Getting a person to become Hokage proved to be disturbingly easy; for some reason Tsunade was expecting the process to take days filled with countless meetings and formalities she had no interest in, so when the time came and they finally reached Konoha she was surprised to find the Daimyo as well as the people taking care of Konoha as their de facto leaders already waiting for her at the Hokage office.
Koharu had been brutally honest to her and said something along the lines of 'I actually didn't think Jiraiya would be able to bring you back, let alone sober' but expressed her excitement at having her back in the village. She was hoping to find Homura along with her, they had been Hiruzen's advisors for as long as she could remember so it only made sense that they were there too.
She was never particularly close to the man, he was often serious and had an a strong and respectable aura around him that spoke of his years of experience, he rarely if at all participated in idle chatter so he never really had much to talk about with them, but they - Her and Jiraiya - knew that he was a great man and their sensei seemed to think so too so she would make sure to honor him too.
After expressing her condolences she turned to address the person that had taken the role of Koharu's oldest friend in leading the village while they waited for their new protector, Nara Shikaku Konoha's Jonin Commander and one third of the famous InoShikaCho formation that did so much for the village in the last war.
She couldn't help but wonder, does he ever get tired of being introduced like that?
Last but not least, she respectfully addressed the other man in the room and the most powerful one at that. They had met countless times before, being the Hokage's apprentice and the heir of the founding clan of the village had put her in the man's sight on more than one occasion.
Then the Densetsu no Sannin came to be and she had even more reason to meet with the man so it was fair to say they were already acquainted with each other. Tsunade's opinion of the man? Lame, he at least in her mind is the definition of 'Lacking' she was never able to understand how someone like him had managed to become the most important person in their nation.
The Daimyo isn't a bad person, he was just… meh. He till this day lacks character, he is easily swayed and even though he has great respect for Shinobi and what they entail he has the emotional intelligence of a rat combined with the social skills of a prison inmate.
But he must be decent at the job, at least that's what she thinks. The Fire country is still considered to be a rich nation and arguably the strongest one so there must be some brains behind that uninspiring facade.
She still couldn't remember his name no matter how hard she tried though.
"Tsunade! It's good to see you again but I have to admit, I didn't think you'd ever willingly stand in this office again." That sentiment was shared by some of the occupants in the room at the time, some meaning all of them.
She - smartly - bit her tongue before answering back. "Well Daimyo-sama, the circumstances have changed and I know it's for the better. I just wish Sarutobi-sensei was still here to see it." Coming back home, that's one of the things that filled her mind.
The old man had been nothing but understanding of her and her pain and even before leaving she had been everything but that to him; every attempt he ever made at contacting her after she left was only met with uncalled for rudeness and disrespect, something she wishes she could apologize for.
"As do I, but enough of that, the reason I'm here is to make sure a new Hokage is sworn into office today. I originally wanted it to be Jiraiya but after hearing some arguments against it by him and Koharu-san it was decided that you would be the one to take over." At this he gave her a scrutinizing look that was met with a confident stare that left no room for argument from her, he quite liked that attitude.
"Seeing as you are willingly standing here I would like to think you agree with your appointment?" He asked and received a nod in response which caused him to grin and add his signature to a scroll that laid open in the desk. "That is all then, congratulations Senju Tsunade you are now officially the Godaime Hokage."
She felt… thoroughly underwhelmed. Whatshisname left the office shortly after that, telling Koharu to send him the details about her announcement later. He wouldn't be coming back for it of course, it was merely a formality, he had come to the village only to sign a new Hokage, he had already done that so there was no point in staying.
With that out of the way, Tsunade took a seat at her new desk and started asking all the necessary questions to the people that had been running it so far. She had to say she was pleased with the way both Koharu and Shikaku had managed the village in its state of emergency and would no doubt keep referring to them if needed.
That was actually one of the first she asked about, what was the chain of command like nowadays in the village.
Just like she expected she found that both Koharu and Homura held a semblance of power in everything involving Civilian affairs while Shikaku took care of everything Shinobi related, he didn't do it alone of course. The head of every Shinobi department in the village stood at the same level as him.
Those being The Anbu Commander, the head of Torture and Interrogation and of course himself, the Jonin Comander with the Hokage at the head of them all.
One thing she wasn't pleased with was a name that was brought up right after.
Shimura Danzo
How in the world is he still around? She knew him to be a political opponent of the Sandaime and a rather unpleasant person all around. He had distorted the beliefs of his late grand uncle and twisted them into heavily militaristic and dark beliefs about the shinobi world and how their system works.
Jiraiya had warned her about him on the way back, even said that as soon as they got the chance they would meet with Kakashi and brief her on everything she must know about the village as its new Hokage, he was very cryptic about and it unnerved her to some extent.
She was confused about it at first, she remembered Kakashi being a promising shinobi and the apprentice of the Yondaime but failed to understand how he would be involved in any of this, the Sandaime had apparently trusted him a lot especially in his last months, right after he took the role of Naruto's team leader.
Go figure.
"There is no concrete evidence but the Sandaime believed the organization he founded still exists and continues doing unauthorized black ops missions." Shikaku was incredibly smart and everyone knew it. Danzo himself had tried to sway him into his ways on more than occasion so there was no doubt in his mind that it was true.
Their conversation became hours long after that as they shared details about village security and the possible threats that loomed over it, both internal and external. Koharu and Jiraiya voiced a wish to share with her some intel that even Shikaku seemed to ignore with her as the conversation went on and agreed on another meeting the following day.
Just great.
Well, she had decided to accept the position and would work hard to make a damn good job no matter how hard it proved to be, but she decided to not do it alone. Her sensei for all his greatness loved to do things by himself, he had advisors of course, in the form of Homura, Koharu and for some reason Danzo.
Keep your enemies close?
She certainly didn't need nor want his advice. As long as Shikaku, Jiraiya and Koharu were on her side she had no doubt they would be able to keep the village running without issue and start to prosper, she had some ideas she wanted to come into fruition and their support would be instrumental in them.
