Chapter 2
October 11, Year 60 of the Hidden Villages, 05:09 AM
Sun and the sunrise symbolized birth, rebirth, and awakening. But what good was awakening for; when that signified the end of any denial that might have existed in everyone's minds? What good was the birth of a new day for; when that stripped away any pretense of that everything that had occurred in the last hours had been no more than a nightmare?
Those were some of the thoughts of the people from Konoha while they looked the dawn sun timidly peeking through the landscape. The sunrays mercilessly showed the destruction that had befallen upon their home village. The debris of the constructions, the shambled houses, but especially, the seemingly countless trails of dead bodies lying everywhere. Everywhere...
Hysterical sobbing and cries could still be heard, but in most, the muted desolation that precedes a disgrace had took place.
The Hokage's balcony finally opened, after hours of sepulchral silence, and people's heads snapped up to see. Not all of them, as many were still busy tending to their loved ones, alive and dead ones alike, but the aura of anticipation emitted by all of them was impossible to ignore.
All of them were hoping for something almost magical that would make their shambled little worlds whole again.
They got what they were hoping for and at the same time didn't. They got confused when they saw the aged figure of the Sandaime Hokage, instead of the dashing yellow-haired figure of the Yondaime, and their spirits plummeted upon hearing about the death of the latter. Yet a calm and inspiring speech about the Will of Fire managed to quelch, -even if only a little-, the impotent fury of many.
Words weren't going to revive their dead or help restore their homes. But that encouragement and those platitudes managed to lightly soothe their battered selves, and it was all they had anyways. Because as horrible as their tragedy had been, they had no one to whom direct their wrath, as the entire thing rested on Fate's shoulders... and the monster that had attacked them was dead.
Or so most thought. Because even if the majority around were entralled by the Sandaime's tales about how the Nine-Tails had been heroically slayed down by Namikaze Minato, the Clan Heads and higher-ranked Shinobis present knew the truth: bijuus were inmortal, the sole way to defeat was sealing them; and no inanimate object was capable of keeping something as powerful as the Kyuubi at bay.
There was a new Jinchuuriki in Konoha.
A week later
Yellow eyes, its brightness almost making them fluorescent in appearance, stared at the rest of the occupants within the Hokage office with a mix of smugness and mocking derision. Many actually found uncomfortable to be under the scope of that sly serpentine gaze, but they made sure to hide it exceedingly well.
Thankfully, Sarutobi Hiruzen's tired voice took their attention off those unnerving eyes, compelling them to rather focus in the meeting he was about to preside.
"Before we begin I would like to say that unfortunately, for this occasion we will not have the beloved presence of our esteemed Daimyo-sama. According to a message sent to us a few hours ago, he has fallen ill and will not be able to be with us today. We wish him a speedy recovery. "
The former Hokage slowly sat down. "Besides, this is also a unique occasion, since we have the presence of all the Clans of Konoha." A long round of ablaze applause broke out at that announcement.
However, none of those applause came from Konoha Council. Never before had the Clans of Konoha been present for the Hokage's election... and not unexpectedly, at first the Council regarded the idea as a carking, unnecessary inconvenience. Was their joint wisdom and Daimyo-sama's no longer enough choose a new Hokage now? But Nara Shikaku, the revered Jōnin Commander of Konohagakure, had convinced them that, after so much misfortune; extending an invitation to the leaders of each Clan was a show of benevolence that would probably serve to lift their spirits a little bit.
Although Hiruzen shared the initial opinion of the Council to an extent, he found no real reason to refuse either, especially since Shikaku convinced him that the Clans heads would be there only as spectators
"Now, without further ado, I'll allow myself to get to the point of this meeting. Orochimaru," Hiruzen said regarding his yellow-eyed student. "I think you already are aware of the reason why we've summoned you here."
"Yes. Since your favored knight isn't longer around, it falls to the failed runner-up to be feed with the leftovers?"
As biting as the words sounded, there was no real resentment on them. Hiruzen still shoot him an admonishing look though, he didn't appreciate the cheekiness.
"Of course not. The fact Minato was chosen to be Hokage doesn't mean you weren't an excellent candidate for the title too."
That wasn't really true, and Hiruzen knew that Orochimaru knew that too, but even hollow flattery was better than no flattery at all for this type of situations.
