Well this is my first time trying my hand at writing. So here's hoping I do well!
Chapter 1
A few days after the Kyuubi attack.
"Are you sure about this sensei?" Jiraiya asked. The Hokage merely closed his eyes and shook his head in reply. Was he sure about this? The village was in chaos; Minato had sacrificed himself to seal off the Kyuubi and left the mantle of Hokage to his hands again. The Sandaime sighed in grief.
"There is no other option left open before us Jiraiya," Sandaime said as he lowered himself into his chair. "He is going to be placed in the orphanage under his mother's name."
"Minato is gone and so is Kushina. There is nothing left for him. I don't presume to think you'd take him along your travels," the Sandaime mused as he stared at his student. A brief flash of pain spread over Jiraiya's face.
"I don't know how to care for a child sensei! Are you kidding me?" Jiraiya laughed with a great deal of bitterness. After all what did he know of child care? All he'd do is mess the kid up and have Minato and Kushina haunt him from the grave.
Secretly he knew that he just couldn't stand to see a reminder of the people he had lost.
A loud wailing across the room caught his attention before he could sink too deep into his musing. Walking over to the small crib in the corner of the room, he stared into eyes so familiar he could feel his heart breaking all over again. Young Naruto began to stretch and wail begging for attention, but Jiraiya froze. He couldn't stop thinking about who he lost instead of who was in front of him.
"Take care of him for me Sensei."
The Sandaime watched sadly as Jiraiya walked out of the room, out of Konoha, and out of young Naruto's life.
Tsunade and Shizune walked toward Konoha's gates with varying reactions. Tsunade, who no more wanted to be back than have a hot poker shoved down her throat, moved with a tense slowness only speeding up to keep up with her companion.
Shizune, who loved her home, moved in a half skipping and half running motion seemingly unperturbed at her sensei's slowness.
"We're almost there," sang Shizune with a bright smile. Undaunted by the depressed aura that emitted from her sensei at those words Shizune continued to sing and dance on the road.
"I never would have come back if you hadn't hidden all of my Sake," Tsunade grumbled. Blackmail was a pain to deal with.
Shizune laughed at her statement. It was true that if she hadn't hidden her sake every time she brought more Tsunade never would have agreed to come. As it was she was merely "dropping in" so she could be left to gamble and drink in peace.
Shizune slowed down to a stop and the smile slipped off her face. "I just want to see how the village is," Shizune said. "The Kyuubi attack is no minor thing. Who knows who might need our help?"
Tsunade flinched at the thought. Just the thought of the blood that she might see drained the color from her face and the energy from her limbs.
Before she knew it she was at the gates of Konoha as her charge ran pass her in obvious glee.
Tsunade grounded her teeth in irritation as she moved through Konoha's streets. Sure she had been gone for a while but those guards telling her she didn't look old enough to be Tsunade of the Sannin ticked her off.
Slowing down her gate to observe her surroundings she noticed various ninja hiding nearby. This wouldn't have been a big deal, as it was a ninja village, if they weren't gathering around her. Coming to find out who she was no doubt. That whole punching a guard through the wall fiasco drew too much attention to her. At least Shizune had run off to look around. Huffing she changed her direction to the Hokage tower. It seemed the reunion would have to come earlier than she wanted.
Puffing on his much needed pipe the Sandaime observed Tsunade through his crystal ball. Seeing her change directions towards the tower made him think of reasons why she would be in the village in the first place after she swore to never return.
A small shift in his arms had him looking down to the child just waking. Seeing him snuggle against him and fall back asleep brought a smile to his face. The smile slipped when he thought those three people moving against him in what he thought best for Naruto.
Perking up as he heard much yelling and chaos going on outside his door he couldn't help but laugh. With a bang his door was ripped off its hinges and an angry Tsunade was left standing fixed to throw the door at the poor shivering people trying to stop her.
"That's enough now," he said sternly. Tsunade's face scrunched up even more, but she dropped the door. One last scowl directed at the followers was enough to chase them away.
