Semblance

Tsunade attempted to slot all of her buttons in, grimacing hard to keep the tears in. She fixed the presentation of her outfit and zipped up her pants, making sure that any traces of engaging in an explicit nature with Misaki would be virtually non-existent. Her hands clawed through her matted hair and locked it up into a high ponytail. It was all about presenting a front - an act of a barrier - to keep people from guessing what she had just experienced, felt, and internally died about.

Misaki did his pants up and tucked in his shirt, as he smiled at her. He leaned over to her on the edge of his desk and did the last button left on her shirt. "Why are you shaking so much, huh?" He took her hand and kissed it in a sultry manner, knowing well that it only increased her nerves. "Oh, come on. Don't be like this, Tsunade. We had fun."

"You had fun." She corrected with a bite, drawing back from him. "I trust that you'll keep your promise."

He sat back down on his chair and looked at Orochimaru's file, stashing it in his drawer. "I'll think about it."

"But you said-!"

"That I would help. I didn't necessarily say that I will directly help you." He calmly interjected, seeing fire in her eyes. "What? Did you think offering me sex would be enough? Don't make me laugh, Tsunade-san." He leaned forward and jerked her hand towards him, catching her promptly to prop her on his lap. "Look at you, such a beaut." His hand stroked her golden bangs away, admiring and lusting. "I'll file it today, if..." he hushed her down immediately. "If you and I set up an arrangement."

"What kind?"

"Mhm... you are determined." He almost laughed. "Orochimaru is a lucky lad to have a friend like you in his life. I am so damn curious to as of why you and Kenji broke up, leading for your dear friend to violently assault my baby brother. Will you tell me?"

"I'm not here to discuss that," she whispered, meeting his eyes. "What is your proposed arrangement?"

"After the exam that Orochimaru will take, you and I are going to revisit this moment in the location of my choosing." His hands strode up and down on her sides in a sickly hypnotic manner. "It's not often that I ask a woman whom I've fucked to fuck with me again. But you... well, I won't see another student like you in a long time." He locked her in place on his lap and bit into the rim of her ear before he resumed to kiss the side of her face and her neck. "So beautiful, so raw, so... sexy."

"What if I refuse?" She tried to challenge.

"Orochimaru will be allowed back into my lessons, but his failure in the upcoming exam will be inevitable." He paused, letting the matter-of-fact sink into the blonde. "You see, this is an internal exam. I am the God of the outcome of my students, before it gets sent off to be externally marked by another examiner. I can fail and pass anyone I want on a fly, and get away with it."

"So, that's how you've gotten many students to sleep with you." Her eyes narrowed. Blackmail. He must have blackmailed them in order to pull their panties down. He was a man with a plentitude of faces, and she just had the pleasure to meet one of their faces he possessed: demonic. He was a walking devil in the corridors; a man who exuded with confidence in his stride, knowing he was a dominant man.

Surprisingly, he shook his head while drawing out a laugh. "Don't think of me as a man who blackmails my beloved students into having cheap sex. Contrary to belief, they like having sex with me. I don't compel them, I don't tease them. Students here, Tsunade-san, aren't exactly innocent. And since all the girls - women - here are above legal age, what I do with them is not statutory rape. I need verbal consent, to make sure, as well."

"What a gentleman you are," her sneer dripped with potent sarcasm.

"You should be grateful that I have class in ten minutes, Tsunade-san; if I didn't, you would still be bent over my desk right now, shaking with pleasure." His eyes creased upwards with delight when he saw that he had rendered her completely speechless. "You liked it, don't you deny it."

Tsunade broke out of his hold and stood back up, retaining some distance to make sure he wouldn't touch her any longer. "I did it because you didn't give me another choice."

"Ah,"

"Don't flatter yourself into thinking that I like every second of it."

"Keep lying to yourself, Tsunade-san. I know the truth, the one you haven't misconstrued in your head. The fact that you wanted me to go faster tells me that you wanted it." He licked his fingers that were previously drenched in her essence, grinning when it only brought fuel to the raging eyes in her pupils. "Are you going to accept my offer?"

