Zenko or Yako?

By: DemonClowSorceress

Disclaimer: I own nothing except this plot. And the OC's are whims of mine.

Friendship Pairs: NaruxKyuubi, HinaxShino, InoxCho

Obvious Pairings: NaruxSaku, SasuxOC, ShikaxTem, NejixTen, LeexOC, KibaxOC, GaaxMatsu, SaixOC

Wham! Bam! Thock!

"On your left, watch it!" shouted Sasuke, somersaulting over the missing-nin's head. "Naruto, get with it!"

"Shaddup, teme!" the blonde snapped, fighting the wave of dizziness that struck when he dodged the wave of kunai. "Dammit! Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" Five other Narutos popped into existance and covered the original as he tried regaining himself.

A flash of pink and red darted through the group of rogue ninjas, followed by the shout of "Hell yeah!" just before the ground exploded. Bodies went flying, and it was suddenly raining men. Sakura yanked her gloves tighter. "And that's how we do it," she announced as the ninjas thudded around her in heaps.

Naruto dissipated his clones, falling to one knee and gripping the fabric over his heart. He didn't know what was wrong with him. After the one ninja had gut-shot him, his entire body had felt like wriggling worms were slithering through his body. He could barely see straight anymore; everything his blue eyes registered had developed a shimmery double that bobbed and weaved. And I can't be sick, because I'm in perfect health!

"The hell, dobe?" Sasuke asked, coming over to Naruto's side. Even after six years of being on the same team, three of which were spent away from Konoha, the black-haired Uchiha still managed to convey disapproval like a boss. "What was with that weak-ass move?"

"Shut your face, Sasuke!" No way would Naruto tell him of the pain. That was just a wuss move. Besides, it was probably nothing. Naruto had exceptional healing powers thanks to the Kyuubi. He'd be better in the morning.

Right?

&&&***The Next Morning...***&&&

Naruto was greeted with two surprises when he woke up the next morning.

One, the pain was gone. A blessing, since it had kept him up practically all frickin' night. He'd thrashed and flailed, grinding his teeth so as not to shout out in agony. It had been like fire was eating him alive. It was a miracle he had actually slept; probably passed out from the pain, he figured.

When he opened his eyes, he came face-to-face with surprise number two. Literally.

There was a naked blonde girl sleeping next to him.

Like many eighteen-year-old males, Naruto was shocked to find a naked girl he didn't know in bed with him. He was even more surprised since no partying, drinking, or general tomfoolery had occured the previous evening. After their mission, Team 7 had dropped Naruto off at his house when he fudged off his pain as a stomachache. He'd chugged half a bottle of Pepto-Bismol and gone straight to bed. Nothing else.

So where did this random girl come from? A girl who, if his eyes didn't decieve him, looked exactly like his Sexy no Jutsu transformation.

"Um, miss?" he whispered, poking her bare shoulder. "Miss? Wake up, please?"

The female moaned, squirming under the covers a little before settling back down. Her eyes fluttered open, long eyelashes brushing her cheeks as she looked sleepily up at Naruto.

With bright red eyes.

And then it clicked. The long blonde hair, the three thin black lines on each of her cheeks, the unreal similarity to his first signature jutsu.

Carefully (and being very careful he saw nothing private) Naruto lifted a little of the covers and peeked, baring her midsection to the morning light.

It's impossible. It can't be. But it has to be. There's no other explaination.

Aw man, what am I gonna do?

&&&***Later at a meeting of the Konoha Twelve***&&&

"Ok, this is just too weird," Kiba said, rubbing Akamaru's stomach. "First he chokes on that mission, then he bailed on celebratory ramen last night, and now he's late for this S-rank mission we've been shooting for since we all made jonin? The hell's up with Naruto?"

Shikamaru shrugged. "I don't know, but it is troublesome. He's the one who's been begging for this mission for the last few months." He squinted at the hot sun as he scanned the area. "Troublesome heat wave."

"Maybe he's feeling sick," Hinata offered softly, glancing around in case the loud blond ninja showed up. "Or maybe he's just late."

Sakura sighed. "I wouldn't put it past him to be late. A couple of Kakashi's habits have rubbed off on him already."

"Besides, idiots can't get sick," Sasuke stated firmly.

"I heard that, teme!"

Everyone looked over and saw Naruto leading a stranger by the hand towards the group. She was blonde like him, but her hair was tied up in spiky pigtails with blue ribbons. She wore a sleeveless red shirt and black capri sweatpants, and her sandals were also black. If none of them knew better, every one of Naruto's friends would have sworn that she was his twin sister. Even the whisker-marks on their cheeks were identical. The only difference between them was their gender and the girl's bright red eyes.

"Everyone, this is my...cousin, Tamamo," he said in a be nice, you guys type of voice. "She hasn't been in Konoha in years and is kind of shy. I'm going to be taking care of her for the next week, so I'd appreciate it if you guys helped her out."

Tamamo hid behind Naruto and waved shyly. Hinata came over and began introductions to the rest of the group. Slowly, Tamamo stepped forward and bowed politely to them. "Hello," she said. "It's very nice to meet you all."

Suddenly Akamaru gave a low growl, directed right at her. Tamamo ducked behind Naruto and whimpered, prompting Kiba to snap at his ninken partner. "Akamaru, knock it off! What's wrong with you?"

"Forgive me," came Tamamo's muffled voice. Red eyes peeked over Naruto's shoulder. "Dogs...well, we just don't get along. I apologize."

