The Fox and the Hound

Chapter 19: One's Dream

Chapter Summary: Tsunade has an impossible choice ahead of her and Naruto an impossible task… But no one tells Naruto no and Tsunade may not be as lost as she seems.

Author Note: Man I am going to owe you guys like 7 missing moments and a thousand apologies aren't I? Final Fantasy 13 came out on March 9th and well I have to sit and play through those games until the finish because the story usually has me hooked 2 hours in….so yeah I've been M.I.A. doing that. Lucky for you guys I'm at a boss fight that keeps pounding my face into the dirt so I decided to step back for a day or two and figure out what I'm doing wrong.

P.S. Cripes it's been a month since I updated…. God I feel awful about that….SO Here's what we're doing. You'll notice this one is a short one. But I kinda noticed tacking on the fight onto this particular section would also be like over kill cause who wants to scroll through that many pages in one sitting. SO since I really do owe you guys SOMETHING…I'm putting the first part of the chapter up now and the second part will be either later tonight (still working on it.) or Tuesday afternoon.

Again I really apologize for dropping off the face of the planet on this :D I just got caught up on my video game habit.

P.S.S. … I swear liking this arc has backfired badly… I don't wanna change it…I like it how it was!!! XD

It was hard to remember that twelve-years-old was an odd, transitional age. It was a fact Jiraiya had to keep repeating to himself as he exited the town of Tanzaku and out into the surrounding thicket of trees and brush. He had taught kids before, hell almost every Jounin out there would train at least one team of Genin, but this kid was just throwing him off. At times it would seem Naruto was completely relaxed and focused; a model Shinobi, and then there were those instances where Jiraiya had to ponder where the hell such a reaction came from.

It was not like Naruto had ever met his mother but he certainly acted like her at times.

But the more he thought on the matter the more obvious and predictable the reason for the tongue-lashing Naruto gave to Tsunade became.

Sarutobi's death was the sole factor.

Jiraiya had been prepared for Tsunade to blow off that particular detail. The Sandaime had tried his best to keep her in Konoha but merely ended up alienating the woman from him further. It was also because Tsunade was just like him; they both were in their fifties and after losing so many people you just become sort of numb to it. It still stung and created a void but there was a time and place for such things and in all honesty Sarutobi was around a lot longer than many others would have been in this line of work.

But Naruto was twelve-years-old. It was that odd age of not really being a child anymore but not really a teenager or an adult. Naruto understood how he was to act and behave as a Shinobi but sometimes the emotional rush just hit the right place and he lashed out like he had in the bar. Sarutobi had meant something to the boy and hearing someone who, as Naruto had to see it, was close to Sarutobi dismiss his passing as nothing more than happenstance just hit the right trigger.

A trigger that had to be pretty raw and paper thin at this point.

The kid was having a particularly lovely month the more Jiraiya thought about it. Sarutobi, a man Naruto openly called 'oji-san', was dead. The village he had grown up in had gaping holes and several dead. Kakashi, his guardian for a good chunk of the boy's life, was in the hospital as was another of his teammates. Naruto just had the ground beneath him torn away and he was unsteady; understandable given the circumstances.

Jiraiya knew he should have been making a little more effort to gain the boy's trust; to try to build a student-teacher bond of some sort but so far he had met invisible walls and believed Naruto would slowly open back up the longer they were together. He had to admit it was an exercise he was not too familiar with. Jiraiya never really had to gain any of his other student's trust because they had just given it to him freely without thought. Naruto was not so easy.

As he came upon a small clearing in the forest growth he found the blonde doing just as he thought he would be. Naruto was throwing himself fully into perfecting the Rasengan just to prove Tsunade wrong. Just to show her what it was she was missing.

He glanced around momentarily for Ririshii and did not immediately see the shepherd and wondered just where the mutt had gone. Riri had a good feel for his master's moods and to leave him alone and unattended in his current mood was just allowing him to repeat what he had a few days prior; drive himself into the ground. And if Orochimaru was indeed in the area they could not really have that.

