This is probably the most important chapter in the story. In this chapter I provide the fullest picture of the demon family's perspective. And of course that of the demon king, Naruto. This will be the last bonus chapter for a while as I continue the story in the sequel. Thanks again for reading!
"Speech within the demonic link."
"Everyone else speech"
"Thought speech."
Chapter 7
On with the story"How long has it been since we've spoken dear Sensei." A slick voice spoke.
Orochimaru stood before Sarutobi, staring at the old man with a sick grin. The two were standing atop the roof of a large building which was encased in a huge black dome to mark the arena where they would battle. A genjutsu to stop the third Hokage from being reenforced.
"Far too long. There is so much that I want to say. So much that I need to apologize for." Sarutobi stated in a solemn voice.
Orochimaru was in the middle of forming his hands into signs but paused.
"An apology? How interesting." The sannin drawled.
Sarutobi watched his student with a sad smile.
"I failed you. I failed to protect you from the harshness of this world. I failed to protect your parents. I can see the path their death has set you on. Your obsession with power and immortality. Your fear. I'm sorry Orochimaru."
Orochimaru's snake-like eyes stared at the man before he released an amused chuckle.
"That guilt must be heavy. You'd be best to put it out of your mind. I haven't thought about them in years." The snake explained before sprinting forward.
Sarutobi's smile brightened.
"Thank you."
Sarutobi stood still as Orochimaru got within striking distance. He sent a punch speeding towards Sarutobi's face.
"Don't thank me yet Sensei." The man's sinister voice oozed out.
That punch got within an inch of Sarutobi's face but hit nothing but air. Sarutobi dodged it with an effortless tilt of his head. He cradled a pipe in his hand and didn't even bother putting it away. Orochimaru continued his swift assault, engaging Sarutobi in Taijutsu.
Sarutobi took subtle steps to dodge each strike, matching Orochiimaru's speed with ease.
"It's impressive that you've managed to be so light on your feet at your age." Orochimaru commented light-heartedly.
"Much has changed since last we met. Speaking of which, how have you been Orochimaru? It has been too long." Sarutobi spoke calmly despite the assault he faced.
Orochimaru jumped back and started making rapid hand signs.
"Do I bore you so much that you feel the need to engage in idle chatter to pass the time?" Orochimaru questioned.
"I just want to…" Sarutobi began but was interrupted.
"Striking shadow snake." Orochimaru thought as his tongue transformed into a snake and struck at Sarutobi like a bolt of lightning.
Sarutobi again let that attack get mere inches away. Before the attack landed Sarutobi quickly struck it with the back of his fist as if swatting a fly. The jutsu dissipated, forcing Orochimaru's tongue to return to his mouth.
"Is it a crime to want to catch up with my precious student?" Sarutobi questioned while taking a puff from his pipe.
Orochimaru watched the man warily now.
"To block that attack so casually. Much indeed has changed. I never knew him to be so strong. A true challenge then." Orochimaru thought to himself as that familiar slick smirk played across his mouth.
He began to form more hand signs.
"Precious? Stop Sensei, you're going to make me blush." Orochimaru mocked.
Sarutobi's gaze didn't falter.
"Yes Orochimaru. You have always been and you always will be." The old kage stated in a genuine manner.
"After expelling me from the village, abandoning me, you would still call me precious?" A hint of bitter anger seeped from Orochimaru's words.
"I'm sorry." Sarutobi stated without hesitation.
Orochimaru paused for just a moment. He drove a foreign thought from his head.
"Summoning Jutsu: Reanimation!"
Two coffins began to rise from below. Sarutobi watched with indifference.
"I've failed you Orochimaru. I've failed in so many ways. I'm sorry for being unable to help you. I hope to one day make amends." Sarutobi went on.
"It's far too late for that Sensei."
As Orochimaru ended his sentence the first and second Hokage exited the coffins like Zombies.
"It's been a very long time Saru." Hashiramara spoke emotionlessly.
"Oh, it's you. You've gotten so old Sarutobi." Tobirama spoke in a similarly dull fashion.
"If you were truly alive I know you would allow this sacrifice yet I still ask your forgiveness all the same?" Sarutobi stated sadly while huffing a cloud of smoke through his nose.
"Forgiveness?' Hashirama looked confused.
Tabirama was as well. Before they could question further Orochimaru placed a kunai bound with a kanji into their heads.
"Sorry to interrupt such a heartwarming reunion." The snake's voice slithered.
"A reunion as empty as these puppets. You've sacrificed your own to complete this jutsu. Yet these are not the men I knew. They are but pale shadows." Sarutobi pointed out.
Orochimaru released an amused chuckle.
"Is that so? What do you two think of that?" Orochimaru directed his question to the two resurrected Hokage.
They moved silently forward to engage Sarutobi. Their pace quickened with every passing second until they were sprinting at full speed.
"Watch closely Orochimaru." Sarutobi instructed.
Orochimaru raised a brow in interest. Hashirama was the first to arrive, striking at Sarutobi to engage the old man in Taijutsu. Sarutobi once again dodged the strikes with little effort.
Tobirama joined the fight soon after. Their combined strikes forced Sarutobi to actually use one hand to help defend himself. He still held his pipe in the other. None of their attacks got through. He delivered a kick to Tobirama's gut and slammed the back of his fist against Hashirama's face.
Both were sent flying and recovered with backflips.
"Impressive." Orochimaru commented, clapping his hands in a taunting manner while watching from the side.
"Water Style: Water Shock Wave."
Tobirama clapped his hands together as a tornado of water formed around him and Hashirama. The water then gushed forward like a flood, sailing straight towards Sarutobi.
Sarutobi stared the wall of water down, knowing just how much force the wave was capable of delivering. He began to make one-handed hand signs.
"Earth Style: Mud Wall."
A giant barrier of Mud successfully blocked the wave, splitting the water apart. Sarutobi hopped up to stand atop his wall. He spotted Hashirama making hand signs.
Gigantic tree roots began to emerge from the roof below.
"Hidden Wood Style Jutsu: Deep Forest Emergence."
The tree roots sprang to life, destroying Sarutobi's mud wall. They then went on to create an entire forest. A hostile one. Branches and vines struck at Sarutobi. He jumped swiftly about, dodging the never ending onslaught.
"Are you watching Orochimaru?" Sarutobi called out.
Orochimaru craned his neck up in interest. Catching Orochimaru's gaze, Sarutobi bent his knees before taking off into the air. The old man sailed upwards above the forest. He made a few one-handed hand signs before taking a deep breath.
