Title: Half Without Another One: Chapter Fourteen
Author: branchandroot
Genre: Action, Drama, Angst
Rating: PG-13 for angst
Pairing/Characters: Chouji, Hinata, Ino, Jiraiya, Kiba, Naruto, Nine-tails, Sai, Sakura, Sasuke, Shikamaru, Shino, Karin
Word Count: 5162

Summary: Naruto is figuring out how to work with the Nine-tails, but Akatsuki is getting bolder. Shikamaru brings them word of the attack on Fire Country and when the new Akatsuki team finds the Island Turtle Jiraiya is the next to pay for facing them.

Naruto sighed. "Nine-tails keeps glaring at you; it's distracting. Though it is kind of funny when you both get pissy about my technique and he gets all pained about having to agree with an Uchiha," he added reflectively.