2/2

I cleared my throat and cursed the dust that had just made my eyes tear up. Just thinking of that memory got me right in the gut. His complete fearful face asking the one question he always wanted to know made me feel sick. But seeing his face light up in a real, genuine smile was worth it. The Old Man may enact his orders and put me to death when he finds out I told Naruto. It would be worth it and I'd do it all over again.

Of course his happiness didn't last long when I told him about my connection with him. Being his Godfather, I had expected he would be upset. Well, I can't blame the boy for the endless pranks he's pulled on me since I told him. He sword an entire month, I'm halfway there at least. However, being the amazing kid he is, he's slowly forgiving me. The entire 4 months we've spent together I think have helped. Befriending that juggernaut Yamanaka probably helped as well. Had he been alone the entire 12 years I think the month of pranking would be at minimum a year. Good thing my hair is already grey! I let out a bark of laughter as I pushed open the doors to the casino.

I scanned the crowd, knowing Tsunade was somewhere in the building. I'm utter shit when it comes to sensing outside sage mode. However, even my paltry skills were able to pick up the bonfire that was Tsunade. She was half Senju, half Uzumaki. Two clans known for their life force, vitality, and chakra reserves. Couple with the fact that she's a Sannin and Kage class kunoichi, it wasn't hard to feel her chakra once I was in town. I saw a familiar mop of blonde hair set in two loose pigtails and smiled. Gotcha.

I moseyed my way on over, intent on surprising her. Forgetting that I myself had kage level reserves. Oops.

"What do you want, Pervert. If you've come to waste my time, don't. I'm down $500,000 and now in a good mood." Tsunade growled out and she turned to face me. I almost gasped on seeing her face again. She was just as beautiful as the day I first saw her. I snapped myself out of my one-sided love brain and got down to business.

"Let's go grab a drink. We need to talk."

***********************************Hot Granny*****************************************

"So let me get this straight. You want me to come back with you to the village, treat the old monkey, and then take up the hat because Master Sarutobi needs to retire?" Tsunade asked skeptically.

I nodded at her, keeping my face neutral.

Her eyes searched me for any lies or deception. A derisive snort escaped her lips. "You're out of your fucking mind, Jiraiya. I'll come back and heal Master, but then I'm back on the road. I'll make sure to check your brain while I'm at it, as it's clear you hit it one too many times."

I snarled at Tsunade. This spiteful, cynical woman was not even close to the woman I fell in love with over 40 years ago. "Then I will ask you one question, Tsunade. Think carefully before you answer. If I don't like your answer, I will personally bind and disable you and drag you back to the village. You will heal Master, then I will have you thrown in jail for treason."

The shocked look that crossed her face was most satisfying. The shock didn't last long, her temper quickly taking hold. "You can certainly try, Pervert. I'll send you back to Konoha will mush for bones and barely alive. But I'll entertain you, ask your question."

I sneered at her before answering. "Why did you ignore Master Hiruzen's summon all those years ago? After the Kyubi incident. You didn't even give a reason why."

Her face colored and she slammed her fist onto the table, shattering the thick wood like it was made of paper. "How dare you! You come searching for me, demand I return, and then rub my losses in my face for good measure! I've known you to be many things, Jiraiya. Cruel was never one of them." She shouted.

Now I was genuinely confused. "I'm not being cruel, Tsunade. I'm wondering what possible excuse you could have had to leave your only living relative to be raised alone!" My voice rising to meet hers.

The high pitched, sarcastic laugh was near hysterical level. "What are YOU talking about? I had spent years grieving Dan and Nawaki. I had finally, FINALLY come to terms. I was ready to come home, I knew Kushina was either ready to burst or had already given birth. I was halfway to Konoha when to my surprise, an ANBU just plops down in my path. Hands me a letter from Hiruzen and leaves without a word. I read the letter once, and turned right back around." She finished, taking a long drink of the sake bottle, forgoing the saucer altogether.

I was shocked. She just completely ignored Old Man's request to raise Naruto? The one thing still left in her life? I was confused, but I also had a horrible sinking feeling. "Tsunade, what did you do with that letter?"

"I tore it up and burned it." The scathing reply came. "… Is what I wish I had done. No, I have it on me." She pulled out a worn looking letter. "It's my daily reminder of the very last thing that cursed village took from me. The last of my family."

I held out my hand. "May I?" She rolled her eyes but handed it to me, showing great care that she didn't damage it. I slowly opened the letter and began to read. Nausea and hatred burning in my gut with every line I read.

