Have you ever chapter 25


Have you ever loved someone so much.

That it makes you cry?

Have you ever needed something so badly.

Can't sleep at night?

Have you ever tried to find the words.

But they don't come out, do they?

Have you ever, have you ever?

Katsuyu = Slug devoted to Tsunade


Konoha. Two days later.

As Tsunade walked briskly through the streets of Konoha, her eyes were focused ahead, her head straight. She seemed to be on a mission. She passed through neighborhoods that were mostly empty. The blonde woman, however, had no urgent mission. Tsunade walked like this to clear her mind and to try to figure out the problem. By agreeing to help Naruto and Sasuke, the princess of Konoha had put herself in a delicate position. On the day before, she met Ibiki, who was watching over the ANBU of the Root. She told him to wait another day before interrogating them.

This extra time had not been appreciated by the master interrogator, and he had told her without embarrassment. It was natural for her to put him on his spot. They must have guessed the delay in reporting back from their mission was due to Naruto, so now she had to deal with them. What was the best way to deal with them? The four ANBU were excellent ninjas, but the Council's way of doing things - eliminating troublesome subjects - was not what she believed. Tsunade refused to resort to such practices. Especially since she was now experiencing the aftereffects of them. By ordering the massacre of an entire clan, the Third Hokage, the Council and Danzo had taken the easy way out. This was unacceptable to Tsunade.

In a flash, she had walked through the entire village and was now at the main gates. Tsunade stopped walking and looked up at the sky. She was reminded of Naruto's eyes by the blue sky without clouds. She was amazed by the miracle that he and Sasuke created together. Even so, she smiled despite herself, not believing their luck. She was even more determined to find a permanent solution without causing anyone harm. Tsunade was able to walk with a more normal step now, her head a little clearer. Walking had always brought her peace. Moments after reaching the bottom of the Tower, she had an epiphany. Opening the door quickly, the Hokage ran up the stairs to her office almost running.

"SHIZUNE!"

Tsunade almost ripped the door off her office. The force of her movement was so surprising that her assistant looked at her as if she had lost her mind.

"What's wrong with you?"

Shizune bent down to gather the pieces of the cup she had dropped upon the surprise entrance of her long-term friend. Taking a step toward her desk, Tsunade shrugged her shoulders.

"Have Inoichi Yamanaka come as soon as possible - secretly - and insist that this summons is highly confidential."

The assistant nodded without asking anything else, then hurriedly disappeared. It was unclear to the woman what her Hokage was planning, but she knew it had to do with Naruto's situation. Shizune sent a hurried summons request to Yamanaka-San. If Shizune insisted the request was highly confidential, the man would not be surprised. Konoha's interrogation and mind manipulation party was led by him, after all. Whenever he arrives, he simply assumes that this is a mission of high importance for the village.

When Inochi realized that the summoning was touching Naruto, the assistant wondered what his reaction would be. Shizune returned to his office after completing his task. She then took the time to get a new cup to replace the one she had broken a few minutes earlier. After getting the new cup, Shizune set out again. Inochi was near the entrance of the Tower when she passed him. After nodding to each other, they entered Tsunade's office together. Her eyes were closed, and her hands were crossed under her chin.

Shizune immediately sealed the door and the windows with protective seals. Shizune was convinced that her friend wanted to keep this between them. Shizune took her seat at the desk once everything was done. Inoichi took a seat in one of the chairs facing Tsunade. With a nod, she thanked her assistant and turned to face the man in front of her. He was known as an exceptional sensory ninja, one of the best in centuries at analysis, intelligence, and mind manipulation. He was also known for his endless devotion to the village and the Hokage. Tsunade's question, however, did not directly affect either the village or its future. If he refused to assist her with what she was asking, Konoha would not suffer any consequences. She had considered this idea without spending the time to consider its full implications. Nevertheless, she was running out of time, and she had promised Naruto something. Tsunade couldn't break her promise. On the other hand...

"Hokage-sama? I apologize, but I have a lot on my plate right now, and I must return to work as soon as possible."

The neutral voice of Yamanaka-San jolted her out of her reverie. Tsunade stared at him for a moment. "Nothing ventured, nothing gained." she thought to herself.

"Have you ever had to alter a subject's memories when using your information retrieval technique?"

