The underground bunker was dreary, low hanging lights flickered against the grimy and slick walls. The air was cool and wet and strangely thin, like there wasn't enough of it. His sandals made no sound even on the stone floor, the empty halls eerily quiet.

Naruto glanced around, hoping his directions were right.

Turning the corner he stopped, "Naruto!" Sakura mock whispered, advancing on him, "You're not supposed to be down here!"

He crossed his arms, "Neither are you!"

Her green eyes widened at that, but she quickly recovered, "I'm looking for Hokage-sama," she said haughtily, "I have very important information for her."

"What kind of information, Sakura?" Tsunade asked, one hand on her hip.

Naruto choked back a laugh at the look on his teammate's face, "Sh-shishou!" Sakura stuttered out, startled, "I didn't see you there."

Tsunade raised one eyebrow, "You weren't expecting me?" she asked teasingly.

Sakura opened and shut her mouth a few times, before putting on her most charming smile and hiding behind Naruto. He glanced over his shoulder then back at Tsunade. Not liking the look in her eyes, he hid behind Sakura.

She glared at him until the Hokage spoke again, "Neither of you two are supposed to be here," she said blandly, "In fact, I distinctly remember forbidding it."

"Ummm... maybe in your old age you forgot?" Naruto squeaked out.

Tsunade's eye twitched.

"No-no-no-no!" he hastily amended, waving his hands in front of him, "I mean, because you're so old... we forgot?"

Tsunade cracked her knuckles, slowly.

"Um..."

"We apologize, Hokage-sama," Sakura bowed, "And beg your forgiveness," when Naruto didn't chime in right away she discreetly kicked him in the shin.

"Um, yeah," he glowered at her before dipping into a ridiculously low bow, "What she said."

One exasperated sigh later, "Alright you two," Tsunade said sternly, "I want both of you to turn around and leave."

"But shishou-"

"You can't-"

"-I wasn't asking!" she said over them, "And I won't tell you again."

Naruto clenched his fist and turned from them, wanting to punch something. What was so wrong with wanting to see his teammate? It had already been a week, were they planning on keeping him down here forever?

He heard Sakura muffle a sob and turned towards her. Her green eyes were suspiciously wet, but she refused to look up and stalked off.

He frowned and started to follow her but Tsunade laid a hand on his shoulder, "Let her be, she won't be happy until she sees him."

"Then why?"

Tsunade shook her head, her features stoic, "Because even though he came we can't trust him."

But she does, he thought, even after everything.

"He could use that," she continued as if reading his mind, "He could use her."

"Then what about me?" he asked petulantly.

She laughed, "You're no different. It might take a bit longer, sure. But it's the same story."

Naruto didn't have anything to say to that.

"Besides," she went on, "He's already tried to escape."

"What?!"

"Two days ago, but he didn't get very far. Neji was guarding him, he made it exactly five steps out of his cell."

"Why would he..."

"He changed his mind," Tsunade shrugged, "Maybe he got bored. I don't know, we've hardly had a single word out of him."

"What are you going to do?"

"Don't worry," she smirked, "We have our ways. Speaking of which," she turned toward him, "I would like to speak with you."

"Um, aren't we talking now?" he scratched the back of his head.

"Not here," she replied, "Follow me."

Tsunade lead him to her office and sat down behind her cleared desk. The large windows overlooking the village were filled with the sights of spring, but held little distraction to him.

Her fingers steepled in front of her face, the Fifth sat silent. Naruto raised an eyebrow, waiting for her to say something. But of course he didn't wait very long, "Well? What did you drag me up here for?"

Sighing and shaking her head she answered, "Always in a hurry," she turned to look at him, her brown eyes serious, making Naruto a bit nervous, "I wanted to ask you something."

"Well, what?"

"Something that requires thoughtful reflection."

"Yeah?"

"A question that may determine your future."

"Uh-huh."

"Naruto," she scowled at him, "listen."

He stopped picking at his fingernails, "What is it?"

"What do you want out of life?"

Uh... his face must have shown his confusion because she continued, "What is your most important goal?"

Did she fall on her head? "To become Hokage," he replied slowly, "You know, the same thing I told you when we first met?"

"And that hasn't changed?"

"No," he drew out the syllable as he leaned close.

"The position of Hokage is one of tremendous respect and responsibility," she got up and strode around her desk to look at the hanging portraits of her predecessors, "It requires strength of will, mind, and body."

"I know all that already," Naruto sniffed.

"Do you?" she asked, "It isn't all about admiration or acknowledgment. There is pressure and sacrifices involved. There's work that is never done, missions to oversee, diplomats to meet, conflicts to resolve."

"I never said it would be easy," he crossed his arms, "I know that," he did, he really did. Everything he had to fight for, work at. Why would this be any different? "It's the goal I've chosen."

"What about Kyuubi?"

That stung, "Some people may not like it," he huffed, "But I'll change their mind."

"That's not what I meant, I really do think you could change anyone's mind," she clarified and he allowed himself a small smile at the unfamiliar praise, "But there is something else to consider, your life."

"Huh?"

"Drawing on the demon fox too much can shorten your life. You are still young, but the effects are cumulative. Are you prepared to spend the rest of your life in a very highly dangerous position? A position that itself may require you sacrifice yourself to the fox?"

