The morning following the day of the Chunin Exams, the skies were gloom and rained down like a testament to the sorrow caused by the Akatsuki attack. Over a hundred people had been buried, mostly civilians and foreigners who had been seated in the most heavily struck areas of the stadium, and over forty Leaf ninjas who perished in the following onslaught. Even greater were the numbers that lay injured. The hospital was overburdend, the hallways overcrowded, and the work for the medic-nin overloaded. The wounds and trauma caused by the bomb and the fighting were troubled efforts, but could not compair to the mystery toxin that had paralyzed over a dozen and more.
Every antidote and antivenom in storage was being employed to combat the poison that had traces of chemical and metallic elements, but to no avail. Poisons were never a speciality in Konoha, apart from being dishonourable it was also too slow for the standard Leaf tactics that are based on the 'Strike quickly, end it quickly' philosofy. The closest thing to an expert was Anko Mitarashi, who now lay with severe burns and concussions in the hospital. Attempts to find references to Sasori in the medical records failed, as they had been removed among other things by the traitor Mizuki, whom was found by an ANBU patrol several miles outside Konoha, though it took some effort to collect enough of him for a positive identification. A request for assistance was inmediatly sent to the Hidden Sand, Sasori's former home. But their own poison expert was a woman the age of the Third Hokage who was retired as a ninja, no one expected her to arrive in time.
The only thing that had any effect was bringing all of the afflicted in an artificial comatose-state that slowed down the advance of the poison, buying them an additional day or two.
At the Hokage Tower within the late Hokage's office, a meeting was held to decide Konoha's next actions, and how to fill up the position of Hokage. Those attending were the Village's available Jounin and chief Chunins, a large number of them having been sent out to reinforce the Village's outer borders in anticipation of a second assault by the unknown assailants, or a rival Village taking advantage of the Leaf's crippled state. Suna was sending reinforcements, but whom's concerns were mostly focused on protecting the Kazekage's children who would be next in line of procession, if the poison would not kill them first.
The Village Council, consisting out of three retired ninja elders, sat down before the group of ninjas on edge, none of them having taken the time for sleep or a rest.
"What is the status of Kakashi Hayate?" Though the Third never appointed an succesor after the death of the Fourth, the Copycat Ninja was deemed the closest thing because of his skill, intelligence, power and knowledge, all required attributes for a Hokage.
"Uncertain." The medic-nin's hands were trembling, his sleeves were covered in blood, and he would inmediatly return to the hospital for another twelve-hour shift. "We've treated his wounds, but an unexpected development of his Sharingan during the battle has caused a total exhaustion of his chakra reserves. Only time will tell if his chakra will restore itself and ensure a full recovery, or it will falter and lead to his death. If he does survive, it will take at least a month before returning to active duty."
"Thank you. Does anyone know the whereabouts of Jiraiya." While Jiraiya had refused the position of Hokage many times, and have an unsuitable irresponsible personality for it, he was the only of the Legendary Three who kept in contact with the Village, and was not on some self-imposed, or self-caused, exile in unknown lands. Even if the only reason for a visit was to peek at the women at the hot spring baths. Who oddily enough only complained or attacked him if he was too loud about it.
Before anyone could give an answer, the door to the office was battered open by the very same person they wanted to be here. He jumped into the office, taking a pose that rivaled Gai's in both pride and awkwardness. This time it was more disturbing, as Jiraiya clearly had been in a serious fight very recently, his clothes were shred on various places, one leg had a hasty bandage wrapped around it with blood leaking through, and his face featured cuts and bruises.
"What the hell happend to you?" Asuma blurted out.
" Nothing serious! A large number of cowardly criminals thought they could fight the Toad Hermit, to their disgrace, haHA!" The victorious smile faded for a moment as a sudden move reminded him of the pain in his leg.
The council thanked the gathered crowd for their time and recommended they should return to their duties. The room quickly emptied, with the exception of a few of the most elite ninjas and Jiraiya himself. who was quickly put to question by the elders.
"Two powerful criminals in black cloaks with red flowers..." Their tactics and uniforms indicated a organisation, one hostile to Konoha. They also showed an immense interest for Tailed Beast Hosts, as witnesses reported them going to some effort to capture them without lethal harm.