The following days went by fairly quickly and without much issue. She was finally introduced to the people of the village as their new leader and started taking over her responsibilities while allowing Shikaku and Koharu to keep some, they were doing a good job before she got here after all.
She even had a meeting with Danzo already, it was more of a power play if she was being honest. He came barging into the office like he owned the place and tried imposing himself into her plans, something she quickly struck down disguised as lacking a 'need for his services' he wasn't very pleased when she suggested he retire already.
He didn't really think he'd get anything out of her but he had to measure her resolve.
After that the topic of Suna's invasion and the Chunin exams was brought up and she requested Suna send a diplomat into the village so she could have a word with the people who betrayed their alliance. As the new Hokage it was up to her to evaluate the situation and decide if they would be forgiven or crushed in retaliation.
Shikaku shared with her his insight on the contestants and the notes the Sandaime had left on the first two phases of the exams. After evaluating everything she was told, some of the footage taken from the preliminary and the retelling of the invasion only four names came to mind for a promotion.
Aburame Shino, Nara Shikamaru, Haruno Sakura and of course, Uzumaki Naruto. She had actually started feeling pride at being told the exploits of Naruto during the invasion and the exams. She had seen him fight herself and knew him to be a capable shinobi, despite being beaten she knew he had lost out of underestimating his opponent rather than a lack of skill, and while a mistake she knew he would never do it again.
She had underestimated the same person so she could hardly blame him.
Shikaku seemed pleased with her decision and after asking Koharu for her opinion she found that the elder was more than willing to accept so it was decided. Konoha had been a little lacking in manpower after the invasion so the appointment of 4 new Chunin was bound to be great for them in the long run.
Sakura had always hated when Kakashi was cryptic to them. She was happy to be able to hang out with Naruto after his mission and had been doing so every day since his return. Last night she had them both over for dinner at her house with her parents and they had a great time together.
Dinner was - in Naruto's opinion - delicious not as good as Ichiraku Ramen of course but close enough, Sakura's parents definitely knew how to feed themselves, even Kakashi seemed to enjoy the food; even though they never saw him eat, she still didn't understand how he managed to eat so fast and without people noticing his face.
Before excusing himself, Kakashi had told them both her and Naruto that the new Hokage needed both of them to present at the office early in the morning for something, he wouldn't tell them what it was and that annoyed her to no end.
Naruto simply shrugged it off as Kakashi being Kakashi.
So that's where they now stand, waiting just outside Tsunade's office to be called to enter, she knew Kakashi was already there and apparently so were Asuma and Kurenai, the senseis of both Shikamaru and Shino who were also waiting to be called inside.
What was going on?
"You may come in!"
Naruto was the first to go through the door after Tsunade called them over and the first thing he saw after he did was the Jonin Senseis all standing up right by the door while Tsunade sat on her desk by herself with both Koharu and surprisingly enough Jiraiya.
He didn't think he would still be in the village.
The thing that caught his attention the most were four beautiful green Chunin Flak Vest that laid on her desk, all of them with a scroll on top. He started losing his mind. 'Oh my God Oh My God Oh My God'
Tsunade wanted to laugh at her… What was Naruto to her again? Wanted to laugh at his reaction but knew she had to be professional for this and he seemed to realize this too judging by the way he relaxed and took that toothy grin off of his face. "Aburame Shino, Haruno Sakura, Nara Shikamaru and Uzumaki Naruto."
They all took a step forward after their names were called, all four of them standing right in front of their leader trying to look as imposing as possible. "All four of you have demonstrated abilities far beyond the rank of Genin. After being briefed on the exams that recently took place I must admit I'm quite impressed."
The three Jonin in the room smiled and looked incredibly proud at the achievements of their students. "The Sandaime left notes on the first two phases of the exams and spoke Highly of your abilities. After watching the footage on the preliminary matches I will have to agree on his assessment, however. It is not because of the matches that I made this decision. You all played a crucial role during the invasion and that is enough evidence for me that the Will of Fire lives on."
"Aburame Shino, come forward." The Genin in question made its way toward the Hokage and stood right in front of the nearest Vest to him. "You led your squad during the assault and successfully defended the academy giving enough time to evacuate the future generation. Your actions and fast decision making as well as the skills you demonstrated during the exams are enough for me to award you the rank of Chunin, congratulations."
Shino took the vest from Tsunade's desk and put it on top of his coat, he'd probably be changing that later but for now, it'd have to be enough. He then picked up the scroll that came with it and pocketed it in one of the vest pouches. "I thank you for this honor Hokage-sama, I'll do my best to make my village and clan proud."
Moving forward she said. "Haruno Sakura, come forward." She neared the desk in a similar fashion. "Along with Shino you took part in defending the academy during the invasion. You managed to quickly settle yourself into a team formation different from your own in an exemplary show of the teamwork this village is built upon, during the attack you were also able to mask the academy building using a strong Genjutsu capable of fooling hordes of enemy shinobi long enough for the students to be evacuated. The feats you accomplished and the skills you demonstrated during the exams have earned you the rank of Chunin, congratulations."
Sakura was ecstatic, she took the vest and hurriedly put it on herself, pocketing the scroll that came with it in one of the pouches. She turned around to show Kakashi and basked herself in the proud eye-smile from his sensei. "Thank you Hokage-sama, I swear I'll make this worth it!"
"Nara Shikamaru, come forward" Sighing, Shikamaru walked up to her in a very unmotivated way that made his sensei and friends want to hit his head. "Your display during the exams was nothing particularly impressive, from what I hear the highest display of ability we had from you was in your match against Naruto."
Everyone had raised eyebrows at this, if the Hokage didn't find him impressive, then why is he being promoted? "What makes you noteworthy is your intellect. You were able to deduce there was something going on the day of the invasion and acted accordingly, giving up your match to keep yourself capable and with your guidance your team was able to secure the hospital against the worst odds possible long enough for your parents to relieve you, all while sustaining minimal injuries."