"We summoned you here because we need a new Hokage, and we want you to be that Hokage. There's no one in this village more qualified and capable than you to take the seat..."
After a long sigh, Hiruzen fixed his student with a pointed look. "So tell us... what's your answer?"
Orochimaru's fake smile changed into a sincere smirk.
"Not interested."
The Sannin's blunt declaration took everyone by surprise. But no one was more angered than the Council.
"What are you saying boy?" a ragged female voice demanded. Fat and bowed she might be now, but Utatane Koharu hadn't lost the generalship of her younger years. Too bad it took a lot more than that to impress a man like Orochimaru.
"Exactly what I said, I'm not longer interested in the Hokage title." The wicked mischief directed to Hiruzen disappeared from Orochimaru's face, leaving only polite apathy.
"Do you have any idea of the honor we are offering to you?" Mitokado Homura rhetorically asked with certain testiness.
Orochimaru looked quite unimpressed at the pointless question. It was evident his opinion about the two Elders wasn't high, and he didn't even seem interested on hiding it.
"I do," was the dry reply.
The two elders bristled at the Sannin's obvious indifference towards them. On the other hand, neither Shimura Danzo nor Sarutobi Hiruzen seemed too impressed with the situation unfolding in front of them. Both even had near identical unflappable expressions.
"I thought you wanted to be Hokage." Hiruzen evenly inquired, smoothly taking control of the conversation.
"I thought so as well, but I've changed my mind since then. I've found other endeavors more rewarding and challenging, intelectually speaking...Quite time-demanding too, so I am afraid I have to decline the proposition. Being at charge of this village is far from being my priority now"
Hiruzen's brown eyes narrowed almost imperceptibly, even adquiring a sharp quality, but the only thing that came out of his mouth was-
"You have no idea of how sorry I am to hear that. I really hoped you could be the Godaime. But if that's truly your heart's desire; I suppose there's nothing we can do about it except to wish you luck in your endeavors."
Orochimaru's smirk returned. He felt satisfied with himself. Sarutobi Hiruzen didn't look different from his usual understanding and paternal self, respectfully taking his decision in stride. But the golden-eyed Sannin knew his mentor, he knew that deep down he was angry at his "favorite" student for having the gall to reject the Hokage position, putting his own personal affairs first, without even considering the fate of his precious village.
But a fake cough made everyone's attention turn from the Sannin to Shikaku Nara, the revered Jōnin Commander of Konohagakure. The shinobi with the scarred face had remained silent until then, content with quietly watching while tucked within the comfy shadows of his beckon.
"May I have a word?"
Hiruzen nodded.
"Since Orochimaru-sama here, who was the first option, has declined the position of Hokage-"
And oh boy, Shikaku sure did sound mighty relieved about that, but trying his hardest to hide it. It wasn't an atypical sentiment though. Being the third part of a legend, the Sannin was an awe-inspiring figure that commanded respect, but that still didn't get to override the fear and wariness most felt in regards to his persona.
Hiruzen stole a glance towards Orochimaru, to see if his student was offended. But Orochimaru didn't seem like it. In fact he looked downright bemused by Shikaku's feeble attempts to not offend him.
"-I think that the best option is for you to rekindle yourself with the Hokage seat, Sandaime-sama." the Nara Clan head completed with a small smile.
Danzo scoffed at Shikaku's words. Loudly.
"Danzo... there's something you want to add?" Hiruzen inquired. His tone was inviting but his eyes were serious. Cautious too. Danzo had remained strangely quiet during the meeting, and that certainly hadn't gone unnoticed by Hiruzen. What was he up to?
The bandaged Elder stared at Sarutobi dead in the eye.
"It just amazes me how anyone can be daft enough to still believe on you, to think that you have what it takes to rise Konoha from its ashes."
Shikaku frowned, deeply offended by the warhawk's insidious words. But he decided not to respond.
"This entire disaster lies in your shoulders Hiruzen. Your soft approach regarding the Jinchuriki was what it led this disgrace to us!" Danzo spat with anger.
Shikaku might had no idea what Danzo was talking about... but he knew he had to do something. Say something. He looked at the other two Elders. He didn't trust them. He had been in enough meetings with the Council to know that those two agreed with Danzo more often than not. And he was afraid that, if things keep going like that, Danzo would somehow manage to weasel his way to the Hokage seat.
