The girl paused, as did her dog. What was that noise up ahead? She and the dog crept forward slowly, peering around the bushes that blocked their view. They both relaxed. It was just a bear. A creature to be feared, yes, but not as much trouble as one would think. However, it seemed to be rolling something around, something that seemed to be fighting back.

The girl realized with a start that it was a man. The bear was attacking a human being. Said human was fighting back weakly, so the girl knew he didn't have much time left.

She considered what she knew about bears. She didn't see them too often on her walks, and the ones she saw were cowardly black bears, not an aggressive brown bear like this one.

The man cried out for help, and the girl made up her mind. She picked up a thick branch as a makeshift club, signaling to her dog to distract the bear. He ran forward, barking, and the bear looked up from its attack. The dog barked in circles around it, and when its back was turned the girl ran forward and smashed the branch across the bear's snout, snapping it in half.

The bear roared in pain and stood up, towering over the small girl. She quivered, but stood her ground. She knew that if she ran the bear would kill her. The bear roared again, trying to frighten her off. The girl snarled back, making the bear drop down in surprise. It studied her for a brief moment, then slowly turned and shambled off, leaving her and its intended prey.

She made sure it was really leaving, then ran forward to inspect the man. He was wearing a torn mask and a red and black coat. His body was covered in stitches, and when she tried to feel for a heartbeat she felt three. She looked at him oddly, then tried dragging him with her. She barely moved him.

She looked down thoughtfully. She didn't want to move her camp right now, but she couldn't drag the man all the way to her camp. She sighed. She'd have to bring her camp here.

She signaled to her dog to stay and protect the man, then turned and began walking the way she had come. She walked three miles quickly, then went through her camp, picking up what was needed and leaving what wasn't. She wrapped her supplies in a blanket she had stolen from one of the houses, then left without looking back. She left no trace of her existence behind her, nothing to show there had ever been a person there.

She walked back to the man, curious if he was still alive. He stirred, and she barked in delight. Maybe she wouldn't have to be alone now!

She walked over and took the first-aid kit she had also stolen from a house. She didn't like the noisy ones much, but they had useful things she could steal sometimes. She bent over the man, and began cleaning his wounds. He remained unconscious, and the girl was glad. She didn't want him to feel the pain that his body was going through now as she tugged the blue thread through his skin and muscle. Her own ragged scars showed how she had gotten her practice at this technique, and the smooth ones showed how she had improved.

The man started moving when she finished, and when he opened his eyes she couldn't help but stare. His eyes, where they should have been white, were red. His irises were green, and no pupil shattered their center. When she realized she was staring, she ducked her head in apology and skittered away. She signaled him to stay still, then turned to begin building her camp.

She dragged branches over to a pile, near a short cliff. She expertly leaned the branches against each other, quickly making a small, water-proof lean-to. The man's gravelly voice barked something at her, but she couldn't understand it. She turned and whined a single low note, impatiently apologizing. She needed to finish the shelter before dark.

Her dog, lying beside the man to keep him warm, suddenly alerted, warning the girl of something. She turned and watched him carefully. He breathed the 'prey' warning, and pointed his snout near the bushes. She settled into a crouch, ears straining to hear the animal her dog had heard. The bush rustled slightly, and a rabbit poked its nose out.

The girl sprang forward, snarling. Her hands knocked the rabbit to the ground, pinning it, and her teeth bit out its throat before its scream lasted more than a heartbeat. As the rabbit died, she was already lifting her head to listen. Had any predators heard, and were they coming to steal her prey?

Nothing but silence answered her ears, and her dog put its head down, a sign all was well. Grinning, she picked up the rabbit in her mouth and carried it to the man, wanting to see if he was hungry. She dropped it near his head, and waited. He looked at her and barked some more strange sounds, but she couldn't understand these either. She whined and nudged the rabbit closer to him, telling him it was his. He looked disgusted and pushed the rabbit away. The girl shrugged. She picked the rabbit up and carried it to a shaded spot, where she set it to save for later.

She went back to working on her shelter, dragging dry grass over the top to insulate and further waterproof it. She also brought some inside, laying it down for a padded bed for the man. She didn't plan on using the shelter, but the man would need it while recovering.

