Hey guys, I hope you enjoy this chapter and thank you all for the reviews and such. As always I'm loving writing this story. To the people saying she should be telling people more, she's a kid trying to handle it all herself at this point-and believe me everything will all come out, and I do mean everything. She feels like she should be able to handle it herself, as kids often do, she's not necessarily right but she's doing her best under the circumstances. Believe me she's gonna struggle a lot with some things and some of the more emotional scenes are dealing with that.
Sasuke left not long after the little impromptu wrestling match between the three younger members of team seven after Gai showed up having been sent to return the young Uchiha home.
He had been rather surprised to find that the boy had already been planning on heading home, but he'd been grateful for it to say the least. He'd expected either a fight to stay or for Sasuke to be injured.
Instead Sasuke had almost been out of the village by the time Gai realized that they were leaving.
After Sasuke's departure the three shinobi left were on their way to find Tsunade, and days turned into a week and much to Naruto's annoyance Jiraiya remained true to his word-he didn't let either of the girls out of his sight unless they were getting changed, cleaned or going to the toilet.
He was more of a mother hen than her own mother-a fact that she'd pointed out to Sakura who'd struggled to stifle her giggles.
In any case when they arrived in the Tanzaku Quarters, where Jiraiya was fairly sure they'd find Tsunade since it was a town with a lot of gambling and drinking-just the type of thing that would be attractive to someone like Tsunade-the Legendary sucker as Jiraiya had called her. It had helped that some men who she'd lost to had seen her not too long ago and knew that she was headed there.
And so together the trio had made their way through the streets of the town until they'd booked a room in the hotel, at which point Jiraiya had finally agreed to let Naruto and Sakura explore the town on their own while he searched for Tsunade as long as if there were any signs of danger Naruto would Hirashin herself and Sakura to the kunai he held.
The two girls were moving through the town, Naruto towing Sakura with her as they did so-and as they rounded the corner of one of the streets they crashed into someone and Naruto yelped with surprise as a voice snapped.
"Look where you're going kid-"
"Tsunade-sama-" that voice was younger, "They're just kids." and Naruto's gaze snapped around to look at the two women they'd bumped into-a woman with shorter dark hair clutching a pink pig, and an older woman with long blonde hair tied up in pigtails and a purple diamond mark on her forehead.
"You're Tsunade-sama?" Naruto yelped. She'd seen the picture Jiraiya kept showing people she knew it was her."
"Yeah, what of it?"
"We're here to find you."
"For Kami's sake as if I didn't have enough to deal with." Tsunade growled. "Who-" the woman paused, staring at her for a long moment. "That's not possible."
That made Naruto flush as the other woman frowned, "Tsunade-sama what's wrong?"
"That girl-she looks like-"
"My parents." Naruto gave a small shrug, a cheeky grin on her lips, "Your grandma was an Uzumaki right, technically that makes us family but I go by Nohara Naruto these days-"
"Naruto." Tsunade's voice was almost shaking, "How? I heard you disappeared I heard-"
"Yeah-it's a super long story, I was kidnapped and then rescued and raised out of the village by my mom-Nohara Rin-"
"But Rin-chan di-"
"Nope." Sakura spoke up grinning, "She was believed to be dead.. that's part of a long story though." there was a gleam in her eyes, "I'm Haruno Sakura. And I want you to be my sensei."
"What?" Tsunade's eyes narrowed, "Is that why you-listen I don't want a studen-"
"Naruto-chan gets Jiraiya-sama." Sakura declared loudly, "So I deserve a Sannin for a teacher too and I'm going to be the best medic ever." she swore.
"Besides that's not why we're here that's just why Sakura-chan is here." Naruto piped up, "We're here to bring you home Tsunade-sama-"
"Hell no."
"Why not, Konoha was your home, why are you so against it-"
"You wouldn't understand."
"Then tell me." Naruto glared, "Because if you don't come home with us my sensei could die! Originally we were coming to ask you to heal me but I'm fine now but Kakashi-sensei isn't. She's stable but he needs someone like you if he wants to recover."
"Kakashi-kun's hurt?" Tsunade's eyes narrowed, "How?"
"He was attacked by a member of a group called the Akatsuki, we don't know all of the details."
"Tsunade-sama maybe you should-"
"No! No I swore a long time ago that I wasn't going back there."