"This entire disaster...is no one's fault...We had no way to foreseen this tragedy." Shikaku retorted. Softly but firmly.
Danzo didn't even seem to have heard him. His entire focus was still only in the former Hokage. But Shikaku wasn't done.
The Jounin Commander steeled his tone a bit more. "And even if it was...what the village now needs it's familiarity. "
That finally got Danzo's attention. And Hiruzen's.
"I think I speak for all the present here, when I say that right now no one wants to be lead by an unknown entity. What we need now it's someone who we already known, someone reliable, someone we trust wholeheartedly... And I personally can't think of someone else who fits better that description than you, Hokage-sama."
At the end of Shikaku's unusually impassionate speech, Homura was nodding, and Koharu was hearing attently. Danzo remained stiff and mute, with an indecipherable expression. The Clan Heads were showing clear signs of agreement. But Hiruzen was feeling in conflict, even if his face showed only calmness.
Danzo bluster all he want 'till he was blue in the face, but the simple fact is that there was no way he would ever get to be Hokage as long as Hiruzen remained available as an option too. That was not a problem. Now, the real question was: did Hiruzen even want to be Hokage for the second time?
Hiruzen, of course, knew the answer to that. He didn't want to, obviously. But Shikaku was right. With Orochimaru out, what other options were out there? There was still Jiraiya, of course; but he had expressed his animosity to ever be the one to pick up the Hokage hat enough times for Hiruzen to get the hint. And who knows where his other student was...?
And it was that made Hiruzen stand up, tall and proud. Any hesitation inside his mind was ignored, because he had a duty to his village first. And what was he, but a man of duty?
"Since there's no other option at sight... I accept your suggestion. It would be my honor to be your Hokage again." he announced firmly.
Koharu and Homura expressed their approval with small smiles of satisfaction. Danzo was still tight-lipped and unreadable, but he nodded, showing not his approval, but rather his forced acceptance. He knew he had lost...and for the moment the only thing he could do was accept it.
Multiple hands shot out to the air, creating a new round of applauds. Between all those clapping hands were Orochimaru's as well, whose pale face stands out among all the others. His sharp smirk was still on place.
"Congratulations Sensei."
Hiruzen honestly couldn't tell if those congratulations were genuine or not.
After the obligatory congratulations were over, and in an attempt of civility, Hiruzen tried to end the Hokage nomination meeting with a banquet. That's what it had been done after Minato's nomination too, although in this occasion no member from the Council would be present. Homura liked to leave their late meetings as early as possible, hoping to see their infant grandchildren before bedtime. Koharu scurried away quite quickly too, arguing tiredness.
Unsurprisingly enough, Danzo was the first one to leave.
Hiruzen let him go. The man known as the God of Shinobi knew Danzo friend must've been burning at the fact the Hokage hat was once again out of reach. However, he wasn't particulary concerned about it. As far as he was concerned, his old friend just need time to lick his wounds.
As it turns out Orochimaru was also in a hurry to leave.
"Another time will be Sensei."
And then, much to Hiruzen's surprise, Orochimaru turned to Shikaku, getting very close to him,-despite being fully aware of how uncomfortable the other man was around him-, and whispered something in the scarred shinobi's ear. And if Hiruzen's ears didn't deceive him, he could swear he caught something that sounded like "Good luck with him."
Hiruzen raised his brows at the sight. Shikaku caught his openly curious look with a look of his own that exuded apprenhension. As if reading his thoughts, the Snake Summoner insincerely excused himself and, with a fluid gyre on his feet, briskly left the room, swallowing a mirthful chuckle.
"Shikaku," he pursed his lips. "What was that about?"
Shikaku didn't look at him. "It was abou- about, well, um...about something I have to talk with you Hokage-sama."
Since when Shikaku stumbled upon his own words? The man was lackadaisical, not fearful.
"In fact, we all have something to talk about you. That's why they are here today too."
"We?"
And then it hit him.
Hiruzen stared at the people around him, -the Clan Heads- , who stared back at him. Shikaku had been the one who suggested to invite the Clan Heads to the meeting as an act of goodwill, but given what Shikaku had just said... seems rather like they convinced Shikaku to give them access to the Hokage election, under any excuse.
