Not long ago, the streets grew cold at his presence; mothers hid their children from his sight. Naruto might have believed he was cursed, and the Third Hokage did nothing to ease his fears.
Nagato came, and Konoha was almost in ruins. People died. People rose from the dead—a miracle. Konoha had seen it. But by his hand. He had caused Konoha to see a miracle. He had brought this village back from the brink of extinction.
Naruto held up his right hand, blocking the sun's glare from his eyes with his outstretched fingers.
The Fourth War had dragged them all to the edge of the end. He'd dazzled. He'd stomped on enemies and gained friends from near and far. The thought of it all made Naruto giddy; the grin on his lips could have even blinded the sun.
The Kyubi… no, Kurama had made him a loathsome demon. Konoha hated him for it. But now, Naruto didn't just have one Bijuu's chakra inside of him, he had all nine and Konoha still loved him! The old man would probably say he told him so. But this was beyond miraculous. Naruto had asked Sakura to punch him to zap him out of the dream Kaguya had put him in. A huge mistake. Sakura had relished punching him and ended up sending him to the hospital with broken ribs.
He thought she had done it out of envy, because of the close friendship he shared with her prince and her inability to make him smile.
His delightful train of thought was derailed by a brooding stench from behind him.
"Do something about that frown on your face; it's giving me post-traumatic stress!"
Sometimes looking at Sasuke dragged Naruto back into the abyss of loneliness he had once lived in. He hated those memories. They sucked the joy out of him and left an open invitation for nasty demons.
"Post traumatic stress?" Sasuke's brows twitched. That was a term he'd never thought would come out of Naruto's mouth. If he didn't know Naruto was reading, he may have removed his sword and pointed it at the imposter. "You shouldn't visit the library anymore; you might overload your tiny brain."
"This puny brain of mine has clapped your ass and brought you back to this village."
"I let you win. You seem to have forgotten our last battle."
"What battle? The one I remember is you trying to clap me, with the Mangekyo Sharingan and the Rinnegan. But I clapped back."
"You had the Sage's power and the power of the Bijuu."
"As if you didn't have the power yourself. All I hear is tears." Naruto grinned. "But really, stay away from me if you're going to keep brooding. You scare people away."
"You say that as if you didn't used to spend your nights alone in a crappy apartment."
"I was just a kid!"
"You're still a kid."
"You're insufferable."
"I'm surprised you didn't even bite your tongue while saying that."
"Teme… know your place. You're the second most powerful shinobi in this village, behind me."
"Fame can get over your head; you need to remember that you're just an idiot."
Naruto responded by lunging at Sasuke, fist aimed towards the Uchiha's face. Almost predictably, Sasuke used his Rinnegan's ability to switch their positions.
Sasuke's eyes narrowed when Naruto leapt back slightly the second they switched. He had done it so seamlessly, as if they were in sync.
Boom
An explosive tag exploded mere inches away from Sasuke's belly. Blue flames engulfed him in a small column. The flames were dispersed after a few seconds.
Naruto was smirking.
"Are you trying to kill me for reminding you that you're an idiot?"
"What? I just got you. You're predictable, you know." Naruto said. "You should learn a thing or two from me," he shrugged carelessly. "Besides, you're the second most powerful shinobi; a little explosive tag can't hurt you."
The trick was just knowing that Sasuke could always shift in place. Or target specific targets. With persons, the Uchiha would always do a switch—the trick was just leaving a surprise in the space he was going to occupy.
"Why are you even walking around the village with explosive tags?"
"I'm famous. People are always after me. Besides, you never know what might happen when you close your eyes. If you weren't so stuck up in Itachi's ass, you'd know that there are large bounties on our heads."
An invisible force crashed into Naruto's body. It felt like he had just crashed into a steel wall. The force pummeled him into the air, away from the monument.
Naruto performed several flips in midair before landing gracefully on the street below. Without straightening up, he glanced over his shoulder, sensing that Sasuke was already there. The Uchiha stood with his back to him, his hands folded across his chest.
"Now we're even."
"I hit you and you hit me, huh?" Naruto shook his head, turning to face Sasuke and holding out his right hand. "Let's settle this with a hand game."
By hand game, Naruto meant to say Rock Paper Scissors.
"If you lose?"
Sasuke wasn't about to go through Naruto's games without a wager. Of course, he knew, he'd cheat his way into the game. He could always predict which hand Naruto was going to play.
Still, these little games with Naruto kept him awake. He had no other friends—a loner. And to think he'd end up playing the same games Kakashi used to play with Gai. It was ridiculous, but there he was.
"I'll put on your clothes, and finally go on a date with Sakura-chan to get her off your back," Naruto suggested with a grin.
"She'd notice."
Naruto laughed, then performed a transformation. Standing exactly like Sasuke, he put on a blank expression and cleared his throat.
"You're still annoying, Sakura."
Sasuke glared at Naruto. The image was perfect. Even with the Rinnegan, he couldn't tell the difference. The only difference was the chakra signature and the scent.
"Let's just get this over with."
Sasuke had no interest in engaging in a romantic relationship with Sakura. Although she had improved as a kunoichi, she was still not his type. Her attachment to him was irritating. He would appreciate the peace if she stopped asking him out on dates.
"Sure," Naruto grinned. "Unlike Jiraiya-sensei, I'm not going to do anything perverted."
