44 Chap.41 The opportunity to choose

"I can't believe I got more tired climbing back up the cliff than fighting Ukon and Sakon." If it can be called a confrontation," Tony snorted as he looked around and located the direction in which to move next. "Let's see... I think it was that way.

…Five minutes later…

"No, it's clear I went in the wrong direction, half a turn." He didn't recognize the trees at all or see the markings.

…Fifteen minutes later…

-AHA! —Tony was pleased to find Shikamaru and Tayuya locked in a contest of will and determination—Hey Shikamaru! Do you mind if he dances with me now?

-All yours! —Shikamaru told him as sweat trickled down his forehead —She's too energetic for my liking.

—System, the specific mission that I must defeat and not necessarily kill. So if I knock her unconscious it should be enough, right?

[Correct]

-Cool.

If, unlike the rest of the sound ninjas, he wanted to try and catch Tayuya and bring her back to the village, not kill her. She was a character he liked a lot when he watched the series and was the only one of her group who seemed to still have a measure of moral sense when he criticized Shikamaru for sacrificing her teammates to reach her.

He could try to work with it.

Her character was arrogant and cruel towards most people, but Tony wanted to see what reason she had for following Orochimaru and see if he could change her mind. Her hair also gave away that she was from the Uzumaki clan and who knows, maybe she will get a sister for Karin.

Although he should think of some way to contain the remote control of the cursed seal. He didn't want Orochimaru to find out about her capture and remote control her only to be forced to die.

"Gluttony: Dragonbeard!"

-Hey! what are you doing? —Tayuya saw how they wrapped her body with candy threads, turning her into a cocoon from which only her head peeks out — I don't have those tastes! Let go of me you pervert! Her strings covered her mouth to shut her up and keep him from biting her tongue.

Tony took a tag out of her ninja bag that said "Seal" and attached it to the candy cocoon. Tayuya noticed that she suddenly lost control of her chakra and the cursed seal deactivated on her own. She could only try to free herself from it with what little physical strength she had left.

"Do you want to catch her?" Shikamaru asked as she knelt down and tried to collect herself a bit. Tony offered her a vanilla cookie. "Thank you." So you want to take her to the village to be tortured and get information out of her? That might get you some credit.

"Nah, I want to take her home," Tony answered normally.

Tayuya stopped struggling when she heard that and looked at Tony in disbelief.

What had he said?

-What are you talking about? —Shikamaru almost fell off the branch when she heard that.

Did she hear wrong? Did she want to take this crazy woman to her house?

Did she have such strong tastes?

"Exactly what I said," Tony stated. "Tayuya, right?" He—he turned around to look into her eyes—I like you. How about if I offer you a place in my family?

Tayuya's eyes widened when she heard Tony's offer.

What the hell was going on? Who is this guy and why is he telling you this?

"Tony, you can't joke around like that, he's the enemy!" —Shikamaru spoke when he noticed that Tony was serious.

"Try to put yourself in his place." I deduce that she was kidnapped or found as a child and was subjected by Orochimaru to a hellish level of training where only the best survive —he turned his head to look at Tayuya again— When you find yourself in a situation like this, you adapt or you give up and you die She made it this far and until now she was tied to that life with no other options, she didn't have the opportunity to choose nor the power to decide. Now, I have the power and I give him the choice.

Shikamaru tried to speak, but Tony cut him off with a raised hand.

"I know what you're thinking," he assured. "The village won't accept a fugitive kunoichi who was under Orochimaru's orders for nothing." No one will choose to trust her or believe she's worth taking a chance on because he can get stabbed in the back by her." He raised a finger and pointed at himself. "But I will. Do you want something from her in exchange for letting her stay in the village? If she's willing, I'm sure she won't mind revealing the information she knows about the sound village and Orochimaru. It is not the first time that a village has welcomed a deserter from another place. If she is willing, I will give her a place to live that she won't need her to be constantly on the lookout for her life. If she's willing, I can give her a human life and people to trust. Heck, I can even find her a regular job if she wants to!

Tayuya fell silent after hearing everything Tony said.

She was smart, very smart. She was so smart that even Shikamaru praised her during her confrontation and she could tell if someone was acting up, if someone was lying to her or trying to influence her.

But no matter where she looked, all the microexpressions and gestures of the boy next to her revealed that she was only telling the truth with complete honesty.

Did she really she could she choose her for once in her life?

This made her feel lost.

"Anyway, you're in no condition to continue and I can't leave her alone like this." She took out a scroll and quickly wrote a few sentences before sealing it and giving it to Shikamaru. "I'll send you back to Konoha for now." Give this scroll to Tsunade and she will understand everything. Also, remind her to locate some ANBU with her. I'm pretty sure a certain Danzo will try to do something foolish and no one will like it if I find out he's succeeded. Tell him those exact words.

"Are you sure you can on your own?" Shikamaru took the scroll.

"I'll do what I can," he shrugged. "By the way, I've already eliminated the other four from the sound and sent the wounded back to the village." Since Naruto and the barrel aren't here, I assume someone else joined the game? Ally or enemy?

"Enemy," Shikamaru sighed in relief knowing that the rest of his teammates were safe and out of danger. "A white-haired ninja took the barrel with Sasuke and Naruto is chasing him, they went in that direction," he pointed out.

Nodding, he again used Alcremie's Reverse Summon to send the two of them back to Konoha.

"Oops, I better get going quickly" he felt another chakra signature approaching "Temari will be here any minute and I don't need any more detours in events, let's go find Kimimaro, Lee and by now probably Gaara."

Tony left, and in a few seconds, Temari reached the combat zone and looked around.

"I could have sworn there was someone here a moment ago." Is it my imagination?

…Meanwhile, somewhere far away in the forest…

-Dammit! Where I am? Kankuro swore. "I've been going around in circles for two hours!"