"Honestly. You'd think people who know who I am. Who else can punch someone through a wall anyhow," she spat. Sandaime raised a brow at that. "You have been gone for a long time now," he reasoned.
"Longer if I had my way," she grounded out. Bitterness smothered her every word and he could only stare at the woman she had become.
"Why did you come back then?" he questioned. Her face developed noticeable ticks as she answered, "Shizune wanted to come back so she kept hiding my sake. I would have never had any peace if I didn't."
He almost called her out on her lie, but decided it was better to let sleeping dogs lie. Her affection for her apprentice was noticeable and he doubted she wouldn't have come back if Shizune had begged her to. If only for a little while.
He began to start a new conversation before he noticed her curious stare to the baby in his arms. Thinking it over for a few moments he decided to hand the baby over to her. Gently handing him over Tsunade quickly took him in her arms.
For a long moment she only stared at the child with softness in her eyes. Seeing this made him think back to when she had wanted to have a family with Dan, but was denied that chance when he was killed. It was no wonder she was practically wearing her heart on her sleeve. Tsunade wanted a family above all else. She was just too afraid of losing them too.
"His name is Naruto," he provided. A small nod was all the response he got in return. "He is the new kyuubi jinchuuriki."
"Jinchuuriki!" she exclaimed with wide eyes. Looking back at the still sleeping bundle in her arms she wondered why an innocent baby was chosen to carry such a heavy burden.
"Yes," he confirmed. "Minato sealed the Kyuubi in this child which resulted in his death."
"Who knows?"
"As of right now only a few, soon I will announce him to the village."
"Why?" she question. "Can't you just keep it a secret?"
Sandaime shook his head. "Minato wanted him to become a hero to the villagers for his sacrifice in being the Kyuubi's jailor. I have to follow his wishes."
Tsunade shook her head but decided not to argue about it. Shuffling in her arms took away her attention away from her sensei. Naruto's waking was accompanied by his crying. Holding him close Tsunade started walking around the room and talked to him in a low voice. Interested in this new person Naruto took to staring at her.
"Why don't I take him for a little while?" she offered. "I can take care of him for now."
"Very well," he leaned back in his chair. "I'll leave him in your hands for now."
With Naruto in her hands time seemed to slip by her. Walking around the village brought back memories she'd rather keep buried but Naruto seemed to enjoy it. Viewing her village Tsunade was impressed by how hard these people were trying to get back to normal not long after such a huge event. People seemed to go on around her as if nothing had happened. If you looked closer you could see the scars left in the weariness in their eyes and the destruction of the buildings on the outskirts.
"Tsunade-sama!" Turning around she witnessed Shizune running through the crowd to catch up to her. When she caught up her eyes immediately went to the child in her arms and she looked up at her with questions in her eyes.
"He's a child I'm taking care of for my sensei right now. That's all you need to know." Tsunade then turned around and keep walking quieting Naruto who was beginning to fuss.
"Did you know the Hokage is going to be making a village wide announcement soon?" she questioned. Tsunade shook her head but kept walking. If things were going to happen like she thought they would, she wouldn't have long to prepare.
She had already lost her brother and her love to Konoha. Like hell she'd just throw this baby, this tiny trusting creature, to the hell that was this place.
Shizune struggled to be comfortable in the crowd gathering for the Hokage's message. After spending so long on the road it was strange to be so tightly surrounded by people. Looking around she didn't see anyone that she knew. This Konoha seemed so different than before she had left, but she supposed every placed changed over time. Looking around one more time to look for her master she was unsurprised to not find her. She had disappeared some time earlier with the mysterious baby saying she had things to attend to.
Noticing the ninja gathering on the roof tops she wondered if she be better off joining them and gaining some space. Before she could make a move to do so, she noticed one very odd ninja slouching on the roof next to her. He had a mask covering his face and his forehead protector over one eye. Odd, she mused, to leave only one eye uncovered.
Her attention was soon taken by the Hokage's entrance and was enraptured by his tale.