My Dearest Tsunade,

I wish I were writing to you under more favorable circumstances. As you may have heard, and if not I'm sure word will quickly spread, the night of young Naruto's birth has ended in tragedy. During the delivery, the seal couldn't be contained and the Kyubi escaped. He ravaged the village, hundreds are dead and even more are injured. Our hospitals are at capacity, medical stations are being set up as quickly as possible. I'm afraid to say though that despite our best efforts, more injured continue to flood our resources. It pains me to say, that many will die due to their injuries. We're saving those we could.

During the attack, Lord Fourth managed to seal the beast away for good. It pains my heart to inform you that Minato and Kushina both died in the attack. Naruto died during the sealing, his tiny body unable to handle the wrath of the beast. Minato, in his grief and with time running out, pulled the beast into his own body, and had the Shinigami seal the both of them inside his belly.

I know that this news is the last thing you want to hear, and forgive a selfish old man for this request. Konoha needs you, Tsunade. Your medical expertise would be invaluable, hundreds of lives could be saved. Do not let your last remaining families sacrifices go to waste. Help us save the lives we can.

My Best Wishes,

Hiruzen Sarutobi, Third Hokage of Konohagakure

I quickly set the piece of paper down before my destroyed it. Again?! The man was everywhere! How far did his manipulations go! I looked at Tsunade, her face screaming 'now you know why' as she sipped her alcohol.

"The last shred of loyalty I felt for the village died when I finished reading that note. That village took my family. It took my brother. It took my fiancé. It sacrificed my grandmother to keep the beast's wrath from the village. It sacrificed my little cousin when grandmother grew old and her body grew weak. And finally, it took my baby cousin within the first hour of his life. I will do Sarutobi this last favor, but I will never offer anything more to that cursed village." The hatred and malice in Tsunade's tone frightened me. I finally understood. She didn't abandon Naruto. She was made to believe he died! I almost wanted to laugh, I did laugh. At least I think I did. The sound that erupted from my chest was more like that of a wild animal being killed.

"Tsunade. I have much to tell you, and we'll have all the time in the world once you get back to the village and start learning the job from Master Sarutob" I barely dodged the fist that Tsunade had sent rocketing my way.

"WHAT PART OF YOU'RE OUT OF YOUR DAMN MIND DO YOU NOT UNDERSTAND?! DID I NOT MAKE MYSELF CLEAR DID I-" She cut off abruptly, eyes widening and face going pale as the moon when it's at it's fullest. She ripped the picture I held in front of her face out of my hand. A picture taken just a month ago. The picture of Naruto and I the day before he competed in the finals.

"What is this? Who is this?" Her whispered voice heavy with emotions.

"As I said before you so rudely interrupted me. We have much to talk about." I pulled out the scroll of the copy of the original letter and handed it to her. "But just know, that letter you received was a fake. The ANBU who delivered it was one of Danzo's, who we've come to find out has been manipulating events behind the scenes. Naruto is ALIVE, Tsu-Princess. He's alive and well. He's a Genin, most likely will be a Chunin after his impressive performance at the exams. He's got friends who care for him. His best friend is like a brother to him. He's every bit as loud and excitable as his mother, but underneath is the genius that made his father so feared. He's a budding seal master. He's almost mastered the rasengan in just two weeks since I assigned it. He's incredible. You're going to love him, and he's going to love you."

Tsunade stared at me as if I had grown a second. She ripped open the scroll and read the letter. Then read it again. And a third time. By the end of the third read, tears were pouring down her face. Hope and heartbreak warring across her face.

"Jiraiya. Please don't tell me you're lying. Please tell me everything you said is true. I couldn't take it." She sobbed. Eyes glued to the picture.

"I swear on my love for Minato, the son I always wanted, and Kushina, the overhyped terror I didn't ask for but still loved like a daughter. Everything is true. Naruto is alive. He wants to meet you. He'll be so happy to have family. His best friend and his parents welcomed Naruto into their family with open arms, but nothing is quite like having blood relatives of your own." I said softly, slowly rubbing Tsunade's arms. Her eyes flew open.

"He's going to hate me! What can I say, Jiraiya? That was 12 years ago, almost 13! I left him alone for 13 years! I didn't even bother to check for myself! I took the letter for face value and I-"I cut her off with a hand over her mouth. The legendary medic was going to give herself a panic attack.

