Only when they'd left Taki, traversed every tunnel, and stopped in a clearing that wasn't too wet with early morning dew did Hinata allow her shoulders to sag, and her posture to slouch.
"I did not like that," she said. "I did not like it at all."
"You were scared?" Fū asked.
Hinata sat down heavily on a mossy, overturned tree. "Standing in front of angry mobs does not agree with my heart. Yes, I was scared."
"But you didn't show it at all!"
"Well, yes," Hinata said. "Princess Gale wouldn't act scared."
Fū cocked her head, sitting down on her knees in the dirt. Her confusion was all over her face, but Hinata didn't explain who Princess Gale was, or what that person had to do with the situation at hand, so Fū didn't ask.
Naruto walked around scooping up the driest fallen branches, stacking them in his arms. Uncharacteristically, Fū had spent the trip out of her village in silence, but now that Hinata had spoken the floodgates were open.
"What's your name? I like your hair! It's purple, like a plum. You're so cool! You made old man Youki fall over just by touching him! Can we be friends? Wait, are we already friends?"
Faced with so many words in a span of seconds, Hinata looked over to Naruto for help. All she got was a smile. Facing Fū with her whole body, she took a deep breath.
"My name is Hinata. I do not have very many friends. I would not be opposed to making another one."
"Friend!"
Fū shot upwards so fast that she made Hinata flinch, before stopping halfway, her arms awkwardly extended.
"Do you hug?" Fū asked. "I've got one friend who hugs, and I have one friend who doesn't hug. This stuff's so complicated I can barely understand it!"
"You may hug me."
"Yay!"
When Naruto walked back carrying his sticks, Fū was sitting with Hinata on the log, her arms still around the other girl. Hinata looked a little bit lost. As he laid the logs out in a pile, Naruto laughed.
"What's funny?" Fū asked.
"Nothing," he said.
She didn't like that answer. It made her pout. Hinata asked a question before Fū could say anything else.
"Who were those men?"
Fū finally relinquished her hug, sitting up and frowning. Naruto brought his fingers together. Breathing out, he exhaled a finger of flames, which caught on the branches and created a warm little fire. He sat in front of it opposite the log the girls were on.
"There's a group," Naruto said. "Fū, you know their name already. Hinata, this is the first time you'll hear it, but you need to know if you're traveling with me. They call themselves the Akatsuki. All of them wear black robes with red clouds. The group is like one big ghost. Almost no one sees them, and the ones that do end up dead."
"But we're not dead!" Fū said.
Naruto tended the flames carefully, shifting embers without burning himself. "That's because we're special, Fū. Not everyone has a big scary monster in their stomach to send the Akatsuki packing." He grinned, but the smile faded. "Still, there might be a day when our best isn't good enough. I've kept my eyes and ears open as I travel, trying to catch as many rumors as I can." He grimaced. "I haven't turned up much. Most of what I know is from when I first learned the Akatsuki were a thing. There are ten of them. Every member is strong enough that they could've led their village if they didn't go rogue."
He held up all ten of his fingers, looking intently across the campfire. As he started to say names, he lowered fingers one at a time. "Deidara, an Iwa shinobi obsessed with explosions. Sasori, Suna's greatest puppeteer. Hidan, a cultist to some kind of screwed up god. Kakuzu, a shinobi so strong that it's a miracle Takigakure ever produced him. Then, there's the duo who attacked Konoha tonight. Kisame Hoshikage was the strongest of Kiri's Seven Swordsmen before he went rogue with his chakra-eating sword. Hinata won't need me to describe Itachi Uchiha. He's the one with the scary eyes, Fū. He killed his clan before going rogue."
"He killed his family?" It was almost cute how shocked Fū looked. Naruto promised to show her beaches, waterfalls, and deserts, but there were nasty parts of the world she'd been shielded from as well.
"All of them except his brother." It really messed with Sasuke's head. Not that Naruto held that against the guy. "Everyone in the Akatsuki is dangerous. They barely need a reason to kill. Some of 'em don't need a reason. They back themselves when taking on Jinchuriki, kages, or even villages. And as long as we've got tailed beasts inside of us, they're going to keep coming back."
