"Holy crap, Kakazu?" Ignoring Hidan completely, Fu let out a gasp as she pointed at Kakazu behind him.
The name Kakazu made the members in her group flinch
Kakazu's green eyes flickered faintly, and soon returned to emptiness
"So you know me, doesn't change anything" He said
Fu jumped forward
"I'm a big fan! When you killed all those elders of our village, mn, mn, I couldn't feel better" She said with a wide grin
"????" Should she be saying that in front of them???
Her team members, as well as Shibuki were all stunned, she actually said she's a fan of the traitor of Takigakure? Right in front of them all no less!
Fu reached out her hand
"Can we shake hands? Better yet, can we be friends?" She asked with glistening eyes
Both Hidan and Kakazu were taken aback, but Hidan then burst into laughter
"Man, this chick is funny, Kakazu, so you had a fan? Too bad she's our target, eh?" He nudged Kakazu with a twisted smile on his face
Kakazu stared at Fu's outreached hand, and let out a faint scoff
"Get the job done with" He said to Hidan
"Wow, no remorse huh? Well, blame yourself for being a Jinchuriki" Hidan spun the scythe in his hand and slashed towards Fu without warning.
Fu's eyes flashed as she leapt back and formed a hand seal
"You set your sights on me? How ironic" She said
"How so?" Hidan asked
"Cause you're blind" Fu replied
"Huh? What does that mea-"
*Bang*
A blinding light burst out from around Fu, so sudden and vibrant that Hidan felt all colours fade completely.
"FU-"
In the distance, Naruto's clone covered his ears as the resounding roar of Hidan echoed though the forest.
He seemed to have been prepared, and wore a pair of sunglasses, whilst wearing a wide smile on his face.
When the light cleared, and Hidan finally opened his eyes, though his vision was blurry from the shock of such bright light.
"F**king b*tch, where the h*ll is she!"
He looked around, but Fu was nowhere in sight
Kakazu was also blinded, and only now noticed that Fu had directly ran the moment she did that, which made a frown appear on his face. His gaze landed on the group from Takigakure, who were also blinded by her...
"Ignore the useless ones, follow the jinchuriki" He said
"You think I'm dumb?" Hidan sneered, already catching a whiff of Fu's chakra and started to make his ay over.
Shibuki was about to run over and stop them, but one of the elders grabbed him
"We're clearly no match for them, the best we can do is leave while they're chasing Fu" He said
"What! Fu is part of our village, she-" He wanted to continue, until he saw the indifference in the eyes of the group.
Fu, to them, is nothing, her life and death meant as little to them as a stranger would.
Words were stuck in his mouth, as Naruto's offer surfaced in his mind once more...
He regretted it...
His teeth clenched tighter
"Fine! You don't want to help? Leave! Scram! I will go!" He yelled as he shook the elder's hand off, facing towards the direction where the enemies had left.
But the elders saw this as an opportunity, taking the moment his anger was at the highest, and that his back was turned, one of them moved fast, and chopped down on the back of his neck.
"Kah"
*Thud*
"Sorry village head, but we cannot let you perish so pointlessly" their eyes carried genuine concern for him, truly believing that Fu isn't worth taking even an ounce of risk for.
Meanwhile, Fu, who had flown a considerable distance noticed two closing presence behind her, and her heart sank. The moment they appeared, she already knew that she stood no chance, as the feeling they gave her was no less than what Orochimaru had given her, perhaps even stronger.
"Don't run, since you were so fun, I'll make it quick" Hidan laughed as he caught up behind
Fu gasped
"That's a lie! I blinded your a*s, you're obviously going to hold a grudge!" She shouted as she flew even faster.
"Damn right I will!" Hidan yelled back
"I knew it! Like h*ll I'd stop now!"
Hidan scoffed as he pulled his scythe back, and threw it forward with all his might. The blades spun towards Fu, ripping through the air with deadly precision.
