OP1: Overwhelming Vivid Days by Nanami Yoshi

Uchiha Clan Forest

A sweat-faced Sasuke heavily breathes as he finished creating a hole in a large rock with Chidori, recalling Naruto's strength, and the skills he displayed. This was made apparent when Naruto became a Chunin. While he was glad for him, Sasuke couldn't help but feel an immense amount of jealous and anger towards his temmate. No matter how hard he trained, Naruto would train harder. Near the end of the fight with Gaara, Sasuke had sensed a mysterious change in his teammate that quickly faded away. Just what was that power? And what was Naruto?

"I should go see Kakashi and ask him to train me..."

Elsewhere

"It was a hassle escaping the village after the head of the Hayabusa Clan and that son of his arrived after you put Kakashi under that genjutsu of yours. Had we stayed, we could've died then and there, Itachi," said Kisame. "Now to make matters worse, the Nine-Tails is with one of the Sannin. With him as our enemy, our titles pale in comparison."

"Still...even the strongest heroes have their weaknesses..."

Kakashi's Apartment

Kakashi lied unconscious in his bed as Kurenai, Asuma, and Guy watched over him.

"From their behavior, it doesn't seem like they've found Naruto yet..." said Guy, Asuma noting how odd it was that they've already been inside the village and that it was easy to find Naruto in it. Following this, Guy tells the others to shush as Sasuke enters the room.

"Kakashi..." Seeing the state he was in, Sasuke forms a questioning look on his face. "Why is Kakashi bedridden? What are all you Jonin doing here...What the heck's going-"

"IS IT TRUE THAT ITACHI SHOWED UP IN THE HIDDEN LEAF, AND THAT HE'S AFTER NARUTO!?" yelled Aoba, a fellow Jonin, having entered at the wrong time. Hearing that his brother was back, Sasuke's eyes widen in shock before he bolted out of the room to go find Naruto.

Unnamed Town (A few miles from Konoha)

"Naruto, we're staying here for tonight!" yelled Jiraiya, Naruto unable to hear him as he listened to music on his headphones, Jiraiya having to go over and press the pause button on his headphones to get his attention. "Naruto, we're staying here for tonight."

"Oh, okay. So, when are we-" Jiraiya stops Naruto when he sees a woman with long, straight black hair and large, dark-brown eyes grab the Toad Sage's attention with a wink and a smile.

"Naruto, here are the key to the room! Just listen to your music and do whatever you can to keep yourself busy! We'll proceed with training later!" he told the annoyed blond as he hands him the room keys before leaving with the woman.

"Just like that, he's off...I knew this was coming...Knew it..."

Unnamed Hotel

Hotel Room

Naruto continued to listen to his music as he focused on image training, picturing himself fighting, in order, Jiraiya, Gaara, Rin, Ayane, Ryu, and Tatsuya. He had been going at it for a good half-hour as the Kyuubi constantly tempted him with his power. This had been going on right after Hiruzen's death, telling him he could've saved him, had he used his power. Naruto would always ignore the demon, raising the volume of his music to drown out the demon's voice.

Naruto stops his image training once he heard someone knocking on the door. Knowing Jiraiya, he'd at least say something after knocking three times. He could also sense three chakra signatures behind his room door, stronger than Gaara's. Instead of opening the door, Naruto throws an explosive kunai at it, blowing the door to pieces, catching Itachi and Kisame off-guard as the blond kicked the latter out of the window behind the shark-faced Akatsuki, the two landing on the roof of a building across from the hotel, Naruto using Kisame to cushion the impact before preparing to fight him.

Unnamed Building

"Owww...For a child, you pack a good hit. I guess that's to be expected of the Nine-Tailed Jinchuuriki..." said Kisame, snickering as he got up.

"Who are you?" Naruto asked.

"Kisame Hoshigaki, a pleasure to meet you," he told the blond as he takes out Samehada and points its bandaged blade at him. "I'll make sure to go for the legs, so you don't have a chance to run away..."

Unnamed Hotel

Before he could go help Kisame, Itachi stops in his tracks. Slowly, he turns to see Sasuke glaring at him, Sharingan active.

"Long time no see, Sasuke."

"I will...KILL YOU!" Sasuke told him, venom in his voice, recalling the night that Itachi massacred their whole clan, save for him. "Just as you told me to...I've resented and hated you...and lived solely to end you! As he said it, he prepared a Chidori before charging straight at his older brother, thrusting his left hand forward as Itachi stood there, looking unimpressed by his little brother's jutsu. Without any effort, Itachi caught Sasuke's left arm and, with some pressure, breaks his younger brother's wrist before kicking him back. Sasuke hits the wall behind him hard as his older brother tells him, "You're in the way of my mission."

"Mission? The hell are you talking about?" asked Sasuke, struggling to get back up as he coughs in pain.

"I'm here for Naruto Uzumaki, under the orders of the Akatsuki. I have absolutely no interest in you, Little Brother..." When Itachi prepares to jump out of the hole Naruto created, he stops to sigh, turning his attention back to Sasuke, who activates his cursed seal before launching a large fireball at him.

Itachi simply swats it away with his cloak before appearing in front of Sasuke and beating him until he's half-conscious and, with his Mangekyou Sharingan active, puts him under Tsukuyomi, a powerful genjutsu that was exclusive to the eyes he possessed, though not before telling his little brother, "You're still too weak...You don't have enough hate..."

Unnamed Building

Naruto parries Kisame's Samehada with a kunai before knocking the sword out of his hands with a kick from his left foot. Disarm, Kisame quickly weaves hand signs and sends a shark made out of water at Naruto, who destroys it with a burst of wind. Quickly, he throws five tech shurikens at the Akatsuki member, trapping him in an unknown pink substance. To his shock, he couldn't break free, and his body started becoming weak.

"What is this!?" yelled Kisame. "I can't muster any strength..."

"Powdered magnesium carbonate foam. It'll suck the moisture out of you every time you struggle," Naruto told him before dodging a fireball Itachi spewed from his mouth. Noticing his Sharingan, Naruto could tell who he was.

"Itachi Uchiha..."

"I take it Sasuke told you of me..." he asked.

"Small bits and pieces..." Looking at Kisame, he tells the blond, "To think you managed to trap Kisame..."

"He's a literal shark man..." Before the two could fight, Jiraiya appears next to Naruto, holding the woman he was with earlier, who was unconscious.

"Jiraiya..."

"Itachi...Naruto, stay back, I'll handle this one. As you are, you won't be able to beat him," he told the blond, who understands, backing off. "You did well though, trapping one of the Akatsuki. He'll be perfect for interrogation." This earned an angry glare from Kisame, who was still struggling to break free from the foam.

"Placing a genjutsu on a woman to separate me from Naruto so you could take him easily." Naruto looks at Jiraiya with confusion in his eyes when he revealed Itachi's objective. "...I never saw you as a coward, Itachi Uchiha."

