Adventures
In the
Afterlife
A Tsunade x Jiraiya Tale
By: June
Chapter Four
I was pounced on by a brunette cannonball wearing his favorite outfit. A phantom copy of the First Hokage's necklace, the one destroyed by Naruto. I didn't blame the kid, as I had given it to him in the first place. It was time someone conquered that thing's curse. I staggered backward, nearly backing into the steps leading to the second floor of the apartment complex.
"Ooof!"
"Tsunade! Tsunade!"
I smiled, truly smiled, hearing the voice I'd missed for fifty years or more while alive. I scooped the kid up in my arms and hugged him, so happy just to hear his voice again.
"I missed you, you scamp! Hope you've been behaving Nawaki," I teased, cuddling him.
"Ufff of course onee-chan but put me down first!"
I laughingly obliged, smiling at my rumple-headed little brother. Who I hadn't seen for fifty years. His messy brunette mop was just as it always had been, his grey green eyes shining with happiness to see me. I repressed the urge to cry as I felt the old guilt surfacing. I was his big sister. Why hadn't I been there for him? I could have saved him! I should have. . .
"Tsunade."
As always, Jiraiya's voice brought me out of the downward spiral into bad memories. I smiled at him ruefully in thanks, turning to Nawaki, "Hey, why not show me around this place otouto?"
"Only if Jiraiya-kun can come."
Jiraiya grinned when I shot him an irked look. He seemed to just love this sort of payback. With a grin, as my little brother was long familiar with our trademark squabbles, Nawaki grabbed both of our hands and tugged us along.
"Over there is the clothing shop-Hi!-and right next to it is Furuka-san's ramen shop, and over there. . ."
Nawaki chattered on, excited to show me around the neighborhood he had been living in. Names drifted in one ear and out the other, because I wasn't really paying attention. I was simply hungrily drinking in the sight of two of the three of the people I had loved and missed most in my life. My heart felt almost swollen with feeling as I feasted my eyes on them both.
Nawaki's grey green eyes shone with pleasure as he talked, waving happily and explaining about me proudly to anyone who would hail him with a greeting. And many did; Nawaki was obviously well known here. All the adults greeted my brother indulgently, obviously used to his chatter. However, they would often glance at me, as if I was an utter oddity. Nawaki didn't seem to notice. He had been tugging both of us along, but at some point had let go of Jiraiya's hand to solely hold mine. The squeeze hold Nawaki had on my wrist spoke volumes on how much he had missed me.
Occasionally, when I hoped he wasn't looking, I looked at Jiraiya. He had the same geta he'd worn in life, no matter how much I'd teased him on it when we were older that they would ruin, and probably already had ruined his feet. After he had kicked up a pointed fuss about my heels, however, I stopped twitting him about it. His robes were clean, free of the bloodstains I had imagined in my darkest moments. Jiraiya grinned at the people he knew, saying hello and stopping for a quick chat before hurrying to catch up to us. The surprising thing was that we ran into several women of Jiraiya's type (beautiful, ample breasts, moronic and often, but not always whores) and he didn't make so much as a lewd comment. Not a one. Maybe that was because of present company, but that hadn't stopped him from saying (or doing) something perverted before. You have NO idea of how many times I accused Jiraiya of attempting to turn Nawaki into a pervert.
"Distracted, Tsunade?"
Damn. He'd caught me staring. I turned my head away, my cheeks betraying my flustered state as I walked quickly away, "Is it a crime to look at a friend I haven't seen in twenty years baka?"
Jiraiya caught up easily with his longer strides. "Nah. You've got me there. Besides, who wouldn't want to stare at me?"
JIRAIYA! IF WE WERE ALIVE I"D KILL YOU FOR THAT ONE, YOU NUISANCE!
". . . . . ."
Whump!
I had punched his shoulder, however, not hard enough to really send him flying. Seeing him wince, I realized I had hit his bad shoulder. Memories of his death had to make that HURT. . . . New body or not, he'd probably have phantom pains there for a long while after his death. The familiar sting of guilt stabbed me.
I sighed, "Didn't mean to hit your bad shoulder." Damn. Even if he wasn't angry when we first met up, he's got to be mad now. . .
"Don't mention it. It didn't really hurt."
I restrained a snort as I walked along, dodging the occaisional street stall. I had seen him wince; I knew that my punch hurt. However, the It didn't hurt like some other things you've done was implied. I looked away from him, suddenly realizing I was no longer being pulled. Nawaki had disappeared at some point. . . I realized this had to be a setup. Or Nawaki had just lost us. I hoped it was the second option. I honestly had no idea how I would react to the first option.
"Tsunade? Why are you so distracted?"
I stiffened on automatic when a large, warm hand descended on my shoulder, pausing the pair of us under a store awning. It was hard to breathe with Jiraiya so near for some reason. His warmth, his low voice on my rattled nerves, his scent of foreign spices and something potently male, every bit of him was both soothing and rattling me. My head was starting to fog up from everything that had happened, memories dredged up and bitterest guilt stirring. . . .
"Tsunade," Jiraiya said, neatly snapping me out of the haze I was close to drowning in. Now he had both hands on my shoulders and concerned onyx eyes looked into mine searchingly. He was worried about me. I couldn't bear the weight of his concern over me. . . Especially when I was so undeserving of anything resembling care from this man, baka or not.
Gathering my wits, I managed, "I think we lost Nawaki. Where did that rascal go?"
With a smile as false as my illusion jutsu had been in life, I tried to turn away from him. His grip tightened. He refused to let me for a minute, and then a flicker of almost . . . despair crossed his face. He let me go a moment after. A facsimile of Jiraiya's grin quickly covered up the moment of unhappiness, but it had been there. Guilt raked at me again.
"I'm newly dead Jiraiya. How did you act when you'd first died and come here?"
That came out wrong. All wrong.
It came out harsher, more snappish than intended. I winced, exasperated with myself. I couldn't seem to control my tongue as I should have been able to. I started walking again down the crowded lane, Jiraiya STILL following me for some reason.
"Makes sense. Want me to show you a place to unwind then? Nawaki will turn up; the kid knows the Neutral Zone better than both of us combined."
I sighed, my lips twitching in a slightly amazed smile. Like I said, thickheaded dolt at times Jiraiya might be, but he understands what pisses me off and stresses me out better than anyone else. He should, considering he's pressed most of those buttons and figured out the consequences for each. And figured out how long it takes for me to forgive.
"Yeah."
Jiraiya truly grinned this time. He stuck his hand out, and I gave him a curious look.
"Come on Tsunade. You're not stupid."
Scowling, I swatted his hand. Then, as some perverse notion hit, I grabbed his hand before he could completely pull it away. Jiraiya blinked in brief surprise. This wasn't normal for me.
"Stop gawking and let's find that spot you were talking about," I said firmly.
Jiraiya laughed again, and tugged me off into the bustling streets.
Updated! I love writing this story! What do you guys think? Have I done Jiraiya and Tsunade well? And is Nawaki in charecter? What do you think of Tsunade's confusing feelings and Jiraiya's concern? Geez I have alotta questions this update. Please answer them anyway, in your lovely, much appreiciated reviews. Thank you to tatsumi-hime, janeway and BigNarutoFan for reviewing and return reviewing! Please, favorite, follow and review as you please, but I would love it if you did all three. Thanks!
-June