"Yes. And I recognized both of them. One of them was Kisame Hoshigaki, of the Hidden Mist. Used to be one of the Seven Swordsmen until he went rogue, a rather common fate for those elite ninjas. The other.." Jiraiya took a brief dramatic pause "..was Itachi Uchiha." Some gasps and mumbles of disbelief went around the room. The Uchiha prodigy who slaughtered his own clan, had joined an organisation of powerful fellow criminals who sought the capture of Hosts and the destruction of Konoha. An very unsettling thought.
"These are times of immense trouble for our Village, that could mean it's end. Enemies of incredible strength have gathered to destroy us, our Hokage is dead with no replacement and if a cure is not found soon for that wretched poison, most of our new generation of ninjas will die. Jiraiya, would you consider putting your objections aside and become the Hokage, as we seen no alternative.." Gai's hand rose up quickly. "..I say again, no other alternative." Gai's hand lowered, slowly and ready to rise again.
"I will have to refuse." A volley of angry shouts at this lack of concern and responsiblity at this dire time came over Jiraiya before he could finish "..However-HOWEVER...I can track down another who would be far better suited for this responsibility, and have the greatest chance of curing the poison."
"You mean.."
"Yes. The legendary medic-nin Tsunade. But I will require aid, not in the form of a ANBU squad, but with someone who better than me can emphasize why the Village needs her more than ever."
The Village Council had a brief discussion among themselves wether this plan had any chance of succeeding, and wether Tsunade, a person who left the Village and hasn't returned in over 20 years, would be better suited than the Toad Hermit. Or Maito Gai. The decision was quickly made.
"We will support your mission. But you must have located, and return Tsunade, in three days, or the mission will be deemed a failure upon which you are to return to the Village and assume your role as Hokage." Those orders were exactly the kind that made Jiraiya avoid his home most of the time. "And as for your 'aid', who did you have in mind?"
To relief the hospital staff from the enormous strain on their space and resources that was to be reserved for those in real need, the light-wounded were taken in by those who had room for them, who were mostly the great ninja clans who owned buildings and grounds all over Konoha and beyond. One of them was the Hyuugas, who despite their strict and cold exterior attitude, were attentive of those in need. And as all Branch members who were not injured by attack, had been sent to guard the borders, there was plenty of space to harbor a few patients who would recover in a day or two before ruining the polished floor with blood.
In one patient's case, Hinata secretly wished for his recovery to take some time longer. Normally she was terrified to even speak to him, and now he was in her home, thanks to some horrible circumstances. The tranquilizer dose used by Sasori had been strong enough to knock out ten adult ninjas for a week, but the medic-nin said Naruto's above-normal metabolism would allow him to sleep it out in a few hours. The wounds caused by Hidan had nearly faded, and would likely not even leave a scar. If the embarassing incident of yesterday had been in a normal day, Hinata would have locked herself up in her room and not come out until her father led a ANBU-assisted siege. But the closeup view of death and destruction, lives being extinquished like candle flames by men who could not be called human in any way, had forced an acknowledgement within the timid Genin's mind. That no matter how fearsome affection and attention may be, there were worse things.
When Naruto suddenly opened his bright blue eyes, for Hinata the constant winner for Most Attractive Bodypart, and have them look around in great wonderment about where he was. Until they met hers, making Naruto bring out the new reigning Bodypart champion, his smile. Despite believing her love for him had evolved beyond shyness, she still shrieked and stumbled backwards, losing her balance. Using muscules that felt sore after yesterday's thrasing Naruto jumped up from the bed, and swiftly reached out his arm to snatch her wrist before her momentum drove into the floor. Not knowing what was wrong with Hinata making her so unstable, Naruto quickly pulled her into his arms tightly to keep her from falling as long as this unexplained attack of vertigo was taking effect on her.
He naturally expected her to be grateful. Not to scream into his ear and pass out, going all limb. The sound had attracted some attention, and within seconds the paper slide doors to the room within the ancestral Hyuuga compound were opened. Going through it were Naruto's teammate Sakura, one of the few who survived the battle at the stadium unscathed, who blinked a few times at the sight of an unconscious Hinata hanging in the arms of a half-naked Naruto.
"Oooh...that explains it." Sakura debated whether to chastize Naruto for being a blunt idiot who obviously did something indecent to cause Hinata lay flattend like that, or to cheer on Hinata for their romance to blossom in such a fast manner. Than she remembered who the other person was with whom she investigated the yell.
