This is a work of fan fiction using characters from the Naruto, which is trademarked by Masashi Kishimoto. Everything aside from the original characters are created from the wonderful mind of Kishimoto.
Misaki, Kaede, Akihiko and Kazuhiko are the original characters of mine.
Also, comments, suggestions, criticism, even just simple messages are welcomes, please feel free to message me anytime.
Thanks for reading!
Chapter 11: Fifth Hokage Prospect
Guy, who was carrying Sasuke stood at the town's exit before Misaki, Naruto and Jiraiya.
"I guess this is where we part" Jiraiya said
"Be sure to find Tsunade-sama and bring her back to-"
"You bet we'll find her and bring her right away!" Naruto didn't even let Guy finish his sentence as he assured the 'handsome beast of Konoha.' Jiraiya and Misaki laughed at Naruto fondly as Guy. Misaki walked forward towards Guy and held Sasuke's dangling hands from Guy's back.
Naruto watched as Misaki held Sasuke's hand as if making a silent promise for him to get even better, nestling his broken wrist cradling it gently.
"See you soon Sasuke, Guy-sensei sorry to ask too much of you, but please take care of Sasuke for me" Misaki said and Guy nodded, with a thumbs up.
"Naruto, Misaki, I like kids with guts like you, so I'm going to give this to you" Guy said pulling out two very green tracksuits, the same ones he was wearing from his pockets, to the wonder of the two young shinobi.
"This made Lee stronger, now I am giving this awesome gift to you too" Guy said letting the wind blow on the tracksuit.
"Their breathable wick suit and perfectly designed for free movement all in a beautiful stylish package. Before long you'll be wanting to wear them all the time like Lee, of course, I have a thing from them too" Guy, continued to brag leaving Naruto astonished and Misaki embarrassed.
"WOOWWW!" Naruto said taking his, whilst Misaki just gave a small smile and a sincere thank you. It was a gift, and even if it meant little to the receiver, the fact that it meant a lot to the one who gave it makes it all the more precious, but Misaki had been wondering why Guy would bring a track suit with him, more than anything else.
The three of them continued their journey silently which was quite an achievement considering Naruto is with them. Jiraiya had been walking ahead of them as Misaki and Naruto walked side by side. Misaki held her right hand, where the necklace Itachi had given her years ago had no resided, under the fingerless gloves she wore constantly. She had been pondering to remove it and finally dispose of it, but even after what happened, with Naurto's life being threatened and Sasuke being placed under Tsukiyomi, Misaki can't bring herself to part with the only remind she has left of Itachi.
'I still believe in your vision, even if you don't believe in it anymore!' Misaki's words replayed in her head over and over again, and it had been sincere, no matter how deep Itachi had sunk, Misaki believed in his vision of a peaceful shinobi world, one she wanted to realize with him, even if they both had to stand on the opposite sides of the spectrum to achieve it.
While walking to the next town, Naruto suddenly halted, making Misaki and Jiraiya turn around to see check what was wrong.
"Ero-sennin, why are they after me?" Naruto finally asked the question he had been wanting to utter since the moment he actually knew the fact, it surprised Misaki that he didn't ask right away.
"They're not after you, they're after what's inside of you," Jiraiya revealed.
"What the hell is inside me anyway?" Naruto said rubbing his palm on the place where the seal is placed in his stomach.
"It's the horrible demon that attacked Konoha right, and was dreaded by all, so why do they want it so much?"
"Indeed the nine tailed demon that appears at each crucial juncture throughout the ages, destroying everything in its path and people feared it like an act of nature, the reason why they would want such thing for such purpose I honestly can't quite say." Jiraiya entailed.
"But to wield such massive power and have it focus on one specific purpose gives it direction, making it all the more dangerous and all the more effective, whatever they cause maybe" Misaki mused out loud making Jiraiya frown at the small child. She had made up a simple and the most probable conclusion with just a few statements, definitely a testament on her heritage.
"now that the nine tailed fox is sealed up inside of you, they might be thinking they want that power in their control, it might be harsh to know that those kinds of ninjas are after you right not, but don't you worry, I'm going to protect you"
"Then there's nothing to do but to hurry up and get stronger, I have to!" Naruto said in unison, his anxiety already nowhere to be detected.
