This is one of those times that I have an idea in my head that just will not leave me alone unless I get it out. First Naruto Fic, so please, folks, be gentle.

1: Start of the Journey

The first thing Tayuya felt when she came to was a blinding, searing pain in her legs, and another pain that was coming from her shoulder. "Fuck!" She clapped her hand over the pained spot that she knew her cure mark was. The small mark was hot, unbearably so, and burned her fingers at the touch.

"That fucking Orochi-teme!" She shrieked, "I'm not dead yet! Don't you dare take the seal from me!"

Kukukuku, laughed a sadistic voice in her head as the mark began to fade, I'm terribly sorry, Tayuya-chan, but with you pinned like that, I doubt even the power of my gift could help you.

"What the fuck do you mean pinned?!" Then her thoughts snapped back to the pain in her legs and she whipped her head around behind her. Her face paled as she caught sight of herself, "Oh no...Oh fuck no! Orochimaru! I've been loyal to you for most of my life, you can't leave me like this!"

Her screams of anger and pain only served to amuse the snake Sannin further as his voice began to fade as well, But what would I do with a broken pawn when I already have my knight? And then the presence was gone, along with her last hope of escaping alive.

Tayuya felt like crying, for the first time in a long time, she wanted to break down. "Abandoned...I've been abandoned again..." She lurched forward in an attempt to free herself from the giant tree that was crushing her legs. "Fuck! Someone! Anyone! Fucking help me!" Her leg bones crackled, causing her to shriek again in pain. "Jirobo. Sakon, Kimimaro! Anyone! Help!" The pain was so intense that she collapsed back to the ground in exhaustion. "Help..."

She passed into unconsciousness.

(*)

"You sure you're good for travel, Gaki?" Jiraiya asked, "You barely started to heal. Give the fox more time to work."

"No," the young blonde growled tiredly, "I can heal as we go. I need this training if I'm going to bring Sasuke back!"

He's right, you know,the nine-tailed fox growled, you should rest more. You used far too much of my chakra too soon for your age.

Be quiet, Naruto snapped, since when do you care about me?

Do I really need to answer that, Kit?

"I take it the fox is agreeing with me?" Jiraiya said, noticing the boy's scowl, which he threw his way when he heard the old toad sage. Jiraiya smiled. Just like his father, and mother, too stubborn to rest, and to prideful to admit that he needs it. "Look, we'll take it easy for a while until the fox can fix you. I don't intend on training you until we reach the border to Suna."

Naruto's face broke into a grin, "We're going to Sunagakure?"

"Yup," he smiled at the boy's renewed energy, "You'll get to see Gara and his siblings."

"Awesome!"

I could do without seeing that psychotic tanuki, commented the fox. Naruto ignored him, too excited to see his old friend to care that his tenant had insulted him to some degree.

"And I get see what Suna has to offer my research!" The Sannin snicker, clasping his hands together in excitement. Naruto stopped, looking at him with a deadpan expression.

"Pervert."

"Aw, you wound me, Gaki, I am not a pervert...I'm a SUPER PERVERT!" Naruto, and even the fox, groaned as the legendary ninja and self-proclaimed lady-killer struck a pose in front of him.

"Can we get going," the blonde asked, "I really don't want to be seen with you looking like that."

"This," the old man laughed, "coming from a mummy?"

I'm working on it, dammit!The fox roared huffily, I'd like to see you try to heal a hole the size of a human arm through the chest, and a lung, in a matter of days! The roars from inside his head gave Naruto a slight headache as the fox vented his anger toward the toad sage, even though he couldn't hear his ranting.

"Um, Ero-sennin? I'd appreciate it if you wouldn't make fun of the fox's power. He takes it out on me."

Who else am I supposed to torment?

"Sorry, Gaki, I'll try to keep that in mind." The smirk on the old man's face said otherwise, and Naruto knew that this was going to be a long three years as they continued on their way, with Konohagakure getting smaller with each step he took.

Three hours later...

As they continued into the after noon, Jiraiya noticed Naruto lagging behind. "Oi, Naruto, we'll stop and rest here for a while, alright?" He called back. Naruto didn't argue. Though the fox was working wonders no medical-nin could work, it was a slow process, mainly due to the fact that the fox was slightly pissed at the boy for putting their lives in danger, just to save am Uchiha brat that didn't want to be saved.