"Eep!" She shifted to the side, barely avoiding the scythe, but it was enough time for Hidan to catch up.
*Bang*
He appeared behind her, delivering a powerful kick to her stomach, sending her tumbling down to the ground.
"Ah, crap, that hurts" Fu sucked in a cold breathe as she held a hand over her ribs.
"Still going to run" Hidan asked as he walked over
"Would you be surprised if I said yes?" She asked
"Not at all, I'd need to slice off your wings and legs if you try though" Hidan replied
"Uh, any solution that lets me escape without being chased?"
"Of course" Hidan nodded
"What is it?"
"Kill me" Hidan revealed a terrifying smile as he opened his arms up
"If you can kill me, you win, I can even promise that Kakazu won't chase you if you kill me" He crackled
Fu lifted a brow
"You're serious?" She asked
"Dead serious" Hidan responded with a smile
"How about you just stand there and let me blast you then" Fu asked
Contrary to her expectations, he responded with a nod
"Hahaha! Sure, I'll stand right here...hit me with your best shot" He smiled coldly
Fu stared at him warily, it's obvious she has a plan, but she couldn't understand what he'd get out of letting her get a free shot.
"Come on, give me your best shot" Hidan urged
"Urgh, are you a masochist?" Fu asked
"Heh...no, but it is fun seeing people try the impossible" Hidan licked the side of his lips as he spoke
"...alright, I'll blast you with everything I got then"
"Go ahead"
"Here I go"
"Come on!"
"I'm really going to go" Fu said
"Go ahead!"
"Hah!"
Contrary to what Hidan had expected, Fu did not use the beast bomb like he had anticipated, no, instead...
"FU-"
*Bang*
A blinding white light flashed his eyes
"Idiot, I said I'm going, that means I'm leaving, dumba*s" Fu stuck out her tongue and flew off once more.
Everything she stalled for was for her injuries to heal slightly so she could fly without discomfort, so all that talk was just utter bullsh*t to stall for time.
Hidan on the other hand was covering his eyes with his hands, screaming at the top of his lungs.
"F**king b*tch, if I get my hands on her, I will cut off all her limbs, and gauge out her eyes!"
Fu turned her head, but as her wings flapped, she realised something amiss. She was viciously yanked downwards when she tried to fly up, and felt a tight bind on her ankle.
"Th-This..."
"Did you think the same trick will work a second time?" Kakazu walked over slowly, his gaze was calm, with no changes whatsoever.
String like substance gripped Fu tightly, linking down towards Kakazu.
"Um, I sorta did, yeah" She replied as she pointed at Hidan, who was screaming every profanity he could think of...
"..." Kakazu truly had no retort for that, Hidan, that idiot, didn't prepare for it even after Fu almost escaped the first time, which left him speechless.
He sighed
"Well, time to put you down properly" He clasped his hands tightly
Two masks bulged through the strings, each with a different colour.
A dark blue, and a yellow mask, both opening their mouths, facing Fu.
Water flooded out from the blue mask, while lightning raged forth from the yellow mask, pouring down upon Fu.
"GAAAH!" Fu's wretched scream echoed, her body spasmed violently as the relentless attacks continued.
The mouths of the masks closed after several rounds of attacks, with Fu still bound by the dark string like substance, though now, her body was limp. Her heavy eyes remained open, barely, but she was unwilling to let them close.
Kakazu noticed that she still didn't give up, and was about to unleash another round of attacks when a blinding light flashed from Fu's mouth, catching him off guard. He had seen her do this around herself, but he hadn't expected her to hide it in her mouth like she did just now.
The blinding light caused his eyes to shut, but the hold on Fu didn't weaken, in fact, it became even stronger.
"FU-" As for Hidan...he fell for it for a third time....
"Tss..." Fu's eyes twitched from the pain as she started to gather chakra.
A faint blue chakra coated her body, and an immense amount of chakra gathered in a single focal point.
