention to what his hand was doing.

He covered her breast with his hand again and slowly dragged the fingers upwards until they surrounded the nipple, then he stroked it a few times with the pad of his thumb, eliciting a soft moan from her. Konohamaru had definitely gotten it wrong. Instead of a pale pink, her nipples were a dusky brown, which stood out in stark contrast to her pale skin. He found them quite fascinating and he was prepared to spend hours familiarizing himself with them. But there was one thing his instincts were clamoring for him to do. He caught her eyes as he moved down just a bit and leaned over her, hesitating to make sure she wasn't going to object. She looked a little uncertain, but she just held his gaze without moving. So, he slowly lowered his head until he was directly above her breast, and breaking eye contact with her, he leisurely ran his tongue over the delicate flesh. Her back arched and he heard her swift intake of breath. Feeling more confident, he began to gently suckle and reached over to cover her other breast with his hand. She caressed his shoulder and ran her fingers through his hair, and he felt cherished.

This must be what it feels like to be loved.

"Eeeeeeek!"

Kagome jumped at the high-pitched scream and Naruto quickly lifted his head and saw two shadowy figures standing in the doorway.

"What is it?!" someone farther away asked.

"She's got boobies!" one of them cried.

Kagome blinked. Jakotsu-sama?

Knocking the first one out of the way, the second one spoke in a much more masculine voice, "You ought to be more concerned that there's someone latched on to them, you idiot!" Poking Naruto's neck with the tip of a huge halberd none too gently, a man with a long braid of dark hair lying over his shoulder looked him straight in the eye and said, "I hope for your sake that you're the husband and not the stalker."

"Blond or black hair?" Shippou called from the other room.

"Blond."

"He's the husband."

"Okay then, I guess you can keep doing what you were doing. You know, you might want to put a lock on this door, Kagome," he said, slinging the halberd back over his shoulder and closing the door as he walked back out.

"Uh, thanks, Bankotsu-sama," Kagome said weakly, trying to hide under the blanket.

"They're BIG boobies!"

She winced and avoided looking at Naruto. She knew he must be staring at her in disbelief. And he should. She had never realized everyone she knew was crazy before now. At least Sesshoumaru was sane. And Sango. And … no, they were probably the only ones.

Naruto was feeling incredibly frustrated, but he also felt like laughing. How did anyone in Konoha ever progress to the point of marriage if a guy couldn't ever spend any private time with his fiancé? Where did all the children come from? And those guys—were they nuts? He covered his mouth with his hand so she wouldn't hear him laugh. He didn't think she'd appreciate it right now. "I take it you know them."

"Stop being so hysterical or I'll slap you. You knew she was a girl when we took her in."

She groaned softly. "Two of my masters." I hope all seven of them aren't here.

"I'll, uh, wait out there so you can get dressed," he told the girl hiding under the blanket.

"But I could pretend she was just a pretty little boy back then. She wasn't all misshapen with those hideous mounds of flesh."

"They're not so hideous. I'd fuck her. I'll bet Shippou and Miroku would, too. And obviously he would," the man pointed to Naruto as he stepped out of the bedroom.

He did not say that! I am not going out there! She looked at the window.

"Well, of course he would—look at him! He just exudes wholesomeness with that bright blond hair and those blue eyes. He's probably the President of the 'I Like Boobies' fanclub," Jakotsu said snidely with a dismissive glance in the blond's direction.

"I'd join that club," Miroku grinned as he handed the jinchuriki a wet rag and pointed to where his neck was bleeding. He hadn't even realized he'd been cut. The tip of that halberd must be razor sharp. "Naruto, meet Bankotsu and Jakotsu of the Band of Seven. These guys took Kagome in when she was five and trained her. Hard to believe such a rude and rough bunch raised such a polite, kind soul, isn't it? And these are two of the more polite ones. She's making a run for it, by the way."

Naruto blinked. "What?"

"She must have gone out the window," the monk explained.

"Hide and seek—just like when she was little," Bankotsu smiled. "Well, I suppose we shouldn't penalize her like we used to when we find her, since we're visitors in this village. I don't know how quickly their medic nin respond here. Ready Jakotsu?"

"I don't want to find her when she's looking like that." The feminine-looking nin sniffed and flopped down on a chair.

Medic nin? What the hell kind of hide and seek did she play as a kid? "Uh, well, I guess I'll see you later then." And he took off as soon as he was out the door. He was pretty sure he knew where she would have gone.

…

She wasn't there. He was surprised. He was sure she would have gone to his training area. Yamato, Kakashi, Shikamaru, and Jiraiya were there, though. He didn't know Pervy Sage was back. Before he could say anything, the lazy nin rolled his eyes and shook his head in exasperation.

"Where is she? This is the second time Lady Tsunade went to the hospital to check on her only to discover she never checked in." And she bitched my ears off even though I didn't know a thing about it this time. Kagome is without a doubt the most troublesome woman I know. She has officially passed my mother, Ino, and Lady Tsunade in that regard. The whole situation with her has gone to hell. I can't believe Sasuke was in Konoha. That girl needs watching 24/7.

"I thought she would be here."

"You lost her?!" Okay, it's worse than I thought.

"Good morning!" a feminine voice called out from the edge of the trees. Kagome was walking toward them carrying a small basket. "I brought some breakfast." Before she could clear the trees, she suddenly ducked and tossed the basket in their direction while summoning a sword in one hand and swinging it downwards. A huge halberd cut the air where her head had been and her sword hit some kind of long, bladed whip made of chains and too many blades to count, stopping it before it wrapped around her legs, but it wrapped around the sword and yanked it from her hand. Tossing several shuriken in the direction the bladed whip came from, she flipped back twice out of the reach of another strike by the halberd.

Shikamaru moved to go help her when Naruto grabbed his arm. "They're her friends. Kind of. Technically, they're her sensei." He rubbed his neck. He wasn't about to forget that halberd.

"Shuriken? Really, bitch? You fight like a girl," the one with his hair tied in a short tail at the crown of his head taunted her as the bladed whip shot through the air and ripped the bo she had just summoned out of her hands right as she held it up to block the downswing of the halberd. Leaping to the side, she was hit by a well-placed kick to the jaw.

"Bad choice," the man with the braid told her. The huge blade swung at her midsection, leaving a thin line of blood.

"Damn it!" she swore.