"Fire Style: Majestic Destroyer Flame."
Sarutobi spat from his lips an ocean of fire. The heat washed over the forest, burning it to cinders. Orochimaru was forced to jump away and watch in awe at the sheer scale of that attack.
"This is...not possible." Orochimaru thought to himself.
Sarutobi fell from the sky now into that burning forest. He emerged from the embers like a thing out of hell. The man was completely unscathered despite the seering heat. Hashirama and Tobirama jumped to Orochimaru's side, ready for another assault. Orochimaru looked to the two resurrected Hokage in doubt.
"How could he be so much stronger than them?" Orochimaru continued to contemplate internally.
"The answer is two fold. I told you that the creatures you have resurrected are mere shadows of the men I knew."
As Sarutobi said this the man disappeared from sight to Orochimaru's great alarm. In an instant Sarutobi appeared again. Except now there were three. Two stood in front of Hashirama and Tobirama while one stood in front of Orochimaru.
"Clones? How did he conjure them so quickly?"
"You will soon find out." Sarutobi answered again.
"Is he reading my mind?"
Sarutobi kept his eyes on Orochimaru as his hand grasped Hashirama and Tobirama's forehead.
"Reanimation Release!" Sarutobi announced.
Hashirama and Tobirama's eyes rolled into the back of their head as they fell over. The real bodies of the sacrifice victims were revealed to be two sound village shinobi.
"I spoke of their sacrifice earlier. I allowed you to complete your reanimation jutsu so you could truly see the difference in our strength." Sarutobi explained.
"Where did you come across such power? When?" Orochimaru hissed in frustration before opening his mouth wide.
A sword shot from his gullet straight for Sarutobi. It landed clean, sending the man sailing backwards. Orochimau's neck sprang up as if made of rubber, sailing higher into the sky as the length of the sword grew. The impact of the sword caused scars in the ground before finally stopping.
A cloud of dust kicked up, obscuring visibility. Orochimaru watched carefully, waiting for the dust to clear. When it did the man's eyes widened.
Sarutobi stood on his feet holding the edge of the sword in one hand barely in inch from his chest. Sarutobi looked different. He was much, much younger. He looked to be in his early twenties. Orochimaru could barely remember his Sensei ever being so young. Just as prominent as Sarutobi's youth was the extra appendages sprouting from the man.
Two furry brown fox ears jutted out from the top of Sarutobi's head. Sarutobi's helmet-like hat now had two slits which accommodated the added extremities. Two long brown fox tails jutted out from Sarutobi's tailbone, swaying gently behind him. His claws were longer, his nails digging harshly into the metal of the sword.
Then there were his eyes. They were the slittered, purple irises of a demon.
"As I said Orochimaru. Much has changed."
When Sarutobi's sentence ended the man's body erupted in an aura of demonic chakra. The ground shook beneath the weight of his power. His claws began to dig further into the metal of the sword before shattering it completely.
"What!?" Orochimaru exclaimed in a muffled tone.
Then he was staring point blank at a pair of demonic eyes. Sarutobi delivered a crushing punch to Orochimaru's face, obliterating a snake clone. The real body of Orochimaru sprung up from the roof only to be met by Sarutobi again.
"You've become one of Naruto's demons." Orochimaru stated in awe.
Sarutobi simply nodded.
"It makes sense now. Since Naruto visited the Land of the Wave many things about that country has changed. It's been hard to analyse because they still masquerade as human but the evidence all points to one conclusion. He's converted the Wave as he has converted you." Orochimaru accused
"Yes."
A mad grin spread across Orochimaru's face.
"Then Naruto will take over the world?"
"Yes. It has began Orochimaru. And we would...no, I would like it if you were to be a part of that?"
Sarutobi said while presenting a hand towards his student. Orochimaru hesitated. Sarutobi noted that hesitation.
"As you deduced Naruto has converted the Land of the Wave. That's why their crime rate has all but disappeared. Prosperity has returned to the region. Usurping the mob boss Gato was only a small step in comparison to the change conversion has brought. Removing Gata helped but the Wave was plagued with the same problems as any nation even before the presence of Gato. Now it is unrecognizable. Changed for the better in ways words would not do justice. Naruto would do this for all the world in time. I want you to be there to see it Orochimaru. We have a second chance." Sarutobi looked down upon his student with a desperate gaze.
Sarutobi could see the wheels turning in the man's head but out of respect stopped himself from reading Orochimaru's mind.
"The cost?" The sannin questioned.
"Those words are all too familiar." A silky voice drawled out, drawing both Orochimaru and Sarutobi's attention.
Kyuubi sauntered her way forward, the woman adorning her luxurious Victorian dress. Her nine tails swayed hypnotically behind her. Her gaze as intense and predatory as always. Orochimaru turned to face her, his grin widening.
"The Nine Tailed Fox." The snake commented excitedly.
Kyuubi stopped in front of Orochimaru, lifting a hand towards Sarutobi. Sarutobi took her hand and lifted it to his lips to place a kiss along the back of it.
"Let's talk."
Orochimaru stood naked atop a lake. Several pairs of demonic eyes stared him down. Sarutobi, Kyuubi, Sasuke, Midnight, and Naruto stood a few feet away. There was a girl standing next to Sasuke who had yet to introduce herself. She had black hair and two pink tails swaying behind her. She and Sasuke held hands as Kyuubi and Sarutobi spoke to Orochimaru.
"Are you sure you are ready for this? I think it would be wise to wait. Live among us for a time, see the benefits." Kyuubi proposed.
"Such a thing is completely unnecessary." Orochimaru proclaimed confidently.
"Orochimaru remember that the desire for power…" Sarutobi began.
"Sensei, it hurts that you would doubt me so." Orochimuru's slick voice creeped out.
Naruto and Midnight exchanged worried glances. Kyuubi looked back on her son with the same expression. Naruto walked forward now to his mother's side.
"Just tell us you are capable of living with us in peace. Based on the world we've shown you, the happy faces you've seen. You can see yourself as a part of that can't you?" Naruto questioned.
Orochimaru's intense gaze rested on the effeminate teen.
"Of course."
Naruto hesitated.
"Then we would welcome you." Naruto stated with a strained smile while stepping back.
Sarutobi moved forward, placing two fingers against Orochimaru's forehead.
"Ready?" Sarutobi questioned.
Orochimaru couldn't stop grinning.
"As ever."
