The start of something new. No promises on update pace. Lots has changed in the last couple years and my time is pretty limited. I felt like writing again after reading the end of Naruto. I will save my comments for the end so I don't ruin it for anyone.

Please read and review.

Sakura sighed as she reached the door of her master's office. Tsunade was known for her temper and her super human strength was not something Sakura wanted to be on the bad side of. It was bad enough during training when Tsunade was holding back. The last thing she needed was to be on the receiving end of Tsunade's temper. The fifteen year old genin would not stand a chance against an irate Sannin and the stack of papers in her arms was not going to please her master.

The rosette knocked on the door as best she could. Tsunade called her in and groaned when she saw the paperwork.

"I hope this is a joke," said the Hokage.

Sakura bowed as best she could.

"Forgive me. This pile is the last," explained the rosette.

The slug Sannin gestured for Sakura to put the papers on her desk. The rosette did as instructed. Tsunade picked the first file from the top and read it.

"Have you been practicing?" asked the blonde woman without looking up.

"Yes, milady," replied the rosette.

Amber eyes looked at her. Sakura had been practicing her observation skills from the perspective of a trained medical ninja and kunoichi.

"We shall see," said the Hokage slowly. "I want a full analysis of the next person that comes into this office."

Sakura nodded and stood silently while her master worked. Shizune was on a mission leaving Sakura as Tsunade's aid. The rosette took her duty seriously. Tsunade's elder apprentice was respected and Sakura desired the same status. It was the first step of her ultimate goal.

It was only a few moments before a knock rang through the office. Tsunade looked at her before calling the person to enter. The rosette was surprised to see Jiraiya enter. She was waiting for the loud whooping of Naruto. She never understood why a Sannin took Naruto as his apprentice. Sakura studied her master's teammate. He wasn't as lively as previous meetings. His appearance was one of tiredness, no, lethargy. His steps seemed heavy but they still had determination in them.

"Jiraiya," said the Hokage. "Leave the brat at that Ramen stand?"

Sakura felt the weight of the Toad's Sannin gaze for an instant.

"We need to speak in private," he said in a serious voice.

This was an aberration as well. Jiraiya usually complemented Tsunade or tried to flirt with her.

"I'm too busy for games," said the Hokage tapping her fingers on her desk.

"I see," replied the Toad Sannin.

Sakura felt the elder man's gaze again.

"She can be trusted," said Tsunade.

"Very well," he replied. "I don't know where Naruto is right now."

Tsunade was on her feet ready to yell but Jiraiya blurted out, "he's safe."

Tsunade clenched her fists.

"How do you know that if you don't know where he is?" shot back the Hokage in a voice laced with venom.

"I just do," replied the Hokage's old teammate without any give in his voice.

"Jiraiya," roared the amber eyed kunoichi. "I trusted you with him."

The Toad Sannin's temper flared instantly.

"He is my god son. I can train him as I see fit," he roared back without fear of Tsunade's temper.

Sakura was surprised to say the least. It explained why a Sannin trained the dead last in her class. However, it raised more questions than answers. If Jiraiya was Naruto's godfather it must mean he knew her teammate's parents. She felt her temper flare but she managed it for the moment.

"But you aren't training him," hissed back the Hokage.

Jiraiya crossed his arms over his chest. Sakura noticed a tattoo appearing out from under his left shirt sleeve. Jiraiya didn't have any tattoos. Sakura instantly pulled a kunai and moved between her master and this imposter.

"Get out of the way or you'll regret it," threatened the faux Sannin.

Sakura expected her master to tell her to move but her reaction was unexpected.

"What did you do?" said her master with great concern as she moved around her desk to her teammate.

Without hesitation she grabbed Jiraiya's arm and pulled up his sleeve. Sakura was on high alert.

"The price of his training," said the Toad Sannin pulling his arm back and pushing his sleeve down.

"Tell me that is not what I think it is," said the Hokage in an eerie voice.

Jiraiya looked at her.

"Why would you do this?" asked the Hokage in serious but concerned voice.

The Toad Sannin sighed.

"I can teach him many things but I couldn't help him find his place. Vague statements of training and power were not holding their sway any longer. He was losing himself and that cannot happen. I needed someone that could connect him with his heritage; someone that could teach him what it meant to be from a powerful clan."

Tsunade's eyes narrowed in an angry fashion.

"So he could fulfill the destiny we both believe he has."

