Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. It belongs to Masashi Kishimoto and I am making no profit from this story, it is only for entertainment.

Chapter Summary: In which Rio calls Tsunade dumb and Kazuya finally gets to leave the hospital

A super long one today! Enjoy!


Chapter 39: Decisions, Decisions

Rio walked up to the same food stand as the previous night, spotting the two Sannin sitting at the counter in the same seats he left them in. Beneath the small green awning, their heads were bowed together and although on the surface they looked years apart, he could tell there was a lot of history there. He knew Tsunade had a special place in Jiraiya's heart from the way he talked about her. He didn't know what she did to remain so young but that wasn't the priority right now. He hesitated for only a moment before he took a deep breath and steeled his resolve.

He had been an asshole yesterday and he knew it. It had taken him a while to calm down but Shizune's words had stuck with him. She had come by his room to try and explain why Tsunade was the way she is; Rio couldn't imagine losing his brother like that. The whole thing with the necklace and how both of the people she lost wanted to become Hokage…Rio felt a little ashamed of the way he had acted yesterday. He cringed whenever the thought of what Nii-san would think crossed his mind.

He stood by his words but not the way he'd said them. Almost everyone he knew had lost someone they loved and they managed to get by; but who was he to judge how Tsunade was supposed to react? The fear of blood wasn't great but neither Kazu-nee nor Kashi had bloody injuries so it should be fine for her to come back and heal them. He just had to convince her…after he fixed his fuck-up from yesterday.

"Morning."

He drew attention from the pair and he smiled awkwardly, scratching the back of his neck.

"Look, I'm sorry about yesterday," he forced out. "It was mean and uncalled for and I'm really sorry about your brother. That sucks."

Tsunade was staring at him, unable to hide the surprise on her face. She'd taken off her green haori and was left in her grey vest, a black obi holding it closed.

"Kazu-nee is always saying that 'people process grief differently' and 'you need to have patience, Rio' but I'm not always the greatest listener and I kind of do first, think later and yeah, maybe you don't need to become Hokage, that's cool, but please come back to Konoha, Kazu-nee and Kashi really need your help. A lot of people do."

Tsunade's mouth opened and closed for a moment before her walls went back up.

"Thanks, kid, but I really can't help," she said shortly.

"Please," he tried. "I know you have the thing about blood but you can just help the ones without injuries like that. Some has to be better than none, right?"

"How much did Shizune tell you?" She narrowed her brown eyes. "She shouldn't have said anything."

"I asked her to tell me," Rio lied quickly.

He knew he wasn't supposed to lie unless it was for a mission or to keep a secret but he figured this one could be forgiven. He didn't want Shizune to get in trouble.

"Tsunade-hime, give him a break," Jiraiya interrupted but Rio caught his approving look. "Shizune just cares about you, you know that.

Tsunade turned to look at the large man before she sighed, eyeing Rio with piercing amber eyes.

"Why exactly do you want to be Hokage, kid?" She asked abruptly and Rio blinked.

It had been so long since he'd made that promise to himself. He'd been four years old and it was one of his clearest memories from that age as the others had begun to fade with time. The villagers had been so mean to him when Nii-san hadn't been there and he'd realised just how much Nii-san protected him. When he'd asked Jiji what a Hokage was, he'd told Rio that they were the strongest and greatest protectors. Nii-san had always been the image of the strongest shinobi to him so if Rio became Hokage then that must mean that Rio was finally strong enough to protect him like he's always done for Rio. He would be strong enough to protect them all.

"I want to protect Nii-san like he's always done for me," he said slowly. "I want to surpass him and become the strongest so Nii-san can trust me to look after him for once. I want to be the person that my family and friends look to when they need help. I want to be strong enough that I can always make things okay no matter how bad they are."

He looked up from where his gaze had fallen to the ground to see an unreadable expression on Tsunade's face. He glanced over at Jiraiya to see a mixture of pride and sadness; he had no idea what he'd done to elicit that reaction from the Sannin but shrugged it off.

"That hat is cursed," Tsunade said, more solemn than angry. "I don't think your brother would want you to die chasing after a goal like that. You can't protect anyone if you're dead."

Rio frowned and pointed a finger right in her face.

"I'm not only not gonna die, I'm going to be the best Hokage that Konoha has ever seen and when I do you're gonna eat your words!" He yelled loudly, mentally apologising to Kazu-nee. He'd tried to be patient. "I ain't leaving here without you! You are gonna come back to Konoha and help my family and then you're going to watch me take that hat!"

Tsunade scoffed and turned back around to face the bar, ordering another drink. Rio raised an eyebrow at Jiraiya.

