Someone told me I don't have to put a disclaimer up for every chapter, just one for each new reference. So from now on, this rule is going into affect.

Tsunade looked at Jiraiya. "You want me to be Hokage?"

Jiraiya nodded.

Tsunade looked at him, before laughing. And it was not a laugh filled with joy. She slowly calmed down and then she explained herself. "Being Hokage is a fool's job. The people who become Hokage only wind up dead. Look at Yondaime, for instance, if hadn't been Hokage, he wouldn't have died, and he would still be the greatest ninja in the world. But he wanted to become Hokage, and that responsibility led him to his death."

Suddenly, the table they were at grew two vines which lashed onto Tsunade's wrists. Naruto sat there, a frown on his face, and the cowl of his robe hiding his eyes. "If you think," He began, "that being Hokage is a fool's job, then you are the perfect candidate. Because only a fool would call their love foolishness."

Tsunade looked shocked by the statement; it had been a long time since anyone had ever insulted her. She suddenly got angry. "Don't you know who I am, kid?"

"Yes," Naruto said, "You are old, bitter, and friendless. You have proven it yourself by saying that protecting those you love with your life is meaningless."

"What are you talking about?"

"The greatest love one can have for a friend is the love of willing to lay down your life for that person. How can one who has no friends understand this? You know nothing. You understand nothing. The next time you give people your two cents worth, be sure you understand what's going on."

"How dare you judge me?!" Tsuande yelled, struggling to free herself from the vines that held her in a steel grip.

"I have not judged you," Naruto said, before standing up, "You have judged yourself." He turned to Jiraiya, "Let's go, she is obviously not worthy of even being thought of as a possible candidate for Hokage." Then he left.

Jiraiya still sat at his seat, before turning to Tsunade, "Just for the record, he said it, not me." Then he ran out of the bar.

Tsunade continued to struggle against her bonds, pulling and pulling and pulling, until she noticed a faint sob, she turned to Shizune and she sat there with a tear in her eye. Shizune looked at her sensei in the eye. "Is dying for me foolishness, Tsuande-sama?"

The question cut her heart in two.

"Am I a fool for knowing that I'd die for you at any given moment?"

That question ran through her like a blade of ice. But she didn't answer.

"Naruto was right, you are old, bitter, and friendless. You call those you love fools because they died defending their home, and you push away those who love you with your uncaring heart." Tears began to fall from her eyes.

"Sh-Shizune…I…"

"What? Why should I care? If you will not die for your friends, then you only live for yourself, and those who live for themselves end up like Orochimaru!"

Normally she would have slapped anyone who said that for even thinking about comparing her to the snake. But instead of anger, she felt fear. Fear because she knew that Shizune was right.

The vines released her, sensing her anger pass.

"Sh-Shizune…"
Shizune didn't say anything but left the bar, in search of those who could take her home.

Tusnade sat there, alone, as the words that Shizune and Naruto had spoken came to her, landing an invisible punch to her conscience with every syllable. "How can one who has no friends understand this?...You are old, bitter, and friendless. You have proven it yourself by saying that protecting those you love with your life is meaningless...You call those you love fools because they died defending their home, and you push away those who love you with your uncaring heart… Am I a fool for knowing that I'd die for you at any given moment?… If you will not die for your friends, then you only live for yourself, and those who live for themselves end up like Orochimaru!" Tsundae sighed, and looked down at the sake bottle in her hand. She threw it at the wall, where the pottery smashed into a thousand shards.

"The Hokages have the worst bet in the world, they bet their life everyday for their village." Tsunade thought as she stood up. "From now on, I too shall bet my life!"

Tsunade left the bar. But she did not feel the gaze of two yellow eyes on her back. "Yes, Tsunade, lead me to the brat. Lead me to him so that I can keep him from ruining my plans."

Tsunade followed the trail of her student, and was able to find them at a nearby hotel. She quickly found the room where Naruto was, with a little threatning of the hotel manager, and burst into the room. Shizune looked like she was in shock, as did Jiraiya, and the shock seemed to deepen at Tsunade's entrance.

"Okay, seriously." Jiraiya said, "That's just creepy."

"Ditto."

Naruto laughed.

Tsuande just stared, "Okay, what's going on?"

"Oh, nothing, I just predicted you'd come to take up our offer is all."

"But what about the whole, 'not worthy' thing?" Tsuande asked.

"Haven't any of you guys heard of a bluff before? Seriously?"

