Chapter 106 : Death of the War Hawk (3)

Naruto's expression was serious and hard, slightly unnerving both Tsunade and Jiraiya.

"Shimura Danzo is dead." The Kamikage spoke, his voice holding multiple emotions that they couldn't determine.

"What?" Tsunade asked; her voice wary.

"Shimura Danzo is dead, and ROOT is gone." Naruto replied, adding the part about ROOT at the end.

...

The look on Tsunade's face was unnecessary. Naruto could feel the anger within Tsunade.

"You took the life of a Konoha-born shinobi without my permission!?" She yelled, standing from her seat and slamming her fists into her desk, cracking it.

"I am your Hokage, Jonin Uzumaki! You cannot act on your own." Naruto was silent, his face a stoic mask.

"I know what Danzo did, and that was wrong, but what you did was the same! You decided something on your own and acted without your Hokage's orders!" Jiraiya was silent, not sure what he should do.

Tsunade was right; Naruto shouldn't have acted on his own. But on the other hand, Naruto and Hiruzen were almost of one mind. They ran the village together.

Naruto knew what Hiruzen would allow without even asking, and the Sandaime gave his Second in Command permission to what he thought was right, since the two had synched, and Naruto knew how the Hokage thought about certain things.

But Tsunade was much different than her former sensei. That, coupled with the fact that she was new to the position, made it seem like he was either disrespecting her or challenging her position.

Either way, it was hard to earn the respect of all the shinobi if someone that everyone looked up to was doing their own thing by themselves.

"Hime…" Jiraiya started.

But Tsunade wasn't having any of it. "No, Jiraiya. You sought me out to take up this position. I am the Godaime Hokage now." Tsunade sighed. "Why didn't you ask me first, Naruto?"

"I didn't have to ask, Hokage-sama." Naruto began, surprising Tsunade with his blunt assumption. "Danzo needed to die." He continued.

"You know this very well." Tsunade opened her mouth to speak, but Naruto started again. "No, I did not ask, but that's why I am here, Tsunade." He used her name instead of title, making sure she would understand.

"Words do not have to be spoken between us. I am your very emotion. When you feel like something should be done, I act. When you want something to be done, it is done. I am your will, your thought given form. That is my role. I may not have my mask anymore, but I am ANBU for life."

Tsunade just stared at the blond, still not able to completely grasp what he was capable of.

Again, the new Hokage sighed, rubbing her temples. "You make it hard to stay mad at you, you know that?" Taking a sip from her sake that miraculously survived her wrath from before, Tsunade leaned back into her chair.

"And ROOT is gone? The operatives are dead?"

Naruto's eyes met Tsunade's, and something was said. "Yes." He replied, but the Hokage wasn't convinced. But the look he gave her told her that whatever did happen was for the sake of the village.

Again, Tsunade sighed.

"We were just talking about how long we have before the Akatsuki become active." Jiraiya began. "Three years is what Itachi said. What do you think?" He asked.

Naruto turned to his godfather. "Three and a half, now that so many of their members are either dead or missing. Not to mention that Hoshigaki Kisame no longer has his sword."

Sasuke smiled, his eyes still clothed. Tsunade began to wonder when he'd remove the cloth. It had been quite a while now.

"What exactly are you planning on doing with that… sword?" The Godaime asked, reluctant to even call the thing a sword.

Naruto shrugged. "I'll probably hold onto it until I see the Mizukage again." He answered truthfully. "Mei will want it back in Kiri's possession, and I'll give it to her."

Tsunade raised an eyebrow. The Naruto she knew was a die had Konoha shinobi, someone who would do absolutely anything to assure Konoha's safety.

For him to give another village – even if said village was their "ally" – something so valuable as one of the great blades of Kiri… it confused the slug Sannin a great deal.

She was about to voice her opinion on the subject, but was interrupted when two ANBU operatives flickered into the office, kneeling.

Tsunade once again opened her mouth to address the ANBU, but like before, she was beat to it.

"Saru, Ushi," Naruto greeted the Nara and unstoppable bull.

Without saying a single word, Saru took out a long blue scarf, and raised it for Naruto to see. "Ushi found this on our way into the village this morning…" Ushi grunted.

"It was around a tree just outside the walls." He finished, handing the scarf to his commander. "We sought you out the moment we found it, taicho."

Naruto narrowed his eyes, examining the familiar scarf. "This is Konohamaru's, there's no mistake." Naruto nodded.

Tsunade stood. "What would sensei's grandson be doing outside the village walls?" She asked. Konohamaru was like family to her and Jiraiya, and even though he wouldn't admit it, to Orochimaru, too. His mother had been… special to all of them, especially in the snake's case.