"I'll keep an eye on her gaki and make sure she doesn't vanish on us," the man said, patting Rio on the shoulder. "You go get breakfast at one of the other stalls and then go work on your Rasengan."

Rio nodded and stomped away. Tsunade was so frustrating but Rio wasn't one to break his promises. He would convince Tsunade to come back and he would become the Hokage someday. Right now though, he had a technique to master.


Jiraiya and Tsunade seemed to have claimed those particular bar stools for themselves; when Rio had trudged back after a long day of training they were still there, drinking and arguing over something that Rio couldn't quite catch. He'd inhaled a bowl of ramen and abandoned them both, heading to bed and falling asleep the moment his head hit the pillow. When he awoke the next day, he'd expected to find them exactly where he'd left them, with maybe Shizune hovering near Tsunade with a worried look that she usually sported around the older woman.

Instead, he almost tripped over Shizune's body in the hotel hallway. His heart leapt into his throat as he frantically tried to check her pulse. When he'd found it strongly beating beneath his fingertips, he'd almost sagged in relief but he didn't have time to relax.

"Shizune-san? Shizune!" He shook her shoulders roughly. "Come on, wake up!"

The air became trapped in his chest as she remained motionless for a second longer than he was comfortable with. He released it in a breath of relief as Shizune finally opened hazy eyes.

"Rio?" She slurred.

It took a moment for her dark eyes to focus but once they did, Rio fell back onto his ass as Shizune surged to her feet, tottering as she barely caught her balance. Rio stood quickly and grabbed her elbow, steadying her before she could fall.

"Where's Tsunade?" She shot out frantically, still trying to find her bearings as her head whipped around frantically.

"I don't know." Rio kept a grip on her as he felt her sway. "She's probably down at the bar with Jiraiya; they haven't moved in two days."

Shizune started to walk slowly down the corridor and Rio followed her closely. By the time they'd gotten to the bottom of the hotel stairs, she'd regained enough of her strength and bearings that Rio felt that she could walk on her own. He spotted the bar and his heart sank as he saw a lone Jiraiya slumped over the counter. Reaching the Sannin before Shizune, he tried shaking him but it wasn't working this time. He looked around and grabbed the closest drink, proceeding to dump it on Jiraiya's face.

"Pfffttt," Jiraiya spat out, blinking the blue liquid out of his eyes. "The fuck…?"

"Come on, old man, we have a situation. Where's Tsunade?"

Jiraiya looked over at him but Rio could tell there was something wrong. It was almost like the Sannin was moving through sludge, his movements slow and almost slumping. Rio cursed; there was something bigger going on here and he didn't like that someone had managed to take out two strong shinobi just outside his bedroom door. He should have heard something.

"Jiraiya-sama, where is she?" Shizune demanded.

"She fucking drugged me," Jiraiya groaned. "It's hard for me to move and I can't control my chakra right now."

Shizune's face fell but before she could move Jiraiya reached out to grab her forearm.

"What deal did Tsunade make with Orochimaru?" he asked firmly and Rio was taken aback.

Sure Tsunade didn't want to come back but she wouldn't betray them either, right? Orochimaru killed Jiji and he was the cause of so many other deaths in Konoha. Rio had to rescue people from their crumbling homes and watched families' lives be altered forever all because of Orochimaru and Tsunade wanted to work with him? He couldn't think of a single good reason to even meet the Snake Sannin other than to kill the bastard.

Shizune faltered but after a long moment, she sagged, giving in.

"Orochimaru approached us a couple of days before you arrived," she admitted. "He wanted Tsunade to heal his arms but she said no; she was even going to fight them off, I swear. Then he offered to revive Dan and Nawaki but I really didn't think she would take the deal."

Rio didn't know what to think about this. He didn't even want to consider it. People couldn't come back from the dead; Tsunade should know that better than anyone, she was a medic nin. Maybe it was the grief clouding her judgement but if Orochimaru got his arms back, that couldn't be good for Konoha. She had to know that. They made it through the first time but Rio didn't ever want a disaster like that to hurt his village again. He didn't think Tsunade wanted that either, no matter how much she didn't want to go back.

"We need to find them," Jiraiya let go and stood, leading the way into the city.


Tsunade slammed a fist into the ground, cursing as Kabuto dodged once again. Cracks and chunks of earth erupted, forming another crater, and Tsunade watched Kabuto heal a gash on his arm in annoyance.

"We really were going to stay away from Konoha, you know?" The late morning sun bounced off Kabuto's glasses, obscuring her view of his eyes.

"We both know that was a lie," she gritted her teeth. "I was willing to believe it, if it meant seeing Dan and Nawaki again but I can't allow you to destroy Konoha. There are people that I can't allow you to hurt."

