Chapter - 19

Tayuya sat in a grass field on a hill. She didn't really remember how she got there only that she had awakened there after her fight with the slacker and fan-wielding bitch. There were flashes every now and then, her pinned under some trees, masked men finding her, surgeons working over her, and then a burning sensation where her curse mark was. Once the burning had ended she woke up in the field with a cold chill that never truly seemed to leave. At times it did, usually when she could just make out someone talking to her and although she had found the person to be a bit of a blather mouth had really cherished them after a while.

Other than that she was simply there, she had explored the area but found nothing of interest anywhere else. However even the apparent boredom was better than what she called the storms. They were exactly as they sounded turning the calm grassy plain into a area in the middle of a monsoon and during those times the horrible events that had led her to Sound played for her.

But a storm hadn't happened for a while and a part of her believed it was due to the person that seemed to be trying to communicate with her. Still at the moment she would almost take one for the simple fact of, "Fuck I'm bored."

"Then how would you like to leave," Naruto said causing the red-head spin to her feet in surprise.

"Where did you come from and who the fuck are you?" she snarled.

"Watch your tone you insignificant little bitch," Kyuubi said the braids of her hair beginning to rise up like tails as her anger rose.

"Kyuubi, relax it's just the way she talks," Naruto said placing a restraining hand on her shoulder.

Tayuya thought she recognized the boy as he approached calmly but she refused to drop her guard. "Do… Do I know you?"

"Vaguely, let's see if this refreshes your memory," he henged himself to look like he did three years ago and said, "Recognize me now?"

"You're one of those bastards that kept getting in our way," Tayuya said preparing to defend herself.

"There's no need for that," Naruto said dropping his henge. "Your team managed to prevent us from rescuing Sasuke."

"Hah, I knew you rats were just lucky," Tayuya said but then noticing the boy looked significantly older began to wonder what was going on.

Naruto could see the confusion in her face so said, "This is your reward Tayuya. You've been in a coma for three years."

"Fuck you," Tayuya said quickly, "Don't fuck with me. This is probably some interrogation technique of the Leaf to trick me into revealing where our base is."

Naruto shrugged which pissed her off to no end, but she was forced to admit he had a point when he said, "I suppose that is possible. But ask yourself this, why would they use an older version of me and a woman you've never seen before in order to force you to give us info? Wouldn't it be more expedient of us to have implanted a vision were you needed to get to the base quickly?"

"What do you want then?"

"I'm looking for someone who can find people of interest for me outside of Konoha," Naruto answered with a smile.

"For what purpose?"

"Well frankly so I can seduce them into helping me unite the shinobi world," Naruto said and frowned as Tayuya simply stared at him before she began laughing.

"Perhaps you should show her Naruto?" Kyuubi supplied stepping up to him.

Tayuya stopped laughing going on guard again saying, "Don't fucking come near me!"

"Relax Tayuya," Naruto said, "Besides if I had truly wanted to. I could have used my jutsu on your body without coming here. This is merely a construction of your mind; you are currently lying in a coma ward in the Leaf Hospital. After Temari beat you, Anbu found you in the forest, but while surgeons were saving your life Orochimaru must have decided he no longer needed you and removed the seal from you. You were lucky to have had it happen then as according to the medical report its removal was supposed to kill you. As it was though you ended up in a coma."

"Prove it," Tayuya said prompting Naruto to nod to Kyuubi. Using her Chakra she began to alter Tayuya's form triggering her second stage. In both the real world and as a result Tayuya's mindscape form changed as well. Ino watched on nervously wondering what exactly was going on.

"How?" Tayuya said looking at her hands and their darker skin in confusion.

Kyuubi replied saying, "We are standing over you channeling my chakra into you in order to communicate. It was a simple matter to give your cells the energy they needed to cause this change to occur."

"Why… why me," she asked forced to admit that they were telling the truth as she hadn't been able to change since waking up in the field.

"Honestly, because no one will miss you," Naruto said bluntly. "Orochimaru has discarded you, if you woke up in the Leaf you can only look forward to a life in prison. This is your best chance to have a purpose again."

"Don't you mean to wake up from the coma?"

"No," Naruto said surprising both women, "We'll do that regardless. We'll even help you get out of the village if you don't want anything to do with this plan or me. So please at least consider it."

Tayuya couldn't believe that the he would simply give away his biggest bargaining chip. Watching him stand there with a gentle smile and genuine warmth in his eyes made her feel needed. She didn't think his plan had a chance in hell of working, but maybe she could help a little until it became apparent that it was doomed. With that in mind she said, "I'll agree, so what do you need from me."

