Naruto had been, as everyone expected, very glad to see his jonin sensei again, and immediately began to wave a newly printed Icha Icha in his face. Sakura had laughed at their jointed antics with good humor, not realize how Tsunade was scrutinizing her. She was, however, being watched very closely for the telltale signs of infatuation.
It was in the soft glow of her viridian eyes, the warmth of her cheeks and smile, and the wistfully longing to be elsewhere in her general countenance that gave her away, even if she did not know it herself. Tsunade bit her lip unconsciously, her blond eyebrows kitting together in frustration. That Uchiha brat was going to cause lots trouble for her, and she had no doubt the cocky bastard knew it, too.
Too consumed with her own thoughts, Tsunade hardly noticed when Kakashi left, taking her student and Naruto with him. Frowning, she noted the growing mound of paperwork had somehow doubled when she had her back turned. Shizune would never let her out of the office unless she finished it all off, but matters were rather pressing.
If she was going to pay that damned Uchiha a visit before something catastrophic happened between him and her student, it needed to be then.
So, with a short note to Shizune (and a quick chug of sake from the bottle hidden in her secret desk compartment), who was off doing errands, Tsunade escaped her duties through the window, In the end, after all, it was all about the paperwork.
Giving Kotetsu and Izumo the slip, Tsunade left the village and headed right into the trees. She should not have had to sneak from her own village; was she the Hokage or not? She digressed though, leaving the village with permission would amount to even more paperwork, which is what she was going to talk to that Uchiha for. She really was just trying to prevent him from making things any more difficult for her.
This was the first time Tsunade had even left Konohagakure in the two years she had been Hokage. She had been doing rather well, too, considering there was not one good place to gamble or drink in the entire village. It was not as if she were leaving for either of these vices; it was for the sake of her student. At least, that was all the council of elders needed to know when they started to nag her. As much as she enjoyed to gamble, it was not as if she would use the village funds, despite whatever they may have thought. It was too easy for people to track.
With as much grace as the name Hokage entitled, Tsunade sped through the treetops, cursing when she sensed a team of ANBU operatives on their patrol around the Konoha boarders coming in her direction. It seemed she was going to be delayed.
Itachi stormed off in a huff, no thanks to Kisame's insistent pestering. He really had done a very good job of ignoring his partner at first, but Kisame should have figured he had gone too far at some point. Perhaps crushing a teacup in his hand had been too subtle. Itachi had been so certain that would have conveyed his feelings affectively enough.
No, though, Kisame had persisted, determined to learn more of the pink-haired kunoichi. It was a perfectly natural reaction for Itachi to put him into a genjutsu-induced sleep when Kisame asked what size her bust was. Itachi had been sorely tempted to tell his partner to ask her himself, but that would only put Sakura in danger and reveal his identity.
Itachi had never in his life been tempted to drink alcohol, but almost suddenly, he got a strangely compelling urge to settle himself down at a bar and drown himself in sake. His body acted almost its own, leading him away from the Akatsuki quarters hidden in fire country's mountains, and to the nearest civilian town.
Itachi entered the first bar he came across. It was only around three in the afternoon, a little too early to be consuming alcohol, but he really did need it. If it gave him a few hours of numbness, then he would definitely take advantage of it.
It was a dark, grungy establishment, with conspiring, stereotypical criminals lounging in the corners. Itachi ignored the booths, and everything else for that matter, and sat himself down at the bar. He sent a deathly glare to the less-than presentable men around him, quickly sending them running with fear of his lethal sharingan. The manager looked slightly disgruntled that he had scared off good customers, but said nothing. He knew better than to mess with the likes of Uchiha Itachi.
"What can I get you today, sir?" The barman asked gruffly, wiping out the insides of a glass, then putting it away. Satisfied that he was alone as much as he could be in such a place, Itachi turned to the man, his expression blank. He knew he had angered the manager by riding him of customers, but he was not in the mood to care. It had been such a long time since he had intimidated other to get his way.
"Nigori." He ordered in a clear, demanding tone. The manager clenched his teeth, but nodded his head, going to get a chilled bottle. This sort of customer was the sort to repel others by nature, preventing more consumers from sitting at the bar. He just hoped that the man was not planning to stay very long.
Itachi sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose to relieve the pressure building up in his head. There were a few, soft clinks on the counter, and when Itachi looked up, a bottle and cup had been set before him. He slowly poured himself a serving, then lifted the glass up to slowly breath in the scent of fermentation.
