A/N: I have no excuses. *hangs head sadly* I'm so sorry. *bursts into tears* This is just a filler, so I understand if you'd rather not read it... Or... review or anything. Recently my friend told me my writing is too flowery so I guess I tried to tone it down? I guess... an upside to today is that my Sky got back from camp... And I had my lunch before 3pm... Whoever reviewed my previous chapter, thank you so much! *bows formally*

etErnal: Hi n00bs :3 OBS food is shit, I feel like i'm still on a tri-yak and my ass hurts.

EI: I kind of enjoyed it... :{(

etErnal: *inserts sarcastic, witty remark here*

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

Chapter 25: A bandit and a brothel

Sakura scrambled out of the tent, seconds after the client. Sasuke and Kakashi emerged soon after and they, too, bore witness to the results of the one-sided slaughter. She saw Akane's lips part and laughter pour from them, sending shivers down Sakura's spine from its hollow ring. She diverted her gaze, her eyes taking in 'Naruto' in what was growing to become a familiar scene. Her blond team mate stood amongst blood and corpses, undersized weapon drawn and keen. His eyes, as she had come to realise, were like metaphorical light bulbs. They were bright with a sparkling innocence that radiated from within and warmth that made them feel safe. Most of the time. When it came to reinforcing that feeling of safety that they felt in his presence, that warmth could be turned off completely. All that was left was a killing machine that had no qualms about liquidating the opposing force to keep his teammates safe. There was one thing that she couldn't get used to, though, and that was the bodies that he left behind.

'Naruto' ran a cloth over the blade, removing the scarlet second skin from the metal, before returning the tanto to its seal. The blond locked eyes with Akane, his eyes flooding with familiar warmth as he gave her a look brimming with understanding and kindness. During the few seconds that it took for the transition between killer to child, she finally noticed the maturity hidden beneath a thick veil of child-like obliviousness.

"I'm sorry you had to see that," Kakashi apologised with an air of nonchalance while casually resting a hand on her shoulder. "Let's take down the tents and keep going."

The team complied. They worked in silence, collapsing the tents with practised efficiency to the rhythmic shuffling of the sand. Deft hands worked quickly to stow their temporary shelters in sealing scrolls before moving on to erase all evidence of the recent confrontation. They began the rest of the journey towards the village hidden in the sand, Akane trailing behind the group beside Kakashi. Her eyes remained fixed on the ground, searching the shifting sands for answers to questions she didn't know how to ask.

"I'm guessing you want to know about Naruto," superficial disinterest laced Kakashi's voice like a blade and sliced through her unresponsive state.

"Y-Yes... What happened to make him so... ruthless? It's not normal. Isn't Konoha enjoying peace time now?" she lapsed into silence as if contemplating situations that could have pushed the blond to this extent.

"I wouldn't say he's ruthless, because he's not," Kakashi rebutted with his usual drawl.

"He killed an entire group of bandits in cold blood. A child, killing. I suppose it's normal for you ninjas?" her voice fell flat and sarcastic.

"Naruto's... different," Kakashi shifted his exposed eye to observe his perplexing, blond student. "He's like you. A survivor."

Though he may have said it to assure Akane, Kakashi couldn't help but wonder if there might be something else that had contributed to the boy's creepy ability to deny himself emotions for a time besides having been chased on a daily basis and beaten in his earlier years. The boy's speed in itself was unnatural, but that could be attributed to the fact that he was Kiroii Senkou's son. If anything, it was to be expected. It was the cold efficiency of the kills that struck Kakashi as suspicious. The fatal cuts that had felled each bandit were clean and professional, befitting of at least a Jounin level ninja. Perhaps he could ask Iruka, the academy instructor. The man had been the one to teach 'Naruto' the basics of being a ninja. He might just have some semblance of what had allowed 'Naruto' to become the person that he was, and where he had learned such skills.

The ex-Anbu wondered if 'Naruto' was somehow linked to his old sensei. Perhaps 'Naruto' could provide with some information on Minato's current location and status.