Sarutobi's fingers glowed a dark red. Demonic chakra spread across Orochimaru's forehead. It grew out like tendrils, creating a bubble around him. The chakra dome swirled about, spinning gradually faster as time went on. The man's body was a silhouette from the outside. Orochimaru looked down at his hands to see the flesh ripping away. He felt no pain.
He couldn't help tossing his head back and releasing uncontrollable laughter.
Sarutobi frowned. To his side Naruto was fidgeting. Midnight embrace Naruto from behind and held him close. The sense of dread was palpable among the demon family.
After only a few seconds their fears came to pass. Orochimaru's laughter changed into agonizing screams.
Everyone gritted their teeth and showed a display of pain on their brow. Sarutobi dropped to one knee, a groan escaping his lips. Naruto turned around in Midnight's arms and pressed his forehead against the girl's sternum. Midnight held Naruto in a vice grip, her face buried in his hair. Sasuke and the girl next to him seemed the most affected. They hugged each other tightly. Her claws gashed the skin along Sasuke's back.
Kyuubi maintained her regal posture, her hands resting against her pelvis. She dug her nails into the back of her hand. Blood dripped into the water below. Naruto lifted his head and turned to watch the demonic egg with tears trailing down his cheeks. Naruto, like his mother, was able to better cope with the pain. His tears weren't of pain but of sorrow.
The egg shattered to reveal Orochimaru's grossly mutilated form. He writhed and tossed his arms about wildly, screeching in agony. He seemed half formed. The skin on half of his body was gone. One of his eyes was normal but the other was an incomplete demonic eye. He had one mangled fox ear sprouting from his head. Some of his fingers had demonic nails, other fingers didn't have nails at all. Blood spurted from his flayed figure, running down the stream.
Then Orochimaru stopped, his eyes wide in horror. He began to sink into the water but Sarutobi grabbed him.
The family was deathly silent as Sarutobi picked up Orochimaru's lifeless body. He carried the man over to the grass and lay him down. Sarutobi had a look of utter devastation.
"There was nothing that could have been done. Even if he spent 100 years amongst us the outcome would have been the same." Kyuubi stated solemnly.
"I know. Deep down I just...hoped." Sarutobi's voice was barely a whisper.
"An unfortunate lesson." Midnight spoke softly.
She could feel Sarutobi's devastation. As could they all.
"Lesson?" Sarutobi questioned.
The very instant he thought to ask that question Midnight's meaning entered his mind.
"Anything is better than this." Sarutobi spoke out now as if answering his own question.
"He deserves a burial." Naruto pointed out.
Sarutobi nodded in agreement.
"Yes, he does."
They all helped as one. All mourning the loss of Sarutobi's precious student. As Orochimaru's face began to disappear under the dirt all Sarutobi could see was the young, cheerful boy that Orochimaru used to be before a harsh would robbed him of innocence.
Sarutobi knelt in the dirt, his head bowed. He felt a pair of arms embrace him from behind. Then another, and another. The entire demon family huddled in on him, forming a pile of affection. Naruto lay his cheek along Sarutobi's shoulder. Sasuke held his hand. Midnight leaned her back against his. The pink-furred demoness found her place as well. Last was Kyuubi. She kneeled down at Sarutobi's side.
"It's time." Kyuubi proclaimed.
Sarutobi nodded in understanding. He lifted his head.
"I fear the worst." Sarutobi admitted.
Kyuubi reached over to entwine her fingers with his free hand.
"Then we face it together."
The support of his family helped give him courage. He closed his eyes in concentration before opening them once again. His demonic purple irises were glowing now. They glowed a dark red hugh.
Sarutobi's view changed. Strings of chakra linked everything around him in an intricate, harmonious network. Every blade of grass, every tree, every worm, every bird, everything with life was connected. Hovering above the grave of Orochimaru was a tiny chakra wisp. Sarutobi tapped into it. His perception changed, his sense of self fading to be replaced by Orochimaru's. Sarutobi began to live Orochimaru's life.
Sarutobi remembered Orochimaru's childhood. The time he spent with his mother and father. They were both shinobi from the same squad. Like many, they gave their life in service to Konoha. Sarutobi's felt Orochimaru's devastation when learning of his parent's death. He remembered seeing their dead faces before burial.
Sarutobi felt Orochimaru's depression, even leading up to his joining of the shinobi school and eventually being assigned to Sarutobi alongside Jiraiya and Tsunade. He felt the comradery he had with his team members. He even went along with many of Jiraiya pranks and perverted plots. Sarutobi remembered the chunin exams, growing together as a team and eventually proving themselves in the second shinobi world war. The entire time underneath that cold gaze, depression was turning to apathy from the amount of death he witnessed.
The death of Tsunade's lover and brother during the war was the straw that broke the camel's back. Seeing someone else so devastated by death sent Orochimaru on a path of obsession to fight against death and eventually seek power at the cost of the pain and suffering of others.
Within less than a second Sarutobi had experienced all of Orochimaru's life up until the point it was terribly ended in his failed attempt to join the demon family.
Sarutobi's eyes stopped glowing as he snapped out of his trance and hunched over, the man breathing heavily. He covered his mouth with one hand.
"It is as I feared. For virtually all his life he's known only sorrow. Crushed by the harsh reality of the world. The only joy he felt in adulthood was through causing pain to others. We did this to him. I did this to him." Sarutobi whispered in despair.
Warm hands caressed both sides of Sarutobi's cheek, drawing his tormented gaze.
"Despite all that we celebrate." Kyuubi's spoke sympathetically.
Sarutobi paused before nodding in understanding. Naruto rested a hand along Sarutobi's thigh.
"We celebrate. Focus on the joy in his life. The joy that made his life worth living. Even a man like Orochimaru had a smile worth protecting." Naruto spoke now from Sarutobi's side.
Sarutobi's eyes glowed red again as he re-lived a particular moment in Orochimaru's life.
"Mother, why do we look different from everyone else?" Came a tiny voice.
A 6 year old Orochimaru stared at himself in the mirror. Behind him a woman was brushing his hair. The resemblance was striking. While Orochimaru's hair was long, her hair was cut short. She maintained a contented smile.
"That's because we are special. Everyone is born special in some way. Some people are taller, others stronger, some smarter, some with different skin. How we look is just one way we are special." The woman explained.
"But...father doesn't look like us."
The woman embraced Orochimaru from behind, her chin resting on his neck as her cheek squished into his.
"He is special in his own way too."
The 6 year old scrunched his face in thought.
"I think you're super special Mother. More special than anyone!" Orochimaru gave a resolute nod as he addressed his mother.
Her smile widened.
