Tsunade stood overlooking the village as the dawns first light had just begun to peek over the horizon. It was a sight that normally would have stirred her soul and inspired her to do her job with joy, despite the annoyances that came with being a political figurehead in a military governmental system. Today there were no such feelings. Taking another swig from the bottle of sake in her hand she tried to numb the aching in her heart. It had been over a year since she lost two of the most important people to her. One was her apprentice and her true successor. Her life had been stolen away, killed in her prime. The other was a blonde haired mess of a man who was the sole reason she even came back to this village. He was God knows where doing God knows what.
Perhaps that wasn't entirely accurate. Although the weekly reports no longer came weekly, she still had an idea as to what Naruto was doing. This was deemed acceptable considering the messenger toad who normally delivered them had informed Tsunade that Naruto would be training for four months where the toads live. She also knew what was happening today. Today Naruto and Sasuke would square off at the Valley of the End. The fate of the village and the destinies of both men had played out there before. In both instances it was a fight to the death between an Uchiha and one who thought of him like a brother. It was always a battle of ideals.
'I never took Sasuke as the type who did things symbolically,' She thought as she let another gulp of alcohol past her lips.
She sighed as she thought about the man. Her anger toward him at one point had boiled, but now it simmered if it was even there at all. Now she felt only remorse about the issue. Sasuke had surpassed her own former teammate in so many ways. His hatred was one of those ways. Even when she fought against Orochimaru she never believed that he would kill either her or Jiraiya. Perhaps it was because the fight never got to a point where either of their lives were in his hands. She had come to believe that even if they had been at his mercy, he wouldn't take their lives. Even if they stood in the way of his plans, she believed that somehow Orochimaru would spare them. He was the type that really just liked the challenge. It was as if he relished the test of his own resolve, his own skill, and his own limits. Sasuke, however, held no such sentiment. Sasuke relished only bloodshed now, and his bloodlust would not be sated until the streets of the village ran with the blood of its people.
'I failed you Sakura. I should have gone after Sasuke myself. This is my village, he was my ninja, it was my responsibility, and I pawned it off on Naruto.'
The year had been long, and difficult. It was draining to work every day in her office and the hospital without seeing the pink haired woman around. She was every bit the daughter that Tsunade never had. Tsunade wanted nothing more than to see her live, to watch her grow, find love, and achieve the greatness that she was reaching for. Alas, fate it seems was a cruel mistress, and it had denied Sakura the opportunity to seize the destiny that she was making for herself. Mostly though, it denied Tsunade someone to pass down her teachings, someone who would carry her Will of Fire, someone who would take up her legacy and pass it down to the next generation.
"This God forsaken village stole someone precious from me again." She said out loud to no one in particular taking another swig of her drink. She didn't really care who heard or saw her right now. She needed a little more time to put things in perspective. The seemingly ageless blonde had tried to let go, to move on emotionally, but had not yet had a chance. She simply had to numb her heart and detach herself from emotional response. Just because her apprentice died did not mean that the village and all its problems would just wait for her to be ready. She had a job to do. It was both a curse and a sacred duty. A curse because of the paperwork and political hassle that prevented a small minority of what she wished to accomplish. A sacred duty because she was carrying out the dream of Dan, her now long dead lover, and paving the way for Naruto, the living embodiment of her little brother Nawaki's ambitions.
"I don't even know why I bother sticking around sometimes." Again she said out loud for no reason at all. It wasn't the booze speaking, she was not foolish enough to get plastered when she knew there was an eminent threat to the village that could arrive at any moment. She had been drinking enough to get the edge off, maybe kill a few nerve endings for an hour, nothing serious. The more she thought about it the more things began to fall into place for her, slowly but surely she began to piece together the questions that she needed answers for.