'What if sensei's been training Naruto in secret? That would explain why Naruto was able to fight with skills that were beyond what he should be capable of,' Kakashi reasoned, nodding silently to himself at the deduction.

'Yeah, that must be it.'

Akane paused in her walking, feeling the heat rising up from the sand as she tilted her head up to view the cloudless sky, an unbroken blue that was as endless as the desert seemed. She sighed, her exhalation sounding tiny compared to the restless swirling of the sands. The sound made her turn her head, still tilted slightly, to seek out the source. A dark, hulking figure shot across the expanse of grit and towards the group. An uneven mix of brown and yellow tumbled into sandy clouds, tossed free of their original places and into the air by a pair of inhuman hind legs.

"What is that?" the exclamation left Akane's lips before her brain caught up with her mouth. In response, the Genin team whipped into place around their client, putting up a barrier between her and the fast approaching newcomer. The unidentified being stopped directly in front of the group, shrouded by a cloak of dust. When the fine particles were finally laid to rest, they revealed a run-of-the-mill bandit upon a mutated steed. The stallion sported a rich beige coat and four pairs of eyes running down its face in neat rows. From its chest area sprouted an additional pair of legs, well muscled and fully functional.

"Hand her over, and no one gets hurt," the rider proclaimed, jabbing an accusing finger in Akane's direction.

"I'm sorry, but we can't do that," Kakashi returned good-naturedly. "Nice horse, by the way."

The bandit snarled, hand moving towards the weapon belted to his side. His fingers twitched anxiously as they closed around the hilt. He couldn't fail. He wouldn't fail. After all, he had the Benefactor's blessings, even if said blessings came in a bottle. His current mount was a testament to how effective the cocktail was, and he had one now, stowed away in his pouch for his consumption.

The bandit dismounted, eyes peering warily at the group from a scarred, weather-beaten face. Gaze roaming over the ninja, he picked them apart and singled Sakura out as the weakest link. He cracked a smirk. That was all the warning the pink haired girl had before he charged at her, but it was enough. The man ran at her, brandishing the sword with all the grace of a dancing camel. Sakura ducked under a sloppy swing executed by the bandit, the blade whistling crudely over her head as she swept the bandit's feet out from under him. 'Nowhere near as skilled as Naruto,' the kunoichi realised as she kicked the sword from the attacker's grip. The weapon spun off and was lost to the shifting sands, which consumed the metallic instrument as if thirsty.

The horse, sensing the downfall of its master, faithfully attacked the girl, further displaying that it was no ordinary steed. Sasuke, ninja wire held expertly between both hands, managed to rope one of its legs. It pounded its hoofed feet against the sand uselessly, whinnying piteously as its frantic actions tangled its many legs further. Its body connected with the ground mere seconds later.

The bandit, realising that he had no chance against the four ninja, shuffled away, hands and feet pushing against the sand in an awkward attempt to escape.

"S-Stay back!" the man screamed, his voice warped into a high pitch from fear. His hands fumbled in his pocket for a glass vial. Fingers brushed the cool surface and he gripped the container, whipping it out and holding it out threateningly before the ninjas.

"Stay back or... or... I drink this!" he babbled, all sense abandoning him.

Recognition sparked in Minato's eyes, 'That looks like the liquid Mizuki consumed.' His head buzzed in warning and he kicked the vial away, out of the bandit's trembling fingers. The man clutched his fingers, tears lining his lower eyelid from pain.

"Naruto, what are you doing?" Sakura gripped her hair in irritation, pink clumps poking out from between her fingers.

"We have to assume that whatever's in the vial is dangerous," Minato turned his usually calm tone into a childish whine. This got him suspicious glances from Akane, her eyes sweeping his face for any deception.

"He's just bluffing. He's scared and trying to find a way out," Sasuke analysed, though he sounded unsure.