"I just have to figure out what it is he offered Tsunade. She gave him a week to master the Rasengan for a reason. She wouldn't entertain any offer Orochimaru had…would she?" Jiraiya frowned as the boy's scraped palm once again slammed into a nearby tree and only created spirals.

At one time he could have honestly refuted any possibility that Tsunade would do anything to help Orochimaru. They all had seen what he had been doing while under Sarutobi's protective bubble; they knew what his true intentions were. But now? He could not say. Tsunade was not the fiery woman he had chased endlessly during their days as Chuunin and Jounin. It was possible she was having a hard time deciding and that in of itself was dangerous.

Still he had to give her time to clear her head. There was little he could do when she was completely pissed off. He had seen that momentary flicker in her eyes the night before after Naruto declared he would follow in Sensei's footsteps; to be Hokage.

Her little brother used to have such dreams….

So instead he took his time walking into Naruto's sphere of awareness and decided to spearhead the problem he could actually do something about at present. For Naruto's credit he did not stop to look at him but he had a slight hesitation in his step before plowing right back into what he had set in his mind to do. Jiraiya found a stump to sit on and watched for a while noting that the efforts were not being wasted entirely, he was getting closer to unlocking the right mix of power and spin, it was just probably getting past the pain threshold that was holding him back.

"I forgot how much that hurts when you're learning it." Jiraiya smirked a little flexing one of his hands instinctively. The reason it had taken Minato so long to perfect it was exactly the same thing, he had believed he was doing damage because until your body got used to that particular strain and output it hurt like a thousand needles digging into your arms.

Several long minutes transpired as he debated the best way to approach Naruto but in the long run it was just like dealing with Kakashi. He needed to blindside him.

"So wanna talk about it?" He called out as Naruto retraced his steps to an invisible starting point in the middle of the clearing.

"About what?" Naruto snorted and focused on gathering his chakra and spinning it.

"Oh about anything?" Jiraiya shrugged and pointed to the several trees now adorning spirals. "Certainly seems like your upset."

Naruto went at his target again, the same result and snarled at the tree before returning to square one as it was. He glanced momentarily at him then back to his task and hunched his shoulders a bit.

"I can't believe that the elders would want someone like her to be Hokage. There's no way." Naruto spat out as he gathered another ball in his other hand. He was still toying with the idea of which hand the technique worked best with. "She's a liar, a gambler, and a drunk. That is not a Hokage, that's a lost cause."

"Oh is it now? And what exactly is a Hokage then?" Jiraiya folded his arms and waited. This was the right track to follow because bets were that this boy's ideals of Hokage were going to detail Sarutobi.

It certainly stopped Naruto and he just stood there his eyes turned upwards towards the fluffy clouds floating overhead. For a second Jiraiya wondered if the boy caught on to his true intentions or if he was just stuck on the idea of it all.

"They should want to protect Konoha, not abandon it." Naruto finally whispered. "They should be the strongest in the village but they should not want to hold that power over people. The Hokage should be the pillar of the village, the one everyone looks to for guidance…"

"And you do not think she fits any of those things."

"How could anyone look to her for anything when she can't even find herself?" Naruto dropped the chakra he was gathering and turned on Jiraiya like a ravenous dog looking for the tiniest of scrap of food. He wanted to understand their choice but was finding it too hard to do so. "She's unreliable and she left the village…why in the world would anyone trust her after that?"

"Well because she is a Sannin and because she is the granddaughter of the First Hokage. She has a birthright in their eyes." Jiraiya shrugged. "And before she left the village she was a leader, she was strong and she loved the village dearly."

"And yet she abandoned it." Naruto snorted and turned his eyes back up at the clouds. "Oji-san would never…"

"You're right he wouldn't have. I'm not saying her actions were right ones but it was how she chose to handle things. " Jiraiya sighed and shook his head. "You're right in the fact that she can't find herself, that's why we're here really."

"Why is it our job?" Naruto frowned upwards at the sky. "Seems to me she doesn't want to be found."

