A/N:
Only two exams left!! Both Psychology and both on Mondays. I got dragged to our school art exhibit because my parents wanted to see my exam work it was beyond embarassing. I had people from the year/grade below me oggling at my work while I was standing less than a foot away going on about how "amazing" and "awesome" it was. I hate itwhen people look at my work while I'm standing there... -sighs- Anyways, I thought a little naruto stupidity was in order after the last chapters seeming quite miserable XD As promised, the Sannin fight scene, which i wrote before a maths exam when i should have been revising. But that was a lot more fun!
Claimer: The blatantly original stuff is mine.
Disclaimer: Kishimoto-sempai is doing this to spite me. Stop with the evil manga twists damn you!! Naruto-chan belongs to him. Though I wish it belonged to me and i was rich because of it...
Katei no Midashi
Heading Home
The excitement of returning home, to where you belong,
The place that no matter how far you fly
Will always call you back.
-----x-----
"Zesshinen San!" Katsui cried spitting out yellow acid. Manda moved unbelievably quickly for a creature so large and shot around Katsui, wrapping around the large slug.
"Here's one!" Manda cried, lunging towards Tsunade with its mouth wide open. Gamabunta shot forward, its katana heading straight for Manda's head, the snake dodged and then bit down on the blade. Gamabunta struggled as Manda chuckled, the large toad unable to pry his blade from Manda's jaws.
"Katsui!" Tsunade cried as Manda's body constricted tighter around the slug.
"Tsunade-sama!" Tsunade nodded and jumped off as Katsui burst into many smaller slugs, breaking free of Manda's binds.
"K'so," Manda hissed as the smaller Katsui's all quickly grouped together to join together and become one large being again. Manda went to strike Gamabunta with his tail but the toad released the handle of his sword and back flipped out of the way.
"He's coming!" Jiraiya warned.
"I know!" Gamabunta snapped as Manda flung the katana towards Gamabunta who dodged to the side, the blade landing right in front of Katsui. Tsunade used it as leverage and jumped back onto Katsui.
"Tsunade stay back!" Jiraiya warned. "Bunta, oil!"
"Yosha!" Gamabunta cried, his stomach and cheeks bloating as Jiraiya made hand seals. Manda hissed and shot towards them bearing his huge fangs.
"Katon; Gamayu Endan!" Jiraiya cried his chest expanding before he blew out a jet of flame catching the large amount of oil spurting from Gamabunta, the fire engulfing Manda.
"How's that?" Gamabunta asked as he watched the fire.
"Did we get them?" Jiraiya asked. His eyes widened when the flames began to die down. "Iie, that's… It shed its skin!" The skin crumbled and fell apart, still burning. There was a rumble from beneath them. "Bunta, he's underground!" Jiraiya warned.
"Nani?!" Gamabunta cried as a sharp striped violet tail shot towards him from the soil. Gamabunta managed to catch it before it pierced him or Jiraiya, but Manda's jaws shot towards him from behind. Jiraiya gasped when he saw Tsunade above them holding Gamabunta's huge katana, as the toad leapt away the blade embedded itself into the top of Manda's nose, pinning his jaws to the ground.
"Stay down!" Tsunade shouted landing on the erect blades handle. Kabuto and Orochimaru landed on Manda's upper back unphased.
'As expected from Sannin, it's hard to take on both of them,' Orochimaru thought grimly. He spat out his tongue stretching it an incredible amount at high speed until it wrapped itself around Tsunade's neck.
"Tsunade!" Jiraiya cried in alarm.
"I'll kill you by breaking your neck!" Orochimaru shouted.
'My Chakra is… At this rate…!' Tsunade thought gripping the large slimy muscle.
'Even if you can't die in battle, if you lose your head you'll die right Tsunade?' Orochimaru thought to himself.
'How many minutes… How many seconds can I last?!' Tsunade thought as the tongue tightened, constricting her airways. She managed to fit her fist inside and loosen the tongue. "I'll just have to bet on it."
"Yosha! Let's settle this already!" Tsunade cried, free from his choke hold. Holding tight to his tongue she used it to pull him toward her until her fist struck his cheek spinning his head in the other direction making him plummet downwards. "Not yet!" She used his tongue to stop his fall and through him up into the air. She leapt into the air after him and punched him thrice in the face and then under his jaw, sending him higher, she then kicked him back down, landing on the katana handle and grabbing hold of his tongue again. She pulled him up and went to punch him but missed, feeling the strain on her muscles. She panted heavily, her chest heaving oxygen into her body.
"Could it be, she's reached her limit?" Shizune thought form behind a thick rock a safe distance away. She held Naruto and Kari against her while Kita lay on her head for a clear view of her fight.
'He's… Even when I hit him that hard he still…'' Tsunade thought looking down at Orochimaru hanging by his tongue, panting just as heavily as her. He smirked as she flinched with pain.
"In the end this is all you've got," Orochimaru said mockingly.
