The morning after was… awkward.
While not much sleep was had for Naruto and Tsunade, they had started the day totally refreshed and ready to continue their journey to Sunagakure.
Naruto had kept Tsunade company in the shower, starting the day off on a high note. She enjoyed their breakfast, as well, the two of them eating together like a normal couple. It was refreshing.
But then there was a knock on the door, and immediately, Tsunade's anxiety kicked in. This was it, the truth. She couldn't hide from Shikamaru, she couldn't keep this secret from him any longer. Naruto had stayed with her, in her room (in her bed!), and they couldn't possibly play it off anymore.
With a deep breath, Tsunade swallowed, walking over to the door and opening it.
She refused to look anywhere but straight at the Nara before her, pulling out bravery from somewhere she had not known was there.
"Godaime-sama." Shikamaru nodded his head in a respectful manner, like always. He met her gaze evenly, his eyes lazy. Just like always.
"Shikamaru." She greeted back, allowing the shadow manipulator to enter.
So far, so good.
Shikamaru entered the room, nodding to Naruto with a lazy tilt of his head.
"Yo." He said, sitting next to her blond lover without much thought.
"Morning." Naruto said, smiling. "Hungry?" He asked, gesturing to the food on the table before them.
Shikamaru rubbed his eyes tiredly, nodding. With a single yawn, he made his plate.
As the two friends ate, as if nothing was out of place, Tsunade just stared numbly at them, confused. Was she really worried for nothing? Was it really this easy? Did Shikamaru really not care that she and Naruto were seeing each other?
Was he really not disgusted?
She couldn't understand the mind of a Nara, she wasn't even going to try, but surely he had some kind of opinion on it… right?
"Are you done eating, Tsunade?" Naruto asked, breaking the Sannin out of her tirade of thoughts.
She cleared her throat, shaking her head. "Uh, no…" she muttered, joining the two men at the table. She sat, slowly, and watched Shikamaru like a hawk.
The young Nara did or said nothing, too busy spreading butter on his toast to notice her gaze on him.
Hesitantly, Tsunade began to finish her meal, occasionally glancing at both Naruto and Shikamaru. And while they sat in silence, it wasn't the tense, awkward kind.
Actually, it was sort of the opposite. Tsunade felt… oddly comfortable.
She gave Naruto a sidelong glance, and noticed him smiling at her. Immediately, she understood what that smile meant.
She returned the smile, missing the small little smirk that developed on Shikamaru's face.
| I Think I'm Addicted to You |
Naruto's fame, it seemed, followed him everywhere.
After hours of travel, the three shinobi decided that they had made enough progress for the day. The sun was already starting to set, the orange and red streaks in the sky heralding the end of another day.
When they entered the small village proper, Naruto's fans had come running. Girls and boys alike, adults and children – everyone wanted to meet Uzumaki Naruto, the Hero of the Fourth.
"It's the Orange Hero!" A young woman's voice could be heard over the crowd.
"He's so handsome!" Another woman's voice shouted, this one slightly younger than the first.
"When I grow up, I want to be just like you!" A little boy confessed.
"Can you sign my kunai!?" Another boy shouted, this one obviously a teen.
Tsunade stood next to Shikamaru a short distance away from the crowd, watching Naruto rubbing the back of his neck in embarrassment in the middle of so many people. The poor guy wasn't used to this kind of hero worship, even after two years of receiving it.
The slug Sannin sighed, shaking her head, a smirk on her face.
"Still the same old Naruto." She said fondly. It was humbling, to know that, even with so much fame and worship, Naruto was still Naruto. His fame hadn't changed him, and it probably never would. That made Tsunade happy.
"That guy wouldn't know what to do with so many fans if they flocked to him for a hundred years." Shikamaru said, smirking as he lit the cigarette he had just placed in his mouth. He took a drag, blowing smoke into the sky.
Tsunade gave a combination of a snort and chuckle. He had just hit the nail on the head.
"But that's what makes Naruto the kind of person you can't help but trust. To follow to the gates of Hell without a second thought." The Nara continued, taking another drag.
