THANK YOU FOR THE FOLLOWS AND THE REVIEWS! THIS IS WHAT YOU'VE BEEN WAITING FOR! A FEW THINGS WHERE FIXED IN THE FIRST TWO CHAPTERS. PLEASE EXCUSE MY GRAMMER HERE AND THERE. I'VE PROOF READ AND RE- READ A FEW TIMES TO MAKE SURE IT'S AS SPOT ON AS I CAN MAKE IT. PLEASE KEEP REVIEWING! LET'S DO THIS! Okay, chapter three. I think there were three REALLY hard choices I had to make along the way while writing this whole story. The first one is at the end of this chapter…. Read and find out what I've done. Enjoy!

The next morning a sleepy eyed tsunade sat at the small cedar desk by the window. When she had woke up from the best night sleep she had had in a long time, she realized jiraiya was already gone. On the desk lay an open scroll. The bright rays from the rising morning sun danced through the curtains casting rays of light on the sloppy, Black Hand writing that belonged to no other than jiraiya. She had read the words he had left for her a half a dozen times all ready. She sat with her knees pulled tightly to her chest. Her arms wrapped around her legs, Tsunade began to read it again.

Tsunade,

As you know I have a meeting. I couldn't bring myself to wake you this morning to say what could have been goodbye. Last night took an unexpected turn. If this is the memory you so longed for, take it. Otherwise, I will be back before noon. I understand if you leave. I am thankful for the memory. Now we are faced with the decision Hime. To figure out our paths together or find peace and take this as closure. Moving on in ease from the chapter of our lives we shared. Just know one thing. No matter what you choose to do; for every second you breathe in this life, I will love you tsunade, always.

Forever yours, Jiraiya.

Tsunade rubbed her face and sighed. She glanced at the alarm clock on the night stand. It was only half past ten. Tsunade rested her chin on her knees and let out a long shaky breath. Damn him, she thought. He knew she would want to run. She had been running forever. As a child, after her brother died, after the war…. She pushed him away every time. Every time, all she wanted after she had pushed him out was Jiraiya. Jiraiya had told her once she was the best song on his favorite CD the only problem was half way through the song, it would begin to skip and the song would never play the best part. She had never been able to fill the hole in her soul alone but every time Jiraiya got close enough to fix it, she shut him out. If she had let him in maybe none of this would have ever happened. Tsunade thought back to her life before the war, before she lost everything. A time when her feelings for Jiraiya had started to bloom.

****************FLASH BACK***************

A sixteen year old Tsunade sat on top of one of the three wooden pillars in the middle of their regular training ground. There team had always met here for as long as she could remember. Tsunade threw her kuni at the ground one by one. Each one wedging into the dirt hitting the ground with a hard thud, the handles sinking more than half way down into the earth. She wore a blue and white top that framed her large breasts perfectly cutting just low enough on the bust line to pass as appropriate. Below her, was Orochimaru. He leaned against the pillar, his arms crossed and his eyes closed. The boy looked completely bored with the whole situation. 3 meters to the left sat there sensei reading a book, or pretending too at least.

"He is late," Tsunade said impatiently as she hopped gracefully down from her perch collecting her kuni.

"He is always late, tsunade, what's new?" Orochimaru said dryly as he watched her struggle to tug one of her kuni from the ground.

"He's been gone training for two years. I'm sure he's changed." She said finally wiggling the kuni loose and tucking it back in her shuriken bag.

"Physically I am sure he has. So have we but like your temper tsunade, jiraiya will always be… Well… an idiot." He assured her.

Tsunade huffed crossing her arms defensively. "I- shut up Orochimaru."

Sarutobi chuckled looking up from the book in his lap, "I guess we will just have to wait and see if you're right or not orochimaru,"

Before any of the three could say another word, a huge cloud of smoke bloomed out of nowhere. "What the heck?" Tsunade said confused as the smoke began to disperse and all they could hear was the clanking of wooden clickers.

