The distinct clicking and clacking sounds of high heeled shoes could be heard as a lady walked through the streets. Men turned their heads at her immaculate beauty while women turned their heads in envy. Her blonde hair flowed to her back as she took every step in confidence. Her chest puffed out showing off her greatest assets. Beside her, another lady of smaller build walked with a pig in her arms. Her black hair framed her face and had onyx eyes. In contrast with the blonde lady, she was rather worked up and stressed.
"Tsunade-sama, please don't tell me you borrowed money to gamble it away again? We can't keep doing this," pleaded Shizune who received an oink of agreement from Tonton, the pig.
"Nothing to worry about Shizune. I can feel it. Something's in the air, something that says, I will win this time. Let's go!" Tsunade said as she pulled Shizune into the gambling den.
She sat at the gambling table and pulled out the money she had. "I would like to bet 2000 Ryo," she said as she slid the money over to the dealer.
"Oh it's you again," the dealer realised who he was playing and grinned. 'Oh I'm about to get a lot of money…' he thought. He took a pair of dice and placed them under a cup. He shook the cup vigorously and asked, "even or odd?"
Tsunade thought for a second before she answered confidently, "even!"
The dealer slowly pulled the cup away to reveal the dice. A sense of anticipation was in the room. Shizune watched, worried that they would have to escape another debt. The dealer grinning at the 2000 ryo he could earn. As soon as the dice were revealed, it was as if the world had stopped. The room had become silent. Shizune's jaw dropped while Tsunade's eyes were wide. "Eight…it's even…" Tsunade muttered.
"Tsunade-sama, you won!!" Shizune exclaimed.
"I won! I, Tsunade Senju, won!" Tsunade exclaimed in disbelief. That was the start of their winning streak. Tsunade won a total of 30000 Ryo and managed to pay her outstanding debts and had a remainder of 5000 Ryo.
'Our luck has changed but I can't help but feel something I don't like is going to happen…' Tsunade thought before she went to sleep.
Back to Naruto
Naruto and Jiraiya stood outside of the tavern. "Ok, Gaki. Tsunade is in there and we've given her enough time to get slightly tipsy and just follow my lead, alright," Jiraiya said before he opened the doors to the tavern. "Tsunade?" Jiraiya asked in a fake shock.
Naruto wanted to face palm himself right there. 'Seriously, that's your lead?'
"Jiraiya?! What are you doing here?" She asked. Her shock was much more genuine than Jiraiya's. Her gaze then travelled to Naruto and for a moment. Naruto saw shock followed by recognition in her eyes. 'She knows who I am…' Naruto mused.
Jiraiya walked over to her table and sat down. Naruto followed suit and sat beside Jiraiya opposite of a dark-haired woman who he didn't see from the entrance. She had a pig in her arms which in his opinion was rather unusual for a pet but he wasn't one to judge. Naruto ordered some food while Jiraiya ordered some sake. Jiraiya and Tsunade started their own conversation so he struck one up with the only other person there.
"Good evening, nice to meet you. My name is Naruto," he greeted.
"Nice to meet you, Naruto. I'm Shizune and this is Tonton," she said as she gestured to the pig which surprisingly offered a leg? trotter? arm? for Naruto shake. As Naruto conversed with Shizune, he could see out of the corner of his eye that Tsunade was glancing at him from time to time.
'Naruto, the Kyubi kid? He has grown a lot and looks just like Minato at his age just with a mask.' Tsunade thought. "So, Jiraiya, what are you doing here?" She asked as she sipped some sake.
"Well, me and the Gaki were travelling and decided to visit this town for a break. Imagine my surprise when I see you here, of all people," Jiraiya said convincingly, or so he thought.
Tsunade knew her teammate well and she knew that he had something hidden. "Seems like both of my old teammates decided to visit me today," she scoffed.
"Orochimaru was here? What happened?"
"Nothing much, just a hello and we were on our way," Tsunade answered.
"A destroyed wall and random holes in the castle area is a new way to say hello now then I guess," Jiraiya said with a smirk.
"Tsk, Orochimaru already told me about sensei, Jiraiya. Come clean with it, I know you're hiding something. What do you want?" She said, clearly running out of patience.
Jiraiya took a deep breath before he took on a serious face and said, "Tsunade, Konoha has requested for you to become the Godaime Hokage."
The table went silent at the statement. Shizune was stunned and her face showed it very clearly with how wide her eyes were. Tsunade was silent and she seemed to have no outward reaction. However, inwardly, she was also shocked. She took a deep breath before saying, "no, I refuse."
Now it was Naruto's turn to be shocked. 'She rejected it?' Tsunade scoffed at Naruto's reaction. "It seems the gaki is shocked to hear me reject it. Only fools become the Hokage," she said.