Sasuke nodded his own greeting to her before looking back at Naruto. "So, are you ready? We got the green-light for that S-rank mission in Oto."

"For real?" Excited, Naruto pumped the air with his fist. "All right!" Then his smile dropped. "Oh no, wait. That mission?" His gaze swung over to Tamamo, confused before becoming something else.

"Is there a problem?" asked Shikamaru, looking pointedly at the new blonde girl.

Naruto shook his head, staring at Tamamo like he was annoyed at her. "No. It's just that - she'll have to come with us."

Sasuke shook his head. "No way. No way in hell."

"Why not?" Tamamo noted how not many people seemed open to the idea. "What? I can take care of myself."

Neji made the ultimate decision. "We don't have time to debate this. Naruto, you're responsible for her, okay?"

The blond boy nodded. "You got it. We'll get our stuff and be back in twenty." Hand in hand, Naruto and Tamamo raced back to -

"Wait, are they going back to Naruto's house?" Ino gasped. "She lives with him?"

Sai blinked in surprise. "Wow. His cousin must really love him."

Fifteen minutes later the blonds returned, each carrying the usual backpacks. Tamamo stayed next to and slightly behind Naruto as the group of jonins headed off on their mission. Everyone occasionally stole a glance back when they realized that Tamamo didn't fall behind after an hour of running.

When they hit the border, the girls immediately released their hair and sighed in the heat. Tamamo likewise untied her pigtails, revealing her hair to be shoulder-length. She sat with the kunoichis as the boys discussed their next move.

Ino sidled up next to Tamamo. "So, you're Naruto's cousin?"

"Yes," the ruby-eyed girl affirmed. "We're related on his mother's side." She drew her legs up to her chest and rested her hands on her knees. "And you are Yamanaka Ino, yes?"

The pale-blonde woman nodded. "Yeah. And you know Hyuuga Hinata already." The shy heiress waved. "The bun-haired brunette is Tenten, and the pinkette is Haruno Sakura."

"You're on Naruto's team," Tamamo stated to Sakura. "He's spoken much about you. About all of you," she added to the rest of the girls. "Thank you so much for being his friends."

"It's really no problem," Sakura said with a smile. "Even if he is a knucklehead, he's really not that bad."

Hinata cleared her throat. "Miss Tamamo, I see you have some ninja training?"

"A little. Everyone in my family is gifted with chakra." The blonde girl winked, her resemblance to Naruto making the Hyuuga girl blush. "Just enough to survive. It's a necessary skill for me." She peeked around Hinata's form to check out the group of boys. "Wow. You really hang out with some handsome men."

Tenten's eyebrow lifted. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Lifting a shoulder in a shrug, Tamamo said carelessly, "Oh, nothing."

"Tamamo!" Naruto's shout made every girl look over to him. He waved Tamamo over. "C'mere, wouldja?"

"Okay!" she called, getting to her feet. Bowing to the five kunoichi she politely said, "Please excuse me."

They watched her skip over and settle down between Naruto and Sasuke as though she'd known them forever. The five young women exchanged uneasy glances with one another, suddenly suspicious of this mysterious blonde girl.

&&&***Two Days Later, in Oto***&&&

"Okay then," Neji said, scanning the area up to the hilltop fortress with his Byakugan, "I could about twenty guards posted. Hinata, can you confirm?"

His cousin nodded. "Yes. Twenty patrolling the perimeter."

"Exactly who are we whacking?" asked Choji, stocking up on calories by shoving chips in his mouth as fast as he could.

Shikamaru pulled out a wanted poster and placed it on the ground for everyone to see. The man on it was cruel-looking, but extremely handsome. He had a scar descending over his eye much like Kakashi-sensei did. "This is Kuroba Daichi, a wanted fugitive from Konoha," he said. "He's bargained for asylum in that house, so we have to either extract him alive or kill him. Tsunade-sama has given us fielder's choice." He unrolled the plans for the fortress and pointed to one place. "This is the room where we think he's being held. Chances are there's not a lot of freedom given to him, so his movements are probably restricted. We're the last resort. We screw up, we're all screwed. Got it?"

Everybody nodded. Sai put up his hand. "How many ninja are in the facility?"

"Excellent question. Neji? Hinata?"

The Hyuugas continued scanning the building. "Maybe about fifty," Neji guessed. "But that's by chakra alone. Some could be, but I can only rank about twenty as a possible threat."

"There are five strong signatures in the lower levels," Hinata said firmly. "Very strong. A-class, I might guess. But they're shielded."

Tamamo timidly raised her hand. "Um, excuse me?" Everyone but Naruto looked at her. "Why this guy? I heard you saying you'd been bucking for this mission since you all made jonin, but why?"

Sasuke sighed, trying to ignore how much heartache she was threatening to reopen with her innocent question. "Because this is the guy who got a number of our friends killed a couple months ago," he replied. "He sold information about a black-ops mission that comprimised it. We lost thirty good ninjas that day. A few of which - " here his voice choked up, forcing him to clear his throat before continuing " - some of us were close to."

The mood changed in the blink of an eye. Tamamo's red eyes darted from person to person, picking up the subtle changes in face and body language around her. She nodded. "I see."

Shikamaru quickly regained his professional manner. "Okay then. You all have your assignments. We'll go in pairs. Naruto and Sakura. Choji and Ino. Hinata and Shino. Neji and Tenten. Kiba, Sai, Sasuke, Lee, and I'll go in solo."

"Why not have the boys pair up and take me with you?" asked Tamamo. "I make even fourteen."