"How did…?"

"Look, I knew you're heart was in the right place, you just needed to see the light, that's all."

"How did you know that?"

Naruto smiled, as the Keyblade flashed into existence. "Beign aKeyblade Master does have its perks."

Tsunade's mouth dropped open at the sight of the weapon. "A Keyblade?" She was barely standing on her own two feet now. "I've only heard legends about that."

Suddenly, a hissing sound came from behind them. They turned, and saw a Shadow Heartless. Behind it, the hall was black with more shadows, then a figure began to step out of the synthetic blackness. "Ku, ku, ku. Thank you, Tsunade, it would have taken me much longer to find the Keyblade brat without you."

Immediately, the ninja jumped into their attack positions. "Orochimaru!" Naruto cried, his Keyblade ready, "You'll pay for what you did to Jii-san!" Anger and hatred filled his voice.

"So there it is, the Darkness of the Heart of the Keyblade master." Orochimaru said, smiling evilly.

"Isn't that the pot calling the kettle black?" Naruto asked, as he smiled because of the warning Orochimaru unwittingly gave him.

Orochimaru frowned as the darkness in his heart was hidden by the light. Then he smiled again, "No matter how well you hide the darkness, it is always there Naruto, and the Heartless will consume you because of it."

"Well, they haven't yet." Natuo smiled, "Firaga!" He cried, launching a fireball into the doorway, sending several shadows into oblivion, before creating two shadow clones. Each Naruto grabbed the hand of one of the other ninjas, and he dragged them out the window. "Come on, let's go!"

"What are you doing?" Tsuande asked.

"I'm not going to have another Hokage's death on my conscience, let's go!" He said as he pulled her through the window.

Orochimaru smiled as his prey began to escape. They would meet a new darkness outside.

The four ninjas landed on the street outside. Only to face a wave of Shadows, at the front was a boy, with a dark purple shirt, round glasses, and a sound headband tied to his forehead.

"Kabuto." Naruto said, "I knew there was something about you."

Kabuto laughed, "It seems your skills at Divination are not what you make them out to be."

Naruto's eyes narrowed as he smiled, "And your skill over Darkness seems less than average."

Kabuto's eyes behind his glasses narrowed. "What do you know of the Darkness?"

"I know more than you do, because I know what happens if the darkness consumes you." Naruto shuddered at the memory of Sora becoming a Heartless.

"Well, then you'll experience it again." Kabuto said as he ordered the Heartless to charge.

Naruto charged in, screaming at the top of his lungs, "Explodaga!" Heartless went flying, burning as the explosion racked their bodies. Others fell to the might of the Keyblade, and others still met a crueler fate.

One of the Heartless crept up behind the boy, and clawed his back, leeching away at his strength.

Naruto turned to dispatch it, only to see Tsunade pound the Heartless into dust.

"Tsunade, go back, I can handle them!"

"Doesn't look like it to me." Tsunade said, as she pointed to the long tear in Naruto's cloak. "Besides, I can take out more of these guys than you can."

"Oh, yeah, just watch me, Baa-chan." Naruto said, as his cloak turned a red color. And Oathkeeper appeared in his left hand. Naruto began running through the crowd of Heartless, slicing any that came into his way with a quick swing of either The Kingdom Key or Oathkeeper.

Another Heartless sliced at him with its claws from behind, sapping a little more strength. He flipped his Keyblade into a reverse grip, and stabbed backwards, sending the Heartless to the void. "Is this all you've got, Kabuto? I've seen worse darkness when the power to my apartment goes out!" Naruto yelled laughing.

Kabuto frowned. "Well let's see you take this." He streached out his hand, and a large Heartless appeared before him. It was tall and round, as big around as it was tall, actually. It wore dark purple with grey and yellow armor. If memory served Naruto right, which it normally did, this was a Large Body Heartless. Naruto smiled, this one could be fun.

Naruto charged the large Heartless, and to his surprise, the Large Body charged toward him also, using its belly like a shield. Naruto jumped over the Heartless, using Valor form to help him, and then, once behind the creature, began running at it to get closer. The Body was moving fast, but because of its bulky size, it began to slow down, just what Nartuo needed to send it back to the darkness from whence it came.

"Is this all you have, Kabuto?" Naruto asked, "Is this all your darkness has to offer?"

Kabuto growled. "Your light does not impress me, for Darkness will always consume the light."