And now that he remembered...it was Shikaku too who suggested that the meeting to be held at such a late hour, even though he must had known beforehand that Homura and Koharu didn't like late meetings. Danzo wasn't like that, but he wasn't the type to linger either. That didn't seem like a coincidence.
They didn't approach him for whatever they wanted while the Council members were still present, and that probably was no coincidence either. If it wasn't for Orochimaru indirectly uncovering their little ruse earlier, they probably would've waited until the feast was served, when the booze they themselves brought would've made his tongue looser.
They all had...tricked him. He was impressed despite himself.
Pushing aside his annoyance, Hiruzen put his best grandfatherly smile "Well, if you people wanted to talk to me, you just had to say so. No need to ambush me," the man said with a chuckle.
In spite of Hiruzen's attempt to lighten the mood, most still were serious, with the exception of a few forced chuckles to dissimulate. That told him that whatever they were here for, it was a very serious thing.
"Well, let's hear what you have to say." Hiruzen invited them.
He expected Shikaku to be the one to talk for them, to act as their spokerman, as he had always done. But it was Hyuuga Hiashi, -the Hyuuga Clan leader-, who took to take the iniciative, taking a firm step forward.
"First of all, Hokage-sama, I would like to tell you how glad I am to see how willing you are to listen to our concerns, even when you don't have to..." The Hyuuga Patriach proclaimed, his body bended in a deep kneel.
"But, it's not so much we want to talk you about something, but rather we want to ask you about it." the Hyuuga said with an unhappy turn in his mouth.
Hiruzen raised a brow. He already had a hunch to where this was going... But he wanted confirmation of it.
"Now, what we really wanted to talk to you was about the attack of the Nine Tails." the Hyuuga Clan Head went silent, letting the gravity of what he had just said settle on him. After a pause the man sighed and uncrossed his arms, looking at Hiruzen with those pearly eyes.
"More specifically, we need to know the name of the person in whom the Kyuubi was sealed."
So that was it. It honestly didn't surprise Hiruzen his hunch had been right after all. It wasn't that unexpected.
Actually, he was just surprised by the fact this didn't happen sooner.
Hazel eyes, -bloodshot from alcohol and sleeplessness-, opened with sluggishness only to rapidly close again. The sheer brightness of the sun was hurting them.
"Tsunade-sama! Tsunade-sama!" Shizune called from outside.
Groaning, Tsunade sat up in the bed, rubbing her eyes with discomfort. She looked at the watch still tied around her wrist. It was already past noon, which explained why the temperature in the cheap, tiny room she was currently renting felt so high, so hot, almost to the point of suffocation.
"Lady Tsunade, are you awake?" Shizune asked from the other side of the bedroom door, urgency painting her gentle voice.
"Yeah," Tsunade replied miffedly.
"Can I come in then?"
"Yeah..."
Shizune entered the room headlong, panting as if she had ran a marathon, only to freeze when she looked her way, staying as still as a statue. Her eyes widened and her face went beet red. Tsunade rolled her eyes.
"Don't mind him," she countered waving at the person peacefully snoring next to her, the other occupant of the bed: a young brunette with tanned skin, rugged features, and a robust body covered by flimsy velvet sheets.
He's not bad looking, but Tsunade can't even remember his name.
Shizune nodded frantically, red cheeks notwithstanding.
Dizzy and nauseous still because of her hangover, the blonde woman let the dark-haired girl pick up her clothes from the floor and help her get dressed, while listening to her prattle on and on about the destruction of Konogakure, mountain-sized chakra foxes, and so on.
"So Konoha was attacked," Tsunade summarized up once she finished putting on her shoes. "But Sensei survived?"
She felt so relieved to hear that, even if she really didn't want to feel that way. She shouldn't feel that way. It's not like she hadn't forgotten all the grief her dearest Sensei had put her through.
Shizune nodded. "Yes, and seemingly he has go back to be the Hokage"
Tsunade furrowed her brow. "Really? What happened with the Yondaime?"
The hazel-eyed medic obviously hadn't been there for when her Sensei stepped down and a new Hokage had took possession, but with only the vague descriptions she'd overheard during some of her travels she recognized the latter as Jiraiya's student. Right now his name escaped her; but she still remembered a pretty boy trailing after Jiraiya and marveling those around him with his prodigious mind.
"Seems like the poor man died." Shizune answered innocently. "His wife too."