"Tamamo, I want you to stay out here," Naruto ordered his cousin.

She bristled in anger, much how Naruto himself did when ordered to stay back. "Why?"

"Because it's dangerous."

"You're going in!"

"I'm trained to do this!"

"So am I!"

"You can be backup!"

"Backup is not what I'm here for!"

And back and forth it went. Until Shino cleared his throat. "We are used to functioning as a group," he said to Tamamo. "Why? Because we have known each other for years. Behavior, patterns, ways of battle strategy and instincts - these are all things we are able to guess of one another. Introducing an unknown variable is not a good idea." He inclined his head towards the four other solo boys. "And they...are not good partners right now."

Tamamo regarded Kiba, Lee, Sai, and Sasuke. They seemed to be restraining themselves, fighting to keep a mask of calm over their rage and - regret? Her eyes narrowed a little, calculating and observant.

"Shino's right," Shikamaru said, nodding at the bug user. "Tamamo, you wait here with a radio. If we need help, we'll call you. Until then, though, stay here."

The blonde girl sulked. "Okay, fine." Taking the radio and adjusting the channels, she added, "But if I catch a whiff of anybody's tail getting in trouble, I'm going in guns blazing."

"But not before," Naruto said, giving her a loaded look. "Remember your promise."

She rolled her eyes. "I understand," she said, pulling her hair into spiky pigtails again. "And don't worry. I'll honor it."

With this said, the pairs split off and began their seperate assignments.

&&&***With Shikamaru***&&&

"Tch," the Nara boy sighed, slinking along the dark corridor. "This is so troublesome."

"You're a mopey one."

"Tamamo, get off the line!" he hissed. "Maintain radio silence. They could pick up our signal."

She was silent for two seconds before saying, "So, thinking about your girl?"

Shikamaru jolted in shock, then cursed. "Who are you talking about?"

"You know damn well what I'm talking about."

He blushed slightly. "So you know about Temari and me?"

"Yeah, I caught that. Call it my powers of observation," came Tamamo's snarky voice. "So I'm guessing...she's a special girl, too."

"Yeah." The shadow-user allowed himself a small grin as he thought of the Suna fan lady. "She's something special, all right. A special pain in my ass."

"And yet you love her."

Another smile touched his face as Shikamaru slunk along the corridors, avoiding the patrolling guards. "Yeah, I do."

Tamamo seemed to laugh to herself. "You better remember that the next time you see her."

"She's second-in-command of Sunagakure after her brother, the Kazekage," he argued. "She won't be around for a while."

"Oh ye of little faith."

&&&***With Neji and Tenten***&&&

"Tamamo, you got the schematics of the place yet?" Tenten snapped into the mike, glancing at Neji as he Byakugan'd the place.

"Oooh, someone's snippy."

"We're out on a limb here!" the weapon mistress hissed. "We need a location now!"

"Take a chill pill girl. It's gonna take me a few minutes. Relax. Chat up your man."

Tenten's face flushed with embarrassment and anger. "Why you little - " she almost exploded when a hand clapped over her mouth and she was yanked behind a wall. A muffled scream escaped her lips before she realized it was Neji restraining her. "Muh, mmm-muh-meh? (Hey, what the hell?)" she asked.

"Wait here," he whispered, releasing her. "I see something."

"What?" she murmured, sidling up closer to him. Wow he smells really good - no, bad Tenten! Bad!

He shook his head, looking unsure - a first for Tenten. "I can't be sure, but...I think...I think it's Suri."

His teammate's brown eyes went wide. "Suri? Are you sure?" she whisper-shouted. "But she was - "

"I know. That's why I'm not sure." He flicked his radio to another frequency. "Lee, it's Neji. I think I see Suri's chakra signature in the basement. Meet me there." Turning the frequency back, Neji gave her the Byakugan stare. "Tenten, listen to me. Don't move from this spot."

She shook her head. "Neji - "

The Hyuuga prodigy placed a hand on her shoulder. "I mean it. Do. Not. Move." With every word his grip tightened. "Please, Tenten."

Her kunoichi pride was wounded, but Tenten could never refuse him when he asked like this. "Okay, Neji. I've got your back." She drew one of her special kunai and pressed it into his hands. "Here, take this. It may come in handy."

He nodded and tucked the kunai away in his sleeve. "Be safe," he whispered, melting into the shadows.

&&&***With Sasuke***&&&

"So, thinking about your girl?"

Sasuke almost froze. Almost. But when a guard came around the corner he had to chakra-scurry up the wall and stick to the cieling like glue. "I have no idea what you're talking about," he murmured without moving his lips.

Tamamo sounded very firm and very don't-give-me-that-bull. "You know damn well what I'm talking about."

And Sasuke did. So, lapsing for a brief moment, he spoke about her. "Her name was...Mikarai, but we called her Miki. She's my...she was my world." His teeth ground together. "Until that bastard Kuroba got her killed."

"Yeah, I caught that."

"But how did you know about Miki?" Sasuke asked. "I never - "

"Call it my powers of observation," Tamamo replied. "So I'm guessing...she's a special girl, too."

Even the memory of the female cut at Sasuke's heart. Shaking it aside he snapped, "Yeah, so? She's special, but she's still dead. Just like everyone else I ever cared about. My family, my brother...and now even Miki! She promised me that she wouldn't - that she wouldn't leave me!"