The bladed whip snaked through the grass as a huge broadsword appeared in her hand. Shikamaru recognized it as the same type of weapon the slimmer man was using. She had called it Jakotsuto, the snake sword. A quick flick of her wrist caused the blade to separate and elongate into another bladed whip and she sent it in a parallel path to the first one, only in the opposite direction. At the same time, she threw a glowing kunai at the ground in front of the other man. When it hit, he was encased in a square pink barrier. Her bladed whip wrapped around the other man's arm just a second after his wrapped around her leg from her ankle to her knee. They stared at each other for a split-second and he grinned evilly before with just another quick movement of their wrists, they both whipped the blades in the opposite direction and ripped them away.

Naruto's eyes widened and he sprang forward when he saw the blood immediately start dripping down her leg from numerous cuts. "Shit!"

"You used the Jakotsuto? On me? Oh, sweetie! All is forgiven," Jakotsu threw his arms around Kagome and hugged her, getting more blood on her shirt. "I guess you can't help it that nature has made you horribly disfigured."

"Yo! Nice reiki barrier, but that's cheating. Now let me out," Bankotsu smiled at her as he leaned on his halberd.

Frowning, she hobbled over and picked up the kunai, releasing the barrier. "It's not cheating. Use any and all weapons at your disposal, right?"

Naruto swept her up in his arms. "Look at your leg! Now you really need to go the hospital. You'll have to get that patched up."

"Hospital?" Bankotsu scoffed. "There's some water right over there." He pointed to the waterfall. "Wash it off and wrap it up. She doesn't have to worry about the scent of blood drawing demons here. From what I've heard, and seen, all the demon-related critters around here are more interested in naked tits. That's a nice set you've grown there, by the way," he winked at her.

"Bankotsu-sama!" Her face immediately turned red.

Naruto just stared at him. Did he just call me a demon-related critter?

"Oooooo! What do we have here?" Jakotsu looked at the group of men standing in the field. He elbowed Bankotsu in the ribs. "Quick! Wrap my arm while I fix my hair," he hissed. As soon as the bandage was tied off, he sauntered over toward them and Bankotsu tossed Kagome the roll of bandages. Naruto glared at him, but took her over by the waterfall so she could clean her leg.

"Very considerate of you to round up such a nice selection for me, Kagome," Jakotsu called out to her in a sing-song voice. "Different ages and builds for all occasions. You need to take your hair down, though," he pointed to Shikamaru. "Nobody wants to run their fingers through that. And you need to lose the happuri—that is so last century, though it does frame those big brown eyes rather nicely," he told Yamato.

Miroku and Shippou arrived in time to hear him and smirked at the stunned men standing there. "I see you've met Jakotsu and Bankotsu. They're two of the masters Kagome trained with. I don't believe we've met, though," the kitsune looked at Jiraiya. "I'm Shippou and this is Miroku."

Stepping forward, the man proudly proclaimed, "I am one of the legendary Sannin." Spinning around, he swung his long, white hair up in the air. "I am the Great Toad Sage of Mt. Myoboku. Most people refer to me as … Jiraiya-sama." He waited for their reaction.

"Hmmm," Jakotsu looked him up and down. "I prefer to be called 'sama' in my relationships, but I do try to keep an open mind about these things. You would have to prove yourself. I generally prefer the vigor and stamina of youth, but I won't discount the advantages of age and experience."

Jiraiya stared at him. He wasn't sure if he should be flattered or horrified. This obviously brutal, yet feminine man was one of Naruto's fiancé's masters?

"Names, please? Though I won't promise to remember them. Goodness knows it's hard enough to remember my teammates sometimes, let alone my lovers."

Shippou pointed them out. "Nara Shikamaru, Yamato, and Hatake Kakashi."

"Ah! The copy nin! We've heard a bit about you recently in the Land of Waves, along with the husband there," Bankotsu nodded toward Naruto, who was carrying a protesting Kagome over to where the rest of them were gathered.

"Now he is a fine specimen of mature masculinity, with the silvery hair and the rakish way he wears his headband over one eye," Jakotsu gushed as he stepped closer to Kakashi. Giving a sour look to the approaching jinchuriki, he turned to Bankotsu and declared, "I'll bet you'd never open Kagome's bedroom door to find him latched on to her boobies."

Yamato choked and blinked rapidly.

Jiraiya's eyes widened and a huge grin spread across his face as he raised his brows and looked at Naruto and the girl he was carrying.

"Of course not. A ninja of his caliber would never be caught like that," Miroku declared with a wink.

Lips twitching under his mask, Kakashi gave Miroku an amused look before focusing on the couple. I'm not even sure what part of that is more entertaining.

Shikamaru looked at them speculatively. He would have to confirm it with one of them, but perhaps the marriage issue had been settled? That would be a relief. Then all they would have to worry about was brazen attempts to abduct the bride from right within Konoha's borders. Sasuke may have finally gone too far for Lady Tsunade to continue to ignore him. He knew she was considering listing him in the bingo book now. He had to let Naruto know.

Kagome stopped arguing with Naruto and looked around at the others. Why are they looking at us like that? She had an uneasy feeling that she didn't want to know why. "Put me down. I have to get ready to meet Lee for training soon."

Narrowing his eyes at her, Naruto just shook his head. "Nuh-uh."

Shikamaru cleared his throat. "You do realize Lady Tsunade is expecting you. After last night's events, she thought you would be in the hospital."

"Why does everyone want me to sleep in a hospital bed? They're very uncomfortable."

"How would you know? You haven't been in one yet," her fiancé glared at her.

"Well, I'm no expert on hospitals, never having been to one myself, but I kind of doubt they would let you do what you were doing there," Bankotsu said with a laugh.

Naruto and Kagome both turned red as everyone looked at them.

"Here. Let me see this seal that has everyone so concerned. I'm a bit of an expert when it comes to seals," Jiraiya said.

"Oh. I'm sorry. I haven't introduced myself. I'm Higurashi Kagome. Put me down, Naruto."

"Yes, do put her down, Naruto. You can't keep such loveliness all to yourself, even if she is your fiancé," he grinned at her a bit lasciviously. "I'm Jiraiya, the Great Toad Sage. I'm sure you've heard all about me."

"I couldn't possibly have heard all about you, now could I? I'm sure a shinobi of your stature has had many more adventures than the ones your friends know about, Jiraiya-sama," she said with a smile.