Rio's face flashed through her mind but she quickly shook it off. She'd only known the kid for two days and even if he was Kushina's child, that couldn't be enough for her to break her vow. He would learn that his dream of being Hokage was flawed; hopefully before it killed him.

But he had also surprised her. His apology had been genuine and it was something she hadn't expected. His conviction and even more than that, his love and adoration for his brother, almost made Tsunade think that it was possible; but if Tsunade wasn't enough to save her brother, what could Naruto do for Rio? He couldn't be there all the time.

Despite the passing of so many years, Naruto's little, round face was still vivid in her memory. He'd been only one and Tsunade remembered bouncing him on her lap, his laughter bright and joyful and for the first time since Nawaki's death, things had felt like they would be okay. The dark cloud that hung over Konoha, and the memories that punched her in the chest around every corner, seemed a little bit more manageable. She had a reason to go back and visit, even if it was just a day or two a year.

Then the Kyūbi attacked Konoha and the last light in Konoha went out. She'd vowed to never go back; a decision made in anger but at night she almost drowned in the grief and hurt that still haunted her even twelve years later. She was content to waste the rest of her days in gambling dens with sake and piling debt but then Jiraiya and Rio had crashed into her life, refusing to let her wallow in peace; and it was wallowing. Rio had a point even if Tsunade didn't want to acknowledge it. There were people who had lost more but Dan and Nawaki had been her whole world. There was no home without them.

She wanted to meet the godson she thought had died; she wanted to learn about his life and see how much he resembled his parents. She had already lost too much not to take the opportunity in front of her. She had told Kabuto that she was willing to help Orochimaru for the chance to see her loved ones again and she'd meant every word. How could she miss the chance to see the godson she thought she'd lost? She was still against becoming the Hokage but she could at least pay a short visit to the village, even if she didn't intend to stay.

Orochimaru smirked from behind a panting Kabuto and Tsunade swore she would punch her ex-teammate in the face. Kabuto vanished underground and Tsunade readied herself, leaping into the air and avoiding Kabuto's weaponised Shōsen. She flipped back to land heavily on the ground but Kabuto was right in her face, swiping the technique across her arm and thigh. She felt his chakra slice through the muscle and she gritted her teeth, forcing him back with a powerful roundhouse kick.

She knelt on the hard ground, unable to move her arm and leg like she should. Kabuto's technique had damaged her biceps so she struggled to bend her elbow and her quadriceps, so she couldn't unflex her knee. Blue chakra shimmered around Kabuto's fists as he dragged himself to his feet once again, grinning triumphantly.

"I couldn't cut through the muscle entirely but I've damaged the muscle enough to weaken that incredible strength of yours."

"A chakra scalpel?" Tsunade snapped back. "You're about twenty years too young to do any real damage."

"Perhaps if I just aim for your neck…" Kabuto said to himself, lunging forward and swinging his fist.

Tsunade crossed her arms into a block, hissing as she felt the difference in her arms. She had to give Kabuto his dues; he knew how to wield that technique. Managing to block the next few strikes she kicked him in the back, sending him tumbling. He rolled to his feet and swiftly slipped his fist between her cross block, striking her directly in the chest. The blow knocked the wind out of her and she was forced to her knees, arms wrapped around her. He hit her intercostals; they were one of the main muscles of breathing along with the diaphragm and she could feel the damage already starting to shorten her breath. He had to have impressive anatomical knowledge to hit her that precisely; even she would have struggled to do something like that in her prime.

"Have to be careful to avoid anything too vital," mocked Kabuto, his dark eyes alight with twisted amusement. "We can't have you dying too quickly; though you shouldn't be moving any time soon…"

Tsunade made her move while the boy was distracted by his monologue. She struck a blow to the back of his neck and sent a pulse of her chakra with it. It sent the Oto nin flailing and she watched him struggle to get up. She hoped that he would stay down; she didn't have much left in her. The mess she'd made of his nervous system should be enough to keep him down. Turning her chakra into electricity was hard enough but directing it into the spinal cord took everything she had in that moment.

She gritted her teeth as Kabuto twitched and slowly pulled himself back together; he healed so quickly! He stood and rushed her with a kunai and she fell back into a defensive stance.

"You really don't think that'll be enough?"

"It'll be enough to defeat you as you are now."

He came in close but instead of attacking her, he slashed his kunai up his arm and flung the limb out. Tsunade froze as his blood splattered onto her grey vest and black obi. She looked down at the droplets that clung to her bare arms.

She couldn't think. She couldn't breathe. The edges of her vision started to turn black until her whole world became those drops of red; she could feel them on her skin and she was going to be sick. She didn't even see the fist that slammed into her cheek and sent her flying back into a pair of arms.