"Please!" Naruto grabbed Tsunade's arm, "Your grandfather loved the village, your sensei loves the village your teammate loves the village... I dunno why you hate it so much but please Tsunade-sama I don't want my sensei to die."
"Kid that's not on me. I'm sorry I really am-"
"Do you think they'd be proud of you?" Naruto spat out the words, "Do you look in the mirror and think your grandfather would be proud?"
"Naruto-chan-"
"No! No!" Naruto felt her eyes filling with tears, even as she blinked rapidly to clear her vision. "No Sakura I'm not gonna stop! She's a coward!"
"Konoha killed my brother and my fiance." Tsunade snapped, "If they'd implemented my medic schemes then they'd have been alive!" her hand flew up to curl around a necklace hanging around her neck. "They gave everything for the village-They
died for it. I've lost too much for that village."
"I don't give a shit if you leave right away!" Naruto shot back, "But come back and heal my sensei please." there was pleading in her voice.
"I really am sorry-"
"No! No you're not." Naruto's hand lashed out and caught Tsunade's cheek hard-and the woman stared at her in shock at the sound of the slap filled the air. Then Naruto was spinning around, her back to the woman. "If she's too much of a coward to do what's right there's no point in staying." her voice was tight, "We'll find another way to save Kakashi-sensei." her voice was filled with disgust, "To think that someone like her's descended from the first two Hokage's. She's a selfish old hag-" she heard the gasp behind her, the outraged snarl, "If I was one of the people who died for Konoha and I could hear her now I'd be ashamed. I'd die for Konoha and I sure as hell wouldn't want my loved ones to use that as an excuse to act like cowards and run away."
"Naruto-chan-" Sakura's voice was stunned. "But we need he-"
"If she doesn't want to come back willingly fine." she paused, "But when I become Hokage I'll make her a missing nin. If she hates Konoha that much then I'm sure she won't care."
"Hah, you wanna be Hokage brat?"
"Yes." Naruto span around to face Tsunade again, her eyes sparking with an internal fire, "And I will be Hokage, Sandaime-sama's already told me-"
"He was probably just humoring you." Tsunade shook her head, "My advice kid? Give up on dreams, they never work out-"
"Oh come on!" Naruto glared, "Seriously? That's the biggest load of bullshit I've ever heard, give up on your dreams."
"You're a fool for even wanting to be the Hokage, it's a fools job-"
"Oh I so want to slap you again-"
"Naruto-chan!" Sakura grabbed her arm tightly.
"As if you could." Tsunade sneered, "You're just a dumb brat-"
"A dumb brat who's gonna prove you wrong. One way or another." Naruto declared fiercely.
"You'll fail. Dreams-they're stupid, they'll only lead to disappointment. Why do you even want to be a Hokage."
"To be like my father. At first." Naruto's voice was firm, "My mom told me stories about him and my birth mom, how strong they were, how they were kind and good and protectors. And after I settled down in Konoha the reason shifted. Konoha is my home now. I want to protect it no matter what, and I figure the best way to protect it is to lead it and lead it well. Be it's leader and guardian and to kill any assholes who try and harm it."
Tsunade stared at her for a long moment-and was there a flash of grief in her eyes.
"You remind me of Nawaki. My brother." She shook her head, "The day after I gave him this necklace-" her fingers curled even tighter around it, "He died. Brutally. Then there was Dan. He wanted to be the Hokage too. I gave him this necklace too." she shook her head, "It was my grandfathers that's why... I thought it would bring them luck but it didn't. It's cursed. He died just like Nawaki. And you stand there telling me I'm selfish, telling me you're going to be the Hokage?" Naruto couldn't read the look in Tsunade's eyes, but she could feel the grief and pain rolling off of her.
"I'm sorry you lost so much. I am." Naruto's voice was soft. "But they'd want you to be better."
"You have the same look they did." Tsunade whispered the words, "That same spark in your eyes as they did." her voice was thick with grief. Then she was reaching behind her neck and unlatching the necklace and she closed the gap between herself and Naruto, grabbing the blonde girls hand and dumping the necklace into it. "I hope you do prove me wrong kid. But I can't help you. Even if I wanted to I couldn't." she felt ashamed now, "I... I have a fear of blood." she admitted, unable to meet Naruto's eyes as she curled the girls fingers around the necklace, "I'm not what I once was kid. I'm sorry."