"Gah! Don't flatter him or he'll never leave you alone! He's the biggest pervert in Konoha—maybe in the Five Great Nations!" Having just let her down, Naruto wrapped his arms around her and pulled her back a couple of steps.

"Well, aren't we possessive?" Jiraiya quirked a brow at him as he took Kagome's hand. "Now my dear, let's just remove that shirt so I can see the seal."

"She doesn't need to take her shirt off!"

"Hmmm. Isn't that a different shirt than the one you had on a few minutes ago?" Bankotsu looked at her thoughtfully. "I could have sworn I cut the front of it right across your stomach."

"You did. And then Jakotsu-sama got blood all over it. So, Naruto gave me the shirt he had left here yesterday."

"Well then, she's already removed her shirt once. Besides, Konohamaru showed me his new sexy jutsu, so I've already seen everything. Nothing to be embarrassed about," the sannin grinned again.

"That little bastard! Well, he didn't get everything right!" the blond yelled.

"No, he didn't," Kakashi agreed.

"Hey!" Naruto glared at his sensei.

Shikamaru cast a surprised look at the copy nin, while Yamato turned his back to them. He was ashamed to admit he knew what they were referring to.

Even though her cheeks were pink, Kagome sighed and said, "I guess I'm going to have to have Konohamaru show me."

"Me, too!" Miroku nodded.

"A sexy jutsu? Sounds intriguing. I'm in," Bankotsu told them.

"If it has boobies, you can count me OUT," Jakotsu declared haughtily. "No one needs those things bouncing in their face like demon-possessed melons. No offense, Kagome, but I hope you tie those down properly."

Kagome covered her face with both hands.

"Now, now, Jakotsu. She should use every weapon in her arsenal. Too bad we didn't know she'd grow up to look like that or we could have given her some pointers—for using those pointers. Ha! Get it?"

"Hmph. If we'd known she would look like that, she'd have ended up as Mukotsu's ninth wife. Or Renkotsu would have sold her off again, like he did right after Suikotsu brought her home."

Kagome dropped her hands and stared at them in astonishment. "What? Renkotsu-sama sold me to someone?"

"Suikotsu got you back," Bankotsu said nonchalantly. "Remember 'Uncle Tokajin?' He bought you to feed to a demon tree. Suikotsu killed him, then he beat the hell out of Renkotsu. He never did that again." He laughed loudly.

I didn't know … "I thought Renkotsu-sama liked me."

"He did. After you learned enough to start working with us and bring in some money. He let you blow up that witch's clay statue warriors when you were six, didn't he? He doesn't let just anybody mess with his explosives," Jakotsu assured her.

An ANBU member wearing a bear mask appeared in front of them. "You have all been summoned to the Hokage's office. Now."

"It's about time," Naruto muttered, picking Kagome up again. "Now you'll have to get that leg treated. And forget about training today."

"Put me down. I can walk."

"Nuh-uh."

"Hmph." She placed a glowing hand to the cut on his neck. "Jakotsu." She motioned the other man over and put her hand on his arm, healing the damage she had done there and then unwrapping the bandage. "I need to work more with Jakotsuto."

The man's face brightened and he smiled at her. "Yes, you do. You should have been able to get it all the way up to my shoulder, and I can show you how to extend it to the neck from there."

"Since you and Bankotsu are my masters, and you know me and my capabilities, you won't mind telling the Hokage I need to get on with my training, will you?"

"Hey!" Naruto narrowed his eyes and glared at her. "Cut that out!"

"What?" she looked at him innocently.

Most of the others smiled at them as they all headed for the Hokage Tower.

Jiraiya looked at Kakashi, Yamato, and Shikamaru, and asked quietly, "She healed his arm that rapidly with her reiki?"

Shikamaru nodded. "Genma had some broken ribs and a broken leg, and she healed them in just a couple of minutes, without depleting her chakra levels at all or using any of his chakra, either. But she can't heal her own injuries, though her body does heal at an accelerated rate."

"Very interesting, as are her weapons. I noticed she was able to summon different ones almost instantaneously. They're made of her reiki?"

"Yes. So if she were fighting a demon or even just someone with evil intent, one hit could turn them to dust. At least, that's what I've been told," the copy nin informed him.

"Hmmm," the Toad Sage thought about that. "So, she would have an unexpected advantage against certain members of the Akatsuki."

"I wouldn't suggest that in front of Naruto, if I were you," Yamato warned him with a smile.

A wide smile spread across the white-haired nin's face. "He does seem a bit protective of her, doesn't he?"

"He should be, considering she's the most troublesome woman in the world," Shikamaru grumbled.

…

"You are, without a doubt, the most difficult guest we have ever had in Konoha!" Lady Tsunade shouted, pointing her finger at Kagome. "When shinobi I send on a mission are injured, or when anybody inside my village is attacked and injured, they go to the hospital! Naruto, take her over to the hospital right now. Shizune is waiting. I will be there momentarily. Shikamaru, make sure they get there this time even if you have to bind them in your shadow to do it."

"My lady, if I may …"

"No, you may not. Stop being so charming, monk. I've got my eye on you," she warned him.

"Feisty! Now that's a woman," Bankotsu declared. "And built! You see, Jakotsu, Kagome's ti…"

Miroku slapped a hand over his mouth.

"Hmph. I know what he was going to say. Too bouncy by far. Bouncy, bou …"

Shippou slapped a hand over Jakotsu's mouth. "If you'll excuse us, Lady Hokage, we'll just make sure our comrades are all settled into the accommodations you assigned them earlier and then show them around the village a bit."

Her eyes narrowed to slits as she dismissed them.

"Jiraiya and Kakashi, you're coming with me to examine that seal. Yamato, I want you to check in with the Barrier Team and see if they have discovered how the hell Uchiha Sasuke got in and just how they intend to make sure it doesn't happen again."

"Yes, Lady Hokage."

"Kagome's comrades are quite interesting," Jiraiya commented as they walked along.

"Don't you start."

"You might be happy to know that Naruto seems to be becoming very fond of her. Apparently, he spent the night with her at her place. So, your worries on that front may be over," Kakashi told her. "Also, she seemed to be in good form when those sensei of hers pulled a surprise attack a little while ago."

"They did what?"

"The leg injuries are fresh, not from last night's events with Sasuke."