"Okay, let's hurry up and find this Tsunade person, have her heal Sasuke then immediately resume training!" Naruto gutsily yelled whether if it was a newfound determination or his own determination, Misaki wasn't sure anymore, all she knows is that Naruto will keep the will of fire burning in him, no matter what the cost. Misaki watched as he resumed to walk ahead of them leaving Misaki to walk beside Jiraiya.
"I never told you, but Naruto doesn't do well, under anyone's protection." Misaki smiled at Jiraiya, making Jiraiya smile at the nostalgic duo.
'They grew up quite fascinating,'Jiraiya thought as he looked up to the skies.
"This beautiful lady you want to research on, is it this Tsunade person?" Naruto pondered as they neared the next town.
"Huh, that's surprisingly sharp coming from you, so what about it?" Jiraiya exclaimed.
"She's a part of the Sannin thing like you right, ero-sennin?" Naruto continued and Jiraiya simple agreed upon his question.
"Then how old is she?"
"My age" Jiraiya said with a thumbs up, and it didn't take a mind reading jutsu like the one from the Yamanaka clan to know that Naruto's mind was instantly littered with old ladies from then on. On the way Naurto asked about Tsunade so much, that Misaki remembered where she had heard that name from before. That the name Kaede would matter every time she was about to give up or if she had failed on something and had no will to get back up. It was always, 'Damn it what would Tsunade-sensei say or Tsunade-sensei would be laughing at me right now' Misaki had always thought it was some sort of religious teacher or a monk, or a Shinto priestess the way Kaede reverenced the name.
Misaki had no idea that she was a ninja, nor did she ever connected that the Tsunade-sensei Kaede muttered about is the same legendary Tsunade, one of the legendary sannin, or according to Jiraiya, gambling wise, the legendary sitting duck, known for gambling and losing, quite hot on the money lenders and uses a special type of jutsu to look in many different stages in her life as a way to evade money lenders or to simply not look old.
"Oh, that's quite impressive, I wonder how she manages it?" Misaki wondered.
"This is not time to be impressed, how do you propose we find her?" Naruto yelled in frustration, already this was proving to be difficult for him, especially when all he had on his mind was an old lady about Jiraiya's age, Naruto was already beginning to think of the time they will waste in looking for Tsunade.
"It wouldn't be a waste of time, because we'll take this time of searching and traveling as a time to make you strong, a time for training" Jiraiya said and that got Naruto pumped up so much that he placed his bag down and took out the track suit that Guy had given them.
"No, no, I won't be seen walking next to someone like that" Jiraiya said, trying to talk Naruto out of wearing the very green tracksuit.
Guy had arrived at the hospital where Kaede had arranged Kakashi to be transferred. Physically nothing was wrong with him, but if he doesn't wake up ingest sustenance, then his mental wound would be just one of two problems, but just as it had been from day one, Kaede had yet to leave the unconscious Kakashi's side, morning, noon and night, Kaede stood beside Kakashi.
The same vision Guy encountered the moment he returned with Sasuke on his back.
"Sasuke!" Kaede said rushing to take the unmoving boy from Guy and setting him on the empty bed just beside Kakashi's.
"What happened Guy?" Kaede asked as she quickly and skillfully removed Sasuke's clothing to assess the damage.
"They had an encounter with Itachi and Kisame, Itachi trashed Sasuke before putting him under the same genjutsu he used on Itachi" Guy explained and he saw Kaede freeze for a split second, before resuming cleaning Sasuke.
"And Naruto and Misaki?" Kaede asked beginning touching Sasuke's bare torso as her hands glowed a unique shade of purple chakra.
"Guy-san" Medical nin entered the room only to stop to see Kaede tending to Sasuke's wounds, it was an unorthodox method as Kaede used a unique purple chakra deviating from the usual green medical ones, but the evidence cannot be doubted, Sasuke's wounds have already visibly healed, but the main problem still remained, and that problem remained beyond Kaede's touch.
"Damn it!" Kaede yelled in frustration as she punched the next to her.
"Wow, it's my first time to be in this kind of town!" Naruto stood amazed at another different village for him.
"Down time is important, so why don't you go have fun, we'll stay here and we'll train too!" Jiraiya exclaimed. Naruto took out his very fat wallet, that Jiraiya confiscated leaving him only a handful of money to spend on, warning him of the three shinobi taboos and not to get involved with it.
Jiraiya left his bag to Naruto and instructed him to summon a tracking toad if they needed to find him.