"I've spent the last four months with the boy almost every day. If there's one thing I know about him, he's got a forgiving heart. Even if you didn't have the best excuse in the world, he would still forgive you. He forgave me." I smiled reassuringly at her. She nodded once, reigning in her emotion. Without warning her eyes narrowed and a sense of forboding filled the air.

"Speaking of Naruto forgiving you, where were YOU for those 12 years?! Off peeping on women, not giving two shits about the son of the man you claim to have seen as a son, I'll bet!" Her voice rose with every word. The wind in her sails deflated seeing my dejected and stricken face.

"You're 100% correct, Tsu-Princess. I spent 12 years making flimsy excuses. I was a coward. I can face 100 men in battle and laugh as I cut them all down. I can face the wrath of 20 women who caught me peeping on them with a smile. But that tiny little baby who looked so much like Minato? I ran, Tsunade. I ran. I kept telling myself I was keeping him safe from a distance. That I would be a horrible parent. That the boy would be better off without me. Anything I could tell myself to ease the guilt, I did." I finally made eye contact with the beautiful woman with the best rack in the world. "I stopped running though, and I'm making amends. Naruto is giving me the chance, and I'm going to take it and run with it."

Tsunade nodded. All the anger from before forgotten. A look of determination replacing it. "Well then. Let's get drunk, go to bed, and get our asses to Konoha! I've got a cousin to get to know and spoil!" She yelled happily. Saluting herself and downing the rest of her bottle, ordering another. I laughed along with her.

"Tsunade?" I asked, still smiling at the women who I finally recognized as MY Tsunade. The loud, boisterous girl with a heart of love the size of the entire continent. "We don't have to go to Konoha to see Naruto. He's here, in the city."

She fainted.

************************************Tsu-Naru Reunion**********************************

Tsunade-Bae POV

Over the next few hours Jiraiya and I drank and caught up on everything that had happened since our last reunion. He informed me of everything that had happened in the village over the last few months. Namely, the shit storm that Bastard Danzo caused. My grandmother's ancestral homeland, The Uchiha massacre, his poking and prodding and manipulations. With every word my perverted teammate spoke, my anger only increased. I didn't want my first meeting with Naruto to be with me completely drunk. However, I needed a bit of liquid courage to face my cousin. Though Jiraiya reassured me as soon as Naruto read the letter he'd forget any resentment he had, I still was nervous.

I wanted a nice buzz. Strong enough to help my nerves, but not so strong I made a fool of myself. It was damn hard to get a buzz, let alone keep one with how royally pissed off I was. Finally I gave up the quest, and stood up. It was time to face my fears. Those fears being a 12 year old Genin.

"Where's Shizune anyway? She didn't abandon you finally?" Jiraiya teased as we left the bar. I snorted at such a ridiculous notion.

"No. I told her to go enjoy the festival. She wanted to sightsee. She should be heading back any… Speak of the devil and she shall appear." I finished with a laugh. A real laugh. A laugh I thought I lost almost 13 years ago. Hearing that Kushina really had died all those years ago reopened old wounds and guilt. I should have been there more for her, but my wallowing in self-pity left little room for anyone other than myself. Since finding out that Naruto did indeed survive though, it lifted my heart and gave me that spark of hope back.

"Lady Tsunade! Oh! Lord Jiraiya, how nice to see you again!" My apprentice bowed to the pervert. I laughed again.

"Shizune, don't bow to that pervert. He'll attempt to look down your dress." I said. Shizune blushed and gave Jiraiya a disapproving look. That only served to make the pervert laugh louder.

"Shizune! Despite whatever thoughts my lovely teammate has of me, looking at you in any way other than the little girl I've always known makes my insides crawl. I must say though, you are blossoming into a beautiful woman. One day, you're going to make a man thank his lucky stars every day when he wakes up next to you!" Ok, so he wasn't THAT bad.

Shizune blushed at Jiraiya's praise and stammered out a thank you. She then turned to me. "Were you heading back to the hotel room? I picked up some food. I have more than enough for Lord Jiraiya if he joins us."

I shook my head. "I will tell you all the details tonight. But just know, that letter I got almost 13 years ago was a forged letter. The real letter from Master Saru never arrived. Jiraiya came with a compelling argument. Tomorrow, you and I will be joining him and heading back to Konoha." I smiled as the girl had broken out into a large grin.

"Oh, that is wonderful news! How did he convince you?" She asked, eyes lighting up in excitement at the thought of finally returning home.