'That's just great. I suppose she's going to expect to go train with them now."

The silver-haired nin smiled under his mask. "Yes, I believe she does. And they're not big on going to the hospital."

"Great. I'll have to assign Sakura or Ino to tend to her." Jiraiya held open the door as they entered the hospital.

Shizune waved at them from down the hall. "In here."

As they joined her, she told Tsunade, "I've already healed the injuries to her leg and the slash across her abdomen. Other than that, she seems fine."

"Okay, let's see the seal," the Hokage ordered.

Kagome was sitting on a hospital bed in a hospital-issued gown, which was tied in front as Shizune had instructed, with her arms crossed over her breasts and an irritated look on her face. This was completely unnecessary. There were seven other people in here, for gosh sakes! In addition to Naruto, Shikamaru, Shizune, and a medical nin whose name she never got, now Lady Tsunade, Kakashi, and Jiraiya were here. And Shizune had made her strip down and put on this stupid gown. They could have just moved the collar of the t-shirt she was wearing to look at her neck, but noooooo …

Naruto frowned as Kagome untied the top of the hospital gown and it fell off her shoulder. Her cheeks were pink as she held the front of the gown closed with one hand and removed the bandage over the seal with the other one.

No one said anything for a minute, then Jiraiya stepped closer to get a better look. "It's a …"

"It's a fucking uchiwa fan. Yeah," Naruto growled.

Shikamaru blinked in surprise. He hadn't been expecting that. Lady Tsunade had said Sasuke had bitten Kagome like Orochimaru had bitten him, but this was quite different. The fact that the seal was his clan symbol had to be significant.

There was a knock on the door heralding the arrival of Miroku and Shippou. "We left Bankotsu and Jakotsu at the ramen shop. We were curious what your seal expert would have to say," the monk said, with a small salute to Jiraiya.

Seriously? Now there are nine people gathered around this bed examining my neck? I thought patients were supposed to have some privacy in a hospital.

Tsunade sighed. It was getting crowded in here, but it was hard to throw out the nin from the Land of the Rising Sun. The Tsukikage had left them here to watch over the Enjo-sha. Diplomacy was a bitch. She signaled for the medical nin to leave. She and Shizune could handle any other medical issues the girl might have. She needed Jiraiya since he was the expert, and Kakashi since he had worked with Sasuke's seal. And if she didn't have Shikamaru already at her beck and call, she would have called Shikaku in to get his opinion. She sighed again. Obviously, there was no way she could throw Naruto out. "Well?" she asked Jiraiya.

The Toad Sage reached out and touched the seal, pressing gently. "Is it tender?"

"A little," she admitted.

Jiraiya leaned in so his face was scarce inches from her neck. "The placement seems very deliberate. I can barely see the punctures he made under the seal, but it looks like he hit the jugular vein with both fangs. I am assuming he elongated his teeth into fangs like Orochimaru does."

Kakashi stepped up and touched her neck, too. "I agree that the placement must have been deliberate. As you can see, it isn't in exactly the same place as the bite Orochimaru gave Sasuke." He touched a spot on the back of her neck. "Orochimaru bit more into the back side of Sasuke's neck and the seal formed even further back. This seal," he touched the fan, "formed directly over the bite wound, which Sasuke placed more towards the front of her neck and as Jiraiya pointed out, hitting a major vein. The only reason the bleeding didn't turn into a problem is because his chakra sealed the wounds."

Naruto gritted his teeth. "The nine tails said Sasuke put a claim on her—that if he was a demon, that would be a mating mark. He said that in the past, some of the clans had formed relationships with youkai in order to obtain more power, and that's where the kekkai genkai came from, and some of the clans adopted some youkai customs."

Shippou nodded. "That's exactly where a demon would place a mating mark, but he would inject his youki, not chakra. The placement is significant because of the trust the mate is showing by allowing herself to be wounded where bleeding could be a severe, even life-threatening, issue. The youki serves a number of purposes. First of all, it is a claim, and a warning to others not to mess with her. It also makes it possible for the demon to find his mate, no matter where she goes. It's like a security measure, so if she is ever lost or someone takes her away for whatever reason, he can track her through his own youki. One of the most important purposes of the mating mark is it makes sure the couple are compatible when it comes to having children, because if the couple have different types of youki, like say an elemental youkai and one with more animalistic characteristics, their youki would conflict and make conception impossible. It also tends to increase the chances of conception, kind of like the way the demon can track and find his mate, his sperm can track and find the …"

"We get the picture," Lady Tsunade said grimly. "But Sasuke doesn't have youki. So what does injecting his chakra that way and in that specific place, do?"

The kitsune shrugged. "I have no idea."

"The nine tails said he didn't know, either."

"Well … obviously, it still serves as a claim, of sorts. He did put an uchiwa fan on her, and everyone recognizes that as the Uchiha clan symbol," Shikamaru pointed out.

Jiraiya nodded. "And he probably can track her through his own chakra. I'm sure that is one way Orochimaru keeps track of the people he has put a curse seal on."

"That's just fucking great. So, he thinks he can just get to her anytime he wants now," Naruto growled.

"Uh … actually, it probably does give him another advantage in that regard," Shippou said, rubbing the back of his neck a little nervously as Kagome gave him a questioning look. "Since you have his chakra flowing through your veins, he may be able to walk right through your barriers since your reiki will recognize it as not being foreign. I don't know that for sure, but it's possible. If so, you can't keep him away from you."

"I threw him away from me by encasing him in a reiki sphere prison, which is a form of barrier, and propelling it through the air. I didn't have time to use chakra to do it," Kagome told them.

"Unfortunately, it's possible that it would work the same way for your chakra barriers, and it's possible he was able to escape from the sphere before it crashed when it either hit something or reached the edge of your range. We can test that," Miroku told them confidently. "You can make a barrier and see if Naruto can pass through it." When everyone just stared at him at him, he sighed. "She has Naruto's chakra sealed in her, too."

Jiraiya and Shikamaru immediately turned to stare at Naruto.

"Don't look at me like that—I didn't bite her! I'm not a damn vampire or some slimy snake!"

Kakashi thought for a minute before saying, "Naruto said the nine tails told him to use his chakra through his mark to neutralize the pain Sasuke's chakra was causing her as it spread throughout her body and produced those red, flamelike markings. That didn't eradicate Sasuke's chakra, because, well, chakra doesn't get rid of chakra, but yours made his recede, in a manner of speaking. I am guessing yours didn't have a painful effect on her like his because she was born with your mark—it wasn't forced on her. So your chakra was already familiar to her."

