56. The Future Appears Bright

After their meeting with Hiruzen, Jiraiya and Tsunade walked through the streets of Konoha together. The two shinobi did not say anything to each other; they were both seemingly focused on the conversation they had just had with their sensei.

The moon shone brightly in the sky above them. Roughly thirty minutes of walking passed by before Tsunade took in a sigh and looked over at Jiraiya.

"How do you feel, Godaime-sama?" She questioned, letting a small smile cross her lips.

"Don't call me that." Jiraiya immediately shook his head. "I'm not worthy of the title. I honestly am not."

"And you think I would have been a better choice?" Tsunade questioned, shaking her head in a similar manner. "Once the conversation really started going on, Sarutobi-sensei made it clear which of us two he'd prefer as the leader and we both know precisely why he preferred you over me." A frown developed on her face as she sighed once again. "Not like I can really blame him. I probably have been acting like a selfish bitch these past couple of years."

"I wouldn't say that! It's not being selfish!" Jiraiya quickly stated.

Tsunade gave no immediate reply. She looked upward to the moon in the sky as she recalled some of the choice 'statements' Hiruzen had to tell her.

"I know what happened to Nawaki and Dan, Tsunade. I know you are still affected by the events, but we have all experienced loss. I gave you all of the time in the world to mourn; I did not give you time to allow your grief to consume you." Hiruzen crossed his arms sharply, glaring at the woman in front of him and releasing killing intent. "And Idid notgive you time to place any form of bitterness against Konoha, the very village that both Nawaki and Dan loved above all else! They would both be honored to see you as the Hokage and you know that. Don't reject the title out of bitterness; the very action is a direct insult against everything they stood for!"

"Truth be told, Tsunade, there are some people here in Konoha who feel as if you betrayed them. You left the village shortly after the war, you know. You never came back for the Kyūbi Attack or in the aftermath of it, for example. You were nowhere to be seen after the Uchiha Massacre. You didn't come back in the aftermath of the Suna-Oto invasion either." The Sandaime Hokage shook his head. "And I'm certain that now that you're back in the village, some people will forget about your absence and be glad to have you back here. I am one of them. However, you must be aware of the actions and, whether or not I choose you to be my successor, you need to be repentant of them!"

"He wants me to be repentant." Tsunade mumbled after recalling that particular statement. "I… suppose that he has a point. I really should have been in Konoha. At the very least, I should have come back to check."

"Maybe you should have, but it's too late to think of things like that. You were mourning; I wouldn't blame you for your reactions and neither would any shinobi with a good heart." Jiraiya informed her bluntly. "I highly doubt that there is that many shinobi who are upset or feel wronged by you."

"I'd hope not, but I'd understand why if they were." Tsunade's right hand reached for the green necklace around her neck. She tightened her grip on it immediately. "Dan and Nawaki are probably disappointed in me. Hell, even grandfather and grandmother probably are."

"I stand by my statement, Tsunade; you've done nothing wrong." Jiraiya replied sternly. "I've devoted my entire life to Konoha. Everything I have done in my life has been for this village. I have sacrificed everything, even the time to have better developed a relationship with my godson, just to keep this village safe and to give a safe home. If I can objectively look at what you have 'done' and see nothing wrong, then you have done nothing wrong."

The two Sannin remained quiet as they continued to walk through the village streets. Both repeated the words that Jiraiya had just said. A few more seconds passed before Tsunade broke the silence with a small chuckle.

"You know, that statement you just said about devoting your whole life to Konoha… you know that's why Sarutobi-sensei chose you." She stated. "And that's why, in the end, you agreed to take the title."

"It's hard to argue when you two joined forces to argue with me until I took the damn title." Jiraiya said bluntly.

"I only really started to help because I know that, if Sensei really needs one of us to be Hokage, it needed to be you." Tsunade replied. Jiraiya opened his mouth to retort, but she continued to speak before he could say a single word: "Because the village deserves someone who will stay by them. It doesn't need someone who would leave the village due to personal losses, even if it would be a justified action. It needs someone who would be able to withstand any loss and still remain a figurehead and leader for the village." Her eyes then softened on her teammate. "And you lost as much as I did too, right Jiraiya? With Minato, Kushina, and those kids in Ame-"

"Tsunade, please; don't talk about all of them right now." The 'Toad Sage' interrupted, speaking in a dangerously quiet voice.

The 'Slug Princess' nodded her head in understanding: "Right. Sorry." A frown then developed on her face. "But you understand what I am trying to say, correct? You are the best candidate for the position."

Jiraiya said nothing for a few moments. Like his teammate, he began recalling some of the choice comments Hiruzen said to him.

"As for you, Jiraiya," Hiruzen turned his attention to his other student, "I know you aren't fully being selfish. I know you do not believe you have the qualities worthy of being Hokage. I also know you believe that the spy network is important and it would be difficult to replace you. However, surely you must understand that while it would be difficult, it would be possible." The Hokage's eyes narrowed on him. "You must also know that I would not give the position to someone I think was unworthy. Jiraiya, quit wallowing in your own sense of self-pity!"

"Jiraiya, I know you better than I believe anybody other than maybe Tsunade knows you. And I know all of the guilt you feel. I know all of the failures that you believe you have made." Hiruzen declared. He then lifted up his hand. "You've talked to me about your feelings about the war and all of the lives you took that you think could have been saved, as well as the lives of your comrades you think you could have saved. I also know about your feelings in regards to those children in Ame. I know how you feel about Minato's and Kushina's deaths and how you feel as if you could have done something. And, above all else, I know your opinions on the Orochimaru situation." The Hokage took in deep breath. "Jiraiya, I have those same feelings. I feel as if I could have handled diplomacy better and helped prevent the Third Shinobi World War. I feel like I could have worked better with Danzō and prevented him from going so far into his extremist regime. I feel I could have prevented the Uchiha Clan Massacre if I tried better to think of a resolution. And, like you, I feel like I could have saved Minato and Kushina and all of the people who died in the Kyūbi Attack, including my wife. And also like you, I feel like I could have saved Orochimaru from his own insanity or prevented him from accomplishing as much of his experiments as he managed."

"Regardless of my failures, though, I have remained as strong as possible for Konoha. I have done all I can to keep this village strong. I have tried to remain a positive figure to keep morale strong. I have tried to remain that 'grandfather' figure for the village to turn to in times of trouble." Hiruzen said, his face developing a small smile. His eyes then narrowed on Jiraiya. "And like most grandfathers, it is now my time to retire. Jiraiya, if you view yourself as a failure, then know that I see myself as a failure. And I suppose that makes you the perfect person to take my place."

"I… I still don't see it. I don't think I'm worthy of the title." Jiraiya admitted, speaking-up in a quiet, uneasy voice. "But, if it what Sarutobi-sensei believes is necessary… if this is really what Konoha needs… then I'll do it. Whether I'm worthy or not, I'll accept the burden."

"And that's why it had to be you." Tsunade stated, her smile returning to her face.

Jiraiya made no comment. The two shinobi continued to walk through Konoha's streets in silence. They continued to remain silent until the buildings around them started to appear more archaic. Jiraiya turned his head towards Tsunade.

"We're getting close to the Senju compound, but also the Uzumaki compound. Do you want to go say hi to Masakado before heading to your place?" He questioned.

"Shizune and Tonton have been at the Senju com by themselves since we got back to Konoha. I'd probably want to check on them." She noted with a shrug. "Also, shouldn't Masakado be asleep at this hour? Considering his age?"

"Shizune's old enough that she can take care of herself. Hell, she and Tonton are probably asleep. Not Masakado, though. That man is probably awake, still trying to create that time travel seal he's been working on…" Jiraiya's voice started to drag out for a moment before he shook his head. "Not trying to force you to go see him. Just curious about where you were going before we part ways."

"Nah, you have a point. I'll go see Masakado first." Tsunade sighed. She then gave Jiraiya a curious look. "Do you still live in that dingy apartment you did back when I was in the village or did you finally upgrade to a better one?"

"Nah, I sold it not too long after Minato and Kushina passed away." The Toad Sage admitted, shaking his head. "I didn't really upgrade, cause I'm usually never in Konoha for more than a week at most. I usually just get a cheap room at the inn and stay there. I'll go make the arrangements for that once you get to the Uzumaki clan compound"

Tsunade's eyes narrowed on her former teammate. She opened her mouth to reply, but she then stopped herself. A small smile developed on her lips.

"Well, if you don't have a place for now, then you can stay at the Senju clan." She stated. "Until you get moved into the Hokage's mansion, that is. I know that there's a room in my compound for you at least."

Jiraiya immediately shook his head: "Tsunade, I'm not going to-"

"You got a problem? Shove it!" The 'Slug Princess' interrupted him sharply. "Jiraiya, you deserve a comfy bed and a home to go back to. And if you don't have one right now, then I'll let you borrow mine for the time being. I haven't been back here in years, so it'll be just as familiar for me as it is for you." Her eyes then narrowed on him. "But I'm not going to let my friend go out to waste his money on an inn when I have the room for him!"

The two shinobi remained quiet again. Neither said anything. Tsunade's eyes narrowed on Jiraiya in anticipation, waiting for some sort of verbal response. After a minute, he finally let out a small chuckle.

"So you finally called me a friend, Tsunade." He noted with a chuckle.

"Yeah, I did. Don't get used to it though." She replied, grinning slightly. "You're still a bastard and you know it."

"And you're still the same high-maintenance woman I was so fond of." The 'Toad Sage' stated with a laugh. "Alright, I'll stay with you for a little bit."

Tsunade's grin grew wider in triumph. The two Sannin proceeded to return to walking down the way, towards the Uzumaki Clan compound. Silence filled the way, once again, but it was noticeably less tense and filled with less thought. It was a much more relaxed environment, befitting for two old friends who had been reunited with each other once again.

The sun quickly rose throughout Konoha as the new began. People began walking through the streets of Konoha and going along with their business, as if it were any other day. Around noon, however, people began to realize that today was not any other day, as they began to notice a group of people walking through the village.

"Hey, is that Jiraiya-sama?"

"Yeah, it is. How long has he been back here in the village again?"

"He's been back for a while, actually! But what's Tsunade-sama doing back?"

"Tsunade-sama is back?"

"Yeah, look! She even has some girl walking with her. Maybe that's a daughter? Or a student?"

"Shodai-sama's legacy has returned!"

Jiraiya, Tsunade, and Shizune walked through the village, doing their best to ignore the whispers and rumors of the civilians and shinobi they were passing.

"See, Tsunade-hime?" Jiraiya spoke to his blonde teammate, smiling smugly as he used that 'honorific'. "I told you that the people would be overjoyed to have you back. Any bitterness they may have is gone now that you're here again."

