KG: Okay, since I am so bad at keeping schedules...

Wifey: I'll say you are.

KG: Grrrr. Anyway, I've decided that I'm going to do as I like. I'm going to update what I want to update. If I want to update a story from years ago, I'll do that. If I wanna update a new one then I'll do that too. I just feel a wave of intense nostalgia hit me so I might as well live with it.

Wifey: I can't wait to find out whether its a boy or a girl!

KG: (grumbles) Should I have pulled out?

Wifey: What was that?!

KG: Nothing honey!

Music of the Month: I See Fire by Caleb Hyles.

Quote: "Survival can be summed up in three words - never give up. That's the heart of it really. Just keep trying." by Bear Grylls.

Fu released a groan. Her eyes slowly opened. Soft, unsteady steps echoed into her ears. She watched stones along a cavernous wall drop to the sinking depths below. Her vision hazy and her mind just as fuzzy. She felt her chest pressed against the warm frame of a person. Her legs dangled in the air, and firm hands wrapped around her legs. She slowly turned her gaze and a sea of blonde grass passed through her vision. She stiffened when she heard the grunts, and pants of her master. She watched him trudge along, his steps uneven.

"Master?" Fu called. Naruto slowed to a stop and turned around. For perhaps the first time, Fu became aware of just how bright the blonde's eyes were. She watched him smile. It was a tad goofy if she offered a term, but she would not have minded goofy given the current circumstances.

Naruto continued moving. "Oh man, thank god you're awake. I was starting to get worried. How are you feeling?" He asked. He didn't see her place a hand on her forehead. She could feel the bandages wrapped around her temples, and she could now notice the shoddy field medic work done on her arms and legs.

"I…feel fine I think. Where are we?" Fu asked. The last thing she could remember was a harsh wind over the desert and a warm glow before all around them became sand. They had been sucked into the earth. She…didn't remember much else. Well, she did know one thing. They were lost. Horribly, horribly lost.

Yet, despite this revelation, Fu found Naruto rather calm despite what she had seen him act like. "No idea. I've been walking for at least twenty minutes. Haven't found anything yet. Just been waiting for you to wake up. Sorry about the patch up I did on you, Kakashi-sensei never really went over survival training with us yet. I had to use pieces of my jacket and clothes. Heh, it makes me wish I actually paid attention to those survival lecture back in the Academy. Iruka-sensei…would be laughing at me right now," Naruto remarked, a bit of strain in his voice.

Upon second inspection, Fu noticed that her master had indeed torn his favorite jacket to create makeshift bandages for her. "You…didn't need to do that, master," she said. She watched him grin.

"What, and let you walk with that leg? No way! I promised I'd make your lives as easy as possible! I never go back on my word, dattebayo. Besides, you're very light," He said to her. Surges of heat rushed to Fu's face. She stilled and leaned her head on his neck. Her hands rubbed his shoulders. His back…was a lot broader than she thought.

The issue with being stuck in a cave system, the concept of time was greatly diminished for those trapped. Naruto didn't know what time it was and neither did Fu. He just kept moving. Where he was moving to, he did not know but he had to get Fu someplace safe. Plus, he had to rejoin his team…wherever they were.

"What do you think? Should we head further down?" He asked. She looked over his shoulder and into the deep chasm which laid below. She then looked up at the upper area of the cavern. It was completely unclimbable. Wherever they had fallen through he easily been covered in sand as well. They wouldn't be leaving from going up.

Fu stared back into the dark abyss once more. "If I can make a suggestion, Master, I think I know a way that we can contact the others before we descend down," The green-haired girl said. Naruto was quickly onboard with her decision. He slowly let her down against the wall. A breath from her, she placed her hand on the rocky side of the cavern. She quickly released traces of chakra from the open pores of her fingertips. She then took a kunai, given to her by her master, and stabbed the wall with it. It only took them both a couple of moments to hear a tiny bit of buzzing. The young teens watched two insects crawl out of the wall. Fu quickly collected them both into her hands.

"Beetles?" Naruto asked. Fu quickly nodded with radiant joy. She watched them crawl on her arms for a moment before resting on her shoulder.

"Yeah, I can send these little guys to Suzumebachi-san and she can inform the team where we are. I don't think I can give them exact coordinates, but I bet we can at least tell them we'll plan to meet up with them later if we can," Fu said. Her blonde master's face quickly lit up. How could he have been so stupid to forget that both girls could manipulate insects? He had two people similar to the Aburame with him.

So thrilled was he that he found himself hugging the Nanabi jinchuuriki as if she had just answered all of their woes. "Wait! Keep one of them," Naruto suddenly said. Fu blinked as Naruto glanced down the hole. He looked back at them both waiting for their orders.

