Chapter 38: Being Confident in One's Hand

Another Double! I'm super excited for future plans. The butterfly effect is small, but begins to pick up steam. Expect less and less canon as time goes on. I wanted to just give everyone a lot of this at once because I don't want the Tsunade retrieval to drag. Fight scenes galore! Hopefully you don't feel jipped.

Naruto made it to an empty grassy area and took a deep breath, Tsunade would easily catch up. He waited for her next move without making any preparations. If he took it too far, there could be trouble.

Jiraya had agreed to stay out of it, but who knows when he would change his mind. If it weren't for the man's guilt, Naruto knew it would never have flown otherwise. No matter how much Jiraya claimed disappointment in Tsunade, he bent over backwards.

No movement, what happened? She wasn't trying to goad him towards a civilian town, was she? Really low. If she was, he had misjudged her even in his great dislike. Shrugging, he made a few seals and used a telescopic technique to scope her out. She was kneeling on the ground, she held out her hands which were shaking. Naruto noticed they had a little bit of blood on them. A clone?

Even if it was a trick, she had no plans to move. Slowly, he made his way back up the hill.

"No… No… Useless… I can't-" he heard Tsunade mutter as he got closer.

"What in the world?" Was she really frozen like that? Why?

"The blood… I can't… s-stop…" Tsunade's voice quavered.

If this was legitimate, there was no way he could let her become Hokage. He felt bad for her at this point, but that was Jiji's mistake, and not one he'd repeat.

Jiraya dropped down from the wall, landing in a crouch and got between them. "Enough, Naruto."

"Are you serious Jiraya? This is your idea of a Hokage? Did you know about this!?"

"I had heard something-"

"Shut UP!" Tsunade yelled, "I already told you, I'm not who I was! A legendary medic who can't deal with the sight of blood." She snorted unconvincingly. "Your lectures about the good of the village—well I'm useless to the village! You can try to blame me all you like, I couldn't have saved anyone even if I tried." Tsunade shrugged with a smug expression.

Naruto looked down. "A Hokage's back is strong because of what they carry…" He clenched his right fist. "You're happy about being too weak? To let people die? Since you can't feel their weight, then I will let you feel it. THE PUNCH OF SOMEONE WHO WILL BECOME HOKAGE!"

Naruto flashed forward and made a punch straight for her stupid fucking face!

*Whap* Jiraya grabbed Naruto's wrist, right before his fist could hit Tsunade's face. At first Tsunade looked frightened, until the fist stopped an inch from her nose.

"Hmph, so much for-"

Naruto grit his teeth. "DOTON… BITCH!" Earth chakra flew from his fist and slammed into Tsunade, sending her back into the wall. *BOOM* Dust flew, and Tsunade slumped over.

Jiraya panicked, his eyes wide. "What the hell brat?! We need her!"

"I will never bow to a Hokage that treats lives so lightly! I'd rather leave the village then let it become like that! That's my ninja way!" Naruto spit on the ground, a small amount of blood coming up from Tsunade's previous hits.

# # #

Sasuke kneeled before Danzo. He finally got access to a Root base after his stellar results. Looking around, it was no smaller than the Hokage Tower. Dozens of Shinobi flitted around, all of them carried themselves like elite ANBU. All of them capitulated to Shimura Danzo. It was a large cavern underneath a dizzying maze of caves which connected into the sewage system. Their base really did feel like traveling through the roots of Konoha.

Danzo had his own chair made of stone in the center of it all, where he looked upon everything; his expression serious, but giving away nothing.

"You did well, Sasuke," he started, "You next mission will be your last before the reckoning with Sound."

"But my-"

"Sharingan? It will awaken before then, if you have the determination. Don't become impatient, you must kill that part of yourself… I've called you here for one purpose, and that is to ask you, are any of your comrades suspicious?"

"The face paralysis jutsu fared well against the Byakugan. Though my demeanor put my teammates off, I think it will throw them off the scent."

"Good. Your next mission will have you take the next step. Harden your heart, Sasuke." Danzo smiled.

# # #

Tsunade laid in bed, staring at the ceiling late into the night. After a week of so little sleep, even with all of the drinking. She felt tears at the corners of her eyes. That blonde brute, would Nawaki have become like him?

"I'm going to become Hokage, just like Jiji."

"THE PUNCH OF SOMEONE WHO WILL BECOME HOKAGE!"

The two memories merged, as she imagined Nawaki punching her in the face from beyond the grave. Her sensei, her grandfather… And the people she loved and wanted to bring back. They would all be disappointed in her. That look of disgust on Naruto's face, when they learned how she had done it, when they learned the cost of their lives...

Tsunade let the tears fall. Dan would be stuck with some Hag. Her brother would never be able to live with himself.

"I'm sorry Dan, Nawaki… I guess I'm a fool after all." She felt movement in the corner. "Orochimaru!"

Orochimaru appeared where she had felt, her clash with Naruto had brought back her old instincts with those painful memories. "Kukuku, Tsu-na-de, does this mean you aren't interested in following through on our deal? I thought you'd be the sure thing, and the fox brat would be the most resistant. I'm hurt Tsunade, we were teammates you know."

