Chapter 3

With Naruto occupied with taking care of Hinata, some important matters were being discussed without his input.

In the Hokage Tower, which was the symbol of power in Konoha, Tsunade stood watching the city from her window while being completely sober. No matter how much she drank, it felt like water.

The event could be described as a disaster and their survival a miracle. Anyone that understood the full picture would realize that all could have been avoided at multiple points.

If there had been no wars, the current situation would have never taken place.

If they had cooperated when even one of the Jinchuuriki was targeted, they could have avoided it.

However for Tsunade it was one point that hit her directly, if she had made sure that Naruto was properly trained then all could have been avoided. She had failed as a leader and let her emotions guide her decisions.

She had treated Naruto like a little brother and pushed him away from heavy responsibilities, and inhumane training. Now the consequences of her choices were glaring at her in the face. She couldn't even take refuge in the fact that Naruto was fine, because he wasn't fine. The destruction had taken a toll on his mind and he would never forget it.

"Lord Hokage" With a knock at her door, Yamato and Kakashi entered with Orochimaru.

"Leave us" Turning around to look at her old team mate and enemy, Tsunade ordered others to leave. They wished to protest, but her tone and presence was heavy. She didn't allow any other opinion at the moment.

With a bow, they left the room but stood guard outside.

"I am happy to see you alive, Tsunade. Quite a miracle, don't you think. I thought it was all over at one point." Orochimaru was unlike other people, and completely lacked the pain. He was a man that operated on logic and didn't understand emotions.

"Whose body are you possessing now?" Tsunade questioned as the man's original body had died years ago and he continued to take over other bodies for an eternal life. It was his greed for eternity and power that led him to betray his comrades.

"No need to worry, I am not possessing some person. I took over the body of a Zetsu and finally achieved my immortality. This body will never age, isn't that great. Now we can all work together without any conflict." Orochimaru smiled as he replied. Everything seemed to be in his hand, it was clear from his tone and body language.

His smug attitude only infuriated Tsunade and she walked closer to him, and took held him by the throat.

"Don't antagonize me, snake. Your life hasn't ended because of your use that is the only reason. One mistake and you will feel a life worse than death. Did I make myself clear?" She forced her rage to subside and spoke in an extremely cold tone. The man was responsible for countless tragedies and it was impossible for her to forgive him.

"I apologize if it seemed that way. I just wanted to say that I can finally stand on your side. My reason for fighting against you doesn't exist anymore. I believe there is no reason not to cooperate since our interests align. The survival of humanity hinges on our cooperation, we can't allow any conflicts to rise." Orochimaru understood the big picture and knew that there could never be one of a kind. If there is Kaguya, then there are others. It was a matter of time when they would be forced to face the infinite world beyond their planet and it seems like none of them were ready for it.

Tsunade also understood the immensity of the problem as they only had Naruto to rely on at the moment. It was the reason why she decided to work with Orochimaru to help humanity reach a new stage and put up a resistance against outsiders.

Looking in the eyes of the snake, she didn't know whether it was the best choice. She didn't know whether to even trust him, but the weight of the problems was pressing her into it.

"I know you can't trust me, so let him stay around me. Our little savior should be able to easily manhandle me, don't you think." Seeing her hesitate, he proceeded to provide a solution to their dilemma.

Her instinct told her to deny it, to protect Naruto since the snake was the source of his rage for many years. Staying close to him would only worsen his mental state, but her leader said to agree because it was the ideal choice. Through this, Naruto would keep in him check and also learn how to act responsibly.

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While Tsunade and Orochimaru discussed their plans, Naruto separated from Hinata and decided to look for his other friends. Going towards the Yamanaka clan that had lost their clan head, Naruto found Ino sitting with her mother by the pond within their territory.

Naruto decided to leave after saying a word of respect after seeing that there was no need for his presence. However the moment Ino saw his eyes, she showed a pained expression and looked away.