"Do I have even have a choice," she groaned, rolling her eyes.

"You do." He curtly said. "A lot of choices, in fact. But it will lead to all sorts of outcomes that won't benefit your friend." Misaki rose from his chair and gestured for her to come closer. "Come here." When she remained stuck onto her spot, he forcefully pulled her and took hold of the back of her head. "Now, now, don't be such a defiant little bitch when I've given you what you wanted." He breathed her in and licked his lips. "Kiss me like you mean it."

Tsunade's hands remained on each side of his shoulders, pushing him desperately away. "You're just abusing your power over me now."

"Just imagine I'm Kenji, if that helps you." He trailed his finger on the fullness of her lips. "Kiss me, and Orochimaru will be able to attend my class this afternoon."

"You can do it that fast?!"

"The Vice-Chancellor and I are on good terms. This can be seen as getting back the favour they owe me." He pushed himself against her. "Last chance, Tsunade-san, kiss me or have Orochimaru's life ruined. Your choice."

Tsunade leaned over against his frame, placing one hand delicately on his firm chest and having her spare crawl at the back of his head. Their eye contact was brief before she plunged her lips against his. Everything about it felt sinful - his hands on her skin, their tongue engaging in such acts, their bodies rubbing against each other with fervent need. Misaki, for the first time, groaned into her mouth as their kiss intensely deepened. She was left gasping for air, but he didn't care, he was far too engaged with the tingling pleasure that crept up into his brain.

The blonde was forced against the blackboard before her leg was hiked up and forced to wrap around his waist. "I'll clear this up right away, Tsunade." he reassured huskily, burning with intense lust for her. "Just be a good girl for me." He caught her bottom lip and tugged at it playfully before he consumed her plump lips for the last time. "I'm not holding back on you the next time round, Tsunade-san. I'll this pent up sexual frustration will be released, and you will obey me on that night. Do you hear me?"

She shivered, feeling his fingers stroked her breast through her top, making it taut. "Y-Y-Yes..."

"You'll be mine for the night."

She could only nod.

He held her face and grinned. "That's my girl. Now go, I'll handle this."

Tsunade fixed herself up for the second time and unlocked the door. Just as she was about to exit the room, the fire exit door leading to the lecture room was opened. She stood, frozen. There was another door that led into the lecture room?! An extremely voluptuous woman in her mid-thirties waltzed into the room, swaying her hips side to side, leaving her dark tendrils to fall softly on her back. Her face was done up, and her chest was confidently revealed in a low V blouse.

"Misaki," she addressed casually. "Is this one of your students?"

That was when she remembered her. This was the Vice-Chancellor of the school! She's never seen her in real life, only in the picture that was left prominent in the entrance of their reception. She came down the steps and approached the desk, planting her hands on it firmly before she leaned down slightly, revealing more of her chest and the lining of her bra.

"No, no," he said coolly, smiling with such attraction. "She's my brother's friend. In fact, she's from the English Literature campus."

"I see." Her dark purple eyes scanned her with intense precision. "She's attractive."

"Is that so?" He chuckled, turning around to nod at her, permitting her leave. "You don't want to be late, right?"

"Y-Y-Yes... Misaki-sama."

"It's Akiyama, girl." She corrected firmly. "Akiyama-sama, to you."

"Don't worry about it, Asuna," he lightly defended, referring to her by her first name. "Tsunade-san, go on. And don't worry, I'll take care of it."

The student nodded and immediately took her leave, rushing out in a frantic manner to escape the sexually charged room, to confide to the bathroom. She hurried into a vacant cubicle and sank down on her knees, head into the toilet seat, vomiting heavily with disgust. His essence still lingered in her mouth, along with the taste of the pad of his fingers that he used. She continued to keep her head in the toilet seat, crying at how low she had become.

"Take care of what?" Asuna asked with piqued interest. "Oh my, you've screwed her, haven't you?"

