Chapter Twenty-Nine
Minato sipped his morning coffee as the first sunrise of the new year crept into the living room. A quick check of his watch indicated it was 0555 – Naruto would wake any minute. He took another sip, rewarded by the sound of his son's alarm clock and the sound of him performing his morning exercises. Good boy, growing up strong.
Minato peeled back his memories of being Naruto's age. Probably the happiest memory was confessing to Kushina that he loved her, but Minato remembered many painful ones, too. Specifically, he remembered graduation day. He remembered waiting for his turn to cross the stage, knowing after Lord and Lady Sarutobi gave him his headband there would be no happy congratulations from his mom or dad. Even Sensei Jiraiya hadn't been there, having spent the previous night on a bender and waking up with a random woman in a love hotel. It was in that moment that he promised himself if he had a child, he'd be there when it counted.
Another sip of coffee, and he could hear Naruto in the shower. Even on holidays, Naruto made it a point to get out the door by 0700 to go train, even if there was no training scheduled. A regular chip off the old block. I just hope I'm better at this than Jiraiya was.
Naruto bolted down the stairs with haste of quicksilver, but he froze dead still as he locked eyes with Minato as he reached the landing. His son wore his usual ensemble of burnt orange athletic pants and a black t-shirt. "Good morning, son," Minato said as he raised his coffee cup, "I think we need to talk."
Naruto went from running to skulking toward the kitchen, barely acknowledging him. The kid is angry; he has a right to be. Take it slow, and don't force the issue. Naruto went to the sink, filled the electric kettle, and set it to boil. He went to another cupboard to retrieve a black sesame instant cereal and pour a generous portion into a bowl. As he set his bowl down on the counter dividing the kitchen from the living room, Naruto finally spoke, "Okay, talk." His tone was dour, but at least he was speaking to him. Naruto hadn't said a word to him since leaving the Hyūga Compound.
"Son, I know you're angry…"
Naruto slammed a fist onto the counter, "Angry!" he shouted, "I used to get angry when I brought home a failing grade on a test, Dad!" Naruto's angry boiled as the water in the kettle, "I got angry when I walked in on Sakura and Sasuke making out in a closet!" The kettle popped, indicating the water had boiled, "So you tell me," Naruto picked up the kettle and poured the steaming water into the bowl, "what the hell am I feeling now!"
"Betrayal, fury," Minato counted off the list, "like your Dad didn't back you up when he should have." Minato felt the stone land in his stomach. "Like Hinata wouldn't be in the hospital right now had I acted sooner."
"YES!" Naruto shouted, tears started to leak from the corners of Naruto's eyes as he slammed his hands down on the counter. Minato got to his feet, wrapping his son in a hug as his boy began sobbing in earnest. Of all the things I never learned to do well, this one is still the hardest. Minato had hardly done a standup job for Kakashi when Obito and Rin had died. When it turned out Obito hadn't died and had attacked them, Kakashi had already been on the cusp of manhood – too old to console like this.
Minato felt the guilt of his past and present failures seeping out as he held his son. "Naruto, I promised you when you were a baby that I would keep my mistakes small," his voice quivered through tears, "I'm sorry I failed you again."
"Dad, why!" Naruto beat a fist weakly against his chest.
"I wish," he choked for a moment, "I could tell you something about not interfering in clan politics," Minato shook his head, "But the truth is, I screwed up. You were right, and I should have listened to you, son. Had you not been there…" Go ahead, admit to it. "… I could have gotten her killed."
Naruto heaved several deep breaths, and neither said anything for a long moment. Minato was again the frightened eight-year old called to the Hokage's office to learn his daddy wasn't coming home ever again, that he was now alone in the world. He was twenty-four again, nervous about becoming a father, and having the terrible premonition of him and Kushina dying at Naruto's birth. And now he was in unexplored territory. His real father and grandfather had both been gone by the time he'd become a man. Even Jiraiya had been on one of his journeys when Minato returned from Mount Myoboku. Had Kushina not kept him grounded, Minato may have been a perpetual traveler and not become a Jonin-Sensei or Hokage. And now it's your turn to keep him grounded. "Son, please forgive me!"
Naruto initially didn't say anything; he just nodded and kept his head buried in his father's chest. After a long moment, Naruto pulled back, wiped his tears, and spoke. "Dad, I gotta go, I need to get training."
"Son, if you want, that's fine, but," he paused, trying to measure his words, "I propose an alternative to training today."
"Alternative?"
"Son, I get you have a lot going on – the Chunin-exams, mission prep – but I worry about you. I worry you're letting the last bit of your childhood slip past you." Minato sighed, "If you're still serious about going to Mount Myoboku with Grandpa next year… well, I won't see you after that until you're a man."
Naruto nodded, looking up at him, "So what do you propose?"
