~*****~

We arrived at the ruins of the castle, looking around in shock. "So, what happened?" Naruto asks. "It's like a typhoon hit it."

"Yeah..." Jiraiya hums.

"Run! Run for your lives!" A man screams, followed by the screams of other civilians in the area.

"Hey! You there!" Jiraiya calls, and a man stopped. "What's going on?! Tell me; What are you running from!"

"If you're smart, you'll run too! There's a monster up there!"

"A monster?" I hum.

"Now, just calm down. What kind of monster?" Jiraiya asks. "What do you mean?"

"A snake! A huge snake! It crushed the castle without even trying!" An intense shiver of fear flew through my body, and I had to grasp my arms in an attempt to calm myself.

"Wait- How big a snake?! Hey! Our village was attacked by one, too!" Naruto called out to the guy as he ran away. "Wait! Don't go! I know something about big snakes!"

"Naruto, Ren, come on!" Jiraiya orders. Naruto hums in confusion as Jiraiya takes a look at my shaken form. I shook my head. "This could be the same snake. I'd like a closer look at this monster. Ren, are you up for this?" Jiraiya asks, and I nod dutifully.

~*****~

We ran along the tile roof tops until we came upon a section of wall that had been broken down, away from the castle. Jiraiya jumped off, and landed besides the debris. "Looks like we're too late." Jiraiya commented as Naruto and I jumped down.

"Did the snake do this too?" Naruto asked.

"Let's go, guys." Jiraiya orders and starts to walk off.

"Huh?"

"We're not gonna find Tsunade here." Jiraiya simply says.

"Not again, I was hoping you'd forgotten about her." Naruto grumbles. We searched the town for Tsunade for hours before Naruto even spoke again. "This is getting ridiculous. I'm starting to think this old lady doesn't even exist." Naruto complained. I didn't blame him. I was getting fed up with all the dead ends we've been hitting. And it was getting pretty late.

"Hm..." Jiraiya hums as he looks over at a building. "Well, in the meantime, we'll get a bite to eat in here." He says.

"Master Jiraiya, this is a tavern." I snapped, glaring at the senile old man.

"Yeah, so what?" He asked, looking at the two of us. Naruto shared a similar look of anger.

"You trying to be a bad influence on us?" Naruto asked. "Hello! We're underage!"

"You idiot, nobody is making you do anything, all right. Just have a snack and stay out of the grownups way." Jiraiya retorts before walking into the tavern. 

"If we're just lookin to eat-" Naruto is drowned out by a man welcoming us at the entrance.

"Why don't we just go to a place that doesn't crawl with drunkards?" I ask.

"When will you two learn? This is just the sort of place where you can pick up information." Jiraiya snaps. He looks out above the linings and borders, and spots something that makes him squint with a hum. Then, out of nowhere, he points towards the person of topic, and screams. "Tsunade!"

"Huh?!" Naruto and I screech.

"Jiraiya! What the-- Why are you here?" She bellows.

"Finally, I've been looking everywhere for you. Oh, should have known you'd be in here." Jiraiya says as he walks towards her. I look at Naruto before following after.

I shift uncomfortably as I'm sandwiched between Naruto and Jiraiya. I steal glances towards the woman I know as my aunt, and look away as she takes notice. I don't even think she recognizes me. We had food ordered, and I nervously pick at the sushi in front of me, refusing to eat due to that uneasy feeling blossoming in my belly. After an eternity of silence, Tsunade finally speaks. "It's like a reunion." She mumbles after a cup of sake. "Two of the same faces coming back after all this time."

Jiraiya refills her cup with the rest of the sake before speaking. "You mean Orochimaru." The woman with the black hair gasps in shock. "So, what happened?" Jiraiya asks.

Tsunade shoots her friend a glance before speaking. "Oh, nothing much. We said hello, that's about it." She says nonchalantly, and pulls a deck of cards from her top, and starts to shuffle them. Jiraiya takes his plate and hands it to me, and I hand it to Naruto, who in turn set's it aside while shoving another fish into his mouth. She sets the deck down. "Well then, why have you been looking for me?" Tsunade asks.

