The Shadow of the Hidden Leaf

Entering the Hokage's place, a woman whose in her 30's was staring at two people while wiping the brows on her face.

"Ugh. I can't seem to get used to seeing you but it seems that my problems in Konoha had seem to be lower than usual thanks to you."

"Lady Hokage. It seems that you have called me and it should have been an important one. I assumed that you didn't call me out here just to stare at me all the time."

"....Your not really cute than what Naruto kept telling me about."

"While you are my sensei Lady Hokage, i am not gonna bother the subject between Me and Naruto. I only came here for the topic as to why you call me."

Tsunade and Kizuna had a long history of a relationship as they were once student and teacher.

While Tsunade had been training Sakura, she is also training Kizuna secretly due to hiding from Danzo.

The first time Kizuna met Tsunade, she was always fangirling and idolizing Tsunade for her Medical Jutsu as she always wanted to learn more from her. 

Tsunade was quite surprise that the girl in front of her was someone important to Naruto as she always ask why she kept hiding from Naruto. 

"Its because my grandfather was using Naruto to threaten me that i had to cut off all relationships from him. Danzo is a dangerous man and i need to keep an eye on that person. If i don't Naruto will be in danger because of me." 

She felt like Kizuna was always pitiful when she first met her but she still kept smiling and radiating with positivity after such a long time yet. As time goes on, she began to lose that smile and her radiance that by the time she ended her grandfather's life, she had completely change. 

She always called Tsunade Sensei with positivity and happiness as she always happy to learn new things from her but this Kizuna became more strict on herself and she ruled Danzo's foundation like him yet with a new objective. 

Tsunade's info began to skyrocket as she began to see new information everyday because of Kizuna.

She was in contact with the rogue ninja Itachi with regards to the Akatsuki as her info didn't range from that. Her influence goes far bigger than what Tsunade had expected that she started planting spies on every village and relaying infos which the missions ninjas could take began to raise even higher and her problems began to slowly decrease.

What made it even better was Jiraiya began to lessen his secret service on Konoha and began to spend more time here which she felt a bit happy thanks to Kizuna yet she could see that Kizuna had baggy eyes and a dark look which she could understand how hard-working she was.

'She's breaking down....' 

As a medical Ninja, Tsunade knew that Kizuna was using medical jutsu to sustain herself as she kept using it to lessen her sleeping scedule to do more training and stuff.

Kizuna was always prepared for something as the Akatsuki was quite a dangerous foes to Konoha and a threat for Naruto.

But what scared her even more was the info of Madara Uchiha.

'A powerhouse that can contend to the First Hokage and is quite a powerful person. While i don't know his objectives, i don't even know if i'm strong enough to fight him.'

This influences Kizuna's training as she can't understand how powerful Madara is. A person who could contend the First Hokage, Kizuna began to prepare as many counters to contend to such a powerful ninja.

Tsunade who saw that Kizuna was slowly getting annoyed, decided to tell some information on someone with powerful techniques she can learn from, a friend of a jounin who she can learn. 

"This guy is a master of Barriers and Sealing jutsu and you can learn from him on helping you master some of your techniques. Since you don't want to be seen by your fellow friends, i can recommend you to him since you have lack from those skills. Take this as a token of appreciation from your master since you might need some of his training."

Tsunade also planned that maybe training with some Monks might help Kizuna relax a bit as she was quite a talented genius. She didn't discriminate any techniques she can learn and even if its an evil jutsu, she will use it for the sake of protecting her friends.

Kizuna was quite unnerved due to having to trained with monks might not be a great choice yet she might need some help in regards to that department.

Her sealing techniques were quite lacking as maybe monks might help her with that. Yet, she didn't know why Tsunade did this to her as she decided not to ask and head back to the foundation to talk with Rin about Tsunade's suggestion.

"Lady Shimura, i think you should try and relax for a bit as Monks are known for their calm nature. You might even make more rational decisions if you join up with them."

"Hmn...your kinda right...."

Kizuna was slowly agreeing to this as Rin was quite happy that Kizuna might start to train less and start relaxing for a bit. 

While she has far grown stronger, she always feels tired and been less sane from time to time. Even starting to break down on some occasion. 

She can understand from Kizuna's perspective that she is overprotective of her friend that it might lessen her lifespan and even slowly heading to destruction if she didn't relax for a bit.