Then Tsunade was turned and walking away, and Naruto stared after her as she heard Tsunade tell the younger woman, "Now
I need to go get wrecked to forget this ever happened.
"But Tsunade-sama that-"
"Not now Shizune-chan." Tsunade's voice was sharp, "Not right now."
Naruto watched as the woman walked away before looking down and unfurling her fist, looking at the necklace in the palm of her hand.
It was pretty thing. A blue crystal was strung onto it. It felt warm from Tsunade's body heat, Naruto closed her eyes and let out a breath, curling her fingers around the necklace.
A part of her wanted to throw it away, shatter it to spite Tsunade for her refusal to help but... Tsunade's last words had been honest. She really was sorry she couldn't help more.
Sakura's hand on her shoulder drew her from her thoughts and Naruto turned her head to look at her pink haired friend.
"Sorry you don't get your new sensei."
"It's fine." Sakura shrugged easily, "I'll learn everything on my own if I have to." Sakura paused, "Maybe your mom can heal him... I know she said she didn't want to risk it but it Tsunade-sama really can't heal him then..."
"Maybe." Naruto sighed heavily, "We should go back to the hotel. There's nothing else we can do tonight."
"We should check in with Jiraiya first."
"Ero Sennin will be fine." Naruto waved a hand dismissively, "If he's not back by ten we'll go looking for him." she hesitated, "I said I'd drag her back home if I had to but I just... if she can't heal him then what's the point? She feels broken."
"I still find it weird that you can sense peoples emotions."
"Only the negative ones." together the girls made their way back to their hotel room, where Naruto tucked the necklace into her pack before she flopped down onto the bed.
And the two girls sat talking quietly for what felt like hours-and when Jiraiya didn't return they left once more to hunt him down-that was almost laughably easy, he was at a bar and-
"Ero Sennin. Tsunade-sama." Naruto's expression was tight, "I guess you two bumped into each other-where's the girl who was with you?"
"Shizune-chan is getting some sleep." Tsunade glanced between Naruto and Jiraiya a moment, "Shouldn't you girls be sleeping too?"
"We're fine." Sakura crossed her arms over her chest. "Jiraiya-sama why are you drinking with her she's not gonna come home with us."
"We're not heading home until morning." Jiraiya shook his head, "A couple of drinks with an old friend won't do any harm. Besides who knows maybe Tsunade-hime will have a change of heart."
"Not on your life." Tsunade snorted, her eyes flicking to Naruto and lingering for a long moment before she looked away, "Besides it seems like we're at the same hotel and I knew that this moron wouldn't just leave me in peace without sharing a few drinks."
"Fine." Naruto looked away, refusing to look at Tsunade, "Ero Sennin, Sakura-chan and I will just go to bed. Night." she paused, "Goodnight Tsunade-sama." her voice was slightly cold, and she saw Tsunade wince.
"Uh... night kid."
"I'll see you in the morning brat." Jiraiya rolled his eyes, "Don't get yourselves in trouble while we're away okay kids?"
"Okay Ero Sennin." Naruto gave him a small smile.
"Why do you keep calling him that?" Tsunade blurted the question out-and she looked as if she regretted it a moment later but Naruto gave a small shrug.
"It seemed fitting. When we first met he was peeping in the womens hotsprings-"
"What?" Tsunade's eyes narrowed, "Jiraiya..."
"Tsunade-hime don't kill me!" Jiraiya held up his hands defensively, and Tsunade glowered.
"It really does suit you." she muttered, "Do you always give insulting nicknames."
"Not always." Naruto paused, "Sometimes though. I used to call Sasuke-kun something like duckbutt head."
"I mean... his hair is a little bit like a duckbutt." Sakura admitted with a giggle, "But you don't call him that anymore."
"No-I still call him asshole though. We just insult each other."
"As siblings should."
"Siblings?"
"The new team seven is what we should have been." Jiraiya gave a sad shrug, "Their teammate is Uchiha Sasuke-he's not as
much of a little shit as I thought he was at first."
"He's got some problems but we're working through them."
"I.." Tsunade hesitated before smiling fondly, "I think I see what you mean." there was such a sadness rolling off of her that Naruto had to look away.
"We'll go back to the hotel then." and she was grabbing Sakura's arm, dragging her back towards the hotel, not even looking back when she felt the two Sannin's gaze on her back.
Maybe Jiraiya could change her mind.
If not... there was nothing Naruto could do about it now was there?