Naruto quickly caught up with him, despite his injuries, and sat down heavily on the ground under one of the trees that grew along the road. Jiraiya thought that he wouldn't be moving for a while, and decided to go ahead and start setting up camp.

Naruto soon found himself dozing off, though, and then found himself in a very familiar place.

Finally! You took your sweet time, Kit!

"DAH!" Naruto nearly fell over backward at the fox's loud voice in the chamber, splashing water all over himself. "Warn me before you call me in here!"

Now where's the fun in that? The Kyubi asked, his giant face coming right up to the bars of his cage. Either way, you're here, and I have a request. And it's so simple, even you could do it.

"Hearing you say that doesn't make me wanna do it, flea bag." Naruto crossed his arms. "Since we're going to be together for a while, how about being nice for a change?"

Nice? NICE!The entire room shook as the Bijuu bellowed. I'm the all powerful Kyubi no Kitsune! An all mighty force of nature! And I'm stuck inside this pitiful excuse of a mind on the inside of a self-proclaimed Knucklehead Ninja! I don't do nice!

"Alright, already! Quit shouting before you make me got deaf!" Naruto yelped. "What d'ya want?"

If you can believe it, a better prison cell.

"Huh?"

Think about it, Kit, Kyubi sighed, placing a giant hand over his eyes, This is your mind, and, in a sense, your world. It can look however you want it to look...and yet here I am in a sewer.

"You mean this is how I want this place to look?" The boy was slightly surprised, looking around at all the rusty, dripping pipes that hung all around the room. Damn, I must have had more depression than I thought.

I'll have to agree with that thought, Kit. This is a result of extreme depression. Believe it or not, before we met, I had to squash a few suicidal thoughts before they could come to the forefront of your mind so that you could act them out.

"Suicide!" Naruto scoffed, "Now that's bullshit!"

Is it?Kyubi grinned, Think about it. You were beaten, starved, cast out, and ignored for the longest time. The sheer loneliness would have gotten to a normal Ningen long ago. Face the facts, Kit, I've saved your sorry tail more than once, without having to use my chakra cloak. The grin turned into a sneer. So you owe me. And the least you can do is give me a more...comfortable living space.

Naruto thought for a moment, letting all that the Kyubi had said sink in. Sighing, he realized that the giant fox was right. "Okay, you win, I'll give it a try. How do I do this?"

Well, well, you caved in more easily than I thought. Kyubi sneered again.

"Shut up, or I'll leave." Naruto threatened, "Do you want this or not?"

Fine, then just imagine it. If you were a fox, where would you like to live? Thinking on that, Naruto sat down in the water, crossing his legs, and closed his eyes, thinking of all the places he'd seen foxes. The Kyubi, he knew, would need something more than just a forest though since he was so big. Then he remembered the Chunin examines and his romp in the Forest of Death. There had been foxes there, too. Big ones. He even thought he'd seen one with more than one tail.

As this was going on, the Kyubi waited impatiently for the boy to get if right, and suddenly everything around them shattered. The Kyubi's eyes widened as the very bars that had imprisoned him melted away into golden sparks that began swirling around Naruto, seal and all! The dark sewer he'd come to call his prison turned into a vast, white infinity that had the beast worried for a moment.

Then there was a sky. Clear, and blue and beautiful to the fox, who had only seen it through his captor's eyes, and very briefly after his forced escape from his previous container.

Then he felt earth beneath his feet. Soft, fertile soil, perfect for any type of plant. Not bad, Kit, but is that all? I don't think I can start a garden in here. Naruto ignored the comment. He wasn't done yet. A fact which quickly registered with the Kyubi as the ground started to shake. Oi, Kit! What do you think you're doing!Again he was ignored. All around them plants started to grow.

Not small plants, but giant, tall, and beautiful trees who's roots shot out of the ground, and into the air as they branched out, and formed leaves, and caves beneath their bases. One such root burst our of the ground beneath them, lifting both boy and fox off the ground. This nearly caused the demon to lose his footing, and had to dig his claws into the root to keep his balance.

Damn you, Kit, when I get my hands on you I'll...

"Like the new look?" Naruto asked, finally opening his eyes, giving the his tenant a foxy grin.

Kyubi growled at him, but looked around at his new surroundings. The trees were bigger than he was.

I hate to admit this, but I'm impressed. This is perfect. I can even sense animals to hunt here. Big ones, too.