"Of course not, Asuna. In these bounds, no less?" He walked over the desk to lace his fingers with hers. "You know you're the only woman for me." His eyes were dimmed and seductive, inviting her in without any form of words. They drew in and shared a passionate lock before it intensified into something more raw and intense. "About a student of mine, my dear," he began after parting. "I want to withdraw his suspension file."

"And why is that?" She raised a brow. The answer quickly reached her before he could form another white lie. "It's because of that girl, isn't it?"

"W-W-Wait..."

"So you have screwed her." She spat, wiping her lips with her sleeve. "That taste in your mouth... oh, you foul man."

"She-"

"Spread her legs like every other student." Asuna folded her arms. "Misaki, I can't keep protecting you. You know that having sex with students is not ethical. I mean, in these grounds, it's not illegal because they are of legal age to decide for themselves, but..." Her face was crestfallen, "Listen, if other faculty members find out that you have screwed not one, not two - but over twenty students -!"

"I am already educated of the consequences," he deadpanned.

"Yet you still bury your mouth in the middle of their legs." She sighed with exasperation, rubbing her temple with frustration. "I know that we just fuck for fun, but what I can't have is you jeopardizing the school's reputation to just have some side slut. You know very well that I'm more than committed to fulfilling your - our - wants, right?" She took a hold of his tie. "I'm not withdrawing his suspension, if that means satisfying what that girl wants."

Misaki pulled his tie back and walked around his desk. His deft hands skimmed up her tight pencil skirt and hiked it up, revealing that she was devoid of any fabric underneath. "Not even if I do this...?" He left her squirming and clutching onto the edge of the desk in no time, gasping out in pleasure. "Or this?" His pace quickened considerably, enough to render her useless from forming any coherent words. "I can do so much, Asuna. Do this for me and trust me... you'll become more satisfied with just these fingers." His rhythm stopped but his digits remained lodged inside her, feeling her excrete more wetness as a form of natural lubrication. "I expertise in biology, I can make you come in a blind second. So, now, I'm not going to give you that promised orgasm until you have Orochimaru's suspension destroyed."

"You sly man." She huffed, blushing. "You have class in approximately three minutes. Think you can get me off by then?"

He grinned and knelt down, pushing her legs apart.

"You're going to see stars by the time I'm finished with you."


That afternoon...

Orochimaru rose from his desk and stepped down the steps after the bell had rung for recess. He approached Misaki who was revisiting a topic he had to discuss with the lower years. He waited until he lowered his spectacles to fully acknowledge his presence. "What changed your mind?" Finally, he asked the question that raged around his mind throughout the entire lecture. "I could have killed your brother, yet you give me a second chance without any care for the repercussions."

"I am aware," he responded formally. "But you're a talented student, Orochimaru. Undoubtedly the best I've had. I am not letting my brother's foolishness break your future. He must have stimulated this consequence on his behalf; he's a reckless man to begin with."

"S-So... th-that's it?"

"That's it." He closed the book and stood, uncurling from his compressed form on the chair. "You're free to go now, Orochimaru. I need this time to prep for my next class."

"Y-Yes..." he bowed slightly. "Thank you for giving me this opportunity, Akiyama-sama."


Later that afternoon, Orochimaru walked back to Misaki's lecture room to find his car keys. As he was about to knock on the fire exit door that overlooked the lecture room, the fibre of his being was frozen entirely. Tsunade was in the classroom with Misaki, talking casually despite having a rigid body language. They talked intensely for several minutes, dialogue ricocheting back and forth. Something that Misaki said made Tsunade smile in relief, something Orochimaru couldn't really hear. He crouched down and opened the door slightly to hear their words echo forth.

"I've cleared it up," Misaki said.

"I'm glad. Thank you, Misaki-sama." There was relief in her voice, and her body eased.

"You look cute when you smile like that."

Orochimaru's eyes widened at the sudden flirtation that was injected in the air. Just what kind of relationship did they have?

"Come here, baby," he pulled her in close. "I think an early payment is in order, don't you think?"

"But... this morning-!"