Rio watched Shizune catch Tsunade before he looked up to her opponent. He was in the same sleeveless navy jumpsuit as when Rio had seen him in the Chunin Exams, with a wide white belt around his torso and white sleeves down to his elbow. His long silver hair was tied up into a ponytail but it was Oto hitai-ate that held his fringe out of face, not a Konoha hitai-ate like before.

"What are you doing?" he shouted at the old boy, feeling Jiraiya's hand on his shoulder.

"He's Orochimaru's subordinate," Jiraiya said quietly.

They watched Kabuto retreat to stand beside the Snake Sannin and Rio felt Jiraiya's grip tighten before he let go.

"Shizune, you take the guy with the glasses," he said, deep voice serious and low. "I'll handle Orochimaru."

"Wait, what can I do?" Rio blurted out quickly as Jiraiya shifted his weight. "I can help!"

"You guard Tsunade with the pig."

Rio frowned down at the animal. The animal frowned back at him. He hadn't really taken note of Tonton in the couple of days since he'd met the two women. She was dressed in a red shirt that matched Tsunade's haori with a string of pearls around her thick neck. He'd never heard of a ninja pig before but he'd spent enough time around Kashi's dogs to not question it.

Jiraiya was flipping through hand seals before Rio could argue further and he watched with wide eyes as Kabuto helped Orochimaru summon two massive snakes, reminiscent of the ones that almost ate him and Sasuke in the Forest of Death. A massive puff of smoke surrounded Jiraiya and Rio was expecting something of a similar calibre but all that appeared was a small orange toad.

"Shit!" Jiraiya cursed.

Rio recalled his words at the bar; whatever he'd been drugged with must still be having an impact on him.

"You are a disgraceful guy, as always," Orochimaru hissed and Rio bristled.

Jiraiya may have been raunchy and loud and filled with so many questions but Rio had grown to like him. Orochimaru may have known him longer but Rio knew him better than some traitor and he wasn't about to sit back in this fight when he knew he could help. He was done with being left behind; he had to step up to the playing field at some point and if he ever wanted to become Hokage, he had to start fighting on the same level.

"I got the one on the left if you take the one Orochimaru is on." He whipped out a kunai from his pouch. "I've beaten one of these guys before; Shizune, you gotta distract Kabuto."

Jiraiya watched him for a moment before he reluctantly nodded. Shizune didn't have time to respond as the snakes slammed into the ground, sending up heaps of earth and dust that obscured their vision. Rio leapt into the air, trying not to cough as the dust irritated his throat, and jumped between blocks of dirt towards Kabuto. His view was abruptly filled with the open maw of one of the snakes and its mouth was easily twice his height. He had to think fast and he thanked all the times Nii-san and Kazu-nee had ambushed him in the past; he would never have had the reflexes otherwise.

He flung the kunai into the back of the snake's throat and it closed its mouth enough for Rio to get a good angle on the snake's eye. He tore another kunai out and launched it at its pupil. The kunai sunk in but it wasn't quite enough so Rio grabbed a large rock out of the air around him and launched it in the same direction, managing to hit the handle of the kunai and drive it into the creature's brain. It finally stopped flailing and slumped to the ground with a thump that rattled the earth beneath it.

Rio found his way to the ground in time for Jiraiya to launch himself towards Orochimaru and the other snake. He looked around to find Shizune struggling against Kabuto, Tsunade still sitting on the ground in a catatonic state nearby. He made his decision but was unable to make it in time to stop Shizune getting punched, the blood flicking back onto Tsunade and intensifying her shaking.

Kabuto lifted a foot to stomp on Tsunade but Rio intervened, kicking the Oto nin in the shoulder and forcing him back a few steps.

"What the fuck happened to you, Kabuto?" He raged. "Why would you do this? Why Orochimaru?"

"My loyalty has always been to Orochimaru-sama," Kabuto answered coolly, pushing his glasses back up his nose. "You should be thanking me, Norio. I spared your brother during the invasion; it may have been for Orochimaru's future benefit but he breathes because of me."

Rio stopped short.

"What are you talking about?"

"He didn't tell you?

Rio remained silent. What happened? He'd barely seen Nii-san since the attack but he trusted that Nii-san would have told him if anything major had happened. He'd been furious to find out Kazu-nee had been in the hospital for a week and Rio had been kept in the dark.

"Did you not wonder why he wasn't there to watch your matches?" Kabuto continued, grinning vindictively. "He was unconscious and abandoned in a storeroom. No one even noticed he was gone, huh? And so soon after his kidnapping?"