And so, Kizuna decided to let Izumi and Rin handle the foundation's affairs for a bit while letting herself relax as she heads to the place Tsunade told her about.

The Fire Temple. 

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"Hmn.... A young one such as yourself seems to be clouded with worry and fear. While i have no skills to teach you to become strong, i might help you calm yourself and find inner peace."

A bald man with thick eyebrows gazes upon Kizuna as he felt like she has a dark presence all around her.

While he saw no malice within her, he feels like her aura had been slowly corrupted by evil as she might break down from the pressure he didn't know.

Chiriku compose himself as he had no teachings he can advise to the girl yet, seeing her determinatiom, he wanted to at least try and make her regain her lost soul.

Some Monks had found the young woman in front of their Master to be quite an attractive woman as she just stood silently while listening and conversing with their master. She sometimes slip a smile whenever their master tells something good about their friend as she was quite cute if she continue to act in her age and act childish from time to time. 

She had to quickly mature in order to make rational thoughts as her decisions would be the place of life and death on her family. The foundation her grandfather made was quite powerful yet, she knew that she is still immature enough to make dump decisions if she continue to act like herself, so she needed to change.

Chiriku saw Kizuna's complexion of tireness as he knew someday she will break down out of sheer pressure as some of his teachings had been mostly meditation.

While this doesn't help her get any stronger, she had been improving a lot by calming down as he can see her changes which made him smile.

Even as compose as he is, Chiriku saw that Kizuna was like a cowardly pup who saw evil in the world yet she wanted to do something for her friend.

He often advice her that his friend is strong yet she always shook that thought off as she was scared of the unknown. Then, he notice the paranoia within Kizuna's mindset.

Knowledge can lead to fear as the more she learns, the scarier what version she sees.

It seems that she had taken image of some powerful being within her heart which cause her to be scared of something strong when she never felt that person's presence.

Kizuna was mostly worried of two people she lack info off as this continues to haunt her whenever she had nightmares of her friend dying.

'N-naruto.... S-sasuke....'

At first, she was mostly worried for that kind and knuckle-headed friend who always charges right into danger as she will remember that smile of his that would always calms her down.

Then, she remember that edgy kid who always seeks vengence on his brother that she can felt the same energy as him yet she knows he and her are different.

These were the two friends she knows about and had always been together since they were kids.

Yet, all three of them started walking in different directions as they each have objectives to achieve.

One to achieve his dream of being Hokage, the other for vengence and the last being to get stronger to protect those two and the rest of Konoha.

Kizuna might have the strength to do it but is it enough? She doesn't know but she needs to train even harder to do so.

Chiriku saw her determination as this wasn't bad at all to train a young girl who was briming with talent, even if she doesn't have the same skills as him.

He would train her with some of the monk's techniques while also helping her with making barriers and seals as her variety of skills had increase as she always feels happy when she can use everything she can use to help her.

He was also proud that Kizuna was quite a pupil and such a determined student that his compose heart slowly melted from teaching her so many things.

It also known that the monks grew to like Kizuna because she would also train with them and found her charming smile to be quite a nice decoration to their temple.

But the one who improve the most was Kizuna.

Everyday, she would sit in a cross-legged motion as her thoughts would disappear and she feels strangely tranquil.

The chaotic mess in her mind would always be something that had shaken her resolve as she always been seen to break down from time to time.

Chiriku also sees that she had break down on most of the occasion as for once, she didn't show any emotion of pain, worry or anger. She would show a calm expression as she would stay conposed and listen to the sounds of the wind blowing around her.

Yet, she is at peace....

And for once in sometime since she took the mantle of Danzo's small kingdom, she was happy.

There, her complexion finally return as her smile radiated back anew as she face Chiriku with a smile.

"Thank you...."

She cried in happiness for everything the monk had taught her as she didn't have to shoulder everything on her own. The thoughts of a powerful foe had continue to haunt her that it narrowed down her judgement and forgot to rely on the people she held close.

Chiriku could still see that there was still some cloud in her heart but seeing the radiating light within her, he was glad and then....

She tripped....

So, not only she returned to her old self for a bit, she gained a new trait which might affect her daily lifestyle for sometime. Yet, she was finally returned to that positive girl who was still the young girl who chases her two friends as she, with a determined look, will continue to fight her foes.

But, a dark cloud began to rise within the Fire Temple as two men slowly walk up as their robes signify the red cloud symbol her enemies wore....