Itachi said nothing as he goes over to collect Kisame and Samehada. Before Jiraiya could engage, Itachi blocks his path with a wall of black flames and escaping. After storing the mysterious black flames in a scroll, the two arrive back at the hotel, where they encounter an unconscious Sasuke. Checking on him, Jiraiya notes how his left arm and ribs were fractured. "He's also blacked out from whatever jutsu Itachi used on him." Naruto said nothing as he looked at his teammate.

"DYNAMIC ENTRY!" Jiraiya, turning around, gets kicked in the face by Guy as the blond chunin looks on, unsure of what was going on as Jiraiya yells at the Jonin and asks for an apology. "Sorry for kicking you. I was in such a rush, I forgot my hand mirror, haha... So I used my headband instead, but it didn't give me the clearest image and I thought you were the enemy." Naruto tells Guy how that wasn't much of an apology as Jiraiya agrees with the former.

"Well, never mind the apology. What's important now is to get Sasuke to the Medical Corps ASAP. Physically, he should be fine. His mind, however..."

"I see...Kakashi's also bedridden from whatever jutsu Itachi placed on him. We don't know when he'll wake up..."

"Kakashi-sensei as well..."

"If only "she" was still here with us..." said Guy, Jiraiya telling him, "That's why I'm about to go search for her." This surprised Guy, who says, "You mean...You're really..."

"I don't follow," Naruto tells them.

"Naruto, the woman we're finding is one of the three Sannin, The Queen of Slugs and Elixirs...The One who wears "Betting" on her back, Lady Tsunade!"

15 minutes later

After Guy left with Sasuke, Naruto and Jiraiya resume their journey, Naruto having a clear goal in mind: To find Tsunade. As they're walking along the dirt road, Naruto asked him about Itachi and Kisame, mainly why they were after him.

"It's not you they want, but what's inside you."

"The Nine-Tailed Fox..."

"Bingo. The Nine-Tailed Fox has appeared in times of consequence all through the ages. It's a ghastly spirit, destroying everything in its path. That's why people in ancient times feared it as one of the divine retributions," he explains to Naruto. Why they want such a thing, I honestly don't have a clue yet. One thing I'm leaning on is their intention of placing its power under their control. These guys...Akatsuki, they'll never stop coming for you. It's your destiny."

"It's a stupid destiny, having to look over my shoulder for these guys." Jiraiya tells Naruto not to worry, telling him he'll be around to protect him. "You can't do it forever though, which is why I have to get stronger, so we can protect each other." This response surprised Jiraiya. "You watch my back, I'll watch yours..."

"Naruto..." With a proud smile, Jiraiya ruffles his hair, telling him, "You're a good kid."

"...So this Tsunade...What's she like?"

"She's kind of unpleasant...and she's addicted to gambling, and her face is well known in numerous lands. She's also quite infamous, as "The Legendary Loser."

"Vegas would definitely chew her up," Naruto jokes, Jiraiya agreeing with him.

"A woman like her won't be found so easily. She's not one to grow old gracefully, so she's probably using jutsu to mask her appearance. Though she's in her 50s, she probably looks like she's still in her 20s."

"Do you have a clue on how we're going to track her? asked Naruto, Jiraiya telling him he wasn't going to track him. "You are going to train. I'm tracking her down."

Unnamed Town

After Jiraiya collected some intel on Tsunade's whereabouts, Naruto following him everywhere they went, he and the blond chunin hiked up to a forest not far from the town, tossing him a water balloon.

"Are we going to have a water balloon fight?"

"The only ones I'd have those with are women in nothing but swimsuits. Now watch closely." Naruto's eyes widen when Jiraiya forms a spiraling blue sphere of chakra in his right hand.

"This here in my hand is the technique I'm going to teach you," he told him, dispersing the sphere after. "The first part of making it is the rotation. Watch my hand and learn. In his right hand, Jiraiya pops a water balloon by swirling the water inside it. "With that water balloon, you'll learn to create a stream of chakra. I'll explain further after you pop that balloon. I have to go collect more on Tsunade. I'll come back later after I get a hotel to-"

"I'm fine sleeping outside," Naruto tells him, Jiraiya asking him if he was sure. "Yeah. You can sleep in somewhere. I'll be fine, don't worry."

"...You know what, I think I'll sleep outside too. I'd feel bad if you were the only one outside."

"Really, then I hope you can eat insects." Jiraiya paled when Naruto said that, telling him, "You've been watching too many survival shows, Naruto. Next thing you know, you'll be drinking your own-"

"I wouldn't go that far for survival, Pervy Sage."

4 Hours Later...

Naruto and Jiraiya sat beside a campfire as they enjoy the cooking Kureha made for the former.

"This is very good! I may even ask her out!" Naruto glared at Jiraiya as he was eating. "It's only a joke."

"Uh huh..." After swallowing his food, Naruto asked Jiraiya what sort of jutsu the chakra sphere was.

"It's one of the legacies of the Fourth Hokage. It's called the Rasengan, and it took him three full years to perfect it.," Jiraiya answered. It's an A-Rank Super-Advanced Ninjutsu. With a technique that doesn't require hand signs, it'll be perfect to add to your arsenal."

"Rasengan..." Jiraiya adds how it took the Fourth Hokage 3 years to complete it, the blond wondering how long it'd take for him to complete the technique.

"Since you're you, I'm sure you can finish it faster than he ever could."

"Yeah...Pervy Sage...Why do you exist and live?" Jiraiya asks Naruto what brought up the subject. "Gaara had those same questions, but he could never find the answer. By now, he may come to find it. For me...I don't know. I figured I ask you, so I can have a clear idea about my reasons." Aware of his own reasons, Jiraiya opts to not tell the blond chunin.

"I'm afraid I can't tell you that, Naruto," he answered. "The thing about that question is that you can never be prepared for it, and you can't know the reasons why right away. No one can... Knowing too soon makes you hasty. I know that through experience, several experiences to tell you the truth. That question of yours is all part of a big journey, one you figure out with time and wisdom."

"...What sort of experiences have you been through to find your answer?" Yawning, Jiraiya tells Naruto he's tired, dodging the question, and that he'll go to bed right away, telling Naruto not to stay up late. "Y-Yeah..." Late into the night, as Jiraiya slept peacefully in his sleeping bag, Naruto stayed up trying to pop the water balloon in his hands, going nowhere with it as the water in the balloon swirled counterclockwise. He stops when he finds himself near his limit.

"Still no progress..." Sighing Naruto sits down on the grass as he looks at the water balloon and places it on the grass. "This is as hard as the time when I started developing the Air Grenade Technique...Wait..." Thinking about the time he developed the Air Grenade, mainly on how to contain the air compressed on the sphere, and comparing it to the Rasengan and Jiraiya's demonstration of bursting the water balloon, Naruto's eyes widened with realization. Getting up and taking the water balloon into his right hand, Naruto focused on making his chakra swirl the water inside it around in many different directions, bursting it.

"...Shit!" Naruto yelled, an accomplished smile on his face, having solved the first step. He pops another one to be sure, with success. As a tired Naruto lies on the grass and fell asleep, Jiraiya, having watched him pop the water balloons with one eye open, smiled to himself.