"Was all but a warm-up. To be honest with you, what I did with the Vice-Chancellor only made me erect. She left me to dry, you see. But I did it for you." He tickled the tip of her nose with his own. "Just give me a taster and remove that shirt. I'm not going to have sex with you, don't worry. That'll all wait until after Orochimaru's exams." He sat down on his seat and made her settle on his lap. "Good girl."

Orochimaru's eyes burned at the sight of Tsunade disrobing herself for the man.

"You really care for him, don't you?"

Those were Misaki's last words before he buried his face into her chest, sucking and pleasing himself with what she had to offer. Orochimaru couldn't do anything but listen to Tsunade's laboured breathing and sudden hitched moans. In the middle of it, Misaki pulled Tsunade's face down and locked lips with her, enjoying the way her chest was rising and falling from his work.

"You may go, Tsunade-san." He released her. "Unless you want to stay."

As the blonde got changed back into her shirt, Orochimaru subconsciously rose from his form and pushed the door completely open, half mortified of what he had just witnessed. "So that's why you retracted my suspension form."

Tsunade's head snapped back and so did Misaki's.

"You said that it was because of my talent." His pale face became dangerously enraged as he took several paced steps down. "But, in reality, you just wanted my friend to...!"

"I'd think very carefully if I were you, Orochimaru." Misaki huffed, half-surprised. He already knew that he was lurking behind the fire door, his silhouette wasn't entirely blended in. That was the only reason why he asked Tsunade to undress, to provoke her dear old friend out of the shadows. "Lay a hand on me, and there goes your little career. Trust me, law suits work very well."

"I can also file a report of rape. You've taken Tsu-"

"She gave me her consent." He swiftly countered, coming closer. "Honestly, what is it with this generation's boys? You're acting on impulse right now, Orochimaru. Sit down and cool your head. Unless, you want all of Tsunade's hard work to go to the drain? Just this morning, she worked very hard to meet my satisfaction for your sake. Would you want that to all be in vain?"

Orochimaru looked at Tsunade who hid in the corner, ashamed. "She..."

"Did all for you." He said with an enlightened grin, "And she was pretty damn good, Orochimaru!"

The student fuelled his dominant hand with all the anger he had left inside him and went in to strike. However, the older man was quicker and sharper. He took his hand and swatted it away, giving a blow into his stomach. "My, are you even the Orochimaru I know?" he whispered, kicking him back to stumble over the steps. "I'll say this again, cool your head." He gestured to Tsunade, "Don't think about yourself, but your friend."

He pushed himself up from the ground and wiped his cheek.

Tsunade tried to approach, "I-I... am truly sorry, Oro. But I had to-!"

"I've got to go." He darkly spoke, avoiding her gaze. "I-I can't stand being here."


Later that night...

Anko repeatedly knocked on the door of the bathroom. "Tsunade? Tsunade, you've been there for an hour now. Listen, it's time to come out. Tsunade?"

The knocking persisted, but it fell on deaf ears. Inside the bathroom, where the showerhead was on full blast, Tsunade was in a curled position, hugging her legs closely against her chest. Her forehead was against her legs, as the water continued to trickle over her naked body. She sobbed as quietly as she could, clutching desperately into her skin until it held an imprint of her fingers.

Orochimaru was never meant to find out.

She tightly closed her eyes. The disgust that clouded his eyes pained her far more than Misaki ever did. The twist in his lips, the furrowed eyebrows, the look of disdain and embarrassment for her was potent in his face. He was ashamed of her, to have known her.

Tsunade remained sat under the pouring water.

She contemplated.

And contemplated.

And contemplated.

Until there was nothing else to think about, but the blood from her arms that trickled down to the drain.


Several days later...

"Orochimaru!" Jiraiya blasted with a cheery aura, "There's a barbecue hangout tonight; come out with us, Tsunade and Anko will be there."

The darker haired man slipped past his hold and continued to sluggishly proceed down to the parking lot, hands in pockets, head hung down low. "I'm going to pass on that." He dragged his feet like a sloth drags its arms on it sides.

