"Any word from Tsunade-Sama?"

"Still telling us to, as she kindly put it, to "Fuck off and to stick your war up your ass", Lady Fifth."

"And you haven't used your manly charm to convince her to come back?"

"Oh please, she's never given me the time of day, even when we were team mates."

"Perhaps we need to motivate her, Jiraiya." Nanashi Uchiha leaned back in her chair and stretched, cracking her back and letting a sigh escape. "Send another, as fast as your toads can go. Start it off by saying... we'll... pay off some of her more annoying debtors."

"Geez, gonna bankrupt the Village, huh."

"Hopefully it won't be too bad. Also, say that we just need her to stand there, look menacing, no fighting needed, no blood either."

"Ah so the usual huh."

Nanashi snorted, "Aye, we just need Kumo to back off, I'll be damned if we give into their pathetic attempts to get a Hyūga. Hmm, try and convince her I'm being nice because you requested it. Throw in a threat that I would have made. Taking away the Senju estate, her citizenship, whatever you think will make her take us seriously."

Jiraiya blinked, "Would you actually go through with any of that?"

"Course not, she's a Sannin, and beloved member of the village, if I pulled the plug on her I'd have every Kunoichi in the village storming the gates. But what she doesn't know won't hurt her."

"Devious."

Nanashi sighed and rested her head in her hands, "I'll take that as a compliment, make sure she knows that I'm willing to start a war over this situation. Tell Shikaku to stop in on your way out. I'll have him send a few dignitaries to our allies, make it seem like I'm not above razing the world over this issue."

"Well, it is your first major escapade into the world of international politics. No matter how much I wish to avoid a war, you can't afford to be seen as weak."

"Hopefully this will just end up as a few minor skirmishes, and then another useless treaty once they get their bloodlust sated and sent back home licking their wounds. I'd rather not have a great war while only being Hokage for 10 months."

"You'll do fine kid, you've got me, sensei, Shikaku, and your boy toy, any advice you need on this situation, just ask one of us, I'm sure we can be of help."

"You've already been more than enough help, Lord Jiraiya. And if you can get any more intel on Monoko, please send it to me."

"Hai, Hokage-Sama, anything to avoid another war."

Once Jiraiya had left the office, Nanashi sighed while holding her head in her hands. It had been 10 months since she had taken up the hat, and already there was war brewing on the horizon. Kumo had sent a team with a "Gift" for her, as well as to negotiate better trade deals and a more open border between the two nations. After a week, and plenty of progress, the team stayed one last night, but, In the dead of night, one of the Kumo nin kidnapped the Hyuga heiress, and attempted to flee the village. Hiashi had stupidly killed the man after catching up to him. She couldn't blame the man; anyone would have if their child was the one hurt. Immediately she had mobilized the ANBU, rounded up the remaining Kumo shinobi, and initiated a village wide lock down. After two days of interrogation, she released two of the five shinobi with a 6-man ANBU guard and sent a message with one of her Raven summons to Kumo explaining the circumstances. They hadn't been happy with the situation, immediately blamed Konoha, threw threats left and right, demanded the killer, alive, and the return of the three "prisoners" that they had imprisoned for apparently no reason. Despite Hiruzen telling her to agree with their demands, not wanting war, Nanashi had put her foot down. She demanded reparations, started her own threats, and immediately summoned Jiraiya, as well as several other Shinobi back to the village. She'd be damned if she showed weakness to the enemy this early in her career.

A knock interrupted her thoughts, "Come in."

She raised her head and watched as Shikaku Nara stepped into the room, "Another long day of paperwork, Lady Hokage."

"Something like that. I must talk to you about sending delegates to some of our allies, especially the Sand. We need to start putting a bit of pressure on Kumo. Look over the Sand trades with a few of our Council Members, it's heavily in line with Konoha, while I'm glad it benefits us the most, if we do go to war with Kumo, I'd rather have an ally on outside as opposed to them forming a new alliance with the enemy."

