(In Kusagakure; Four Days Earlier)
The intensive care until was filled with ninja of various ranks and ages who were brought in with serious injuries and wounds. The amount of pain they were in said enough about their conditions and that the medic teams were overwhelmed by the number of ninja they had to tend to. Their forces suffered a major loss against the samurai forces in the Land of Metal over territory and suffered a high casualty count. The common thought that was going through everyone's mind was…
"Where is Karin!?" one of the medic assistants shouted, "Why isn't she here yet?"
"You mean you haven't heard the news yet?" the supervising medic replied, "She's no longer part of Kusa."
"What!?" the medic assistant exclaimed, "How is that possible!? She was our best and top healer!"
"The story that's been going around is that some ninja named Uzumaki Naruto claimed her as a member of his clan," the colleague explained, "The Uzumaki clan."
"The Uzumaki clan?" the medic retorted, "Never heard of them."
"Then you should have read up on that clan's past," the supervising medic shot back and then explained, "That clan was one of the most powerful and feared clan in the entire shinobi world. It took a whole coalition of ninja nations to war against that one clan in the effort to have them wiped out. Only a very small remnant of the Uzumaki clan remains. Karin's mother came from that clan as a survivor and took residence here. She worked as healer in exchange for living here. Her healing and medical expertise were unrivaled by any doctor here."
"What happened to her?" the medic assistant asked.
"She died of severe chakra exhaustion one evening when an overwhelming number of critically wounded ninja were brought in for her to heal," the colleague answered, "Karin was made to shoulder the responsibility her mother once carried as a healer since her Uzumaki healing chakra is as potent as her mother's."
"Well right now we can use that same Uzumaki healing chakra on our ninja," the medic remarked, "We don't have enough manpower to heal all these people and the severity of their injuries is too extensive!"
"It's funny you should say that," the supervising medic said, "Because that was a thought that was shared with our village leader by our medic chief of staff and his associates. It's a mutual fact that the hospital staff desperately wants Karin brought back to Kusagakure."
"Really?" the medic assistant asked, "And how do you suppose she'll be returned to us since this Uzumaki Naruto claimed her as a member of his clan?"
"I don't know the details in how our village leader will persuade Naruto to have Karin brought back to serve her role here," the supervising medic replied, "But I'm sure our leader will plan and put something together in order to convince Naruto into having Karin returned to Kusagakure and back into our custody."
"I hope so," the medic said, "Because I don't know much more we can handle this job without Karin's special healing chakra."
"Just be patient," the supervising medic said, "Karin will be brought back soon enough and we'll once again be in the position to utilize her special Uzumaki healing chakra. But in the meantime, until Karin is returned to us, we'll just have to bear with it and do the best we can."
(Present Time)
Naruto was still firing lightning rods from the roof of the casino at Tsunade. The Slug Princess for her part was dodging the lightnings as best as she could though she had a couple of close calls. After making quite a distance between herself and the casino she was previously in, Tsunade was about to retaliate until she found herself surrounded by Hinata, Karin, Kansui, Arashi and Seijiro standing directly in front of her.
"You have nowhere to run Tsunade!" Seijiro stated and the warned, "Surrender peacefully, or being taken down and brought back by force!"
"I won't go down that easily!" Tsunade retorted, "And just because you guys outnumber me doesn't mean your odds of winning are any better!"
"Your drunken rage has left you blinded to the truth Tsunade," Naruto said as he appeared next to Hinata and Seijiro, "Even Hinata by herself would give you a most difficult time before she takes you out. You may have monstrous strength but that means nothing if you can't land a blow and-"
"Naruto!" Jiraiya said as he suddenly appeared in front of Naruto snapping his fingers in front of his face, "Hey Naruto!"
Naruto blinked twice before turning to Jiraiya who was calling out to him and snapping his fingers in front of his face. Naruto looked and found that he was still inside the casino sitting next to Jiraiya with Tsunade and Shizune sitting in front of him.
"Wha-What happened?" Naruto asked, "Did I miss something?"
"You spaced out deeply on us," Tsunade said with a grin on her face, "You zoned out right after I asked why my former teammate Orochimaru hates you so much."
"Sorry about that," Naruto said sheepishly, "I was thinking deeply about something and lost touch with reality."
"It must have been some heavy contemplation if you were able to go completely deaf for a whole minute," Jiraiya remarked, "I almost thought you were mentally comatose."
"Sorry for worrying you," Naruto replied, "I was thinking about some questions I wanted to ask Tsunade that I'd like to have some answers to without things getting out of hand," Naruto then thought, 'The last thing I need is an all-out war between myself and Tsunade. Not that I wouldn't be able to take her, but I'd rather not have to resort to such measures unless there was no other choice. I have to choose my words carefully if I'm to get her to cooperate as peacefully as possible.'
"Is this an interview or an interrogation?" Tsunade asked.
"Neither," Naruto asked, "Just something that I as an Uzumaki would like to know from you personally."
"And that is?" Tsunade asked as she sipped down her cup of whisky.
"What kind of woman was Uzumaki Mito like?" Naruto asked straightforwardly, immediately grabbing Tsunade attention, "While it's true that your grandfather was Senju Hashirama, your grandmother was from my clan, which I'm now the official clan leader of."
"Not to be rude but how can you be the Uzumaki clan leader when you're the only Uzumaki left?" Tsunade asked.
"Believe it or not Tsunade," Jiraiya corrected, "There are other Uzumaki members besides Naruto, and they've been flocking to him in these recent weeks. You have Uzumaki blood in your veins despite your Senju heritage from your grandfather's side of the family. Naruto has been working hard trying to gather his surviving brethren and reconstruct his broken clan. The Senju clan is a cousin clan to the Uzumaki clan since both clans have the same ancestor. And because you have Uzumaki blood in you, the boy seeks to learn more about his Uzumaki brethren from long ago that you knew."
"Didn't Konoha teach you anything about my grandfather?" Tsunade asked.
"They did while erasing whatever ties and history they had with the Uzumaki clan and Uzu no Kuni in its entirety," Naruto remarked disapprovingly and added, "My Uzumaki brethren and I have been working very hard to correct the offending sins committed by the village's hierarchy that tried to cover up their failure to help our Uzumaki ancestors when they were under attack by a coalition of shinobi nations that tried to wipe them out through mass ethnic genocide."
"I truly wasn't aware of that," Tsunade admitted.
"You, being a Sannin and famed Slug Princess would be a great asset in correcting the sins committed against the very clan your grandmother and ancestors descended from," Naruto reasoned, "Though much has been accomplished however, you being from the bloodline of Uzumaki Mito would give powerful testimony to the important role the Uzumaki clan played in establishing Konoha as one of the great shinobi nations. Especially since your grandmother was my first Jinchuuriki predecessor."
Tsunade looked at Naruto calm but serious expression as Naruto looked back at her with a calm and level headed demeanor.
"So you know about that secret, huh?" Tsunade stated though more as an inquiry.
"It's now common knowledge as Konoha is currently being reeducated about the history of the Uzumaki clan," Naruto said, "So, would you honor me in telling me more about your grandmother? I'd like to hear it personally from you if you will."
Tsunade poured herself another shot of whisky into her cup before taking a sip of it. After a moment of thinking about what to say, Tsunade replied, "Mito-obaasama was a very calm and composed woman with a dignified air about her. I heard from her how my grandfather, when they were both younger, used to follow her around in the shadows and hide either in trees or behind objects or buildings just to see and admire her."
"Sounds a lot like what my girlfriend used to do," Naruto remarked endearingly, "I recently found out that my father did the same thing with my mother too back then."
"Minato did," Tsunade confirmed, "He had as huge an attraction to your mother as my grandfather did to my grandmother when they were much younger."