Of course he died, Tsunade thought grimly. And unless her maths were wrong, for now Jiraiya's pupil couldn't have been older than twenty-five. And he still died, apparently not even his genius protected him from an early grave.
Her chest grown cold at knowing the Yondaime's wife had died as well. Even if her memories about Jiraiya' student were spotty at best, the image of that boy's childhood sweetheart remained perfectly clear in her mind: Kushina Uzumaki, the rowdy tomboy-turned-stunning beauty. How not to do it, when that girl was one of her last blood ties?
The Slug Princess started to recall the young Uzumaki's blithe smile, her long crimson hair, -so alike Tsunade's own grandmother-, but specially, the lovestruck expression in her pretty purple eyes whenever those sailed towards certain blonde boy.
Was there any chance they broke up? Tsunade hoped that was the case, that she and the Yondaime's wife weren't the same person. The idea of losing another relative, even a distant one, made wider the voidness within her.
"Pack up your things Shizune. We're leaving now." The blonde woman barked loudly, eager to distract herself from the painful thoughts.
"To where are we going my lady?" Shizune asked with shiny eyes.
"Dunno. To get a coffee first maybe. I need one for this damn headache. Then to Moon Country. I heard there are some great casinos there." The blonde spared a brief glance to the still sleeping man on her bed before shrugging. The hotel bill was on him.
"All right."
But Shizune's easy agreement was only from tooth to lip. She tried to act normal, busying herself with some suitcases, but Tsunade could see the sadness hidden behind that calm demeanor. It wasn't the first time that happened; Shizune coming with news about Konoha and Tsunade listening mindfully before going on her business as usual, dashing away the young girl's hopes.
Even if Shizune had never expressed openly, her constant homesickness was no secret to Tsunade.
Once out of the hotel with bags in hands, Tsunade grasped her charge's thin shoulder with a solid grip, forcing her to look at her. The girl winced at it but held her Master's gaze unflinchingly.
"Shizune, I know how kind you can be. If you want to go to Konoha and help, do it, I won't stop you." the blonde expressed clearly, letting Shizune know that she wasn't obligated to stay with her, that she understood her feelings too. The girl blushed at knowing her inner thoughts had been discovered, but a small smile adorned her face at knowing she wasn't disappointing Tsunade by wishing to go to Konoha.
Tsunade saw that smile and realized with some regret that her own next words were about to erase it. But they needed to be said. Her decision had already been taken a long time ago, and she wasn't one to be swayed.
"But don't expect me to go back too. I'm never coming back to that place."
The disappointment was palpable in the air.
It wasn't an obvious thing, at first. The honest reverence with which they all had always talked to him was still present. But now Hiruzen could see, in the eyes of many of his best shinobis, how worried and hurt they truly are, and how much they wanted to scream for what they perceived as an utter injustice from his part.
Several days had passed, but seemed like they took his refusal to tell them the identity of the Jinchuuriki harder than he expected.
It was funny, really. Because people had always known there was a Jinchuuriki in Konoha, they just hadn't known who. As shinobis, they understood the importance of secrets, and despite knowing the truth; the idea of an all-powerful monster made of chakra that none of them had seen had been deemed as abstract for most of them. Whimsical even.
Obviously that wasn't the case anymore, not after having witnessing first-hand of what exactly the Kyuubi was capable of.
But he wasn't going to meet their demands. So he told them, in no uncertain terms, that the Jinchuuriki's identity was going to be keep as a secret, the same way as it had always been done.
They protested, of course, rather vociferously, all of them expressing their distaste at his refusal in different ways.
"What?! No way!"
Think in the people Hokage-sama!"
"We can't live with a monster between us!"
But Hiruzen just pointedly ignored them. And at the end, when they recognized that their leader would not change his mind, little by little the shinobis started to retire, all of them morosely muttering under their breaths, but unwilling to keep insisting. But the hurt was there, healing at a snail's pace.
Eager to get away from those sad looks, nowadays Hiruzen tended to go to home early, only to be greeted by the sight that had greeted him all the days after the night the Nine-Tails attacked his beloved village: Minato's child sleeping in a crib in the living room, with his maid never too far from her.
The woman greeted him warmly and started to prepare him a cup of oolong tea in the kitchen, leaving him to watch over the baby, who had just woke up from her nap.