Jiraiya takes the deck and splits it. "I'll cut right to the chase-  Tsunade, in it's wisdom, the village has come to the decision to name you as the Fifth Hokage." Jiraiya states after setting down the deck. Naruto just about chokes on his fish as I look up at Jiraiya in shock. I start patting Naruto's back as Tsunade deals the cards. Naruto finally swallows and I turn back to the two Sannin. "You heard, about the Third Hokage." Jiraiya mentions.

"It was Orochimaru's doing, right?" Tsunade asks. "I heard about it; In fact, he told me himself." Tsunade says nonchalantly.

"Hold on a second; you're saying he's the one who killed the Old man?" Naruto asks loudly. "Who is this Orochimaru guy!?" Naruto asks Jiraiya angrily.

"Naruto, he's one of the Sannin. Like Master Jiraiya and Lady Tsunade...." I say softly while rubbing my arm softly. 'And my father...'

"But then why? The Sannin are all from the Leaf Village, right? Why'd he do it?"

"Who're these brats you've got with you?" Tsunade asks in annoyance.

Jiraiya chuckles for a second as he gazes down at his cards. "This is Ren Yukimura, and Naruto Uzumaki." Jiraiya introduces us.

Tsunade looks at the two of us in shock. "Okay, wait a second!" Naruto shouts as he slams his fist onto the table. "I haven't finished yet! There's something about this I'm not getting! So this guy, you know he's the one who murdered the Hokage, what have you done about it?!" Naruto snaps angrily at the old man. "He's a Sannin and he's one of you guys!" I try to coax him to calm down, but he just swats my hands away. "Why's he still walking around?! Why haven't you caught him?!" Jiraiya remains silent. "And, oh yeah, what's the deal about her being the Fifth Hokage?!"

"Naruto, shut up and sit down!" I snapped loudly.

"Absolutely not, Ren!"

"Sit down." Jiraiya says menacingly. Naruto begrudgingly sits down. Jiraiya starts looking through his cards thoughtfully. He sets down the junk, and picks up a few more, and has a winning hand from what it looks like. "I'll say it once again. The Leaf Village has made its decision. They have chosen you to be the Fifth Hokage." Tsunade remains silent as she gazes at her cards. "So, what's your answer? Do you accept it, Tsunade?" Tsunade closes her eyes for a moment, coating the table in anticipated silence. "Well? I'm waiting. What do you say?"

"I don't understand any of this." Naruto complained.

Tsunade throws her cards onto the table with her reply. "Impossible. I decline."

Jiraiya just smirks at her. "You know, it's kinda funny. That rings a bell. I remember you saying those very words the first and only time I ever asked you out."

Naruto groaned again. "Would somebody tell me what's going on?! What the heck are we doing here? You said we were gonna bring her back to the village to cure Sasuke and Kakashi Sensei! Then you pull this stuff about making her Hokage, then she goes and refuses it!" Naruto throws his head back as he groaned loudly in confusion.

I palmed my head lightly, wondering how this kid even got through life without being murdered for pure annoyance in the first place. "Don't worry, Naruto." Jiraiya hums, causing the two of us to look over at him. "She knows she can't refuse. There can be no one else. There was no one who contributed more to the Leaf's victory in the Great War. She combines unrivaled skills as a warrior with the ability to heal others. What's more, she is the granddaughter of the very first hokage, so in heritage and abilities, she is the clear and only choice to be the fifth hokage. And once she accepts her destiny, which she will, then she'll have to come back with us to the village, and there, heal your friends." Jiraiya explains. "You see, it's all been very carefully thought out by the highest councils of the village. No offense, but it's not something an underage genin is expected to understand." Naruto grunts in anger before turning his head away.

Tsunade chuckles. "You're slipping Jiraiya. This apprentice isn't at all like your last one." Tsunade mentions. "He's a fool with a big mouth. Funny looking too."

"Well, to be fair, it'd be hard for anyone to measure up to that standard." Jiraiya comments as he looks at Naruto. "The Fourth Hokage showed all the signs of becoming the greatest ninja in generations, brimming with talent and natural ability. Brilliant, popular, and to top it off, nearly as handsome as his teacher."

