A/N: A quick reminder to send in questions by Friday, so that I can respond to questions the readers have. In other news, the Search for Tsunade arc is finished!

The birds chirped over the bright and shining village. Sunlight pierced through the clouds, falling on the white citadels and shining lights of the city.

"A lot of change has occurred in this village since I was gone. There are so many new buildings. I can't say I'm entirely surprised, but it is somewhat of a revelation," Tsunade observed, resting her hand against the railing. She smiled as she looked down at the new buildings. A bird chirped on one of the rises. "Starting today, I'm going to protect this village as the Fifth Hokage."

History

In another circle of the village, the village elders looked with surprise at Jiraiya. Tall trees leafed in gold and red, marking the season, stood above the group. The sand of the circle sunk into Jiraiya's sandals. The sun angled off the leaves, sending shards of light falling from the leaves.

"I'm surprised you succeeded," Unmei remarked. He studied Jiraiya's face.

"A charming devil such as myself needs only his looks to draw women! GYAHAHAHA!" Jiraiya chuckled loudly, his deep voice resonant and commanding.

Naruto rolled his eyes. Who was it that nearly died while trying to recover from the poison?

"Double-check me on this, but wasn't Tsunade the one you could never convince to go on a date with you?" Unmei questioned with a raised eyebrow.

Jiraiya toppled backward, his expression aghast with shock.

"Well, whatever. I'll inform the World Council. In some ways Tsunade-san is preferable to you as a Hokage." Unmei's lips curled upward. "In the meantime, what news is there about daybreak?"

"The time of rising has been increasingly early." Jiraiya stared up at the sky. He reached into his pocket, touching a metallic item.

Naruto tilted his head to one side. Huh? What's that supposed to mean?

"I see. I prefer sleeping in, but if the season requires me to awaken earlier, I will." Unmei waved at Naruto. "Oh, hey. That reminds me, kid. How's that Sexy Technique coming along? If you can at least get the top right, I'll let it be."

Naruto scowled. "You watch! I'll make it better than yours some day!"

Unmei chuckled. "That's good. Gives you something to strive for, right?" He patted Naruto on the head. Turning toward Jiraiya, he raised his voice. "I'd like to speak with you in private." He glanced toward the village councilors.

The village councilors glared at Unmei steadily.

Jiraiya nodded. He rubbed his chin. "I suppose there's little enough harm in it."

The pair separated from the councilors, moving down into a lower level.

Naruto, scowling, went to rejoin the other group.

History

Down a series of stairs the group of ninja from Hidden Leaf went, aiming for the medical ninja quarters. The red-golden leaves of the trees glimmered in the sunlight.

Another two ninja, Shikamaru and Shikaku, went up the stairs from the south. The two groups ran into each other.

Shikamaru, the front-runner in the second group, grinned at Naruto as he saw the group. "Hey, Naruto-kun! What's going on?" he started.

Shikaku interrupted the two shinobi's discussion, bowing swiftly to Tsunade. "Tsunade-sama. Jiraiya-sama." He continued to look down.

"You two are from the Nara family, right?" Tsunade grinned. "How are your deer?" She regarded Shikaku steadily.

"Who's that young woman with the big attitude?" Shikamaru asked Naruto, directing his question with his hand.

Naruto smiled broadly. "A particularly troublesome Hokage," he replied easily. He took faint pleasure in Shikamaru's surprise. "I got a cool new move I'll show you later!" he promised. "But for now, we better get going. It's a bit late to get moving."

Shikaku nodded. "They're rather well." He shook Tsunade's hand politely.

"The Fifth Hokage, huh?" Shikamaru asked as the group passed by. He rubbed his head. "A woman. Great."

"Shikamaru-kun, she's the kunoichi of the Legendary Sennin," Shikaku chided gently. He hurried along the path to the administrative building. "One of the strongest ninja in the world."

"Except Roshi-sama," Shikamaru observed, scowling. His black eyes narrowed.

Shikaku paused. He raised an eyebrow. "My dear boy, the Pillars of Shinobi's power are hardly related to their gender. It's more of an incidental factor; the main characteristic distinguishing them from us ordinary people, even someone like Tsunade-sama, is a surplus of talent exceeding what anyone can learn. The members of that seven-person group can hardly be compared to any modern ninja without that ninja looking bad." He grinned. "Besides, even the roughest woman is kind to the man she loves. It's not all bad. Well then! I have some chores to finish at home." He clapped his hands together, turning around. "You should carry on without me. Play shogi with Asuma-san instead."