She finished, and walked around it, making sure it was structurally sound. Seeing it was, she turned back to the man. She whined and pranced a bit, trying to get him to move into the shelter. He just watched her. She growled irritably, then grabbed his coat and tugged it, whining. He seemed to get it this time, and struggled to his hands and knees.

She dove under him, pressing him up with her back, helping to support him. He grunted with surprise, but she managed to help drag him into the shelter. Before she let him lay down, she made him sit up so she could check his back, having been unable to before.

The wounds were few, but deep. She frowned, and got out more thread. The man sat still as she attended to his back, until she got to a gash that ran from mid-back to mid thigh. She tried pulling the clothing down so she could stitch that as well, but the man growled harshly at her and she skittered back, watching him warily.

He seemed to realize he had frightened her, so he closed his eyes and made some noises that sounded like an apology. His fingers checked the wound himself, then he nodded to her, telling her she could continue.

The girl approached him cautiously, but when he made no more threatening moves she finished stitching his wound. The man looked around the shelter, seeming to appreciate it. She guided him to his bed, and he again grew guarded. But when she helped him lay down, he relaxed. He closed his eyes and breathed raggedly, betraying now how much pain he had been in. She grinned comfortingly at him, then backed out of the shelter to search for water.

She again signaled for her dog to stay, then began walking in widening circles around her camp. Luck was with her. A clear spring bubbled to the surface only ten yards away from the shelter. She ran back and got a battered canteen, then filled it with the cool water for the man. She quenched her own thirst, then walked back.

The girl ducked into the shelter, bringing the canteen in with her. She handed it to the man, and he took it and muttered yet more sounds she didn't understand. She growled frustratingly. Why couldn't she understand him?

The man watched her, as if trying to understand her as well, then bought the canteen to his lips. He drank the water quickly, handing it back to her. She laid it down next to him, then left to bring the blanket in. It was going to be a warm, clear night, so she wouldn't need it. She laid it over him, then went back to her rabbit.

She tore part off with her teeth, almost half the rabbit, and gave it to her dog. He ate it quickly. She tore a leg off, and brought it in to the man. He looked at her carrying the raw leg in her teeth, then turned away. She shrugged and sat outside the entrance, eating it herself. She tore the strips off, swallowing without chewing. The man looked green, and she licked her lips clear of blood, wondering why.

On the edge of her vision, she saw her dog creeping toward the rest of the rabbit, and wheeled on him, raking her teeth on his ear. He yelped and slunk away, tail between his legs. She growled at him until he went into the bushes, then grabbed the rest of the rabbit herself and walked back to the entrance, eating that part as well.

The man's stomach growled, and she tried bringing some of the food to him, but he yelled at her until she walked back out of the shelter again. What a strange human, refusing food even though he was hungry.

When she had finished stripping the meat off, she began cracking the bones apart, licking up the salty marrow. Once done, she tossed them over to her dog, who snapped them up. She yawned, enjoying the night, then curled up to go to sleep near the entrance of the shelter, not blocking it in case the man had to leave for some reason.

The dog curled against her back, warming her, and she turned her head to lick the wound she had given him, and the man seemed to be curious about this. However, he said nothing, and the girl went to bed.

Kakuzu watched the girl sleep outside the entrance of the shelter, wondering who she was. Her clothes were torn, and too small for her. Whenever he tried to ask her about it, she just whined at him. Finally, he got it. Was it possible she couldn't understand him? She seemed to have no knowledge of human life, living like an animal, walking as easily on four legs as he did on two. She growled at her dog, and seemed to be frustrated whenever he talked to her.

His mind rewound to the when she had hunted the rabbit and brought it to him. Had she really been trying to feed him raw rabbit? She had eaten with no problem herself, snapping the bones with her powerful teeth. Where had she come from?

He sighed and shook his head slightly, trying to clear his thoughts. He really should be focusing on how to get out of here, and where Hidan was. Where was that albino, by the way? Kakuzu remembered him goading the bear, then having to go rescue him. His mind was blank until he woke to the girl standing over him. Though he had to admit, she did a good job with the stitches.

He looked at the few on his arm, seeing how the blue contrasted with his normal black threads. He looked back at the girl, sleeping curled up next to the dog she had viciously attacked before.

His fingers plucked at the slightly torn blanket covering him, wondering why she hadn't taken it herself. Though she didn't look too cold now.

