Walking through Konoha, Uzu sent out her chakra waves and activated her Sage Mode, soon finding two of the Kumo shinobi … the other one was walking around a different area, surveying some camps and talking to people.

The blonde woman was walking around with a letter in hand and Uzu thought that she looked quite … hurried … no … that’s not quite right. Perhaps the person who should have gotten that letter can’t be found?

…

Uzu and Naruto calmly walked through a forest path and soon came across a red-haired girl and a boy, both wearing a Kumo hitai-ate.

“Damn, Konoha-nin really are quite alright, aren’t they, Omoi?” The red-haired girl chuckled, looking at Naruto and Uzu. The boy next to her laughed, and Uzu felt his eyes roaming over her body.

Uzu’s eyes grew cold, chains prepared to lash out at any time.

The two groups stopped mere meters away from each other when Naruto spoke: “What is a team of Kumo-ninja doing in Konoha?”

“Heh, we are here for a very important mission given to us by our Raikage!” The girl said, a slightly annoyed expression on her face.

“What is your third teammate doing in the camps?” Uzu asked.

The red-haired girl looked at her, surveying her body before scoffing: “Who are you to ask that? … well, if you are already here, you might as well tell us all you know about Sasuke Uchiha.”

Uzu felt Naruto’s hand squeeze hers.

“Why would we tell you anything about a ninja from Konoha?” Naruto asked back, his voice a bit colder than before.

“Haha~. He is no ninja from Konoha. I’m actually slightly surprised that he isn’t labeled as a missing-nin …” Omoi said.

“Either way, our Raikage has ordered us to kill Sasuke Uchiha on sight for his crimes committed against our teacher, the brother of our Raikage, Killer Bee!” The girl said angrily.

“Karui is right! Since Konoha is unable to properly manage their missing-nin, we, Kumogakure, will take care of him!” Omoi said, equally angry.

“Now that you know why we are here, tell us all that you know about Sasuke! I’m sure your Hokage, after getting word of this, will send someone after Sasuke as well, especially with him being part of the Akatsuki now!” Karui said.

Naruto stayed silent and looked at the ground.

After some time, he spoke, determination showing on his face: “I won’t tell you anything.”

“What?” Karui said, her hand balling into a fist, anger evident on her face.

“I will not sell him out, no matter what.” Naruto said resolutely.

“Hah? Who is he to you anyway?!” Karui shouted.

“My teammate.” Naruto said, closing his eyes.

“A missing-nin is your teammate?! Don’t make me laugh …” Karui said, her expression darkening.

The next moment, Karui rushed at Naruto.

Uzu knew that he could easily, very easily destroy this girl.

However, when he just didn’t move even when the girl was just about to reach him, she knew, he had no intention of even trying to defend himself.

Naruto, just what are you doing?

She watched as Naruto stumbled backwards, letting go of her hand and holding it to his face instead.

Karui looked at him in anger: “What are you doing …”

“I’m letting you let out your anger and hatred on me. Sasuke will be brought back to Konoha by me because that is what I promised. No matter what he does, I will bring him back.” Naruto said, relaxing his stance and looking at Karui.

Uzu saw him glance at her and his gaze seemed to say: ‘Don’t interfere.’

Uzu nodded, watching as Karui walked towards Naruto and started hitting away at his head.

One time, two times, three times. Naruto’s nose was already bleeding and his cheek lightly swollen.

Four times, five times …

Isn’t that about enough?

Anger bubbled up in Uzu.

She understood that Naruto didn’t want to break his promise to Sakura and the promise to himself … but he didn’t need to do this.

This insect of a girl was clearly overstepping boundaries. In another village, she would already be dead by now.

Uzu body flickered between Naruto and Karui, catching her fist in her palm. Lightly throwing Karui back, Uzu followed and grabbed at her face, slamming her head into the ground.

Karui just gave out a loud shriek and all movement of her instantly died down.

Eh? Dead already? Uzu thought to herself, crouching down and checking on the girl’s pulse.

Still there, she’ll live.

She stood up, feeling the boy rush at her with his blade drawn, killing intent staining the beautiful nature around them.