Sasuke scoffed. "You're just as much of a pervert as him, if not worse. At least he didn't hide his true self." Sasuke smirked. "Sakura would kill you if you did something like that."
Naruto shuddered at the thought of having to undergo the same surgery Jiraiya had received from Tsunade. He knew Sakura would beat him up, break his nose, and snap his neck.
"If I win, you go out with her and behave like a gentleman. I want to see you suffer a little bit."
"I'm not an idiot." Sasuke said, staring at Naruto. "You've always wanted to go out with Sakura; I don't. So, if you lose, you also have to go out with Hinata." Sasuke tried to hide his smile, but he couldn't quite conceal the slight smirk on his lips.
"Long ago, when she was the goddess of my heart," Naruto sighed sadly. "It hurt you know."
"Spare me the sob story. Are we doing this or not?"
"I hate you."
"You're not the only one who hates me," Sasuke said as he shrugged and held out his right hand.
"Rock Paper Scissors!"
"Rock Paper Scissors!"
Naruto opened his hand, releasing sand. He flung the sand towards Sasuke's face and then disappeared in a blur of speed, twisting around Sasuke. Lifting his right foot, he swung a kick towards the back of the Uchiha's head.
Sasuke ducked under the kick, and then tried to kick out with the base of his foot, straight at Naruto's abdomen; however, Naruto leapt into the air, dodging the kick.
While in mid-air, Naruto twirled around and then disappeared into thin air.
Sasuke straightened up and dashed towards Naruto. He blasted off from the street in a buzz of lightning. As he hopped across rooftops, he saw Naruto speeding in the direction of Area 44. He deliberately chose not to increase his speed to move faster than the blonde.
As long as Naruto wasn't using any of his other powers, Sasuke could move faster.
As soon as they jumped the fence, Naruto jumped into the trees, while Sasuke switched places with him.
Naruto suddenly found himself just above the fence, with Sasuke airborne, where he had been a moment ago. He landed on the ground, a couple of feet away from the fence.
"You're enjoying that ability a little too much."
"I just wanted to show you I could do it anytime I wanted." Sasuke said. "You had no intention of playing that game."
"Not against a cheating bastard. That's like me playing hide and seek with Hinata!"
"I remember you were too much of an idiot you'd not even think that." Sasuke said. "Do you dislike Hinata that much?"
"No," Naruto sighed. "I just don't want to hurt her. She has always been so supportive of me. We go a long way back. Things are just different... I don't know. Maybe it's because we're adults now."
"At least you're no longer as dense as a brick."
Naruto laughed in embarrassment. "Don't remind me."
"What then?"
"I don't know," Naruto replied, shaking his head. "I really don't know. Sakura often glares at me for not doing anything. But I really don't know..."
"Maybe you'll know when I beat some sense into you."
"You couldn't do that when you were crazy enough to think you could come here and take the Hokage position by force." Naruto scoffed.
Once again, Sasuke switched their positions. But this time, he did so with every intention of attacking. As soon as he switched places, he traveled like a bullet towards his friend. He positioned himself steadily, legs together, and then threw himself towards the blonde.
Both of his feet slammed into Naruto's chest in a lightning-fast blur.
Naruto didn't even wince when Sasuke's full weight collided with his torso. The blow sent him rocketing away from the Uchiha and his back crashed into a tree. He broke through it. He quickly held up both hands, grabbing the tree by its trunk.
It slowed his momentum, and he landed down, only sliding back slightly before coming to a complete halt.
Noticing that Sasuke was darting toward him, Naruto tried to use the tree as a bat, slamming it toward the Uchiha.
Sasuke simply leaped into the air to avoid being hit by the tree. The tree then crashed into other trees as he leaped over it.
" Chidori."
Birds chirped overhead as the Lightning Cutter took shape on Sasuke's right hand. He then blasted toward Naruto, intending to impale him with the jutsu.
Naruto's reaction was beyond normal. Sasuke had used his highest speed to travel, and yet, Naruto managed to avoid everything without even looking at him. It made him realize that Naruto must have been using his Sage chakra.
Naruto pulled the trunk toward Sasuke's trajectory, and then took a single step back. The Uchiha's jutsu slammed into the trunk of the tree, blasting through it. Wooden splinters flew to the side as he stabbed the ground with his jutsu, causing a small explosion.
As soon as his jutsu struck the ground, Naruto was right beside him. His Sharingan worked overtime to predict the movement, and Sasuke tried to leap away. Despite the roundhouse kick missing his face, a brutal force slammed into his forehead with such power that he heard angels singing.
Unlike Naruto, who could take just about anything, Sasuke didn't want to hit his back against the tree. He would break something at the speed in which he was traveling. He quickly activated his Susanoo, just the ribcage portion. The second the protective chakra surrounded him, he crashed into a tree, cut through it, and then crashed into another. Leaves fell as the tree shook, but its roots held firm.
Sasuke braced for impact when Naruto blurred into existence in front of him, right fist moving towards him. The punch collided with his Susanoo, crushing it. Despite this, the punch didn't reach him. The tree behind them suffered the most as it was uprooted and sent flying into the air along with him.
Naruto followed after Sasuke and appeared above him. He tried to slam his right foot onto the Uchiha, but Sasuke disappeared from its path. Naruto's heel crashed into the tree, sending it crashing to the ground.
Boom
While still in mid-air, Naruto sensed the buildup of chakra below him and glanced down.
