Yay!

We've officially reached the twentieth chapter!

Of course, unlike my rather romantic tendencies, this chapter does not contain anything special in it, unless it happens to be a (rather dubious) reassurance.

Nevertheless, I hope you enjoy yourself.

The reason this chapter took so long is the following: I had actually started the twentieth chapter immediately after finishing the nineteenth one. But the moment I finished it, my other computer crashed. So I, sullen and lazy, refused to write a new one because the other completed one was already written. I've finally gotten over my sullenness.

For more notes and explanations about this chapter, look below.

Chapter 20

The Hokage's Curse

If there was one thing that Tsunade hated, it was some sort of interference with her plans. And the fates. Never forget those evil little buggers.

The Fates had always been against her, but never more than now. She was unaware of whether she had been born on some inauspicious day, but for some reason, whenever Tsunade felt really, truly happy or determined, those interfering elements just had to stick their heads in and make life difficult for her.

She would not even dwell upon incidents of the past. The loss of those dearest to her had always been a sensitive subject for Tsunade, and she was unwilling to further detriment her already ill-tempered mood into something vicious because of old defeats and disappointments. But the present – now that was another matter. The present concerned her now, and she had to consider it, infuriating as it was.

She had, with great deliberation, set into motion many series of events in the past year, and with great aplomb, now all her carefully-constructed plans were lying in shreds around her. She could only sit on her throne of gold and watch her palace crumble, the realization that the Fates would do anything to destroy her – not only ruin her own life, but also those of people under her protection – was looming in front of her.

She was the Hokage, and it was her responsibility to ensure that each and every citizen of Konoha was safe and sound from any sort of danger whatsoever. She had accepted her duty with dignity, and with a shrewdness that was only found in the cleverest of minds, had started weaving a web to ensure that Konoha would not be ground to dust under her regime. But the Fates, persistently after her life, had torn all her plans to pieces, and were beginning to undo all that she had painstakingly worked on.

It seemed to be a curse that inflicted not only her, but also her family and her predecessors. The Hokage's position was never without troubles that seemed to exceed those with the worst luck. Her grandfather, the First Hokage, had been in great danger as he tried to unite several small communities and clans to protect themselves and civilians by forming the nation-state of Konoha. It was him that Konoha thanked everyday for forming it, for being the Founder. It had been no easy job to create a new village – besides fending of threats from other, already enormous villages, he also had to negotiate with the clans that would constitute the new village, giving them responsibilities and commissions while ensuring that they did not rob him blind. Great strength of mind and willpower had been required for the drive and determination with which he had begun, and it was for those qualities that she admired him and felt proud to have descended from him.

The second Hokage was equally well-known. After the First's untimely death, his powerful and charismatic brother had stepped up, overcoming grief to lead his native village and his brother's legacy through troubling times. While the First had been challenged with hostilities while struggling to unite a diverse people in an increasingly competitive and bloodthirsty world, in reality it was the Second who had to firsthand experience the difficulties and tragedies of war. It was the Second who had led Konoha through the First Great Shinobi War, and who had made Konoha emerge through the shattered debris of the world as a major, power-toting player.

The losses suffered in the First Great Shinobi War had been enormous, and casualties were high. Konoha was a fragile state, but it had a determination in its veins to survive, and survive it had, even though at a great cost. Towards the end of the war, when Konoha was reveling in the glory of having been revealed as one of the strongest Villages around, tragedy struck – the Second was murdered while trying to protect his students.

Without a leader, Konoha floundered. Having become accustomed to being traditionally led by members of the same clan (the Senju), it was to that very family that they looked to now for guidance. Unfortunately, the strong members of the clan had all perished during the War or in related activities, and the current de facto leader was Tsunade herself, who was far too young and inexperienced to be qualified to ascend as leader.

The person who emerged into prominence at this troubled time was the future Third, Hiruzen Sarutobi. Although not from a prestigious clan, he had the unique distinction of not only being a very powerful warrior, but also of having studied under the first two Hokages themselves. Added to that was the fact that he had been handpicked by the Second to succeed him in his very last moments. His lack of pedigree, moreover, became an asset in his case – no one could argue that one clan was exerting far too much influence while the others were lacking in such comforts.

