The Green Beast and the Hothead Princess

By: Phoenix Shizuka

Chapter Seven: Saved... Again.

I was writhing wildly, coughing and spluttering and swallowing more water than I should have. Managing to surface briefly, I grabbed a lungful of air before I ended up being swatted down again by the kelp tentacles. Opening my eyes, I swam as best I could with the limited air, pain the salt water was causing to the acid burn and the kelp lashing wildly about. More than once, I got buffeted off course, cursing Rose's untimely intervention vigorously in my head.

You see, Rose has a gift for growing things... Unfortunately, like Tsunade's grandfather, she suffered through a trial by fire. Remember when the ANBU found her? Not too far away, they had also stumbled upon a horrific slaughterhouse. Rose had slaughtered several of her kidnappers before they managed to wear her chakra down to nubs... The bodies were, at best, terrifying. Even to a jounin who'd grown up in war. To be able to turn your heart to ice and kill, kill, kill at such a young age... No wonder she was wary of even that most genial of men, Maito Guy.

So now you know all the kekkai genkai my girls possess -plant, water, and Byakugan- as well as my own genetic gifts. Which are WOEFULLY unhelpful in the present situation, as fire jutsus have trouble taking under water.

Surfacing with a gasp, I tried to get my bearings, and got slammed down yet again. This time, though, I swallowed water. Scrambling and fighting – stubborn till the day I drew my last breath I writhed, trying to get loose of the kelp. I managed to gather my wits and loosed myself from the writhing plants at last, only to be slammed savagely into something that was bone-wrenchingly painful to slam into. I blacked out the instant I hit.

Some Time Later

I came back to reality with one hell of a pain rush. My entire body ached. Maybe I had broken bones… I wouldn't put it past the sea, I thought balefully, my head pounding like I'd been boozing for hours the night before. I allowed my eyes to stay shut- I didn't want to know if light hurt my eyes yet- and reviewed over the past events. What I remembered of them, anyways.

One. We were deployed on a mission to pick up and protect a Princess of the Fire Land at some no-name dock town.

Two, the ship had been late. Later than normal. I hadn't much knowledge of ships, but I THOUGHT that this one was late... It turned out, it had very good reason to be late. Neji had discovered that the very ship that held the Princess was under attack. Everything had gone to hell in a hand basket after that.

Three. A squadron of very, very strange people had attacked us. Three kids had battled Lee, Neji, and Tenten. A kid of no more than seventeen had been the would-be assassin, and we had sent him packing. Not without some major help from Guy distracting the Acid Bitch, and some really WEIRD portals that had popped up. Four, I had gotten knocked into the sea. And that was where my memory ended.

With a slight groan, I sat up without opening my eyes.

"MAMA!"

I felt rather than saw a big something cannon into me. Cracking my eyes open warily, I realized it was nighttime. No painful light then. I turned my attention to the hugging teenager in my lap. Youko was shaking like a leaf, obviously having been scared out of her wits and clinging tight. Her natural reaction when she'd been through hell.

I looked around, assessing the people around me.

The Princess Miss Priss as I had deemed her mentally -was sitting next to her mousy attendant, said princess looking mutinous and her attendant uneasy still. I couldn't blame her, having to serve an immature kid like that. Tenten and Neji sat on either side of them both, neither with severe injuries I could spot, besides some heavy bandages on Tenten. Neji also seemed to be moving stiffly. Probably after-affects of the genjutsu specialist he'd been battling.

Rose was out cold in Ayumu's lap, without a scratch I noted with relief. I received a big, relieved grin from the Hyuuga upon her seeing me awake. Lee was currently conked out asleep, looking just fine, although it seems he'd inherited Guy's immunity to bruising where it showed. Those two really could be father and son if I didn't know Guy better. There hadn't been a Mrs. Maito since his mother died, and Guy wasn't the male who went siring kids out of wedlock. Too honorable, and the fact that he usually didn't date.

Speaking of which... Where is Guy? I looked around for him, and finally realized he had been beside me this whole time. And I call Guy dense...

"Phoenix? How are you feeling?"
His voice was unnaturally subdued and hoarse. That was when I saw the bandaging around his throat, light for being shot in the throat with whatever had hit me. I winced inwardly, but hopefully kept my face calm on the outside.

"Doing okay, actually. You?" You were the one that got hit most often by the Acid Bitch...

He nodded, smiling a bit in his normal way- big and sparkly- as he said, "I'm doing just great!"

I winced at how often his voice had cracked during those four words. He obviously wasn't fine, I could see the bandages stretching over his lower abdomen. Which were starting to bleed some again, if the red spots were any indication. Apparently, he also hadn't changed jumpsuits, as this one had rents and holes from the earlier battle. With a sigh, I stood up. When I made sure my head wasn't about to fall off from dizziness, I made my way over to Guy.