"Heh, certainly seems that way. But that's what he would have wanted. Sensei always worried about her, after she left. He would want her to come home."

Naruto flinched at that. He diverted his gaze and his jaw became set as he watched clouds floating by lazily.

"I know he meant something to you." Jiraiya pressed forward and waited. "It doesn't do any good to let it fester."

Naruto hung his head and kept his gaze well away from Jiraiya. Yes twelve was that wonderfully awkward age when you were old enough to go out and kill for your village but was not old enough to mentally deal with something like 'death', especially when that death involved someone from a pool of people that had very few in it to begin with.

"I'm afraid…"

Jiraiya raised an eyebrow in shock. He had expected a refusal or at least an agreement but no in-depth explanation.

"He was the only reason that…that people stopped… I mean what if he was the only reason they never did more than rough me up? I could always go to the tower, I was always welcome there…but…but he's not there anymore."

Jiraiya sobered a little and fought the urge to ask questions.

"I miss him…" Naruto scrubbed at his face furiously, still keeping it hidden from Jiraiya even though he could tell the kid was loosening up and letting it go. "I knew he was not there and why but I still kept looking for him."

"Me too." Jiraiya glanced upwards and sighed again. He caught the blonde's turn and knew Naruto's eyes were now upon him. "And bets are I'll keep looking for him to. It's natural to miss someone when they're gone."

"It's kinda funny…" Naruto laughed half-heartedly. "I never understood why Kakashi went to the memorial stone so much. He'd just stand there and then leave. But I'd give anything to talk to Oji-san again…I bet that's what he is doing too."

"Probably, I never really understood that whole ritual either. Just don't get stuck in the past, it's a dangerous thing to linger." Jiraiya watched as the boy quietly walked to the ground near his stump and slumped down relatively close to him. He reached out and quietly ruffled the boy's hair and grinned a bit when Naruto did not seem too adverse to the contact. "You can't change what happened but you can carry on his legacy, we all can."

"To pass down and on."

"Exactly," Jiraiya patted Naruto's head and grinned as the boy peered up at him. "And you should not worry too much about the village. The Sandaime may have made that rule to protect you, but I don't think you need it anymore. Kakashi would not let anything happen to you nor would I. A man never goes back on his word."

Naruto snapped to attention and watched him closely, probably trying to uncover the deception but Jiraiya meant it. He finally seemed to believe that and Naruto just returned to staring at the 'training field' in front of him.

"I think that's enough Rasengan training today." Jiraiya stood and glanced down at Naruto still sitting in the grass. "The trees need a break."

Naruto snorted and cracked a small smile. "I'm not just going to slack off. "

"I know you aren't but if you keep up this pace you won't be upright when the week is up and it's no good if you master it but can't demonstrate that fact." Jiraiya poked him in the forehead and grinned big. "And I have realized I've been neglecting part of your training…"

"Oh? How's that?"

""I seem to remember an interest in sealing."

"Oh yeah that." Naruto took a glance to the pouch he had been keeping underneath his jacket.

"Heh, I figured maybe we could delve into just what aspect of Sealing you want to work on."

"It's not just one big subject?" Naruto scrunched up his face and looked up Jiraiya patiently.

"Hardly." Jiraiya smirked and crossed his arms across his chest. "It's a lot like Ninjutsu. There are eight or more categories Ninjutsu falls into dependent on their nature and purpose. Sealing is much the same. There are containment seals, power seals, sensory seals, and trap seals. You have an idea of two of those four already."

Naruto was now at rapt attention. The blonde sat up and straight and waited with baited breath to hear the rest of the lesson. "Containment and power."

"Very good." Jiraiya praised and began to look around till he found a suitable clump of trees nearby. "Trap seals are just like containment seals except that they are not really containing anything in the seal itself, you are containing your target in range of the seals and if they cross the threshold after you have set them they activate a trap."

He pulled out a few slips and wrote the proper symbols. He attached small explosive tags to each one and then went to each tree in the four he had found and placed a slip to the bark and keeping himself outside of the threshold.