"Seems to be a common trait that we Uzumaki possess in attracting powerful ninja to become our admirers from the shadows," Naruto joked with a large smile on his face, "I can personally relate to my mother and Uzumaki Mito on those levels since my girlfriend used to do the exact same thing like my father and your grandfather. It's amazing when I think about how my girlfriend did the very same thing that Konoha's famed and powerful Shodai and Yondaime did with the Uzumaki they fell in love with."
From another end of the casino…
"N-Naruto-kun!" Hinata squealed with an embarrassed look on her darkened reddened face. Karin grinned and snickered, "Did you used to hide and admire him when he would go into the bathhouse too?"
Before Hinata could reply however…
"I think that trait have skipped me," Arashi remarked with a saddened tone, "I have yet to find such a beautiful female to admire me from the shadows and come forward professing to want to marry me and have my children."
"Maybe that trait would manifest if you were to stop sexually harassing random girls and women that comes your way!" Kansui retorted to his younger twin.
"That's enough you two," Seijiro said, "Let's get back to focusing on Naruto's method of negotiation and appeal."
Meanwhile at the table Naruto and Jiraiya were at…
"What more can you tell me about Uzumaki Mito?" Naruto inquired, "I know there's more you can share with me."
"Mito-obaasama later fell in love and married Hashirama-jiisan and helped him find and establish Konohagakure," Tsunade continued, "Uzumaki Akina-sama, who was the Uzumaki clan leader during the era, conducted the marriage ceremony personally since it was at Hashirama's personal request."
"My ancestor performed the marriage ceremony for Konoha's Shodaime?" Naruto asked with a surprised expression, "Wouldn't Honoka-neechan love to hear about this and more."
"The Uzumaki clan and Senju clan always shared very close ties and bonds with each other, and Hashirama-jiisan always valued those bonds with the Uzumaki clan. When my grandfather became Konoha's Shodaime Hokage, Uzumaki Akina-sama donated many seals and techniques that were written in the scroll that later became known as the Forbidden Scroll of Sealing and out of respects for that and many other things the Uzumaki clan has done for Konoha, Hashirama-jiisan made a Hokage degree that all Konoha ninja were to wear the insignia crest of the Uzumaki clan, no exceptions."
"Chouza and Chouji wear my clan's insignia on their faces," Naruto commented.
"Yes, it was a custom that clan started up as their appreciation for the Uzumaki's contributions and sacrifices," Tsunade said.
"Sacrifices?" Naruto inquired.
"That was the result of the rebellion of Uchiha Madara," Tsuande explained, "During my grandfather's battle against Madara at the Valley of the End, Hashirama-jiisan at some point gained control of Kyuubi. To gain power for my grandfather and to protect Konoha, Mito-obaasama, having a strong sense of duty to my grandfather and the village, used a fūinjutsu to seal Kyuubi within herself, becoming the Kyuubi's first Jinchuuriki.
"Despite the seal's strength however, it almost broke when she was going through childbirth with my father. Eventually, my grandfather died in war, and Mito-obaasama was left a widow, going into solitude. I don't know much about her fighting skills, but Mito-obaasama was hailed as a powerful kunoichi and was exceptional at fūinjutsu. Even for an Uzumaki, she also had an especially powerful and unique type of chakra, making her well-suited to suppressing Kyuubi. After becoming a Jinchuuriki, Mito-obassama gained access to even greater reserves of extraordinarily strong chakra."
"And being a member of the Uzumaki clan, Mito had the potential to live an exceptionally long life, am I right?" Naruto inquired.
"That's actually true as that was seen in part from her having lived her adult life through the reign of the first three Hokage. But towards the final years of her life, it was decided that a new host for Kyuubi would have to be found. Your mother, Uzumaki Kushina, was selected for the role due to her special chakra. Kushina however, wasn't all that excited when she was selected from her clan to become Mito-obaasama's successor as a Jinchuuriki."
"Evidently she was given as much of a choice as I was," Naruto remarked. No one missed the his remarked.
"Your life as a Jinchuuriki must have been a hard one," Tsunade commented.
"A harsh life being the village pariah that only a fellow Jinchuuriki could understand," Naruto replied.
"I won't insult you and pretend that I understand your experience," Tsunade remarked "But Mito-obaasama's understood your mother's fears. Kushina was terrified by the idea of being taken from her homeland to become a Jinchuuriki. Mito-obaasama comforted Kushina and sometime after that, Kyuubi was presumably extracted from within Mito-obaasama and sealed into Kushina."
"Do you know what was said between my mother and Mito?" Naruto inquired. Tsunade shook her head and answered, "It was a private and personal conversation between them. I wasn't allowed to listen in."
"I understand," Naruto said, "And for what it's worth, you gave me such invaluable information about my ancestress and brethren Jinchuuriki. But it was even more valuable since it came from a Sannin who's a descendant of one of my noble clanswomen."
"I'm sure that there's more to your being here with Jiraiya than you wanting to hear my grandmother's life's story," Tsunade acknowledged, "I know this isn't some casual get together. So why don't you tell me what's this all about."
"Nothing ever escapes your notice, Tsunade-hime," Jiraiya replied, "While I'm personally enjoying seeing you again, you're right that this isn't just a social get together. So, I'll cut to the chase and tell you why Sarutobi-sensei sent us to find you and retrieve you."
"Retrieve me?" Tsunade asked with a tone that show she didn't like where things were about to go.
"It was at my personal request," Naruto cut in quickly, "I practically begged jiisan to send me out to find you so I can personally ask if you'd be willing join the Uzumaki clan since you possess Uzumaki blood running through your veins. You practically inherited the Uzumaki's violent temper based on what ero-jisan told me about you."
"So Jiraiya told you about that incident he peeped on me in the bathhouse," Tsunade replied.
"What can I say?" Naruto commented with a grin, "The man truly likes you a lot to the point that he risked death willingly just to behold your raw beauty even if it was just once. Such bravery is one even I admired as ero-jisan knows and appreciates a good thing when he sees it. His actions moved and inspired even me."
Tsunade right eye twitched at how Naruto twisted Jiraiya's perverted act of peeping on her into an act of courageous romance worthy of admiration. Even Jiraiya snickered and felt flattered by Naruto's words even though his past act almost got him killed when Tsunade beat him to within less than an inch of his life.
"You got jokes brat," Tsunade commented, "But seriously, why were you and Jiraiya sent out to find me?"
"Naruto already told you Tsunade," Jiraiya said, piggyback riding on what Naruto said earlier, "It was at Naruto's earnest request that he be sent out to find and retrieve you as a member of the Uzumaki clan. Naruto has been working very hard in reestablishing the noble prestige and honor of the clan your grandmother descended from and your return to Konoha as a member of your grandmother's clan will greatly help to restore the respect and dignity the Uzumaki clan possessed that Konoha's hierarchy desecrated in over the past number of years.
"The very fact that Sarutobi-sensei sent me out with Naruto to help locate and find you should be proof enough about how serious the matter is. I'll remind you Tsunade-hime that Naruto is an official clan leader and Konoha council member. This isn't something Sarutobi-sensei would recklessly agree to if he didn't see any benefits that would result from your returning to help Naruto repair the damage Konoha's hierarchy has done in erasing from history books all the great things your grandmother's clan has done for Konoha.
"This great offense not only insulted your late grandmother's memories but that of your grandfather, Senju Hashirama since he was her husband, and by extension that also insulted the memories of the Senju clan since they cherished their close ties and bonds with their cousin clan. It also insulted the memories of the Yondaime, my pupil, and his wife Kushina. Both of them gave their lives to save Konoha and their son and Konoha hierarchy spat on their sacrifice by trying to erase from the history books what truly happened to the Uzumaki clan and Uzu no Kuni.
"Sarutobi-sensei is working hard to make amends for Konoha's sins against the Uzumaki clan and a great deal so far has been accomplished. That's why Naruto and I have been sent out as envoys to request your willingness to return to Konoha as an Uzumaki clan member."