Naruto stood there with his eyes almost closed as he processed what his sensei was saying. It kind of made sense.

Kagome's brow furrowed as she looked at him. "The nine tails told you what to do?"

"Yeah. He was the one who told me to let my chakra flow through my mark."

She blinked, then smiled. "He helped you. Well, actually, he helped me, when it didn't benefit him at all."

Naruto looked down at the floor. He wasn't going to tell her, and the others, that the nine tails had offered to help him get revenge on Sasuke. He knew that helping her was just more of the bijuu's manipulation, but they didn't need to know that. What her sensei had taught her made sense: use any and all weapons in your arsenal. The next time he faced Sasuke, he wasn't going to hold back.

Turning back to Kagome, Jiraiya said, "Show me this other mark."

Kagome looked down at the hospital gown. She couldn't think of a good way to expose the mark without exposing a lot more. Sighing, she lay back on the bed and turned onto her left side, trying to keep everything covered until she was settled. It wasn't easy to prop herself up on her left forearm and make sure the two halves of the grown were still covering her breasts while she pulled on the right side of the gown with her right hand so there was more of it falling over the front of her thighs. When she started to inch the gown up her hip, Naruto lost it.

"Gah!" He grabbed her hand. "He doesn't need to see it—he's just being a pervert!"

"Oh, but I really do need to see it. Especially now," the white-haired nin grinned at him.

"Jiraiya!" Tsunade yelled. "Behave yourself. Naruto, we do need to see it if it might give us some insight on that seal." She just hoped it wasn't too far up the girl's hip.

Frowning at everyone, Naruto moved to stand right next to Jiraiya on the side of the bed in front of her. Shikamaru moved to the other side of Naruto up by her face since he didn't need to examine the mark closely to help determine what it might tell them about Sasuke's seal. His job was to speculate about Sasuke's motives, and right now he was wondering how Sasuke knew about this youkai custom, even if the Uchiha had practiced it a long time ago. He would have to talk to his father, but if Lady Tsunade and Jiraiya were unaware of it, then it wasn't common knowledge in the village long before Sasuke grew up. And he was still very young when his clan was wiped out, so he doubted Sasuke had learned of it from his parents before they died. It was very troublesome.

Tsunade stood on the other side of Jiraiya for two reasons: 1. To get a good look at the seal, and 2. To keep Jiraiya from any funny business. She felt a little sorry for the embarrassment the poor girl was probably feeling, but it couldn't be helped.

Shizune stood on the other side of the bed across from Tsunade next to Kakashi, while Shippou and Miroku stood on the other side of him. Kagome was beginning to feel like some kind of science exhibit.

"I feel like there should be a drum roll and perhaps some kind of magical incantation," she said, with a wry smile on her red face.

"How about 'Presto Exposo?' Would that do?" Miroku asked with a grin.

"No, no! I've got it!" Shippou told him. "Abracadabra, Alacazeeze, let's see some ass along with the hip, please."

Kagome blinked. Not at all what I was thinking. I need to hang out with more women. Then she looked at Tsunade and saw she had her eyes closed and was covering her mouth with her hand. Great. Even the Hokage thinks they're funny.

She didn't want to move the gown up too quickly or she wouldn't have any control on how much skin she could possibly keep covered, but she didn't want to do it too slowly, either, because she wanted to get this over with. Now. She had to look down at her hip because she wasn't sure exactly how far up she had to go. The mark was practically at the top of her hip. She had never paid any attention to the mark at all before she found out she should have been the Enjo-sha. Looking down now, she didn't see any way to keep her backside covered if she was going to make sure she was covered in front. Obviously, Shippou had figured that out. Fine then, just do it.

As she lifted the gown further, finally unveiling part of the clan symbol, she made sure to move the material so it bunched up in front of her.

"Kagome-sama, have I ever told you that I thank Buddha daily for allowing me to share your journeys with the Band of Five?"

"That would be really sweet, Miroku, if you weren't staring at my ass right now."

When the mark was completely uncovered, she tugged a little more of the gown's material down in the front and leaned forward a bit so she could see if she was completely covered. She had already given up on covering anything in the back. But when she leaned forward, her torso pulled on the left side of the gown since some of it was trapped underneath her, and while Jiraiya, Tsunade, and Kakashi had all leaned forward to study the mark, Shikamaru got a birdseye view of an unwittingly exposed left breast.

He knew he should look away, but he couldn't even blink. He had seen many sides to her from the very start. She had been compassionate and generous at the expense of her own pride to go to bat for Naruto, and the rest of them, after his unintentionally insulting outburst when they first arrived. He had heard from Miroku how she had worked hard from an early age to make her own way as a shinobi, then was forced to begin all over again as a priestess and the Enjo-sha, yet she had accepted the responsibilities and exerted herself to be worthy of the title, giving up her own plans for the future, as he later found out. She had displayed wit in her subtle rebuke of the greeting she received in her choice of clothing when she returned, and she had let Naruto off the hook again by following him to watch him train instead of making him show her around the village.

She had been a fantasy goddess that first night he saw her at the waterfall, and then later he had seen her as an earthy, real woman of flesh and blood and hopes for love, once again feeling umbrage on Naruto's behalf for him being forced to marry her. She was kind and she made friends easily, and she was stubborn and willful, yet hard to go against. Her friends were some of the biggest perverts he'd ever met, yet she was charmingly innocent and her cheeks were pink a lot of the time.

She was bold and unflappable facing off with Sasuke in that cave, and as he thought back over the whole encounter now, he realized she could have used the Jakotsuto to advantage against the sharingan, and possibly even done some serious damage to him, but had only pulled it out as a last resort. He wondered if it was a reluctance to use that particularly brutal weapon or if she had done what Naruto always did and held back because of who he was. He knew Naruto had no desire to kill Sasuke. He wanted to redeem him. And Kagome knew that. She had promised him she would let him fight his own battles, and she knew Sasuke was one of his biggest battles. When she was injured, she had been foolishly determined to walk back into Konoha instead of letting him carry her in, and she had talked him into letting her go to report in and then he given in to her determination to go see Naruto. She saw all of her fiance's good qualities and helped everyone else see them, too. And from what he had seen and heard, she was winning Naruto over. Which was a good thing for all of them.

