They returned to town after receiving a breath of fresh air. Both resumed their usual business. While the boy enjoyed all that the festival could offer with a swirling ball of chakra in his hand, the Toad Sage endured the various seedy elements of the event. He was beginning to become disheartened before he finally met someone who encountered the objective of their mission.

Naruto was throwing darts at a line-up of targets, hitting each perfectly in the center. His arm, like his favorite sensei instructed him, was lax in the wind up but taut with the release. The forming Rasengan in his other hand made the act look more impressive to onlookers. "What do I win?"

"Hey!"

"Pervy Sage?" He turned and saw the Sannin running towards him.

"Tsunade's at Tanzaku!" Skidding to a halt, he pointed in the direction of the town. "Let's get going!"

He held out his bandage hand. "Hold on, I need to see what I w–" He twitched when the man behind him held out a stuffed giant snake. "Never mind." Shaking his head, he began walking.

Jiraiya caught up with him in a second. "Still not a fan, huh?"

"Your asshole teammate fed me to a snake!"

"That's why I prefer toads." He laughed.

"What the hell can those do?" He looked at his latest Rasengan. "Eat giant summoned flies?"

"Spit oil you can light on fire, fight off dangerous ninja for you, and even go head to head with a Tailed Beast: Minato summoned the biggest one against the Nine-Tailed Fox."

"Oh, that fat, disgusting wretch!"

Naruto choked down a laugh. "Well, I beat a Tailed Beast all by myself, so I don't need to summon anyone else to fight for me."

"It was the one time."

"I still did it." He grinned. "I'm going to be the strongest shinobi ever, just you watch."

The Toad Sage frowned. "And what are you going to do with all that strength? What purpose does it serve?"

"Hell if I know," he lied.

"Think about it: becoming strong or powerful for the sake of it won't fulfill you. People need purpose, goals, and meaning. Without it, we're lost."

"If only he knew what we're planning."

The boy nearly corrected it out loud. "I understand." He took in the greenery as they left the town again. Feeling somewhat reluctant to leave, he spared it a glance.

"Seems like leaving the village for a while was good for you, even if you didn't want to."

"Yeah… Thanks." Naruto shot his surprised face a look. "But I still think you're an asshole."

He smiled. "Come on! You barely know me!"

"I know enough."

"You and I were getting along just fine when you were training for the Chunin Exams."

He rolled his eyes. "For almost that entire time, you were looking at the girls in the nearby stream." He squinted at the man when his lips parted to protest. "And you only watched me when Hana was around so you could check her out."

He paused, raised a hand to his chin, and grinned. "When she got you in the same hold you got her the first time, how did it feel when she pressed herself against your back?"

"...Really soft." He dispelled his Rasengan before holding out his hands to knead the air according to his memory. "I think she's bigger than Anko-sensei."

"And when she sat on your back to keep you down and choke you?"

His palms shifted to the sky and squeezed. "Big and firm! I was just playing with Kiba's head, but I'd totally wreck his sister!"

"See!?" Jiraiya laughed. "You and I are alike!"

"No," he deadpanned. "I'm the kind of guy who wants to fuck a girl." He smirked maliciously. "You're the kind of guy who beats off in the closet watching."

"Eww!"

"Please! You're exactly that kind of guy, 'super pervert!' Did you even take that whore to another hotel or did you do the stupid thing and try to date her?" He snickered as he looked away. "Simp!"

"...What's a simp?"

The exchange between young and old, vulgar as it was, continued. Both felt a growing warmth in their chests. One felt conflicted yet still resolute in his conclusion while the other was adamant in his. When they'd think back on that time, both were likely to share the same feelings.

A member of the Sannin was a living legend in the Shinobi World. Hanzo the Salamander was without a doubt one of the most powerful men of his generation and surviving him was no easy feat. The three of them were young then. While their powers grew since then, they still couldn't picture them winning, save one. And now that man was of the same opinion.

Orochimaru, bed-ridden and infirm, glared at his bandaged arms. "No medicine can fix this damage."

"Kabuto mixed it," a quiet voice by the room's entrance said. "He insisted it would at least take away some of the pain."

"I don't need treatment: I need a cure." He looked up to the approaching young man. "To think we'd be in the same predicament."