Tsunade was quiet as she carefully listened to everything Jiraiya was saying and she couldn't detect any deceit in his tone. Shizune was quiet the entire time as she was listening to every word that was being spoken. Naruto gestured to Hinata and the other Uzumaki members to come forward to the table. Tsunade and Shizune looked to see the Hyuuga heiress and multiple red-haired ninja coming around the table.
"As you can see Tsunade-hime," Jiraiya pointed out, "Naruto has been gathering his scattered brethren together and is seeking to bring you into his fold."
"I told Sarutobi-sensei that I would never step foot into Konoha again," Tsunade reminded.
"Tsunade," Jiraiya pleaded, "I know you hold a grudge against Konoha for what happened in your past and you blame them for the loss of your loved ones. I know none of us here can change what happened."
"That's for damn sure," Tsunade retorted.
"But you're sadly mistaken if you think you're the only person here who suffered tremendously Tsunade-hime," Jiraiya replied, causing the Slug Sannin to stared back at him with narrowed eyes, "You're not the only person who was victimized of the cruelty of the shinobi world."
"And who are you to lecture me?" Tsunade retorted.
"I've seen and experienced the same wars and atrocities as you did!" Jiraiya replied, "I lost my family as well during the years we were warring against Kumo and Amegakure! Did you forget that we grew up together, trained together, fought together? I know and understand your experiences because I was there with you during all those years!
"But there has been others who endured cruel and harsh treatments at very young ages:
"Naruto here has suffered in ways you can't begin to imagine because of the people of Konoha. He has every reason to hate and hold a massive grudge against everyone in Konoha for their numerous sins against him and his clan. And yet despite this, he chose to forgive them and give the villagers and the Hokage a chance to atone.
"While I'm not Uzumaki by blood, Minato and Kushina asked me to become Naruto's godfather thus making me a surrogate member of their clan. You can start a new life with the clan that Uzumaki Mito came from and build new bonds with those who want you as one of their loved ones."
Tsunade was silent as she thought about what Jiraiya explained to her. She couldn't deny that Jiraiya been through very hard times in his life and family loss as well.
"You did have a hard life Jiraiya, I'll admit to that," Tsunade said, "But you're still a pervert like no other and it's one of the things that I really can't stand."
Jiraiya was about say something when…
"I met female perverts half your age and younger who could rival ero-jisan," Naruto commented, "Both genders have perverts like no one other and I've heard some of the dirty things women talk about with each other in their so-called "girl talk." It's more than enough to make me and any straight man like Jiraiya blush.
"And while ero-jisan the self-proclaimed Super Pervert have his vices with their consequences, you have your share of vices with their consequences also Tsunade."
"Come again?" Tsunade retorted.
"Tsunade," Naruto continued undeterred, "From what I've heard, you have a deep seeded love for gambling and alcohol, since your youth. And because of that, not only did it land you in mountainous debts, but you now have to worry about that S-class bounty hunter who's been after you recently. It's one of the major reasons why you've been running from town to town for these past couple of days, am I correct?"
Tsunade and Shizune were startled by what they heard come out of Naruto's mouth.
"There's a bounty hunter of that high caliber who's after Tsunade-sama?" Shizune asked.
"Well that explains those bad feelings I've been having in every town I traveled to," Tsunade realized, "How did you find out about that it's a bounty hunter after me?"
"We ran into him recently," Jiraiya answered, "He was employed by a particular loan shark you owe a massive debt to. He's been tracking and hunting you down since."
"Not only that," Naruto said, "It turned out that the same bounty hunter is a fellow Uzumaki of your grandmother's clan."
"What!?" Tsunade exclaimed in disbelief as Shizune was also just as shocked.
"That's right Tsunade," Naruto stated, "You have a kinsman who's hunting you down. However, he's willing to settle on a compromise if you're open to negotiations with me as the middleman."
"A compromise?" Shizune asked after a long period of silence, "What kind of compromise would he be willing to offer?"
"It's quite simple," Seijiro explained, "The group here and I received word from every casino that Tsunade has been gaining a lot of revenue through all of her huge winnings. Her winning streaks were the reasons why she kept skipping town and refusing to stay in one place for too long. I'm interested in the amount of money that Tsunade has won through all of her winning streaks and gambling."
"It's you!" Tsunade realized as she was about to flip the table over and create a scene of chaos in her attempt to escape. Just before she could create a ruckus and run out of the casino with Shizune and Tonton, Naruto quickly reached out and grabbed Tsunade'a right hand, with Seijiro, Kansui, Arashi and Karin hurrying to Naruto and grabbing hold of his shoulders. The Soul Link that Naruto was seeking to establish with Tsunade was taking its effect. Though Tsunade wasn't a full blooded Uzumaki, her heritage was enough to have a good enough effect on her as she started calming down.
'What are these emotions…these sensations I'm feeling?' Tsunade wondered as she felt the mental and emotional link between Naruto and his fellow brethren Uzumaki clansmen, 'It's like meeting my cousins for the first time in my life.'
Suddenly memories of Uzumaki Mito appeared in Tsunade's mind. She started recalling all the time she spent with her grandmother and learning about all the great things she learned from her and about her.
All the while, Shizune, Jiraiya, Hinata and Tonton watched in wonderment about what was happening as Tsunade, Naruto, and the others stood frozen where they were. Shizune was about to tap Tsunade when Jiraiya raised his right hand and gestured to her not to interfere. A moment later, Naruto released his hold on Tsunade's hand as she looked back at him with a look that asked many questions.
"What was that I experienced just now?" Tsunade asked, "I don't know what words I can use to describe it."
"Soul Link," Naruto revealed, "Something unique among us Uzumaki and those who share our bloodline. And seeing how you were keenly effected by our link up with you is indeed proof of your Uzumaki heritage through your grandmother."
"It was unlike anything I ever felt and experienced in my entire life," Tsunade said, "So many memories, emotions and sensations came rushing through me almost all at once. At the same time," Tsunade looked from Naruto, to Karin, Kansui, Arashi and Seijiro, "I felt each and every last one of your pain and hardships," Tsunade turned her gaze back to Naruto, "I can see why you're making search earning an effort in finding your scattered brethren."
"We would love for you to join the Uzumaki clan Tsunade," Naruto said, "But it would be more meaningful if you were to do so willingly and by choice, and not by obligation or force."
"What you're asking of me isn't something I can give an immediate answer to considering my past with Konoha among other things," Tsunade replied before looking back at Seijrio, "And then there's you."
"Tsunade," Seijiro spoke calmly, "It was reported to us in every town you went to that you've made a killing in your winnings in every casino you went to during the time I started pursuing you for the money you owe a loan shark."
"So you're the reason why Tsunade-sama has been having us depart from town to town for these past number of days," Shizune realized, "It was you she sensed pursuing her."
"I was contracted by a loan shark to have Tsunade pay back the massive debt she owes him," Seijiro explained, "With interest. Tsunade hasn't made not one payment back to him and so I was sought out to find Tsunade so that she can pay back what's owed to my employer."
Shizune looked at the oldest Uzumaki of the group carefully. She saw the look of respect that Naruto and the other Uzumaki with him gave the older man.
"If you don't mind my asking," Shizune implored, "But who are you to Naruto?"
"His right-hand man," Seijiro answered, "It was always my life's goal to become the next right hand man of the new Uzumaki clan leader. Accepting this job from that loan shark to find Tsunade was the best thing that happened to me in years because during my traveling following Tsunade's trail, I found Naruto and my surviving brethren who were also in pursuit of Tsunade. And after learning that Naruto is the new clan leader, I saw that my dreams of becoming his right-hand man can finally be realized and come to fruition."
"I mean no disrespect," Shizune said, "But with someone of your age, experience and stature, I would have assumed you were the clan leader."
