The bar's calm was a storm waiting to happen, anger and sorrow hidden just below the surface. The arguments of those around the table continued, ignoring the argument proceeding before them. A cold wind blew through the door.

The group stared at Tsunade in shock. Complete silence met the words.

Jiraiya sighed, as though he had expected something similar to what Tsunade had said.

Naruto blazed to life, indignance and rage coloring his next words. "What the hell do you mean? You're refusing to become Hokage?"

"No means no, you stupid kid." Tsunade's eyes narrowed. She reached forward, taking a drink from the container of ale.

Jiraiya grinned slowly. He took another bite of the meat stick. "It has been decided that you are the best qualified for that position. You have no choice in the matter."

"If I'm not wrong, the position was offered to you first and you declined. Better than anyone else, you should realize that the same is true of me."

Jiraiya's face colored. Coughing, he turned to one side. "I don't know where you got that idea," he declared, his expression darker.

"Jiraiya-san—this kid is worse than your previous apprentice in almost everything, isn't he?" Tsunade asked, resting her chin against her hand.

"Don't change the subject. Besides, it's difficult to compare anyone to the Fourth Hokage. In terms of both talent and potential, that guy didn't get off to a good start, but he managed to surpass an old fogey like me." Jiraiya's eyes narrowed.

Naruto froze. The Fourth? Ero-sennin taught such a famous figure?

"We're done here." Sasuke rose to her feet. "There's no reason to waste time on such a worthless person." She stuffed her hands into her pockets.

Kōju bit her lip, shrinking down into her chair.

Jiraiya chuckled. "Don't get so overwrought. The only person currently qualified for the position of Hokage sits in front of you. She brought us victory in a battle that could not have been won without her assistance. She has mastered various techniques that no one except perhaps that Uchiha has been able to learn. And also, she is the granddaughter of the First Hokage—so she best fits the job."

"That's a lie, isn't it?" Sasuke questioned coldly.

Jiraiya's eyes widened.

Tsunade frowned. "What do you mean, kid?"

"Anyone who's worthless enough to lie about her meeting and deny the position's worth isn't worthy of becoming Hokage. In point of fact, there's no point to it; someone like that would become the worst Hokage in history. Naruto-kun here has a better chance of becoming Hokage than you do." Sasuke glared at Tsunade. "You said more to him than a few words… Orochimaru, that is."

"What reason d'you have for saying that? Furthermore…" Tsunade's eyes narrowed. "The Hokage's seat is worthless. Hokage lose their lives senselessly! It's all meaningless! Taking that job is equivalent to suicide!"

Naruto launched himself across the table.

Kōju's eyes widened. She held up her arm. "Sasuke-chan, please stop him."

Sasuke drew back her arm. "Chidori!" Lightning danced along the hand.

Kōju swallowed tightly. "Oh, dear." She quickly ducked under the table.

Naruto's hand lifted. Winds whirled around the surface of the palm, forming a half-made Whirlwind Bullet.

The people at the tables ran out of the restaurant, gasping in terror.

Tsunade's eyes narrowed further. "Jiraiya-san… I'm going to have to ask you to pay for the damages." She leaned forward.

Shizune swallowed tightly. Her face grew concerned.

Jiraiya sighed. "Didn't you win today? I see a few chips left." He reached into his pocket, retrieving his wallet.

"I don't think my winnings would pay for all this." Tsunade lifted her arm. Her finger snapped outward.

A boom echoed through the restaurant, emanating rapidly from the finger. The glass exploded. Beer gushed onto the table.

Naruto flew backward through the air, gasping.

The explosion faded slowly.

Sasuke gritted her teeth, her expression serious. Damn.

The table cracked in half.

"That technique, that Whirlwind Bullet. It's not strong enough to damage me. Weaklings should know better than to try to ascend toward the heavens." Tsunade turned her gaze to Sasuke.

Sasuke nursed her arm. Blood trickled downward from the surface of the partially damaged hand.

"As to you, that technique's useless at close range."

"I'll show you." Sasuke's eyes narrowed. Her fist clenched.

"Um." Kōju raised her hand. "Can you two stop fighting the person we came here to see?"

"'I'll show you?' That's my line! Don't get in my way, Sasuke!" Naruto shouted, his eyes angry.

"I'm getting angry because this is your dream!" Sasuke clenched her fist.

Tsunade's eyes widened.

Naruto blinked in shock.

"You become Hokage?" Tsunade's eyebrows furrowing.

"Naruto, someone who spits on your dreams." Sasuke's eyes blazed with rage. "I can NEVER forgive them. Isn't that what it means to be friends?"

"AHAHAHAHAHA!" Tsunade chortled, rolling on the ground. She threw back the glass of sake. "Heh." Her hands fell downward.

Sasuke growled.

"Three days."

Tsunade's eyes widened.

Jiraiya turned, his eyebrows furrowing.

The guests scrambled out of the bar.

Blood poured downward from Naruto's hand. Naruto straightened, his expression growing solemn. "If I learn the technique in three days, you'll admit that I'd make a better Hokage than you would!"

Tsunade scowled. "Three days?"

Naruto swallowed tightly. Well, now I've gone and said it. Here's hoping everything goes all right.

"Let's try a week. If you can do it in a week, I'll take it that you are capable of becoming Hokage. I'll also give you this." Tsunade reached into her breasts. She drew out an enameled box, two twining trees shining on the jade surface.

Naruto blinked.