Naruto ran off but no before turning back at him to blow a raspberry.
"Eh, what about you Misaki, aren't you going to have fun with Naruto?" Jiraiya asked the little red head.
"I just have a question, it's been bothering me for a while" Misaki said and Jiraiya squatted in front of her to get down on her eye level and pat her head.
"What is it?"
"You were the third hokage's students along with Tsunade-san and you were both renowned sannins. We left the village before Sasuke was placed under the genjutsu and nor have any knowledge of Kakashi's predicament, but I'm guessing the search for Tsunade was the main reason, right"
"Yeah"
"So if we're searching for Tsunade for more than medical reasons, she is a prospective candidate for the position of hokage isn't she?"
"My my, your pretty sharp for your age" Jiraiya said rubbing the back of his head.
"But you were one of the legendary sannin and already a good candidate to being a hokage, so I'm guessing you turned it down" Misaki added, to this Jiraiya been immobilized. Misaki wasn't just perceptive, but she was analytical for her age, a feat only rivaled by only a handful of people.
"Ne, Jiraiya-san why did you turn it down?" Misaki said eyes wide with innocence and question. Jiraiya simply playfully pinched her cheeks and smiled.
"Well I guess the title of hokage is not really for a man like me" Jiraiya said smiling at Misaki.
"Oi Misaki, what are you doing hanging around ero-sennin for, let's go" Naruto exclaimed returning from where he had disappeared from and dragging Misaki by the wrist.
"Seriously they look just like them it's heartbreaking" Jiraiya said smiling at the two.
Naruto had dragged Misaki from one food stall to another buying to for each then eating them all, surprised that Misaki can eat just as much as he can.
Once they had spent all the 300 ryo they were only allowed by Jiraiya to spend. Together they carried squid on sticks as they walked the streets of the foreign village. There they heard Jiraiya's boisterous voice out of what looks to be a brothel, Naruto entered without really knowing the nature of the place as Misaki decided to stay outside and wait for them. Laughing as Naruto attacked Jiraiya for making his frog wallet flat.
Two excessively dressed men entered the brothel next to Naruto, Misaki didn't know the particulars, just something about a suit, 100,000 ryo, a legendary chunin and a new technique before the two men were blasted outside so hard they hit and destroyed the water balloon stall in front of it.
Misaki watched in wonder as Jiraiya was given money to pay for the repair while simultaneously buying water balloons.
"Naruto, Misaki let's go training time" Jiraiya lead the two on a forest enclosure above the village as he set down the water balloons he bought. Misaki and Naruto also set down their bags before standing in front of Jiraiya ready for their training.
Jiraiya handed Naruto a balloon then explained the principles of the training of gathering chakra in their hands, then maintaining it releasing a continuous amount until the water balloon pops.
"It seems like it's going to be easier than I thought" Naruto said.
"Misaki, come on, let's catch up on sleep" Jiraiya said as he sat down on by a tree taking out a gourd of sake.
"But shouldn't I be training, too?"
"Nope this is Naruto's start, you'll be training as soon as he breaks a water balloon" Jiraiya said and Misaki sat down near Naruto and silently watched him as he trained.
After a while, taken out a book from one of her sealed scrolls and started to read as Naruto continued to train.
"WHY DOESN'T IT BREAK?!" Naruto exclaimed surprising Misaki and Jiraiya, who was already in deep sleep, gourds of sake pooled at his feet.
"Well, have you broke one yet?" Jiraiya asked still half asleep.
"Ah, well it's almost done, or how should I call it" Naruto said embarrassed.
"My it seems that I went beyond afternoon nap and went into a deep sleep"Jiraiya said covertly insulting Naruto.
Misaki watched the exchange between the two as Naruto realized that he was spinning his chakra in the wrong direction, and how the technique they were going to learn didn't need hand signs perfect to be stupid.
"This ninjutsu is passed down to us by the fourth hokage, it took him three whole years to perfect this jutsu, this jutsu is second on the six degrees of difficulty in mastering, an A-rank super high level ninjutsu. In order to learn this move, there are three steps in training first would be the water balloon breaking. There's no point in explaining anymore to someone who can't even clear the first step do the rest by yourself. Meanwhile, I'll be going back to town to gather information what are you going to do" Jiraiya said looking behind him to see Naruto looking at the water balloon in deep reverie.