"I wouldn't dare be so presumptuous as to challenge and claim the position of clan leader which rightfully belongs to Naruto by birthright," Seijiro replied, "Naruto is our clan leader, not me. But going back to the previous topic, I'm interested in the amount of money Tsunade has won in her gambling escapades while she was on the run from me combined with the money she won here in this casino."
"Why would my winnings be of interest to you?" Tsunade inquired.
"Because the total sum equals the exact amount of money you owe my employer," Seijiro revealed, "I'm willing to settle on this compromise: Give me all your winnings so I can use it to repay the loan shark that you owe money to in exchange for me no longer being contracted to pursue you further. And because you have my clan's bloodline running through your veins, I'm truly torn within myself that I have to fulfill this contract that I'm bound to."
"So there no way you can cancel your contract?" Tsunade asked.
"I already accepted half of the payment from my employer and I gave my word to my employer that I would so to the completion of my mission," Seijiro said, "An Uzumaki never betrays his given word once sworn. It's been the nindo of my clan for centuries."
"Sounds a lot like what I say," Naruto remarked after listening to Seijiro's speech as he looked back at Tsunade who looked to be debating within herself about what course of action she should take with regards to all of her recent winnings.
"Tsunade-hime," Jiraiya spoke up, "Seijiro just implied that he'll continue pursuing you until he completes the contract he sworn to fulfill. His hunting and tracking prowess rivals those of my own and I doubt you and Shizune want to be on the constant run from him and he made it clear that he doesn't want that for himself either."
Tsunade sighed and leaned back on the chair as she replied, "This is what I get for picking up my grandfather's bad habits."
"Say what?" Jiraiya inquired as he and everyone else were surprised by the revelation, "You mean to say that you picked up gambling from Konoha's Shodai?"
"I was spoiled and pampered by him as his only granddaughter," Tsuande revealed, "The only difference was that he excelled at gambling while I-"
"Suck at it, we know as do so many others you lost bets to," Seijiro stated, causing Tsuande to frown at him.
"Fine," Tsunade agreed reluctantly, "I'll had over the money and free you of this contract. It'll be one less debt collector to worry about. I'll hand over the money later this evening after we leave from here."
"Thank you Tsunade," Seijiro said sincerely.
"Tsunade," Karin spoke up, "Naruto isn't the only one who wants you to join and become a part our clan. All of us wants you to become part of our lives because you're a part of our clan's legacy. Before we met Naruto, each of us lived hard, harsh and lonely lives. Naruto-kun, Arashi, Kansui, Seijiro-jisan and myself here have all suffered the loss of our families, loved ones and parents at very young ages. But Naruto-kun found and gathered us together in order to started a new family together. But in Seijiro-jisan's case, he found us and joined our still growing clan. We made new bonds with each other and want you to be part of our bond."
"Touching words young lady," Tsunade said, "I can see from your eyes that there's a lot to be said about the kind of experiences you had in your past, much of it unpleasant."
"Most I'd rather forget," Karin remarked, "I'm Uzumaki Karin by the way."
Tsunade nodded and then turned to Hinata and asked, "You're a Hyuuga. But exactly whom might you be?"
"I'm Hyuuga Hinata, heiress of the Hyuuga clan and Naruto-kun's girlfriend," Hinata greeted.
"She's also our clan's future matriarch," Arashi remarked.
"Arashi!" Kansui rebuked.
"It's true Kansui!" Arashi argued, "Naruto said so himself! You can go and ask him yourself if you want."
"Twin Uzumaki," Tsunade acknowledged.
"Well we're not kage bunshin," Kansui remarked, "I'm Uzumaki Kansui and this is my younger twin Arashi. And you already met Seijiro-jisan."
Araashi turned to the Shizune and greeted, "And who are you?"
"I'm Shizune," Shizune answered, "And Tsunade-sama's apprentice and assistant."
"Her assistant you say?" Arashi asked as he looked at and studied Shizune's features and body shape. Tsunade saw the way Arashi was looking at Shizune and before she could react to it…
"Tsunade," Naruto said, "I want to ask you something."
"What is it?" Tsunade asked breaking away from her previous intentions towards Arashi.
"Can I have that necklace around your neck?" Naruto requested, "I think it would look cool on me when I become Hokage in the future someday."
The atmosphere turned gloomy when Tsunade's necklace and the position of Hokage were placed in the same sentence. For Tsunade, it brought back a lot of dark and painful memories.
"Don't waste your time dreaming of becoming Hokage," Tsunade said callously, "Trust me, it's not worth pursuing and you're better off seeking a different kind of dream to carry out."
"Not worth pursuing?" Naruto retorted, "And why would you say something like that?"
"Because the position of Hokage is garbage!" Tsunade replied, "Only fools dream of becoming Hokage!"
"Tsunade, not to be rude but do you have any idea what you are saying?" Naruto implored.
"I hate the position of Hokage!" Tsunade replied, "There's nothing to be gained from being or dreaming of becoming Hokage! It's such a waste!"
"Would your grandmother Uzumaki Mito accept and approve what you're saying?" Naruto asked as she tried to reason with her, "You do realize that by your own words, you're insulting not only your grandfather and his younger brother who were the first two Hokage, but you're also insulting your grandmother who was loyal to your grandfather and stake her life to support him and his vision for Konoha.
"You're also insulting my parents who gave their lives to protect me and Konoha on the night Kyuubi rampaged the village. Not only that, you're insulting your own teacher who's the current Sandaime Hokage and is hoping you'll return to your home village as a member of the Uzumaki clan."
"Like you Naruto," Tsunade said, "I lost loved ones to the position of Hokage."
"Actually," Naruto corrected, "My parents gave their lives to save mine from Kyuubi who tried to kill and crush me with one of his massive claws. Their sacrifice and love for me wasn't a waste. And from what I recall, your grandfather's young brother Senju Tobirama, the Nidaime, sacrificed himself to save your sensei and everyone else in his platoon from the oncoming force of Kumo's elite ninja squadron that was known as Kintaku. Knowing that death was certain against that squadron, the Nidaime selflessly chose to stay behind and hold back the whole battalion of twenty elite Kumo ninja so that your sensei the Sandaime and his entire group could escape and survive.
"That's what it means to be Hokage, the lives of your village, comrades and loved ones are worth protecting with your life. That's why I'm aspiring to become the Hokage in the future."
Tsunade looked back at Naruto with a look an analytical expression. A moment Tsunade said, "My grandfather wore this necklace during his reign as Konoha's Shodai. He died in battle while wearing this necklace and it was given to me by my grandmother after his burial."
"So you wear that in memory of your grandfather?" Naruto asked.
"This is a cursed necklace," Tsunade replied.
"A cursed necklace?" Naruto asked with a raised eyebrow, "Sounds a bit superstitious."
"Everyone else who wore it with the exception of me died," Tsunade stated, "But the common thing about them was that they both had dreams of one day becoming Hokage."
"That's a very interesting revelation," Naruto said and inquired, "Were they anyone close and special to you?"
"My little brother Nawaki and my late boyfriend Dan," Tsunade revealed, "They were both killed during the chaotic era of the Second Shinobi World War while wearing his cursed necklace."
"I'm truly sorry for your loss Tsunade," Naruto said sincerely, "I can only imagine how living with such a loss must be like. However, I'll break whatever curse that's supposedly surrounding that necklace if you're willing to give it to me. I had close calls with death on numerous occasions so I'm sure I'll break the curse you believe is attached to that necklace!"
"Do you really believe your own words?" Tsunade replied.
"I'll fight you for it if you're interested," Naruto challenged.
"You want to fight and challenge me for my necklace?" Tsunade asked with a confident smile on her face, "You must have a death wish! You wouldn't last seconds with me!"
