Chapter Text
Tsunade brewed in the solidarity of her office, examining a sheet of paper under only the dim light of a lamp. It was such a small sheet of paper that held so much weight, a phantom threat the Hokage had been aware was lingering over her head finally materializing. She couldn’t push it off to the recesses of her mind anymore; the alliance between Konoha and Sunagakure was strained once more. The alliance had withered a tumultuous past, always finding themselves intertwined once again, but severance between the villages not only weakened the trust between them but also caused a significant decrement in funds. Sunagakure was the poorest of the villages for a reason, Konoha feeding off a constant supply of missions and cutting off access to those missions for Sunagakure, leaving them drowning in debt and Konoha swimming in surplus. If they parted, their newfound independence would likely lead them to stepping into the spotlight and receiving more missions, Konoha no longer receiving those profits they once had.
Gaara was naïve for many months after initially receiving the title Kazekage- as anyone would expect, Gaara didn’t know it all. Despite everything, Gaara was still just a child- and did not suspect this, cautiously optimistic despite their tumultuous past. At least, for those first few months; gradually, though, he caught on, being the clever boy he was. Gaara noted how Konoha continued to benefit off the alliance while all Suna gained was more debt, burying themselves deeper into the already yawning cavern that was their empty pockets. This, along with the lack of resources Konoha dispatched to Suna’s aid during times of battle, made Gaara rightfully suspicious. And, he boldly voiced his concerns with little hesitation, a hesitation that came with experience that he did not yet have.
Tsunade knew tearing alliances was not an option, the council voicing their own opinions- theirs shockingly holding more weight than her own, in many cases, especially when unanimous- against breaking the treaty between them, mainly for financial reasons, but also to prevent another enemy putting targets on their backs. Especially ones that knew them as well as the ninja from the Sand village did. Tsunade saw the reasoning in this, and felt an odd inexplicable need to keep Gaara under her radar, a nagging desire gnawing at the back of her mind, feeling as if it were taking up space that wasn’t previously of her mind.
It was the stress getting to her, though. It had that strange quality that made anyone more keenly aware, especially of things that weren’t there. Aside from imagining pseudo-problems, she had a very real one: how to stay on Gaara’s good side. That would take convincing that Tsunade was not capable of, but she knew someone from Konoha who Gaara’s will always bent for…
Naruto.
Naruto was supposed to return to the village around December, before the new year. Naruto had promised he’d celebrate with all his friends once he returned, and even to bring back souvenirs for everyone, including Tsunade. But, December came before Naruto ever did, and Tsunade couldn’t help but feel somewhat concerned. The brat had never been good with time, but this grave of a miscalculation was uncharacteristic even for Naruto, especially when social events had been arranged.
Tsunade also hadn’t received a single letter in months- five, to be exact- despite both Naruto’s and Jeraiya’s promise to frequently update Tsunade. Normally, Tsunade couldn’t care less when it came to the details of how Naruto’s training was going, but this was beyond that. Naruto was training extremely close to the borders of enemy shinobi territory, and frequent exchanges of letters ensured that they were safe. Tsunade had agreed because she and Jiraiya had visited the area once together, and despite how eerie it seemed, there was also an undeniable and almost tangible allure to the place. Maybe Tsunade had agreed too quickly, though, considering that now it was February.
Just as Tsunade was finally pulling together some resources to go scout for Naruto and ensure his safety, a messenger bird landed on the windowsill, feathers rustling against the window and alerting Tsunade of it’s presence. She swiveled her chair, opening the window and letting the bird inside, removing the scroll wrapped around it’s thin leg. Unraveling it, she saw recognizably sloppy and rushed handwriting that sent a surge of relief through her, allowing her to exhale a breath she hadn’t known she was holding. It was very clearly Naruto’s signature handwriting, that much would be nearly impossible to replicate.
The note read,
Hey Granny Tsunade!
Sorry I didn’t check in for a while, I was super busy learning some new techniques that’ll definitely help me kick butt. Time passed so fast, I can’t believe I missed all the Christmas parties! I bet everyone missed me tons. Don’t worry, I brought back souvenirs anyways, you guys will just get my Christmas presents a little late. I don’t know how I’ll explain to Konohamaru that Santa is giving him his present late, though. Anyways, hope ya didn’t miss me too much, cause I’m coming back!
Seeya soon!
It was both a relief and slightly unsettling at the same time. Tsunade hoped for some clarity, even if her expectations of Naruto’s informative skills were low. But, Naruto seemed more focused in unimportant things like dispersing Christmas gifts rather than informing Tsunade what new techniques he’d learned and why it made him so late.
But still, the relief she felt overwhelmed her sense of unease, especially since Naruto’s return meant that she could finally enact her plan. Gaara was growing angrier by the day, and truth be told despite Gaara’s limited years, he was certainly not a foe she’d want to go toe to toe with. Especially considering the sizeable impact Gaara had made in previous invasions on the leaf village when he was only twelve. Who knew what new abilities the skills and knowledge of being Kazekage would grant Gaara.
As Tsunade grabbed the scroll to set to the side, there was suddenly a knock on her door.