But ... Looking at her right now, in a hospital bed, in a hospital gown, with her long, dark hair spilling over her shoulder across the bed in front of her and with some of it falling over the edge, he realized he still couldn't look away. He should, but he couldn't, even though her pale cheeks were suffused with color because she was embarrassed to have to expose her hip to intense scrutiny, and she didn't even realize she had just killed all the joy he had taken from Konohamaru's sexy jutsu and the resulting wet dreams because it just didn't compare to the real thing. And he didn't mean just the particular detail the genin had gotten wrong which had just been revealed to him, although he had to admit, he still couldn't look away, and he was beginning to wonder why no one else had noticed yet.

He was a normal, healthy guy who appreciated the beauty and appeal of the female form as much as the next guy, but he had never realized how incredibly erotic and completely mesmerizing and utterly fascinating the sight of one full and obviously firm, pale breast could be when crowned with an unexpectedly dark, sable areola and nipple instead of the pale pink he had been led to expect. It really looked like the perfect size, too—as Shippou had told Kiba, big, but not too big and definitely not too small. He was going to see that every time he closed his eyes now. Could she be any more troublesome? He really hoped Naruto realized that he was the luckiest guy in Konoha. But, just in case he didn't, and he decided not to marry her, he briefly wondered if the Nara clan could raise enough to pay the penalty and take over the contract?

He finally blinked and put his hand up to his chin to make sure his mouth was closed. He really couldn't just continue to stand here and stare at her, though. Could he? No, of course not. So, sighing to himself, he reached out to move her gown back into place.

"Hey! What are you doing?!" Naruto yelled, startling him so his hand missed the gown and his fingers latched onto … something else.

Everyone in the room stared at him and the girl who let out a surprised "Eep!" as she quickly pulled the sides of the gown together over her breasts, which made her drop it where she was holding it lower down her body. Naruto reached down and grabbed the blanket at the foot of the bed and threw it over her, even covering her head.

"That's it! We're done! Everybody out!" he jerked his thumb in the direction of the door. "I'll talk to you later, at the field," he told Shikamaru, whose face was as red as Kagome's had been.

Surprisingly enough, they all filed out without a word, though there were smiles on most of their faces.

"It's always the quiet ones," Shippou whispered loudly, shaking his head and making a little "tch, tch" sound at Shikamaru.

Uncovering her head and sitting up, Kagome looked at Naruto's stiff posture as he faced the door with his arms crossed over his chest. "My hero," she smiled as he turned around to face her.

"Gah!" He threw his arms up in frustration.

She patted the bed beside her and wrapped her arms around him when he sat down, but he just sat there with his shoulders hunched over. She couldn't tell if he was angry or sulking, so she scooted back a little and started rubbing his back and shoulders.

He started muttering to himself. "When you can't even trust Shikamaru …"

"Oh, stop that," she hit his arm lightly. "You know as well as I do that he must have seen this stupid gown gape open and he was going to close it instead of saying something so he wouldn't draw anyone else's attention to it." She sighed and leaned back against the head of the bed and pulled the blanket up to her neck. "I can't believe this whole morning. Can we just go back to sleep and try again tomorrow?"

The corner of his mouth twitched. "It's been crazy, hasn't it?" He scooted back and put his arm around her to pull her to his chest. Tipping her chin up with his other hand, he leaned in to kiss her when one of the hospital workers walked in and started fussing at them.

"This is a hospital. We don't allow any of that hanky-panky here," she scowled at them. "Only one person per bed. Get out of there," she told Naruto.

"You get out of here. Out!" He stood up and she ran out the door.

Kagome giggled. "You scared her."

"Yeah, well, I got rid of her, didn't I?"

She got up and hugged him. "I'm really glad you're here. It's so nice to have someone around who can be as rude as he likes, since I can't because I'm a guest and I have to be polite. You do realize you threw your Hokage out of here, don't you?"

He grinned down at her. "I'm going to hear about that later, I'm sure."

Kagome told him, "I'm going to get dressed now. Maybe we can finally get on with our plans for the day. I hope someone told Lee why I didn't show up this morning." Picking up her folded clothes from the chair she had set them on earlier, she headed into the bathroom.

Frowning, Naruto said, "I'm sure that closet pervert, Shikamaru, did."

"Come on now, you know that was an accident and he was as embarrassed as I was about it. Shikamaru wouldn't do something like that on purpose—he's your friend, and I feel like he's my friend, too. And unlike my other friends, who were having a great laugh at my expense because I had to let the world see my … rear assets, I don't think he's a pervert."

"Yeah, well, I never would have thought Sasuke would do something like he did, either."

She came out and tossed the hospital gown on the bed, then walked over to him and put her arms around him again. He noticed she had covered the seal on her neck with another bandage, and he was grateful. "I think Sasuke is trying to work something out. Maybe something has changed and he's confused. He said he's going to kill Orochimaru before he faces his brother. He also said he's willing to fight you before his brother, but if he loses to you, then he knows he has to come back here, right? He said it was his duty to avenge his clan, and that killing Itachi is the only way he can reclaim his honor, but I think he is beginning to realize that you are right, and he didn't have to isolate himself from all of you to do that. I think … he's lonely, and he misses you and his other friends."

I hope you're wrong. I hope he isn't lonely. Because even if he comes back here, he can't have you.

…

When they reached the field, the only ones there were Kakashi, Yamato, and Shikamaru. Shikamaru walked up to Naruto. "I guess you're wanting to fight, huh?"

"Yeah, I want to kick your ass, and maybe a few others around here. But I really want to kick Sasuke's ass. So, I'm going over there to kick that waterfall's ass. Just keep your hands to yourself and try not to be a bigger pervert than her other friends, okay?"

Shikamaru nodded with a small, wry smile. "Heh. Okay."

Watching Naruto head to the waterfall, Kagome sat down and said, "He knew it was an accident. He was just …"

"Jealous? Outraged? Furious? Out for my head, or at least my blood? All perfectly understandable, under the circumstances." I did touch his fiancé's breast, after all. After staring at it for way too long. Not that he was going to admit to that, though. He wasn't stupid.

Color rose in her cheeks. "Don't be silly. It startled him because it was so unexpected." She paused, then asked, "Do you think he was jealous?"

