Dark clouds covered the sky above Konohagakure and a steady rain fell on the village. Turbulent winds blew around the walls but within calmness reigned as drops splashed on roads and rooftops. In the surrounding forests, squirrels, bears, birds, wild boars and even the sparse population of wolves had all sensibly sought shelter from the storm, yet atop the giant stone head of the Fourth Hokage, Namikaze Minato, sat a singular figure, looking out over the village. The figure was barely visible in the gloom, yet the woman walking the steps of the Hokage monument, raindrops bouncing off her hooded cloak, knew he would be there. It was where he always came to think. And, tonight of all nights, that man had a lot to think about.
As the woman came closer to the top of the steps, the man's short, blonde hair, its usual spikes held down by the water, was briefly visible before she disappeared behind a corner as the steps turned to allow access to the very top of the monument. It didn't seem as though the figure had noticed her arrival. Naturally, as the monument had been built over a hundred years ago during the reign of the First Hokage, Senju Hashirama, the stairs finished at his head, the first in a line of six, so one would have to walk across the heads of the preceding Hokage before one could reach the more recent ones. No one had ever thought to make passage to the other heads easier, or perhaps it was symbolic as it forced one to remember those who had come before. In truth, it would be difficult for any except a shinobi to move to a head other than the First's. Fortunately, although already over 65 years of age, the woman was one such and had no trouble reaching the Fourth's. As she reached Minato's head she caught a glimpse of orange on the figure sitting before her.
As she approached, the figure spoke without turning to face her.
"Aren't you a little old to be strolling around in this weather, baachan?"
The woman, who still looked only some 25 years old (younger than the man in front of her) with long golden hair and a world-renowned bust, frowned lightly as she confidently strode up to the eternally troublesome shinobi.
"Really, is that the way you should address a former Hokage?" she said with a light-hearted sigh.
It had been sixteen years since he had started calling her that, and she had never managed to get him to stop. It didn't really bother her, but it seemed somehow wrong to stop admonishing him for it.
"Here." She said, as she sat down on his right, draping him in the spare black cloak she carried, "You'll catch a cold, and we can't have you be sick tomorrow now can we?"
"I guess not… thanks."
They sat in silence for a time, listening to the pitter-patter of raindrops splashing on the stone head of the former village leader and the winds blowing around the village. By the time the man spoke again, the winds had died down and calmness reigned not just over the village, but the surrounding woodlands as well.
"It's odd. It seems as though this weather is something of an omen for things to come."
"What do you mean?" The woman asked, turning her head. Although the rain had not stopped, there was a small break in the clouds and the full moon peaked out, glinting off the diamond on her forehead, "Surely you can't expect the future to be this bleak?"
The black and orange-clad figure spoke in a low, gentle, yet passionate voice.
"No, that's not what I mean. We are Konohagakure no Sato, the village hidden among tree leaves. And tomorrow, when the sun returns, tonight's rain will nourish new trees that will grow leaves. And the wind. Tonight many trees will have their leaves blown away to all four corners of the world."
"And as those leaves die they will in turn give new life where they fall." The golden haired woman finished his thought.
The man chuckled, his characteristic just a little hoarse voice reverberated slightly in the darkness.
"We sound just like the old geezer don't we?"
Reminded of her teacher from her Genin days, the woman couldn't help but giggle a little in response.
They sat for a while, reminiscing about things from the man's youth. The war against a reincarnated legend and the Rabbit Goddess twelve years ago that a now hugely famous, energetic young ninja had ended along with his former team mates and his first sensei, the current Hokage. The destruction of the very village they were looking over just a few months before that. Memories of an old white-haired pervert obsessed with women, money and alcohol, who never stopped giving even unto his final breath. A battle between a blonde child and a bespectacled, white haired youth. Neither of the two knew how long they sat talking, the man occasionally letting out an indignant exclamation at something to woman had said, to which the woman could only laugh in response. Eventually they again fell into silence.