Tsunade gave him a scrutinizing look for a moment. "Some of your peers have even vouched for your abilities to me, even if they didn't know that's what they were doing," At this she looked at Naruto for a second, one of the first things she asked of him was a detailed summary of his colleagues. "You are living proof that there is more to Shinobi combat than just brute force and these qualities have earned you the rank of Chunin, congratulations."
Shikamaru grabbed a Vest from the desk and put it on top of his clothes. He tried his best to look uninterested but anyone that knew him long enough could see the little hinges of excitement and happiness hidden in his face. "Troublesome"
And now, the final promotion. "Uzumaki Naruto, come forward."
Naruto and Tsunade had not seen each other at all since they got back from the village, he hadn't even been able to take her to hospital so she could get a look at Lee and Neji, they however got along well enough for Naruto to be able to call her a grandma and not die in the process, he would be serious for this though.
"You have by far been the most surprising case to look at Naruto, the Sandaime left nothing but praise about you and your abilities," He smiled incredibly bright at that and looked outside the window, catching a glimpse of the Hokage monument. "In both of your matches during the tournament you demonstrated the ability to think ahead and versatility in different Shinobi skills, even the most obscure ones like Fuinjutsu."
Jiraiya and Kakashi both had satisfied smirks on their faces as they listened to Tsunade talk about their apprentice. "To top it off, you joined forces with an Anbu operative and defeated the Ichibi before it had time to rampage the village. There is no doubt in our minds that you'll make the village proud, you have earned yourself the rank of Chunin, congratulations."
Naruto quickly picked up the last vest on the desk along with the scroll that came with it and pocketed it in one of the pouches, he then removed his orange jacket leaving only his mesh shirt that reached just past his elbows with the Chunin vest on top. "Thank you Hokage-sama, I'll do my best to take that hat from you in no time!"
All people in the room chuckled at the boisterous claim as they congratulated each other, with the seriousness of their meeting over the senseis in the room approached their students and engaged into conversation with them, congratulating them and making plans for their celebration. "We should all go out to celebrate tonight, I'll tell Ino and the others to meet us at Yaikinikiu Q"
Sakura's idea came with the agreement of pretty much everyone that was present in the room, even the two Sannin present were invited to the celebration which they politely declined. "Will you be there Kakashi-sensei?" Asked Sakura with a hopeful look on her face.
The Copycat of Konoha had made leaps and bounds in every single aspect of his life in the last months, socializing more and not showing up late to meetings most of the time but he still didn't enjoy social gatherings too much, but he knew it meant a lot to his students that he was present in the gathering. "Maa Maa, you know I wouldn't let my students celebrate their promotion without me, I'll be there."
Jiraiya and Koharu left the room shortly after making Tsunade dismiss everyone but not without telling them that they'd get their new assignments soon enough, as they started walking out the door she said out loud. "Stay for a moment Naruto, there is something I would like to talk about with you."
He shared a look of confusion with his friends but stayed nonetheless, waiting for everyone to leave the room before he said to her. "What's up Granny?"
Her eyebrows started twitching in annoyance, and she thought she would be getting some respect from him now that he was made a Chunin. "As you know, I haven't been able to leave the office much yet but I had Doctor Teruya send me the files of those two friends of yours you want me to help."
The insight she had gotten from her as well as the reports she read were enough in her mind to draw conclusions on their situations, she'd still prefer checking on them in person. "I finally have some time now so I'll be heading straight to the hospital to look at them, wanna tag alone?"
He nodded and thanked her for not forgetting about them as they both made their way out of the office and walked from the building.
"Are you sure about this Otou-sama?"
"Yes Hinata, I was informed by Tsunade-sama that she would be personally checking up on Neji today, she even said he'll be good to go home with us" Ever since the exams, the relationship between Hiashi and his daughters had improved greatly, much to his chagrin he realized that the moment he started changing his ways for the betterment of his clan his eldest daughter started coming out of her shell.
Everytime he thinks about what he did to both her and Hinata over the years his heart dies a little.
He had been trying however to fix his mistakes and had expressed to both of his daughters his repenment for the way he had raised them. Hiashi had lost a lot with the death of both his brother and lover and allowed himself to become a cold and uncaring version of his former self, something that he's working on changing.
He would never stop being a Stoic no nonsense with zero interest in sentimentality of course but he would stop being a dick about it.
The other Issue he was working on ever since the invasion had been of course Neji, ever since he decided that the boy would be protected by him the elders of the main branch of the clan had become enraged, calling for the boy's resealing and some of them even for his execution.
The only thing he had ever done for Neji was fail him and he felt afraid every time that he visited to find him with a caged bird seal upon entering his room in the hospital or even worse. Being able to take him home, it didn't make him feel as excited.
"Naruto-kun!"
From around a corner came both the Hokage and the young Uzumaki boy his daughter Hinata is so fond of so Hiashi shook himself off from his musing and greeted the Hokage and - judging by the looks of it - the newly appointed Chunin in a dignified manner as its fit for the most powerful clan in the village. "Good morning Hokage-sama, Uzumaki-san it's good to see you."
"Likewise Hiashi-san, but let's get straight to business, I'm on a tight schedule." He could understand that of course, a new Hokage must have a hard time settling into the position, he could only be grateful that she decided to look at Neji herself.
All of four of them walked together as they made their way into Neji's room, he could hear Naruto and Hinata talking discretely about various topics while the Hokage and him talked about the current state of the village, he expressed to her the full support of the Hyuga clan in her new role which she thanked him for.
Once they got into Neji's room Tsunade made her way to him while the rest of them gave her space to work and listened to her talk. "From the reports I was given on his case and Dr. Teruya's assessment I was able to figure out how to help Neji, like she said the stress of both of the marks placed on him destroying each other caused severe damage to his brain."