Clearly, the man was puzzled; he nodded in agreement. Tsunade moved closer to Inoichi in one fluid motion, probing him. Yamanaka-San let her. Whatever she found or didn't find in his eyes was up to her. The Hokage's attitude, however, was odd, and the blonde continued to show action in all areas of her stewardship of Konoha. Inoichi did not find it normal that she was reluctant to talk to him. In the end, the blonde sighed and sat down to the right of the analyst.

"Yamanaka-San, what I have to tell you must never leave these walls."

The man nodded. Everything said in the Hokage's office when he was present was very sensitive and kept under seal. To him, this request seemed perfectly normal. He looked at the woman beside him waiting for the next part of his request.

"Okay, I need you to slightly modify the memories of four ANBU agents from the Root. I want a specific event in that day to be changed, but not the rest. Can you do that?"

"Yes, no problem at all. I need the details of the scene and the details of the situation you want to implement."

Tsunade was most concerned about this part, as only Shizune, Kakashi, and herself knew that Uchiha was in a relationship with Naruto. According to rumors, the jinchuriki had managed to convince Sasuke to return to Konoha. As the majority of the residents and the shinobi expected, the heir to the sharingan would be punished for abandoning his village. To a ninja who was loyal to his village, a man of value, and the Master of Information, how could she justify this request? Yamanaka could refuse this request because it violated Konoha's "welfare". Inochi could then inform the Council of this request. Tsunade would lose her title of Hokage, and she would no longer be able to protect the lovers. The blonde, however, knew there was no other option. Before she lost control of the situation, Tsunade had to find a solution immediately.

"That's why I need your help. Five days ago, Danzo and four members of the Root left for a mission in search of Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha. I'm sure you heard the rumor that Naruto had convinced Sasuke to return to the village?"

Inoichi stared at her calmly, wondering where she was going with this. He nodded; everyone had heard about this rumor. His Hokage looked down with a long sigh. She then ran a hand over her tired face.

"The rumor was true; Naruto had indeed convinced the Uchiha to return to Konoha. But there were a few unforeseen things that came up during their return."

Tsunade looked up at Yamanaka-San.

"I'll tell you their story in detail, but you must swear never to discuss it with anyone."

The master analyst once again found the situation to be most strange. Whether Naruto brought Sasuke back to the village or not was of little significance to him. Konoha's peace was all that mattered to him. Inochi did not understand why the blonde was taking so many precautions. Nevertheless, he swore it was his duty as an analyst.

With a smile, Tsunade thanked him and began her story. The expression on Inochi's face during Tsunade's story wasn't very expressive. Shizune could not guess how Yamanaka was handling all this information. As Inochi maintained a neutral face, his gaze followed his Hokage, who was constantly gesticulating and never sat still. Shizune thought about whether he would help them or report the treason to the Council. She knew that they could both easily disappear using Katsuyu. However, the assistant understood that this was not what her friend wanted.

Tsunade would not be able to protect her adopted son if they fled Konoha. Eventually, the assistant noticed that the Hokage had finished her story. She also explained to Inoichi what she really wanted from him. Shizune looked at her friend who was carefully watching the shinobi in front of her. Yamanaka-San crossed his arms and lowered his eyes. Most of his face was covered by long blond hair. Despite this, Tsunade could see that he had closed his eyes, as if he was analyzing what she had just said.

This choice had been discussed between the two women and Kakashi. If Yamanaka-San refused, everything around the jinchuriki would crumble, and he would live the rest of his days as a renegade. Naruto would always need to change his appearance and where he lived. It would be far from ideal with a child, and Tsunade knowing the blond boy. In order to avoid having to live that kind of life, he would give the child up for adoption, but it would destroy him. Tsunade and Shizune believed the analyst would remain silent for hours. The two barely breathed. The man finally sat back in his chair and uncrossed his arms.

Inochi stared straight into the Hokage's eyes. Naruto was spoken of as if he were her own son. He was shaken not by what bound the two young men together, but by Tsunade's boundless love for the jinchuriki. What she was willing to do for him. Inoichi realized that if it was Ino in this story, he too would have protected his daughter and made sure she was happy. At all costs.

"I will follow your orders, Hokage-sama."

The two women stared at each other in surprise, their shock leaving them speechless. Tsunade, however, stood up and walked towards the man. Tsunade extended her hand to him, and he grabbed it, but she quickly pulled him towards her and hugged him.