"What do you suppose happens if someone is inside of this square I've created with tags?"

"The exploding tags will go off and if they're strong enough they'll hurt you." Naruto had stood and came over to the area Jiraiya was standing in. He inspected the one in front of him, his head cocked to the side like a curious pup.

"The trick is maneuvering your target to such a spot and of course linking each of the seals together to form the invisible wall between each tag so that if the target tries to go between the two tags it will sense it."

"Doesn't it make it a sensory seal then?" Naruto squinted one eye and glanced over at him. Jiraiya merely beamed.

"Ah that's a thought but because it activates something after it's triggered that makes it a trap. Sensory types of seals are only slightly different from traps. Their main purpose is to merely alert the sealer that someone has tampered with or activated a particular seal."

"What's the point in that?"

"It comes in handy if you need to be in more than one place at time." Jiraiya rubbed his chin and began to think out a usable example. "Ah, I know a good application. You made water tags for your plants so that if you had to be gone for an extended mission they would at least be watered, right?"

"Yeah."

"Well how do you know when the tag no longer has any water in it?"

Naruto opened his mouth to answer but then quickly shut it again and blinked in confusion. "I guess I don't."

"You can put seals within seals. You could in theory put a sensory seal on one of your watering seals and when the seal runs out of water it would, in a sense, let you know so you could refill it."

Jiraiya gladly watched the gears going on in his student's head. The example he had given was relevant enough for him to get the idea. There was another use for a particular sensory seal but delving into that particular 'jutsu' when Naruto had not even mastered the Rasengan yet was risky.

"So how do you choose?"

"Heh, most do so on a personal preference. Most know containment seals and that's all the more they want to learn but if I were to guess I would say you'd be proficient at trapping or sensory ones." Jiraiya scratched at his head and pretended to ponder.

Really it was a given for the traps. He knew Naruto had a prankster streak in him and that kind of personality usually indicated a good sense for how people reacted and in which direction they would turn. It made maneuvering targets easier when you could trick them into the trap without them knowing they were being led.

He watched as Naruto began digging into his bag behind him and pulling out papers and pens. Naruto seemed to be taking to the suggestion eagerly. It was better for him to focus on this for a small portion of each day instead of spending all of his time slinging chakra balls around at trees.

"I have an idea," Jiraiya put out there as a challenge and took one of the pieces of paper from the boy and began painting out the basic sensory seal's symbols. "This is the basic sensory seal; anything will trigger it and alert the one who placed it once it's been activated. I'll have you put it at the door of the tavern I have been frequenting."

"Why would I do that?"

"Because, before we leave here, I want you to be able to make the seal only sense when I enter and I leave the tavern. If we leave it as it is, it will alert you to each person that comes and goes from that door." Jiraiya held the piece of paper out to Naruto. "The trick is making it recognize what you want it to."

Naruto began to inspect the markings on the paper and mulling it over in his head. But he was very good at adapting what he had been shown into something he could use so Jiraiya held little doubt that the kid would figure out a workable seal. That was the beauty in sealing jutsu; it was never the same thing for each person. Each person's seals had some basic general symbols but then it went off in hundreds of different directions all to get the same result.

And just maybe if he gave him an alternative to learning to master the Rasengan maybe he would not tire himself out needlessly. It was almost a divide and conquer technique except he was not necessarily hindering the boy any. He was merely setting him up for later lessons down the road. Teaching him power seals was pointless, he already had a power seal that sealed the Kyuubi's chakra and both Naruto and Kakashi seemed wary of any hint of dealing with that particular seal. Containment Seals he had a good grasp upon and that was the natural stopping point for many who worked with seals.

But sensory and trapping, those were useful in combat situations if you planned ahead or could think on the fly.

"Come on I'll show you how to activate it and you can see what it does when someone triggers it." Jiraiya motioned the boy up with his hand and began the short walk back to Tanzaku's gates. Naruto was quick to stand and stuff away the excess supply he had with him and held the seal Jiraiya had given him tightly in his hand. For the most part it seemed he had forgotten his bet with Tsunade even though Jiraiya knew Naruto would never really forget it.