There in the middle of the field stood Jiraiya, his arms crossed over his chest and a crazy grin on his face, "FEAST YOUR EYES UPON THE WONDERFUL, THE HANDSOME, NOBAL, TOAD SAGE OF MT MOYBUKA… JIRAIYA!"

Jiraiya shouted at the top of his lungs striking a pose with both of his arms extended showing off two big thumbs up and a devilish smile.

Orochimaru sighed closing his eyes. "I told you," the dark haired boy shook his head and looked at Jiraiya unsurprised at the least with his entrance. He couldn't believe he DIDN'T show up on frogs back.

Sarutobi's face fell and he fell back completely dumb struck at Jiraiya's idiotic entrance. "Yep… that's the same old Jiraiya." He said weakly.

Jiraiya's face fell quickly, his cheeks turning several shades of red very quickly. "Hey! I've changed a lot!" he laughed nervously and rubbed the back of his neck. Embraced as he looked at his sensei's disapproving look, "come on, I thought it was cleaver old man!"

Tsunade couldn't believe it was really him… he had grown so much in the past two years… he had always been a little taller than her but he had to be at least six foot tall now. His clothes where different too, he wore a light green kimono with white lining and standard ninja pants in the same color. His mesh protector under shirt came down snuggly around his wrists along with a pair of hand guards and on his feet he wore black sandals. His facial features had become more rugged and she noticed he extended the red lines tattooed onto his face a little. Even his voice had grown deeper. She couldn't deny the fact that she was attracted to this new Jiraiya as warmth crawled up her stomach. Idiot or not something inside her had awoken.

Jiraiya turned around and looked at Tsunade as he felt her eyes boring into him. His eyes locked on her honey brown orbs half expecting her to slam him good for his entrance. Jiraiya raised an eye brow in question as she only continued to stare at him," uh, Tsunade?" she sure filled out, Jiraiya thought as he gave her a quick once over.

"BAKA!" Tsunade smiled and the excitement of seeing her old team mate finally hit the roof as she ran at him throwing her arms around his neck.

Jiraiya flinched, anticipating the hit not expecting the hug from his blonde teammate who he argued with all the time in their child hood years. He stood there stiff as a board shocked from head to toe for a moment before slowly hugging her back before it ended.

Tsunade stepped back, "welcome home!" a shy smile on her lips. "You've grown up," she looked him over fighting the blush that tried to consume her cheeks.

"Thanks!" his eye's lingered on her breasts, "looks like you did some growing up too!" he cupped the air in front of his own chest referencing her own. "Ha-ha!" he wiggled his eyebrows at her playfully.

"Idiot," Orochimaru scowled as tsunade turned scarlet.

"You pervert! Is that all you think about?! CHAAAA!" Tsunade went to punch him and he ducked out of the way hardly avoiding her fist gasping.

Sarutobi grinned, "There's another thing that will never change about the two of them."

Orochimaru nodded as they watched Tsunade chase Jiraiya across the field, "I wouldn't be surprised if she kills him one day,"

Jiraiya was laughing running as fast as he could, "Let's fight! Got to catch me first!"

Tsunade hated when he antagonized her, now she really was going to pound him… even if she did like his face a little more than she used too. She kicked it in gear and ran as fast as she could and slid knocking his feet under him, "GOT YAH!"

"WOAH!" He fell catching himself on his hands and rolling over quickly on his back and jumped up on his feet. "Got to do better than that Tsunade, ha-ha!"

They ran at each other fists drawn. She yelled as she drew her fist out to slam him a good one in the jaw. He was too quick. Jiraiya grabbed her fist shoving it down with all of his force. Tsunade gasped as her aim was thrown off as she went flying towards the ground. He was quicker than ever. Tsunade cursed silently in her mind as she spun in the air angling her body so she could hit the ground and roll away without hurting herself. Recovering quickly she was able to throw her hands up and block a kick.