"Let's test that out!" Naruto replied with a confident smile of his own, "I want to see how long I can last against you before I finally win that necklace, baa-chan!"
"Baa-chan!?" Tsunade retorted loudly with a nerve appearing on top of her right eyebrow as she stood up from her seat.
"Yes, I think I'll call you that for now on!" Naruto laughed, "Though you're not as ancient as Sandaime-jiisan and those three walking fossils he has in the hierarchy, Tsunade-obaachan fits you seeing that you're just as old as ero-jisan and Orochimaru."
"That's it! Let's do this! Outside! Right now!" Tsunade ordered as she pointed to the exit. Jiraiya groaned, seeing that Naruto had to provoke Tsunade by drawing attention to her age. The Toad Sage thought about warning Tsunade about Naruto's skills but he honestly wanted to see for himself how Naruto would stand against Tsunade since he already fought Orochimaru and himself.
Naruto stood up and followed Tsunade out of the casino with everyone else following them.
"Is this really a good idea?" Arashi asked, "I'm mean, Naruto openly challenged a Sannin to a match."
"I'm more amazed that you didn't try to flirt and hit on Tsunade the entire time," Kansui remarked.
"I do value my life and well-being brother," Arashi replied, "Even I have my limits."
"What a startling revelation," Kansui remarked.
"I will ignore your sarcasm," Arashi retorted, "And make it clear that the reason why I didn't flirt with Tsunade is because I know that she's over fifty years old and even though she looks like a beautiful young woman I don't flirt with women over the age of 40. Also, Tsunade is too old to even give birth to children which defeats the purpose of why I'm looking for a fertile young female like Karin to marry and have my children."
Kansui saw that Karin decided to ignore their conversation and not give Arashi a glance.
"But Shizune looks like a nice promising catch," Arashi said with a smile of interest, "Maybe with the right persuasion-"
"Forget it Arashi!" Kansui interjected.
"She's single, so I don't so the problem!" Arashi retorted, "Sure she's twice our age but she's still within my age limits and if given the chance to, I certain I can-"
"You're not going to cause further trouble for us!" Kansui stated.
"You're not going to cock block me again!" Arashi argued.
"Knock it off, both of you!" Seijiro ordered as he intervened, "Drop this petty argument now!"
Kansui and Arashi both frowned at each other but did as the older Uzumaki male instructed as they went to see what come out of Naruto's match with the Slug Sannin. Shizune was carrying Tonton in her arms with a worried look on her face, hoping Tsunade wouldn't take things too far. It didn't escape her notice that Hinata, Karin, and the others didn't look the least bit worried about Naruto. It made her curious as to why, but she figured she would soon see for herself why.
Tsunade and Naruto stood apart from each other at a distance, over twelve yards from each other. They faced each other with everyone else standing at the sidelines.
"It's not too late to back down Naruto," Tsunade offered as she raised her right hand at Naruto and showed him her index finger, "This finger alone will be more than enough to take you out."
"You dare give me the finger!?" Naruto joked.
"Witty, aren't we?" Tsunade replied, "But I'm afraid that won't win you this match."
'This woman truly has no idea what Naruto-kun is capable of,' Hinata observed silently, 'I'm sure her presumptuous arrogance will come with a price.'
This was a common thought with Karin and Jiraiya. Seijiro, Kansui and Arashi were interested in seeing what Naruto could do since they've never actually seen him fight in combat before.
'She's way too overconfident but I still better not underestimate her. I was careless with Itachi and almost got my ass handed to me. I better not repeat history with Tsunade,' Naruto contemplated, "You think your one finger scares me baa-chan?" Naruto replied and then joked, "Hinata-chan's mood swings are even more frightening!"
"Naruto-kun, I'm not scary at all!" Hinata meekly replied with a heated blush on her face.
"The quiet and meek ones are always the most dangerous ones," Arashi commented.
"For once I agree," Kansui said to his younger twin.
"Let's make it interesting," Naruto suggested, "The first one who falls to their back loses."
"If that's how you want it," Tsunade said confidently, "So be it."
"Alright! Here I come Slug Princess!" Naruto said as charged forward at the Sannin. Tsunade raced forward and prepared to strike him with her strength in enhanced finger. Before she could reach him however, Naruto formed a hand sign resulting a large burst of white smoke to appear that surrounded the vicinity and neighboring buildings. After the smoke gradually cleared out, Tsunade saw a group of forty clones charging at her.
'He's doing the same tactic he used against Orochimaru in the Forest of Death,' Karin thought as she was watching the match take place. Naruto took out a kunai and aimed to attack Tsunade with it. When Tsunade reached him however, she easily stole the kunai from him and using her right finger, she flicked him away from her and into a group of twelve close by clones. Naruto and his clones burst into clouds of smoke, revealing himself to be a kage bunshin as well.
"What?" Tsunade said in surprise, "That Naruto was a clone the entire time?"
Tsunade didn't get to contemplate on the matter further when the other twenty-eight clones charged at her. Raising her finger into the air, she waited until they got close enough to her and when they did, she quickly slammed her finger into the ground, causing the ground to violently split open with a mass cloud of dust and gravel to burst from out of the fissure with a brutal force. This resulted in all of the remaining twenty-eight clones to dispel and disappear from the scene. Tsunade stood back up with the fissure and rock debris in front of her feet, but Naruto was nowhere to be seen.
"Where's Naruto?" Tsunade asked aloud as she looked around, "Where did that brat go?"
Underneath her by her feet, a small rock among the rubble puffed into a small cloud of smoke, revealing Naruto crouching down to the ground in front of Tsunade. Before Tsunade could realize this…
"Fūton: Fūjin Bakuhatsuteki!" Naruto shouted as he aimed his attack directly into Tsunade. The chosen wind bomb attack had its intended effect as it blasted the Slug Sannin off her feet and high into the air way above all of the town's buildings. Naruto quickly followed up with…
"Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" Naruto called out as he made four clones of himself and together the five of them hurriedly gathered wind chakra and resorted to the use of Kaze Sokudo Chikara (Wing Speed Force) which they used to thrust themselves high into the air and over to Tsunade. With Tsunade in range, they rocketed forward into her direction and launched their next attack on her.
"U!" The first clone called out as he delivered a wind chakra enhanced swift flying punch to Tsunade's face. The second clone while flying through the air raced in and delivered the second wind chakra enhanced punch to Tsunade as he called out, "ZU!"
"MA!" the third clone cried out as he flew in and delivered a wind chakra enhanced flying kick attack into Tsunade's back sending her soaring forward into the oncoming fourth clone.
"KI!" the fourth clone called out loudly as he delivered a wind chakra enhanced uppercut to Tsunade's jaw, sending her flying skyward again. While Tsunade was still airborne, Naruto himself quickly rushed in towards the Slug Sannin and when he reached her, he focused the power of his Kaze Sokudo Chikara into his right heel before he somersaulted and brought his right heel down directly into Tsunade as he yelled out, "NARUTO RENDAN!"
The result of Naruto's wind manipulated infused taijutsu attack was a brutal rocketing to the surface effect that plunged Tsunade into the pavement, cratering it in the process as it violently shook the ground with gravel debris flying everywhere and a large dust cloud covering a good portion of the surrounding area upon Tsunade's impact into the ground.
"TSUNADE-SAMA!" Shizune yelled worriedly as Naruto used his wind element to slow his landing down allowing him to gracefully touchdown on the ground a few yards from the crater Tsunade's impact created. The clones by this time dispelled themselves into clouds of white smoke. Everyone else kept their distance and waited to see what would happened next.
"Goddamn!" was all Kansui could say in amazement.
"That was brutal!" Arashi marveled with admiration and fear after seeing what Naruto did against Tsunade.
"I wasn't aware he came up with that attack!" Hinata commented, "I truly didn't see that new attack coming!"
"Nor did Tsunade for that matter!" Karin remarked.