She made a half ram seal and her hand started glowing blue, it looked almost like the Chakra Scalpel but was in reality a Jutsu she used to evaluate parts of the human body, like a scanner. "I figured out a way to safely chart his neurological system and repair his nerve cells, feel free to watch exactly what I'm doing."
The Hyuugas in the room - the conscious ones that is - turned on their Byakugan silently and watched as the Hokage safely distributed chakra around the whole of Neji's brain. They completely trusted her work and wouldn't dare to question her knowledge, they were merely watching out of curiosity.
After she finished mapping his entire Network and having made sure to memorize it to perfection she closed her eyes and started sending healing chakra through his brain. The way she could control her chakra left both Hinata and Hiashi speechless, it was almost addicting to watch her work.
Tsunade truly is worthy of her fame.
"There, that should do it."
"When can he be expected to wake up Hokage-sama?" Asked Hiashi.
"I'm afraid I don't have a straight answer for you Hiashi-san." She started working on getting him off the ventilator that kept him alive as she addressed him. "All of the damage that was made to his brain has been healed but like any other injury, he'll need time to recover. Don't worry, his brain has taken control of his basic bodily functions again."
To prove this she motioned at the way his chest started going up and down by itself as soon as she took the apparatus out of his throat. "Do try to remember that the brain is still a mystery to all medical practitioners including myself, there's still much we don't know. While the damage has been fixed in the physical sense we don't know exactly what he's going through inside his psyche, I also don't know how safe it would be to have a Yamanaka examine his mind in his current state so I'd rather not take the risk."
With that she motioned Naruto to follow her and both made their way outside of the room but just before leaving she said. "It's now up to him to wake up; he's already gone through the worst part. I'm confident he'll be making a full recovery before you even know it." She and Naruto both walked out and left the Hyugas alone.
He was about to address Hinata again but the head of Tsunade popped up through the side of the door as if she had forgotten something important. "I almost forgot, I found Sarutobi-sensei's binnacle, he wrote about your deal with him regarding Neji and I just wanted to let you know it is still in effect."
With that she finally left and Hiashi released a breath he didn't even know he was holding, to be completely honest he had forgotten about that conversation with the Sandaime but was glad to know Tsunade would still uphold the Hokage's word, that made him more confident about taking Neji back to the compound.
A nurse entered the room shortly after and gave Hiashi some paperwork to fill out while she started getting Neji ready to be transported home.
"Come now Hinata, let's take him home."
"Now Naruto, I've already read the reports and I had a very lengthy conversation with Dr. Teruya about this so before we go in I want you to know that you and Lee may not like what I have to say if my fears prove to be the truth." She hates this part of the job, every medical practitioner in the world does yet it is something they have to do almost every day. "He will need your support as a friend through this."
Without waiting for his response she walked into the room and found Lee along with Gai waiting for her, he had long since been discharged from the hospital so he showed up to his appointment dressed in his usual green outfit. They greeted her in the way they greet everyone.
They yelled at her and showered her with youth.
Naruto came into the room shortly after looking unbothered; he had long since become used to their antics but was glad to meet again with one of his senseis and dearest friend. "It's so good to see you again, my youthful apprentice! How about we train together sometime soon for old times sake, let's fan your flames of youth to celebrate your promotion!"
The Uzumaki was still going around with only his mesh shirt with a new vest on top so it was easy to figure out that he now had a higher rank, something Lee took notice of quickly. "YOSH! IT IS JUST LIKE YOU TO BECOME A CHUNIN ON YOUR FIRST TRY NARUTO-KUN! I'M SO PROUD OF YOU MY FRIEND AND RIVAL! I PROMISE I WILL CATCH UP TO YOU AS SOON AS I RECOVER AND IF I DON'T I WILL RUN A THOUSAND LAPS AROUND KONOHA WHILE STANDING ON MY ARMS!"
"Lee… THAT IS A MOST YOUTHFUL IDEA! I TOO SHALL ENDEAVOR IN THIS CHALLENGE WITH YOU AND YOU SHOULD TOO NARUTO-KUN! WE WILL FAN THE FLAMES OF OUR YOUTH TOGETHER!"
"Both of you Shut up!"
Tsunade had met the boisterous Jonin the moment every high ranking Shinobi in the village met with her so she could have an idea of the forces at her disposal; saying she was thoroughly annoyed at that moment was an understatement and now having found another just like him?
She really needs her sake.
After having calmed down, Gai and Lee engaged Naruto in a very amicable conversation, trying to get as many details as possible about his new promotion and his last mission. Tsunade used the time provided by his… family? To examine Lee closely for herself, using the information she had on his report to fill in any blanks she may have.
The results were just as she expected them to be no different than what Dr. Teruya had told him already.
"I am very sorry Lee." She knew the news weren't anything exactly new to him but she still tried to be as gentle in her delivery as possible, he had after all kept on thinking that he would recover. "The diagnosis you were given before was correct, the damage inflicted to the bones in your leg is too severe, they along with your nerves are completely shattered, turned to pieces, very small pieces. Any attempt at fixing this would require major surgery and you most likely won't come out from it alive."
Time seemed to stop for every person in the room. They all knew this was a possibility, hell they had already been told this same truth before. But Tsunade was coming back to the village, they all had heard, so it was a no-brainer that as soon as she got a good look at Lee her hand would start shining green and put everything back in one piece in a matter of seconds.
Truth hurts.
Lee lost all focus, his dream, everything he fought so hard for seemed to slip in between his fingers. Why? Why do things like this keep happening to him? Why is it that everything he does never seems to be enough? Is this it? Is this fate?
Is there really no way to escape it?
No, no that can't be it, he had debated Neji for months trying to sway him away believing in fate, there is no way he will take his place. "I want to do it."
His voice came out quiet, there was no daring claim, no bold proclamation or challenge or self imposed rule. So much so that Tsunade was actually confused for a moment. "You want to do what?"