He sighed and shook his head. It was no use trying to think on an empty stomach. He needed sleep, not thoughts bouncing around in his sleep. He closed his eyes, and quickly fell asleep.

The girl woke in the pre-dawn light, yawning and stretching like she always did. She sniffed the air for the weather, then paced to the entrance of the shelter. The man's stomach was growling almost non-stop now, and again she wondered why he wouldn't take the rabbit. Maybe he didn't like rabbit?

She noticed his canteen was almost empty, and entered to grab it so she could fill it up again. The man's eyes snapped open, and he seemed alarmed. She looked around for any snake that may have bit him, but found none. What was wrong with him? Then she realized she must have startled him when she walked in, and hung her mouth open in apology. He looked at her, then laid back down.

She walked back out, carrying the canteen. She sprinted to the spring, running for the sheer joy of it, then filled the canteen and drank some herself. She listened to the birds whistle happily, then went and hid in the bushes, waiting.

Sure enough, a rabbit crept out of the bushes fearfully, looking everywhere. The girl stilled her breathing. The rabbit slowly made its way to the edge of the water, and when it bent its head down to drink she sprung. Her hands snapped its back, and she grabbed the skull in her teeth and twisted it until the neck snapped. Maybe the man would eat it if it wasn't so bloody.

She brought it back, then noticed her dog was hiding in the bushes fearfully. She dropped the rabbit so she could sniff the air. Fire!

She rushed forward, trying to see if she could save the man. To her surprise, the man was standing right next to the fire. She tackled him away from it, then got between the fire and him. She snarled at the fire fearfully, wondering why the man wasn't running. Was he too afraid?

The man growled and pushed her aside, trying to get back to the fire. Idiot! She grabbed his cloak in her teeth, now too afraid of the fire herself to get near it. Something hit her head, and she dropped to the ground. She looked up and saw the man holding his hand up, ready to hit her again. She looked at him fearfully, whimpering and flinching away from him. She heard him sigh, then he sat down.

She opened her eyes and saw him seated next to the fire. He gripped his side and hissed with pain, and she saw fresh blood seeping through the stitches. She whimpered and crawled up to him, accepting his dominance. He glanced at her, then he sighed again and made those same apologizing noises from before. She looked at him, confused. You don't apologize in a dominance fight.

He made eye contact, and before she could look away he did, submitting to her. She was now thoroughly confused. Was he or was he not alpha?

He looked back at the fire, and scooted closer to it. The girl flinched, expecting it to start eating him. When it didn't she got braver and moved slightly closer to it, mesmerized. The man watched her, amused. She lay down next to the flames, still afraid but enjoying the warmth it brought her. She let her eyes slide halfway shut, still cautious but trusting the man in his opinion.

The man laughed at her, and she lazily opened an eye to see what was so funny, then let it slide back shut again. She started panting, and when it got uncomfortable she rose and moved away. She suddenly remembered the rabbit, and walked slowly over to it, picking it up and bringing it to the man.

He made some more of those noises she didn't understand, then took it from her, making a face as he wiped her drool off his hands. He took out a knife, she recognized that even though she didn't have one herself, and watched him skin and gut the rabbit. She couldn't figure out why, though. The internals were the best part of the rabbit.

He ripped off a leg, then placed it on a flat rock next to the fire. The girl couldn't figure out any sane reason for that. He looked at the rest of the carcass, then held it out to her. She watched him, and when he didn't seem about to change his mind or hit her again, she came forward and took it gently from his hand. She paced away a few steps, then began eating it. What was left, she tossed to her dog, who was still too afraid to go near the fire.

Eventually, wonderful smells came from the leg on the rock. Her head snapped toward it, curious to see what change had taken place. To her surprise, the meat had turned crispy on the side near the fire, and was a rich brown on the side away from it.

The man followed her gaze, then picked up the leg. He let it cool briefly, then bit some off it. She watched him, and he caught her gaze. She looked away, thinking she had insulted him. A piece of meat landed in front of her nose, and she jumped away from it in surprise. The man chuckled again, and she bent her head to sniff it. Watching him, she picked it up off the ground, then bit into it.