In the moments they spent debating the nature of the contents of the vial, the bandit had snatched it from the sand, grains slipping underneath his nails and flowing from his fingers. He wasted no time in knocking the cork out of its position and downing the contents. Curiosity took hold of Minato, but that did nothing to stop him from kicking the vial out of the bandit's hands a second time, ensuring that the man had only finished off half of the sinister looking liquid.

The bandit whined pitifully and clutched his hand, attempting to alleviate the pain from the bones Minato had broken.

"I'm sorry. I was told to do this. Please don't kill me," the man begged, his posture hunched and desperate as tears seared their way down his cheeks.

Minato unsealed his tanto again, causing his target to weep harder. Aside from the vast difference in skill, this was a perfect example of the lines separating ninja and bandits. Bandits and highwaymen pillaged, killed, committed various atrocities for self gratification. However much they killed, though, it didn't change the fact that ultimately, they knew nothing of death. The same death that ninja like Minato had stared in the face one too many times. When it came down to it, these criminals couldn't even retain their dignity at the prospect of dying, knowing that they had done their part for their village. After all, they were loyal to no one but themselves. Minato felt pity for this man. This man who had no one to fight for.

The bandit had fallen to the ground, face in the sand, a whining noise trembling in the back of his throat.

"Stop it right this instant!" Akane commanded of her child protector.

Minato turned around and gazed at her with kind blue eyes.

"She's right, Naruto. He's already surrendered. There's no reason to kill him. He even apologised," said Sakura, sympathy bleeding through.

"He has surrendered. Besides, I think he's been through enough humiliation," Kakashi shot his student an eye smile, a mild mix of worry and amusement in his tone that only his former sensei could catch. The boy was taking this mission too seriously.

Minato stared calmly down at the man writhing at his feet and sighed.

"Hai, sensei."

The blond was positioning the blade at his hip when the bandit lunged at him, eyes flashing and spittle hanging in clear threads from the sides of his mouth.

"You're dead, brat," he growled, voice scratchy and animalistic.

Almost immediately, the ninjas were on guard and had thrown themselves between Akane and the bandit, weapons bristling.

The bandit's focus remained locked on to Minato, as if Akane, his original objective, no longer mattered. His eyes held a feral quality that Minato recognised as the one that had clouded Mizuki's on the night of the graduation exam. Fur had begun to sprout along the bandit's arms and back, muscles becoming denser and ripping through the desert wear he had on. His mouth and nose warped into a vague muzzle, the rest of his facial features reconstructing excruciatingly after. Though he should have been howling and rolling on the ground in pain as the changes occurred, he merely stared into Minato's eyes like a cornered animal. Chest heaving and breath fogging, the changes were completed.

"Too bad," the man laughed, though it sounded reminiscent of airy barking. "I drank enough to make it work."

"I'll handle this," Kakashi announced, his tone almost bored.

"Stay out of this, old man. I want the brat's blood. I want it to paint the ground a nice, pretty red as I spit on his corpse!"

"Now, now. I'm sure Naruto didn't do anything that could have warranted something so harsh."

"He humiliated me!" the man roared, clutching his pride close to his heart. "He tried to kill me. Well, guess what? He's the one who's going to die."

A long, drawn out roar ripped from the man's throat, completely contrary to his previous whimpering and sniffling. The sudden surge of power had gotten to his head, it seemed.

"Well, I can't have that happening. He is my cute little student after all," Kakashi smiled at the man without a care in the world.

The bandit, not being treated like the threat he thought he was, attempted to pounce on Kakashi and rip him to shreds then and there. He landed on all fours on the soft sand, Kakashi having disappeared under his nose.

The transformed man attempted the same feat a few more times but to no avail. Kakashi was always a step or two out of his reach.

"Stop moving so I can rip out your intestines and feast on your heart!"

"I rather like my innards where they are, thanks."

The crazed gleam in the man's eyes transcended to a whole new level, transforming further to match his anger. Glancing around with feral, slit eyes, he charged at Sakura, their weakest link.

