CHAPTER 2 – BEGINNING OF A NEW LIFE
It was the morning after Tsunade and Shizune's arrival in whirlpool and the rain still hadn't stopped. The two women were currently talking about the sleeping child curled up on Tsunade's lap.
"Yes, I've already told you, I'm sure. I don't know how it is possible, but he's the healthiest child his age I've ever seen. It's nothing short of a miracle,"
The legendary medic said irritably.
"As for his eyes I'm not sure, but even if it is a doujutsu it hasn't awoken yet."
There was a pause before Shizune decided to ask her mentor hesitantly
"What do we do now? We can't leave him here like nothing happened, Besides he's such a sweet little child..."
She trailed off looking at the blond sannin who stared back at her for a minute, then with a sigh she looked down at the young boy
"Fine. We'll take him with us, for now."
She said the last two words glaring at a grinning Shizune, who left to get back the now dried clothes the child was wearing when they found him.
It didn't matter what she said, she had seen the look in her sensei's eyes, it was clear she already cared for the little boy.
Tsunade grumbled something about 'stupid students with an all-knowing attitude'. Her rant however was cut short when she felt the child in her lap stir and let out a yawn. She watched him looking around a little disoriented before he looked up at her and grinned.
She smiled back and ruffled his hair, which caused him to push his head against her hand.
"I think it's time for breakfast, what do you say? Are you hungry?"
The child nodded and made to go, when Tsunade restrained him.
He looked back at her tilting his head to the side, in what she started to identify as a habit of his, while she herself raised an eyebrow at him.
"You didn't think to go to have breakfast naked, did you?"
He stared at her with a confused expression, like he wasn't able to understand the problem.
Tsunade pinched the bridge of her nose
'What have I got myself into'.
Luckily Shizune choose that moment to come back with his clothes.
Then again, watching her help the little boy get dressed,
Tsunade found herself wondering just how the hell he was wearing them in the first place, since it was clear he had no idea how to put them on.
Some minutes later the three of them sat down at a table for the most important meal of the day.
While Shizune took a slice of bread and began to spread something on it, Tsunade was trying to keep busy their little fellow.
It's not like he was loud, on the contrary he was awfully quiet, but he definitely had a gift to grab things; she still had to come to terms with the fact that even now he somehow had that sponge in his hands.
Really, what's the point in training ninja for years, when the first child you come across is able to steal anything from just under your nose?
Sighing Tsunade rummaged in her bag until she found something that could help her.
It was a book her old teammate Jiraiya gave her not too long ago, the only not-perverted one he had wrote so far; though, if he had said that before he actually gave her it, he would have avoided a rather painful beating.
She remembered he was boasting about that Minato kid having become the fourth Hokage and how he liked this book.
It felt kind of strange thinking about Jiraiya's student as the new Hokage who took their sensei's title, even if he was seen like a living legend.
She shook her head to clear her mind. And almost had a mental breakdown when she realized that, while she was day dreaming, a certain child managed to take the book from her hands without her noticing.
'Yeah, years of ninja training are just a waste of time. That or he must have a freaking bloodline.'
She snatched the book from him.
"Now, if you're a good boy I'll read you a story, ok?"
Shizune gave him a slice of bread that he ate while listening to Tsunade.
And, since it was raining and they had nothing else to do, she continued to read all morning, until they finished the book.
"Well, I'll be damned," the sannin said closing the book
"It seems that stupid pervert of Jiraiya can actually write a good story when he wants to. What do you think kid, did you like it?"
He nodded smiling at her.
"You know, we'll have to give you a name, I can't just keep on calling you 'kid'."
Shizune looked at her "Do you have something in mind?"
"Mh-mh. Naruto, like the main character of the story. Besides it means maelstrom and I think it's fitting in a way."
"It's also an ingredient of ramen. Isn't it a little too... original?"
Tsunade glared at her dark haired student "There's nothing wrong with it.
The only other option is..."
she pointed at his sponge "...Spongebob"
Shizune sweatdropped "Naruto then. What about a clan name?
I know he doesn't have one but-"
"I have already thought about that, but we'll have to wait for Jiraiya to show his face again. No way in hell I'm going back in that fucking village to sign the required papers."
Shizune frowned "Tsunade-sama, I don't think you should use that language when there's a small child around. And what papers are you talking about?"
The blond woman huffed "You're really too tense Shizune, you should relax some more. There's a young man at the bar that had been staring at you for a couple of hours now, he's not bad looking. I suggest you to get laid, it can do wonders for-" "TSUNADE-SAMA!"