Minato checked his watch, 0723, "The Yamanaka flower shop opens in a few minutes. I say we find a fitting bouquet of flowers for Hinata and pay her a visit at the Hospital; I need to talk to her anyhow. And then…"
"And then?" Naruto tilted his head curiously.
"How about you and me hit up the arcade district?" Minato beamed. "We haven't been since before you graduated from the academy. There probably won't be too many places open, but I'd like to see if you can beat me in a game of shuriken toss yet!"
Naruto beamed, "I'd like that!"
"Finish your breakfast, and we'll go!" Minato let his son go and returned to his coffee. To have a day off with his son made him impossibly giddy.
An hour later, Minato was walking his son through hospital security to the pediatrics ward. Minato wore subdued blue jeans and a black turtleneck sweater – hoping to be as unrecognizable as the Hokage could be. Naruto wore a similar outfit; except he wore a dark-forest green hoodie. Naruto hauled a massive bouquet of white and red lilies crowned with a single, vibrant red lotus flower. Minato chuckled silently inside. Naruto had picked them at the flower shop because he thought Hinata would like them. Oh to be young and blissfully ignorant!
Young Ino had blushed coyly as they paid, wishing Naruto a good start to the new year. While Minato was a bit rusty on the language of flowers, he was pretty sure Naruto's choice would translate into some declaration of undying love. Minato sincerely hoped it didn't cause Hinata to have a heart attack when she saw it.
"Now Hinata," Minato heard Tsunade's voice from the door as they approached Hinata's room, "you have to wear this at all times for the next three weeks – no exceptions." He and Naruto paused outside the door, not wanting to interrupt.
"Even in the shower?" Hinata's voice wasn't whining so much as hoping something wouldn't interfere with her normal routine.
"The unit is waterproof, and yes. If you take it off it without it being properly deactivated, it will send a distress signal that you're having a heart attack."
"Will I be able to train at all?" Hinata sounded sullen.
"Not this week at all; I want your resting," Tsunade said firmly. "You're way to young to have this kind of injury, and even with accelerated healing, you could have serious damage to your heart that the initial EKG and echocardiograms didn't show." Tsunade's voice became almost motherly, "Hinata, I know it's a pain, and I know you want to get back in as fast as you can, but it's for your own good. If there is damage we didn't detect or late effects of having your chakra blocked, it could kill you."
"I feel like she already did, Tsunade," tears were audible in Hinata's voice. "I can't train, I can't go on missions, what am I good for?"
"Hinata…" Tsunade struggled to find a good response. Minato promptly knocked on the door. "I hope we're not interrupting," Minato tried to sound jovial as possible. In reality, Hinata's words stung like a venomous scorpion. After giving birth to Naruto and the related trauma and limitations that followed, Kushina had struggled with depression and feeling worthless repeatedly. He has been blessed to have Akemi and Tsunade to help her through the tough times. And now you've caused someone else to hurt because of your carelessness.
"Naruto, Uncle Minato!" Hinata's mood shifted rapidly. The bruises on her face and arms were mostly gone – quite a feat even with Nine-Tails healing factor. Hinata was still in a hospital gown, indicating she wasn't yet released.
"Hinata!" Naruto rushed past, stopping just before Tsunade, "Umm, Granny Tsunade, is it okay?" he nervously indicated the flowers.
"Yes, silly," Tsunade giggled, "I'm glad you came. My patient needs treatment outside my specialty."
"Hinata, we brought these for you!" Naruto handed her the flowers, and she wrapped him in her arms. "Thank you!" she replied.
Minato took the moment to excuse himself, "I think I'll leave you two; Tsunade, may I speak with you, privately?"
Lady Tsunade nodded. Something ominous creeped into her expression. As much as Minato was scared of the answer, he needed to know. They crossed the hallway into an empty treatment room, leaving Naruto and Hinata to talk. "So, what did she say?" he asked.
"You might want to ask her, yourself, Minato," Tsunade shook her head, "she's a lot less secure with me, but you're family to her."
"Did she say anything?"
"She admitted emotional abuse from her grandfather, but she denied physical abuse, at least directly, from him."
"What about Hanabi?" he asked.
"That… was where she clammed up." Tsunade sighed. "I did as you asked and checked her medical records. There were no irregular patterns of medical care or records of physical injury suggesting physical abuse, but…" she trailed off.
"But what?" he asked, exasperated.
"You know how easy it is to hide that kind of abuse," she met his eyes fiercely, "and how hard it is to prove. Without a pattern of broken bones or hospital admissions, we have a flimsy case."
"Even with a protective order, do you really think that would stop things?" Minato asked.
"Admittedly, I don't know," Tsunade shook her head. "Putting the children in protective custody would mean no contact with their parents at a critical moment in their lives. It could be every bit as harmful as leaving them in place."
