This is a side story to "Rain or Shine". It takes place the day after Naruto and Sakura's wedding. Five couples all on journeys both physical and emotional: JiraiyaxTsunade, NeijixTenten, ShikamaruxTemari, GaaraxMatsuri, NarutoxSakura. The title comes from a line in a Loreena McKennitt song that inspired this side story. This story is separate from the rest of "Rain or Shine" because of the M rating for mild but overt sexual content and that the main focus is on some of the other couples. (Unbetaed draft)
All Roads Lead to You
Jiraiya looked at Tsunade still asleep in her bed. She was still as beautiful as he remembered from their youth. He quietly dressed in the dim light coming in the one unshuttered window. All that was left was writing a short note thanking her for finally giving him his hearts desire, one night with her, as just a man and woman. He best wake her too, she needed to at least be dressed when Naruto and Sakura arrived to take up residence here.
Jiraiya smiled, it would be good for the village to have a young Hokage again, one that would soon be having his own family, no doubt. Those two would certainly fulfill the other meaning of their nickname, the Legendary Rabbit Two.
Jiraiya wrote, chuckling at the strange romantic poet that came from somewhere. May as well go all the way with this and write a poem. She's going to laugh at this romantic sappiness... where the hell did this come from, "all roads lead to you"? Never wrote this kind of poetry before. The only poetry I wrote before was that perverted crap when I was 15...
Jiraiya gently shook Tsunade's shoulder. He stepped away and into the shadows of the bedroom in case she didn't recall what they had done and woke up enraged.
"Huh? Why am I naked?"
Jiraiya softly groaned, she didn't remember.
"Oh, that's right." Tsunade laughed as her eyes lit on Jiraiya. "Stop cowering you old fool, I'm not going to pummel you for staring."
He sighed with relief and stepped forward into the light. "Tsunade, I'm going to go now. Things seem peaceful now, but it's better if I'm out in the field making sure it is."
"Hold on. This time I'm going with you." Tsunade smiled at him.
Jiraiya looked stunned. She wanted to travel with him? They hadn't done that since he brought her back to Konoha to become the Fifth Hokage, and then Shizune and Naruto had been with them. They hadn't traveled together, just the two of them, since they were teenagers on espionage missions. Orochimaru was usually on those missions too, but he preferred to strike out on his own. He and Tsunade would work as a team. It was the closest they'd come to dating back in those days, after Nawaki died and before she got involved with Dan. "Won't Naruto need you as an adviser?"
"Naruto will be fine for a few months without me to advise him. It will make him look more mature, and capable of holding the job, if he can stand up to the council without me around. It would look like I was mothering him and didn't have confidence in him if I was always around. He'll have his wife and friends to advise him. It'll be good to let this new generation get a firm hold and let the council know they will have to work with them."
Tsunade jumped out of bed, and still naked, began to sort through her clothing and supplies for what would be suitable for a journey. She piled that on the bed and walked to the shower. As she closed the door she said, "Jiraiya, could you get me the ninja travel packs? I don't have them anymore. I'll pay you back when you get back with them. "She opened the door briefly, and smiled at him.
Jiraiya grinned back. She's actually going to do this. This going to be the best trip ever! He looked at the clock, he knew of one ninja supply shop in town that was open now.
He and Tsunade left before Naruto and Sakura arrived to take up residence. It was more fun to leave them guessing rather than knowing for sure what was going on. Tsunade wrote out their mission leave beforehand though, so Naruto would know when to expect them back. Tsunade insisted on that, as Naruto was Hokage now. It would leave another clear message to the counsel that Naruto was the one in power now, even the retired Hokage would report to him. She also made sure the mission leave for Neiji and Tenten would be one of the first things he saw. Neiji was one of his advisers so Naruto should know before the council did that he was on a C ranked mission to Wave Country.
Tsunade hadn't felt so free and happy since her parents and grandparents were still alive, and her little brother was a baby. The First Hokage had died in battle the day before she entered the Academy, and her parents were both gone before she reached Chunin. Then she lost Nawaki, then Dan...
Stop! She shouted in her head, dispelling the dark mood that had threatened overtake this simple moment of happiness. She thought of her two apprentices and how they had found love and happiness, in part because of her efforts, and smiled again.
The day promised to be a beautiful spring day, just cool enough to be invigorating. A great day to start a journey. She glanced back at Jiraiya. He was staring at her with a stupid grin that had more than a hint of a leer. It made her feel girlish and playful.
