Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto but had fun twisting their fates.
A/N: I want to apologize for getting the last chapter out a little later than I planned. I have been so busy since my daughter's birthday and not counting it's about to be the start of school. Anyway, here is the new installment and I hope you guys love it.
Angel-the-hedge: Sorry if it seems that way considering the content. I just felt when this came to my mind before I started writing that it would give people a different look on things. You know the what ifs in the world? Yeah, well, that's how this story came to be.
Inuyasha16451: Glad you liked it.
Melyway: Yup, and the way you put it made it seem like the wizard of oz so now my little chibi person in my head is singing the song with that sentence.
Silvermane1: Thanks
SasunaruLover0902: I'm glad you liked it and here is the next installment.
Fiorella: Sorry if this is so much filler content but that kind of is what happens before the big fight with Sasuke. They find Tsunade and blah blah blah. I hope to make the next few chapters more interesting so you won't be bored.
Roses-Chan: I'm glad you loved these last few chapters there will be this and one more for the whole set of five then I have to get on with my deadlines. Werewolves are waiting for me, lol.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
"Tsunade is pretty short tempered…" Jiraiya said as another balloon blew up on her. 'She should still be here…' They walked into a gambling hall and Jiraiya showed one of the attendants Tsunade's pictures.
"Oh! I know here! She did win back the money that she lost here and said she'd go there." The man tells him.
"There? Where?" He asks him.
"Okay, boys? Odd number is "chou"; even number is "han"." He tells everyone while tossing the dice up into the air.
"You're so noisy! I'm training so don't disturb me!" Naruto shouts at him and his eyes widen when he saw the girl concentrating over a balloon. He shakes his head and then tosses two dice into the cup while grinning at Jiraiya. He shakes the cup and slams it down on the mat.
"It's too bad that you're in a casino. Let's play, if you win, the information is yours for free. If you lose; it's a thousand bucks." He tells him.
"Alright!" Jiraiya grins.
"Well, choose "chou" or "Han"." The man tells him.
"Okay. Well…um…" Jiraiya rubs his chin. 'I'm 50 years old…' He thought while grinning. "It's "chou"!"
"I'll win if it's "Han"…Now I'll reveal it." The man lifted the cup to reveal a 2 and 5.
'Damn! 2 and 5 is "Han"!' Jiraiya thought as he frowns at the dice. All of a sudden the balloon that Naruto was working with blows up and wind whips everywhere, knocking the dice that read 5 to a 4. 'Nice, Naruto!' Jiraiya thought as he grins. "How's that? I've won."
"Ah!" The man says as he looks at the dice.
'Damn! I failed again!' Naruto pouts and they moved on to the next stop, a Pachinko parlor.
"Why isn't she anywhere?" Jiraiya wonders as Naruto finds a coin on the floor.
'Do I just insert the coin here?' She wonders as she looks at the machines around her while Jiraiya talks to the attendant to the place. She won the jackpot and cuddles the now fat frog purse full of money. "You are cuter when you're full. 3"
'Could it be she won all that with one coin? She has talent in that area…' Jiraiya thought as the continued walking through the street. "From that incidence." He stopped. 'Where would Tsunade have gone next…The longer we take, the further she will be…' He pulls out a scroll. "Can't be helped…We'll search from a high place…" He looks at the buildings around them. 'Indeed, this city is under the castle…if we get up there…' He thought as he looks at the huge castle. "Let's go, Naruto! This way!"
"Right!" She says as she follows him with a bouncy step. "Hey! Hey! Where's the castle?" Naruto asks and Jiraiya's eyes widened. They both hop up onto one of the buildings roofs and stared at the destruction of the castle. "What happened here?" Naruto asked as they stared. They saw a guy running down the street away from the destruction.
"Hey! You over there!" Jiraiya shouts to get his attention and the man stopped. "What the hell happened here?"
"You guys should run away too! There's a demon beast up there!" He shouts back.
"Demon beast?" Naruto mutters as she looks at him.
"This demon beast…you speak of…what exactly was it?" Jiraiya asked.
"A hu-huge snake…toppled the building instantly…" The man says shakily.
"How big was this snake-beast again?" Naruto asked as she inched closer down the roof. "Back in my village, I…also encountered a snake-beast…"
"Hey Naruto! This snake…is the same snake you met before…" Jiraiya tells her as he turns towards the castle. They both took off at a run and land right in front of a crumpled wall. "Just a little bit too late…"
"This is work of the snake?" Naruto asks as she looks doubtful.
"No, kit. The smell on the wall is human." Kyuubi tells her.
"Let's go, Naruto." Jiraiya tells her.
"Oh well…Let's just eat dinner here." Jiraiya says as they stop.