"And a restraining order against their grandfather is meaningless if he just acts through another clan proxy." Minato stared at the floor, wondering how things got this bad in the Hyūga Clan. "Tsunade, child abuse rarely happens in a vacuum," he stared her in the eyes, "Would you be able to look in either Hiashi or Hizashi's records to determine if there was anything fitting this pattern?"
"Way ahead of you," she nodded, "Both brothers had multiple ER visits as young as age five. Injuries ranged from bad sprains, broken bones, and multiple chakra-related injuries. Hizashi seemed to have the worst of it."
Minato nodded, his suspicion confirmed. So, this has been going on for a long time. Hatori Hyūga, the elder Hyūga, had been clan leader for over forty years until Hiashi challenged his father for control of the clan and won. While the clan was always known for its martial prowess and stern insularity, Hatori had taken the clan from merely being strong to being a prestige class in its own right. Even the arrogant Uchiha Clan did not dare claim to be superior to the Hyūga Clan.
Minato shook his head, "A father's love can be a terrible thing." Kakashi had said it many times. Minato never made sense of it until now.
"How is that?" Tsuande placed a hand on her hip, eyeing him thoughtfully.
"Imagine you built the strongest, greatest clan in the history of a village or a region, and you go to pass it to your sons," Minato rubbed his chin, "But you find your sons' leadership lacking, maybe for a real reason or maybe you made your standards impossibly high. You spend your entire life trying to groom them the way you want them to be – a carbon copy of you. Eventually, all your hard work is passed on, but you don't approve how they run things. You keep trying to influence affairs from the sidelines until one day you find yourself trying to wrest back control because there can be no other great leader other than you."
"So, what do we do?" she asked.
"Let's ask Hinata," he replied.
When they re-entered the room, Hinata and Naruto were having a lively chat about past missions. "Son, can you excuse us for a bit?"
Naruto eyed him back thoughtfully. Naruto nodded, understanding what Minato was asking him. "Okay," he turned to Hinata, "I'll see you before we leave."
"I think," Tsunade said, "I'll keep him company." She walked out with Naruto.
Minato turned the chair back toward Hinata, resting his arms on the chair back as he sat. "Hinata," he sighed, "I have to ask some very difficult questions – questions that could have a major impact of you and your family. If any point in time you want me to stop, I will, but…" He paused, considering carefully, "… but it only means delaying facing them."
"I understand," she nodded solemnly, "You want to know about grandpa."
"Hinata, I know he abuses you emotionally; that's plain to see." Minato felt the weight of question in his head, "Has your father done the same to you in any way?"
"No," she answered without hesitation.
"Not at all?"
"No, Uncle Minato," she shook her head, "He may have his moody moments when he wishes I'd be more like Hanabi, and he may push me in counter-productive ways; but he never once called me worthless, a waste, or…" her throat tightened.
"Or?"
"Or a mistake," she cried. Minato pulled several tissues from a nearby box and handed them to her. "Is it true? Did my parents have me on accident! Is this strife in my clan my fault?"
Dear god! "No!" Minato said firmly. "Hinata, you were never a mistake any more than Naruto was." Minato decided it was time to put secrets to rest. "Your parents made you because they loved each other, and they wanted to be together no matter what! Hinata… had you not come along when you did, your father would be married to someone he didn't love, and your clan would be one step closer to extinction." God, I hope I didn't overstep my bounds just now.
"Extinction?" she looked at him quizzically.
"Hinata, aside from Hanabi, how many live births have happened in your clan in the past eight years?" Minato asked.
Hinata squinted, tilting her head in confusion. "Other than Hanabi… none…" a terrible look of realization came across her face.
"Hinata, you can't tell your parents I ever told you this," Minato glanced at the door to make sure it was firmly closed, "Before your parents married, your father was promised to another woman."
"I know about that, mom told me," she replied. "Dad broke it off and married mom, instead."
Unphased he continued, "Did she tell you that your grandfather tried having their marriage annulled before it even happened?" She shook her head. "I was Hokage for about three weeks when your father came to me in tears, begging for my help." Minato thought back to that rainy day, Hiashi looking sullen and soaked as he came to the office. "Technically, his father was within his right as a clan leader; he had not given Hiashi approval to marry or break off his engagement. All he had to do was file the petition, he could have your mom thrown out of the compound, he could block any marriage, and I could do nothing but try and moderate between the parties."
"So, what happened?" she asked intently.
Minato blushed as he recalled his role in the events. "I did something irresponsible," he grinned. "I reminded your dad that until the marriage was officially annulled, any children resulting from that marriage were legitimate," Minato curled one corner of his mouth mischievously, "and a marriage with a legitimate child could not be annulled."
