#riszang

Leaving the ANBU to deal with the bodies,Kurama turns to where the bound little girl is still sitting, covered by hisshirt. The fight was quiet, but for her sake he hopes she passed out ratherthan listening to it. The kid can't be more than four, if that, and Kuramaremembers the orphans Kaguya’s forces left behind. He’s dealt with enoughtraumatized kids for one lifetime, thanks.

Futilely, Kurama wipes his goryleft hand on a clump of grass, then gives it up as hopeless and simply tucks ita little behind him. With his clean hand he reaches out and pulls the darkcloth off the girl’s head, and when wide, terrified eyes snap to himimmediately he gives her the gentlest smile he can muster.

What would the brat do? he thinks a little desperately. Damn it, how would Naruto handle this?Think!

“Hey,” he says softly. “You'reokay now. They're never going to be able to scare you again. You're safe.”

There's a click of metal against porcelain, and Kurama andthe girl both glance up to find the ANBU pulling off his green-streaked mask. Thecurly black hair had already given away that it was someone entirelyunfamiliar, and seeing his face doesn’t give any hints—this isn’t someoneeither Kushina or Naruto knew.

“Hello,” the ANBU offers, smiling at the girl, and it’s alittle charming, a little silly. “Your dad sent me to find you. He got really worriedwhen you didn’t turn up.”

Thankfully, the girl’s terror is easing, even if it isn’t disappearing.She glances from the ANBU to Kurama with a few more tears cascading down hercheeks, but she doesn’t look like she’s about to break, and Kurama supposes that’svictory enough.

“I'm going to get that gag off, if you're okay with metouching you,” he soothes. “Once that’s gone you might feel a bit better.”Lifting his hand, he twists it to show her his nails, and says, “I don’t wantto cut you, but these are pretty sharp so try not to wiggle. It okay for me totake that off?”

A pause, and then the girl nods emphatically, making mufflednoises. Kurama chuckles a little, reaching out, and she goes determinedlystill. “Here goes,” he warns her, then tips her head slightly to the side,slides a claw up under the rough twine, and presses carefully. It takes amoment, and a bit more pressure than he’d like, but with one or two cautioussawing motions the threads part. Kurama unwinds them from her head, then helpsher get the wad of cloth out of her mouth.

At the same time, the ANBU shifts around behind her, pullingout a kunai to slice through the ropes around her arms and legs. “You’re abrave kid, aren’t you?” he asks cheerfully, though his hands are gentle as hestarts to massage her wrists. “I've seen big bad jounin who would be a wreckright now.”

“I didn’t like them,” the girl says, and if her voicetrembles a little, if a few more tears spill, Kurama’s sure it can beoverlooked. “They were mean and rude and—and—”

Her mouth trembles dangerously, and Kurama knows the warningsigns well enough to lean in. He’s about to try for a joke, see if he cancomfort her, but his hair swings forward and her eyes are on it instantly. She reachesout to catch a handful, and says almost wonderingly, “It’s the same color as myfavorite crayon.”

The ANBU makes a sound like he’s swallowing laughter,sliding back around to crouch next to Kurama. “Yeah,” he agrees brightly,ignoring the warning look Kurama shoots him, and pats Kurama on the head. “It’sas red as a rose, isn’t it, Naho-chan? Just like something in a fairy tale!”

Konoha shinobi or not, Kurama is going to murder him.

But it makes Naho giggle a little as she crawls forward,practically into Kurama’s lap. “I like fairy tales!” she declares. “My mom usedto tell the best ones ever!”

Past tense, Kurama thinks, and it’s something he’s used to,seeing children after the death of a parent, but—

She has blue eyes just like Naruto, and it’s hard to bear.

Maybe that’s why it’s easy to wrap his arms around her as heshifts back to sit in the dirt, pulling her more securely into his lap.

“Does that make you knights?” she asks, one hand still in Kurama’shair, though she keeps looking between him and the ANBU.

“I don’t see why not,” the younger man says cheerfully, andnudges Kurama with one pointy elbow. “Right?”

Kurama huffs, batting the limb away. “I'm not a knight,” heretorts, but makes the mistake of glancing down. Wide blue eyes are staring upat him, entreating, and it’s a little like getting hit with Kakuzu’s lightningall over again. Kurama’s mouth opens of its own volition, and he says, “But you'redefinitely a princess, aren’t you?”