The reign of Sarutobi was by no means less tragic than that of his predecessors. He faced many difficulties from high-nosed clan members who sneered at his undistinguished lineage, along with regional difficulties like the poverty that had struck the land after the First Great Shinobi War. The members of some of the other Villages had followed a scorched-earth policy, and thus food was scarce in the regions of Konoha. The Third was left with an unstable country, clans vying for power, a starving population, and suspicious neighbours.

He did remarkably well, against the odds, proving to everyone that one did not need to be from a famous lineage in order to succeed. He remained calm and composed and deadly throughout his regime, acting with precision and accuracy after the end of the First War, and leading with a grim determination during the Second. He lost many friends and loyal shinobi during the Second War, but even as he was overcome by grief, he rose through his mourning to ensure that his country did not suffer for his mistakes. He lost two of his pupils, almost broke off with the third, and made many miscalculated decisions, but he survived, and that was more than could be said for any other person in the Village at that time.

As the War drew to a close, the Third made a tough decision, one that proved that he was not a power-hungry maniac. He recognized his weakness, his increasing age, and the power of the youth that flowed through Konoha. He knew that he was rather antiquated in his ways, and that to survive a brave, increasingly modern world, a young leader had to be placed at the helm. And so he decided to step down and choose an heir, a successor who would take his place as Hokage and continue to lead Konoha towards prosperity.

That successor was Minato Namikaze.

After being crowned the Fourth Hokage, Minato encountered a great deal of criticism for being the youngest ever to hold the post. However, his determination to succeed (which Naruto had inherited in great quantities) led him through the thorny path with a strength that resembled those of his predecessors. Konoha itself was rapturous about him, for he was the first Hokage whose coronation they could celebrate fully – the other two had been overshadowed by grief for their recently dead Hokages. Minato, thus, became not only the youngest leader, but also the first to succeed while his predecessor was still alive.

His good looks and easy charm attracted many followers, but it was to one that he truly lost his heart. Kushina Uzumaki was not exceptionally talented or beautiful, but her goodness shone around her like a halo and distinguished her from ordinary mortals. Minato, being of pure heart himself, could not resist this exceptional angel, and together they conceived a child who would grow up to become most extraordinary – Uzumaki Naruto.

Their happiness was short-lived. The interference of Madara Uchiha and the presence of the persistent nine-tailed jinchuuriki combined to ruin their delight at their new-born son's presence, and swiftly took away both their lives. Baby Naruto was left alone in a world where most of the people despised him.

Overcome with sadness at his sucessors untimely death, Sarutobi reluctantly agreed to resume the mantle of Hokage. His grief for his friends and acquaintances, however, was evident in the fact that he requested that the date of his recoronation be not one of celebration, but one of mourning. The village was in ruins, and its Hokage had nobly sacrificed his life for saving the smouldering remains of the village.

The spirit of Konoha, however, was indefatigable. Despite having been fraught with worried and obstacles since its very creation, Konoha once again raised its broken form from the ground and proceeded to rebuild itself – not only the village, but also its people. The new generation bustled to life, and once again it seemed like all was well.

Then tragedy struck again, this time extremely painful because it was not from an outside threat, but rather from a source that had been born in Konoha, even if he was a traitor. Orochimaru struck back in disguise, cleverly assuming the identity of the fourth Kazekage, and, although he was defeated, the cost was far too great. The Third paid for the defeat of his former student with his life.

The Village was thrust into mourning once more, but there was no time to waste. Immediately, Jiraiya had been sent out to appoint the future Hokage. He managed to locate her, and, after an encounter with the dreaded villain himself, brought her home to lead her village.

That shinobi was Tsunade.

Her life had always been marked by back luck, whether it was in personal losses like Dan and Nawaki or in other aspects. But never had she prayed for misfortune to grant her rest more than after her ascension as Hokage, for under her tutelage lay the lives of not only herself, but also of the citizens of Konoha.

As it was, the moment she had moved to strike a note on the instrument of Fate, it had rebounded and hit her hard.