The young man looked at the blood from the unfortunate caretaker splattered across the ground, bed, and wall. "Shall I clean, Lord Orochimaru?"

"First, has that woman been found?"

"Men under Kabuto's command have reported her to be at the Tanzaku Quarters."

"Then that's we're headed." He shifted his body to dangle his legs off the bed before landing on his feet. Groaning, he managed several steps before falling on to his subordinate's shoulder.

"Rest." Wrapping his arms around his master, he carried him as though he were a bride. "I will take you to her location." He turned to the only exit and started walking.

Orochimaru chuckled at his own embarrassment. "You're almost as sweet as Anko was, Kimimaro." His chuckles grew into full cackling laughter at the frown on his face. "Still despise her?" His laughter petered out as they left the room. "Even now, she serves my will by protecting my ideal vessel." He glared out into nothing. "That is my cure. Just requires a little more time to perfect, so I'll settle for treatment until then."

"I will re-evaluate my assessment of Mitarashi's character."

"Think whatever you wish, Kimimaro." He closed his tired eyes. "The only thing separating you from her is the way you validate yourself through me. I am your savior, so you will serve my interests regardless of what I do. To her, I was a father, so she lashes out at me from grand to petty ways in order to retain my attention." A smile formed from his lips. "She's just a little girl longing for someone to love her: a perfect tool in the right hands, an eager companion, and potentially a loving wife, if a man were to reach past her facade. With the Old Man dead, I could win back her loyalty with a simple pat on the head." He murmured. "Unless that child found a way into her heart."

"She may be poisoning the vessel against you, Lord Orochimaru."

"No matter how much he hates me, he will hate the Leaf Village more after he learns the truth. A jinchuriki cannot last long alone in this world. He will come to me, whether he likes it or not."

Neither knew quite how right and wrong they were.

Tanzaku or the Tanzaku Quarters was a town that dwarfed the one they came from. It was busier, louder, and filled with more tourists. From an overhead view, one would normally see a beautiful castle overhead, a tourist attraction from the time of the Warring States Period. While nowhere near the size of the Hidden Leaf Village, it was still the biggest place the younger of the two had ever been besides their home.

"Alright!" Naruto nearly began running when a hand on his shoulder halted him. "Huh?" He turned to the Toad Sage's shaking head.

"Stay close: you might get lost in this place."

"I can just make a hundred shadow clones to find you." He scoffed.

"Don't you want to meet a member of the Legendary Sannin?"

He squinted. "I've already met you and your asshole snake-loving teammate; I don't think I'm going to like her."

"Hey!" Jiraiya raised a hand to his chin and smirked. "She almost always has big booobs," he said in a sing-song tone.

"…How big?"

He held out his hands as wide as he could to knead the imaginary breasts. "Even bigger than this."

"Holy shit!"

"I know, right!?" He began leading the way.

Despite not being familiar with the gambling scene of Tanzaku the Toad Sage could navigate it well enough. They went from den to den asking questions and showing pictures. More than a few looked at the odd swirly ball in the boy's hand. It took some time for them to finally run into someone who recognized her from her genin picture.

The gambling man threw a pair of dice into a cup, placed it on to the ground, and shook it about. "I can't give you that info for free." He smirked at the Sannin's stoic face. "Let's ga–"

Naruto grabbed him by the shoulder and put the Rasengan by his face. "Oh, look at this!" A menacing grin spread across his face. "Someone wants to help me with my training!"

"Let hi–" Jiraiya paused before shrugging, holding his hands open by his shoulders for added effect. "I can't make him let you go for free."

The man gulped. "She went to slot machines down a block from here!"

"Now you can let him go."

"Alright." Naruto pushed him back with a deliberate yet genuine disappointed sigh.

Jiraiya spared him a concerned glance when they walked out of the den. "You weren't really going to put his face into that Rasengan, right?"

"Asking for his sake or mine?"

"Both."

The boy clucked his tongue. "He was trying to play you."

"Didn't deserve to die over it."

"If it's not me, it's going to be someone else that idiot tries to game."

"That kind of mindset just leads to bad things persisting." He shook his head.

"Always going to be bad things in this world, Pervy Sage. You should know that by now."

"If you don't bother trying something different or changing things, can you really say for sure?"