Tipping back the glass, Itachi swallowed all of its contents in a single gulp. He grimaced at the burning sensation as the cooled liquids slid down his throat. Warmth spread through his body, the affects of the alcohol much more powerful than they would be if he had ever formed a tolerance. Without a moment's waste, he poured himself a second glass, and downed it.
The manager sighed in disappointment. The man was trying to get himself drunk, by the looks of it, and would not be leaving for a while. He returned to washing his glasses in a put-out attitude.
By the time Itachi sensed the familiar chakra signature of Tsunade, he was past the point of no return. The man attending the bar had watched the infamous Uchiha Itachi, known for his indifferent attitude and cold heart, slowly drink himself into oblivion. He was not a rowdy drunk, nor was he violent at all. The only change the manager had really seen was how calm Itachi had become, and though he could hardly be considered happy, he looked content.
Until Tsunade stomped into the establishment, that is.
She did not say anything to him at first, instead sitting to his immediate left with a decided air of displeasure. He slumped in his chair, looking darkly into his glass of sake, before gulping that one too. Tsunade chose to first ignore him, thinking it best to get some sake into her system first before tackling the Uchiha. He had no problem with her ignoring him, and committed to disregard her as well.
"Hey, Sucker, it has been awhile since I have seen you around these parts. I would treat you to something nice, if it were not for the money you still owe me." The manager greeted cheekily, smirking to Tsunade. "Can I interest you in a little game? I have lowered the ante-in to only 2,500 ryo here." He continued, laughing when she rolled her eyes and jutted her bottom lip out in a pout. However intoxicated he was, this small action did not go unnoticed by Itachi.
He chuckled softly to himself, despite his determination to not pay Tsunade any attention. It amused him so greatly, mostly because he had seen that exact expression on Sakura several times. Interestingly enough, it seemed Sakura had more than just inherited Tsunade's medical talents and violent temper, she had become her, whether by spending so much time around her, or by her own design.
Tsunade chose to not heed the clearly smashed Uchiha's quiet laughter, and addressed the manager instead. "Shut the hell up, Aoshi. I don't have it easy, being Hokage, you know. And the village repaid my debts when I was inaugurated." She said gruffly. Again, the man laughed.
"Fine, fine. I will get you the usual." He assured her, reaching below the counter to get a bottle of especially expensive sake, giving Tsunade a charming smile as he handed it to her alongside a glass. Not bothering with the glass, she went straight for the bottle. It went quickly, not that anyone was too surprised by it.
"You have not changed a bit, have you?" Aoshi asked with an absentminded shake of his head. He and Tsunade went way back, and she was, by far, the only person he knew that could hold thirteen bottles of sake in; she drank better than any man, of that he was certain. Meanwhile, the Uchiha was still chuckling to himself. He had to admit, the Uchiha could hold his liquor too, having finished nine and a half bottles on his own, and not having passed out yet.
Itachi had shown from the beginning that he was not accustomed to drinking regularly, by the way he had pursed his lips together with each cup he downed, but he had kept himself together without losing his dignity. He was far from being sober, but for such a supposed light-weight, Aoshi was impressed.
"People like us do not change much, do we, Aoshi?" Tsunade asked back rhetorically, Itachi's soft laughter finally starting to get on her nerves. Sure, he was drunk, but what was it that he found so throughly amusing?
"No, we do not." Aoshi allowed thoughtfully. He too was curious to hear what his other customer thought to be so very entertaining. "Tell me, Sucker, what brings you to these parts again, after so long? I did not think someone as important as the Hokage could just up and go." Aoshi asked, pulling out another bottle once realizing the weight of her first was significantly smaller when she put it down.
"Funny you should ask," Tsunade muttered, taking the new bottle at his encouragement. Finally she turned to the still chuckling Uchiha Itachi, who was completely wasted, having finished his tenth bottle. "Hey, brat. What the hell is so damn hilarious?" She asked, slightly taken aback when he turned fully to her, his composure instantly regained, and his sharingan lazily fixed on her.
"I wonder if you and your apprentice realize how similar you truly are." He replied softly, his tone reserved. Tsunade blinked for a moment, staring at him in bewilderment. He was willingly bringing up Sakura? It was certainly convenient of him.
"I am sure you know much more about her than most, ANBU-san." She sneered, drawling out his alias sarcastically. It was not the response he had expected, but Itachi had learned early on to take things as they came at him. He was unsurprised at her knowing his identity; she was the Hokage.