"They have to know this place very well right? Can you ask them to get us out of here?" Naruto asked her. In Fu's mind the idea wasn't without merit. She looked at one of them. She gaze warily at her master.

"I…can do my best, but I…don't think I'm the best at receiving instructions. S-Suzumebachi-san would do it better," Fu remarked. She really hoped he wouldn't be too disappointed in her. She glanced up to him only to see him kick a piece of earth down the massive hole.

While he had been disappointed, he supposed that would have been asking for too much. Come to think of it, maybe he could call in a favor from Shino to help them out. Though, given the bad blood between Suzumebachi's clan and Shino's clan, was Naruto willing to get the headache? He scratched his hair as he tried to think. God, this hurt. How did Shikamaru keep this up for hours?!

Naruto sighed. "Well, we'll work it out somehow. Come on, let's go down. Send one of them up. With any luck we haven't gone very far," Naruto said. Fu decided not to point out how long her master had been walking for. She would rather him be in a happy mood. She…liked it when he was happy. Well, there was no harm in trying.

So, Fu sent one of the cave beetles to the surface from the rock wall while she and her master would make use of the other. Naruto quickly picked up his young servant. She held onto his neck before he slowly jumped them down into the darkness below.

-x-

On the top of the sands, Sasuke quickly rejoined the rest of his team. "I can't find them. There's no trace of either of them," The Uchiha said, sliding down a large dune of sand when he did so. He stood before Kakashi, Sakura, and team from Sunagakure. The Uchiha appeared to be greatly displeased.

Kakashi frowned. He really didn't like this. No one as loud as Naruto didn't just vanish into thin air. Frustrated though the blonde was with his elemental affinity, it wasn't like Naruto to just run off. Though, given certain…team dynamics which included his female teammate, then it wasn't so farfetched. One of the other problems was that one of his student's slaves was missing as well. The Nanabi jinchuuriki was gone along with him. A terrifying thought, but one that Kakashi tried to not entertain. He noticed Suzumebachi on the side. Naturally, she had been under some scrutiny when they realized Naruto was gone. It was highly unlikely she killed him. The slave seal which bound them would inflict severe pain upon them if they even thought about hurting him. Plus, he had to be around somewhere. There was a set distance that slaves could be from their master.

"What is that idiot doing? He's holding us up," Sakura said as she kicked the sand beneath her shoes. No one deigned her worth of a response. The last anyone had seen them was Sasuke watching the blonde sleep before they all changed for their shift.

Kakashi placed a finger to his chin. He didn't tell anyone else, but he did have his ninken searching the area. Something was wrong here. He didn't know what, but his gut feeling was telling him that Naruto's disappearance was no accident. If only he could find out what.

"Tch, of course we have to slow our progress for one of the tree-huggers to get lost. Can't we just leave them out here?" Kankuro asked. The heat was even starting to get to him, and he really wished that they would be able to move forward. He wanted to finish the mission BEFORE her turned into a fossil.

Baki grunted, but he was thinking on this issue as well. He had been aware of what happened to the blond. He was sure that Temari knew as well so all of this waiting around would do no good. However, the fact that the second servant girl was not dead as well was a tad worrying. He didn't know what kind of slave seal was used, but she should have been dead as well. An unforeseen complication.

A sigh, the Suna jonin stood to his feet. His team quickly followed him. "This search has gone on long enough. We must keep going. People get lost in the desert all the time. If you've taught your students anything worthwhile then survival training should be one of them. We're moving forward," Baki said, a glare upon his eyes.

Kakashi wondered if he kept his displeasure off his face, but he had no way of knowing. "Wait, if we leave now Suzumebachi's going to die! We need to find him," Sakura pleaded. She recalled the last time Naruto had vanished. This was not an experience that she was willing to go through again. Once was enough.

The blonde young woman of the Suna team placed a hand on her hip. "She's a slave. Who cares if she dies? Kami knows if I was a slave, I'd bite my own tongue and choke before I let someone touch me. Hey, at least she'll be free in the afterlife," Temari said. Sakura stood stunned while Sasuke growled. Kakashi showed no visible signs of discomfort, but he was not pleased by the answer either.

"We're leaving. Stay here in the middle of nowhere if you want. Sunagakure didn't need Konoha for this mission in the first place. We'll tell them you didn't complete the assignment," Baki said. That being said, the group began their trek and left the Konoha shinobi in the literal dust of the desert. Sakura wanted to get angry, but the heat was quickly draining her of any effort. Sasuke settled for growling. Kakashi just released a sigh.

"Kakashi-sensei, do something! We can't leave Naruto out here! We have to…mmmph!" Sakura stopped her tirade once Kakashi placed a hand over her mouth. He waited for the Suna team to be out of sight. Once they were well past the dunes, he released her mouth. Sakura, Sasuke, and Kakashi turned to Suzumebachi. The team's Jonin gave one lasting look before he released a tired breath.