The negligible culmination of all his good acts came to mind. "And if I did try and did change?" He looked down.

"...I'm sorry things didn't work out for you."

Not much else was said on their way to the supposed location of their target. It was a flashier den than the rest yet a den nonetheless. The boy still had more ryo than they knew what to do with, so he didn't give in to the temptation of the entrancing game sounds. No trace of the woman could be found yet one of the staff did say they saw her leaving.

Naruto raised an eyebrow as the Toad Sage took out his telescope. "Is now really the time to be peeping?"

"I'm going to try and get a look from the castle." He turned to the nearest wall and climbed up it with his chakra. "Wait a minute…"

He joined him. "Uh." He tilted his head at the clear sky over the town's peak. "Where's the castle?"

Jiraiya led him up several wall arrangements, getting a full view of the ruined building, before locking his eyes on a running passerby below. "Hey, you! What the hell happened?!"

"A monster!" The civilian cried.

"What kind of monster?!" Naruto asked.

He pointed at the ruin. "A snake toppled it in a second!"

They launched themselves over the next wall and scanned the area for any traces of the only suspect. Normally, the Toad Sage wouldn't be so willing to let a genin into danger, but the same genin also took down a Tailed Beast and seemingly killed an S rank criminal ninja with ease. He was the one genin in the entire world he would be willing to fight Orochimaru with.

"Whatever happens, stay close," Jiraiya said, stowing his telescope away.

The boy scoffed. "Don't worry about me; I'm going to blow that piece of shit away if my Rasengan doesn't rip him apart."

Back-to-back, they walked the stretch of land leading up to the ruined tourist attraction. Part of the wall fencing off the castle was crushed in, as though something was slammed into it. While that was indicative of a struggle of some sort, there were no signs of the man responsible for the destruction.

"Seems we're a tad too late." The man sighed before walking off again. "Come on; things are going to get worse if he's here."

"Is he after Tsunade too?" Naruto asked, following.

"I heard he was wounded in his fight with the Old Man. If he's seeking her out, chances are it's really bad."

"Really?" He chuckled. "Least the Old Man did something other than die."

Jiraiya shot him a look. "Hey!"

"We both know he could've killed him if he was really trying to."

"Imagine if you were in Orochimaru's place; do you think he could've brought himself to kill you?"

He shook his head. "The Old Man would've tried something to please everyone, which would end up pleasing no one. If he really is fucked up that bad, it's kind of like this situation." A frown formed from his lips. "We're dealing with his fuck up."

They fell silent again, knowing their focus was better spent on actual enemies. While they explored more of the town, they noticed a somber mood in what was supposed to be a literal festive event. It was to be expected after having a landmark decimated. The sun had given way to the moon when the Toad Sage decided to check out a pub, desperate for some kind of information.

Naruto hummed. "I'm pretty sure these are only information hot spots in the seedy parts of town."

"How would you know? You've nev–" Jiraiya froze at the sight of his old comrade's blushing face peeking out of a table divider next to her apprentice's.

"Huh?"

"Hey! Tsunade!"

"Jiraiya?" She blinked as he rushed over with a vaguely familiar child tagging along. "What are you doing in a place like this?"

He slid into the seat opposite of hers while his charge stood by, admiring the breasts he was goaded with. "Orochimaru came by, didn't he?"

She nodded. "Is that why you're here?" Picking up her small glass, she downed the rest of her sake.

"No. I actually came here to tell you the Leaf Village Council has chosen you to become the Fifth Hokage."

Tsunade blinked while her companion nearly jumped from her seat. "…Really?"

"They were kinda out of options."

"Oh my fuck." She turned to the laughing boy standing by their table. "Who's this kid?"

He pointed his thumb at him. "Naruto Uzumaki."

"Sup, Big Tits," the boy greeted, sitting in the seat next to his guardian.

Shizune, her assistant and apprentice, twitched. "What did you just say to Lady Tsunade?"

She tilted her head at him as she put together the resemblance. "...Oh." Scoffing, she shot her old, scowling teammate a look. "Bet he's rolling in his grave."

Jiraiya flinched. "You mean the Third."

"Sure." She shrugged. "Orochimaru told me he killed him."