"Hmph." Tsunade crossed her arms over her chest. "I'm also hearing things about you, Jiraiya. Are you really that private when you come back to Konoha?"

"For the most part." Jiraiya nodded his head. A small, perverted grin developed on his face. "… Except a few times where I'm trying to get research, but it makes sense nobody would know I was here during those times."

A scowl immediately developed on the 'Slug Princess's' face: "… You know, and it probably has to do with the fact that we'd been talking about sensei and the hat for so long since you found me, I actually forgot about your damn books. Thanks for reminding me about them. I needed a reminder about how much of a goddamn pervert you are"

Jiraiya's perverted grin seemed to develop further. He opened his mouth to say something, but he felt a small dose of killing intent directed towards him from his teammate. He proceeded to shut his mouth.

The group continued to walk forward through the village, heading toward the Hokage's office. As they continued to walk, they passed by more villagers and got more people talking about their arrival.

One person, however, seemed to take particular alarm to them. She had been coming back from a market with a bag of groceries, heading towards her clan estate when she noticed them. Her eyes quickly glued onto them and widened.

"Tsunade-sensei is back in Konoha?" Nara Yoshino realized.

After standing still for a few minutes in stunned silence, Yoshino quickly shook her head, pulling herself out of her trace, and started to return back home. She had to struggle to remain focused on the way, making sure not to bump into any other people.

Her mind was still trying to loosely process what she saw. She only saw her for a moment and she seemed to be heading to the Hokage's office for business. Was she here for just a brief visit? Or was she here to stay? Or was she not here and her eyes were just playing tricks on her?

'No, that can't be right. I heard people talking about her. No, she's here. Is she here to stay?' Yoshino questioned. A small smile developed on her face at the thought. 'I hope so! I really hope so! It's been such a long time since I last saw her.'

There was an extra 'kick' in Yoshino's steps, making her walk home faster. Within a few minutes, she returned back to her clan's compound. After dropping off the groceries, she began looking for Shikaku to inform him about seeing Tsunade. When she finally found him, she saw him and Shikamaru sitting at a small table. Her husband was drinking from a bottle of sake while her son was drinking a cup of water. He was sweating heavily.

"Out training?" Yoshino asked as she walked over to them.

Both Shikaku and Shikamaru turned their heads to her and smiled. Shikaku gestured to the chair next to him. Yoshino nodded her head and took a seat with them.

"We're working on the Shadow Sewing technique. We have been working on it since yesterday. Shikamaru's starting to make some real progress with it." Shikaku noted as he took a sip of his drink.

"Really?" Yoshino questioned, looking at her son in surprise.

"Yup. This one's a real pain. I don't recall ever having this many problems with a clan technique before." Shikamaru admitted with a sigh. He rubbed off more sweat from his forehead and took a drink of his water before continuing to speak. "But I am getting closer. I think I might get it down experimentally if I keep practicing like this within the next three days."

"After that, then he can start working on all the jutsus that derive this technique. There's quite a few. And hell, you can probably design some suited to your fighting style." Shikaku said with a shrug. "It has a lot of application. You'd be surprised what you can do with it."

"Yeah, there's a lot to do with a jutsu like that." Yoshino commented. She then gave them a curious look. "I didn't think you'd two be working on that jutsu so fast. When we talked about this technique and training, Shikaku-kun, you said you maybe wanted to wait another couple of months before working on it with him."

"I did, but Shikamaru and I had a talk that made me realize he'd benefit from knowing it now." Shikaku replied with a small smile. "He's a real good shinobi; both physically and emotionally. He knows what really matters. I figured increasing his arsenal and giving him something tough to use would help him become stronger for his missions. I thought he was definitely ready for it after our little talk, so why wait any longer?"

Shikamaru smiled at his father's words. He opened his mouth to say something, but he opted not to and just drank his water quietly to himself, still smiling at his father's recognition.

"I understand." His wife nodded her head.

"If you want, you can probably start him up on some of the things you wanted to teach him when he got older." Shikaku suggested.

"Hmm?" Shikamaru gave Yoshino a curious look. "You wanted to work on things with me, Mom?"

"Yeah, of course she does." Her husband said with a chuckle. "She has a few more clan techniques that she wanted to pass to you. She also said something about teaching you medical ninjutsu one day." He proceeded to give a hard look at Shikamaru. "It's a difficult art and I don't know if you'll really be able to pick it up. It's not for everyone, but Yoshino was saying she'd like to try with you."

"I know it's not for everyone, but I'd like to learn it. There are a lot of benefits to knowing it. I became more aware of that recently…" Shikamaru admitted, giving his mother a serious look. "If you're up for teaching me, I'd like to try start learning it as quick as I possibly can."

"I would like to also start teaching you, yeah." Yoshino spoke-up, nodding her head. "Our clan has a book on medicine preparations and treatments that actually helped provide a basis for training most medical shinobi here in Konoha. If you actually have any ability in it whatsoever, I can definitely help develop it further-"

Yoshino's words died on her tongue as she recalled what she was going to inform Shikaku. Her eyes widened once again as a thought entered her head.

"Mom?" Shikamaru called out to her. "You okay?"

"… I'm fine. I just had an idea." She said. She then proceeded to stand-up from her chair. "I actually want you to start training in medical ninjutsu. However, let me go check something. I might be able to provide you a better instructor and, if I can, I think I can have you on track to being one of the best medics ever produced in Konoha!"

With those words, Yoshino bowed before running away from the table. Shikaku and Shikamaru watched her rush away quickly in confusion. They then turned their heads toward each other, giving each other the same look.

"Do you-" Shikamaru opened his mouth to ask his father a question.

"No, I don't know what she's talking about." He replied with a shake of his head. "Yoshino's actually pretty proud of her medical techniques. She was on a genin team under Senju Tsunade for fuck's sake. I don't know who she would think would be a better instructor for you than her." He then let out a small chuckle as he brought his sake to his lips. "Other than Tsunade herself, but it's not like she's here. She hasn't been in years and I'd know by now if she was back in the village."

"… I mean, could it be?" Shikamaru wondered, imagining Tsunade as an instructor. "We've been training all day today. Maybe she did come while we've been busy?"

"Nah, I'm sure somebody would have reported it to me by now if she was." Shikaku shook his head. He finished off his sake before turning his attention back to his son. "Anyway, you hydrated again? Ready to get back to work?"

Shikamaru took one last drink of his water before placing the cup down on the table and nodding his head. The father and son proceeded to stand back-up and return back to their training

"Summoning Jutsu!"

Hinata slammed an open palm on the ground, causing smoke to cover the entire courtyard of the Hyūga clan compound, where she was practicing. A few seconds passed by before the smoke vanished, revealing a small white, gold-dotted egg.

The Hyūga heiress's eyes twitched at the sight: "Another one? Really?"

"Keep trying." Anko encouraged as the egg vanished in another poof of smoke.

Hinata sighed as she bit her thumb, drawing blood, and began to run through the same hand signs she had been. The kunoichi had been attempting to summon a snake since she had signed the contract the previous day. She was so focused on learning the jutsu that Anko agreed to meet with her at her clan to help her train. Still, despite her sensei's advice and all the practice, the only thing she was able to summon were small snake eggs that return back to Ryūchi Cave shortly after being summoned. It was becoming an increasingly tedious sight for the chūnin.

She closed her eyes as the smoke appeared from her latest attempt. She began to silently pray that she had succeeded. When she finally opened her eyes, she sighed at the sight of another egg.

"Naruto-kun said it was difficult for him to learn how to summon a toad, but I didn't think it would be this hard to summon something." Hinata mumbled as she pocketed her heads.

The Hyūga made the comment to herself, but Anko managed to hear it. The jōnin snorted.

"The summoning jutsu is one giant pain the ass." She replied.

"You wouldn't think that, though, just from watching someone like you do it." Hinata noted with a frown.

"Well, I mean, it isn't like a difficult thing for me to do now, but back when I started? I had an absolutely hellish time learning how to use it!" Anko, once again, snorted. "Back when Orochimaru was still a loyal Konoha shinobi and wasn't the worst human being ever to live, he made a bet with me that I couldn't summon a snake on my first day of trying. Loser had to buy dinner. Naturally, I took it as a challenge and accepted only to fail in a gloriously awful fashion." Her eyes then narrowed as she shook her head. "And when I did lose, that fucker decided to take me to the most expensive restaurant he could find in Konoha just because he knew I would have a difficult time paying for it! What a dick!"

"Er, I agree?" Hinata blinked in confusion. She wasn't really certain how she was supposed to respond to that.

"Ugh. He was the actual worst." Anko proceeded to shake her head. She then turned to face Hinata and an innocent-looking smile developed on her lips. "Hey, Hinata, wanna make a bet?"

Her eyes widened in response and she immediately shook her head: "I don't think-"

"How's the training going?"

Both Anko and Hinata turned their heads to see Hyūga Hanabi walking towards them. The little girl was dressed in a sleeveless black shirt with mesh armor underneath it and blue shorts. Her outfit, along with some bruises on her face, suggested that she had just finished training.

"Hanabi, how was training with father?" Hinata questioned, smiling at her younger sister.

"Fine. You've made a lot of progress, so he's bumped up my training a little bit so I don't get far behind." She said with a shrug. She then looked over at Hinata with a frown. "Hey, you didn't answer my question! How's yours going?"

"It's… going." The chūnin sighed in response.

"Father told me you are trying to summon a snake, yeah?" Hanabi asked. Hinata nodded her head, which caused Hanabi to bounce up in excitement. "Can you show me? Can you?

"Don't know if she can, squirt. That's what she's been trying, and failing, to do since yesterday." Anko spoke-up, chuckling slightly.

Hanabi turned her attention to the jōnin and scowled: "Hey! Don't me that. That's an undignified and not a proper way to refer to a lady!"

"… Yeesh." Anko grumbled, rolling her eyes slightly. "You're like, what, seven years old? You shouldn't-"

"Eight. Actually, I'm eight and a half." The little girl replied, crossing her arms over her chest.

"That's still too young to actually care about 'dignity' and trying to 'act like a lady'." Anko shook her head and frowned. "God, what happened to the days where kids acted like kids?"

"Anko-sensei, Hanabi; please don't fight!" Hinata quickly pleaded, clapping her hands together in some of prayer. 'If you two fight and Anko gets too agitated, she'll start swearing and saying things that someone Hanabi's age should never here!'

Anko and Hanabi looked at each other for a few seconds, their eyes narrowed, before they turned away. Hanabi then turned her attention back to her older sister and smiled.

"Come on, Hinata; show me a snake! You can do it!" She said excitedly. "I know you can!"

"I… Okay." Hinata let out a small chuckle as she pulled out her hands and bit her thumb. "I'll try again. Maybe you being here will be my lucky charm!"