Now it was Hinata's turn to blush. "You mean…"
"I officiated that marriage that same day, and let's just say about three weeks later," he smiled, "Your mom and my wife came into my office planning a surprise announcement for your father." Minato chuckled, "After he recovered from fainting, he and I burned your grandfather's petition paperwork."
"You had it already?"
"It had this bad tendency of getting lost in the stack of things on my desk," he smiled. "Sadly, when we went to your grandfather to announce the pregnancy, he had a conniption fit, and said he'd never consent to a marriage. I told him that it was too late, that your parents were now married, and you were a legitimate child."
Hinata sat mouth agape, "Let me guess, he didn't take it well?" Hinata hit the nail on the head.
Minato nodded before speaking, "Your grandfather threatened to find some way to delegitimize you and have your mom thrown out of the clan. By then, your father had had enough, and he challenged your grandfather to a duel." Minato shook his head and laughed.
"What's so funny?" Hinata wrinkled her face.
"Your father," he explained, "you're more like him than you know."
Hinata continued to look puzzled, "How? He so much stronger than me."
"He wasn't always," Minato raised a finger to stop her, "In fact, there was a long time when your father was considered the runt of the litter. He was dyslexic, like you. He had an eternal rivalry with his twin brother, much like you and Hanabi. And he and his brother suffered heavily at the hands of his father's abuse." Minato paused, gauging her reaction. "Hinata… does your grandfather abuse Hanabi."
"Y-yes!" She began sobbing.
Minato instinctively offered a hug, which she accepted, crying into his shoulder for several long moments. When the episode seemed to burn down a bit, he resumed, "Hinata, how?"
"H-he… he often pulls harsh pranks, telling her it was me," she let several sobs pass, "He puts her through our barbaric training regimen, and any time she messes up, he hits her with his cane. H-he's always careful to hit her where it won't leave visible marks or where she already has injury from training!"
Minato felt sick to his stomach hearing what he did. There was no fathoming how someone could ever be that cruel to a child. I can only imagine how much worse it would be if Akemi hadn't survived her cancer treatment. The thought made him shiver as much as the nightmare of seeing Naruto grow up an orphan. "Hinata, I know this comes at a bad time, but," he paused, looking down at her tear-soaked eyes, "if you want, I can have you and your sister placed into protective custody."
Hinata shook her head, "She'd resent me for it, and I could only imagine what it would do to Mom and Dad!" She shook her head, crying.
He was going to mention the restraining order, but she'd already thought about this. "Hinata, you realize if you see this to the end, you'll have a lot of hard decisions to make going forward."
"I know."
"And there is no guarantee seeing this through will make things right with Hanabi."
"If I walk away, it's guaranteed she'll spend the rest of her life believing a lie and hating me for it," she said, "Besides, I think grandpa wants me to run away; he wants to hound me to the bitter end." She shook her head, her fists curled ivory white. "I'm done running," she said, "Naruto never runs from his problems because of you, Uncle Minato!"
Minato saw the spark of determination in her eyes, the same as her father had when he'd had enough of his father's abuse. History repeats, but let's hope this time it breaks this cycle. "Hinata, if you need anything, know that my family's door is always open," he said.
"It means the world to me to hear that, Uncle Minato," she smiled, wiping away tears. "When I'm clan leader, the same will be true for you and your family."
A knock at the door, "Hinata, are you decent?" Hiashi's voice called through the door.
Hinata wiped away her remaining tears, "Yes, father."
As Hiashi entered, he looked unrested. Crow's feet formed at the corners of his eyes, accenting the slightest sight of early wrinkles. He was wearing the same robes he'd worn last night, once formal looking, now wrinkled as if slept-in. He's no older than me, but he could easily pass for twenty years older! Minato got up and bowed, "Lord Hiashi," he greeted.
"Lord Hokage," Hiashi bowed in return. "Hinata," her father extended a small duffel bag, "I brought you a set of street clothes. Tsunade told me about the heart monitor, but she said you could go home, otherwise."
Hinata's expression didn't look the least bit relieved at the mention of home. "Father, my I have another moment to speak with Lord Minato? I'll change out after I'm finished."
Hiashi nodded, looking confused but satisfied that it was something important. "I'll wait outside."
As the door closed behind Hiashi, Minato felt a wave of dread. What else hasn't she told me? "Hinata, is there something else you need to tell me?"
She tapped her fingers nervously, like she did sometimes around Naruto. "Lord Minato… I… what did you mean earlier?"
"About?"
"About my clan facing extinction?"
"Hinata, there was a second reason why your father married your mother," he explained, "and it's the same reason he hasn't just replaced you as clan heir." He sighed, remembering several difficult conversations with Akemi and Hiashi, "The clan bloodline is becoming dangerously interbred. Most of the elders don't see it as a problem, but," he paused, not sure if she was ready for the burden, "for the future, it could be disastrous. Most of the existing couples in the clan are unable to have children, and the elders are unwilling to move on their stance on outside marriages."