"Turns out, Naruto did survive the attack. He's been alone all this time. He has friends, and a friend's family who's looked out for them as best they could. But he needs family." I said sadly, yet happily at the same time. I had no idea I could feel those two conflicting emotions at once. Shizune's eyes widened.

"Naruto is alive! Oh that is wonderful news! I can't wait to get back to Konoha to meet him! We're leaving in the morning?" Shizune rattled off.

I shook my head. "He's here, Shizune. He came with Jiraiya. We're going to meet him. Let's stop and grab some extra food. Two more will be joining us."

**************************************Moment****************************************

I stood outside the door, heart beating in my chest a mile a minute. Jiraiya gave me a reassuring smile. He opened the door. Yup, that's Kushina's son alright! I heard him well before I saw him.

"Gah! Your illusions are so good! I can't detect them at all! Granted, I'm not the best at it anyway, but yours are too good!" Naruto lamented at a young man with dirty blonde hair sitting across from him. Jiraiya had informed me that under that disguise was none other than Itachi Uchiha. He had been with Naruto for hours, and Naruto seemed fine. Getting training in by the looks of it. Itachi laughed quiety.

"The best illusions are the ones that resemble reality. Make it too obvious, even someone with no talent will begin to question what they see. You'll get it, Naruto. Believe it or not, you have improved since we started a week ago." Itachi's quiet reply came. He coughed a few times, blood spotted his hand as he pulled it away.

I froze. Heart racing. Blood. I couldn't do it. I couldn't- Shizune's gentle touch snapped me out of my panic attack. She whispered encouraging words. She was right. I was going back to Konoha. I was going to whip those medics into shape. It was now or never, now was as good a time as any. It was only a few drops on his hand, much easier to manage. My shaky hands glowed green and I laid them on the boy's back. He instantly tensed, ready to lash out. Shizune was in his face now. Gripping his hands, smiling, offering her warm reassurances. The young man instantly relaxed, smiling slightly at my apprentice. I gasped.

"Why has this gone so long untreated? You have scar tissue on your scar tissue! You'd be lucky to make it to your 25th birthday at this rate!" I lightly scolded the boy. My hands slowly becoming steadier, my eyes never leaving the blood on his hands.

He glanced back at me. "I went to a few medically trained shinobi. All of them said the same thing. It was untreatable. They simply gave me medicine to hold off the progression and give me more time. I would have sought you out, but…" He let the words hang there, not knowing if I knew or not.

"Yeah, yeah. Uchiha." He tensed, glancing at Jiraiya who gave a curt nod. He relaxed again. "I get it. You went to incompetent idiots. I found the cure for this disease during the 2nd Shinobi War." I rolled my eyes, the sheer lack of ingenuity in the medicine field simply baffled me. "You contracted this at what age?"

"I was diagnosed with an unknown lung disease at age 12, shortly after I joined the ANBU." He said stiffly.

I was shocked. So that meant he contractided it while still in KONOHA?! What the fuck was happening in the hospital?! "Well, first order of business… Medic bootcamp for those god damn slackers. You have Tuberculosis. A serious, contagious, fatal respiratory illness. Rarely, it can affect other areas of the body, but you, clearly, have the lung type."

"I thought you said you cured this during the 2nd Shinobi War?" the boy asked, confusion lacing his voice. "But you just said it's fatal."

I snorted. "Let me finish. It's fatal if not treated properly. I obviously can't administer treatment in a hotel room. Shizune, hand me my medicine scroll!" I barked, my doctor voice making itself known. Shizune nodded and hurried to her bag, fishing out the scroll she handed it to me. I unsealed 5 different medications. "You take these three, the ones in the blue containers three times daily. Morning, Afternoon, Evening. Preferably with food. The two in the red, you will take only at night right before bed. Your case is severe. It will most likely take at minimum a year of medication to completely rid your body, most likely longer. When we get back to Konoha, you will come make an appointment with me and we will schedule your first surgery. You're in for a long healing process, but you will survive. Session by session I'll remove the layers of scar tissue. Between the surgeries, medication, and REST, you will be completely healthy and disease free within 2 to 3 years." I finished, proud I hadn't lost my touch.

Since I arrived, the boy actually smiled. It was small and subdued, but a smile all the same. "I…" His voice broke and he cleared it. "I thank you, Lady Tsunade. I will forever be in your debt. If there's any way I can repay you, please-"

I cut the idiot off. "Everyone says the same thing, I request the same thing and they all ignore me. If you truly intend to repay me, you do everything I say. Part of your treatment will be a year long period of rest. No training, no missions, I don't even want you to THINK of running a lap. If you can't adhere to this, don't say finish your sentence." I growled out. The years of idiots not listening to me and going to get themselves injured or sick again replaying in my mind.