"Hehehe." Hanabi giggled at the comment. "Maybe I am!"

"Maybe she is." Anko grinned as she looked at Hinata. "Before you try, though, wanna make a bet?"

"… Weren't you just complaining about getting screwed by a bet earlier?" Hinata questioned with a frown.

"I did, so I'd like to do the same thing to you." The jōnin replied bluntly. Hinata's frown deepened in response, causing her to laugh loudly. "It's just a joke! Sorta. Come on; take up the bet. If you win, I'll do a favor for you. You lose, you have to do me a favor. And I promise, it won't be embarrassing or anything."

Hinata remained still for a moment as she closed her eyes in thought. Her initial instinct was to say no, but she did have something she could use help for and Anko would be a big help.

'… I probably could just ask her and she'd say yes anyway, but why not. This'll be fun if I get to do it this day.' Hinata smiled as she opened her eyes and nodded her head: "Okay. We have a bet."

The Hyūga Heiress then turned her attention back to her hand. Blood was still fresh on her thumb, so she quickly ran through the hand signs again. She then channeled an extensive amount of chakra into her palm as she slammed it on the ground: "Summoning Jutsu!"

Smoke filled the courtyard again as a result of the jutsu. Hanabi's eyes widened in excitement to see the result of the jutsu. Both Hinata and Anko looked over anxiously, both expecting to see another gold-dotted egg. Instead, they saw a small, yellow snake with green stripes going down its scales.

"… Are you fucking serious?" Anko's eyes widened at the sight of the snake. "Literally right after we make the damn bet?"

"I… I did it?" Hinata's eyes were wide as well. She had not been expecting to get it done as fast as she did. Sweat started running down her face as she jumped up and down. "I… did! I did! I…"

Chakra exhaustion started to kick in. She quickly fell to the ground on her knees. She began to grumble in pain as she tried to pull herself up.

Hanabi, on the other hand, was beaming in excitement. She quickly rushed up to the little snake, who was currently looking around the area.

"Hello!" She greeted the snake politely. "What's your name?"

"Um… hi? I'm Hebihiro." The snake replied hesitantly, bowing his head respectfully. "I, um, have never been summoned before. Did… you summon me?"

"No, that was my sister." Hanabi pointed to the chūnin, who was still struggling to stand.

"H-Hi…" Hinata greeted the snake, Hebihiro, with an exhausted voice.

"Oh. Um, hi." Hebihiro turned his head towards Hinata and bowed again. "I… How can I help you?"

Hinata didn't say anything for a few seconds. She finally pulled herself off the ground and took in a deep breath. Feeling a little more energized, she then turned her attention to the snake and shook her head.

"You don't have to worry about anything." The chūnin said. "I'm Hyūga Hinata. I just signed your clan's contract and learned how to summon them."

"Oh. You were who Lady Mamushi was talking about." Hebihiro realized. "It's an honor to be your first summon then. I am still young, so I am probably not the most useful summon, but I will always be here if you ever need me."

"I'm sure you are very useful; don't doubt that." Hinata said, shaking her head once again.

"If you say." The snake mumbled before giving his new summoner a serious look. "So, other than just trying to summon me, is there anything else you could maybe use me for?"

Before Hinata could say anything, Hanabi proceeded to jump-up, getting the snake's attention.

"I could use some help actually! Father has some chores for me and I could use some help or somebody to talk to." She stated excitedly.

"Really? You do need something?" Hebihiro questioned. He then turned his attention to Hinata. "Um… is that something I could do?"

The Hyūga heiress noted the hopeful look in the snake's eyes. She let out a small chuckle before nodding her head.

"If you wish and you aren't doing anything, I'd really appreciate you helping out my sister." Hinata said.

"Of course! I'd love to!" Hebihiro declared.

Immediately, the snake slithered his way towards Hanabi. He then began to climb his way up her body as Hanabi proceeded to giggle. Hebihiro continued his way up until he was placed around her neck.

"Lead the way, Miss Hanabi." He told her politely.

"Alright, let's go!" Hanabi declared, still giggling.

The girl quickly rushed off, the snake making an effort to hold onto her neck. Hinata and Anko watched the two rush out. A wide smile developed on Hinata's face as she proceeded to giggle.

"Hanabi seems to have gotten attached." She noted, her giggling getting louder.

"I suppose." Anko noted with a chuckle of her own. "I know the little one she's got around her neck. Hebihiro's actually a pretty sensitive little snake and doesn't think he's really worth much. It might do some good for him to hang out with your sister and help her with some simple chores."

"Hmm…" Hinata brought her right hand to her chin in thought as she processed Anko's words. "I might make a note to try and summon him again then!"

"You may not have too much of a choice. Summoning a bigger snake will eat up a lot more chakra. You'll have to gradually work your way up to summoning more." Anko stated. A scowl then developed on her face. "Still can't fucking believe you summon one the moment we make some type of bet. That's such absolute horseshit."

"In my defense, you forced the bet. It's your fault." Hinata stated, now full-out laughing loudly.

Anko shook her head, grumbling obscenities to herself while her former student continued to laugh. She waited for the girl to calm down before continuing to speak.

"So, do you have a favor in mind you want me to do? Or do you want to think about it a little bit longer?" She questioned. Her eyes then narrowed. "And keep in mind, I said I wouldn't make it embarrassing for you, so I'd really appreciate you keep that in mind for me!"

"Oh, I know." The chūnin stated quickly. "I have something in mind, and it's not embarrassing."

"Okay then, what can I help ya with?" The jōnin questioned out of curiosity.

A grin developed on Hinata's face as she began to tell her sensei about her 'favor'.

"Well that went well." Shizune noted with a smile.

She, along with Jiraiya and Tsunade, had just left the Hokage's office after meeting with Hiruzen and discussing in further detail his plans for his two students. They were now currently walking through the streets of Konoha, looking for a place to eat.

"I wouldn't exactly call Sarutobi-sensei forcing me into establishing a medical academy 'well' but that meeting could have gone worse." Tsunade mumbled to herself.

"Don't say that. Isn't this exactly what you had wanted to do before leaving Konoha? It could be the basis for that idea you also wanted; that all four-man teams should have at least one medical shinobi on them." Jiraiya reminded her.

"I know. It seems like maybe those dreams could maybe be accomplished." She grumbled, shaking her head slightly. "Although this means I'm going to have to reenter the hospitals and become a medic again, meaning-"

"That you'll have to get over your fear of blood?" Shizune commented.

The 'Slug Princess' nodded her head: "It shouldn't be too difficult to do. It's a mindset thing. I just need to get my mind back to where it used to be."

"Easier said than done, especially when you are not actually around blood at the moment." Jiraiya noted with a frown.

"That is true, but it's something I'm going to have to do, regardless of if I want to or not." Tsunade stated sharply, scowling slightly. "I do have some pride, you know? If I'm actually going to be re-creating Konoha's medical program, I'm going to have to be the Legendary Medical Shinobi that people remember me as. I can't be some little bitch scared of blood. I have to be strong!"

"And you will be, Tsunade-sama. I'll be with you, helping run this program and helping you overcome your fears so we can create the best wave of medics Konoha has ever seen!" Shizune offered, smiling brightly.

"Meanwhile, I'm going to have to go find out who the next spymaster is going to be." Jiraiya mumbled to himself. "I have a few candidates in mind, but I need to make my decision quick so I can train them as fast as possible-"

"There you are, Tsunade-sensei!"

Jiraiya's thoughts were cut as he, along with Tsunade and Shizune, turned their attention to Nara Yoshino. The black-haired woman was breathing heavily upon running into them. Sweat was dripping her face, but a grin developed on her lips as she looked at the group.

"I'd been looking all day for you. It took forever to find you!" Yoshino stated sharply as she rubbed off her sweat.

"… Well, I'll be damned. Yoshino?" Tsunade smiled at the sight of the woman in front of her. "You barely look older than I last remember you!"

"Are you kidding me? That's what I should be saying to you!" Yoshino exclaimed.

The two women embraced each other in a quick hug. When they broke apart, Tsunade noticed Shizune eyeing the Nara curiously. She proceeded to chuckle as she gestured towards her.

"Shizune, I suppose you never got a chance to meet the genin I trained. This is one of them." The 'Slug Princess' noted. "This is Nara Yoshino. Yoshino, this is my apprentice and traveling companion, Shizune."

"Ah!" Shizune immediately bowed in respect of the woman. "It is an honor to meet a student of Tsunade's."

"No need to be so formal; you're an apprentice of hers. Technically, you are on my level then. Or maybe even a little bit higher." Yoshino commented with a chuckle. She then held out her hand to her. "It's nice to meet you."

Shizune quickly extended her hand and the two shook hands.

"How have you been doing? And how are the other two? How are Jin and Yokaze?" Tsunade questioned.

"They're doing alright now. Jin is a jōnin and actually just got married to a woman in the Aburame Clan. Yokaze, on the other hand, is a tokubetsu jōnin and a medical shinobi who is apparently becoming a pretty well-known medic at the hospital." Yoshino answered. She then had a smile develop on her face. "I remained a chūnin, but that's mainly because I got married to Shikaku and had a son. Now that my son's a shinobi, and already promoted to chūnin, I've been thinking about getting back to active duty."

"Got married, huh? And a kid that's already a chūnin? Sounds like you did good for yourself. I'm proud of you. And your teammates." Tsunade said cheerfully. "I'm back here full time now, so we should try and arrange a meetup soon. And with your family too. I'd like to actually meet them."

"Actually, if you wouldn't mind, I'd like to introduce you to Shikamaru pretty soon." The Nara said, her demeanor becoming more serious. "I was actually looking for you to meet with you, get reacquainted, and maybe ask if you'd be willing to tutor my son in the art of medical ninjutsu."

Jiraiya, who had been listening to the conversation and not participating, looked at Yoshino in surprise: 'Isn't her son Naruto's teammate Shikamaru? She wants him to be a medical shinobi?'

Tsunade's cheer seemed to disappear. A neutral expression developed on her face as she sighed.

"I'm not going to have time to take on an individual apprentice." She said plainly. "I'm going to try and create an academy to train the next generation of medical shinobi and I'm going to have to focus all of my time on that."

"Then would it be alright if he is amongst your first batch of students?" Yoshino requested. "This would be very important. I can't imagine him learning the art from a person better than you."

"I'm surprised that your son has an interest in the art at all." Jiraiya spoke-up with a chuckle.

Yoshino turned her attention to Jiraiya. A surprised look was on her face. Her eyebrow then rose.

"I… wasn't even aware you knew of Shikamaru, Jiraiya-san." She noted.

"He's one of Naruto's teammates. I know quite a bit about him through the blonde. Hell, I actually trained with him for a bit and taught him a pretty powerful technique and he picked it up quick." The 'Toad Sage' said with a chuckle. He then turned his attention towards his teammate and smiled. "Tsunade, I think you could probably work with him. Hell, you may end up teaching him and actually want to take him as a full-time apprentice."