"You said fixing this would require surgery right? I want to do it, I want to be operated on as soon as possible please." The way he didn't even look up as he spoke unsettled everyone in the room. Gai had completely stopped talking, he only looked with complete seriousness at his apprentice.
"Bushy brows you have to understand… If baa-chan does anything on you chances are you'll die, I don't want to lose you." He felt selfish saying such things to him. Who was he to decide who lives and dies solely on how convenient it is for him? It made no difference though, Naruto had lost a friend already, he wouldn't be losing another anytime soon.
"You don't have to worry about anyone dying, Naruto" Said Tsunade, before Lee could respond. "I won't perform surgery on him knowing very well that he could die on the table, it just isn't worth it. Forget it Lee, it's not going to happen."
"If I don't do this Hokage-sama, I will already be dead. Naruto-kun, this is what I live for. If I die on the table then it'll be worth it, I don't want to live my life in misery every day longing for my days as a Shinobi." At this he looked up so that everyone in the room could see his face, it revealed tears, very different from the ones in his overly dramatic displays.
"The last weeks have been a nightmare for me, no training, no missions no anything. How can I keep on fanning the flames of my youth if the only thing I can do is sit on a wheelchair and pretend I'm doing alright? I want to do this Hokage-sama" There's nothing worse than pretending to be ok and wanting to cry on the inside. If this procedure had at least a small chance of fixing everything then he would do it.
"Baa-chan I think you should do it" Which didn't mean he liked it of course, but he could understand. If faced with a similar situation Naruto would undoubtedly want this to be done to him despite the odds, why would Lee be any different. "You asked me to come here so I could show Lee my support. As a friend and as a fellow shinobi of Konoha I'm begging you to give him the operation, if there's anyone that can survive it. It'll be him."
Gai didn't know what to say, ever since Lee got hurt by Gaara he had been feeling responsible for everything. He had been the one to instill the value of hard work to him, the guts to never give up and keep on working to accomplish all of his goals.
It had been exactly what drove him to give everything against the redhead from Suna.
So what can he say in this situation? What even is the right thing to say? He definitely doesn't want the kid who became the closest thing he has to a son to die, but he also doesn't want him to become stagnated and depressed longing for something he can't no longer have.
"What are your thoughts on this, Gai?"
The Hokage is actually thinking about it which means she is willing enough, he thinks he faintly heard her arguing with Naruto while he got lost in thought, the boy seems able to convince her of doing things for whatever reasons.
At the end of the day, it isn't his choice to make. His beliefs had driven Lee to the place where he now stands and as much as he wants him alive he wants him happy, the boy is still after all going through the springtime of his youth, he'll come through, he always does. "If Lee-kun believes this to be the best I won't be the one to say otherwise, this is his dream and I support his decision to fight for it."
Tsunade hates them all, why does she keep allowing herself to be swayed into doing things by strong willed brats? Whatever, the kid is going to most likely die if she does the surgery but he's very convinced.
She'll have to find a way to get his odds up.
"You are going to owe me big time for this, the two of you." She said, pointing at Lee and Naruto. "As it is, the surgery is most likely going to kill you and I don't want that in my conscience, come back here in two days so I have some time to figure out how to fix you without killing you in the process."
Naruto and Lee were thrilled to hear her words while Gai opted for contained happiness combined with weariness. She left them there and went straight to the library. The Uzumaki and Lee had to fetch Tenten for their dinner to celebrate the rookies promotions, she had to work on their behalf.
What can she get in compensation for spending two days without sleeping for this?
Dinner had gone as well as you'd expect. The Konoha 11 had gathered along with their senseis to celebrate the newest Chunin additions to the village and they all enjoyed it, eating competitions between the Akimichi and the Uzumaki, fun little games and slightly inebriated Jonins.
But Naruto, Sakura and Kakashi had decided to leave the party early, they were extremely grateful for the attention they received and wouldn't have left if they didn't think it necessary, but there was someone they still needed to see before the night ends, someone they had to thank too.
"I know it's been a while." Sakura said with both Naruto and Kakashi sharing similar thoughts as they watched. "Naruto and I are Chunin now, can you believe it? I'm not as useless anymore," She chuckled at her own words, almost hearing the snort and dismissive grunt with hidden pride laced in it that would've for sure been the answer to her question. "I'm sure that if you had taken the exams you would also be a Chunin by now, you were always the best out of the three of us Sasuke-kun."
There was no way they'd be able to celebrate Team 7's newest achievement without the whole of team 7. Naruto and Sakura rarely came to visit Sasuke, it wasn't out of malice of course they just had been busy with other things. Kakashi made it a point to come at the very least once every week and for him, it didn't feel like enough.
Losing Sasuke was and still is his greatest Sin.
Visiting the cemetery of Konoha had never been an eerie experience, it was, in most cases; an opportunity to bond and share with those that stayed behind. People rarely were afraid coming here, sad? Of course but never afraid, this place has a welcoming aura to those who wish to visit.
Sasuke's tomb isn't any different.
"I keep on asking myself how things would be if I had taken the hit for you" Said Naruto, kneeling down and lighting up an incense stick. "You should be a Chunin by now, the best in the village." His sharingan came to life as he stared at the name of his best friend. "I will fight to make you proud Sasuke, I'll make sure your eye isn't wasted on me."
Naruto had always thought that when it came to skill Sasuke would leave him and Sakura behind, he was never bitter or angry about it though. It just seemed like a fact to him, but it was ok, they were best friends after all, why would he ever be mad at his friend's success?
That is neither here nor there he supposes, his friend is gone and all he can do is make sure to use the gift he left behind for him to the fullest of his capabilities, even if he's yet to discover them all at the moment.
Kakashi stepped forward, his gaze fixed upon the solemn grave before him, with a heavy heart he lowered his head and knelt in front of the stone tablet that showed the name of one of his biggest failures carved in stone and sighed; are things good now? Are they not? What could've happened if he hadn't died? Would he still be a bad sensei? He shook his head trying to clear his mind of the what-ifs.