By the time the Hokage was finished talking and the cries of outrage and fear were high in the air, she noticed the odd ninja was gone.
"Let me take him," were the first words out of Tsunade's mouth when she walked back into the Hokage's office.
"I can't let you do that," was his reply. She looked hardly surprised at the answer, but she figured she had to at least give the legal way a shot.
"You saw what happened after your speech," she laughed. "Quite the boring speech by the way. Nearly fell asleep half way through."
The Sandaime stared hard at her. Tsunade stared back just as fierce.
"You're making a mistake Tsunade. If you go through with this you'll be bringing an entire nation down on your head. I can't protect you from that."
"So be it," she said. Staggering back she looked down to the kunai in her chest and made a smile right before she dispelled in a puff of smoke.
"ANBU!" he bellowed. No sooner than he started to call than he was surrounded by his most elite ninja.
"Bring me Tsunade," he commanded. As his ninja moved out, he couldn't help but feel his heart break. He couldn't let Tsunade take the child out of Konoha where his parents would of wanted him to learn and grow, and as hard as it was to admit he couldn't let her take a valuable weapon and turn him against the village.
As the ninjas searched the village high and low, no one noticed a middle aged woman with a baby slip right out of the gates.
Shizune ran through the village searching for Tsunade. Her mind spun as her brain processed the new information. Gasping in surprise as a hand reached out to grab her; she immediately spun out of her captor's grasp and reached for her sebon. She stopped when she noticed her captor's face beneath her cape.
"What's go-," she began to question, but stopped when Tsunade covered her mouth.
"Meet me outside the city. Near the cabin in the woods," she whispered and then dispelled.
Shizune's mind swirled with questions, but she obeyed and set out before the ninja could think to capture her.
As Shizune walked into the old abandoned cottage in the woods near Konoha, the last thing she expected to see was Tsunade packing supplies of all kinds while a shadow clone fed the baby she has seen earlier.
"We're leaving soon. Get ready to run." Was all she was greeted with as she stared at the odd scene. Unable to old herself back anymore she questioned, "What is going on?"
Tsunade stilled for a moment then resumed sealing items into scrolls. Thinking through how to tell her and decided that being blunt and direct was the best way.
"This baby," she nodded towards Naruto," is Naruto Uzumaki."
"The jinchuuriki?" she gaped. Tsunade nodded but didn't stop in her task.
"Why is he here?" she asked fearing the answer. Seeing her so lovingly fed the child and the circumstances going on made her dread the solution she was coming to.
"That's because I'm taking him with me."
"You cannot do this Tsunade-sama!" Shizune exclaimed. To think her teacher meant to betray Konoha in this way devastated her. She knew she had always had problems running from her past, but never did she think she'd resort to kidnapping a child away from its home, from Konoha, in an attempt to save it from what she considered a death trap.
"Do you think he'll just be A-Okay here?" Tsunade hissed at her. "Do you think everyone will just walk away and say everything is fine now?" Shizune reeled back from her dangerous tone. Disbelief shone on her face as she stared at her master packing supplies seemingly uncaring of the multitude of what she was doing. Backing up Shizune turned to walk away from this scene, pretend that this just wasn't happening. They'd only stopped here for day at her insistence! Now, she was being asked to commit treason by kidnapping the kyuubi jinchuuriki. Shizune loved Tsunade, but she just loved Konoha just a bit more.
"Shizune?" Tsunade whispered as she watched her turn to walk away. Shizune halted her steps but refused to turn to look at her mentor. There was nothing left that could be said between them.
"I'm sorry," Shizune whispered through her tears. "I want to stay here from now on. So I cannot take care of Tsunade-sama anymore." With those words Shizune walked out of the room as Tsunade followed her with hallow eyes.
Slowly, as if in fatigue, Tsunade looked down to the sleeping bundle in her arms. Naruto looked peaceful just being in her arms and for a moment everything washed away.
They were gone before the Konoha ninjas could catch her trail.
