I do not own Naruto Shippuden or any of the characters.
Picking Up Strays
"Kage summit?" Kakashi questioned unsure. "Are you sure?"
"Unfortunately yes," Minato sighed. "Nagato and Konan assure me that the Akatsuki will only speed up their plans now that they're on our side."
"So who will you take with you?" Kakashi questioned.
"The two best fighters in the village and the one person that has ever been able to keep up with them," Minato stated.
"Naruto and Sasuke, obviously," Kakashi mused. "But who's the other one? Sakura?"
"Sakura?" Minato snorted. "Please. She's a great medic but in a fight, when has she ever been able to keep up with them? When has she been able to keep up with anyone but Ino?"
"Who then?" Kakashi questioned. "Suigetsu?"
"Nope," Minato grinned. "Much better than that."
"Who?" Kakashi demanded, getting impatient and curious at once.
Just then, someone knocked on the door and Minato told them to enter. It swung open and Kakashi's visible eye widened. Naruto, Sasuke, and Hinata all walked in, kneeling, Sasuke's eyes wrapped up but Naruto helping him around.
"His eyes haven't recovered yet?" Minato questioned.
"They will by the time we get there," Naruto promised.
"Alright," Minato nodded. "Then let's get going."
Naruto nodded and stood, Sasuke doing the same and Naruto led him out of the room, Hinata following.
"Hinata?" Kakashi muttered after they had left. "I would have expected, well, anyone else. Even if Minato is right Naruto would keep her here."
"He doesn't need to an he knows it," Yamato stated walking through the door. "Think about it, the Queen Bee, Aoi, Moryo, Pein. Hinata has been aiding Naruto long before they were together. Hell, she's probably the reason he's alive today. She is probably the only person that can keep up with Naruto and Sasuke. Excluding Sage mode and Sasuke's Mangekyo Sharingan, of course."
"I suppose," Kakashi sighed.
Naruto and Minato grinned as they both knelt, Hinata helping Sasuke onto Minato's back then climbing onto Naruto's.
"This is a stacked race you know," Minato grinned. "Sasuke's a lot heavier.
"Quit complaining," Naruto grinned tugging his new red and black cloak around where he could reach the weapon seals lining the inside where he kept his kunai now. "You're Konoha's Yellow Flash. You can teleport."
"And you're Konoha's Orange Flash," Minato snorted. "So can you."
"Are we going to go or not?" Sasuke questioned.
"Ready...set...go!" Hinata shouted as Naruto and Minato took off running.
As they ran, Hinata's mind drifted. And it drifted to a conversation she had had while Naruto was training under Karin, Yugao, and Suigetsu, which had gone quite well, as Naruto was now a very skilled Sensory Ninja.
flashback
"Can I talk to you for a minute Hinata?" Kiba more demanded than asked.
"Sure," Hinata nodded walking into the trees away from the field where she had been watching Naruto. "What's wrong?"
"What's so great about Naruto?" Kiba demanded. "What makes him so special?"
"Naruto is kind, caring, generous, and selfless," Hinata stated. "He would rather die than see his friends hurt."
"It's an act!" Kiba spat. "Naruto only cares about those damn swords of his and being Hokage. He will hurt anyone and anything that hinders that. Even you. Truthfully he's probably only pretending to care about you to get in your pants. Once he gets what he wants he'll just-"
He stopped when Hinata's hand collided with his cheek knocking him back a few feet and stinging worse than any injury Kiba had received during battle.
"How dare you!?" Hinata seethed. "I know Naruto! He is nothing like the person you want me to believe he is! How dare you lie to my face and try to tell me I don't!? Naruto is the best man I've ever met! I will not listen to you badmouth him!"
"Trust me Hinata," Kiba growled. "Naruto is just using-"
SLAP!
"BITCH!" Kiba shouted through gritted teeth. "You know what? I hope you do believe Naruto. I hope he rapes you until you beg for death then just leaves you on the side of the road! I hope-"
Hinata slapped him for a third time then backed away as his hands curled into fists.
"You're a jealous bastard!" Hinata seethed. "And if you think you're going to turn me away from Naruto, you can go fuck yourself! I love Naruto and he loves me! And you will never change that!"
And with that, she turned and stormed away through the trees, returning to the field.
present
"Naruto?" Hinata whispered.
"Yeah?" Naruto questioned smiling back at her then grinning back at his father who was a hundred feet behind them.
"Kiba doesn't support...us," Hinata stated.
"How do you know?" Naruto questioned.
"Well...while you were training to be a Sensor Ninja, he asked to talk to me," Hinata stated. "I agreed and...well...he tried to convince me that...you only cared about your swords and being Hokage. He...he tried to convince me...that...that you were only with me...because...you wanted..."
"Hinata, you know that's not true," Naruto interrupted knowing exactly what Kiba had meant. "I would never...Hinata, I love you. I will always love you. And I will never do anything that would hurt you."