Silence. Sasuke pressed on, hopeful that his emo story would shut the blonde girl up long enough for him to locate the hub and disable whatever traps would prevent his teammates from finding Kuroba. Picking his way along, the Uchiha finally found the door he was looking for - except it was locked up tight and guarded.

Suddenly Tamamo was back. Her sentance floated over the radio and wedged in his ear. "And yet you love her."

Sasuke began powering up Chidori. "I've never loved anyone as much as Miki."

"You better remember that the next time you see her."

He shook his head, preparing himself for the run at the door and through the ten guards between him and the door. "The only way I'll see her is when I die."

The chirping sound of his attack almost completely muffled her reply, but he could catch her words. "Oh ye of little faith."

&&&***With Ino and Choji***&&&

"C'mon Choji, move it!" Ino hissed, hauling his butt down the corridor and away from the kitchen. "You just bulked up! What more could you possibly eat now?"

"Oooh, someone's snippy," came Tamamo's voice.

"Get off the line, Tamamo!" Ino almost shrieked, earning a weird look from Choji. "And where are my directions?"

"Take a chill pill girl." Tamamo sighed, sounding annoyed. "It's gonna take me a few minutes. "

"We don't have a few minutes!" You brat! she yelled in her head.

"Relax. Chat up your man."

"What the hell?" Ino began before Choji came up short, making her run into his back. "Ow! What?"

He inclined his head down the hallway. "I hear sounds of fighting, and birds. I think it's Sasuke."

"Sasuke? But our orders were not to engage!"

"I know, which means something went wrong." The portly Akimichi pushed Ino into a recess, effectively hiding her from passers-by. "Listen to me Ino. Of the two of us, my jutsus are more suited for combat. Stay here and get information, then radio back to Tamamo for help."

Ino tried to struggle, to argue, but her teammate was firm. Biting her lip, she pressed against the wall and watched as Choji used Nikudan Hari Sensha (Spiked Human Bullet Tank) jutsu and careen down the hallway. You better be okay Choji, she thought, hearing the sounds of fighting increase. Shikamaru and I...you just better not die.

&&&***With Sai***&&&

Sai really didn't understand how he had begun talking to Tamamo about Rinka. Really, it didn't matter. The fact of the matter was, he was talking now.

"She reached out to me," he said, angling his ink-bird north to check on Naruto and Sakura's climb up the wall. "She was one of the first. Rinka was...incredible. She had such life and expression to her face..."

"And I'm guessing...she's a special girl, too." Tamamo spoke the sentance as a statement, not a question.

The former Root operative nodded, knowing the blonde couldn't see him. "But I never got to tell her," he confessed. "She and the others...they were assigned to the black-ops mission that was comprimised. I begged her not to go, and we got in a fight...I think it was the first time I ever got angry at her." His eyes stung, but from tears or the whistling winds he couldn't tell. "We parted angry, and I never got to apologize. I think...I think I hated her for dying."

"And yet you love her."

Love? Sai wasn't sure if he was capable of such an emotion. Even after leaving Root, the training he had undergone had long buried his feelings. Even when he had been with Rinka, she had been expressive enough for both of them. And she had brought such light to his life, and when notice of her death had come, it had made Sai feel as though he couldn't breathe. Months later, he still could not breathe the same.

Was that love? Could he have - loved her?

His bird suddenly keened and banked hard left, exploding into blobs of ink. Thrown clear, Sai free-fell and tried to understand what had happened; a kunai had been thrown up, with an exploding tag tied to the end so it would explode upon impact with his jutsu. He'd been spotted.

"Tamamo!" he called into his radio. "Tamamo, respond!"

"What's going on? What happened?" she said, anxiety worming into her calm tone. "Report."

"I've been hit," Sai said, quickly painting an owl and regaining altitude. "I've been made. Contact the others - "

And then the air was full of explosions.

&&&***With Kiba and Akamaru***&&&

The Inuzuka team slunk through the higher levels, seeking Kuroba's trail. Akamaru kept whuffling to Kiba, trying to tell the boy something, but Kiba wasn't paying attention. His attention was diverted by Tamamo, who had made a small comment.

"So, thinking about your girl?"

Which of course made him think of Kokoro, and of how she made him felt...and what it felt like to lose her. He'd been there, at the massacre. The op had been blown - literally, a huge crater in the plain. Charred bodies had been blasted everywhere. The air had stank of cooked flesh and ash.

And he'd been there to I.D. the scraps of cloth that Kokoro and the others had been wearing. Found in the vaporizing center of the blast site.

"What did Naruto tell you?" the dog user snapped angrily. "That's private."

"Yeah, I caught that," she retorted.

"So did he?"

"Call it my powers of observation," Tamamo replied vaguely before changing the subject. "So I'm guessing...she's a special girl, too."

"Yeah, she was." Kiba's anger at Kokoro's death rankled through him again, but he shoved it off. "Not that it's any of your business." Kiba gave an ungentlemanly curse and continued down the hallway - right into the waiting arms of an ambush party.

Akamaru yelped as a muzzle was snapped over his snout. The sight enraged Kiba so much that he exploded into action, throwing off his captors and fighting to reach his ninken partner's side. But he was quickly restrained.

"Now now, Inuzuka," chuckled a familiar voice from behind the boy. "Let's not get too frisky. I still need you and your friends alive."

Kiba felt something pinch his neck and his vision instantly began to blur. Sedative, he thought through the fog that was shutting his brain down. He could hear Tamamo's voice echoing in his ear, asking what was happening, but before he could tell her that he'd found their objective, he blacked out.