Intrusive thoughts, that's what Inochi called them in one of their sessions.
A silent prayer was shared between the members of team 7 as they all sat in a weirdly comfortable silence, the smell of the incense stick they lit up filled their noses and soothed their souls, it didn't matter how much regret they all felt for the past; it was almost as if their lost member listened to their prayers and reassured them every time, pushing out their guilt and easing their minds.
As pleasing as the silence had become to all three of them, it had to be broken. "I got you both something." Kakashi grabbed a pair of scrolls from his vest, one red and one orange; these immediately caught his students' attention who extended their hands to catch them as they were tossed at them.
Sealing scrolls, they had become increasingly familiar with those, especially the fuinjutsu practitioner of the bunch. They proceeded to unfurl the scrolls to release the seal holding whatever it was Kakashi had gotten for them. "I know it isn't much" He said, "but I know some Jonin Sensei have some sort of tradition with their students when they become Genin, the Sarutobi and their students all get earrings so I thought this could be our thing."
This side of Kakashi that had surfaced after everything went through never ceased to amaze Naruto and Sakura, the latter being the one most impressed by his present.
"I even got one for myself, don't expect me to wear it too much though, I'm quite fond of the standard uniform." He said as he revealed a Jacket from a pouch that was in the same design as theirs. It's a very peculiar type of black hooded jacket. It has sleeves that reach almost to the elbows with sleeves and parts of the chest of a different color.
In Naruto's case, it is a beautiful dark orange no different from a fiery sunset, and for Sakura, a lovely crimson red reminiscent to the blaze of a roaring flame accentuated with black borders on the sleeves and hood. To top it all off, there is a black line in the middle of the sleeves that lead to a crest right in the center: the legendary Uzumaki swirl for him and the Haruno family symbol for her.
While the lower part of the hoodie is also black; it too has small details in the opposite color, such as small pockets on the front of the hoodie, which, upon closer inspection, reveal storage seals for their ninja equipment. The jackets were tailored to their every need and looked to be more than good enough for their work as Shinobi.
Kakashi's was no different than theirs but he chose to have it be a breath-taking silver color that looked to be the same shade as his hair. He made sure they were made of a highly resistant and waterproof shinobi fabric, that way they would never worry about blood stains. "Now that you both are chunin, we won't be taking as many missions together and you will start leading your own squads."
Both Naruto and Sakura started directing their gaze at the ground as they listened to Kakashi's words, they had gotten used to being a team and as excited as they were to grow in the shinobi ranks, they would miss their sensei. "Things haven't always been great but I want you to know that you two can come to me for anything and I'll do everything in my power to help you out, no matter what you'll always be my cute little genin."
Sakura and Naruto both launched themselves at their sensei and tightly embraced him, something that caught him by surprise but found he didn't hate at all, he actually liked it so much that he returned their hug. 'Yes… everything will be just fine'.
After releasing the group hug, all three of them put on their jackets as they stood up, throwing one last glance at Sasuke's resting place, with a last silent prayer they departed on their ways back home, promising to see each other again as soon as possible, something that wouldn't be hard at all of course, which Kakashi reflected on as he watched his pinked hair apprentice walk away.
Naruto and Sakura were the best of friends and met to train or hang out almost daily, sometimes even both. Kakashi and Naruto were after all brothers by choice and it wasn't a rare occurrence to see them together around the village, either training or just hanging out (something Kakashi had to be forced to do though not as much as he used to). Speaking off… "Say Nii-san, what if we go get some dinner before you go home? How about some ramen?"
He smiled to himself and looked up at the sky as they both walked away from the cemetery together, he would always cherish these moments. "Sure we can, but you're paying this time Naruto."
"What? Why am I paying? Aren't you supposed to be celebrating ME?!" He replied in annoyance, huffing.
"Maa maa Naruto, I only pay for cute little genin and you're no longer one of those, you should take it as a compliment y'know?" Oh he loved messing with his little brother, it's just so easy.
"BUT YOU JUST SAID WE WOULD ALWAYS BE YOUR- HEY! DON'T WALK AWAY FROM ME KAKASHI!"
Seven more days have passed since their promotion and things had gone rather smoothly to all newly promoted Chunin, their assignments so far hadn't been particularly taxing, the Hokage had decided it was best they first learned the inner works of the village's military structure first and sent them all to familiarize themselves with the former.
They had learned how the security patrols worked and how and when they would/could be assigned to them, what was expected of them in those positions and what they'd need to do to accomplish them. Introductions had also been made between them and the chunin and as many of the Jonin forces of the village in that same time span.
Finally, Tsunade asked Inoichi to give them a quick run down of the T&I department and even introduced them to the Anbu commander to receive a short briefing about their procedures so they would know what action to take in different circumstances where a clear chain of command wasn't clear.
Everything had fortunately gone smoothly for them and they received word from the Hokage herself that they would start receiving mission assignments very soon, leading Genin Squads in lower ranks would come first as a way of training for them but they were all confident it would help them out a great lot.
In even happier news, Lee had undergone surgery with both Tsunade and Shizune and even though some complications occurred he miraculously survived the procedure, he would take at least a month to start walking again and for now was still unconscious as per his doctor's wishes.
That was definitely the safest way to have him stay still long enough for the most delicate part of his healing process.
Things were quickly changing and that was actually the reason Naruto had decided to come back to the cemetery again, there were still some people resting there whom he needed to talk to before starting this new chapter of his life. He of course started with his parents, he usually couldn't help but cry every time he talked to them in this place, sometimes they were tears of joy, sometimes they weren't.
It's still hard getting used to the idea that you lost something you never had.
This time it was much easier though, no tears were shed as he talked to them and told stories about his more recent adventures and everything going on in his life so far, he felt at peace like something had changed in the last few weeks but he wasn't entirely sure of what it was. Either way he felt immense relief as he spoke and for a moment could even slightly feel a warm embrace.