"The Hokage does that anyway," he said, "He's supposed to protect the village."

"There's a difference in heroically sacrificing yourself and the slow inevitable drain Kyuubi would cause. Not all Kages die young, some remain in their posts for years. What if you grow feeble and need to step down? What would you do then?"

He shrugged, "I don't know," being Hokage was everything to him, what if he couldn't do it?

"What about other goals?" she asked softly, "Is there anything else you want out of life?"

"I never really thought about it," he answered truthfully, scratching the back of his head, "What kind of things are you talking about?"

She smiled, "That's for you to figure out. But I will make a suggestion, Akatsuki."

His eyes narrowed and his fist clenched, "Any new information?"

"No," she sighed, "Not even from favors for you," she looked at him pointedly.

Whoops, "I don't know what you're talking about," he gave his most innocent grin.

"Since I was considering giving basically the same mission to him anyway, I'll forgive you this time," Tsunade waved him off, "However, if you are planning on continuing on this path I must warn you. You will have a time limit."

"Why?"

"Because you have your future to think about, because if you're the next Hokage you can't go after personal vedettas, because I'm planning on retiring soon," she listed off her reasons, "I'm not waiting around forever and you need to realize that life continues on even without you," her voice was wistful, "You have until you turn twenty."

"That's like over two years from now," he scoffed, "That's plenty of time."

"Is it? And just how long did it take you to bring back Sasuke?"

He pouted.

"I thought so," Tsunade put a hand on her hip, "I have a message from the Frog Sages for you," she handed him the scroll, "You should look at it."

"Yeah, sure," he said, glancing at the bright green scroll.

"I also have a mission for you, but I'll need your teammates as well. 2:00 p.m. sharp, understand?"

"Yeah, yeah," distracted but knowing that was a dismissal, he hesitated.

She noticed his loitering, "Yes?"

"Well, I wanted to ask you something," he looked away.

"Hmmm?"

The wooden paneling on the wall wasn't very interesting, "Who is Uzumaki Kushina?" he asked.

Tsunade turned towards him, her face bland, "Where did you hear that name?"

"In some of Ero-sennin's stuff," he replied.

"I'm surprised you don't know your own mother's name."

What? His eyes widened and his mouth opened and suddenly he had a relative, "No one ever told me," he whispered.

"One of the few policies of the Third that I don't agree with obviously," she explained, "There wasn't any reason you couldn't be told."

Naruto frowned, "What happened to her?"

Sitting back in her chair, Tsunade crossed her legs, "I wasn't there, so all I have are mission reports. But during the Kyuubi attack seventeen years ago, she died."

"That's it?!"

"Well, what do you want to know?"

He threw his arms up in the air and started pacing, "I don't know! Something, anything! This is the first I've even ever heard of her!"

"She was a lot like you," Tsunade smiled while he stopped and stared, "All big talk and stubbornness. I remember her from years and years ago, when she was younger than you. She was from the Whirlpool country and they were allied with us at the time."

"How did she end up here?"

"There was coup in her home while she was on a mission, many of the ninja were killed and the country was occupied. Konoha offered asylum to the displaced ninja," she replied, "Plus, of course, there was your father. It wasn't like he could leave the village."

"Couldn't leave...?"

She raised an eyebrow at him, "Don't tell me you found her name but have absolutely no idea who your father was."

He sat down in an extra chair, stunned.

Tsunade sighed, "His face is three stories high and carved into a mountainside. I have his picture hanging in my office. You look like his clone."

"Really?" he smiled.

"Of course Minato was more handsome," she remarked snidely, watching him fume, "He had an air of dignity around him."

"What about me?"

"What about you?" she asked, "If it wasn't for your looks, I'd never be able to tell you are his son," she paused, "However, you too are similar in other ways. Even when he was young, Minato lived for the village. I can see why he was chosen to be the Fourth."

At that Naruto smiled softly, glad he could share that with the parent he never knew and the Hokage he always admired, "I know what happened to him, but why did my mother die too?"

"There was one medical report filed that night that could explain," she started, "Apparently only one ninja died of only internal wounds. Wounds that were caused by self inflicted chakra strain."

"And that means...?"

"If that was Kushina, it's possible she died birthing you."

He jerked back, "What?"

"Some shinobi, mainly medical ninja, can willfully use the chakra in their bodies to induce various physical affects. They could stop their heart, for instance, if subterfuge is required," she lectured, "But this technique is very advanced. If Kushina forced herself into labor, it would put incredible strain on her body. She was an incredible kunoichi, but she was no master of the medical arts."

"But why would she do that?" he pleaded, not really understanding.

"I don't know," Tsunade answered simply, "There could be any number of reasons."

"But you weren't there."

"No, I wasn't."

Naruto forced a half hearted smile to his face, "Thanks anyway, for telling me about them."

She nodded, "Remember to take a look at that scroll."

"Yeah, sure," he said dismissively and walked out of her office.

Disclaimer: Do I really have to?

A/N: Sorry for the long wait! I had to completely rewrite this one and I'm still not quite satisfied with it. A few notes:

Naruto has perfected Foot-in-Mouth no Jutsu.

Tsunade rocks!

Yeah, I got nothing.