She dropped it in surprise. It was delicious! The man laughed again at her expression, and she picked it up again and quickly finished. She licked her lips for any last trace of the flavor, then laid down. She closed her eyes, comfortably away from the fire, and dozed. She should be scavenging, but she was full and warm and didn't feel like moving. The smoke chased away all bugs and it was a nice day.

She heard a pack of coyotes howling in the distance, and her head and her dog's rose simultaneously. The man studied her, then tried to hear what she was, but failed. The howling aroused her from her hypnotized state, and she rose and started walking, signaling for the man to stay. Her dog rose with her, glad to be leaving the fire.

She began scavenging, looking for any early berries or apples. She walked miles, weaving quick baskets out of grass when she needed them. They wouldn't last long, but they were good for now. She walked back almost around sunset, and saw the man still sitting by the smoky remains of the fire.

He turned his neck stiffly when he saw her, and bared his teeth. She dropped to the ground, wondering at this sudden sign of hostility. The man frowned, then made those apologizing noises like before. She was really confused now. It was almost like he didn't know what he was saying…. Wait, maybe he didn't! Could it be possible he didn't talk like her? Was she really all alone?

Once sure he didn't really mean the hostile action, she walked forward. She realized he had been stuck sitting there the entire time, too weak to bring himself back to the shelter. She whimpered an apology, then helped him stand. She allowed him to use her as a crutch, then laid him down on his bed. She brought the canteen to him, then left again.

She sorted through the various items she had found, even some potatoes and rice. She looked curiously at the rock that had cooked the rabbit before, but changed her mind. She'd just eat them the way she normally did.

She entered the shelter again, bringing him the early raspberries. He made some more noises, which she decided to ignore. He frowned as he realized she couldn't understand him, then sighed and held out a handful of the sweet berries. She looked at him curiously. Why was he giving her part of his food? She had a sort of partnership with the dog, but he never willingly shared his food unless she took it, and she never shared her half with him. Why was this man trying to share?

She crept forward uncertainly, then held out her cupped hand. He poured the berries into it, and she slowly removed her hand, watching him still. He ate one, and she sniffed hers, making sure it wasn't a joke he was playing on her. But no, he just watched, and she tentatively ate one.

He smiled, trying to imitate hers but failing horribly. She giggled at his horrible attempt at smiling, and he frowned. She smiled at him again, and again he tried to imitate it, but failed again. The girl chuckled, and he gave up and rolled his eyes.

She ate another raspberry, feeling happy. He might not speak like her, but he was trying. Maybe she should try to learn his…?

She looked at him, trying to figure out what his smile was. Was it that teeth-baring thing? She pulled her lips back from her teeth, but he just looked alarmed. Besides, it just didn't feel right. She apologized for threatening him inadvertently, lowering her head and grinning slightly. He watched her closely, then tried copying her. She growled a 'no'. It just wasn't right.

They gave up imitating each other and focused on eating the berries. The girl finished hers first, then rose to leave. She had found a paste in a house that smelled like it could heal. Maybe it would help the man.

As she rose, he grabbed her arm. She flinched away from his touch, and he dropped his hand. He looked sadly at her, and she apologized for hurting him, whatever she had done. He pointed back outside, and she looked at him oddly. He wanted to go back out after he had just came in?

He looked pointedly at her, and she came over and helped him up. He leaned on her until they got to the smoky remains of the fire, and she helped him sit down. He breathed the fire back to life, much to her amazement.

He saw her expression and chuckled. He went through her food, and proceeded to cook. The dog came back with a rabbit, and the girl took it from him. She tore the rabbit in half, gave the front half to the dog, and the back half to the man. He skinned what was left, laying it on the rock to cook, stuffing the inside cavity with cubed potatoes and rice.

She watched him, curious. What was he doing? He didn't seem to know what to do with the nuts, so he left them. The girl began cracking them open with her teeth, making a pile on the ground. He watched her jaws work, seemingly amazed, though she couldn't see what was so special about her cracking nuts open.

She finished cracking the nuts long before the food was done, so they snacked on the nuts while they waited. They still finished ahead of time, so the girl yawned and curled up to take a nap. The man could keep the food, if he wanted. She had already eaten today.