Naruto's eyebrows rose and Jiraiya pouted. "That's quite harsh don't you think? My greatest student became Hokage, you know?"
"Yeah and where is he now? Dead," she said harshly. "All I'm saying is the truth. The track recorded for the Hokage is not good in any way. Look at sensei, he retired only to come back a few years later and die at the recent invasion. Even your student, he took the role only to give his life away soon after. It's not much different for my grandfather and granduncle too."
The restaurant went eerily silent after that. Those at the table turned their heads to Naruto who began to shake in rage. She had just reduced the sacrifices of the Hokage to nothing but foolishness. The Sandaime, the one he thought of as his grandfather, cast aside as a fool for defending the village. His father, the man who sacrificed not just himself but his wife, his newborn child to save the village from anarchy, called a fool! Naruto was releasing killing intent unconsciously and many of the patrons in the tavern had fainted.
"The Shodai, Nidaime, Sandaime and Yondaime all sacrificed their lives to save thousands and with the hopes of a better future," Naruto said softly but his voice carried its weight. "Yet, here you are reducing their sacrifices to nothing. I expected more from Tsunade Senju, coined as the greatest healer in the world but it seems I was wrong. Yes, you've lost many people close to you but so have others. The Hokage sacrificed their lives to prevent more people from becoming like you. But I guess you don't know that when you live in your own little world of gambling, alcohol and depression."
It seemed that those words struck a chord because Naruto was now off the ground being held by the collar by Tsunade. Naruto gazed into her eyes which were soothing with rage. Naruto merely chuckled and said, "looks like you didn't appreciate something I said."
"You got a problem with me or something, Gaki?" She asked angrily.
Naruto's expression surprised those around him. His expression became frosty and his cold blue eyes stared daggers at her. The black mask he wore highlighted the blue eyes that he received from his father even more. It was the same look that Minato Namikaze gave his enemies and made them scurry away. "You know what my problem is. You insulted the position that I most strived for, to be the Hokage. You know who I am. Yet, you insult the very man who sacrificed his life for me! The man who was there throughout my life! You insult them when you can't even match up to them! I will be Hokage and I won't hear the position I seek be mocked!" Naruto's anger got the better of him and his voice raised with it. "You're nothing but an old woman who can't stop living in the past!"
At the word old, Tsunade's ticking time-bomb which was her anger finally exploded. She tried to throw a punch at Naruto. Jiraiya and Shizune were about to stop Tsunade but Naruto was faster. He used a kawarimi and substituted with a salt shaker on a nearby table. Tsunade punched the salt shaker causing the salt to burst all over. "If you want a fight, let's do it outside. No use in harming civilians," Naruto said as he walked out. Tsunade followed swiftly out.
"Come on Shizune. Someone needs to pick him up when Tsunade's done with him," Jiraiya said. He knew that the word that makes Tsunade tick the most was calling her old. 'Oh, Naruto. You'll really get yourself killed this time…'
Outside
Tsunade and Naruto stood face to face while Jiraiya and Shizune were off to the side. "Nobody calls me old and gets away with it, gaki," Tsunade snarled but Naruto merely hummed in amusement.
"Oh, is the old lady hurt? My bad, I should've known. The truth always hurts doesn't it?" Naruto mocked. Jiraiya was getting increasingly worried about Naruto. He motioned for Naruto to stop but was ignored. He had only gotten to know his godson for a few months, he didn't want to see him get wiped so soon. "You're a disgrace to the village. I don't know why trash like you were even considered for the Hokage position," Naruto continued.
Tsunade took a few steps towards Naruto and they were nose to nose. "What did you say? Young brats like you should learn to be careful when talking to someone who could make paste out of them." At this point, the only thing restraining Tsunade from turning Naruto into a smudge was Jiraiya who was holding her back.
"You heard what I said. You're trash, in fact you're worse than trash. A shinobi who abandons their comrades is trash and you are abandoning an entire village so therefore, you're worse," Naruto spat out.
Tsunade broke free from Jiraiya's hold and went nose to nose with Naruto. "You want a fight? I'll give you a fight," Tsunade said as she increased her killing intent. Some of the patrons who had regained consciousness, fainted again at the feeling of Tsunade's killing intent. Tsunade walked a few steps away before facing Naruto again. She wanted to thrash him back to Konoha but she needed to show the disrespectful gaki why people don't mess with her. "You're way too excited to enter a coma, gaki."
Naruto merely shrugged. "So what are the rules?"
"No killing and anything else goes," she said with a grin. She was Tsunade of the Sannin, why not give her opponent a handicap while she was at it. "One finger. That's all I need to beat someone like you."