"I know," Hinata smiled pressing her face into his shoulder and smiling. "I just thought you should know."
"Something else happened didn't it?" Naruto questioned.
"Well, I...may have...gotten mad..." Hinata said quietly. "I slapped him, and...he called me...something unkind...and...I may have...said something...worse."
"You swore?" Naruto gasped grinning. "My my, Hinata. I had no idea you would get so offended at someone disrespecting me. I like it."
"I...I didn't mean to," Hinata promised. "I just...I got so mad. I'm sorry."
"Don't apologize," Naruto grinned. "You defended me. I'm not mad. I'm proud that you stood up to him. Anyone else would have just walked away. But you didn't. Thank you."
Hinata smiled and squeezed him in a hug then glanced back at the others who were starting to catch up.
"Better run faster," Hinata advised. "They're catching up."
"Right," Naruto grinned before coming to a complete stop.
"What?" Hinata questioned the others stopping around them.
"Byakugan," Naruto ordered. "Eight o'clock."
Hinata looked and her eyes widened.
"What is it?" Minato questioned.
"Chakra," Naruto stated. "A massive amount. I can't sense that far yet but even I can feel it."
"It's a Jinchuriki," Hinata stated. "It looks similar to when you fought Pein."
"They must be fighting," Naruto stated. "Let's go. We'll help."
"Good idea," Sasuke stated. "My eyes should be recovered by the time you're done."
Naruto nodded and began running toward the Jinchuriki with Minato following at a distance. Finally, he stopped and set Hinata down and they both watched the scene unfolding. There was a massive beetle-like bug with six wings and a tentacle-like appendage that together formed seven tails.
"The Seven-tails," Naruto muttered. "Stay here and watch with your Byakugan. I'll Blast the ground with a Byakugan if I need any help."
"Right," Hinata nodded.
Naruto nodded as well then sprinted toward the Seven-tails. As he approached, it fired a blast of chakra at him. He dove aside and it blasted the ground where he had been. Naruto looked at the ground below the Tailed Beast and saw a man with an Akatsuki robe and an orange mask that was designed in a spiral around the right eye. A short distance away, was Kisame.
"Would you like to do it Kisame?" the man with the mask questioned.
"Gladly," Kisame grinned drawing his sword as the Jinchuriki charged a Tailed Beast Ball.
Naruto drew his Double-Edged Swords, slashing and blasting Kisame away while the other man was unaffected. The Jinchuriki stopped and Naruto put the sword away creating his Three Clone Squad, all four charging toward Kisame who was moving to battle him instead while the other man watched.
"Damn Akatsuki," Naruto sighed drawing Orochimaru's sword as the clones all drew the Double-Edged Swords, the Garian Swords, and Temujin's Sword respectively, the one with Temujin's Sword being the one that would have Rasengans if not for Kisame's sword. "Guess I'll get the sword for you Suigetsu."
Naruto and his clones sprinted forward and all slashed at him at once. Kisame swung his sword once and blocked Naruto's sword while absorbing Naruto's clones. Naruto shoved Kisame back then jumped, kicking him into the other man who caught him and set him on his feet.
"Having some trouble with the brat?" the man questioned.
"Of course not!" Kisame snapped. "Just toying with him."
Kisame sprinted forward but Naruto caught his blade, now in Sage Mode.
"Still toying with me?" Naruto growled. "Not absorbing my chakra? Smart sword."
Naruto jumped, kicking Kisame and sending him flying past the other man.
"Sage Mode?" the man muttered. "I see. Kisame, we should withdraw."
"I can beat him," Kisame snarled.
"He defeated Pein," the man stated turning to him. "He is beyond us now. Withdraw. I will not tell you again."
Kisame growled but nodded and turned, fleeing from the two Jinchuriki as the Man followed, much faster than Kisame and quickly passing him. The Seven-tails suddenly turned into blood red chakra before shrinking down to a human's size. Then, the chakra faded leaving a girl. She was about his height and age with spiky mint green hair down to her shoulder, framing her face, orange eyes matching a clip in her hair, a short sleeveless white midriff shirt with fishnet armor underneath, long white armlets, and fishnet shorts with a short white apron skirt over it, a Waterfall Village forehead protector tied around her right upper arm, and a large cylindrical object on her back wrapped in a long red cloth with it crossing over her chest twice forming an "X". She was fairly tan but now her body was covered with severe burns. Naruto darted forward, catching her and Hinata and Minato arrived a moment later, Sasuke still on Minato's back.
"Is she alive?" Hinata questioned.
"I think so," Naruto nodded. "Guess we'll find out."
He placed his hand on her shoulder, sending a pulse of chakra into her and healing her as he leaned back so he didn't collapse on her. Hinata caught him, allowing him to rest against her shoulder as the Jinchuriki groaned and her eyes fluttered open.
"Where...where am I?" the girl muttered.