"Umuzaki..." Hiashi Hyuuga, father to Hinata, grinded the boy's name through his teeth. The sight of his daughter being held by the brat who was the container of the most powerful and evil of the Tailed Beasts, and covered the sacred Clan gardens in toilet paper several times, was something so disturbing and angering he was unable to think of an action or even a reflex. Hiashi heard the stories, everyone did, of Hinata staring at the boy from a distance and holding some silly crush on him. It was a common source of humour for Hiashi and the other adult Hyuugas. But seeing the relationship being taken a serious step closer, in the front of his eyes, in his house...
He took a step forward, after which there would be several more steps, followed by a hundred strikes to the heart, lungs, eyes and brain of the boy and than death. But the plan was interrupted by a big hand landing on his shoulder.
"Hiashi! Congratulations! Never did think your daughter would catch such a fine prize, did you?" Jiraiya's grip on Hiashi was gentle, but very restraining. He arrived just in time, to prevent an unnecessary murder and to catch his latest student succeeding in his first hunt of the feminine prey.
Poor Naruto didn't know what was going on, nor did he understand the implying everyone did. Hinata was just a friend, he was glad enough she didn't ignore him like most girls did or punch him for no reason, like one pink-haired girl did. But a seed, a very small seed, of understanding was being planted in Naruto's rather simple mind. By now Hinata had regained her senses, and the nearby presence of her father made another faint be a dishonour to the Clan. Slowly she removed herself from Naruto's arms, a regretted action.
"Get yourself dressed before you cause more girls to faint, and follow me. Your girlfriends can come along if they wish." Jiraiya said with a knowing wink to the boy who was suprised anyone would think of them as his girlfriends, before quickly trying to find his flashy orange jumpsuit, and cry in despair at the damage it had taken in the fight.
"Girlfriend!" Sakura and her inner personality screamed in unison, while Hinata fainted again despite her best efforts. Hiashi glared at the old Toad Hermit with a more intensive rage than usual.
A fair distance away, in a dark underground space where dim lights and tobacco smoke obscured any reliable sight beyond five feet, Tsunade gazed down on her cards and than at her opponents. They were all watching her, knowing the reputation she had as a legendary loser at these high-stake games, and the fact she had one amazing cleavage to stare at. Tsunade's niece Shizune, a short distance away wearing a worried expression and a small pig, always objected to this diversion tactic. Not that was indecent, but it didn't work as other cardplayers could win from Tsunade blind-folded.
Thus the suprise of Tsunade having a incredible set of cards, and winning 700,000 ryou, was a shock to her, Shizune, and the other cardplayers who felt the urgent need to go beat up the ninja who spread those rumours of her being horrible at these games. As they left the table, Tsunade was too busy staring at her new wealth, and Shizune with looking if the heavens were falling down, to inmediatly notice the new player seating himself. It took longer to observe his rather unusual attire. And than finally the mask, Tsunade didn't like ninjas wearing masks. They are always the cold-blooded ones, not wanting to show their emotions to look more intimidating. And especially this one, orange and drawn in a swirl that ended in a single eye hole.
But the suspect disguise became more odd with the frantic child-like chatter that erupted from the new player.
"Ooooooh! Cards! I'm good at this, really good! Let me play ohpleaseohpleaseohplease!"
"That depends. Do you have money?" While on her toes, this may could just be an idiot. Plenty of those managing to survive despite all odds, having known one in particular.
"Money? I have money!" A pouch belt was slammed hard on the table, with a sound of about 500,000 ryou, give or take, being within.
"Tsunade, please do not do this, we have enough money to last for the coming time." Shizune was diplomatic enough to not directly say that a sparse moment of luck could be lost just like that, especially against a fool who's contempt of failure or succes would have the Gods weighing heavily on his side.
"Silence. I'm on a roll." Just as Shizune feared. As the dealer began handing out the cards, Tsunade noticed in a brief clearing of the smoke-heavy air, her opponent's eye that was normally hidden by the darkness of the mask. It was a quick glance with little details, but Tsunade felt a sense of familairity. As if she had known this person, or seen that eye before.
"Pardon me, but could I ask what you are called in these parts." The masked individual looked at her, and replied in a soft and high-pitched voice.
"Tobi, ma'am. Just simple old Tobi."