"Tsunade, we can talk this out like adults. Stop this," Jiraiya pleaded.
"No, Ero-sennin. We already tried diplomacy, now we settle this in a fight," Naruto said as he rushed towards Tsunade. He lashed out with a kick but Tsunade stopped with her index finger. He repositioned himself midair when Tsunade flicked him away.
Tsunade smirked, "how is it, gaki? Being outmatched by me," she said as she pointed at him with the same finger she flicked him away with.
"I'm just getting started," Naruto said as he brought his hands together. His hands were facing each other with a space in between. 'Ok, concentrate. Rotation…then, power and we have…' A blue orb of chakra rotated wildly in between his hands.
'It's incomplete but to have progressed so far…' Jiraiya thought as he saw Naruto's rasengan. 'Looks like he can't keep it from being bigger than the normal. Just like Minato's…'
" Rasengan! " Naruto shouted as he rushed Tsunade with blue orb of chakra in his palms.
Tsunade could recognise the jutsu from a mile away and knee how dangerous it was. She wasn't expecting Naruto to use a shunshin and appear behind her. 'I have to…' Tsunade's entire hand glowed in chakra before she used a chop to smash his rasengan. Naruto was blown away as the rasengan backfired and exploded on him. He ended up flying into a wall and smashed into it.
Shizune rushed towards him to heal his injuries however, Naruto pushed her hands away. "It's okay Shizune-san. Thank you," he said before he dispelled in a puff of smoke. Tsunade, Jiraiya and Shizune all saw this and had the same thought, 'when did he do that?'
"Wow, that explosion sure hurt like a bitch," came the voice of Naruto from behind them. They all turned to see Naruto standing at where he started. "You all must be wondering when I did it, aren't you?" His voice containing the slightest bit of smugness.
Flashback to several minutes ago
"If you want a fight, let's do it outside. No use in harming civilians," Naruto said as he walked out of the tavern. As soon as the door closed behind him, he created a shadow clone. "You know what to do," he said to the clone.
"Why must I be the one to receive the beating," the clone whined.
"What do you mean why? You're the clone and I'm the original."
"So what? This is bullshit!" The clone retorted.
Naruto gave him a deadpan stare before dispelling him. "I must be going insane if my clones have their own personalities…" he muttered before he created another clone. "How bout you? Any problems with taking the beating?"
"Oh yeah. No problem boss," the clone said with a two finger salute.
Naruto nodded before using a shunshin to appear on the roof of the building and suppressed his chakra. He watched as the clone insulted Tsunade more and more before he started the fight and the rasengan exploded in his face.
Flashback end
"So that's what happened," Naruto said as he finished his explanation. He then looked at Tsunade.
"Jiraiya, why did you teach such a dangerous jutsu to him? If he wasn't using a clone, he could've been badly hurt or if the jutsu had more power, he would've lost an arm."
Jiraiya paid Tsunade no attention and went to Naruto to ruffle his hair and gave him a pat on the back, "good job, Gaki! You won! And to progress on that jutsu so fast, good on you."
"What? He didn't win. He didn't hit me and his jutsu blew up in his face," Tsunade said.
"You're forgetting something there…You used more than one finger to stop the rasengan. So, by the rules you set, I win!" Naruto said proudly. "Looks like that completes my collection of fighting against the sannin."
Jiraiya then saw from the corner of his eye, Tsunade trying to leave. "I can't let you leave, Tsunade. We came here to find you and we're not going to let you go so easily. You were elected as the Godaime Hokage and as such our mission will not be complete until you become the Hokage. We will be with you for as long as it takes us," Jiraiya said.
"Why would I go back to Konoha? Why should I? I already said I don't want it. So you should just give up, leave us. Let's go, Shizune!" She turned to leave but Naruto called out to her.
"How about we have a wager?" Naruto asked and Tsunade's ears perked up at the word wager. "I will complete the rasengan so that I can do it one handed and at the same power. If I fail, we leave you and furthermore, me and Ero-sennin will give you some extra money to gamble," he said as he took out his wallet, Gama-chan and shook it. "However, if I do complete it, you come home with us and become Hokage."
Tsunade thought about it for a while before she agreed with some extra conditions, "ok I will give you one week. If I win, you will leave me and stop being a shinobi. If you win, I will throw in this necklace of mine," she said as she took out the crystal necklace she was wearing.
Naruto was quite disturbed at the idea of not being a shinobi. He always wanted to be a shinobi and he had no idea what he would do if he wasn't one. However, he believed in himself, he could and would complete the rasengan. Naruto said as he walked towards and shook her hand to confirm the wager, "I agree with the wager. Get ready to pack your bags, cause we're leaving in a week, Baa-chan," Naruto said as he disappeared in a shunshin leaving the three adults there in the dark street.