"Quit joking!" Tsunade snapped, yanking him up to her before slamming her fist into his gut. She dived after him as he fell punching him repeatedly in the face. 'Don't stop! Keep hitting him!' she thought desperately swinging her fists back and forth. She grew more determined as faces flashed before her eyes. 'Nawaki, Dan, Naruto, Kari… This is my battle! With my life on the line!' She slammed her fist so far into his cheek she swore she could feel it pierce straight through.
"OROCHIMARU-SAMA!!" Kabuto yelled. At his apprentice's cry, Orochimaru's eyes shot open and he dived down, falling faster.
"I won't let you get away!" Tsunade hollered. She shot after him as he landed and ran from her, retracting his abused tongue. "Stick with me till the end!" She jumped in front of him, he managed to dodge her first hit but was caught with her second punch. He jumped and flipped away from her avoiding her kicks but was caught with two more punches and a kick after that. He spat out his tongue as he fell back, wrapping it around Tsunade's torso, pinning her arms to her sides. He forced his katana blade out of his mouth and shot towards her, but she caught the blade between her feet and used it to throw him away from her, freeing herself from his tongue. She landed and started another onslaught of punches to his face.
'No matter how many times I hit him something seems different. What is… this strange anomaly?' Tsunade thought. She punched him under the chin and then with a spinning kick to the gut, sent him flying away from her. He finally skidded to a stop and she paused a moment to catch her breath. She straightened and began walking towards him, her hands fluidly making hand seals, finishing to leave a blue flame of Chakra around her right hand. She clenched her hand into a fist thinking of Naruto and Kari's unconscious faces.
"But this is… This is the end!" She cried stopping in front of him as he finally stood, unsteady on his feet. She pulled her fist back and then released it, her knuckles slamming underneath his chin and sending him flying into the hard surface of Gamabunta's katana handle. He landed on his head before falling to his side, laying still.
'He took a direct hit from her enormous strength?' Kabuto thought shocked as he stared at his motionless master. He quickly crawled towards him.
"Looks like this is the end," Jiraiya said from his position upon Gamabunta's head.
"Aa," Gamabunta agreed.
"Orochimaru-sama," Kabuto said, lifting Orochimaru's upper body.
"Losing untidily, I feel like eating you," Manda groaned. "But I can't swallow when there's a hole in my mouth. If we eat again, be prepared!" Manda threatened before disappearing in a poof of smoke. Tsunade fell to her knees breathing heavily. The smoke cleared to show Orochimaru standing weakly before Tsunade, Kabuto kneeling at his side.
"Tsunade, even if you don't heal me, I still have another method left," Orochimaru said through his laboured breathing. "A method to revive my arms that is." Orochimaru looked u to show the skin around his left eye had shedded, revealing a feminine eye. "I will definitely take down Konoha. I hope we can meet again when that happens, comrades. Tsunade, Jiraiya."
'That face…' Tsunade thought shocked.
'Somehow he was able to use another person's body,' Jiraiya thought. 'No wonder it didn't feel like the old him when we fought earlier.'
"I have eternal youth, I am invincible," Orochimaru said as he sank into the ground.
"Let's meet again sometime," Kabuto said, performing hand seals before disappearing in a poof of smoke.
"Matte!" Jiraiya cried but then groaned holding his side. "K'so I've broken my ribs and leg…" Tsunade struggled to get up, stumbling slightly in pain.
'The side effects of my jutsu are starting… my body is…' She looked up seeing her reflection in Gamabunta's blade, watching as the purple diamond reappeared in the centre of her forehead.
-----x-----
"Heh, Tsunade you sure suck at betting," Jiraiya said with a smirk looking at the necklace around Kari's neck. They had allowed their summons to return to their homes before heading over to Shizune, Naruto, Kari and Kita.
"Becoming Hokage is my dream!"
"I'll give you one week. If you can master the move within that time, I'll acknowledge that you can become Hokage and give you this necklace."
"Stop joking dattebayou! Me and Kari-chan can master this move in three days!"
"Hm, a man never takes back his words."
"It's about time, the side-effects are…" Tsunade said with strain.
"Tsunade-sama…"
"You…" Jiraiya said with shock as Tsunade became old before his eyes.
"Don't worry, I can get back into my young form when I rest a bit. Lets rest at the city, and when they wake up, head back to the village," Tsunade said.
"Hai!" Kita cried enthusiastically wagging her tail with delight.
"Tsunade…" Jiraiya said.
"From now on, don't call me Tsunade, rather…"
-----x-----
"GODAIME HOKAGE-SAMA?!" Naruto shrieked.
"Aaaaa, Naru not so loud…" Kari said rubbing her ears. They were in the same bar they had found Tsunade and Shizune. Tsunade was back to her young looking self and seemed amused at Naruto's reaction.
"So Tsunade no Obaachan is going to be Godaime Hokage starting today?" Naruto said.
"What's this? You seem discontent Naruto," Jiraiya asked.
"Because compared to Sandaime-Ojiichan… She has a violent nature, looks selfish, irresponsible with money, short-tempered, and a baka," Naruto said causing Tsunade's smile to turn into an irritated frown. "Makes me wonder if she can do the job right dattebayou."
"Naruto…" Kari sighed.
"A-anou, Tsunade-sama should we order something?" Shizune asked sensing her masters thinning patience.
