Dog and Fox

Chapter 10

The mist seemed heavy, almost oppressive, as it swirled around the mirrors and Naruko's feet as she faced the multiple reflections of her enemy.

"What is your name?" Naruko asked as she pulled out her two blades and prepared herself

"Haku" the reflections replied

"I see. You work with Zabuza then?" Naruko continued, trying to buy some time to come up with something

"No. I am his tool" Haku said, Naruko didn't even as much as blink at that piece of information

"You are gathering money for his dream?" Naruko asked. The research she had gained on Zabuza pointed to the possibility that he wanted to somehow finance a rebellion in Mist to overthrow their current ruling power. Then again the man was not exactly in many people's good books.

"You know a lot about us" Haku said, Naruko could nearly feel the narrowing of those eyes

"It is my job to know" Naruko replied "now, fight me" she all but growled out while preparing some kunai. The reflections bowed their heads and then disappeared.

Naruko twisted as she saw the flickering forms of Haku in the mirrors, releasing the kunai all around her as she did so; each one trailed a thin piece of wire that was all but invisible in this thick mist. She heard a gasp and turned to see blood in the air near one of her kunai, so she pulled sharply on some of the wires even as numerous needles headed towards her all but too willing to impale her like the other two boys.

"I see" Naruko muttered to herself and pulled the kunai back, she could see the blood on the reflections and feel the sharp gaze of Haku on her

"What do you see?" Haku asked, obviously trying to mock her but not quite making it.

"It's impossible for you to remain in those mirrors for an extended period of time; no ice user is that powerful. That means you dart between them at high speed, giving the illusion of needles appearing all around the target. A rather clever strategy, disorientating the target both physically and mentally" Naruko said with some admiration in her voice. Haku just watched her with those unwavering eyes.

"But I'm afraid that this is where it ends. Two jonin's are fighting Zabuza now, he can't win against that" Naruko said before sighing "and to think, you two were just what I needed" she muttered to herself making Haku frown before huffing and attacking again without warning.

However Naruko was prepared. She knew that fighting this level of opponent was impossible for her, however destabilising her would make her job much easier, also she got the impression that Haku had won against numerous opponents using this technique, and as such was unlikely to have any other skills aside from this. So with that in mind she tried out the same trick, hearing Haku hiss as one of the wires tugged against her hand causing Naruko to pull on it and turn, catching Haku again. However Naruko knew she did not have anywhere the skill needed to wrap the wire around Haku and bring her down/

"Stop this Haku, I can help you" Naruko said seriously

"Trickery?" Haku asked, sounding nearly incredulous and Naruko shook her head

"No. I have with me proof that I can help you" Naruko said, pulling out some papers and tossing them on the ground along with a plain brown envelope that made a rather distinctive sound when it hit the ground. Haku appeared in front of them as Naruko stepped back. Haku looked at them, along with what was inside the envelope and turned to Naruko.

"You are serious?" Haku asked and Naruko nodded

"I am. I need someone on the outside, who can go places I can't and set up points of contact" she explained and Haku looked torn. A sudden sound of crackling lightning filled the air and Naruko sucked her teeth while frowning. She took off at top speed, arriving just as Kakashi moved to plunge a fist full of lightning into Zabuza's chest. She darted in front and nudged his hand downwards so it struck the hard concrete of the bridge. Kakashi looked at her with an expression that demanded an explanation

"We have bigger problems" she replied with an expression of cold steel as clapping could suddenly be heard across the bridge as Zabuza let the mist go, allowing it to finally disperse as the wind demanded.

On the other side of the bridge sat nearly three hundred bandits with Gato at the front of them, can in one hand as he mockingly clapped the 'show'.

"Well this is a shame" he said mockingly "the great 'Demon of the Mist' couldn't finish off a couple of children. Well, no matter" he said, grinning maliciously as Zabuza growled lowly and stood up, ignoring the multitude of wounds on his body.

"Here" Naruko said while tossing him some Kunai

"Haku?" he asked while tearing at the bandages around his mouth and placing a kunai inside with his good arm before reading himself

"She's safe" Naruko replied, Zabuza smirked while turning to her

"How'd you know?" he asked and she smirked back

"It's my job to know" she replied as Haku appeared next to them, holding the paper and envelope in her hand, Zabuza raised a non-existent eyebrow and looked at Naruko who shook her head, motioning for 'later'. The three of them faced the masses

"Ever killed before kid?" Zabuza asked Naruko who nodded

"Of course" she replied and Zabuza grunted before charging forth with Haku at his side, already flinging needles into the crowd. Naruko quickly followed after them, surprised to see Hana appear at her side, though the look in her eyes told Naruko that she had some serious explaining to do when this was all said and done. Naruko did not reply to the look and simply continued forwards, mind going blank as she entered the fray, twisting and turning while her blades sliced at major blood vessels and stabbed at places to cripple those she could not manage to outright kill in the heat of the moment. She knew that Hana was keeping an eye on her as always, but right now she did not care.