"There are six of them?" Hinata's voice was slightly weak. She was finding it hard to channel Princess Gale.
"Ten." Naruto still had four fingers that he hadn't put down. He frowned. "The rest are even more ghostlike. One is called Tobi. He wears a mask and must be using a fake name, because no one's ever heard of him before. I don't even have names for the other three. If I hadn't heard that they always have ten members, I wouldn't have known that more existed. Amegakure is where they're based. A few times I considered sneaking in, searching for more information, but I never did it. Too much of a risk. All I know is that everyone from that village — everyone — thinks of their leader as a god."
There was silence around the fire.
"Are you scared?" Hinata asked.
"For myself? Nah. I'll find a way to make it out of this one! I've been in plenty of tight spots before," Naruto said. "But just 'cause I can handle them, doesn't mean the Akatsuki aren't dangerous. I've gotta stay focused when I'm dealing with them… and I won't always be there. They almost got Fū tonight. They'll be going after Yugito. Gaara isn't safe. I don't know all of the Jinchuriki, but they feel kinda like siblings, y'know? They're the only ones who've gone through something like what I have. I'd really like it if they didn't die."
Hinata stood up. She almost dragged Fū with her before Fū managed to disentangle her arms, startled by the sudden movement.
"Think about yourself!" Hinata said.
"...Huh?"
"Think about yourself." She said it quieter, and blushed, but did not back down. "Even if you're strong… Even if it's you… They're still going to come for you! You need to prepare! If they get you—" Hinata inhaled through her nose, close to crying.
"They won't get me," Naruto assured her.
"You should prepare. We should prepare. I— I won't be useless this time!" It was one of the first times Naruto had heard Hinata raise her voice. "I'll find a way to fight!"
"They almost got Chomei," Fū said. "If you weren't here, they would have!" She leaned forward, holding her chin above the fire. "Please, show me how to be like you! I want to go whipaw and make bad guys fly away! Please? Pretty please?"
Part of Naruto wanted to say no. Neither of the girls were normal ninjas. The bits he'd gotten of Hinata's home life hadn't sounded good, but being a liability to the Hyuuga's image at least kept her off of the village's most brutal missions. Fū was raised as Taki's guard dog. She was strong, but childlike in her understanding of what those skills could do. Kisame and Itachi were hardened killers and yet, Naruto was a little thankful it was them who came for Fū. If it had been Kakuzu making a return to his former village, dragging his partner Hidan in tow… Naruto wasn't sure Fū's eyes would still have their glimmer.
He couldn't do it, though. He couldn't turn them down. There was nowhere for Fū to go that the Akatsuki wouldn't follow. Learning to defend herself was the best thing Naruto could do for her. As for Hinata, it wasn't the Akatsuki she had to worry about. The minute she was separated from him, she would become Konoha's prime target. She'd grown a lot in the short time she was with him. Maybe it was time to see how much further she could go.
Naruto got to his feet. He held his hands out, fists clenched and knuckles extended. One was pointed toward Hinata, the other toward Fū .
"We'll do it as a team, then," he said. "Team Outcast!"
He caught Hinata releasing a breath he hadn't noticed she was holding. Very daintily, she met Naruto's fist with her own. Watching what Hinata did, Fū hopped up and did the same thing, adding a little more force.
"I've never been on a team before!" Fū said. "What are we going to do first?"
"Sleep," Hinata said.
Now that the atmosphere had lightened up, her eyelids looked heavy. She was barely holding them up. It had been a long night that didn't include much rest. Fū blinked. The girl was practically a battery, and even she was swaying slightly on her feet. "Oh. That sounds… good," she said.
Circumstances meant they hadn't brought much except the clothes they wore and their traveling fund. No tents, no pillows, no sleeping mats. Naruto had spent plenty of nights like that for a million different reasons. It was a first for Hinata. Fū flew straight up the nearest tree and nestled in the branches like she was born there.