The ANBU rolls his eyes, even as Naho gives Kurama a trulygutting look of quiet sadness. “You don’t want to be my knight?” she asks plaintively.

Sage, Kurama is not equipped to deal with this. Naruto wouldbe laughing his ass off right now, Kurama thinks with a sigh, and it hurts,like a crippling blow. But it’s bearable, if gutting. “I could be,” he answers,glancing at the sun that’s just starting to rise and then turning south. “But Ithink I’d rather be a monster.”

He can't quite tell if that statement’s a lie; this isNaruto's body, and as much as he’d prefer Naruto to still be the one in it, ifthat’s out of the question Kurama would rather it be in his own possession—andthe irony of that statement makes him want to laugh bitterly—than Kaguya’s.

Naho wrinkles her nose. “Don’t monsters eat princesses?” sheasks skeptically.

“Well, normally, but you're a special princess,”Kurama counters, tapping her lightly on the tip of the nose. “You’ve gotpowerful monster-taming abilities to make me your friend. ‘Sides, I think theANBU over there would be a lot better at the whole knight thing than I would.”

“He’s right!” the ANBU agrees, immediately offering Naho asmile. “And really, the best  princesses are the ones who can tamemonsters and have knights, don’t youthink?”

Naho mulls it over for a moment, then nods decisively. “You'remy knight,” she tells the ANBU, and then turns to smile up at Kurama. “And youcan be my monster and make all the bad people go away! As long as you're stillmy friend, I don’t mind.”

Blue eyes just aren’t fair, Kurama thinks with an internalsigh, and pats Naho’s head. “No worries,” he tells her gently. “I’ll be yourfriend for as long as you need me.”

Satisfied, Naho puts her head down on his shoulder, one armcurled around his neck. The thumb on her other hand is inching towards hermouth, but Kurama isn’t going to say anything; he’s hardly going to deny herwhat small bits of comfort she can find. Gently rubbing her back, he risesto his feet, and watches a touch warily as the ANBU mirrors him.

“Thank you,” the younger man says simply, and he offers Kuramaa smile too, though there's something dark behind his eyes as they flickeracross the blood-splattered campsite. “I appreciate the help. Uchiha Shisui.”

It takes effort not to flinch away, not to step back and letloose the growl that’s rumbling up in his chest. Still, Kurama can't stophimself from stiffening faintly, and he knows the boy—the Uchiha—catches it. “Clearly,” he bites out, all too aware of Nahoin his arms, “you didn’t need my help.”

Shisui doesn’t argue this, though he tips one shoulder in adismissive shrug. “Maybe not,” he agrees easily. “But she needed your help. Anychance you're headed towards Konoha? I can take her myself, but two people willmake things easier.”

Kurama eyes him incredulously. “You don’t even know me,” he points out. “And you wantme to travel with you? With a recovered hostage?”

“Of course!” Shisui says cheerfully, undaunted. He waves ahand, fingers curled to imitate claws, and adds, “That was really cool, youknow? With the shockwave and tearing throats out with your bare hands and all. Besides,you have no idea who she is, right?”

“I'm Naho!” the girl interjects, and tugs lightly on thehandful of Kurama’s hair she’s still gripping.

Shisui laughs, reaching out to tap her lightly on the nose. “Andyou're a princess,” he agrees without hesitation. “The best princess, even.”

Naho beams like this is the best thing she’s heard, thoughshe doesn’t loosen her grip on Kurama.

“For the record,” Shisui says, glancing back up at Kurama witha faint smile, “You are terrifyingand I definitely wouldn’t want to meet you in a dark alley, but the princesslikes you and you don’t seem to like kidnappers, so I figure we’re probablyokay. And I bet I can take you.”

Kurama growls, and Shisui has a good three inches on him,but he steps right into the younger man’s space with a glare. “You could try,” he invites, baring his teeth. It’sdefinitely not a smile.

Shisui blinks, and his gaze drops from Kurama’s eyes to hismouth to his hands where they're still holding Naho, and then he swallows hard.“Right,” he squeaks, and Kurama hasn’t heard a pitch that high from a grown mansince the last time Naruto sparred with Sakura and she kneed him in the balls. “Um.Yes. Take me. You, uh. Definitely. That’s absolutely a thing that could happen.”