The boy chuckled quietly. "Honestly, I believe a year of doing nothing is something I could only dream of. I will adhere to your treatment plan. I want to be back to 100% sooner than later. I think it will take at least a year anyway to put the people's minds at ease and get them to trust me once more."

I smiled at the kid. He was what? 18 years old? So young, yet the weight of the world had been placed on his shoulder since he was Naruto's age. "Now, right now all I am doing is easing the inflammation that's probably been persistent in your life since you came down with the disease. Everything from your trachea to your primary bronchus, all the way down to small, fine tertiary bronchus is nearly closed from swelling. I'm also repairing any recent damage before it scars and gives me more work to do. Just another minute. Ok, take a deep breath for me." I placed the stethoscope Shizune had dug out for me against the boys back, listening intently. I smiled. "Feel a bit better?"

The look of wonder that crossed the boy's face was a reminder of why I got into medicine in the first place. "Lady Tsunade… I don't… The other medics…" I snorted.

"Aren't even worthy of being mentioned in the same paragraph as me. I'm the best." I smugly said. I finally worked up the courage and glanced at Naruto, my heart absolutely stopping. Instead of a single blonde hair, blue eyed brat, I saw the ghostly image of two brats. One, long crimson hair framing violet eyes. The megawatt smile she shot to the world as her personal middle finger in place. The other, blonde hair, calculating blue eyes that thawed when he gazed on anyone he loved. Naruto was the absolute perfect blend of the two. Everything screamed Kushina. The shape of his eyes, facial structure, lips, chin, all of it. Those eyes though were the exact shade as Minato's. Blue eyes that were narrowed in my direction. I couldn't help but notice they weren't narrowed in anger. They screamed of curiosity, suspicion, and untrusting. At least it wasn't anger. I opened my mouth, attempting to speak. My voice caught, and Naruto jumped in.

"Well? Out with it. What's your excuse? I assume it's at least halfway decent since Pervy-Sage brought you here." Naruto said, voice flat and emotionless. It broke my heart and made me want to cry. The prickling in my eyes told me I wasn't far away from doing just that.

"Now hold up, brat. Before you make wild accusations, jump to conclusions, and spout of your usual nonsense. Read this. This was the letter Tsu-Princess received." Jiraiya jumped in. I shot him a grateful smile, tongue still stuck to the roof of my mouth. Naruto eyed the letter and Jiraiya in suspicion but took it and opened it up. Line by line his face morphed from uncaring indifference, into rage. The first word out of his mouth shocked me. He was quick, just like his father. His second sentence though broke the damn open. For Kushina surely was smiling down on him.

"Danzo?" Naruto growled out. Jiraiya nodded. "That god damn slimy bastard! When I get my hands on him, I'm going to make him wish he were dead 100 times over! What kind of piece of shit is he? Tells Granny Tsunade that her last remaining relatives are dead, then tries to manipulate her emotions into coming back to the village?! I wouldn't have come back either! I'd have replied back with a sealed up fart right in his face!" Naruto's righteous anger saturated the air, but just as Jiraiya promised, his anger wasn't at me. I laughed. Naruto's anger glare turned my way before a wide grin split his face and he joined me. We laughed a few moments before I sobered up. The tears were threatening to escape.

"Naruto… I am so, so sorry. Had I known. Had I heard even a rumor. But this was signed by Sarutobi. I had no reason to even question it. That's not an excuse, and I will spend the rest of my life making it up to you. I-"I was cut off by a sobbing blonde cannonball that had just crashed into my chest. I could no longer hold back my own tears, and there we sat. For 10 minutes straight just hugging one another. Each of us taking comfort in holding a blood relative. I was the first to get my shit together. I sent the boy a watery smile, wiping away his tears. "Will you give me the chance to make it up to you?" I asked.

Naruto shook his head, my early fears back in full force. "No, I won't. Because you have nothing to make up to me. You were fooled and manipulated by the old piece of shit. It would be stupid to hold a grudge over something like that. Let's just start off with introductions" My cousin jumped to his feet and extended his hand. "I'm Naruto Uzumaki. I'm 12, but I'll be 13 in 5 weeks. I enjoy training, seals, my friends, the Yamanaka family who have looked at me like their son since I was 6, Old Man Hokage, and RAMEN. I dislike traitors, bullies, and arrogant rookies of the year. My hobbies include gardening and researching and creating new seals. My dream is to be Hokage one day, so if you take that hat from Old Man Third, don't get too comfortable!" He finished boldly. I laughed loudly at that.