"I'm not going to go back yet!" Naruto announced making Jiaraiya and Misaki smile.
"Well in that case, I should stay, someone has to keep Naruto out of danger" Misaki smiled, moving to a more comfortable position by the tree as if to express her point.
Misaki trained her with her katana as Naruto trained tirelessly day and night for three days, until on the fourth day Naruto had felt the strain on his right hand was the day that marked another success. Misaki had been in the room making the futons they had slept on the previous night and Naruto had returned from the toilet to wake up Jiraiya, whom he effectively woke up when he broke a water balloon on his face.
A feat he was willing to repeat to demonstrate to Jiraiya, he held the water balloon in his less dominant hand, and started swirl his hand on top of the balloon. Misaki felt pride swell as Naruto stood triumphantly, only Jiraiya was too sleepy and too hung over to witness it, but Misaki had no doubt in her mind that Jiraiya realized the genius of finding his own way of doing something.
Naruto explained it even further when they sat down for breakfast, amusing Misaki even more when Naruto had told the tail of watching a cat playing with a water balloon. They soon found themselves in a semi-circle position at the forest where they trained days prior.
"Now, you're going to break this!" Jiraiya said showing them a white rubber ball. Naruto had tried to use the same technique he successfully used with the water balloon. The rubber ball reacted, however it did not break.
"Next step is force, since there is no water inside, it's more difficult to imaging the rotation of chakra, therefore increasing the difficulty."
Misaki watched in silence as Naruto stared at the white rubber ball, this time Jiraiya caught her attention when he threw a water balloon at her.
"As promised, your training starts after Naruto breaks a balloon. Same principle, rotate the water violently inside the balloon until it pops." Jiraiya instructed and Misaki nodded and followed dutifully.
It had only taken a good twenty seconds for Misaki to make the balloon shake violently and another five seconds to make it pop, shocking both Naruto and Jiraiya.
"Woah! Misaki you popped it you popped it!" Naruto yelled in wonder as Misaki accomplished something in seconds what he did in several days.
"Well then, I'll leave you then, I'll go back to town to gather information" Jiraiya said leaving them.
"Ah, Misaki, when you pop a balloon, come find me in town, well then later" Jiraiya said and left for town.
"Let's go" Naruto said and they both concentrated with their own rubber balls.
By night fall Misaki's rubber ball had already popped, surprising both of them.
Jiraiya had been at the brothel just a Misaki suspected he'll find her, judging from the increasing stamps attached to his body whenever he goes back to sleep, she only had to ask where she can find the source of paper then voila, Jiraiya had been there.
"Um, Jiraiya-san?" Misaki said entering the brothel with a blind fold, surprising Jiraiya and the girls he was spending time with.
"Uh, Misaki what are you doing here, and with a blindfold no less" Jiraiya asked sipping sake.
"Oh, this? My mom said when entering an establishment where in a man laughs like he is sitting on cloud nine to not enter at all, but if I was left with no choice, I enter with a blind fold" Misaki said. Jiraiya froze imagining what Kaede would put him through the moment she realizes that Misaki had to enter a brothel for him.
"Is that so hahahahaha. Well then Misaki what are you here for? Do you need something?" Jiraiya asked gleefully trying to brush away Kaede's various measured of torture.
"Um, you told me to come find you when I manage to explode a rubber ball" Misaki said facing him, as if she really knew where he was. Jiraiya was in deep though, he knew that Misaki would have no problem with the water balloon, but to accomplish the rubber ball within the day.
"Sorry, did I interrupt something?" Misaki said completely innocent because of Kaede's protectiveness of her.
"No, I was just about to go, sorry ladies but I need to see to it that this little girl gets home" Jiraiya said making the girls go 'awwww",
Once outside, Misaki removed her blindfold and followed as Jiraiya brought her to a completely different forest on a completely different part of the village.
"Huh, where are we?" Misaki asked studying her surroundings, this part of the forest was a little more enclosed than the other one.
"Now let's see how you exploded the rubber ball" Jiraiya said as he finally stopped walking to face.
"But I don't have any rubber balls with me, I left it at Naruto" Misaki pouted, trying to feel her clothes if she had reserved a rubber ball somewhere in her clothers.
"It's no problem, just show me how you did it without the rubber ball" Jiraiya nodded towards her. Misaki's face was a mask of confusion before raising her right hand to do as she was told.