"Also, the fact she's in her fifties and transforms into a younger form is… I wonder if it's alright for a Hokage to deceive everyone?" Naruto wondered.
"Let's go outside gaki!!" Tsunade shouted. Shizune squealed in alarm, Jiraiya sighed and Kari smiled in embarrassment.
'Geez, things are turning out like they did before…' Jiraiya thought.
-----x-----
They stepped outside and like before, Tsunade and Naruto stood opposite each other, everyone else to the side. Kari sighed and adjusted Kita in her lap, watching boredly.
"I may look like this, but I'm going to be the Godaime Hokage, so there's no need for me to go all out against this kid," Tsunade said simply. "This finger is all I need."
"Stop mocking me by calling me 'gaki' dattebayou," Naruto grumbled. "I may be like this now, but one day I'm going to be Hokage!" Tsunade smirked. They stood there regarding each other before Tonton's oink signalled them to begin.
"Here I come!" Naruto cried, clenching his fist as he charged. He went to punch her, but she ducked and with one finger forced his hitai-ate to fly off his head. Naruto managed to stop his fall, only to see Tsunade about to flick his forehead. He closed his eyes, waiting for the sharp pain, but was surprised when he felt her lips against his forehead instead.
"Become a fine man alright?" Tsunade said smiling, a blush lightly coating her cheeks. 'And also an admirable Hokage.'
"I'll make sure he does!" Kari said, throwing her arms around his neck. Naruto grinned and lifted her into a hug, spinning her round once before setting her down. He leant his forehead against hers.
"And Kari-chan will be a fine woman dattebayou!" Naruto said happily.
"Yosh! Let's head back to Konoha!" Jiraiya cried. Kari's face lit up; finally she could see Sasuke and Kashi better!
"EH?! I haven't eaten yet dattebayou!" Naruto cried in alarm. To his dismay, everyone just laughed at him. "Don't laugh it off, dattebayou!"
-----x-----
"Naru-kun! I can run on my own!" Kari said giggling as Naruto piggybacked her, running after the adults. They had left early while he had gotten some food and then he had picked her up and ran after them while she laughed with delight.
Tsunade looked back and smiled. 'Nawaki, Dan… A child that inherits your dreams my loves…' She glanced at Kari who held tightly to him, laughing as he carried her. 'And one that inherits mine…'
-----x-----
"Hot springs?" Jiraiya asked.
"Aa. There's a town with nice hot springs just off the main road," Tsunade said.
"The 'Atsui Mizu village' hot springs," Shizune read. "The hot spring heals fatigue and is good for your beauty."
"Maa, weren't we supposed to go straight back to the village?" Naruto reminded. "Everyone is waiting dattebayou and Kari-chan won't be completely healed until the others are!" He had let Kari down, but had instead had his arm linked with hers or held her hand and swung their arms the whole way, occasionally grinning at the necklace which would make her blush and smile also.
"Just like he said, the village is in a state of emergency," Jiraiya scolded. "We have no time to waste."
"If we're one or two days late it should make too much difference," Tsunade said simply. Jiraiya, Naruto, Kari and Kita shook their heads in disagreement. "The springs are well known to the ladies," Tsunade whispered in Jiraiya's ear. "On top of that they have mixed bathing."
"Eh? Ero-sennin?" Naruto asked as Jiraiya simply walked towards the village Tsunade mentioned.
"People need to relax sometimes, it'll be good for Kari-chan to rest too," Jiraiya said making up excuses, a perverted blush on his face. "How about we take a dip in the bath?"
"That's completely different to what you just said dattebayou!" Naruto cried.
"It's all good," Tsunade said happily. "Saa, let's go!" Kita and Tonton sighed and followed after everyone else as they headed for the springs.
-----x-----
"Five customers, a pig and a dog have entered!"
"Wolf," Kari sighed under her breath.
"Irrashaimase!"
"Kari-chan, me and you will go to the springs first and then after you're out and dressed I'll let Ero-sennin in," Naruto announced.
"Aa, I don't really…" Kari said awkwardly her cheeks darkening. As much as she loved Naruto, and was most comfortable in front of him than anyone else, she really did not want to let him see her naked. She was incredibly shy about her body.
"I won't let anyone see, there's no one else in there, promise!" Naruto said pleadingly.
'Stubborn little… Uh… Don't ever say I don't love you Naru…'
"Oi, Ero-sennin, Tsunade no Obaachan we'll see you later!" Naruto cried.
"The minute a lady walks in those doors I am going in whether they like it or not!" Jiraiya promised.
-----x-----
"Yatta!" Naruto grinned as he raced towards the springs and cannon-balled straight in. Kari giggled but didn't loosen the towel from around her body. "Come on in Kari-chan, the water's great!"
'Why the hell do I not have her swimwear?!' Kari thought remembering how she'd had to wash it after the water training with Kakashi and Sasuke and had forgotten to put it back in her bag.
"Eh… I'm ok here," Kari said her face darkening.
"Ne, doushita dattebayou?" Naruto asked, swimming to the side and tilting his head worriedly.