"And why would you think that?" She questioned, her eyes narrowing at her teammate.

"He's a good kid. Bit of a smart ass and has some traces of the Nara laziness that the clan seems to have, but he's a dedicated kid who puts everything into being a better shinobi. Great tactics, great jutsu repertoire for a chūnin as fresh as he is, and great determination that'll keep him working at whatever pace you want him to work at, no matter how hard." Jiraiya explained. "He's also part of that team Sarutobi-sensei was talking about. Working on making one of them a medic would not be a bad idea at all, you know."

Tsunade remained quiet for a moment. She crossed her arms as she closed her eyes in thought.

'… I was just talking about how it would do me good to start working on getting over my fear of blood before I open up my academy. Maybe working with her son can help with that? Plus, Jiraiya is right about sensei's plans. And he sounds like a good student…' The Sannin proceeded to think about the suggestion in detail.

"Huh? What team are you talking about?" Yoshino questioned, looking at Jiraiya with narrowed eyes.

"Can't say too much. I'll just say that your son's genin team? Sarutobi-sensei has some big plans for them in the future." Jiraiya noted with a chuckle.

"… He does. And it would be better for those plans if one of them was a medic." Tsunade stated upon opening her eyes. "I'll train your son, yeah. Hell, I'll start working with him before I open up the academy."

"Really?" Yoshino's eyes widened.

The 'Slug Princess' nodded her head: "Tell him to come to the Senju Clan compound in three days. I need to get some shit together before I can start any training. I'd like to get some political crap done too, with getting my academy set up and send out advertising for it, but once I get everything ready, your son will be my first student for the next generation of medical shinobi."

"That's… amazing! Thank you so very much, Tsunade-sensei!" Yoshino bowed in gratitude. She was beaming and almost seemed as if she was about to start jumping up-and-down. "How can I repay you for this?"

Tsunade immediately shook her head. "There's no need-"

"Well, we were about to go eat-" Jiraiya started to speak at the same time.

The two Sannin turned to face each other. Jiraiya rubbed the back of his head sheepishly while Tsunade gave him a glare. Yoshino, however, seemed to be oblivious to the interaction between the two. Instead, she clapped her hands together.

"Ah, that's a great idea!" She declared. "I'll cook food for you! It's the least I can do for you! Plus, it'll give me a chance to introduce you to my husband and Shikamaru!"

"Huh?" Tsunade blinked in confusion. "That's not-"

"I insist! Come on! Just follow me!" Yoshino declared.

The Nara didn't wait for an answer; she grabbed Shizune's hand and started rushing back to her home, dragging the black-haired apprentice with her. Shizune looked at Tsunade pleadingly before Tsunade sighed and started to follow behind.

"… Heh." Jiraiya proceeded to chuckle slightly as he followed behind the kunoichi. "One small comment netted us a free a home cooked meal."

The next day came quickly. Naruto, Sakura, Kiba, and Akamaru returned to Konoha. They immediately headed towards the Hokage's office with their mission report.

Upon being greeted by the team, Hiruzen was expecting to hear simple news; the mission was a success, they would give him the money that Tazuna had owed them for the mission, and they would share brief anecdotes about the current status of Nami no Kuni. He was not expecting, however, to hear news of an attack on the bridge.

"… You are claiming that this man was part of Akatsuki, Naruto?" Hiruzen questioned, looking at the blonde seriously.

"Yup. He wore the cloak and everything. He and the other… thing…" Naruto shook his head, trying to come up with words to describe 'Zetsu'. "They mentioned me being a jinchūriki. And they mentioned coming back after me later."

"… Honestly, Naruto, Jiraiya has never given me information on either of these two members before. I have never heard of this plant-like creature and have no clue what village it would belong too." The Hokage admitted. He then frowned. "I do, however, believe I know who the other man is. Hidan, a former shinobi of Yugakure."

"Yugakure? Was that even a thing?" Kiba questioned, giving the Hokage a confused look.

"It was." Sakura answered for the Sandaime. "It used to be a minor village, but then it developed into a tourist destination. It was a much more profitable decision for the village, as it never produced any really good shinobi that attracted clients."

"That is true, Sakura." Hiruzen nodded his head as his frown deepened. "Unfortunately, that seemed to anger Hidan, who was the only truly 'well-known' shinobi of the village. He proceeded to slaughter a lot of key members behind the decision to turn the village into a tourist spot before becoming a missing shinobi." Hiruzen's frown then turned into a scowl. "After leaving the village and slaughtering a bunch of innocent people, he joined the cult of Jashin, a disturbing religion that worships slaughter and genocide above all else."

"I got that vibe from him." Naruto shook his head. His hands then tightened into fists. "Can't believe that he ended up getting away."

"For what it's worth, I am very proud of how you handled that, Naruto-kun." The Sandaime Hokage commented, his frown turning back into a small smile as he looked at the entire team. "I am very proud and impressed that all three of you managed to make it out of a situation like that alright. You've shown yourselves to be extraordinary shinobi."

"Thank you, Hokage-sama." Both Kiba and Sakura stated politely, bowing slightly. Akamaru barked as well, expressing his own thanks.

"You've given me your reports and returned Tazuna's money. As far as I'm concerned, your mission is complete. You all may be dismissed." Hiruzen said.

The trio nodded their heads. They proceeded to slowly walk towards the door. Just as they were about to leave, though, Hiruzen spoke-up once again.

"Actually, Naruto-kun, may I speak to you for just a little longer?" He requested.

The Uzumaki nodded his head as he walked back into the room while Kiba, Akamaru, and Sakura headed off. The blonde returned to his position in front of the Hokage's desk and gave the man a curious look.

"What day is it in exactly one week?" The Hokage questioned.

Naruto gave the man a confused look: "Um, I think it's the eleventh of October?"

"Yes. It's the day after your birthday." Hiruzen noted with a chuckle, causing Naruto's eyes to widen. "I have an idea for a sort of 'birthday present' for you, if you would like to call it that. I'd like to tell you what it is and here your opinion on the subject."

The jinchūriki looked at the older man in front of him in surprise.

'I didn't even realize my birthday was coming up! Fuck, I'm turning fourteen, right?' He realized. He let out a small, quiet laugh. 'Damn. Didn't realize how fast time goes by.'

"You really don't need to get me anything Old Man. You've done a lot for me as it is." Naruto stated with a slight laugh.

"I insist. I'm sure you will enjoy this." The Hokage commented as his eyes narrowed slightly. "I'd like to extend an offer for you and your teammates, Nara Shikamaru and Hyūga Hinata, to train directly underneath the tutelage of myself and my former teammates, Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu."

Naruto blinked in surprise at the suggestion. His eyes quickly widened as he processed the suggestion.

"Wait, what? Why?" He nearly spat out.

"Well, it has to be in a week. I have a few arrangements I need to get done. Plus, there's some more paperwork that needs to get filled out for the Godaime Hokage." Hiruzen commented nonchalantly.

"Godaime? You're stepping down?" Naruto's eyes widened once again as he nearly shouted his question.

"Naruto-kun, calm down. One set of questions at a time." The Hokage requested with a chuckle. "Yes, I am stepping down. It's time for new blood. There needs to be someone new with the hat. I have someone I trust to take the hat and I know they will do an excellent job."

"Who is it? Who?" Naruto continued to question.

"I'll let that be a surprise, for now." Hiruzen said with another chuckle, causing Naruto to scowl. This caused Hiruzen to laugh harder in response. "Don't be like that, Naruto-kun. If do you do a little looking into the subject, I'm sure you can find out the answer. You are moderately acquainted with the person."

"… Alright. I'll find out myself." The Uzumaki mumbled in response.

"Good. I know you will." The Sandaime said, still chuckling. His eyes then narrowed once again. "However, as I am about to retire, I'll have more free time in my hands. I'd like to spend some of it working with the next generation and making sure it develops into what it can be. I've always seen you and your team as a group with potential. I'd like to have some part in helping you all take advantage of that potential and grow. I'd be honored if you would allow myself and my former teammates the chance to help you all grow as shinobi."

'… The Old Man is asking if he can train me.' Naruto's brain was beginning to really process Hiruzen's words as a wide grin developed on his face. 'He wants to train me. The fucking Hokage wants to train me.'

"Is that a good enough birthday present this year?" Hiruzen questioned, snapping Naruto out of his thoughts.

Naruto immediately nodded his head as his grin somehow widened: "More than enough! Thank you so much, Old Man! I promise; you won't regret this!"

'I know I won't.' Hiruzen thought to himself, chuckling slightly.

Upon completing his mission report and his conversation with the Sandaime Hokage, Naruto walked through the streets of Konoha back to his home. He continued to walk to his apartment until it was within sight when he stopped himself, recalling that he was no longer living there.

'Oh yeah. The Old Man gave me a new home.' He recalled. A large smile then developed on his face. 'I have a home. I have family waiting for me to get back!'

The blond Uzumaki rushed through the village, moving faster at the thought of seeing his family again. Within fifteen minutes, he arrived at the Uzumaki Clan compound. He walked into the central building and opened his mouth to shout, announcing that he was home, but the words were interrupted by the sound of loud laughter.

"Huh?" He blinked in confusion.

Naruto started to walk through the building in the direction of the noise. Within moments, he arrived in the Uzumaki Clan kitchen. Masakado was sitting at the large, circular table in the room and had a large grin on his face as he talked with Tsunade. Both shinobi were holding cups of tea in their hands while Shizune was walking back to the kitchen with an emptied tea pot.

"Run that by me again." Masakado requested. "You made a bet with your team that you'd be the only one to make chūnin at your first Chūnin Exams, and when you all made chūnin at the exam, you owed them how much?"

"I'm not repeating the number." Tsunade said with a chuckle as she shook her head. "It took two whole months of missions to pay them. And Orochimaru was such a fucking bitch back then; there wasn't a day that went by when he wouldn't remind me exactly how much I owed him. And the fucker was even thinking about charging me interest!" She took a sip of her tea before continuing to speak. "After the bullshit he gave me, I vowed never to gamble again. I didn't want to deal with greedy bastards like him."

"A vow you quickly broke." The former Uzukage said bluntly with a snort.

"Hey! I kept the vow!" The 'Slug Princess' said sternly. She kept a straight face for a second before she started to lose her composure and began to laugh. "… Until… heh, the first day I ever walked into a casino."

"Ha! You feel victim to one of the biggest shinobi vices." Masakado said bluntly, his snorts turning into raucous laughter.