"Naruto? What do you mean?"

"Such a smart boy, he figured out I came to both of you for assistance. It was an Uzumaki jutsu that did this to my arms." Orochimaru licked his lips dangerously. Tsunade remembered multiple times where he had made that face right before a slaughter. "He wanted to… renegotiate. With you included of course. His arguments were quite convincing. Kukuku. Meet him outside of town if you're interested."

# # #

Naruto undid his transformation jutsu and dashed for the gates of the town over rooftops. She'd actually caught him, he needed to work on stealth if he could be caught by that failure of an old woman. His meeting with Orochimaru really did happen as he described, but he couldn't trust Orochimaru to not play off of both of them. And if he had appeared as himself, she might have doubted the message and not allowed him to talk.

He landed on all fours, just outside of the range of torches from the guards at the town entrance. The night was dark and cloudy, with almost no visibility. He checked his supplies as he walked down the stairs. Tanto at his back, everything spoke to this going wrong.

Tsunade landed right after him, completely healed from her previous injury to her face. Naruto calmed himself. She wouldn't accept the position of Hokage anyway. He needed her for this next step.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" she asked.

"Nothing like you were considering, Tsunade-sama," Naruto said her name sarcastically.

Tsunade's eye twitched. "I didn't, you are. Was your previous determination just hot air? You were all high-handed with me, and now you want to let Orochimaru get his jutsu back? And you want me to help you do it?"

Naruto resisted smiling. Her distrust of Orochimaru meant his opening gambit was less suspicious. She would hear him out now.

"I have my own form of knowledge about the human body, Tsunade-sama," Naruto said professionally this time. "My clan's jutsus are not so easily taken care of. If Orochimaru wants to fix his arms, medical jutsu can help. If he wants his jutsu back, that will require my assistance. I want to trade my sensei for you fixing Orochimaru's arms."

# # #

Jiraya followed behind the two blondes, just beyond sight using his Toad stealth abilities. Tsunade really had lost her touch, to allow Naruto to pull one over on her and not notice his tail. He had faith, if her psychological block went away those instincts would return. Either way, she had the Great Jiraya to back her, just in case! Maybe he'd get a reward…

"Huhuhu." Jiraya posed in the darkness with a bloody nose thinking about it. The toad he had summoned so they could do a toad combination stealth jutsu slapped his forehead at the antics.

Jiraya straightened himself up and looked over a small bit of brush at the two figures in the distance. The village needed her skills, whether Tsunade's ability had been crippled or not. Tsunade needed to take on an apprentice who could reach her level, or her abilities would disappear forever. Shizune was nice, but too old, and destroyed by Tsunade's lifestyle. Naruto's summation of his arguments against Tsunade left a cold stone in Jiraya's stomach. All the lost life, all the lost opportunity; it weighed heavily on the old toad sage. If he had just forced the issue, how many less children would be orphans…

"Minato was the best student I could ask for, but I'll have to start looking for someone to pass the toad contract to. Any requests, Gamayami?" he asked the night black toad with yellow eyes.

"Someone… quieter..." the toad responded.

# # #

After teaching some Yamanaka jutsus, Inoichi was forced back on another mission.

"What the HELL Sakura? How are you so resistant to my clan's jutsu?!" Ino yelled across the training field.

Ino needed to practice before they were sent off later today, and she decided combining training with finding out if Sakura was trustworthy would be the best use of time. Bringing her to this secluded training area with a clear pond and soft grass, it felt like a picnic now! Ino pouted. She shouldn't have brought food, but it was a nice day and-

Sakura stuck out her tongue. "You're sure you did it correctly?"

"I'm sure with this one at least! It's like you're throwing me off!"

"You told me to-"

"I KNOW!" Ino shouted again. "Sorry, sorry. Let me think." Ino kneeled down and ruffled her hair in frustration.

Sakura jogged next to Ino and patted her shoulder. "Not Miss Perfect with everything after all, eh? Nnnnh!"

Ino looked up and a light went on in her head. Taka didn't have to read her mind, he only… She shot up and grabbed her pink haired friend's shoulders. "Sakura! Show me your tongue, let me see it!"

Dazed at first, Sakura turned pink while Ino brought her face closer to inspect. "Y-y-you're, Ino I don't… Wait! My heart still belongs to Sasuke!" Sakura attempted to pull away, but it pulled Ino forward off balance.

Ino felt as if time had gone in slow motion, her face inevitably falling towards her friend's. Oh no. No, no, no. Maybe it would add to her allure? Sakura's green eyes locked onto hers as their lips met, widened in panic and fury.

"EH!?"

# # #

Team Yamanaka stood in front of the village elders in the Hokage Tower, Ino in the front received the mission scroll from Danzo's bandaged hand. Ino felt the bandage in the handoff, and now it felt like it was burning with a need for soap and water. His bandages really creeped her out.