Sakura took in the information and filed it away for later.

"I would have taught," said the Hokage.

"You are quarter Uzumaki at best. He needed a full blood Uzumaki teacher."

"She was interested in me," said the Hokage.

The Toad Sannin shrugged.

"You were much younger then. You'd hardly fit her needs now. You are too old and set in your ways."

Tsunade's concern faded from her face.

"I am the Hokage and I should have been consulted. This is not acceptable," she lectured as she returned to her desk.

"I told you," he started but the blonde kunoichi raised her hand to silence her teammate.

She pointed to his arm.

"That seal is a measure of control on a high ranking Leaf ninja. Such agreements require the Hokage's permission," explained Tsunade in her best Hokage voice.

Jiraiya held out his arms.

"Arrest me then. Put me in prison," he said fully aware that she could do this.

"Don't be an idiot," she growled at him after a long harsh stare.

Tsunade sat at her desk and rubbed her temples for a moment. She gestured for Sakura to move. The genin rosette returned to her side.

"Why?" asked the Slug sannin.

Jiraiya let his arms fall to his side.

"The cruelty of strangers," replied Jiraiya.

An eyebrow rose above an amber eye.

"We were in a village. His training was progressing well enough. We took a couple weeks so he could recover. He met some teens his age. They became fast friends or so I thought. He spent the day with them and for once I thought he was finally able feel normal. I don't know how it happened but his seal appeared. One of the boys knew what it meant. They ran us out of the village," recounted the white haired man.

Sakura's eyes darted to her master.

"What else?" prodded the Hokage.

"There was a girl. I think he liked her. She seemed to like him."

Jiraiya shook his head.

"She led the charge to run us out. A young man like Naruto was not ready for the bile she spoke to him. After that…well, it wasn't good. He was lost and my words didn't hold any sway. I thought about returning but that wouldn't help either."

"So you told him," said Tsunade in a calm voice.

Jiraiya nodded.

"Everything?" asked the blonde kunoichi.

Jiraiya nodded again. Faster that Sakura could track her master's desk was in two pieces. Tsunade was over the debris and in her former teammate's face. Her chakra was honed like a scalpel.

"What were you thinking?"

Despite her fear driving her back Sakura saw that the Toad Sannin showed no fear or sign of concern.

"Because someone needed to tell him the truth. I told him what I knew. I don't know why it was necessary but he needed to know there was a purpose. His burden was given to him for a reason. He is the only one that could carry it. No one else in our village could have survived the sealing let alone fifteen years of abuse. I told him his father chose him out of necessity, yes, but also out of full faith and love. No one believed in him more than Minato."

Tsunade huffed.

"Kushina would have."

Jiraiya nodded.

"Fair enough."

The Hokage cursed and paced around the office.

"If he tells people, you know what it could mean," said the Hokage after a few moments.

Jiraiya shrugged.

"It could mean many things princess. Some good and some bad," he replied in a neutral tone.

Tsunade glared at him.

"He is not ready for that information. The damage it could do is hard to predict. He is too naïve to deal with the pressure," she lectured.

Jiraiya crossed his arms over his chest allowing about half an inch of the seal to show on his left arm.

"It hasn't been easy for him to this point. I think he can handle it," retorted the Toad Sannin.

Jiraiya smirked after a moment.

"This stale village could use to be shaken up a little."

Tsunade glared at him.

"This isn't a game. This could damage many in the village not to mention war," groused Tsunade.

"I see being Hokage has made you a politician," said the white haired man crossly.

"I could care less about me. I'm more concerned about Sarutobi-sensei's legacy. If people knew the terrible choices he made," said the amber eyes kunoichi.

"I will try to honor Sarutobi-sensei but I don't agree with him about Naruto. The boy deserved a chance to decide his own future."

Tsunade looked ready to explode.

"Admittedly he would need guidance but being a prince of Konoha would afford him access to the right people."

The Hokage looked away.

"I don't know. It also brings out the leaches."

Jiraiya grunted.

"It would have been better than his life now."

Tsunade walked to her window and looked out over the village. Jiraiya walked to the window and stood next to her.

"We are as guilty as they are," said the Toad Sannin in a low somber voice.

"What are you talking about you old fool? We are worse," she groused.

Jiraiya nodded.

"And what is the price of your penance?" asked the Slug Sannin looking toward her teammate's arm.