Sasuke shouted, "Great Fire Ball No Jutsu!" His stomach pregnant with air, he manipulated his chakra into the fire element and then released flames from his mouth. The flames spread out into a gigantic ball of fire. It shot upward towards Naruto.
Naruto absorbed air as Sasuke had done, but he didn't release a fireball. "Wind Style: Wind Breakthrough!" He released a powerful gust of wind that slammed into the fireball, causing a powerful explosion when the two elements collided in midair. The fireball only grew larger, sucking in more waves of hot air into the clearing.
Naruto twisted around, folding his hands across his face as he sensed movement. Sasuke blurred into midair, sending a lightning-enhanced kick towards Naruto. The attack collided with his hands, causing lightning currents to sparkle.
Naruto was sent crashing to the ground. He had held firm and crashed down with both legs, crushing the ground beneath him as he landed, creating a small crater.
Immediately after stopping, Sasuke charged towards him, slashing his sword towards him. Naruto summoned his Bou and held it above his head with one arm. Sasuke's lightning sword collided with the Bou, the lightning immediately dispersed, with the sword unable to cut through the weapon.
"Thought you'd be trying to burn me with Amaterasu."
"I'm not stupid; in this mode, you'll sense the build up of chakra, and I would be wasting chakra."
"Good idea, since your chakra levels are as puny as Sakura's."
Sasuke's eyes could see what was happening behind Naruto. A clone had appeared him the second his sword collided with Naruto's black stuff. Naruto had sneakily handed it one of the balls and it jumped into the air. Before it could attack, Sasuke made his move.
Shinra Tensei
Hokage Office
Boom
Tsunade's pen snapped in anger as she heard the explosion. The ink spilled over her papers. But she didn't care. She slammed her fist down on the desk, sending the papers flying all over.
"Dammit!" she shouted angrily. "Tell me it's not them!?" she shouted at Shizune, who stood harmlessly in front of her desk.
Naruto and Sasuke had made a habit of causing explosions to the point where the villagers didn't even blink when they heard a loud boom. 'They are at it again,' was always their thought.
They caused so much destruction with their power that they were banned from sparring on any training ground within the village.
"Could be an attack."
"From who?!" Who would be stupid enough to attack them?
And Anbu appeared in the office.
"It's Naruto and Sasuke-san, Hokage-sama."
"I warned them. The villagers will take everything for granted even when it's an attack!" She slammed her fist onto the desk once more, causing it to crack. "Where are they?"
"They're going to FINISH IT!" she shouted as she stood up. "Clean up here, Shizune. Lead the way."
"Hai."
Area 44
Sasuke had put so much chakra into the Jutsu that everything within the immediate vicinity of his body was pushed away, including Naruto and the trees surrounding them. The clone couldn't stand the power, and exploded upon contact. The trees appeared withered, losing their leaves. Sasuke landed in a large crater and stood still.
Naruto walked back to the crater from which he'd been blown away. He was no longer holding his Bou in his hand.
"What bothers you, Sasuke?"
"Nothing."
"You can act like girl, you know," Naruto said with a straight face. "Well, anyway, let's just finish this. I got better things to do."
"Yeah, right." Sasuke rolled his eyes. "You don't do anything aside from visiting the hot springs, drinking, and scaring the people at the library."
"You don't have the right to talk! You spend all days brooding alone in the Uchiha compound!" Naruto exclaimed, pointing a finger toward his friend. "Besides, anything beats than having the life in me sucked away."
"I'm thinking about restoring my clan," Sasuke revealed in a whisper, his shoulders slumping.
It had always been his dream. Itachi was gone. He no longer hated his brother. And felt contempt for the days he spent imagining his gruesome murder. These days, he spent his days thinking just about how beautiful his life could have been if Itachi had taken him along. He wouldn't have cared if his brother was wanted everywhere.
He was staring at his dream, and Sasuke didn't know how to go about it. He was already nineteen, and he should have started by now. For a shinobi, nineteen was a huge number. Not many even reached this stage.
"You have to like girls to restore your clan," Naruto said slyly. "You can even get your own harem. Nobody will complain, and the village will happily support you. After all, it will all be in the name of restoring the Uchiha clan."
"And your clan?"
"What of it?"
"Don't you want to restore it?"
"Maybe." Naruto shrugged and gazed into the heavens, looking for an answer. But as always, it was silent. In the past, he could see the image of his sensei drawn into the clouds, but now, there was nothing. It was as if the heavens were telling him that they'd given him all the power necessary. "I've honestly not thought about it. But, maybe. I've just been enjoying this freedom. I've cemented my place in the hearts of the villagers. My existence is written. And I feel accomplished. As a child, I'd hoped, but some part of me never believed this would be possible."
"The villagers were just being stupid. They didn't know you."
"Same as you," Naruto said halfheartedly. "They hated me because they didn't know me. You hated your brother because you didn't know him. We've come a long way, Sasuke. We should enjoy life to the fullest."
"Easy for you."
Naruto shrugged with nonchalance. "You're the one who chose to brood instead of making friends."
"Let's just get this over with," he said before his Susanoo took form. It reached its humanoid form as soon as he stopped talking.
Susanoo swung its blade as Naruto charged towards Sasuke. The chakra blade cut through trees, sending them to the sides as it swiftly moved towards Naruto.