"I modeled this place after the Forest of Death, so don't be surprised if you find a few giant snakes." Naruto said, still grinning.

As long as I get to tear something apart! Kyubi sighed in content, then realized that the sparks were still swirling around Naruto. Kit, what is that anyway?

"What, this?" Naruto grinned, "It's your new collar!"

Collar! To the Kyubi's horror, the sparks shot right at him and whirled around his neck, forming a secure, yet comfortable fitting leather collar. Naruto snickered at the fox's outraged look. "That looks good on you."

How dare you?! I'm not some common cur that can be collared! Get this damnable thing off of me!"Sorry, but the seal had to go somewhere." Naruto laughed, knowing full well that his little prank on the fox had worked.

You little runt!The Kyubi lunged at him. Naruto yelped and sprinted out of the fox's reach. "Glad you like the new mind scape, gotta go!"

Oh, no you don't! Get back here you little guttersnipe!The fox pounded after him on all fours. When I get my hands on you, you'll wish I was Orochimaru! Come back here! I'll skin you alive!

"Sorry, but I'm gone!" Naruto laughed, and suddenly disappeared back into the real world. Leaving behind one very angry fox.

Outside while Naruto is sleeping...

While Naruto seemed to be sleeping, Jiraiya had set up camp and started going about making their dinner. He looked over at the boy, who looked peaceful, despite what was really going on in his mind, as he snored softly.

"Hmph, told you we should have waited until you recovered." Jiraiya laughed softly. He stood up from where he'd knelt to form a fire pit, and started off into the woods for fire wood. "This is going to be good for him, I think. We just need to stay clear of Iwa. He looks too much like Minato to even risk the border." He said to himself as he started gathering a small bundle of wood.

"Kumo could be a little dangerous, given that little stunt they pulled with the Hyuga, but..." He stopped for a moment, catching something drifting on the breeze. "Is that blood?" He took a deep breath, inhaling the scent more. "It is, and it's fresh!" Dropping his bundle and biting his thumb he preformed the boar, dog, bird, monkey and ram signs. "Kuchiyose no Jutso!" A puff of smoke rose from where he'd placed his hand on the ground, revealing a little orange and blue toad wearing a blue vest.

"Hey, Jiraiya, what gives?" Gamakichi asked, "I thought Pops was your main summon?"

"Normally, yes," Jiraiya said, kneeling down to the little toad, "But I need you to stay and look after Naruto for me. I can smell blood in the air, and it's fresh, and close by."

"Oh, I gotcha, sure thing!" Gamakichi saluted, "Where is the boss, anyway?"

"He's over there," the old man pointed back toward the road, "Leaning against a tree sleeping. He's in pretty bad shape, too, so keep an eye out for anything suspicious."

"You got it!" Gamakichi hopped off toward his friend, while Jiraiya sped off into the forest.

For the last three hours or so, Tayuya had slipped in and out of consciousness from either pain or blood loss, she didn't know which. But each time she woke up again, she redoubled her efforts to get out. Her legs felt like they were being ripped to pieces as she struggled, yet she could feel them moving ever so slightly with each effort, she was getting herself loose!

But then she would pass out again from the pain of it, and the fear of not being able to get out. Of dying here in the middle of the forest...alone. Now she was more determined than ever to free herself as she clawed and scrabbled at the ground for a hand hold on something, grunting in pain and effort just to get a breath.

"Fuck this! And fuck that Orochi-teme! I'm not dying here!" The girl swore, struggling again, "I'll hunt him down! I'll kill him for abandoning me!"

"If you really mean that, then maybe I should help you?"

"Who said that?" Tayuya demanded, looking around for the source of the voice, her hope flaring up, "Who's there?"

"Why I am the all mighty Kami-sama!"

A large sweat drop appeared on her face, "I call bull-fucking-shit on that." A booming laugh sounded from right above her and she craned her neck to see what was there. She saw an old man in a bright red vest that looked like something out of the Kabuki theater, and he wore a head band that sported the kanji for "oil" on it.

"Who...?"

"I'll leave the introductions," he said, jumping down from his perch, "For now, let's see what I can do about getting this tree off of you, huh?"

"Fuckin' A!" She nearly cried, "I've been stuck here for days!"

