[Konoha Year 80]
Konohagakure's streets once again were bustling like they used to, it felt like it was only yesterday that Orochimaru attacked the village, but it's already been 18 months since that incident. And an entire year since the new Hokage took her position.
The death of Hiruzen Sarutobi, their beloved Third Hokage was a heavy hit for the common folks of the village, the village was in shambles when Orochimaru attacked, not more than two years ago.
But that was far from it, only 6 months later down the line, a mysterious person attacked the village, all alone, and rumours were that he was so strong that both Lady Hokage and Jiraiya Sama needed to unite to defeat the person.
Both Jiraiya Sama and Lady Hokage were the strongest shinobi in the village and no one could stand up against them if they worked together.
Or at least that is what the common populace of the village was told. In reality, the person who really defeated the unknown intruder was long forgotten from the story to give that credit to both Tsunade and Jiraiya.
Especially Tsunade to solidify her power at that time of uncertainty. It was important. Becuase soon after that attack, something even more devastating happened.
The entire upper management of Konoha, which can be said as entirely brought up by the laid Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju, died unexpectedly.
Again the news of their death comes out late and as a natural cause rather than a successful assassination, to keep the village from engulfed into an uproar.
Since then, Konoha lost its two elders and Hokage advisers.
As for Danzo, huh…
Those born in shadow and stayed their entire life in one, don't need light even at their death.
Tsunade back then had to take the Hokage office, it was no longer even a choice, the village really needed her.
If she hadn't taken up the position then Konoha would not only be In a desperate power struggle between those strong clans but a civil war would have broken out by those same clans.
Why?
Becuase of the excellent track record her mentor and his friends, partners in crime, had left behind.
It's been a year since then, Tsunade somehow was able to solidify her position and power in this time, not to mention, avoid any wars from igniting, may it be internal or external.
After all, there are many hyenas waiting to get a piece of the village which her grandfather made after so many sacrifices.
Currently, the said Hokage was fighting for her life against paperwork in her office or at least she should be…, even after getting her work almost divided into half due to Shizune continuing being the excellent babysitter, she had some time to eat, go home, bath and if her luck allows her, if the stars a line, then gamble and get a good drink.
"Gasp…" Suddenly a gasp was heard in the said Hokage's office as soon as the gate opened, at the gate stood a beautiful short black hair woman in her early thirties, though people could easily mistook her for her early twenties.
However, that wasn't the most ridiculous thing, the real deal was the reason why the brunette gasped, becuase of what she saw on the desk in front of her.
"Lady Tsunade, what are you doing. I told you not to drink during working hours, just look at this, so much work is pending." Shizune who was holding a stack of papers in her hand, chided seeing a mountain of paper stacking on the desk, remained completely untouched while the person who was responsible for finishing them was lying on her desk, drooling while holding a sake bottle in her hand.
Though the place was an entire mess, paper shattered everywhere while the Hokage of the village was passed out, drunk.
No one other than Shizune at this time would care about it, becuase the said Hokage had one of her breasts hanging off her sleeveless shirt, in full display.
"Grrrr… Lady Tsunade…." Shizune had her eyebrows twitching seeing this, this was the reason she was the only one allowed to enter the Hokage office unallowed.
And the reason for her frustration was a bigger trap than her. While Shizune only looked a few years younger…. Tsunade on the other hand looks like she was in her twenties while being in her fifties. And of course, she behaved like she was two sometimes, only when she was in front of Shizune though.
"Sigh, I need some rest…" Shine shook her head and slammed all the paper in her hand on top of the desk.
Jolting Tsunade, waking her up, groggy and completely unkept but up nonetheless.
[Some Time Later…]
"Ahem… Shizune, did you get any news of that kid. It's already been a year…" Tsunade was too used to this now that she felt no loss of dignity and shamelessly asked, retaking the authority of the Hokage.
Shizune sighed, she really needed a break. "No Lady Tsunade, there is none."
"Tch.. that brat….just let him come back, did he even know how much the work in the Hospital has gone up just because he wanted to play vigilante." Tsunade grumbles while nursing her forehead, after-party regret of having too many drinks hitting her.
"What about Jiraiya. Any news from him ?" Tsunade asked again, now a little more serious. This becuase Jiraiya was tasked to look after the tracks of Akatsuki.
Shika left too much proof about the threat of Akatsuki for her not to look for them. Though the search wasn't getting anywhere, for a long time Jiraiya had to stay in the village until the situation in the village was calm. Only after making sure that both internal and external political scenarios are calm that he dare to leave the village. It makes sense when there is only now him and Tsunade left as truly Kage-level shinobi.
"No news from him…" Shizune shook her head.
"I see…" Tsunade sighed, now she could only hope that Shika had better luck than her.
"Hmm Lady Tsunade…." Shizune said, her tone a little nervous there.
"Huh ?" Tsunade raised her eyebrows, revealing her beautiful eyes straight to Shizune in curiosity.