"Sorry" Naruto muttered as he knew that Ino had been obsessed with Sasuke.

"You tried your best, and there is nothing to apologize about. I trust you no matter what others say." Ino didn't look at him but she showed that there were no negative thoughts about him.

Her words showed that she knew that some people were thinking about it in a negative manner. They believed that Naruto was greedy for power and wanted even more, which was why he took the eyes. These thoughts were still a whisper, but it was just a matter of time that they would spread because people feared the unknown and the invincible.

"Thank you for your support, and know that I am always there for you." Naruto gave a bow and walked away. He was happy that Ino wasn't disgusted by him and he didn't mind the looks others gave him. He was already used to such gazes and soon these would also go away.

Leaving the Yamanaka clan, Naruto arrived at the Nara clan which had also lost its leader. Shikamaru had become the clan head by default as the heir and because of the acknowledgement of the members. Normally, his mother would have taken the role until the heir grew into the position.

Unlike the Yamanaka who were very emotional, the Nara clan was similar to the Hyuga clan in their grief being silent. These people were more logical in nature and didn't really possess strong emotions because of their inherent nature. Though, they did possess emotions to a level unlike the Aburame clan which was hard to distinguish from robots.

Looking around, Naruto sensed his friend sitting with Temari. It seems he wasn't needed here either and he was happy that his friend was standing strong. Unlike Ino, Shikamaru meant a lot to Naruto. He was one of the people that supported him and put their lives on the line for him.

Shikamaru along with Neji, Gaara, Kiba, Shino, Lee and Choji were the first people beside Sasuke to take his side. Even Hinata came later, during Pain's assault.

They hadn't even been friends and barely knew each other. However, they fought for what he wanted and almost lost their lives. For that favor, Naruto would put his life on the line for them. He vowed to never lose them.

Neji had been lost along with Sasuke, but he would not allow any more loses.

Paying his respect to the fallen elder that allowed the Shinobi forces to fight in a proper manner alongside Inoichi Yamanaka, Naruto left the house of the fallen hero to visit the Akimichi clan.

Unlike the previous clans, the Akimichi clan was filled with loud cries for the fallen warriors and Choji was sitting with mother who was supporting him. Unlike the previous generation, the new generation had never really seen war and loss on such a scale. As such, it was the previous generation that helped the new generation cope with their pain and loss.

Walking towards his giant friend, Naruto paid his respected and sat down beside them. The clan was crying but they were also cooking. To see of their fallen warriors, the Akimichi clan cooked their favorite dishes and in front of the tomb of Choza, was his favorite dish made by Choji and his mother.

It was different for each clan. Aburame clan allowed their dead to be consumed by the insects to nurture stronger future generations while the Yamanaka clan sang on a mental realm so that the souls of the dead would listen to their beautiful melodies.

Though, most people had normal ceremonies with minor differences.

Choji turned to him and saw the eyes. He was reminded of Pain and how he had seen Kakashi die. Unlike most people who thought they had been saved because of Tsunade's jutsu, Choji knew the truth. Pain had revived everyone and it was only possible with those eyes.

His father had already been revived once, but that was when he still had a body. Just like the other fallen clan heads, Choza had also been erased by the Juubi Laser.

There was nothing left to revive. However, one could only wish for the best. It was a selfish desire, but he couldn't stop it from existing as no one wanted to lose their loved ones.

"I am sorry for your loss. If you need someone to talk to, know that I am always there for you." Naruto didn't know Choji's thoughts and even if he knew, he would have understood them.

"Thank you for being here, Naruto. It really means a lot to me. Please, eat. It is my father's favorite." Presenting the dish to his friend, Choji controlled his grief and tried to present a strong heart.

Naruto didn't decline and ate while listening to his friend talk about his father's achievements. It made him think about Jiraiya and how he hadn't really shared with others about his experiences. He really was being a terrible grandson and student by letting the memories of his teacher fade away.