Rio didn't want to listen to this. He didn't want to think about the implications of Kabuto's words. He wouldn't have even believed it but he knew Nii-san hadn't been there. He'd accepted Kashi's words that he was watching from elsewhere, that he was being paranoid because of recent events, but it horrified him to know that Nii-san was even being targeted in the heart of Konoha; and it was successful. Nii-san didn't even look like anything had happened to him when he'd appeared in the area; he'd looked like he always did.

He tried to shake off those thoughts; he had to focus on the here and now. He planted himself in front of the still seated Tsunade and raised his fists. Kabuto raised a pale eyebrow.

"You really think you're going to stand a chance? Why bother? She's not going to go back to Konoha, let alone help the likes of Kazuya."

"You don't get to say his name!" He snarled. "And Tsunade is a shinobi of Konoha! She may be difficult and dumb about some things but I will protect my comrade with everything I have! That's what the Hokage would do!"

He missed the widening of Tsunade's eyes at his words.

"Those are some fancy words but if you die, then there are no dreams. There will be no becoming Hokage and your brother will weep at your grave for the rest of his days."

Rio gritted his teeth as Kabuto threw out his arms to the side in a flourish.

"People like you; they chase after foolish dreams and then die."

Rio lifted his arms and blocked Kabuto's kick, ducking beneath the following leg. He sank a fist into the older boy's side but it barely glanced the surface and he grunted as Kabuto twisted his arm further than it was supposed to go. Rio managed to get free but found himself thrown onto his back as Kabuto landed a heavy hit on his chest. He rolled back over his head to dodge the stomp to the face and he swung, knocking Kabuto's glasses askew.

"I stand by my words," he spat. "You won't hurt Tsunade, not while I'm here."

He'd said it many times before now; to anyone that asked and sometimes to even to people who didn't. There was something about this moment though. There was a conviction and a drive that he hadn't really felt before. He always knew that he would do his best to become the Hokage but right now, in this moment, he believed it more than he ever had before. He knew he was a long way from actually realising it but as he stood his ground, there was something deep within him that settled into place.

"Please, Rio…" Tsunade said softly. "You don't have to protect me."

Rio ignored her as Kabuto charged and he managed to catch the kunai before it reached his eyes. He managed not to flinch at the sharp pain and warm blood began to run down his palm, dripping into the rocky grass below them. He gripped the kunai tighter between his fingers to stop Kabuto moving it and managed to get a grip on Kabuto's hand.

"I'm not gonna die and I am going to become the Hokage." He said determinedly, a grin breaking through as he watched the shock appear on Kabuto's face.

He began to concentrate his chakra into his free palm, praying it would work this time. He'd been so close yesterday and even a partially finished third step would cause some damage. He shoved it into Kabuto's gut and remained firm against the wildly spinning technique. Kabuto finally lost his footing and the small Rasengan sent him flying. He crunched into one of the larger rocks, falling out of the crater he'd created and slumping to the ground.

He turned around to check on Tsunade but was distracted by a hot iron taste in his mouth. He forced the lump in his throat out and heaved a clump of blood onto the grass. He looked back up at Kabuto in bewilderment but the Oto nin was becoming blurry. He felt himself hit the ground but it was distant. He was vaguely aware of Tsunade appearing above him but she couldn't hear what she was saying; was she even talking?

His eyes slipped closed.


Rio snapped his eyes open and lunged upright, feeling hands on his chest trying to stop him.

"Rio, it's okay! It's over!"

Rio blinked and looked around, taking in his surroundings. A bloody Tsunade knelt beside him, smiling softly. A relieved Shizune stood just behind her, Tonton clutched tightly in his arms. He felt a breeze on his torso and frowned at his bare chest; why had someone cut his shirt open? What happened?

"I had to remove parts of your shirt to access your heart," she explained. "Kabuto managed to damage your heart muscles but it's all fixed up. You got him back good too; he was barely standing after that hit."

"Tsunade saved you twice," a very beat-up Jiraiya grinned over her shoulder. "Orochimaru tried to kill you but she intervened. Got over her fear of blood and everything, kid. You missed all the good stuff."

Rio pouted as he looked around. The landscape was trashed; deep craters were scattered around and rubble lay haphazardly around them. The body of the snake still lay dead off to his left and he could see evidence of katon and doton jutsu everywhere.

"Wait, so you beat Kabuto and the snake bastard without me?"

This prompted a hearty laugh out of Jiraiya.

"You were kind of busy not dying, gaki. Although you should have seen Tsunade; a Hokage if I've ever seen one."

"I haven't agreed to anything," she said promptly. "I'll come back and help the injured but I'm not promising that I'll stay."

