Fū

"So everyone here is almost complete I assume?" Asuma asked and looked around waiting for the others to arrive

"Great we get to see a couple flirt along the way troublesome" Shikamaru remarked as he saw Ino hugging Ryu tightly as if they've never seen each other for days and a fox on top of Ryu's head.

Yoru heard this and replied to Shikamaru

"You're not exactly off the hook either"

"What do you mean Yoru?"

Yoru pointed at a certain Blue haired woman coming in their way together with her sensei.

"Troublesome" He blurted out as he forgot who their

"What did you say you lazy bum?" Guren heard this and angrily stared at Shikamaru

"N-Nothing!" Shikamaru straightened up when he saw Guren's eyes, Asuma took note of this interaction and patted Shikamaru's back and whispered to his ear.

"You've got balls Shika to choose a girl like that" Asuma heartily laughed as he saw his genin's face turn blue all of a sudden.

Choji then went near to Ryu and asked

"Will you cook for us this trip? I really miss your cooking Ryu"

"Sure" Ryu replied

"Ok I assume everyone is here, now all we have to do is go to Takigakure and I"ll do the rest take it is a vacation if you will we'll be travelling around 1 to 3 days or so and will be staying there for 2 to 3 weeks."

"Say Asuma sensei if I may ask why are we going to Takigakure anyway?" Guren asked

"Well to be honest with you I asked my Dad to give me a vacation with my team as a reward for their first C rank mission completion, I didn't know he'd use me as a messenger to Takigakure, oh and if you ask the message its just an Invite to this year's Chunin exams."

"So Takigakure is invited, Kiri declined, Suna accepted what about the other nations sensei?" Ryu asked

"Kumo and Iwa are still thinking about it but we'll know 2 months before the exams really happen and that new village Otogakure if I remember correctly? personally went with their Kage about a week ago to express their intent on joining this years exams"

As Ryu heard the last part

'Orochimaru's already making his moves? I really don't want to fight the Old-man here if he ever gets reincarnated guess I'll help him live after all but about Orochimaru, I'll take care of it when the time comes'

"Ryu! Wake up we're leaving now" Ryu heard a voice and smiled at the one who just spoke

"Sure"

______________

Soon enough they reached Takigakure

"All right we'll go to the village head tomorrow for now you can unpack and relax as you can see most of the people here are Chunin level strength there's only a few jonin so we can take it easy" Asuma said to them as he stretched his arms and then went out for a smoke.

"So what are you guys gonna do?" Ryu looked at the rest of the team

"Sleep!" Yoru and Shikamaru replied fast

"I want to go and visit their flower shops" Guren replied

"I'll stay here oh and if you guys are gonna go out shopping don't forget meat okay?" Choji said as he munched his chips.

"I'll go where you go Jin-kun!" Ino said as she clung to Ryu with Yasaka on top of her head

"Women are really troub-" before Shikamaru could say that he felt an Icy gaze and stopped

"Good both of you come with me now we'll do the groceries here since were staying for 2 weeks!" Guren said as she dragged Yoru and Shikamaru

"But what about Choji!" Yoru exclaimed feeling she was treated harshly even though it was Shikamaru's fault, Guren looked at Choji before saying

"If you come with us you can get to select your own meat" Choji then stood up and happily agreed

"SURE!"

Yoru's plan backfired and looked at Ino and Ryu before mouthing

"What about them?" Yoru pointed at the young couple.

"We're going to scout the perimeter as well as buy food to eat for later" Ino replied before Guren could say anything, soon the group left the Inn.

"Your Team really is fun Yamato" Asuma said as he laughed at their antics

"So is yours" Yamato smiled and replied

"Wanna bet who'll get married first?" Asuma smoked and thought of who between the two pairs of the team would tie the knot first.

"My bet is on You and Kurenai"

Asuma suddenly choked on as he heard that accidentally swallowed his cigar before looking at Yamato with a wry smile.

"Is it that Obvious?"

"Even a blind man could see it very clearly haha"

"Guess my bet is on Ryu and Ino then" Asuma said as he lit up another cigar in his hands

'I though so too' Yamato kept his real bet with his thoughts

______________

"Say Ryu why are you holding the trees like that?" Ino asked as she looked at Ryu

"I feel familiar with this place" He then remembered about Hashirama and Kakuzu's battle here and soon he prayed in front of the tree.

"What did you just do Ryu? What did you pray for?" Ino asked as she even more confused

"I remembered something about my Grandfather here, this place is like a memento for me" As soon as he said that Ino then followed suit.

'Oh Ryu's grandfather give me your blessing and grant me your grandson!' Ino prayed in her heart.

Soon the leaves blew by as they stayed like that admiring the scenery in front of them.

'Was my prayer answered? Do I have grandfathers blessing now? Seems like it Yosh!' Ino thought

But they were soon disturbed by a green blur!

"Ow!" A child who liked like around 8-9 years old with green hair hit Ryu's chest, the young child then looked up and saw a strange boy she was curious soon she was scared and shouted

"Please! Stay away from me! I'm a demon! I don't want to hurt you!" The Child shouted

'Isn't this Fū? How could I forget her! Looks like she still hasn't been indoctrinated by that Shibuki if I remember correctly' Ryu thought, but before Ryu could act Ino was already attending to her.

