Tsunade looked over at the sleeping figure beside her. His soft, quiet breathing was steady, relaxed even. She envied him his ability to sleep so easily. Tsunade sighed, pushed a lock of white-blonde hair out of her eyes. She raised her arms and stretched, a sight that would have caused a lot of nosebleeds had any men been watching. But she was alone. Shizune was out drinking with that stupid pervert Jiraiya. And Naruto…a corner of her mouth twitched, before she broke into a huge, silly grin.
Tsunade looked over at the sleeping figure beside her. His ugly orange jacket lay in a heap on the floor, her precious necklace resting lopsidedly on his black undershirt. 'Little brat!' she thought fondly. He really was the loudest, most annoying kid she'd known since…Her breath puffed out in a small sigh, a little catch in her throat. Nawaki. But the child that lay unconscious next to her – surely he was her little brother's spirit reborn? The same dream, the same expressions, that same damn smile! Was it wrong for her to be already thinking of Naruto as her little brother? As Hokage, could she afford these ties now? The thought of her new title made her look at the exhausted body of Uzumaki Naruto once more. It's his fault damn it! But she smiled anyway.
Tsunade looked over at the sleeping figure beside her. She decided to get some sleep herself. Fighting her old teammate had been draining, in more ways than one. I really should – yawn – get some rest. It would be a long journey back to Konoha. And Naruto was certain to be as annoying as only he could possibly be. Not to mention that perverted jackass. Ugh! This is going to be a bad trip. She stretched again, and lay down alongside the blond boy.
Tsunade looked over at the sleeping figure beside her. She closed her eyes and went to sleep.
"Damn that little Uchiha bastard!" A nurse looked scandalized, the only one who had heard Tsunade's whispered curse. But Tsunade didn't care. She looked around at the preparations underway to heal Neji, her medics already working on Chouji. The rest of the team too, was in bad shape. And Naruto – she had almost cried when she saw him, the damage to his body. She had, in fact, cried later, in the privacy of her office. But even the extensive damage to his body was insignificant compared to the loss of mischief in his smile, the dead blue eyes where there had always been a sparkle.
Damn that little Uchiha bastard! All he did was sit and stare at that forehead protector, the slash he himself had put there. And all she wanted to do was hold him close, steal his pain away. He'd already had enough pain to last his entire life, why couldn't he be happy now? Why did his closest friend have to…But Sasuke had left, and he wouldn't be coming back. And Tsunade knew, even if Naruto himself didn't yet, that he too would be going away soon. Jiraiya had already spoken to her, getting her permission to apprentice the genin. But Jiraiya wasn't the best person to be with. He wouldn't be able to keep Naruto from feeling lonely, from letting the self-doubt spreading through the boy's mind. Naruto needed his friends, he needed people who could keep him happy. Training for three years would only make him harder, colder. Like Sasuke. Tsunade did not want to see the light go out of Naruto's eyes, like she had seen in Dan's. At the very end, Dan had been disillusioned, disappointed with himself and his village. Why shouldn't he stay? We can teach him, we can take care of him. His friends will keep him happy. I can keep him happy. I don't want him to be sad. I just want to hold him, take care of him, like I used to for Dan. N-no, not Dan. Nawaki. She opened her eyes, frowning a little.
"Damn that little Uchiha bastard!" she muttered, turning and walking out of the room.
Two figures walked slowly to the gates of Konoha. Tsunade looked on from her office in the Hokage's tower. Even from here, she could see the blonde hair and orange jump suit. She could see Naruto turn to stare at the massive carvings of the previous Hokages, his arm reaching out to them. For inspiration, I guess. Tsunade could already feel the loneliness creeping in. She had gone to see Naruto earlier, and he'd seemed his normal brash self. But he hadn't once called her 'Old Hag', hadn't once smiled his cocky, fox-like grin. He'd been loud as ever, but Tsunade had heard the hollowness in his voice, the forced laughter. She sighed, and dropped the curtain, turning back to the mountain of paperwork sitting on her desk.
Two figures walked slowly to the gates of Konoha. From the shadows, pale eyes followed the shorter of the two. A soft voice, barely audible, whispered "N-naruto-kun. I-I will work hard too, to become strong." Hyuuga Hinata pulled her jacket tighter to her neck, twisting the cloth nervously as she looked at the person she admired the most just walk away. Tell him! Tell him how you feel! But she couldn't, no matter how much she had tried. Even when he had lain unconscious in the hospital, when she had spent every possible moment at his side, she had not been able to get the words out. I think I love you, Naruto-kun! It flowed so easily in her head, but the words would never come out, never get past the barrier that was her tongue. She raised her had, trying to reach out and touch the boy who was already passing through the village gates. Too far away. As usual.
Two figures walked slowly to the gates of Konoha. Jiraiya looked down at his new pupil. He could see determination, rage, even some semblance of focus. But the mischief was gone, the twinkle in his eyes that reminded the sennin of himself. Naruto stopped, to look at the giant heads of stone that looked over the village. He raised one hand, and tried to grab the head of the Fourth. One day, I will reach you! He turned and walked out the gates, his head held high. "Let's go, Ero-Sennin!" Jiraiya clapped a hand to his forehead. This is going to be a long, long three years.
It was a glorious day in Konoha. Hyuuga Hinata grimaced briefly before dashing in, her upright palm blocking her sensei's punch. She slammed her left hand into the opening, releasing a small amount of chakra into Kurenai's chest. The older woman grimaced, tottering back a few steps. Alright, little girl. I'm taking this up a level. Hinata smiled as her sensei began performing hand seals. Genjutsu won't work on me, sensei. "Byakugan!" she shouted. As her bloodline activated, she checked her surroundings out of habit. Which was why she saw her cousin Neji running toward them, a smile on his face. Even that little bit of expression surprised Hinata, enough that she completely missed hearing Kurenai shout, "Katon: Housenka no jutsu!" She felt the little fireballs that ripped holes in her jacket though. The white-eyed girl whipped around, only to see her sensei's bandaged fist filling her vision. She flew up, landing hard on her back. Kuso! Can't let my guard down again. She leapt up, blocking the kick coming her way with one hand, disabling the outstretched leg with the other. "Hinata-sama! Naruto has returned!" Neji shouted. She didn't even feel Kurenai's punch, let alone see it. Her body was numb, her face bright red and burning. She looked straight ahead at the sky, her heart pounding madly. Naruto-kun!
It was a glorious day in Konoha. Honey-brown eyes gazed out over the village, signs of prosperity and peace everywhere. The rebuilding process was almost complete, and a steady stream of people trickled into the village. They were mostly merchants, with the occasional shinobi on some small mission or just visiting the 'great Konoha village'. Tsunade's guards did an excellent job of keeping suspicious people out of the village, or under control inside it. The Hokage looked out from her office toward the gates of Konoha, a daily routine for almost three years now. Damn it! You had better be back soon, you little brat. I miss you! She turned back to the paperwork on her table, just as a Jounin from one of the gates appeared in front of her. "Hokage-sama. Jiraiya-sama and the Uzumaki kid have returned. You asked to be informed the moment they arrived." With that, he 'poofed' out of the room again, leaving behind a beaming, misty-eyed Hokage. Naruto!
It was a glorious day in Konoha. Uzumaki Naruto looked out across his home, the hidden village quietly bustling as its people, his people, went about their business. He turned to his white-haired sensei who smiled at his student's undimmed enthusiasm. So, Naruto. What will you do first? Who do you want to see most? "Ne, Ero-Sensei," he began with a huge smile, "let's get some RAMEN!"