The next morning, Naruto left to go train at sunrise. He travelled out of Tanzaku and trained in the forest. He created 50 clones. "Ok, I will practise on perfecting the rasengan. Half of you will practise on kenjutsu while the rest will practise on taijutsu and fuinjutsu." His clones dispersed and proceeded with their training, leaving Naruto alone. 'Man, why did I make it so hard on myself? If I allowed myself to use clones this would be faster…No use regretting it now,' Naruto thought as he created the rasengan like he did the previous day. 'Ok before I can even think of doing it one handed, I must stabilise it first or it will explode in my face.'
After several hours of training, he felt exhausted. He had managed to progress but it was slower than he would've liked. However, progress was progress, no matter how little. He was now meditating while sitting on a lake one of his clones stumbled upon.
"The chakra coils near your palms have been overworked," Kurama said after doing an analysis of Naruto's body.
"I guess I will pay Shizune-san a visit. She could heal my hands," Naruto said as he used a shunshin to appear back in town. After a few minutes of searching, he found the room that Shizune and Tsunade were staying in. He couldn't sense Tsunade anywhere near so he was all clear to visit. 'If Tsunade knew I came for healing, I would never hear the end of it…' he approached the door to their room and knocked.
"Hello Shizune-san."
"Oh, Naruto-kun. What are you doing here?" Shizune asked, surprised.
Naruto looked to his left and right to make sure nobody saw him and swiftly entered the room. He rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly and said, "you see, Shizune-san…I need help to heal my hands and I cannot ask Tsunade. So you are the next best option. Can you help me?"
Shizune immediately went full doctor mode and started berating Naruto. "Let me see your hands. Does it hurt when I press it? How long did you train for? This is all because of that wager isn't it? Don't you know not to push your body too hard?"
After a few minutes of using the Shosen Jutsu (Mystical Palm Jutsu) , Naruto's hands were healed. "There you go. Now don't strain your chakra coils like that again, ok," Shizune said with a look that promised she wouldn't give the same treatment if he did it again. Naruto nodded but he didn't leave. He could tell that Shizune wanted to say something else to him. They sat in silence before Shizune sighed. "Naruto-kun, can you please drop the wager you made with Tsunade-sama?" She asked.
"What why?"
"The necklace that she wears…it's cursed. Every time she gives it to someone…they die the next day," Shizune said solemnly.
"A curse? That sounds like bullshit," Naruto said as he shook his head.
"But it's true! She gave it to her brother, and he passed away the next day. She gave it to her lover and he died in her arms," she cried out. "So please, Naruto-kun. Please drop the wager with Tsunade-sama. Give up on it," she implored.
Naruto pondered for a while before he sighed. "I'm sorry but I can never do that. I have never given up and never will. I will complete the rasengan and win the wager. If the necklace is cursed then, I will be the one to break that curse," he said determinedly.
Shizune saw the determined look on his face and knew she would waste her breath protesting. "Ok then, Naruto-kun. If you are so determined then I will not stop and wish you the best of luck. So what are you going to do now?"
"Hmm…" Naruto was wondering what to do when his stomach answered him with a grumble. He and Shizune exchanged a look before she started giggling. "I guess that's my answer. I'm going to eat. Do you want to join me?"
"Oh what is this? Are you asking me on a date?" Shizune teased.
"A date? It's not so easy to get a date with me, it's just a little lunch," Naruto said as he offered Shizune a hand. "Besides, I'm sure you'll have plenty of dates when you're back in Konoha."
Naruto and Shizune walked to a ramen stall that Naruto had been hoping to go to. It was not as amazing as Ichiraku's but it definitely fulfilled his desires. After the ramen, they went to a small tea shop as Shizune insisted they have tea. "So, Naruto-kun, what do you mean by me having plenty of dates back in Konoha?" Shizune asked.
Naruto took a sip of his team before answering, "what do you mean? I'm sure plenty of men back home would be interested in you."
Shizune tilted her head sodown and stared into her tea. Her face reflected in the brown liquid. "I don't know about that. I mean, I haven't been on a proper date in probably years. I don't have anything that interests people…"
Naruto tilted his head in confusion. "Are they blind?" he asked. Shizune immediately perked up and her eyes were wide.
"What did you say?"
"I said, are they blind? If youre saying you're not pretty or anything, then you should be less hard on yourself. You have a great heart, I mean you stay with Tsunade-baachan because you knew her mental health had taken a hit. You healed me and I'm sure many others as well. You're also fun to be with. I'm sure many people will like that part of you more than your actual appearance. If you ever get hurt, then don't worry I will personally whack them upside down." Naruto said with an eye smile and thumbs up.