"Inoichi-San, thank you so much."

As Tsunade's voice trembled and tears flowed freely down her cheeks, she stepped back in embarrassment before hastily wiping them away. She was quickly taken into Inoichi's arms before he whispered to her

"You acted as a parent, and I'm glad I saw it."

He added aloud.

"Well, I am going to join Ibiki in the interrogation room. But first, I'll delegate my other duties. After three days, everything will start moving."

The man turned around, nodded to Shizune, she cancelled the protective seals, and the man left the room, closing the door behind him. The two women hugged and kissed each other on the cheeks after claiming victory. Then Shizune wrote a short note to Kakashi, who was currently on a mission. He would be relieved and happy to know that everything went according to plan.


Konoha. Public square

Three months later

Tsunade faced Konoha in its entirety. The only residents absent, as well as most of the shinobi, were those who had impossible missions to delay. There was no festive atmosphere, as everyone was dressed in black. Tsunade, Shizune, and Kakashi took longer than expected to design their plan to make Naruto and Sasuke disappear.

The main challenge had been finding two bodies of similar size to the two ninjas without being claimed. After that, they worked hard on the clay models in order to reproduce the two young men as accurately as possible. After three long months, they could finally close this chapter of their lives.

The experience had been difficult for all three of them, but especially for Kakashi. It had caused him a great deal of pain to have to lie to Gai, to not be able to tell him what he was doing. The copy ninja was aware that the problem wouldn't go away after today. They lied to their loved ones, as well as to those who loved the two young ninjas buried on this day. He hoped that his guilt would diminish over time. Today, as they stood beside their Hokage and looked out over the crowd, they could only hope that they had made the right decision. Konoha was shaken by their announcement. Sakura was directly affected, as Kakashi had predicted. The announcement had caused her to lose weight, her hair had lost its luster, and she looked pale.

Sakura was given a few days' vacation to recover from the devastating news. Immediately, Sai offered to stay with her and help her through this difficult time. Kakashi smiled sadly. The artist appeared to be in love with Sakura. The artist supported her to the best of his ability as she stood in the crowd. Everyone who cared about Naruto was devastated. Tsunade could see their tears on their faces. Chôji comforted Shikamaru. Lee was with his sensei, while Neji and Tenten supported each other. Gai was inconsolable. Kiba seemed to be in shock. His face seemed set in stone and his eyes were closed. Tsunade took a long breath before speaking.

"We are gathered here today to mourn the loss of one of our finest ninjas, Naruto Uzumaki. His life and achievements should be celebrated. We must not forget his boundless energy, his bright smile and his iron will. Naruto saw the best in people. He believed in what was good in them..."

Taking a sip of water and wiping her eyes, the Hokage paused for a moment. After all, it was her last goodbye to her little sun. It was not that she was reconsidering her decision, but she was going to miss Naruto so much.

"Naruto had been planning to bring Sasuke Uchiha back to the village for the past few years."

There was a murmur in the crowd; many ninjas were convinced that the death of the jinchuriki was caused by the last Uchiha. Tsunade smiled a tiny smile if they only knew how right they were. Once again, Tsunade raised her voice to make herself heard.

"The most significant thing for Naruto was not leaving his best friend behind. And just like everything else, he had managed to persuade Sasuke Uchiha to come back to Konoha as well. Unfortunately, this time, both Naruto and Sasuke were killed. Naruto had once again kept a promise that he held dear to his heart. Let us remember what Naruto meant to us and celebrate his life!"

The crowd separated into small groups following her speech, and the majority of the shinobis returned to their daily lives. Ichiraku's house will be the destination for all of Naruto's relatives, as planned before. When he learned of Naruto's death, he was devastated. When Sai personally delivered the bad news to Teuchi, he had to sit on a chair to catch his breath. The restaurant owner had always been fond of the blond ninja, even before he began showing himself to the villagers and to the shinobi. He regularly fed Naruto as a child, knowing that he had no money and that he was practically left to his own devices. Ayame, his daughter, also loved Naruto. Regardless of what he had experienced, he always had a kind word and a smile that could chase away any bad mood. She knew exactly how her father felt. Ayame would bear it as well as she could. Naruto's friends gathered at Ichiraku, which was closed for the occasion, to celebrate the life of their blond friend.