Naruto was the unquestioned reason she was here in the village again. After years of running all over the world and throwing out money like it was confetti, her old teammate Jiraiya brought along a young and brash Naruto. With his young and naïve idealism, and his bold sweeping claims it became utterly apparent to her that he was without any doubt a kindred spirit of not only Nawaki, but Dan as well. It was this realization, coupled with Naruto's bravery in the face of certain death that awoke Tsunade to a side of herself that she had thought long buried. Naruto had been, and continues to be the main reason she was leading this village.
"Still, Sakura was my legacy, not the brat. If anything I will be just a footnote in the legacy that Naruto will leave behind."
"Milady, is everything alright?" A familiar voice rang softly in her ears. Shizune had never once left her side since Tsunade left the village. Sakura's loss was just as difficult on her. It was like losing a sister to Shizune, and truthfully she had yet to fully deal with the loss herself. She had never admitted such to Tsunade, instead feeling the need to be strong and support Tsunade through the difficult times ahead. The elder woman was ever grateful for her disciple's continued presence.
"Everything's fine Shizune. Do you have a mobilization report?"
"It's in my hand milady. Isn't it a little early to start drinking, even for you?" She asked handing over the report in question.
"This is everyone who is available right now, even those who I listed on leave?" Tsunade asked a little surprised, ignoring the question on the state of her inebriation.
"That is every active ninja currently in the village that is fit for service. I'm honestly amazed we have that many. Ino has really boosted the longevity of our forces with her PTSD treatments."
"Yes that does help, and will be great in the long run, but I'm still worried this isn't enough right now." Tsunade, while not actively involved in Ino's training and growth, was still completely supportive and highly impressed by the girl's accomplishments in the short year since Sakura's death. While she would never come close to being the same caliber of combat medic of Sakura, or even Shizune for that matter, she made strides in fields of study that even Tsunade had no skill in. Ino had been effectively treating Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Schizophrenia, Multiple Personality Syndrome, and even early onset Alzheimer's with varying degrees of success. Her skills in the operating room were also slowly growing to something on par to Sakura. Even though Ino would never be a force to reckon with on the battlefield, at home she more than picked up the slack that was left behind with her student's death. It was truly amazing to behold.
"Perhaps that is Sakura's legacy." Tsunade said, thinking out loud once more.
"What do you mean?"
"I was just thinking on the legacies that we leave behind. Thinking of what Sakura's legacy is, what my legacy was, and what Naruto's legacy will be." Studying the sheet of paper she began taking mental notes. Thinking of where she could place teams into positions that would cover any gaps in their defenses. The village had to be as prepared as possible, Sasuke is the biggest single threat to the village right now, and there is no telling what he has planned. What nagged at Tsunade's mind was how he would pull off something so brazen as to attack a Hidden Village alone. Naruto had diligently informed her that the last Uchiha was building an army, but for all of her intelligence gathering she could find no evidence of an army at all. She had reached out to the other Kage for help in gathering information, but there was nothing. It was like grasping shadows in the dark. There were rumors everywhere, but the evidence could never be seen.
"What your legacy was? Lady Tsunade, you still live. You haven't finished making your legacy yet." Shizune had an obvious concerned voice, and was clearly worried that the troubled blonde was battling depression.
"Sakura was my legacy Shizune."
"No milady, I don't think that she was all you have given this village."
"I know it is early still, but we'll need to get moving. Every ninja we have available and ready for combat will be at the main gate in 20 minutes. I don't know when Naruto and Sasuke will start, and I don't know if that maniac has anything else up his sleeves. We need to be ready for anything," and with her orders made clear several ANBU agents began to spread the word.
"Of course," Shizune said keeping in step with her master as they began to work their way toward the freshly announced meeting place. "Lady Tsunade if you don't mind me asking, what would you say Sakura's legacy is?"
"I have been trying to figure out the answer to that question for a long time, but it just came to me a moment ago. You just talked about how Ino has really been improving. Also, just consider the massive influx of people enrolling in the Medical Corps, both in the Shinobi and the civilian programs. Now if you were to combine the increases we have seen in the quality and quantity within the Medical Corps, along with the sudden increase in young girls Sakura's age getting married, and professing their love to a once secret crush, then I think we begin to see what Sakura's legacy is."