To her surprise, he roused her when the food was done. She watched him oddly, not sure why he was waking her just so he could share the food. He split the food evenly in half, even though it was his share of the food. She took her share curiously, wondering why he was being so kind to her. All she did was help him from the bear. She would have done that for a squirrel.

Still, she bent her head to the food and began eating, relishing the flavor of the food. This was a delicacy she was not used to. She neatly tore little bits off, and when she got to the potatoes and rice she was amazed. They were almost as delicious as the rabbit! However, when she tried cracking the bones all she got was this nasty black stuff in her mouth. The marrow was useless.

She pushed the bones aside, laying her head down to wait for when the man was finished. He was taking forever, nibbling at his food. When he finally finished, it was well past dark.

He buried the fire, then tried standing up without her. She growled impatiently at him and helped, and he ducked his head in apology. She grinned. Yes, that was how to apologize, not those strange sounds that made no sense. He seemed to get it, and ducked his head again in practice. She grinned again. There, that was right.

She laid him down again, then exited. The coyote pack was again howling, and she and her dog lifted their heads, howling a warning to keep away. The two packs howled in harmony for a while, then the coyote pack suddenly cut off. The girl and dog waited for a while, then settled to sleep when they heard nothing more. The dog licked the back of her neck while she dozed, and she purred happily. He put his head down, then they both slept.

Kakuzu listened to the beautiful sounds coming from the girl's throat, not knowing they were warning howls. All he knew was that the sounds were luring him into sleep.

As he slipped under, he remembered her reaction to the fire. She had been scared of it, confirming his suspicions. He hadn't meant to hit her, but she had pushed him too far. He didn't care if she had been trying to 'save' him or not. Though it was kind of funny seeing her expression when she realized that the fire wasn't dangerous.

He fell into a dreamless sleep, comfortably warm under the blanket.

He woke to screams and snarls.

His eyes flashed open, and he rushed to his feet, feeling the stitches tear through his back and collapsing back on the ground. He saw the girl roll by the entrance, pursued by a coyote twice her size. He again tried standing, but he collapsed again under his back's silent screams. His eyes widened as he beheld a new sight.

A coyote crept through the entrance, a hungry gleam in its eye. Kakuzu knew he wouldn't be able to defend himself unless he let it close enough to bite him. Controlling his threads took energy, something he didn't have.

The coyote crept closer, ignoring the dying screams of one of its brethren. It prepared to spring, and was suddenly yanked back through the entrance with a frightened yelp. He heard a snarl of fear, then everything was silent.

Something panted painfully outside his range of sight, then the girl crawled in, cut above her eyes bleeding. Her eyes made sure he wasn't seriously hurt, then she dragged herself in. She noticed his back was bleeding, then got the poorly stocked first-aid kit. He turned his back to her, language barrier not allowing him to refuse.

She took out the old stitches, then started sewing in new ones. The needle stabbed in and out of his skin, something that would have hurt if he wasn't used to it. He just wished he wasn't so weak he depended on her for survival.

She finished with him, then turned her head awkwardly, holding the needle in her teeth and tearing her shirt over her shoulder. Kakuzu gaped as he saw the bleeding gash on her shoulder, deep enough the tooth had scraped the bone.

She took the needle out of her mouth and jabbed it into her skin, trying to stitch her wound shut. Kakuzu shook his head and took the needle from her. She looked at him, and he signaled her to come to him. She scooted close, angling her shoulder so that it faced him, and he began stitching. She trembled, but Kakuzu believed it was with shock, not with pain. She had too many scars to be affected by the stitching now.

He finished, and he looked around for a cloth to wipe the blood off her with. His eyes landed on his torn mask, and he used it to dab away the blood on her face first, then mopped up her shoulder. He couldn't find anything anti-bacterial, so he could only hope the wound wasn't infected.

She slowly sank to the floor when he was done, shivering and eyes glazed. He dragged the blanket over her, and dropped his head on the padded bed beneath him. He dropped into a restless sleep, waking at the slightest noise. When dawn came, he didn't feel rested at all.

The girl rose, shoulder stiff and unable to move much. She limped out of the shelter, and he could hear her footsteps fade away. He couldn't believe she was going to try hunting now, but remembered it wasn't like she could go to the nearest supermarket.

He sighed, and laid his head back down. He was exhausted and barely able to think. He fell into sleep, going through the attack again in his nightmares.