"Would you like us to send anything to our neutral neighbors? Such as Iwa?"

"Iwa can hang itself for all I care, but for the others, send some feelers out, try and get their attention by appealing to their coffers. Nothing we'll actually go through with."

"Mah, I guess it could work, I'll get some people started on the propositions, double time on the one for Suna."

"Thank you, Shikaku, that will be all."

"As you wish, my Lady," she heard him mutter something else as he turned back to the door, "What a drag."

Nanashi couldn't help but smile at that, one thing she found endearing about the job, was learning more and more about her Shinobi's and their quirks. Slowly but surely, she was recognizing each of those under her command, remembering conversations they had weeks previously, and always knowing their names. She would hate to send them to war.

"So, kid, I don't have any other missions for another week, til then, I'm free. So, what's first on the list."

"Ramen!"

"It's a tad bit too early for Ramen," Shisui sweat dropped at the blond boy he was babysitting.

"It's never too early for Kami's glory!"

"Why Nanashi taught you about those dusty old bats I'll never know, kid." The brunette shook his head at the boy's exuberance. "Tell you what kid, how about something just as good as ramen, but it's a breakfast food?"

"Breakfast Ramen?"

"Nah, Waffles! I just bought a new waffle maker the other day. Nanashi said I'd never use it, but hah! Jokes on her, cause we're having them today. And guess what! We can add whatever we want in them!"

"Like ramen!"

"No! But I like your enthusiasm. How about... chocolate chips!"

"Chocolate!" the boy laughed and jumped in his seat.

"Alright kid, race you to the kitchen." Shisui watched as the blonde boy ran out of the room, as fast as his little legs could carry him. He couldn't help but compare the boy to his own family, Itachi had never been so energetic, Sasuke was, but only ever followed around his big brother, always trying to be just like him. If anything, Shisui would say he was just like another cousin of his... Obito. Man, it had been a while since he thought of him. While he had never truly hung out with the boy as often as he would have liked, since the boy had usually been with Nanashi or his team, he had always liked the boy and couldn't help but cry when news was reached of his death.

Shisui shook his head to clear away the memories, for now he had more important things to focus on. With a quick Shunshin he appeared in the kitchen just after Naruto ran in.

"I win!" The boy shouted and jumped onto a nearby stool.

"Oof, I must be getting slow in my old age."

"Nah, I'm just that fast, believe it!"

"Oh-ho, coming for my title, are we? Well tell you what, once you graduate the Academy, I'll teach you my tricks, alright?"

"Eh? But I haven't even joined yet," the boy whined, "That's sooooo far away."

"Ah, but sometimes the best things in life, are worth waiting for."

The boy stared blankly at him before cupping his hands over his mouth, "Booooo."

"Alright, alright, let's get to cooking brat, we'll discuss your training another time." Bah, kids these days, never happy with anything.

Naruto, like Shisui earlier, was thinking of the past. It had been a long time since he had first met Nanashi in that strange place, and his world had changed so much. Like most kids in the orphanage, he had hoped that someone would choose him to adopt, but unlike most kids, everyone hated him. He never knew why, even now, but for some reason, Nanashi and her friend Shisui, had been different. After being kicked out of the hospital, he had been immediately scooped up by a man in a dog mask, who took him to his Jiji's office, and there he was taken in by Nan-Chan.

Ever since he had everything the other kids had, food, clothes, people who loved him, and even toys.

He mostly just enjoyed the attention, even if sometimes it felt weird. He'd still run off on his own sometimes, or forget to come home on time, but he was always welcomed back home, no matter how much trouble he got into. Even if Nanashi scolded him more than he thought he deserved. Speaking of the woman.

"Is Nan-Chan coming back early tonight?"

"Ah, well." Shisui paused, trying to think of what to say, "With all the issues going on with Kumo, she might have to work late again."