Shizune stood up abruptly with a really red face.
She was embarrassed, murderous, and she simply couldn't believe her sensei had just said that, let alone in front of a two years old child.
"That's what I was referring to, way too tense..."
"Can we please speak about something else? And where is Naruto-chan?"
At her question Tsunade poked the form of the little boy who was hiding in her jacket "I think you scared him."
It took another three days before the rain stopped and the two medics, one pig, and one child could finally leave the inn.
Their stay was rather uneventful after Shizune made clear she wasn't interested in 'bed activities', and made a not-so-subtle threat of castration to the braver men who approached her with that intention.
Unfortunately, while she was dealing with that issue, Tsunade was free to introduce Naruto with the game of poker.
The little bastard learned unbelievably fast and seemed that he had an even more unbelievable luck.
Tsunade thought that he was somehow stealing her fair share of good luck.
On the other hand Shizune, although distraught at him learning to gamble, seemed to find it very funny.
Anyway, after a little trip, they had arrived at a big village and were currently looking for a shop to buy some new clothes for Naruto.
He was carried in Tsunade's arms and had slept with his head on her shoulder all the time since they left the inn.
After wandering a little, they spotted what seemed to be a good one and went in. Once inside they were greeted by a clerk who started to rant about every single thing he had.
Tsunade however ignored him and put Naruto down on his feet waking him.
He rubbed his eyes and looked around curiously, but before he could go to explore, the blond sannin decided to try and explain him what they were there for.
"Naru-chan listen, you and Shizune are going to pick up your new clothes. Choose what you like and don't steal anything, ok? If you're a good boy I'll give you a gift."
The red-eyed child nodded and let Shizune take his hand to guide him through the shelves, while Tsunade turned to face the clerk who had never stopped talking.
The fact he was giving her his back while speaking about what would be fitting for 'such beautiful women' did very little to put the sannin in a good mood.
"Hey boy, stop your useless babbling for a second. Do you have goggles?"
"Of course, the best you'll ever see. Here they are. Let me show you, these are-"
"Yeah, yeah, I know."
Tsunade looked at them while trying her best to not punch that babbling moron through the wall.
She had noticed that people who had made eye-contact with Naruto backed away in fear and surprise, and, as stupid as it was, she knew that many other would be scared of him because of his red slitted eyes.
Which brought her to look for goggles.
Suddenly she saw what she needed.
They were similar to the ones that Uchiha brat, Obito, one of Minato's students, used to wear, but black, so that the eyes were hidden from view.
She picked them up wondering about the young blond Hokage.
She remembered him as a talented and bright kid, if a bit idealistic.
Didn't he realize that taking that title was like going around wearing a bull's eye? Then again, that began when he developed the Hiraishin.
'And I too had been marked when I became a sannin,'
She thought with a frown.
'I'll have to make sure Naru-chan can defend himself, just in case someone who doesn't know better thinks to make a name for himself challenging me.'
She was brought out of her thoughts when someone pulled her jacket. Looking down,
Tsunade saw Naruto wearing a pair of black shorts and a bright red t-shirt.
She grinned at him.
"You look good Naru-chan. But have you been good as well?"
The child looked toward Shizune tilting his head to the side and, when she nodded with a smile, he turned to Tsunade expectantly.
She chuckled lightly and handled him his new goggles.
He didn't waste time and put them on, before looking around to test how he saw things with them on. He then pulled them some distance away,
to see how elastic was the band that held them in place.
However, before either woman could warn him, he let go of them and they went back hitting him with enough force to make him fall on his butt.
Shizune stifled a laugh, while Tsunade chuckled shaking her head.
The blond then knelt down and helped him on his feet.
"Are you hurt?"
Naruto didn't answer and just pouted, half angry that they found it funny, and half embarrassed.
Tsunade took off his goggles and kissed his eyes before putting them back in place.
"Better?" She asked ruffling his hair.
He nodded shuffling his feet and looking to the side while biting his lower lip. The blond sannin raised an eyebrow at his strange behavior.
"What's the matter? Do you want a hug?"
She couldn't help but smile when he nodded again, and pulled him in a bone-crushing one.
Later that night Tsunade instructed Shizune to spread word that she needed to meet her old teammate Jiraiya.
The dark haired girl asked her if it was for the papers she spoke about, but the only answer she got was a comment about how a lovely couple she would make with another chatter like that babbling clerk.
It was obvious that she'll have to wait
to have an answer.