"Alright, the coast is clear. Come out," Kakashi called.

Confusion filled Sasuke and Sakura, but they quickly noticed the sand began to shift. From its depths came five ninken who had remained hidden there. They quickly surrounded the team. "Thanks for not leaving us to the buzzards, Kakashi. You know dog fur and the desert doesn't mix," one of them said, his voice deep and gruff. The grey-haired jonin chuckled and scratched the top of his hair.

"Ah, sorry about that. Couldn't let you guys be seen. So, Pakkun, any lucky on Naruto?" Kakashi asked. Truth be told, Kakashi had known that Naruto was gone a couple of hours before Sasuke and Sakura did. He had only not alerted them because he knew they, Sakura, would have panicked which would have alerted the entire Suna team.

The dog named Pakkun, gazed his droopy eyes at the team. Much to Kakashi's fears, the ninken nodded. "Yeah, it's Suna's handiwork. It was a female, about chunin-level, wind-based jutsu, and if I can tell…she's about fifty miles from our current location and getting further to the West. As for Naruto, from one of his shirts you gave me, he is alive…I think. He's very far below the sand, but I could faintly smell him. Most likely his…servant is down there with him too," Pakkun answered.

"So he's alive? Well, that's a relief, but…how do we get to him? Are we going to dig?" Sakura asked. Kakashi placed a finger to his chin. He was about to give a command before he noticed Suzumebachi raising her hand to speak. No doubt the rules of slave training were flowing through her. Do not speak unless addressed by the master or his affiliates.

"Hmm, you have a suggestion?" the jonin asked. Soon all eyes were turned on the brown-haired girl. She quickly cleared her throat. She then opened her palm and revealed a small beetle. Sakura shrieked and stepped away from the insect. Suzumebachi sighed. They would make anyone kunoichi these days. The very notion that her life was even more worthless than this pink coward in front of her was downright infuriating, but, naturally, she had to keep such thoughts to herself. Months of ingrained training reminded her of this.

"Hai, this came from the sand. Xuedytes bellus, more specifically from the Carabidae family…ground beetles. They inhabit dark caves," Suzumebachi said. Sakura, still a ways away from the insect girl and her…creepy crawly, shivered.

"How is a disgusting bug supposed to help us?!" She asked from off the side. She really hoped Sasuke crushed the insect. Suzumebachi took a calming breath and exhaled. Honestly, her master had ridiculous teammates. Not like he was any different, but the thought still remained.

She watched it circle around her hands for a moment. "Master and I are heading deeper into the cavern. We don't know where we are, but we're both injured. We are using these beetles we found down here to communicate with you. The sand blocked off our path to go up, and…we'll try to remain in contact with more beetles. Master and I are alright as far as I can tell, he tries to hide it, but I know he sprained his anke. But he says we can't rest for now. We'll be in touch," Suzumebachi read from the way the beetle moved on the palm of her hand.

Kakashi sighed. Well, that was good. Though injured, they were alive. Now…how to get to them? It was obvious that Sunagakure was behind the supposed attack on the blonde. He also had a feeling that Baki was in on this attack as well. If this was true, then Sunagakure would be paying heavily for this. The two nations already held a shaky alliance as it was. The Hokage would not have been pleased to learn this. Kakashi glanced at his students and then at Naruto's slave.

"Pakkun, can you smell Fu-san on the beetle?" Kakashi asked. Suzumebachi held the beetle next to the small dog. The others gathered around him as he took the various scents from the insect. The dog scratched his nose for a moment before clearing his throat.

"I smell her…I think. She must have been holding it. The scent is…with the blonde and their heading…to the east of the way the Suna team is," Pakkun replied. Kakashi firmly nodded and he dismissed the rest of his ninken. He placed his hands in his pouch and he took out a kunai.

Kakashi gave the kunai to Sasuke. "Alright, here's the plan. For now, we must assume that Sunagakure has instigated a potential attack on us. We have to tread this situation carefully or we could be sparking an international incident. For now, we will be splitting up. Sakura and I will catch up with the Suna team. We'll come up with a reason why. Sasuke, and Suzumebachi-san, will follow Pakkun to where Naruto is going. If you can somehow use that beetle to communicate with them then tell them to head our way. Stay safe," Kakashi said.

Sasuke grunted, but he quickly agreed regardless. Sakura wanted to offer a complaint, but she didn't get the chance to do so. Kakashi also handed Sasuke a scroll. "Inside this scroll is a summoning jutsu aligned to my chakra. Use it to summon me if you truly need to. Remember, I want all of you to use discretion," Kakashi said.