The taller man stalked behind, retaining his flashy smile. "No need to hold back, because of us. Come on, it'll be fun. It's been quite a while since we've seen Tsunade, too!"

"I said I'm not going!" Orochimaru suddenly bellowed, stopping on his tracks - hands clenched together into a ball.

"What's wrong with you?" His face darkened and he continued to walk behind his friend, tracing the footsteps he left behind. "Hey, don't you think you're being too callous? Tsunade hasn't seen you in days. She's always asking for you. You're worrying her, Oro!" He halted, "After everything she's done for you, you suddenly ignore her? What happened, huh?"

Orochimaru's back remained turned. Jiraiya clicked his tongue with annoyance and forcefully turned him around, "Look at me, damn it!" As he twirled the lean man around, he ended up tumbling to the side, hitting his arm against the wall. Jiraiya looked, awfully surprised at how delicate his friend has become. He watched as he sank down onto the pavement, lifeless with shame raining down on his features. "H-Hey... Oro-Orochimaru..."

"Jiraiya..." he slowly murmured with pain, stunning the other man. Finally, his demeanour broke. The pale man buried his face into his hands, shaking his head weakly. "What am I supposed to do?" He cried weakly into his palms, as he continued to shake his head.

"She gave me her consent."

That couldn't be true.

It had to be a lie.

It had to be a lie.

A lie.

Lie.

"I-I... am truly sorry, Oro..."

He can't see her anymore. Who was this tainted woman in his head? Who was this broken woman staring right at him? This wasn't Tsunade. Where was the zestful woman who had her head in the clouds? Where was the strong woman who had a soft heart? Who was the jagged woman staring at him?

Orochimaru buried his face deeper, trying to find solitude and peace in the midst of all the turmoil he experienced. "I couldn't say a word. What could I have said to her?" The calmness of his voice was broken and cracked with tears and sobs and nerves. He shook on the spot, holding himself tight as he projected his inner thoughts. "How should I act when I see her?"

Jiraiya was crouched in front of Orochimaru, silent but understanding, providing as much comfort as he could. "Listen, Orochimaru..." he slowly spoke in a dull voice. "This is just my opinion, but I do think you should see Tsunade after all." He stopped to grip the fabric of his trousers, pursing his lips, before he continued on with a faked smile, "Sure, if she was with me, I would do anything in the world. If it was for a girl I liked, I'd even drink the dirtiest water..."

His faked exterior deteriorated into something more solemn, as he watched his friend continue on the verge of hysteria. "But you know what, I think for Tsunade, I'm not the one, you know?" He placed his hand on his shoulder, trying his hardest to keep his jealousy in. "When she's always in dire need of help, or if she just wants someone to lean against, she always goes to you... Orochimaru." He gritted his own teeth momentarily to keep his own tears in. "It's always you she turns to."

"What's the matter, Tsunade?"

"I-It's about... my father." She sniffed, looking away with a pout.

Orochimaru placed his hand over her head, patting her lightly. "I'm here for you."

"Just... don't tell Jiraiya, okay?"

"W-W-Why not?"

"This stays between the two of us."

Orochimaru leaned harder against the wall, "I just don't know what I will say to her."

"Don't sweat it." Jiraiya soothingly said. "A true man will always take the first step forward. You've got this, Orochimaru. You always do."

"But... for me... it-it's impossible." His voice shook and dismantled under pressure. "I-I can't face her anymore, Jiraiya..."

"Believe in yourself..." He said finally, clutching harder onto his shoulder. "It's the only thing you need to do. Tsunade will be there to listen, you know that."


Later that night...

After everyone had gotten lifts home from the beach, Tsunade and Orochimaru stood adjacent from each other. The wind blew past them, settling in a chill in the environment around them. Tsunade's sundress fluttered smoothly along the halcyon, moving with elegance along with the loose strands of her hair. Whereas Orochimaru's jet black hair swayed harshly, as his eyes burned into a pure metal golden hue. His lips thinned just looking at her.

He no longer saw Tsunade.