"Anou…" Kari began. She could see he was concerned so just blurted it out. "I-I'm really shy…"
"What about?" Naruto asked confused. Kari coughed and pointed to the towel.
"The towel?" Naruto asked.
"My body…" Kari said grinning awkwardly. "I don't like people seeing my body…"
"Don't be silly, I'm your best friend!" Naruto said with a chuckle. "Besides you shouldn't worry, you're really pretty dattebayou!"
"I'm still really shy," Kari said smiling and playing with the end of her towel.
"Don't be!" Naruto said grinning and climbing out the spring. Kari's face immediately took a ruby tone and her eyes snapped to his face. "I've never had a bath with a girl before so it's weird for me too, you're the only girl I'm comfortable doing this with because you're my best friend dattebayou!" And with that he embraced her tightly, wearing absolutely nothing. She squeaked feeling some drops of hot water slide from his body onto hers. His warmth seemed to sink into her, his body having absorbed heat from the water.
"A-anou…" Kari said and he looked at her with that trademark smile. "Promise you'll turn around when I get in and will only look at my face?"
"You got it dattebayou!" Naruto said with a grin. He then blushed shyly. "Just one question though…"
"Hm?"
"Am I bigger than Sasuke?"
"Eh?"
"Down there, am I bigger than Sasuke?" Naruto asked motioning to his genitals. All the blood in Kari's body seemed to rush to her face.
"I n-never have seen, nor do I ever w-want to see S-Sasuke's eh… eh… eh… th-thingy!" Kari cried in horror.
"I'll just take that as a yes dattebayou," Naruto said with a grin. Kari sighed and nodded, anything to get them off that topic. As promised, Naruto turned around and allowed her to leave the towel at the side and climb in. She sighed in delight as the warm water embraced her. "So you've never bathed with Sasuke?" Naruto asked turning around. She instinctively folded her arms over her chest and crossed her legs, but other than that remained at ease.
"Nope, I sat in a spring with him once but I had swimwear on," Kari explained, desperately wishing she had it on now. "I've never been to a public bath, not even to bathe with other girls," she shuddered slightly, the thought very uncomfortable to her. Naruto flung an arm around her shoulders, not at all bothered by their state of undress.
"Everything's gonna be ok now, Tsunade no Obaachan will heal Sasuke and Kakashi-sensei, then you'll feel better dattebayou," Naruto promised. Kari smiled and leant her head against his warm shoulder.
"Hai," she said, feeling better at his words. They'd be home soon and everything would get better. "Ne Naru, you're hair's going flat," she said fingering his golden locks. They were losing their natural spikes due to the water.
"It'll go back to normal later," Naruto said with a grin. She was glad; his spiky hair seemed to fit his personality and made him look young and cute. Impatient with sitting still, he left her and began swimming about. She would giggle when she was splashed and noticed that after spending a fair amount of time underwater his hair was almost completely flat. He looked so odd. "Kari-chan come swim!"
"Eh?" Kari asked blushing. She was a lot more at ease, but didn't want to swim around with him while she was naked. Naruto seemed to notice her dilemma and swam over.
"I'll get you out of your shell dattebayou!" Naruto said confidently. Kari blushed knowing that couldn't be good. Her suspicions were confirmed when he grabbed her hand and pulled her to the middle of the spring. As soon as he let go, she went to swim back to the safety of the side but was stopped when he wrapped his arms around her middle making her blush.
"Naru we're--!"
"Best friends, and best friends aren't shy around each other dattebayou!" Naruto said stubbornly, refusing to let her free. Kari sighed and stopped her struggles, allowing Naruto to hold her, a stubborn blush coating her face. "I got it!" Naruto said suddenly, letting her go. "You're still shy about seeing me naked, so if you're used to me you'll feel more relaxed dattebayou!"
"Eh? N-n-nani?!" Kari squeaked her hands quickly covering her eyes as Naruto climbed on the surface of the hot water.
"Kari-chan! You need to look for my plan to work!" Naruto protested strolling over and tugging her hands away from her face, only to find her eyes tightly closed. "Kari-chaaaaaan!!" She opened her eyes and almost had a heart attack seeing Naruto's face a mere inch from hers. "Good! Now keep your eyes open so you can get used to me dattebayou!"
"Naruto-kun," Kari whined craning her neck to look at his face. But for her eyes to reach his face they had to go up the rest of his body as she had been looking down. Though young, his tanned body was nicely toned and… Kari forced her mind blank.
"This is a sign of utmost trust Kari-chan!" Naruto explained. She looked at him in horror, he didn't expect her to get out the water and let him see her did he? She might not be too bothered if saw her in her underwear, and that's a hell of a lot of trust. But he's showing he trusts her, and, and she really trusts him more than anyone but…! She sighed wrapping her tail around her hips and pulling her hair over her shoulders to cover her chest. She then rose out of the water her face resembling a ripe tomato. She had covered her private areas, but still this was a huge show of trust.
"There."
"See that wasn't hard was it Kari-chan!" Naruto cried in delight, pulling her into a tight hug. She sighed and placed her hands on his back. "But no trying to get comfortable around anyone else, dattebayou!" Naruto cried. She giggled and nodded. "And your tail really tickles by the way."