“Come in,” She called out as she put the scroll in a cabinet. The door creaked open, and Tsunade swiveled the chair to face her guest, only for her eyes to widen in surprise. It was Naruto, the one who sent the very letter she’d just put away mere seconds ago, and Jeraiya stepping inside behind Naruto. She quickly collected herself, putting on a stern face and speaking in a reprimanding tone, “You have some explaining to do, you brat.”
Naruto only chuckled sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck nervously, the same habit as before. Naruto seemed so similar, yet so different- his mannerisms seemed the exact same, and he still had some boyish features, but he also had unmistakably matured and progressed. He seemed taller, somewhat leaner after shedding some baby fat, and had a small shift in wardrobe; a more baggy jumpsuit, the blue swapped with black, and the zipper zipped up completely. But despite the baggy clothing, it still was evident that he seemed oddly wider. Tsunade didn’t comment.
“Ah, time just flied by! I really thought I was on track.” It felt too simple of an answer to possibly be true, and an incredibly infuriating one at that considering the fact that Tsunade had been anxiously waiting for his return, for a multitude of reasons.
“You couldn’t think to send at least one message to me? That is a safety issue for many reasons that you should know why.” She looked pointedly at both Naruto and Jeraiya who was behind him. Jeraiya was equally at fault, since he was the responsible adult of the two- or, at least supposed to be.
“Oh, come on. More time in that place couldn’t hurt. I doubt being a little late is much of an issue at all.” Jeraiya quickly dismissed it with a nonchalant wave of his hand, leaning against the doorframe.
“Actually, it is an issue, and if you’d been communicating with me in the slightest you’d know!” She shot withering glares at them both, making the two shrink back slightly. “Naruto, I need you for an incredibly important and urgent mission. I’ve been postponing something incredibly urgent for your arrival.”
Naruto’s mouth gaped open at Tsunade’s words, a look of indignation quickly crossing his features. “Hey, wait, I just got here after being away from home for so long! You’re ALREADY giving me a mission?”
“You already had two years of vacation from your duties, Naruto. It’s time you start repaying that debt; and plus, are you implying that you don’t think you’re up for the challenge?” Tsunade responded, intentionally trying to instigate Naruto so that he’d stubbornly agree to the mission, just to prove Tsunade wrong.
Judging by the indignation radiating from Naruto only seeming to grow, it was clear that it was working. “That was hardly a vacation at all! I worked my butt off!” He briefly looked up as if he were reliving the memories of his training, pausing for a few moments before adding, “You know me Tsunade, I’m always up for a challenge!”
Chuckling and shaking her head, Tsunade reached to the drawer on her desk and pulled out a mission slip that had all the details of the mission written on it, handing it to Naruto. “That’s what I like to hear. Now, I know you’re not going to read this, but I’m giving it to you just in case.”
Naruto swallowed thickly as he took the mission slip, looking suddenly somewhat uneasy. “Ah, Tsunade, I should tell you something-“ He began, but was quickly cut off by Tsunade interjecting firmly, leaving Naruto with no choice but to listen to what she was saying.
“You’re the only one in the leaf village that I know has any connection to Gaara, let alone such a strong one. Recently, Gaara has been… unsatisfied with our lack of support waging their battles. Now, we do have the resources, but we’re by no means in the political stance to offer those resources. Sacrificing those resources works conversely with our plans for the future.” She began, tapping her nails on the desk rhythmically as she lectured. “But, we are also by no means in the political stance to lose the alliance with Sunagakure. We need as few enemies as possible right now.”
This seemed incredibly political to Naruto, all aspects being things he was wholly unused to. Naruto had no clue how this was related to him beyond his relationship with Gaara, and began to grow nervous that maybe for once he’d actually not know how to complete this mission. He’d never imagined one of his most nerve-wracking challenges would not be a battle, but something political. “What are you suggesting..?” He drawled out, making his hesitancy evident.
“Naruto, because of the respect the Kazekage has for you, we believe he’d be willing to listen to what you had to say. I’ve obviously tried, but anything between us feels only as what it is- political debate. Your words may have genuine influence on the Kazekage, and even if it’s a slim chance it will work, we need you to try.” Tsunade said. That made Naruto’s stomach twist into a knot. Sure, he knew and liked Gaara, but he never imagined he’d be involved in Gaara’s politics. Or, any politics, really. But, he had to try, didn’t he? This mission seemed so important…
“Okay… But, what do I even say to him?” Naruto agreed hesitantly.
“Convince him that our alliance is beneficial to Sunagakure.” Tsunade clarified. That didn’t make him feel any more certain in the slightest. Especially since it really didn’t sound like the alliance really was beneficial for Suna anymore, and hasn’t for a while, with Konoha receiving the most mission requests leaving Suna impoverished. It created a challenging dilemma, more difficult than any battle, because this couldn’t be resolved with fists. Did he prioritize his Hokage, or his friendship with the Kazekage? Was his mission to lie to Gaara?
Maybe in time, the answer would present itself. But for now,
“Okay. I’ll try.”