Once everyone agreed, Kakashi and Sakura watched Sasuke and Suzumebachi grab their things. They headed for the direction of where Naruto and Fu were going along with Pakkun. The one-eyed jonin huffed. He and his single female squad member decided to catch up with the Suna team.

-x-

"Gah! It's so dark down here I can't see!" Naruto said. He really regretted leaving without his supplies. At least a flashlight would have been wonderful in the world where they were. Plus, his ankle was killing him. Granted, Fu was light…when he started, but with the added strain of her added weight and the unknown pressure that he had to force upon the ground to keep them both steady. The hole was a lot deeper than he had originally thought.

Within the dark, Naruto grabbed the edge of a rock ledge. "Master, if I hear it right. We're at the bottom-ssu! He says we can drop down," Fu replied. Naruto for a moment never thought he would be taking directions from a girl talking to insects for survival. Eat your heart out Shino. The blonde sighed, but he let go of the ledge and his feet touched solid ground once again.

"Okay, f-five-minute break. I need to catch my breath after that one, ya know." He remarked. He let her down and both sat against a wall. The darkness surrounded them. Whether they opened their eyes or closed them the environment was the same. Nothing, but the heavy pressure and weight of the void upon them. Sounds trickled in the caves. The cries of insects through the walls made them both wonder if they would die down here.

"Some master I turn out to be. I can't even keep you guys safe. All because of my stupid competition with Sasuke, I got us into this. Maybe Iruka-sensei was right. I'm not ready to be a ninja. Maybe…I am just a failure" Naruto said as he rested his head on a wall. He closed his eyes for a short moment.

"Is that what thou believeth in thine heart? Thou art a failure? I have inhabited many a mortals over the span of my existence. Some of virtue. Most of tyranny. However, mine will have never inhabited a failure. Take heed of your slave, for she doth not think thee a failure. Open thine heart and ears, and take heed, mine vessel,"

Naruto stilled. A voice…more like an airy whisper came to his ears. "I…I don't think you're a failure, Master. I…hate being enslaved to someone. I…felt like my Taki just transferred ownership," Fu said. She knew it was dark, but she could just feel her master's eyes on her. She pushed a piece of hair from her face.

"But…you've been different. I remember my "training" by the slave trader. 'You exist for your master's pleasure. When something goes wrong, it is your fault. You deserve nothing. You are nothing. You will never be something. What is your name? It is whatever your master says it is. Your body…is whatever your master needs it to be. Every beating you take, you apologize for your own pathetic uselessness. Yes Master is your nature of tongue. How may I serve you master?, your creed. My…body is yours master. My soul is yours. I live by your mercy'," she said.

Naruto could hear the fear, the shame, and the cries in her voice. "No better than Taki. It was all I have heard from my village. When I was sold to you…I was mentally prepared to let the last of my dignity fall. I was scared, but…I was prepared to be nothing more than…a tool for your pleasure," She said. The young jinchuuriki shivered. Anger arose from within his bosom.

"I WOULD NEVER….,"

"BUT YOU WERE DIFFERENT!" Fu exclaimed. Naruto ceased his outburst as Fu leaned over. She was happy she guessed correctly and her head landed on his shoulder. "If I had to be enslaved…I'm glad it was to you. I don't think a failure of a shinobi could sneak into a slave auction, accidentally purchase two slaves, and make it out without alerting anyone. I thought you looked really cool when you stood up to the Kazekage. Everything that's…been beaten into me is…nothing to you. No, you're not a failure to me, Master," Fu said.

Naruto was silent. Yeah, he might be forced into this like them, but he would make damn sure they both had the greatest lives earned to them. He raised a hand and patted her shoulder. In the words of Shikamaru, today really was a drag for once. He closed his eyes. Fu's words upon him.

"Doth thine eyes behold now? Thou art no failure. I inhabit not failures. I inhabit men and women of will. Evidence as mine spirit has born witness too, you shall be great. Whether you utilize mine powers for righteous or villainous cause matters not unto me. Normal men do not face leaders of nations without fear of their lives. Show me thine own will and I shall aid you until we both fade into dust,"

Naruto wondered how tired he was. He kept hearing a voice in his head. It was very beautiful. It was as soft as a breeze on a chime flew brushed his face. "Thanks, Fu. I…really needed that dattebayo! I promise…I'll cherish you guys every day. I guess we'll never be friends, but I'll try my best," he replied. Fu smiled in the darkness. In the end, wasn't that all a person could ask fo…

"Master, do you feel that? I feel wind! Maybe there is an opening for us!" Fu said. Naruto leaned up. He could feel it as well. He could feel the flow of wind breezing the sweat off their faces. Once he heard, Fu's explanation, Naruto gave a grunt when he picked her up. Through the darkness, and his own exhaustion, he moved them both forward.