&&&***With Naruto and Sakura***&&&

"Well that was fast," Naruto murmured as explosions rent the air and shouts echoed down the hallways. He hoisted Sakura in through the window and pulled her down the hallway, hoping his directions from Tamamo were accurate. Their objective was to seek out any prisoners, but it seemed like everybody else needed help and -

"Naruto."

The blond jumped out of his skin when Shino skidded around the corner, swarmed by his bugs. "Dammit Shino, don't - !"

"They're coming," interrupted the Aburame. "I had to split up from Hinata. We have to lead them away."

Nodding, Naruto touched his com unit. "Tamamo, come in. Tamamo!"

"What's going on? What happened?" came the reply.

Sakura took over, letting Shino run point and Naruto bring up the rear, protected in the center. "Tamamo, we have a serious problem."

"Report. I've been getting disturbances from everyone else - "

"We've been made!" Shino shouted. Two groups of ninja swarmed in front and in back of the three, cutting off all escape. "Tamamo, we've been made!"

Sakura felt a hand grab her collar and drag her to the wall. Smoke exploded around them, blinding and choking her. There was a screech of metal being wrenched off, and her captor shoved her into a dark space. All around her was smoke, fighting, and shouts, disorienting and confusing the pinkette.

"Sakura, run!" yelled Naruto. She was shoved again as the grate came back on behind her.

"Naruto!" Sakura shouted as the smoke was blasted into the vent by an enemy wind jutsu. She could only watch in horror as Naruto and Shino were beaten into submission, restrained, and carried off. When she was sure they were gone, she crawled out of the vent and contacted Tamamo. "They took him! Him and Shino!"

"Run and meet up with the others!" came the blonde girl's reply. "All the boys were taken. Regroup with the girls."

&&&***With the Konoha Kunoichi***&&&

Hinata was the first to arrive at the junction of the hallways, panting and her Byakugan activated. Soon Tenten, Ino, and Sakura joined her. The girls quickly pooled their facts together and arrived at the same conclusion; the boys had been taken. The enemy knew they had been coming.

"But how?" demanded Ino angrily. "This mission was secure! The only ones who knew were Tsunade-sama and Shizune!"

Sakura spoke calmly, barely containing herself. "We were comprimised, just like the last time we took on Kuroba. Someone sold us out."

"But who?" asked Hinata, wringing her hands as she scoured the building with her Byakugan. "Who could have done this?"

Tenten made a motion to her teammates, a swift slice across her neck with her hand. Understanding the motion, every girl turned off her mike. When Tenten spoke, she sounded very, very angry. "Who wasn't an original part of this mission?"

All four girls shared a look and said in unison, "Tamamo."

"And she's on the radio," Ino added. "Listening to our every move."

"She could have sold us out," Tenten said.

"But why?" Hinata asked. She shook her head. "It just doesn't make any sense. She's Naruto's cousin."

"You know Naruto doesn't know anything about his mother's family," Sakura chided. "She could have lied."

"And it's Naruto," admitted Ino unashamedly. "We all know he's not the brightest color in the rainbow. She could have misled him..."

Hinata made a decision and turned on her radio. "Tamamo? Do you copy?" she asked, turning up the volume so everyone could hear.

The blonde girl sounded pissed. "The hell, Hinata! Your mikes all went dead at the same moment! I almost freaked out! Are you all in one place?"

"Yes," said the Hyuuga heiress. "None of the boys are here. Is there a back-up plan?"

"Shikamaru told me that the back-up plan is me. I'm coming in. Where are you?"

Hinata looked with her Byakugan. "From your position, we're on the west side on the fourth floor."

"Take the corridor to your left, and continue down. I'll meet you in the basement."

Hinata cut the connection, looking to her friends. "So?"

"We go right and up," said Sakura firmly, pointing in her direction. "We can't take the risk that she's leading us into a trap."

"And those five A-class chakra signatures are down there," Ino supplied.

Tenten nodded. "Okay then. We go right and up."

Determined, the four kunoichi then proceeded to strike out on their own, relying mostly on Hinata's Byakugan to avoid enemies. In an unspoken agreement they left their radios off, effectively cutting Tamamo off from their plan. They were going in blind, but at least not tailed.

Luckily they managed to reach the inner sanctum without being detected. Even more in their favor, they found Kuroba Daichi there. He was lounging on a couch and eating some food, smirking at the four young women who were poised to assassinate him. "Welcome, kunoichi of Konoha," he said. "I must say, it took you long enough."

"Kuroba Daichi, you are charged with espionage, trafficking in highly classified information, and the murder of thirty loyal shinobi of Konohagakure!" Sakura announced angrily, yanking on her black gloves and pulling chakra into her fists. "By order of the Fifth Hokage Tsunade, you are to be executed for your crimes!"

The fugitive raised a finger to halt her tirade. "Except you are charged with a far worse crime. Evading capture."

Ino scoffed. "As if we'd be captured by you. We found out your little mole."

One eyebrow raised on Kuroba's face. "Mole?"

The way he said it, like he didn't know what they was talking about, terrified Hinata. She scrabbled for her radio and turned it on to hear Tamamo yelling, "Come in, come in! Anyone, pick the hell up! Kuroba's set up a sting! He knew you were coming! Get out now! GET OUT!"

Then a heavy object hit Hinata square on the back of the head, she heard the other girls cry out in pain, and the world blacked out.

&&&***Outside Kuroba's lair***&&&

Tamamo cursed fluently as the lines all went dead. Crap, they've been captured. Those stupid girls - why did they go the opposite way I told them to? If they'd gone to the basement they would've found -

"Identify yourself," came a deep, emotionless voice behind the blonde.