She chose to ignore that comment.
-----x-----
"Alright, you can go in," Kari said coming out in a comfy borrowed kimono from the hotel once she was dry. She had spent half an hour or so with Naruto and realising how awkward it was for her he allowed her to go, though was touched that she would let down her barriers and trust him so.
Jiraiya wasted no time hurrying inside.
-----x-----
"This is meant to be a mixed bath," Jiraiya sighed as water cascaded over him as Naruto jumped in. "But instead I'm with him. Even Kari-chan isn't here… How unlucky." He sighed sinking deeper into the middle of the spring as Naruto swam around him in a circle.
-----x-----
"Now then, let's head to the Pachinko parlour!" Tsunade said to Shizune, Kari, Kita and Tonton. "There's still plenty of time before dinner."
"Aren't you going to bathe in the hot spring?" Shizune asked.
"If we go now, the idiot is there, now let's go!" Tsunade said happily running off.
-----x-----
"I'm going to get out," Naruto called having gone to the door and dried, putting his green boxers on.
"Not yet for me, not until a lady comes in," Jiraiya said stubbornly.
"Oh really…" Naruto sighed, shutting the door.
"Lots of ladies come to me, lots of ladies!" Jiraiya sang to himself. The door opened and Jiraiya immediately squealed with delight. "Irrashaimase!!"
-----x-----
"Ah that was refreshing, I wonder where Kari-chan went…" Naruto said to himself.
"Naruto-kun!"
"Oi, Kita-chan!" Naruto greeted as the wolf ran up to him. She gave him a puzzled look due to his flat hair and the fact he was in a white male yukata, the front left slightly open to show his chest, the sleeves rolled up to his shoulders. In fact, if it wasn't for the smell and familiar aura she never would have guessed it was him. He grasped the handle opening the door to his room.
"Huh?" He said surprised, realising his room was trashed. "AAH? A thief!!" He rummaged through his pack. "The necklace Tsunade no Obaachan gave us is gone!!" he cried in alarm remembering Kari giving it to him before the bath to look after. He glanced around seeing they had gone through some of her stuff as well. He looked around desperately and spotted a note on the wall. "If you want the necklace back, give our money back! We will wait for you behind the three cedars. The Akagi family." Naruto read. "Money? What's that all about dattebayou?"
-----x-----
"A lady did come in, demo…" Jiraiya said sadly, a monkey on the top of his head. In fact, there were monkeys all around him in the spring with him. "They're all female monkeys!! I want to bathe with a lady human…"
-----x-----
"Oi, I've come! Come out Akagi family!" Naruto cried.
"Hm?"
"What do you want, gaki?"
Two heads popped out from behind the tree with puzzled expressions.
"That's my line! I didn't borrow money from you guys and neither did Kari-chan dattebayou!" Naruto cried marching towards them angrily with Kita in tow. "So give me back our necklace!"
"Your necklace?"
"Have we mistaken it with that woman's?"
"That's it! Give it back!" Naruto cried charging forward.
"Matte!" the shorter one cried in protest, but Naruto ignored him.
"Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" Naruto cried creating ten clones while Kita sat and watched. He and the clones immediately jumped and shot towards them with various shouts of 'Eat this!' proceeding to beat the shit out of them.
-----x-----
"A human did come in…" Jiraiya said, his face flushed from the heat of the spring. "Demo… They're all sumo men!"
"Dosukoi! Konnichiwa!" They all cried.
"I want to bathe with a lady…"
-----x-----
"Huh? It was Tsunade no Obaachan that borrowed the money?" Naruto asked, placing the necklace around his neck.
"Hai," the larger man said, rubbing his sore jaw. It had taken a while for them to persuade Naruto to back off so they could explain. "She is known as the legendary sucker. She was playing at the Akagi family's gambling den when she lost all her money. We let her borrow the money she lost."
"Here's the IOU," the other man said who had a nasty black eye. He handed a piece of paper to Naruto, Kita jumping on his shoulder so she could see.
"EHH?! That's a lot of zero's!!" Naruto shrieked.
"I'm Senta," the larger one explained, "And he's Bunzou." The shorter one bowed his head. "Three years ago, we were ordered by our boss to get the money back from her. We left Akagi Mountain risking never being able to return unless we got the money back from her. We left Akagi Mountain, risking never being able to return unless we got the money back. We heard rumours about that woman. As expected, she moves around a lot. It was hard to find her. But recently, we received information that she was spotted somewhere nearby. We were waiting a short distance from the main road…"
"And then you saw Tsunade no Obaachan travelling with us, Naruto finished for him while Kita nodded. "But why were you sneaking around dattebayou?"
"There's a rumour that she cannot be beaten easily in a fight," Senta explained. "And if we were to reason with her we know that she wouldn't pay us back."
"True, she's cheap," Naruto agreed.
"We thought she would pay us back if we ransomed her second most important possession next to her life, her necklace," Bunzou continues.
"That's impossible. Besides the room you broke into was mine and Kari-chan's," Naruto said stubbornly while Kita huffed, nudging him with her paw. It was her room too!