"Of course you would have known who I was from the beginning, Tsunade-sama." He complimented in a muted tone. "You undoubtedly connected the dots from my blood samples taken upon entrance into the ANBU Black Operatives, and the ones you had taken to diagnose me." Itachi murmured. Tsunade silently clenched her fists, wondering how Sakura could stand such a man. He was infuriating.
"Yes, I have known for a while. Sakura, on the other hand, does not know." She ground out, glaring at the man daringly. He sighed, unperturbed by her abrasive character. He was well used to Sakura in the same way.
"Correct, Sakura has not a clue that I am the evil, older brother to her beloved teammate and friend, whom she has proclaimed to hate for ruining everything. Still, I am somewhat startled that you have not warned her against me." He replied quietly. Tsunade growled to herself. The way he said things, he made it sound so simple, when it really was not.
"You are a cold, heartless bastard, Uchiha." She muttered. She said this not for the fact he had killed every, last member of his cursed clan, but because of how he intended to leave Sakura when Sasuke came around to getting his pointless revenge. Itachi was shocked by her accusation though, and his eyebrows rose high onto his forehead to show it.
"Do not think I have no clue about that supposed secret behind the massacre, because I do. Letting Sasuke kill you for the sake of his stupid vendetta is one thing, but bringing Sakura into your mess is wholly unacceptable. Do you have any idea what it will do to her, once you are gone? It is rather careless for your handiwork, Uchiha, and I expected better."
This left Itachi stunned. He was not a dunce, he knew for himself how his death would affect Sakura, but his undeniable attraction to her was not something he had planned for. How was he to know, years ago, when he had been scheming his own death, that he should consider the chances of his finding a person that made life worth living? It was impossible for someone to intentionally fall for another, it just happened.
"Tsunade-sama, let me put something in perspective for you." Itachi stated, not troubling himself to check for her furious expression. "By the time I was twelve-years-old, I knew two things about my future. One, I would have to kill my entire family, and two, my brother, in turn, was going to kill me."
She stared at him quietly, surprised by his willingness to elaborate on his life story, but assumed it was the alcohol to blame for this anomaly.
"At thirteen, I was given the order to destroy the Uchiha clan. On that night, as the blood of everyone I had ever loved rained down on me, I had already felt like a dead man. I had then begun to believe I was only living on earth physically, and that a half of me had already passed on. This made it very easy for me to accept Sasuke one day killing me."
She could now understand what could be found as so attractive about Uchiha Itachi to her student. He was both poetic and mysterious, favorable traits in any man. However, it was unthinkable that Sakura just had to fall for the one person she could never be with.
Itachi's velvety, smooth tenor did not falter. "Learning that I had a disease had made things even easier for me to cope. I felt that I deserved to suffer for my unpardonable crimes, and this would also help Sasuke defeat me one day. Still, I could not die before then, and had to seek medical attention."
Most of the rest, Tsunade knew for herself. He had approached her, as one of the legendary sanin, and sought her medical assistance. She had obliged, even after learning who he really was. Shizune had eventually taken over, and then Sakura.
"Perhaps you have not realized this, but that girl, my apprentice, is infatuated with you. It had taken a long time for her to recover from Sasuke's leaving, and she may never heal fully if you abandon her too. Yet, you go around kissing the girl, not caring about the consequences."Tsunade pressed a manicured finger into his chest with her accusation.
"If you must know, Tsunade-sama, it was Sakura who initiated that...kiss. I merely reacted to it." He informed her unabashedly.
She felt her stomach drop. It was much worse than she had thought, if Itachi was telling the truth. For Sakura, the shy, little girl she had agreed to train, to make such a bold move was startling. Perhaps it was her that Tsunade she have been speaking to about this rather than Itachi. He was, however, still far from innocent in this matter.
He was leading Sakura on, accepting her affection and even returning it, when he had no real intentions to make their relationship long-lasting. He showed no qualms for his heartlessness, nor did he bother to deny that he planned to leave Sakura one day, just as her first passion had ended. What he implied was sickening, and Tsunade would not stand for it. She did not need her student to fall down the same dark, twisted and bloody path of despair she had once walked along. If that was what she wanted, Tsunade would never have trained her, and let Sakura find that precarious, cliffside road on her own.
"You are not understanding the situation you find yourself in, brat." Tsunade snapped angrily, fully prepared to defend her student.
Itachi, however, replied with a clear head and calm voice. "No, Tsunade-sama, it is you who misunderstands the circumstances." He told her firmly, crossing his arms over his chest, mostly to prevent her from poking him there again. "I was prepared to die, until I met your student. Can you blame me, a man who is virtually innocent, for wanting someone to at least remember me once I have departed? I should think not."