Shizune smiled widely, "thank you, Naruto-kun. You're right I shouldn't be so hard on myself…You seem pretty confident that me and Tsunade-sama will be going back to Konoha."
"Of course, I will get both of you home if it's the last thing I'll do. Didn't I say that I never give up! You can count on it, Nee-chan." Naruto said as he gave two thumbs up.
'Nee-chan…I like that…' Shizune thought. She had no siblings and always wanted one. To be called big sister made her elated. Naruto saw her smile of joy turn into one of mischief and got worried. "Say, Naruto-kun. Have you liked anyone? Any dates?" She asked.
"Err…" Naruto rubbed the back of his neck nervously and he could feel his cheeks heat up. He thought back to probably the only person he found himself attracted to and that was from his time in the Land of Iron.
Shizune picked up on his feelings of nervousness and pounced on it. "Aha! There is someone!" she exclaimed.
"What! No!" Naruto blurted out.
"Don't lie to me. I can see it in your eyes. And if I pulled down that mask of yours, I bet I will see some very red cheeks. So who?" Shizune said as she pointed a finger at him. Naruto's eyes discreetly darted around to look for escape routes but Shizune saw it. "Don't you there run on me or I will tell Tsunade-sama that you looked for me to heal your hands," Shizune threatened.
"Ok, ok. I will tell you…never!" Naruto used a shunshin and appeared on the roof of the cafe. He released his resistance seals and exploded in speed only leaving the dust he kicked up behind and the money he left on the table for their teas. He ran as far away as he could.
"NARUTO! I WILL GET IT FROM YOU ONE DAY!" He heard Shizune shout.
The end of the week came quickly as Naruto distracted himself with training and avoiding Shizune. He was more careful this time to not overuse his chakra coils. He woke up as the sun hit his face. He woke up with a groan and got out of bed to do his morning rituals when he tripped on something on the floor. He lifted himself from the floor to see a black lump near the edge of his bed. He squinted his eyes to look properly at the black lump before he realised what it was or rather who it was.
"Shizune-neechan! What are you doing here sleeping on the floor?" He shook her awake.
Shizune opened her hazy eyes and jumped, surprising Naruto. "Tsunade-sama, where is she?" She asked, panicked and worried.
Naruto grabbed Shizune and calmed her down. "What do you mean? She did this to you?" Naruto asked.
Just then, Jiraiya entered through the room's window and he leaned against the wall uneasily. "Where's Tsunade? Jiraiya's voice held a threatening tone to it as he sunk onto the floor with his back on the wall.
"Damn, what happened to you Ero-sennin?" Naruto asked as he noticed Jiraiya's condition.
"Tsunade happened. She drugged me last night when we were drinking. I should've known," Jiraiya explained.
Shizune rushed towards her room to get some pills to reduce the effects of the drugs. Naruto then sensed a familiar and unfavourable chakra signature nearby. He silently took out his sealing items and drew a privacy seal. As soon as Shizune entered the room, he activated the seal. Jiraiya drank the crushed pills that Shizune gave him. "Thank you Shizune."
"The drugs will take a while to fully wear off but the pill will reduce the effects for now," she explained.
"What's with the seal, Gaki?" Jiraiya asked as he experimentally flexed arms.
"Kabuto. I sensed him looking in on us. He's gone now though," Naruto explained before he looked towards Shizune. "What did Orochimaru want with Tsunade?" He asked.
Shizune stared at her feet sadly, "Orochimaru approached Tsunade before you two arrived. He promised that he will bring back Tsunade-sama's precious people in exchange for healing his arms." She then looked at the other occupants hopefully, "the deadline is today but we could still stop it from happening."
"How are you feeling, Ero-sennin?" Naruto asked.
"Better but my chakra control is still haywire. She used quite a strong drug. How are we going to find her?" He then looked at Naruto.
Naruto shook his head, "she's out of my sensing range. We could follow the direction Kabuto headed but we don't know if it's to mislead us."
Shizune picked up Tonton and jumped out of the window before placing her on the ground. "Tonton, can you please find Tsunade-sama," Shizune requested. Tonton gave an oink of acknowledgment before starting to sniff at the ground. Naruto and Jiraiya joined Shizune on the ground as they followed the pig to Tsunade's location.
They were led to a field behind the castle on the hill and it seems their worries were for naught. Tsunade had rejected Orochimaru's offer and it seems Orochimaru was not happy. Tsunade was on all fours and she was shaking in place. "Tsunade-sama!" Shizune shouted as she ran to Tsunade and pulled out a handkerchief before wiping her face of blood.