"Hey, not my fault! Have you ever truly gambled at a big-time, fancy casino with new slot machines and beautiful card tables?" Tsunade questioned, still laughing as well. "Honestly, the adrenaline is amazing. It's honestly better than both a night at the pub and having sex."

"Um…" Naruto mumbled, trying to come up with something to say to get their attention.

His mumbling worked, however, as Masakado and Tsunade stopped laughing and turned their heads towards him. Even Shizune, who was cleaning out the empty teapot, turned to face the boy. Masakado's grin seemed to grow wider at the sight of him as he gestured towards the table.

"Naruto, you're back. Sit down." He said cheerfully. "How was the mission?"

"Well… the mission was alright. Could've gone better." Naruto said with a shrug. He proceeded to take a seat next to Masakado and looked Tsunade in the eye. "And you are?"

"Do you always speak to new people like that?" Tsunade questioned, rolling her eyes slightly.

"Not really, but you're in my house and I have no clue who you are." Naruto stated, rolling his eyes as well. "Sorry."

"Heh. Looks like you two are getting along already." Masakado said with a snort. "Tsunade, this is Uzumaki Naruto. He's the kid Jiraiya and I were talking about last night. Great kid." The Uzukage then gestured the Sannin. "Naruto, this is Senju Tsunade. You may know about her from your history classes or something, but as far as I'm concerned, she's Uzumaki Mito's snotty granddaughter."

Naruto's eyes widened in realization: 'Tsunade? As in the Sannin? As in the granddaughter of the Shodai Hokage?'

"Snotty?" Tsunade's eyes narrowed on Masakado. "Where did that come from? Are you really basing it off that one time where we met when I was a kid?"

"I am." He nodded his head, smirking slightly. "Also basing it off some of the letters Mito wrote me when you were growing up. Trust me, Tsunade; you'd think you were a snot too if you read some of them."

"Fucking hell." The Senju shook her head.

"So, you are the Tsunade, huh?" Naruto questioned, looking at the woman in front of him in curiosity. "You were Ero-sennin's teammate?"

"Ero-sennin? You mean Jiraiya-" Tsunade's words died on her lips as she began to recall exactly what name Naruto called Jiraiya. "HA! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" She began laughing raucously as she slammed her fist onto the table, causing it to split in two and send the two teacups on the table to the ground, shattering upon impact. "That's fucking hilarious!"

"No, that's my fucking table! Dammit Tsunade!" Masakado shouted, glaring at the Senju. "I'm going to have to replace that!"

"Heh… no, you won't have to. I'll pay for the replacement. Sorry." Tsunade apologized as she rubbed tears out of her eyes. She then turned to face Naruto and smirked. "That's honestly the funniest thing I've heard in years. Thank you."

"Your welcome." Naruto replied, grinning in response at her reaction. "It's true, though."

"It honestly is!" The 'Slug Princess' replied with another laugh.

"I'll get you all more cups of tea." Shizune offered as she took the teapot she had just finished cleaning and began to prepare more tea. "Would you like some to, Naruto?"

"Uh," Naruto turned his head towards the other kunoichi, "I suppose, er…"

"Shizune. It's nice to meet you." She said with a smile. "I'll make you a tea as well, then."

"Thanks." The jinchūriki said, smiling back. "It's nice meeting you too, Shizune."

Naruto proceeded to turn his attention back to Masakado and Tsunade. The three proceeded to stand-up, moving away from the remains of the table that Tsunade had broken. They now walked to the counter next to the stove where Shizune was preparing the tea.

"It is good to have you back, Naruto." Masakado said as he began to look at Naruto suspiciously. "I trust that, while on your mission, you were practicing your fūinjutsu, yes?"

"I was, jī-san. Relax." Naruto replied with a chuckle. "I can actually create the seal for the Protective Winds jutsu now!"

"Good! Really good!" The Uzukage declared excitedly. "I'm glad you got some practice in. Wouldn't want Tayuya to get ahead of you by too much if you didn't practice or anything."

"I wouldn't let her get ahead." He said confidently. A curious look then developed on his face. "Speaking of her, where is Tayuya-nee?"

"She actually left just a moment ago. Jiraiya came by to pick her up to talk to her for a bit." Tsunade said with a shrug.

"Really?" Naruto blinked in confusion. "Why?"

"Eh, we'll find out when they get back." The Senju shrugged. She then gave Naruto a curious look. "By the way, you're friends with Nara Shikamaru, right?"

"I am." Naruto said, a smile developing on his face. "He's one of my best friends! Why?"

"I trained his mother and just met the kid not too long ago. Didn't really get a good read on him. He seemed more reserved than what I was expecting." Tsunade admitted with a shrug. "Care to tell me more about him?"

"Heh." The blond Uzumaki let out a snort as his mind began to recall various stories he had about Shikamaru. "I can tell you a lot of things about him! Whatever you'd like to know."

After walking for roughly fifteen minutes, Jiraiya and Tayuya arrived at the base of the Hokage Mountains. Jiraiya walked over to a bench directly underneath the mountains. He then gestured towards the seat next to him. Tayuya sighed before taking a seat next to him.

"Have you been out here yet? I know you haven't been in Konoha for too long, but this is probably one of my favorite spots in the village." Jiraiya commented with a smile as he looked up, getting a good look at the faces above him. "Being in the presence of the four Hokage kinda allows you to think about things differently. It puts your thoughts into perspective."

"…I have been out here before and I do like it out here, but not because of any reason like that." Tayuya answered with a shrug. "It's peaceful out here. I like to bring my flute and practice out here if I want to get some fresh air instead of saying in the clan's compound."

"Yeah, I could see that." The 'Toad Sage' noted with a smile.

"… So, let's just get to the point." The Uzumaki commented. "What did you want to talk about with me?"

Jiraiya gave no immediate answer; he remained focused on the Hokage faces above him. Tayuya looked at him, waiting for him to speak. After nearly thirty seconds of silence, her eyes narrowed and a scowl developed on her face.

"I asked a question, dammit!" She shouted. "If you wanted to sit and think, then you could've done that by yourself. You don't need me for company!"

"I wanted to ask you to do a job for me." Jiraiya finally said as he turned his attention back to Tayuya.

"A job?" Her eyes narrowed in suspicion.

"You're an… interesting person, Tayuya. Perhaps some people wouldn't pick you for something like this. But I know I can make a proposition for you that'll make you consider this job." The Sannin said with a chuckle.

"I won't consider any job without knowing what it is." Tayuya said sternly, crossing her arms over her chest.

"… Well, to give the backstory behind this, I am going to be the Godaime Hokage." Jiraiya stated, his tone-of-voice sounding completely neutral. Tayuya's eyes widened. "Sarutobi-sensei will announce this soon and I'll be sworn in by the end of the month."

"I'll be damned." She mumbled. She then chuckled slightly as a smirk developed on her face. "That's precisely the kind of thing that would totally piss off Orochimaru. I hope he is seeing this from his spot in hell."

"It would, wouldn't it?" Jiraiya commented blankly. He then proceeded to shake his head before continuing to speak: "Regardless, with me as the Hokage, that fills up an opening. I'll be pretty much rooted to Konoha the moment I take the hat. That means someone needs to replace me as Konoha's spymaster."

Tayuya's eyes, once again, widened exponentially at the statement. They then quickly narrowed on him.

"That's an interesting job to give someone who is not even technically a Konoha shinobi, let alone a former prisoner and someone who worked for a traitor to your village." She commented.

"I am familiar with your reasons for working with Orochimaru. That won't be held against you. Especially since you made a good impression on the Hokage and myself during the mission at Uzushiogakure. You also have your cousin and Masakado backing you up, vouching that you are no threat to Konoha." Jiraiya said with a chuckle. He then reached into a pocket in his kimono. "But, in regards to you not being a Konoha shinobi…"

His voice began to fade as he pulled out a Konoha forehead protector. He then held it out to Tayuya. The red-haired kunoichi looked at it suspiciously for a few seconds before looking back up to Jiraiya.

"Really? Because of Masakado and Naruto vouching for me, you will not only allow me to become a Konoha shinobi, but you'll ask me to be in charge of your spy network?" She questioned in disbelief. "Are you really that trusting? Seriously?"

"Are you giving me a reason to not trust you?" Jiraiya's eyes narrowed on her.

"No." The Uzumaki shook her head. "I have family that decided that this place was going to be their home. No, I can't turn my back from Konoha as a result." She then shrugged her shoulders. "I just wouldn't expect someone like you would really trust me, though. I mean, I can say all of that and it all can be true, but I can't imagine someone like you actually believing it. I'd assume that me saying that would just come across as bullshit."

"I have a good read in character, Tayuya. I have to, when I am trying to decide who to add to my network of spies. I've traveled around the world and have met millions of people from different walks of lives. I know all about different types of people and who is trustworthy." Jiraiya informed her. A small smile developed on her face. "I know your type. You're blunt, you're crass, you're aggressive, but you have values that you put above all else. You're someone who would sacrifice things for the greater good of your values. That's the kind of person I know you are. And that's why I know you are trustworthy."

His statement caused Tayuya to become quiet. She looked downward as she processed his read on her.

'It's… accurate.' She thought to herself.

"Now, your values overlap with Konoha's. That's even more reason why I know I can trust you." The 'Toad Sage' said as he extended the forehead protector further, towards her. "I'd also like to believe that, making you the spymaster here at Konoha, is perfect for you and even could benefit you."

"How?" Tayuya questioned, looking back up to Jiraiya.

"It's perfect for you because of your training with Orochimaru." He said. "I know you have to have been given heavy espionage training. I know you must know how to work your way through back alleys, black markets, and the red-light districts of villages. I know you must have a good read and an inherent suspiciousness of people when you first meet them that will make you cautious and wary of any information you here and allow you to really look for the truth. And I know you are combat trained if a circumstance where you need to fight comes up." A smile then developed on your face. "I assume you'd also really like the job, though, because it would allow you to move throughout the Elemental Nations in Konoha's behalf. Perhaps while you are on the move, you'd be able to run into more members of the scattered Uzumaki Clan?"

"Wait, what?" Tayuya's eyes widened in surprise at Jiraiya's statement. "Seriously? You'd be giving me permission to-"

"Your duties are primarily for Konoha." He interrupted her. "I expect you to be looking out for the village's best interest and obtaining information that will help the village." The smile on his face seemed to grow as he continued to speak. "However, you have a lot of time on the road and it can take time waiting for your contacts. I used my time to start writing and doing research for my writing. Perhaps you could use your time looking for information on other Uzumaki?" His smile then turned into a full-blown, excited grin. "And if you did find anybody and maybe directed them to Konoha, as the active Hokage, I could grant them citizenship status immediately and safety in the village with a family with no strings attached?"

"You… Really?" The kunoichi's eyes began to water slightly. She quickly brushed away at her eyes, getting rid of any tears that were beginning to develop. "You'd actually let me do that? You'd let me go look for my clansmen?"