"It's nice to meet you, Naruto. My name is Tsunade Senju. I'm 25 years old." A snort from Jiraiya. I flicked a kunai at him, smiling brightly at the yelp that informed me my aim wasn't too rusty. "I enjoy sake, gambling, and I'm quickly rediscovering my love of helping and curing people. I too dislike traitors and cheap liquor. I also, due to a past traumatic experience, absolutely fear the sight of blood. I have begun to work through that fear. I need to get over it if I'm going to turn our medical corps around. My dream is see your dream come true. I will support you in every way I can." I finished, smiling at Naruto. The eerily similar smile to his mother's plastered on his face. "Now, enough of all this sappy crap. We have food and alcohol. Let's talk and drink the night away!

************************************Dawwwww****************************************

Back with Kenta – 3 weeks since Naruto left.

I collapsed to the ground, panting heavily. My opponent stood across from me, not a hair out of place. I told Cpt Genma to fight me seriously, I had a long mountain to scale to get to S-Rank. Beating Cpt Genma was the largest hurdle in my way at the moment.

"You're getting better. Those back to back 'Body-Flickers' will one day be your bread and butter. Have you figured out how Shisui made those after images?" Cpt Genma smiled down at me. I shook my head wearily.

"For the longest time I thought it was illusions, but the skill needed to create a clone while simultaneously moving is unreal. Now I don't think it is. If it was via illusions, it had to have been made using his cheater eyes. I think I need to increase the speed between jumps to such levels, that my image blurs and leaves an imprint momentarily. I've got a long way to go before I get to that level. Even if I'm wrong and it is illusionary clones of some kind, by the time I realize it I'll be able to make jumps so quick it won't even matter." I huffed out, attempting to catch my breath.

Cpt Genma nodded, smile still on his face. "Alright, take 15 and then we- Ami, what're you doing here?" I turned to follow his gaze. Ami had just appeared in the clearing. Panting slightly, but a large smile in place.

"Naruto is back! They did it, Lady Tsunade was with them! I ran into Ino and she told me they were heading towards the hospital. She wants to see to Lord Third and Cpt Kakashi before anything else!" Her excited reply came. I jumped to my feet, matching her excitement. I turned to Cpt Genma, eyes asking my question for me.

"Welp I doubt you'll be able to concentrate now. Let's all go and see what our third member can tell us." Cpt Genma sighed in fake resignation. I grinned and used the 'Body-Flicker' to arrive at the hospital in record time. A few moments later, Cpt Genma appeared with a haggard looking Ami.

"Ugh. I still can't get that down for super long distances!" She grouched. I laughed and grabbed her hand, dragging her inside. The nurse looked up at me and sighed.

"Lady Tsunade is here, yes. No you can't see her. She's looking after high value patients. I'm sure she'll be taking appointments once she gets settled in." The rehearsed speed came out in a bored drawl. I marched up to her, back straight and eyes blazing. The only time I threw my status around was when someone was discriminating against Naruto, however, I have no shame in this situation.

"You clearly think you're talking to a nobody. I am Kenta Yamanaka. Nephew to the Yamanaka Clan Head, Inoichi Yamanaka. Lady Tsunade is treating Kakashi Hatake, our teams co-captain. I demand you tell me where she is treating him, this instant." I said in my most imperious voice. Imitating all the nobles I'd grown up listening to. It worked, much to my surprise. I did an internal victory dance.

"Yes, Lord Yamanaka. I apologize for the disrespect. We've had dozens come in asking to see the Lady, I hope you understand." She stammered out. Ok, bad cop did his job, now put on the charm and take it home, Kenta!

I waved her nervous rambling down. "I completely understand, Miss. I apologize for my tone as well, we're just very anxious to see our Cpt so you can understand why I didn't want to beat around the bush." My eyes widening in mock innocence. She smiled warmly. Perfectly done, Kenta. You beast.

"Of course, Lord Kenta. I understand. Kakashi Hatake was moved to room 306. Lady Tsunade wanted to look at him first, as she stated his condition would take less time than treating his Honorable Lord Third. You may still catch her, if not I believe Lord Jiraiya and his apprentice will be waiting outside surgery room 2 for her. Can I help with anything else today?" She asked, sweet as pie.