"Well you're more special." The woman insisted.
"No you!"
The two went back and forth for a while until the bathroom was awash in laughter. She went back to brushing his hair. Orochimaru held a big, bright smile as he stared at their reflection.
A single tear trailed down Sarutobi's cheek. He whispered something to himself.
"You're the best Mother."
As soon as he spoke those words Sarutobi snapped back to reality. Kyuubi was watching him with a knowing smile.
"You see. Is that not a smile worth protecting? Worth celebrating?" Kyuubi questioned.
Sarutobi wiped a tear from his face.
"Absolutely."
Kyuubi leaned forward to rest her forehead against his. They closed their eyes and breathed in sync.
"This is how we celebrate his life. By remembering that smile."
From that moment forward when Sarutobi would think back to his student, despite the horrible deeds Orochimaru he done in his life, that bright smile would be at the forefront.
Later…
"It seems those that remain are of a higher quality." Gamabunta lamented as he swung his sword down on a squad of shinobi who skillfully dodged the blade.
Jiraiya was on top of the toad's head casting jutsu. He was moments away from jumping down to engage that squad more directly. He'd been busy engaging as many enemy shinobi as possible to distract them from doing damage to the village and killing civilians.
Right before Jiraiya jumped down a flare launched into the air from the distance, drawing his and the other shinobi's attention. Then all enemy attacking shinobi began to retreat.
"It seems they have had enough." Gamabunta commented.
"Let's make sure." Jiraiya proclaimed.
Gamabunta and the other toads were dismissed in a cloud of smoke. It did seem like the enemy was on retreat. He gathered with a few shinobi, coordinating to pick up the pieces of the broken city.
Konoha was a wreck. The attack had left much devastation in its wake but it survived convincingly.
Jiraiya met up with Tsunade. She was currently tending to a wounded leaf village shinobi.
"It seems we've won." Jiraiya stated triumphantly.
Tsunade finished wrapping a bandage around the shinobi's arm. The shinobi was helped to his feet by an ally. She stood up in satisfaction and turned to Jiraiya with a hardened look on her face. Jiraiya raised a brow.
"Have you seen Sarutobi-Sensei? I need to speak with him." Tsunade spoke in a serious tone.
Jiraiya shook his head.
"When I arrived I headed straight into battle. I never spotted him."
Tsunade gritted her teeth.
"Where the hell could he be? Is he…"
Before Tsunade could finish her dark thoughts both of their attention was interrupted by the sight of a couple Sand Shinobi running atop a roof nearby. Jiraiya and Tsunade stood on guard but were surprised to see the enemy shinobi ignoring them. One was holding his arm which was clearly covered in blood.
"The hell?" Jiraiya questioned.
"That shinobi was injured. To be so late to the retreat doesn't make any sense." Tsunade said what they both were thinking.
Tsunade and Jiraiya jumped up to a roof just as a few more Sound shinobi ran by. One was limping, an ally helped them as they departed.
"Some of them are injured. We should pursue. They could hold valuable information." Jiraiya announced.
Tsunade nodded in agreement. They both took off but didn't get far. As they jumped to the next building they caught sight of a Leaf Village shinobi standing over a group of captured Sand and Sound shinobi. What they saw was shocking. The leaf village shinobi cut the prisoner's bonds. The captured shinobi quickly made their escape.
"What is the meaning of this? What the hell are you doing!?" Tsunade's voice boomed as she jumped down to meet the shinobi who was releasing prisoners.
She was met with the one eye of Kakashi, grabbing the man's wrist. Jiraiya jumped down soon after.
"Orders from the Hokage." Kakashi explained in a dull voice.
"Orders? What orders? These men could have valuable information we could use. What possible reason could there be to release prisoners of war before they've been interrogated?"
Tsunade was livid.
Kakashi didn't speak immediately. Jiriaya watched the man's reaction carefully. Kakashi didn't have an answer to that question.
"Answer me!" Tsunade screamed.
"You're asking the wrong person." Spoke an old voice.
Everyone looked to see Sarutobi walking up wearing his hokage robes. He maintained his elderly appearance. The man had a calm visage, making his way to the trio who stood over a half dozen enemy shinobi. Sarutobi passed by Tsunade to kneel in front of the enemy shinobi with a kunai.
"You know what happens if you delay in your retreat." Sarutobi spoke to a Sand village nin.
The shinobi gave a silent nod. Sarutobi then cut his binds and that of each of his comrades. They all disappeared.
"Sensei, what are you doing?" Jiraiya questioned.
Tsunade was speechless. Sarutobi rose calmly to his feet.
"We need to focus on taking care of our people right now. We will speak of this in one week." Sarutobi instructed, looking at his students.
Tsunade and Sarutobi were dumbfounded.
"Sensei…" Before Tsunade could retort Sarutobi was gone in a whirl of leaves.
Tsunade tried to focus on her work leading the medical efforts though she found herself distracted. Jiraiya the same. They didn't speak about the matter, especially given all that needed to be done to help the village recover after the attack.
A week later...
Sarutobi sat at his desk, his thumb brushing over the glass of a picture frame that he held. His eyes seemed far off as he stared at the image.
"Come." He announced.
The door to the hokage's office opened to reveal the old Kage's two students. Tsunade and Jiraiya walked side by side. They took seats at two chairs in front of Sarutobi's desk.
"I see your senses are as sharp as ever." Jiraiya spoke out light-heartedly in an attempt to break the palpable tension in the room.
Sarutobi didn't respond. His eyes kept gazing down obsessively at the picture in his hand.
"Why did you order the release of the prisoners?" Tsunade stated bluntly, cutting straight to the chase.
Sarutobi set the picture frame down on his desk to instead retrieve a pipe from his robe. Jiraiya quickly glanced at the image. It was a family portrait. He didn't recognize any of the people in the image. It was just a regular family in traditional robes. A man stood at the side of a woman who held a baby in her arms.
Sarutobi stared down at his pipe, pausing in thought. He didn't light it up or put it in his mouth like he usually would. He didn't feel any desire to.
"Sensei." Tsunade spoke up to break the long silence that had befallen them.
"Orochimaru is dead."
There was another long silence that followed that admission. Jiraiya tore his gaze away. Tsunade clenched into her pants. Both held conflicted gazes.
"It's for the best. He can't hurt anyone anymore." Tsunade spoke up in a strained voice.
No matter how much pain he'd caused, now that he was dead Tsunade and Jiraiya couldn't help remembering him as their squad mate. Neither were happy to hear the news.