"Tsunade-hime faced and experienced worse," Jiraiya remarked, "But I think her pride is even more wounded than she is physically."
"With regards to that, maybe now she'll be humble and take our clan leader serious," Seijiro stated with an impressed look on his face accompanied with a smile of approval. Soon, Tsunade emerged from the crater with her clothes dirtied up, battered and torn in multiple spots. She was in extensive pain from both the blows Naruto and his clones inflicted on her and the impact into the ground, though she had a few bruises to show for. In spite of this, Tsunade as renowned medic had the capacity to completely heal herself, which she would do later that evening. She walked out of the crater and with narrowed eyes she stood and looked at Naruto with a fist-sized piece of pavement in her hand.
"I knocked you flat on your back with you failing to land a single blow on me with your one finger," Naruto stated, "You lose this match Tsunade-obaachan!"
"You're gonna regret that!" Tsunade declared as she raised and held the gravel debris forward in right her hand and crushed it with one clench of her fist.
"Don't be a sore loser!" Naruto replied, "It's your own fault for being overconfident and letting me catch you off guard instead of taking me serious! It'll take more than your one finger and monstrous strength to beat me!"
"Tsunade!" Jiraiya interjected before things got too serious after seeing the angered look on Tsunade's face, "This is neither the place nor the time to test Naruto's caliber as you both will end up leveling this entire town to the ground. I will forewarn you that Naruto is stronger than he lets on and it would be in your best interest not to underestimate him. Orochimaru made that mistake once and it nearly got him killed by Naruto twice, and that was without any use of Kyuubi's power and while Naruto was still Genin."
That revelation shocked both Tsunade and Shizune completely.
"Are you serious Jiraiya?" Tsunade asked in disbelief as she looked from Naruto and her former teammate.
"You're more than welcomed to read the reports and hear it from Sarutobi-sensei himself," Jiraiya said.
"It's completely true," Karin confirmed as she stepped forward, "I was an eyewitness to Naruto-kun's battle with Orochimaru. That Snake Sannin was forced to retreat after coming too close to be killed by Naruto-kun one too many times. Naruto-kun even blew up and burned down a massive section of the Forest of Death with a deadly S-class ninjutsu of the Uzumaki clan, nearly killing the man in the process."
"He did all that while he was still a Genin?" Shizune asked in amazement and sheer disbelief while Tonton oinked.
"What did you expect from the genius son of my prized pupil?!" Jiraiya said boastfully.
"And now that I faced and toppled you by mere cunning," Naruto stated, "I've now completed and closed the circle in battling you, your former teammates and sensei."
"You faced Sarutobi-sensei and Jiraiya also?" Tsunade asked.
"It's a long story but it helps stress the point to not underestimate him!" Jiraiya said, "Hundreds of ninja and mercenaries lost their lives to Naruto for making that mistake. And if you don't believe me about that, then you're more than welcomed to read the reports and ask Sarutobi-sensei himself like I said before."
Tsunade saw how serious Jiraiya was being and she knew when not to take Jiraiya lightly, especially after seeing firsthand how Naruto made a fool out of her so effortlessly.
"Alright then," Tsunade complied and looked over at Naruto, "This isn't over. I'll learn from my mistake and challenge you to fair combat in the future."
"Accepted," Naruto agreed and then reminded, "Now, I believe I won that necklace around your neck," Naruto extended his right hand out to her and stated, "A deal is a deal."
"I didn't agree to hand over my necklace to you," Tsunade retorted, "I only challenged you in hopes of teaching you a lesson for addressing me as "baa-chan." That was all!"
'She's such a sore loser!' Naruto privately thought as he frowned in annoyance and dropped his right hand to his side, "Fine then," Naruto then inquired, "But what about my offer in joining my clan?" and then Naruto implied, "I'm sure it would be nice to have a wealthy and very rich clan to come home to."
"The Uzumaki clan has money?" Tsunade asked, as a spark of interest was ignited.
"Uzumaki Mito didn't come from a broke clan Tsunade," Naruto remarked with a smile, "Besides all of the money and real estate my parents left for me as my inheritance," Naruto said, "My clan was recently given a lot of generous donations from foreign feudal lords, dignitaries and businessmen thanks to the financial brilliance of Uzumaki Karin and Uzumaki Honoka."
"Aaaww! You're so sweet to admire and praise my humble ingenuity Naruto-kun," Karin cooed girlishly with a blush on her face, causing Shizune and Tsunade to frown at her and wonder if Naruto was serious about what he was talking about with regards to Karin.
'Karin and Honoka won that massive amount of money for your clan after all those rich high officials and millionaires lost their huge bets on Sasuke during the Chuunin Finals, Naruto-kun,' Hinata mentally recalled, 'But it's not my place to reveal that as you're trying to use your financial assets to sway Tsunade-sama.'
"The people of Nami no Kuni also generously donated gifts, money and various types of rare and exclusive sake, liquor and whiskey to my clan by the barrels and opened trade with Konoha as their thanks after I freed them from the tyrannical rule of a multimillionaire named Gatō.
"I saved and rescued Koyuki-hime the daimyo of Haru no Kuni from being killed by Orochimaru's forces during the Suna-Oto invasion which I uncovered and helped bring to a failure. Seijiro-jisan met Koyuki-hime and saved her and her country from her wicked uncle Dotō and his army a few years before she met me. Through Seijiro-jiisan and myself, the Uzumaki clan has huge connections with the daimyo of Haru no Kuni apart from Konoha's open trade with her country."
"That's news to me," Tsunade remarked, knowing the reputation Haru no Kuni was known for because of their advanced technology and machinery. But Tsunade was more interested in those imported barrels of rare alcohol and all that money the people of Nami no Kuni gave to Naruto as gifts despite her doubts about what Naruto was saying.
'For Haru no Kuni to open trade with Konoha because of Naruto and Seijiro means that the daimyō holds those two in very high regards,' Shizune thought, 'But when you consider the reasons why, it's not hard to understand.'
"But you seriously expect me to believe that the people of Nami no Kuni gave you barrels of rare exclusive alcohol as gifts?" Tsunade asked doubtfully.
"The people of Nami no Kuni praise me as their savior," Naruto made known, "I have no reason to fabricate my exploits or what I attained for my clan."
"Naruto," Seijiro interjected, "While our clan is financially well off, Tsunade's casino fever and love for alcohol knows no bounds and her chances of paying off her debts are as likely as a leopard changing its spots."
Tsunade glared at Seijiro's verbal jab at her while the bounty hunter himself was just as calm and placid as ever.
"Really?" Naruto joked, "I was thinking more on the line of her chances being as likely as me mastering that ninjutsu ero-jisan is teaching me that I've been struggling to perfect. Hell, even my father wasn't able to perfect it all the way."
Tsunade turned to Jiraiya and asked, "You're teaching Minato's son Jiraiya? I didn't think you'd take another student after the death of your prized student."
"Yondaime was a once in a lifetime genius," Jiraiya said, "But Naruto is in a special class of his own and there's no doubt in my mind that he'll surpass both his father and mother."
"I'll surpass even you ero-jisan!" Naruto stated with confidence, "And that's a promise I'm swearing by!"
"I like to place a wager on that Naruto," Tsunade spoke up, "Are you interested in a bet?"
"I haven't gambled before but I'm interested in what you have to offer!" Naruto replied, "What's the wager?"
"You have one week to master whatever ninjutsu Jiraiya is teaching you that even your father couldn't perfect," Tsunade challenged.
"One week!?" Naruto replied, wondering if Tsunade was serious.
"Is my wager too high for you to accept?" Tsunade challenged with a confident smile. Keeping his composure, Naruto asked, "What would be the penalty if I were to lose?"
"If you fail," Tsunade stated, "Not only will you have to pay off all of my current debts but you'll have to give up your dreams of becoming Hokage."
