Disclaimer: Naruto isn't mine. The characters aren't mine, the show isn't mine, the manga isn't mine. Sue me, and even my beloved computer won't be mine.
Warnings: Angst, possible spoilers for post-timeskip.
He looks more tired than he usually does. It's hard for most people to imagine Naruto ever getting tired in the first place, but the past two years have taken their toll for all of the knowledge he's gained. He's focused now, concentrated energy instead of thoughtless, pointless bursts of power and instability. He's done the impossible in bringing the demon fox under his control, but he has yet to conquer the lack of sleep.
He's been too on-edge for his body to rest, too busy and too excited, now that his goal—their goal—has come close to possible, closer to reality than childish dreaming. He still thinks that he's being sent to find Itachi so that he can find Sasuke; the truth boils down to this: he's the only one who has a chance in hell of defeating Akatsuki, and he's going to need Sasuke's help to do it. They are going to need each other's help to do it. Hopefully Sasuke's return will be a side-effect to this, but it certainly isn't the first priority no matter what Naruto thinks. He'll have to learn that before he can become Hokage. Konoha always comes first. It came first before Orochimaru, and it'll come before Sasuke too.
It's hard to accept this, and Naruto will definitely fight the decision. Tsunade hopes that when Naruto becomes Hokage—he will become Hokage—he'll still be stubborn enough to fight this. She knows that it isn't a good quality for a leader to have, but sometimes helping a single person really will help the village in the long run. She's certain that Orochimaru wouldn't have been a threat to Konoha if she and Jiraiya had just said screw it to their Hokage and their teacher and just dragged his snake-ass back all those years ago. It's not like Sarutobi would have stopped them.
Tsunade sighs. Sometimes, being Hokage isn't all it's made up to be. She prays for Naruto to realize this before he gets lost in the duties and responsibilities and formalities. She prays for him to succeed, and bring Sasuke back. She prays for her friends, and her village. Tsunade never bothers to pray for herself.
The Hokage cannot pray for herself, for himself. They just have to stumble along, and hope one day that they'll make the right choice.