Sarutobi watched their responses carefully before rising from his seat. He turned his back to them and looked out the window onto the village.
"I took his life." Sarutobi explained quietly.
"So that's where you were during the invasion? Fighting Orochimaru?" Jiraiya questioned.
Sarutobi nodded.
"Is that why you freed the prisoners? Guilt over killing Orochimaru?" Tsunade interjected.
She waited for him to answer. He didn't. She continued.
"Orochimaru was our squad mate once but the boy we knew isn't the man he became. He hasn't been that boy for a very long time. Orochimaru was a monster. He reveled in the suffering of others. After...everything that happened...he just wasn't the same. He created the Sound Village out of spite. They still hold power. I know you cared for him, we all did. But that doesn't mean we can afford to let prisoners go when not only may they hold priceless information but they can also pose a threat to us later." Tsunade ranted.
She remained in her seat, speaking calmly sensing how upset her Sensei was.
"I did this." Sarutobi stated cryptically.
He kept his gaze focused on the wrecked village.
"No you didn't!" Tsunade finally rose from her seat in anger.
"Tsunade, calm down." Jiraiya stated in alarm.
Tsunade ignored him.
"I spoke to Naruto. He said you are taking responsibility for Orochimaru's actions. You blame yourself for what he became. The only person responsible for Orochimaru's choices is Orochimaru. You were and are a good teacher. You cared about us, taught us the value of life, of comradery, of sacrificing ourselves for others, for the people we love. You did everything you could to lead Orochimaru down the right path. No one blames you for what he became and no one should. He is the monster, he orchestrated this attack, he caused the death of innocent civilians and experimented on people. None of that is on you!" Tsunade went on.
Sarutobi just listened as he looked down at the village. Jiraiya nodded in agreement with Tsunade.
"Everything she says is the truth." Jiraiya spoke up.
Sarutobi finally turned his head to look back on his student. What they saw shocked them. It was a look they hadn't seen in years. Sarutobi showed...disappointment.
"You truly believe that don't you?" Sarutobi spoke solemnly.
Tsunade was taken aback. She hesitated. Why was he looking at her like that. It made her feel vulnerable, as if she'd said something wrong.
Sarutobi closed his eyes and shook his head, the man visibly trembling. He gritted his teeth in frustration.
"Sensei?"
Sarutobi crushed the pipe he held in his hand.
"Of course. How could you not?" Sarutobi said before letting the broken pieces of the pipe fall to the floor.
As the pieces hit the ground Sarutobi transformed, to the horror of his students. Sarutobi's wrinkles disappeared, his aged face replaced by a youthful one. His furry fox ears knocked the Hokage hat off his head. He caught the hat with one of the two fox tails sprouting from his tailbone. His nails elongated, his canines growing. His eyes took on the purple, feral irisis of every demon. Sarutobi stepped forward to gently place the hat atop his desk.
Tsunade took a step back.
"No…" She whispered in despair, covering her mouth with both hands.
Jiraiya stood up on his feet and looked on in disbelief.
"No Sensei. They've taken you too."
Sarutobi hunched over his desk, staring down at his hokage hat.
"They've taken nothing. I chose this."
Tsunade's face went from a look of despair to one of seething anger.
"I'll kill him." Tsunade announced as she turned on her heels.
"TSUNADE!" Sarutobi's voice boomed, causing the woman to stop in her tracks.
"Sit down." The hokage ordered.
Tsunade balled her fists and swiveled around to continue her angry gaze. What she saw gave her pause. Sarutobi maintained his military posture reminiscent of his youth. He carried himself exactly as he used to. Not to mention the man looked exactly how she remembered him, if not a bit younger. His gaze was the steeled gaze of a seasoned shinobi, holding the wisdom of ages. She felt like a child once again, looking up to her Sensei who she always idolized. She complied.
Jiraiya was already sitting down. Another long silence fell over them.
"Why?" Tsunade questioned.
Sarutobi understood that question.
"I had to see for myself." Sarutobi explained.
"See what? What was so important to see that you decide to become one of them? You know what they plan. Genocide. That's what's coming." Jiraiya spoke in alarm.
"Yes."
"Do you think that's ok? Do you support Naruto now? Do you know what he has done?" Tsunade questioned suspiciously.
Sarutobi could feel the tension building within the room once again. He stared at his students before moving forward. Sarutobi moved in front of his desk now and reached down to began moving it back. Tsunade and Jiraiya held a curious look. After pushing his desk to the side Jiraiya walked in front of his student. He noted their wary glances. He then dropped to his knees and rested his hands atop his lap in a meditative fashion.
Tsunade and Jiraiya recognized that gesture. Tsunade stared down at her sensei before nodding and rising from her seat. Jiraiya followed. They set their chairs to the side and dropped to their knees as well. Tsunade's wary gaze focused on his demonic features but eventually she closed her eyes. They all did.
"I know what Naruto has done. He refused to protect our people during the attack. He let the invasion happen while having the power to stop it. Eventually, he will begin a campaign to wipe out humanity altogether and replace them with demons. He will give everyone the choice to convert or die." Sarutobi explained.
"And you approve of what he's done, what he plans?" Jiraiya questioned, still with his eyes closed.
"Yes." Sarutobi stated bluntly.
"How could you?" Tsunade's voice was harsh despite the woman keeping her eyes closed.
"By understanding Naruto's perspective."
"What perspective could justify letting innocents die when you have the power to stop it? The invasion destroyed families. Good people died. People who wanted nothing more than to live decent lives. He blamed them as if they brought that kind of violence on themselves by simply existing." Tsunade spoke through gritted teeth.
Sarutobi took his time in answering.
"The decision Naruto came to yesterday, that he deals with now, is not a light one. It's hard for a human mind to understand. It's not something I fully understood until I joined them. Until I was able to see as they do, feel as they do, think as they do." Sarutobi explained.
"Are you still our Sensei?" Tsunade questioned doubtfully.
"Yes." Sarutobi explained without hesitation.
Tsunade opened her eyes to scan Sarutobi. The man kept his eyes closed. Her gaze reflected her doubt. She let her lids shut once more.
"Then how can you possibly justify this?"
""I do not justify it. That would imply that I view his actions as good. I don't."
"Then…" Jiraiya began with a hint of hope in his tone.
"Nor do I view them as evil. They are simply necessary."
"Necessary for what!?" Tsunade barked.
"To save the most people and cause the least amount of suffering."
"That's bullshit! How could letting innocent people get murdered lead to less suffering and save more lives!?" Tsunade shouted now, opening her eyes and glaring at her sensei.