"All the more reason for me to hurry," he grinned, rubbing his hands together, "but this is a fairly large tree. I can do this on my own." Not even in Sage Mode. "I'll need help with this." She watched him, fearing that he'd leaver her, but instead he started making hand signs so fast that she could barely see them. Then he slammed his hand into the ground, "Kuchiyose no Jutso!" For the second time that day, a puff of smoke appeared in the woods, yet this time, the summon was much, much larger.

"What an odd place I've come to." Said the giant green toad, "Ah, Jiraiya, how nice to see you! What can I do for you?"

"Thanks for coming, Gamanatsu," the old man said, then patted the tree that was trapping the girl, "I need you to move this tree off of this girl without crushing her. I have a feeling that her legs already in bad shape thank to being under it for so long. I'd be surprised if she can even feel them anymore."

Fucking great way to scare a girl, Tayuya thought snidely.

"I will do what I can," the toad lumbered over to the tree and hunched just in front of her, "Try not to move little one. I'll make this as quick as possible."

"Thank you!" Tayuya cried. Then held perfectly still as the toad reached for the tree with his webbed hands. The tree creaked and groaned as her lifted it. Jiraiya moved in a flash, taking the girl's hands, and pulling her out from under the tree as soon as there was enough room.

Tayuya screamed with pain and relief at being freed, and would have wept for joy if she didn't hurt so much.

"It fucking hurts!"

"I can see why," Jiraiya growled, "I'll have to treat you right now if you want to use those legs of yours."

"Do you require assistance?" Gamanatsu asked, "I could use some of my healing oils on her wounds."

"In a moment, but I need to get these splinters out first." Jiraiya said.

"Splinters?" Tayuya said, then made the mistake of looking back at her legs. What she saw made her blanch. Her legs, or what was left of them, were mangled, and nearly skinless, and there were fragments of wood, large and small, piercing them. "Oh Kami...I'm finished..."

"Don't talk like that!" Jiraiya growled, reached for his sealing scroll that contained his medical supplies, "I've never let anyone die on me like this, and you will not be the first!"

"But my legs are f-"

"Enough swearing!" Jiraiya snapped, "And your legs will be fine. With Gamanatsu's oil and my bone-setting skills, even the shattered bones will be back to normal!"

"But-" before she could go any further, he unsealed all his supplies, gauze, forceps, clamps, scapels, needles, and the like. She shivered at the sight of the needles and the stitching thread. "This is gonna fucking hurt." She whimpered.

"Just try not to thrash too much." He told her, "I'll be as quick as I can." And then he got started.

Gamanatsu's heart went out to the poor girl as Jiraiya worked on her. She screamed, and swore like a sailor with each large fragment he removed from her, but she didn't thrash, or even flinch as he did all this, not even when he poured a little sake into the wounds to clean them, but she did scream even loud than he thought humanly possible.

"Natsu, the oil if you please?" Jiraiya said.

Gamanatsu made a hand sign without question, and produced a large vat of yellow oil. "I believe this will do, it is very good for skin regrowth."

"Thank you, friend," Jiraiya left off his treatment of her and went to dip his hands into the vat, "Don't worry, this'll be more pleasant than removing the wood."

"Fucking great!" Tayuya moaned, "That makes me so happy!"

Jiraiya chuckled, if Kushina had a daughter... "It will be, trust me, this stuff works wonders." Then he knelt and applied the oil. At first her wounds stung from the oil, but that quickly passed as the oil numbed her legs, and began slowly closing the wounds. The girl sighed in relief.

"That's better."

"See, told you so." Jiraiya smirked, "Now tell me, what was all that about going after Orochimaru?"

Tayuya stiffened, "That's none of your fucking business!"

"Oh? Well, if you wanted to get some sort of revenge on the old snake, then I might be able to help you with that." Jiraiya offered, "I know him quite well."

"Yeah, sure, and I'm a Sannin!" Tayuya spat, "C'mon, the only man I know who could go toe to toe with that fucker is Jiraiya the Toad Sage!"

Jiraiya's smirked grew wider, "Didn't you hear Gamanatsu earlier? That's what he called me. And in case you didn't notice, he is a toad that I summoned."

"I-" Tayuya blushed, feeling like the biggest idiot in the world.

Jiraiya threw back his head and laughed, "No need to get flustered, girl, I get that reaction a lot!"

"S-sorry," she stuttered, "It's just that I've always heard that you were a pervert! And you haven't even once tried to- "

"Stop right there," Jiraiya said, much to Gamanatsu's amusement, "I only check out girls in their twenties and up, you're what? Twelve?"