"Tsunade-hime!" Jiraiya objected, "You're seriously going to try to get Naruto to take on and pay off all of your debts and force him to renounce his dreams?"
"I'm not forcing Naruto into anything," Tsunade replied, "It's entirely up to him to accept my wager or not. Unless, he doesn't feel confident enough to actually succeed where his father has failed. If he wins, I'll give him my necklace as his prize."
'Oh I have so much more to ask from you than that Tsunade,' Naruto plotted and then said, "I want more than just that necklace Tsunade-obaachan!"
Tusnade and the others looked over at Naruto as he continued, "Here are my non-negotiable terms with this bet: Should I succeed, not only will I win that necklace, but you and Shizune will return with us to Konoha without question or resistance, and you'll take Hinata-chan and Karin as your new medic apprentices."
Tsunade looked over at Hinata and Karin with an analytical gaze. From what she saw of them, she sensed that both girls possessed real unique potential respectively with a lot to offer.
"That doesn't sound like a penalty at all as I can already see those two going far under my watchful eyes and tutelage," Tsunade remarked, "I accep-"
"And you'll have to accept going on seven dates straight with ero-jisan with absolutely NO acts of violence against him or ANY sort retaliation against him," Naruto concluded.
"WHAT?!" Tsunade retorted in outrage, "You can forget that last part! You can't make such an outrageous demand like that out of me!"
It took every bit a strength Jiraiya had not to crack a huge smile as he had the calmest expression on his face after hearing what Naruto was demanding out of Tsunade. But still…
"Naruto," Jiraiya said, "There's no need to have Tsunade accept dates with me based off any bets she lost."
"And why not?" Naruto replied, "These are my terms, like it or not. She's trying to throw her years' worth of huge debts into my pocket with me forfeiting my goals of becoming Hokage, therefore I'm leveling the playing field," Naruto replied before he turned his attention back to Tsunade and extended his right hand out to Slug Sannin, "Accept my terms or admit defeat."
Tsunade looked back at Naruto and saw that he was serious about his wager.
"I'll agreed to your terms and not go back on them only if you give me your word that you'll accept mine," Tsunade replied.
"Done," Naruto agreed. Jiraiya sighed to himself about the insane wager Tsunade and Naruto agreed to.
"Naruto," Jiraiya said, "You're taking a huge risk with Tsunade."
"This isn't the first time I've taken dangerous risks," Naruto said, "The only difference with my wager is that in the end, everyone benefits from it."
"Tsunade won't be all that happy to accept seven dates with me under obligations," Jiraiya stated.
"She never once accepted going on a date with you in the past at all," Naruto replied, "After I win, you have seven chances to try and win her heart without fear of being hospitalized in ICU. Just don't do anything dumb."
"You're seriously putting your dreams and financial assets on the line just so I can have a couple of chances at dating Tsunade and finally winning her love?!" Jiraiya asked in disbelief.
"That," Naruto said, "And I want Hinata-chan and Karin to become medics and stronger kunoichi under Tsunade-obaachan's training."
"You truly are my pupil's son!" Jiraiya praised proudly and tearfully, "Selflessly taking such high risks for the benefit of others over your own!"
"Personal training under a Sannin," Hinata contemplated, "I can only imagine the possibilities."
"There won't be much for us to imagine if Naruto-kun fails to master that ninjutsu in a week," Karin remarked, "Because of Tsunade, he's staking his dreams and future on the success of that ninjutsu that his father failed to perfect."
"But then there lies the question," Hinata pointed out.
"This being?" Karin asked.
"What is this ninjutsu that Naruto-kun is trying to perfect that his father didn't?" Hinata asked.
That got everyone's attention as they now realized that Naruto and Jiraiya never disclosed what ninjutsu was that Naruto was struggling to perfect. Turning to Naruto, Kansui implored, "Would you like to enlighten us on this ninjutsu you're working on?"
"It's an experimental S-class ninjutsu that my father was working on," Naruto explained, "He went through several prototype versions but they all ended in failure as he didn't get the seals quite right at the time. Sadly, he didn't live long enough to perfect it either."
"What's this experimental ninjutsu supposed to do?" Arashi asked.
"For now, I'll keep that to myself until the end of the week," Naruto answered.
"Can you at the very least tell us what the ninjutsu is called?" Karin asked.
"Funny," Naruto realized, "My father never got around to naming that ninjutsu."
"Are you for real?" Tsunade remarked.
"That doesn't mean thing I didn't develop a fitting name for it myself," Naruto added, catching everyone's curiosity, "I call it, "Senko Tanken" (Flashing Daggers)."
"Senko Tanken?" Hinata repeated, "I can only speculate what that entails."
"We all will see a demonstration of it in a week's time," Tsunade said, "Assuming Naruto will have mastered the ninjutsu by then."
"Don't count me out as already being defeated baa-chan," Naruto replied, "I'm certain I'll get the hang of the Senko Tanken by then."
"We'll see," Tsunade said before turning to Shizune, "Let's go look for a hotel to spend the night at."
"You both didn't rent out a room yet?" Arashi asked.
"Your Uzumaki brethren Seijiro was in constant pursuit of me at the time, so staying in a hotel wasn't an available option," Tsunade reminded.
"Point taken," Arashi replied.
"We might as well look hotel to stay at also," Seijiro suggested to his group before they agreed and left the area for their next destination, "It's been a long but interesting evening as it is."
The group, with Tsunade and Shizune in company, proceeded on their way to their next destination. While that was going on, Tsunade thought back to what she experienced when Naruto Soul Linked with her with his brethren Uzumaki joining in through their link with him. Jiraiya, seeing Tsunade deep in thought and contemplation, asked, "Is something the matter, or are you thinking about which seven dresses you'll be wearing for me for our dates when this bet is over?"
"Don't talk like Naruto already has this bet won," Tsunade retorted, "There's still that possibility that he'll come off the loser."
"I hope not," Jiriaya replied, "It's humbling that my godson took the role of being my wingman when I truly don't deserve it. Perhaps this is his way of saying he's forgiven me."
"Forgiven you for what exactly?" Tsunade asked, "What did you do that required his forgiveness?"
"It's a long story and so much has happened since your self-imposed exile from Konoha," Jiraiya said, "I'll tell you about it if you'd like to have a drink with me later, my treat."
"If it so happens that by some dumb luck that Naruto wins this bet," Tsunade remarked, "I'll be sure to order the most expensive dinners and drinks on the menu."
"I survived being nearly killed by you Tsunade-hime," Jiraiya replied, "I'm sure my wallet will survive your appetite."
Tsunade frowned seeing that her words did nothing to make Jiraiya worried about how she would rack up his dating bills if Naruto were to win their bet. Meanwhile, Naruto, Karin and Hinata were having a conversation of their own.
"That was the fastest match with a Sannin I've ever seen!" Karin remarked, "It was nothing like the battle you had with Orochimaru in the Forest of Death. I didn't think your match with Tsunade would be nothing more than a two-minute suck fest."
"That was only because my match with Tsunade-obaachan had rules and conditions to determine the victor," Naruto explained, "Plus Tsunade-obaachan was overconfident and too sure of her own abilities. That's dangerous when going up against a ninja you don't know and never faced in combat before."
"Well that point was made clear after you beat her so effortlessly," Arashi commented.
"No! It wasn't effortless!" Naruto rebuked, "Like I said to Tsunade-obaachan earlier, I only caught her off guard for being arrogant and letting her guard down. If Tsunade-obaachan had challenged me in a straight fight without her cockiness, the results would have been a lot different and I would have had a very difficult time against her as I did against Orochimaru and ero-jisan. Tsunade-obaachan is a Sannin for a reason, just as ero-jisan and Orochimaru are Sannin for a reason. The same rule applies to Seijiro-jisan, Sandaime-jiisan and everyone else on their level. Miscalculating them at any time would lead to our deaths."