Sarutobi kept his eyes closed and did not respond to her. Tsunade bowed her head in frustration before taking a deep breath and closing her eyes again. This was the nature of the meditative circle they were in. The point of it was to speak with a clear mind as Tsunade very much knew.
"How could letting innocent people get murdered lead to less suffering and save more lives?" Tsunade questioned much more calmly now.
"The answer is a complex one. The answer that is most easy to understand is that Konoha's position as a world power has, is, and will, cause the suffering and death of more innocents across the world than any other village given similar power."
Jiraiya let out an audible gasp.
"That cannot be." He stated in denial.
Tsunade frowned.
"Naruto stated something similar. I didn't believe it then and I don't believe it now. Do you know what the Sound village has done? The Mist has done? You must. Konoha has been a voice of peace, only fighting to defend ourselves and our people. At the same time other villages intentionally do reprehensible things, wipe out villages, experiment on captives. Unspeakable things. I refuse to believe that our prosperity and power on the world stage would bring more suffering and death than any other village. I refuse to believe that it has in the past. Not from what I've seen. I've been a part of war. We've seen the terrible things other villages have done. Us being worse than or even close is not an idea I can even entertain."
"What if it were true? What if our prosperity did lead to more suffering and death than any other village?" Sarutobi retorted.
"You sound like Naruto." Tsunade spat out as an insult.
"Did I truly teach my students to be so close-minded?" Sarutobi questioned.
Tsunade could hear the disappointment in his voice. She clenched the fabric of her pants.
"How can we believe that? How can you expect us to?" Jiraiya spoke up now.
Sarutobi paused to consider that question.
"Earlier you stated that I held no responsibility for the actions and choices of Orochimaru. You still believe that?" Sarutobi asked
"Of course we do." Tsunade quickly responded back.
"That belief underscores the reason why our village is so dangerous."
Tsunade and Jiraiya both opened their eyes now to see Sarutobi staring at them. He raised two fingers on each hand. They understood that gesture and nodded tentatively. With their permission Sarutobi placed his fingers against their foreheads.
They were transported to the bathroom where Orochimaru stood in front of the mirror with his mother. That joyful moment.
"You two wouldn't know about this moment but I have seen it. Upon Orochimaru's death I was able to live his life, experience everything he was as if his life were my own. Without doing that I couldn't truly understand the depth of my failure, of our failure as a village." Sarutobi explained.
Tsunade and Jiraiya stood at his side, watching as the 6 year old form of Orochimaru released a genuine laugh. Something the two Sannin had never heard before.
Orochimaru was a strange child, always a bit different from his peers yet he was just a boy like anyone else. Until that day.
The scene shifted to a funeral, of Orochimaru dressed in all black looking down at the lifeless faces of his parents. Tsunade looked away from Orochimaru's shattered gaze.
"His parents were taken away from him and the joyful boy that I knew was extinguished. To be replaced by the trauma stricken boy that you knew. His trauma, his depression, his coldness and internal despair was evident yet what did we do as a society? What did I do?"
Tsunade and Jiraiya looked over to see their Sensei's guilt-ridden expression.
"We didn't embrace him, put him into the care of loving parental figures who could help him work through his loss. We didn't put him through therapy. We put a kunai in his hand and thought that the best solution to his devestation was to throw him in a school where we teach children how to murder. We sugar coat it with ideas of comradery when in reality we are training a gang of killers."
"That's not true Sensei. We aren't just killers! We cherish one another, sacrifice for one another, look out for one another. We've all seen killers. That's not what the academy is about!"
Sarutobi didn't look at Tsunade.
"When you first learned to toss a kunai, where were you taught to aim?" Sarutobi questioned.
Tsunade paused. It was Jiraiya who answered.
"The heart."
Tsunade stayed silent.
"Comradery is what you need in order to make you more effective soldiers. If individual soldiers fled on the battlefield, abandoned each other, if you didn't have a sense of unity, our military would fall apart. If an individual only looked out for themselves in a fight, refused to work together, then the success of the mission would be extremely diminished. Comradery, sacrifice, bravery. These are noble ideas but when you get to the core of it, those ideas serve a duel purpose of making you more effective in battle or on the mission. More effective killing machines."
Tsunade balled her fists and tore he gaze away. Even she had taken life in her shinobi carried despite primarily acting as a medical nin.
"But we also teach how to save lives. Prevent needless death. It's what we have to do to defend ourselves."
"Exactly. Within that necessity lies the tragedy and we use the catch-all excuse of "saving lives" to justify that tragedy." Sarutobi retorted.
Their attention shifted to various scenes of Orochimaru, Jiraiya, and Tsunade training within the academy.
"We have created a system where before our children even hit puberty they know how to end someone's life. We put a boy mired by death in a position to be saturated by it. While we teach him how to save live and defend himself we simultaneously teach him how to end it. How to be efficient at inflicting it. Even our medical nin, who are suppose to save lives, use their knowledge to torture and kill on the battlefield. But even more egregious than the academy are the chunin exams." Sarutobi stated through gritted teeth.
Tsunade and Jiraiya seemed alarmed at Sarutobi's fury.
"The first test of the chunin exams hold a few key lessons. Again one of teamwork and comradery. But a more important lesson of doing whatever one needs to do to complete the mission. The theme is of offense, of attack, of invading a stronghold and stealing even if you have to take life to do it. Whatever means necessary. Those are the first lectures of the Chunin exams and you still believe that the only lessons our children learn are of self defense?"
Sarutobi looked to Tsunade now. She didn't answer.
"To further illustrate the atrocity of this exam, the recent exam is taught by a master torturer. A torturer! A person who's calling in life is to cause immeasurable suffering to people. This type of man, this person who commits terrible atrocities and violations on a daily basis is put in a position to teach our children lessons about getting things done no matter what? About doing anything to complete the mission. And he, we, somehow spin his lesson as heroic by trying to make it about bravery, about "saving lives". Yes, being brave enough to lead a gang of killers and do some of the worst things imaginable in the name of your village."
Sarutobi was visibly quaking.
"How many children have we fed these lessons? That is all in the first test. If that were the only test it could be argued that the lessons of the first test are benevolent, are truly about all those good "noble" words. Bravery, leadership, determination. Yet the second test exposes the sinister underbelly of the first test by thrusting our children into a battle royal to the death!"
Saruttobi showed an uncharacteristic display of pain and anger as the scene shifted to the sight of the second test.
