Vegas Vacation

Chapter One: A plan revealed

A/N: Hey everybody thanks for checking out my latest idea. This is set during the Shippuden timeframe and this is my first time writing anything for Naruto. As always, I'm not making any money off of this in anyway. The idea for the story is the only thing that's mine. Please read and review. Thanks!


Bills. There were always more bills.

Lady Tsunade huffed away a strand of her blonde hair away from her eyes as she flipped through the envelopes. If it was just bills, it might have been more tolerable. But there were always more and there were far worse things than bills in her mind.

With the rising threat of the Akatsuki, and now intelligence pointing to Sasuke Uchiha's new group of renegade shinobi on the horizon, Tsunade supposed she should be grateful that for right now, it was only the bills at her doorstep.

And then there was Jiraiya…

Plopping the mail down on the desk, Tsunade leaned back in her chair as she ran her hands through her hair. Turning around in her chair, she looked out to the countryside outside of the village. How long had it been since she had been outside of the city as just another person? Gambling, drinking…Tsunade smiled at the thought.

But nothing like that would be possible now. After all, she was Hokage now. Everyone around here knew who she was. She could barely go twenty feet outside of her door without someone stopping to greet her, asking how her day was going.

If she was going to have that, she'd need to go to a place far, far away. Somewhere where she was just another woman, and no one knew anything about her. A place where she could get back to the little things in her life that she missed so.

Did such a place exist?

Suddenly, as if the proverbial light bulb just turned on in her head, Tsunade let a wicked grin spread across her lips.

"Shizune!" Tsunade called, as the clomp of sandals came coming down the hall instantly. As soon as she opened the door, Shizune bowed deeply.

"Yes, Lady Hokage?" Shizune asked, rising, as Tsunade stood tall.

"Pack my things. I'm going on vacation." Tsunade said as Shizune blinked and then sighed.

It was going to be a long day.


Within a burst a smoke, Kakashi Hatake appeared, crouched on a railing on the lookout, next to Lady Tsunade.

"You wanted to see me, Lady Hokage?" Kakashi said as Tsunade, unfazed, looked to Kakashi. She gave him a small smile.

"Thank you for coming on short notice, Kakashi. I wanted to inform you of a new mission that I have for you. Walk with me to my office?" Tsunade said, as Kakashi nodded. The short walk to the office was spent in silence.

Tsunade walked in first, followed by Kakashi. And what greeted him made his viewable eye widen.

Luggage.

"Umm…is this part of the mission, Lady Hokage?" Kakashi asked as Tsunade gave him a small smile.

"No, it's not. Your mission is to fill in for me while I'm gone. I'm going on vacation." Tsunade said as Kakashi looked to her.

"Vacation? Are you sure that's wise, with everything that's going on right now?" Kakashi asked, but any sort of questioning tone was shot down with a look from Tsunade.

"I need to leave. Even if for a week. But it can't be here or anywhere close by. To make the most of this, I need to be far away. From everything." Tsunade added on at the end, her tone softening.

"Alright, I understand. But where will you go? The land of waves? Sand?" Kakashi asked as Tsunade shook her head.

"What do you know of America?" Tsunade asked with a mischievous grin as Kakashi looked to her.

"Well, no ninja to speak of. It's an entirely different culture. Where will you go in America?" Kakashi asked as Tsunade held up a bikini before adding it to one of her bags.

"Las Vegas. I can blend in, gamble, and drink till I can't anymore. Sounds like a perfect vacation to me." Tsunade said as Kakashi nodded.

"Very well, Lady Hokage. I will fill in for you. But may I make a recommendation? Why not take some of the Genin with you? They can be an invisible escort. And it may even prove to be a learning experience for them." Kakashi stated as Tsunade nodded.

"I was planning on taking Sakura with me, but who else did you have in mind?" Tsunade asked as Kakashi brought a hand up to his chin.

"Well, to be honest, I was thinking of Hinata Hyuuga, and Rock Lee." Kakashi began, as he looked to Tsunade. "But I was also going to recommend Naruto." Kakashi finished as Tsunade stared at him.

"I can see Hinata and Lee, but why Naruto?" Tsunade questioned as Kakashi was smiling from underneath his high neck that covered most of his face.

"Lady Hokage, if you're looking to not be a distraction, its best to bring a distraction with you." Kakashi reasoned, just as soon as Tsunade caught on to his meaning.

"Okay, Naruto can come as well. Something tells me this is going to be a trip that none of them are going to forget." Tsunade said, just as another smile spread out over her face.


"Naruto? Naruto!" Sakura called out, her cherry blossom pink hair swaying slight as she moved up the ladder from his apartment onto the roof of his building.

"Naruto, where are you?" She called out, finally reaching the top, only to see him sitting on the ledge with his head down.

His longer blonde hair moved ever so slightly with the breeze and his crystal blue eyes were focused on a picture he held in his hands.

Sakura came up behind him ever so quietly. She moved enough to finally she what the picture was of.

Naruto and Lord Jiraiya, grinning like idiots at the camera in front of a women's spa.

"This was right before we got kicked out. Pervy Sage got us in trouble once again." Naruto said, quietly, as he looked to Sakura.

"First Sasuke…and then Pervy Sage." Naruto said, looking back to the picture. "I…I wonder if I could have done something more. For both of them." Naruto said, as Sakura gently put her hand over his.

"Sasuke made his own choice, Naruto. It's…taken me a while to accept that, but we both have to." Sakura gently said, wrapping his hand in hers. "But Lord Jiraiya…he was so proud of you, Naruto. There was never any doubt that he was proud of you." Sakura said, as Naruto kept looking at the picture, but slowly nodded.

Wiping away a small, forming tear, Sakura gave him her best smile. "I've got news. We've been activated for a mission." Sakura said, as Naruto looked to her, the energy in his eyes somewhat renewed.

"Really?" Naruto said with a small grin. "That's great? What's the mission?" Naruto asked as Sakura shrugged.

"Don't know, but Lady Tsunade said to tell you to pack. But no weapons or mission gear. Civilian clothes. I have to go tell Lee and Hinata. They're coming with us." Sakura said, getting up and walking back towards the ladder.

"Sakura." Naruto gently called out, as she turned around to look at him. "Thank you, Sakura." He finished as Sakura beamed at him, flashing a 'v' with her fingers before heading back down the ladder.

Looking to the picture in his hands, Naruto gripped it and smiled, before heading back down into his apartment.

He had to pack.