"Well spoken words Naruto," Seijiro remarked, "While you and I would never actually war against each other however, that doesn't mean we couldn't have and enjoy a challenging sparring session from time to time."
"That's true," Naruto agreed, "Though I wouldn't mind seeing what Kansui and Arashi are capable of in combat also."
Soon, Seijiro, Arashi and Kansui got into a conversation about their past encounters with enemy ninja while Jiraiya, Tsunade and Shizune got into a conversation of their own. Hinata for her part pulled Naruto to her side during their walk and started talking with him in private.
"Do you think you'll have your Senko Tanken mastered in a week?" Hinata asked with a concerned tone, "While I'm happy that you're seeking a newer training for myself and Karin however, you irreversibly put your own dreams and future on the line and if you fail, there's no going back on your word to live up to the consequences."
"I will admit that I'm just as worried also," Naruto confessed, "I'm hoping to figure out where my father went wrong with this new experimental ninjutsu and correct the problem from there before the end of the sixth day of the week time limit I have. Failure isn't an option I have."
"Please don't overstress yourself Naruto-kun," Hinata beseeched, "You and all of us here already done a lot in finally finding Tsunade-sama and you've made great progress in trying to persuade her to return to her home village."
"Arresting and forcing her to return to Konoha would have led to a great deal of pain and problems we didn't need," Naruto said, "I want her to return out of her want and desire to become part of my clan as a Senju-Uzumaki member. It's also fitting in light of the fact that both the Uzumaki clan and Senju clan have a common ancestor."
"I remember you explaining that to me sometime before the week of Chuunin Finals," Hinata recalled, "It was quite the history lesson."
"If you're to become the new Uzumaki matriarch, then it's only fitting that you know and understand the origins of my clan," Naruto said, "I'm sure that you as the Hyuuga heiress was taught the history and origins of your clan."
"I was taught many things about my clan and its traditions," Hinata said, "But in terms of my clan's origins…I'm ashamed to confess that I truly don't know it as I wasn't told about it."
"It's nothing to be ashamed of," Naruto encouraged with a wide smile, "I didn't know anything about my clan or that I even had and came from a clan until after I became a Genin. Believe me, I was worse off than you were. But all that is in the past. But after the mission is over and we return to Konoha, I'll help you learn and find out about your clan's origins."
"That would be great Naruto-kun!" Hinata happily accepted.
"But seeing how you took note of the amount of stress I'm under in perfecting my new ninjutsu," Naruto pointed out and then moved closer to Hinata's right ear and whispered, "Would you as my faithful and loyal girlfriend provide for me the best stress relief you can offer?"
"Naruto-kun!" Hinata squealed with a dark blush on her face, "I don't even know where we can go to do that seeing the size of the group with us."
"Oh, I'm sure I can come up with something…if you don't beat me to the punch like last time at the waterfalls a few nights back," Naruto teased playfully, causing Hinata to giggled and blush further. Their conversation however wasn't going unnoticed by Karin who was quietly lipreading their private and sensually charged conversation.
'You have a lively and colorful imagination Naruto-kun' Karin thought with a grin and blush on her face while lipreading everything Naruto was telling Hinata that he would love to do with her and to her. Hinata giggled and squealed before whispering to Naruto what she'd like for him to do to her. While lipreading Hinata's words, Karin thought, 'Oh Hinata, you're such a naughty heiress…seducing Naruto-kun while acting like you're a shy princess when you're anything but shy.'
Karin's lipreading session was going to fuel her wet dreams for the next few nights.
(Many Miles Away)
A large team of Kusa ninja were traveling through the trees after being given their mission for their village leader. Soon they decided to stop and camp out for the night before resuming their trek. After their campsite and campfire were set up, they set up a watchmen team to keep on the watch for intruders or attackers.
The lead Jounin was sitting by the campfire with his partner sitting next to him.
"I don't know why Karin was even allowed to leave for Konoha to participate in the Chuunin Exams in the first place if we were to be dispatched to bring her back to Kusa," the junior Jounin remarked.
"It was careless mistake," the senior Jounin replied, "It was believed that having Karin as part the Genin team would have heightened their chances of survival as long as they fed off her healing chakra. No one expected her to be claimed by some ninja in Konoha as a member of their clan without documented medical proof."
"But I heard that the Hokage of Konoha gave our village substantial momentary contributions as compensation in exchange for Karin becoming part of Konoha," the junior Jounin mentioned.
"And now those contributions are being used as a bargaining chip to have Karin returned to Kusagakure," the senior Jounin revealed, "We'll offer Naruto the contributions given to Kusa from the Hokage in exchanges for Karin being returned to us. We have to retrieve and have Karin returned to Kusa, no matter the cost."
"I don't think this Naruto fellow will be willing to cooperate considering the number of ninja dispatched with us to retrieve Karin," the junior Jounin pointed out.
"We won't reveal our whole force that was sent out with us," the senior Jounin said, "They'll be a last resort if all negotiations before that fails. Our instructions from our village leader were clear: we cannot return to Kusa without Karin!"
The junior Jounin nodded his head in understanding in how serious the mission was.
(Miles Away; Elsewhere in Hi No Kuni)
Three travelers, specifically, three sibling kunoichi, made their way through the terrain after crossing the border into Hi no Kuni. These three female siblings however weren't affiliated with any of the five great shinobi nations.
"We made good timing meeting up here," the oldest of the siblings said, "What do you both have to report?"
"There's no report of any Uzumaki being spotted Suna, Iwa or Kumo," the youngest of the three said, "However I heard that was an Uzumaki family living in Kirigakure years ago but they were murdered by Kiri ninja by the order of the Sandaime Mizukage. The only survivor was a man named Uzumaki Seijiro. He's in their bingo books as an S-class missing nin with a kill-on-sight order issued against him. Currently, I couldn't stay and investigate further through Kirigakure since there's a civil war taking place there and the last thing I needed was to get caught in the crossfire in a war that doesn't involve us. I heard from other sources that Seijiro was spotted in Haru no Kuni a few years ago, but he hasn't been seen there since."
"I see," the oldest sibling said before turning to the second sibling, "What did you find out?"
"I heard that an Uzumaki family was living in Kusagakure," the second sibling explained, "However the parents of that family died and their daughter no longer lives in Kusa."
"You know the circumstances surround their deaths?" the oldest sibling asked.
"The father died fighting off Kumo bounty hunters looking for them and the mother died from extreme chakra depletion as a result of being made to heal all of Kusa's wounded ninja squad. Their daughter Karin was forced to fill in as her mother's replacement until recently when she traveled to Konoha as a Kusa Genin to participate in the Chuunin Exams that were being hosted there. That only led to Uzumaki Naruto claiming Karin as one of his missing brethren."
"That's news to me," the oldest sibling said, "Because I also found out about another Uzumaki living in here in Hi no Kuni, this being Uzumaki Honoka. She was spotted and found by the same Uzumaki Naruto in Nami no Kuni weeks ago."
"The surviving remnant of the Uzumaki clan is gathering in Hi no Kuni," the youngest sibling remarked.
"So it appears," the oldest sibling said, "But we'll find this out when the time comes. For now, we'll rest and camp here for tonight but we'll have to continue on our journey through Hi no Kuni tomorrow morning. It's important that we find Naruto and the other surviving Uzumaki."
The other two sisters nodded their heads in agreement before setting up camp for the night.
The group found Tsunade and an interesting bet was made between Naruto and the Slug Sannin. Who'll come out the winner of that bet? Will Naruto master the Senko Tanken (Flashing Daggers) by the end of the week? Kusagakure is out to get Karin back by whatever means possible. Will they succeed? And who are the mysterious three sibling sisters and what's their interest in Naruto and the survivors of the Uzumaki clan? Find out next time.