Naruto was both anxious and excited as he got up. Today, he and Tenten were setting off to find Tsunade, hoping to convince her to return to Konoha and heal Lee. Naruto knew very well that Tsunade was not someone easy to impress. That she was one of the Legendary Sannin after all, and that she most likely had seen everything given her large amount of experience. Yet he had to try his best to impress her, and he had to do his best.

As he walked toward the door, he noticed Tenten standing ready to go. To his surprise, he also saw Neji, Guy, and Kakashi preparing for the day.

"You're coming with us?" Naruto asked, looking between Neji, Guy, and Kakashi. Though he understood that they might accompany him, he knew deep down that it would ultimately be up to him and Tenten to impress the Slug Princess.

Neji nodded slightly, while Guy gave Naruto a thumbs-up with his usual enthusiasm. Kakashi, leaning casually against the wall, glanced up from his book and said, "We'll be with you for support, but convincing Tsunade—that's going to be up to you and Tenten."

Tenten smiled at Naruto, her confidence shining through. "We've got this, Naruto. We just have to show her how far we've come."

Naruto, feeling a little more reassured, grinned. "Yeah, you're right! We're gonna make her see why she needs to come back with us." With that, he stepped forward, ready to face the challenge ahead.

Naruto and Tenten took point as the others walked behind them. They had a general idea of where to find Shizune and Tsunade, but beyond that, they really didn't know what to expect.

As they walked, Naruto thought about how he could impress Tsunade, mulling over the details of how to perfect the Rasengan. The excitement of showing off all the work he had put in the last few days also made him rather giddy with anticipation.

This would all change quickly as they turned the corner walking down the street. When they made the turn they came to the sight that was odd. It looked like Tsunade was trying to heal her former teammate, and enemy of Konoha Orochimaru.

Naruto's heart sank. The very person they were trying to impress was helping one of their greatest enemies. He gritted his teeth, feeling anger surge through him. The thought that someone they believed was good could be aiding someone so evil left him feeling betrayed.

Without thinking, Naruto stepped forward, ready to attack, his rage blinding him. But something gave him pause—there was a strange look on Orochimaru's face. It wasn't the expression of someone being healed. It was one of fury. He violently broke free from Tsunade's grip, glaring at her with palpable rage, clearly not pleased with whatever had just transpired.

Orochimaru's face twisted into a snarl as he yanked his arms away from Tsunade. His usually calm, almost smug demeanor was shattered, replaced by unfiltered rage.

"You fool! You dare waste my time?" Orochimaru hissed, his voice laced with venom as he glared at Tsunade. His arms, still withered and unusable, were the very reminder of the battle with Hiruzen, where his soul's grasp on them had been severed. The pain and helplessness that followed that day were still fresh, and Tsunade's refusal to heal him was nothing short of infuriating.

Naruto watched, eyes wide with confusion and anger of his own. This was not what he expected. What was happening, was Tsunade helping Orochimaru or was she helping them. Naruto stood confused unsure what to think of even what was goign on in front of him. He wasn't even sure how to react to this.

Tenten glanced at Naruto, sharing his bewilderment, but before either of them could act, a flash of silver and green entered the fray.

Kakashi and Guy, who had been trailing behind, immediately sprang into action. Kakashi's eye narrowed as he locked his gaze on Orochimaru. With a quick hand sign, he sent out a lightning dog that dashed toward Orochimaru, their fangs bared, trying to pin him down. Meanwhile, Guy, his eyes blazing with intensity, closed the distance in an instant, launching himself with a powerful kick aimed directly at Orochimaru's midsection.

"Tsunade-sama, fall back! We'll handle this," Kakashi ordered, his Sharingan glowing red with readiness as he prepared for what was sure to be a fierce battle.

Orochimaru effortlessly dodged Guy's strike, his snake-like reflexes and agility unhindered by the state of his arms. However, his fury hadn't dimmed.

"You think you can stop me?" Orochimaru spat, venomously. Despite his crippled arms, he was still a deadly opponent.

Naruto, still reeling from what he saw, clenched his fists. Naruto was still hesitating as he stood there unsure what was happening when he suddenly saw Kabuto moving at Tsunade, aiming to catch her off guard moving in from her blind side. Naruto was about to act when he saw something fly by him. He noticed they were the wind enhanced Shuriken that Tenten had been practicing on. Seeing them reminded him that he couldn't hesitate, that he had to go with his gut and that told him to help Tsunade. The spinning projectile gleamed as it sliced through the air with speed and precision. Kabuto noticed the attack just in time, blocking it with a kunai, but the force of the wind chakra caught him off guard. A thin line of blood appeared on his hand where the shuriken had grazed him, forcing him to retreat a step.