And he lectures me about equality. Shikamaru's brow dropped with beads of sweat. Isn't he the definition of being overworked?

Shikaku grinned, turning away and walking back down the stairs towards home. He'll understand eventually, I imagine. There are good things about being married too.

History

Inside the hospital room, white walls covered the entrance. A heavy stone door blocked the entrance into the deeper medical quarters. Anko tilted the beaker to the side. She frowned as she examined the amethyst color of the liquid. "A bit more horn powder." She tipped some of the white dust into the liquid. "And that—"

"What is she doing here?!" a loud voice queried angrily, breaking Anko's concentration.

More of the white powder slipped into the beaker than intended.

Anko blinked. She hesitated. After a moment, she recognized the voice. "Tsunade-sama." Setting down the beaker, she turned around and faced Tsunade, her expression shocked. "Well, I, I'm surprised to see you. As Hiruzen-sama would explain, Orochimaru turned his back on me."

"Forget it. Where are the injured?" Tsunade hurried down the stairs. Her expression remained stern as she walked into the room.

"A number of them, all caused by sand. Mostly the flesh has been stripped away, causing the flesh and bone to become exposed and vulnerable." Anko closed her eyes. "At the moment, someone like me has reached their limit. Even though I know a variety of techniques, all I can do is ease their pain."

Tsunade scowled. She walked into the medical bay. "What could have done all this?"

"The jinchūriki of Sand." Anko sighed heavily. "He's rotting away in Blood Prison, thank the heavens."

Tsunade turned in a semicircle. Her eyes flicked from bed to bed, studying the injured patients. She pointed at two bodies at the end. "This poor girl is already as good as dead. This boy, while he might live, cannot move or walk again." She paused. "Everyone else can be saved. These two, an Aburame by the looks of him, and this fellow here, the woman, they're in a situation where they'll survive or not without our help. The rest should receive the most care." She knelt. "It will be a complicated matter to restore their life. As it is, we can only save some, not all. You're right in saying that there are limits to medical practice."

Anko nodded. "Should I begin easing the passage of those destined to die?" she questioned, her expression serious.

Tsunade sighed tightly. She nodded, glancing away from the bodies. "I suppose it's fortunate that you were here, but I haven't forgotten what it is that you did previously."

Anko sighed. "I cannot forget it, either, much as I would like to."

Tsunade looked at Anko suspiciously. After a moment, she sighed, turning away and walking into the main room. Her hands extended. She placed her hands on the skin of one of the likely damaged.

The boy groaned. Green light flushed his skin, rushing through his body rapidly.

History

The woodlands were quiet. The cicadas had ceased to chirp during the early summer, their resounding cries fading with the last droplets of the eternal summer that seemed to surround Sarutobi Hiruzen's days in control of the Hidden Leaf.

Hinata and Neji practiced together, these days, the power of the Hyūga clan flowing equally through both of their hearts.

Neji focused his eyes. He spun around, seeking the vision of those nearby. Training the vision was most important to a user of Tsukiyomi Mikoto. Before anything else, the perception to understand every detail of the environment was necessary. Seven birds. Two o'clock behind me. Fifty meters off. Relaxing, he released his vision. He turned to his distant cousin, a calm look in his white eyes. "Well, that finishes my practice."

Hinata nodded. She held up her fingers, counting ten and then five. "Fifteen squirrels. Ten within ten meters, the other five out at a range of twenty-five meters." She closed her eyes, letting them return to the usual dark blue.

Lee broke through the brush, his grin bright. "Neji-sama! Hinata-sama!" He raised his arm, a broad smile crossing his face.

Both Hyūga turned around, surprised.

"Tsunade-sama, the lady of the three Legendary Ninja of great youthfulness, has returned! She is to be our Fifth Hokage! What say you two to an excursion to meet the famous lady?" Lee questioned, his eyebrows raised hopefully.

Neji shrugged. He turned back to the forest. "I still have some work to do." It was eight. He closed his eyes for a moment, attempting to recount the number of birds properly.

Hinata wordlessly followed Lee towards the village.

History

Inside a restaurant, loud laughter broke the evening's peace. The flames in the center of the restaurant built higher, the boiling sauces rushing over the meat and vegetables on the blazing central rack.

"You don't look bad in that flak jacket," Ino commented politely.