Tsunade glanced at the young Nara Head, silent.
"He's going to be the next Hokage. The Nanadaime." Shikamaru finally turned to meet the previous Hokage's gaze. "I plan to be by his side when that happens. Can you say the same, Tsunade-sama? Or will you run away when you can no longer hide your relationship with the beloved Hero of the Fourth?"
Tsunade narrowed her eyes, though she couldn't help the spark of fear and anxiety that flashed through her.
She couldn't respond.
Shikamaru's gaze was unrelenting, unflinching, unwavering. In that moment, in that brief heartbeat, Tsunade could have sworn that she was staring into the eyes of the previous Nara Head, Nara Shikaku.
"You need to seriously think about what you're doing, Tsunade." The Senju Princess didn't miss the way Shikamaru had addressed her. "Because if you decide you can't be with him, to really be with him, then you and I…"
Shikamaru turned to face where Naruto was still being assaulted by his fans, smiling like an idiot without any worries in the world.
"… will have problems."
Tsunade's expression melted into one of stubborn anger. She huffed, turning her head to the side indignantly, crossing her arms under her chest.
"That's none of your business, Shikamaru." She spat, stubbornly.
The Nara Head took his cigarette from his mouth, tossing it onto the ground and grinding it into the dirt with his foot. Then, he sighed.
"It is now." He stated.
She looked at him, but before she could retort, she heard Naruto's voice.
"Jeez. That's still so weird." The blond chuckled, scratching the back of his head. "Guess the world finally sees just how awesome I am." The sound of his laugh defused the tension between her and the black-haired jonin.
Tsunade sighed, shaking her head in exasperation.
"Idiot." She said with a smirk. "Come on, let's get a room."
| I Think I'm Addicted to You |
That night, as she lay in her bed, Naruto's strong arms wrapped around her, Tsunade couldn't sleep.
She had been pissed when Shikamaru tried to tell her what she should or shouldn't do. Her relationship with Naruto didn't involve him in the slightest. In her mind, that meant he had no right to lecture her.
But… after the fear and anxiety had left her, and she thought on the warning he gave her, Tsunade understood that Shikamaru was right.
She had been so swept up in being with Naruto that she hadn't thought about what it meant to be with Naruto.
The Uzumaki was famous, known all throughout the Elemental Nations. The whole bloody continent was in love with him. He had saved all of humanity, and helped unite the shinobi world. He ushered in peace to a war-torn world.
Not only that, but he was being groomed to become the next Hokage of Konoha. He was to lead an entire village. There was no way Uzumaki Naruto could fade into obscurity. He belonged to the public, to the people. And no matter how selfish she wanted to be, she couldn't keep him all to herself.
That left two plausible options.
The first involved her doing something she really, really didn't want to do. Leave Naruto. The mere idea of not waking up in his arms made her heart ache. His face, when she told him that they could no longer be together, after everything they had already done, made her want to punch something. Hard.
It was a betrayal, to her as much as to Naruto.
The second option was staying by his side, even if that meant telling the whole world that they were together. It made her stomach flip. How would everyone react? How would they take the large age gap between her and her, surprisingly, passionate lover?
And most importantly, how would they treat Naruto, once everyone knew?
There was just too much to possibly pick either option yet. While the former made her sick to her stomach to think about, the latter made her mouth dry and her body shake.
She didn't know what to do.
"Tsunade…" Naruto muttered in his sleep, sighing in such content it actually managed to calm her down.
She felt his arms tighten around her, bringing her closer to his body.
Tsunade exhaled, taking in the warmth of the man she loved. She allowed herself to melt in his embrace, snuggling into him as best she could, and began to drift asleep.
Whatever happened in the future was a problem for future Tsunade.
Right now, she just wanted to enjoy his touch.
| I Think I'm Addicted to You |
Shikamaru didn't bring up the topic of her future with Naruto after the one time, something Tsunade was extremely grateful for.
She honestly didn't know what she was doing, or what she was going to do. She wished that she and Naruto could just run away to a place no one knew them. That way, they could be together without the dread of persecution.