In the palm of her hand started a small gold chakra spinning faster and faster in many directions growing bigger. Jiraiya stared not at the fact that Misaki was able to perform the justu on its second stage quite well, but he focused solely on the color of Misaki's chakra as if manifested in her hands.
'Just as I thought, she has that chakra' Jiraiya thought as Misaki slammed her palm on the ground creating a swirling pattern.
"Here" Jiraiya said and hander her an ordinary balloon this time.
"Huh" Misaki said as she played with the balloon in the palm of her hands.
"Now do that same thing, this time without have to pop the balloon" Jiraiya instructed.
"You mean like concentrate the chakra?" Misaki inquired and Jiraiya gave him a thumbs up. Misaki held the balloon and started to focus and mold chakra in her hands. The balloon moved several times until it popped.
"Do it again until the balloon doesn't pop anymore" Jiraiya said handing her several balloons to air herself and use for her training.
After two days, Misaki had already mastered the rasengan.
"Okay, let's see what you have so far" Jiraiya said creating a rasengan, the natural color of blue with Misaki following creating hers that was a unique but familiar shade of gold.
"Ready?" Jiraiya asked as they stood facing each other. Misaki merely nodded and they charged at each other clashing two versions of rasengan.
Once the debris and smoke had settled, Jiraiya's rasengan had been defeated by Misaki's still active one, that simply disappeared by her slow deactivation. Jiraiya had been expecting this outcome for a chakra to come against that kind of chakra, but still the result are still quite surprising.
'she has the power to use that'
"Hahahahaha! As expected for a child prodigy, now how good are you with sealing techniques?" Jiraiya asked, making Misaki confused again.
"Well I did well I guess, I used it a lot to pack up some stuff, it came really useful when travelling" Misaki mused, and Jiraiya had to laugh, Misaki had only been using seals for simple things, not knowing that a lot of people struggle with it, like it came normally to her.
"Here, I want you to study this for me and see what you can do" Jiraiya said handing her a scroll with a swirling sigil, similar to what the jonins wear on their jackets and to Naruto's clothes.
"Well, see you, I'm going to hear back down town to gather some data" Jiraiya said leaving Misaki to her own devices, if what Kakashi said was true about learning the fourth hokage's transportation technique and make it her own, she would have no problem with the scroll Jiraiya had given her.
Misaki watched in query as Jiraiya left, leaving her with a scroll to study, curious, Misaki opened her scroll.
"Let's see, Adamantine Sealing" Misaki muttered out loud and took her time to study the technique.
Three weeks later Jiraiya didn't hear so much as anything from the two kids, wondering what could have been with the two of them. Naruto was an expected one, but Misaki, Misaki had been without utterance since the scroll was given to her.
"Speak of the Devil" Jiraiya said seeing Misaki strolling around food stalls, with food in her hands.
"Misaki-chan," Misaki turned to the sound of her name to see the big white haired sannin waving as he approached her.
"Jiraiya-san, it's so rare to see you during the day since you're so busy gathering information" Misaki smiled sweetly, but the statement was thick, almost drowning with sarcasm.
"Ah, is that so? Where are you off to?" asked following the little girl with the long red hair.
"How have you been with the scroll I gave you?" Jiraiya asked and Misaki stopped looking solemnly.
"It's going okay, but I don't think I'm at the level where in I am confident to use it" Misaki answered and continued walking to Naruto's training forest, where she found Naruto laying down with a blank gaze on his face.
"Neh, Naruto are you spacing off again?" Naruto's view of the skies was blocked by long red hair, so long that the tips touched his face.
"Misaki! What are you doing here? Are you done with your training?" Naruto said quickly sitting up.
"Nope, I just came here to see if you wanted to eat something, you've been here day and night" Misaki explained as she offered Naruto half of the many food she had bought. Once finished, Misaki allowed Naruto to rest for a while.
"Hey Naruto, what were you thinking just now?" Misaki asked.
"Oh, back in the academy, to teach us to focus, Iruka-sensei would place leaves on our forehead and use if to concentrate with chakra, he said that was where the hitae-ate originated from, back then I thought it was stupid, only now I realize I was the stupid one" Naruto told her laughing at himself, making Misaki laugh as well.