A sudden scream of terror tried to cut through the thick air, but only seemed to reach Naruko as she turned, after ripping out a man's jugular with the tip of her blade, to see Zabuza holding Gato above him on both kunai, he seemed to say something before grinning slashing the man's throat with the kunai in his mouth and tossing the still screaming man over the edge of the bridge. The other bandits, realising that they were no match for the amassed forces before them and that their meal ticket was dead, all broke ranks and tried to flee, even as Haku and the two jonin's continued to cut them down.

Naruko just stumbled out of the fray and sat down on the edge of the bridge, ignoring Sakura fussing over her two apparently dead teammates, though she somehow figured out that they were still alive. She put her blades back in their sheaths and tried not to yawn as a wave of exhaustion suddenly came over her, she opened her eyes to see a very irate Hana and Kakashi walking out of the bloodbath, both with eyes fixed on her. She rolled her eyes and stepped off of the bridge before walking away.

"Stop Uzumaki Naruko" Kakashi ordered, she ignored him.

"Naruko-san" Hana barked and Naruko sucked her teeth and turned

"What?" she all but hissed, taking Hana aback with the hostility in her tone. She was tired, hungry, covered in blood and feeling more than a little sick because of it, the last thing she wanted to have to explain herself to two people that were very unlikely to listen to her, however logical her explanation was.

"What was that?" Kakashi demanded to know, Naruko glanced at her

"Naruko-san" Hana growled and Naruko growled back

"I thought they'd be more useful alive than dead, and besides, if you'd done your research you'd know that Haku isn't a missing ninja, so killing her wouldn't be murder, and that Zabuza wants to rebel against the leader of Mist" she said sharply "now can I leave so I can eat and get something clean?" she asked sharply before turning around and walking off without a backwards glance. Kakashi shot Hana a glance before walking over to his team while Hana sighed and wondered what was going through her lovers mind.

"Thank you so much for saving us" Tsunami said and she bowed her head, Naruko laughed

"Please don't worry about it, it was what I was here for after all" she explained.

The entire group of ninjas were back inside Tazuna's home and were enjoying a feast that had been provided by the inhabitants of the newly liberated Wave. Haku and Zabuza were both nowhere to be found when the festivities started, and it was probably a good thing too.

"How did you know?" Tazuna asked and Naruko laughed at how many times she seemed to be receiving that question today

"I knew that this lot" she said, motioning to the other ninjas around the table "would all go off to the bridge, leaving you and your son alone. So I decided to stay asleep for once, knowing that Gato would send men after you to use you as a hostage" Naruko explained causing some of the ninjas to bristle and some to blush faintly in shame. Kakashi coughed into his hand and smiled at the bridge builder

"Well, we'll be leaving tomorrow morning then I suspect" he said "Konoha looks forward to a good relationship with Wave from here on out" Kakashi said while trying to sound diplomatic. Naruko snorted, causing him to frown at her but Tazuna's laughter cut the tension and things settled down again.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Hana quietly asked Naruko once the party started back up in earnest, other villagers arriving to greet and thank the ninjas for their help and the like

"Because I didn't think it would work" Naruko explained calmly to her irate sensei

"You still should have told me, besides, I know you need to expand but is Zabuza really the right was to do it?" she asked and Naruko sighed before kissing her cheek, making Hana blush at the rather public display of affection

"They might be missing ninjas, but that doesn't change the fact that he's loyal to his cause and she's loyal to him" Naruko explained "anyway he knows a good deal when he sees one, so he's not likely to try and screw me over, especially with the fact that I've promised to help him with his eventually rebellion, and anyway I'm paying him as with all the others, so he doesn't get to complain" Naruko said with a small smile and Hana sighed, glad to be over that particular hurdle.

As the night dragged on and the alcohol was brought out after realising that Naruko and team seven were all technically adults and so were able to drink, from there the night gradually got more and more rowdy until it all seemed to dissipate.

Naruko was sat on the roof of the house with a saucer of sake in one hand while her other stroked Hana's soft brown hair as she hummed a soft tune into the chilly air of the night as the silver light of the moon bathed the country in some kind of mystical light that seemed to blur everything together with some kind of silvery outline despite the metallic chill it seemed to bring along with it.

"Naruko-san" someone suddenly said and Naruko turned her head to see Haku crouched there with her head politely bowed; Naruko chuckled, feeling more than slightly intoxicated

"What is it Haku-san?" she replied as Hana shifted against her and sighed, Haku seemed to be fighting down a blush, especially when Hana mumbled something that sounded rather erotic causing Naruko to chuckle and stroke her lovers cheek, causing her to settle back down again.

"Um, w-we're meeting at the hill tomorrow at dawn" Haku said, obviously fighting to keep her embarrassment under control

"Okay, goodnight Haku-san" Naruko said and Haku nodded

"Goodnight Naruko-san" she replied before vanishing, leaving Naruko alone with her thoughts under the moonlight.

"You can't be serious Naruko-chan"

"I am very serious. You were moaning my name in your drunken stupor, it got so bad I needed to vacate to the roof to avoid being caught"

"I did not moan in my sleep!"