He'd start making time to visit them more often.
Before leaving, there was someone else he had to see and a sad look made its way to his face the moment he stood up from his parents' shared grave; Konoha's latest lost hero.
The Sandaime Hokage.
Naruto stared at the name with teary eyes, kneeling down and finding a comfortable position, he lit up an incense stick right after and spoke out-loud. "I'm a Chunin now Jiji, one step closer to being Hokage 'ttebayo! I just… I Just wish you were here to see it. I'm sorry I didn't come sooner, I've been busy with baachan's familiarization but we're going to start getting assignments soon, I'll do everything to make you proud Jiji I promise!"
A sad smile adorned his face with a few treacherous tears running down his face in clear defiance. His loss had been a giant blow for Naruto, but he won't let it affect him any longer; that's not what Hiruzen would've wanted after all. The moment he made that realization a soft breeze caressed his cheeks, it made him feel reassured.
"I miss you very much Jiji…" He sat there in a comfortable silence, reciting a prayer in his mind with both hands clasped together. There was a very comfortable quiet and relaxing aura around him as he connected with his late grandfather. He wished he could make it last longer but alas it wasn't meant to be.
"You know… what you're doing is very rude. I would prefer if you didn't, not here."
Following his words 6 figures emerged from the shadows and surrounded him but much to their annoyance, Naruto didn't stand up.
"You're going to die today brat! Orochimaru-sama sends his regards." One of the opposing shinobi spoke out loud, by the looks of it, their leader.
Opening his eyes Naruto could see they were in fact Oto shinobi by the looks of it, Chunin judging by their age, and here he thought he could have a quiet and relaxed conversation with his grandfather, now he'd have to fight some idiots in his resting place.
It made him very angry.
"I didn't realize that bastard cared enough about me to send you guys to greet me, thinking about it though, he does seem like the kind to be obsessed with children." He purposely made them angry, one of the things Kakashi loves doing to his enemies, throwing them off their game.
Just as he expected, a reckless Chunin grabbed his sword and carelessly rushed at the still seating Naruto, he didn't think there was any way he would be able to react in time despite his comrades saying otherwise. He got right in front of his face and just when he was about to cut his head off a golden chain erupted from the ground and stopped his every move as it tied itself all around his body.
Naruto calmly stood up from the ground and knocked the man unconscious with a quick chop to the neck, using him as an example. "This will be your one and only warning, leave now."
"You will pay for your insolence, you stupid asshole!" Was the answer from one of the Oto Chunin.
"Ok then, just remember you asked for this."
Naruto calmly unsealed both of his short staffs from the seals on his jacket and maneuvered them into his hands, they were a gift from his grandfather so it was only right that he used them to beat the crap out of the people who disrespected the resting place of so many Konoha heroes.
To that regard he actually decided to make them into a larger staff making use of the seals his grandfather engraved on them, he mostly uses that form for defensive purposes or alongside wind jutsu but the Sandaime had trained him in the art of bojutsu and he was damn good at it.
Just as he was about to start the fight explosions started going off in the distance, the cemetery was far from the village but close enough that he would be able to hear such things and it only made him even more angry so, as his sharingan eye came to life he stared down his opponents. "I'm going to beat the hell out of you so hard you'll regret ever coming here!"
Moments earlier.
"The decision is final Hiashi, there is nothing you can do. The boy will be sealed again as he should be."
"Decision?" He asked enraged, "I don't recall making such a decision. As a matter of fact I told you countless times he would not be receiving the mark again. I'm the head of this clan and my word here is law, do you understand?!" He had done this way too many times already, gone through the same conversation, explained the course of action they'd take…
They still didn't listen.
"We overruled you in this matter Hiashi, we believe you are not in the right state of mind to make the decision necessary for the greater good of our clan." Said one of the elders that had entered his quarters, with a smugness in him that made Hiashi's blood boil. "The whole council of elders has agreed on this"
"Overrule me?" His apparently calm visage disappeared from his face just as his chakra started leaking out of him, building an immense pressure in the room. They made him angry. "You have the power to overrule NOTHING! do not mistake your positions for anything else than what they are elders, you are mere advisors whose continuous involvement in this clan's dealings I allow out of sheer pity."
The elders clearly were not expecting this to be the outcome of their conversation, it was obvious by the look in their faces that they thought Hiashi could be intimidated into doing what they wanted, they had done so before after all. "You may have been able to manipulate my father into doing your bidding but do not think for one second he and I are the same. Now leave my office before I decide you should be punished for your insolence."
The elders quickly stood up with their tails between their legs and very angry looks, Hiashi just didn't get it. Why is it that they're so obsessed with this? Sure, he once held very oppressive and outdated ideals towards the side branch, towards his family. But he was able to realize his mistakes, his past misgivings.
Why is it so hard for them?
A very thick and uncomfortable silence suddenly engulfed his compound as he watched the elders leave his office, it put him on edge and even the council were able to feel it, he was about to address the issue when a loud explosion momentarily deafened his ears, followed by countless other smaller explosions that by the looks of it aimed to destroy the walls surrounding the Hyuga estate.
In the commotion, a group of three Otogakure jonin broke through the wall of his office and aimed to strike down the Hyuga leader and advisors in one single blow; they greatly underestimated the might of the Hyuuga.
In a swift move, Hiashi dodged a blade aimed for his head and counterattacked with a jyuken strike to the forehead of his would be assassin, making him drop dead in an instant. The other two watched as their comrade died with extreme ease and charged the man at the same time, sharing a similar fate.
After they died, a pair of Hyuga shinobi with white bandages tied around their foreheads showed themselves and knelt in front of Hiashi to wait for instructions; the man in question removed the Hitai-ate from one of his attackers, seething with disgust at their allegiance. "The fools thought they could sneak up on a Hyuga. Listen well Ritsuka, Setsuko. We're under attack by Otogakure, I want you to gather a force and protect Neji's quarters at all costs, I fear he is their objective."