Morning

8:20 am

Smelling something good, Jiraiya gets up and turns to see Naruto cooking cream stew over a fire. Noticing the toad sage, Naruto says good morning to him before telling him the stew would be done in 10 minutes.

"I take it you've finished the first step?" asked Jiraiya, aware of it but decided to find out how Naruto would react to it now, having seen him all happy about it last night.

"Yeah, I finished it," he responds, making it sound like it wasn't a big deal.

"That's not the kind of reaction I was hoping to see," Jiraiya told him. "I was hoping you'd be all happy about it after solving it and yelling a bad word." Naruto's eyes widened, turning towards Jiraiya and saying in an embarrassed tone, "You...You saw that!?"

"Yes, I did. It's a rare treat to see you act like a kid, Naruto. Maturity does not suit a kid like you. and it's a lot better than the one you project 85% of the time!"

"You weren't supposed to see that! The only ones who can see that are..." Naruto stops himself before he revealed the names. "Just go brush your teeth, Pervy Sage!"

"Okay, okay..." As soon as the toad sage left to tend to his hygiene, Naruto said, "...Geez, he's not letting that go any time soon."

After Breakfast

"I'm telling you Naruto, there's nothing wrong with expressing your achievements with others other than those who deserve the right to," Jiraiya told Naruto, who was annoyed about Jiraiya seeing his happy side. "You always tell others you're working on it, yet you relapse into your usual personality...You gotta make the more expressive side work."

"I'm not perfect, ya know..." Naruto whispered to himself. "Enough about...my personality quirk, when am I doing the second part of the Rasengan?"

"We'll do that one later. Right now, I need you for something once we make it to Tanzaku Town."

"Like what?"

[Persona 3 OST - Mass Destruction]

Unnamed Casino

"What the hell...Pervy Sage..." Naruto's right eye twitched when he found himself gambling for information in Jiraiya's place. After winning the first round, Jiraiya got greedy and asked Naruto to continue gambling, telling him he'd continue the next part of his training if he did it for him. Right now, Naruto was playing cho-han and, to the owner's dismay, the chunin's unnatural gambling instincts had him at a 49-win streak.

"Where did you find this kid..." asked the owner, Jiraiya telling him Naruto was a Konoha-born ninja, and his apprentice, putting his hands on the blond's shoulders as he told Naruto he was doing incredible.

"More like your secret gambling weapon..."

"Final game. If you lose, all the money you've earned, along with the money you have, goes to us. If you win, you can keep the money you've won and take the money in my wallet as well. I'm going all-in on this! Someone's luck can change if you give it all you've got!"

[Music End]

This would be a grave mistake for the owner as Naruto won the final game and left the casino with Jiraiya, a large bag of earnings in hand.

"Before you say anything, we're not going to Vegas." This bummed Jiraiya out, who tells Naruto he should reconsider. "You already make enough selling those books of yours, so we have no need to visit that place." Jiraiya could only sigh as he told Naruto he had a point.

"With all that gambling I did for you, it's time for you to tell me the second part of learning the Rasengan."

"Always getting down to it..." Jiraiya tossed the chunin a rubber ball, explaining how he needs to burst the ball's exterior. To Jiraiya's surprise, Naruto pops it as they were walking. "What the- How!?"

"I simply focused on a single point in my right palm while increasing the volume and density of the chakra I was producing, increasing its power until the rubber ball bursts," Naruto explains, surprising the sage.

"Geez, and I thought it'd take longer for you to figure it out..."

"Sorry..." Jiraiya assures the chunin he had nothing to apologize for.

"After all, you can't help but get the gist of things," Jiraiya adds, snapping his fingers. "just like that. University life is going to be a walk in the park for you. That means you'll have a lot of free time on your hands. Perhaps you can try working on that personality of yours."

"Probably...What's the third part of the Rasengan?" Jiraiya gives him a bag of balloons and tells him to combine the two lessons and make so the balloon doesn't pop. "I'm sure you can-"

"Pervy Sage?" Stopping, Jiraiya turns around and asks Naruto what was on his mind. "How about we take time to hang out? Take a break from my training. I can do the third step some other time. Maybe I can help you with your investigation, or...simply just explore this town, see what it has to offer."

"You just want to spend some quality time with your master, don't you?" asked a smiling Jiraiya. Naruto had an embarrassed and annoyed expression on his face as he told Jiraiya, "You have to make up for always having Kujou-senpai, Tatsuya, Haru, and Mikado-sensei watch over me while you focus on your writing and go out partying with women..."

"A yes would've been a better answer, Naruto..."

[Naruto OST - Naruto's Daily Life]

"How about we start off with some lunch, shall we?" Naruto and Jiraiya stop at a teppanyaki restaurant, Jiraiya ordering the best dishes for the chunin to enjoy, telling him he would grow to have a large appetite as he got stronger. As they waited for their meals to arrive, Jiraiya noticed some women eying him, gesturing him to come and sit with them, though Naruto looked him in with eye with a " Don't think about it" expression on his face.

Next, they visit a bookstore, Naruto's eyes sparkling with wonder as he explored the manga section, Jiraiya following his apprentice as he picked books he wanted to buy. Leaving him alone for a bit, Jiraiya decided to go to the Adults section and purchase a few erotica, noticing his "Icha Icha Paradise" book being displayed as the best selling in the store, pumping his fist in the air in victory as a weirded out Naruto looked on.

The two then went to a clothing shop, Naruto trying on several clothes, mainly hoodies, jeans, jackets, and shorts, gaining attention from the girls who happened to see him come out of the dressing room. After trying them on, Naruto felt unsatisfied with the clothes they had, exiting the shop without purchasing anything.

Finally, they entered a music store, where Naruto enjoyed listening to the Japanese version of "Boy With Luv by BTS" as Jiraiya tried out and failed at Guitar Hero, losing to a kid, who got a perfect score, much to his embarrassment. Seeing the kid act all arrogant, Naruto took it upon himself to avenging Jiraiya, beating the kid when they played "Misery Business by Paramore" at the highest difficulty and making said kid crying to his mommy, the blond not feeling sorry about it when the mom asked him to apologize.

[Music End]

[Naruto OST - Evening]

Unnamed Hot Springs

"Hahhhhhhh..." Naruto had let out a huge sigh as he enjoyed the large open bath, Jiraiya doing the same.

"A nice dip in a hot spring is the best way to finish a night, huh Naruto?"

"Definitely..." Smiling to himself, Naruto thanked Jiraiya for taking time off his investigation just to hang out.

"You're welcome Naruto. I don't admit this or show it, but I enjoy hanging out with you from time to time. We should do this again, maybe when we get to California." Naruto voiced his agreement with Jiraiya before they let out another blissful sigh.

"If I remember the information correctly, Tsunade is somewhere in this town?"

"Yeah, probably to win back the money she lost. I plan to search the casinos all around town before we lose her."

"I see..." The blond goes silent as he and Jiraiya hear women on the other side of the bamboo wall commenting on each other's bodies. Jiraiya, being the pervert he is, decides to go sneak a peek for "research purposes."

"Naruto, want to spend more time with your master and help me "gather more research" for my book?"