Naruko and Hana were walking towards a cliff overlooking Wave where the leftovers from yesterday's party were plain for all to see. From the various coloured banners and lanterns, to the streamers and various bottles of alcohol that lay in small piles, included within that were pieces of expensive furniture and the like that had been pilfered from Gato's former residence with the help of Naruko who had kindly unlocked the gate and various doors to allow them entry.

The air was cool this early in the morning and already mist was rolling onto the shores of the sleeping village, like a kind of white blanket that was cold to the touch. Hana and Naruko were discussing what exactly had happened last night, considering the fact that Hana could not remember much due to the amount she had ended up drinking. She blamed Naruko for that, what with her heightened metabolism and all.

"Where are we going anyway?" Hana asked Naruko, holding her head in obvious pain as they climbed the gradual slope.

"To go and meet some new friends" Naruko said and Hana sighed

"Why'd you bring me along then?" she huffed and Naruko chuckled

"I need some back up just in case, besides; you wouldn't want me to get hurt would you?" Naruko asked while turning to face Hana who gulped at the look in Naruko's eyes and nodded quickly making Naruko smile and walk on.

"I thought you said he wouldn't do anything?" Hana said as they reached the opening where they had agreed to meet the previous night

"I did. Problem isn't so much him as his paranoia" Naruko said as she noticed Zabuza standing with arms folded and scowl in place

"I thought we agreed to come here without back up?" he said with suspicion tinting his tone. Naruko shook her head at him

"I need to be sure I'm going to come out of this alive. Besides you didn't come alone either" she told him and he nodded as Haku appeared next to him

"So then" he began

"You know the terms of the deal" Naruko interrupted, going straight to business as she gestured to the brown envelope in Haku's hand

"I want something more" he said and Naruko narrowed her eyes at him

"Do you honestly think you can threaten me Zabuza-san?" she asked him as Hana shifted behind her, unused to seeing Naruko appear so coldly calm and confident

"I need more" he said, correcting himself and Naruko shook her head

"I can't do that, you're no more important than the various other members of this web" she told him "the only real difference is that you'll report straight to me about the movements and the like of various other missing ninjas" she said and Zabuza frowned

"Then how will you help with Mist?" he asked and Naruko sighed

"I will provide you with money for each piece of decent information you can provide me with" she explained carefully, though not quite mocking him yet she was close "and then when you have enough you go into Mist and I'll feed you information on people that can help you"

"But you don't have anything in Mist do you?"

"Not at the moment, but I have merchants that still travel within the area, so I'm sure I can convince a few of them to help me" Naruko said an Zabuza frowned

"But the money…" he said again and Naruko crossed her own arms, ignoring the fact that both Haku and Hana seemed to be staring each other down as the tension in the air rose

"I am providing you with a rather generous deal compared to what other informants get. I've also given you movement information on the hunters chasing you" she reminded him and he sighed in resignation

"Very well" he said and he turned away

"However" Naruko said loudly, making him turn back to look at her "when the time comes I will provide you with a lump sum to help you with extra costs. Of course I will eventually require payment" she told him, Zabuza nodded seriously and walked off

"I'll see you some other time then brat" he said with a wave over his shoulder

"Goodbye Naruko-san, Inuzuka-san" Haku said, bowing to the two of them before disappearing after her master/adoptive father.

"That went better than expected" Naruko said as she turned away with a small smile

"You call that going well?" Hana asked her incredulously "he was getting ready to cut you in half" she said loudly, nearly shouting

"But he didn't, he couldn't afford to pass this up. He was testing me" Naruko explained

"If you say so" Hana replied dubiously and Naruko smiled before softly kissing Hana who blinked before softly moaning into the kiss that quickly deepened before they pulled away

"Forgot to give you that" Naruko said in a whisper before pulling away and walking off, leaving Hana to shake herself out of her daze and hurry after her.

Soon Hana, Naruko and the entirety of team seven were standing at the finished bridge with the near complete population of Wave all wishing them goodbyes and generally being pleasant

"I had my doubts when I first hired you" Tazuna was saying, his daughter and grandson being next to him also smiling and waving at the group of ninjas, "but it looks like you pulled through" he finished, shaking both Hana and Kakashi's hands before stepping back

"It was nothing" Kakashi said with an air of false modesty that caused Naruko to roll her eyes at the man

"Thank you once again for saving us Naruko-san" Tsunami said while bowing her head as Inari did the same, Naruko waved them off

"It was my job" she said with a small smile

"Will you come back?" Inari asked her with an innocent smile and Naruko grinned down at him

"Of course I will Inari-san" she said while ruffling his hair making him huff at her and Tazuna and Tsunami laugh

"Please do feel free to come back" Tsunami said as Tazuna smiled

"Yeah, thanks for saving my family as well Naruko-san" Tazuna said and Naruko sighed dramatically while shaking his hand

"I'll take you up on that offer at some point" she said and then they were on their way back to Konoha, leaving the cheering people of Wave behind to name their bridge and to start rebuilding. Of course Naruko took the reports her contacts gave her along with leaving a few bits with Tazuna as insurance if Konoha decided it would be a good idea to try and screw the rebuilding economy over, he had once again been more than thankful for all the help she had been giving him. He had promised to help her with whatever she needed but she had shaken her head and smile politely while telling him that he had other things to worry about without her adding even more pressure onto him.