When Naruto sat down against the trunk, it didn't take long for Hinata to join him. She started about a foot away. Before long, she was pressed against his side. The morning chill was too much for her jacket alone to handle.
"Psst!"
Before Naruto could drift off, he looked up. Orange eyes peered straight down at him from the lowermost branch, almost glowing.
"I've never snuggled before…"
Slowly, Naruto lifted his right arm, opening a spot. There was a blur and a brief buzz of bug-like wings, then Naruto's arm was resting across tanned shoulders. Fū tucked her head against his chest, humming happily.
The newly-formed team slept in a pile until the early hours of the afternoon.
O-O-O
Naruto pulled on the front of his shirt, frowning at a wet spot on the right side of his chest. He poked it. Heavy with drool, the fabric was cool to the touch. Sighing, he let go of his shirt, turning to his companions.
Food was one of the few things they brought some of, but they only had enough for two nights. The plan had been to purchase supplies in Taki. Their road food was a small supply of rice, some vegetables, and cuts of pork that would only hold out for another meal and a half. Hinata and Fū were eating bowls of rice with sweet peppers next to another campfire.
Fū glanced around. She was about two-thirds of the way through her food. Naruto thought she might've been looking for seconds, until she hopped to her feet.
"I want to see the Crystal Forest!" Fū said.
"I've heard of that," Hinata said. "The trees there have special flowers that are said to shine like jewels."
"It's sooooo pretty!" Fū said. "I mean, I've never seen it, but that's what everyone says. It's close to Takigakure, so plenty of merchants would pass through on their way to us. When I was a little girl, I heard so many stories about how pretty it is! I want that to be the first thing I see!"
Naruto sat down and took a bowl of rice for himself. "Meh," he said. "There are better sights out there. Way better sights. In the Land of Stairs they have the tallest waterfall anywhere in the continent! Doesn't that sound cool? Wouldn't it be better to go and see that?"
"But I've seen waterfalls," Fū said. "Taki has the biggest one. I don't want to see another. I want to see the Crystal Forest!"
"There are other places with trees," Naruto suggested. "The Land of Swamps has forests that are totally coated in all kinds of moss. There are lizards bigger than I am there that swim as fast as a shinobi. Plus, it's full of bugs! You'd like that, wouldn't you Fū?"
"I don't believe that I would," Hinata said, frowning.
"Why don't you want to go to the Crystal Forest?" Fū's lower lip trembled as she looked at Naruto with her big, orange eyes. "Is there something wrong with that? Is my idea stupid? Am I stupid? I just wanted to see it…"
"We can go!" Naruto caved. "We can go, it's just—" He looked into his rice, taking a big bite. "Well, you'll see."
Hinata looked concerned. Fū missed how ominous that agreement was. Her wings came out, and she zipped around the clearing, laughing with excitement, finishing her meal while flying.
Fū wasn't wrong about the Crystal Forest being close. It would only take a few hours if they ran. When all three of them had eaten, they packed their pittance of traveling supplies and hit the road. Naruto and Hinata ran along the ground while Fū chose to fly above them, giggling the whole way.
O-O-O
Fū was on her knees. Her hands lay flopped down on either side of her, limp with her fingers resting on the sandy ground that stretched as far as they're eyes could see.
There were no trees, just ugly trunks and scorched sandy ground. Gently, Hinata turned to Fū.
"When those merchants told you stories of the forest, were those stories… recent?"
"I thought they stopped going this way," Fū said. "I thought that was why they didn't talk about the forest anymore. I didn't get to talk to them very often. I never asked… I never knew…"
Naruto cleared his throat, looking up at the sky. "There's a town in the middle of the forest. I mean, in what used to be the forest."
Fū sobbed.
"We can buy supplies there," Naruto said. "I haven't been there in a while, but it's pretty big. They'll be able to sell us food, maybe even a tent. Don't worry, Fū, we'll go somewhere super beautiful next."
