Chapter 20

The two female Sannin sat in an ornate study. Bookshelves up to the ceiling, fine woodworking throughout the office with jade accents. A well designed and maintained office, fitting for one of the Shinobi Elders and former student of Tobirama Senju.

"I didn't think you could wake up this early." Orochimaru said.

"I don't want to be up this early." Tsunade responded. "Besides, I haven't done anything so I have no idea as to why I'm even here."

"Maybe she wants an audience." Orochimaru pondered.

"You are due for an ass reaming, so it's a possibility." Tsunade voiced with a slight grin.

"And you're not?"

"I basically just retired our situations are different."

"I see you two still squabble like schoolgirls." A third voice spoke from behind them. Koharu requested their presence at her estate at seven in the morning, sending out the notice as soon as she left Hiruzen's office. Clearly, she'd been left out of some major events and wanted to get some things straight. She had taken on a role for Tsunade and Orochimaru similar to what Mito-sama had done for her, the prodigious Uzumaki not willing to let Koharu be a weak link on her team. It was a tradition she'd hoped would carry through but wars and other tragedies had seen to remove all she would select for the position; the last being Kushina.

But it was not to be, however her original girls were back so maybe it could be salvaged. First, however, everything would need to be brought out in the open. No more secrets and no more lies.

"Thank you for coming so early, I'm happy to see you both."

"It's good to see you as well." Tsunade replied.

"Is it? Because you've been back for nearly two months and I've yet to see you, either of you outside of that initial meeting. If I didn't know any better I'd think you were avoiding me."

"I've been busy with hospital duties and my own training." Tsunade quickly answered.

"I figured you wouldn't want to see me." Orochimaru said simply, her voice betraying no emotion.

"I should cane you both. Tsunade, you're never that busy. And you, of course I'd want to see you, girl. Why didn't you tell me what was happening between Hiruzen and you? Why didn't you come to me?"

"I wouldn't have during the affair and afterward, what was I to say? It was so cliche as to not merit further attention."

"It did. The affair was wrong, you both were but Hiruzen was more so. He was your sensei and your superior and had no business in engaging in such activities. And what he requested of you? If you'd told me earlier I'd been in a better condition to do more than slap him."

"You slapped Sensei?" Tsunade asked in mild surprise.

"Of course I did. He knew better. This could have been prevented."

"You knowing doesn't change anything."

"Of course it does! It doesn't justify what you did but it does add context. We worked hard so you'd have a firm control over your impulses and for years you did. However, being emotionally distraught would surely affect said control and with Tsunade gone you needed someone else to help keep the line. It clearly wasn't going to be Danzo and if that man were still alive I'd shave layers from his bones." Koharu said the last part in disgust.

"I wasn't distraught, I'm not what you think I am. Clearly, it was always going to happen and I could only pretend for so long. I'm a lot of things, most of them bad but I won't be reduced to some heartbroken little girl."

"And yet, that's exactly what you were. It doesn't make you weak to have cared for him nor anyone else you may grow to care about in the future." Koharu argued and saw Orochimaru narrow her eyes. "Hiruzen suspects and was going to send Anko to interfere. Thankfully, she had enough sense to come to me though it was mostly because she was sure you'd kill her."

"Smart girl." Orochimaru muttered, not enjoying feeling like a child in front of the elder kunoichi.

"Wait, Orochi is interested in someone? Who?"

"This is not a gossip circle!" Orochimaru protested.

"If that isn't confirmation, I don't know what is. So, who's the lucky guy? Anyone I know?"

"Why did you have to bring this up in front of her? You know how sappy she gets." Orochimaru said to Koharu. Causing Tsunade to look affronted.

"If you'd come visit me once in a while I wouldn't have to address everything at once. This is really your own fault." Koharu retorted, though matriarchal shaming wasn't the entire reason. "And Tsunade, wipe that look off your face. You're as sappy as they come you just hide it under a veneer of bitterness. Also, use that keen intellect if you want to know, the list isn't that long." she finished, waving off Orochimaru's glare.

Tsunade did as suggested and did use her intellect. She knew Orochimaru wasn't around that many people, assuming the target was male reduced the number even further. Really, outside of Kabuto and the Kaguya, both seemingly too submissive for her, she spent the significant part of her time with…

"Got a thing for redheads, do you?" she asked, smugly. True, he was too young now and by conventional ethics calling dibs on a child would be looked down upon but she didn't have a problem with it once he was older.

"Shut up." Orochimaru didn't get embarrassed ever but she was not enjoying this, at all. She didn't really care who knew she had designs on Naruto nor was she shamed by being drawn to someone so much younger than herself. But she felt uncomfortably vulnerable around these two, the two people that knew her best and always accepted her, even when she'd done things to push them away. She could never intimidate them, scare them or anything else. Tsunade even went so far as to tease her occasionally. And unlike Jiraiya's insults, which were presented as playful but always had an undercurrent of derisive jealousy, Tsunade's was always meant to be inclusive.

She cared about them, and what they thought. That's why she was uncomfortable with their judgment, even if it were ultimately positive and accepting. If it hadn't been would she have changed? Doubt herself? No to the former, possibly yes to the latter and she didn't like that. Doubt and indecision slowed one down, made them falter. Orochimaru was pulled from her thoughts when Tsunade spoke.

"What? He's a cutie now and I'd imagine he'd mature into a fine young man."

"I agree."

"Well, I wasn't asking for your permission."

"I think that's as close to a thanks for the support as we're going to get." Tsunade replied, grinning. Enjoying seeing her friend opening up again. But soon, the grin faded when something occurred to her, causing her to scowl. The other two women were discomforted by the change in her emotions.

"Sensei was going to have Anko seduce Naruto?"

"Yes." Koharu answered.

