Take her in for now

Naruto thought about all his teammates were saying. "Ino-chan, Sakura-chan, this girl wasn't anything like that when I first saw her.", Naruto said thinking it over. "If anything, she didn't want anything to do with her team, but now all of a sudden she's working together with them, even though she knows what they have planned?". Naruto shook his head. "I can't believe she would go along with this!".

"But Naruto-kun!", Sakura said worriedly as she looked at the sound Kunoichi. As if reading her mind, Naruto interupted her. "We'll see whats going on Sakura-chan. If it turns out that she attacked us freely, then we can decide what to do about it then. Besides that we have to stay here for the night anyway, we don't need her body giving our position away, do we?"

Seeing the logic behind the thinking, Ino sighed, reluctantly nodding her head. "Fine Naruto-kun, we'll do this for now. BUT! If she so much as moves a finger against us, I'm not going to give her a third chance.", Ino huffed as she helped Naruto start to carry the Kunoichi into the makeshift dwelling.

Sakura still seemed unsure about allowing the girl close to them. Nonetheless, she shortly joined the rest of the team and soon they were huddled around a small fire.

Naruto would occasionally look over at the sound girl, having consented to Ino's decision to tieing her up to prevent her from escaping or attacking them when she came to. Naruto kept thinking back to the scared girl he had tried to save a few nights prior and the apparent willing conspirator that had tried to attack Ino and Sakura. It just didn't fit no matter how he tried to reason it.

Naruto had volunteered to stay with Sakura to guard Kin while Ino made a short trip outside to gather some more wood for the fire, knowing it was going to be a long night and they needed to stock up on as much as they could so they didn't have to later. Naruto and Sakura were silent silent as they sat around the comforting warmth of the flames.

"Naruto-kun...", Sakura said quietly, getting his attention as she stared at him from across the fire. "I... I wanted to say... thank you... you know for... saving me.", Sakura said shyly. Naruto couldn't help but notice a blush working its way onto her face, making Naruto smile a bit. "Sakura-chan, you don't have to thank me. I won't leave my friends behind even if I was ordered to!", Naruto said, rubbing his neck a bit.

Sakura smiled as Naruto said that. "I know you won't, Naruto. That's what makes you special.", Sakura said as she giggled. "You know, I always thought Sasuke would save me in something like that, but instead it was you.", Sakura said as she scooted a bit closer to Naruto.

"Well yeah...", Naruto said, wondering what Sakura was getting at as she kept moving ever closer, an inch at a time. "Naruto-kun I... I have something to tell you ... something important.", Sakura said as she was almost rubbing shoulders with her blond teammate. Naruto had to swallow a lump in his throat at how Sakura was acting to him. "Uh... what's that, Sakura-chan?", Naruto asked nervously as Sakura leaned close.

All of a sudden, a slight moan was heard, making Sakura jump in surprise with a small eep. Both leaf Genin looking to see the sound Kunoichi starting to stir as she moved around against the ropes. "Oh... what... what's going on?", Kin asked as she opened her eyes before becoming aware of where she was and that she was restrained.

"What! Why am I tied up?", the raven haired girl asked in alarm before seeing the two next to her and screaming as she scooted backwards as far as she could, away from them. "Who are you two? What's going on?", Kin asked with fear in her eyes. "So you're finally awake, huh?", a new voice said as Kin stared to see Ino standing there with a large bundle of wood in her hands.

"Please, whatever you do, don't hurt me! Don't take me back there!", Kin begged, nearly hysterical as Naruto looked at her curiously. "We're not going to hurt you, and what do you mean, 'don't take you back'?," Naruto asked as Kin stared at him. "You... you mean you're not from Otogakure?", Kin asked hesitantly. "Last I checked...", Naruto said tapping his headband with the leaf insignia on it.

As if suddenly realizing something, Kin stared at Naruto. "You're the ninja that tried to save me.", Kin whispered, making Naruto grin. "So you do remember me. See guys, I told you something was strange.", Naruto said as Ino frowned. "Maybe but, she seemed really into working with her team when they attacked us.", Ino commented, making Kin look at her. "Zaku and Dosu? I don't want to see those two ever again!", she protested.

That statement made Team seven stare at Kin as she explained. "I never liked those two! All they did was blame me for their failures and complain, and then we get called in for an important mission only to find out one of us is going to die! Those bastards chose me to be the lucky one!", Kin said through clenched teeth. "Then why did you go back with them if you could have gotten away?", Sakura asked confusedly.

"I hate to admit it, but the leader of the sound makes sure all of us are easy to control, some more then others.", Kin said, looking down as Sakura realized something. "Wait, you mean genjutsu?", Sakura asked, their teacher drilling them on that subject constantly since she specialized in it. "Try more like brain washing! When I got taken back, they were waiting to make sure I listened this time!", Kin growled.

"Well, that explains that question.", Naruto said as Ino stared at him. "You can't be serious Naruto! You believe her?", Ino asked like he was crazy before Naruto nodded. "We're ninja, Ino. Is it that hard to believe there is someone out there who can control minds when Hinata can see through walls and you can enter minds?", Naruto asked as Ino thought about it a moment before sighing. "Fine, you have me there. But what are we going to do about her?"

Looking at the kunoichi Naruto grinned. "Well, I have an idea!", Naruto said before looking at his team. "I bet since we have a new teammate here to help us, we can surprise a team and take their scroll easier. Or if you two are up to it, we go pay those two bastards a visit. They can't advance without a third member because of the rules, but that doesn't mean that was their only scroll."

His two teammates stared at him in part surprise, part shock. "Naruto, how can you just include this girl in our plans? She's an enemy!", Sakura said as Naruto shook his head. "She doesn't want to go back to her team and where is she going to go if we leave her here?", Naruto asked, getting thoughtful looks from Ino and Sakura. Sighing a bit Naruto added "Look, it's late. We can decide this in the morning, okay? Besides, unless Kin wants to tell us more about her village, we're not going to get much done tonight.".

"I'm not saying anything else until I can guarentee I won't be attacked for talking about it!", Kin said, looking away in a huff from Team 7. Naruto sighed, as his friend Shikamaru would say, another troublesome woman.

Getting nods from both of his teammates after deciding that they would do that for now, Naruto went over to a corner of the shelter and laid down. He missed the looks his teammates gave Kin that silently told her if she did anything funny, she wouldn't have long to enjoy it. Feeling a bit tired still from whatever that grass ninja did to him, Naruto shut his eyes, hoping to get a few winks before they had to move.