Once they arrived at their destination Jiraiya caught the glimpse of a little pink pig on the other side of the road. Not far behind was the smallest sliver of black with white trim. So Shizune was keeping tabs on Naruto as well. He wondered if it was merely in an attempt to explain Tsunade's actions or because she was concerned about the boy.

"Okay we're here now what?"

"Ah, yeah sorry about that." Jiraiya rubbed at the top of his head and grinned. "There was this gorgeous woman walking by…"

"You're worse than Nii-san with those excuses." Naruto stuck out his tongue at him and held up the slip of paper.

"Heh, well I do suppose our 'line' of succession is quite predictable." Jiraiya pointed to a small alcove near the door. "After all you are a part now of a great line of masters and students. From Sarutobi to me, from me to the Fourth, and from the Fourth to Kakashi, and from Kakashi to you. Sorry about your luck kid but you're destined for it."

"Whatever. There's no way I'll believe the Fourth was a perv. I still don't believe Oji-san was either."

"Heh, well the Yondaime wasn't after he found that red-head to chase, but before then he was like my very own son." Jiraiya beamed proudly. "Kakashi's a little more subtle and I think he does it only to throw people off but secretly…deep down…I know he enjoys those books just as much as the others did. Now about that seal, see the small circle in the middle there? You basically apply your chakra there and stick it to whatever surface or object you want it on and it will act as a sentry in this area here."

Naruto nodded and did as described he then blinked back at Jiraiya. "That's it?"

"Heh, give it a moment. Let someone come through the door and you'll better unde2rstand what it's doing."

They waited there; impatiently in Naruto's respect, until finally a patron decided to enter under the flaps. The blonde straightened immediately and glanced up at him uncertainly.

"Got the nudge did you?"

"Yeah…."

"Well imagine how annoying that's going to be come tonight when this place is busier." Jiraiya grinned wickedly and patted the blonde spikes again. "Hope you're as smart as you look kid."

And he decided to leave Naruto there to figure it out. It was getting later in the day now and he had to start figuring out what it was that Orochimaru had offered Tsunade. If he did not things would go very south very fast. But Naruto had hit a very potent observation during their little chat. Tsunade did not want to be found. And if she refused to return to be Hokage he was going to be backed into a corner with very little options.

Or Kakashi was going to be tapped and he was too damn young for that yet.

He found the local dice parlor and leaned up against the wall by the door. He only momentarily looked into the window to confirm that was where Tsunade was and then stood outside watching the people walk by in their busy, uncomplicated lives.

Sometimes he was jealous and that was why he played the part of the traveling artist. None of these people really knew anything about the constant power struggles and politics that revolved around their safety and their security. If he had not been born in a Ninja village he would be nothing more than an old man spending his days on the road.

But there was great satisfaction in his position and his skill and something told him he would have just ended up at the same destination.

The hours passed slowly until finally Tsunade hit her limit or she ran out of cash and she came stalking out of the door, grumbling and cursing under her breath.

"Ah finally had enough huh?" Jiraiya called out and she whipped around to glare at him with those intense caramel colored eyes. "What do you say to a drink? It's been a long time, Tsunade-hime. My treat!"

She stood there like a statue for a few minutes before sighing heavily and closing her eyes. She shook her head a little but walked back over and he pushed off from the wall to start walking towards the little dive he had found that was tucked away and private. She had not refused the request, which was a start.

Their walk was a silent one. Tsunade glaring around them and he smiling like a goofy teenager all over again. He held up the flap and used his other hand to gesture her in. She huffed indignantly but otherwise entered and took up a stool at the modest stall. They both signaled the scruffy guy behind the counter and he went about securing the sake while they sat on in silence.

For the first couple of rounds they merely sat together in companionable silence each taking sips from the delicate white dishes of alcohol. It would be awkward to anyone else watching, hell they probably looked like two strangers to the server, except that they had walked in together.

