Keiko was going into Tsunade's office to ask her a question when she saw the older woman getting ready to leave. "Hey, Tsunade, where are you going?" Keiko asked nervously. Keiko didn't like being alone, but Tsunade didn't understand that.
"I'm just going out for a while. Remember, I needed to run a few errands. I told you about this, this morning." Tsunade explained. Tsunade continued to put her green jacket on and started to head towards the door. Keiko desperately shouted out for Tsunade to stop. "Keiko, what's wrong? You're not acting like you usually do."
"Uh, well, I, uh, can I go with you? I'll stay out of trouble! I promise!" Keiko begged. Tsunade was worried about how Keiko was acting. Keiko usually never freaked out like that. Just to be on the safe side, Tsunade allowed Keiko to come with her while she ran her errands. When they arrived at one of the stores, Tsunade asked Keiko to stay outside while she went in for a minute. As soon as she asked that, she saw fear in Keiko's eyes. At that moment, Tsunade knew for sure something was wrong with Keiko and she was determined to find out what was wrong.
"Keiko, I'll only be gone for a second. I promise." Tsunade told Keiko as to comfort her. Keiko really didn't want Tsunade to leave, but Keiko didn't argue with her. She was really nervous of being left alone, even for a second, but she allowed Tsunade to leave her side to go inside the store.
"Yeah, okay. I'll be right here when you come back." responded Keiko very quietly. Keiko was acting stranger now, than she was before. Tsunade was really worried. When Tsunade went into the store, she decided to try something. She bought what she needed to get, but she didn't go back outside right away. Tsunade sat next to a window looking out at Keiko. This was the only way Tsunade was going to find out why Keiko wouldn't let her leave her side.
Keiko was getting nervous. Tsunade was gone a lot longer than she said she was going to be gone. Keiko started to sweat and start to pace nervously. "Where is Tsunade?" Keiko wondered, "She said she was only going to be gone for ten minutes!" Keiko stopped pacing at sat on a bench looking back and forth for Tsunade. Tsunade, who was watching Keiko through the window, was getting really worried. She had never seen Keiko this upset. Soon Tsunade couldn't stand it any longer. She hated to see Keiko upset. Tsunade went outside to comfort Keiko.
"Hey! Where have you been?" Keiko asked as she tackled Tsunade. "You said you were only going to be gone for ten minutes!" Keiko was squeezing Tsunade pretty hard, so hard, Tsunade wondered if Keiko was even going to let go.
"Hey, I had to wait in a long line. I'm back now. Okay? Now, can you let me go so I can stand up?" Tsunade asked the clinging Keiko. Well, Keiko wasn't freaking out anymore, but Tsunade still wanted to know why Keiko did freak out like that. "Hey, Keiko, why don't you like being left alone? What's so bad about it?" Tsunade asked.
"Well, I, uh, I just don't like being left alone." Keiko started to fidget. "It's another one of my fears. It's gotten a lot worse lately. Every time I'm left alone, I get this feeling like something bad is going to happen. So, that's why I don't like being left alone." Keiko couldn't even look at Tsunade. She didn't like talking about her fears. Tsunade was one of the few people she would talk about them to. Jiraiya, her father, was the other person she would talk about her fears too.
"So, Keiko has Autophobia. Another thing I have to remember she's afraid of. That kid is a walking encyclopedia of phobias" Tsunade laughed. This made Keiko nervous. Tsunade saw that and told Keiko it was okay. If Keiko ever felt scared, she could go and stay with Tsunade until she felt safe again. Keiko was happy about that. Keiko was also happy about the fact that Tsunade was there for her when she needed someone.