Orochimaru suddenly appeared next to Kabuto. "Kabuto, I am displeased that you have not yet captured their hearts."

"It seems the strength of the Keyblade is stronger than we thought."

"I have told you many times, Kabuto, never underestimate the light."

"And this is Why!" Naruto cried, before throwing Oathkeeper at the pair, "Strike Raid!"

The Keyblade caught Kabuto in the chin, slicing his cheek with the point of the key and knocking Kabuto to the floor. Kabuto was quick to get back on his feet, only for Oathkeeper to come back, and bash him on the back of the head.

Kabuto glared at Naruto, and was about to attack him, when Orochimaru held him back. "Do not waste your strength, and delve too deep in darkness, Kabuto, we shall retreat, for I am still no to my full strength."

"You're not leaving this village alive, Orochimaru!" Tsunade yelled, only for Naruto to stay her.

"Let them go, Tsunade-sama. They may yet fall into the darkness they are trying to control."

Orochimaru chuckled. "You are truly a fool, Naruto." Suddenly a black hole opened behind the two traitors, and they stepped in, and disappeared.

Tsunade turned to Naruto, "Why did you let them go?!"

Naruto simply held up one finger, then fell backwards, unconscious. The Heartless had sucked more strength from him than he thought.

"Oh. That's why."

"Orochimaru-sama," Kabuto said when they arrived in the village hidden in the sound, "I could have taken them, I know I could have."

The snake sanin looked at the boy, "Then you do not realize that your heart was about to be consumed?"
"What?" Kabuto asked, surprised and fearful.

"You were delving too deep too soon. You prepared only for Shadows but then summoned a Large Body, you could have lost your heart for that."

Kabuto stood in silence, the shadows of the room covered him. "I see, Orochimaru-sama, I will be more cautious in the future."

"I know you will, because your life depends on it, now, summon the four, I have a mission for them."

Naruto woke up two days later. They were in the forest, with everyone watching him. "Naruto, you're awake! You had us worried sick." Jiraiya said, as he crowded the poor boy.

"Sorry about that, Ero-senin." Naruto said smiling. Jiraiya wanted to punch him, and probably would have if it weren't for the fact that Naruto d just come out of a mini coma.

"What happened to you?" Tsunade asked, "You were perfectly healthy, but you went into this coma. What happened?"

Naruto sighed, "Yeah, the Heartless are like that, each cut, bruise, and scratch sucks away at your strength, then your will, and then finally they take your heart." Then he smiled, "I guess the cuts went deeper than I thought." Suddenly a thought dawned on him. "Hey, Ero-senin."

"What?" Jiraiya asked. He was looking out into the forest.

"You owe me some jutsus."

"What are you talking about?" Jiraiya said as he turned to Naruto, just in time for him to see a Rasengan form perfectly in Naruto's hand.

"Do I need to spell it out for you?" He asked, meanwhile both Shizune and Tsunade looked like they were going to have heart attacks.

"I-i-i-is t-th-th-that the Ra-Ra-Ra-Rasengan?" Tsunade asked.

"Yes it is, and that pervert over there needs to teach me some more jutsus."

"Yeah, yeah, a deal's a deal and all that crap." Jiraiya mumbled.

Later that night, Tsunade approached Jiraiya, out of Naruto's earshot. "Doesn't it amaze you that your student has mastered the Rasengan?"

Jiraiya smiled, "Not really, seeing as who his parents are."

"Who are they?"

"That is an S-rank secret concerning the Yondaime."

"Well, I'm going to be Hokage aren't I? So why don't you tell me?"

"Who said I wouldn't? I just told you it was an S-rank secret is all."

"Yes, but who are they?"

Jiraiya looked down at Naruto's sleeping bag. "Minato and Kushina."

Tsunade almost had another heart attack. "The Minato and Kushina?"

"Yes, them, but don't mention it, he's not supposed to know until he is a Chuunin."

"Wait…He's still a Genin?"

"Yeah." Jiraiya said as he nodded, "By his own choice."

"Huh?"

"Well, he kinda felt guilty that Sandaime died, because he said he could have stopped it if he hadn't tried to do some much by himself, I honestly don't get what he means by that, but that's what he said when he turned his promotion down."

"He turned it down?"

"Yes, which means he is either an idiot, or wise beyond his age."

Five days later, the four of them entered Konoha. The ninjas were too busy with their jobs to notice who had just entered the village. Nor did they notice the two new ninjas that had finally come home. Once they were at the Hokage tower, Jiraiya turned to the Godaime Hokage. "I'll let the council know you're here." He said.