The pink haired kunoichi's eyes widened slightly in shock, but quickly recovered and drew her fist back, gathering chakra in the appendage. When the bandit approached, she struck the man's chest, releasing the chakra on impact. Blue chakra ribboned outward from the point of impact, excess from the attack. The force lifted the man off his feet and sent him hurtling a good few feet away. He landed on all fours, salivating and heaving in anger, his eyes betraying his degraded mental state.

The three male ninja had the bandit surrounded before even a single muscle in his body could twitch. Sakura hung back to protect Akane and was, as usual, acting as their last line of defence.

"You're fighting a losing battle here," Kakashi drawled.

The bandit didn't respond. His madness had carried him past the point of verbal communication. The skin of his muzzle pulled back as he bared his teeth, crusted near the gums and curving into a vicious, tapered point. He pounced again and received a swift kick to the face courtesy of Sasuke. The Uchiha ran through a few hand seals and blew forcefully. A fireball erupted from his lips and set the man on fire. His fur crackled and curled in the heat as the flames devoured him hungrily, but all he could do was keen piteously, human words having long since left his tongue. Common sense also seemed to have left him as he ran haphazardly, thrashing about and fanning the flames instead of rolling in the sand to quench it.

"H-E-L-p... m-e...," the man forced past his charred lips.

"Help him..." Akane whispered. No one moved.

"Help him!" she repeated with more force and clarity.

Minato shot her a gaze that made her feel like a petulant child. She backed down, eyes still pinned on the boy as he formed a few hand seals and doused the fire with a small jet of water.

Burnt strands of fur lay in clumps on the floor and were as numerous as the second degree burns plaguing the bandit's body as he lay with his face against the scorched sand, in too much pain to move.

"Who sent you?" Sasuke questioned, picking him up by the scruff of his neck where the burns were less severe.

"O-o..." the man fell silent. His mouth opened and closed, his eyes bulging in panic, but no sound escaped save for the click of teeth against teeth.

Clutching his throat, his body tensed and strained to produce a scream, but nothing rose to leave. His eyes turned on Akane, the only one who had shown him any kindness, eyes roiling with crippling fear at the loss of his voice.

"Let's take him with us," the lady said firmly. She wasn't going to take no for an answer.

Kakashi shrugged and threw the man over his shoulder, eliciting a silent grunt of pain from the bandit, who found himself flung like a sack of potatoes.

"Let's go," the Jounin began walking in the direction of Suna, fully expecting the others to follow. Follow they did, but they travelled in sombre silence until they reached the entrance to the village hidden in the sand. The guards gave them no trouble and they were allowed into the village with little fuss.

"You guys follow Akane to the brothel. I'll get this guy to the hospital," instructed Kakashi, patting the bandit's bottom for emphasis.

"Hai, sensei," the Genin confirmed their future actions in unison.

They parted ways, Kakashi walking off towards the medical facility, whistling a happy tune, the Genin and Akane making their way towards the brothel. They were met with wary glances by the locals as they walked through the drab beige village that was parched and inhospitable. They finally stopped outside a flashy building in the red light district, its borders adorned with neon signs and pink paraphernalia. A few ladies in scandalously revealing clothes paraded around outside, promoting the brothel. Akane gazed at it with conflicting emotions, nostalgia and resentment fighting for dominance in her heart. Finally, she made to step inside but was stopped by Sasuke.

"We can't leave her alone. One of us has to go in with her," Sasuke gazed pointedly at the dark haired lady.

"I'll be fine."

"The mission isn't over yet. We're still obligated to protect you."

"Kids like you shouldn't see what goes on inside there."

"We're ninja. We've seen worse."

Akane stared into the Uchiha's defiant, obsidian eyes and knew that he had seen things no child should have to bear witness to. She was reminded, painfully, of 'Naruto', her mind projecting the same scene for her to see run through Sasuke's determined orbs. Her resolve faltered at the memory.

"Alright. But it has to be a girl. Little boys would just raise suspicion. We only have female entertainers after all."

Sasuke and Naruto both lay their gazes on Sakura at the same time, their eyes pressuring her into taking up the duty of following Akane into the whore house.