Her eyes opened, revealing a pair of clear blue orbs, so much like her father's, although such coloring could probably change with age. She scrunched her face as if wanting to cry, but instead she just fell asleep again, albeit frowning as she did so. She was so innocent, having no idea the problem her existence was causing.
"You look guilty," a voice behind him stated. "Or better said, you look as if you feel guilty."
Hiruzen stayed quiet.
"Well, do you? Because you really shouldn't. You only did what was right."
That was precisely the problem. He didn't know if he had actually done the right call.
"You know that you couldn't tell them. Some things are safer if they are kept in secret. Telling them would only serve to fed their fears."
True as well. Fear can push a person to its limits, making them the worst acts. But perhaps there were other options...
"There's no other options. She's a Jinchuuriki."
"She was a Jinchuuriki, so we can't give her to any of the Clans, it would only cause imbalance of power. And the least people knowing about her condition, the better." That was Danzo had said, only hours after her birth, He and the Council had been the first to know about her existence. And he had been right. To give the Jinchuuriki to a single clan would be to give them too much power. All the previous Jinchuurikis had been outsiders related to the Hokage's line only. Under different circumstances, Minato's child being the newest Jinchuuriki would've been the ideal scenario... If only the man had lived...
"This is not your fault." This time the voice sounded almost pleading.
"I know." he said, finally answering and looking in direction to it.
Biwako was frowning at him, her brown hair pulled on a severe bun, giving him a fierce look with his hawk-like eyes, the look she always gave to him wherever he was being stupid. But the image only lasted a few seconds before it vanished, as brisk and brief as the wind.
Many would be scared of allucinating with their loved ones. But not Hiruzen. It's far from the first time he has ever daydreamed of his wife. In the moments when he feels lost or sad, the image of her appears, consoling him. The allucinations are mere figments of his imagination and thus they are only telling him what he wants to hear, but that doesn't matter. The fact those words come from Biwako's lips, or at least it seems to be that way, is comforting enough. She is her source of comfort, always has been.
And even in death, that hasn't changed.
"Hokage-sama, are you all right?" his maid asked shyly. She had just got back from the kitchen, only to find her employer fixatedly looking at some point in the nowhere.
"I'm fine."
The white fabric of the robe looked papery and near translucent when the light hit it, although the kimono that should be worn underneath it looked as vibrantly red as ever. But the whole getup didn't fit nowhere near as tight and tailored on his thin body as it once did.
With some absentmindness, Hiruzen patted his clothes. It took some time, but finally, after days of incessant searching, he'd found the outfit he had used during all his long term as Hokage. It was a great luck that the clothes were still around; since every Hokage had the liberty to made a new custom-made version of the original emsemble for themselves and so no much mind was paid to the clothes wore by the predecessor.
The garments looked considerably worn but he didn't fancy the idea of making himself others. They still looked presentable, and he liked them the way they were. It were the clothes he had wore every day for little more than thirty years. If he was going to take this task again, he at least wanted the comfort of the known.
"Done with the preening Sensei?" someone said in a sudden teasing drawl.
Hiruzen stopped the inspection on his own image, to sit and turn to see the one making fun of him. "I sensed your arrival a mile away."
"Ouch, really?"
Crouched in a frog-like position in the window, was Jiraiya himself, whom Hiruzen hadn't seen in months. His right hand was half-raised in a half-assed wave, and his left held the letter Hiruzen had sent him four weeks ago.
"I didn't think you'd actually come" Hiruzen admitted, eyeing his student with high interest. Unlike himself, who felt and looked as he had aged ten years overnight, his former pupil didn't really look any worse for the wear. His spiky white hair was still waist-length, and his getup of reds, greens and dull greys was clean and ironed.
Jiraiya jumped inside the room, his always-present roguish smile in place.
"You were wrong then," his student retorted, with arms crossed and a careless shrug.
Tiredly leaning back onto his seat, the older of two exhaled more fume. "Now that you are here, it would be too much to hope you're here to take the Hokage title for yourself?"
At the mention of the Hokage title, the Sannin's eyes changed. An unusual grimness clouded them, harshly reminding Hiruzen that he wasn't the only one who had lost people. Jiraiya was grieving too, in his own way.