As it was, the location of one of her premium shinobi, Uchiha Itachi, as well as Mitarashi Anko and a rather ordinary medic was unknown, presumed dead. The carefully-laid plans for an Uchiha-Hyuuga hybrid were going far too slowly to be of any use, and Akatsuki was rising somewhere, possibly collaborating with Orochimaru (although that was unlikely, owing to the inexplicable hatred between the two). Two of the Five Great Shinobi Villages were against them, one was frantically rebuilding itself while using their resources, and the last was an unpredictable, unreliable ally.

Their position was precarious enough, and Tsunade was sure that one wrong push from any of the players at the chessboard would mark the beginning of the Third Great Shinobi War, something that she fervently hoped would not come to pass during her lifetime, not only owing to her previous losses, but also because of her haemophobia. She was unsure if the sight of widespread death and destruction, of starvation, poverty, and hardship, could be borne by her any more.

And just as she became convinced that she was in the worst position impossible (unable to act for fear of starting a war, sitting around in a state of horrific anticipation), Fate had decided to throw its cards in her face by promptly taking the turn of events it had.

The delegation from Suna was to arrive today. The Kazekage and his brethren would be gracing Konoha with a visit that would undoubtedly strain Konoha's position even more. No matter how the meeting went, Konoha would either be bereft of manpower or allies by the end of this visit.

A knock from outside marked the beginning of an ominous, future-changing day. She turned, her graceful neck arching towards the umpteenth wooden door to be installed outside her office, throat emitting a gentle 'hm?' signaling permission for the knocker to enter. She looked up from her paperwork to see a nervous genin standing outside, his forehead beading with perspiration as he found himself to be in the presence of the first-ever female Hokage, one of the legendary sannin. He stuttered as he spoke: "Hokage-sama, Shizune-san has asked me to inform you that the delegation from Suna has arrived."

She nodded to the poor messenger, who promptly stumbled out of the office, as she stood, contemplating the ways in which she had changed since her childhood. Her trademark green jacket fluttered around her form as she proceeded from her safe sanctuary. She had deliberated for many days on this issue, had almost made up her mind, but the final answer would only be decided when it was time.

Her hazel eyes fell on the only pictures she kept on her desk, one of Nawaki and one of Dan. Both her men, her most precious loves, smiled up at her, blissfully unaware of their fates. She felt a sudden rush of affection for them, those loves of her, even as they lay decomposing somewhere. She remembered her earnest urge of make them proud, to protect them, and it was at that moment that an epiphany struck.

Nawaki and Dan – their foremost desire had been to protect the village. Even their dream of becoming Hokage had been based on a love and protective urge. As Hokage now, and in a position in which it was her responsibility to decide the fate of the village, wasn't it her duty to follow their legacies and make them proud?

She strode out of the room, somewhat taller now, having made up her mind. On her shoulders was the weight of the fates of her fellow citizens, and in her intentions was the direction to make the choice that would make or break the world.

The garden was certainly beautiful, he mused rather grumpily, with its weeping-willow trees and aesthetically-placed sculptures, the symbol of the Imperial Dragon visible in all of its glory. He wasn't sure that there was a garden to match this in all of Suna, but then again, Suna wasn't in the tropics. And besides, the desert had a whole other beauty of its own.

Needless to say, he was rather peeved with all of this. On any other day, he would have been displeased with having to leave Suna, but now, when he knew that the objective they had set out to complete would mean eternal slavery for his country, well, the days just got worse and worse, didn't they?

The shy, stuttering waif who stood in front of him did little to alleviate his mood. Although fond of the female gender as a whole, today he was in far too bad a mood to appreciate the variety that he had been presented with. Apart from this girl (obviously a Hyuuga, what with her pearly white eyes, and from the elitist Main House to boot, because she didn't have one of those seals on her forehead), he had met the extremely attractive Hokage's assistant, some lady named Shizune. This girl was named Hinata, and while he was fairly sure that she was an important someone-or-the-other (because of the quality of her kimono – he wasn't completely ignorant, you know. He was a Kage's son.), he couldn't be bothered to remember her name now. She (probably) didn't have any part in this heinous scheme of enslaving his country, but nevertheless, she was a citizen of Konoha, and that in itself was enough to inflame him for now.