"No ma'am. You've been a great help. I'll mention to Lady Tsunade how helpful you were to not only myself and my friends here, but to her… You know, keeping those unruly fans at bay." I finished with a smile and a wink. The woman blushed at my praise and I excused myself. Ami sidled up next to me, attempting to contain the laughter I saw in her pinched face.

"Laying it on reallllll thick there, weren't ya, Yamanka?" She said, hand over mouth to help contain the laughter. I gave her my haughtiest look.

"Whatever do you mean, Ami darling? I was simply skipping the hoops we would have had to jump through and went straight for the jugular." I said in my snobbiest voice. It was too much, Ami burst out laughing, and I joined her not a second later. Cpt Genma's hand on my head caused me to look up, my laughter renewed at the look of utter exasperation on his face. We all laughed and joked the entire way to Kakashi's room. A lightness had settled over me from the moment I heard Lady Tsunade was back. The fact that she was the world's greatest medic to ever live was reassuring. Cpt Kakashi would be fine, she would operate and get Lord Third as close to normal as possible, Naruto and Lord Jiraiya were home safe. The feeling of anxiety that had settled in my stomach the last three weeks vanished. We arrived outside room 306. Cpt Genma knocked. To my surprise, a voice answered. We entered.

To say I was shocked would be an understatement. I knew Lady Tsunade was good. But THIS good? Kakashi was proper up in bed. Familiar Orange book pressed close to his face. He wave at us as we entered.

"Yo. How is everyone?" He said nonchalantly.

I snorted. "We're fine, Cpt Kakashi. How are you? You look like… well 100% already!"

He turned a page and nodded. "Yup" popping his 'P' obnoxiously. "Lady Tsunade came in, did her medic thing. We talked. Naruto and Jiraiya stayed for a bit before leaving. Here I sit, not even sore. And I will continue to sit here, like a good little boy." The dripping sarcasm wasn't lost on anyone.

Ami spoke up. "What did Lady Tsunade say? If you feel fine, is she releasing you soon?"

Kakashi turned the page again. "Nope" that obnoxious 'P' ringing in my ear. "I'm to stay here, overnight, under observation, like a child."

Cpt Genma roared with laughter. "Alright, Hatake. What did she say to keep you glued to that bed? Or did she actually glue you? A seal? Come on, this I have to see."

Kakashi immediately broke down into obviously fake crocodile tears. "She told me if I move from this bed anywhere other than the bathroom, she'd snap both my legs and would make me heal the long way." He wailed like a child.

I scoffed. "Oh grow up, Cpt Kakashi. It's a single night. You won't die. Here, I'll even help." I rolled up my sleeve, revealing the miniature summoning array that was seared into my skin all those months ago. I nicked my finger, pushing the drop of blood and a bit of chakra into the seal.

With a puff of smoke. My personal summon Tetsu appeared. He had grown a bit since we had made the initial contract. Whereas before he was the size of a large orange, he was now the size of a meduium sized watermelon. He ruffled his snow white and grey feathers, eyes zoning in on me.

"KEENNTTAAAA! I missed you! I've been so BORED! Do you have a message for me? Do I get to fly across the globe? Well, well? Do ya, do ya?" The hyperactive Owl crooned excitedly. Ami squealed and immediately rushed my summons. She began doting on him, stroking his feathers and beak. Tetsu drank it all up like a stranded shinobi in the deserts surrounding Suna would chug water.

"Tetsu! When you're done being an attention whore, I do have a mission for you." I barked, completely over his antics by this point.

He bobbed excitedly. "Oh a mission! I'm ready, Kenta! Just tell me what I need to do!"

"I need you to go find Sasuke Uchiha and Sakura Haruno. Tell them that their captain is awake, and already bored out of his mind. He's stuck in the hospital overnight and he can't leave on threat of severe injury by the deadliest kunoichi in existence. Once you do that, you're free to explore. I gave you enough chakra to last about 24 hours." I told the summons in my mission voice.

The little snowy owl hopped to the windowsill and gave me a winged salue. "You got it boss! I'll complete my mission, even if it kills me!"

I gave my summons an unimpressed look. "If you die delivering a message in Konoha, you deserve it, idiot."

Tetsu took off into the night, tears streaming behind him as he howled about abusive summoners. I rolled my eyes and turned back to Cpt Kakashi. "There ya go. You'll have some entertainment soon enough." I grinned at the man who returned my grin with a flat stare.