Jiraiya laughed like an excited little kid. She jumped quickly to her feet both shinobi in fighting stance their arms up in front of themselves, "come on Hime! Show me what you've got!"

Orochimaru watched intently next to Sarutobi as the other two began to spare disappearing in a barrage of arms and legs, "His speed has grown so much its insane,"

"There tijutsu is almost at the same level now it seems," Sarutobi said nodding slowly his eye's never leaving the blurs of their bodies.

Jiraiya and tsunade connected, catching each other's fists and jumping back both of them breathing hard. Adrenaline surged through tsunade like wild fire as jiraiya grinned wryly at her. "Multi shadow clone jutsu!" jiraiya ran towards her and three clones popped up, one in front of him and one on either side of him.

Tsunade grinned and weaved a hand sigh as the clones closed in, "DYNAMIC WINDS!" tsunade spun around infusing her wind chakra into the air around her sending a pulsing wave through the air sending his clones to the ground in clouds of smoke as they tried to attack.

Jiraiya shot out of the smoke from one of his clones and went to attack her. He had her pinned to the ground in a matter of seconds. Tsunade's face was pressed into the grass and jiraiya grabbed both of her arms pinning them behind her with him knee. "Ha-ha! Missed me missed me now you got to kiss me!"

"Get the hell off me!" she shoved him as he let her go.

"Oh don't be a bad sport tsunade." He offered his hand to help her up.

She looked at it suspiciously before taking it. Tsunade pulled herself up and pushed him away a little rougher than she meant too, "not bad for an idiot, I'll give you that much,"

"Back at yah," he said playfully turning to look at their sensei. "Well I guess the gangs back together huh?"

"I believe so. We have a lot of training to do." Tsunade looked between the three men. Even orochimaru looked like he was happy for a second.

"War is coming. We must be in sync to make a life or death difference out there."

Sarutobi nodded, "I agree. Well, I hope you're all ready for it," he grinned at his students. Tsunade remembered that day as one of the hardest training days Sarutobi had ever put them through.

Jiraiya soared through the air and slammed into the ground with a loud thud the earth flying up around him. He rolled to his side spitting out blood from the kick orochimaru landed on the side of his head. He stood slowly.

"Come on Jiraiya, an enemy won't stop to let you catch your breath!" Tsunade shouted as her knee slammed into the soft flesh of his stomach making him double over. He disappeared into a cloud of smoke as a chunk of wood took his place, "Damn," tsunade muttered as she spun around quickly.

"Damn right they won't wait! Ha-ha!" Jiraiya threw a large shuriken towards orochimaru and herself and weaved a few hand signs, "shadow shuriken jutsu!" he yelled and the blade split into ten. Tsunade and orochimaru jumped. Tsunade arched her back leaning back kicking up off the ground and spinning in the air before landing on her hands and rolling. Orochimaru drew a kuni and ran at him throwing it at the last second. He hardly missed Jiraiya's head the projectile taking a few strands of white hair with it.

"My hair! Why I auta!" jiraiya growled and spun around, "Leaf hurricane!" Orochimaru threw his arms up and blocked Jiraiya's leg as it collided with his arms sending him flying backwards a shocked expression on his face as the earth around him flew up as his body collided with it. Such force, Orochimaru thought excitedly.

"Don't forget about me!" Tsunade yelled and Jiraiya spun around in just enough time to dodge her first few strikes as she sent a barrage of fists his way. He moved as fast as he could. Blocking and ducking to avoid her fists. He could see her chakra flowing visibly from her hands. One hit from that and I'm done for, he thought. Jiraiya wasn't fast enough. He had used too much chakra. He was tired. Her hand collided hard with the side of his head with a force that surprised even Tsunade. He felt his lip bust as his whole body lifted off the ground. As he fell back he began to loose consciousness quickly. His body thudded to the ground hard sliding through the dirt a good two meters before his body stopped.