"Children are tossed onto a battlefield and told to do whatever it takes to steal from the other teams. They aren't punished for taking life. In fact It's encouraged and rewarded with advancement."
Tsunade and Jirayai found themselves back in the hokage office, still kneeling in front of Sarutobi. He had tears streaming down his cheeks.
"The second Hokage Tobirama created the chunin exams but I perpetuated it. We mired Orochimaru in death masquerading as nobility and you still believe that we, that I had no hand in the man that Orochimaru became? Truly?" Sarutobi questioned.
Both students had their heads down. Jiraiya was the first to speak.
"I never saw it that way. It didn't feel like that when we went through it."
"Of course it didn't. That's the point of coaxing the lessons in flowery language." Sarutobi stated in a dull voice.
Jiraiya looked up to see Sarutobi's serious gaze.
"That is just a small reason why we are so dangerous. We take a terrible concept like training prepubescent children into child soldiers and put a rosey spin on it. The list of our atrocities are endless."
Sarutobi rose to his feet now, looking down on his students who remained seated.
"We tolerate the slavery of the second branch of the Hyuuga clan. We maintain the chunin exams. We teach children to kill and become an efficient death squad before they hit puberty. We are responsible for the Uchiha massacre. I turned a blind eye to the Anbu hit-squad, "Root", even when children started to go missing within our own village. I even hid the nature of the Uchiha massacre for fear of how bad it would look."
Sarutobi walked back to his window now to look out on the village.
"The peace that Hashirama created was never really peaceful. The war just moved to the shadows. Our system reflects that and perpetuates these grotesque practices and processes. If a village was as noble as you two believe it, it would not look like this. The system we've created is an abomination. We've just gotten very good at masking it."
The silence was deafening. After a long while Tsunade finally lifted her head. She too was crying.
"Are you saying we are evil?" The woman questioned in a hitched breath, her voice cracking.
"No!" Sarutobi proclaimed without hesitation.
"Even now I see the good in our people, the way they help each other, cherish each other, sacrifice for each other. I see their smiles." Sarutobi looked down upon a group of civilians lifting a piece of rubble, helping to rebuild.
"The village stands united. It's people united. Even in these dark times we find a way to bring light to the forefront of our lives. These smiles, these faces are worth protecting, worth preserving, worth defending."
Sarutobi turned around to face his students.
"The system is broken. The people are good. I believe that with all my heart." Sarutobi stated resolutely.
Tsunade and Jiraiya stood up now. The could see the determination in his eyes.
"If there is anything that you take away from our talk today it is that. The system is broken. The people are good. Say it." Sarutobi commanded.
"The...system is broken. The people are good." Both Sarutobi and Jaraiya spoke hesitation.
"Again!"
"The system is broken. The people are good!"
The strength had returned to Tsunade's voice. Jiraiya maintained a subtle smile. They reveled in that united moment before Tsunade's expression changed.
"Does Naruto believe that?" She questioned in a serious manner.
Sarutobi's gaze wandered.
An image of a young Naruto huddling alone in a dark alley hiding from angry, drunken citizens flashed through Sarutobi's mind. The image of the glare of the villagers that Naruto faced every day of his life. The image of isolation, Naruto falling asleep alone in his empty apartment in the worst part of the city. Of Naruto's empty refrigerator. Then finally the image of a kitchen knife coming down on Naruto's adolescent form, a strike delivered by one of the "innocent" civilians. Naruto's life was a perfect example of the ignorance and darkness within even the best of people.
"Sensei?" Tsunade's voice snapped Sarutobi out of his thoughts.
"Naruto does not believe that the people are evil."
"That doesn't answer my question." Tsunade pointed out with a narrowed gaze.
"No, he does not. Naruto doesn't believe in the idea of good and evil. Though I know that admission won't make you feel any better about him. I've lived his life so it's far easier for me to understand him."
As he spoke Sarutobi returned to his seat behind the Hokage desk, moving it back to the center of the room. Jiraiya and Tsunade followed suit, grabbing their chairs and returning to their seats. Their minds were racing.
"So you truly believe that Konoha's prosperity is worse for the world?" Tsunade questioned.
This time she was much more calm. She understood her Sensei better even if she didn't like or agree with everything he had to say. At least she now felt assured that the demon in front of her was still her master.
"Yes. It's not a question of belief. It's a matter of fact. The systems that we've developed which has become necessary for our survival, combined with human nature, makes the answer obvious. There is no more evidence needed of the dark side of our nature than how Naruto was treated as a child. How poorly we handled Orochimaru. The chunin exams. We are good people. We love and share and sacrifice and smile. We do all the things good people do. But that goodness is tainted by the horrible things we are responsible for. Most importantly of all, we are blind to the damage we do because we've become so convinced of our own benevolence.
We will steadily progress and improve yet with that improvement we still cause suffering and death to innocents. It is a necessary cost of our existence. There is no getting around that. I could explain it to you step by step, the chain of causality, but a human mind is not fully capable of connecting all the dots. Even more importantly, a human mind is not capable of feeling the significance of the connection. The demonic empathy that I have now is the only way I can truly comprehend the causality that Naruto has figured out. The problem that he sees which underlies the very nature and function of the society we've built. Why he knows that Konoha, unequivocally, is the most dangerous village despite it appearing benevolent on the surface. An undeniable truth even if you can't see it.
Still, he and I have come to a slightly different conclusions. Our conclusions are not mutually exclusive which means I still support Naruto on his path and he supports me on mine. I'll just be taking a few different actions. Most notably, because Naruto was treated so poorly by the village he will not bias the suffering of Konoha over others. Naruto sees suffering and death on a global scale. He is performing global triage and to bias that triage for Konoha would only cause more suffering than it would prevent. I however will forever be a part of Konoha. I will endure the agony of how much pain I'll cause by doing what I can to help Konoha. I'll feel the consequences of my actions but it's a sacrifice I can bare."
"Is our presence truly so harmful?" Jiraiya questioned in disbelief.
"On a global scale, yes. That fact is certain. Still, I will do all that is within my concious to aid Konoha. Though not as it's Hokage."
"What!?" Jiraiya and Tsunade exclaimed in unison.
Sarutobi sighed and reached forward to pick up his Hokage hat. He rubbed against the material idly with a thumb.