"Thirteen," she said, sighing in relief, "Can you really help me?"

"My dear," he said, charging his hands with healing chakra, "If I can train the Yondaime Hokage, I can train a foul-mouthed gaki."

Back with Naruto...

Oi! Don't ignore me! I know you can hear me, Kit! Get back in here so I can eat you!The Kyubi roared, still fairly pissed off about his new collar. Naruto, for the most part, remained asleep, and dreamed happily without being drawn back into the seal by the fox. But that didn't stop him from hearing the demon's roaring.

I should've put a leash on him, too. Naruto thought, hoping the demon heard him.

He did. You try, and I'll make your life a living hell! And trust me when I say you haven't seen hell yet!

Believe me when I say go suck it! I'm trying to sleep! Naruto snapped back at the outraged fox. You're lucky I'm still stuck in here, Kit!

How does that make me lucky? The fleas you give me are murder! Naruto smirked. The comment had the desired effect. The Kyubi roared even louder at the insult. I do not have fleas! Come in here and say that to my claws!

Thanks but no thanks. Naruto thought, I know you can't really kill me, but that doesn't mean I'm going to let you rip me apart just to make yourself feel better.

Just a little? The fox cooed in a mock pleading voice. I promise I won't hurt you...much!

No, so forget about it. You got your new home, so be happy! Oh, look, is that a rabbit? Naruto peaked into his mind scape and imagined a large rabbit, just big enough to catch the fox's interest, scampering along the forest floor. Needless to say, the fox forgot all about being angry and did what any fox would do when he or she saw a rabbit, and chased after it. Naruto smirked, glad to see his tenant relatively happy for a change.

But as he was drifting back into his dreams...Oi, Kit, wake up! I smell blood! Human blood! Naruto snapped his eyes open at the mention of blood, and unknowingly sent a little orange toad that had been resting on his head flying.

"What's wrong with you!?" Gamakichi yelled angrily.

"What the heck are you doing here?" Naruto asked sleepily.

"Jiraiya asked me to look after you." He said, dusting himself off, "Then he ran off saying he smelled blood in the air."

"Yeah, the fox told me the same thing," Naruto said, getting to his feet, and nearly doubling over, "Gah! Damn, why's it taking so long to heal?"

I blame that damned black chakra the Uchiha brat used on for that Chidori he put through you. That was as close to demonic chakra as a human can get!The fox growled angrily, It's the only thing I can think of that's holding me back. Normally, even with such a severe wound as this, you'd be healed by now, long before now in fact.

"So, that's it, huh?" Naruto groaned, clutching his chest where Sasuke's claws had pierced him. "Tch, teme got me good after all, didn't he?"

"Talkin' to the fox?" Gamakichi asked. Naruto gave him a nod, "Yeah, he thinks some of the chakra from the curse mark might be slowing down my healing."

"That makes sense, I mean from what I know of this Orochimaru guy, he's one sick mother - "

The old man is coming,the Kyubi said, And he's not alone...he has a female with him!

"Ero-senin is coming back," Naruto said, "And the fox says he's got a girl with him."

"This is Jiraiya we're talking about here," Gamakichi said, holding out his pinky, "He's always got women around when he travels!"

"I'll thank you both not to talk about me like that!" The old sage yelled as he entered the camp site, and Naruto immediately noticed the woman in his arms. But it wasn't a woman he'd brought back, but a girl...a girl that Naruto knew!

"What the hell!" Naruto yelled, pointing toward the girl.

"Oh, fuck! Not you again, Shithead!"

"You two know each other?" Jiraiya asked in amusement, seeing the look on Naruto's face.

"She's one of the Sound Four!" Naruto growled, "What the hell are you doing with her!?"

"Drama, I'm out!" Gamakichi said, and poofed out of existence.

"I found her trapped under a tree, Naruto," he said to the angry blonde, "I couldn't just leave her there. And before you start caterwauling," he said seeing that Naruto was about to yell again, "Neither could you!"

"What?"

"Fuck that, he would have left me to rot!" Tayuya growled, crossing her arms. Then she smirked at him, "What happened to you, anyway? Lose a fight with a mummy?"

"Ah, shut up! What's your excuse? Hairy legs?" Naruto shot back.

Tayuya looked down at her now bandaged legs and blushed. "A tree fell on me you fuckshit!"