"Oh, sure, but that didn't save him from dying young." Tsunade quips. "Throwing his life away for the sake of the village. Money's one thing, a life's another. To risk your life against all the odds, that's a suckers bet." 

Naruto started shaking with anger, and the chopsticks in his hand broke from the tension.

"My grandfather and his successor, they were also willing to die to defend the village. Well, they're both dead all right, and the village no safer than it ever was."

"Sounds to me, you've changed, Tsunade." Jiraiya comments. "I don't know what's happened to make you like this, but to say such things out loud?"

Tsunade just chuckles. "Don't forget, I'm not as young as I look." She says. "The years have taught me a great deal. Sarutobi Sensei too, he should have known better. What did he expect trying to be a hero at his age?" She set her cards down, and leaned her head back. "Ha, playing at Hokage, count me out. It's a fools game."

The glasses at the table broke as the liquid within spun rapidly and splashed upwards before turning to ice as Naruto shot up in his seat. I was shaking with anger as well, but I had to keep a level head before I lost control of my Kekkei Genkai. "That does it!" Naruto snapped as he lunged across the table, and for once, I didn't make a grab to stop him. Jiraiya grabbed onto the back of his jacket and stopped him dead in his tracks. "Let me go! Stop it! Let me--"

"That's enough. People are looking." I sighed as Jiraiya spoke.

"Lady Tsunade." The black haired woman started, looking towards the grouchy blonde.

"I'm not gonna let her sit there and make fun of the old man!" Naruto screamed as he put his foot up on the table. "No way! I don't care if she is a lady! I'll knock that cynical sneer off her face!"

She was quit to get up and get eye level with Naruto. "Are you challenging me?" Tsunade asks angrily. "You've got guts, if nothing else. Let's take this outside, kid."

"No, no!" The black haired woman pleaded.

"Is this seriously happening?" I ask aloud. Jiraiya just sighed and patted my head as the others filed out of the booth. "Master Jiraiya? Were you telling the truth earlier?" He hums in confusion. "She hasn't seen me since I was a baby?"

"Oh. Yes. Unfortunately, we were both present when you were born, and to my knowledge, that's the only time Tsunade had ever seen you. Why do you ask?"

"I don't think she remembers my name." I say softly before following after the group.

~*****~

The night was dark, and eerie. It would've seemed almost peaceful, had it not have been for the intense glare down between Naruto and Tsunade. I stood by Jiraiya's side, waiting for them to get this over with. They were being stupid. "A Sannin, taking on a snotty Genin?" Tsunade said proudly. "I outta be ashamed of myself."

"Who ya callin' snotty?!" Naruto asks in a growl.

Tsunade held up one finger. "Oh, stop trying to show off." Jiraiya heckled.

"You see this? One finger; It's all I'm gonna need to take you down." Tsunade jeers.

"Please, don't!" Her aid pleas. I wish I would've known her name. I crossed my arms over my chest and sighed heavily.

"Well? What are you waiting for, kid?" Tsunade asks as she beckons him with her finger.

"Don't ever underestimate me!" Naruto screams. He throws three shuriken and goes in for the kill. Tsunade dodges without even opening her eyes, and quickly unarms Naruto from his kunai, throws it upwards, and knocking his headband off in the process. Before he can get his bearing, Tsunade's already pushed her hand out, and flicks Naruto in the forehead. He flies back a couple of feet. 

"I'll show her!" Naruto growls as he gets his balance back. Before he can retaliate, the kunai lands in front of him, his headband following shortly after.

"Woah..." I hum.

"Hey kid!" Tsunade calls. "One question before you pass out; Tell me... what makes you touchy about Hokage?"

"It's because unlike you, that's my goal. Just watch! Someday, I'll be Hokage!" Tsunade stands stock still. "Remember this, to be Hokage, that is my dream!" Naruto declare. I smile fondly at him before huffing out a small breath of air when Tsunade looks like she's seen a ghost. Tsunade drops her guard, and Naruto makes his Rasengan and runs full force....