"How bad did the Old Man fuck him up?" Naruto asked, smirking.

She parted her lips, paused, and raised a hand to stroke her chin. "…Honestly, I've never seen anything like it: his arms were bandaged up, his heartbeat was off, and he seemed exhausted. Thought it might be some kind of cursed seal placed on him." She hummed. "Sarutobi-sensei knew a lot of jutsu, so he could've easily left him something to always remember him by."

"So," Jiraiya said, "what's your answer?"

"I decline."

He smiled. "You said the exact same thing when I asked you out."

Naruto rolled his eyes. "Can we go now, Pervy Sage?" He raised an eyebrow at his confused look. "She said no, and we have to kill your asshole teammate."

"Don't you want her to come back and wake Kakashi up?"

"Right now, I really want to kill that snake douchebag. Kakashi's lazy ass can wait."

Tsunade laughed. "You think you of all people can kill Orochimaru when the Old Man couldn't?" She grabbed her bottle of sake and filled her glass. "Jiraiya, this kid is a serious downgrade from your last apprentice."

"...What did you just say?" His eyes flashed red.

The Toad Sage put a hand on his shoulder. "Comparing him to the Fourth's a tad cruel, don't you think? He was hard working, smart, reliable, and almost as handsome as me!"

She scoffed alongside the child. "He still died. For the village too. Life is different from money: it can't be gambled that easily. Whoever puts it at risk is an idiot." Her eyes glanced at the boy with the last word. "My grandfather and granduncle wanted the best for the village, but they died like idiots. Sarutobi-sensei died like one too."

"You're right. Every single one of those men died like idiots." Naruto laughed while his guardian shot his displeased look from his old teammate to him. "They gave away their lives for worthless people like you to spend the rest of yours drinking it away." He smirked at her freezing. "It's one thing to die for the village, but man, I couldn't bear to live with myself if I were a childless, drunk, and ancient gambling addict with big floppy bitch tits!"

"Little shit!" She stood up on her seat and put a foot down on the table.

Shizune shook. "Lady Tsunade!"

Jiraiya blinked when his charge jumped up to stare her down on an equal level. "Uh?" He glanced from one to the other, unsure whether he should stop it or wanted to.

"Think you can handle this, grandma!?" Naruto grinned.

Tsunade smirked. "Wanna take this outside?"

With those words, the four of them plus Tonton the Pig walked outside of the pub into the quiet night street. Only a few people were out, frightened by the news of the castle being destroyed at the hands of a demon snake. The young man and middle-aged woman faced each other down with their entourage on the sidelines.

"I'm one of the Legendary Sannin." She held up her pointer finger. "This should be enough for a bratty genin like you."

Naruto burst into laughter. "To make genin, I beat a chunin to death. During the Chunin Exams, I beat a prodigy of the Hyuga Clan in taijutsu without getting hit once. When the Sand attacked with Orochimaru, I blew up a fucking Tailed Beast!" He formed the Shadow Clone Jutsu sign, creating a single copy. "I even killed some shark fuck on the way here! You think I care about some washed-up has-been!?" He drew two shuriken from his pouch while the clone went through signs.

"Tsunade, jump!" Jiraiya yelled.

"That's…" She launched herself more than a dozen feet into the air before a sea of black metal consumed the street below. "Holy shit!"

Shizune gaped. "What the hell?!"

"Please!" Naruto blew on to the other shuriken and threw it diagonally at her.

Tsunade leaned out of getting sawed in two by the vacuum shuriken. "Don't get cocky, brat!" Gravity carried her down still, leaving her open for a well-timed attack.

"If I decided to clone the shuriken, you'd be dead, you idiot!" He dispelled the clone as well as the shuriken. "Let me show you!" The Rasengan formed in his left palm, far greater than it was against Itachi. "What the difference between me and the Fourth really is!" He charged after the falling woman.

"You're kidding!" She realized then she already used more than just a finger. The ball in the boy's hand was more than just an amateur's first attempt too. He could actually hurt her.

Naruto grinned before he thrusted his Rasengan towards her. That grin died when her palm crushed it and grabbed his. "What the?!" He braced for a throw that never came. "Uh?" He stared at the same sight she was staring at: blood oozing between their hands. "What are you…" Her shaking made him scoff. "Really?" With a savage right hook to the face, he knocked her down, freeing him from her grasp. "Snap out of it!"