"Are you going to see Tsume when we get back Naruko-chan?" Hana asked Naruko as they made their way back along the winding path, taking their time compared to team seven who seemed rather eager to get back, though for Sakura it was probably to gloat to Ino about her mission. Naruko just shook her head at that thought.

"I don't know, she'll probably be in a meeting when we get back" Naruko told Hana who looked thoughtful for a moment

"Probably, I mean the chunin exams are coming up after all" she said and Naruko sighed "what?" Hana asked

"Don't worry; I'll probably get swamped by requests again. Anyway, I'll try and see Tsume, I know that she's patient with me but I do think it is a little unfair that you get me to yourself all the time" Naruko said with a small smile and Hana huffed

"Fine then" she said and Naruko smiled just gently smacking her backside making her jump and gasp in surprise

"You know that's not what I meant" she said with a smile and Hana muttered something under her breath while trying to suppress the blush on her cheeks, not helped by Naruko's lingering hand as it gently stroked her lower back.

"W-what about training?" Hana asked out of the blue, trying to get Naruko to stop touching her, not that she disliked it; it was simply the fact that she did not particularly want someone to see them. Naruko just smiled and pulled her hand away much to Hana's relief.

"Once you give me the documents for the chunin exams I'll start. Besides I've got to see someone about weapons and the like" Naruko told Hana who raised an eyebrow at her and crossed her arms

"Oh, your rather confident aren't you? What makes you think I was even going to enter you?" she asked teasingly and Naruko grinned at her

"A few reasons; one is that I heard you talking to Tsume-chan about it" Naruko told her, making Hana blush again "two, if you don't I'll stop sexing you" she said making Hana's eyes go wide as she stared at her in shock "and last but not least because I could beat most of the teams single handedly anyway" Naruko said, smiling at Hana's still shocked expression. She kissed her again before pulling her closer to herself and continuing to walk with a pouting Hana much to her amusement.

A few days later and they arrived, only a few hours behind team seven and Kakashi who had already made his report on what had taken place.

"Well, I'll see you later then" Hana said rather dejectedly as she trudged off to go and give her own report to the Hokage, which was likely to take an inordinate amount of time. Naruko smiled and caught Hana before pushing her into an empty alleyway and kissing her long and deep until she was certain that Hana was weak at the knees.

"I'll see you later lover" Naruko whispered, nipping at Hana's chin softly as she pulled away and Hana tried to catch her breath once again from the potent kiss. Naruko held her until she could stand again, kissed her once more, and then wondered off to go and find where ever Tenten was hiding at that moment.

She found her 'target' practising with the rest of her team at their training grounds. The Hyuga and miniature Gai clone appeared to be arguing over something and Tenten was watching with a bored expression. Naruko smirked as she walked up behind her without a sound and gently lent down so her breath brushed over the girls' ear

"Ten-chan" she whispered and Tenten nearly jumped out of her skin, turning sharply to glare at Naruko with a large blush on her face

"Don't do that Broker-san" she huffed and Naruko chuckled softly

"Sorry, but you looked a bit too tempting" she said, watching as Tenten's eyes widened at what she had said before she blushed even deeper

"W-what are you here for?" Tenten asked her after a few moments. Naruko sat next to Tenten and sighed

"One, your weekly report" she said and Tenten huffed as though disappointed that was the only reason "and two, because I wanted to see you" she said honestly and Tenten blushed again while handing over an envelope.

"Here" she said in a small voice much to Naruko's amusement

"Thank you Ten-chan" she replied before looking up at the two boys going at it "what's this then?" she asked while looking over at Tenten, noticing that she appeared slightly sweaty from her workout

"Well Neji and Lee are having another argument over who's stronger, even if it is Neji who wins all the time" Tenten told Naruko who hummed and leaned over to sniff at Tenten's neck much to the girl embarrassment

"W-wha?" she gasped

"Hm, you smell sweet" Naruko said softly as Tenten shifted comfortably

"Th-thanks?" Tenten replied as though she was not sure and Naruko laughed again

"I'll stop now. So the genius against a master of hand-to-hand combat" Naruko wondered out-loud "you know I think Lee will surpass Neji" Naruko said and Tenten looked at her strangely despite the blush on her cheeks

"How?" she asked

"Well most geniuses hit a ceiling eventually, it's called arrogance. He'll beat all his opponents and so will stop training to become better and will therefore be surpassed by Lee" Naruko explained as Tenten looked thoughtful

"Never thought of that" she confessed and Naruko chuckled before kissing her on her cheek

"Come on" she said while standing up and puling Tenten up and into her, smirking slightly at the girls' now near constant blush

"W-what?" Tenten asked, she was, after all, meant to be training with her team

"Lunch, let's go" Naruko said simply and began pulling her along, not that Tenten was putting up much resistance. She did not really want to be there watching her two team mates go over the same argument yet again while their sensei just watched them go at it.