"And that is?" Shizune had a very confused look on her face that in turn brought a small smile to Tsunade.
"She taught us not to hesitate to follow your heart, and do everything in your power to help those around you. While Sakura was very hesitant in matters of the heart, she always helped out those in need. I think we are seeing people who were inspired by her and her story in life, doing those very things in her memory. Sakura showed so many of us that life is short. So when people began looking back on her life, what she accomplished, her dreams and desires, they realize that they shouldn't waste time because you don't get much of it. People don't want to die with regret, they never have, but Sakura's death was a wakeup call for many. Now I see thousands of people living like Nawaki used to."
"How was that?"
"One time long ago I got on Nawaki's case for staying out late and training himself into the ground. He told me he wasn't very tired so he thought he would do something useful while he was up. I told him it was foolish to train so hard when it was so late. He just looked at me like I was stupid and told me that I should spend every chance I get working to make my dreams a reality. He was talking about being Hokage, but I took that as some sign that I should ask Dan to marry me."
"That's pretty profound coming from Nawaki." Shizune giggled a little bit thinking of the rascal having a deep philosophical moment with his older sister.
"What's that phrase? From the mouths of babes, or something like that."
A small silence was enjoyed by the two as the exited the Hokage tower, and saw a familiar face moving toward them. His hands stuffed in his pockets, and a general expression of apathy adorned his face. "Lady Hokage," Shikamaru greeted rather blandly as he approached the two women.
"Shikamaru, are you ready for combat?"
"Yeah, this whole day is gonna be a real drag, but I'm ready."
"Good. I want you to gather all of the genin, explain the nature of the situation that we are in to them, and begin executing the emergency preparedness drills. Get as many civilians as you can in the old Root catacombs. Women, children, and Academy students have the priority here, Sasuke never knew about the catacombs so he would have a harder time finding civilians hiding down there. Once those are full then move the rest to the other safe houses within the Hokage Monument. Do not, I repeat, do not under any circumstances let the civilians think this is anything more than a drill, I do not want panic."
"It will be done Lady Hokage," Shikamaru stated with a noticeable change in both stature and voice as he put on his game face, so to speak, and jumped off to carry out the will of his commanding officer.
Again moving toward the village gates Tsunade noticed that the village was becoming much more alive. The activity was largely ninja prepairing themselves for the coming conflict. While such activity may have caused a stir in the village in the past, the female Hokage had been preparing her forces for this moment over the past several months. Naruto had gotten a specific date from the Great Elder Toad and given it to Tsunade. She then had promptly devised several emergency preparedness drills for both ninja and civilian alike. These drills were mandatory with few exceptions given, the monthly drill had no exceptions. Everyone had to follow whatever emergency protocol applied to them. Whether they were young, old, healthy, or in the intensive care, there was a set of rules and procedures to follow that would maximize the safety of either the village or the individual. She had disguised this mandatory drill in such a way that this month's drill fell on this day.
"Milady," Shizune was rather curious about her state of mind today. Normally Tsunade would be applauded by the young medic for staying so focused, but she imagined Shizune needed to make sure that she had the proper frame of mind. "What did you think Naruto's legacy will be?"
"That brat? He'll be the greatest Hokage this village has ever seen, and if he isn't then I will spend the rest of eternity breaking his face in the afterlife." The smile that was on the elder medic's face was one that portrayed the jest of her last words. Shizune, however, knew the woman well enough to know that if Naruto did not meet Tsunade's standards then she would carry out that threat with pleasure.
"He has a long way to go before I let him take that hat though,"
"Like what?"
"Just because I had him promoted to jonin while the war was still technically going on doesn't mean I think he is ready to lead the village. I only did it so we could bypass all those tests, it would have been a waste of time. Both Jiraiya and Minato had genin teams of their own, do you honestly think I wouldn't make him deal with the same crap he dished out when he was young? Besides, that kid has proven himself to be an effective teacher, just look at Konohamaru. That kid has grown by leaps and bounds under Narutos' instruction."