"Oh shit…" Tsunade ran to his limp body as she realized he hadn't moved to stand yet. Sarutobi and Orochimaru jogged over as well. Tsunade fumbled with her water canteen at her hip and unscrewed the top dumping the content on his face.

He woke up with a start spluttering as he cleared his nose of water. Jiraiya groaned and rubbed his head as he looked up at his sensei and two team mates his head still foggy from the blow he had taken.

"Well you didn't kill him this time," Sarutobi said with a tone of relief.

Relief washed over Tsunade as she held her air of arrogance towards Jiraiya, "humph, too bad," crossing her arms under her breasts and grinned down at him.

"Beat by a girl jiraiya. How sad." Orochimaru said smugly as Jiraiya rubbed his head.

"Oh whatever, you take a bunch from her after training all day and tell me you don't feel like you got hit by a train Orochimaru." Jiraiya groaned in discomfort and stood slowly taking Sarutobi's hand as he offered to help him up, "I'm done today. I spend two years eating bugs with a bunch of smoking toads and end up laid out cold on the ground my first day back. I need some real food and a long soak."

"Always complaining." Orochimaru hissed causing Jiraiya to shoot him a death look.

Tsunade swatted Orochimaru as Jiraiya shrugged his pack and large scroll onto his back. "Well, I guess since I knocked you out it'd only be fair I treat you to lunch." She wanted to see if more had changed than just his skills.

"Are you sure? I mean I won't say no to free food… but it's an odd offer coming from you Hime." He looked at her with an eyebrow raised in suspicion.

"It's been a while. I figured maybe we could turn over a new leaf if you don't make me mad." Tsunade said covering up her true motives for wanting to be around Jiraiya just this once.

"That's very nice of you Tsunade." Sarutobi started looking at his team with admiration in his eyes. "Everyone did well today. It's nice to see all of your skills have improved but there is always room for improvement. We will all meet here tomorrow morning 7am on the dot for training." He pointed a finger at Jiraiya. "Don't be late."

Jiraiya rubbed the back of his neck blushing slightly at being called out, "Hehe, you got it sensei!"

Sarutobi nodded, "Alright I'll be off then," he disappeared in a cloud of smoke to no one's surprise.

"Hey tsunade, do you mind if we swing by my apartment before we grab a bite to eat? I'd like to drop my stuff off." Jiraiya readjusted his large pack on his back and turned to her.

Tsunade shrugged, "yeah that's fine. Orochimaru do you- " turning to where their third team mate had been standing moments before to ask if he wanted to come with them but he was already gone. "Well he sure takes his time," Tsunade mumbled as jiraiya looked at her questioningly.

"Why did he just leave like that?" They began to walk towards town in the direction of Jiraiya's apartment.

"He's always been like that. It just got worse after you left. Besides missions and studying in the library on Tuesdays I don't see him much. He stays to himself mostly…."

Jiraiya sighed as they approached an old blue apartment complex with a covered stairway leading to the second level. "He will come around I'm sure of it, Now that I'm back and all."

"Yeah, maybe your right." Tsunade said absentmindedly as she followed him up the steps towards apartment number 13.

Jiraiya fumbled with a set of keys he pulled from his pocket. Tsunade watched him as she leaned against the door frame secretly admiring the curve of his jaw. Had his features always been so sharp? He had a few small scratches on his cheek from where she had hit him earlier. She thought it made him look more rugged and handsome from where she was standing at least "I'm sure everything is covered in dust. I hope it's not too bad."

"I can't believe you where gone for two whole years." Tsunade said as he pushed the door open with a smile on his face gesturing for her to go into the apartment first. 'Oh god his voice is so much deeper.' She thought as she walked past him. She tried to ignore the electric energy between them as she neared him refusing to make eye contact as he looked down at her.

"You're telling me. It's good to be home!" He shrugged off his scroll and set it by the door as he pulled the handle shut behind them.