As Naruto observed Tsunade and Shizune, he spotted a blur approaching them and jumped in to stop him. "Ma ma, Kabuto… don't you know it's rude to knock someone who is already down," Naruto said as he held onto Kabuto's arm which was glowing with a chakra scalpel. Naruto kicked him in the chest but Kabuto managed to hit him in the arm with a chakra scalpel.
"You're good, Naruto-kun but it seems you're careless," Kabuto commented.
"I don't know what you mean?" Naruto said smugly before dispelling in a puff of smoke. The real Naruto was behind Tsunade with Jiraiya. "Ero-sennin, what's wrong with her? Is it a genjutsu?"
Jiraiya shook his head and said, "no, ever since the last war, Tsunade developed hemophobia - the fear of blood. That's why she's shaking so much."
Naruto looked up to see Kabuto standing beside Orochimaru who had his arms wrapped in bandages. Instead of wearing a konoha headband, Kabuto was wearing a headband with a musical note. 'Otogakure…'
"Kukuku… What a reunion we have here. Jiraiya and Naruto-kun too. Although, I can't say it's a pleasure to see you," Orochimaru said with a chuckle as he saw his other teammate arrive.
"Oh ho. It's been a long time. Can't say your looks improved over time though, old friend." Jiraiya said then he turned to Naruto. "Gaki, I will take on Orochimaru while you and Shizune take on four eyes over there."
Orochimaru heard this and laughed. "You're going to handle me Jiraiya? Even handicapped, I doubt you can beat me. And you're going to let little Naruto-Kun face off against Kabuto. You really don't like him too much then."
"Kabuto now!" Orochimaru shouted as Kabuto pulled the bandages off one of Orochimaru's arms to reveal a tattoo on his arm. Kabuto smeared his blood on the tattoo and exclaimed, " Kuchiyose no Jutsu (Summoning Jutsu) !" Two large brown snakes appeared in a cloud of smoke.
Seeing this, Jiraiya tried to match it with his own summons. Key word: Tried. " Kuchiyose no Jutsu! " In a small puff of smoke, Gamakichi appeared. "Yo, nice to see you again," Gamakichi greeted with a wave.
Naruto's sweat dropped. "Seriously? You summoned Gamakichi to fight against those snakes the size of buildings."
The two snakes took this opportunity to strike the group. "Gaki get them away!" Jiraiya ordered before he started blitzing through hand seals. " Doton: Yomi Numa (Earth style: Swamp of the Underworld) !" A viscous and mud like substance covered the ground under the snake causing them to sink without any chance of escaping. Naruto took the still shivering Tsunade and Shizune away with a shunshin. 'Damn, the drug is still affecting me. That was not deep enough to sink them fully but it will do to keep them in place.''
Jiraiya launched towards Orochimaru as Kabuto went after the rest. "Shizune-neechan, you go after Kabuto first," Naruto ordered as he created four clones who surrounded Tsunade. Shizune shot poisoned senbon from a senbon launcher hidden under her sleeves. Kabuto dodged around them and was in Shizune's face within seconds. Shizune managed to jump backwards and launch a jutsu in return. " Ninpou: Dokugiri (Ninja Art: Poison Fog) !" A dark purple cloud of poison separated Kabuto from Shizune. Shizune was about to make a retreat when she felt intense pain in her ankles. Kabuto had travelled underground and used the chakra scalpel to sever Shizune's Achilles tendons.
"Damn it!" Naruto grunted out as he saw Shizune lose and Kabuto headed towards him. "Baa-chan you better not go anywhere," he said as his clones went through hand seals. " Barrier Jutsu: Four Emerald Ray Formation !" The four clones announced at once. A green barrier formed around Tsunade with the four clones at its corners.
"Oh, a nice little barrier. I wonder how long it will last?" Kabuto said sarcastically.
"Wouldn't you like to know?"
Naruto watched from the corner of his eye as Jiraiya's movement was slower than usual. He was dodging Orochimaru's Kusanagi Blade but by very close shaves. Kabuto seemed to notice as well and immediately taunted him. "It seems Jiraiya-sama isn't doing very well. At this rate he will lose," Kabuto said in a pleasant and light tone that was starting to get Naruto's nerves. He then pointed at Naruto, "you should just leave us. You're way out of your league. All of us here are high level shinobi except for you who is merely a genin. Just to let you know, I'm a shinobi on par with Kakashi Hatake. You have no chance of winning, just give up."
Naruto snorted, "I knew there was always something off with you but for you to be the same level as Kakashi? I'll believe it when I see it. And for giving up? Just to let you know, I never give up, not now and never will. " Naruto then pounced onto Kabuto with a kunai in hand. He slashed at Kabuto who was avoiding it like the snake he was. He threw the kunai at Kabuto who parried it away with his own kunai.