"No thanks, leave me out of it. I'm fine enjoying this hot spring." Naruto told him before Jiraiya says, "Suit yourself..."

[Music End]

[Persona 4 OST - Reverie]

"Before I do my "research", tell me why you decided to take a break today."

"It was simply to spend some quality time with you, Pervy Sage."

"I can tell there was more to it than just that. What is it? It's just me and you in here." Naruto stays silent for a bit as he looks up at the night sky.

"...You're already aware that I don't have a father to spend time with, not even a mother or older and younger siblings. The time I spent with Kureha...It helped give me feel like I had a mother to go home to and spend some time with, whether it was cooking, cleaning, or playing games. I don't admit this, because it sounds crazy, but...I pretty much see you as my father. The Third and Iruka, I don't see them as father figures. I like hanging out with you despite your perverted personality, and I always look forward to when you don't have anything else going on."

"You see me as a father, huh," said Jiraiya, never expecting to hear Naruto tell him that. "So you took a break just so you could experience how it feels to have a father?"

"Mmm..." Naruto responds, nodding yes.

"You know, you really can be selfish...for all the good reasons, Naruto," Jiraiya tells him, satisfied by the chunin's honest answer. "To think you're the kid who always looked so serious and apathetic towards everything. In just a few months, you've changed a lot. You made the effort to."

"I have people like you, Hinata, Ryu, and Kureha to thank for it. You guys rubbed off on me. Perhaps I should buy Kureha something on the way back."

"Sod good. Now, while you figure out what to get her, I'm going to do some "research" for my book!" While the toad sage peeps on the women bathing, Naruto closed his eyes and enjoyed the bath as he immersed himself in the water until only his hair, eyes, and nose were above the water level, wondering what to get the shrine maiden waiting for him at home.

[Music End]

The next day

Tanzaku Town

3:25 pm

"Monster?"

"You two ought to run!" yelled a man Jiraiya questioned, who looked like he was ready to lose it. "A giant three-headed serpent just destroyed the castle in an instant!" As soon as the man ran away, Naruto and Jiraiya pick up the pace and head towards the castle. Once the made it there, they only saw a partially destroyed wall and a decimated castle. Looking around, Jiraiya noticed small pieces of snakeskin, confirming it to belong to Orochimaru's snake.

"Looks like we missed not only Tsunade, but Orochimaru as well," said Jiraiya, getting up before telling Naruto they should go.

7:08 pm

"This has gotten complicated," said Jiraiya, Naruto saying nothing as he focused on shaping a Rasengan inside a balloon he was holding in his right hand without breaking it, only to fail as he blows another balloon. "Not only did we miss Tsunade, Orochimaru is involved."

"Why is this Orochimaru after her?" asked Naruto.

"As you're aware, Tsunade is the greatest medical ninja in the nation. Her talent in medical ninjutsu is unparalleled, being able to identify ailments at a glance and treat conditions that other medical-nin would deem impossible to cure," Jiraiya explains, sounding happy as he talked about how great Tsunade was before getting serious.

"Given the damage The Third Hokage inflicted on him with the Dead Demon Consuming Seal, he thinks Tsunade can heal the necrosis in his arms caused by it."

"Shouldn't be possible to cure it. You need to debride the tissue or surgically remove the limbs once the necrosis sets. I'm not sure something like necrosis can be cured."

"That's true...But the impossible can be possible, and Tsunade is known to make things possible. At least...10% of the time." Stopping at a bar, Jiraiya tells Naruto they should grab dinner, the blond telling him the restaurant was a drinking establishment.

Unnamed Bar

"It serves food too. Like buffalo wings. You like buffalo wings, right?" Jiraiya asked Naruto as they enter the bar. The toad sage stops as he sees the woman he was looking for, who was with a woman with short black hair and a pig.

"Jiraiya?"

"Lord Jiraiya!?"

"Tsunade...Shizune..." Tsunade was a fair-skinned and large breasted woman with brown eyes and straight blonde hair that parts above her forehead. Her hair had shoulder-length bangs that frame her face and the rest reaches her lower-back in two loose ponytails. On her forehead was a violet diamond.

"What are you doing here!?" she asked, her face flushed from all the alcohol she was consuming.

"I should ask you the same thing. First, how about Naruto and I order us some food to eat?"

30 minutes later

"I've been seeing a lot of familiar faces today," Tsunade told Jiraiya as Naruto and Shizune ate in silence.

"Orochimaru, right?" asked Jiraiya, Tsunade nodding her head yes. "...So what's up with you?"

"Nothing really, just the usual...What about you? What do you want from me? You definitely didn't come all the way here to sit down and reminisce about the old days."

"I'll lay it to you straight. The Hidden Leaf requests that you accept the title of Fifth Hokage." Naruto almost choked on his food as Shizune offered him some water to drink, letting out a huge gasp after gulping down the water. "Did you hear about Master Hiruzen?"

"Yeah," Tsunade answers as Shizune looked down, a sad expression on her face. "Told me he killed him...To think the third of us Sannin did it..."

"This Orochimaru is...a Sannin?" asked Naruto, Jiraiya answering with a yes before Tsunade asked who Naruto was.

"This here is Naruto Uzumaki. He's my apprentice."

"So he's the Nine-Tailed Fox's vessel?"

"Yeah...So! Do you accept the request?" To Jiraiya and Naruto's dismay, Tsunade declined the offer before taking a sip out of her sake cup. "Tsunade, you're the only possible choice for the Fifth Hokage. Also, there are two shinobi in our village who need your help."

"Again, I refuse," said Tsunade. "Had the Fourth not died so early, Hiruzen would've stayed alive in retirement. As a ninja, the Fourth's capacity was unparalleled, a true one-of-a-kind...Overflowing talent for jutsu and intelligence, socially popular...and good-looking, just like me...But even with all that going for him, he died prematurely...sacrificing his life for the sake of the Hidden Leaf...Life's not like money...To risk and throw it away so easily...is a fool's errand." Naruto looked annoyed with the way Tsunade was talking about the Hokages as he listened on.

"They say both my grandfather, the First Hokage, and the Second Hokage wanted an end to hostilities more than anything. Yet, they died in vain for the village while still in the midst of pursuing their dreams." Jiraiya tells Tsunade had changed for the worse, the kunoichi telling him how time changes people.

"If a teetering geezer like Sarutobi-sensei tries to act youthful, of course, he's going to croak...The title of Hokage's a joke. Only a fool would-"

[Ao no Exorcist: Kyoto Saga OST - すれちがう心]

Before Tsunade could finish, she noticed the atmosphere changing. Looking at Naruto, her eyes widened as he glared at her, his ki slowly rising to the point where the whole bar began to shake, glass cracking and plates dropping.

"This power..."

"I think you've had enough to drink. Also, I've had about enough of you bad-mouthing the Old Man and the Fourth..." Naruto told her, sounding furious. "If I wasn't holding myself back, I'd slug you in the face and send you out of this bar..."

"Naruto, calm down," Jiraiya told him, the chunin's ki lowering until the shaking stopped.

"You have guts to say that to my face," said Tsunade, the blond woman telling Naruto they should go outside and settle things.