"No! I am not going in!" a deep red flush touched the girls face and she violently protested the idea.

"But you're the only girl we have, Sakura," Sasuke tried to reason with her.

"NO!" she screeched, laying her foot down with enough force to crack the pavement.

"Sakura-"

"I'll go," 'Naruto' volunteered.

"Don't be ridiculous, Naruto. You're male," Sasuke covered his face with his palm.

"Sasuke, we could probably pass off as a girl with Genjutsu or Henge, since none of them are ninja. However, the bandits that came after us seemed to be receiving the aid of a ninja, so that's out of the question. Since Sakura doesn't want to go, we shouldn't force her. Besides, I'm the most feminine-looking out of the both of us. It'd be easy for me to play the part of a girl," Minato reasoned with a calming smile on his face.

"Are you sure you can do it?" asked Akane, momentarily fooled by the boy's kind smile and soft voice. She caught herself and shook off the illusion. "Alright."

"Sasuke, you and Sakura stand guard at the entrance and wait for Kakashi-sensei," Minato instructed. His two team mates nodded in confirmation and watched as Akane lead him in through a back door.

"Maybe I should have gone instead," Sakura mused, laden with mild guilt.

"It was his choice. Besides, it's Naruto. Trying to get him to do inappropriate things is like trying to get a wall to talk, and he's a better fighter than you are. I'm sure he'll be fine," Sasuke tried to provide Sakura with reassurance.

The two stood outside in the warm desert afternoon, surrounded by unsavoury things. Kakashi joined back up with them outside the brothel's doors.

"Sasuke, Sakura, where's Naruto?"

"Kakashi-sensei," Sakura called back. "He went in to protect Akane."

"Lucky thing," Kakashi muttered into his mask. This earned him two raised eyebrows.

"I mean, that's good of him. But may I ask why he went in instead of Sakura. He seems too young to be a customer."

"I didn't want to, so he volunteered."

"I see..." Kakashi stood with them outside, waiting.

Akane sat Minato down in a dressing room, forcing him into a frilly, layered dress that looked as if it were meant to satisfy some sort of fetish. He went barefoot, refusing to squeeze his feet into the kitten heels that went with the outfit. His feet may be calloused and tough from extended periods of running, fighting and training, but those things were torture. She caked make up onto his face and slapped a blond wig on his head that itched fiercely. Sealing his clothes into a scroll, he slipped it into his weapons pouch and had a small argument with Akane over whether he should be allowed to keep his weapons pouch strapped to his thigh. He managed to wear Akane down with the fact that he would need weapons to protect her and that no one would see it underneath the copious amount of lace, happily feeling the comfort of having his kunai and shuriken within reach.

"Ready?" Akane stood beside Minato before the entrance to the business area of the brothel.

"I suppose," the blond exuded confidence as he grasped a toy rabbit in one hand. They had been going for the lolita look, and he dared say it worked, much to his eternal embarrassment and shame.

'Kushina would kill me if she ever found out. Then she'd summon me back with Edo Tensei and kill me over and over until she's satisfied,' Minato shuddered.

He touched his legs self consciously, where two pairs of unusually long ribbons twined upwards. They had settled on a pair of laced ballet shoes after Minato broke a pair of heels by accident.

"Let's go," the lady flung open the doors and strode in, the boy trotting at her side.

A/N: So... yeah... Um... If you've made it this far to such a disappointing chapter. Please forgive me... :'( Just leave a comment about etErnal's awesomeness and... maybe point out any mistakes or inconsistencies? Anything would be fine, really... I guess... *depressed*

etErnal: YOU'RE RIPPING OFF FFVII!

EI: ... OMG really?! Oh... oh... I didn't notice. *cries even harder*

etErnal:*tosses mushroom at huddled up EI in the corner*

EI: I'm so sorry... :(

EI: Thank you, 'Guest' for pointing out my mistake. I just sat there for a minute thinking, 'Oh my God, I'm an idiot'. For about a minute. I made the change already. Thank you... And... I'm sorry...