Kabuto then coated his kunai in chakra and sharpened it. Naruto barely dodged his strikes as his jacket was cut. 'Damn, that is one sharp blade…' They continued to play the game of dodging and weaving until Kabuto created a shadow clone of his own. Naruto's eyes widened in surprise. His eyes followed the shadow clone who ran towards Shizune, who could not move much on her own. The clone held Shizune up by throat with one hand and the other hand was covered in chakra.
"What are you going to do now, Naruto-kun…" Kabuto taunted as he aimed a strike for Naruto who was distracted. In a split second decision, he released his resistance seals and used a light step to appear in between Kabuto's clone and Shizune. "Naruto-kun!" Shizune shouted but Naruto had already made his decision. 'I was too careless. I only protected Tsunade. I guess…I guess I still have a lot more to learn,' he thought as Kabuto's chakra scalpel went through his right chest.
0
Tsunade watched from within the barrier as Naruto fought Kabuto. "I never give up! Not now and never will!" She heard him say. His words raced through her mind as she thought about herself. 'Giving up…when did I give up?' She thought as Naruto dodged and weaved through Kabuto's strikes. The faces of her lover, Dan and her brother, Nawaki appeared in her mind. 'That's right…when I lost them…my hope...that's when I gave up.'
Then, she saw Kabuto head for Shizune. "Shizune, no! Run!" She shouted but Kabuto had already reached her. Anguish and fear hit her as she saw Kabuto ready a strike for Shizune's heart. She was about to lose the last person in her life. The one who had been with her for years. Tears welled up in her eyes before they started flowing like a river running down a mountain. "Naruto-kun!" Her head whipped up as she heard Shizune scream and saw Naruto take the hit for Shizune. "No…"
Naruto's limp body collapsed to the ground as blood started to pull around him. The barrier around her disappeared as Naruto's clones dispersed. 'You're nothing but an old woman who can't stop living in the past!' The words of Naruto rang through her. 'You can't even match up to them! I will be Hokage' Naruto's words kept on circling around her mind. "No, I can't just stay here. I can't let him die!" Tsunade picked herself up from the ground and rushed towards Kabuto who had dispelled his clone.
"Tough luck, Naruto-kun. This is where-" before Kabuto could finish his sentence, he was sent flying into a large boulder by a punch to the stomach. Tsunade's hands glowed from the Shosen Jutsu as she started frantically healing Naruto's body. Shizune had managed to move closer to Naruto even though she couldn't move her feet. She removed his mask and fed Naruto a blood pill and chakra pill to help him regain his chakra and recover from blood loss. "Come on, Gaki…Come on," Tsunade muttered as she continued to heal him.
After a few moments, Naruto started coughing although a smile could be seen on his face. "I knew I would get through to you," Naruto said. Tsunade couldn't help but shake her head. He opened his eyes and saw hazily Tsunade and Shizune crying over him. He sat up with a groan but was immediately hugged by Shizune. "Don't do that to us, baka," she said. "Thank you…"
He stood up and suddenly he sensed a chakra signature approaching him from behind quickly. He was far too late to dodge and the sound of flesh being pierced was heard. He looked at his body and saw that he was not stabbed. He turned around and was shocked to find Tsunade standing in front of him with a sword pierced through her chest. "Tsunade…I gave you a chance to join us but you turned it down. Looks like this is your end," Orochimaru said with his Kusanagi Blade stabbed right through Tsunade.
He then saw from the corner of his eye, Kabuto moving towards Tsunade to give the final blow. He gathered his strength and used a light step to appear in front of Kabuto's kunai. He grabbed the kunai in his palm, ignoring the pain. He kicked Kabuto in the side and placed a paralysis seal using his foot. It was a technique he had been practising since he met Jiraiya.
"No, I won't let you kill another person close to me. Kabuto, it's time for your end," Naruto said as a familiar blue orb of chakra appeared on his palm. "Eat this you bastard, Rasengan! " Naruto thrusted the rasengan into his stomach and he could hear it rip through his flesh before he was sent flying back into the boulder he came from. Kabuto spat out blood as he peeled himself from the boulder. He found out that he was not healing as usual even though he was using the Shosen Jutsu and using his regenerative abilities. He did a full body analysis of himself and realised that the rasengan had damaged his internal organs as well. 'Just how strong is that jutsu?'
Tsunade, who had been watching, smiled. 'He completed it. I lost…' she then saw the images of Dan and Nawaki standing behind Naruto. 'One more time…I will have hope one more time…' she thought before she turned her attention to Orochimaru. "You underestimate me, Orochimaru, and you will find you'll regret that," she said as she channelled chakra into her fist and punched Orochimaru in the gut. The Kusanagi blade pulled itself out of Tsunade and Orochimaru was sent flying like his four-eyed apprentice.