"Tsunade, come on, he's just a k-."

"Fine with me," Naruto told her, to Jiraiya's shock, and Shizune's unease. The pig in Shizune's arms only oinked as sweat pours down its face.

Outside

"Despite how I might look, I was once counted among the Sannin," Tsunade told Naruto, sounding confident that she'll win the fight. "I don't need my full strength against a Ge-"

"Chunin," Naruto interrupts, correcting her. "I'm a Chunin..."

"Even so..." Raising her right pointing finger, she told him it would be enough to finish him as Jiraiya, Shizune, and the pig looked on.

"Are you sure you should be saying that while under the influence?"

"Just come at me with all you've got."

"Very well..." Right away, Naruto throws a powerful right punch, releasing a massive shockwave that travels fast and hits a surprised Tsunade in the stomach, the woman clutching it as she skids back a considerable distance away from him.

"Jiraiya...What...What have you been teaching your apprentice?" asked a wide-eyed Shizune.

"Naruto, what has Ryu been teaching you?" Jiraiya said to himself as Tsunade recovered, Naruto appearing from above, ready to swing his left foot down on her. Tsunade jumps back as Naruto's foot makes contact with the ground, forming a large crater.

"How-"

"That claim of only needing one finger to finish me off is full of shit..." Naruto told the woman, glaring at her as he immediately runs at her before launching himself forward, both knees in front of him. Tsunade puts her arms in front of her before the chunin's knees hit her in the face.

Naruto quickly transitions into a midair spin kick as Tsunade ducked to avoid it before preparing a right uppercut. Instead of sending the chunin flying, Tsunade, to her surprise, found her fist stopped by Naruto's right hand, the blond having using ki to cushion the blow as he stood his ground.

"I can handle insults towards me since I know they're not true. But when you talk bad about the Hokages who willingly gave their lives for the village, and those who dream of being Hokage...That's the worst thing you can tell someone," he told her.

[Music End]

[Ao no Exorcist: Kyoto Saga OST - Turn on Your Heart Light (0:49 - 1:44)(2:20 - 2:56)]

Tsunade looking shocked by what he said as he formed a Rasengan in his left, earning a surprised expression from Jiraiya and Shizune's faces as he thrusts his left hand forward. Since it was incomplete, it only blew her away from him, the woman landing on her back.

"That boy...He just..." Shizune couldn't believe her eyes when a kid the same age as Tsunade's late younger brother, Nawaki, bested Tsunade. Not only that, the thing he said, "I can handle insults towards me, since I know they're not true. But when you talk bad about the Hokages who willingly gave their lives for the village, and those who dream of being Hokage...That's the worst thing you can tell someone." Those were the same words Tsunade said to enemy ninjas who insulted Nawaki and the Hokages.

"It's incomplete, but Naruto is close..." Jiraiya thought to himself.

"You...That jutsu..."

"I don't know what it is that made you be this way, but whatever the cause of it is...Drowning yourself in gambling and booze is no way to go about the rest of your life...The Hidden Leaf needs a Fifth Hokage, and you're the only one who can fill that spot..."

[Music End]

"This boy..." After he told her what was on his mind, Naruto's serious expression turns into one of embarrassment as his eyes focused on her chest. Looking down, to Tsunade's embarrassment, the Rasengan destroyed the blue sash keeping her grey mesh shirt together, exposing her breasts.

"Hu-...Huge..." Naruto whispered to himself as Jiraiya had blood dripping from his nostrils, a happy and perverted smile on his face. After screaming at the top of her lungs, she was allowed to punch Naruto in the face for exposing her breasts, Jiraiya receiving a huge beating after before Shizune gave her her kimono to cover the blonde woman.

"For a Chunin, you are very capable," Tsunade told Naruto, who was rubbing the bump on his head, noting how he never expected Tsunade to be that strong.

"Best believe it, runt...Aside from that...Jiraiya, you're teaching him the Rasengan, aren't you?" Jiraiya, clutching his chest in pain from the beating he received, told her, "I am his mentor."

"Hmph, playing mighty mentor by teaching him something like that?"

"As you already know, he only hit you with an incomplete version of the Rasengan," Jiraiya told his friend. "Give him about one to three days and I bet he can master it."

"Really..." Turning to Naruto, she asked him if he was confident in mastering the Rasengan withing three days.

"If it means that you'll come back with us to the Hidden Leaf, then I am willing to accomplish it," said Naruto.

"Alright, if you master it before the deadline, I'll come back to the village. Also, I'll give you my necklace." Shizune's eyes widened when the blonde woman wagered the First Hokage's Necklace.

"Lady Tsunade!? B...But that's...!"

"Very well, and if I don't master it, not only do we leave you alone, I'll even throw down my wallet," Naruto told her, taking the frog-shaped walled out and showing how fate it was.

"Very arrogant, are we?"

"Not arrogant, just confident," Naruto tells her.

"Wow Naruto, your whole wallet, huh?" said Jiraiya, having healed his own injuries as they were talking. "Aren't you being risky...Wagers aside, Tsunade...Won't you come drinking a bit with me? For old time's sake..." Tsunade looked at Jiraiya with a suspicious expression on her face as the toad sage told Shizune to take Naruto and look for a place for them to stay in.

"Before we go, I will need a new sash..."

1 hour later

Tanzaku Lodgings

Naruto's Room

Quietly, Naruto listened to music while training with a balloon in his right hand. After bursting his 20th balloon, he sighed before rummaging his bag for a new one. Pulling a new balloon out, he stops when he hears a knock on his door, hearing Shizune's voice calling for him. Pausing his music, Naruto gets up to open it for her.

"You need something?"

"There's something I'd like to share with you." Naruto raised a brow as he allowed her inside his room, the woman bringing her pig in as well.

"Does that pig have a name?" Shizune tells him it was Tonton, and that the pig was a girl. "I see..." Closing the door, he asked the woman what she needed to tell him.

"I want to tell you about Lady Tsunade, and about the necklace. Lady Tsunade...She wasn't like that at all, long ago...She was kind and compassionate, and she loved the Hidden Leaf. But then...she changed...all because of that day."

"What do you mean that day?" asked a curious Naruto, Shizune's face turning serious when she told him, "The day she lost everything...Dreams...Love...even Hope itself." Naruto's eyes narrowed as he listened on.

"All that remained was the necklace, loaded with memories. The necklace is as precious to Lady Tsunade as her own life...It's not something she'd easily hand over on a wager...You see, it only acknowledges Lady Tsunade...If anyone else tries to wear it...they all eventually die." she goes on to explain how Tsunade lost her younger brother, Nawaki, and her lover Dan, who was Shizune's uncle. "Please understand, Naruto...Since that day, she's...been torn."

"...First off, "That day" would mean that all of that happened within that day. All of that happened in several other days," Naruto told Shizune, who looked flabbergasted by his response to hearing Tsunade's sad story. "Also, if I don't finish master the Rasengan, then Pervy Sage and I fail our mission, and I'm not willing to go back empty-handed, death necklace or not."