Though it did not show physically, it was obvious to Tsunade that the sake was greatly causing his openness with her. She could not imagine him even bothering to speak with her otherwise, with his infamously cold demeanor. What he was telling her was likely to be very true, and how he felt deep down, but she was under the impression that he was not the sort to share such feelings readily. She was damn certain that this could not be the Uchiha Itachi everyone knew.
To Itachi's surprise, Tsunade's voice softened in a reproachful tone he recognized from his mother so many years before. "It is not you Sakura will remember, but ANBU-san. She does not know 'Uchiha Itachi,' but instead the teasing, irritating man she has been treating. Sakura is not going to grieve your death."
This struck Itachi so suddenly that he could not move, or even think. He knew what she said had to be the truth, but it was not something he wanted to consider. His eyes widened, and he stared at the robust woman, not sure what he should say or do. "What is it you suggest I do then?" He asked quietly. Should he really breach the bridge between ANBU-san and Uchiha Itachi?
Tsunade was usually not the sort to be so motherly or thoughtful, but something about the total helplessness in his situation and general expression that brought it out of her. "She has the right to know who she has fallen in love with." She answered him with a sort of peaceful expression that both Itachi and Aoshi, who had watched the entire act unfold before him, had never seen in the temperamental woman.
Itachi silently turned back to his drink, considering her suggestion. He swirled the cup in his hand around thoughtfully, watching absentmindedly as the sake formed a small whirlpool. If he followed her advice, there was a very high chance of Sakura rejecting him, and refusing to continue giving him his antibiotics. His hemoptysis would consume him completely, and he would die long before Sasuke had the chance to leave Orochimaru. At the same time, if he did not tell Sakura who he really was, she would not ween from her affections for him, and would be wholly unprepared to deal with his demise. He was trapped between two evils.
Then it was what Tsunade had said that continued to keep him silent. She was under the distinct impression that Sakura loved him. Though his experience was lacking in such areas, Itachi was sure he would be able to tell if her affection was truly that strong. As for his own feelings, he could not be so decided. He had not loved a person since he had slaughtered his own parents, bathed himself in their blood and terror.
At that time, he had come to the conclusion that he was a cursed man, and that everyone he had ever had the misfortune as to love would end in misery. Who was he to assume that Sakura was immune to this? She would be next, and he knew it. It was not something he would ever wish upon her.
"I do not want to leave her behind, Tsunade-sama, but I do not see how it is possible for me to both keep my promise to Sasuke and to give Sakura what she needs in a relationship, as capable as I am." Itachi murmured in defeat. Tsunade was so baffled by this newly lost confidence in the Uchiha, and wanted to slap the pathetic look right from his face. This was definitely not the man Sakura was so engrossed with.
"You are an idiot, Uchiha, if you honestly believe Sakura will let you do this. She has been hurt before, and she is not the sort to make the same mistakes twice." Tsunade growled, also turning to her own drink. For a few minutes, there was very little sound to be heard, besides the occasional clink of glass as Aoshi cleaned around the bar.
Itachi finally broke the silence though, for once uncomfortable with the awkward stillness that had settled. "As much as I care for Haruno Sakura, my fate is something she will have to come to terms with. I decided my own destiny long before I even knew of her existence, and it is not something that can be altered now. I have been preparing myself for it since I was practically a child."
Such a damn, obstinate man, refusing to give up his stubborn ways. Tsunade was livid. This brat knew what this was going to do to Sakura, and he knew it made more sense for him to give up on his vengeful brother, but based solely on principal, he was resolved to stand by his original decision. It did not matter that he could very easily live a happy life with Sakura, even if he longed for it as much as Tsunade believed he did.
He was simply not emotionally developed in the way most healthy human beings were, and likely never would be. Living out on his own for such long periods of time did no good, but it was mostly caused by his hopeless mind set. He had already accepted his own death, even if it was not necessarily something he wanted. Tsunade wondered if her student could somehow reverse this trauma.
"So, what then? Sakura has no say in this? She will simply be picked back up by your foolish younger brother after you have tainted and left her? Surely Sasuke will have something to say about this."
"If Sasuke did not want for Sakura to be stolen from him, then he should not have been so foolish as to leave her ripe and for the picking. That is his mistake, not mine." Itachi retorted darkly, showing a possessive side that she had not taken into consideration. He did not want to leave something he believed to be irrevocably his behind for another man, a common symptom in a man who was really, truthfully attracted to a woman.