"Here" Misaki said taking out a brush pen, whilst asking for Naruto's palm, where Jiraiya had drawn a small swirling target on it. Misaki added a few strokes and when Naruto had taken his hand back, he realized that Misaki had drew the Konoha symbol.
"Okay" Naruto yelled standing up, grabbing a rubber ball and concentrated. He concentrated on the rubber ball so long, that when it popped, it exploded so hard, it sent both of them flying backwards.
"It broke" Naruto muttered as his body shook with a exhaustion and being dragged by the explosion.
"That's good, the second steps seems complete"
"Hurry, the third step" Naruto insisted, but when Misaki finally stood from her landing place from the explosion, it was evident that Naruto was in no shape to continue with the third step.
"That will come later, we have to see Tsunade now"Jiraiya declared.
The day they were going to leave to the town where Tsunade was, it seems the traveling companions have switched place. Naruto had been the one in a bad mood and Jiraiya was in really great mood.
"Why are you such in a bad mood?" Jiraiya asked.
"Because I was in the middle of training!" Naruto whined and to ease his irritation, Jiraiya had demonstrated the third phase to Naruto.
As the two discussed the third step, Misaki had been deep in thought. It had been a while since they separated from Sasuke, at this rate, Kakashi and Sasuke are probably at the hospital, since they cannot wake up to eat, their bodies will deteriorate, besides Sasuke had sustained a lot of physical injury that day, her only resolve was Kaede was there to watch over the two, then there was Kazuzhiko and Akihiko.
"Oi, Misaki are you listening? We're going" Naruto said dragging the girl who was a hundred miles away.
"Sorry sorry" Misaki muttered as she was dragged down by the loud nina.
On the way to the said town where the said female sannin was at, Naruto has been popping several balloons trying to not get the balloon to pop, contradicting everything he has been doing for the past few weeks. It made no and complete sense altogether.
"Um, Jiraiya-san, what was Tsunade like?"
"Well, Tsunade is impatient and short-tempered, much like your mom" Jiraiya froze at his own slip of the tongue, slowly turning his head to watch Misaki, with his experience with the girl, had been quick to catch on things and put them together, that simple slip of the tongue would have led to an early and premature reveal.
"Yeah, mom has always been quick to light up, but since Kakashi had entered our lives, she has been a little calmer, she even packed me my bag for this trip. Usually I would have to sneak my way in between deathly traps just to exit the house" Misaki explained, Jiraiya had released a sigh, Kaede sure was a short fuse, and being a mother to Misaki, Kaede had molded her scary attitude with fierce protectiveness, a scary combination.
Behind them Naruto had exploded another balloon and fell flat on his back.
"Hey Naruto, not time to be falling now, we have to catch up to Tsunade." Those henceforth igniting the thirteenth time they have argued that day.
When they arrived in town, Jiraiya took out a picture from his pockets and started asking if the villagers had seen her. Judging from the photo, Tsunade had been young, however, Misaki knew that Tsunade had been missing for a few years and the clothing she wore in the picture was from a different era. That put together, Jiraiya had had that picture a long time ago, but why would a womanizer like Jiraiya would have a picture of a woman he knew in pristine condition for so long.
The answer would have been more complicated, but Misaki's guess was Tsunade was the love of his life, but he got rejected, so he brushed it off with womanizing.
They had entered gambling house from gambling house, with Naruto winning every time he tries out something when he was too bored to wait for Jiraiya, fattening up his flattened frog wallet, much to Jiraiya's speculation.
The three of them stood at and stared down at a tall castle, or what was left if the said tall castle had been standing up.
"What the heck happened here?" Naruto asked.
"Snakes, giant snakes, I recognize the pattern, from that time at the chunin exams" Misaki pointing to the ground.
"Let's hurry!" Jiraiya said running on the roof followed by his apprentices.
Night had fallen, they had found another wall broken but still no sign of Tsunade.
"Let's dine here" Jiraiya said and entered another establishment as Misaki simultaneously blindfolded her eyes, as per instruction of her mother.
"AH! Isn't this a pub?! AH! Misaki what are you doing with a blindfold?" Misaki simply said something about her mother's orders and entered the pub with Naruto.
"TSUNADE!"
"JIRAIYA?! What the hell are you doing here?" a female voice said.
Naruto insisted and removed Misaki's blindfold since there were dividers surrounding them. She sat in between Jiraiya and Naruto across Tsunade and her apprentice Shizune. Tsunade had taken out a deck of cards and handed them to Jiraiya to shuffle.