Hinata nodded a terrible understanding, "So, unless something changes dramatically, and soon, the clan won't be able to replace its members who die in battle or of old age." She shook her head in disgust, "How long?"
"Within a generation," Minato replied against the acid in his mouth, "Unless the new clan leader can force change." He felt like the ultimate jerk for putting the hourglass in front of her, but she deserved to know what was at stake. It was no different from letting her and Naruto know about being jinchuriki. Leave it to my wife to be right about such things.
"And with Hanabi under grandfather's thumb, that change would have to come from me," she hugged herself.
"I hate to put that kind of a burden on your shoulders, Hinata," he shook his head, "but the survival of the Hyūga Clan rests on you now."
"I guess," Hinata sighed, "I'll have to do my best." She reached for the duffel bag. "Lord Minato, if you'll excuse me."
He nodded, leaving the room. Hiashi, Tsunade, and Naruto stood outside the door. "Dad, is everything all right?" his son asked.
"I think so," he replied.
"Granny Tsunade," Naruto turned, "when can she train again?"
"If everything goes all right," Tsunade raised a finger, "She can do light training after her first follow up. After that, everything is contingent on her heart being okay." Minato saw Tsunade's expression harden, "And I'm serious, Naruto. Prematurely jumping back in until we're sure she's okay could kill her very easily."
"I'll be sure to keep both of them on a tight chain," Minato broke in, "and I'll let Kakashi and Jiraiya know the same thing."
Hinata came out of the room, still looking tired and haggard. She was now wearing a purple knee length dress with black leggings and a red bubble-jacket. "Father, I'm ready to go."
"Hey, have either of you had breakfast yet?" Minato asked.
"Ummm… no," Hinata blushed nervously, "nothing since last night."
Minato turned to Hiashi. He shook his head, "Same here, couldn't even think of eating after everything that happened last night."
Minato couldn't blame him. When Kushina and Naruto were in the hospital after Naruto's first mission, Minato almost fainted from not eating for almost two days. "That settles it, you're both joining us for breakfast, I'm buying!" he said in a tone that didn't invite opposition.
"Lord Hokage, you don't have to," Hiahshi said, mildly embarrassed.
"Nonsense, it's my day off, and it's my pleasure," he grinned, "I could always make it an order."
"I suppose you could," Hiashi actually managed a smile. "Hinata, what do you say?" he asked, taking his daughter's hand.
"I'd love to!" she replied.
"Tsunade?" Minato turned to her. She shook her head, "No can do, I'm still on duty. You kids have fun now!" she laughed as the group went in search of breakfast. Hell of a way to start a new year.
The scent of chlorine filled Jiraiya's nose as he kept one eye on the swimmers and another on a computer readout. The Shinobi Academy's indoor pool had been built long after he graduated a lifetime ago. Originally, all aquatic training was done in the lakes and rivers around Konoha. Hokage Sarutobi had ordered its construction so students could use it for exercise and water survival training year-round. It also did cut down on the cases of water-borne illness that spiked any time a class has their water survival test.
The current group in the water consisted of Naruto, Hinata, Kushina, and Akemi. While Sakura was in her swim gear, she was up on deck with him, watching the heart readout from Hinata's heart monitor. If all went smoothly, she'd be able to take the damn thing off today. "How's it looking, Sakura?" he asked.
"Heart rate is elevated, but that is expected," she said, switching tabs on the laptop monitor. "Contour of her heart's electrical activity is good, interval looks good; I'd say a few more laps and I'm ready to call her ready to go back to full intensity."
"Good," he nodded. Jiraiya had been especially frustrated at being chained down after what happened on New Year's Eve. His first instinct was to go full convent with Naruto and Hinata the second she got out of the hospital to get her ready for the next beatdown in July. It was now February second; they'd lost a full month to medical restrictions. He couldn't blame Tsunade for being cautious, the girl had had something like a micro-heart attack, but he couldn't help but grind his teeth at having to limit severely physical conditioning or use of chakra techniques. The only upside was it gave him a chance to enhance Naruto's training without complaint – Jiraiya had forced Naruto to carry Hinata on his back as part of his morning run for about a week.
The group emerged at the edge of the pool, all heaving. "So far, so good!" Jiraiya gave a thumbs up, "Who's up for another lap!" Jiraiya laughed like a sadistic instructor. A chorus of groans ensued, but everyone took their marks. Sakura jumped in to join on this lap, leaving Jiraiya the laptop. "Ready, set, go!" he shouted.
The group kicked off the edge. Jiraiya momentarily admired the view of the four kunoichi swimming with his grandson. The corner of his mouth curled into a naughty grin. Head out of the gutter; two are married and the other two are jailbait! He laughed to himself. Since coming home, he found himself oddly more responsible than usual. He had been frequenting pleasure dens less and less; he'd actually stopped going for the past month.