"Are you crazy?" asked Shizune. "If you do this, and you succeed, you'll die if you wear that necklace."

"I don't really care," he told her, much to Shizune's surprise. "Is dying that scary to you?"

"How...can you say that?"

"I've always lived my life knowing I'd die someday, whether it was an early one or not. Everybody goes through life that way. It's sad, and it hurts to know that, as your life fades, you leave people who love you behind. But...If I die, necklace on or not...At least I die doing something for the village and for those I love than nothing at all." Shizune's eyes widened when Naruto gave her his answer before getting up to leave.

"If you'll excuse me, I'm going to go train..." As the days went by, Naruto focused on mastering the Rasengan. Whenever he was hungry, he'd hunt for edible insects, along with the occasional fish and deer as Jiraiya hung out with Tsunade, Shizune coming by sometimes to check up on him, amazed by how driven the blond was. He was so young.

"What did you go through to have that fire in your eyes?" Shizune wondered as she watched him train on the fourth day. On the sixth day, Naruto had collapsed as the black-haired woman arrived to check up on him, having to drag him back to the lodgings and tuck him in, just as Tsunade arrived, Jiraiya not with her for reasons unknown.

1 Day Before The Deadline

Night

"He's severely exhausted...He must've been going on without much sleep, perhaps none at all," said Tsunade. "This boy's right palm has been burned by his chakra...he probably won't wake up until the day after tomorrow. I'm surprised he went through that much, just for a silly bet."

"Lady...Tsunade, please don't go tomorrow," Shizune told the blonde woman, who remained silent. "Don't be silent! Please say something!" Even after yelling at her, Shizune received no response from her. "If you insist on going..."

"What would you do about it?" Tsunade asked her.

"Even in exchange for my life...I would...stop you..." Without saying a word, Tsunade knocks her out with a punch to the stomach before leaving through the front door.

Morning

"Hey, wake up...Shizune..." Naruto pokes Shizune's right cheek with his right pointing finger as the latter slowly opened her eyes. Abruptly getting up, she asked Naruto what today was.

"Monday." This surprised the woman, who asked Naruto how he was able to stand. "I recover very fast. I mean, I once went through two weeks of training, and only needed a good night's sleep to recover so..."

"Two weeks?"

"Yeah, crazy huh? But enough of me, where's Granny Tsunade?"

"Granny?" Her eyes widening, Shizune quickly heads for the window, telling Naruto to stay put as she opened it, a kunai flying in front of her, embedding itself into a wooden beam. Turning to her left, she sees a heavily breathing Jiraiya resting against the building's exterior.

"Tsunade drugged my drink," he told her. "I can't call up my chakra properly, and my body's so numb, I can't even hold chopsticks right..." Turning to Naruto, he told him they needed to go after Tsunade, Naruto nodding his head as he picked up Tonton. As they made their way to the meeting place, it being the destroyed remains of Tanzaku Castle, Jiraiya asked Shizune what she and Tsunade talked with Orochimaru about.

"...Sorry. I wanted to trust Lady Tsunade...That's why I didn't speak up sooner. "But now..." After revealing the deal Orochimaru offered to Tsunade, Jiraiya wonders if he'll have to kill Tsunade to protect the Hidden Leaf.

Tanzaku Castle (Destroyed)

Arriving at the scene, the four find the area further destroyed, Jiraiya and Shizune knowing right away that Tsunade was the cause, meaning she refused Orochimaru's offer, to their relief. Sniffing the area, Tonton picks up Tsunade's scent as the three followed the pig's nose, picking up speed. Knowing the danger she was in, Jiraiya tells Naruto to go on ahead, who nods as he tossed the pig to Jiraiya before disappearing in a flash, to Shizune's shock.

"Jiraiya, what sort of training have you been putting your apprentice through?"

"It's complicated..."

Unnamed Plains

Appearing in the nick of time as Kabuto braced himself to fight Tsunade, Naruto knocks him on his ass with a dropkick, surprising Orochimaru and Tsunade.

"You?"

"That was a bad move drugging Pervy Sage like that..." Naruto told the blond woman as he glared at Kabuto. "So that pale slytherin across from us is Orochimaru..." Turning his attention towards Kabuto, he voiced how he didn't expect Kabuto to betray the Hidden Leaf, just as Shizune, Jiaiya, and Tonton arrived. "To think you were the one Kasumi was looking for."

"Naruto...I never expected to run into you here, of all places."

"Out of the way, he's mine!" yelled Tsunade, rushing past the blond chunin and readying her right fist as Jiraiya told her to stop, to no avail. Once Kabuto slits his own right wrist, spraying some of his blood on her, Tsunade froze in place, her fear of blood taking over her before she felt Kabuto's left fist connect to her face, sending her flying back, Shizune catching her. "I was sent to the Hidden Leaf to collect info on you, Sasuke, and other ninjas. I must say, I never expected you would become a chunin. Well, I DID see it coming, looking over your stats. It's very abnormal...Not only are you different from Sasuke, but you're also different from everyone around you."

"What's your point?" asked Naruto.

"Someone of your talent has no need to stay in a village like that," Kabuto told him as Naruto listened on. "One who constantly tests your patience. A village that hates you, and wants nothing to do with you. Come with us, with Orochimaru."

"...You must be an idiot if you think I'd side with someone who killed the Old Man, one of the few I respected.," Naruto told Kabuto. "Also, I'm more of a Hufflepuff than a Slytherin."

"If that's your answer, then you need to die before you become a real nuisance..." Right after he said that Kabuto rushed at Naruto, who does the same. With the blood flowing from the cut on his right wrist, he sprays it in Naruto's eyes before going in for a strike with the kunai in his left hand. Kabuto's hand is caught by Naruto's right hand, the latter opening his eyes, filled with anger.

"A dirty tactic like that won't stop me from kicking your ass...Kabuto." After he said that, Naruto applied pressure to his hand, snapping Kabuto's forearm bones in two, earning a scream from the bespectacled Sound Ninja before he cracks his chest bone with a kick, knocking him towards Orochimaru.

"He's a lot different than when I fought him during the exams..." Orochimaru notes, aware of the blond's strength after seeing him fight in the Chunin Exam Finals.

"Pervy Sage, you mind if I take on Orochimaru's lab assistant?"

"Go on ahead," Jiraiya told him as Orochimaru orders Kabuto to help him use the summoning technique, Jiraiya preparing to use summoning as well. While Orochimaru and Kabuto summoned two snakes, Jiraiya summoned two small toads, one orange, the other yellow, earning a weirded out look from Naruto, who told him, "Pervy Sage, you're embarrassing yourself in front of your former friend."

"I KNOW THAT!" yelled Jiraiya. "I'm just not completely here, you know!? Tsunade drugged me for crying out loud!" he explained to Naruto, who was now focused on the small toads.

"Hey Gamakichi, Gamatatsu."