When Kakazu's eyes opened, he shuddered at the sight of a massive bijuu dama above Fu, and the sheer quantity of chakra he could feel from it made his heart tighten.
Without hesitation, he grabbed the still pained Hidan, and threw him at the Bijuu dama...
????
As he was thrown, Hidan gave Kakazu a look of betrayal as he was engulfed by the beast bomb...
*Boom*
Dust rose from the ground as an intense shockwave sent everyone flying. Fu, being unable to gather much strength, tumbled across the ground, hidden by the dust temporarily.
Kakazu's strings also snapped from the beast bomb, while Hidan had practically been buried alive beneath the earth.
Fu struggled up, barely having any strength to even keep her eyes open. In that moment, a voice entered her ears.
"Sorry" It was apologetic, but at the same time...not really...
"AHHHHH"
Kakazu turned towards the direction of the scream, unsure as to why Fu had let out such a scream, he immediately darted in that direction.
When he came into view, he felt he knew why she screamed. Her body was bloodied, and her left arm was gone. The side of her face was ruined completely, with her eyes shut as blood trailed down.
"St-Stay back" She yelled, seemingly trying to gather energy for another beast bomb
Kakazu scoffed, not giving her the time as the strings shot out, binding her entire body, clasping her so tightly that blood seeped through.
"Gahk!" She coughed out blood, as tear mixed blood seeped through her eye sockets.
Kakazu walked over, and with a swift chop down, she was knocked unconscious.
*Whoosh*
*Crack*
*Bang*
From beneath the earth, a hand shot out, and Hidan's figure crawled out. Despite the powerful strike that could have severely injured even Kakazu, Hidan seems completely fine, with no injuries on him whatsoever.
He stretched his arms and neck as he walked over.
"Really? Throwing me at a beast bomb?" He grumbled
"You're immortal anyways, why do you care" Kakazu sneered
"Just because I'm immortal, it doesn't mean it doesn't hurt!" Hidan growled
"Hm, not my problem" Kakazu replied as he pulled Fu towards himself
Hidan scoffed, then glanced at Fu
"Tch, this b*tch had it easy, I would have cut her from limb to limb, and peeled her skin" He snapped as he delivered a kick at Fu.
Kakazu didn't stop him, letting him vent. As long as the jinchuriki is alive, he didn't care about anything else Hidan did to her.
However, the next moment...
*Poof*
The Fu that was bound suddenly exploded into a puff of smoke, leaving behind a pair of wings...
"H-Huh? The f**k?" Hidan cursed
Kakazu ran over, and checked on the wings.
"Th-This..."
"Kakazu, what is going on" Hidan asked
"The hell if I know! Tsk, she somehow escaped? How?" He stared at the wings, and slowly, his mind clicked.
"She's decisive" He muttered
"Huh? What?"
Hidan still didn't quite get it
"She tore off her own wings to create a perfect replica of herself, it was just the right medium to use in order to contain both her own, and the tailed beast's chakra, tricking me into thinking it was her while she ran"
He now realised why Fu had screamed like that earlier, she had torn her wings off to pull this stunt
"What now?" Hidan asked
"Chase" Kakazu replied
"How? Unlike before, I sense nothing around us" Hidan responded, leaving Kakazu silent
Before, they could still pick up on some residue chakra in the direction Fu left, but now...they can find nothing.
"Tsk...the wings have enough chakra for the plan, though it leaves a sour taste in my mouth that she got away" Kakazu said in a low voice
"Heh, didn't expect you'd get p*ssed off during a mission" Hidan smirked
Kakazu ignored Hidan's mockeries, still wondering how Fu was able to escape so seamlessly.
Never in their wildest dreams would they have expected that Fu is not just untraceable...but she is back in Konoha.
Naruto's clone placed her down on the bed, with Tsunade next to him.