However, the grimness went away quickly, being replaced by the Sannin's habitual laid-backness. "You suppose right Old Man. A ladies' man like me isn't made to be a paper pusher. Seems like quite the tiresome job anyway."
"Half the village is in shambles, so yes, one could say it's a quite tiresome job"
Jiraiya sighed, catching up on his not-so-subtle passive-agressiveness, and wisely choosing not to say more.
Letting out a wistful suspire, Hiruzen decided to throw his student a bone. "I hope you have a report about the hideouts was left on Kusa"
"Of course"
"A written one?"
Jiraiya raised his brows. "No"
"What are you waiting for then?"
Jiraiya snorted humoredly, until he realized Hiruzen was serious (well, kind of), letting out an annoyed huff. "Are you for real Sensei? You really are going to make me write a report right now, and supervise me while I do it, as if I were some snot-nosed Academy brat?"
"The faster you start the faster you finish."
Jiraya bemoaned his luck. "Uff, and here I was thinking of having a couple days of relax, to catch up to Orochimaru, go to the onsen and maybe finally get him to come with me-"
Hiruzen chuckled. "Well, before you do that, we should start making preparations now that you taking her."
"Taking her? Who?"
Hiruzen shook his head. Had been a while since he had witnessed Jiraiya being this slow. "Minato's baby girl."
Hiruzen breathed a little, suddenly very worried that he had forgotten to communicate something vital to his student beforehand. "Don't tell I didn't tell you the baby survived..."
Jiraiya shook his head. "No. You already told me that in the letter you send. Look-" the Sannin paused a little, choosing his next words carefully. "I have no idea what ideas have you making up into your head all this time Sensei... but I'm not taking her with me. Sorry if I have you the wrong impression."
He didn't sound like he was sorry at all. Hiruzen's eyes squinted. "Why not?"
"I just can't take a kid with me. My work schedule is not suitable for children and you know that."
"If that's the problem you know I can always place someone else in your stead while you-"
Jiraiya denied with his hands "I can't do that." And with a louder voice, he added "What about my research then?"
Hiruzen fought the urge to rub the bridge of his nose in exasperation. "This is no joke Jiraiya. You are her godfather. You'd do well to act like it."
"I'm not joking Sensei. I am her godfather, true," he emphatically recognized. "-but that actually wasn't my decision. I don't have time in my life to change diapers, and even if I had, I'm not just the fatherly type."
"It doesn't matter if you are. You have to."
HIruzen's tone had turned hard. Cold. Unyielding.
It wasn't Hiruzen's Modus Operandi to act so forceful, but he was getting a little desperate. The only person who could take the Jinchuuriki was Jiraiya. On the other hand, Jiraiya wasn't used on seeing his Sensei act so forceful either, specially in regards to him. And he certainly didn't appreciate it.
And just like Hiruzen acted so differently when he was feeling desperate, Jiraiya also acted different when he was feeling cornered. His chillness turned into sourness.
"Oh yeah? Then why don't you take her yourself, Old Man?" Jiraiya rapped out with acidity.
The following silence was lengthy, damning and stifling.
Jiraiya snorted humorlessly. "Just as I thought," and turned to leave, any ideas of catching up with his aloof teammate promptly forgotten.
Hiruzen cursed inwardly at himself for acting so uncharacteristically rash. Just days ago he had been reflecting on his students' mulishness, what made him think acting pushy towards Jiraiya was going to grant him the expected results?
They weren't Genins anymore, willing to dance at their Master's whims. They required more finesse than that.
"Jiraiya, before you go, don't you want to at least see her?"
Jiraiya ignored him, choosing instead to invoke a summon.
"Jiraiya" he tried again. The Sannin still ignored him in favor of the big ocherous frog he had just invoked.
Hiruzen gave up with a sigh. "Can you at least tell me the name Minato and Kushina-san chose for their baby?"
Both Minato and Kushina had died before any of them could tell him their baby's name... and calling her "Minato's child" or "Jinchuuriki" had gotten tiresome. But he knew the baby was a namesake of a protagonist of one of Jiraiya's novels.
Jiraiya still didn't answer. He didn't even turn to look. He just smiled sarcastically and dramatically dashed away on top of his summon, but not without before haphazardly chucking at him a copy of Tales of the Gutsy Ninja.