Naruko and Tenten eventually arrived at a small restraint/bar a little out of the way from the more popular areas

"I've never been here" Tenten said and Naruko smiled while putting a hand on the small of her back and gently pushing her into the bar

"I know" Naruko told her, it was, after all, the reason she had brought her here. Well, that, and the fact that she needed to get some information from the barkeeper here. He was not one of her regular informers but he had told her that he had some interesting information.

They sat at one of the tables and ordered. It was still fairly early in the day and there were not very many people in the bar, or at least not many ordering food

"I'm surprised there so many people here" Tenten muttered while looking and obviously feeling rather embarrassed that she and Naruko were the youngest people there.

"This is a ninja bar, a favourite haunt of jonin's and the like when they've just come back from missions" Naruko told her while sitting back and watching her

"Hmm. So where've you been this past week?" she asked and Naruko shrugged

"Here and there. I had something to do out of the village and so I wasn't able to collect last week's package, your payment still arrived on time though I take it?" Naruko asked with a slight frown and Tenten waved her concern off

"Of course it arrived on time, I'm just surprised you were able to leave" she said as their food arrived

"Whys that?" Naruko asked as she bit into her meal

"Well, I would've thought the Hokage would be keeping a close eye on someone like you" Tenten replied

"Someone like me?" Naruko asked with a small smile as Tenten blushed again and looked slightly flustered "well, what makes you think he doesn't?" she asked while leaning forwards and Tenten hummed in thought

"Well I've never seen anyone following you" she confessed and Naruko laughed

"I thought that was the whole point?" she teased and Tenten huffed

"You know what I mean" she said while biting into her own food and looking displeased

"I'm just teasing. Yes I know, and no he doesn't have someone following me, yet. But I'm more interested in what you've been doing this week" Naruko said while leaning forwards again

"Not much. We've got a mission scheduled for a few days but unless we get another team on board I don't think it's going to happen" Tenten confessed and Naruko sat back and looked thoughtful

"I know someone who might be able to help" she said

"Who?"

"Uzumaki Naruko" Naruko said while hiding her small smile at Tenten's ignorance

"Why would she be able to help?" Tenten asked and Naruko looked at her

"She's just come back from her own C-rank and is an apprentice to Hana Inuzuka so it wouldn't be too hard for her to convince Inuzuka-san to let her go on another joint mission, especially if it's with you" Naruko said and Tenten flushed slightly

"What do you mean, 'especially if it's with me'?" she asked and Naruko grinned

"Why, she's developed quite the interest in you" she said slowly while gently stroked Tenten's leg under the table making Tenten blush brightly

"Stop it" she nearly hissed and Naruko smiled

"Sorry, you're just so cute when you blush" Naruko said, making Tenten blush again "buts that enough of me teasing you. I trust nothing happened while I was gone?" Naruko asked, revering to the shop situation

"No it's all still fine. We got in a new shipment of some rather expensive kunai and other knives, you should drop by some time" Tenten offered and Naruko nodded thoughtfully

"I might have to do that some time" she said and Tenten nodded as well.

Eventually the two of them stepped out of the bar and back into the town. Naruko decided to walk Tenten back to where her team was practising; since Gai had not come to collect her it was likely that the toy boys were still fighting each other.

"Can't I just stay with you?" Tenten whined and Naruko smiled at her

"You could, but I need to go see people and do some things that I don't really think you want to be part of, so I'll take you back" Naruko said, referring to her need to go and find Tsume and make sure she was alright with what was happening at the moment

"Like what?" Tenten asked and Naruko smiled at her

"Secret" she whispered into the girls ear, making her huff in annoyance as Naruko laughed and hugged her with one arm "are you being entered into the chunin exams?" Naruko then asked and Tenten nodded

"Yeah, Gai-sensei waited a year because he wanted to be sure that we were ready for it" Tenten explained and Naruko nodded

"Sounds like a good idea, but from what I've seen it looks like all the teams are going to be entered this year for the exams" she said and Tenten looked at her

"Really? Seems a bit risky" she said and Naruko nodded

"Yeah it's not exactly the smartest thing to do, but then again, most of the entrants this year are from various clans and bloodlines, so I suspect there's some political pressure behind the move"

"Why?" Tenten asked curiously

"Because despite the fact that the clans all appear friendly to one another, their actually at odds with one another all the time. Therefore they'll want to have their clan heirs in the exams sooner rather than later"

"What about Neji?" Tenten asked, stalling for time as she did not really want to go back to her team

"Well" Naruko said, knowing what Tenten was doing "he's not a clan heir so they probably didn't really care what he did or why" Naruko said before smiling down at Tenten

"Now stop stalling" she said, gently patting her on the ass making her jump slightly and blush

"Don't do that" she whined and Naruko smiled before kissing her soundly on the cheek

"I don't see you complaining" she said before walking off "I might see you later Ten-chan" she called over her shoulder as she disappeared into the trees before beginning the walk over to the Inuzuka compound.