Sooner or later someone had to break the ice and he leaned forward to ogle the blonde woman beside him. She really did still look like she had in her twenties when they were all Jounin and a team blissfully unaware of their fates.

"You've become even more beautiful…"

"You haven't changed a bit." Tsunade smirked over at him, the two long strips of blonde hair framing what used to be such a carefree face whenever they met before. Tragedy had taken its toll on at least one of her features; the smirk did not in the least reach her eyes. "You know I wouldn't date you in a million years you lecher."

"Not like I'm interested anyway." He poked back and hoisted a dish in a semi toast. "I'm not like these other fools, I know your real age."

"You baka." She snorted and down another dish in a gulp. He reached over and filled it again and they slipped into silence again.

Finally when the blush finally seemed to reach her cheeks he decided to approach her from another angle; and angle he knew had to be bugging her. "So are you worried?"

"About what?"

"Naruto…"

She hesitated slightly and her gaze was solely locked ahead of her to the wall of the stall. Finally though she did respond.

"No…"

"Heh, I don't believe that, you acted too childishly towards a child for me to even consider you weren't thinking about it. It's not even a fair bet you made, you were always so reckless…"

"I'm not reckless…"

"Oh really? Going to meet up with Orochimaru are you?"

She froze but otherwise made no move to discount him or agree. She just sat there motionless.

"Shizune usually doesn't hover that much unless something's wrong and I know he's here." He pressed forward, taking his time to savor the alcohol and the chance to get what needed to be said out of the way. There was a good chance she would pummel him but it had to be said. "I'm not sure what sort of deal he offered you but don't' make such a hasty decision."

Tsunade deflated a little, both hands coming to cup around the sake dish forgotten in front of her. Jiraiya was on the right track but she would not give up what it was Orochimaru was offering her in return for her services. There was a deal on the table and she was still trying to decide.

"I should probably make one thing clear."

She turned her eyes to him from behind those golden locks of hers and frowned. They both knew this game well enough to know what Jiraiya was going to say but it had to be said.

"If you ever do anything that betrays the Leaf…I will kill you."

"It has nothing to do with me…"

"It has everything to do with you. I know somewhere you still care for the safety for those that live in the village…"

"Enough of the lecture." She barked. It was backed with enough of killer intent to silence him. It was fine; he had said his peace anyway. There was little else to say really. She had to choose for herself where her loyalties were and if she did decide to aid Orochimaru well then his team was officially dead and it was his job to protect Konoha at all costs.

They returned to their drinking and silence. Slowly though Tsunade's shoulders began to droop a little and the anger on display in her features turned to something else entirely.

"Where did you find that brat? Why did you bring him along?"

"Shouldn't a teacher be teaching his pupil?" Jiraiya shrugged nonchalantly. "They're an awful a lot alike aren't they? They're even the same age…"

The conversation ended at that because Tsunade stood and just walked back into the busy streets of Tanzaku. She offered no parting words or any indication that she agreed with Jiraiya. He had not told her the truth that he brought the 'brat' to protect him and who he was, but the other reason had been because Naruto looked similar to and acted similar to Tsunade's little brother Nawaki.

And her question told him exactly what he wanted to hear. Naruto had become a sore subject because of that strong resemblance to Nawaki.

Now all she had to do was learn to believe in someone again and he hoped she could make the right choice.

Three days began to feel like eternity.

It had only been three days since two faces from her past had shown up and both with offers for her to consider. Both offers seemed like impossible choices but it was clear that it was one or the other.

On one hand there was Orochimaru whose intentions were very clear and very destructive. If she healed his arms he would merely return to Konoha to finish what he had started. But she would have Dan and Nawaki back with her.

But it was entirely possible that Orochimaru was bluffing. He would have her heal his arms and then go back on their deal and carry out what he wanted.

Then there was Jiraiya and that blonde brat he had drug along with him. The village wanted her as Fifth Hokage. It was just as impossible as the first choice; there was no way she could return to that village. There were too many memories left behind and if she went back she would have to face them again.