"That is true, but I wonder what genin team you will give to him?"
The gates were now in view and she could see the massing crowd of ninja that were still gathering in its shadow. A familiar face jumped down to her side. Well the face would be familiar if it had ever been seen before, but Tsunade had no time to dwell on silly technicalities that serve as clever little jokes for those who were privy to her thoughts.
"Reporting for duty,"
"Kakashi, I know I released you from medical leave two days ago, but you and I both know I have not cleared you to return to the active duty roster. You are supposed to be in physical therapy, not on the front lines. Your spine was practically shattered on that last mission, it is a miracle you can even walk right now."
"But here I am, and I have you to thank for that."
"Indeed you do, but that does not mean that I think you are suddenly fit for combat."
"With all due respect Lady Hokage, this is my home and I will defend it with my life."
"I will have things well under control. In fact I drew up battle plans just in case you got lost on the road of life today." Tsunade shot a quick glance at Shizune, who was clearly barely able to maintain her composure after hearing the statement.
Visibly shaken by the vicious assault on his character that she had made with masterful comedic timing, Tsunade watched him close his visible eye in such a way that he was obviously smiling "I will overlook that if you overlook my defiance of orders."
"Not a chance. I told you, you are not seeing combat today. Even if your recovery was remarkable I cannot risk losing your services permanently just because you want to fight today."
Tsunade knew this man. He would never defy an order. However there was something that rubbed every ninja the wrong way if they were able to help in a situation, but were ordered to stand down. Tsnuade knew that he would feel absolute guilt if someone died today and even more so if he thought he could have made the difference between life and death. Frankly, she would as well.
'I can't risk him fighting on the frontlines, his skills are far too valuable to risk by being reckless, but perhaps there is something he can do after all.'
"I don't really know what this day will bring, so I won't risk putting you in the middle of the combat zone."
Kakashi was obviously dejected. She heard him sigh in defeat. 'Sometimes it is far too fun toying with him using a little dramatic flair. Better let him know before he gets too moody.'
"However, there is something that you can do."
Kakashi's posture and visible facial features made an emotional one eighty. "Whatever you ask of me I'll see it done."
"Naruto will be fighting Sasuke at the Valley of the End. They may have already started. I want you to go and observe the fight. You should stay completely hidden, and don't interfere because Naruto would never let me hear the end of it if. When Naruto is done planting Sasuke six feet under I am sure he will be needing help getting home."
"You want me to be his honor guard?"
"If you want to see it that way, then yes. I want Ino to accompany you, Naruto may need medical attention and she won't be that effective as a medic in a front line situation."
"Very well,"
"Are we satisfied?"
"I am, but I must ask one thing. What if Sasuke wins?"
"I cannot believe that will happen. Naruto will not fail us now," Her fist clinched, her teeth were gnashing together, as her anger was rising at the very thought of the blonde haired hero dying in the line of duty. Realizing that the thought had given rise to such a reaction she calmed herself and thought rationally about what could be done in the unlikely event that fate would kill the hero and allow the villain to triumph. "If that should happen send both Ino and Pakun back on different paths to the village to send word. After that you can make your next move as you see fit, and pray you will be able to finish the job. If Naruto fails, then all we can really do is hope that Sasuke is enough of an arrogant fool to think he can defeat an entire village of ninja by himself."
"I'll be on my way then. Good luck Lady Hokage," and he was off in a blur.
Tsunade had just arrived at the gates and began handing off orders to the various division and squad captains. No sooner had she started than she was again interrupted by a young Hyuga. Getting a good look at the young chunin she saw it was the heiress Hanabi.
"Lady Tsunade, scouting report." Said the girl in a crouched kneel at the blonde woman's feet.
"Report."
"A lone man spotted approaching the village, identity confirmed to be Orochimaru."