The Uzumaki leaped up slightly, while positioning his body horizontally. He faced downwards, with the blade just below him. It seemed slow at first, but then again, it was a huge sword being swung by a Susanoo. Naruto brought out both of his hands and his fingers dug into the sword, completely stopping it.
The action caused a shockwave, picking up dust; the trees danced, dropping their leaves.
Naruto pushed the sword down to the ground.
Susanoo materialized a second sword and then slammed it down in a downward slash toward Naruto. Naruto didn't even look up, and when it was just inches from colliding with his head, he disappeared in a blur and materialized in front of Sasuke's humanoid Susanoo.
There were three things Sasuke didn't want to get hit by from Naruto. A Rasenshuriken, Truth-Seeking Balls, and one of his Sage Mode or Kyubi Chakra Mode punches. Sasuke would take a punch from Sakura, but he'd avoid one from Naruto at all costs. If one of those collided with his chest, Itachi would be looking at him with shock, wondering why he was joining him in the afterlife so quickly.
Naruto had just materialized in front of him with a miniature Rasenshuriken. It wasn't meant to cause much destruction, just put a hole through his Susanoo. It was especially powerful when Naruto used a tailed beast's chakra to form it.
Sasuke calculated quickly and as soon as the Jutsu touched his Susanoo, he leapt away from it, knowing the Jutsu would break it.
Boom!
A powerful explosion occurred immediately after the two chakra collided. The Rasenshuriken expanded in size, and the explosion of black chakra was massive enough to cover the entire upper body of his Susanoo.
Naruto did not wait to be sucked into the explosion; instead, he dropped down to the ground.
He came face to face with Sasuke. "If you don't hurry, Ba-chan will arrive any second now."
"You could have said so earlier."
"You would have tried to shoot me with one of your arrows," he said. "And I don't want to go all out just to avoid them."
Simultaneously, they lunged. Sasuke was creating his Chidori as he darted through the ground, and Naruto had every intention of meeting the jutsu with his fist. Naruto was the first to come to a halt when Tsunade suddenly appeared between them, and twisted around to face him. She didn't waste time trying to pummel him with one of her monstrous punches.
Naruto met the punch with his.
Boom!
The ground beneath them shattered, and a powerful shockwave tore through the area the second the punches collided. Sasuke folded his hands in front of him as the pulse sent debris flying all around.
Upon further thought, Sasuke also did not want to be hit by Tsunade's punches.
Naruto didn't linger close to Tsunade; he immediately leapt away from the crater that had been created and landed on the edge of it.
"Don't you two have ears?!" Tsunade shouted with frustration.
"Why the fuss?!"
"Didn't I tell you that you are no longer allowed to train here?"
"We didn't plan on it."
"You didn't plan on it?" She laughed. "You also didn't plan on nearly BURNING DOWN THE DAMN FOREST LAST TIME!"
"But we fixed it," Naruto said. Well, he did. He just had to expose the ground to his Yin/Yang chakra, and the forest returned to life in full force.
"I DON'T CARE. WHEN I TELL YOU ARE YOU NOT ALLOWED TO SPAR IN THIS AREA, YOU LISTEN TO ME."
"Why are you only yelling at me?"
Tsunade shot him a murderous glare, then calmed herself. "Listen to me, Naruto. If this happens again, you'll be doing D-rank missions for a whole month."
"No!" Naruto exclaimed. "I'm a war hero. I can't do chores."
"You'll do them," Tsunade said coldly before turning to face Sasuke. "You!" she began angrily, but then sighed. "It is by my mercy that you are back in this village after your crimes. You were part of the Akatsuki, and Naruto had to grovel to get you back. You're lucky. You should be on your best behavior. If you misbehave, I'll send you to the Cloud to be the Raikage's punching bag."
Naruto burst out laughing. "That's cruel, Tsunade-sama," he managed to say with respect. "Don't you know what happened to him when he tried to capture Bee? You'll give the poor bastard PTSD!"
This made Tsunade pause, especially sensing the murderous intent from Sasuke.
She asked, "And what happened?"
"Well… feeling mighty with the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan, and high on an Uchiha superiority complex, Sasuke and his team ran to the Cloud to capt—"
Sasuke appeared in front of Naruto in a blur, and his right hand grabbed Naruto's face. He then glanced back. "We apologize, and it won't happen again." he said, before dragging the blond away from the Hokage.
Tsunade felt like slapping someone. If those two went all out, they could destroy the forest. This place was important for the Leaf. It not only served as a training ground for Anbu, but it also protected the village. She didn't want the forest destroyed or the villagers getting used to loud explosions.
It would create lapses in the very security and safety of the village.
The world was cruel. It might have been the first time great nations had fought a war and it wasn't against each other, but anything could still happen. Conflict was part of life. And shinobi didn't resolve those conflicts with words but through bloody battles.
Back in the village
Naruto and Sasuke walked through the streets; Naruto's hands were folded behind his head.
"You still want to be Hokage?" Naruto asked Sasuke.
"I don't know."
"But you still want a better world."
"What's with the questions?"
"I'm trying to help you out!"
"Not with questions."
"Fine," Naruto said. "It's not going to get any better unless you join us. We meet every now and then for drinks and catching up."