Shizune gasped. "Tsunade-sama—"

"In addition, if you lose, that money's mine." Tsunade pointed at the pouch.

Naruto gasped. Ugh! He cradled the pouch closer to his chest.

Shizune sighed. "That kind of bet! Tsunade-sama, you shouldn't take that risk. It really matters to you, what you have in there. It's not like the other bets you've made."

"There's no way he can win." Tsunade waved away the concern.

"Tsunade-san, I might want to have a word with you," Jiraiya addressed Tsunade swiftly. He extended a hand. "We haven't drunk together in a while…"

Tsunade turned around, saying nothing for a moment. Finally, she nodded.

Sasuke scowled. Her hand fell to her side.

"Sasuke-chan." Jiraiya scribbled a note quickly across a page. He placed the check on the counter.

The attendant smiled nervously, a drop of sweat running down their forehead. Damn shinobi.

"Take my checkbook. Find a reasonable hotel for everyone to stay at." Jiraiya tossed the book to Sasuke.

The trio hurried out the door, walking toward the hotel district.

Sand

Inside the brewery, the room was not crowded. The attendant brewed in silence, setting various drinks on the bar. A single person sat in the corner of the room, drinking steadily.

The two Legendary Sennin sat at the table in silence.

"I'm not ordinarily one to comment on such things. But…" Jiraiya hesitated, and then went on, "You've grown even more beautiful."

Tsunade smiled at Jiraiya's foolishness.

The attendant arrived with the pair's drinks. A murky glass sat before Jiraiya, accompanied by a light pink drink in front of Tsunade.

"You haven't changed, either, the same way I have not. I won't date you," Tsunade told Jiraiya, taking a drink of the wine.

"At this point, I'm not interested." Jiraiya stared into his cup, his eyes narrowing.

"…" Tsunade stared out of the darkening window.

Jiraiya did not continue for several moments. "He's not going to win that bet." Jiraiya took a long drink. "What happened to make you so willing to gamble everything? Is there nothing worth it to you?"

Tsunade shook her head. "I'm not reckless," she refuted with a strong will. Her finger ran along the rim of the cup.

"You're meeting up with Orochimaru. In my mind that counts as foolish." Jiraiya's black eyes narrowed.

Tsunade's eyes widened. That he learned that surprises me.

"I learned from Shizune's expression and Sasuke's correct observations. It was really quite obvious from there." Jiraiya looked at Tsunade firmly. "I don't know what he offered you but I cannot allow sure things, like the destruction of the Leaf, to occur. The Hokage gave their lives to the ideal of the village; they bet their lives on that ideal."

Tsunade became more serious. Her eyes grew more stern and darker.

"If you betray Konoha," Jiraiya continued, "I will kill you." His eyes met Tsunade's, coldness and anger pouring out of them.

Tsunade looked back at Jiraiya, meeting his eyes squarely. "It has nothing to do with me." She defiantly drank from the cup.

"Only a madman would feel nothing about the deaths of those close to them." Jiraiya leaned closer to Tsunade, his tone probing. "You aren't like that, right?"

Tsunade said nothing. Her hand tightened around the cup.

"Because I remember once—that time—"

"Stop lecturing me already!" Tsunade demanded, slamming her fist on the counter.

The counter snapped in half.

Jiraiya wordlessly reached into his robe and pulled off a check. He wrote a number on it in four digits.

Tsunade hesitated, her eye dropping a single tear. "Why did you bring that kid along?" she finally questioned merely.

"They're alike, aren't they?" Jiraiya asked. He failed to answer the question.

Tsunade nodded gradually. She remembered the pair of students who had changed her world.

"Because… it's my dream to be Hokage…" a young man says.

"Stop being stupid. Do you want to die in the war zones?" Tsunade asks in a remonstrative voice.

"How can you tell me to run away?" the boy demands—not a young man, as Tsunade remembers him.

The same beliefs… Tsunade frowned with sadness. She took another drink.

"Well, I suppose it doesn't matter to you, but the world we live in is changing. The shinobi world isn't as well as we would like to believe." Jiraiya stared into his drink.

The pair remained silent for several moments longer.

"The world has shifted."

Sand

The hotel room contained enough room for an adjoining room with an extra bed and carpeting. Several papers littered the floor, perhaps bounty signs.

Sasuke lay down on the couch. "I'm going to sleep. If you need to practice, do it outside."

"Why did you defend me?"

"We're a team." Sasuke adjusted her head on the pillows. "Respect my dreams, and I'll honor yours."

Naruto sighed heavily. What about that friend thing she said?

Kōju pressed her fingers together.

"Kōju-san, come here." Sasuke's voice sharpened.

Kōju winced. Slowly, she walked over.

Sasuke wrapped up Kōju's head in her arms.

Kōju blinked. "Eh?"

"We're not leaving you behind. Rather, you're walking too slowly on our shared path. Hurry. Hurry. Walk forward with us."

Kōju's face turned bright red. "I can try, at least."

A knock sounded at the door.

Naruto frowned. Turning, he walked over to the door. He opened it. "Hm?"

Shizune's cool face appeared behind the door. The medic-nin reddened slightly at Naruto's closeness. "I apologize for coming at this time. Naruto-kun, there is something you must know." She looked firmly at Naruto.

Sasuke looked upward, alertly studying Shizune. What type of secret?

Kōju nodded quietly, her eyes bright.

"I would like to speak with you, alone."

Naruto considered this for a moment. "Okay, Shizune-nee-chan!" he remarked, grinning foolishly. He walked out of the hotel room.