"Been over three years, Naruto," said the orange toad known as Gamakichi, Naruto simply nodding with a smile, just as Orochimaru's snakes interrupted the awkwardness Jiraiya caused, forcing Jiraiya to jump back as Shizune did the same, carrying Tsunade, while Naruto grabbed the two toads and Tonton and held them in his arms before jumping back. When one of the two snakes were about to devour him and the toads. Naruto dodged in mid-air before hitting in in the face with his right foot, knocking it down before Jiraiya used Earth Release: Swamp of the Underworld to ensnare the snake and prevent it from escaping.

Since Jiraiya was still under the influence of Tsunade's drug, he couldn't completely sink it. While the toad sage fought Orochimaru atop the latter's remaining snake, Naruto was forced to go on the defensive as he blocked Kabuto's assault while trying to find the right time to set the animals down.

"To attack me while my arms are full...You must be scared of me if you're coming at me like this," Naruto mocked, Kabuto clenching his teeth in annoyance as he forms his chakra into small, sharp blades in his hands. Ducking a swipe from his right hand Naruto headbutts him in the face before throwing Tonton at him, butt-first, the pig farting in his face before the blond caught her and performed a spin kick on him.

"Damn you, Naruto!" yelled Kabuto.

"What? Afraid you might've contracted swine flu from Tonton's fart?" Naruto joked as he sets the animals down next to Shizune.

"What the hell? Since when are youthe one to crack jokes!?" shouted an annoyed Kabuto.

"I guess some people rubbed off on me," said Naruto.

"You? A demon!? There's no way a demon like you would ever have anyone besides yourself! An abomination like you! Destined to be alone! A weapon for the Hidden Leaf!" As Kabuto tried to land a hit on him, Naruto silently parried his attacks, countering with quick and hard strikes.

"Say what you want about me. Demon...Abomination...Weapon...I know I am none of those," he told him, catching Kabuto's arms before his chakra scalpels could reach him, kneeing him in the stomach and throwing him over his shoulder. "Back before this battle, before the Chunin Exams, before returning to the village, before I left it over 4 years ago, I always wondered what I am, and who I am supposed to be. But with the right people, the right...friends, I started changing, discovering myself more and more..."

Avoiding a left knife-hand strike by moving to the side, Naruto sweeps him off his feet with a kick before punching him in the face, knocking him onto the grass hard. As Naruto beats on Kabuto, Orochimaru, still fighting Jiraiya, wondered out loud how someone with no kekkai-genkai like the Sharingan.

"Unlike Sasuke Uchiha, someone naturally gifted with the Sharingan, Naruto has no eye powers that make him special. He started off with nothing, with no one to help him. He trained and trained all by himself, with masters like yours truly helping him refine the skills he learned himself, adding in ones he lacked. He got his ass kicked several times during training by a girl he used to love, until he finally won a match, and suffered a constant losing streak to a very talented magician. On and on they'd kick him down, yet he always got back up. While you see Ninjas as one who wields techniques, a ninja is truly one who endures, and Naruto has had to endure so much in his life, all to find out who he is on his own terms! A never-ending journey of an enduring ninja!"

"You and me, we're both skilled shinobi, no denying that...Yet the only thing that separates me from you is this...I follow no one's path but the one I set for myself, with a clear knowledge of who I am and who I want to be, while you align yourself with someone with power and follow their examples and not your own. I am Naruto Uzumaki, Ninja of the Hidden Leaf, that is who I am, and I'm not letting you, or Orochimaru, bring any harm to it!" What Naruto said to Kabuto, mainly the part about knowing who he is, struck a nerve as he blindly rang at Naruto, who prepares a mastered Rasengan in his right hand, to Tsunade and Shizune's surprise, striking Kabuto square in the stomach with it. With a powerful roar to go with it, the Rasengan grinds into Kabuto's chest before it propels the Sound-nin towards a boulder, destroying it upon impact.

"Bet...won," Naruto said to himself before suddenly spitting out blood. "What..."

"Finally...It was a huge risk, but I managed to land in a good hit," said Kabuto, having somehow survived the Rasengan.

"A hit from that level of technique?" said Tsunade, having a look of disbelief as Naruto's breathing starts to feel heavy.

"I gathered chakra in my stomach. Even before it hit me, I was already healing. My ability to activate cells...To reproduce them...At least you can die knowing who you are, Naruto." Following this, Kabuto collapsed, having sustained too much damage to continue fighting. Quickly, Shizune and Tsunade check on Naruto's heartbeat, Tsunade concluding that Kabuto had cut off the blond's heart's keirakukei, the chakra network he used to heal himself with from the power of the Nine-Tailed Fox, with a chakra scalpel.

"It's an induced arrhythmia," said Tsunade, sounding panicked as she and Shizune try their best to save his life, the blonde woman telling Naruto not to die, recalling how Nawaki and Dan lost their lives. She wasn't going to let it happen again. Finally, Naruto lets out a breath, surprising Tsunade and Shizune.

"Pervy Sage was right...you CAN make the impossible...possible..." he told her, snickering before closing his eyes to rest. This shocked Kabuto. Tsunade had saved Naruto's life, a life he was close to ending. Taking off her necklace, she puts it around Naruto's neck, telling him, "A deal's a deal...Whatever the path you take...No matter how big the odds are stacked against you...always move forward..."

"That boy...He'll be trouble if he falls into the Akatsuki's hands...I MUST KILL HIM!" Orochimaru, turning to where Naruto was, launched himself towards him as Jiraiya intercepts the former Sannin. With his tongue Orochimaru ensnared Jiraiya's left leg and threw him aside before a snake came out of his mouth, opening its mouth to reveal the Kusanagi sword. Seeing this, Tsunade pushed Shizune out of the way before taking the hit meant for Naruto, getting stabbed in the chest.

"Tsunade...You're the only one I would have spared...If I leave this one alive, everything will fall apart. Stay out of my way," Orochimaru told his former teammate, who refuses.

"I'll protect him, no matter what..."

"Risking everything to protect some brat...even when you're trembling from your fear of blood...Why?"

"I'm doing this...to protect...my home...The Hidden Leaf..." she told him, defiance in her eyes as she glared at Orochimaru. "From here on out, I too will put my life on the line!" After saying that, her trembling stopped, surprising the two Sound-nins as the blonde woman socked Orochimaru in the face with a pull-powered punch, knocking him away from Naruto. "Not only as Tsunade Senju, but as the Hidden Leaf's Fifth Hokage!"

"Lady Tsunade..."

"Yin Seal: Release!" Markings start appearing from the seal on Tsunade's forhead as her wounds start healing at a rapid rate, producing steam.

"What technique is that?" asked Orochimaru, viewing it for the first time.

"It's a regeneration technique, one I've been storing up chakra for many years. Now..." Narrowing her eyes, she asked Orochimaru how unlucky he was feeling now as Jiraiya got up, the effects of the woman's drug finally out of his system.

The next day

Kanzaku Lodgings

Opening his eyes, Naruto was met with a curious Tonton, who oinked at him.

"Hey Little Pig..." said Naruto, rising up before stretching his arms and cracking his neck, just as the adults entered the room.

"Well, look who finally woke up!" said a smiling Jiraiya, Shizune noting how bizarre Naruto's healing was.

"I guess you can call me Wolverine," Naruto joked, Shizune unaware of who that was. "Seriously?"