She was just a faded silhouette filled with dozens of cracks and scratches.

"It's ugly, isn't it?" She spoke first, taking one step closer to him. "I see it everytime I look in the mirror, too. I just see a broken reflection staring back at me. It always makes me wonder if it is me staring right back." Her tone was light, but the emotions weighed like the world in her brimmed eyes. "But it is the harsh reality that I have to accept."

"...Tsunade,"

"I never thought I would be able to talk to you again, Orochimaru."

The night fell. The night fell. The night fell and fell and fell and fell until the glister of the sand dies and cold bites its viscera and sinks deep in the gritty flesh of the beach and howls from within the hollow throat of the world they lived in. It is quiet and calm, all the things that he isn't, despite what shows on his face.

"Can we just forget about what you saw and what happened?" She proposed lightly, smiling. "After all, what happened doesn't matter. I don't care what happens to me as long as you finish your course."

The glass on the twin golden eyes rounded in disbelief, as his mouth half-opened in astonishment.

What are you saying?

It didn't matter?

You don't care about...

"Don't give me this nonsense!" Orochimaru bellowed, hanging his head down low as if to plead for her genuine emotion. "Why? Why did you do this for me? I am not worth it! You were... I was... I was the one supposed to be protecting you! So, why?! Why go out of your way to sell yourself?!"

Tsunade stood, stricken. Her tears fell without her consent.

"You don't care what happens to yourself?!" He continued to shout. "Don't give me that bullshit! Why-?!"

Her lips pursed upwards. "Because..."

"You should have just let me accept the consequences of my actions!"

"I can't do that!" Tsunade finally wailed out. "Because if I do..." She turned to sniff, to contain her own sorrow that was involuntarily pouring out at the sight of him. "I did it to keep you - to keep the three of us together! Just like the old times..."

The lines on his face deepened as he became more and more downhearted. The moon continued to rise high into the darkened, grey clouds, its glittery shimmer shaded with darkness, as the snake's lips trembled with disbelief. Tsunade's beautiful hair continued to shine despite the lack of light from the moon shining downcast on them, her porcelain skin remained pristine and pure, despite what she had committed to.

Tsunade still retained the shadow of what she wholly was, despite the people who broke her.

Her father...

Kenji...

Misaki...

One after the other, eating away at her patience and trust in this world; staining and tainting the perfect picture he had of her.

Her tears rolled down on the supple of her cheeks as she took deep breaths. "Don't you get it? You and Jiraiya are the only ones in my life that is complete! I can't have anyone breaking it all up, Orochimaru." She clenched her dress desperately, creating convulsive gasps. "I've already lost so much in my life, I can't bear to lose you as well!" Her strength finally left her and she fell helplessly on her knees, feeling her heart break through her ribcage, bleeding hysterically as she felt every single fibre in her being become drained.

Orochimaru sank down into the sand along with her, raising his head up to sky which lacked the light they both desperately wanted to see.

"I'm tired of losing my perceptions in life," she continued, wiping her face desperately to steer it clear from her tears. "If there is anything I want to perceive more than anything, it's my friendship with the both of you!"

His heart pounded in a sickening rhythm. For the first time in his life, he felt every bit of emotion that his heart carried. Every tinge of sadness and disfigurement his mind has hurdled past echoed in the thuds of his heart, crying it out, compelling him to release all of it out. His fingers traced through the fine sand, feeling it slip past his grasp. Life was just like fine sand: delicate and quick.

Will they have enough time to heal the wounds that they have opened?

Orochimaru crawled through the sand, wincing at his own incompetence. He stretched out his hand and reached for her.

That's right...

I promised to always be there for you, didn't I?

Tsunade's eyes snapped open when she felt a new source of warmth envelope around her shivering body, keeping the cold breeze away from her. She looked up and became entranced with two golden eyes which resembled that of a snake. The sharpness of the depth of his eyes were daunting but, at the same time, soothing. She could feel the tongues of flames from his eyes, feeding into her, sharing her sorrow and despair.