The poor girl looked equally terrified of their group, which is to say mainly of Gaara. While there were seven shinobi in total who had accompanied the Kazekage, including himself, none were scarier than the man himself. This girl had undoubtedly heard of the horror stories related to Gaara, and her cringing showed that she was afraid of sitting near the Sand Beast. Training and good manners seemed to overcome her fear, though, and she was making nervous conversation with his brother while trying to smile (but miserably failing).

He could see that she was a shinobi, for calluses that no noblewoman would have tolerated marked her hands. Nevertheless, she did not seem to be very good at the art, what with her complete inability to hide her emotions.

Patricians, he thought with a sneer. Always proud to claim that they were the best, but in reality, how many of their clan members could even fight decently?

Gaara for his part looked passively bored. They had been drinking tea for the past half-hour, waiting for the Hokage to show up. The busty woman had yet to make an appearance, although the frantic young woman often reassured them that she was on her way. Nevertheless, even Gaara's patience had to wear thin soon, and Kankurou didn't look forward to seeing the useless girl's reaction when Gaara showed anger for the first time. She would either run, scream, or faint, or do all three.

It was already highly insulting in itself that Tsunade herself hadn't been at the gate to greet them. Guaranteed, it was usually a custom among the lower Kage's to wait anxiously at the entrance of the Village, and not one of the Kage's of the five great shinobi villages, but he was far too peeved to care about the delicacies of diplomatic conduct anymore.

Finally, a short man appeared on the roof above them. Hinata startled – unlike a true shinobi, he thought cruelly – and said emotionlessly "The Hokage is on her way."

Gaara straightened nominally, his visage just as calm and unaffected as earlier, except for the small glint of excitement and anticipation in the corner of his eye. Kankurou himself felt a hard lump – oddly like steel – encasing his throat.

It was time to play a dangerous game of dice in which no one could win.

The cavern wall was flickering.

He blinked again, the rationalist in him dismissing such an outworldly concept as a wall flickering of all things. When he opened his eyes once again – his mind cleared, more focused – then he found that instead of the wall flickering, it was merely the shadow of the fire which burnt bright.

Having barely regained consciousness from a near-death experience, he had not yet been able to resume his old level of shinobi reflexes. However, with a routine born from hours of practice in varying climates, including those of mind-numbing cold, he was able to focus himself enough to deduce the following:

He was very much alive. This was a revelation, considering the fact that he had almost resigned himself to death the last time he had been conscious (and being soundly thrashed).

There was a rather shapeless lump two-arms width across from him, through which strands of bright purple hair protruded. The figure rose and fell, indicating that it was very much alive. He softly muttered a prayer to God for leaving Anko alive.

He could smell the scent of firegoat in the air. The sweet smell of incense was rather overpowering, and seemed to be lulling him to sleep.

He was covered in a blanket that was embroidered with sleepy pandas.

They were in the hands of an unknown enemy (an ally was unlikely since they were not in a medical facility). The reasons for the enemy kidnapping them (and leaving them alive) were unknown, but most likely because the enemy wanted to obtain confidential information from them.

If such enemy was indeed keeping them alive with the sole intention of extracting classified information, then he was very much mistaken in thinking that this was an easy job. Itachi would rather chew on hard nails than be made to betray his village.

There was something very sharp digging into his shoulder blade. If he just turned slightly, then... oh.

The sharp thing was actually a person's fingernails.

Said person was grinning predatorily at him.

"Well well well," Suigetsu's voice was infused with suppressed malicious laughter as he spoke to a horror-struck Itachi. "It seems like my little safety-ticket is finally awake."

The reason I tried to refrain from expanding on Tsunade's past is because I've already done it before (in chapter 13).

Also, yes, Itachi is very much alive. You really think that I'd let the suspense die out like that? Nuh-uh.

As to his future state, however, I cannot assure you. He's in the hands of Suigetsu, after all. An extremely evil, desperate, OOC Suigetsu.

Also, the part about Kankurou was supposed to be WAY longer, as was the part about Itachi. Both covered about 2000 words respectively, and that was all that consisted of the previous version of the chapter. However, I found Kankurou's musings a bit silly, although I'll be expanding on that side of him in the future, and Itachi's original section seemed to reveal too much information. So I'll withhold the information for now.

Please review!