"I hate you, Yamanaka. I will be released tomorrow. I will find you. I will end you. Say your goodbyes tonight." He threatened good naturedly. I hoped it was good natured…

We chatted for a few more minutes before leaving the cyclops to his reading. We made our way up to the fifth floor where all the surgery rooms were located. We found room 2 and sure enough Naruto and Lord Jiraiya were in the waiting room. A sandy blonde haired teen accompanied them. He sat off to the side, occasionally chiming into their conversation but mostly sitting back and observing.

"You leave with a single blonde idiot and come back with two blondes. The new guy at least looks his brains are all there. What are you doing, Lord Jiraiya?!" I called out teasingly. Naruto perked up and smiled seeing the three of us. He jumped up from his chair and crashed into us, pulling all three of us into a bear hug.

He stepped back and we all started catching up. They introduced us to the newcomer. His name was Idachi, and apparently he was a traveling Ronin. He decided to come with Naruto and Lord Jiraiya to settle down and offer his services as a body guard to the many merchants of Konoha. Within minutes, we were once again teasing and laughing with each other. Three weeks might as well have been three hours. No matter the time, we always seemed to fall right back into step where we left off.

***************************************KY********************************************

Tsunade POV

I stared down and my old mentor. The years had not been kind to him. Scratch that, two selfish students not acting like adults and stepping up to take the mantle a decade ago had aged him. I smiled down sadly, determined to push my skills to their limit to ensure that the man who helped raise me could enjoy the rest of his years as normal as possible.

The least damaging injury was the one that worried the staff here the most. If Hiruzen was in his prime, I would agree. The damage to his chakra network would end his career. However, Hiruzen was going to retire. Spending his days advising his successor, playing shoji, and spoiling his grandson. At least, that's what I imagined he'd do. Who knows, the old man couldn't sit still to save his life.

The rest of the damage was severe. His cardiac muscles were damaged and weak. 2 maybe 3 years tops before the damage was too much to continue pumping the lifeblood through his veins. Dead.

The spinal injury. Best case scenario he can use a walker and hobble around, most likely bound to a wheelchair until his heart gave out. Dead.

The liver and kidney damage. Within a year he would need dialysis. Monthly treatments until the monkey was laid to rest. Dead.

Every single injury here was debilitating and virtually impossible to treat. However, I wasn't just anyone. I was Tsunade Fucking Senju. The greatest medical mind to ever live. The stasis seal that Jiraiya placed before leaving made my job even more cake. No scar tissue to contend with. Fresh wounds, ripe for the healing. I pulled my hair back into a tight bun, no distractions.

"Shizune!" I called out. "Work on the endocrine system, I'll work on his heart. I need a pig heart, stat!"

With that, my work began.

***********************************Bad Ass Medic Nin***********************************

Six hours later, I removed my mask, wiping the sweat from my brow. I did a last diagnostic technique and smiled in satisfaction. The pig heart grafts were settling in nicely, no rejection. Shizune didn't disappoint, the kidney and liver damage was virtually eliminated. The spinal injury, repaired to new. He would require so Physical Therapy, but he'd be walking around town within 6 months. The only issue was the chakra pathways. The damage was severe, and even my skills wouldn't repair all the microscopic tears and ruptures. He'd have to settle with only being able to use his chakra like he was a fresh faced Jonin once again. Still a win in my book.

I took off the stasis seal, and woke my mentor up. He blinked a few times. Bleary eyes looking around in confusion. His eyes finally met mine and I smiled warmly.

"Welcome back to the world of living, Master Hiruzen. You had a lot of your people worried." I said gently.

The tears of joy preceded a weak, but still loving hug from the Old Monkey. I hugged him back. Orochimaru did his best to cripple our wise mentor. Too bad for that piece of shit, I was better than he'll ever be.

That's Chapter 12! Not the most exciting, I know. But every chapter can't be action packed fights and training. Thoughts on recalling Itachi back? Next chapter, we're starting to wrap up pre-timeskip arc. We have 1 more chapter (I think at least) before a very new twist on the Sasuke retrieval arc. I'll send you cookies if you can guess what I have planned! I'm thinking 3 more chapters total for this arc, then moving into the fun timeskip badass S-Rank battle against Akatsuki members!

Keep the votes coming! Ami will reveal her BAE after the time skip! You have 3 chapters to vote! And we all know I can crank out chapters in a day or two :D

Review/PM with thoughts/feelings/ideas/suggestions/anything.