Jiraiya felt like he was a Genin kid again, he couldn't resist the urge that bubbled up to playfully tug on one of Tsunade's ponytails.
Tsunade wouldn't stand for that without retaliation. She reached back and yanked hard on his ponytail. She pulled hard enough it threw him off balance and he fell sprawling on the path. She laughed and ran away from him.
Jiraiya found himself laughing too as he chased after Tsunade. They really were acting like kids, and boy was it fun!
Tsunade was giggling like she hadn't since she was a girl as the playful chasing game was on. Her apprentices would never believe their teacher was acting like a ten year old girl.
Jiraiya finally caught up with her and grabbed her from behind. Tsunade knocked him off balance again and they both fell to the ground, with her on top. Now as she straddled his chest, she leered, vividly remembering last night. Jiraiya chuckled deeply; this had been a fun game, and promised to get even better.
"Having to get up this early is so troublesome" Shikamaru grumbled
Temari just rolled her eyes, and tossed him his travel pack. "We're starting early because Gaara has to, or the council will start whining because he's not back home yet."
"Your brother's council is almost as bad as Konoha's."
"Worse. They're totally dependent on the Kazekage to make them look tough, except for Baki sensei and Kankuro. Oh, and Ebizo jiisama." Temari laughed, He was the oldest guy on the council and a totally softie to Gaara, but he fought the stupid ones on the council as fiercely as Kankuro did. Well, nearly, he hadn't jumped over the table and choked one of them- yet!
"So do we have time?" Shikamaru gave Temari a faintly suggestive look.
"Of course. I'm in the mood for a fast ride this morning" She smirked then laughed when he looked uncomfortable at her bluntness. "Come on little boy" she mocked "lets see if you can get me off faster than the last time we tried this."
"Faster, huh? Three minutes and forty seconds, right?"
"Yep!"
"Times a wasting, then!" He shouted as flipped her backwards onto the bed.
"Gaara sama?"
"Yes, Matsuri chan?"
"How soon do you want to have children after we're married?" Matsuri blushed lightly at bringing up a subject so frankly in public. They were in a restaurant near the gates of Konoha. Sakura san had recommended it last night, and it was quite nice. Something about the atmosphere made her think of the family she and Gaara would someday have.
Gaara paused, closing his eyes and smiling faintly. He could picture the children in his head already. Unlike his childhood, their children would all be wanted and loved. "Whenever you want them."
Matsuri scooted over on the bench and cuddled close. She blushed a bit redder as she whispered in his ear. "I'd like to right away."
Gaara blushed slightly, and took her hand. He opened his eyes and gazed into Matsuri's. Every day with her he learned something new about what love meant. This perhaps was a bit of what his friends Naruto and Sakura felt for each other. Desire with deep love. No wonder they were nicknamed "Legendary Rabbit Pair". Gaara wondered if he and Matsuri could sneak back to the guest quarters for visiting Kage. Then he sighed with disappointment when he saw the clock on the wall. Not enough time.
"Is something wrong, Gaara sama?"
"No, I would have liked to had more time to visit Konoha, that's all." His look though, said more, he would have liked to have had that time alone with Matsuri here. In Suna piles of paperwork and whining council members awaited him. Here he had time to be with friends and to be with Matsuri. Matsuri would be busy with her regular duties, and her part of the wedding preparations. They probably wouldn't see much of each other until the day they married. It was going to be a long six weeks…
Sakura kissed Naruto again. They were going to be late for his first day as Hokage, but right now, neither one of them cared. She was still in her sleeping robe and panties, although they had both come off three times already, this morning. Naruto was still only half dressed, with pants but no shirt, much less the robe, and the hat of office lay on the kitchen counter.
Normally Sakura would be anxious about being on time, and Naruto disliked being late as well. But as they chose to go right to work: not taking a honeymoon, no one was going to get that upset if they came in a bit late.
Naruto was sure it would add to their reputation as the "Legendary Rabbit Pair", but there were far worse things than to have a reputation as an overly horny couple. As they broke from the kiss Naruto leered at Sakura and tossed her robe on the floor, yet again. She excitedly reached for his pants, and for the fourth time this morning they joined her robe on the floor.
Guarding their door and hearing moans and squeals of pleasure yet again, Sasuke just shook his head and looked amused. Guess they're making up for yesterday... Sai jumped down to the landing. "So do you think that will be the last one this morning?"