After reading the scroll, Ino looked to Sakura for support. Sakura was in her own world. Those revelations would take a while to process-

"My first kiss…" Sakura muttered to herself over and over. Oh come on! It was a mistake! If it weren't in front of the elders, Ino would have smacked her. Nobody gets mad about kissing the great seductress, Yamanaka Ino. Ino laughed to herself, Naruto didn't complain. Wait, did he complain?

"Is something funny?" The old bat Koharu asked impatiently.

"No, Koharu-sama," Ino spoke quickly in her best impression of someone not panicking. "Any additional things to take note of?"

"It's protecting a mine. Near the Waterfall Village. I don't think they'll give you any trouble." Koharu rolled her eyes.

"Your actions last time were perfect," said Danzo, "but don't be so on guard. We have a sense of pacing."

Ino immediately went on guard and her stomach sank further. Sasuke, and maybe even Hinata were termites. She was just carrying Sasuke from point A to point B while he did the real mission for Danzo. Glancing out of the corner of her eye, Sasuke's face was frozen again, unreadable. Bastard. What was he going to pull this time?

# # #

Deep into the night, the moon lit up a grassy hill as Naruto and Tsunade wordlessly sped over it. Just as they came to the crest, Naruto looked down. At the bottom of the hill was the snake Sannin, standing confidently, and a covered carriage wagon behind him. His sensei was sure to be in there, but who knew how well this would go over? A two-part trade depending on the alcoholic blonde could go very wrong.

"Orochimaru," Tsunade said through grit teeth as they approached. They stood a safe distance away, prepared for any tricks the snake man might pull. Naruto had Jiraya as backup, and Orochimaru must have brought his own.

Orochimaru grinned. "Don't be like that Tsunade. I'm getting my arms back so cheaply. To think a bit of casual curiosity would be worth the sacrifice of a Hokage." Orochimaru's eyes flickered over to Naruto.

Naruto remained perfectly calm at the jab. His righteous fury was reserved for allies, enemies like Orochimaru would never be able to enrage him. It was his weapon, not theirs.

"Reveal my sensei, Orochimaru. And no tricks, or your jutsu will never return. I can promise that."

"Naruto, are you sure you want me to do this? Isn't this a betrayal of Konoha?" Tsunade asked nervously, her aggressiveness gone.

Tsunade's hesitance made Orochimaru gleeful, as he carefully walked into the carriage and brought out Naruto's sensei. Hisato appeared rail thin, thinner than he remembered even. The paleness of his skin only worsened by the bones so close to the surface you could see their whiteness. Hisato was carried by an unknown boy and followed by Kabuto. Orochimaru's backup. The unknown boy had pale skin, short eyebrows, and white hair parted in the middle. Naruto felt a sense of danger from him. Kabuto smirked, but said nothing.

"Do it, Tsunade."

"That's your sensei!? He's got one foot in the grave!" She complained.

Naruto stared her down. She had agreed to make the trade, and now of all times she was getting cold feet?

"Oh, suddenly all of this care for the village Tsunade?" Orochimaru chuckled. "You wouldn't be here if you were truly opposed. Let's stop wasting time." Orochimaru held out his bandaged arms and lowered his head so his eyes bore into Tsunade. "Kimimaro, bring Yuki to their side."

"Naruto, I can't do this. Everything sensei sacrificed for… I had already decided," said Tsunade.

Orochimaru put his hand up gingerly, stopping Kimimaro halfway.

Naruto's head dropped. So close… She really was going to back out. "I am going to be the Hokage that protects Konohagakure, not you. All I wanted was your help." Naruto shook his head, breathing out of his nose hard. Sensei could die. Even if the second part didn't fall through, his sensei could die in Orochimaru's captivity.

"Naruto…" Hisato rasped. This sort of night was the worst for his sensei. Orochimaru wouldn't have given him the opportunity to treat himself either.

"Sensei!" Naruto called out, "Don't say anything. I'll get you back!"

"No… I have to say, even if it's selfish of me," Hisato-sensei forced himself to speak through strain. Naruto knew these words could be his last. There were still so many mysteries… Was he about to reveal another one? "Know that, you could never disappoint me-" *Cough* "My only hope for you, is that you never give up. I love you like a son, never doubt it."

After forcing out those words, Hisato-sensei went limp, passed out. Naruto could see the rise of his chest.

"Tsu-na-de, you've failed another one," Orochimaru said, clicking his tongue. "Take those last words on the house, Uzumaki-kun."

Tsunade shook, her fists clenched so hard, Naruto could hear them crack. She was trembling, with what Naruto had no idea.

"Fine!" Tsunade's hands became covered in some sort of medical chakra.

Naruto felt his chest lighten with hope. But he didn't dare believe it. "Are you-"

"I'm a gambler who always loses!" she began. Tsunade tore a necklace off of her neck and threw it at Naruto, looking straight ahead at Orochimaru. "Give me one win, Uzumaki. Just one." Tsunade flung her jacket off, into the night, a wind blew. "Everything on the boy, Orochimaru. Call!" She walked up to Orochimaru, her stride aggressive. Right when she got to Orochimaru, instead of putting her healing chakra on him, she turned and stared down Kimimaro until he followed suit. "Let's begin."