She arrived in the compound to find Tsume lying on her sofa looking rather tired. Naruko smiled and sat next to her before gently moving her so her head was laying in her lap

"Wha?" Tsume muttered as she opened her eyes to see Naruko looking down at her

"Morning" Naruko said jokingly, her voice soft

"Naruko-chan?" Tsume said, groaning as she turned over and buried her face in Naruko's abdomen

"Yes Tsume-chan, it's me" Naruko replied and Tsume sighed

"Missed you" she muttered, still half asleep

"Me too" Naruko replied while stroking her hair, feeling her relax again

"Hana?"

"Taking to the old man"

"That old bastard" Tsume muttered half heartedly

"Hard day?"

"Council"

"I see" Naruko replied, amused at how tired Tsume was, she reached down and gently hiked up the woman's shirt before caressing her abdomen, causing Tsume to moan softly and shift to give her better access

"Good mission?" she asked, a bit more awake now due to the pleasure of her lovers hands touching her so softly.

"Kakashi was a prick as I suspected" Naruko said and Tsume snorted at the name

"That man needs a kick to the nuts" she muttered, Naruko had to agree with that sentiment.

"I know. We won and ended up partying with the inhabitants. Hana got a bit drunk while trying to out-drink me" Naruko told Tsume who chuckled

"What happened?"

"She ended up muttering some rather erotic things in her sleep so I had to take her away from the main group lest she say something bad" Naruko said

"She didn't believe you when she asked did she?" Tsume asked and Naruko smiled down at her

"Of course she didn't, she was adamant that she didn't talk, much less moan, in her sleep" Naruko told her and Tsume chuckled before stretching and opening her eyes to look up at Naruko

"Did you?" she asked and Naruko blinked before laughing loudly

"I didn't want to frighten the children" she said and Tsume snorted

"Good" she huffed and Naruko smiled before leaning down to kiss Tsume softly, much to the woman's vocal delight

"Better?" Naruko asked and Tsume sighed

"Much better" she replied and Naruko smiled

"Good" she said and kissed her again briefly

"Still" Tsume said while moving so she was straddling Naruko's lap "it's not fair that she gets you all to herself" she said while pouting and Naruko chuckled softly while pressing her forehead against Tsume's

"You know I try to keep it balanced" she said and Tsume nodded before kissing her again briefly

"What about the two missing ninjas?" she asked suddenly and Naruko blinked before sighing

"You know about that huh?" she asked and Tsume nodded as Naruko sighed and put her head back, exposing her throat that Tsume began to kiss softly "I need people outside who can easily keep track of other missing ninjas. We made a deal" she explained with a soft tone as she was enjoying Tsume's ministrations.

"I see" Tsume said softly before kissing her throat once again. Naruko sighed and gently rubbed Tsume's back

"Do you want it?" she asked and Tsume whimpered softly

"Of course I do" she said just as softly "I missed you" she said in case Naruko got the wrong idea. Naruko smiled softly at her self-amendment and reached down to gently squeeze her bottom.

"Well then, I guess I better give you what you want" she said before kissing Tsume softly again.

Naruko awoke the following morning with warmth present on both sides of her body. She glanced down to find both Hana and Tsume asleep on her shoulders, their arms flung over her abdomen and holding her in place despite her need to move, and the fact both her arms had gone numb at some point in the night.

She sighed and stopped struggling lest she wake the two women laying on her. She looked up at the ceiling and wondered about what she was going to do now. The first stage was well under way and would soon be finished despite the Hokage's interference, and as much as she did not want to admit it, without Hana and Tsume she would be up the creak without a paddle, so to speak.

"Naruko-chan?" Hana softly moaned as she woke up, bringing Naruko out of her internal monologue

"Mornin'" she said with a small smile and Hana groaned while curling up tighter against Naruko and mumbled something unintelligible while apparently going back to sleep, making Naruko sigh and wonder when she was going to get out of her lovers grips, not that she minded that much though.

"Morning Naruko" Tsume muttered from the opposite side, sitting up slightly, freeing Naruko's arm from its prison and causing a sudden rush of sensation that felt rather painful, making Naruko wince slightly while pulling her arm to her chest and flexing it slightly, making sure it still worked

"Hello Tsume" Naruko replied and Tsume sighed and put her head on Naruko's chest "good sleep?" she asked with a small smile and Tsume grinned back

"Best one in ages" she said and Naruko sighed, stroking her hair and massaging the back of her neck

"Sorry for not being here more often" she said softly and Tsume kissed her neck and mouth

"Don't worry about it" she said sincerely "I just missed you" she said again and Naruko smiled at her before kissing her back

"I know" she said as Hana shifted

"Hmm, trying to sleep" she mumbled and Tsume snorted in amusement

"I think Naruko-chan wants her arm back" she told her daughter who grunted and opened her eyes blearily before noticing what she was laying on

"Sorry Naruko-chan" she said and quickly pulled away, making Naruko sigh in relief at having both of her arms back in her own possession.