"Young kid joke aside, we have some good news."

Unnamed Bar

"Fifth Hokage huh?" Naruto said to himself as he and the others ate. "Compared to the Old Man, she's brash and kind of selfish. Also, she throws money around like some guy at a strip club, and she's sneaky and...You aure she can lead the Hidden Leaf? I'm kind of worried for its economy."

"Naruto?" Tsnade forced a smiled as one of her brows twitched. "Let's go outside shall we?" THis earned a sigh from Jiraiya, who told himself, "Naruto's in for it..."

Outside

"Unlike last time, I'm very sober and in control of myself. Knowing how strong you are...I'm thinking...I only need my right pointing finger to win." Naruto only smiled as he asked her if she was truly sure. Right away, Tsunade pulls a Naruto and appears behind him, to his surprise.

"Oh, I'm very sure this time around."

"She-" Turning around, Naruto goes for a kick, only for Tsunade to duck it before swinging her right pointing finger upward, removing Naruto's headband and leaving him open. As Naruto fell back, Tsunade, a smile on her face, caught him by his right wrist before pulling him towards her, kissing him on the forehead, earning a blush from the blond chunin.

"Become a great ninja, okay, Naruto Uzumaki?" With a smile, Naruto promised her, just as he caught his headband as it fell back down.

Four Days Later

Hidden Leaf Village

Front Gate

Arriving at the front, Naruto, Jiraiya, Tsunade, and Shizune were met with a large crowd of people welcoming them home, surprising the former as they congratulated them for finding the next Hokage and bringing her home safe. To Tsunade's surprise, Naruto did not react to the praises he was getting.

"You could at least smile, Naruto," said Jiraiya, the blond raising a brow at this.

"So this is the personality problem Jiraiya told me about..." Tsunade wondered though she figured that Naruto would one day show the whole village his smile when he was ready. Perhaps once she assumes office, the first thing she would do would be to have Naruto smile more. Nearing the Hokage Rasidence, Naruto saw Kureha waiting for him with Jo.

"Kureha!?"

"Welcome home, Naruto!" she told him, running over to wrap her arms around him in a hug.

"I'm home...Kureha, can you stop, please You're embarrassing me in front of the adults..." he told her, his face flushed, further surprising Tsunade. "Just let me hold you like this for a few more seconds. I've missed you..."

"...Very well," said Naruto, hugging her back. "I've missed you too, Kureha."

Hokage Residence

Roof

To Naruto's annoyance, Danzo, Homura, and Koharu were there as he stood with Jiraiya, Tsunade, Shizune (with Tonton in hand), Jo, and Kureha. Jonins Genma and Aoba were also present.

"I can't believe you talked her into it..." Danzo told Jiraiya, sounding a bit displeased, Naruto, Jo, and Kureha being the only ones who noticed it.

"ALL IT TOOK WAS A FEW WORDS FROM YOURS TRULY WAHAHAHA!"

"I helped too, ya know," said Naruto, Kureha putting an assured hand hon his left shoulder.

"We must call our daimyo immediately," said Koharu, adding how they needed to hold a celebration for her appointment as the Fifth Hokage before telling the two Jonins to relay the message to the rest of the villagers.

"Well, if you're all done with her, there are three people at the hospital who need Granny Tsunade."

"Granny?" asked Kureha, tilting her head to the right in a cute manner.

ED1: Self-Inflicted Achromatic (自傷無色)(Cover) by Raon Lee


I would've made this a two-parter, but I figured, best to take care of the whole search for Tsunade thing right away. We've already seen the fight Tsunade and Jiraiya have with Orochimaru, so I skipped it.

With Naruto throwing Tonton at Kabuto, I wanted to be creative with how Naruto fought. He can be fierce and strategic, or random with some comedic results. This transition was a way to show Naruto slowly changing how he approached some scenarios in combat.

The Rasengan finally makes his appearance. Between Naruto of the 1st Universe, that being the original Naruto, and Naruto of the 458th Universe, the latter is more likely to get past more of the steps required to mastering it, the third part being far more difficult, due to the power he possessed. It's not like the Air Grenade. The Rasengan is a powerful jutsu if Naruto is struggling with the last part of mastering it.

Yes, Naruto in the 458th Universe can use it one-handed, without the need for clones.

The fight between Naruto and Kisame, this Naruto's not an idiot. He won't open the door to some strangers. If there are two S-Ranked Criminals behind a door between them and him, he's going to attack first. The part with the foam is based on Batman: Endgame, where Batman incapacitated Aquaman. With Kisame, the same trick would work. He does look like a fish out of water. If Naruto can't overwhelm his enemies with strength, he can do it in other ways.

The part where Naruto voiced how he knows who he is and the path he's walking, with Kabuto being angry about it is something to remember. For those unaware, Kabuto suffers an identity crisis, being forced to assume an identity not his during his time as a spy. However, this would lead him to forget who the real Kabuto is, Orochimaru telling him to follow his example, and he did. Naruto telling him all that triggered some bad memories of his life, and making him recall how he doesn't know the real him.

Going back to the fight, this Naruto is kicking his ass. He's not naive or out of his league. His strength is greater than Kabuto's. He was only able to almost kill Naruto by getting close and strike while Naruto was ramming a Rasengan into his stomach.

Before you say anything, an inebriated Tsunade, Naruto can best, since she's not herself, and she doesn't have much control. Take away the booze and her fear of blood, she's going to win that fight with Naruto. She's a Sannin after all. Jiraiya and Orochimaru as well.

With Naruto not wanting to become Hokage, I had to tweak so many things about the talk between Naruto and Drunk Tsunade. I am sure I did pretty good with it. Maybe decent. No room to complain, I guess.

Naruto telling Shizune doesn't really care if he dies, he really doesn't. He's pretty fearless when it comes to risking his life to protect others and rise to the occasion. He will, however, live for others' sake, though he has yet to even come across someone who'll tell him that. Will probably be in Part II.

One part I wanted but decided not to put in was going to be during the near-death experience Naruto had. Before he was going to pass out, and after Kabuto explained how he survived the Rasengan, I was going to have Naruto call Kabuto a nerd, which would serve to piss off Kabuto, finding Naruto's new approach on combat and the situation to be annoying and...well...unbearable.

Regarding Naruto's journey towards becoming who Naruto Uzumaki is and wants to be, what he's been experiencing from the first chapter to now would be considered the first step towards this. Even when Parts I, II, and II are done, that journey of life and living is still going, something we all go though every day until we finally feel fulfilled.

I think the next chapter, Naruto will be a bit more expressive with his facial expressions, his emotions, his circle of people, and the people he's facing. He won't be all-serious, and a bit more talkative. I may have some people in his circle taking notice.

Noe for the OP and ED. They were chosen mainly for the relatability of both songs and Naruto. Also, the ED, while spectacular, felt it was wasted in the "Magi's Grandson". I love Isekais, I do, but "Magi's Grandson" felt rushed, flat, and lacking in some areas. If it were me, I'd give it to an anime more deserving of it that matched and resonated with the song. I don't know which though.