"Of course." Jiraiya said, his grin turning back into a more sincere smile.

Tayuya tried to rub away her tears, but her efforts were fruitless; they began to freefall down her face. She didn't stop them, though. A large smile developed on her lips.

'I… I can do it. I can finally try and find my clan and bring everyone together. I can recreate the Uzumaki Clan.' She realized.

A few seconds passed by before she finally rubbed away her tears. She then looked back to Jiraiya, who was still holding out the Konoha forehead protector. The Uzumaki reached out for it and took it in her hands. She quickly tied it around her neck.

"As the spymaster of Konoha, you will be granted jōnin status. As I said earlier, I am confident in your abilities, so I won't bore you with training on topics that I believe you won't need. I still would like to train you loosely, though. And what I will do is introduce you to my most important contacts. However, you are free to make your own network. Add anyone you feel you can personally trust. I believe I can trust your judgment." Jiraiya informed her. "We'll head out, though, for this training and the introductions in one week."

"Understood." Tayuya nodded her head.

The Uzumaki's eyes wandered upwards towards the Hokage faces on the mountain.

'The Konoha spymaster, huh… Alright. I'll make this work.' Tayuya thought to herself. Her eyes then narrowed on the faces of the mountain, as if she was addressing them. 'Hey, you four; this village is now the home of my family. And that means I'll do everything I can. You can count on me!'

For the first time in years, Tayuya actually felt like she was in a 'home' … and nothing was going to take it away from her. Ever.

Three days had passed since Tsunade's arrival in Konoha and her meeting with Yoshino. The Nara remembered their agreement and, as a result, she quickly handed Shikamaru a copy of the medical book that the Nara clan possessed before sending him off, informing him to meet with the Sannin in the Senju Clan compound. Shikamaru wandered the streets of Konoha, looking for the Senju clan compound. After arriving in the older district of Konoha, he finally discovered the location.

The Senju Clan compound was smaller than the nearby Uzumaki Clan compound. There were only three large buildings surrounding. The buildings, however, were completely intact and had no signs of damage or age whatsoever; there was clear evidence that they were being taken care of. The green paint on the buildings was fresh and the red tiles on the roofs looked as if they had just been put in. The buildings itself were surrounded by large pillars, each having a tile on them. The tiles had both the symbol for the Senju Clan as well as the symbol for Konoha on it.

'Well, I found it. It's a little more plain than I thought it'd be.' Shikamaru thought to himself, shrugging slightly. 'Well, whatever. Let's go meet with her.'

He walked forward, stepping onto the compound's ground. He then walked up to the door of the first building. In the entry way was Tsunade. The Sannin was drinking from a bottle of sake as the Nara entered the room. She quickly turned her attention to him and smirked.

"Right on time." She noted with a snort. "I was actually expecting a Nara to arrive late. Either your mom forced you to get out here this early or you are actually one of the rare members of your clan that can actually get up and do something."

"Honestly, it's a bit of both." Shikamaru admitted with a shrug. He then gave the woman a serious look. "So, when do we start?"

Tsunade took another drink from sake bottle. She then started to walk off and gestured for him to follow her. The two shinobi proceeded to walk through a wooden hallway.

"So, before we start, I'd like to ask you a few questions. I know we met briefly at lunch that one day, but we didn't talk much. And honestly, I barely got to know you." Tsunade commented as she took another drink. She then gave Shikamaru a serious look. "So, why medical ninjutsu? What gave you the interest in the art?"

"Medicinal treatments has been something my clan has specialized for centuries. I suppose that always created an underlying interest." Shikamaru answered with a shrug. "Mom has always talked about wanting to teach me medical ninjutsu and has expressed an interest in me learning the art."

"This is about your mother then?" Tsunade questioned, frowning slightly.

He shook his head. "It was her idea to start training, but it's not about her. Honestly, I just want to make myself the most well-rounded shinobi I possibly can."

"And why?" She continued to question. "You're a Nara, aren't you? You're good in supplementary techniques anyway. What really makes you want to study medical ninjutsu? Why that above other fields?"

"Because I learned on a major mission what really mattered as a shinobi." Shikamaru answered, his eyes narrowing slightly. "The life of my allies and all shinobi that I work with and work under me is what matters above all else: the Will of Fire that inspires all of us shinobi to protect each other. I want to be able to keep my friends and comrades alive, no matter what. I want to be able to save them with tactics and my jutsus. And, if need be, I'd want to heal them."

The Nara's eyes proceeded to lower slightly as he continued to walk: "As I just said, I learned all of this on a mission I was on. It… It was bad. And I failed to keep innocent people alive. And I still don't think I'll be able to forgive myself for that mission…" He proceeded to shake his head, pushing away thoughts of Karitoriki from his mind. He, instead, looked at Tsunade with narrowed eyes filled with determination. "Medical ninjutsu wouldn't have helped with that particular mission, but I can imagine missions where it would help. Where it would save lives. And I want to never be put in a situation where I was unable to save a life. That's why I want to learn medical ninjutsu!"

Tsunade remained quiet for a few moments. She quickly brought her sake bottle to her lips and chugged the rest of it. Once she finished, she turned her head back to Shikamaru.

"First things first; knowing medical ninjutsu isn't a guaranteed lifesaver. Some wounds can't be healed. Some are too severe. It's not a guarantee trick that'll keep you and your friends alive." She said bluntly.

Shikamaru immediately shook his head: "I know-"

"Having said that, I can tell you have a good heart." The Senju interrupted, a small smile gracing her lips. "I am a strict teacher. I will be ruthless. You will probably grow to hate me at times. I realize that you want to be well-rounded and medical ninjutsu will only be one aspect of what you will be capable of, but that's not going to stop me from holding you to the same standards as a shinobi who is devoted solely to medical ninjutsu. My standards will be high for you. But if you really desire to learn medical ninjutsu, then I believe my teachings will provide you the best foundation to learn the art."

With those words, the two shinobi reached a wooden door. Tsunade reached for the handle and opened it. They were inside a room that resembled an infirmary.

"I will show you the basics first and teach you about the equipment you will need to know how to use. Things will slowly get harder once we actually start working on actual medical ninjutsu." The Sannin noted. She then looked at Shikamaru with a serious expression: "Are you ready to begin?"

"I am." Shikamaru nodded as he walked into the room, closing the door behind him.

October 10...

"You summoned us, Hokage-sama?"

Hiruzen looked up from his paperwork in time to see Naruto enter the room, along with Hinata and Shikamaru. A small smile developed on his face at the sight of them. The old man proceeded to stand-up from his chair and walk towards them. He then quickly made a hand sign, creating a shadow clone that took his place at the desk

"Thank you three for coming over here. I know that you all just got here, but do you mind if we walk for a little bit? I have something I would like to discuss with you all, but I also need to be heading somewhere." Hiruzen requested.

"That's fine Old Man." Naruto nodded his head in affirmation. "Where do you need to go?"

"Oh, I'll show you when we get there." The Hokage said with a chuckle.

The group proceeded to leave the office and the building. They then began to walk out into the streets of Konoha just as the sunset was beginning over the village.

"By the way, Naruto-kun, happy birthday." The Sandaime said cheerfully, smiling at the blonde.

A small smile developed on Naruto's face: "Thanks Old Man."

"Any plans for later tonight?" Hiruzen questioned.

"Hinata-chan and Shikamaru are just going to eat dinner with me, Anko-sensei, Masakado-jī-san, Tayuya-nee, and Dosu at my place." Naruto answered with a grin. "Masakado and Dosu are actually cooking right now. It'll be the first time I had an actual home cooked meal for my birthday!"

The blonde, in his excitement, didn't seem to notice the shared look between the Hokage, Hinata, and Shikamaru. All three seemed to smile at each other for about a second before they stopped.

"I see. Sounds most fun." Hiruzen said with a chuckle. "Well, I won't keep you from having fun for too long. I wanted to briefly give your friends an update about what we talked about almost a week ago about training."

"Training?" Hinata and Shikamaru both blinked in confusion.

"Yes, this was something I discussed with Naruto-kun, but I would like to train you three. Well, not just me. You all will be trained by me and my two former teammates, Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu." Hiruzen admitted with a chuckle. "I've seen great potential in you three since the moment you all graduated and were placed with Anko. I knew that you three had potential to be the next 'trio' of our village and I wanted to have a part in your development."

"I… wow…" Hinata mumbled, blushing slightly at the praise. 'Being trained by the Hokage? And his teammates?'

"This… is…" Shikamaru shook his head in disbelief. "Are you even allowed to do this?"

"Well, as I'm sure you all are aware, I am stepping down as Hokage soon. I will have a lot more free time on my plate. And there's no rule that I cannot train anybody I feel would benefit from it." The Hokage said with another chuckle. "It's not like you three will be the only people I will train. I want to play a part in helping the next generation develop as shinobi. You three, however, will be the group I train the hardest, though. I want you all to the Sannin of your generation. And I will, therefore, work you all hard to obtain that goal."

Hinata and Shikamaru remained quiet as they processed that information. Naruto, however, was beaming at the thought.

"This is going to be so awesome!" He declared as he fist-pumped the air. "We'll be even better than the Sannin!"

"Well, that should be expected. Each generation appears to get stronger than the previous." Hiruzen noted. "I've already made arrangements with all your trainers. Your parents, Shikamaru and Hinata, are okay with this, as is Masakado, Jiraiya, Tsunade, and Anko. You obviously will still train with them. We all will just make a system so that we can all individually train you all at different times." The Hokage then gave a curious look to Hinata and Shikamaru. "Naruto-kun already expressed an interest in this training. Would you two be open to this as well?"

"Of course." Hinata quickly said, smiling at the Hokage. "It would be an honor!"

"It really would." Shikamaru added, a small smirk on his lips. "Yeah, sure. I'm game, especially if it's training with these two."

"Very well then. Consider the three of you my students." The Sandaime Hokage declared with a smile of his own. "Training begins tomorrow at ten o'clock."

Naruto, Hinata, and Shikamaru all nodded their heads in understanding, each feeling equally excited about tomorrow and training directly under the Hokage.

The group then returned their focus towards their walk. Hiruzen continued to lead the way towards the destination he was going to while Naruto, Hinata, and Shikamaru followed behind. The jinchūriki followed behind cheerfully; unaware of the looks that Hiruzen, Hinata, and Shikamaru were sharing occasionally.

"Huh? You were heading towards my home?" Naruto questioned.

The group was now standing in front of the Uzumaki Clan compound and the central building. Hiruzen had led them all the way out here. The Hokage proceeded to chuckle as he gave Naruto an apologetic look.