"Shut up. You're not fine, I can see blood spots on the bandages, and they're clumsily put on too. Time to change them."

Squirming under my touch, he complained loudly, "Those words aren't very nice, Phoenix. It's nothing! A youthful man like me can handle it! Just a few burns, nothing serious – Stop that, Phoenix-!"

"Don't be a baby," I growled, noticing his wincing, "You said yourself a man can handle this!"

Grumbling comically under his breath and sulking like a child, he gave in to my ministrations. I was no trained medical ninja (thus not bound by the same rules as set down by Tsunade) but I could put the bandages on better than whoever had put them cockeyed before. Besides, my clan had some seriously heavy-duty healing techniques related to burns. How could you not, when younger members got burned by their own fiery chakra all the time? I heard a few giggles, no doubt Youko laughing at Guy's pouting.

Making the handsigns, I poured chakra into the burns on Guy's back. It would ease the pain, as well as help the healing process along. Even if Guy had one of the fastest healing rates I'd seen besides Naruto... And the tendancy to go "fuck it" and train while he's completely knackered anyways. Of course, he doesn't SAY fuck it, but you get the point... Both Guy and Lee have been nightmares for Konoha's nurses.

Very carefully, I made the sign again, making sure it was still ready for use... I was a bit paranoid about the area I was about to heal. Throats were tricky business, even if it was just a first-degree acid burn. At the very least, the same techniques my clan had taught me seemed to be working fairly well on Guy's burns.

Infusing my hands with my fiery chakra, I gently placed my hand against Guy's bared throat. Slight uneasiness flickered through Guy's eyes, a hint of discomfort and something... Other. Something I didn't manage to identify, as I was concentrating on the technique.

Guy's POV

Her hand on my throat... Why did it feel funny? Not funny ha-ha... Funny strange. Maybe it was because she was looking at me like that... Like I was the breakable one, not her. I had absolute confidence in my friends, but... I was shaken when I saw Youko pulling her mother from the waves. It reminded me of the incident when my team and hers were deployed to a port town... I had been the one to pull her from the waves, that time, after the massive octopus summon had slammed her against a cliff and knocked her out. It had frightened me then, too. I was, at that point, used to the feeling... And used to smiling through it.

Phoenix's POV

I was a bit transfixed, I have to admit. This was a rather... new, side of Guy. He'd never become so absolutely still. Not even when he was unconscious or asleep. When asleep, he would usually toss and turn. When unconscious, he either mumbled incoherently or his eyes roved in knock-out dreams.

"Ooooo, are you gonna kiss him?"

DAMMIT, I am going to tan her hide when we get home! Only Youko could... only she could- kamidammit, I thought, my cheeks heating to the point I could swear they were glowing. She's obviously recovered from her fright. I'm glad she's okay but she's SUCH a mood ruiner... My blush grew worse when I realized what I'd been thinking. Right in the middle of a Princess of the realm, and worse: his team and my team, I had been thinking of... Of... There being a "mood" to ruin... Withdrawing my hand, I realized Guy's throat was fine. And judging by the protesting he was doing to a freaked-out Lee, I hadn't botched the inner work either. Good.

"Lee, Phoenix is just a friend! A good friend-"

"But, but, Guy-sensei, why haven't you told us about her before now? Is it because we weren't worthy?!"

That set off one of Guy's crying jags as he frantically explained away why he hadn't told them about me. Apparently, I just hadn't come up in the talks they'd had. I wondered that a little myself. If we really were as close as I thought we were, why didn't he tell the ninja he thought of as his own children about me? It didn't add up that he wouldn't brag on me when he made Kakashi's connection to him so obvious... I wanted to voice these questions, being a little annoyed with him. Instead, I whacked him upside the head.

"You're running the vocal cords I just healed ragged, Guy. Plus, your jumpsuit's ripped up. Go clean up and get into another jumpsuit," I said, "And that goes for everybody. Take shifts guarding Miss Priss here-"

I was interrupted briefly by a squawk of rage from the Princess, but I overrode her with volume, "And get bathed and dressed again in clothes that aren't torn up. We can retrieve Miss Priss' things after we clean ourselves up."

"Not possible... The ship went down in flames," Neji spoke up.

"It seems they're sore losers, whoever they were," Tenten said.

"That's another thing, I need other clothes! I can't go in just one outfit, and neither can my maid," Miss Priss chimed in, scowling her pretty features. I was quickly ticked, and brown eyes stared down ice blue.