She started to slowly walk towards Orochimaru as she weaved hand seals. "Tsunade…Let me kill the boy and I will let you off. He will just bring trouble for you," Orochimaru said.
"No, I will not step aside. By saving him, I am saving Konoha," Tsunade said, only to receive amusement from Orochimaru.
"Haha do you really think you will save Konoha by saving him?"
"That boy, he understands exactly what it means to be a citizen of Konoha and what exactly it takes to be Hokage. By saving him, I'm saving Konoha a better future and a better Hokage. As the Godaime Hokage, it's time for this to end," Tsunade said as the diamond shape mark on her forehead expanded to cover her body in black marks. "This time, I'm gambling it all. Ninpou: Sozo Saisei (Ninja Art: Mitotic Regeneration) !" The stab wound she had instantly closed up as it healed from her jutsu.
Tsunade rushed towards Orochimaru and engaged him in a taijutsu fight. Every time Orochimaru managed to slice her with the Kusanagi, Tsunade would heal instantly. Tsunade's punches and kicks were packed with chakra and could break bones. Naruto watched the battle in amazement as Tsunade overpowered Orochimaru. "That's the real Tsunade of the Sannin…" Naruto muttered as he got nods of agreement from Shizune, Tonton and Gamakichi who had gathered around him.
Seeing that it was a losing battle, Orochimaru tactically retreated to Kabuto's position. Kabuto was holding onto his stomach where the rasengan had struck. He was still recovering but his master came first. "Kabuto, now!" Orochimaru ordered. Kabuto smudged some of his blood on the tattoo on Orochimaru's arm and summoned another snake. This snake was purple and was significantly larger than the previous two.
Seeing this as his cue to rejoin the fight, he ran over to Jiraiya who seemed punctured from his fight. "I got this, Ero-sennin. Kuchiyose no Jutsu !" A large cloud of smoke appeared before it was blown by the wind to show Gamabunta. "Tou-san!" Gamakichi called out as he joined Naruto and Jiraiya on Gamabunta's head.
Tsunade arrived at Shizune's and Tonton's position before going through the same hand seals, " Kuchiyose no Jutsu !" A giant slug the same size as Gamabunta was summoned.
"Orochimaru, you dare summon me! You better have a hundred sacrifices ready!" Shouted the snake summon who clearly had some bad blood with Orochimaru.
"Of course, Manda. I just thought you would favour some toad meet for an appetiser," Orochimaru replied.
Manda glared at Gamabunta. "Disgusting toad!" He sneered.
"Manda…I think I'll get my wife a nice present. A nice snake skin wallet," Gamabunta said before turning to the slug. "Lady Katsuyu, it's nice to see you again."
"I never thought to see the deadlock again, but here we are." Katsuyu stated.
The battle that came next fully sealed the legendary status of the Densetsu no Sannin for Naruto. The three summons engaged in battle with Gamabunta and Katsuyu working together against Manda. The battle ended when Tsunade took Gamabunta's tanto using her immense strength and drove it into Manda's mouth, pinning him to the ground. Seeing that his defeat was inevitable, Orochimaru decided to flee. He and Kabuto shunshin to the ground and was met by Jiraiya and Tsunade who were ready to battle.
He glared at them as best he could with his injuries. "Be stubborn if you want Tsunade. I'll find other ways to be immortal," Orochimaru said before he and Kabuto disappeared into the ground.
"Tsk, I doubt we'll see him anytime soon," Tsunade muttered before walking towards Shizune. Naruto and Jiraiya stared at Tsunade. When Tsunade stopped using her technique, they saw for a few seconds what she really looked like. She looked old, older than Jiraiya and fragile. Was that the cost of such a technique?
Tsunade healed Shizune's ankles allowing her to walk normally. Naruto was then sent forward by a large slap on the back by Jiraiya. "You did great Gaki! You sent specs flying with that rasengan. You were just like your father!"
"Looks like you win, gaki," Tsunade said with a smile. She pulled off her necklace and placed it around Naruto's neck. She then, unexpectedly gave Naruto a hug. "Thank you for saving Shizune. I don't know what I'll be without her. But don't you dare go try and be all heroic again alright." She whispered.
She let him go and he gave a two-fingered salute. "I promise, Baa-chan!" He exclaimed as he dodged a swipe from Tsunade. "Haha you're going to have to try harder than that Baa-chan!" Tsunade for the first time in a while felt genuinely happy. As she chased Naruto back to the town, she was reminded of her brother and lover again. 'He really is like them…' she thought with a smile.
With this chapter, the story has crossed 100 thousand words. When I started this, I didn't think I would've gotten this far. But here we are. Thank you for reading :D