His masculine pride must have been screaming at him for even thinking to leave Sakura for Sasuke. Itachi was clearly, though unintentionally, showing that he really wanted to be selfish and utterly claim Sakura. Deep inside, despite his emotional unpreparedness, he had the instinct every man had to show just who was his to dominate.
Instantly, she wondered how much of this Itachi revealed to Sakura. Undoubtedly, not as much as he had just displayed to her. Seeing more than she particularly wanted to, Tsunade decided to drop it. She had other matters of business to attend t with him. Namely the scene Sakura had vaguely described to her earlier.
"Fine, Uchiha. Now, about that Akatsuki partner of yours-
"He is an utter imbecile, I know." Itachi finished for her with an exasperated sigh. Of course Sakura would have mentioned the strange occurrence to her shishou; why he had not foreseen it, Itachi had not the slightest clue. For Kisame to suddenly appear out of the blue, calling him kid, it was reason enough to be suspicious, and he did not blame Sakura for her actions.
"You are the bigger idiot, for even letting him near her. That is a hell of a lot more suspicious that your insisting to always wear that mask of yours. After all the years of you meeting one of my medics, why is that shark showing up now?" She implored.
Itachi frowned, knowing that what he had to say was not going to be taken with any particular pleasure. Yet, it had to be said, if Tsunade was going to prepare for what was going to happen. "Akatsuki is going on the move again. They are already in the process of capturing the Ichibi, Gaara, and it will not be long before they send me after Uzumaki Naruto again, especially now that he is back in Konoha."
Tsunade paled considerably. Naruto had only just returned that afternoon, and Akatsuki already was aware of it. This was sobering news indeed, because though he was sure to be stronger, Tsunade was not yet certain that Naruto could handle being hunted again. It was terrifying that the Akatsuki was informed so quickly.
"The Akatsuki is a dangerous organization, Tsunade-sama. They have an intricate informational system not to be taken lightly. That is why Sandaime had me join to keep an eye out for Konohagakure; not because of its members, but because of its knowledge."
Tsunade huffed, not liking his tone. "You say that with a little too much pride, brat." She barked, downing some sake to keep her hands from shaking. He tsked to himself, not entirely disagreeing with her.
"Though criminally based, Akatsuki's network is admirable, however treacherous that may sound to you." He replied as calmly as ever, knitting his long, slender fingers together and setting his palms down on the countertop. He did not care to assess her level of anger for his saying this, and took to inspecting his painted fingernails instead.
Tsunade knew she was not going to get anywhere with the Uchiha, and had the feeling she should leave him to his drunken amusement. It would not be good if ANBU operatives suddenly showed up at the bar, and saw their Hokage drinking sake with one of the biggest criminals to come from Konoha, as if they were old buddies. It certainly would not be taken lightly by the council, even if they were the cause behind the massacre.
"Aoshi, I'm leaving. Put the check on my tab." Tsunade called to him as he was serving someone at a booth. He told her in a complaining tone that she had not been there much longer than an hour, but was forcefully reminded that a Hokage cannot stay from their village for long, or it would fall in shambles. The man relented, and was disappointed to she had only finished a meager five bottles of nigori sake, while the Uchiha had managed to reach eleven.
"Come again soon, Sucker. Your patronage here has been long missed." Aoshi waved smartly, ignoring the roll of her eyes as she left. It was funny to think he had known her nearly twenty years, but he had met the woman when she was still in her prime. She had not looked thirty years, of course, as she running from some benefactor or another. She had seated herself down at his bar, not looking a day over fourteen. He had frowned at her in disapproval, then pointed to the door for her to leave.
That woman had given him the most devious smile he had ever seen. In the time it had taken him to blink in shock at that sneer, sitting in her place was a beautiful, robust, young woman. That smile had been gone though, and instead a stony glare had been in its place. At the time, Aoshi had not known which of her two expressions he preferred.
Even then, she had made her name as the Legendary Sucker known in the gambling world, and he had recognized her instantly. What he had not known about the Sucker was how bad her temper truly was. Tsunade had been quick to show it off though, and proceeded to yell at him for forcing her to release her jutsu just to get some sake. He had been quick to accommodate her in getting some alcohol into her system.
Unfortunately, this had not calmed her as much as Aoshi had hoped, and by the time her temper had been sedated, all of his regular customers had headed down the street to a more quiet establishment. After the drunk woman had left his bar, stumbling down the street to her hotel, Aoshi had hoped to never see the woman again. She had certainly him a good enough excuse to never marry.