The two women laid back down on her chest, one on each side as their respective hands caressed Naruko, making her sigh as she felt her tension disappear

"So tense" Hana muttered with a slight frown and Naruko looked down at her

"Just my own thoughts" she said and Hana looked at her disbelievingly but seemed to accept the explanation without asking any questions.

"So…" Tsume began as her hands lightly touched Naruko's stomach

"What?" Naruko asked softly

"Are you staying for breakfast?" Tsume asked and Naruko chuckled softly

"As much as I'd love to see you and Hana cook for me again" she said, making the two women blush "I don't think your sons' heart would handle it" she said and Hana laughed

"Yeah, seeing someone only a few years his senior screwing his sister and mum" she said while chuckling and Tsume sighed, looking slightly despondent

"But I want to have you for longer" she said, nearly whining, making Hana look at her in surprise, having never seen her mother so…vulnerable before

"I know" Naruko replied with a soft expression, caressing her cheek "and I really want to stay here longer but unfortunately I've got to go and do things, and we don't need to added stress of the village finding out about this yet" she told her before kissing her gently "tell you what, if Kiba's got practice today with his team then I'll come back" she said and Tsume nodded before frowning

"How would you?" she asked before blinking and shaking her head as Naruko smiled at her

"Exactly" she said before turning to also kiss Hana good morning "you as well" she muttered before climbing out of bed. Not bothering to hide herself and more than aware of how it would make her two lovers feel.

Once she was dressed she walked over to the two women who were simply watching her and kissed them once again

"Come on" she whispered softly against Hana lips while caressing Tsume who shivered "get dressed. Otherwise I'll be leaving without saying goodbye" she said and Hana nodded absently before standing up as Naruko sat down and watched them get dressed.

They both moved slowly through the motions, bending over deliberately and generally being far too arousing in Naruko's opinion, she was tempted to forget about her chores today and spend another day simply making love to her loves. But duty won out and she smiled as the two of them turned to face her. She stood up and followed them down stairs only for her to pause when she heard someone else moving downstairs.

She held Hana back just as Tsume stepping into the hallway leading to the kitchen and saw her son there

"Oh, good morning Sochi" she said, he replied though Naruko could not hear due to the walls. She frowned and pulled Hana back flush against her, making the girl blush and gasp before softly groaning and pushing her hips back against Naruko making Naruko growl softly and nip at the junction of her neck causing her to go weak at the knees

"Behave" she softly whispered to Hana who just whimpered and continued to push herself flush against Naruko who really had no objection to feeling Hana so close, especially her firm rear. She reached down and put her hands on it and squeezed

"So erotic" she hissed before turning her attention back to the conversation between Tsume and Kiba.

"So you'll be gone for most of the day?" Tsume was asking, Kiba seemed to answer in the positive if the shift in Tsume's stance said anything

"I see. Well have fun, and practice" she said, nearly growling out the last bit, making Kiba nearly yelp and fly out of the house at record speeds.

Naruko chuckled and descended the last of the stairs, still holding onto Hana who looked like she might fall down if Naruko let her go. Tsume turned to obviously see Hana flushed and rather aroused

"Playing without me?" she said teasingly and Naruko chuckled

"Wouldn't dream of it, just making up for not satisfying her last night" she replied as Hana moaned and turned to kiss Naruko again

"You don't need to" she whispered and Naruko smiled softly and patted her ass before walking over to the front door

"But I will" she said and Hana flushed, obviously thinking about it as both she and Tsume watched Naruko get ready to leave

"You can't stay?" Tsume asked and Naruko hummed in thought

"I've got a few things to do at the moment. But I'll be back around noon I think; anyway I'm sure Hana could make up the excuse that I'm training with her. Of course I wouldn't want to stick around once Kiba gets back"

"Why?" Hana asked as Naruko opened the door and stepped out into the early morning air

"He might be a bit of a idiot, but even he'll put it together if he knows that it's my scent that seemed to be ingrained on the two of you" she said making both daughter and mother blush at the implications before Naruko kissed them soundly and disappeared towards the main part of town.

The sky was bright by the time Naruko arrived at her destination. Already the sounds of vendors selling their wares along with various scents of foods and spices were beginning to fill the air. She slipped down a little known alleyway and steppe into a rather unassuming bar that happened to be where many transactions, of questionable nature, took place in Konoha.

The room was dark, all the better for those hidden transactions and people that did not wish to be seen. It held the distinct aroma of expensive cigarettes and alcohol, even the barkeeper looked suspicious. She walked in with her hood up and sat next to a man dressed in some rather good fashion

"Do you have the money?" he asked her smoothly, obviously thinking he was in control here, Naruko had to suppress the urge to sneer at the gall of this man.

"Do you have the information?" she asked in return and he seemed to sigh, almost as though he thought she was simply being difficult

"I want the money first" he told her sternly, sounding as though he was talking to a rude child and she grunted.