"It's not too bad." Tsunade said slowly taking in the small foyer she now stood in. she had never been in his apartment. Tsunade had only ever had to wait outside with Orochimaru when they would all meet up for missions or training.

She took her shoes off stepping up onto the beautiful white carpet from hard wood in the foyer. She loved the feeling of soft carpet under her toes. She looked around his small apartment slowly as he made his way over to his bed.

From the foyer, you could see the whole apartment. To the right was a small kitchen with a breakfast bar, no table. From where she stood she could see the restroom was to the left of the small living area next to a small coat closet.

Jiraiya's large bed was to the right. He stepped up onto the platform that was supposed to be his bedroom and dumped the contents of his bag on his bed. "I'll just be a minute." He said as he grabbed several books and scrolls from the mountain of assorted items in a hurried manner.

"Take your time. I don't have to work at the hospital tonight so I'm free." Tsunade admired the anbu masks hanging on the wall to their left. There where at least 30 of the crazy porcelain masks. She had never seen such a collection let alone such verity in faces.

"Oh that's right. I almost forgot you where training to learn medical nin-jutsu. How has that been?" Jiraiya said distractedly as he made his way to a small desk under the large double pained window setting the books and scrolls down on its bare surface arranging them neatly.

Tsunade moved to stand next to him looking at the spines of the books wondering what was written in them for there were no titles. Maybe they where person journals she thought, what had he written on all of those pages? "It's going great actually. I've found the cure to over twenty different poisons ninja have encountered on the fields. There is so much room for the medical field to grow still... They say I'm one of the best rising students they have seen in years."

Tsunade smiled boldly at him taking pride in her own personal success for all she had accomplished in her long, hard training in the medical field. She had been learning new healing techniques and perfecting old ones as well. She watched as he set the last book down on the stack. It had a pale tan cover with gold vines across the cover.

"Really? That's amazing hime- uh, Tsunade. You've always been so smart, even smarter than Orochimaru. You're a beautiful GENIUS." Tsunade felt her cheeks grow warm as his opal eyes looked at her admirably.

Jiraiya had always thought Tsunade was the most beautiful girl in the academy when they were younger and had never been shy in letting her know how he felt. But her beauty had grown over the years to be even more breath taking if it where even possible. It was like watching a flower bloom for all these years. She was not fully a woman yet but she was on her way nicely. Tsunade's heart fluttered and she looked away from his lingering eyes. Maybe he was more than some little pervert now.

"I don't know about all that," she reached for the gold trimmed book and Jiraiya's eyes went wide in horror.

"BE CAREFUL!" He reached for the book in her hand and stopped before snatching it away. He took a deep steadying breath. She could see he was thinking about how to word what was inside those pages. "That's my… research."

Tsunade set it back down and rolled her eyes turning away from him. Nope, he was still a pervert. "What about that big scroll? What's up with that?" she crossed her arms and eyed it curiously as he turned walking up to his bed throwing hand full's of dirty clothes into a hamper to his left.

"Bring it over here to the middle of the room and lay it down. I'll show you," he tossed the last sock into his hamper and grabbed the photograph that was left next to his bag. It was a picture of the three of them as children when their team had met for the first time.

As tsunade grabbed the scroll she was surprised how much heavier it was than it had looked. Jiraiya set the photo on his desk and kneeled down next to her on the ground in front of his scroll."Thank you," he said as he rolled it in front of himself.

"Where is the flap?" Tsunade asked leaning in closer to Jiraiya and examined the scroll. She could smell his sent. He smelled of the forest and fresh tobacco mixed with his natural musk. It made her heart flutter and her head swim with lust as she tried to focus on her real interest in the scroll before them.

"Just watch," Jiraiya said his voice deep and amused at her curiosity. He bit his thumb till he drew blood and ran the bloody digit down the length of the scrolls red and green surface. The paper pulled away from line of blood that was left behind by Jiraiya.

"Whoa," Tsunade said breathlessly, "I've never seen a scroll like that."