A seal started appearing in the air next to Uzu’s right palm … the next moment she appeared in his path and her finger tapped onto his forehead’s hitai-ate, a seal appearing on the skin below it.

His muscles instantly went limp and he fell to the ground, letting go of his sword.

Paralysis seal, very useful and works instantly.

A single bit of my chakra can either paralyze him or free him.

Uzu appeared next to Naruto and touched his face with a hand covered in medical chakra.

Uzu sensed a new presence approach and a blonde-haired Kumo-nin soon arrived next to her two teammates.

…

The woman observed her teammates and looked at Uzu and Naruto.

Seeing Naruto being healed and nobody attacking her, the woman deduced that her two teammates had been hot-headed again and actually attacked someone in an enemy village.

She bent down, assessing their wounds.

Her female teammate, albeit injured, would survive. Whoever had done this, had not actually aimed to kill, or so she surmised.

Her male teammate, however, was under the influence of a seal and … it was a seal she had never seen before.

…

Uzu saw the Kumo-ninja look at her and heard her say: “I apologize for the trouble my teammates have caused. I’ll inform you that our mission was unable to be completed, seeing that your Hokage has already left the village. However, we need to leave, so I ask of you to please heal my teammates too. I’ll be in your debt, kunoichi-san.”

Uzu felt a bit unwilling, but alas, the woman had asked in good manner and she wouldn’t unnecessarily strain relations with a different village if could be avoided. The war was coming.

Letting go of Naruto’s face, who had been lost in thought all this while, she appeared next to the boy first.

Placing a palm on his forehead, she first extracted her chakra and then slowly erased the seal.

The boy soon sat up and stood next to his teammate.

Uzu slowly walked up to the girl whose head was pushed into the ground.

She pulled out her head and let a bit of healing chakra run into her brain and upper body.

Standing up, she faced the two Kumo-nin and said: “She’ll be dizzy for a while and probably feel pain for a week or two. She’ll make a full recovery though.”

The blonde-haired woman slightly bowed and Uzu watched as the boy picked up his red-haired teammate.

The group soon vanished in the wide forest area of Konoha.

…

Uzu walks back to Naruto and sees him still focused on the ground, still thinking about something.

She decided to just stand next to him and hold his hand.

After a few more minutes, she felt him squeeze her hand. Turning her head, she saw a determined expression on his face.

…

Only half an hour later, she found herself on a big raven, chasing after the three Kumo-nin and flying with Naruto, Kakashi and Yamato towards the Raikage, intending to help Naruto ask him to spare Sasuke.

Uzu knew, her Mom would never mark Sasuke as a missing-nin, if only because of Naruto.

There had always been orders to retrieve him alive in place. Adding onto that, his bloodline is important to Konoha and the land of fire … they cannot just kill him so easily.

“Your creations never cease to amaze me Uzu-sama.” Yamato said, carefully inspecting the raven.

Uzu was snapped out of her thoughts and just nodded at his words.

A few minutes later, the group they were trailing suddenly stopped and started talking different group.

“There he is.” Naruto whispered.

Upon seeing Naruto look at her, Uzu slowly lowered the bird and let it land a few meters away from the, now larger, group of Kumo-ninja.

Naruto, Yamato and Kakashi soon stepped up to the group, Uzu following behind them.

…

“You fucking followed us here?!” Karui screamed.

“Konoha-ninjas … what is your reason for stopping us?!” One of the Raikage’s entourage shouted.

“I need to talk to the Raikage. It’s about Sasuke Uchiha.” Naruto said resolutely.

“Kid, who even are you to demand to talk to me?” The dark-skinned and heavily muscled Raikage said.

Uzu saw one of his men whisper to the Raikage while looking at Kakashi.

“Copy nin, are you here as a dog for the Hokage?” The Raikage said, ignoring Naruto who had seemed to want to say something.

“No, Raikage-sama. I’m here to support this young ninja in his effort to talk to you about something. Please at least listen to him.” Kakashi said.

“Why would our Raikage listen to someone like hi-“ Karui wanted to shout, but she was interrupted by the Raikage’s voice.

“Talk then. We don’t have much time.” The Raikage said, crossing his arms on his chest.

Uzu watched Naruto freeze slightly. She knew that the Raikage would never really listen to Naruto, especially not since this is about the capture of the eight-tails, the Raikage’s own brother.