Tsunade nodded and walked up into the tower. The walls seem to hold a coldness about them, as if mourning the death of Hiruzen. Tsunade opened the door to the Hokage's office. She went to the desk, and sat in the overstuffed chair. She sighed, "I have a lot of work to do."

As soon as the council members were notified, they barged into the Hokage's office, complete with apologetic bows afterward, and Tsunade gave them her acceptance speech, thank you for choosing me, blah, blah, blah, and then she ordered them all out. "Shizune, you are going to be my assistant, I want you to get me three teams of chuunin, now."

Shizune bowed before leaving, "Yes, Hokage-sama."

Tsunade smiled, "I have got to get used to that." She thought, before turning to Naruto. Naruto was staring out the window, over Konoha, a frown covering his hooded visage. She took time to study his face for a moment, and now, it looked perfectly obvious that the he was his father. "Naruto?"

"Yes, Hokage-sama?" Naruto said, almost whispering.

"Why did you turn down your promotion?"

"Because I'm not ready." Naruto answered simply.

"Well do you know what that says to me?" Tsunade asked him.

"What?"

"It tells me that you are ready."

Naruto turned to her, a look of confusion on his face. "You think I'm ready?"

"No, I don't think you're ready, I know you are, by the very reason that you think you're not ready." Tsunade smiled. "Those who boast in their power, those who think they should receive power because of their skill do not realize that power comes with responsibility, and they shun it, taking only the power, and leaving those who are in their care to die. Those are the ones who do not deserve it, those who care only for themselves. Those who care not for the lives of others, they are the ones who deserve to be sent back to the academy."

Then Tsunade stood up, and knelt before Naruto, so that they were eye to eye. "But that's not you." She smiled at him, "You are a boy who does not care for himself, putting others before him, you sacrifice your hopes and dreams for those who threw you away, you put those pigs before yourself, helping others before yourself, and do you know what that is called? That's love. And love, my dear boy, conquers all. And Sarutobi loved you, and he only wanted what was best for you, and I know he would not want you to mourn so long over his death."

Tears began to fall from Naruto's eyes, "But-but I-I couldn't save him."

"No one can save everyone, Naruto. I have tried and failed on too many occasions, but that doesn't mean you should stop loving, that you should stop caring, that you should stop trying to save those who have put their trust in you. Yes, you made a mistake, and yes, Sandaime died because of it, but we all make mistakes, even the wisest man on earth made mistakes, and they probably messed up his entire life. But the point is you learned, you learned you can't do everything, and that has made you a man wiser and better than most." Tsunade smiled and hugged him.

Naruto also smiled, a few tears still in his eye.

Tsunade broke the embrace, and held Naruto by the shoulders, "Feel better now?"

Naruto nodded.

"Good." Tsunade said, as she walked over to her desk. She reached under it a pulled out a small package, she tossed it at him. It landed in his hands and opened, revealing a green flak jacket, "Because we can't have a Chuunin of Konoha crying now, can we?"

Naruto stared at the green article of clothing. His mouth open. "But-but-but…"

"No buts. You are a Chuunin, and I order it as Hokage." She then began looking around the room, "Now there should be a box around here somewhere…"

Her office door slammed open, and a team of Chuunin stood in her office, ready to ask "how high?" if she asked them jump. "Hokage-sama?" the leader, or the person who wanted to be the leader asked.

"I guess I'll find it later." Tsunade grumbled, "Naruto, you're dismissed, but I'll want you to be here when I ask, immediately. Understood?"

"Yes," Naurto said, exiting the office, "Baa-chan."

The three Chuunin gasped, shocked at what he had just called her. They turned to Tsunade, and were surprised to see a smile on her face.

Sasuke stood in the middle of his empty house, hating his brother with all he had. "Yes!" the voice in his head rang out, "Feed me Hatred! Feed me Anger! Feed ME!"

Sasuke obliged.

Suddenly, a rustling brought him to awareness. He turned, and outside were four ninjas in grey tunics with a pure white ying-yang on their front. "Hello, Sasuke." One said, he was large and had orange Mohawk-like hair.

"What are you doing here?" Sasuke asked.

"We have come," another said, he was dark-skinned, and had six arms, "to offer you the power of Darkness."

Next chapter, Sasuke retrieval, success? Or Failure?