Jiraiya pondered his strange change of habit as the group started back from the other side. Of course, there was Kushina informing him that she'd murder him in his sleep if he got even remotely creepy while training Hinata. The empathy he'd developed for while training Hinata and dealing with the situation with Sakura had also been a factor. He could also blame just being too busy training the kids and spending time with Minato and Kushina. However, he knew deep down his brief moment with Tsunade at the hospital had shifted something. They hadn't crossed paths much since then, but the fact that they'd had an emotional event that didn't end with a red handprint on his face gave him hope – hope for what, he wasn't sure.
"I'm trying remember when you could do that!" a mocking feminine voice called from behind. Jiraiya almost slipped off the deck with the laptop because Tsunade had surprised him so badly. She laughed, "Careful, that's an expensive piece of hardware to replace!"
"Tsunade? What are you doing here?" he asked, not fully believing his eyes.
"Came to check on my patient," she smiled, "How is she?"
He handed her the computer, "According to Sakura, everything is readying normal."
Tsunade scrutinized the display, clicking several things before snapping shut the laptop as the group in the water reached the edge. "Good news, Hinata! You're good for us to take of that monitor once you're done here!"
A chorus of cheers and high fives were exchanged. "So, care to see a demo of what this group can do?" Jiraiya asked.
"I've seen what they can do, old man," she jested as the group exited the water. "I'm still trying to remember when you were that good!"
"Bull, I still am that good, smart-Alice!" Jiraiya defended himself.
"You were a good swimmer, Grandpa?" Naruto asked
"The best!" he replied with a raised thumb.
"Ha!" Tsunade laughed, "Maybe thirty years ago! I bet he couldn't even turn one lap non-stop!"
"Is that a wager, Tsuande?" Jiraiya crossed his arms.
"Sure is! Prove me wrong!"
"I just happen to have my swim gear under my outfit," he said as he began removing his robes. "What are the stakes?"
Tsunade grinned like a devilish oni-demon, "I if win, you have to capture that darn cat the Fire Daimyo's wife is so fond of!" It was a D-ranked mission reserved as punishment for genin. Usually it ended with the shinobi scratched silly.
Hmmm… what could I get in return… The lightbulb went on in his head, "Fine," he grinned wildly, "If I win," he laughed devilishly, "you have to go on a date with me, and you have to kiss me, on the mouth!" he point to his lips for full effect.
Tsuande initially balked at the suggestion, but her shocked face soon shaped back into a confident smile. "All right," she extended a hand, "deal!"
"Deal!" he shook her hand, massaging the back of it with his thumb. Pucker up, gorgeous! Jiraiya stepped away to disrobe and stretch. While he had not aged anywhere near as well as Tsunade had, he had been careful to maintain his body. He wasn't at his peak from youth, but he wasn't far off, either. It showed judging by the red blush that had seeped into Tsunade's face. She'd clearly been expecting a beer belly and sagging skin the second his robes came off. Despite his bad habits, he ran daily for five miles like he had as a young man, and he did combat drills daily to stay sharp. He still had his washboard stomach with only the slightest thickening noticeable around the waist.
"Somebody ready to time me?" He asked, as he stretched his arms for a moment.
"There's the pool clock," Kushina pointed to the wall above them. "Let me know when to start!"
Jiraiya lowered himself into the water, wishing he'd brought a set of swim goggles. "Call it out, Tsunade!" He braced to kick off the pool wall.
"Show muscles don't win races!" she shouted. "On your mark! Get set! GO!"
Jiraiya kicked off the wall, gliding though the water like a dolphin. As his momentum bled off, he began the delicate dance of kicking and paddling for best effect. His circumstances weren't helped by the fact that he had to keep his eyes open underwater to stay on target. Nevertheless, the burning in his shoulders was rewarded as he reached the opposite end of the pool.
He dived below the surface to flip around. From this distance, he couldn't tell how much time passed. It didn't matter, he just had to finish. He could almost taste Tsunade's sweet kiss on his lips. Eyes on the prize! He grinned with shark's teeth, pushing with everything he had to make the edge.
"Come one grandpa!"
"GO! Jiraiya!"
He came up to the edge, breaching the surface, splashing the whole group. "How long was I?"
"A minute thirty-three," Kushina said excitedly, "No world record but definitely better than average from a hundred meters!"
"Grandpa, that was amazing!" Naruto shouted excitedly.
The one person on the deck who looked less than excited was Tsunade. Her pale cheeks flushed slightly and her mouth was slightly agape. "Hehe," Jiraiya grinned like a crocodile, "So, how about that date?"
"You…" she raised a finger, and her flat voice changed to fury, "cheated didn't you!"
Jiraiya continued to chortle, "You never did learn the whole judging a book by it's cover rule," he winked.