"I didn't imagine that the owner of the necklace could have changed," Bunzou said sheepishly. "Anou… Could you somehow ask her to pay us back?"
"Ha?! I don't think I can even if I'm asked to, I doubt she'd listen to Kari-chan either…" Naruto explained.
"Please! If we don't get the money back we can't go home!" Bunzou begged.
"My wife and child are waiting for me!" Senta cried, grabbing Naruto's hands pleadingly.
"ONEGAI!!" both squealed making Naruto and Kita feel awkward.
-----x-----
"Arghh!" Tsunade growled when the ball disappeared, the game lost.
"You lost it all…" Shizune sighed. Kari smiled, holding in a giggle. Poor Tsunade really was terrible at gambling. She let her mind wander to Kita and paid more attention to Naruto's actions. Bless the little baka.
"I'm not lucky at all today… Damn I'm out!" Tsunade complained, realising her wallet was empty.
"Then how about we stop here and go to the hot springs now?" Shizune asked perkily.
"Shizune!"
"Hai?" Shizune asked.
"I left a bag with the innkeeper right?"
"NANI?! You're not actually going to make me go get that, are you?" Shizune asked terrified. She forced a shaky smile. "Our entire savings are in there."
"I don't get satisfaction from losing all the time!" Tsunade said with a scary expression on her face. "Stop making excuses and bring it here, now!"
"Haiiiii!!" Shizune cried and rushed out, not wanting to be on the receiving end of Tsunade's temper.
"Ara?" Kari said bending down, she picked up a coin. With a shrug she turned and popped it into the machine.
"Mm?" Tsunade said surprised. "Aa!" she cried as coins pooled into the tray.
"I'm lucky ne?" Kari said with a sheepish grin. Being the good kid that she was, she allowed Tsunade to have her winnings, the delighted woman promising her random things such as apprenticeships, extra credits and a raise but she quickly became irritated when she immediately lost. She grabbed another coin and shoved it into the waiting machine. It didn't take log for all the coins to disappear.
"Geez," Tsunade sighed in annoyance.
"Oh?" A man asked grabbing their attention. "You're…"
"AA! You're…?!" Tsunade cried shocked.
-----x-----
"A lady did come in… demo…" Jiraiya said his face very flushed now. He was surrounded by old ladies who seemed to think he was quite a catch. "I want to bathe with a babe…"
-----x-----
"I believe this is it," the woman said, handing over the bag.
"Doumo," Shizune thanked, taking the bag from her.
"Are you with Tsunade-sama?" a man asked, coming form upstairs.
"Hai," Shizune replied.
"I received this earlier," he said handing her a folded piece of paper with 'To Lady Tsunade' on the front.
"A letter? From who?" Shizune asked unfolding it, her eyes quickly scanned the letter and her jaw dropped her eye twitching with horror. "EEE?!?!"
-----x-----
"Tsunade-sama! Tsunade-sama! Tsunade-sama! Tsunade-samaaaa!!" Shizune cried running back to the Pachinko bar. To her horror though, neither Tsunade nor Kari were anywhere in sight. "Are? Tsunade-sama? She's not here…"
"Oiiiink," Tonton sighed.
"Listen Tonton! You have to find Tsunade-sama!" Shizune cried. "Got it?" Tonton oinked in understanding and sniffed the air. The pig then shook its head.
"You can't? Nande? Matte…" Shizune sniffed the air. "Sou ka! The smell of sulphur from the hot springs is making it difficult for you. We have no choice but to run around looking for her. Tsunade-sama!!"
After racing around town Tsunade and Tonton both collapsed on a bench in exhaustion. With a sigh Shizune opened the latter and reread it.
'We have kidnapped Uzumaki Naruto. If you want him back safely pay back all of the debt! We will wait for you at the three cedars behind the mountain. – The Akagi family. '
"What should I do? I have to save Naruto-kun. Besides if someone finds out that Tsunade-sama is in huge debt, she may not be able to become the Godaime Hokage," Shizune stressed. Tonton oinked. "You're right. We must somehow take care of this ourselves, ne Tonton?"
"Oink!"
-----x-----
"Do you think everything will be ok?" Bunzou asked, he and Senta standing either side of Naruto who was tied to a tree.
"Don't worry dattebayou, unless Kari-chan comes by and thinks you've hurt me, we'll be fine!"
"Here she comes!" Senta warned.
"Tsunade no Obaachan!" Naruto cried as she came into view. What he didn't know, was that it was Shizune in a henge.
"Hold it!" Senta cried, grasping the handle of his katana.
"Do you know who we are?" Bunzou cried.
"You are Akagi's subordinates right?" Shizune asked.
"Then that will make things go faster. Pay us back all of your debt!"
"Or else he will lose his life!" Senta pulled out his katana and held it up to Naruto. Naruto struggled, playing the part of a damsel in distress.
"Save me dattebayou!!" he cried, begging with his eyes.
"I don't really care about his life though," Shizune said uninterested rubbing the back of her head.
"Nan da to?!" Naruto cried offended.
"Then the money…?" Senta asked. Shizune just smirked.
