Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, if I did I would be rolling in money right now.

Becoming a Legend

Chapter 1: Death of a Legend

The ultimate test of a man's conscience may be his willingness to sacrifice something today for future generations whose word of thanks will not be heard. - Gaylord Nelson

Shizune burst into the room her usual straight black hair tangled, her face distraught, and missing one of her sandals. Before Naruto could comment on her rather startling entrance into the small room Shizune took a deep breath before she began to speak.

"Where is Jiraiya?" she began, her eyes darting around the room hoping to see the shaggy mane of white hair that defined Jiraiya of the sannin. Bright blue eyes stared at the distraught young woman before Naruto shrugged and pointed back at Shizune.

"I dunno the last time I saw him the old hag Tsunade was dragging him off to a bar. Something about reminiscing about the past."

Letting the insulting remark on her master slide Shizune grabbed the younger boy and with a huff began dragging him out of the room. "What do you need that perv for anyway," Naruto said hastily placing his sandals on and closing the door.

"Lady Tsunade is in danger," she replied

" Danger," The blonde echoed still disoriented from being so abruptly awakened.

"Yes danger. Orochimaru offered Tsunade the chance to see her dead younger brother Nawaki Senju and my uncle, her lover Dan Kato."

At the mention of Orochimaru Naruto's eyes narrowed and he began to shake with anger remembering whose fault it was that they had to search for a replacement Hokage in the first place.

"That bastard he will pay for killing old man Hokage and for giving Sasuke that weird hickey," Shizune put a hand on Naruto's shoulder in a gesture to get him to control his anger, there were more serious things to handle at the moment. "Where would Orochimaru get the power to raise the dead in the first place?" Naruto questioned.

"It's called Kuchiyose: Edo Tensei," a voice slurred from behind the pair.

"You look like crap." The eccentric teen was quick to point out as Jiraiya walked towards them clothes in tatters and favoring his right leg.

"Believe me kid I feel like crap," Jiraiya said still shuffling towards them in a awkward fashion.

"We need to find Tsunade before she rendezvouses with Orochimaru and heals him. If Orochimaru gets fully functional arms again he will have the power to mount another attack on the village while we are still recovering and without a Hokage to lead us.",Jiraiya said his voice shaking as he let out a wheezing cough.

"Okay then i'm ready to kick that snake back to whatever rock he crawled from under," the blonde replied a look of determination shining in his eyes.

"Tsunade was definitely here," Jiraiya announced to Naruto and Shizune as he stooped to examine a sandal print that lead out of the small gambling town Tanzaku-gai.

Naruto squinted at the small footprint that to him looked just like any other foot print that littered the dusty road leading out of the town.

"How can you be so sure that its her footprint though?" asked the blonde as he stared up at the sun that was lazing in the middle of the sky without a care in the world.

"Its hers alright," was Jiraiya's quick response towards the blond.

With a leap Jiraiya jumped on a tree branch and began hopping away from the town towards a cluster of trees far in the distance. Grumbling Naruto followed him with Shizune shortly behind him holding the pig Tonton who was trying his best to wiggle out of her arms.

A hot white ball of flames screamed towards the trio as the were a couple hops away from a clearing. Shizune jumped to the side grabbing the back of Naruto's jacket as she flew past and turning her head and firing a senbon out of her mouth at the same time. Jiraiya stood in the way of the fireball balancing perfectly on a skinny tree branch his hands blurring through hand signs blisteringly fast.

"Suiton: Daibakufu no Jutsu," Jiraiya intoned as he jumped back and let loose a waterfall from his mouth.

The large wave of water completely snuffed out the fireball and continued on until it entered the clearing where two figures stood. The figures jumped in opposite directions as the wave came screaming towards them destroying everything in its path.

"Kukuku," replied a deep voice as a figure emerged from behind a damaged tree. "Impeccable aim as always Jiraiya-chan," Orochimaru mocked.

"Spare me your bullshit Orochimaru I have no patience for your stupidity, hand over Tsunade and maybe I will decide not to kill you." Jiraiya yelled over the roar of the waves crashing into the ground.

As quick as lighting Orochimaru appeared by the side of Jiraiya. He launched a furious set of kicks at the side of Jiraiya's head only for him to disappear in a poof of smoke. Jiraiya instantly responded coming from Orochimaru's blind spot with his hand extended, a Rasengan the size of a basketball in the palm of his hands.

Orochimaru twisted out of the way of the Rasengan and kicked Jiraiya's arm off course causing him to crash into the ground. The two squared off again both cracking the ground under them with the pressure of their chakra.