She blinked. "I…"

"Just look at yourself!" He pointed down at her. "One of the Legendary Sannin!? What a joke!" He spat on the ground. "The Hokage were all idiots, but at least they believed in something!" A growl built in his throat. "I would rather accept Orochimaru as a student of the Old Man than ever consider a piece of shit like you one!"

"That's enough, Naruto!" Jiraiya walked over and shook his at the droplets of blood between them.

He glared at him. "Oh, stay out of this!" He focused back on the shivering woman. "Your simping dumbass could never tell her the truth."

"Y-Y-You taught him the Rasengan?" Tsunade laughed, uneven and hoarse.

The Toad Sage tilted his head from side-to-side. "To be honest, he's been teaching it to himself."

"If that were the real thing... I wouldn't even have a hand."

Naruto scoffed. "Three days." He held out a fitting number of fingers while she stood up. "I'll perfect it in three days! Just you watch!"

"How about a week?" She gripped the string of her necklace with her undamaged hand. "I'll give you this if you can."

Shizune's grip around Tonton tightened while she approached. "Lady Tsunade, you can't bet that!"

"Why the hell would I want some tacky jewelry?"

Jiraiya nearly slapped the boy upside the head. "That's the First Hokage's necklace! You could buy three mountains worth of gold mines with it."

"And what the hell would I do with that much money?" His eyes narrowed on two far more titillating prospects. "If I master the Rasengan in a week, I get to play with your tits!"

Tsunade and Shizune twitched. "I would rather bet the necklace." She glanced at her gaping old teammate. "You've really rubbed off on this kid."

"He was like this before!" Jiraiya protested.

Naruto rolled his eyes. "Fine, I'll take your stupid necklace then. Say goodbye to the only chance at action you had left in your life, dried up hag."

"You little!" Tsunade shook her head free of anger. "I get all your money if you fail."

"I won't.

Shizune's face was scrunched in frustration. "Lady Tsunade, please!" Her eyes drifted to her mentor's wounded hand.

"Let's go, Shizune." She stepped down the road.

Jiraiya cleared his throat. "How about we have some drinks, Tsunade? It's been a while." He glanced from her assistant to his charge. "The two of you find a hotel for us to stay at."

They shared a look, squinted, scoffed, and looked away before following through with his unofficial order. As for the two Sannin, they found themselves a nifty alcohol stand nearby. Their owners were a little jumpy instead of terrified. More customers and company soothed their nerves as well as washed away their superstitious fears.

"You've become even more beautiful." His eyes glanced at her chest.

She, hand healed, raised an eyebrow at him. "You haven't changed a bit."

A brief silence passed by with only the sounds of sipping and pouring drinks to keep them company. Many years passed since they last met. It wasn't exactly on good or bad terms. While they wanted to say a lot, it was difficult to muster the will to. The boy complicated things with his performance and words too.

"...It's a bit obvious, don't you think?" Tsunade asked.

"Eh… I like to think it's the right kind of obvious."

She shook her head. "He's going to lose it if he finds out."

He hummed. "When the old man died, he went eight tails." He downed a shot.

"What?!"

He nodded, staring into his empty glass. "Went from getting along with me to hating me for some reason. Should've seen him before: he was happy and on the road to enlightenment. Now, he's itching for an excuse to vent his frustration on other people. Even said he was glad the Old Man is dead."

"Calls him an idiot...but can't stand me as one of Sarutobi-sensei's students."

"Their relationship was complicated. I'm pretty sure he's trying not to feel bad about him dying by convincing himself he hated him. A traitor tried to use Naruto to obtain the Scroll of Seals and told him he was jinchuriki before anyone else did." He filled his glass with the bottle the stand operator left for them. "In a rage, the kid beat him to death."

Her eyes widened. "He wasn't lying?"

"The kid left out encountering Orochimaru in the Forest of Death, which his friend burned half down, and the 'Shark Fuck' was Kisame Hoshigaki, who was accompanied by Itachi Uchiha. He did beat a Tailed Beast, but it was only the One-Tail."

"…You've gotta be kidding me."