Whirling around in a crouch, Tamamo came face-to-face with a pale red-haired man bearing signs of chronic insomnia, his eyes lined with black, and wearing deep scarlet and tan robes typical of Suna origin, toting a giant corked gourd on his back. Beside him was a busty older blonde woman with a large fan strapped to her back. They both glared at Tamamo in an obviously hostile manner, the boy with pale green eyes and the girl with darker jade eyes.

"Identify yourself," the redhead repeated.

Tamamo decided to comply. "My name is Tamamo, and I'm attached to the Konoha Twelve for a mission. You appear to be from Suna, our ally. Who are you?"

The blonde woman's eyebrows rose. "Are you serious, girl? You don't know Sabaku no Gaara, the Fifth Kazekage?"

Tamamo looked, and sure enough, there was the tattoo for Love above his black-lined eye. "Sorry, didn't see it," she said. "That makes you...Temari, correct?"

Temari nodded. "Okay then, Tamamo, why are you here?"

"Assassination. One Kuroba Daichi. Except the team's managed to get themselves captured, and I don't think Kuroba's going to be an agreeable host to his would-be executioners." The younger blonde looked to Gaara. He was staring at the quiet castle, as if willing the place to give up its secrets. "And what brings you two so far from the deserts of Suna?"

"One of our own was kidnapped by this Kuroba cretin," said Temari, also watching Gaara. "His student, Matsuri. She's somewhere in there, and we've come to get her back."

A plan formulated in Tamamo's mind faster than Korean barbeque descending down Choji's gullet. "Well if you two are willing to cooperate, I have an idea to get them all out."

&&&***In the Basement Lair of Kuroba Daichi***&&&

Sakura was the first to stir, rubbing the back of her sore head where she'd been clocked. Blinking her bright green eyes to clear them, she discovered that she was in a small barred square, like a prison cell. When she tried to move around to investigate, she discovered another unpleasant thing - her hands were chained to the center of the floor with chakra-sealing cuffs, like the ones used by ANBU squads. To her left was Hinata, still unconscious. To her right -

"Sakura?"

The pinkette's eyes went wide as saucers. She knew that voice coming from the right cell. "Kokoro? Is that you?"

The person in the next cell shifted into the light as far as her chains would allow. The wild-haired brunette blinked her golden eyes owlishly, tears brimming in them. "Sakura," she repeated, reaching through the bars to clasp her friend's hands. Their chains only barely allowed this. "Oh my god, it is you." She raised her voice. "Suri, Rinka, Miki!"

"Is it really her?" asked another voice from the other side of Hinata's cell. "I've found Hinata."

"Ino's over here too," came a lilting whisper-shout.

"And Tenten!" added a vivacious call.

Sakura looked in awe as the four dead kunoichi of Konoha stood before her, beaten and weakened but very much alive. In addition, she could see red-headed Suri on the other side of Kokoro's cell, her pigtail-buns messy and scraggled, but still wearing the orange leg and arm warmers Lee had given her. Rinka's blue and white outfit almost glowed in the dim lighting, along with her pretty green eyes underneath black bangs. Miki lay on the floor of her cell, her blue hair chopped irregularly and on purpose. She looked up at Sakura and gave an apologetic shrug when the pinkette gaped at her hair. "Pissed him off," she said with a smirk.

"And who's that?" Sakura asked, pointing to the farthest cell where another girl was barely visible.

Kokoro shrugged. "She's from Suna. Said her name's Matsuri."

Then we'll be saved soon, Sakura thought. Gaara will move heaven and hell and the world's core to get her back.

"But how did you find us?" Kokoro asked, puzzled.

"We came to kill Kuroba for killing you guys." Then Sakura's voice grew confused. "Speaking of which, and I mean this with the greatest amount of love - why aren't you guys dead?"

The door suddenly slammed open, revealing Kuroba Daichi. His smile was dangerously slimy and evil. "Because I needed them," he said. "In fact, I needed all of you. Thank you, Miss Sakura, for bringing the remaining sacrifices to my very doorstep."

Sacrifices? Sakura didn't like the sound of that. She glanced around, just noticing something very disturbing. "Where are the boys?"

"You'll see them soon enough." Kuroba opened a skylight window, revealing the full moon. "Excellent. The eclipse is about to happen. This is perfect." He began flipping a line of previously unseen switches on a nearby wall, illuminating the dungeon-like basement. "And now, for the reunion."

The lights on the other side of the room flicked on, revealing a plain wall. Chained to the wall, one in front of a cell, was the remaining male members of the Konoha Twelve.

The girls screamed out their names, straining against their chains to reach for them through the bars. But this was futile. In addition to the chains being too short, there was eight feet of space between the cells and the unconscious boys. Each boy was placed in opposition of his partner - Naruto to Sakura, Sasuke to Miki, Kiba to Kokoro, Shino to Hinata, Choji to Ino, Lee to Suri, Neji to Tenten, and Sai to Rinka. Only Shikamaru was different, chained to the wall opposite Matsuri's cell.

Kuroba seemed to gain some sick confidence and satisfaction in their screams. "How lovely. One big happy reunion. But you lot will be together soon - just as soon as I gather your chakras."

"The hell, bastard?" growled Miki, struggling to her feet.

The fugitive smirked. "If I take all your chakras and harness them as my own, I'll be the most powerful ninja in existance! And thanks to my technique, all I need is the lunar eclipse to line up properly and finish the process."

