The Willow Maiden [Naruto]

{43} Hurry Up And Save Me

"I wish it would get dark already! Once Jugo and Suigetsu fall asleep, I'll make my move on Sasuke! I'm so excited!" Karin squeals to herself while Ruka walks beside her. The two girls were out in the town, shopping. Well, mostly Karin was. 

"Is that not sexual harassment to unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature?" Ruka questions Karin, who freezes in place and sulks. 

'How much does this girl know!?' Karin yells within her thoughts. 

"By the way, Karin, you have a different scent on you." Ruka stops walking as she tells her this. 

"Different scent?" Karin looks at Ruka with a questioning look. "What do you mean?" 

"Everyone has a different scent to me. For an example, Sasuke smells like the fresh sky. Jugo has the scent of nature, and Suigetsu has the scent of the salty ocean water. You have the scent of blood considering you allow everyone to bite you. But your scent is different. You have the scent of cherry blossoms. Were you with someone?" 

"No. Not that I know of. Why?" 

"No reason. It is just that you smell very differently. . ." 

"Hold that thought!" Karin turns around and closes her eyes and senses the leaf village ninja. "Come on! We need to get Sasuke!" Karin grabs Ruka's hand and runs back to the hotel. Karin kicks the door open, toppling over Suigetsu in the process, and shouts, "Wake up, Sasuke! We're about to have company." 

Sasuke opens his eyes and sits up from the futon. Ruka walks over and helps Sasuke out of the futon, and out the door. "We'll go to the hideout that Jugo found out about. Be sure to cover our tracks." Sasuke orders the team on the way out of the small town they stayed at. 

"Hold on, Ruka. I need you for something." Karin places her hand on Ruka's shoulder.

"What is it, Karin?" Ruka turns to her. 

"You can create thorns and have them spread all over the place, right? Here. This is Sasuke's old uniform. It's covered in his sweat-" 

"Why would you hold onto Sasuke's old clothes? I thought he threw them away." Ruka recalled. 

"Mind your own business! A-Anyway, I need you to spread Sasuke's scent all around the area. We're being tracked by leaf shinobi. Possibly ninja hounds. The smell of wet dog is filling my notrils. Think you can do that?" 

"I guess I can." 

"Good." Karin begins to tear up Sasuke's old clothes and carefully wraps it around the thorns that Ruka created from her body. Afterwards, the thorns made their way to the throughout the area they were in. 

However, she made one of the thorns make its way to the direction where the leaf shinobi were. "Look! That's one of Ruka's thorns!" Kakashi points out. Naruto goes ahead and carefully takes the cloth that was wrapped around the thorn. 

"It's Sasuke's clothing! He has to be close by!" Naruto informs. 

"Don't be so sure about that. His scent is all over the place." Kiba adds. 

"If Sasuke is trying to multiply his scent, then Ruka is leading us to him. Remember, she's with him, so she's leading us right toward him. All we have to do is follow this thorn." 

"Okay. Let's go, Akamaru!" 

"Arf!" Akamaru replies with a bark. 

Meanwhile, with Team Taka, 

"Sasuke, I think you should rest before we reach the hideout." Ruka tells Sasuke as she walks beside him. "Your injuries. . . They are not healed, and I think it would be best to rest a little longer. It is not like Itachi is going anywhere. . . I am worried, Sasuke." She frowns. 

Sasuke stops walking and turns to her, then pats her head. He didn't know what to say to Ruka. The only thing on his mind was protecting her, and getting his revenge on Itachi for what he did. 

Ruka, on the other hand, was trying to stall time for Naruto and the others to catch up to them. "Sasuke, you should rest. Please." 

"I will be fine, Ruka. I'm strong enough to defeat Itachi." Sasuke tells her. 

'If you say so. . .' Ruka thinks to herself with a frown. But, all she could say, "Okay. . . But, I feel as if you are going to make a mistake."

"What are you talking about?" 

"Itachi. . .is different. He is not what you think he is. Believe me, please." 

"What has he told you?" 

"Many things, but I cannot tell you. I do not think you will understand." 

"Tell me, Ruka." Sasuke begins to glare. 

"I cannot. . ." Ruka frowns once before. When she looks up at Sasuke, her eyes widen out of fear, seeing the horrifying glare on his face. 

"Tell me, right now!" Sasuke grabs Ruka's wrist, causing the maiden to yelp. 

"Woah, Sasuke! Let her go!" Suigetsu pushes Sasuke away places Ruka behind her. "You're hurting her! Look what you did!" 

Sasuke notices the red handprint around Ruka's wrist before looking at Ruka, who is shaking with fear. "I'm sorry, Ruka. . . . I'm really sorry." Sasuke turns his back to the group and continues to walk to the hideout. 

"Are you alright?" Suigetsu looks at Ruka. 

Ruka nods her head and looks at Sasuke who continues to walk to the hideout. 'Please hurry, Naruto. . .' 

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