"Of course." He looked at her speculatively. "Do you want him to be jealous?"

"No, of course I don't. But …" she looked down at the ground a bit awkwardly. "I've never had anyone feel that way about me. It's a bit flattering. That's wrong of me, isn't it?"

"I'd say it's normal." He sat down next to her. She really doesn't seem to be the least bit aware of how appealing she is. "You two seem to be getting along quite well. Is everything settled?"

"You're asking if he's going to honor the contract?" She looked away. "I don't know."

"Really?" He raised a brow in surprise. "I thought perhaps you had come to an understanding last night."

"Uh, no." She glanced at him briefly, then looked back down at the ground.

He could see she was uncomfortable with the subject, but it was rather important. And he was curious. "Your relationship does seem to be … progressing."

Her cheeks pinkened again. "Yes," she admitted.

"And he seems to be growing very possessive of you."

She sighed at that and drew her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them. "Yes, but that's not necessarily an indication that he's developing any real feelings for me. I've become one of his obligations—a rather troublesome one at that," she gave him a brief, humorless smile, "and he thinks he has to take care of me. I'm supposed to help him, not burden him. And Sasuke …" her voice trailed off.

Now his curiosity was really piqued. He tilted his head and examined her face closely. "Sasuke?"

"Well, both times he seemed to indicate that Naruto would be more interested in me if he thought Sasuke was interested in me. But that wouldn't be an indication of any real feelings—that would simply be competitiveness with his rival."

And you have obviously developed real feelings for Naruto.

"So, you think Sasuke bit you, and gave you that mark, just to needle Naruto. And you think it did."

"Well … maybe," she admitted.

Shikamaru's eyes narrowed in thought. Unfortunately, she could be right. I suspect his rivalry with Sasuke is what fueled his interest in Sakura for so long. Sasuke really knows how to manipulate him.

"Did he say anything else?"

"Oh, yes. He actually talked for a long time about a lot of things. It really makes me feel inept and embarrassed that I couldn't get away from him in all that time, but he kept such a tight grip, even when I managed to throw us backwards and under the water, that I couldn't get a hand free until after he bit me." The muscle in her jaw tightened and she clenched her fists. "That's twice I let him get the drop on me. I have become too much of a priestess these last three years and not enough of a shinobi. I can't let that happen again."

He blinked. He hadn't tried to imagine exactly how Sasuke had managed to bite her, but he definitely hadn't envisioned the possibility that he had been holding on to her, in the water, while she was naked, and had a long conversation with her like that before getting around to biting her. He couldn't imagine Sasuke having a long conversation with anyone, and he didn't want to think about him holding her naked body while he was doing it. Naruto really needs to kick his ass.

"What did he talk about?"

"He said no one here really knew him. Except Naruto, of course. That no one understands about duty and honor and why he has to kill Itachi. He feels it's his duty to avenge his clan, and that Itachi stole his honor by leaving him alive. And he can't be a true shinobi without honor. I don't think he feels like he can have a real life until he restores that honor by proving he is stronger than his brother because he feels like he doesn't deserve one.

He told me that as the Enjo-sha, I'm just a tool for my village, but I told him that's my duty and that my honor is at stake in performing my duty to the best of my ability, and I think he wishes he could feel a connection to Konoha like that. I think he is regretting leaving all of his friends here.

He told me what Orochimaru wants me for and said he wouldn't let him get me. He says Orochimaru can't help him anymore and he plans to kill him. Before going after his brother."

"He said he wouldn't let Orochimaru get you?"

"Yes. He doesn't want him to use me to revitalize himself before he kills him."

Sasuke talked about all of that with her? "He talked about you being the Enjo-sha?"

"Yes."

"He talked about his brother, and about duty and honor."

She nodded.

"He talked about killing Orochimaru."

She nodded again.

"He said no one in Konoha really knew him."

"Yes."

Just how long was he holding on to her anyway?

"What was he talking about right before he bit you?"

She thought for a minute. "Um, well, he compared Naruto to Akamaru, and I accused him of being envious of how Naruto gets along with everyone. And he said …"

Shikamaru cleared his throat to cover the laugh that welled up when she said Sasuke compared Naruto to Akamaru and focused on what she was saying next. Or rather, what she wasn't saying next. "Yes?" he prompted.

"He said the mark on my hip was the only thing he was envious of Naruto for."

Of course he saw the mark on her hip. "So, he decided to make his own mark and bit you."

"Um, yeah, maybe. I mean, I tried to change the subject because it felt too … intimate. So, he asked a few questions about why no one knew I should have been the Enjo-sha all along. He didn't bite me until after he kissed me and I told him I wouldn't tell Naruto he did that."

Shikamaru blinked again. "He kissed you? Again?"

"Yes, but it was different."

"How was it different?"

"It didn't feel like he was searching for something this time."

No, because he thinks he found it. I don't know what Naruto's feelings are, but I'm beginning to think he'd better figure it out soon. If Sasuke is sneaking into Konoha to talk to Kagome, and kissing her, and placing some kind of youkai claim on her, then Naruto needs to get his ass in gear and make up his mind. He looked at her and saw how she was watching Naruto up on the bridge. And he needs to let her know, because she may have come here due to her own sense of duty and honor, but she is offering him a lot more than that.

A shout from the bridge drew their attention, and she jumped to her feet. Naruto laughed and dispelled all of his clones. Then he leaned into the waterfall again and cut off the flow of water directly in front of him. Then increasing the flow of his chakra in a contained line he applied his wind nature to it until it ran the entire length of the massive waterfall and shut off the flow of water completely.

"He did it!" Yamato shouted.

Kakashi leapt up onto the bridge beside him and put a hand on his shoulder. "Well done."

Naruto stood up and gave him a cocky smile. "What's next?"

"Well, if I were you, I'd let my adoring fiancé fawn over me for a bit, then possibly have some lunch and take a nap. You're going to need all of your strength to begin working on the last step later this afternoon."

The blond looked down at the girl who was standing by the water smiling up at him. Adoring fiancé, huh? He liked the sound of that. Jumping down, he picked her up and spun her around in a circle. "Not bad, huh?" he grinned.

"Amazing!" She hugged him. "I can't even imagine the amount of strength it had to take to control so much chakra and apply your wind nature to it to cut that entire waterfall! You must be exhausted. Sit down and I'll get you something to drink."