She hated the fact that what other people thought made her so nervous, but it was frankly terrifying. What would Shizune say? What would Sakura say?
She didn't even want to think about Hinata…
The Hyuuga girl had loved Naruto a lot longer than Tsunade herself had, though they had both hidden it for just as long.
Deciding that she wasn't going to be able to come up with an answer while on the trip, Tsunade simply put the topic to the back of her mind, foregoing it for happier thoughts.
Such as her blond lover's tendency to get hit on by cute young girls.
…
Wait…
"You really are as handsome as they say." A girl about the same age as Naruto was saying, far too close for Tsunade's tastes.
She had left the idiot outside for only a second, paying for the two rooms they were going to use for the night. After another day of traveling, they had decided to stop, coming to a village that was throwing some kind of celebration.
When she left the comfy inn, ready for a night of festivals with her fellow blond, she saw a brown-haired woman smiling and giggling with her man.
"Is it true that you defeated a God?" She asked, sneakily moving closer to him.
"I'm not really supposed to talk about it." Naruto replied with a surprising amount of steel in his voice.
The girl squealed, putting an arm around him.
"You totally did, didn't you!?" She shouted, stars in her eyes.
Enough was enough.
Tsunade cleared her throat, walking closer to them. "Naruto, where is Shikamaru?" She asked, her tone feigning innocence.
"Tsunade!" Naruto suddenly shouted, immediately stepping closer to the Godaime Hokage, smiling. "Shikamaru? I don't know. Are you ready?"
Tsunade blinked, confused. "Um, yes." She said, allowing him to take her arm.
"Ah!" The girl shouted, stalking closer to them. "You're Tsunade-hime, aren't you? The Lady Fifth Hokage!" Her face came too close to Tsunade's. "You're so pretty!"
Tsunade gave a half-hearted smile. "Thanks…"
She felt Naruto begin to drag her away from the girl, but the brunette didn't falter, following.
"Are you two attending the festivities?" She asked, before looking shocked. "Oh, forgive me! My name's Rin. Tachibana Rin."
"Nice to meet you, Tachibana-san." Tsunade replied respectfully.
"Likewise." Her smile seemed too forced. "I could show you two around, if you want."
Before she could respond, Naruto beat her to it.
"Thanks, but no thanks." The look in his eyes was harder than what she thought was necessarily polite, his tone a bit too cold. "We'll be fine on our own."
The young woman, Rin, as she introduced herself, gave Naruto a look that Tsunade didn't like at all. It seemed… seductive.
"Oh?" Rin began. "But I'm sure I could show you such a good time." Tsunade didn't like the tone of her voice either. It was silky and nearly a purr.
The Sannin was still confused, but she wasn't stupid. She could put two and two together and get four.
Again, Tsunade opened her mouth to say something, but Naruto started first.
"Really." He said, stopping. He looked into the woman's eyes, and Tsunade saw her lover's azure orbs become slits. "We're fine. So if you'd please leave us alone…"
Rin just stared at him for a moment, her expression blank. Then, without preamble, the young woman smiled brightly.
"Of course. Sorry if I bothered you." She bowed slightly. "I hope you enjoy the festival." Her smile was so fake it almost made Tsunade balk.
Nevertheless, Tachibana Rin turned and left them alone in the bustling street. Tsunade saw how Naruto glared at her for a moment, before turning to her and smiling apologetically.
"Sorry about that." He chuckled. "Some people, right?"
Tsunade just nodded, staring up at him – he really had gotten tall – with a curious expression. While the girl had been obviously flirting with him, she hadn't done anything to gain the amount of irritation Naruto was showing her.
Had something happened while she was in the inn?
"So, what would you like to do first?" He asked her, his previous sour mood all but forgotten.
She decided to ignore the pit in her stomach and returned his smile. They spent the rest of the night exploring the festival, Naruto winning her a bracelet with the symbol of the Land of Fire on it at one of the stalls.
And while she did enjoy herself, she couldn't help but wonder what had made Naruto so upset with a stranger who seemed only slightly too interested in him.
| I Think I'm Addicted to You |
"You're early." Gaara, the Godaime Kazekage of Sunagakure no Sato stated, his expression betraying nothing as he stared at his three guests.