-----x-----
"Why does this have to happen?" Jiraiya asked, his eyebrow twitching. His face was a deep red now. "This is bichibichi not pichipichi!" Jiraiya shrieked, referring to how he wanted a babe, but instead the spring was jam-packed with monkeys, sumo's and old ladies. "K'so I must be patient…" But his patience was quickly thinning when a fat ass, grey hair, and a monkeys hand were shoved in his face.
-----x-----
"Did you not hear me? His life means nothing to me."
"You, k'so Obaabaa!" Naruto shrieked angrily.
"That is something I might've said before… If I become Hokage he will become one of my cute subordinates, and I'm sure my niece wouldn't be happy if he was killed. I can't just let him die," Shizune said simply.
"Tsunade no Obaachan!" Naruto cried, touched that she wouldn't let him die.
"This is all I've got right now, take it," Tsunade said, throwing her wallet on the ground in front of them.
"I'll check it out," Bunzou said picking it up. He looked surprised and the handful of notes he pulled out.
"I can't pay all of it back, but it should cover the interest," Shizune said simply. Bunzou huffed and threw it into the air. With a quick slice of his katana he cut it in half, watching as the wallet poofed into smoke and leaves.
"It's fake?!" Naruto cried. Shizune acted quickly, spitting out two needles, hitting both the men in the arm. She shot forward, pushing Senta and Bunzou out of the way and started untying Naruto. "Aren't you going to pay them back?" Naruto asked.
"This is none of your business," Tsunade whispered.
"But they can't go back to their home country. Don't you think that's cruel?" Naruto cried, trying to reason with her.
"Did you…?" Shizune gasped.
"Then I will have you give it back by force!" Naruto cried as he, Bunzou and Senta poofed into smoke.
"Naruto no Kage Bunshin?" Shizune wondered. 'Sou ka, Naruto-kun has joined with the Akagi family. Where are they?' She sighed and walked off.
"Yappari. I knew she wouldn't pay us back so easily but I didn't think she would be that sneaky," Naruto said as Kita sighed.
"What should we do?" Senta asked.
"Tsunade no Obaachan has a huge bag. There must be money in there," Naruto explained. "We must somehow get that bag dattebayou."
-----x-----
"Kuso! I'm captured and she's relaxing by drinking sake!" Naruto cried as they spied on her in her room.
"It's that bag right? How are we going to get it?" Bunzou asked, looking at the red suitcase against the wall behind her.
"Leave it to me dattebayou!"
-----x-----
"Tsunade-sama you're back already!" Naruto cried, having used a Henge to make him look like Shizune. "Ah! So the bag was here! It's dangerous to leave it here, so I'm going to have the innkeeper hold on to it!" he quickly grabbed the bag. "Well then…" Not sure what to say, he quickly shut the door and ran out of the hotel, and up to Kita, Senta and Bunzou dropping the Henge. "Here, I got it dattebayou!" Naruto cried holding up the bag happily.
"Yatta!!" the two men cried, but there joy was short lived when the suitcase was hooked and pulled out of their hands. They looked up to see Tsunade, with a fishing rod, the bag safely back with her.
"Tsunade no Obaachan!" Naruto shrieked. "K'so… A Hokage… A Hokage should act like one and pay back their debt! A Hokage is supposed to protect everyone, right? These guys can't go back to their home country, so they're in trouble. Do something for them!"
"Naruto-san…" both men said.
"Or what? People in other countries don't matter? I won't approve of such a Hokage! And I know Kari-chan won't either! Now!" he quickly flung a kunai, cutting through the string and setting the bag free. He rushed down and caught it, before throwing it to Bunzou. "Hurry! Nigero!"
"Hai!" They both cried and ran for their lives, Naruto and Kita following, with Tsunade not too far behind. "She's already caught up!"
"Here goes nothing!" Naruto cried skidding to a stop. He quickly punched her in the gut, gasping when she poofed into smoke and Tonton flew out with a surprised oink.
"Tonton?!" Naruto and Kita cried.
"Naruto!" he turned to see another Tsunade, this time it was Shizune in disguise, running at him. "Give that bag back or else!"
"Give me the bag!!" Naruto cried and Bunzou quickly handed it over, all of them running away with Kita at their heels. "If we take a clean hit from Tsunade no Obaachan we're finished!"
"Move! Move!" They shrieked as they raced through the streets. "Excuse us!"
"Oi! Don't trouble the people!" Shizune cried from behind them.
"This is all because you're chasing us dattebayou!" Naruto shrieked, picking up speed as Kita did also, glad her training was coming in useful. "Mou! Kage Bunshin no jutsu!!" a crowd of Naruto's appeared all splitting up in different directions.
"K'so, Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" Shizune cried, the heard of Tsunade clones running straight over Senta and Bunzou.
"What in the world…?"
"Naruto-kun, we're counting on you…"
'This is bad. If he find's out what's in that bag it will be very bad,' Shizune thought worriedly.
-----x-----
"Oh yes, that did happen!" Tsunade laughed as another drink was poured for her.
"I was young back then," the man chuckled. "Now, now drink up!" Kari smiled, liking the man that they had run into. He had a great sense of humour and was very friendly to her. Clearly he and Tsunade were old friends, but she was still careful of her manners. "He even allowed her some of the sake, though in a very small portion. He chuckled and had remarked on how she was like a little Tsunade. Kari looked up when the door opened.