“I want you to stop … your order of killing Sasuke.” Naruto said.

“Why?” The Raikage said, a bit of killing intent radiating off him.

“The hidden leaf will take care of him, and I will personally bring the eight-tails back to you.” Naruto said.

“Ah, the eight-tails? While I do care about the eight-tails … my brother is worth so much more. Also, you need to know that I’m not the only one that will be chasing him. You do realize that he is part of the Akatsuki, right? Soon enough, the whole world will be trying to kill him … talking to me won’t change anything. And if you LEAFs really had any intention of getting to Sasuke, then you would’ve done something by now, which you haven’t. Kid, don’t waste my time.” The Raikage said, starting to walk past the group of Konoha ninja.

Uzu watched as Naruto mumbled to himself. Before the Raikage passed Naruto, Naruto suddenly dropped down onto his knees and said: “Raikage-sama, still, I beg you to please let Sasuke go. We, no I, will handle him. And I will bring back-“

The Raikage coldly walked past Naruto and said: “Kid, shinobi don’t bow. And we don’t beg either. The only thing that gets us moving is power and strength, but you don’t seem to have understood that yet.”

Power, huh? Uzu thought.

Uzu watched as the Raikage walked past her and her raven, his entourage following him.

Honestly, she could have probably started fighting him right here and now, but that would have been … detrimental. Especially concerning the fact that he is still needed for the war, or at least his Shinobi are.

Well, for that stunt, I just won’t ever save any of his ninja.

Uzu looked back at Naruto and saw a few tears flow down his eyes.

Walking up to him, she comfortingly hugged him and stroked the back of his head.

She knew that he valued promises a lot … that’s one of the things she loves about him.

Soon enough, he returned the hug and relaxed in her arms.

“Come on, you two. Let’s go to a place where we can rest easily for now.” Yamato said, receiving a nod from Kakashi and Uzu.

An hour later, Uzu’s raven descended right outside an inn they had seen on their way here.

She dispelled the raven and entered the inn with the rest of the group. Naruto seemed … exhausted, defeated.

Uzu felt slightly guilty at not having done anything to help him … but what could she have done anyway?

Attack them? Certainly not. Talk to them? No, also not viable, she saw how easily even Kakashi was ignored. Nobody really knew her and as such she only had some kind of ‘power’ in Konoha. Then again, she didn’t really need such power. If the Raikage and his village weren’t needed for the war, she’d have just killed him right then and there for disrespecting Naruto like that. In her mind, the man and his village were already dead.

She wouldn’t save any of them in the coming war.

Upon entering the inn, they got two separate rooms, one for Naruto and Uzu and one for Yamato and Kakashi.

They decided to stay for a few days to rest and then go back to Konoha. That rest was mainly for Naruto though.

…

Uzu sat on the bed in seiza, Naruto’s head on her lap.

He laid on his side, having closed his eyes.

Uzu’s hand slowly stroked his head, intending to comfort him and maybe get him to sleep.

Their small red fox toyed around in the room for a bit before cuddling against Naruto, who soon hugged the fox and pressed it against his chest.

Uzu noticed that Naruto relaxed a bit more and the frown on his face eased.

Soon enough, he had fallen asleep and Uzu gently lifted his head up and laid it down on their bed’s pillow before also lying down and closing her eyes, intending to rest for a bit.

…

When Uzu woke up the next day, she found that the fox and her had exchanged positions.

Naruto’s arms tightly pressed her against him and one of her legs was locked in between his. She had tried escaping, but Naruto’s hold on her only tightened whenever she moved, so she decided to just wait until he woke up.

An hour of semi-sleeping later, she felt eight familiar presences come towards their room’s door.

She gently pushed against Naruto’s chest, intending to wake him up. After a few tries, she succeeded, her own eyes meeting his, as he tiredly said: “What’s going on?”

“There are some people at the door. Sakura, Kiba, Akamaru, Shino and Sai have come from Konoha. They’ve been waiting for a few minutes already.” Uzu whispered, answering his question.

Naruto groaned, before he released her from his hug and slowly stood up, moving towards the door.

…

A/N: Well, let me know what you think :3