"Forgive me, Naruto-kun, but Masakado-san invited me to have dinner with you all. I hope you don't mind. It was supposed to be sort of a 'birthday surprise' if you will." He admitted, smiling at the boy.

"No, I don't mind at all! You're more than welcome!" Naruto exclaimed, a smile on his face as well.

With those words, Naruto rushed inside the building. Hiruzen, Hinata, and Shikamaru followed behind. The group proceeded to walk in towards the kitchen, prepared to eat whatever food Masakado and Dosu had finished cooking.

As Naruto walked into the room, his foot triggered a seal on the ground. The seal lit up a bright yellow color before activating, releasing confetti throughout the room in front of him. Naruto's eyes widened instantly, especially as a group of people began to appear from the shadows.

"SURPRISE!"

Standing behind the kitchen counter was a bunch of familiar faces; Masakado, Tayuya, Anko, Dosu, Iruka, Teuchi and his daughter Ayame, Sasuke, Sakura, Kiba and Akamaru, Chōji, Ino, Shino, Jiraiya, Tsunade, and Shizune were all looking at the blonde, excitedly. On the kitchen counter directly in front of them were various containers of food, such as teriyaki chicken, chicken tempura, sushi, five different types of ramen, various plates of dango, and a large cake.

"What… What's all this?" Naruto questioned as a large grin began to develop on his face.

"What the hell do you think it is?" Tayuya gave her a cousin a look that seemingly questioned his intelligence.

"It's a celebration, Naruto-san." Dosu stated, laughing slightly.

"And it took a long ass time to prepare, so you better appreciate it!" Kiba declared. Akamaru barked in agreement.

"Kiba, you didn't do anything to help. None of us did." Sakura reminded him, rolling her eyes slightly. "Hinata, Shikamaru, Anko-sensei, Dosu, and Naruto's family took care of everything."

"… Shut up. It was at least a slight pain to get his gift." The Inuzuka immediately frowned. His partner whined, expressing the same feelings as Kiba.

"You guys…" Naruto mumbled to himself as he looked as his eyes focused in on the cake. "You didn't have to-"

"That's not all there is, Naruto-kun." Hinata stated from behind him.

Naruto quickly turned around to face the Hyūga. His eyes widened, however, at the sight.

Hinata, Shikamaru, and Hiruzen were now joined by five new shinobi; Han, Rōshi, Kurotsuchi, Roto, and Risho. Kurotsuchi, Roto, and Risho were all holding various wrapped presents in their hands while both Han and Rōshi were holding up two ends up a large, unraveled scroll that had the words 'Happy Birthday Uzumaki Naruto' written on it.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY NARUTO!" The entire room declared.

Naruto remained still for a moment, standing in place. His eyes moved back-and-forth from each person in the room and all the various 'birthday' related stuff present. Within seconds, tears began to develop in his eyes. They fell quickly and rapidly. He quickly rubbed them away as the largest grin that ever been on his face developed.

"I… Thank you. Thank you. Thank you all so much! Just… Thank you all!" Naruto began to repeat himself over-and-over again. "Thank you, thank you-"

"Naruto, don't thank us. And certainly don't cry." Shikamaru said with a chuckle. "It's your birthday. You deserve a day like this."

"You definitely do." Hinata replied, a sincere smile on her lips. "You deserve so much more. I hope this is enough."

"Enough? Are you kidding me? This is AMAZING!" Naruto exclaimed loudly. His comment caused many in the room to start laughing. "I… I can't believe you all did this. This is amazing!"

"You know what would be amazing? If you actually celebrated!" Anko declared with a loud laugh. "Come on Whiskers; it's your birthday. You got lots of food to eat and presents to open!"

Naruto's impossible wide grin seemed to grow even wider at the suggestion.

The celebration lasted for roughly three hours. Everyone ate plates of various food, prepared by Masakado, Dosu, and Teuchi. Once food was finished, Naruto opened up presents he received from everybody.

Teuchi and Ayame had gotten Naruto a few cooking pots and a copy of their recipe for 'miso ramen'. The blond nearly tackled them when he gave them a hug. He quickly promised, though, that even if he was able to prepare the ramen as well as they could one day, he would still come and visit the ramen stand often. Iruka, on the other hand, had given him a fresh new set of weapons: new kunai, new shuriken, and new senbon. Naruto was very grateful for the act and thanks his former academy sensei for always believing in him when he was still the 'dead last' student back then.

Ino seemed to recall Naruto mentioning at one point that he enjoyed gardening and taking care of plants, so she brought over various plant and flower seeds and urged him to use them to grow a beautiful garden in the Uzumaki clan compound. He thanked her immensely as he began planning where he would place the garden. Chōji gave him a voucher to Yakiniku Q that would place his bill on the Akimichi's tab for the next month. The Uzumaki was nearly salivating as he thanked him. Shino, after hearing that Naruto was studying fūinjutsu, got him a new set of sealing tags, new pens, and new cartridges of ink. The blonde was incredibly grateful, as he was soon going to need more.

Sakura, apparently, was thinking along the same lines as Shino, as she also gave Naruto a new set of sealing tags, new pens, and new cartridges of ink. She also supplied him with more explosive tags. Naruto laughed and thanked her and also reminded her about working on fūinjutsu together. Kiba decided to give Naruto a pair of shiny silver gauntlets with claws attached to them, informing him that he could fight 'like an animal' whenever he wanted. Naruto smirked in response and thanked Kiba, telling him that he couldn't wait to show him how 'animalistic' he could get in battle. Sasuke, on the other hand, opted to give him a scroll. Naruto looked it and recognized the technique: Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu. The Uchiha mumbled something about staying a well-balanced shinobi and knowing techniques of various elemental affinities and offered to assist Naruto with the jutsu if he needed some assistance. The Uzumaki grinned in response and thanked Sasuke. He also offered the Uchiha the opportunity to learn a wind related jutsu if he was interested, which caused Sasuke to smirk in response.

Tsunade and Shizune had only just met the blonde, so they ended up working together to get him a gift: a scroll containing the jutsu Wind Style: Divine Wind. The two explained how useful the jutsu could be from a strictly offensive standpoint, especially when combined with a fire jutsu. Naruto was very appreciative gift and informed that he would learn the jutsu immediately. Jiraiya, on the other hand, opted to give Naruto a book: 'The Tale of the Utterly Gutsy Ninja'. After briefly explaining what the book was about, Naruto was near tears once again as he thanked his godfather for the gift.

Just as Sakura thought similarly to Shino, Roto also was thinking similarly to Ino; the civilian-raised shinobi brought Naruto various seeds from plants that were native to Iwa and Tsuchi no Kuni. He also gave him a small book with instructions on how to properly take care of the plants. Naruto thanked him, explaining that his garden was going to become even better. Risho gave Naruto a series of books from the manga series, Rurouni Kenshin. He mumbled that he thought Naruto might be interested in stuff like that, but when Naruto mentioned a comment about liking manga, Risho got much more involved in the discussion and urged Naruto to start reading as quickly as possible. Kurotsuchi gave Naruto another jutsu scroll: Earth Style: Rock Gun. She said something akin to Sasuke; that knowing multiple jutsus of different elements would be helpful. She informed Naruto that it took her only four days to learn the jutsu and she challenged him to learn it quicker. Naruto replied with a grin, saying that he'd learn it within three days. The granddaughter of the Tsuchikage grinned back.

Dosu gave Naruto a pair of black fingerless that he had customized for the blonde. The gloves had the Uzumaki clan symbol printed where the knuckles were. He also explained that he had them designed with a sealing tag put inside; Naruto could seal his sealing tags and pens inside to perform fūinjutsu mid combat. Naruto immediately put the gloves on and thanked him immensely. Tayuya bought him a silver flute, similar to the one she had. She explained that, while Naruto may not use it for combat like she does, she could teach him how to play if he was interested. He expressed an immediate interest and hugged his cousin, thanking her and asking to learn.

Rōshi had given him a copy of each book in his fantasy book series, Tengoku no Sato. He also gave Naruto a copy of the next book in the series that had yet to be released in stores and told him that he had his blessing to, after reading the book, to sell it to someone in the village and make a lot of money from it. The Uzumaki laughed loudly and thanked his fellow jinchūriki, claiming that he couldn't wait to read his material. Han offered Naruto his own 'artistic' work; he gave him a wall scroll that had a detailed ink drawing Han drew of Naruto's team and Han's team meeting at the Tenchi Bridge. The amount of detail was perfect. The two jinchūriki hugged as Naruto stated he was going to place it up immediately and that he was incredibly grateful for the gift.

Masakado joked about giving Naruto more fūinjutsu tools to practice his techniques, but instead, he actually gave Naruto a necklace. It was a simple necklace with black string and three, red beads that had the Uzushiogakure symbol placed on the beads. Masakado confessed that the necklace was a gift that his wife had given him the day that he had been announced as the Sandaime Uzukage. He had intended on passing it down to his eldest son one day, but now, he simply wanted to pass it down to Naruto to continue the Uzumaki legacy. Tears filled Naruto's eyes as he hugged Masakado. The Sandaime Uzukage also cried as he tied the necklace around the blonde's neck.

Anko rubbed the back of her head sheepishly, admitting that other people had the same idea as she had to help Naruto expand his jutsu repertoire. Nevertheless, she brought him a scroll for a jutsu type that he had never experimented with: Lightning Style: Thunderbolt. The jōnin admitted that lightning release was one of her weaker elements, but she said that was one of the most important to learn, especially since it could be used in tangent with Hinata's water related jutsu. The blonde Uzumaki grinned in response, feeling excited to experiment with the jutsu.

Shikamaru gave Naruto a set of explosive tags, opening himself up to momentary teasing from the blonde about 'his obsession with explosives'. The Nara simply chuckled in response. He also gave Naruto a sealing seal that was filled with various items for pranks: water balloons, paint, toilet paper, pen ink, etc. A grin developed on the blonde Uzumaki's face as he began to imagine what he could do with his new materials. Shikamaru also bought Naruto a nice orange-painted chair that he could put out in his garden in case he ever felt like relaxing. Naruto's grin developed more into a sincere smile as he gave his best friend a hug, thanking him for his gifts.

Hinata opened up her gift by handing letters to Naruto. The blond Uzumaki looked at them and realized that they were letters from shinobi who could not make the party that Hinata had reached out to. There were letters from Hatake Kakashi, Uzumaki Karin, Uzumaki Honoka, Yuki Haku, Kawada Misora, Utakata and Hotaru, Terumī Mei, and a letter marked by a shinobi named 'Kamui'. Naruto looked at each letter and smiled at the sight of them. He planned on reading them in a little bit and sending a response back as soon as he could.