"I'll be frank with you, the village is demanding you to become the fifth hokage" Jiraiya said, making everybody pause in surprise, aside from Misaki who already had a hypothesis and Naruto who chocked in surprise.
"Who are these brats,?" Tsunade asked irritated, in the midst of Naruto yelling and flailing around.
"Uzumaki Naruto, Namikaze Misaki" Jiraiya introduced, Naruto glaring at her and Misaki simply smiling as she muttered nice to meet you.
Misaki continued to eat in silence as Naruto started yelling about the new information he is currently being forced to choke on, both literally and figuratively when Jiraiya told him to simply shut up. Jiraiya explained Tsunade's credentials to being the fifth hokage that had to do with her battle prowess, medical expertise and the fact that she was the first hokage's granddaughter.
"Compare to your previous apprentice, this proves to be a mere shadow" Tsunade said comparing Naruto to the fourth hokage.
"Well, that was an unfair comparison the fourth hokage had all the traits of becoming a great ninja, brimming with talent in techniques and he had a brilliant mind, popular with the village and he was as handsome as me"
"But even the fourth hokage died quickly, risking his own life for the village, life is different from money, to easily rist it and lose it is a fool's doing, both my grandfather and great uncle, seemed to want to subdue the disturbances of war above all else, but after all they died in vain, in the midst of their dreams for the village,"
"You have changed Tsunade, I didn't know you had that thought before, but to say such thing out loud,"
"I may look young, but I'm already in my fifties, time changes people, same goes for Sarutobi-sensei, no wonder he died showing off at that old age!" Tsunade continued to entail.
"Hokage is a bother, only a fool would take it" Tsunade finished and that did it for Naruto as Misaki ducked to avoid him launch himself at Tsunade and Jiraiya to just grab him by his jacket.
"Anyone who makes fun of the old man and the fourth hokage, I don't care if you're old or a woman, I'll clobber you with my might" Naruto challenged, and to her complete surprise the renowned kunoichi took on his challenge and all of them took it outside.
Naruto was thown back by a simple flick on the forehead so strong that it left a mark on his forehead.
"Hey brat, I have to ask before you faint, why are you so passionate about the mention of Hokage?" Tsuande asked.
"Unlike you, I will inherit the title of hokage, because hokage is my dream" Naruto lurched with a prototype rasengan at the prospective fifth hokage, which was easily evaded when Tsunade broke the very road Naruto was running on, thus a continued yelling resulted in a wager that is Naruto mastered the justu in a few days, he would be given the necklace Tsunade was wearing, that she inherited from the first hokage and if Naruto loses, Gama-chan the wallet will lose weight once again.
'However a wager's a wager right? Naruto has been quite gifted games of luck and wagers versus Tsunade who was known for losing,' Misaki thought mischievously as she watched the legendary kunouchi walk away.
That night Naruto entailed how he was going to start training tomorrow yelling his training plans to Misaki who was taking a bath when a knock came, revealing Shizune, who came to speak in behelf of Tsunade and how Tsunade was a completely different person before, and how Tsunade had lost everything on that day and that the present was cursed for anyone who wears it to die.
Misaki finally having finished showering, exited the room, to see Shizune standing alone in the room, as Naruto walked away.
"Shizune right?" Misaki said as she toweled and brush her long red hair.
"Yes,"
"Mom said she had a friend Shizune back then, as a matter of fact she said they were both apprentices to Tsunade-sensei, I never thought I'd actually meet you" Shizune's eyes widened.
"Kaede, Kaede is your mom?" Shizune asked.
"Uh, so I was right, with how my mom revered Tsunade-san, I don't really doubt her, however, this isn't about one thing or another anymore Shizune-san" Misaki explained as she sat on the bed.
"So please, have fate in Naruto" Misaki said, staring seriously at Shizune. When Shizune left, probably to go find her master, Misaki stared at the moon outside their window, wondering if luck would be on Naruto's side in his wager against Tsunade.
It had been a week, since Naruto had returned to the inn, and Misaki had been worried, not out of doubt against Naruto, but of the certainty that he was definitely pushing past his limits again. That night, on the eve of their fated fight, Misaki decided to check on in him and on the way, she encountered Shizune.
"Ah, Shizune-san, how have you been?" Misaki said smiling as she reached Shizune.