"Come on, Tsunade, you did shake on it!" Kushina laughed, as did everyone else.
"I am not going on a date with you any more than you're getting me to go swimming in this pool, Jiraiya!" Tsunade shouted at Jiraiya as she stepped up to the edge.
She's going to kick your ass anyone, might as well have fun with it! "Have it your way!" he exclaimed as he grabbed her around the legs pulling her head over feet into the pool.
"JIRAIYA!" she shouted as she splashed, sending a wave of water over him and up on the deck. As a thoroughly soaked Tsuande bobbed to the surface, she lashed out, splashing him with thick wall of water, "Jiraiya, you asshole!"
"Hehe, what was that about not going on a date any more than going for a swim with me in this pool!" he teased as he carefully opened the distance.
"Jiraiya, come back here and get what's coming to you!" she said she swam awkwardly in her soaked clothing.
"You have to agree to go on a date with me first!" he laughed as he casually backstroked away, knowing she couldn't catch him.
"Hey, no horseplay in the pool!" an authoritative voice called.
Everyone turned to see Kakashi strolling down the pool deck. Despite the authoritative tone, he too, was smiling through his mask. "When you two cuttlefish are done in there, would you mind telling me if Hinata is cleared to rejoin Team Seven or not?"
"She's good Kakashi!" Tsunade shouted as she vainly tried catching Jiraiya, "What's the rush?"
"A mission, C-rank. I figured it'd be good to get this lot back in the saddle before they get too rusty?"
"C-ranked!" Naruto beamed, "Where to?"
"The Land of the Waves, high value escort mission," Kakashi answered.
"Lady Tsunade," Hinata chirped, "I don't suppose I could bother you to deactivate my heart monitor so I can remove it without it sending a distress signal?"
"I'm not finished with you, Jiraiya, not by a long shot!" Tsunade said as she swam away coming up on the deck. She stormed off with Hinata and Akemi for the locker room.
"So, when do you all leave?" Jiraiya asked Kakashi as he reached the edge of the deck.
"Tomorrow at 0900," Kakashi replied, "care to join us?"
"Yeah, grandpa, care to come?" Naruto asked excitedly.
"Wish I could," Jiraiya sighed, but I have my own assignment to take care of while you're gone."
"What kind of assignment?" Naruto asked.
"Can't tell you, not yet," Jiraiya said, feeling bad for keeping secrets. "Why don't you all go on ahead, I'll catch up later!"
Tsunade emerged from the locker room, a fury in her eyes, "You guys might want to leave now," Jiraiya quipped. Naruto, Kakashi, Sakura, and Kushina scurried to their respective locker rooms.
"Jiraiya! Give me one good reason I shouldn't jump back in and drown you!" Tsunade wailed like a banshee, "I'm soaked to my underwear and this is my good set of robes!"
"Fine," he retorted, "It will be my treat!" he fought to suppress an amused laugh, expecting another tongue-lashing.
"Your treat?" she asked, confused.
"If you say yes to the date tonight," he bobbed up and down, expecting her to jump in and started drowning him."
She turned her face away from him in disgust, "Fine, my place at seven, you degenerate! Come ready to lose big tonight!"
Oh crap! Jiraiya realized he'd just agreed to let her set the terms of the date, and he'd agreed to pay for it.
Jiraiya staggered with Tsunade up the semi-deserted streets of Konoha, both of them using the other for support. Even after soaking up the inebriation with a late-night trip to Ichiraku Ramen, they were both still drunk for sure. Tsunade laughed uncontrollably, "My treat! HAHA!" Jiraiya felt bad for his purse, no considerably lighter than he'd started the night out with. Too many games of pachinko and mahjong and too much sake to know when to stop! But hey, it sure was fun!
Despite being fuzzy-headed, Jiraiya was beginning to feel lucid as time and the cool night air burned off some of the hot drunkenness. His flushed cheeks were finally beginning to cool. Tsunade, on the hand, was still drunk as a fish. Tsunade guided him on a roundabout route back to her house through one of many parks in Konoha. "Sit with me, Jiraiya!" she exclaimed as she flopped on a park bench, "Come howl at the moon with me! HAHA!"
Jiraiya obeyed, "You're in an awful good mood for someone who lost big tonight," he laughed.
"Let me tell you something," she grinned sloppily, "It serves you right," she pointed a finger at him, "for yanking me into the pool earlier!"
"Yeah," Jiraiya tilted his head back, looking up at the moon and the stars on the cold February night. "It certainly does." He breathed in deep through his nose, feeling the giddy head-rush of alcohol burning out of his system. The cold night air kissed his cheeks as the wind blew past. Unexpectedly, he felt his right arm being repositioned.
"Ugh, help me out here!" Tsunade groaned as she heaved his arm over her shoulders, and she hugged herself close to him.
