Disclaimer: I pretend to own Jiraiya. And then I share him with the deserving on weekends.

Summary Notes: Hm…it appears I'm on a bit of a role. Perhaps it's because it's nearly the holidays? Maybe. Am I procrastinating school work to post this? Damn straight. I'd normally wait a week (or try to), but I couldn't help it. I needed to get this one free…then I can focus on he angs-I mean, figure how the hec I'll celebrate Christmas with these two. (That, and Tsunade decided to visit childhood memories. Fun).

Inspiration: A scene from Lilo and Stitch 2: Stitch has a Glitch. I know, I should stop being lazy and use songs again. Don't worry, I will, but I couldn't find a song to suit this little quirky one. If you find one, tell me.

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"I'll pass better than you, baka-chan!"

"Sure you will. In a million years!"

"Take that back!"

"Make me. Nyah!"

"I can make you do anything I want!"

"…that's so dirty, Hime."

The white haired boy giggled, ducking her half-angry, half-playful swipe as they exited the Academy building. Genin exams were mere days away, and as such, the rivalry was beginning to heat up between the potential graduates.

It didn't mean they stopped being friends though. Sure, their argument was heated, childish, taunting. But when wasn't it? And under the dirty looks and playful swipes, Jiraiya and Tsunade were still friends. Just friends who argued a lot. It hardly helped that one was hot-tempered and the other delighted in stirring people up. But they were still friends.

"You're so perverted, baka-chan," Tsunade grumbled, tugging at his hair in light admonishment. She'd die before she actually admitted to the idea of liking it, but she did. Jiraiya's hair fascinated her; its snowy colour was nothing like she'd ever seen, and the fact that it looked so spiky, yet was so soft and thick, fascinated the girl.

He laughed and batted her hand away, and would have replied, had they not been interrupted by a voice behind them.

"And we all know I'll definitely pass the exam with the best marks."

Tsunade's eyes narrowed. She ignored Jiraiya's sidelong glance, turning around slowly to glare at the unwelcome intruder. Uchiha Hatsumo. Oh, hate, hate, hate; Tsunade despised the other girl, and not just because she was a first-grade cow that went out of her way to light Tsunade's already short fuse, and more often than not, was the sole reason Tsunade ended up with detention. No, she had to try and draw her best friend away from her too, and as far as she was concerned, that merited a placing in the top five of Tsunade's hit list. It hardly helped that she was little Miss Hot, something that enraged the coltish, self-conscious blonde immensely. Fortunately, Jiraiya wasn't as stupidly blind to pretty girls as he pretended to be. In fact, his loyalty to her as a friend was something Tsunade's young mind adored immensely, (even if she beat him up a little too often), and as a result, she often turned a blind eye to the pranks he played on Hatsumo.

"Who says?" she asked through gritted teeth, ignoring Jiraiya when he shuffled closer, placing a bony hand on her back in an attempt to keep her calm.

"Well, it's obvious. Everyone knows I'm the highest-scoring girl in our class." Hatsumo smirked, tossing her ebony hair back. Tsunade had a moment of insecurity, resisting the urge to comb her hand self-consciously through her messy, pale bangs. She heard Jiraiya's soft snicker of incredulity though, and that calmed her slightly.

"Even if you are," she said sweetly, "Who says I can't come out with the best scor-"

She felt Jiraiya jump slightly in surprise behind her, and she too, was startled – and infuriated – when the Uchiha girl interrupted her.

"Uh, no? You're a crappy ninja, and your style is crappy. You can't even use taijutsu properly yet!"

Considering they were hardly genin, that wasn't surprising, but Hatsumo's insult enraged Tsunade. She growled, fist rising as she made to pounce on the other girl, only to stop when Jiraiya's hand closed around her raised arm. She whipped around, glaring at him dangerously. He winced but held her tightly, shaking his white head and mouthing "It's not worth it."

"You'll never be as strong as Shodaime. And then Jiraiya won't be your friend no more."

Tsunade saw red as Hatsumo delivered the final blow, and Jiraiya gasped beside her. They both knew that Tsunade loved her grandfather dearly, and often suffered under the pressures she was forced to conform to as his granddaughter.

That did it. Baring her teeth, she gave Jiraiya the nastiest glare she could muster, a silent warning that if he didn't let go, she'd use him as the punching bag. It worked, because he gulped, black eyes widening as he let go.

"Go for it," he said innocently, holding his hands up.

Tsunade whipped around, hand pushing the sleeve of her other arm up as she stalked forward. "That does it, bitch!"

The words were a snarl as she launched forward, catching Jiraiya's grin out of the corner of her eye before she collided with the screaming Uchiha girl.

And that was the day that Jiraiya would often fondly reminisce during their sake nights as the day Tsunade proved that she would thwart them all in taijutsu.