"It feels strange, you know."
"Hm?"
"To sit here, now so close to my childhood dream. I know I always went on and on about it when I was little, but-"
"Surely, you're not about to back out are you?"
"No! No of course not. It's just, the reasons behind the dream have changed. It's not just about being the strongest… or about being acknowledged. Not anymore. There are so many things, so many people I want to protect. For so many years, I would scream and yell about it, but it always seemed so far away. Now, tomorrow… It feels strange."
"I always had faith in you. From the very beginning."
The usually, euphoric blonde smiled slightly and though the woman couldn't be sure due to the rain, it seemed that a single tear ran down his right cheek.
When he spoke again, his voice trembled a little, betraying his inner emotions.
"I- Do you remember that time, during the war where you and the Raikage came to stop me and Octopops from joining the fight?"
"Hn…?" she cocked her head slightly to the right as she looked at the man, hands spread out behind her. She was briefly assailed by a vivid memory of what seemed like two bolts of lightning, one white, one orange, flashing towards one another.
"Yeah, of course. You stuck it to that old man."
The man chuckled again, as he turned to face his old friend.
"I just. I just…" He seemed to be struggling to find the words, and the woman raised an eyebrow in concern, but remained silent.
"I… It was just so awesome, that you would take my side and stand up to the leader of the alliance. That you showed so much faith in me…"
His voice slowly got more choked up as he spoke, now tears were definitely leaking from his eyes. A feeling of warmth started to grow in the woman's stomach as he continued, and her eyes widened slightly with every word.
"For that… and for when Pain came to the village, a-and for that time with Kabuto…"
More memories sprang into the mind of the woman. Memories of a grey haired youth who could undo even her strongest offensive medical technique. Memories of a man who could destroy an entire village with a word. Of an orange and red flash, followed by a single strike that destroyed an enemy that had been wreaking havoc in her village. Of a young blonde boy who let a kunai go through his hand to keep his enemy still for one last strike. Of two immensely strong shinobi whom the man beside her had defeated, when everything seemed lost.
"… And for everything else… during all these years. I couldn't have done any of it without you. I just… I just wanted say thank you."
No one had ever claimed that the man had ever been good at holding in his emotions, but it had been a long time since the woman had seen him openly crying as he was now.
"Thank you for believing in me."
Though salty tears were freely flowing over the whisker-like marks on his cheeks, that last was said with a proud smile, the hood of his borrowed cloak falling around his shoulders, allowing the rain to fall on his head and mingle with the memories trailing down his face.
The woman's eyes had by now widened as far as they could go, and she could feel tears forming. Her throat began to ache slightly, as emotions welled up within her chest and she couldn't help but smile in return as she reached out to embrace her childhood friend's student.
As her arms encircled him, she was overwhelmed by memories of all he had done in his life. Stopping the moon from falling and crushing them all. Sealing away a Goddess who threatened to suck away their Chakra, their very lives. Keeping at bay the most powerful Shinobi who had ever lived, even while sharing his strength with thousands of other ninjas. Saving a village from a man of Godlike power that no one could even hope to stand against. Saving a man who should by all conventional logic be dead. And most importantly…
… Bringing home a friend whom all others, even the woman who loved him most, had given up on.
Arms around one another, they sat, tears of joy freely flowing on to the others' shoulder, until neither had any more tears to shed.
As the clouds finally broke, and the sun's first rays appeared in the east, the woman raised her lips to the man's forehead, as she had done all those years ago and said as she stood:
"You've become a great man, Naruto. Now go. Become an even greater Hokage."
And with a final smile, Tsunade turned and walked away to prepare for the day's ceremony.
A/N: This was originally supposed to be a two-parter called "Thank You and So Long" and I still have the idea bouncing around my head. Just have never quite been able to find the words to express what I wanted to write. I may at some point come back to it and write the second half, at which point I'll update this here.