"Finish?" asked Kokoro, looking at Kiba in horror. "What do you - ?"

His smile turned even more evil. "Boys are always such difficult sacrifices. That's why I drain them first."

Sakura's heart stopped. She looked at Naruto, willing the blond male to wake up, to struggle - to do anything. But he slumped against the wall, still as death. Oh god please, please not him. None of them, please, please, PLEASE!

Suddenly a buzzing was heard. Sakura said automatically, "I think it's mine."

Kuroba looked to the pile of radios he had taken from the shinobi. Sure enough, Sakura's was buzzing. He picked it up and said, "Hello?"

"Hello there," came a familiar female voice. "Might I be speaking to Kuroba Daichi?"

The man frowned in confusion. "Who the hell are you?"

"Oh, forgive my manners. My name is Tamamo. I'm a recent acquaintence of the shinobi you have in your basement-dungeon-thingy."

Sakura refused to give herself hope. Tamamo? Tamamo's still here?

"And what if you are, little girl?" Kuroba asked pompously. "Are you going to get them back?"

Tamamo gave a little girlish chuckle that seemed more ominous than it sounded. "Why of course. You are holding my master and his friends, after all."

The smile on Kuroba's face faltered a little bit. "Master?"

Sakura saw movement out of the corner of her eye. Looking, she saw Naruto's head rise. Hollow blue eyes locked with hers, practically lifeless. Her heart broke at the sheer effort it took him to keep his head up.

Then Naruto did an unbelievable thing. He winked at her.

Then he made a yipping sound, very softly, much like a fox's yip. "Kon kon!"* The sound travelled well in the large room, echoing until it was audible to even Kuroba. "Kon kon!"

Then the girlish chuckle repeated. "I hear you, Naruto. Okay, they're here!"

The "they're here" comment was swiftly followed by a tremendous explosion that blasted out the back wall. Dust blinded everyone in a roiling wave, causing coughing and choking and temporary blindness. When it settled, there stood the three people Sakura was happiest to see at that very moment.

&&&***With Gaara***&&&

Gaara looked around until he saw Matsuri in her cell. He almost headed towards her, but Tamamo held him back. She did the same when Temari tried to reach Shikamaru's side. "Bad guy first," said the blonde girl. "Then we rescue everyone."

"Can you handle him?" Gaara asked, concern clearly in his voice for his student.

Tamamo smiled in a spine-tingling way. "Of course. Bust the chains and get them out of here."

Temari unfurlled her giant fan. "Get down!" she ordered the girls. "Daikamaitachi no Jutsu! (Great Sickle Weasel Technique!)" Her wind sliced the bars and chains into scrap metal. On Tamamo's other side, Gaara used his sand to enter the boys' restraints through the keyholes. Once inside, he merely made them explode. Then he made sand platforms to lift everyone above the battle about to happen.

"No! I need them!" Kuroba screamed, drawing a katana and racing towards Tamamo.

Gaara felt a tremor in the air and stared at Tamamo. The girl - so much like Naruto that it was scary - untied her pigtails so that her hair fell in a curtain, holding the ribbons out at her side. "Not as much as they need each other," she said calmly. "I made a promise to Naruto. And I never go back on my promises." Then she released the ribbons.

The exchange was too fast and destructive. Gaara threw up his Suna no Tate (Sand Shield) to protect them from the sheer amount of power that exploded from Tamamo's attack. The hell is that? he wondered, feeling the exterior of his shield erode away from the chakra's power. I've never seen an attack that powerful, and only a few chakras on their own can whittle away my shield...

Is she...she looks just like Naruto, so it's possible...could she be?

"Gaara!" The shout pulled him from his thoughts. Tamamo leapt through the hole in his shield as the sound of pulverising stone and crumbling castle surrounded them. "Get us out of here!" she shouted.

In record time they were back on the hill, watching the castle fall in on itself while Kuroba's men fled for their lives. Gaara only spared a second to watch, since he was preoccupied.

All the boys were deathly pale, and the girls were vainly trying to use medical jutsu to revive them. But no matter how much green chakra was shoved into their bodies, the boys didn't move or respond.

When nothing happened, however, the girls began to falter. Sakura kept doing compressions on Naruto's heart, begging him to be all right. Ino likewise tried to revive Choji, even promising to treat him to barbeque. Kokoro cried over Kiba while Rinka shouted at Sai's still body. Tenten threatened to chop off Neji's extremities if he didn't wake up; Hinata was taking that tone as well with Shino in an unusual break from character. Suri chafted Lee's wrists, trying very hard not to cry. And Miki was resorting to mouth-to-mouth on Sasuke.

But Tamamo kept them going, urging every girl to give her all. She even managed to keep Temari going, prodding the fan mistress to continue trying to heal Shikamaru. All the while the blonde girl glanced at Gaara meaningfully. He followed her gaze to Matsuri, who stood next to him, shivering and scared. Without thinking he wrapped her in a hug. She buried her face in his shoulder, sobbing, "I was there, Gaara, I saw what he did...it was horrible, Gaara, and he said he was going to do it to me too..."

"Shhhh, Matsuri," the Kazekage murmured, cloaking his rage at the dead man with gentleness for his shaken former student. "I've got you. Don't worry, they will be all right." Making sure her face was turned away from Tamamo, he gave the mysterious blonde a nod.

She reached into her shirt and pulled out a white object, bright in the moonlight. Placing it on her head, she made the sign of the ram. "C'mon girls, one last jutsu," she pleaded. "I'll help you."