Fifteen minutes, thirty minutes, a full hour, neither could tell how long the blonde jinchuuriki ran. Through tunnels of branching paths, through even deeper crevices, and even through the thousands of blood suckers, they followed the wind which voiced like a woman's wail. Through the dark, their skin bled, and cracked from the many hits they took to the sharp corners of the walls. However, both literally saw light at the end of the tunnel.

Passing through the entrance, both glanced around. The light which they had found belonged to a wonderful piece of the cavern filled with water and plants beneath flourishing the underground lake with green florescence. Fu gasped at the sight, but she wasn't able to take it in much longer before Naruto dropped to the ground. "Master? Master! Are you okay?" Fu asked. She then remembered the strain he must have placed upon his ankle to get them to this point.

"F-Fine, I just…need to stop walking for a minute!" he said. Fu quickly nodded and helped him to the edge of the lake. She quickly took off his shoes and placed them in the water. The blonde released a breath and leaned his body back onto the floor.

"Ah, nice and cold. Wanna join me?" He asked. Fu decided to take this as an order. Training dictated that she say no, but she was bound to listen to her Master's orders. She took off her shoes and placed her feet in the water. The Nanabi jinchuuriki sighed as well. The splash of water made her smile.

The two jinchuuriki stayed like this for a moment. Naruto then released a slight laugh when he felt his feet touched. He opened his eyes and he noticed Fu gently splashing the pool's water upon him. Now this wouldn't be a problem…if not for the fact that he saw her clothes at the edge of the pool. "Gah! Why are you naked?!" Naruto exclaimed. His green-haired slaves felt her embarrassment explode through her body as she lowered herself down.

"I-I wanted to stretch Master's legs in the pool. There is no place to make a fire so I didn't want my clothes to get wet. I…I don't think it's in your best interest to keep walking on that leg ssu!" She said. Naruto, his hands covering his eyes, really couldn't fault that logic. Plus, the water did look clean enough to wash off in. But…she was a girl! He was a boy! She was naked! Common sense wasn't supposed to rule here!

He shivered as he felt her massage his leg. Granted, he couldn't tell if this was a good one or not since he had never been massaged in his life, but…it felt very pleasant. Yet true to himself, though the temptation was mighty, he tried to keep his eyes closed. But his imagination ran like a deer through the forest. However, he could also feel the way she worked his ankles. The pain soared through them whenever she applied the pressure. No doubt his fault for his reckless actions. "Y-You are my Master. If you want to look at my body, I…can't stop you tsu! Everything that I am is yours" Fu said.

By the will of GOD, why couldn't this be a normal situation? So many days he wished Sakura would say that to him. As a young man, he would have liked nothing more than to view the curious form of a female for himself. Against his own better judgement, the curiosity of the young man was too tempting. He slowly squinted his eyes and he shivered when he noticed just how beautiful she looked. Now yes, he was a dense as a brick when it came to affection, but...he couldn't deny that Fu's…womanly figure was accurately showcased. Her long, dark, slender arms looked even lovelier when the water dripped off them. Her hair clung to the sides of her face and her eyes shined in the green glow of the plants below. She was…very beautiful.

Yet, as much as temptation asked him to, his eyes did not travel lower. Fu had constantly had her dignity degraded, how could he add to it? He shut his eyes. "Y...You're very pretty, Fu, but...I don't plan on making you uncomfortable. You and Suzumebachi deserve better than that," Naruto said. Fu didn't answer. Mostly out of her own embarrassment. The beetle rested on the edge…silently confused as to why the two mammals in front of it seemed to hesitate in mating.

"T-Thank you, Master," Fu squeaked out. She splashed some more water into Naruto's feet. The blonde sighed as he leaned back and tried to think of other things. He really prayed hard that Fu never noticed how…interested he was in these affairs. Unfortunately for him…she noticed, and she was all the more embarrassed for it.

A very, very, VERY embarrassing bath, with Naruto arguing that he didn't need Fu to wash his back with them both naked in the pool, later, the two rested…back to back their clothes at the edge. "Well…this is awkward dattebayo!" Naruto remarked, a chuckle from him. Fu gave the same chuckle, but a bit more subdued.

"Hey Master, now that we're in this pool, where do you think that wind came from? Look around, there's no openings anywhere. How did we feel wind?" Fu asked. Naruto did as his servant had asked. True to her words, there was nothing which should have indicated that wind was present. Unless wind suddenly had the power to explode out of water that is.

"I really don't know. But at least we have a place to relax for right now. I hope your bug made it to Suzumebachi, and the others. I bet Sakura would beat me to a pulp if she found out about today," He remarked. The green-haired girl stilled for a moment. She really didn't know how long it would take either. She also knew they couldn't stay in this pool forever. It was currently their only source of water. The fact that the ceiling was nothing both rock had to have meant this this didn't form the way that Fu had been thinking.