Both shinobi nodded and disappeared from view to complete their assignments, Neji was one of them, they would give their lives if it meant protecting him.
Hiashi was once again left alone with the elders in his office, the most intelligent course of action would be to let them in there under the protection of a few of his men while he waited for back up to arrive, by now the Hokage must know about the attack and Konoha's forces were bound to join at any moment, they could be protected.
But should they?
These men, with old ideas and outdated views of the world that saw people that should be their family as nothing more than slaves; he had taken part in it before but he is now working on fixing it. They are a constant thorn on his side, rejecting any notion of progress.
Yes, as much as it pains him, for the future of the Hyuga, the past needed to be purged and if anyone is going to bear that responsibility, it'll be him. He picked up one of his assailants' swords from the floor and gave them all an apologetic look, which was received with confused stares.
They didn't understand why Hiashi would need a sword for battle, he is a proud Hyuga after all, he always relies on his Taijutsu.
"I'm sorry about this elders, but this is a necessary step for the betterment of our clan." It was of the utmost importance that no evidence suggested the attack came from a Hyuga in order to keep appearances. So using the cover provided by the attack, Hiashi rushed them using the sword in a show of skill one wouldn't expect from the leader of the proudest clan in the village.
He made sure to work fast and grant them a death as merciful as he could, outdated as they were, they were still his family and in his eyes, deserved to die painlessly, so he slashed their necks and stabbed their hearts as quickly as he could, making them all drop dead in a matter of seconds.
The red liquid started covering almost the entirety of the floor he stood in, whether or not he had made the right choice was now irrelevant, there is no going back now, this attack would end up being a tragedy and losing him many of his clansmen, he knew it.
But it also provided a new opportunity, after this is all over the Hyuga will finally have a new tomorrow.
"Status report!"
"The invaders have only attacked the Hyuga estate and the hospital Hokage-sama, there are no other invaders in any of the key points of the village."
"I want all available squads of Chunin and Jonin to form groups and defend both the Hospital and the Hyuuga compound, have Genin squadrons evacuate the civilians. We cannot afford casualties."
"It will be done, Hokage-sama."
The Anbu reporting the situation to Tsunade disappeared from her office immediately after, leaving her momentarily alone. She stood up from her chair and removed her green haori, opting to leave it behind as she prepared to leave to fight for her village.
From the shadows, a new squad of Anbu showed up, her escort most likely preparing to go with her into the village and aid in its defense, she smiled at her soldiers and was about to address them when out of nowhere all 4 of them unleashed their swords and impaled her in different points of her body, leaving her with a completely shocked face.
"Tch. Killing this old bitch was way too easy you idiots! I was even worried for a second because of your stupid fear of her." The "Anbu" removed her mask and cowl, revealing her appearance; that of a young woman with short red hair and a pale appearance. Her teammates followed shortly after and revealed themselves too.
One was a man with dark skin and black hair tied in a ponytail, you could think of him as normal until you look down and see he has 4 arms and a semblance not too different from that of a spider. Right next to him stood a big man with a bald head except for three patches of orange hair located on both sides and the top of his head.
Finally, there was a man with a pale bluish hair and sickly smile covered in black lipstick, he is by far the most creepy looking of the two and that was only accentuated by the fact he had another head on the back of his neck.
"W-Who?" Sputtered Tsunade with a trembling body.
The creepy looking one looked at her with a sickly smile and started laughing uncontrollably. "Who else but Orochimaru-sama? He asked that we personally take care of you in this little expedition of ours."
Tsunade's shocked looking face quickly turned into a taunting smirk, making all 4 of her attackers feel uneasy. "Orochimaru huh… I figured as much." The impaled Hokage smiled at them and allowed her body to turn into wood before collapsing in the ground, confusing the Sound 4 very much.
"It would seem you were right Tora, someone was going to try and assassinate me tonight, if we had bet on it you would have won." Two figures started emerging from the ground in a way not so different from Orochimaru, after they completely reached the surface the attackers could see a perfectly fine Hokage along with an Anbu wearing a tiger's mask.
"Far be it from me to bet against my Hokage's directives…" Answered the Anbu in a teasing manner the new Hokage found amusing. "I was simply stating what I thought to be obvious."
"Whatever show-off… Go and join your squad at the Hyuuga compound, if Orochimaru sent these idiots it means that's their first objective… To think they'd attack just when Jiraiya left and a lot of our Jonin were sent on missions."
"It seems rather curious that they'd pick this day to attack, don't you think Hokage-sama?" Mused Tora as he made his way to leave the office through the window.
Tsunade rubbed her chin in thought as she took her Anbu's words into consideration, once realization hit she got very angry. "It does suggest someone from the inside tipped them off… We'll deal with it later, go help the Hyuuga, I can take care of these punks."
Tora accepted the command and shunshined out of the room, leaving the Hokage along with Orochimaru's goons. "I was very relaxed tonight; I thought I could go to sleep early and maybe even have a cup of sake.
The pressure in the room became too much as Tsunade allowed her powerful and angry chakra to leave her body. "I hope you came prepared for the shitstorm that's about to rain down on you."
AN: I've never been a fan of cliffhangers but If I had written the fights here it would make this chapter extremely long and I honestly don't want that.
I don't know if you remember I said I would be doing something different for Konoha's elders on this fic, they are rather unlikable in canon and most stories double on that aspect which is why I decided to write them differently for the sake of this story.
I did kill one of them though…
Point is, Koharu is going to be good with Tsunade and aid her during the course of this story. I want to reiterate that my Tsunsde is cooler and stronger than canon Tsunade so I'm going to have her do cooler things.
This is my take on the Sasuke retrieval mission of course but with some major changes.
Like Sasuke being dead way beforehand for example.
I'll try and have next chapter ready as soon as possible. Please do let me know what you think and review this chapter, it helps me improve my writing.
Until next time,
Be safe!