"Damn! That snake survived after all." Gritting her teeth Tsunade immediately wished that Kakashi was combat ready. Orochimaru had become nothing short of an unstoppable force in the past few years. He had always been difficult to kill before, and shortly after Naruto returned to the village with Jiraiya Tsunade felt as though she could breathe again when she heard of the mad man's death by Sasuke's hands. She had heard the rumors of his return during the war, and when Naruto confirmed them nearly a year ago she had to accept a painfully obvious conclusion. It seemed that even death could not stop her former teammate anymore. Rattling off her immediate orders she spun around to find Shizune. Meeting her eyes Tsunade declared "I will go and deal with him myself. You all have my orders, Shizune find Hiashi, he is in command should things escalate while I fight Orochimaru."
"Yes milady!" and with her confirmation Shizune was off in a black blur of movement.
'So it comes to this. I never thought I would find myself here at this point in my life,' She moved toward her opponent at a brisk pace. Confidence rolled off of her, as if her very being was filled with it. No one would know she felt fear, but the first lesson a Kage must learn is how to appear confident, calm, collected, and in control no matter what situation. She could see his form, a hazed figure, coming into focus on the horizon. 'This fight, will likely be my last. After stealing my brother, my lover, my best friend, and my apprentice, this village will finally claim me. I thought I would be angry or resentful.'
She had no battle strategy at this point. She really had no clue as to how she would be able to win anymore. Orochimaru used to be human, and now it appears he had either evolved into something greater or descended into a monster. 'No! I can't think like that. If it lives it can die. No matter how immortal he may think he is, he can still die. No jutsu is unstoppable, no strategy without flaw, no fighting style perfect. He has some weakness somewhere.'
His face began to form in the distance. Those otherworldly eyes, and that ever arrogant smirk stared into the depths of her soul. 'Why? It doesn't make any sense for him to be helping Sasuke instead of trying to take the Sharingan. What does he have to gain?' She closed her eyes briefly in an effort to piece together this puzzle. Her efforts were in vain, and when she opened her eyes he was there.
"Hello again Tsunade" his voice was cool and smooth, it was as if he was amused, "I am pleased to see you again after all these years,"
"The feeling is far from mutual,"
The stare down began, 'Why is he here? Why isn't he attacking yet? I might as well ask him, because I am certainly not going to figure it out on my own,'
"What do you want Orochimaru?"
"Well that is a silly question, don't you think so? You have known my goals for years, do you really think they have changed after all this time?"
"Don't patronize me! Why are you helping the Uchiha and not wearing him like a meat suit?"
"Who says I'm not?"
"I'm no fool! You are working for him, and he is fighting with Naruto at the Valley of the End,"
"My, my, you do stay very well informed," Orochimaru stated with a slight chuckle in his voice. If Tsunade had not been used to the sound already she would have found it disturbing.
"My dear Sasuke offered me the power of my own Sharingan if I were to help him. We found the collection of those wonderful eyes that Itachi left behind when he slaughtered his clan. When Sasuke succeeds then I will have a pair of my very own."
"What makes you think Sasuke wouldn't just kill you when this is over?"
"Oh I am planning on it. When he does strike then he will have discovered too late that all he did was spring my trap,"
"What makes you think I won't just kill you?"
"Princess Tsunade, can you honestly go toe to toe with the power of a Sage and hope to survive?"
Her eyes narrowed, a low rumble left her throat. 'Either he is bluffing or the body he is using is capable of withstanding the power of Sage Mode. Jiraiya warned me that he was capable of it, but he had yet to find a suitable host. What he doesn't know is that I am one of the few people Naruto will regularly spar with when he needs practice utilizing nature's powers.' She had drastically increased her own reaction time, speed, and strength utilizing her own chakra and medical prowess to push her nervous system far beyond even the accepted norms for even a highly trained ninja. She knew that she could hold her own against her villainous teammate, but it was a matter of how long.
'In a battle of strength I win and he knows it. When it comes to skill, he has an edge, but he's not foolish enough to take me lightly. But in a battle of attrition, he wins every time, and he knows it.'