Naruto felt a surge of pride at Tenten's quick reflexes. She had thrown Kabuto off balance, and that was the opening they needed. It was his time to do what he needed to do. His pressed off his heals and moved forward as he put his hands in front of him. "Shadow Clone Jutsu!"

In an instant, multiple clones of Naruto appeared beside him, rushing forward in unison. Naruto's heart pounded in his chest, but his resolve was stronger than ever. Supporting Tsunade was the right thing to do—there was no doubt about it.

"Tenten, cover me!" Naruto shouted as he darted toward Kabuto, his clones fanning out to create a distraction. He charged forward, aiming to land a solid hit. Kabuto, however, recovered quickly, his sly smile returning despite the cut on his hand.

"You think you can stop me with these cheap tricks?" Kabuto sneered as he effortlessly dodged the first wave of clones, his chakra scalpel glowing faintly as he prepared to strike back.

Naruto gritted his teeth, focusing on the Rasengan he was forming in his hand, feeling the power swirl and build. He didn't care what Kabuto said—he was going to protect Tsunade, no matter what. He glanced back at Tenten, who nodded in silent understanding, already preparing her next move.

Naruto formed the rasengan as he moved towards Kabuto, his speed impressive as he aimed to catch Kabuto off guard, but Naruto went in, he was going to aim to give Kabuto as large of hit as he could, but Kabuto was able to grab Naruto by his wrist and threw him into the wall, the rasengan hitting the wall, and blowing it away. Kabuto realized then that Naruto could be a threat. He then saw the third fighter coming into the fight as he refocused, these kids were getting rather annoying quickly.

Tsunade stood on the sidelines, her body frozen as the battle unfolded before her eyes. Naruto, Tenten, and Neji had thrown themselves into the fray against Kabuto, a shinobi who far outclassed any of them. Yet, despite the overwhelming odds, they fought with remarkable coordination, covering each other's weaknesses and pressing Kabuto from every angle. Their movements were swift, purposeful, and determined—so determined that Kabuto, for all his skill, couldn't dispatch them easily.

Watching their fierce struggle stirred something deep within Tsunade. Her heart tightened as memories of her past resurfaced like haunting echoes. She thought of her younger brother, Nawaki, so full of hope and dreams for the future, only to be taken from her in a flash of tragedy. Then, there was Dan, the man she loved more than anyone, lying broken and bleeding in her arms, his own hopes for peace and a better world dying along with him. The weight of loss pressed down on her, the guilt, the pain—how it had all led her to a life of wandering, running from the responsibilities she once embraced.

But here, in front of her, was something different. Naruto—his determination and unrelenting spirit reminded her so much of Nawaki, that fiery will to become Hokage, to protect those they cared about. Tenten, with her precision and quick thinking, fighting with the grace of a seasoned kunoichi. Then the Hyuga, Neji was keeping Kabuto off guard as he kept him from staying still or he would have his vital points closed. Kabuto kept very much on the defensive by the offensive of the three youngsters.

The sight of them, so young and yet so willing to give everything, reignited a spark of hope within Tsunade. These children were the future of Konoha, and in them, she saw the very thing she had once fought for but had lost sight of—hope, dreams, and the unbreakable will to never give up.

Her fists clenched as she watched Naruto narrowly avoid Kabuto's chakra scalpel, throwing a clone to protect Tenten from a counterattack. Watching the three of them working together, reminded her of past days, when things were so much simpler for her. She knew that the three kids wouldn't last forever, that they would be out manuevered by Kabuto who would then make short work of the three.

Tears welled up in her eyes as she took a deep breath. The weight of the past, the grief she had carried for so long, suddenly felt lighter. She wasn't alone anymore. There were others willing to fight, others willing to believe in the future, just like Dan and Nawaki had. And maybe… maybe she could believe in that future again too.

In that moment, Tsunade made her decision. She wasn't going to run anymore. She was going to protect these kids, and she was going to fight for the future they believed in.

Tsunade moved forward with a look of determination on her face. She was done with running and avoiding responsibility. She was not going to let anyone else down. She was going to enter into this fight and she was going to do her part. She saw the opening that was created by the attacks of the three kids. She could use it and she would use it.

She burst forward catching Kabuto completely off guard as she pulled back her hand and threw a powerful punch, that slammed into Kabuto knocking him into the ground hard, creating a creature from where he hit. As she pulled back, she could see that Kabuto was already healing himself right after being hit. It was pretty impressive.