"No deal" she said sharply and stood to leave only to hear him call her back with a sigh and put his information on the table. She snatched it before he could rethink his decision, glancing over it once she frowned

"Is there more?" she asked and he nodded while holding up another envelope. She held her hand out for it, having placed the money on the table but he seemed unwilling

"I want more" he told her and she nearly snarled at the man

"I refuse. The deal has been made, give me the last piece"

"I want more than this" the man said while motioning to the money and Naruko frowned deeply before sighing and leaning back

"Do you seriously expect me to take you seriously?" she asked coldly "I can destroy you in a matter of hours, sir, so I suggest you don't anger me" she muttered and the man frowned. Naruko sighed before pulling out another sheet of paper, opening it, and then handing it to the man. He glanced over it and the blood seemed to drain from his face as he quickly handed her the second envelope and took his money, his hands shaking as he did so.

"V-very well" he stuttered and Naruko hummed to herself, tucking the money away inside one of her many pockets before standing up

"A pleasure" she said in a cool tone of voice before walking away. She would not be seeing him again after all, if she had anything to do with it his home and bank account were going to be gone by the end of the week, she really did hate the rich ones.

Not five minutes later and she was standing outside of Tenten's shop, waiting for the girl to arrive. According to the sign on the door that owner was in Wave getting more materials for kunai and the like while Tenten had obviously woken up late, hence the reason the door was locked.

"Sorry for the…Naruko-chan" Naruko heard as she stared blankly at the wall opposite her. She turned to see Tenten running up to her, her face flushed from both embarrassment and exertion.

"Good morning" Naruko replied with a smile as Tenten arrived at her spot in front of the door

"Sorry about this" Tenten said, panting with a small smile of embarrassment

"Woke up late didn't you?" Naruko asked with a grin and Tenten blushed even more

"Maybe" she muttered as she opened the door and walked into her shop while motioning for Naruko to follow her in

"Someone told me I could get some new weapons here" Naruko said while glancing around the shop, still finding the sheer variety of weapons to be somewhat overwhelming.

"You talking about the new shipment?" Tenten asked as she came in from the back of the shop, looking calmer now.

"Yeah, those new kunai and the like" she said while leaning on the counter and looking up at Tenten who suddenly blushed

"U-um, yeah okay, I'll just get those" she muttered before disappearing back into the rear of the shop, leaving a smiling Naruko to wonder precisely why Tenten had just blushed rather intensely without any real provocation. Then she smiled in realisation as Tenten came back in and put a few packs of kunai in front of her.

"Here they are" she said before stepping back to let Naruko inspect them.

"You having naughty thoughts Ten-chan?" Naruko asked out of the blue as she balanced one of the kunai, spinning it around before testing its edge. Tenten blushed furiously.

"What?" she asked, nearly shouting the question, she quickly covered her mouth and blushed again while glaring at Naruko who was laughing silently at her. "Not funny" Tenten huffed and Naruko smiled

"But you're so cute when your flustered" she said in a too-sweet tone of voice that made Tenten blush yet again before Naruko hummed to herself

"These'll do, they feel a bit heavier than the normal ones though" she muttered and Tenten blinked at the change in subject

"Uh, yeah, it's a new alloy mix" she said and Naruko shrugged

"Whatever, so long as they still kill people they'll be fine" she said and Tenten nodded while packing them away as Naruko put some money on the counter

"How was your mission then?" Tenten suddenly asked and Naruko snorted

"It was alright, the second team was a bitch though" she said and Tenten hummed

"I can imagine, what with the Uchiha there and everything" she said and Naruko nodded

"Yep, anyway I hear your teams got another mission line up" she said and Tenten blinked before nodding slowly

"Yeah, an escort for a small caravan"

"Why the ninja protection then?" Naruko asked curiously while watching Tenten turn around to sort out something behind her, attempting, and failing, to keep her eyes off of the girl behind.

"They're carrying something important…now who's the one having naughty thoughts?" Tenten said, catching Naruko looking at her, putting a hand on her hip and looking at Naruko with a raised eyebrow

"Me, and okay then" Naruko responded, not embarrassed in the slightest at having being caught staring

"So, you like this?" Tenten asked while turning around with a sultry smile on her face. Naruko raised an eyebrow and nodded

"You're so distracting" she said, making Tenten stop and blush at the sudden and rather unexpected complement "anyway I've been told I can hop on this mission if your sensei gives it the go ahead" Naruko told Tenten who looked at her

"Really?" she asked, not sounding too sure of it and Naruko nodded

"Yep, since I'm not on an official team I can go along with others as I won't cause a drastic change in the team dynamics. So…" she said as she stood up and walked over to Tenten who flushed at their proximity

"W-what?" Tenten asked with a slight stutter and Naruko grinned at her

"Talk to your sensei about it?" she asked "it'll just be you and me, alone in a tent, my sensei won't be coming along for this one" she said suggestively and Tenten looked as though she was about to pass out. Naruko chuckled and pulled back

"F-fine" Tenten replied and Naruko smiled at her

"Good then, thanks for the weapons by the way. I'll see you in a few days then" she said, kissing Tenten's cheek before walking out of the shop and leaving Tenten to sit down on weak knees while wondering what she had just gotten herself in to.

The End