"Fine, I guess, how about you where are you off too?"
"Oh, I was just going to check in on Naruto, he hasn't returned from training since the night you talked to him" Misaki said like it was the most normal thing in the world, making her look in confusion as Shizune stopped.
"Is something wrong?"
"Naruto hasn't rested since we last talked?"
"Yeah, that idiot like to push himself way past his limits, I guess that's why I'm on my way there now" Misaki explained.
The moment they reached the clearing, Naruto had been laying on the ground amongst several broken logs and crated stones, leaving Shizune to worry and panic.
"Shizune-san, it's alright, like I said Naruto is prone to going way beyond his limit" Misaki said and placed Naruto on her back, to get back to the inn for some well-deserved rest.
"Ne, Misaki, why do you believe in Naruto so much?" Shizune asked at the little red head who was carrying the blonde.
"Hmm, I don't really know I guess I just felt it" Misaki said, and it had been true, the moment Misaki and Naruto had met, no doubt had ever crept in her heart, she always had full fate in Naruto. Once they arrive at the inn, Misaki immediately placed Naruto in bed to give him a full night's rest.
"I'll go get him something to eat Shizune-san, do you mind if you look after him for me, just for a little while" Misaki said and left the inn, encountering Tsunade as she entered the inn.
By the time, Misaki had arrived back, Shizune was knocked out cold on the ground.
"Shizune-san" Misaki said trying to shake her awake but to no avail.
"Damn, is it an attack?!" Misaki said taking out her katana and searching for signs of enemies or forced entry, as a matter of fact, there was no signs of struggle on Shizune's part.
Meaning the hit must have come from someone friendly, and she could only think of one person.
Misaki carried Shizune on her bed and stayed on watch, not leaving anything to possibility is she had been wrong about her speculation.
The next morning, when Naruto woke up, Misaki greeted him with a smile and a bunch full of food.
"Naruto, good luck on your bet today, with Tsunade-san, eat up, and wake Shizune-san for me, I just have to take care of a few things." Misaki said and bolted out of the window.
Tsunade was leaning where Orochimaru had stood a few days ago when he confronted her and practically bribed her to heal his hands.
"I was right to find you here" a voice came from above her, where she found Misaki sitting on the roof, legs dangling leisurely as she ate a box of mochi. Tsunade's eyes focused on the red head kunoichi, she didn't even hear or sense her.
"What are you doing here?" Tsunade asked.
"Are you going to accept it?" Misaki asked as she jumped down to Tsunade's level.
"What do you mean?"
"Orochimaru's offer, are you going to accept it?" Misaki specified her question, making Tsunade freeze.
"How did you know about that?" she asked, fists clenching, has the child been spying at her, no she couldn't have Shizune had not said a word about it and she had been with Jiraiya the whole time.
"I didn't, however I had my speculations for a few days now. On the day we found you, you had muttered about seeing Orochimaru, during the attack on Konoha, the third hokage sacrificed his final breathe to seal away Orochimaru's use of his hands, as a medically renowned ninja, it's obvious he would find you as a solution. He can't battle you outright without his ninjutsu but he can't very well force you to his bidding, answer is that he's going to offer you something that you want, my guess is that something you lost when you changed" Misaki explained.
"Pus I know Orochimaru had been here, judging from the state of the castle and the fact that I know he is as of this moment approaching where we are standing" Misaki added, just as Orochimaru finally revealed himself.
"I'd never thought I'd see you at this kind of place, Namikaze Misaki" Orochimaru said staring at the young girl standing next to Tsunade, who was gazing at him with blank, but calculating eyes.
"So what would it be Tsunade?" turning his attention to his former comrade.
"I will heal your hands, in exchange for that keep your hands off the village" Tsunade said and to that Orochimaru laughed muttering an okay. Miskai kept a stern gaze, as Tsunade walked towards Orochimaru. There was no doubt about doubting Orochimaru's words and Misaki trusted the fact that Tsunade is a strong woman who knows this, so Misaki trusted her judgement, even as the chakra became visible in Tsunade's hands.
Misaki had barely enough time to react, using her mark on Orochimaru to deflect a kunai with her katana as Kabuto made himself known. Misaki frowned standing in front of Tsunade protectively.
"Trust a snake to never be without its tail" Misaki declared as she glared at Kabuto who stood behind Orochimaru.