"Tsu-Tsunade, what are you doing!"
"I'm cold!" she said curling into his side, "And you're still warm you jerk!"
The opportunistic part of Jiraiya was totally into her snuggling into him, and it wandered to what he might be able to do once they got back to her place. However, another part of him respected her too much to consider such a thought. Long ago, he promised himself if he'd get lucky with Tsunade, it would not be because she was tanked like she was now, "You're drunk, Tsuande," he laughed.
"Hehe, only a little," she giggled as she flopped her head on his shoulder. "And you're not anything!" she playfully pounded a fist on his chest.
"I'm a whole lot of things," he said, laughing.
"You certainly are!" she groaned, "Annoying, childish, irresponsible, perverted…"
"Okay, jeez, bite my head off!"
"I wasn't finished," she grabbed him by collar, Jiraiya feeling the heat of her breath on his face like a dragon's flame, "You're conniving, outlandish, and… damn sexy, too!" she giggled.
"Tsunade, how much sake did you have again?" he laughed.
"What's wrong, you don't like me like this?" she asked, staring into his eyes intently.
Jiraiya felt himself heat up as she spoke, "I like you just fine, in all situations." His throat jumped several times, wondering what she was getting at.
"About that last part of the bet, Jiraiya," her head sunk forward, and she sounded sullen.
Of course, she's still sore over that. "Look Tsunade, I get it, you don't want to you don't—"
Before he could finish, she clenched him by a fistful of his robe and forced her mouth onto his. Her kiss hit him with enough force to send him backwards into the bench. Shocked, he didn't know how to respond initially as she forced his mouth open, her tongue invading him like an alien creature. Instinct kicked in, and his body remembered how to respond as he clutched her closer to him, running his fingers through her steel-blonde hair.
She, in kind, grabbed him by a fistful of his hair, making it damn clear that she had no intention of letting him call it quits. After decades of fantasizing about this, a cascade of emotions washed over Jiraiya as his heart thundered in his chest. Not knowing, how long the dream would last, he gently sucked at her bottom lip, feeling the rush going down his back all the way to his toes. "Tsunade…" he whispered breathlessly to her lips.
"So," she licked her lips, "how do I measure up to one of your girls?" She didn't pull away.
"Forty years of fantasizing," he heaved, "did you no justice!" his steamy breath condensed in night air.
She smiled a toothy grin to his lips. "Good answer," she forced another kiss on him. She was a demon that could bend him to his will, and he didn't care. Finally when they did separate, she took his hand in hers, "Come." She commanded.
Jiraiya followed her through the park as she led him along with renewed vigor. The distance melted away, and they arrived at her front door. Jiraiya couldn't find words, he didn't need them as he kissed her again and wrapped his arms around her as the light over the doorstep illuminated them. He was holding onto heaven, and he didn't want to let go.
"Jiraiya," the door opened, "Stay with me tonight." The words weren't exactly sensuous, but there was something beyond and invite to sleep on the couch.
"I don't know," he stumbled with her through the door, "if this is a good idea."
She placed two fingers on his lips, "Look, old man!" she laughed, "It was way too far for me to let you walk home alone in your current condition!" She laughed, "This is me being responsible." She pulled him down the hallway.
Now Jiraiya giggled, "I'd hate to see you irresponsible!"
"That, you fiend, will have to wait for another night!" she flopped him down on her bed. "I'm sleepy!" She stepped away, giving him a wink before she stepped behind a privacy screen.
"Surely I'm not the only one you've done this with?" Jiraiya felt unsure of himself as he loosened his robes.
"Not in a very long time," she emerged in a black babydoll negligee, "So consider this an honor."
Minato felt himself warm considerably, "Are you sure you won't regret this in the morning?"
"It's my day off tomorrow, and I made peace with this long before you dragged my ass into the pool today!"
"When?!" he asked, curiously.
"The hospital," she said peeling away his robe, and curling into him. "I told myself if you could prove you were more than the degenerate I remembered you as, maybe it was time to move on with my life and stop carrying a torch for like I have for thirty years."
Jiraiya gently stroked her hair from her face as they laid down. "But are you sure you won't wake up and regret this in the morning?" he repeated.
"I regret," she said, kissing him again, "that you weren't this charming when you were a genin or a chunin."
"I'm like a fine wine," he laughed, "I'm only better with age!"
"I'd say you were!" they kissed again for a long moment. Eventually, her kiss gave way to her sleepiness as her head fell away to the pillow. Jiraiya held her for a long few moments he drifted off to sleep. Jackpot you lucky bastard! He was still holding her when he finally fell asleep.
Author's note: Hey everyone, I hope you're enjoying thus far. Thank you all for reading! I'm posting this a bit early due to my hectic work schedule tomorrow. Everyone have a great weekend and be safe!