"Tsunade," his pale fingers interlaced with her golden locks, keeping her close. "I love you."

She could only smile before she buried her face into his chest. "I love you, too. That's why... I want you to finish you degree, Orochimaru. Be free and become the man you want to be. Don't worry about me.." her fingers dug into the darkness of his shirt. "Don't worry about me... just keep walking forward, don't look back."

"Don't..." he held her closer. "I won't allow this!"

"I promise... I'll still be walking behind you, walking in your footsteps."

"Tsunade..." he engulfed her with his arms, embracing her like never before, feeling her heartbeat sync up with his. It was just as he had thought - her heart was heavy and its beats were at a deafening pace. He can't break her anymore. If he were to rebel against her once more, she might break. He won't allow that. "...Thank you,"he submitted through gritted teeth and hot tears.

The breeze and the violent torrents of tides sloshing against the sand died down, and the moon began to illuminate on them again, tracing every single silver tear they had expressed. He looked up, still cradling his broken and precious beloved in his arms, praying for a hopeful morning.

This is the light we both need to see...

To move forward...

Can you see it?

Can you see this light guiding us forward, Tsunade?

Will it reach you?

...Or are your eyes already too clouded with sadness in this world?


Months later...

After graduation broke, the three hurried to the airport to catch their flight. Orochimaru and Jiraiya hurried to check in for their own flights. Once their slips were checked, they were given the time of departure and the directions to their own terminal. They turned to Tsunade with a slanted smile. "This is it." Jiraiya spoke slowly. "We're not going to see each other for a while."

Tsunade pushed herself up from the bench and tiptoed to hug the both of them as tightly as she could. "Look at the two of you. My two heroes all grown up. Don't go breaking people's hearts when you're out finding yourselves a decent job, okay?"

Jiraiya laughed, "I can't promise that, Tsunade."

"Hn," the other merely smirked it off.

She parted from them and scrutinized their sharp appearances in suits. "I'm going to miss you guys."

"We'll always have the years to look back on." The gallant jollily exclaimed, giving her a thumbs up.

"Good luck on your interview in Poise." Orochimaru continued on, "To think that a company would want you straight away."

"That's Tsunade for you." The white-haired man grinned. "Always so awesome!"

Flight for Land of the Wind boarding on 2:45.

"Oh," Orochimaru grabbed his bag. "That's me." He turned at the blonde one last time and hugged her. "Thank you for everything you've done for me."

"Just make sure you don't go around killing people now," she joked.

"I won't, unless they're Misaki and Kenji." The tone of his voice was far too serious to taken as a joke.

Jiraiya cringed in the background.

They both waved off the black-haired man until he was through the doors towards his terminal.

"And you," she softly spoke, "take care of yourself, alright? Don't stay up too late. Don't invest on women too much, because you'll become a hobo. Eat a sufficient amount of vegetables and fruits, you don't want to be nutrient deficient. And remember-"

"Tsunade-"

"that you don't write well if you're hungry, so learn how to cook."

"Tsunade!" Jiraiya persisted.

"What?"

"I love you."

Flight for Land of the Grass boarding on 3:00

"That's my flight." He looked at his watch before he glanced at her. "I'm going to miss you, Tsuna." His lips touched her forehead for a brief moment. "Take care of yourself, you hear? And don't fall in love until Orochimaru and I have stalked the hell out of him, understood?"

She puffed her cheeks, "I don't think that will be happening any time soon, Jira."

"Well, just in case." He shrugged. "If you see a knight on a shining white horse, run! It will be like Kenji all over again."

"Don't worry about me." She stroked his arm. "I'll be waiting for you two."

He nodded and turned on his heels, waving at her without look back, slinging his back over his shoulder.

"Jiraiya!" She called out.

"What is it?"

"I love you, too, you pervert."

He grinned, "Don't be falling in love with me too hard while I'm away."

When Jiraiya also disappeared from the scope of her eyes, she turned around and walked out of the airport, feeling the sun's rays shining on her.

It was just the beginning for the three of them...