"Nice one, you brought her back half dead" Tsunade said as green light enveloped Fu
"If I didn't wait till she's half dead, she wouldn't be grateful enough to stay" Naruto replied
"Heh, that's why I said nice one" Tsunade grinned as the two shook hands with a sinister smile.
Tsunade glanced at Fu's back, where a rather gruesome wound resided.
"What happened here, it doesn't match the other injuries she sustained" Tsunade asked
"Ripped her wings off, I used em as a medium to create a clone of her so it would distract the Akatsuki" He replied
"Only you'd do such a cruel thing to a girl" Tsunade chuckled
"Bah, as if, the two chasing her clearly wanted worse, I'm an angel in comparison" Naruto patted his chest and said
"I won't deny that, but hearing you call yourself an angel couldn't be more off putting" Tsunade rolled her eyes and said.
Naruto crossed his arms in annoyance, just where is the bond between siblings here? She didn't even hesitate to indirectly call him a piece of sh*t...on second thought, that's a very sibling move to do...
Fu's injuries were rather severe, to the point that even Tsunade spent a long period healing her completely. The only thing that she couldn't regenerate was her wings, which seems to require Fu's personal action to actually grow back.
After healing her, Tsunade returned to her office and continued to do her paperwork, while Naruto's clone teleported away to inform Naruto about the situation.
When Naruto's clone teleported over, the group were dining at a barbeque shop, and his appearance caught the attention of the group quite quickly.
"Eh? Na-kun? Or is that a clone?" Ino asked
"I'm just a clone" He replied
"Oh...why do you even have a clone running around?" She asked Naruto, who sat next to her
Naruto shrugged
"Felt like it" He replied
He knew which clone this was, and with his appearance, the mission either succeeded or failed.
"So, how'd it go?" Naruto asked his clone
"Perfect" The clone responded
Naruto smiled
"Send a signal when she's about to wake up, I'll make my way over the moment the signal is sent" He said
"Got it" The clone nodded and teleported back to where Fu was resting.
"So...what's that about?" Ino asked
"A talent I swiped from another village" He replied
"Eh? Who?" Ino pondered
Naruto grinned
"Fu"
"..."
All of a sudden, everyone at the table froze up, and their eyes all turned to Naruto with shocked expression. They all remembered Fu, especially those who actually fought her. For one, they knew that Fu is very strong, but above all else...her relationship with Naruto seemed questionable...
"Uh, Ino, I'm sure it's not what you think" Sakura coughed
"Yeah, he's as loyal as one comes" Tenten added
"Hah, this is sounding annoying...Naruto, aren't you going to correct them?" Shikamaru sighed
Naruto laughed
"As expected of Shiki, you understand me so well, makes me a little sad my so called friends all think I'd cheat" He leaned on one hand and chuckled
Everyone all stiffened, with a faint hint of embarrassment on their faces.
"You should already be able to tell, Fu isn't well accepted in her village, so I took the liberty to poach her, well, I'm not sure if she would stay yet, but I'll see if I can convince her later" Naruto shrugged
"Of course, this is actually meant to be a secret, so if you heard what I just said, you'll need to sign a confidential contract, or the black flash will be sent after you" Naruto clasped his hands together with a wide grin
The last part made everyone's heart skip a beat
"Why the hell did you not start with that!" They yelled at him
Naruto laughed
"Aw, am I the sort of person to miss out on making a mess out of these things? Certainly not, so please sign these contracts right away, if you reveal anything I just said, Menma will be after you" Naruto said with a calm smile as he slipped a contract to everyone on the table
"..."
With their sweat covered hand, everyone signed the contract in utter silence
"I hate you" Sakura growled at him
"Glad to hear that" Naruto hummed
"I should have left early" Shikamaru grumbled, though he found it amusing that Naruto was willing to refer to himself in such a way.
He knew he's Menma, so he wasn't actually worried about much as he signed it, though he found it annoying that Naruto revealed a secret like this so openly just to screw them all over.