"Naruto…"Shizune said and that was enough to send Tsunade's mood which was bad to worst.
This was because Naruto was borderline torturing her about Sasuke. And he was not the only one. Sakura and even Kakashi were asking about Sasuke's wares about.
But that, she can handle, it's not hard to fool Naruto and order around both Sasuke and Kakashi to stop disturbing her.
But what about Hinata, that sweet girl rarely comes to the Hokage office, but when she does, it becomes absolutely fucking hard to say no to her about revealing any info about Shika, part of the reason being that she herself had none.
There was just something which made Tsunade think twice about breaking that little girl's heart, that sad look on her face upon seeing that there was no news about that brat.
"Lucky Bastard…." Tsunade murmured under her breath. "Forget that idiot, don't waste time on him, he's gonna come back asking for Sasuke no matter what you deny, just keep trolling him…" Tsunade huffed, Shizune hearing this had a sweat drop.
'Is that something a Hokage should say…?' Shizune had no idea. What else she could do besides laugh it off awkwardly and internally apologise to Naruto.
—-
While the Hokage and her secretary/babysitter were having their usual back and forth, something unusual was taking place in the village.
In the famous Akimichi shop, the remaining Konoha 12 [13 if not for Shika] have gathered.
It was unusual due to how hard it was to get time off from their mission, especially after what happened a year ago. Getting time off together like this so that they could hold a get-together was almost impossible with the rate they were expected to complete tasks. All in the name to show the world that Konoha is still going strong.
"Awe, Shizune Neechan didn't even let me meet with Grandma Tsunade this time…" On the corner, Naruto was sulking and devouring food almost with equal intensity as Choji who was sitting opposite to him. Unknown to others, a silent declaration of war had been launched between to two foodies.
"Baka, that was the 5th time in the week, I'm even surprised that you are not demoted yet." Sakura bonks his head, making Naruto clutch his head in pain and significantly lose his ground against Choji.
"Demote? He is the only one who is still a genin, it's not that Lady Tsunade didn't but she can't…" Kiba remarked on the side, making others laugh and a tick mark formed on Naruto's head.
After this long, only poor Naruto remained as Genin, a fate which he shared in the original series with Sasuke, but not here.
Both Sasuke and Karin were promoted by Hokage to Chunin, when she declared that they were outside the village for a special mission.
While Shika was promoted to a Jonin. He certainly had the power and mind for that.
Pouting Naruto can't help but retort and went back to his food to show his anger.
"Hinata, did you also go to the Hokage office this time ?" Sakura looked beside her, a beautiful violet eye kunoichi was gracefully eating.
She was silent, beautiful and calm. Long gone was the baggy coat, she now wore a sleeveless Anbu-style shirt for Kunoichi's which extended to her creamy white legs and slits into Japanese-style clothing.
Those beautiful legs were mostly laid open for everyone to see as she sported a hot pant which showcased her long legs to everyone.
She had her ninja pouch strapped to one of her thighs while had her waist rap in again a kunoichi while warp.
"No…" Hinata simply shook her head and denied it, though both her personality with her clothes had opened up quite a lot, but still, Hinata was Hinata.
She maintained a very approachable demier around her and spoke softly unlike some hooligan woman with the punching power of a half-bald Saitama and her equally destructive and not nearly as developed, pink-haired disciple.
"I see…" Sasuke smiled and said. Both girls understood each other, and since Hinata had a chance this much this time, she started to open up with others more.
And surprisingly the one person who best understood her was Sasuke in this one year.
Both wanted to get stronger and waited for a certain someone to come back to the village.
They disregarded their noisy background and just sighed internally. The same was the fate for both of them.
"Where do you think they are right now ?" Suddenly Shikamaru who was looking as lazy as always looked at both of the girls and asked.
Something he feels that his 200+ IQ is a curse, with one glance he understood what the girls were thinking, now usually he wasn't the one to initiate a talk, especially when it came to a dragging topic with girls.
But he too was worried about his cousin. If possible, he too wanted to know where the hell his abomination of a Nara, 'AKA' Motivated Nara, cousin was.
"Both girls were taken aback, upon seeing that it was Shikamaru they understood what and why he was asking.
"I don't know, but I am sure that wherever he is, he will soon return to the village…." Both didn't speak for some time after getting the question and then finally Hinata answered with a soft smile on her face.
"Oh, you think so…" Shikamaru raised his eyebrows and asked, surprised on how confidently Hinata could say that.
"Yes." Again a very confident reply. While others have hard time understanding why Hinata is so confident.
Hinata, just recall what Shika promised her last time she met.
"Let's go to the ramen shop again when I come back from the mission. And make sure that you don't show 'Hamster Hinata' to anyone till then okay.
That my patent right…." Hinata remembered Shika saying this and smiled.
'Where are you, Shika Kun….?'
Xxx
It's a one year time skip, we are still around 6 months early from Shippuden. And Naruto didn't go on a training trip with Jiraiya as Jiraiya had to stay in the village.
[Word Count : 2000]
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