"A sitting Hokage was going to attempt to directly interfere in internal clan politics?"

"I-I didn't even think of that, Homura hadn't either." Hiruzen really had been slipping. If the other clans got wind of him trying to, possibly, plant a matriarch into a clan, one he'd already stolen from, it could lead to widespread distrust. It could be portrayed as Hiruzen attempting to gain further access to the Uzumaki funds by have a sympathetic party close to the clan head or even a long term embezzlement scheme. If nothing else, it was tearing down the laws and customs that gave clans a degree of autonomy. Had this gone through and it was ever discovered HIruzen would have been furthered disgraced. An even larger blight on an otherwise stellar dual tenure.

"Orochi-chan, I know you hate him. I understand why but I am going to ask you drop this as a personal favor to me."

"I'd be lying if I said I'd drop it completely and I won't lie to you. However, the value it has currently is rather low. If he doesn't try anything like this again then it can stay locked away."

"I can live with that and I'll inform Hiruzen. Now, as much fun as it is to talk about your courtship and guilt both you girls, I did have another reason to call you here. As you both know, I've acted as something of a mentor for many of the village's kunoichi, starting with you two. I've enjoyed it and have been proud to do so but my time is coming to an end. I'm old and the younger generations need new voices and influences, I'd like you two to take up that role."

"I won't be taking on a full time student again. Once I got over my issues, I poured all I had into training Shizune."

"I'm not asking you to take on another apprentice Tsunade, just like you weren't mine. Just be available, share your knowledge and experiences. You know the double standards that exist, how dismissive people are of kunoichi."

"But fangirls are going to ruin us all!" Tsunade said in mock horror causing all three women to laugh.

"Fine, I'll see what I can do. I'm already doing something similar with our medical corp."

"And you?"

"What about me? If they aren't terrified of me, they certainly don't trust me. Besides, I've done that enough in my own village. Two of which have joined Konoha."

"Yes, the additional Uzumaki. You may have a point… but you need to make amends to Anko."

"That isn't going to happen." Orochimaru said dryly.

"And yet, it must. Her hatred of you and fear of that seal is holding her back."

"Fine, you insufferable old woman. Is there anything else you want?"

"Meh, to be young again. I might take a ride on a certain redhead myself." Koharu said snickering at the stunned faces of the two Sannin before her.

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"Can I just say, officially, I don't want to do this?" the Nara genius complained from the clearing of the training grounds.

"That's fine, Shikamaru. But as you rarely want to do anything, the announcement lacks potency." Kurenai responded. "Besides, this will be good for you to assess your relative level. The same goes for the rest of you." The ruby eyed Jounin informed her team.

"As we may be assigned higher ranked solo missions, it is important to know how to disable teams while having enough energy to escape or finish our tasks. Whereas the participating Genin teams should be able to subdue a single rookie Chunin. Logic would dictate whatever the outcome, it will demonstrate areas of improvement for all."

"Yea, except a certain troublesome redhead blows a hole in the entire balance."

"I haven't even done anything yet!"

"But you will/ You always do/ Give it time" were the responses for his team, causing a depression cloud to form over his head.

"You guys are so mean to me."

"Don't be like that Naruto-kun," Kurenai said, rubbing the boys head and earning a mild blush, "but Shikamaru raises a good point. While technically you're a rookie Chunin we all know that isn't really the case. So the other Jounin sensei and I came up with some restrictions to avoid you upending the whole deal."

"Fine, what are they?"

"No shadow and fuin clones. No ninjutsu above B rank, and no overloading your lesser rank jutsu to achieve similar effects. Also, no kenjutsu."

"Now, I officially don't want to do this."

"Shino isn't complaining."

"I relish the opportunity. To watch their naive confidence get crushed by my dominance; nothing is more pure than that, Sensei."

"O...kay." Kurenai said before fishing out three scrolls, one colored black, one green and one orange handing her students one each. "Now go to your assigned locations as we'll begin soon. And Shikamaru, if you just give up and hand over your scroll you'll have an all out spar with Naruto as punishment."

Shikamaru just took his scroll and marched off, cursing his fate of being partnered with a confounding woman and a troublesome Uzumaki. The other two Chunin departed as well while Kurenai simply waited for the other teams to arrive. It was about thirty minutes, as even Kakashi arrived on time. Asuma spoke first.

"Ok, teams, we're doing a joint training exercise. Each member of team Kurenai has a scroll in which you are to retrieve. They are stationed in three separate locations and cannot leave the general area. You may attempt to gain the scrolls through any means, short of lethal or maiming blows. However, if you are defeated by the Chunin you cannot attempt to attack them again."

"But if another team has the scroll we can go after them?" asked Neji.

"Yes. You get one attempt at the Chunin but as long as you can still fight you can try to steal it from any of the teams. The first team to get all the scrolls, or have the most by the end of the time limit wins."

"You are to treat this like a real mission, meaning if any member of my team is able to put you in a position where you'd flee or surrender then you've failed and must move on. If you push on in those circumstances because this isn't real then regardless of if you get the scroll you will have failed." Kurenai added.

"You all have time to plan and strategize, the time starts when the first team leaves the clearing but be warned, that gives Shino, Shikamaru and Naruto time to trap and fortify their positions so delaying may not be to your advantage." Kakashi continued and the shunshin'd away. The other Jounin did so as well as the three genin teams separated.

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"What do you think, Neji?" asked Tenten.

"I say we go after the Uzumaki. I can see through his traps and we can finally settle the score." Neji answered, clinching his prosthetic arm.

"Yes, let's engage in a most youthful fight and stoke our flames to new heights!"

"After that, should we just wait to see if any of the other teams gain a scroll and go after them." Tenten finished and Team 9 was content with their plan.