Regaining themselves, the girls all pulled together and did the same healing jutsu, placing their hands over their patient's heart. Tamamo took a deep breath in time with theirs, then put her hands out in front of her, fingers splayed.

Gaara watched, awestruck, as nine arcs of chakra emerged from Tamamo's body. One entered each girl, melding with their own chakras and bolstering the healing jutsu. In two minutes the boys were out of danger. In five, they were awake. Before they were, Tamamo broke her jutsu and dissipated her chakra.

Pandemonium ensued when the boys awoke. The lost girls were hugged tightly, and questions abounded as to how they survived and what had happened. It was Gaara, however, who cleared his throat and said, "Let's go back to Konoha and make our report. We will accompany you."

&&&***The Next Night***&&&

Naruto sighed, looking over the silent village from atop the Hokage Monument. "Just another day in Konoha," he said.

From behind him, Tamamo sighed. "I'm sure it's always that chaotic when you don't have supernatural backup."

He turned and faced Tamamo. She was beginning to look a little less human. Her ears were pointed, and her eyes were starting to lengthen, like animal almonds instead of human ovals. Her nails had grown, giving her a clawed appearance. Not to mention her somewhat leaner figure.

The fact that her shadow was a fox's was also a big indicator.

"I think Gaara suspects," he admitted. "I saw him trying to check your stomach for a seal like mine.

She nodded. "Being the host for Shukaku has been eye-opening for him."

He smiled as he remembered that first morning again...

The girl sat up, holding the sheet to cover herself. Her fox tail wagged in the morning light. "Greetings, Uzumaki Naruto. My name is Tamamo-no-Mae."**

Naruto couldn't help but think, Well at least she's not Kyuubi. "Um, okay. Not to be rude or anything, but...why are you in my bed?"

"Suffice to say that you will need my help this day. I owe you a favor from your youth - you saved my life - and I have come to repay it." She shook out her hair, blonde as his own. "Time is of the essance. Aren't you late?" When he freaked out about that, she added on, "I will come with you."

Without much else to say, Naruto could only reply, "Okay then. I can't say the others will be on board with it. If need be, we'll come back for our stuff, okay?"

"Very well," she demurred, bowing her head.

"Terrific. Now...put on some clothes, will ya?"

Naruto waited until Tamamo was ready to leave, then locked up his house. When he saw the rest of the Konoha Twelve, he had to think aloud to himself, "Having a kitsune along for a mission...how bad can this be?"

Naruto shook his head. "I still don't get it. How?"

"Come now Naruto, don't you know the legends?" she asked, smiling ferally.

"Of course I do." The blond boy crossed his arms, staring at her. "So which are you? A zenko or yako?"***

She continued to smile. "Come Naruto, either way, you should be thanking me. Without my powers, you would all be dead or worse."

"You knew the girls were in the basement."

"I had a hunch. There's a difference."

"So you helped us on a hunch?"**** Naruto didn't sound sold on the whole 'hunch' idea.

"No, I owed you a favor." She pointed to his stomach, at the exact place the ninja he'd fought had hit him the day before she appeared. "When that happened, it triggered a sort of seal - a failsafe, if you will, to contain Kyuubi-sama's power. Kyuubi-sama sent out a summons for any kitsune. I was the closest and the most powerful."

"Another Kyuubi?" he asked.

But Tamamo shook her head. "There is only one Kyuubi-sama," she said. "He is our god, in a way. I am merely a long-lived nine-tailed fox who owed a favor." She smiled again. "And now I have fufilled my debt. I have protected you and yours. So my promise to you is kept as well."

From within Naruto, the Kyuubi stirred. Thank you, Tamamo-no-Mae, for responding to my summons. I am in your debt.

"The pleasure is mine, Kyuubi-sama." She stood gracefully and made to leave. "You have a charming host."

Heh. You try being sealed inside a do-gooder like him. Makes my claws curl.

But Naruto wasn't finished. "You haven't answered my question."

Tamamo gave him a last look, then gave a lilting laugh. Reaching into her shirt again, she brought out the white object from before - a little human skull. "Which one?" she asked before placing it on her head. With a puff of smoke, the transformation broke and she stood before him in another form. As a black fox.*****

Naruto laughed. "A lucky black trickster. Well then, not a zenko," he said. But he still bowed to her. "Still, can't knock what's kept you breathing. Thank you, Tamamo-no-Mae, for your help. Your favor is repaid in full."

The black fox yipped, "Kon kon!" and took off, her nine tails in a black fan behind her as she streaked out of sight.

YAY!

A.N - I went waaaay overboard with the kitsune symbolism. Everything here is from Wikipedia.

* - "Kon kon" is the japanese onomatopoeia for a fox's cry.

** - Tamamo-no-Mae is the name of a famous nine-tailed kitsune of legend. Only her name is used here.

*** - Zenko and yako are two classifications of kitsune. Zenko, meaning "good foxes", are benevolent and sometimes celestial foxes, mostly associated with Inari, god/dess of foxes, whose messangers are white. Yako, meaning "field foxes", tend to be more mischievous or even malicious.

**** - Foxes are said to gain omniscience when they gain their ninth tail. Here, Naruto doesn't believe that Tamamo simply 'had a hunch'.

***** - Foxes transform using either a broad leaf, reeds, or a skull to transform. Also, black foxes are considered to be good omens. So are nine-tailed foxes. Yako are known tricksters. Simple.