"Day for day," he replied.

Tsunade closed her eyes and sighed.

"She was feeling very generous. Her price is usally mught higher if the rumors are to be believed," said the Hokage.

Jiraiya grunted and looked at this left arm.

"This is hardly a penance; a beginning at best. My suffering waits in the next life," he said.

Tsunade huffed.

"Kushina is going to be livid."

Jiraiya laughed.

"She was livid when I took Minato out to celebrate their engagement. This…this is going to be far worse."

Sakura noticed both Sannin shiver. She remained silent watching the pair.

"This is what long time teammates look like," she thought.

The rosette wondered if she and Naruto would be like this some day. She was taken from her musings when the Toad Sannin yawned.

"Go rest. I will come by and check on you later," ordered the Hokage.

The white haired man nodded and walked out of the Hokage's office. Tsunade continued to look out the window for several moments. Sakura didn't move for fear of what might happen. The Hokage eventually sighed. She turned to her destroyed desk. Her eyes appeared tired and perhaps a little lost. The Hokage bent down to start cleaning up. Sakura rushed to the desk and started to clean up.

"Don't," said the Hokage in a calm voice.

Sakura looked up at her master.

"Dismissed," said the Hokage in a tired voice that the rosette never heard before.

"Milady," said the younger kunoichi.

Tsunade sighed.

"It goes without saying but I'll say it anyway if you insist on staying here," said the Hokage with her best sensei voice. "If you speak of any of this you will be jailed for exposing a secret of the highest rank. I will personally assign your punishments on daily basis. You will spend the rest of your days regretting the day you betrayed your village. You will spend your nights wishing you never met me."

The rosette didn't realize how tense her body had become. When Sakura realized the unconscious loss of control her forced her body back under her control and dropped to one knee before her master. Her head was bowed with a fist on the ground.

"I would never betray you, milady. You are my teacher and I owe you everything," she said with sincerity.

Tsunade was silent.

"Rise," she finally said.

The rosette got to her feet. Amber eyes were boaring into her. They lacked the usual energy but there was determination she had never seen before. Tsunade reached a hand out and put it firmly on Sakura's shoulder.

"Naruto is a great hero of this village. I hope this will open your eyes," said the Hokage without her eyes moving.

Sakura lowered her eyes.

"The truth…the secret you were forbidden from knowing," she said.

The rosette continued to look down.

"When the Kyuubi attacked this village, it couldn't be stopped by conventional means. Tailed beasts are too powerful to kill. The only option is to seal them into human beings," she said.

Sakura couldn't fully contain her gasp.

"The Fourth Hokage took his own son on the day of his birth and sealed the most powerful of the Tailed beasts into him," explained Tsunade.

The girl shook but the Hokage did not move her hand.

"Imagine holding back the power of a force so great the Fourth Hokage could not stop it. The fortitude, the stamina, the chakra. Minato was a genius so the seal is probably terribly powerful but imagine the difficulties controlling chakra with another being sealed inside of you. One that is looking to escape at the first sign of weakness."

Sakura felt ashamed. She was the weak girl that needed protected. She wasn't that girl any longer. She was going to be powerful. Her training with Tsunade had pushed her to the limit mentally, physically and she thought emotionally. It seemed she hadn't scratched the surface of emotional training. She was conscious of her emotions but the damage she did to others wasn't on her radar.

Before the green eyed teen could fully rationalized the changes she needed to make Tsunade removed her hand.

"Dismissed," said the Hokage again in a tired voice.

Sakura bowed her head and left her master's office. She wasn't sure where to go or what to do. She thought Sasuke's departure rocked her to the core. This forced her to rethink everything she knew about Naruto.

Well, I hope you liked the start. Please review.

Spoiler alert:

Lots and lots of fuss over the ending of Naruto for those of us that follow Narusaku. I was not upset about the Naruhina ending. It was always a possibility. I'm not saying I love it; I'm saying I can live with it if it happened naturally. I haven't watched The Last yet so time will tell.

The part that irritates me was the Sasusaku. Sasuke may have found his way out of the shadows but for Sakura to end up with Sasuke is an insult to Sakura. She was a little brat at the start but she grew into a reliable companion to Naruto. Whether it was marriage or close friendship, the pair would remain close. They watched out for each other and grew to care for each other. It was a waste to develop her character for her to fall back into the fan girl mode the second Sasuke smiles at her. Very sad.