Minutes passed by for them both. Naruto scooped up water from the pond and splashed it into his face. He released a breath and exhaled. He stared into the water. His reflection stared back at him. Of all the things to happen today, he did not expect to be in a pool with a naked girl his age. Well, now that they found a place to rest…what were they supposed to do now?

The blonde turned his head to a corner of the pooled cavern hall. The water there seemed darker than their area. Sucking in his breath, Naruto dived into the water. He made sure not to turn around. A pretty dark-skinned figure was behind him if he did. He was also sure some kind of divine fury was behind him there too.

He swam up to the corner and touched the wall. It was cold. Well, it was colder than the rest of the caverned area. The blonde sunk himself further down. Down and down he went. When air was becoming tight in his lungs, he noticed a large hole which had supplied their cavern with water.

Naruto floated towards it. He could feel something heavy rushing into his face from it. Was it…chakra? It felt like it, but it felt a bit different. It seemed to be wrapping around his body. It wasn't an unpleasant feeling. In fact it felt rather…exhilarating. Just…like that time when he fought Haku. Only this time, he wasn't very angry. The hole wasn't too small. It looked like they could both fit through…if they had the air for it.

"Do not fret thine spirit! You shall have what you desireth! Mine will shalt not allow thine fire to fade here," He heard once again despite the fact that he was submerged in the depths of the cavern lake and shouldn't have been able to hear anything other than garbled water noises. Now, he wasn't tired. He had definitely heard that.

"I must be going crazy if I'm hearing voices in my head. I hope I'm not going to have to visit Ino's dad about this," the blonde remarked to himself. However, he had not been expecting to feel a touch upon his shoulder. He turned around. His eyes widened, yet a finger touched his lips.

"Of sound mind thine heart shall be. By mine spirit, I feel thine powers bestowed on you by the ring of mine people. When you have greater need of me, I shall aideth you. For from all who bear my ring, I have designated thine body to be the holder of mine divine essence. Go back to her, and show me the path thou hast taken," a lovely woman, her white hair rested in a short asymmetrical bowl cut. In this water, he was not able to feel embarrassed before her. For he could not tear away from her eyes. Her eyes which shined like flamed crystals were absolutely…breathtaking.

She smiled at him and pulled out a blade. Placing it upon his hand, she drew blood from it. Leaning down, he watched her partake of the life liquid within him. "I mark mine covenant upon you. By the one who wears my ring," she said. The young jinchuuriki was not sure what she meant, but soon images filled his mind…of the ring he had taken from that wealthy man some time ago.

"All happens for reason and cause. Whether thou hast taken one of my rings with ill intent or with righteous cause matters not. Had I decided to appear before its previous owner I shall have done so. You, my master…Uzumaki Naruto. Thine blood calleth to my spirit. I shall not forget thine name," She said and Naruto wondered why his visions suddenly showed the ceiling of the cavern.

"Master, are you okay?" Fu asked. Naruto turned to her. Thankfully, she was dressed and out of the water. He slowly shook his head. Was he okay? He didn't think so. He was pretty sure he was insane. He opened the palm of his hand, and he saw the cut which had been sliced through it. The sign of a covenant. What…covenant?

He asked for his clothes. She gave them to him and, with her turning around her face red, Naruto got dressed. "I think so. I saw an opening down there. I think we can swim through it. I just…don't know where it takes us," he remarked. Fu seemed to be surprised by this. She glanced at the water one more time.

"Should I scout ahead and check?" She asked. He quickly shook his head.

"No, I have a feeling we'll get separated if you do. We go together or not at all," he responded. Obedient, Fu stepped away from the edge and sat next to the wall. Now that she was out of the water, the chamber…was quite cold.

A moment of silence passed when Fu felt something crawl up her arm. She turned around and noticed it was the beetle from before. It seemed to say…something to her. "Master, I…I'm no Aburame, but I think it just told me that the water is going to…go away at some point," She said. He turned to her.

"It's going to go away?" he asked. However, he quickly turned back to the hole in the water. The gears turned inside his head and Fu bore witness to the widest grin she had ever seen on her master's face. He then surprised her when he grabbed a hold of her arms.

"That's it, Fu! I've got it!" Naruto said to her. The green-haired jinchuuriki blinked in confusion. Dare she ask what her master had just thought of? Something told her she didn't want to know, but she would be find out regardless. However, before Naruto could speak, Fu could feel another beetle crawl up her arm. She reached for it and pulled it into her hands. She had marked it with her chakra so it had to be the same beetle from last time.