Before the two could launch into another deadly dance a figure appeared between the two blocking both of their kicks with her bare hands.

"Stop it both of you," the woman shouted pushing both of them back and fixing Jiraiya with a glare.

The slug sannin fixed her old teammate with a heated glare before she averted her eyes and stared down at the ground. Knowing what she was going to do next would have a great affect on her for the rest of her life she mentally prepared herself before she folded her chakra in on itself and then released it in one huge burst.

The shock wave caused by the release of Tsunade's chakra caused both Orochimaru and Jiraiya to stumble backwards.

"I'm sorry Jiraiya I can't let you interfere, I have to see Nawaki and Dan they're all that matters to me in this cursed world and i'll be damned if I let you ruin that for me."

The look of hurt and anguish that flickered across Jiraiya's eyes made her pause for a second before she strengthened her resolve and charged towards Jiraiya her killing intent spiking as she aimed a fist directly at his heart.

Tsunade's outstretched fist clanged off the shield of the mighty toad Gamaken. From atop the head of Gamaken Jiraiya stared down at her a look of utter betrayal on his face before he slowly began to mold his chakra for a jutsu.

Naruto and Shizune appeared next to Jiraiya both of them bewildered by the turn of events that had completely destroyed the clearing they had arrived in.

Jiraiya turned towards Naruto before producing a scroll from his pocket, writing in it briefly, and giving it to Naruto before he turned towards Shizune.

"Take him back to the village as quickly as possible and if you possible try not to stop at any cost," Jiraiya barked at Shizune his tone of voice taking that of one who had authority.

"We're not leaving without you pervy sage," shouted Naruto his hands clenched at his sides as he gazed out at Tsunade and Orochimaru.

Jiraiya grinned briefly before his face turned serious and he stared hard at Naruto. "You'll be a great Hokage kid just like your dad, but in order for you to do that you must escape now," Jiraiya spoke.

"My dad, did you know who he was pervy sage? Please you have to tell me who he is." Naruto begged pulling on Jiraiya's sleeve like the kid he was.

Jiraiya sighed before he pushed Naruto towards Shizune and turned back towards the battlefield. "Take good care of him Shizune he's the future Hokage after all," Jiraiya proclaimed without turning around. "I'll buy you enough time to get well on your way towards Konoha, when you get there give the council that scroll and tell them that the will of the Nidaime must be carried out at all cost."

He fumbled in his pocket before pulling out a three pronged kunai attached to a cord. Jiraiya smiled briefly as he thrust it toward Naruto "This was your dads first prototype I would think he would want you to have it. Take care kid and remember that the true measure of a shinobi is not how he lives, but how he dies."

With those final words Shizune grabbed Naruto's hand and dashed west back towards the village hidden in the leaves.

"Do you really think i'll let the nine tails jinchūriki get away that easily?" Orochimaru asked as he signaled for Kabuto to chase after them.

"And do you really think i'll let you get your slimy hands on my godson?" Jiraiya called back towards Orochimaru as a wall of earth rose up between the retreating form of Shizune and Naruto.

"Face it Jiraiya you're outnumbered and surrounded, even without the use of my arms the only thing you have to look forward to is your death," Orochimaru called towards Jiraiya as he revealed the seal matrix on his arm.

Kabuto ran towards Orochimaru a kunai glinting in his hands as he cut Orochimaru allowing blood to trickle on the seal matrix causing a huge plume of smoke to temporarily cover the clearing. When the smoke cleared Orochimaru could be seen standing on the head of the boss summon of the snakes, Manda.

Jiraiya had not been idle and when the large screen of smoke appeared announcing the arrival of the slug queen Katsuyu two smaller poofs revealed the arrival of Ma and Pa standing on Jiraiya's shoulder.

Orochimaru and Tsunade rushed forward not giving Jiraiya the chance to gather natural energy for sage mode. Jiraiya ducked under Orochimaru's leg and aimed a jab at Tsunade in the same motion. Tsunade backpedaled away from the punch as Katsuyu let loose a ball of acid at point blank range.

Jiraiya raised his arms in a hasty defense to block the brunt of the attack. Kabuto rose out of the ground from behind Jiraiya his chakra scalpels poised to pierce his heart. Jiraiya's hair whipped behind him before hardening and blocking the attack from Kabuto.

While their summoners battled the giant summons duked it out in an epic clash of titans destroying the surrounding environment.

Jiraiya took careful aim and launched a fireball at the other two sannin, halfway to the pair the fireball grew and size and speed as Gamaken added oil to it.

