Tsunade found herself wandering around Konohagakure in frantic search of wanting to do something to ease her boredom— Don't get her wrong, it's truly honorable to be the oh so amazing Hokage but the workload isn't exactly helping with her already tight schedule. She set her hand on her neck and let out an exasperated sigh.
Her gaze then followed a blonde-haired ninja pacing through his frog wallet heading towards Ichiraku's ramen shop. Her lips then curved to a small yet affectionate smile. No matter how many times she has said how annoying the young ninja is, she still finds herself being fond of the kid. He always manages to put a smile on everyone's faces. Make them laugh and all, even when the situation isn't at all that funny.
Based on his expression, Tsunade could guess right away that Naruto didn't have enough money for ramen as his shoulders' slumped. She thought that she might as well treat the kid to a nice bowl of ramen.
She halted for a slight second when hearing Naruto mumble, "Show off.. I could do so much better." He puffed, putting his hand in his pockets. "Stupid teme.." he grumbled.
Tsunade felt as if she knew of this all too well. She finally resumed walking towards the young ninja, offering to treat him to as many bowls of ramen as he desired. The moment she mentioned it, he immediately grinned up to his ears like a gremlin— well, he kind of is, scoffed innerly by Tsunade as she rolled her eyes playfully at the latter.
After 3 bowls of ramen and so on... Tsunade finally asked the boy, "Is something bothering you, Naruto?" She hummed.
Naruto stopped slurping the ramen in his mouth before gobbling the bowl all up and swallowing, looking at the woman infront of him sheepishly. "Well..." He paused before continuing, "I challenged Sasuke again and I lost! He just had to defeat me infront of Sakura-chan." He deadpans.
Tsunade chuckles before shuffling the boy's hair and looking at him with affectionate eyes. Eyes that seemed to see a resemblance between a guy she knew within the young ninja. She was reminiscing about the olden days where things were happy— well, happy in a way.
"You suddenly brought me back to a tragic story I once heard." She smirked while crossing her arms and legs.
Naruto perked up and gestured her to continue. "What's the story?" He innocently asked with piqued interest visible in his eyes, though he won't admit it infront of Tsunade and she knew that all too well. Considering the boy's ego and all.
"This story is about a snake and a toad." She mused.
"A snake and a toad? Now, that's a weird combination." Naruto laughs while Tsunade glared at him signaling for him to shut up— which he understood very well, fearfully at that.
"No matter how odd they might seem, Naruto, they were a match made in heaven." She blissfully said. "They knew it too. But, back then, as kids, they didn't know. So then, they argued, fought, and bickered— in a playful manner ofcourse. The toad was inlove with a slug, or so he thought." She hummed.
"What does that mean?" Naruto looked at her intently. The story had caught his full attention now.
"Just listen, brat." She crunched her nose. "What the toad didn't know was that, the snake secretly admired him from afar yet made no advances since he knew his boundaries. He knew very well that the toad liked the slug and he wanted to not get in the way of the toad's absurd advances — much to the slug's rejections. Then, when they grew up.. something changed within the snake. He was suddenly so occupied with his work that he barely had time for his two friends that he grew up with. Much to the slug and toad's persistence. The slug decided to respect his wishes but the toad kept insisting otherwise. That was the time the toad had realized his lingering feelings towards the snake. But by then, it was already all too late. The snake had been corrupted by an evil force who was worse than Madara Uchiha himself."
Naruto gasped in shock as he anticipated for whatever comes next. He wanted to expect a happy ending but remembered that the woman had labeled the story as 'tragic' which made him pout, tears slowly forming as he listened thoroughly to the tragic love story— he insists— between the snake and the toad.
Tsunade's expression started to sadden as each word came out of her mouth. She closed her eyes, biting her bottom lip, refusing to show her weakened state towards the boy. Fortunately, the boy didn't seem to notice her overly saddened fatigue.
Tsunade continued on, "The snake had become a serpent and left the village he once called home. The toad tried to follow him but, the serpent was already too far gone into the darkness. Legend says, the toad is still waiting for his return, searching for any clue he could find that might lead him back towards the serpent." She finally concluded.
"What about the slug?" Naruto asked wiping tears off of his face.
Tsunade's eyes widened, looking at the boy with disbelief and shock. "N-no one's ever asked about the slug's feelings before." She muttered.
"Well, they should. You mentioned that all three of them grew up together right? The toad probably wandered off towards the horizon to find his serpent. With both of her bestest of friends gone, what's left for the slug? Why does no one ask about what she feels or how she coped with two people she grew up with now gone off to God knows where." He frowned as he said so.
Tsunade was speechless before smiling endearingly at the young boy. "That's— a story for another time." She closed her eyes before opening them again and turning towards Naruto, "Do you understand what I'm trying to tell you with this story, Naruto?"
Naurot blinked cluelessly at the woman sitting beside him. ".... yes?" he says in an awkward manner.
Tsunade sighs, tired of dealing with so many damn idiots. "They parallel to you and Sasuke."
"How?" He asked. This time, much more invested than before.
"Don't you see the similarities? You're like the toad while he's like the snake, and Sakura... She's like the slug." She smirked before patting his shoulder and leaving him before paying for the meal.
As Tsunade disappears from his line of sight, Naruto shrugs and bids farewell towards Ichiraku.
While running, his gaze catches a glimpse of Sasuke Uchiha leaving a store with a bag full of things he bought which makes him stop in his tracks. They both stare at eachother in a daze. Naruto finds himself captivated by the young Uchiha raising a brow at him with the most mystical dark obsidian eyes he's ever witnessed. Was there something more between them other than their petty rivalry? Just like the toad and the snake— it wasn't outright implied that they were 'inlove' it was only mentioned that the snake admired the toad. Yet, Naruto could tell from their story that they loved eachother, it was a tragedy that one took way too long to realize his feelings towards the other. They could've been happy.
"What are you staring at dobe?" Sasuke questioned with hostility towards the Uzumaki.
Naruto, feeling the icy remark aimed towards him awkwardly grins like a fool all the while scratching the back of his head.
Sasuke rolls his eyes and walks away before Naruto could retort.
Naruto stares at his back and watched as Sasuke slowly disappeared from his line of sight. He grins as his expression darkens after coming to a revelation. Oh. He likes, likes Sasuke Uchiha.
Naruto couldn't stop thinking about Sasuke Uchiha now. He couldn't sleep, couldn't even move a muscle when he slumped into his bed and stared at his ceiling with wide eyes.
He always remembered how the Uchiha spat venomous remarks and such but, now, he was the venom and Naruto couldn't get enough of him. It stinged to love him, but maybe Naruto liked it just like that.
The next morning, Naruto met up with Kakashi, Sakura, and Sasuke. Ecstatic as always, but something had changed from the way he acted. Kakashi caught on pretty quickly and noticed the change in the way he acted towards Sakura and Sasuke. As much as Sakura was delighted Naruto finally got off her tail, she was now pissed that he was now clinging to Sasuke.
Kakashi couldn't help but smile behind his mask as he suddenly reminisced about his old team. Obito.. Rin... Kushina and oh.. he was all too familiar with the way Naruto was acting towards the young Uchiha.
He felt a shiver run up his spine as he gazed upon Naruto's arms around Sasuke's waist in a tight grip, Sasuke's uncomfortable stance, and Sakura's nagging. He broke a cold sweat before muttering, "Oh dear..."
Damn Uchihas and their stupid genes of attracting crazy people. Which Kakashi can't admit to have also succumbed too. But- that's besides the point!