"You want healing?" she spat, her voice low and filled with fury. "You won't get any mercy from me, Kabuto."

For the first time in what felt like an eternity, Tsunade wasn't running from the pain. She was embracing it, using it as her strength, fighting not just for the future, but for herself—and for the hope these young shinobi represented.

As Kabuto struggled to get up, groaning from the pain, Tsunade raised her fist once more, ready to strike. This time, she would protect what mattered. She would fight for the future they deserved.

Slowly Kabuto would manage to get to his feet, as he would look at Orochimaru, telling him that they had to get away, they would use their summoning of Manda to cover their escape leaving the battlefield as fast as possible as Kabuto realizes that a battle against this many foes with a far from one hundred percent Orochimaru was not a fight they would ever want.

Kabuto groaned as he struggled to get back on his feet, staggering slightly from Tsunade's powerful strike. Pain washed over him as he looked at the people in front of him. His eye looking over at the battle between the others. He knew right away that this was not a winning battle. They were good, but against their foes, they had bit off more than they could chew. Orochimaru wasn't at his full strength, his arms useless from the jutsu Hiruzen had cast on him during their last encounter. Despite his power and cunning, he was at a severe disadvantage.

Kabuto's mind raced. They had come here to force Tsunade to heal Orochimaru's arms, but now the tide had turned completely against them. With Tsunade joining the fight alongside Konoha's shinobi, this was no longer a winnable battle. As much as Kabuto prided himself on his abilities, even he knew when they were outmatched.

His gaze flickered back to Tsunade, who was still standing strong, her fists clenched and ready to strike again. Naruto, Tenten, and Neji were catching their breath, but their eyes remained locked on him, their resolve unshaken. Guy and Kakashi kept pressing Orochimaru, their relentless attacks leaving him with fewer and fewer options.

Kabuto wiped the blood from his lips and turned towards Orochimaru. "Orochimaru-sama, we have to retreat," he called out, his voice calm despite the urgency. "In your current state, fighting all of them is not an option."

Orochimaru hissed in frustration, his snake-like eyes narrowing. He had never liked to retreat, but Kabuto was right. He couldn't use his arms, and summoning Manda would require a considerable amount of chakra—a gamble, but the only way out.

Orochimaru smirked as he looked at his former teammate, "You made a mistake this day, Tsunade, but don't worry, I am not going to end your misery this day, that day will have to wait," Orochimaru declared loudly.

Without another word, Orochimaru bit into his thumb, drawing blood, and slammed his hand into the ground. In an instant, a massive burst of smoke exploded into the battlefield, and from it, the gigantic form of Manda, the King of Snakes, emerged. His massive coils towered over the battlefield, his forked tongue flicking in and out as he surveyed the scene, clearly irritated at being summoned.

"Why have you summoned me, Orochimaru?" Manda hissed, his voice laced with malice. "You know I don't take kindly to being used for your convenience."

Orochimaru ignored the snake's irritation. "I'll make it up to you later, Manda," he said coldly, climbing onto the snake's head. "For now, just provide us with a distraction."

Manda's eyes glinted with malevolent amusement as he turned his massive head towards the Konoha shinobi, his tail slithering through the trees, snapping branches and sending debris flying. With a furious roar, Manda lashed out, striking the ground and forcing Kakashi, Guy, and the others to leap back.

Both Orochimaru and Kabuto moved quickly to get out of there, as Kabuto created a dense fog to give them cover, as they got onto Madara's back to escape this fight and live to fight another day.

Naruto couldn't see them as he felt annoyed that they had gotten so close to a full victory, but came up short at the last moment. As they couldn't see the moment of the snake, but could hear as it made its escape.

Tsunade stepped forward, her heart still pounding from the intensity of the battle. She watched as Manda disappeared into the distance, her eyes narrowing. Though they had won the battle, it didn't feel like a victory. Orochimaru had slipped through their fingers once again.

But as she looked at the young shinobi around her—Naruto, Tenten, Neji—she felt a strange sense of pride. They had fought with everything they had, even against an opponent like Kabuto. Their teamwork, their spirit, had rekindled something within her.

Naruto turned to Tsunade, his eyes still blazing with determination. "We'll get them next time, believe it!" he said, his voice filled with that same unshakable resolve that had touched her heart earlier.

Tsunade nodded, a small smile forming on her lips. "Yes," she said softly, her voice filled with new strength. "Next time, we'll be ready."