"What? Isn't this place a pub?" Naruto glares at the man.
"Dumbass…Information is always found at places like this." Jiraiya tells her. "Hey!" He shouts at Tsunade as he enters the pub. "Tsunade!"
"Jiraiya…" The blond big busted woman says quietly as she looks at him, making the other two confused. "Why…are you at a place like this?"
'That…girl is the person we're looking for? Is she really 50 years old?' Naruto wonders as she stares at the woman.
"You yourself should know looks are deceiving, kit. After all, you did use Genjutsu there for a while so that no one knows too much about you." The fox says while looking at the woman through Naruto's eyes.
"Finally, we've found you." Jiraiya says and they walked to take seats across from both ladies.
"Today…I met with someone that brings back bad memories." Tsunade tells them.
"Orochimaru? Did anything happen?" Jiraiya asks and Shizune looks quickly at the elder female who glared at her from the corner of her eyes.
"Nothing much…Just a little greeting…" She tells him. "You too…why'd you come to see me?" Tsunade asks and watches Naruto gingerly place a small piece of fish into her mouth, while watching the two elders.
"To tell you the truth…the village of the Leaf…has issued a request for you to be the 5th Hokage." When Jiraiya says this Naruto starts choking on her food and coughs to get it out of her throat while the other two stare at him with shock.
'The fifth Hokage? What the hell? All of a sudden…' Naruto thought as she continues trying to release the food from her esophagus.
"The third is…" Jiraiya stops as he looks down in sadness.
'So it's true…the 3rd is…' Shizune thoughts as she looks at the table with furrowed brows.
"It was Orochimaru's work I heard, he told me." Tsunade says as soon as Naruto takes a sip after clearing out the blockage. The girl glares at the woman and takes another small bite.
'Orochimaru he…!' Naruto thought as she chewed on her food then swallows and slams her hand down on the table. "The big snake guy? He's the one that killed our Hokage? Who the hell is this bastard?"
"He was with us…members of the "Three Ninjas"." Jiraiya tells her.
"What the hell?! Weren't the Sennin from the Leaf? Then why?" She growls out.
"Who is this girl?" Tsunade asks making Naruto's eyes flash to her as she wipes the food from around her mouth.
"She is Uzumaki Naruto…" Jiraiya tells her with a smirk on his lips.
'This kid…she's the nine-tails, but I thought the kid was a boy…' She says as her jaw drops a little.
"Yeah, I'm the nine-tails holder and daughter of the legendary Yondaime." The pigtailed girl looks at the older woman and glares at Jiraiya. "Hey! How come she gets to be the Hokage? Why?" She growls at the man.
"Quiet kid…" Jiraiya tells her. "So…your answer is? Are you willing to accept?" Jiraiya asks her and looks back at Tsunade while Naruto pouts and crosses her arms while slumping against the back of the bench they were sitting on. "So…what's your response?"
'Tsunade-sama…' Shizune looks at the woman while Naruto is still pouting.
"Impossible…I decline…" When she says this everyone's eyes widen in shock.
"I remember in the past…you saying the same thing "I decline" when I asked you out…" Jiraiya says with a smile on his face.
"Huh?! I thought you said we came here for an interview…but what's going on?..." Naruto shouts at the man while her eyes show the Kyuubi spirit inside of her. "You just wanted her to come back to the village so she could check on Sasuke and Kakashi Sensei's health…right?! Yet…you asked her to be our Hokage?! And she declined!..." She yells wall glaring at the woman while she slams her small delicate hands on the table.
'Tsunade-sama…I hope she's hesitating because of Orochimaru…' Shizune wonders.
"Don't worry so much…this person right here. Tsunade…is the only person who can become the 5th Hokage…She was the one that brought us victory in the great battle…No one has been able to acquire her techniques…Also, Tsunade is the granddaughter of the 1st Hokage. So, she is the most appropriate person for the position…" Jiraiya tells Naruto. "If she becomes the Hokage…she would have to go back to the village…and then, she could check up on those two…This was a decision made by the top members of the Leaf…You have absolutely no say in this matter…" Naruto pouts again when he says this.
"Jiraiya...this kid seems worse than your previous apprentice…in terms of looks, speech, and intelligence…" Tsunade says while grinning.
"What's that supposed to mean!" Naruto growls out at her.
"Well, it's tough for anyone to be compared to the 4th…" Jiraiya says while closing his eyes. "Because…he really had the talent…to become a top-rated Ninja…" Naruto's eyes widen when she hears this. "He was smart, reliable, and handsome like me too!..."