Sasuke shrugged, "Maybe for the morning."
Up on the roof Kakashi was sort of in awe. "Four times in less than an hour? That's some chakra control and reserves."
Yamato thought, "That probably was the last for now, unless they do it in the bath. They'll probably start out in fifteen minutes. They won't be more than five minutes late, if I'm guessing right."
Ino paced impatiently and seethed inwardly, "Enough, rabbit pair! I can't wait around all day while you two screw, for the hundredth time! It's not like you won't get plenty of opportunity for that in the private Hokage quarters! I've got other things to do today. If they aren't out of there in a half hour I'm going in and drag them both out! I've got to meet with my mom and Choji's mom to plan out the wedding details; plus they're treating me to lunch at my favorite restaurant."
As Yamato predicted, fifteen minutes later Naruto and Sakura finally left his old apartment for the last time. Naruto was in full Hokage regalia and Sakura in her wedding dress but with her hair loose about her shoulders. Sakura snuck in one more quick kiss before they set off with their escorts. They walked toward their new lives with joy in their hearts and on their faces.
After they had traveled in silence for a couple of hours, Neiji spoke. "Tenten, I'm sorry that I proposed that way. I had planned to do the proper courtship before I asked you."
Tenten snorted dismissively. "I'm not into that courtship stuff anyway, it's too much a waste of time and money. If want to marry someone it should be obvious they want to be with you. So I'm happy that you proposed that way."
Neiji smiled faintly, her practical mind was what attracted him in the first place. "Good. I just wish I could have done it without the family issues hanging over us."
Tenten smiled back at him and shrugged. "I know how you family is, if it hadn't been that moment it would have been soon enough. I want to be at your side to be your best ally for the rest of our lives."
She stepped closer to him and took his hand as they walked onward. He didn't say anything but his eyes met hers. That was the other thing that had made him fall in love with her. She had been the only one to befriend him, the only one he had confided his pain to.
Most people had looked at him as just another arrogant Hyuuga. It made him despise them, turning him into a bitter and arrogant boy. Tenten hadn't judged him like the others. She was the first person to ask him about his family and be genuinely curious about what he would say. After they had been on the team for a while he had started confiding things to her.
Guy sensei was pretty good about treating him the same as he had the others. Despite the fact he thought the man was somewhat insane, he treated the Guy sensei with the respect he deserved.
He and Lee had not got along until after the Chunin exams. Neiji thought Lee despised him for the same reasons most people did, because he was a Hyuuga. It was only after he had fought and lost to Naruto and his uncle made his confession that he realized that some people like Lee despised him because he had acted despicably, not because of his clan.
From that point on Neiji decided he would try to work with Lee as an equal team mate. He still found Lee exasperating for his parroting of the most weird and stupid stuff Guy sensei did and said, but the two of them had become friends despite that.
But Tenten, what had started out as a tentative friendship, had somewhere along the line become love. He took responsibility for training Tenten for the Chunin exam. Guy sensei seemed relieved, it freed him up to work with Lee. Guy sensei had likely also noticed that Tenten was bringing him out of his bitter shell somewhat. He could be sharply perceptive under that ridiculous posturing.
Guy sensei would probably want to throw them a big party when they came back married. He'd get drunk and say stupid encouraging things and probably start crying. It would be so mortifyingly embarrassing. Good thing he and Tenten would have the next month far away from Konoha to start their married life with some privacy.
Neiji blushed lightly, images of Tenten naked jumping to front of his mind. They hadn't gone beyond a kiss yet, and even that had been a recent thing. He knew he was seen as repressed by most who he called friend now.
His "repression" was partly discomfort at public displays of affection and partly a desire to protect Tenten from the worst people in his clan. They would make an issue out of his marriage to someone outside of the Hyuuga clan. Tenten knew how his clan was, and loved him enough to put herself in the middle of it. Her love made him feel all the more determined to fight for this marriage. They'd accept this and he'd do his best to make sure they did.
Tenten watched the emotions flit across Neiji's face. She knew what he was thinking about. She did dread the battle to come with his clan to accept her as Neiji's wife. How many years would it take? Maybe once she had a child they'd stop giving her dirty looks. She hoped their kids would be the most powerful Byakugan users ever, that would shut the clan up. She would do her best to not let them intimidate her, for both Neiji and her sakes. She gave Neiji's hand a reassuring squeeze and he returned it.