"Okay, okay, that's enough out of both of you!" Jiraiya chuckled, "Naruto, be nice to her, Orochimaru took the curse mark from her as soon as she was downed, so she's no friend of his anymore."

"Yeah, right," Naruto muttered.

"Can it, shrimp!" Tayuya growled.

"What did you call me!"

"Shrimp! S-H-R-I-P! Got it this time!"

"Quiet!" Jiraiya yelled, silencing both of them. He looked at both of them, making sure that they weren't going to start up again. "Alright then, look Naruto, I know you hate Orochimaru, but that's no reason to carry a grudge against this girl. If I know that old snake, then he probably kidnapped her young and did worse things to her than you could imagine. And he's just thrown her away like a piece of - "

"Ehm!" Tayuya coughed, "I'm right here, jackass."

"Sorry," Jiraiya muttered, "My point is, she's not on his side anymore, and probably never was."

"Right!" She threw her fist, "I fucking begged him to help me when I felt the fucking mark leaving me! But did he? NO! I was stuck under a tree for three fucking days trying to get out until Jiji came along!"

Jiraiya sighed, "Why can't you gaki's ever call me sensei?"

Naruto, having calmed down from his shock, gave the girl a good look. She was kind of pale, but not unhealthily so, and had red hair, like he'd seen before and she'd be about his height when she stood up. "So what are you gonna do with her?"

"Whad'ya mean do with her?" Tayuya snapped, "My legs are fucked!"

"Like I said," Naruto sighed, "We're on a three year training mission form the Leaf."

"So?" Tayuya asked, "Does it look like I can skip all the fucking way home?"

"Naruto, stop arguing with her and role out a bed roll, please." Jiraiya said, "And you," he looked down at Tayuya, making the girl flinched, then smiled at her, "just relax. You're staying with us."

"What!" Naruto yelled.

"Deal with it, Gaki!" Jiraiya yelled, "I'm not one to leave a kid injured and unprotected."

"Alright, but what if we get in trouble?" Naruto asked, "I mean Baa-chan won't like this."

"I deal with that when the time comes, until then, she's my student just as much as you are."

Naruto grumbled something and went about setting out the role like he'd asked rather stiffly. When he had it ready, Jiraiya laid the girl down gently, though straightening her legs was painful, and let her rest while he went back to gathering fire wood, leaving the two teens alone.

Tayuya watched the young blonde as he leaned himself back against the tree, noticing the way he moved. Did that emo-teme do that to him? Or Kimimaro? Naruto was breathing heavily when he'd sat himself down. His wounds, though healed a little more thanks to the Kyubi, still pained him.

The female is looking at you. His head snapped up in surprise as the fox said this, and immediately locked onto the girl, who's eyes were also on him. "What?"

"How'd you get hurt?" She asked.

Naruto's eyes narrowed, but he didn't say anything.

"Oi! Don't ignore me!"

"Why do you care?" He asked evenly, "It's not like it matters."

"I was just curious." She said. "I mean, I had a forest blown on top of me. What could make your injuries worse than mine?" She smiled with a little bit of triumph in her voice. "Compare to me, you probably just bumped your head and fell to the forest floor!" The minute the words left her mouth, however, she regretted it.

Naruto's bright, happy blue eyes turned dull with sadness. Tayuya didn't, for the life of her, know why it bothered her so much to see him like that, but it did. "Oi...you okay?"

Naruto looked back up at her and smiled sadly. "My best friend and teammate tried to kill me. And I couldn't keep my promise to another friend to bring him back home after he left to join Orochimaru."

Tayuya felt shame creeping into her chest. Of course, that's why! "Look, I'm sorry, okay? I don't - Ah fuck!"

"What's wrong?" Naruto asked. The girl had doubled over and was clutching her legs to her chest. "Hey! Are you okay!?" He got up and hobbled over to her. Tayuya had to bite her lip to keep from crying.

"No I'm not fucking okay!" She gasped, "Whatever that oil was that Jiji used on me was just wore off!" Right now her legs were all pins and needles, and it was unbearable!

"That's just the blood going back into your legs," Jiraiya said as he came back into camp, his arms full of wood, "It'll pass in a few moments."

"It fucking hurts!" Tayuya whined, tears forming in hers eyes. Naruto looked panicked.

"Ero-senin, can't you help her?!"

