Tsunade suddenly crouched down, hugging her head and crying.
Naruto squatted down beside her, puzzled. "Huh? Don't cry, I didn't even hit you."
Without warning, Tsunade landed another punch on Naruto's head. "You really are a little bastard!"
Then she pulled him into a tight embrace. "It's good that you didn't die."
Jiraiya and Shizune, who had been watching from the side, nearly had their eyes pop out. Jiraiya felt an imaginary shade of green covering his head, though, realistically, he had never stood a chance with Tsunade anyway.
Tsunade finally stood up. "Let's make a deal, Naruto."
"What kind of deal?" Naruto asked.
"I'll agree to become Hokage," Tsunade said. "But you have to bring me back the necklace my grandfather left me."
Naruto blinked in surprise. Then he noticed that the necklace Tsunade wore in the original timeline was missing.
Naruto frowned. The original timeline's events were diverging more and more. Just how much of a butterfly effect was he causing?
Then he smirked. Who cares? As long as Kaguya doesn't pop up, I'm still invincible!
"Deal!" Naruto agreed.
Tsunade grabbed Naruto, tucking his head under her arm, and gave him a hard noogie. "I didn't expect you to be so cute when you were younger! Hahaha!"
Naruto: "???"
Nightfall.
Naruto strolled through the night market.
Meanwhile, Tsunade and Shizune were drinking at an izakaya when Jiraiya walked in.
"Shizune, give us some space. I want to drink with Tsunade alone. It's been too long since we've had a drink together," Jiraiya said smoothly.
Shizune nodded. "Then please, Lord Jiraiya." She bowed her head and stepped away.
Jiraiya turned back to Tsunade. "I didn't expect you to send Naruto to find that necklace. Why don't you find it yourself? After all, it's been years."
He swirled his sake cup. "That was your love token to him, wasn't it?"
Tsunade took a slow sip of sake. "I didn't expect you to stay as sentimental as ever, Jiraiya. But..."
"But what?" Jiraiya asked, intrigued.
"No, it's nothing." Tsunade raised her glass and gestured toward him. "Congratulations, you have a good student."
Jiraiya sighed. "It'd be great if he were my student. Alas~"
"Huh?" Tsunade raised an eyebrow. "Isn't he your disciple?"
Jiraiya slumped. "Do you think I could teach him?"
Tsunade thought for a moment. "Yeah, you're too incompetent."
Jiraiya's face darkened.
"Well, since you don't seem like you need my comfort, I'll take my leave," he grumbled, standing up.
"Wait a moment," Tsunade stopped him. "There's one more thing."
Jiraiya sat back down. "What is it?"
"Orochimaru came to see me," she admitted. "He said he has a way to resurrect Nawaki and by using a forbidden jutsu. It requires live sacrifices."
Jiraiya's face hardened. "And?"
"He gave me a week to think about it," Tsunade said, taking another sip of sake.
Jiraiya was silent for a moment. Then he sighed. "Give it up. Even if they came back, they'd be corpses covered in the dust of hell. Orochimaru was the one who killed Lord Third. You think he wouldn't twist his own jutsu for his own gain?"
Tsunade exhaled deeply. "Soka... that's good then. I'll solve this problem for the village before I become Hokage."
She stared into her sake before taking another sip.
The Next Day.
Tsunade arrived alone at the meeting place with Orochimaru.
"I'll heal your hands," she said.
Orochimaru sneered. "Hmph. You won't regret this decision? You'll be able to see them again."
Tsunade began gathering chakra in her hands and slowly approached him.
A kunai suddenly whizzed between them, forcing them apart.
"What's the meaning of this?" Orochimaru hissed. "You betray me at this moment, Tsunade?!"
Kabuto's voice dripped with venom. "What changed your mind, Tsunade? You really want to kill us? I was serious about bringing them back!"
Tsunade shook her head, tears forming in her eyes. "For a moment, I wanted to believe you. I wanted to see them again. If you had come just one day earlier, I might have agreed."
Her expression hardened. "But I met someone new. I will go to Konoha and be its Hokage. I will fulfill Nawaki's dream. And I will realize his dream too!"
Orochimaru sighed. "It seems we can only settle this with fists. Tsunade!"
Tsunade wiped her tears and suddenly burst into motion, lunging forward. "Heavenly Foot of Pain!"
The ground beneath them shattered, sending shockwaves in all directions.
Orochimaru and Kabuto leaped onto a wall. Tsunade chased, her fist smashing the wall to pieces.
Kabuto scowled. "Damn, she's still a brute."
Orochimaru smirked. "Still as terrifying as ever. If she lands a hit, you're finished."
"You think?!" Kabuto snapped. "Anyway, time to move!"
Tsunade continued her relentless pursuit, leaving giant craters in her wake.
After a while, she was panting. "Damn... it's been too long since I've had a real fight. I'm out of shape."
Kabuto smirked. "Perfect timing!"
He swallowed a soldier pill, his hands flashing through seals.
Tsunade's eyes widened. "What? Chakra Scalpel?! This brat's a medical-nin too?!"
Kabuto flickered forward, his movements sharp and precise. Within seconds, he had slashed the muscles in her arms and tendons in her legs.
Tsunade staggered. "Damn it! I can't move!"
Kabuto smirked. "Checkmate."
He charged at her, Chakra Scalpel aimed straight for her chest—
A smoke bomb exploded between them.
A foot shot out from the smoke, sending Kabuto flying.
"Ahhh~!" Naruto's voice rang out. "Oi, oi, oi~ beauty isn't for beating, it's for pampering, Lady Tsunade!"
Tsunade's eyes widened as a memory surfaced, overlapping Naruto's face with someone from her past.
Then she punched Naruto in the head. "Why the hell are you here?!"
"What do you mean why?! A hero always saves the beauty!" Naruto grinned, rubbing his head.
Kabuto groaned as he stood up, glaring at Naruto. "Naruto?!"
Naruto waved at Orochimaru. "Yo! Been a while, Orochimaru!"
Tsunade turned to him, surprised. "You know him?!"
Naruto grinned. "Yeah, I met him during the Chūnin Exams. He bullied my little bro, so I beat him up."
Tsunade, Orochimaru, and Kabuto: "...."
Orochimaru twitched. Did this brat really just say that?!
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