Rio watched her carefully. Something had changed about her. It wasn't just the lack of fear of the blood that covered them both; there was something in the air around her. Something had been lifted and she seemed a bit lighter than earlier that day.

"When did you learn the Rasengan?" she asked curiously.

"Jiraiya taught me the first step when we started looking for you," he shrugged, taking in the ruined landscape around them. "It's not technically finished yet but I'll get it before we get back to Konoha."

Tsunade looked back at Jiraiya.

"About four weeks ago." He proudly answered her silent question.

"Only four weeks?" She repeated in shock, turning wide amber eyes back to Rio. "It took Minato years."

Rio shrugged again and struggled to his feet, wavering only slightly. He held out a hand for Tsunade. She paused for only a moment before she took it, rising to her feet.

"Let's go home," Rio grinned brightly. "I know loads of people who can't wait to meet you. Fair warning, once Kazu-nee sees you you're on your own. He's a big fan."

Tsunade threw a look towards Jiraiya who just shook his head. Rio laughed; it had all turned out okay in his book.


Walking down the Konoha hospital corridor seemed like a faraway dream. It had been so long since she'd been in this place. The white walls and pale blue floor was the same as it had always been and people of all ages walked through the halls, some in the thin hospital gowns and others in the beige medic nin coats. A mixture of good and bad memories swirled around her head as she caught snatches of conversation. She'd already attracted a lot of stares but she was ignoring them, just trying to help the patients she could while she was still here. Tsunade didn't know if she would be staying; the emotions that rose up from being in the village were both good and bad and she didn't know what to do.

A part of her didn't want to wander the countryside anymore; Konoha didn't have the negative place in her heart that it used to but another part of her still felt the absence of Dan and Nawaki in the places they used to be. She knew Shizune wanted to stay and she also knew that she deserved better than following Tsunade around and piecing her back together.

A flash of red appeared around the corner and Tsunade quickened her pace, heart beating faster and a lump rising in her throat. She rounded the corner and saw the spitting image of Kushina standing in the hallway, speaking to a young female medic nin. Tsunade froze as she drank in the sight of her godson.

He'd had short blond hair exactly like Minato's the last time she'd seen him. Only a little tuft on top of his tiny head but now even in a high ponytail, his straight, deep red hair fell to below his shoulder blades. He wore the standard jounin uniform with his olive jounin vest sitting snugly on his narrow shoulders. His slightly worn hitai-ate was tied around his left arm and she could see tattoos covering the entirety of his left hand. She remembered Jiraiya mentioning that they went all the way up to his shoulder. He laughed at something the woman said and his blue eyes sparkled, just like Minato's did when he laughed. The pale fluorescent lights bounced off of his high cheekbones and his slim jaw was all Minato's too.

Now she had a closer look, while his profile was Kushina his face was all Minato; if his hair had remained blond he could have been the Yondaime's twin. She supposed that's why they'd had to change it.

He really was all grown up and Tsunade had missed it all. He was only supposed to be three years older than Rio but it felt like there was much more between them. A man stood before her and she felt bitterly disappointed that she hadn't been able to be a part of it. If she'd just visited once she knew Sarutobi-sensei would have told her. She'd already lost Dan's and Nawaki's future and she didn't want to miss his; she'd already missed too much.

He turned to look at her and tilted his head; it felt like he was looking through her, not at her. With a quiet 'later, Katsumi' he walked up to her, stopping a few steps away.

"Senju Tsunade-sama, I take it?" He said with a distant but friendly tone, his baritone surprising her. "My name is Uzumaki Naruto and I can lead you to some of the patients we'd like you to see."

He began to lead the way down the corridor before Tsunade could gather her thoughts and she followed him, staring at the back of his head. Did he remember her? Did he even know what she was to him? Did he know that she didn't know he was alive? Would it matter?

"So are you just back to help out around here or are you going to take the hat?"

She missed a step.

"I don't know," she replied honestly.

Naruto nodded and continued walking down the hallway, nodding at people as he went. He obviously spent a lot of time here. There was a confidence and assertiveness in the way he acknowledged them and she wondered exactly what role he had in the village. She tried to think of something to say but it was harder to broach the subject than she thought.

"Did Rio talk your ear off too much?" Naruto said, looking back almost reassuringly. "I love him but once he gets going, I can't keep up with his energy."

"You've got an amazing little brother," she responded quickly, taking the olive branch for what it was. "He's strong and believes in his dreams; you should be very proud."

Naruto chuckled lightly.

"I'm always proud of that kid," he winked. "He's going to be Hokage someday."

He said with such confidence, like it was inevitable. She could see where Rio had gotten his conviction.