"It doesn't matter. Whether I live or I die is no longer of concern. I am a Kage, and my life was forfeit the moment I took that job. If it means stopping you I would gladly lay down my life to protect my village."
"Hmmm, you have the right idea about the title you hold but you are really ready to throw your life away?"
"If I must," she answered without hesitation.
"When the Resurrection technique was undone during the war the spirits of those who were revived were released. Apparently, the Second's technique had another drawback that neither Kabuto nor myself had ever run across. Any spirit released from the technique, either by spirit's own strength or the will of the user, can never again be summoned. So I cannot revive Dan, but if you stand aside now, I can bring Nawaki back to you."
"Are you even human anymore?" He voice was pure anger laced with a closely restrained wrath. Far too experienced to start a fight half-cocked and driven by emotion, she held herself from lunging at the man.
"I strive to become so much more," he answered with a sadistic smirk on his face.
"You mourned with me when Nawaki died. How could you so heartlessly disregard his memory? How could you treat Dan and Nawaki's legacies as if they had no value? How could speak as if they died in vain?"
"Unless I achieve my goals they did die in vain. Do not misunderstand me Tsunade, I watched as you grieved Dan. I mourned with you for Nawaki. He was my student afterall, so do not think that I have disregarded their memory. Do not believe I have spurned their legacy. No, it was their memory that has pushed me forward. Their deaths have added more motivation to achieving my goals. Hardly a day goes by where I don't think of them, their legacy is ever my motivation. If I can unlock the secrets to immortality, then no one else need die as they did."
Tsunade stood dumbfounded. She didn't want to believe the words coming out of his mouth. The very notion that he would use the death of her brother and her lover as motivation to continue his sick and twisted schemes was infuriating. Part of her wanted to believe that it was all a charade, and all he had said was to get under her skin and into her head. However, she could see no deceit in his eyes, nor could she hear detect it on his voice. The other part of her saw the inconsistency in his words and his actions. He may remember the people, he may remember the pain of their passing, but he does not care for what they stood for or for who they were. "But, you have killed so many innocent people to try and get what you want. Dan and Nawaki would never approve."
"A means to an end Tsunade, just a means to an end," he said without concern for her objections.
"These are people's lives you are toying around with Orochimaru, they are not something you can use as a stepping stone to achieve greater heights," her rage was audible, and still on the rise.
"My foe is death itself Tsunade, he will not patiently wait for me to defeat him, he will take my life at a moment's notice. Just like my parents, just like Dan and Nawaki, and just like Sensei and Jiraiya. Death is coming, and I have no time to spare. So I must remove the obstacles that lie in my path."
Then it all made sense. Orochimaru was no longer the enigma that he was before. His goals, his plans, his actions, they all made perfect sense now. 'Orochimaru, you are still clinging to the pain that has come from losing everyone you cared for. You are so unwilling to let go, and it has warped you into the perverse man that you are now. I am so very sorry. I could have done more to help you cope. I have lost just as much as you, but I always had others around me to help me move on. I have been knocked down by death and loss, but it did not keep me down. Instead, I have been made stronger by it.'
She stood staring at her opponent. "Well, I don't suppose that offering to bring Nawaki back will really sway you to step aside now will it?"
"Not a chance," she replied with a firm resolve clearly noted.
"Then I believe we should get started Princess Tsunade," Orochimaru stated as Tsunade watched him slip into an all too familiar crouching stance that made him resemble a snake poised to strike. It allowed for a quick reaction to whatever Tsunade decided to do.
'This will be my legacy, to show the future generations how to join together against the pain of death and loss as one, and become stronger for it.'
Tsunade charged forward with a speed that brought an inquisitive look to Orochimaru's face. The look itself would be disregarded by most, but Tsunade knew that it was equivalent to surprise for the reptilian Sage. 'He has misjudged my skill level. He'll find out that I am full of surprises.' Punching the ground her opponent once occupied caused the earth to buckle, as deep cracks formed from the force of her chakra enhanced strength. She turned to face her opponent, who had just landed on a nearby tree branch.