Tsunade was quick to create a wall of water that caused the enlarged fireball to fizzle out and create a cloud of smoke. In the cover of smoke Jiraiya took the opportunity to create two shadow clones before he began to gather natural energy for sage mode. To his left he heard the sound of the first clone pop and he motioned for his other clone to cause a diversion to lead them away from the original. The clone of Jiraiya burst out of the cloud of smoke a rasengan in the palm of each hand. It didn't make it far as above it, descending from the sky, came the battle cry of Tsunade as she heel kicked it into the ground causing it to poof out of existence.

The original Jiraiya strode out of the smoke his eyes glinting, red lines framing his face, and the crackle of natural energy flowing in the air. He cracked his neck before exploding into Kabuto's guard utterly dismantling it before he jumped back and began a series of hand signs sending a air bullet spiraling towards Kabuto. He didn't stand a chance. He was dead before the air bullet tore through his chest cavity and drilled into a nearby tree.

Jiraiya set his eyes on Orochimaru and began molding his chakra and forming hand seals. Tsunade appeared in his guard,a jab aimed at his cheek before he completely disappeared from her field of vision.

"You've grown weak since your time away from the village," Jiraiya commented before he grabbed her outstretched arm and in one swift motion snapped it.

Tsunade lay broken on the ground her arm broken and tears leaking out of her eyes as she watched Orochimaru try desperately to weave under the attacks of the toad sage. She weeped for what had happened to her team, for how the rift between them had completely erased all of the camaraderie they once had shared, she weeped because of the person she had become - a gambling alcoholic who in the very end had betrayed the only person who loved her the most, and finally she wept because she understood what the lost of the sannin would mean for the village that her grandfather had founded.

As she lay there the feelings of remorse overwhelming her the seal on her forehead began to shine brightly before all her wounds were healed and she stood up straight. She would not die laying down she would die with the life blood of one of Konohas most notorious criminals on her hands.

Gamaken crashed next to Jiraiya his arm bleeding heavily and his shield missing. Jiraiya glanced at the summon briefly before he released the chakra binding the summon thus returning him home.

"Oi Orochimaru don't you think it's high time we stopped fooling around and finished this once and for all. Let's really see who was sensei's best student," Jiraiya called with a cocky grin.

Truthfully Jiraiya was exhausted the strain of maintaining natural energy and firing off jutsu after jutsu was taking a toll on the white haired sannin.

Orochimaru wasn't faring much better, the handicap of not being able to use his arms place a severe limit on what he was able to do causing him to rely on pure taijutsu as he couldn't do ninjutsu.

With one final look the two raced at each other. Orochimaru wielding the famed Kusanagi with his tongue and Jiraiya with his hand outstretched,a enlarged rasengan swirling in his palm. The two clashed in the center of the clearing; Orochimaru's Sword going clean through Tsunade's stomach and Jiraiya's rasengan slightly off course smashing into Orochimaru's shoulder driving him back.

Jiraiya dropped to one knee utterly exhausted as his eyes turned back to normal and Ma and Pa returned to Mount Myoboku he heard Orochimaru's laughter fill the battlefield as he pushed Tsunade's dead body off his blade.

"Even in the end she was completely useless, well I guess she saved you this time huh Jiraiya-chan," Orochimaru mocked as he strode towards Jiraiya his sword poised for the killing blow.

Jiraiya let loose a low chuckle before he grabbed Orochimaru's hand as he approached and raised a single hand sign. Orochimaru's eyes widened as he saw the field of explosion tags that littered the perimeter of the clearing.

"Damn that Tsunade to hell," was all Orochimaru could utter before the field rocked with explosions and he knew no more.

Miles away Shizune and Naruto stopped and turned as a large explosion rocked the forest around them causing birds to take flight and animals to scurry away. The cloud of smoke that rose into the sky was enough to tell the outcome of the fight, there were absolutely no survivors.

Naruto let a single tear fall from his eye as he began to shake and with a anguished cry he called out to the man that had become like a father to him.

"Jiraiya-sensei!"

And so with the death of three legendary shinobi the elemental nations is forever changed.

Thank you very much if you read all the way through please leave a review and tell me if you liked it, hated it, loved it, or if you wish I would go jump off a bridge. So this is my very first fan fiction, that i've posted, and I would really appreciate it if you guys tell me if i'm doing something wrong or to give me constructive criticism. I want to learn from my mistakes so I can give better quality work to you guys! So until next time this is Asura signing off.