"We take great pride in our response time, Kazekage-sama." Uzumaki Naruto, the Hero of the Fourth, stated, his expression just as blank as the red-headed Kage before him.
There was a silence in the Kazekage's office for a few seconds, Gaara of the Desert staring at the three Konoha-nin that had entered his office only minutes prior. Then, the previous Jinchuuriki of the Ichibi smiled.
"It's good to see you, my friend." Gaara said, standing.
"It's been too long, dattebayo!" Naruto replied as he moved closer to the youngest Kage in history. Once they were close enough, Naruto hugged the Kazekage. "How's everything going in the west?"
Gaara's face showed just how happy he was to see his old friend. Naruto had saved the Kazekage from not only himself, but from a life of misery and blood. The Orange Hero opened his eyes to the potential he possessed, and how beautiful this ugly world could truly be. Gaara owed Uzumaki Naruto more than he could possibly ever repay.
"Kaze no Kuni is more prosperous than it ever has been, thanks to the alliance. Our economy has never been so stable before." Gaara explained, taking his seat once again. "Sunagakure in particular owes a lot of our stability and advancements to you and Konoha." He smiled, glancing at the Godaime. "And with your help, Tsunade-dono, we'll be eternally in debt." His words weren't said with any disdain whatsoever.
Both Tsunade and Naruto chuckled, with the latter responding. "Don't mention it, man. That's what the alliance was created for. We're no longer a divided nation. We're united. A Shinobi Union."
Gaara smiled, nodding, before turning his attention to the Nara present. "Shikamaru-san, my sister is waiting for you at the academy. She wanted me to let you know to meet her there." The Kazekage developed a subtle smirk. "I wouldn't keep her waiting long."
Both Tsunade and Shikamaru caught the undertone of the red-heads statement, though Naruto seemed just as clueless as ever. He was an idiot, but he was Tsunade's idiot.
Shikamaru sighed. "Are all blondes so troublesome?" He rubbed the back of his neck, trying to express annoyance. Though he couldn't hide the eagerness in his eyes from the Kazekage.
When the Nara stalked off, leaving the office, Gaara continued. "So, how long do we have the pleasure of hosting the great Tsunade of the Sannin and the Hero of the Fourth War?" He asked, his voice holding obvious fond amusement.
"We can only stay ten days." Tsunade replied. "We're visiting the other major villages as well, and can't afford to stay in any one for too long."
Gaara nodded, completely understanding. He couldn't keep them all to himself.
"Alright then. Tsunade-dono, the hospital is expecting you. The medic-nin have been gathering since they got the news that you were coming." He chuckled softly. "They're very eager to meet you."
Tsunade smiled. "And I them." She admitted, always enjoying spreading the knowledge to heal. There was enough death and despair in the world. And, hopefully, her medical techniques could help change that.
Gaara's eyes fell on his brother through pain. "I have a few things to attend to here, but I was wondering if you'd join me for dinner, Naruto?" Gaara asked. "We have much catching up to do."
"Of course." Naruto said right away, his giant smile betraying his eagerness. And then it seemed as if something dawned on him. "Uh, would it be okay if Tsunade joined us?"
Tsunade's eyes had been on Naruto, so when he asked the question, she had to snap them onto the Kazekage with the kind of speed only a shinobi could manage.
And unfortunately, it seemed that Gaara had noticed.
The former Jinchuuriki was silent for a moment, as if contemplating something for a single second, before it was gone.
"Of course. I would be honored." Gaara finally said, standing once more and holding his hand out for Naruto.
Seeing the offered appendage, Naruto took the leader of the Hidden Sand's hand and shook it.
"Until this evening, then." Gaara said, still smiling.
"Can't wait." Naruto said, mirroring his smile.
"Tsunade-dono." Gaara bowed his head slightly, showing the previous Hokage the respect she still deserved. Retired or not, she still held the rank of Fire Shadow. A true master shinobi.
Tsunade returned the bow easily. Gaara had earned the respect of just about everyone. So young, and yet so wise.