"Jeez Na-kun, next time, you better warn us before saying all that crap" Ino huffed
"Yes, yes~" Naruto grinned, as for whether he'd listen, that's another matter altogether
After celebrating everyone's promotion, Naruto left with Ino
As they walked, Naruto reached into his pocket and pulled out a small box
"Congrats on becoming a Chunin" He said as he placed it in Ino's hand
"This is..." Ino opened the box, and inside was a necklace with an orange gem embedded on it.
The gem was exquisite, looking almost like the eye of a beast, yet carried a beautiful glimmer that captivated Ino.
"This is beautiful, thank you Na-kun" Ino smiled gently as she picked the necklace up
Naruto reached out his hand and helped Ino wear it around her neck
"This necklace is specifically made to keep you safe, if you're in danger, just pour chakra into it, and you'll be teleported to a safe place, the location is fixed, and I'll know if it's ever activated" He said
"I love it, thanks" Ino said as she gave Naruto a hug, wrapping her arms around his neck as a big grin rose on her face.
As she hugged him, she left a quick peck on the side of his cheeks, which caught him off guard.
"Hehe, see you tomorrow" Ino pulled herself back and let out a cheeky giggle
"Yeah...see you tomorrow" Naruto nodded as he waved his hand
A while after she left, he breathed out a faint breath
"Phew...she's beautiful" He muttered as he remembered her dazzling smile
*Whoosh*
A clone appeared behind him
"Is she waking up?" He asked
"Mn" The clone nodded
"About time, let's go see our new chakra supplier" Naruto smiled as he undid the clone before teleporting to the room Fu was staying in.
When he arrived, Fu was still laying there, but there are small movements that signified her imminent wake.
Naruto walked over, and right when he got to the bed, Fu sprung up and threw a punch towards him with a frantic expression.
Naruto raised a hand quickly, and barely grabbed the punch in time. Fu's pupils dilated, her breathing was heavy as she pulled her hand back, staring at Naruto with a hint of confusion and worry.
"It's alright, you're safe" Naruto said
Fu stared at him, her mouth opened
"I-I-"
The memories rushed back to her, the near death experience, the immense pain before she fell unconscious, it all came back like a torrent. Her face paled significantly.
"I...a-almost...almost..."
Her hands trembled intensely as she looked down
Tears started to form over her eyes, trickling down the side of her face as her lips trembled.
"Ahhhhhh" Before Naruto, she broke down completely
Fear, worry, relief, confusion, she felt her heart get entangled by all these feelings, unable to properly comprehend. All she knew is that she had almost died, and somehow survived due to Naruto.
Naruto waited patiently, she was still quite young after all, to have survived such a situation, it's no wonder she broke down.
"I thought-I thought I was going to die" She held her hands over her eyes as tears soaked the bed.
Naruto sat down on the bed and placed one hand on her head, gently stroking her head
"Let it all out, don't try to bottle it up" He said calmly
Feeling the warmth of his hand, Fu cried even more as she threw herself into his arms, her tears seemed to never end.
Helpless, Naruto simply waited as he patted her back.
[Fu, don't cry, you're safe now] Chomei tried to comfort her amidst this, though it didn't help much as she continued to cry.
It wasn't until ten minutes later that her endless tears seem to start drying up, and her breathing slowly regulated itself.
"Feeling better?" Naruto asked
"Mn..."
"Cry baby" He added
"...hmph" Fu gave him a light punch on the stomach
Her lips tuckered as she sniffled faintly
"Th-Thank you" She said
"You're welcome" Naruto replied
"Also, I have a recording of you crying" Naruto continued
"..."
In mere moments, Naruto was wrestling with Fu
"D-Delete it!" She said with tears on the side of her eyes once more
"Nope~ Not happening" Naruto grinned
Fu sniffled
"Please" She pleaded
"Pfft, no, I'll hold if over you for the rest of your life" He said as he pulled his hands back
"You meanie" Fu said in frustration
Naruto shrugged
"Well, it's what I do, it's what I do~" He glanced at her rosy cheeks that finally regained colour, and her now vibrant gaze.