"I told him to leave it behind if there was ever a reason he had to leave the village." Naruto continued.

"It means there's trouble, and Konohamaru is trying to let us know." He turned to Gaara, who nodded before disappearing in a sand Shunshin (Body Flicker). "He must be following someone who isn't supposed to be leaving." He took in a deep breath, his eyes closing.

"You mean someone defecting?" Tsunade asked. Jiraiya felt the Natural Energy seek Naruto out like a beacon, surrounding him in a powerful aura of nature.

"Maybe." The blond replied. He opened his eyes, greeting the Sannin in the room with slit, golden eyes. "We'll know in a moment." Concentrating his chakra, Naruto stretched his empathy to its limits, covering the entire village in his presence. He felt everyone… everything.

He was everywhere at once, his will flowing through the village. At that moment, Naruto felt as if he was Konoha, as if he were the trees, the ground, the sky, the people. It was straining on him, but so very beautiful at the same time.

And then he noticed it. Someone was gone, missing.

Taken.

Naruto turned to Sasuke, the Uchiha turning with him. No one spoke. The office was silent.

And then, Sasuke spoke, his voice low. "Who?" he asked. "Who took her?"

Naruto shook his head. "I don't know." He answered honestly. "Shall we find out?" He asked with a small smirk on his face.

Sasuke responded with a nod. Outwardly, he looked calm, relaxed, but on the inside, he was furious. Someone would dare walk into Konoha, into his home, and take his girl? No. They would soon know their folly. They made a mistake if they thought they'd get away with touching her, touching Sakura.

He'd show them all.

Whoever they were, he would show them his new eyes.

It was time.

"What's going on?" Tsunade asked. "Who was taken?" She was a little confused, and she always was when Naruto used his little empathy trick. What was it? Unity?

"Haruno Sakura is gone." Naruto explained. "Someone has taken her from the village. Konohamaru most likely witnessed the kidnapping, and followed." He chuckled.

"Not even a shinobi yet, and he's already acting like one. I think I might need to start his training a little early…"

Tsunade's eyes widened. Naruto just let slip that he was going to personally train the Sandaime's grandson… that was actually a slightly terrifying idea. If the boy was anything like his grandfather, he'd be one scary shinobi if he was taught by the Kamikage.

Naruto put a hand on Sasuke's shoulder, smiling at the Hokage. "Hokage-sama, we will return Sakura back before the day is over." He said confidently.

Tsunade blinked, confused. The way he was stating it, it was almost like he was asking for permission. That's when she realized it. Two ANBU agents, men who served under him for years, were present. He was showing who their leader was now, who their Hokage was.

The Sandaime was a man respected by everyone in the village, and the ANBU only followed him and Naruto, which was going to make Tsunade's job a whole lot harder. But if Naruto showed that he respected Tsunade, and took his orders from her, then they would follow her orders without question.

That's how much Naruto was respected.

His word was greater than the Hokage's within ANBU.

"Hai. Return our genin back to us, Jonin Uzumaki, Chunin Uchiha." She turned to the ANBU. It was time to test her authority. "Dismissed."

She ordered. To her relief, the operatives followed her orders, vanishing with a flicker.

Naruto smiled. Of course he knew what was bugging Tsunade. His empathy saw sure to that. He knew the moment he named her Hokage. Her doubts about the village and its shinobi were many, but Naruto was going to make sure everyone followed the last Senju before he left. It was a promise.

But right now, there was something more important. Because right now…

It was time to hunt.

Uzumaki Naruto and Uchiha Sasuke vanished in a golden flash, leaving behind the Godaime Hokage and Sennin of Mount Myoboku.

Tsunade sat down, passing another cup of sake to her former teammate, filling one up for herself as well. "I don't know if I can handle that guy, Jiraiya." She whispered. Sighing, she downed her cup in one gulp, before poring herself another.

"Sure you can, hime." Jiraiya assured her. "You're Senju Tsunade, the greatest kunoichi to walk the Elemental Nations. You can do anything." He took a sip of his sake.

"Naruto will be gone for three years… that's more than enough time to establish yourself as the new Hokage." He waved his hand in the air. "And it's really only the ANBU you have to worry about. The other shinobi all welcome you with open arms. And if I know that kid, he'll most likely fix your problem for you before we leave."

It was true. Naruto would most likely talk with the ANBU, ordering them to follow their new Hokage like they followed him and the Sandaime. It was just the kind of person he was.

He knew people's worries without even hearing them, and then fix them, getting rid of any problems before they even popped up. That's why he was the Second in Command, he made the Sandaime's life a lot easier.

"I sure hope so…" Tsunade replied.

The two were silent as they drank their sake, enjoying each other's company. It was going to be a long couple of years, that's for sure.