"It's not just a necklace...the village is Grandpa's treasure…I will protect it. I will be Hokage…"

She reached down and gripped at the familiar teal blue necklace and fought the onslaught of memories. It was still so fresh even after all those years…she had given him that necklace on his twelfth birthday because he was so determined to follow in their Grandfather's footsteps. He wanted to be Hokage, it was his dream.

She huddled against the cool wood of the tall arch at the entrance of Tanzaku. It was peaceful up above all the other people below who had no idea what was going on in their midst. That was Nawaki's dream, to protect Konoha, to be Hokage to protect people like those below her from any kind of harm if it was within his power to do so.

But he died not long after she had given him that present. It was the only indication of who it was when they brought the body back. Jiraiya had tried to soften the blow, to deflect her, but Orochimaru, cold-hearted and practical Orochimaru, made it clear to her not to be so reckless. Children were impressionable and Nawaki had only been twelve. She should not have given him a reason to believe that he could at that age.

It was too bad she never learned that lesson. Shortly thereafter she met Dan and she was foolish enough to believe again. He too wanted to be Hokage, to protect those in the Leaf that he loved so dearly. She believed again and gave him the object still clutched in her hands.

It was no wonder Shizune was so upset that she had wagered it with that boy. It really did seem that death followed the blue crystal every where it went except for her. Perhaps Grandfather had cursed the charm to only accept those of their bloodline, not that she could ever see him doing such a thing, but it certainly seemed plausible by this point.

Shizune was probably off following that boy. She did not understand why Shizune stayed with her after so long, she knew the woman was homesick, and that was why she met Naruto in the first place. She had befriended him to get word of Konoha. Dan had been Shizune's uncle and how Tsunade had met her. The little Genin Dan had introduced her to had been eager and willing, now Shizune seemed sad and worrisome.

"I've done that to her…why does she still care? I couldn't save Dan…she should hate me for letting her only uncle die…why doesn't she just leave already…she could go back with them…"

It was another fact Tsunade was willing to bet on. That boy, Jiraiya's boy, had to strike a chord with Shizune as well. His dream was identical to Dan's and Nawaki's. Shizune wanted Jiraiya and Naruto to intervene and as much as that should anger her it only filled her with regret. She had denied Shizune the chance at a life in the village.

But she had a chance to remedy that situation, she now had an open invitation back to Konoha she was just too afraid to take it. She was at war with herself. If she went back she would have to face all those horrid memories and be responsible for the safety for a whole village and she was not sure she could handle such a task; such a burden

But if she went back she could fulfill Dan and Nawaki's dream. She could be Hokage for them…she could honor their memory by doing as they would have done.

And yet…

"I'm surprised you're not in your usual spot."

Tsunade sat up and glared above her where the voice had come from. Instead of Jiraiya standing there, like she wanted to believe, it was that blonde brat of his. Naruto stood atop the bar above her head, his eyes turned upwards to the stars glittering above them.

He was scratched all to hell, he looked exhausted, but yet he stood there calm and steady as a seasoned Shinobi. She had not even sensed him come into her space, she had been so preoccupied with the past.

"Oh and where's that?" Tsunade snarled back and frowned. How dare he assume he knew her and her habits. How dare he get the slip on her when she should have been more aware.

"The place with all the slot machines in it a few blocks from here." Naruto pointed behind him without actually turning to look at her. His posture was stiff and formal, he was confident but he was not relaxed enough to drop his guard around her. And worse of all he was right, she had been frequenting the slot machines that allowed her to merely hit a button to gamble and be preoccupied with her thoughts.

"You just think you're so clever." She huffed and turned her head to watch the streets below. "And what is it you want?"

He was silent at first. Tsunade finally returned her gaze to the small blonde standing nearby and found herself curious as to his purpose, his life, and his determination. She was insane….why did these idiots who held high hopes of being Hokage gravitate towards her? Why did she keep falling into this same pattern of belief and failure? Let the little brat rush headlong into his own death what did it matter to her? Why SHOULD it matter to her?