"Feeling better now"
Fu paused for a moment, then nodded
"Mn..."
Naruto chuckled as he tapped her head
"Rest well, I'll visit often until you fully recover" He said
"Kay" Fu nodded
Over the next few days, Naruto did as he said, and visited Fu often so she wouldn't get bored.
"How're you doing now?" Naruto appeared in the room with a basket filled with food
"Not so good...but I'll be doing much better once that chicken is devoured by me" Fu licked her lips as she stared at the whole roast chicken Naruto bought.
"Sure, sure" Naruto placed the basket by her bed and sat down on a chair
"How's your body?" He asked
"Pretty much all healed, except my wings, those will take a bit longer" She replied
"That's good" Naruto nodded
After that, Fu went on a tangent about what she thought about Hidan and Kakazu, with one being an idiot, and the other being somewhat of an idol to her.
"Even though he almost killed you?" Naruto asked
"Doesn't stop me from respecting the hell out of him" Fu replied
"Wow, I can't tell if you're stupid, or impressive" Naruto replied
"Both" Fu said proudly
"Hah, well, what else?" Naruto smiled as he continued to listen
Fu's conversations were always very random, but entertaining, so he didn't mind letting her rattle on as he listened quietly.
After talking a bit more, Fu slowly stopped, as her smile gradually dropped.
"So, I've been wondering...how did you rescue me" She asked
"Teleported in, teleported out" He replied
"I see...and how did you know I was in danger" She asked again
Naruto leaned back
"Because I knew you'd become a target sooner or later for the Akatsuki, you are a jinchuriki, so you have been in their radar for a while now" Naruto explained the situation of the Akatsuki to her, and the more she heard, the more shocked she became.
"I see...and all the other members are as strong as Kakazu?" She asked
"Who knows, I didn't fight him myself so I can't be sure" He replied
Fu fell silent
"Will I...be attacked by them again? Just like the other day?" She asked as her hands clenched
She may have escaped this time, but what about next time? Will Naruto always be there to save her?
"You probably will...but I'll make sure you don't get captured" Naruto said
Fu trembled slightly
"Why would you be willing to go so far for me?" She asked
"Cause f**k the Akatsuki" Naruto replied with his usual cheeky smile
His faint grin made Fu fall into a slight daze, then burst into laughter
"Hahaha, even now, you're still cracking jokes...hah...man, I really can't help but see you as a sort of guardian or parental figure now" Fu laughed as she leaned back
Naruto rolled his eyes
"I also want you to join Konoha" He added
"Join Konoha?" Fu tilted her head slightly and asked
"Yep, I'll forge a new identity for you that you can live under, it'll reduce the likelihood of you being found by the Akatsuki, and you will have Konoha's full support" Naruto said with a serious expression
Fu honestly wasn't expecting such an offer, but the more she thought about it, the more she liked it. Her old village didn't like her anyway, and her being there will probably only endanger Shibuki, the only person whom she cares about there.
But by hiding here, he will be safe, and she can stay out of the Akatsuki's radars for the time being.
She then turned to Naruto, who had a mature look, almost as if he was much older than she was despite their similar age. She really wondered sometimes whether he is really a child like her, but it made her feel oddly reassured, as if she can entrust everything to him.
As she thought about this, her earlier comment came to her mind, as a cheeky idea came to her.
"I'll join the village...as long as you become my dad" She said with a grin
Her words made Naruto freeze up, and her smile widened even more when she saw that.
But the next second, Naruto smiled
"Join the village and I don't mind being your dad" He replied
"..."
Fu suddenly opened her arms up
"Dad~"
"Daughter~" Naruto called out as the two gave one another a hug