Since his return to the village, Sasuke never joined them. Team 7 was dead, so for the Uchiha there was no socialization. He did missions and bothered him endlessly. It was almost pitiful. Almost. There were a lot of issues, and the biggest one was that Sasuke felt he didn't deserve any happiness after what he did. But, Sasuke hadn't really done much. Sure, he abandoned his friends, the village, joined Orochimaru, and the Akatsuki, but it was still nothing compared to what his sensei had done in this life. And he was living normally as if nothing had happened.
Naruto stopped and put a hand on Sasuke's shoulder. "Nobody hates you," he said with a warm smile. "Now, let's go our separate ways. I can't walk with your brooding face; it scares people away, and I don't want people avoiding me because of you."
Sasuke scoffed. "It isn't like you aren't used to being ignored."
"Bee should have smacked your harder. And I don't mean that in a naughty way."
Sasuke had been high. Perhaps he'd been used to Naruto. With Bee, he learned just how powerful a Jinchuriki could be. The war had shown him the gap in power between the Bijuu. Without question, the Kyubi was the most powerful of them all. And Naruto had only accessed just bits of that power in their previous battles.
He faced Bee with arrogance and he wouldn't have had the chance to reconcile with Itachi in this world. The man humiliated him, even with the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan. Without Karin, he would be dead.
And he'd treated his team like tools. He'd truly fallen from the person who once willingly stepped into fire to protect Naruto.
"Why don't you talk to Karin?" Sasuke suggested.
"About?"
"Restoring your clan?"
"Never even thought about it," Naruto said with a shrug.
"Why not? You're both Uzumaki. She is loud and annoying, but it seems to come with the Uzumaki genes."
"And brooding comes with the Uchiha genes?"
"So?"
"She has an unhealthy attachment to you. She literally flew into your arms! That is despite what you put her through."
"Seems like you." Sasuke said.
Naruto thought about it and then laughed. "Yeah."
"I've already told her nothing is going to happen."
"Wow." Naruto blinked. "And she accepted it?"
Sasuke shook his head. "No," he said. "But she knows."
"What is there to even like about you? You're always unsmiling, cold, and indifferent to everything. I had to literally get Nagato to bring people from the dead so girls would like me!" Naruto glared at Sasuke. "You just have to exist! Smile or no smile, girls will be throwing themselves at you!"
For the second time, Sasuke smirked, and this time, he didn't hide it. "You should have taken after your father," he said. "You would have had better chances."
"I'll bash in that smirk of yours."
"I'd let you do it if it could get some people off my back."
Naruto stopped, stared at Sasuke. "Ungrateful prick," he spat. "I'm going home... do something that doesn't involve looking at your face."
Hokage Office
Gone were the days when Naruto would burst into her office and yell in her face, demanding a mission. These days, Naruto seemed content to just laze around. He only took on missions when specifically requested. He was so famous that some missions were named after him.
It was good for business. Konoha's coffers filled up and Tsunade had no reason to complain.
She leaned back in her chair and stared at the person she considered family. Jiraiya was gone—a large hole that still hadn't been filled even to this day. For Naruto, it was cruel. Worse than when he lost the Third.
"I don't like it when you call me and get all serious. It's always something serious." Naruto said with a deep frown.
"Someone has to be serious."
"A mission?"
Tsunade shook her head and Naruto seemed relieved. She glared at him. "You're happy to destroy things when sparring with Sasuke, but you frown at the idea of doing missions!" Silence settled in the room, and they spoke once more in a quiet tone. "You want to tell me what's going on?"
Naruto sighed. "I'm just enjoying the freedom. I've always felt like I had something weighing on me. I'm finally free."
"That's not the reason."
"Do we have to talk about it?" Naruto complained, giving Tsunade a pleading look.
"Yes," Tsunade replied sternly.
"Well," Naruto began, but then fell silent. "I love Konoha too much to leave it!"
"Naruto." Tsunade warned.
"Fine," Naruto said in a resigned tone. "It's just my feelings. I don't know what to do in certain circumstances. Last time I was out protecting the feudal lord, we got attacked and captured the people who did it. He demanded that I kill them when all I wanted to do was have them arrested.
"I've seen people getting killed. I know it happens, but I just don't think I should be killing when it can be avoided. I don't want to get used to the idea. I'm afraid, Tsunade-sama. I'm afraid of doing things I told Nagato I wouldn't do."
Tsunade folded her hands and then released a long breath. Some shinobi retired without ever killing anyone. Others would kill without batting an eye. It was just part of the job.
Tsunade said, "I've avoided giving you missions where you have no choice but to kill people. I was wrong." She looked at him seriously. "You have to understand that there will be those missions, and when you're ordered to do so, you have to do it without question, Naruto.
"These are not just some of Kakashi's ramblings about following rules. When you're ordered to do something, you have to do it. It's not easy. But Jiraiya was able to do it without losing his ideals. He died trying to kill his students who he thought were a danger to the shinobi world. Sometimes, you have to be able to take that step."
"I know."
"Do you still want to be Hokage?"
"I've been thinking about it. I only ever wanted to become Hokage so that the villagers would recognize me. But I've achieved that. Not only is my name known in the Fire Country, but in all other Great Nations as well. So, I really don't want it anymore."
Tsunade stared at him, baffled. He sounded serious. Then again, he hadn't been barging into her office demanding she retire so he could take over.
"Are you serious?"
"Nah."
Tsunade blinked, then hurled the papers at him. "Don't even joke about that!"