With that said and done, Naruto and Tsunade left the Kazekage's office, heading back to where they would be staying for the remainder of the trip to await for when Gaara called for them to have dinner.
| I Think I'm Addicted to You |
Dinner had been rather pleasant actually. Naruto was his usual self, going on and on about the most random things. And all the while, both Tsunade and Gaara simply sat back and enjoyed his positivity with a subtle smile.
Uzumaki Naruto could warm the soul. It was one of the reasons she loved him so much.
Gaara discussed simple things as well. How the academy was coming along under Temari's guidance. How they were receiving more missions from the Wind Daimyo than ever, the man and his court having faith in the "greatest Kazekage in history."
And in the young, red-headed man's opinion, it was all because of Naruto. Both Gaara and all of Kaze no Kuni viewed her lovable idiot as a true hero.
Afterwards, they had parted ways with the Kazekage, with Naruto promising to have dinner again the next day. Tsunade had been worried that Gaara would figure out that they were in a relationship like Shikamaru had. After all, while not as intelligent as the now Nara Head, Gaara was certainly as insightful as him. Especially when it concerned his closest friend.
But he hadn't, or, at least Tsunade thought he hadn't. He didn't say anything on the matter, so she took that as a good thing. She couldn't stand how she was so worried about something so trivial, but she couldn't help it.
She didn't want to mess up what she had with Naruto. She didn't want to lose him. Ever.
When they returned to the rooms provided for them by Gaara (three rooms, all on the same floor), Naruto never made it to his own. Instead, he spent the night with the woman he loved.
| I Think I'm Addicted to You |
Naruto was a determined person. He always had been. It's what Tsunade loved and hated equally about him.
On one hand, when he gave you his word, it was as good as done. He never went back on it. That was his ninja way, his whole existence revolved around it. It was admirable.
On the other, his determination could, and oftentimes did, get him hurt. His promise to Sakura to bring back Sasuke the prime example. He'd kill himself before he went back on his promises. It was infuriating.
Ever since she became Naruto's lover, however, she couldn't thank kami enough how determined he was to be good at everything he did. Of course, he wasn't a prodigy at everything. But Naruto was, probably unconsciously, a perfectionist. He wanted to be the best.
At. Everything. He. Did.
And since they started seeing each other, he usually did her.
At first, Naruto was very inexperienced in that department. His hands roamed and groped flesh wildly, as if every time they made love would be the last. That was normal for first and second-timers, though.
But with practice (lots and lots of practice), he improved with leaps and bounds.
He now knew all of her sensitive spots, each and every one of them. He knew exactly where she wanted it, and how much she wanted. In the beginning, he didn't know how to please a woman, how to please her. Much of his efforts were to experience the newfound sensations on his own. It wasn't his fault, though. Sex was a new world to him. She expected it.
But now…
Now that he knew what he was doing, Tsunade couldn't get enough of her very thorough and dedicated idiot.
Naruto was a pleaser by nature. He desired attention more than anything, craved it like he was starving for it. A large part of that was the fault of Konoha's villagers. The very same villagers that now worshiped the ground he walked on.
And now Tsunade was a terrible person, she didn't doubt it at all. Because when he was loving her the way he was like right now, she couldn't help but thank them.
She could feel his warmth. His flesh against hers. He was sweaty, but so was she. It was part of the course. A very fun course.
Tsunade moaned into his mouth as he continued to move his hips, thrusting with all his might. And god was he strong. If it was anyone else, Tsunade thought they he might actually injure them. But not her.
She hadn't been more happy that she was the greatest medic-nin since her grandfather ever before than now.
They had been going at it all night. Hours spent losing themselves in each other. The world faded away. Nothing else existed. Just two people, in love and lost in waves of pleasure and happiness.
Two kindred spirits, connected in every way currently possible. Lovers in a desert paradise.
When they reached climax, Tsunade couldn't help but laugh at her lover's words as he immediately, without pause (a very impressive accomplishment), started over once again. The idiot had unlimited stamina.
"I think I'm addicted to you."