"Not entirely certain," Naruto admitted. "I was distracted with me and Dad's race. But you're among friends. I'm the Nine-tails Jinchuriki, Naruto."
"Fu," she greeted shaking his offered hand and pushing herself up, chakra not fully restored due to having been injured by her own Tailed Beast's chakra. "Seven Tails Jinchuriki."
"This is my friend Sasuke, my father Minato, and my girlfriend Hinata," Naruto introduced.
"Nice to meet you," Fu beamed curtsying. "Who was it that attacked me?"
"The Akatsuki," Naruto stated. "A group of murderers and criminals that want to capture all nine of us for our Tailed Beasts to build some kind of weapon."
"I see," fu nodded. "They can kiss my ass. No one is capturing me."
"They would have," Naruto stated. "If you had fired that Tailed Beast Ball at Kisame, the one with the sword, he would have absorbed it and then blasted you with your own chakra."
"I see," Fu nodded. "Then, can I stick with you? You chased them off easily. I'd feel a lot safer."
"You're more than welcome to come with us," Minato smiled. "And you would be welcome in our village as well. For now, we're heading to a Kage Summit so you'll have to suffer through that a bit first."
"That's alright," Fu smiled. "It can't be that bad."
Naruto shrugged and made a clone that allowed her to climb onto his back.
"New rule," Naruto grinned. "You have to beat my clone too."
"Cheater," Minato laughed. "Come on."
Naruto nodded and they began running again. As they traveled, Naruto's clone filled Fu in on what happened with Nagato and Konan attacking their village. She was surprisingly supportive of his decision to welcome them to their side.
"Naruto," Hinata spoke up. "The Akatsuki is attacking someone to the west. It looks like they're from Kirigakure."
"Mizukage," Minato stated. "Let's go."
They turned that way and sprinted forward soon coming to a stop in a large field where a man and a boy were fighting several dozen shinobi in Akatsuki robes. The problem was, they weren't Akatsuki. Each one was wearing one of the Five Great Shinobi Villages' uniforms.
"What is going on?" Naruto growled sprinting forward and noticing that the man fighting the false Akatsuki had several veins standing out beside his right eye that was hidden behind an eye patch.
"It's a Byakugan," Hinata stated noticing the same thing he did and checking with her own.
"The seal tags in his ears guard it," Sasuke stated the bandages now clear of his eyes. "It's a jutsu."
Naruto drew a pair of kunai and hurled them past the ninja with the Byakugan, cutting the tags free as the ninja sprinted forward. The kunai hit two of the enemy shinobi in the stomach and dropped them, then Naruto teleported to the kunai and kicked two more away, spinning and beginning to remove the use of the rest of the ninjas arms and legs with his Double-Edged Swords. Finally they finished and Minato knelt beside a ninja wearing a Konoha flak jacket.
"Why are you dressed like an Akatsuki member?" Minato questioned.
"The...Kage can never...work together," he stated, unable to speak properly from the blood in his mouth resulting from several teeth missing. "This summit...will only...start...a war..."
"Yes," Minato agreed. "Against the Akatsuki."
"Sasuke," Naruto whispered. "Any Genjutsus that will make everyone think that those tags are still on that guy?"
Sasuke whistled and when the man looked, Sasuke's eyes spun.
"That's a Byakugan isn't it?" Sasuke questioned as the Genjutsu took root.
"It is," the man nodded. "My name is Ao. It's an old trophy."
"Trophy from what?" Sasuke questioned.
"A few years ago, the Blood Mist Village stole a Byakugan from one of the members of the Main Branch family of the Hyuga clan," Minato stated. "It would seem, we were lucky enough to find that Byakugan."
"I dare you to try to take it," Ao challenged.
"I would love to," Naruto grinned. "Unfortunately, I doubt that would go over too well. We'll just have to deal with that later. Shall we go catch up with your Kage?"
"Sure," Ao nodded and they all left, sprinting after Ao and the boy, who introduced himself as Chojuro, a member of the current seven Ninja Swordsmen.
After a time, they reached the location of the Summit and were led to a room with a large hoarse shoe table and a large flag behind each chair with the symbol of the Kage meant to sit there. Each Kage took their seat and set their hat in front of them. The leader of the Land of Iron, where they were meeting, sat at a desk at the open part of the table. The bodyguards all took their places behind their Kage on a raised platform.
"Welcome," Mifune, the Land of Iron's leader, spoke. "We have gathered at the Hokage's request. The Five Kage Summit will now commence."
"Then allow us to speak of the rules for the Hokage," the Raikage, A, spoke up. "I believe it is a rule that only two bodyguards may accompany each Kage, not four."
"I brought two bodyguards," Minato stated. "I brought Sasuke Uchiha and Hinata Hyuga. The other two are the Nine-tails and Seven-tails Jinchuriki."
The Kage, minus Minato and Gaara, looked at Naruto and Fu in surprise. Then, their attention returned to Minato.
"Can we proceed now?" Minato questioned.
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