Naruto chuckled. "But you should have seen the look on your face, Ba-chan!"
"You want me to get a heart attack?"
"Who would I be left with if you kicked the bucket?"
"Sasuke? You two are getting along."
"Yeah," Naruto replied with a cold chuckle. "I mean someone older. Someone I can look up to."
"Kakashi?"
"You know he is a closet pervert and lazy as hell, right?" Naruto asked with a straight face.
It wasn't to say that the man was a bad role model. He always had wise words to share. And since the war, he was less sad than he used to be. He didn't spend most of his free time staring at the graveyard stones.
"You're in good company then. Jiraiya. The Third. All perverts, just like you."
"Just because I created the Sexy Jutsu doesn't mean I'm a pervert; I'm just creative."
"You sat down and decided to create a erotic jutsu."
"Because it worked." Naruto said. "You should have seen the things Jiraiya-sensei used to do." Naruto shivered just thinking about what his sensei used to make him do. An idealist and respected, but he was downright shameless.
"You don't need to tell me about him." Tsunade missed those looks he used to give her. She missed everything about his nature. He had been a true friend and now he was gone. "You're going back to active duty. You'll always be available for missions I see fit. You can also think about taking on a Genin team. It will teach you about responsibility."
Being a sensei had always been something Naruto had wanted to do; he was thrilled by the idea.
"I could have my students, but Konohamaru will always be my best student."
"Jiraiya thought your father was his best student. But it turned out wrong. The Third thought Orochimaru was his best student, but it turned out to be Jiraiya."
Naruto just shrugged.
"I haven't drawn up a team yet. But I will consider from existing teams or the next graduation cycle. You need to learn responsibility. Despite your powers, you've never had to lead any team. Even now, you always have someone else. That needs to change. If you can't lead three children, you can't lead a village."
"You're the one who won't let me lead the team whenever I go on missions!" Naruto exclaimed. "Admit it, you think I'm an idiot."
"Well, let's be honest, Naruto. Have you displayed any leadership qualities? You always charge ahead without regard for team orders." The Slug Princess said with a bout of frustration, slamming her fist onto the desk.
"It's a gut feeling. When it strikes, I have to move!" Naruto held up both his hands defensively. "I haven't even risked the client's life or put the mission in danger."
"That is not the point."
"What is it then? Isn't the most important thing that the mission is successfully completed?"
"Listen to orders, damn it! Just because nothing has gone wrong yet doesn't mean it won't!" Tsunade shouted. "Sure, you've grown. But you're still reckless. Not everyone is as durable as you are. Do you remember why you failed the Chunin Exams you participated in?"
Naruto folded his hands across his chest. "Politics."
"Politics?" Tsunade laughed.
"You weren't there. I defeated a Hyuga prodigy, showing wit and determination. I should have been promoted solely on that."
Tsunade would concede, Naruto had made a fair point. But she wasn't going to admit that to him.
"How about the mission immediately after the exams, the snow mission?"
"I admit I charged ahead once or twice. But it worked out."
"You got captured!"
"And rescued myself while also revealing the enemy's location."
A tick mark formed on Tsunade's forehead. "The mission in the Demon Country?"
"That was ages ago. You can't hold it against me!"
"You get my point?"
"No."
"You won't become Hokage if you continue to think like this. You're nineteen, a war hero; learn to control yourself!"
Naruto stared and pointed a finger at Tsunade, then burst out laughing. He quieted down when Tsunade glared back at him.
"You have to see the irony there."
Tsunade ignored Naruto. "During the Gaara retrieval mission, you got angry and charged towards an enemy. Kakashi had to rush in and save you. During the subsequent mission, you got angry when Orochimaru mentioned Sasuke and hurt your teammate. During the invasion, you got angry and nearly unleashed the Kyubi. Lord knows you would have been lost if it wasn't for Minato!"
"I had anger issues," Naruto said in a defensive tone, "but that was a long time ago."
"You dealt with them?"
"Yes."
"You must know, Naruto. When you're leading a team, everyone's life is in your hands. If you mess up, you'll get them killed. You should know already that you can't protect everyone."
"I've changed, Ba-chan. Give me a chance, and you'll see." Naruto said confidently, attempting to convince the Hokage that he had indeed been reformed.
"We will see alright. If you fail, you'll take training lessons and do D-rank missions until I'm satisfied you're ready." Tsunade opened a drawer and removed a Jonin flak jacket. "I've done all the necessary paperwork. You've been promoted to Jonin. We can't have a Genin leading teams." She said with a smile and threw the jacket toward Naruto.
The blonde caught it and then grinned. "Finally!" he exclaimed. "Do you know how humiliating it has been when we go out for barbecues and Kiba of all people tells me that the Genin will pick up the tab?! I mean, I defeated that bastard by farting!"
"Have some shame."
"Hell no... That was a tactic. It showed just how genius I am in battle, despite being constantly called an idiot." Naruto said with a look of defiance.
"Sure," Tsunade said without any hint of sarcasm. "You need to learn to be responsible for others. I don't mean to say you run from responsibility, but you must now learn to lead. You will understand that once you're in here; difficult decisions have to be taken to protect the village, and you won't always be able to talk your way out of everything."
"It's a winning formula."
"Did it work against Madara or Kaguya?" Tsunade asked. "How do you even consider it a winning formula with Nagato when Konoha was destroyed? Even against Obito, we had to go to war and people died. It should never have reached that point, Naruto."