"You just are the 'ittlest, cutest lil' girl around aren't you? That's right, you are!" a woman playfully murmured, with her cooes muffled by the sound of mortars and crackers being fired at the distance.
Hiruzen smiled. The female escorting him was known for her cold demeanor and professional attitude. But right now, she was being downright adorable; baby-talking to the sleeping bundle held in an extempory baby sling tighly tied to her chest.
"You seem quite excited there Asami-chan."
The woman fastly lifted her head. Her angular face quickly went red.
"I have no idea what you talking about Hokage-sama."
Embarrassed, the young woman abruptly stopped her cooing and rapid rocking.
Hiruzen clicked his tongue. It wasn't his intention to make Asami feel shame for her warm maternal attentions towards the baby (Naruto, he reminds himself). But perhaps it was for the best. They still were on duty, on a mission of sorts, although an unofficial one... This was no time for teasing.
Right now he was her Hokage, not her father-in-law...
They fell into an awkward silence, focused solely reaching their destination: Konoha Orphanage, the place that from now on would serve as Little Naruto's new home.
It was New Year's Eve, and in Konoha people wanted to celebrate in a big way that a year full of misfortunes was finally ending... As the Hokage, Hiruzen had obligatorily to take part in the celebrations. Which he did, by giving a speech and kicking off the festivities, before slipping away as fast as he could. With the tremendous buzz of activity taking place in the heart of the village, it was unlikely that anyone would notice. Besides, Konoha orphanage was ubicated at the edges of the village, nigh the Naka River. Using Shunshin, they would surely reach it in less than ten minutes.
But one can never be too careful, so as an extra precaution, they decided to forego their shinobi skills; nor use anything that would identify them as such. They even abandoned the idea of being transported in a comfy horse-drawn carriage, opting rather to go on slothful dunces. Hiruzen himself was wearing an inconspicuous travel cloak over his Hokage robes, with its matching hat hidden underneath the cloak too.
The old Hokage shot a swift glance to check on the ANBU flanking his other side. This one was dressed similarly to Hiruzen, with a cloak covering his whole face. A good thing considering that, unlike his female counterpart, this other Anbu hadn't forsaken his mask.
"Something in your mind Kakashi-kun?"
The teenage ANBU flinched (much to his inner chagrin) but didn't respond right away. He just kept staring at the road in front of him.
"You shouldn't use my name when I have this mask on Hokage-sama" the boy breathed out in a low, respectful voice.
"Mind telling me what it is?"
Kakashi exhaled softly. "Why... is she is going to the orphanage? Why no one is adopting her?"
Involuntarily, Asami wetted his lips. She was very surprised by Kakashi's question, and curious as for which was going to be Hiruzen's answer too.
The old Hokage rubbed his jaw pensive. He was sure Kakashi,- just like his mentor-, would get why they were doing what they were doing, but there was still some things the young teen simply just didn't need to know yet.
At the end, he decided to go for a half-truth.
"It's because no one knows who she is."
Kakashi's mismatched eyes widened at the unexpected information.
"Actually, given that you already knew she's not going to have Minato-san's surname, I'm actually surprised you hadn't already guessed this before Kakashi-kun."
The boy stayed quiet. For all his skills and reputation, Minato's origins had been those of an orphan of uncertain roots... while Kushina came from a very illustrious Clan, so he assumed that their child would simply have her mother's name instead. He felt so stupid for not figuring out the truth on his own.
Hiruzen sighed a little at the unhelpful silence. "We are afraid of an information leak Kakashi-kun. You and I know how many enemies Minato-san made during the war, how many died because of it-"
The boy squeezed pretty hard the halter in his hands, only outward signal of his inner fight with the painful memories hitting him. Hiruzen saw but didn't say anything. He just waited until he sensed the young teenager had finally calmed himself down, to proceed with his explanation.
"-and so we decided to keep little Naruto's parentage a secret. It's safer for her that way. The last thing we need is people knowing that our new Jinchuuriki is a defenseless baby."
Kakashi nodded wordlessly, with his head down and Asami looking at him with pity. Despite the lack of hesitation in that nod, Hiruzen had no idea if the young teenager truly believed him. And any chance of finding out was lost as they three had already reached tall wooden fences.
Tall wooden fences that surrounded the area of the Konoha Orphanage. And as on cue, the big fireworks started to be fired, making shiny the midnight sky.
A new year had begun.