"Alright, Miss Priss, we'll get you clothes. But do you think we're anywhere near a town at this point? That battle seems to have carried us past the town we were supposed to meet you in. Who knows where the next town is? So you'll just have to borrow or deal with ratty clothes," I finished with some relish.

"Well, I'll borrow! My maid is about the size of that one," Miss Priss said, pointing to Youko, "And I'm about the size of that brunette."

Tenten looked highly irritated, and Youko howled, "Do I have to? Moooom, I don't want to let these brats wear my stuff, I might catch their brattiness-"

"Youko, shut it. We'll work out borrowed clothes in the nearest spring," I snapped, "Guy, can you take care of finding the guys a bathing spot? I'll handle the girls if you can."
He nodded, looking like he didn't want to be in the middle of such a female spat. Guy stood, and went over to wake Lee. I stood, and gathered both fourteen, fifteen, sixteen and seventeen (I think) year old girls around me. My team took their bags and Tenten brought her change of clothes with her. Youko was glaring at the blonde, who was returning the hateful look as deep ocean blue met ice blue. Rose, woken by Youko's howling, was joining the glare-fest, aimed at Youko. Youko, thankfully, was oblivious of this new opponent. Ayumu and Tenten seemed to be the only ones trying not to make more of a fuss. Well, that and the maid.

Right. Introductions are in order, I think. I can't keep calling Miss Brat and the maid that forever... Although I think the nickname will stick with Miss Brat.

But how do I start...

I kept my ears out for water sounds, and mentally mapped the path back to our campsite. The battle hadn't exactly pushed us off course, actually. We'd been close to the town even when we battled, because Youko and Co. had been able to find us even during the battle. If I didn't hear water within a few steps, I decided I would head back to town to take the girls to a proper bathhouse (if I could locate the direction the town was actually in). They deserved the break, after their first scuffle. Even if we'd only kept the rooms at the inn until the morning of the pickup, we could rent new ones for the night. I hoped. Otherwise Miss Priss over there might just blow as gasket, judging from her current bitching.

"Huh, forced to take a bath in a river after being attacked by heathen ninja and being abused by the people who're suppoooosed to protect us-"

The maid took that opportunity to give a severe look at the blonde. Surprisingly, this shut the brat up. I took that as incentive, herding them towward one of .

"Alright, we need introductions. I'd be Phoenix Shizuka, and these three are my team," I said, indicating my girls, "Introduce yourself ladies."

"I'm Youko Shizuka, and you can't have my clothes!" Typical... I have GOT to talk to her about being so blunt. I mean, I'm blunt, but it's not like it's inherited...

"I'm Rose Haruno," the pinkette said, eying the blonde distrustfully. Even now, Miss Priss had her nose in the air.

"Ayumu Hyuuga, ma'am," Ayumu said respectfully, bowing a little. Rose glared at her friend for being so polite to someone who looked and acted so haughty. Ayumu wilted under Rose's green-eyed glare.

"Well, MY name is Princess Kaguya Akane Tokuhime," the blonde, Kaguya, spoke out, puffing up her chest with importance. I was liking Miss Priss Kaguya less and less.

The maid softly intoned, "My name is Momoko..."

Youko grinned at the maid, patting her on the shoulder. Kaguya apparently took that as an offense and was about to go after my daughter when the other female of the group spoke up at last.

"Tenten," the older brunette said shortly, tilting her head, "And there would be the water we're looking for."

I blinked- relieved as I felt the heat increase as well as various water sounds that accompanied a hot spring. Boy, this is lucky. I was afraid I'd have to deal with Miss Priss bitching about the cold when we found a stream... I should have realized it was a bit too good to be true.

The girls ran in ahead of me, my team whooping and hollering at the prospect of a hot bath after their sea dunking.

"Wait, we should- ugh," Tenten sighed, chasing after them. She was well used to teammates with crazy antics. I followed at a more sedate pace, checking over the area. Once I satisfied myself that there was no enemy about, I stripped. Inspecting my bandage, I realized someone here was competent at bandaging besides me because it was nice and neat. Peering underneath the bandages, I regretted it when I felt the burn start to hurt again. Whatever had been on the bandage in the first place worked again, though, as when I had re-fastened it the burns quit hurting so much. With that done, I peered down to see the other girls.

Youko was already naked, exposing her ample-for-her-age breasts. She was also tanned all over, leading me to wonder if she had been naked sunbathing at some point. Ayumu was blushing furiously but had also undressed, revealing some major boobage under those floaty and feminine tops she was so fond of. Rose was looking highly irritated, and I could tell why. She was much smaller than either of her teammates in the bust, and smaller than the tomboy Tenten. Tenten had kept her hair up in the same position, but also stripped to bathe.