Sakura sat on a bench along the wall with Sai by her side. Ino, Shikamaru, and Chôji joined the kunochi. They sat in silence with a glass of sake in hand, gazing into space, lost in their memories of Naruto.

Hinata wept without hiding her tears. She hoped to declare her love one day to the ninja who stole her heart. But now it was too late. Neji, her cousin, sat next to her, trying to comfort her despite his own pain. Naruto had been a huge influence on Neji's life. He was able to open his eyes and get out of the rage that possessed him.

Tenten, Lee and Gai were seated together, their sensei mourning the loss of not only his lover's student, but also of an exceptional ninja.

At the counter, Shino sat silently. He hadn't spent much time with the jinchuriki, but he knew that everything their Hokage had said earlier was true. Aburame did not like knowing his teammates were in pain.

A little farther away, Kiba sat at the counter as well. He had just finished his third glass of sake. As he lay at his feet, Akamaru moaned from time to time, sensing his master's distress. Naruto and the master-dog had a good relationship. In Kiba's mind, it seemed impossible that he would never return to Konoha. The echoes of his laughter, boundless energy, and good humor would no longer fill the streets of the village.

Tsunade was inside her office, her head hurt like hell, and she didn't have the strength to mingle with the group of ninjas. A knock came at her door. It opened without waiting for his permission. A grimace appeared on Tsunade's face as she looked up from her glass of sake.

"Hokage-sama, it's nice to see you too."

Right now, they were the last two people Tsunade wanted to see. Koharu and Homura had just taken their places in front of her without any embarrassment. What could they possibly want? Ever since Danzo died, they had been particularly annoying. Danzo should absolutely be replaced by a member of their choosing. But she hung on. It would be the last replacement, and the Hokage would have a say. Homura and Koharu gave all the blame to their Hokage following the announcement of the death of the last Uchiha and jinchuriki.

They even tried to overthrow her by forming a rebellion. Tsunade was very popular with the people, and the ninjas trusted her. Their plan failed. In an attempt to get rid of her, they have been trying to annoy her in every way possible. Despite their attempts to cheat, she stood her ground and refused to allow them to win.

"What do you want? I don't have the energy to argue with you about things that can wait."

The Hokage spoke with an annoyed tone; she didn't care anymore. Tsunade had achieved the impossible for her little ray of sunshine, and she wanted to celebrate. But she certainly wouldn't do so alongside them. With one movement, the blonde took out her bottle of sake, filled her cup, and emptied it all at once. Tsunade took another sip. She relaxed. Last but not least, she had no choice but to turn to the council members still present in her office.

"Upon evaluating the Uchiha's possessions, we have found a lot of valuable land and many artifacts. When all these assets are liquidated, they will bring in millions of ryo. Where would you like us to invest the money?"

"Vultures," Tsunade thought as she stared at them.

They had barely buried Uchiha before they started trying to get rich off of him. The blonde tried to hide her disgust. As Tsunade knew, they were only asking for her opinion because they needed her signature to proceed with the liquidation. Nevertheless, they couldn't be the ones managing the Uchiha estate. Certainly not with blood on their hands from the clan they had decimated.

"Please provide me with all the necessary documents, and I will ask Shikamaru Nara to take care of everything."

These two were shocked out of their wits. They had not expected her to refuse to let them handle this. It is usually their job, but she couldn't do that to Sasuke and Naruto. As they were about to protest, Tsunade stood up and walked towards them.

"Bring me the documents. If there are any missing, Nara will notify me."

She pushed them out of her office, taking advantage of their shock to close and lock the door. Tsunade sighed heavily. She could not wait to be able to get rid of the Council. But first, Shikamaru should grieve for a couple days. Afterwards, Tsunade would ask him to oversee Sasuke's estate. Tsunade would ask him to keep the amount of money secret, and she would then use it as she deemed appropriate. The blonde poured herself a third glass of sake. She walked to the window overlooking the mountain. The liquid was swallowed in one gulp, tears finally flowing from her eyes, her body jerking as she sobbed in silence.

"I wish you all the happiness in the world, my little sunshine."

Tsunade cried between two sobs: her throat was tight. Although this decision had caused her a lot of sadness, she did not regret it for a second. She would ensure that Naruto and Sasuke's memories would never fade, allowing them to live in peace with their children.