Jiraiya glanced at the awestruck CEO beside him, knowing well that he couldn't blame him for being so speechless. "Tsunade is the kind who will protect those she loves to the best of her ability, no matter what the cost. You see, her heart is made of gold. She is far too trusting and too loving that she ends up being hurt."

Kakashi hunched forward, clenching his hands together, lips tightly sealed.

"I know why Tsunade fell in love with you, she told me everything." He took a sip from his can soda. "I know her side, but I don't know yours."

"I loved her." He stiffly spoke, bowing his head down further more to let his own tears meander down. "By all Gods, I loved her."

"Then why the torment? Why did you leave her high to dry?"

"Because... everyone I love dies." His voice shivered like the wind, dragging the syllables into the air to let it settle in. "My father, my mother, Rin... and even Obito. They all died. Everyone I care about, the ones I truly love, will eventually slip from my grasp. The pain, the grief... I could go on. After I lost Rin, I knew that was it for me. She was the end of the line. My last."

"Hm..."

"Tell me something, Jiraiya, you spout about a lot of different men loving Tsunade, but you've never told me about your own personal feelings about her. It's obvious that you love her, too."

"Ahahah," he highly laughed, rubbing the back of his head. "My love for Tsunade has since transformed from the romantic stage. I've come to acknowledge that I'm not the one for her. And for that, I'm grateful, because I know that I will be by her side for longer, because I won't do anything to break her heart for my own selfish desire." His smile faded. "It's better this way. So I can watch over her, see the man she marries, and give her the support she needs from there."

"You're a good man, Jiraiya."

"Now, tell me, do you still love her?"

Kakashi's pupils dilated at the sudden question, sending chills down his spine. "I-I have to make as phone call." He pulled his phone out and hurried to the quietest part of the terminal as quickly as he could. "Excuse me!"

"Sure thing." The man leaned against the bench and smirked. "Who would have thought...?"


Tsunade awoke from the sound of her ringtone setting off gently beside her. She shifted under her bed and slipped past Akihiko's arm. She answered the call and hurriedly made her way to her living-room, tying her bathrobe around her body. "Hello?"

"Hi,"

"Kakashi!" She looked at the time and frowned. "Is something wrong?"

"No-no... nothing's wrong."

"Then why are you calling early in the morning?" She settled down on the nearest chair.

"I ran into Jiraiya..."

"Is that so? Did he put you up to this?" There was something heavy about his voice. She couldn't exactly pinpoint where this sudden emotion was coming from since she has never experienced it. She bit her lower lip and listened closely to his breathing on the phone. "Talk to me."

"He told me your story, what you've been through."

Her heart dropped in an instant. "That little bastard with his big mouth!" She hissed through her teeth.

"No, I already knew some of it, anyway. Well, just about your parents."

"Don't lie to cover his ass up, Kakashi. I've never told you any of those things."

"But you did."

"When?"

"Do you remember the Poise Masquerade you attended when you were but a teen?"

"..Yeah," she swallowed, not quite sure where he was going with it.

"I was the Stranger you kissed that night, Tsunade. I was the one you told about your parents, your family."

"No..." she held her mouth in shock. "That's-!"

"We go back further than I thought."

"But..."

"What Jiraiya told me finally made me understand those nights with you. Those nights why you cried..."

"Kakashi..." she looked away, distancing her ear from the phone. "Please don't talk about it."

"There's one more thing I never told you."

Tsunade rubbed her fingers against her temple, fearing what he was about to say. "What is it?"

"That was the moment I knew I was in love with you."

Her breath was caught.

I truly fell in love with you, not because of your smiles or your beauty, but for the woman underneath all that.

The woman who was broken under that porcelain mask.

The woman who was abused and misused.

I fell in love with her.

For the first time in my life, I saw a reflection of myself.

We were both...

Lost.

Without any light.


A/N: Two to three more chapters and we're back in the present! This was dedicated to TheHollowWorld, because is an awesome person who just made leaps and bounds in her life. I love you gurl! (in a platonic way!)

xox