When the Princess- with much fussing- undressed, however, Rose preened a little bit. Kaguya barely had any breasts at all. Momoko, with her peach-colored skin and bark-colored hair, didn't have much breasts either, but about the same as Rose. Rose then assumed a slightly put out look.

When I came out of the shadows of an overhanging tree, all six girls took one look at me and reacted. Ayumu and Momoko the maid both looked away, sinking into the water and blushing hard; Rose splashed in the water, and scowlingly went about bathing; Tenten gawped for a minute, then muttered something under her breath darkly, laughing softly; Youko wasn't flustered because we'd taken baths together before. Kaguya, on the other hand, was indignant.

"How did you get your breasts so big?"

I eased into the water, smiling smugly. The burn was high enough up that I could sit in the shallow water and not have my bandages wetted. It would be a pain in the ass to clean around it, later. For now I had a plan in mind.

"They're nothing on our Hokage's. She's had a pervert chasing after her for nearly forty years," I said, grinning. Revenge is sweet.

Kaguya was agog, staring at me, "She hasn't killed the pervert?!"

"Oh no, she can't kill him. He's like the Monkey King- almost immortal. Plus, a lot of people in the village theorize she has a crush on him," I said, grinning wickedly.

"Of course, that's old news," Rose sighed, rolling her eyes, "And who cares about old people love anyways?"

"Better not let her hear you say that," Ayumu warned softly, coming up from the water for air.

"What? She IS an old bat, she's old enough to be our grandma and yet she looks like a hot young twentysomething! Lady Tsunade's really vain, too, she can't stand looking as she does for real," Rose growled back, "That's downright cowardly, if you ask me-"

I promptly whacked Rose upside the head. She yelped and turned to glare at me, "What was that for?! It's all true!"

I firmly grabbed her by the arm and hauled her out of the hot spring, splashing. Naked or not, she must be taught a lesson for disrespecting our leader. And my drinking buddy. In front of outsiders who weren't ninja, too. Getting her up, spluttering and shaking, I positioned her exactly on one of the rocks bordering the pool. She was very cold, I'd wager, what with getting out of warm water and the nasty wind that had sprung up. My replenished chakra was keeping me warm, on the other hand. So this would be muuuch more nasty for her than it was for me.

"This is what you get for disrespecting our Gracious Lady Hokage."

I promptly booted her right back into the pool that we were in. Instant chaos. Writhing female bodies and a LOT of screaming ensued, with me cackling on the ledge in amusement. My side wound pulled, spoiling my fun. Wincing a little, I stood up and gathered the necessary items for fire starting. It was time to fix that little bastard on my side for a while. I was so wrapped up in making the little fire that I didn't hear him coming until too late.

"Phoenix-!"

I about jumped out of my skin. Whirling around, I turned to face none other than Maito Guy and the rest of the males that we had separated from earlier. My hands flew to cover my breasts, an instinctively female reaction.

Oh. Kill me now, Kami. I am so, so fucking screwed...

Nice choice of words, dummy. Real nice...

Hey everybody! My first update on this story for the new year ^^ If anyone is still looking at this, I'd really, really appreciate a review... It lets me know you guys read, you know. I really want people to read my stuff T^T I know Phoenix has a mouth on her but still! I figure she's a pretty entertaining character to be inside the head of... Let me know if I messed up the Guy POV.

Anyways, you don't want to hear my BS about how life got to me, how I couldn't find inspiration for this fic... Even if it's all true. Still.

What do you guys think of Phoenix's choice of words upon seeing Guy who's sort of accidentally peeping? We all know Guy isn't the kind to peek normally... So an accident had to be set up. Now that Guy has seen her naked for the first time in ages... What do you think will happen? And what about bratty Kaguya-hime? What do you think of her and Momoka? I, personally, like Momoka better... She's sweet. Kaguya ignites conflict- or is it Phoenix that does that? Either way, I want to see how this playas out... New zeal for the story if you review!

Okay, I missed this story. Naruto is one of my favorite genres- DESPITE Kishimoto's insistence on trolling us poor followers of his work. And he had to go and reveal the Sage of Six Path's true name and everything T^T I like SOME mystique about history! And nobody seems to stay dead (history wise) in that one... Except for my favorite characters, DAMMIT. And he likes to kill off my favorite males (Jiraiya), fudge fudge FUDGE... TT^TT It's said that Guy is the next to die... Maybe he'll be one of the ones that won't stay dead... Even Edo Tensi, Guy is awesome...

Okay... That deviated into a rant... Anyways.

Leave a review! Maybe leave an idea for the direction of this story for me?

Hugs, kisses, wild happiness of the author and cookies to all who review!

-June