When had he ever been asked to take responsibility for something? Naruto couldn't picture it. Always, the difficult tasks were left for others, and he did what he did best - fought. However, as he had seen, being Hokage didn't involve fighting. It was mostly an office job, signing papers and yelling at people. It was no wonder Jiraiya had refused the position.
But this was his dream, to become Hokage and the greatest ever. He laughed inwardly, thinking it would be difficult to top his father's achievements. There was no greater sacrifice of the Hokage than laying down one's life for their village. His achievements, greater than those of his father, had occurred before he even sniffed the great office.
"I'm just going to enjoy being a Jonin." Naruto said, shoving everything aside to focus on the happiness in front of him. "I was the only one still a Genin," he shed a fake tear. "But now, no one will ever be able to make fun of me again!"
"How does anyone even make fun of you?"
"A war hero, but still a Genin. You know, sometimes I could be walking along the streets with Kiba, and he'll nudge me over and point at some fresh Academy graduates, and then say 'those are your peers, Naruto.'"
Tsunade shook her head. "Sasuke has already received his promotion."
"Why did he get a promotion before me?"
"He is matured."
"He is a brooding prick."
"Still more level headed than you."
"You know I had to grovel and crawl on my face through the ground for the Raikage to forgive him for his crimes? And he still gets a promotion ahead of me? That's not right. Well, at least he didn't rub it in my face."
"That's because he hasn't been told. But he was made a Jonin a long time ago, when we removed him from the list of rogue Shinobi."
"I'll be damned." Naruto sighed. "And the bastard still wants to become Hokage. If I were evil, I'd take Sakura from him."
"He doesn't even like her, and the chances of Sasuke becoming Hokage are greater than you actually being with Sakura."
"That's cold, Ba-chan."
"STOP CALLING ME THAT!"
"But it shows my affection for you?"
"I'll demote you to Chunin."
"I understand, Hokage-sama."
"Good," Tsunade said with a satisfied look. "Think about what I've said. You're getting older. And I'll send you on dangerous missions where you'll have to kill. What do you think Anbu does? You won't even be able to give them missions."
Icharaku Ramen Stand
Naruto was surprised to find Shikamaru sitting at the ramen stand. The Nara rarely visited this place. However, due to Naruto's influence, the shop had grown and Teuchi now served more customers than ever before. But Shikamaru wasn't exactly a ramen enthusiast.
He settled down on the left side of the Nara.
"You're the last person I expected to see."
"I was actually looking for you."
"And you came here?"
"It's lunch time and you eat nothing but ramen."
"I'm that easy to find." Naruto blinked. "But you really can't go wrong with ramen."
"Not everyday."
"Chouji has a bag of chips everyday."
"Its his DNA."
Ayame appeared at the counter, and Naruto smiled at her. "Ayame-chan," he greeted casually. "I'll have the usual. Make it three. I spent a little bit of energy earlier with Sasuke."
"I'm also fine, Naruto." Ayame replied. "You don't greet me anymore. You just treat me like a random person. It actually hurts me."
"I'm not falling for that."
Ayame sighed. "You're no fun anymore."
Naruto grinned. "Try something better." He said.
"I'll prepare your order."
"Thanks." Naruto turned to Shikamaru. "You're going to pay for me, right?"
"Pay for you? You're a war hero."
"A broke one."
"How can you be broke?" Shikamaru asked. "Well, you don't do a lot of missions. And you still live in the same place. Haven't you considered moving out to somewhere better? I mean, if you had more money, you could afford nicer things." He could imagine the scandal if outsiders found out where Naruto lived. Personally, Shikamaru wouldn't move because it would be too troublesome to find a new place and buy new furniture. Nothing was broken, so there was no need to fix things.
"You guys make me pay whenever we go out."
"Can't you refuse?"
"Just volunteer next time."
Shikamaru shook his head. "I'd have to volunteer for missions." He said with a smile, but he wasn't about to do that. For shinobi, there was no other source of income aside from doing missions. Those from clans were a little more fortunate because they had clan money. Those without clans were always in danger. They had to do missions to survive. Missions themselves were a survival practice. "I actually wanted to talk to you about something else."
"Sounds serious."
"Yeah," Shikamaru said. "It's giving me a headache just thinking about it. So, listen carefully because I won't repeat myself."
"I don't listen?"
Shikamaru turned to face Naruto, wondering if the blond was really serious. When he realized he was, Shikamaru just shook his head; he didn't have the energy to point out the obvious.
"Some years ago, you stood before our class and proclaimed that you would become the Hokage. Everyone laughed."
"But you didn't."
"There was nothing funny about it," Shikamaru said. "Anyway, it seemed like it would take a miracle for it to happen. But you've pulled it off. You're actually going to become Hokage."
"But?"
"I'm actually worried for Konoha's future."
"Hey…"
"You need someone on your side who can think for you, and you should focus on what you do best," Shikamaru said, letting out a long breath as if he'd uttered a thousand words in a single breath.
"I have Sasuke."
Shikamaru shook his head. "An advisor," he said. "Just thinking about how troublesome you are makes me think twice about it. But you've done what you could, and as a friend, I want to help you out."
A friend, huh? Life changes fast. But then again, they'd always been partners in crime when it came to sleeping in class. Shikamaru had always been fair. Asuma helped him out with his Wind training. The dead last and second-to-last running Konoha?