With the smile that adorned his face, and his hands in the snake seal Tsunade knew trouble was on her doorstep. "Wind Release: Great Breakthrough," and as air was expelled from his lungs Orochimaru unleashed hurricane force winds upon the elderly blonde.
As she flew through the air Tsunade decided to enhance her skin's durability to avoid being cut to ribbons by the blades of wind that were attempting to slash through her body. Utilizing an earth nature chakra flow technique she recently developed, she manipulated her chakra in such a way that it simulates massive amounts of pressure needed to turn carbon into diamond. This chakra generated construct transforms her skin into a near indestructible armor that can be utilized for attack or defense. While the substance itself is not truly diamond she manipulates the balance of yin and yang in order to make the appearance realistic. She had not yet decided upon a name. She had been leaning toward Earth Release: Armor of the White Queen, but this was not yet set in stone. It was inspired by the Raikage, and made possible by sparring with Naruto.
Righting herself in midair, she landed on her feet glancing over herself. 'No visible damage. It's a good thing I developed this technique. In the ninja world, stagnation is death,' she thought as she located her opponent. Orochimaru had maneuvered himself close by, and prepared for his next move and her retaliation. 'He is keeping himself at a mid to long range distance, if I can close the gap somehow this fight is over. I wish I knew a long range Lightning Jutsu I could use as a catalyst for my Body Pathway Derangement technique. If I survive this thing the first thing I do is find a way to use that move at range. I need some distraction something that would make him hesitate, or catch him off guard.'
"Hmm, it seems you are full of surprises. You weren't even injured by my last attack, and since your Chakra Seal is still intact you didn't heal the damage that it should have caused. With the amount of chakra I used in that jutsu there really should be some damage," the Snake mused aloud.
"Why don't you come over here, and I'll give you all the surprises you can handle." In her mind she could imagine Jiraiya, slack jawed, eyes bulging, and nose bleeding at the innuendo her retort contained. Luckily Orochimaru's imagination doesn't work in more juvenile ways.
At this moment Orochimaru landed on the ground several yards infront of Tsunade, and almost as if he planned it, things became perilous for Tsunade. Two nondescript boxes rose from the ground. Tsunade knew what this was. She knew this was the Impure World Reincarnation Summoning Technique that the serpentine ninja had become so fond of. 'He never used the technique. He couldn't have. There were no hand seals, his chakra never spiked. He couldn't have done it. Could he have?'
The boxes opened, as Orochimaru chuckled to himself. "It seems this will all be over soon Tsunade. I wish that we could have played just a little while longer, but dear Sasuke seems to be growing impatient."
"What do you mean?"
The two figures stepped forward and looked around slowly. A man and a woman bearing black hair and the Uchiha crest on their clothing. They looked at each other, "Mikoto," the man spoke.
"Fugaku? What is the meaning of this?" The woman calmly responded.
"It seems someone has brought us back from the grave, and we are now their slaves."
"Who would do such a horrid thing?" the Uchiha mistress wondered.
Orochimaru then decided to make his presence known. "Your son Sasuke has brought you back to be the instruments of his vengeance against the Leaf Village.
"I see," Mikoto responded with quiet understanding.
"Then why are we well beyond the village walls Orochimaru?" Fugaku questioned sternly.
"Sasuke has seen fit to ensure the death of the Hokage," confidence oozed from his voice. While it wasn't uncommon for him to be so brazenly confident, and given the circumstances it wasn't unjustified, but Tsunade hated being counted out before the fight even started.
With three foes now seemingly set to engage her, Tsunade could feel the air thicken around her. Mikoto was staring her down, Sharingan blazing. Orochimaru looked upon her with glee painted on his face. Fugaku was boring a hole into the back of Orochimaru's head with his own pair of Sharingan eyes. Tsunade had no clue as to what the sudden shift in battle could mean, but two possibilities were certain. Either she was in for the fight of her life, or this would be the last fight of her life.