"I want to change our bet."

"Ah, too late to back out now brat." Tsunade chuckled and relaxed a little. He had come to his senses in the past few days and knew he was in over his head. That gave her a little bit of satisfaction but it was also a bit of a relief. "A man never goes back on his word."

"I'm not backing out." He growled and slid till he was standing upside down ahead of her, his feet neatly stuck to the smooth wood above him. Those blue eyes had a determination in them and she suddenly was second guessing his purpose for being there. "I want to change the reward."

"Oh? How so?" Tsunade narrowed her eyes and casually played with the necklace around her neck. Anyone else would know what the necklace was and go after it. It was very rare and very priceless; the kid could live off the earnings forever in comfort if he wanted to. But then again he was a boy, what interest did they have in trinkets…

"I don't need you to recognize me, I believe in myself and that's all I need." Naruto flat out came out with it. "You can keep your recognition. But I want a promise from you, if I end up mastering the Rasengan."

"Hmmm interesting, and just what is this promise you want?"

"I want you to promise to come back to Konoha."

"HA! Like I would promise such a thing. Did Jiraiya put you up to this you little snot nosed…"

"I could care less if you become Hokage or not." Naruto cut her off and shook his head. It stunned her momentarily. If he did not want her back to be Hokage why did he want her to go back at all? "But you are a medical specialist aren't you? That's what the perv keeps telling me…"

"I am."

"Okay then. If I win our bet I want you to come back to Konoha with us and help my teammates." Naruto let his feet come loose and flipped to land just ahead of her. "They are trapped in a Genjutsu because of me and no one else seems able to release them. It's like they are in a coma. I don't care if you turn tail and run after you help them but that's all I want."

"How selfless of you…" Tsunade muttered and averted her gaze again.

"No if I was selfless I'd make you come back to become the Fifth, who wants Pervy Sage doing it? I'm being selfish because they're my teammates and I only really care that they get help." Naruto frowned and crossed his arms in front of him. He almost seemed nervous about the whole affair now that it was out in the open. If she had to say he almost looked guilty about his desire to help his teammates. "So do we have a deal then?"

Tsunade tried to read him as hard as she could. She still felt fairly confident that the boy could not master such a high ranking jutsu in a mere week and they were already three days into the bet. He only had four days now to figure out the technique.

But there was something about his determination to change the wager to meet his needs; it spoke volumes for his belief to finish what he started. Was he close to figuring it out and wanted to change the bet more to his favor? Or was he trying to get her to back out of the bet?

"Fine, it's not like it matters, I still don't think you can master it."

"Heh." The little laugh was almost just like Jiraiya's and she glanced up at the boy, grinning like a mad man watching at some invisible spot out in the darkness. "Think all you want but I will figure it out and then you have to stick to our bet. Ninja shouldn't go back on their words."

And then he was off. From beneath her she felt another chakra push off and she watched after Naruto to see the tan and black dog following close behind him, tail up and ears swiveling. That damn mutt had been there that whole time as well? Had she really fallen so far as to be blindsided by a damn Genin and his puppy or was she really underestimating the boy?

Just who the hell was this kid?

Whoever he was he had a persistent habit of getting under your skin and sticking there. As she watched him leave the town out into the darkness beyond, she could not help but let his parting words repeat in her head.

Ninja shouldn't go back on their words.

Author Note X2: Yeah I know short and somewhat angsty but we needs it outta the way :D Somewhat technical as well. I will admit I am winging it on the seals thing. It does seem as if seals can work for anything and the way I understand "daddy's" little "flash" trick working the kunai have seals on them that he 'knows' when they're thrown and can go to em. So if it all seems like Jibberish bets are it is but it's how I see the known examples of sealing jutsu so far in the series.

Again a thousand pardons for my dropping off the face of the earth for a month. I wasn't inactive persay…I probably have the chapter following the next one pretty much done cause yeah…plot bunnies wanted me to go to THAT chapter instead of this one first