"But even the 4th died quickly…He gave up his life for his village…" She says as she looks down at the table while the others were looking at her. "Life is different from money…It can't be risked (gambled) that easily…whoever puts it at risk so easily…is a fool…" She says as she smiles… "My grandfather and the 2nd both focused too much on bringing peace to our home, more than anything else…but as a result, they just died in the middle of their dreams, like the losers…"
"You've changed a lot…Tsunade…I don't know what you've been thinking all this time, but you've just said all that's on your mind…" Jiraiya says while scowling at her.
"Well…I'm already in my 50's…age changes people…It's the same…for Sarutobi-san…No wonder he died…because he was too old to live in his dreams…" Tsunade tells him which made his scowl turn into a glare. Naruto starts shaking from her anger. "Being Hokage…is a shit job…No one but a fool would do it!..." Naruto threw the tray of food at her and started coming at her with a raised fist. Jiraiya grabbed the back of her jacket stopping her attack.
"Let me go!" She growls at Jiraiya.
"Don't you realize we're at a bar?" He asks the girl while everyone in the place stared at the group.
"Eh?...What's going on?..." A man asks. Tsunade smirks at the girl.
"Tsunade-sama…" Shizune stares at her mistress in shock.
"I can't forgive anyone that says bad things about our Hokage and the 4th…! My father was a strong and noble man…Not a fool as she depicts. He sacrificed himself just to save me…" Naruto growls out as tears fill her eyes. "Let me go so that I can kick her ass and show her what the blended blood of the Uzumaki and Namekaze's blood can do." When she says this Tsunade gets right up into her face.
"You've got some guts to say such things to me girl…Let's take this outside…" She tells her.
"Tsunade-sama…" Shizune says while Naruto starts growling and the irises of her eyes start reddening.
They are now standing outside of the bar on opposite sides. Jiraiya sighs, as he cannot believe it has come to this.
"I've been one of the Sennin…I don't even have to be serious to fight this little girl Kunoichi…" She says with a cocky tone.
"Shut up!" Naruto shouts at her as she zips up her jacket and a small lining of red surrounds her body.
"One finger should be enough…" She says as she holds her finger up and Naruto takes out a Chakra covered Kunai with one hand while the other takes out Shrunken.
"Stop fooling around!" The girl says while throwing the Shrunken at her. The woman dodges but then realizes she didn't move over enough as it the throwing stars sliced right through the top layer of skin under her shirt making blood trickle slowly down her side. Her eyes widen and she quickly dodges the Kunai that Naruto tries to cut her with by ducking.
'How the hell can this girl do this kind of skill being as young as she is?' She wonders as she puts one finger through the hole on the Kunai handle hitting the pressure point that releases the hands grip on an object. She then takes the Kunai from him and starts spinning it around. She uses the Kunai to slice off the girls' forehead protector.
"Shit!..." Naruto curses as she turns her gaze back to the elder woman who is now holding her hand in position to flick her. Naruto flies back from the hit of her finger.
"Tsunade-sama…" Shizune says with an exasperation inn her voice.
'She hit me with only 1 finger? Damn…' Naruto growls while rubbing her forehead. The Kunai that went flying when the woman cut off her protector zipped down and hit where the girl was and right in front of Tsunade falls her forehead protector.
"Hey kid…I'll ask you one thing before you pass out…Why…do you get so excited just by hearing the word "Hokage"?..." The woman looks at the girl who is now 25 feet away from her.
"Unlike you…I really want to succeed the "Hokage" name…and I will…Because…it's my dream to become Hokage…" When the girl says this Tsunade's eyes widen and she thought of her lost loved ones who have had the same dream. She starts staring down at the ground and Naruto's eyes widen. 'Oh?...She's vulnerable now…Let me use…that technique!' Naruto starts to focus. 'Concentrate!...' She thinks while turning her hand into what looks like a clawed hand. Kyuubi grins inside of her and boosts the Chakra flow into the girls own flow making her eyes turn a full on red, the Kyuubi's eyes. She speedily added the Chakra to her palm, making Jiraiya smirk.
'What…' Tsunade stared at the girl with wide eyes as she reels back. Naruto charges her with a full on ball of spinning Chakra. 'This technique is…'
"Take this!" Naruto shouts as she gets closer to the woman.
'This…this Jutsu is…' Tsunade's eyes widen and she has to hurry and raise her finger up to bring it down and split the ground with it, making Naruto and the Kyuubi falter in their steps. Naruto ends up using the Jutsu on the ground instead of her intended target.
'That Tsunade, her freakish strength hasn't changed…I remember being punched by her and ending up 100 meters away…' Jiraiya thought as he winced at the girl who has fallen into the crack in the Earth and is cursing her heart out. 'So…Naruto still couldn't do it…'
'Never thought she would try to use the 4th's Jutsu…but that lack of power…it's nothing like the 4th…' Tsunade thinks as she observes the girl.