"I'm fine," he told her, but he sat down anyway.

"Impressive," Shikamaru said as he strolled over to join them. "That kind of nature manipulation and the amount of control you just exhibited have a lot of possibilities, though I understand you are focusing on a particular technique you want to perfect."

"Why did you dispel the shadow clones?" Yamato asked him.

"Well, I finally got it, and I wanted to see if I had enough control to make it travel out to the sides in a line like that instead of just directly in front of me."

"As a jinchuriki, precise chakra control is probably the most essential skill to master. And as a jinchuriki, it's also one of the most difficult," Kakashi told him with a nod.

"Yo! Kagome! What are you sitting around for? Miroku said you had plans to spar with a couple of the other shinobi today. And if you want Jakotsu to give you some tips on the Jakotsuto, you'd better get them while you can. We can't stay long."

"Bankotsu-sama, you just missed an amazing display of chakra control and nature manipulation! Naruto …"

"I saw. So did a lot of people. That ridiculously huge waterfall can be seen from some distance away, depending on your vantage point, you know. Nice work, kid. Fine-tune the sharpness of that wind and you might be able to bisect an opponent with it."

Kakashi eyed him warily. Well, that's an … interesting possibility. These latest Rising Sun nin certainly have a savage mindset. I suppose that could be the result of being surrounded by demons. Or perhaps they are demons. Maybe I'll ask Miroku later.

"Anyway, I'll give you a five-second headstart."

Kagome's eyes widened. "Now?"

"One."

She touched Naruto's arm. "Promise you'll eat something and rest, okay?"

"Two."

"I'll be back in a couple of hours."

"Three."

She was gone.

"Heh! Five!"

With a puff of smoke, Bankotsu was gone, too.

"Hey! You skipped four!" Naruto protested.

"I get the feeling they don't follow rules very strictly," Kakashi remarked dryly.

Shikamaru tilted his head and stared at the spot where Kagome had been standing.

"What is it?" the copy nin asked him.

"I didn't see her flicker. He used smoke, but she just vanished."

"He's right," Yamato said.

Naruto's brow furrowed. "Yeah. I've seen her flicker before. She didn't use smoke or leaves or anything, and she was quick, but I could see her."

Kakashi nodded. "I've seen her flicker, too. And she didn't use anything to disguise her movements. I didn't think about it at the time because it was after she spoke to Sai and she was a bit upset. Perhaps normally she's quick enough that she usually doesn't need to use any distraction, but she's been out of practice."

"She said she had become too much of a priestess and not enough of a shinobi these last three years. I have a feeling she's planning to fix that. Especially since she thinks she's just another obligation to you," Shikamaru told the blond.

"What?"

"It wasn't obligation that made you want to kick my ass earlier, was it?"

"I wouldn't remind me, if I were you," Naruto glared at him.

"Good. We should get something to eat. You promised her you would."

…

"Again!"

The pink bladed whip went whistling through the air before dropping straight down and snaking off to the right to wrap around an ankle.

"Pitiful! You're using too much wrist. Your movement is too big and the change in direction is too slow. That's why it didn't climb. Use a fingertip touch to guide it, like this."

Another bladed whip made the same move in the opposite direction, but when it dropped down and snaked off to the right, it jumped back out of the grass and spun around an ankle and circled a leg all the way to the thigh.

Kagome winced as Jakotsu retracted the blades of Jakotsuto, but called hers back, too.

"Again!"

She leaped forward and then rolled to the left, sending the pink bladed whip back toward her master.

A halberd split a tree trunk, sending several birds noisily into the air. Their angry caws echoed in the meadow as they flew away. Bankotsu frowned as he watched them. Walking over to the young, dark-haired man with the white, opaque eyes who had sparred with Kagome earlier, he quietly said, "Get your ANBU."

Outside the outer walls, a single figure stood patiently facing the village. Red eyes glanced heavenward as a bird flew overhead. Then he slowly walked away and melted into the shadows of the forest.

…

End Chapter 8

*A/N: Well, that chapter did NOT go as planned. It took a lot of twists and turns right from the first sentence that were not part of my original plan for this story, and it chewed me up and spit me out a million times. Sasuke didn't plan to interact with Kagome, and I certainly didn't plan for him to. He wasn't supposed to be back for at least another chapter. I had him drop the yellow daffodil by Miroku at the end of the last chapter as his message of admiration for her. But he wouldn't leave. And then he took a page from Orochimaru's book and bit her. I don't know where that came from because that was never in my plans, either. But since Sasuke did end up following in Orochimaru's footsteps so much with the snakes and all, I decided he just might decide to try his own version of a curse mark and seal. And I did like the opportunity it gave me to have the nine-tailed beast try to manipulate Naruto into using his power. And yes, I know I monkeyed with the canon account of Naruto cutting the waterfall. We are officially outside of Kishimoto and Takahashi territory. ^_^

When Shippou came up his magic incantation, I was so tempted to have Kagome follow up with "Eenie, meenie, magic beanie, let's see Shippou's little …" But I decided Kagome wouldn't say something like that. Trying to stay true to character can be such a drag. ^_^

When all was said and done, this monstrosity ran 58 pages long. So, I cut three of them. (This is after I cut about five other pages while writing.) Once I resigned myself to going ahead and writing another Sasuke and Kagome encounter this soon, and decided to keep in the curse seal/mating mark bite, I was already ten pages in. It took me another ten pages to get Naruto into spooning position. That scene was in my plans for this chapter, along with the appearance of Bankotsu and Jakotsu. Everyone crowding into the hospital room? Not so much. Shikamaru ending up with a handful of Kagome? Definitely not. Ending the chapter in similar fashion to the previous one with a mysterious, red-eyed character lurking about? Oh, yes. ^_^ Let's see if I can keep the rest of this story on track now.

Thanks again to everyone who bothers to read this! And thanks even more to those who take the time to send me some encouragement or criticism! Not going to lie, this story has been the most difficult thing for me to write because I am second-guessing myself the whole way. (If you knew how Sakura tried to blow up this chapter ... I told you I cut at least five other pages.) I think I love way too many of these characters, and I want them all to spend some time in the sun, and they just all want to misbehave and make me look bad. Gah! Once again, I am forcing myself to go ahead and post this because I'm afraid I would hit delete and start over if I don't.