Naruto laughed.
"You're the guy who chose to sleep instead of fighting during an invasion," he continued to laugh, "and I'm the person who will jump into a pit of fire without thinking twice. That is going to be one hell of a team. A lazy bum and a reckless idiot..."
"It's a troublesome job, but it needs to be done," Shikamaru said quietly. "I've had some time to think about it."
"I can't refuse an offer from a friend."
"Right. We'll have to begin by teaching you how to listen to others."
"I listen to others!"
"No, you don't," Ayame replied as she brought his three bowls of different flavors of ramen. "You hardly listen to anyone. If I tell you to sit still, and someone cries out, you're jumping without even thinking."
"How can I ignore a cry for help?"
"If it's a trap?"
"I can sense evil intentions."
"Can you sense them now?"
"Don't be smart, Shikamaru," Naruto warned. "Why is everyone on my case about this? And I stopped doing that long ago. I have grown and matured, a little bit."
"I'll celebrate when I see that," Ayame said, placing the ramen on the counter before walking away.
Naruto stared at the steaming bowls. There had been foolish moments, like charging at Deidara and nearly killing Jiraiya because he couldn't control his power. He also allowed his emotions to get the better of him and hurt Sakura. To this day, it was still a sore spot for him. He could have killed her, all because he couldn't control his anger.
Naruto said, "I know my faults. And it probably would lead Konoha to ruin if I acted like I used to some years ago."
"You've become better," Shikamaru said. "We just need to work on a few things." He sighed. If it weren't for his mother pushing him into this, he would have waited a couple more years until Tsunade decided to retire. However, Naruto wasn't as much of a troublemaker as he was when younger; truly, with growth comes maturity.
"Let's shake on it."
"Sure."
As they shook hands, a voice rang out behind them.
"A new blossoming friendship," Ino said, hands folded across her chest. "Sasuke's going to murder someone."
Strangely enough, Naruto and Shikamaru had always been able to get along, despite being opposites. Then again, Naruto got along with just about anyone. The only person who seemed to freak him out was Shino. But he liked Lee, whom he now called "Bushy Brow Junior."
"He actually might," Naruto said in a thoughtful tone. "Sasuke is a jealous freak."
"Hear that Shika? You can't take other people's boyfriends."
"Hey… hey…"
"What?" Ino asked. "Some people think that way. I joke about it saying that's probably why Sasuke doesn't like Sakura, maybe you weren't as dense as we thought you were, but just didn't feel that way because you liked Sasuke better."
"Yikes." Naruto made a disgusted face. "I'm trying to eat, Ino-chan." He said, and then gave her a sly smile. "If you want to test my interests, come to my apartment tonight."
Ino stared at him, then laughed, while Chouji, who had been silently munching on his chips, just whistled.
"Have you been drinking?"
"Just suggesting. You and Hinata have always had the full package." Naruto said, sending glanced at Ino' bust.
"I'm taken," Ino said, ignoring Naruto's glances. "It is not a secret you begged the Raikage to forgive Sasuke. Begging is a nice… you groveled. Everyone knows this."
"What are friends for?" Naruto asked, staring at Ino with a mysterious smile. "If you were my best friend, and you lost your way, I would put myself through anything, to save you. And if you were my closest confidante, my lover, I would face the Five Kage to try to save you."
"I'm not going to fall for you."
Naruto laughed. "I'm just being honest." he said. "Sasuke has always been a friend. I would go a long way for any of my friends. With Hinata, it's different. Sakura once tried to even trick me by saying she loved me to stop me from chasing after Sasuke."
"Your one true love."
Naruto suddenly got up and gently pulled Ino from her stand. He leaned in, looking as if he were about to kiss her, but instead of kissing her lips, he whispered into her right ear.
"Sasuke is a friend. But, Ino-chan, I like women..." His fingers trailed over her spine, causing her to shiver slightly. "Put your hand on my junk and you'll know how excited I am right now..."
Ino pushed him away, looking a little flustered. "The hell, Naruto!"
Naruto just laughed. "If in doubt, experience can wash away such doubts."
"Why are you surprised?" Shikamaru asked. "This is the man who created Sexy Jutsu." He didn't need to hear what Naruto was saying to Ino; he could make a few guesses based on her red face. "I've also heard some things."
"Wait, the rumors are true?"
"What rumors?" Naruto asked with a confused face.
"Oh no! Hinata will be devastated when she finds out."
"If it's true, she probably knows," Chouji suggested. "She usually follows him and has the Byakugan."
"Poor girl."
"What are you guys talking about?"
"Nothing," Ino said as she sat down beside Naruto once again. "So, what were you guys talking about?"
"It's a secret."
"When do you do secrets?" Ino asked while rolling her eyes. "You're the loudest person to be talking about keeping secrets."
"The loudest doesn't necessarily have no secrets. It could be a tactic," Shikamaru said.
"When you think about it, Naruto has more secrets than anyone else. You would think that he's an open book."
"And that, my friends, is a testament to my genius."
"However unconventional," Shikamaru said. "I've never thought of you as an idiot. In the heat of things, you've always been able to come up with interesting ideas."
I was bored yesterday and ended up writing this whole thing. I haven't really thought much about it but it's just a take on a Naruto, that's different from what I usually write.
The Omnipresent Sage