Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of it's characters. If I did, Jiraiya would still be alive. *cries*
Author's Note: This story takes place sometime after Tsunade wakes up from her coma. I might decide to make it chapter fic and right more encounters between these two characters, but I haven't made up my mind about that yet. We'll see if inspiration strikes me.
The door shuts behind the last shinobi leaving her office and she lets out a deep sigh, relaxing her face. She has noticed that (unintentionally) she tightens up the muscles in her face into an intimidating scowl during all the war preparation meetings. It's beginning to be a problem for her already old and abused skin.
She reaches into her desk drawer and pulls out a small mirror. The woman looking back at her looks worn and tired, eyes glazed over a bit.
"I think I see another wrinkle." His voice comes from out of nowhere and she flinches, startled. "I guess it's not surprising though. All that scowling is bound to have its consequences."
He patience is already wearing thin and her exhaustion is making her temper much quicker. "Why are you here?" she grumbles, placing the mirror back in the drawer and slamming it shut.
"There it is again! That scowl! You must have a ton of wrinkles under that jutsu of yours. I can't even imagine..."
She turns towards the voice and finds him seated in her windowsill in his spot. He grins at her teasingly and gives her a wink and for a moment, she believes that he's real and they're both really here and there's no war or death or pain and everything is okay. But then, reality hits and she feels the clenching pain in her chest, like she's losing him all over again. She squeezes her eyes shut to push back the tears that are forming and she turns away from him.
"Why do you keep coming here? Why can't you just go so I can get over this?" She asks, quietly choking on the words.
"Well, that's not really incentive for me to leave, is it? I can't have you forgetting about me and meeting another man, like before. I don't want another Don taking my place in your life again, do I?" He says it in a tone that sounds half-serious and she's really not sure if it's a joke or not.
"That's so selfish," she whispers, a tear escaping her eye.
"Yeah, well...selfishness has always been a flaw that you and I share."
This comment breaks her last bit of control and she stands up, knocking her chair over as she spins around to face him again. "It's a trait we used to share! Used to! But you're not here anymore! You're dead, remember? Dead! And all I want Is for you to go away and leave me alone so I can forget you! I have a war strategy to plan and tailed beasts to protect and I don't have time to waste on some stupid imaginary ghost thing! So, please go away! Just go away!" She pauses in her rant to pick up a very heavy book off of her desk and with all her monstrous strength, she throws it at him. He disappears as the book strikes him, not a trace of his presence left to show that he was ever there. The book continues on its path, soaring through the open window, showing no signs of physical contact on it's ways out.
Tsunade falls to the floor in a crumpled heap of tears, finally letting it all go.
There you go. I know it was short, but I'm much better at writing drabbles than I am anything else. Anyway, I hope you all enjoy this little piece and please let me know if you find Ghost Jiraiya interesting so I know whether I should post more of these or not. Thanks guys!
*Update* My little sister has decided to carry on with this idea (since Jiraiya and Tsunade are her muses and I merely borrowed them for this little ficlet) so if you want more of these ghostly encounters, head over to her page. Her UN is jellyelly22 and the story is called, "Visits from the Dead."