As the two fighters were about to exit, Fū excitedly asked. "I had a lot of fun, Hana! Oh, and by the way, how did ya transform without using any chakra?!"
Hana felt her face turn a shade of crimson; she was embarrassed because earlier, she had been ready to rip Fū's face off. But now, standing in the aftermath, she found herself admiring the girl.
"I took a special food pill from my clan," she sheepishly admitted.
"A food pill? What's that about?"
Hana cleared her throat and shared what 'military ration pills' were.
"They're special pills that nourish the body. Think of it like a powerful stimulant."
"No way!"
"Yeah. With just one, you can keep fighting for three days and three nights without rest."
"Wait, is that allowed here?"
"Well, yes and no," Hana continued with a small smirk on her face. "It's technically against the rules, but you forgot to read the fine print. The pills can't be consumed during the match, but no one ever said I couldn't take them before the match started."
Hana was smart, to say the least. She not only took the food pill before the match, but she had also stored the energy until the right moment.
Fū's jaw dropped in recognition as she asked, "So you were able to pull off that transformation without using any chakra at all?"
"Exactly," Hana chuckled at her response. "It's not just any ordinary food pill, either. This one allows me to transform without draining my reserves." It's then that she understood how fortuitous the encounter was. "Had I known how strong you really were, I would have planned things differently."
The two then shared a laugh, signaling a subtle friendship blossoming.
"You know," Hana began with a more playful tone, "you remind me of my younger brother."
"Really? Who is he?"
"Was, is what you meant to ask," Hana coyly responded, glancing down.
It's then that Fū understood what she was hinting at. "I'm sorry…"
Hana shook her head, dismissing the melancholic turn. "It's alright; it's in the past now, and he was avenged by those who were cheering for you."
Her words caused Fū to look back at Margaret and her friends. She hadn't been aware of how deep the bonds were in the Leaf Village. When she turned back to Hana, she saw her fragile yet beautiful smile.
"We might have been opponents today," Hana smirked, "but I think I can call you a friend now."
"Definitely!" Fū replied, suddenly hugging Hana in a tight embrace.
The crowd couldn't help but applaud their scene. As the noise and their cheers faded, Hana trudged back towards her group, who was ready to congratulate her despite the loss.
"Great job out there!" they cheered, patting her on the back.
"Yeah, Hana! You gave it your all!" the dogs barked.
They obviously couldn't speak, but that's what she interpreted.
"Thanks, everyone. I think it'd be a good idea we return to the village now."
Not a single member denied her. She was, after all, the only Inuzuka who was given entry.
While there were other Leaf Village shinobi present, her own duties were finished.
Meanwhile, Fū had returned to her group, where Margaret was surprisingly there, waiting to warmly welcome her.
"Fū! That was a fantastic fight!" Margaret exclaimed, beaming with pride.
Fū matched her energy. "Thanks, Marge! I'm glad ya were cheering me on."
Seeing Fū's injury, Margaret took the initiative to heal it with the basic healing technique. The wounds were solely mended as Fū felt grateful.
It's then that Jada walked toward their cell. "Hey, Fū!"
"How do you know my name?"
"Well, it's not like the announcer yelled it for everyone to hear. Haha."
"Oh yeah! You're right!"
"It's the first time we've met, huh?" Jada smiled. "I'm Jada, Jada Uchiha. Marge told me a lot about you. It's so cool to meet another Jinchūriki."
Fū's eyes sparkled with delight. "Nice to meet you, Jada. You're so beautiful!"
Before Fū could express her desire to be friends, Jada beat her to it and asked, "So, wanna be friends?"
"Yes! Absolutely!"
"Wow, you really are friendly!" Jada chuckled. "I like that."
"Of course I am! This tournament has been so much fun!"
"And you fought really well too," Margaret added as the trio began to chat more casually. "But what if you were to join the Leaf Village? You could really make a difference there." Jada smacked her forearm, prompting the girl to rub it slightly. "Oh, come on, Jada!"
The abruptness of Margaret's question caught Fū off guard as she said, "I mean, I'm flattered, but I'm loyal to my village. I wouldn't just leave since there are important people I fight for."
"Of course, we respect that," Jada chimed in. To Fū's surprise, it felt good to be supported by new friends. "But don't be a stranger. Come visit us. That way, you can see where we live."
"You bet!" Then Fū gave a thoughtful gesture. "Hey, what did ya mean by 'another Jinchūriki'?"
"Oh, ha-ha. I was talking about Naruto, Naruto Uzumaki. He fought in the second match."
"You're friends with him?!" she exclaimed. Of course, Fū had missed the fact that Naruto had been part of their group due to the amount of cheers he had received earlier. "I've never met someone like me before!"
"I think you two would make great friends," Margaret chimed in cheekily. "Allow Jada and me to introduce you guys on a personal level." When Jada heard those words, she immediately knew what Margaret was trying to pair the two Jinchūriki together. The remark earned her another punch. "What was that for?!"
