A/N: Hi everyone. I know that it has been longer than my normal 2 week update schedule, but if you remember I said I had some real life issues popping up that were taking away my free time... well they did. My father passed away recently after a battle with cancer and I have been dealing with all of that and helping my mother with funeral arrangements and then all of the stuff that comes with dealing with their estate afterwards. It does not help that I live nearly a 6 hour drive away from them. I am just now getting back to a place where I even feel like writing again, so bear with me for a little while as I try to find my muse again. So I apologize if this chapter is not up to my normal standards.
This chapter is short, but I felt this needed to be written to fill in the gap after the mission before moving on to the next part of the story.
Disclaimer: *Sigh* I do not own Naruto.
After returning to the Leaf Village, Naruto and the others stand before the Hokage and give their initial report of their recently completed mission. Now that she has listened to each team leader speak Lady Tsunade steeples her finger together and smiles. "You all did well and it turns out the shinobi that was killed was a wanted rogue from the Land of Earth, so there will be a little extra bounty payment included with your mission pay. Too bad the other two got away, but I am glad you did not break from your mission to pursue, because that may have been part of their plan." She waited to let her praise and warning sink in to the teams.
She pulls out a message pack and holds it up for them to see. "It seems as though your performance made quite an impression with daimyo's niece and nephew. I received a thank you letter from the court for sending such a capable team to protect members of the royal family and for sending additional shinobi as additional protection for the rest of their trip." She gives them all a warm smile of praise. "The letter goes on to ask that all of you be made available for their return trip later this year, good job everyone."
Naruto puts his arms behind his head and puffs out his chest. "Yeah, those guys were no match for Tenten's team, and me of course. If they had come back for another try after regrouping, then they probably saw that Guy and Rock Lee had joined us and knew they would never have a chance and went home."
Everyone but Guy and Tenten nodded in agreement with Naruto until they saw the Hokage's eyes narrow. "What if they had gone for reinforcement too?"
"Then I say bring it on." Naruto pumps his fist in victory. "I don't like the idea that they are out there waiting to attack somebody else who might not be as formidable as we are, like a small village. I would rather we take them out and prevent anyone else from getting hurt, right Lee?"
"Right, Naruto! With the power of our youth and skill we will protect those who cannot defend themselves." Rock Lee gives a victorious pose as well.
Guy, overcome by the display of youthful optimism steps up between the two young men. "That's right with the power of our youthful hearts we will be able to overcome any foe." He gives the Hokage his signature Nice Guy pose, including the light flash off of his teeth.
Hanabi leans over and whispers into Tenten's ear. "I am finally starting to understand what you and Neji had been talking about all this time. Wow, just wow!" Tenten says nothing, she just hangs her head in embarrassment.
Ookami looks over at Naruto with an evil smirk. "You don't think wanting us to escort them back home has anything to do with the princess wanting to see her betrothed again do you?"
Naruto twitches as if an invisible kunai had been thrust into his back and turns with an angry glare. "How many times do I have to say that I am not betrothed to the princess?" She only gives him a smile that is very reminiscent of her cousin Kiba when he plays a prank on him too. Her smile quickly fades as she sees the glare from Tenten that promises a suitable punishment for doing such an action in front of the Hokage.
Tsunade seeing Naruto's reaction along with Shimata and Hanabi face palming, knew there was something juicy that had not been shared. "Really, an offer of marriage between Naruto and the Fire Daimyo's niece and this did not make it into your verbal report? I do hope you were planning on putting such news into your written report, because I am sure that sort of news would make for some interesting reading. Some of these reports do get so boring; a tale of romance written by the Toad Sage's heir should be entertaining." She picks up a file and fan herself as if the temperature in room suddenly increased.
Naruto's head looks up suddenly as the invisible kunai strikes again, he then looks down at his feet in defeat. "Not you too, Granny Tsunade. The princess just said she was going to talk to her father when she got home and see what he thought of a marriage between her and me as part of some sort of treaty between our two nations."
He turns and looks very tired of the game. "We both know that something like that would not be allowed to happen. When I become Hokage that would split my loyalties between my oath as the leader of Land of Fire shinobi, and my vows of marriage to the princess of the Land of Lightning. The marriage would not be allowed, or my position as Hokage would become forfeit, either way it is a losing proposition. So even if for some crazy reason that her father thought this was a good idea I would have to decline the offer. I am going to be Hokage one day and nothing is going to stand between me and my goal." Naruto straightens up and gives Tsunade a hard look of resolve, not the childish bravado that she had grown accustomed to seeing him display.
Tsunade gives Naruto a smile of pride at what she had just seen and heard. "That is a very well thought out and correct assessment Naruto. So tell me just how did you come to that conclusion?"