Fū dragged herself to her feet, her arms still limp and her head slouched toward the ground. "I wanted to see the flowers…"
It was an hour's walk to reach the town. Eventually, Fu's mood picked up. She wasn't very good at being sad. If Naruto didn't remind her she should keep her wings hidden — it was a good idea not to show off how different you are in a new place — she would've flown straight into the heart of the village.
They were the only ones on the road. It was six o'clock, right around time for dinner, yet no one was out. The first block of buildings they passed were boarded up, their paint eaten off by wind and sand. The second block had more paint on their walls but were equally abandoned. Only on the third block did they see a person— an old woman who slammed her door the minute they came into sight.
"I've never seen another village before!" Fū's head moved on a swivel, looking between the homes with drawn shutters on either side of the street. "I didn't know they were so depressing!"
"Something is wrong with this place," Hinata said quietly. Her veins bulged as her Byakugan activated. "There are people in half of these houses. They're watching us through peepholes."
"I hear voices up ahead," said Naruto. This was a very different town than the one he remembered.
Suddenly, their group wasn't alone anymore. The center of the village was alive with light and activity. Six different tall buildings were lit up with neon lights, flashing in an attempt to draw people in. They advertised slots, roulette, dice, and every other kind of gambling imaginable. Between the casinos were crowded bars. Men and women with scars and unkind eyes walked between the buildings, many of them moving with the unsteady gait of a drunk.
"Avoid the casinos," Naruto said quietly. "Nothing good comes out of getting mixed up with gamblers."
Hinata pointed. Fū was no longer next to them. She was on the covered porch of one of the casinos, reaching out to try and touch one of the brightest lights.
Naruto cursed and ran over. Fū was so distracted by the light that she didn't notice a tall bald man coming out the door until her shoulder rammed into his gut.
She flinched back. The apology she started to offer never got past her lips as she took in the way he was looking at her.
"How much for the night?" he rasped.
"That's not up for sale," Naruto said. He put his arm over Fū's shoulder, smiling at the man with his teeth clenched. "Sorry about that. You can go now."
The man opened his mouth. Whatever he was going to say, Naruto's eyes changed color, cutting him off. The gambler ran faster than his big body should've been able to move.
"I didn't like his face," Fū said. "He didn't look nice."
"He wasn't. And there are plenty of other guys like him in there," Naruto said, pointing to the casino's open door. "So let's steer clear of—"
He froze facing the casino's interior. Barely a second later he was pulling Fū toward the street.
"Steer clear of what?" Fū asked. "You didn't finish your sentence!"
"We're getting out of here," Naruto said as they joined Hinata. "We'll find another village for food. This place is trouble."
"Surely it would be fine for one night," Hinata said.
"Yeah! I like how different this place is!" Fū said.
"We've gotta go," Naruto said urgently. "Before we catch its attention."
He took the girls by the wrists and pulled them down the street. Plenty of heads turned to watch them. Naruto ignored all the riffraff locals, making a beeline for the edge of town. Fū pouted and Hinata looked confused. He'd explain everything later, once they made their escape.
They got all the way to the edge of town where the most dilapidated of the abandoned buildings lay. Naruto started to believe they would make it. He should've known better.
"Luuuucky Chaaaaaarm! Where are you gooooooiiiing!"
"Shit!" Naruto said.
Hinata looked scared. Mostly because Naruto looked scared.
Behind them, framed in the otherwise empty street, were two women and a pig. The one in front was blonde and gifted beyond belief— her tits put Hinata's to shame, despite Hinata already being on the busty end of the spectrum. The woman's green coat wasn't straightened, there were bags under her eyes, and she was laughing a throaty laugh that sounded awfully evil. She was the one who had yelled at them. The other woman was shorter, smaller in every dimension, and younger. She was holding a pig in her arms that was wearing a pearl necklace and some kind of shirt. The smaller woman was smiling at Naruto, crinkling her rich dark eyes.
Naruto put his arms in front of his face, as if he could hide behind them.
"Sorry," he said quietly. "It caught us anyway."