Shikamaru sighed. "That's not an offer, at least." His mind returned briefly to his conversation with his father earlier in the day. What is he going on about? They have positive points? I have yet to see a single positive about what I've experienced of them so far. I know better than to think that he'd merely appreciate a woman for her looks, but there must be something more to it than that.

Ino shook her head, too revolted to respond. "I like guys who like guys."

How that makes sense is beyond me, given that they wouldn't be interested in her in that event. Doesn't it make sense that if they're interested in other guys, they're probably not interested in you? Shikamaru sighed. He rubbed the back of his head. How troublesome.

Choji laughed.

Asuma grinned, holding his cigarette tightly between his lips. "Well, at least we can celebrate his promotion. Itadakimasu!" He clapped his hands together, nudging Shikamaru with his elbow as he raised his chopsticks over the plate once more.

History

The forest lit with torches. A series of flames ignited the forest, light rising through the sky. Columns of shinobi marched upward toward the figure on the bird.

"God fucking damn those sentries, yeah!" Deikōgi's hands clapped together rapidly.

The air exploded, forming a radiant, multi-colored explosion.

The corps scattered in a well-practiced and drilled motion.

Clay shot through the air.

"Time to flee, yeah. Much as I might want to create more art, I don't have time to play around with clowns and what not, yeah. Plus, people can get hurt, yeah. I have to make sure Ōnoki doesn't find me, yeah." Deikōgi glanced over her shoulder. "Where the hell are those people I paid, yeah?"

The air exploded again as the shinobi clapped her hands together.

Earth rose. A small-bodied man ascended rapidly through the air. His beard blew in the wind. "This is the end of the line for you."

"Shit!" Deikōgi dove into a roll. "I can't tolerate any more of this stupid shit, yeah! You've got to arrive now, yeah!"

"What on earth are you talking about?" Ōnoki hovered in the air. His hand extended. A white wave of energy surrounded his hands. "This is the end for you—"

A wave of golden energy washed across the steppe. Lines of golden energy blasted into the sands of the desert.

Ōnoki swallowed. Slowly, he turned around.

"Heh." The woman's lips curled upward. "Deikōgi-san… Looks like you're in a little trouble." Black hair blew back in the wind. The arms crossed. The black cloak, marked with crimson clouds, shimmered in the light. Golden eyes flickered beneath the hat, rounded and straw.

"Thank god you're finally here, yeah!" Deikōgi gritted her teeth. "I might've died without your help, yeah."

Ōnoki's eyes narrowed. "Akatsuki. Where's your partner?"

"That's a question that really shouldn't matter to you, should it?" The woman's lips curled upward. "Since you're my opponent presently. Should it really matter to you where my partner is?" The woman's left hand reached downward, touching a sword. The right hand reached upward, tilting back the hat.

"You are..." Ōnoki frowned. I've seen that face before, somewhere. Who does it belong to? He tilted his head to one side.

"Kuroi Kūkyo, at your service." Kūkyo bowed deeply. Her eyes narrowed. Her hand drew out the sword. Her right hand lifted swiftly. Vanishing, she reappeared in front of Ōnoki. Her fist slammed into Ōnoki's stomach.

That's not a shinobi technique. When she vanished just then, she didn't make any hand gestures. Ōnoki's eyes narrowed. "What was that?" Even then, when I fought that woman, she couldn't use attacks like these.

"I suppose you've heard it before. You seem to recognize me a little, so there's little harm in saying more. My name among my countrymen is Shinigami. The word isn't ill-used. As I've stolen the life of a shinigami before, that's within reason." Kūkyo smirked. Her hand lifted. The air glowed. "Heh. Play dead, Opossamu!"

The sword hilt glowed. The sword transformed, taking the form of a hammer instead. A tassel of gold hung from the end of the hilt of the hammer.

Kūkyo slammed the hammer into Ōnoki's arm. A large golden mark formed across the arm.

Ōnoki's eyes widened. He fell to the ground, motionless.

"Let's go. There will be more like him soon." Kūkyo scowled. "Besides, as I was attacking him, he did something to the hammer. It's much heavier than it started out. As one might expect of a Kage, he's wily even when he has no idea what he's up against."

Deikōgi frowned, her blue eye narrowing. "Is he dead, yeah?"

"That's a long and rather complicated story that I have no interest in retelling. At the moment, yes, he's dead, but it can only be called a temporary death." Kūkyo turned around. She walked into the depths of the forest. "Akatsuki expects to resolve this mission quickly. I wouldn't want to disappoint our leader."

Deikōgi followed, her footsteps light across the ground.