Jiraiya took a deep breath, sighed, and downed another shot. "He's not as studious as his father. His determination is almost the same, if not better, though. Just needs to work on his temper."

"Still not going to master the Rasengan in that amount of time."

"With how close he is to actually pulling it off?" He scoffed. "You're being reckless Tsunade."

"I'm not reckless." She downed a shot of her own.

He turned to her. "Saying that while you're planning on meeting Orochimaru again?" He smirked at her surprised face. "I could tell from the look on Shizune's face. Not sure what he offered you, but you shouldn't make a hasty decision. Despite what you say, I know you of all people understand the sacrifices the Hokage made and what they believed in. But if you were to betray the Leaf…" His gaze steeled. "I would kill you myself."

"Oh, just shut up!" She filled her glass and gulped down another. "Why did you bring that brat along anyway?"

"He looks a lot like Nawaki, right?"

Her expression grew dour. "...Like someone stomped his dreams and ripped out his heart."

"That's...a perfect way to describe it. Exactly what happened when he saw the Old Man dead." He stared into his empty glass.

Little did either know they shared mistaken thoughts much in common with their traitorous comrade. His dreams of achieving acceptance and petty vengeance died with that day's revelation. Neither served any purpose nor would solve anything. Even after, the catharsis of hurting those that hurt him was only his solace. The pain he felt was too much for him to bear, and he could no longer stomach serving people who despised him for his sacrifice.

It didn't take long for the duo of side-kicks to find a place for them to rest. Each rented separate rooms. One did so for herself and her master. The other only did it for himself, knowing his 'master' would want his own space. Neither said anything to the other or even looked. Only when the female Sannin's assistant opened the door to his did they look at each other again.

"I know this is late, but there's something I wa–" She paused as he waved her off with his bandaged hand, a Rasengan swirling in his other. "Uh?"

"Not interested: you have no tits."

Shizune, blushing scowled. "That's not why I'm here!" Looking down, she took a deep breath to soothe her jumbled feelings. "Lady Tsunade wasn't always like this." And she told him everything about the necklace as well as what happened to the two close to her that wore it. "Now do you understand?"

He waved her off again. "I really couldn't care less." His eyes remained fixated on the swirly-death-ball in his hand. "There's no such thing as curses. Nawaki and Dan were weak." He smirked at her disgusted look. "Whatever you think or believe, you know deep down I'm right."

"...You're no different than Orochimaru." She closed the door and left him alone.

"Following around a depressed alcoholic disgrace, and you expect me to listen to you?" He glared into his swirling ball palm. "What is with everyone thinking they can lecture me on what's right and wrong? A bunch of liars, murderers, and simping dumbasses." He scoffed. "I really don't get it. Am I the only one who sees the hypocrisy?"

"They blind their eyes to uncomfortable truths while huddling over the few ones that give them comfort."

"If I'm no different than Orochimaru, maybe he had a point, as much of an asshole he is. Still going to die for crossing me; I'll make sure of that." He smirked at the Rasengan in his hand. "I'll kill him with this." His smirk turned into a grin. "If anyone earned the right to kill the Old Man, it was me for putting up with all of his bullshit." Blue eyes turned red as a growl built in his throat. "He took that from me."

"Take everything from him."

"Don't have to tell me twice, you ball of fur."

Many people cared for him, but he was stripped of their influence and guidance through circumstance, not that he trusted almost all trying to guide him anymore The only person he trusted, cherished, and longed for was waiting back in her empty house for him to return. Even she, lacking the full context behind his recent outbursts, likely couldn't help him. All he was left with was the Tailed Beast that tormented him for most of his life. While neither really trusted the other, they were forced to work together thanks to the same circumstances. It was strange yet inevitable that both would take an earnest liking to the other.

AN: Next chapter is going to be crazy and likely the end of the Tsunade Retrieval Arc. I might have several chapters worth of downtime after to set the mood for the inevitable. Not sure whether to keep going afterward or start a sequel. Will probably be labeling chapters and adding titles if it's all confined to this.

My updating schedule may slow down in the future. Still plan on writing for this fic, but it's a possibility I won't have as much time for it anymore. It's been really fun writing for you guys, and I'm happy you've followed me near the end of Part 1 for this story.

Feel free to leave your thoughts in the form of a review or PM.