Naruto just shrugs at her question. "It was something Shikamaru was saying a few weeks ago about a recent treaty going on between the Land of Wind and the Land of Rivers. We got discussing other recent treaties and so the next day Hinata asked Tinico-san to give me a broader definition of different kinds of treaties and I guess some of that information stuck.
Tsunade gives herself an imaginary 'high five' at hearing that Naruto seems to actually be taking his lesson seriously and not only learning but retaining information that a Hokage would need to know, besides focusing on some new powerful jutsu to resolve his problems. 'I know a lot of this is due to his determination to do what it takes to reach his goal, but I am sure that a certain person's influence has been a great help as well. I really should do something special for Hinata as a thank you gift, but what do you get an heiress that she can't already get for herself?' Tsunade looks over at the determined looking blue eyed shinobi in front of her and nearly laughs out loud. "Alright, I expect to have your reports on my desk first thing tomorrow morning. Dismissed."
Naruto starts walking to the door, but stops and turns to look at the Hokage with a sour expression. "Wait a minute. It is nearly dinnertime and I have not even eaten lunch yet. I was planning on getting some Ichiraku's and then..."
Seeing that Naruto and Tsunade are about to have one of their well-known arguments Tenten ushers her genin out of the room with Guy and Rock Lee on her heels. Tenten knew what was about to happen and really did not want her students to get the impression that direct confrontation and outright challenging an order from the Hokage was considered an okay practice.
Once everyone had left Tsunade gives Naruto a motherly smile. "I don't care what your plans were, Naruto. I expect a report from you and Tenten in the morning just like I do from any other jonin who were guarding a high profile client, like a member of the royal family, that came under attack by enemy shinobi. I need to get this information to the ANBU and the jonin commander as soon as possible so that this information can be distributed. We do not know why the royals were attacked and whether it was a random event or a direct attack." She smiles as she sees him nod his head in comprehension. "We need to figure out if there is a direct threat to the Daimyo and his family, or to the nobles of the Land of Lightning. I have already shared the news of the attack with the Raikage and he will want a copy of the report as well."
She leans back in her chair and gives an exhausted sigh of understanding about how unpopular what she is going to say next is going to be and how much she hates this topic herself. "Also, you have two weeks' worth of paperwork waiting for you in your temporary office downstairs and unless you want to be buried by the work in that office I would suggest, no I expect, you to get started this evening on those as well." Lady Tsunade crosses her arms with a smug look on her face. "Welcome to my little slice of hell."
"All I am asking for is the rest of the day off. I need a shower, some ramen and some sleep in my own bed. Then I can come back here right after practice tomorrow and do all of that stuff, I promise." He crosses his arms defiantly.
"Forget it Naruto, you said you wanted to become Hokage. Well that job is about sacrificing your free time and becoming a slave to paperwork and reports. I had to go and fight in a war just to get away from this for a few days and when I came back I almost wished for another war after seeing the stack of papers waiting for me. Now if you want to take your name off the list of candidates for Hokage, then I can let you go play and find someone who will take the job seriously." Tsunade leans forward in her desk ready for the next round.
Naruto shakes his fist at her in aggravation. "You would like that wouldn't you granny, well forget it. I said I was going to become Hokage someday and I never go back on my word, believe it."
"Well then keep your word and do the job required to be a Hokage." Tsunade leans back in her chair knowing the battle is already over.
"Fine, I'll be back after I have a shower, clean clothes and some ramen. Not before, you hear me?" Without waiting for a response he walks out of her office.
Tsunade pulls a folder, a cup and a bottle out of her desk and pours herself a celebratory drink. "Ahh, one step closer to retirement." She smiles as she opens the folder and allows herself a little time to daydream about that all inclusive gambling cruise vacation she has been dreaming about since the day she became the Fifth Hokage.
After he exits the Hokage's office Naruto lets out a sigh, but he is not sure if it is of relief or disappointment that he has to come back here immediately tonight and work. Ever since the nightmares began again all he has wanted to do was run home and make sure that she is safe. He was so grateful and relieved when Hanabi had seen a branch member and asked her if everything was doing well in her absence and if the woman's grandchild had been born yet. Thankfully she had said that everything was fine with Hanabi's father and sister, and she had a new healthy grandson as well. Hanabi had congratulated her on the new edition to the family before they had continued their way to the Hokage's office and then turned to give Naruto a knowing smile.
Naruto had blushed at being so transparent as he hung on every work that had been said between Hanabi and the old woman, but now that he is home and knows that the village and Hinata are okay the nagging doubts have taken over again. People that care about him get hurt, and most of them have actually died. Hinata nearly died once and has so many times in his dreams, can he really ask her to take on even more risk. 'Maybe it would have been best if I had not come back and just stayed out there going on one mission after another. I would never have become Hokage, but Hinata would have been safe. Plus there is somebody else who would have been happy for me to have just stayed away.'
He resists the urge to punch the wall as he makes his way down the hallway. "I'm just tired of being alone, that's all."