"We can discuss that later," Kyuubi said approaching the girl.

She grabbed her roughly by the chin prompting Tayuya to say, "Hands off bitch," but when she tried to push her away found she couldn't move. She turned Tayuya's head to expose where the curse mark used to be on the back of her neck. Pressing her free hand against the spot she channeled chakra into it before pulling her hand away.

The kanji for Naruto's name appeared in words before an outline of a sitting fox materialized. The outline then filled in making the fox solid black while behind it were nine tails that almost looked like flames. It wasn't exactly as painful as receiving the curse mark, but surprised as she was when Kyuubi let go she fell to her knees in pain.

Before Tayuya could ask what was happening Naruto did for her saying, "What do you think you're doing?"

"You plan to send this one away from the safety of the village don't you," Kyuubi said calmly meeting her host's eyes. "I am merely taking steps so that should she betray you she can be found, or should she need you that you could aid her."

Naruto was surprised, but said, "Still you should have warned her and me."

"I figured that you still do not trust me, so would refuse," Kyuubi said.

That stopped Naruto for a moment and he nodded at her point but said, "True, but still you don't have the right to simply force it on her like that."

"She'll thank me," Kyuubi said noticing that the pain was fading from Tayuya's face who glared up at her. "Wipe that look from your face girl before you learn to regret it. Besides that mark will allow you to use that second form of yours in battle again."

Naruto walked towards Tayuya and helped her to her feet. Kyuubi found she was rather jealous of the gentle way he did so, especially as he said, "Sorry about that. I didn't know, but if it will help protect you I'm glad she did it."

"Forget it," Tayuya said, "The fucking snake's mark hurt a lot worse than that."

"Alright then," Naruto said returning his attention to Kyuubi, "Now let's get moving. I'm sure Ino is starting to get worried."

Kyuubi nodded and with a wave of her hand Naruto felt the pull again to find that both of them were back in the seal standing exactly as they had been. Naruto was about to let go of the bars and Kyuubi's hand but she quickly said, "Don't! I need you to continue to act as a conduit for me." Nodding in reply he watched as the scene of the hospital continued to play out with the chakra of the Kyuubi continuing to fix the damage.

Tayuya's eyes began to flutter before snapping open. She tried to move but Ino stopped her saying, "Don't, you'll need lots of rehabilitation before you can move again. You've been lying here a long time."

Kyuubi looked at him saying, "I can have her up and about by morning, but you should get her out of here first."

"Thanks," Naruto said with a bright smile before cutting the connection to his seal.

Kyuubi was glad as she felt her face heat up as she whispered, "You're welcome."

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Naruto returned to the world to see it matched the one he had formed in his seal. Ino looked up at him saying, "Welcome back. What's with the mark on her neck?"

"Kyuubi did it, claims it will help me locate her as she's traveling," Naruto replied.

"I'm fucking right here you know," Tayuya said.

"Sorry," the pair of blondes mumbled.

"We should get going. Ino what's the best way out of here?" Naruto said taking charge as they lifted her from the bed to a gurney.

"Tayuya play dead," Ino said covering the red-head with the sheet of her bed before telling Naruto, "Go to the back of the hospital. I'll take Tayuya down to the undertaker's entrance and you can take her home from there."

Once Naruto left she began to push the gurney towards an elevator to head down towards the morgue and the door where the undertaker would come to pick up the deceased for burial. As they entered an elevator to head down and since they were alone Tayuya said, "It was you wasn't it? The person who would talk to me?"

"You…you heard me," Ino said surprised.

"Not really, it was more like sensations really. But your presence is familiar."

"Yeah, it was me," Ino said, "I… sort of felt sorry for you since you didn't have anyone… to visit you."

"Thanks," Tayuya said after a moment of silence.

"No problem."

"Is he really serious about trying to unite all the villages?"

"Yep," Ino said with a smile.

"He's dreaming if he thinks it's possible."

"Maybe," Ino said her smile getting even bigger as she remembered his first day at the academy and his declaration that he was going to be Hokage, "but he's always dreamed big and I'm starting to believe he can achieve anything he wants."

Tayuya stared up at her before it dawned on her, "He's seduced you."

"Oh we're well past the seduction part," Ino said, "we're at the mind-blowing sex part. Trust me girl, the sex is one of the best perks about signing up for his unite the world plan." The ding of the elevator reaching their floor forced Ino to cover Tayuya again and she quickly made her way to the morgue. Tayuya in the meantime wondered if being with the blond was truly as great as Ino made it sound.

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