After giving him the letters, Hinata then gave Naruto her own gift. She verbally acknowledged that, after hearing the various explanations Sasuke, Kurotsuchi, and Anko gave about having a diverse jutsu pool, she said that she was going to teach Naruto how to use Water Style: Gunshot so that way, he would know at least one jutsu of every elemental affinity. He laughed in response and said that he would love to learn and teach her a wind jutsu in thanks. She smiled back. He then opened up a present from her and saw a beautiful, elaborate black kimono that had a dark orange outline on the sleeves. It also had the Uzumaki Clan symbol embedded on the back. She then gave the blonde a kiss on the check, causing him to blush and stutter out his thanks, causing her to giggle in amusement.

Naruto looked at each and every gift he received. His eyes then focused on all of his friends that attended the party. He had no clue what he did to deserve them, but he was so grateful that he had them in his life.

After opening up presents and being the center of attention for roughly three hours, Naruto walked away from the party. People were still chattering away about various topics, but the blonde needed a moment to rest. He walked outside the building and set down by the door. He then proceeded to look upward into the sky, his eyes focused on the moon.

"Have you been enjoying the party so far, Naruto-otōto?"

The Uzumaki turned his head towards the voice and saw Han walking out of the building. A wide grin developed on his face as he gestured towards the area on the floor next to him. The Iwa jōnin smiled behind his mask as he took the seat next to him.

"I've been having a blast! This has probably been the best birthday I have ever had." Naruto declared, his grin growing wider. "Thank you so much for coming, Han-nii! Have you been having a good time?"

"No need to thank me." Han chuckled in response. "I have been enjoying myself. I'm not used to being out amongst large crowds like this, but this has been quite nice. It's different from my usual routine."

"Well, glad you can break it every once in a while." The Kyūbi jinchūriki commented with a chuckle. "I still can't believe you all were able to show up. Was there any issue with leaving Iwa? How did you even know there was going to be a party anyway?"

"That was the work of your teammates." The Gobi jinchūriki replied. "Anko-san had sent the messages to Iwa through her snakes. Shikamaru-san and Hinata-san had prepared letters and invitations to us, urging us to come if we could and, if we could not, to deliver a letter back to the snake in our place." The man then shook his head. "Getting to Konoha was slightly difficult; convincing Ōnoki was troublesome and took time, but he eventually approved with enough badgering. It helped that his granddaughter was one of the people invited and was bothering him about wanting to come."

"Heh. Good old Kurotsuchi; coming through like that." Naruto stated. He then gave his fellow jinchūriki a curious look. "So, how long have you all been here then? Did you get in today?"

"No, we got in yesterday evening." Han answered. "We actually worked everything through Hinata-san. We got full permission of the Hyūga clan to reside at their clan compound in preparation for today."

"Ah." Naruto nodded his head in understanding. "So you met Hyūga Hiashi then, huh? What did you think of him?"

"He reminds me slightly of myself, if I were to be honest." The armor-clad shinobi replied. "Very formal and respectful, but also quite pragmatic with his time and protective."

"Protective is one way to put it…" The blonde grumbled.

Naruto mumbled those words to himself, but Han managed to hear them anyway. The Gobi jinchūriki laughed in response, which eventually caused Naruto to laugh with him. Within moments, the two jinchūriki leaned back, lying down on the wood of the Uzumaki Clan compound's floor. They stared into the moon in the sky.

"… Naruto-otōto, when we first met, you told me that not all humans were disgusting creatures." Han commented, his eyes remaining focused on the moon. "I didn't believe you back then, but even if I ignored the relationship that I have developed between myself and my own students, seeing your friends around you makes me realize that you were correct and that I was wrong to be so cynical. They do genuinely care about you; more so than I thought any human could possibly care for a jinchūriki like ourselves."

"I can't speak for all humans, but I know my friends. They are good people." Naruto replied. He then shook his head as a smile developed on his lips again. "No, they're the best people. Shikamaru and Hinata-chan are the best people I have ever met."

"I can tell that. I am glad that you have made such strong relationships." The Gobi jinchūriki noted. His eyes moved from the moon to his fellow jinchūriki. "You have grown stronger, otōto: in both physical and emotional characteristics. You are really becoming an extraordinary shinobi and person. I consider it a blessing to have met you."

"… Thanks, Han-nii. Thanks so much." Naruto's smile widened as he looked back at his surrogate-brother. "I… I'm grateful I met you too. You've done a lot for me and have helped me mature and grow and really helped me calm myself down. I tend to think about you every time I finish meditating and all the time it took for you teach me how to properly do it."

"Do not remind me of that." Han immediately shook his head. "That was quite the difficult task. For a moment, I thought it was biologically impossible for you to sit still and remain silent for any given period of time."

"I wasn't that bad!" The Uzumaki quickly stated sternly. Han proceeded to give him a look, which caused Naruto's stern expression to falter slightly: "I-I wasn't… right?"

"I repeat myself; it was a horribly difficult task." He answered bluntly.

Naruto dropped his face slightly, which caused Han to chuckle in response. The Gobi jinchūriki then reached into his gi and pulled out a small sketchpad and pen. He opened the sketchpad to a blank page and brought his pen to paper.

"It's peaceful moments like these that really inspire me." The Iwa jōnin noted with another chuckle.

"What are you working on?" Naruto questioned. "Do you want some time by yourself to work on it?"

"I'm not quite sure what I'm drawing yet. I'll find out precisely when I'm finished." Han admitted with a chuckle, his eyes focused on his paper. "I don't personally mind the company, although I might bore you like this. Perhaps you might find better companionship in one of your friends? Maybe Hinata-san?"

The Uzumaki looked over at the armor-clad shinobi in confusion. The man proceeded to wink, which caused Naruto's cheeks to brighten red.

"Wh-What the-" Naruto shook his head. "I'm fourteen now! I'm not thinking about that kind of stuff!"

"I never said anything. I merely implied that you might enjoy her company more. Aren't you two in a relationship now?" The man questioned, smirking behind his mask. "Anything you thought I was implying was something you thought to yourself. There's actually a psychology student about such thoughts-"

"Okay, I'm leaving!" The Uzumaki quickly stood-up.

The Gobi jinchūriki chuckled in response. The two said their farewells before they left off. Han returned his full attention to his drawing. The moon was present on his sketchpad. He drew light lines, creating moonlight. The Iwa jōnin's eyes moved throughout the paper, trying to identify exactly what he should do next.

'Perhaps the moon is shining above the Hokage Faces? I like that imagery.' Han realized. As he brought his pen down against the paper, a smile developed behind his mask. 'Hmm… I wonder what Naruto-otōto's face would like amongst the other faces?'

With that thought in mind, Han quickly went to work on continuing his drawing.

"Long day?"

Shikamaru yawned as he turned his head towards the approaching figure of Kurotsuchi. The two were apparently the only ones still hanging around the food and the dining area. The rest of the partygoers were standing up, talking to other people and being social.

"Sorta." Shikamaru answered with another yawn. "Had training with Tsunade in the morning. Had a quick D-rank mission after that for some extra cash. Then spent the rest of the time helping Hinata get ready for the party."

"Yeah, I know. You didn't come by until later in the day." Kurotsuchi commented, frowning slightly. "Meant that I didn't really get to see you until basically now, you know?"

"Yeah, yeah. I'm sorry." The Konoha shinobi answered, returning her frown with one of his own.

The two chūnin quickly turned their heads to the groups around them. They noticed Kiba and Risho talking to each other slightly hesitantly. Kurotsuchi's eyebrow rose at the sight of them.

"Hey, did your dog boy pick up manners or something?" She questioned. "He was never that polite to us Iwa shinobi when we first came for the exams."

"I… don't know. I haven't talked too much to Kiba recently." Shikamaru shrugged. He then gave her a questioning look. "Risho seems more cheerful, though. Anything happen with him."

"… A lot, actually." Kurotsuchi sighed in response. "His cousin did try to get him removed from the clan, and while he failed to accomplish that, he apparently did hurt his reputation amongst them. Risho didn't feel comfortable living at the Kurogane Clan compound anymore. He was so uncomfortable, actually, that he moved in with Roto and his family."

"… Oh." The Nara's eyes lowered slightly as his frown deepened. "I'm sorry for him."

The Tsuchikage's granddaughter shook her head: "Don't be. Risho actually seems happier than he has been for a while. I think moving in with them has helped his disposition more. He does seem genuinely nicer."

"Well that's good at least." Shikamaru said, his frown turning back into a small smile.

His eyes then focused on Roto. He noticed the Iwa civilian-born shinobi was currently talking with Sakura, Ino, and Chōji. The Nara noticed that his eyes would occasionally dart to Hinata, but they'd quickly turn away as he focused back on the conversation he was having.

"Any reason why Roto seems to be avoiding Hinata?" He questioned.

"Well, Roto had a thing for her. He was actually planning on asking her out the next time he saw her. And, well, it looks like she and Naruto became a thing before he could ask." Kurotsuchi noted, smirking slightly in response. "He'll get over it later. How long have Naruto and Hinata been a thing, by the way?"

"… Not horribly long? It was sometime when we were on a mission in Mizu no Kuni." Shikamaru shrugged in response. A small smirk developed on his face: "Took them long enough, though. I was honestly about to make a betting pool on when they'd get together."

Kurotsuchi chuckled in response. The two shinobi remained quiet for a moment as a small frown began to develop on the kunoichi's face. She then poked Shikamaru slightly.

"Hey, mind if we head somewhere else for a moment? I'd like to talk to you for a bit." She requested.

Shikamaru nodded his head. The two chūnin then started to walk off. They headed towards the building's entrance, briefly passing Naruto on their way out. They walked by Han, who was working on a drawing, and headed further out towards the red gate at the entrance to the compound. They then stopped walking as Kurotsuchi turned her full attention towards Shikamaru.

"So, did you ever get the letter I wrote to you?" She asked. "I never got a response back from you or Naruto, so I didn't know."

The Nara nodded his head: "I got the letter, yes. I read it a couple of times over-and-over again."

"…A-Ah." Kurotsuchi's cheeks reddened in response.

Her reaction caused Shikamaru to chuckle slightly, which only caused her cheeks to redden more.

"What prompted the letter again? Naruto sent you a letter himself, asking you to write something to me?" Shikamaru questioned.

"He said you weren't feeling good and weren't feeling like your normal self. Also said something about some asshole you fought." She said with a scowl. "Naruto was no help. Didn't give me shit to work with. I had to fill in a bunch of holes with information I know for a fact wasn't true!"

"Sounds like him." Shikamaru chuckled again in response.

Kurotsuchi smiled back in response, but her smile quickly faded as she looked at the Nara in closer-detail. She shook her head slightly.

"So… Um… How are you feeling?" The Iwa kunoichi asked in a slightly hesitant fashion. She seemed unable to look Shikamaru directly in the eye. "I, well, never heard back and have been… you know… kinda worried about how you were feeling…"