"Sorry, Gaki, anymore of that toad oil, and she'd start turning into a toad."

"What?!" Both children yelled.

"It's a special oil that gather's a certain type of healing chakra from the environment. After it's done it's job, it's dangerous to apply more. I had to wash my hands after I got done with you."

"But what about soldier pills?" Naruto asked, "They could help."

"And make it worse," Jiraiya said, "They'll only increase the chakra flow, and her chakra network in her legs is screwed up for now until the oil leaves her system for good. Right now it's pulling the blood back into her legs and repairing the muscle. If it weren't for your abilities, Naruto, I would have used some on you."

"Then what are we supposed to do?" Naruto whined, making Jiraiya grin, "What the hell's with that look, you old perv!"

"I thought you didn't like her?" Jiraiya smirked, taking out a note pad and pencil.

Naruto turned beet red, "S-s-shut up! I don't like seeing people in pain!"

Tayuya, trying to focus on their words to ignore the pain, felt slightly kinder toward the blonde after hearing that. So much better than that four-eyed fuck back home...

"It'll stop hurting in a few minutes," Jiraiya said in her direction, "Just give it some time to work. Then we can get some food into you."

"A-a f-few g-grains of r-rice is go-good enough for m-me!" Tayuya gasped out. Jiraiya grinned at her, "You'll get more than a few grains of rice with me around, Gaki. "

Tayuya was startled by that, "You mean I'm allowed more?"

Naruto looked down at her in confusion, "What do you mean allowed?"

"She means just what she says, Naruto." Jiraiya told him, reaching for another scroll, "She's probably never had a full meal in her time with Orochi-teme. Anko was trained so that she could survive on a single grain of rice for a week at a time and keep going."

"That's impossible," the blonde scoffed.

"Don't bet on it shithead," Tayuya growled.

"Would you stop calling me that?" Naruto groaned, "My name is Naruto Uzumaki. What about you?"

"What about me?" She snapped, finding that the pain was going away.

"Your name," Jiraiya said, "Come to think of it, I didn't ask either."

The girl blushed slightly as the pain ebbed completely away after another minute. "Tayuya."

"Just Tayuya?" Jiraiya asked.

"Yup."

The old senin smiled at her as he unsealed the scroll, producing a bright red apple which he tossed to her. "Well, welcome to the group, Tayuya."

She caught the apple and sat up, not really knowing what to do with it, "Um, thank you?"

Jiraiya chuckled again and turned to his blonde apprentice, "How you doin' there, Gaki?"

Naruto sighed, clutching at his stomach where the Yondaime's seal was. "Not good," he said, "I think Sasuke's black chakra is effecting my healing abilities."

"And what has your ability been doing for you so far?" Jiraiya asked, "Surely it's able to do something?"

Naruto caught on. He didn't want Tayuya learning about the fox just yet. And for that matter, neaither did he. "It's just been focusing on me major injury after the Chidori hit my chest. Other than that, the minor cuts and gashes are healing at a normal rate."

Tayuya listened to the exchange intently, but was growing frustrated with them. "What the fuck are you talking about?" She glared up at Naruto, "You got some kinda Kekkei Genkai?"

"He's able to heal himself at a ten times the normal rate of a human." Jiraiya said, which stunned the girl, "It's one of the reasons he was put on the retrieval mission. He's strong, and almost impossible to kill."

Tayuya looked back up at him with a little more respect, "Wow, Shithead, I'm impressed!"

A vein popped up on Naruto's head at being called that name again, "Shut up and eat your apple before I do!"

She quickly bit into the red fruit so he would try and take it...and quickly started biting off bigger chunks until it was gone, core and all. "Wow, that was good!"

Jiraiya laughed, "That's just the start, I'm going to make sure you get a proper diet from now on." He tossed her another apple from the scroll, and turned to Naruto, "And that goes for you, too, Gaki! No more ramen every meal!"

"What!" Naruto whine, "But Ero-senin..."

"No buts, or do you want to stay a runt for the rest of your life?"

Tayuya laughed around her apple as Naruto sputtered angrily.

The Kyubi, who'd been listening the whole time, couldn't help laughing at his container's predicement. Oh, this is going to be an interesting trip. But just wait until the spring roles around, Kit. Then I'll see you suffer just a little for this blasted collar!

Like I said, my first Naruto fic, so be kind with any reviews, but constructive criticism is welcomed. So please do review and tell me what you think.