"The title of Hokage, it means a lot to a lot of people," he continued, still keeping his tone casual. "It's not something to take lightly."

They continued in silence for a few minutes.

"Why are you hesitant about it?"

Tsunade considered his question carefully. That same question had been circling around her head since she'd decided to come back to Konoha.

"I've lost a lot to the hat," she started. "I know I'm probably going to lose more and that it's going to hurt. I don't know if I'm capable of taking any more hits. I've proven that I'm capable of abandoning the village when things get too hard and I can't do that if I'm Hokage. If I do this, I have to do it properly and I don't know if I can commit to that."

Naruto finally stopped and turned to her. Blue eyes looked directly into hers and she could see a faint white line where a scar must have been across his face.

"Do you love Konoha?"

She blinked. That hadn't been where she thought this was going. As she stared at him, at the complete lack of judgement in his expression, something gave way inside her.

"I do."

It had taken the whole fight with Kabuto and Orochimaru to realise but she did still love Konoha. Dan and Nawaki had loved this village and she wanted to make sure their legacy continued, that they would be remembered and everything that they had fought for would be protected. Naruto grinned and this time she saw Rio; the brightness and easy smiles must be an Uzumaki trait.

"Then you'll be fine." He shoved his hands into his pockets. "People seem to forget this with all the criteria about strength and accomplishments and stuff but that's the most important quality for any Hokage. As long as you love this village and the people in it, you'll make the right choices. It's probably going to hurt sometimes but that means you care; to me, that's someone I want to follow."

He nodded his head to the door on her left.

"Your patient is Arai Kazuya. He's probably going to bombard you with questions because he's a big fan, but he needs a lot of help. He's been through a lot recently. Hatake Kakashi is three doors down."

He turned to continue walking down the corridor and Tsunade couldn't help but call out to him.

"I didn't know you were alive. I swear, I didn't know. I thought I'd lost you too."

Naruto whirled around and Tsunade saw the first flash of emotion that wasn't neutral or friendly. His blue eyes scanned her carefully before his shoulders relaxed.

"Thank you for telling me," he nodded.

He didn't say anything further and soon disappeared. Tsunade knew her decision was made. She would stay, she would be Hokage and she would not fail her godson again. She would do it for Dan and Nawaki and Shizune.

She took a deep breath before she pushed the door open.


Kazuya was almost buzzing out of his skin as he waited outside of the Hokage's office. He'd met Senju Tsunade and he didn't think he would ever come down from this high. He'd read so many of her research papers from her youth and absolutely everything there was to read about her in the library had been devoured quickly. She was the epitome of combat medicine; Kazuya could only hope to be as good as her one day. She looked much younger than he'd expected but that was a small detail in the grand scheme of things.

He twisted his wooden cane in his hands; the fact that he was even walking right now, even with support, was a testament to how amazing their new Hokage was. She'd managed to help with a lot of the atrophy and lingering damage from the poison. He still had a long way to go; it would take more than a couple of healing sessions, even with Tsunade, but he was discharged from the hospital. He needed to go back for physical therapy sessions and was stuck with the cane for a couple of weeks but he was allowed home. He got to sleep in his own bed and after over a month in that hospital room, with a further month spent unconscious, he couldn't think of anything he wanted more.

He didn't like to think of what he had missed. There were a few major things, like Sasuke's promotion and Rio and Sakura's fights and the whole invasion and all the aftermath, but he missed the little things too. Two months was a long time and life went on, even if he was stuck in a hospital bed. Naruto had changed a bit; not a speck of orange to be found and he wore the normal jounin uniform. Kazuya knew for a fact he hated the feeling of the vest but it was like he'd lost something in the attack, or maybe even from the events preceding it. It was hard to tell; so much had happened. Sakura and Sasuke were more subdued and Rio had been gone for a month.

He hadn't been able to be there for anyone. He couldn't help during the attack, he couldn't be at home to make sure everyone was at least eating and he couldn't ease the load of his colleagues. The last time he'd felt so useless was when Naruto collapsed during that training session nine years ago and he loathed the reminder.

He still had his uncle's affairs to organise too; the man had refused to evacuate and had ended up being one of the casualties. Kazuya couldn't say he was sad to hear the news but now he was stuck trying to untangle the man's mess as his only living relative.

It felt like he was being left behind; like he was stuck in place while everyone moved around him. He had never really appreciated what it was like to be a patient and how it felt to have his body fail. He knew he would be approaching it differently from now on; he had always been focused on the healing and the injuries but now he knew that it had a much bigger effect on people's lives than he could have ever predicted. The physical effects of illness were just a small part of a much larger, horrible whole. He didn't know how Naruto lived like this.