Naruto pouted and scrunched his face up in thought, "Can we stay up and wait for her again? I promise I won't fall asleep this time!"

"Sure, Naruto, but only if you eat all your vegetables for dinner."

"What! But-," the boy began grumbling under his breath as Shisui quietly laughed to himself, "Fine! But only if we get Ramen tomorrow!"

"We'll see kid." Shisui ruffled his hair with a grin, "But I'll tell you what, tonight, we can eat some ice cream while waiting for her, all you can eat."

"Yatta!"

- A Few Days Later

"You know, I'm fairly certain you gave up the hat just so you wouldn't have to do paperwork anymore." Nanashi frowned over the shogi board that currently sat between two monstrous piles of paperwork.

"Ohho, well that is a harsh accusation my dear, tell me; do you have any evidence to back up such a claim?" The Third shot back as he moved his pieces, capturing one of hers.

"Because you are just devious enough to do such a thing." She smiled as she move a piece of hers, finishing her set up to win the game. "And now, it is your time to take over once more. No paperwork for me today."

"Did I not teach you, that claiming victory before the end, would almost certainly lead to your defeat." He moved one last piece and knocked her king off the board. "You see, while you were setting up your victory two turns from now, I was leading you into a false sense of security that-"

"You cheated. That piece was different last turn."

"And your proof is...?"

"You dirty, rotten-"

"My, I sure do love a good bowl of Ramen," the Third interrupted, "It shall be all the sweeter with you paying for it."

"If I get home tonight, and if Ichiraku's is still open by the time I leave."

"Oh do not try such an underhanded tactic, we both know you will just use Shadow Clone's to take over before going to train in the Hokage's private training grounds, fall asleep out there, then return home late. As the winner of this Shogi match, I do declare that you give yourself a break tonight."

"That's almost sweet of you."

"-And buy me dinner like a good student should."

"Fine, I'll stop by and pick up Naruto and Shisui beforehand."

"Ah, and how are those two." The old man smiled as he began packing away their shogi board- casually slipping piece after piece from his robe sleeves as he went.

Nanashi sighed and began rubbing her face, "Sometimes I get the two mixed up I feel like. Naruto acts so much like Shisui, it's crazy, as well as Kushina. He's so carefree, and energetic. I fear that when he becomes a Shinobi, he'll run his team ragged like Guy."

"Well, I do believe we could always use more like Guy in this village, he makes things so entertaining."

"He's fast like his father. I'll put him to bed, and by the time I turn around, he'll be back in the cookie jar on top of the fridge. I swear Shisui taught him the wall walking technique one day, and never told me."

"Well, he'll certainly need the chakra control. Has there been any sign?"

"No, thankfully, if he started accessing its chakra this early, I worry I'll never get any sleep."

"Ah the wonders of youth. You know, when Asuma was child, he too would run Biwako and I ragged. It wasn't until he joined the academy, that we began to mellow out."

"Probably due to the training, I'm sure the same will happen with Naruto."

"Aye, and if nothing else, you can always assign him a training regimen to keep him busy when Shisui is away on missions."

"That was already a given. I'll make sure he's one of our best."

Her predecessor rose to leave with a heavy sigh, "Just do remember, he is still a child."

"And also the Village's Jinchuriki. I will protect him, make sure he is loved since Kushina isn't here to do so. But he will be targeted, and will be expected, like all Shinobi, to protect this village with their very life. So, I will train him, personally if I must, to make sure he is strong enough to take on those who would come after him."

"Well, the only thing I have to say, is that I had better not see a clone with us tonight."

Nanashi gave him a small smile as she began pulling stacks of paperwork to work on, "I won't Lord Third. See you around 8."

A/N: So I thought I'd have the scene's with Nanashi done by now, but I think it'll go another 4 or 5 chapters before we get to strictly Naruto's POV, but I'm trying to show how parts of Naruto's life has changed to keep him in the spotlight. Anyways, hope you enjoyed the chapter, stand by for the next.