"Earlier you asked me why I let our captives go. It's because I couldn't bare holding them captive knowing the suffering and torment they'd go through in our hands. What Ibiki and other torturers would put them through. I feel the suffering of all who are victim to the actions of Konoha. Whether that be directly or indirectly. I've mentioned the many things that Konoha does to cause and perpetuate suffering. The acedemy, the chunin exams, hyuuga slavery, assasination, espionage. As Hokage it is my duty to oversee all of these terrible institutions. Things that, as of right now, are necessary in order to protect our people and maintain their wellbeing. Despite acknowledging the necessity of these things I can no longer bare the weight of their cruelty. The people of Konoha need a Hokage who is willing and able to make the hard choices on their behalf. Now that I can directly feel the pain of those hard choices I can no longer bare it."
Sarutobi ended his sentence by dropping his Hokage hat once again and shoving it away from him as if merely being near it was painful.
Tsunade was flabbergasted.
"You've dedicated your entire life to the protection of Konoha. You showed me the Will of Fire! Now you abandon us!?" Tsunade was beside herself in confusion and a sense of betrayal.
"I do no such thing! I simply cannot help Konoha as Hokage. But I will never abandon Konoha!"
Tsunade stared at the man long and hard. She dropped her head and cradled her forehead in distress.
"What will you do?"
"Help in any capacity I can bare." Sarutobi answered with a far off gaze.
"What will that entail?"
"Honestly I don't know. It's something I need to figure out. I just know I can't do this anymore."
Sarutobi grabbed the fabric of his Hokage robe and tore it from his body, setting the garment down carefully along the Hokage table next to his hat.
"So that's it then? You say you believe in the good of Konoha, of its people, yet you consider our society so horrible that you can't even bare to watch over us. Are we a lost cause in your mind?" Jiraiya spoke up now.
Sarutobi shook his head.
"No. You mistake my criticisms as damnation. There is much we as a people can do to improve. We can grow in real ways, even if slowly and incrementally. We can eventually dissolve the academy so that only adults go through the program. Even then we can focus on emphasizing the value of life. That would become the first lesson of the Chunin exams. The second exam would be reformed altogether to actually focus on saving lives and shun any taking of it. We can find a way to release the Side Branch of the Hyuuga from slavery. We can find a way to be kinder, more charitable, to sacrifice more for the wellbeing of every citizen. We can fix poverty, homelessness. We can stop glorifying battle and war. We can grow more tolerant and accepting so no child ever has to experience what Naruto did growing up. We can treat our prisoners humanely, abolishing tortore. We can stop using the excuse of saving lives to justify monstrous acts, even if SOME of those acts are tragically necessary for our survival. We can have a citizenry that is more active in monitoring their effect on their community and the world. Demand to know that their tax dollars are spent ethically, morally, and responsibly. We can do so much to improve.
However even as we improve a problem arises. The conundrum of morality. As we become more moral, willing to sacrifice more for others, we become more vulnerable to bad actors. When an existential threat arises, fear will overcome our morality and set us back. We will implement similar atrocious systems in the name of our defense. In the name of "saving lives." We may not be set back to square one but the same problems will never really go away. Not as long as people fear death, fear for their loved ones, as long as people feel so little and care so little for those outside their small circle of family and friends. I can't even guarantee that we progress enough morally before we destroy each other entirely. Either way, while I see the hope for Konoha's future I can't take the pain of directly overseeing that journey. That burden and responsibility now falls to one of you."
Sarutobi walked around the desk to stand in front of his students, the young kage placing a hand gently on their shoulders.
"I trust you to guide the people to a better future." Sarutob spoke warmly, a gentle smile crossed his lips.
Sarutobi walked past them to head towards the door.
"Do you truly believe that Naruto's vision is best?" Tsunade spoke up suddenly.
"I know it is. Demons have solved every problem which plagues humanity. Their society is so much better than ours, words could not properly do it justice. Every person that Naruto converts into a demon will drastically reduce the amount of suffering in the world. In fact if all Naruto cared about was reducing the amount of suffering and innocent death in the world over time he'd wipe out all of humanity and do the conversion now."
Tsunade and Jiraiya looked back at him in horror. Sarutobi stood in front of the door, his back to them. He knew they'd want a further explanation.
"Naruto refuses to do that. He is willing to endure the hell of human suffering so that he can save more people. If Naruto were to kill every human today and offer them conversion, something which is very much within his power to do, the global conversion rate would be 18%. Despite such a low number, within less than 100 years, in Naruto's calculation, he would have reduced the amount of suffering in the world drastically. And especially the amount of innocent death. That's just how much better demon society is than human society. That's not including the fact that demons are vegetarian and would drastically help to reduce the suffering of all the animals on the planet as well.
The reason Naruto hasn't started the conversion is because he wants to save as many humans as possible. In the next 3 to 5 years there will be another great Shinobi war. A war that would happen regardless of Naruto's interference. It is during this time where the conversation rate will be highest. That war, which will simply be yet another war in humanities' bloody history, a war of human making, will open people's eyes to the broken system that underscores all of human society. In their despair and suffering Naruto's offer will be all the more appealing. Naruto will start the conversion then. At that time the conversion rate will be over 80%."
Tsunade and Jiraiya were finding Sarutobi's prophesy hard to take in. Sarutobi reached forward to grab the knob of the door.
"This is why I believe in Naruto. Barring killing all humans or putting everyone to sleep, Naruto can't stop humans from warring against each other, from hurting each other. Even small actions of interference, like saving a farmer from an enemy kunai, have cascading consequences that a human mind cannot foresee. Yet Naruto can. He is sacrificing his own wellbeing and even the wellbeing of his family, who suffer in unity with him, to give the most humans as possible, within the shortest amount of time, the highest chance of accepting his offer and joining his family. Naruto is sacrificing more than you can possibly understand. Still, I know many in Konoha will suffer as Naruto does what is necessary. I'll find ways to place bandages over Konoha's wounds until Naruto is ready to give Konoha and the world the treatment it desperately need."
Sarutobi was half way out the door. He looked back on his students one last time.
"Later today I announce my resignation. No matter what happens going forward know that I'm proud of you both and I love you very, very much."
The sound of the door shutting punctuated Sarutobi's last sentence.
Tsunade and Jiraiya exchanged conflicted glances before both their eyes settled on the Hokage garments left behind.
That's the end of the chapter. Please review.
I hope you enjoyed that. Like I mentioned, this will be the last bonus chapter for a while. I'm continuing the story in the sequel. The sequel has different themes like I explained before. Let me know what you guys think of this chapter. I've been having a lot of conversations with my viewers and they helped me write this chapter. The conversations have been amazing. If I can make my readers think and maybe even do some self reflection then I feel I've accomplished something great. Have a good one everyone! Tootles!