"Sumimasen boss."
"What's the problem? I have guests."
"Well…"
-----x-----
'Bunshin!' Shizune thought when the Naruto she had punched turned to smoke. Every single one she ran into seemed to be a Bunshin! "Aah! Which one is the real one?! The last… where is the last one?!" All the clones jumped onto the roof and quickly scanned the area. After frantic searching, she spotted him. "There!"
"Eh??!" Naruto screamed, seeing a herd of Tsunade's chasing after him and Kita.
"Naruto-san!" Bunzou and Senta cried. They looked shocked to see him being chased by a load of angry Tsunade's. "Naruto-san!!" they cried, rushing after them.
"Prepare yourself!" Shizune cried before jumping and kicking him in the back.
"K'so! Let me go!" Naruto cried squirming in her grasp.
"Stay still!" in his struggled, Naruto let go of the bag. It snapped open when it hit the ground and the wallet fell out. Senta quickly picked it up.
"Y-yatta!"
"Money!"
"Yosh we got it!" Naruto cried. Senta quickly opened it and pulled out it's contents.
"IOU's?" he said horrified.
"It's not money?"
"No way…" They both whined, falling to their knees in despair. "This is horrible…"
"What are you doing? We are inside the town."
"Okaasan! Tsunade-sama!" Kita cried happily.
"Eh?" Naruto said confused, looking from one Tsunade to the other. "There are two of you?!"
"What's the meaning of this, even you're involved…" Tsunade said, looking to the other Tsunade. "Explain this Shizune."
"Good day Tsunade-sama," Shizune said laughing awkwardly as she returned to her normal form.
"Onee-chan?!" Naruto cried shocked.
"You're the subordinates from the Akagi family right?" the man with Tsunade asked.
"Jurochou-sama!"
"Dare?" Naruto asked.
"Don't you know?" Senta cried in disbelief.
"He's the head boss of Kaidou!" Bunzou cried. "He's Chakoku Jurochou!"
"He's an old acquaintance, I met him in town by coincidence," Tsunade explained.
"Kari-chan, you're on a horse?" Naruto said surprised. Kari grinned, Jurochou had seen how she had looked at the horse he had travelled here on and had kindly allowed her to ride it. She had been delighted.
"Hai," Kari said simply. She dismounted, landing lightly beside the brown mare. Holding the reins securely, she stroked her soft nose. The horse lowered her head to Kita's level the wolf awestruck by the large, strange looking animal. The horse sniffed her, making Kita giggle.
"You're Bunzou and Senta right?" Jurochou asked. "Good timing, I need to speak to the both of you."
-----x-----
"EHHH?!?"
"My debt for the Akagi right? I paid it back a year ago," Tsunade said simply. They had returned to where Jurochou had been staying so he could explain.
"Did you?" Shizune asked.
"I paid it back when I was near Akagi last year," Tsunade explained. "Did you forget?"
"S-sumimasen!" Shizune apologised. Jurochou's servant handed him the letter.
"This is a clan notice that I got from the Akagi. I'll just read the part that is for you guys. 'To Senta and Bunzou, the debt has been paid off so return home. Akagi Shuuhoro.'" Jurochou read.
"See?" Tsunade huffed.
"What the heck? I regret getting all worked up over this dattebayou…" Naruto said confused.
"At least your heart was in the right place Naru," Kari said with a smile.
"Aa! Kari-chan here!" Naruto cried getting up and walking over to her. He took the necklace from around his neck and put it over her head, pulling her hair out the back.
"Arigatou," Kari said happily, making Naruto blush and grin.
-----x-----
"Thank you very much, now we can go back home in peace," Bunzou and Senta said, bowing to Naruto. They had changed and head to the gates, Jurochou and his servants as well as Bunzou and Senta coming to say goodbye. Jurochou placed a hand on Kari's head.
"You've found a good kid Tsunade," he said smiling down at the young girl. Tsunade grinned and picked up Tonton.
"Well, good luck guys," Naruto said as Kari returned to his side.
"You too, Naruto-san! Please be careful," they replied.
"By the way, why were you so serious about getting the bag back when there's no money in it?" Naruto asked as they began walking back towards Konoha.
"That's because the bag is full of IOU's and if the villagers found out about that they may reconsider appointing Tsunade-sama as Hokage," Shizune explained.
"You worry too much, Hokage and debt have no relation," Tsunade said simply.
"Besides you said the debt was paid back. There's nothing to worry about!" Naruto said happily.
"Only the Akagi family's…"
"Don't worry! Don't worry!" Tsunade said positively. Tonton oinked worriedly. "Hm? We forgot something?"
-----x-----
"No way, seriously?" the girls laughed amongst themselves as they opened the door, only to find a lobster red Jiraiya floating in the water.
"Finally they came… a bath with babes…" Jiraiya said as they screamed and ran away. "Eheh… Patience is key…" with that he sank, only to squeal and scramble out from the heat.
"Hm… I wonder where the others got to."