"Are you okay?" Shizune asks the girl who is now out of the crack and coughing.
"Jiraiya!...Was it you? Who's teaching her "Rasengan"?..." The blond woman asks.
"I'm her master…in principle…" He answers her.
"The only people that can use that Jutsu are the 4th and you…" She says.
'Rasengan?' Naruto's eyes widen when she hears the Jutsu's name for the first time.
"Teaching her something she cannot do, and believing you are her master…It's better if she doesn't think that way…So silly kids won't joke about foolish dreams like "becoming Hokage"…" As the woman continues to talk Naruto's face blows up in anger and she glares up at the woman. Shizune looks at the girl with worried eyes as even she can see that the girl is almost the spitting image of the 4th.
"It's not a joke…you idiot! Idiot!" Naruto shouts at the woman who stops what she was about to say. "All I need is three days, and I can master that technique…Just you watch!"
"Heh…some words…brat…A woman's word should never be taken back…" She tells the girl.
"Huh? I won't take my words back…that is my Nindo…Besides, if my father is the one who created this Jutsu what makes you say that I cannot do the Jutsu as well? My Chakra is a vast well that even you cannot replicate." The girl tells her with her face showing her seriousness.
"Well then…is that so…" As Tsunade says this the girls' eyes widen. "I'll give you one week…if you can master that Jutsu, I will acknowledge that you could become the Hokage…I'll give you this necklace…" She tells her and shows her the necklace that used to belong to her grandfather.
"Tsunade-sama! That is your precious…" Shizune stops as she stares at the woman in shock.
"I don't want that kind of ugly necklace…" Naruto says since she is not the kind of girl who wears jewelry in the first place.
"Don't say that, Naruto…That is a very unique & precious ore that belonged to the First Hokage…If you sold it, you could buy three mountains…" Jiraiya tells her.
"Well…alright then…" She says.
'Moneyless kid…' Jiraiya thought as he shook his head at the girl.
"But if you can't master that Jutsu in a week, then you lose…all your money will belong to me…" Tsunade says as she holds up Naruto's full frog purse.
"Ahh my cute froggy!" Naruto panics that she took him. 'When did she take it?'
'Tsunade-sama…' Shizune looks at her mistress with worry filled eyes. 'Until now, she has never bet using that necklace before…and inexplicably…' Shizune walks over to the elder female. "What are you doing? That necklace is…"
"Heh…It's not like she can accomplish it anyway…" Tsunade says and turns around. "Let's go, Shizune!"
"Tsunade, can we have a drink together? It's been awhile…" Jiraiya asks trying to get her attention. "Shizune, you and Naruto go find a hotel to stay for the night…Okay?"
"Okay…" Shizune says as she bows her head to the man. 'It's up to you…please…Jiraiya…'
"I have one week! I have to master "Rasengan" Jutsu…" Naruto growls out as she looks up at the night sky. She turns as she hears a knock on the door, she saw Shizune standing there.
"I'm sorry for coming so late at night…Naruto-chan, there's something I want to talk to you about…" She says as she walks into the room.
"What are you doing here so late? I need to sleep well today so I can train well tomorrow…" Naruto says while looking at the older woman.
"I'm sorry…but I don't want you to misunderstand Tsunade-sama…Also, that necklace is…" She stops and looks down trying to figure out a way to put her thoughts into words.
"Feh, who cares about that Oba-san!" The girl bites out.
"Please don't talk about her as if you know her! Tsunade-sama is nothing like what you think of her!" Shizune shouts out, and then bites her lip as she realized she was shouting at the girl. "I'm sorry, for yelling…Before, she wasn't like this…She used to have a caring heart that loved the village…but…she changed…All because of that day…"
"That day?" Naruto asks and Shizune looked down again. "What happened…that day?"
"Dreams, love and hope…all were lost on that day…Furthermore…about the necklace…To Tsunade-sama, that necklace is just as important to her as her own life is…It's not something that should be carelessly bet on…" She tells the girl.
"How am I supposed to know that?" Naruto spurts out. "She's the one that wagered it…"
"Also, that necklace isn't something you should have…It is a cursed necklace..." She tells her and the pig-tailed girl looks at her with confused filled eyes. "It doesn't acknowledge anyone but Tsunade…anyone else that has the necklace, that person will…die!" She continues on and explains all of the trauma that Tsunade has been through. "Can you understand, Naruto? From that day forth, Tsunade-sama has…has been struggling to this day…" Naruto walks around her and her eyes follow her. "Naruto…?"
"I'm going to…train!" Naruto tells her looking at her over her shoulder.