"Stop fantasizing already!" Jada berated.
Fū giggled at their banter, unaware of what Margaret was planning. It was simply refreshing to see how lighthearted they were.
Margaret then declared, "Since you won your match, Fū, we'll probably be fighting in the next round."
"I can't wait! I'm getting hyped just thinking about it! Now… when can I meet Naruto?"
"You can meet him now if you'd like," Jada smiled, "as friends. Right, Marge?"
"Right!"
As the trio prepared to move on with their way, Fū's caretakers suddenly approached. Their strict expressions were the complete opposite of the girls' behaviour.
"Fū, you can't leave this cell!" one of them insisted. In truth, they were being overprotective since she was a Jinchūriki and they didn't want her acting rashly. "Plus, you need to rest after that match."
Her lower lip jutted out as she showed clear disappointment. "But I want to meet Naruto! Please!"
Seeing her exasperation, Jada and Margaret couldn't help but chuckle.
It took a bit more convincing, but eventually, her group relented and allowed her to slip away.
As Jada and Margaret walked alongside her, they considered how Fū had never actually met Naruto. At least, not fully.
The first time they met was only after she had died. Something like that did not count since it was a group gathering of all the Jinchūriki during the Fourth Ninja War. And while their encounter was short-lived, many fans wondered what would have happened if Naruto met more Jinchūriki's like himself early on.
Approaching his cell, Fū spotted his spiky blond hair and bright blue eyes. Beside him stood a stern-looking boy with long hair pulled back. Beside that boy was another one with a bowl cut and a green jumpsuit.
She had recognized them both since they had already fought in the matches. The only ones she didn't recognize were Iruka and William.
"Hey, Naruto!" Margaret yelled. "We're here to introduce you to someone!"
Naruto glanced over as he asked, "Who is it?"
"Meet Fū," Jada answered. "She's also a Jinchūriki like you!"
Fū stepped forward, and her eyes locked onto Naruto's. "Hi! I'm Fū! It's so cool to finally meet you!"
Immediately, Naruto felt his cheeks heat up. He stammered, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. "Uh, hey! Nice to meet you too!"
Fū didn't seem to notice his awkwardness. Instead, she launched into a rapid-fire chatter, "I've never met anyone like you before! You have a Tailed Beast just like me! Oh, this is so amazing! You're really popular here in the tournament, and everyone says you're super strong! I had to come here just to meet you!"
Naruto blinked, feeling slightly overwhelmed by her straightforwardness. "Th-thanks, I guess?"
Neji, Lee, and William all watched with amusement. Even Iruka found the encounter playful.
"Naruto," Margaret exclaimed with a grin, "I think she's really awesome! Like, her energy's just like yours! You two should totally—"
Before she could finish, Jada pushed her aside. It's then that William got the message, so he also moved Naruto to the side.
"Ugh, Naruto," he told him, "be sure to play cool, okay?"
"But she's kinda weird, and she talks really fast," he whispered back.
Just then, Neji stepped toward her to greet her. When he exclaimed that her energy was quite high, she blinked and then chuckled sheepishly.
"Oh! I'm sorry! I just get really excited!" She took a deep breath, managing to slow her pace. "I didn't mean to freak you out. It's just that…"
"Don't worry," Iruka interjected, "it's great how enthusiastic you are."
"And we're all happy you won your fight," Jada said, still wrestling with Margaret, "aren't we, Marge?!"
"Y-yeah!"
When William allowed Naruto some space to speak to the new arrival, he eased up, expressing that it was pleasant to be meeting another Jinchūriki.
"Exactly!" Fū exclaimed with open eyes—though at a much more reasonable speed now. "So, what's the name of your Tailed Beast? Mine is Chōmei! She's the Seven-Tails, a beetle that allows me to fly!"
Intrigued, Naruto leaned forward and said, "Chōmei? Hey, that's cool! Mine is the Nine-Tails, and his name is Kurama."
Fū beamed with interest as she connected the dots. ""I heard about him! He's the fox, right?!"
"Yeah!"
"Wow, that's so cool! I've always wanted to know more about your Tailed Beast. Do you have a good relationship with him? I mean, you know his name!"
Naruto would go on to explain that his bond with the Nine-Tails actually was not great. He knew the beast's name, but the fox was too stubborn to share its chakra or help Naruto in any way.
As the groups continued to chatter, Arthur was keen on listening in. Naruto had gone as far as mentioning Gaara's name, to which Fū also wanted to meet.
Only after the announcer took center stage again did Fū return to her cell, excited at how many new friends she's already made.
"Ladies and gentlemen! We're ready for the next match of the tournament! Please direct your eyes to the monitor!" The screen turned on as they saw the next fighters: "Lars Alexandersson vs. Monga!"