"Come in."

He stood from his chair, leaning heavily on his cane as he limped into the Hokage's office. They'd had the coronation yesterday and apparently Tsunade-sama was wasting no time in sorting out the mess left over from the invasion. He stopped just short of the wooden desk, an orange banner across the front of it with the Leaf symbol. The afternoon sunlight brightened up the room from the three massive windows behind the desk and piles of books and scrolls had already started accumulating on the floor around the desk.

"Kazuya," the new Hokage greeted him, gesturing for him to sit on the brown sofa shoved against the right wall. "Thank you for coming."

Kazuya sat heavily onto the brown cushions, resting his cane across his legs. He kept his back straight; it was hard to stay at attention but he was determined. The Hokage's amber eyes watched him critically, probably looking for any signs of regression in his progress. He had the same look whenever he looked at his patients.

"How are you doing?" Tsunade asked, sitting back in her chair.

"I am a lot better, Hokage-sama," Kazuya grinned. "I'll be back at work tomorrow. Thank you so much for your help."

Tsunade waved away the thanks dismissively, reaching out to pick up a scroll from the pile on her desk.

"That's not why I called you in," she said. "When I found out your position in the hospital, I asked some of the nurses about you. You specialise in combat and poisons, correct?"

"Yes, Hokage-sama," he said quickly. "I have focused mainly on trauma since my appointment to the emergency department but I consult on all poison cases and still get sent on missions with Team Hari when required."

Tsunade nodded.

"We need more medic nin and I plan to do something about that. I've also heard about you advocating for medical education at the academy level?"

Kazuya leaned forward eagerly.

"Absolutely," he grinned in excitement. "I currently teach the genin teams the basics in my free time but even during my time in the academy almost ten years ago, I noticed the lack of first aid training. I understand that medic nin are highly specialised but I believe that it would save a lot of lives if all shinobi had basic skills, like CPR, bandaging, burn treatments and managing musculoskeletal injuries like breaks or sprains. Konoha doesn't have enough medics to send out with every team but this could mean that they could at least make it back to the village to receive proper treatment."

Tsunade threw him the scroll which he caught easily. He didn't know he could be so thankful for the ability to do something so basic but a lot had changed. This wasn't something he was capable of a month ago.

"I happen to agree with you," she grinned, leaning back into her chair. "I told Sarutobi-sensei years ago that we needed first aid in the academy but it wasn't considered to be a priority due the low numbers of shinobi that pursued it as their speciality. So effective immediately, I am removing you from your position as the Head of the Emergency Department."

Kazuya's heart dropped. This wasn't where he saw this going. The panic must have shown on his face as Tsunade quickly continued.

"You'll still pick up shifts at the hospitals but your new priority will be the academy. I want you to develop the new medical curriculum and present it to me. If it passes, you'll need to present it to the Clan Heads, the Council, and Department Heads. Once you get approval from them, you'll work with the academy team to build it into the curriculum. You'll be the teacher for these classes for the first few years as we work out the issues that arise and then you can either continue in the position or train someone new."

Kazuya looked between the scroll and the Hokage with wide eyes, his mouth opening and closing as he tried to figure out what to say. He had been advocating for this for so long; he'd ended up just teaching the genin on his own as his ideas fell on deaf ears. He knew his colleagues in the hospital agreed with him but it was so much work to set up and continue with and they struggled to find enough time to do their regular jobs. He'd never imagined that he would finally manage to get here.

"It's a lot of work and feel free to pull in other medic nin to help if needed, although they won't be able to commit full-time like yourself. You will receive a salary while you create the curriculum; it's the same as what you will receive when you start teaching. You have around three months before the beginning of the new academy year but I understand if it takes longer."

"Tsunade-sama, I already have half of this planned out," Kazuya admitted breathlessly. "I promise to have something to present by December."

Tsunade smiled.

"I hope I'm right about you," she nodded. "Rio spoke very highly of you and so did your colleagues. I can tell you are passionate about this and I look forward to reviewing your progress."

At the mention of Rio, Kazuya had a thought.

"Tsunade-sama, as one medic nin to another, I can ask for a second opinion on a patient, right?"

Tsunade's brow furrowed at the question. Kazuya already knew the answer but the shinobi in question wasn't technically his patient, even if it felt like that sometimes.

"When you get a chance, could you please look at Naruto's medical record?" He pushed on. "His doctor died during the invasion so he needs a new one and you're the best."

"I'll have a look," Tsunade nodded after considering his words for a long moment.

Kazuya sighed a little in relief. He felt a little guilty even bringing this up but if anyone could help Naruto it was Tsunade.


Shōsen = Mystical Palm Technique

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