"He…llo, Master. Sa…sss…ake, and I are foll…owing you both. Your sen…sea, and woma…n team…mare…teammate are following…the So…na team. Were…where…a-are…youu?" Fu struggled. It seemed to Naruto that he would definitely need to be starting those bug-speaking lessons sooner or later. He hoped he remembered to speak with Shino in the coming weeks. Still, he was able to piece that together.

He breathed a sigh of relief. At least his team was aware he was gone. As much as he hated seeing Sasuke's smug face when they got out of this situation, as long as Fu was alright then he would be willing to put up with the smugness…for a limited time. He then turned back to the young woman stuck in this cavern system with him. "Alright, Fu-chan. Tell Suzumebachi-chan this…," Naruto told her. Fu slowly nodded as the blonde told her his ingenious plan. Unfortunately, Fu couldn't deny the thoughts through her head.

"I might die with my master in a cave. I just know it-ssu! This is the greatest day ever" Fu cried within the sanctity of her own thoughts. She wondered if now was a good time to reconsider those words she had spoken before. Well, not the greatest, but it was a definite shot away from the days of ruthless hardship which had been pressed upon her before her descent into the world of slavery.

-x-

Suzumebachi and Sasuke paused beneath a large stone rock which shielded them from the sun until the beetle returned. No words were spoken between them. It was something both appreciated. It left Sasuke to his own thoughts and slaves…did not speak unless spoken to. The sting of fire and whip on her skin quickly reminded her of this. Still she wished there was a way that she could contact her brothers. She held true to the believe that they would risk life and limb to rescue her and remove this damnable curse from her life, but…could she even escape? She did not know.

She watched Sasuke pull out his water bottle. He took a quick drink. She decided to relax herself a moment. Carrying three people's worth of provisions was very tiring, even without the intense heat of the desert. She pulled out a towel and wiped her face. The shade under large stone was very comforting. Stupid master, what kind of shinobi went off by himself to get attacked by the enemy? She pinched the bridge of her nose. Her master really was a weird one.

"I'm going to scout ahead. Stay here and wait for the bug," Sasuke said standing to his feet. Suzumebachi didn't say anything. If she were not a slave, she would have offered a sassy grunt at the Uchiha's apparent command. Not too hard to see that without the jonin of the group to order him around then he took charge. Not like Suzumebachi could do anything about it. Well, at least until he directly started ordering her. Sure slaves laws were…just that laws, the only person she ever had to completely obey was Naruto Uzumaki, her master. Under no authority did she have to obey the Uchiha, the Haruno girl, nor their sensei. All she could do was obey their blonde-haired teammate.

Where had it all gone wrong she wondered. It was supposed to be a simple assassination assignment. Kill a wealthy merchant in the Land of Water for the political gain of the head of the merchant guild in the Land of Earth. She had been chosen for the mission. She and her brothers were the team along with their sensei. It was supposed to be easy. Yet, Suzumebachi could remember the fear on her face when she plunged her kunai into the bed of the person who slept within. Then, alarms were raised. She pulled over the sheets only to see the blood of a slave man. A simple trap. Then she found herself surrounded by Kiri shinobi. She remembered the hits that came her way. She remembered being bound and gagged. The leers of mercenary men and women upon her.

Torture must have lasted for days. Both emotional, spiritual…and physical. No, she had not been forcefully taken. The owner of the estate had seen to that. However, it was not for the reason that she could have been proud of. When he had come to see her, he could see her defiant eyes. She hoped she was as resilient as they thought she was. In the end, she was not. She remembered the words the owner spoke. "Please, why would I sully my hands on a common girl like this? I have a loving wife who satisfies me every night. But…I hear virgins, especially kunoichi virgins, are a hot and rare commodity," he said.

Suzumebachi learned what those words meant. She learned them when her sensei…gave the Kiri shinobi and the merchant the knowledge. All her resistance had been for nothing and she was forced to watch them cut her sensei down. She remembered reports that her brothers had not been found, something she was thankful for. She always assumed they would save her in time. They did not.

She remembered the months of torture. She remembered the pain. She remembered the humiliation. Many names she was called: dog, slut, trash, whore, slave 1, slave 2, bitch, worthless, etc. 'Get used to these names. They are the your master and mistress will call you. You men, you're nothing more than sperm pumps for your mistress…or master! You women, you're nothing more than a walking pleasure factory! If your master is tired and your mistress wants some action! You give it! If your mistress is tired, and your master doesn't want to spend money on a cheap Red Light District prostitute, that's when you come in! You, men and women AND children, will happily say 'How May I Be Of Serve, Master?' THAT IS WHAT YOU ARE! You will do so with fuckin' smiles on your faces!'

