(taxevader) granny at the scene
Tsunade signaled for the ANBU guard to leave, and after some hesitance, she felt their chakra signatures retreat just outside the hospital ward. One just a heartbeat later than the other, slow enough for Tsunade's old bones to feel but quick enough to fool younger hearts. She would have to investigate into that, investigate the entire village actually, and its dwindling quality. She would have had to do that, if not for a certain man's miraculous return.
'Two Sannin walk into the hospital room of the supposedly dead Yondaime' seemed very much like the beginning of a terrible joke Jiraiya would try to crack at the worst time, maybe when trapped between pursuing enemy nin and a canyon filled with lava, and Tsunade couldn't resist the urge to sneak a glance at him.
Jiraiya met her eyes and quirked and eyebrow, and Tsunade tried to convey as much emotion as possible in her pursed lips.
You see this absolute mess? This is why I didn't want the cursed hat.
That's too bad hime, this mess is all yours now.
Before Tsunade could punch the smug smirk off of Jiraiya's asshole face, she was interrupted by Namikaze's failed attempt at a joke.
"Jiraiya-sensei, and Tsunade-hime? Is Orochimaru-sama around the corner as well?"
Tsunade kept her face blank as she approached the Namikaze boy, but inwardly she was groaning; of all things Jiraiya imparted to his student it was his terrible sense of humor.
Instead, she seated herself on one of the plastic chairs from hell kept for visitors, Jiraiya following suit, for once not complaining about them. Guess he did know how to read the room every now and then.
"Listen Namikaze, I'm not gonna sugarcoat this for you, you've been officially dead for a little more than a decade, 12 years to be exact, after successfully containing the Kyuubi within your newborn son, who miraculously survived the sealing."
Tsunade felt more than saw Jiraiya's head whip around to face her, sure that indignant protests would fall from his lips, but she quieted him with a stern look from the corner of her eye.
Tsunade knew Jiraiya thought she was being too harsh on the resurrected man - a boy, really - but she had no time to coddle Namikaze. The news of a dead Hokage mysteriously reviving from the dead had surely crossed Konoha's borders, try as they might to prevent it. There were no secrets in a hidden village after all, especially not one crawling with rotten roots. Konoha was still recovering from losing her oldest Hokage as well as the Sound and Suna invasion, and Tsunade knew that Namikaze is the ace up their sleeve right now.
She was not Jiraiya, she had no personal connection to Namikaze, and she did not retain a heart of gold after witnessing the horrors the world had to offer. She only knew how to break things with her fists and mend them back better.
"Currently, the Sandaime is dead," Tsunade bluntly continued, choosing to ignore Namikaze's sharpened eyes and clenched fists, "he valiantly defended Konoha to his last breath during the invasion of Konoha, brought on by Otogakure and Sunagakure, where Orochimaru fooled Suna by killing their Yondaime Kazegake and taking his place as an imposter. Many lives were lost in the invasion, both civilian and shinobi."
Tsunade paused, allowing Namikaze some time to process the information before plowing forward.
"The Council had decided that the Mantle of Hokage be passed onto one of the Sannin, and as Jiraiya is too preoccupied with his information gathering, I was chosen to act as the Godaime. My reign had started last week with the inauguration set to take place today, but you seemed to have stolen the show Namikaze, not that it didn't work to me favor, I never had plans on becoming Hokage anyways,"
Namikaze, who had been quiet up to this point, sharply looked up and met her eyes.
"You mean -"
"Yes, I will be stepping down from my position and handing the hat over to you," Tsunade once again ignored Jiraiya's head whipping towards her (doesn't he get whiplash), "Your identity has been confirmed by Yamanaka Inoichi and several shinobi volunteering to identify you. Congratulations Namikaze, you no longer have the record of shortest rule between all Kages."
"Though your identity has been confirmed, there still shall be a Council meeting where you must explain your miraculous return to the Clan Heads of the village before being able to take up the hat once more,"
Namikaze nodded, then stared at her for a second, his blue eyes sharp and assessing her, before folding his hands calmly and taking a deep breath.
"And Kushina?"
Tsunade felt an echo of sorrow for the man, his eyes devastatingly hopeful. She almost thought of her Dan - but no. She will not emotionally compromise herself to this man, his son was already enough.
Jiraiya was the one to answer.
"I'm so sorry Minato,"
Namikaze's face fell, and Tsunade took it as her cue to leave, while Jiraiya leaned over and embraced his student.
The last thing she heard as she left the ward cleared out for Namikaze were her heels clicking on the waxed floor of the hospital, and Namikaze's sobs as he mourned for his wife.
"Hawk," Tsunade snapped her fingers as she called for one of her ANBU guards, the heavy accumulation of chakra near their eyes indicating that they were of Hyuuga descent, which fit perfectly for the task she needed to be carried out.
"Summon Hatake and the blond brat, it's time he reunites with his father,"