"Don't worry we're not gonna hurt you" Ino said as she went near Fū

Fū backed away as soon as she saw Ino coming closer "No! That's wha you all say soon you're gonna hurt me and abuse me like the rest of them!"

Ino shocked at she heard stared at Fū then at Ryu at a loss what to do.

'Come one use your motivational speeches or something I'm not good at that!' Ino said in her mind

"We really wont hurt you, Look we're not from here" Ryu said as he showed his Forehead protector in front of Fū

"If you're not from here then what are you doing here? are you gonna bring me back in that cursed place?" Fū asked as she was even more nervous.

"No, it's not like that were here on a mission and at the same time relaxing, My name is Minakami Ryujin, She's Yamanaka Ino, and you are?" Ryu smiled as he said that while reaching his hand towards the sitting Fū

"Fū, just Fū" Fū replied as he took Ryu's hand while she was shaking scared but decided to trust the boy in front of her.

"So Fū why does the village hate you anyway?" Ryu asked directly

"Because Because!" Before Fū could reply she cried but soon Ino hugged Fū which prompted her to cry harder once more as she felt warmth and care for the first time in a while.

"There there Fū we're here we won't hurt you" Ino hugged her more tightly as soon as she said that and after a few more minutes she calmed down.

"Now if you don't mind why are you running away Fū?" Ryu asked more

"I don't know, all the villagers say I'm a devil or keep saying something about being a Jinchuriki and that I killed everyone they loved! I don't even remember anything I'm Innocent!"

Tears flowed slowly as she said the last sentence, she felt she could trust the two people in front of her as she saw they had eyes that worried and cared for her different from the usual gazes she received.

Ino looked at Ryu and nodded knowing she full well knows what her status is in the village as she has also seen this treatment Naruto received when he was younger.

"Say Fū do you wanna come with us? there's more like us who won't mind what other people think you are but we would love for you to come with us" Ryu said

"Can I? I mean are there more people like you who wouldn't mind someone like me?" Fū hesitantly asked as she did not want to be treated like a demon anymore.

"Yeah, I also know someone whose like you and he's my cousin but he's not here right now" Fū's eyes widened after hearing his statement and asked once more

"There are also people like me?"

"More than you could think off Fū" Ryu then gestured Fū and Ino to go back to their place, Fū agreed, while they were travelling Ryu and Ino personally saw and heard what the villagers were doing to Fū and soon enough they arrived.

"Ryu!! You're back now cook!" The trio was greeted by a loud Yoru but she noticed someone else

"And who are you?" She tilted her head as she waited for Fū to answer.

Fū looked at Ryu and Ino to which they nodded "Fū"

"Well Fū your in luck come in let's eat!"

Yoru dragged Fū inside and soon she was acquainted with everyone and had tears of happiness as time passed by, as everyone treated her like a human and not a demon she now wanted to come with them and leave this place.

Soon everyone feel asleep with the exception of Ryu, Yamato and Asuma

"So a Jinchuriki huh?" Yamato asked

"Yes, same treatment with Naruto too" Ryu replied then looked at Asuma

"Well this got complicated" Asuma said "I'll see what we can do tomorrow"

______________

"We accept your invitation" Shibuki replied and the elders agreed as they knew they could gain a benefit from this since it would increase the requests they would receive as well as flaunt their Nin's

"Thank you the Hokage appreciates your good will" Asuma bowed.

"Likewise" Shibuki answered

"I have an inquiry If i may ask"

"If it's anything we can answer then ask, but if it's about Hero water I'm afraid not we won't entertain questions like that" Shibuki said with a wry smile.

"It's about a girl named Fū? we want to adopt her as she is an oprhan" Asuma had to ask as he did not want to incite war and probed the probability of doing this legally.

"This!" Shibuki said but before he could say no the elders have already had a tacit agreement

"Take that Cursed child! we would be more than happy if you could!" Said one elder

"I agree and thank Konoha once more for helping us" said another one

"Before you say anything Shibuki, while we admire your skills in managing do you think we would survive if that thing is released once more!?"

"But still!"

"Enough! You may have a say in this but this is better for the village as we no longer have to worry about a bomb in this place!"

As soon as an elder said that he looked towards Asuma once more, bowed and said "Tell the Hokage he has Takigakure's thanks for this matter"

Asuma also bowed respectfully and replied "You're welcome?"

'Well that easy and her I thought we had to go to battle or worse' he thought

Soon the Elders escorted Asuma outside with smiles on their face feeling a weight lifted of their shoulders while Shibuki was left inside thinking of ways to do better next time.

______________

Back at the Inn

"So Good news, Fū your coming home with us next week the elders have already agreed" Asuma said eliciting a shout from Fū and soon she cried.

"Thank you Thank you" Was all Fū could mutter at the moment as he thought of a new life and new beginning.

"Well let's enjoy ourselves for the rest of the week, we'll be leaving soon" Asuma said as he went outside and lit another cigar.

"Yes Sensei!" Everyone then shouted together