Suzumebachi remembered the lessons from the Slave Master. She remembered the horrible food and the even worse food they ate. All was dark, an absence of light…or hope. How many months had it been? She did not know. Yet, she knew that she completed her training because…she was paraded on a stage with only a woven clothe to cover any of her modesty. The lights of the room were bright. They almost hurt her eyes. She had been used to the darkness. Now, here she was…a slave, lower than human, even lower than a pet, just a piece of property. She wasn't a woman from a noble clan from the Shodaime Tsuchikage. She was nothing, but…but…

Suzumebachi was not able to finish lamenting. She noticed Sasuke return. How long had she been sitting her reminiscing over the life she now lived? Wordlessly, she noticed Sasuke take out a packed sandwich. He began to eat. Truth be told, the thoughts of impending death if Suzumebachi strayed too far from the range of the seal of her master were fresh on her mind. It kept her from eating. She took another drink of water.

"There is a tower in the distance. I don't know how far, but if we can direct the Dobe to it, then maybe we could meet up there," Sasuke said. Suzumebachi turned to him for a moment. She hadn't been aware of anything resembling structures, but then again she never did travel into Sunagakure often. That didn't sound like a terrible idea. Plus, he seemed like he was addressing her, so…that possibly gave her liberty to speak.

"It sounds like a good idea. We don't know how far they actually are though. It's cool below the sand for them than it is for us. Who knows how long they've been walking. We can't keep up the same path. We also have to watch out for the dangerous animals beneath the sand as well. If we're not careful. Any step can be our last one," She remarked. Sasuke grunted a moment, but the brown-haired girl offered no retort.

Sasuke reached into his pouch and pulled out a compass. Its needle pointed towards the north. Given that the Suna team was heading west, then Naruto going east of that was going north. "Fine, we'll follow him for one more time when he returns the bug to us. Then we'll try and direct him to the broken down tower. We'll try and regroup there," Sasuke said. Suzumebachi agreed.

"That might not be needed, Sasuke-san. The brat must have found something to mask his sent. I don't smell him anymore. But his clothes still reek. The smell is heading for your little tower. We just have to get a move on," Pakkun replied. Sasuke and Suzumebachi glanced at each other.

-x-

After sending the beetle back to Suzumebachi and Sasuke, Naruto found that Fu was right when their beetle had stated the water would leave. In about three hours, the pool was empty of water. They had taken that time to have some sleep before it did this. It was not comfortable by any means, but sleep was sleep.

Once they noticed the water was drained, both dropped down and entered through the hole that Naruto had discovered. It was a very tight fit. Sharp stones cut into their skin. The pathway was full of awkward twists and turns, but the two jinchuuriki persevered through the pain. Both had been through much more severe injuries. The tunnel curved itself upwards. Then, they had to climb. They did so. Even as the sharp stones dug between the spaces of their toes, Naruto offered Fu encouraging words. Fu worked with him.

Naruto pulled her up and out of the hole. "Come on, it looks like we go this way," Naruto said. Fu panted. She was very tired, very hungry, and very thirsty. It was as if the embarrassing bath they had taken was years ago. They crawled through another tunnel which was in the side of the wall. Naruto didn't know how long they would be allowed to continue this trek before the water came back. He hoped it wasn't long.

The blonde hadn't told Fu what he was entirely thinking, but he could feel something directing him towards the direction they were going. He wasn't sure how to explain it, but…he could see a flow of…white and yellow air blowing trailing the way they led. He followed after it. It covered his body. Was this more of his delusions from the stress mounting upon him? He wasn't sure, but he would survive. Uzumaki Naruto always survived!

"Master, wait! Do you hear that?" Fu asked. Naruto gave pause. All physical energy went into his ears. It was very small, but he could hear it. The sounds of moaning and crying. The sounds of clanging metal. They were all very small, but both heard them. They both crawled as fast as they could, yet they moved cautiously. It was the first sound of anything that they had heard.

Naruto popped out the side of the wall. Below was a very deep hole which fell into the earth. Not a trip he would want to go down. Fu came up next to him and they both stared at the might system of towers and ancient structures before them. A long forgotten kingdom of decrepit towers, broken glass, ruined landscapes, and rusted metal in the middle of the desert. "Where are we, Master?" Fu asked.

Funny, that seemed to be the question of the day, year, and century!

KG: Mmmmm finally done. Feels good to be free a little bit.

Wifey: Hn.

KG: What's wrong with you?

Wifey: NOTHING!

KG: Oh? Could it be that TSM got their butts kicked? Could it be that your Bae Faker-sama isn't in Worlds?

Wifey: SUCK A DICK!

KG: Now now bae! Anger isn't good for the baby!

Wifey: I hate you!

KG: Love you too.

Wifey: Good, then...you can come with me and we explain the news to my parents.

KG:...shit.