It was just his luck that she returned a little over two weeks later, this time to gamble. She had made something of a riot after losing, but that had been the worst thing to happen. Tsunade quickly became one of his regulars, at least for a good year or two. It was then that she hit the road again, and it was only occasionally when she stopped by for a good drink and reasonable game.
Aoshi turned to glance at the Uchiha who was still quietly brooding at his bar. Then man had given up on drinking any more, and his attitude was not so dangerous as too scare off people. He was just sitting there, assumedly musing over this girl the Sucker had been chastening him about. She must have been something, to have caught the attention of both Uchiha Itachi and be connected with the likes of Tsunade.
He was tempted to tell the Uchiha that he had to leave if he was not going to drink anymore, but Aoshi honestly did not think he was causing any trouble, as other patrons were starting to file in with the fading afternoon. It would be problematic if he did decide to bother the solemn man now, and the last thing he wanted was a completely obliterated bar. It was nearly an hour later when the man left in a puff of smoke, leaving the money owed in his stead.
It had been so sudden, because his face had whipped around in shock, as if he could sense something no one else could. A very deadly glare crossed his face, one that Aoshi never wanted directed towards him, and then he was gone like a ghost. He had known that shinobi where formidable characters, but that man was on a whole other level than any other ninja he had met as they passed by.
Tsunade arrived back in the village just in time to watch her apprentice, paired with Naruto, begin the bell test with Kakashi. Keeping in the cool shade of the towering trees, Tsunade leaned against a particularly tall pine, crossing her arms under her breasts. Jiraiya appeared suddenly on a branch above, leering down at her cleavage.
"How was the Uchiha brat doing?" He asked with a cackle. Tsunade growled under her breath, wondering just how he could always tell when she was up to something. Jiraiya, naturally, knew all about Itachi as well, seeing he was his secret contact within the Akatsuki he was always so proud of alluding to.
She was determined to not answer him, and instead turned back to the training session at hand. Jiraiya followed in suit, watching dolefully when Naruto blocked an attack that had been aimed at Sakura. It could be considered both amusing and depressing how similar the infamous Team Seven was to his old genin team. Everyone already knew how they would all end up, in the future.
Naruto loved Sakura, just as he had once loved Tsunade, long ago. Sasuke had run off for power, just as Orochimaru had, and Sakura...Sakura had fallen in love with a man who was destined to die, just as Tsunade had fallen for Dan, once upon a time. Jiraiya half wished that it was different, and that his student could succeed to win over his kunoichi teammate, even if he was never able to. It seemed that destiny had already made its decisions though, and the poor knuckle-head did not have a chance in the world.
Least of all against a man like Uchiha Itachi.
"Funny how alike our team was to Team Seven." Jiraiya finally commented softly to himself. He listened when Tsunade sighed, and knew that she, too, wished it were not so. Of course, she was likely to be wishing that Sakura save the man she loved from death, rather than have her move to someone else. It was the strong-willed objective she had never succeeded in.
"We really were like them, weren't we?" She asked back quietly. Jiraiya chuckled, nodding his head in agreement.
"Sakura is well on her way to becoming a second Tsunade." He told her. "Violent to an extreme, headstrong and," he paused here for emphasis, "very beautiful."
Tsunade grumbled, "Do not talk about my student like that, unless you want me to tell her, and she can punt you across Konoha. I would not put it past her, especially since she spends time with a man as infuriating as that Uchiha on a regular basis. She probably has a lot of frustration pent up inside." She turned to look up at Jiraiya, who was smirking perversely.
"Very well, then you will just have to believe me when I say my new character, with her long, pink hair, is not your student, and simply a fragment of my imagination, when my next Icha Icha gets published." He said jokingly. It was a shame she took him seriously, because there was a loud resounding crack that filled the air when she threw her fist straight through the tree he was lounging in, which then lumbered to the ground thunderously.
"Edit her out of your dirty book, Jiraiya, or I will make your life hell!" She yelled, picking him up by the collar and bringing him to her level. He laughed, putting his hands up in surrender. It was then that she realized he was teasing her, and she let him fall to the ground in a heap.
"You're a jerk." She muttered.
He laughed. "I know." Jiraiya gave her a devious smile.
Tsunade sighed, deciding to resign to her fate of always being surrounded by idiotic men.
AN: Finally! A chapter! I apologize for taking so long, but as I said, my grandparents were in town, and I could never use the computer when they were over. .
Anyway, hope you enjoyed it!