Jiraiya grinned, "This is a contract scroll. I know you have heard of them. I've learned a lot about scrolls and sealing over the past two years. You could say I'm a… master at it."

Tsunade slapped his arm for good measures. "Don't be so full headed."

Jiraiya stuck his tongue out at her and rubbed the sore spot on him arm before rolling out the scroll. The roll of parchment was beautiful. It was trimmed with a deep black, green and gold ink in the shape of boxes.

All along its surface where columns a long side columns of ancient teachings. To the front was a section of finger prints and names signed in blood. Contracts with the toads, tsunade thought to herself as she examined Jiraiya's name.

"This is the sage scroll of the toads that live on MT. Myoboku. The Laws, rules, jutsus, histories and prophecies, they have all been recorded right here." Jiraiya sat back on him bum crossing his legs and arms watching Tsunade as she pored over the scroll with amazement.

"Is it the whole scroll?" Tsunade asked as she ran her fingers over the old writings.

"Yes. I am the toad sage now the second to ever walk on this earth." He tapped the marks at the beginning of the scroll. She read the name next to his. Hagoromo Otsutsuki, the sage of the six paths. Tsunade looked up at his strong sun kissed face. His red war paint made his face look so much surlier than she had ever seen him. Her eyes lingered on his full lips and her mind began to wonder about them, "Simply put, I'm a bad ass."

Jiraiya flashed Tsunade his best smile. A crooked little shit eating grin. Her stomach leaped at the emotions taking her over as she spent more time with him. "So you can successfully pull off sage mode then?"

He began to roll up the scroll and stood. "Well sort of. I need ma and pa to achieve it. And it takes about five minutes of uninterrupted concentration to really even get to that point. I've hardly scratched the surface with my training and studies though… I have a long way to go still." He slung the scroll over his shoulder and began to walk towards his front door with Tsunade on his heels.

"I want to see it," Tsunade said as she slid her sandals back on.

"Yeah how about we get something to eat? I'm starving and I'm dying for some barbecue." He rubbed his stomach as it grumbled lightly.

Tsunade chuckled, "no kidding. Let's go,"

They made their way down to the BBQ shop a few blocks away and sat in the corner booth tucked away but next to the window to watch the people passing by. As they placed their order Tsunade was surprised when Jiraiya played his hand at luck and ordered a bottle of sake with their meals. Tsunade's eyes gleamed as the waiter walked away to place their order.

"Looking older than I really am is a wonderful thing. Plus I haven't been here in a while." Jiraiya said snickering lightly.

"You're bad Baka. What happens when you get caught?" Tsunade said her eyebrows pulling together with worry as she scolded him.

He waved his hand dismissively. "Oh calm down it's not like either one of us haven't had a few cups of sake before. No one is going to know or find out. I thought you liked taking a gamble every once and a while Tsunade. Don't tell me you've given up your favorite pass time."

She pursed her beautiful pink lips squinting at him stuck between wanting to argue and wanting a drink "well I guess when you put it like that...and no. I haven't."

He nodded happy to have her on his side, "plus my head is still killing me from earlier so I don't see the problem with a little self medicating. Our sake is nothing like what the toads drink though. Talk about strong."

Tsunade smiled as the waiter returned with their raw meats and two servings of rice. He flipped on the little grill in the middle of the table and sat down two waters, two small white cups a large bottle of sake and a small bowl of fresh snap peas. The man did a slight bow and turned leaving them to eat their lunch.

Tsunade began laying strips of meat on the grill as Jiraiya pored the two of them sake. "See that was easy wasn't it? No big deal." He raised his cup, "here is to being home and eating something that isn't grubs with a beautiful someone who isn't a toad." He winked at her and threw his head back drinking the clear liquid with ease. So smooth, he though as he sighed closing his eyes and enjoying the way the fluid ran down his throat.

Tsunade did the same. Her taste buds lighting up as the rice wine passed through her lips. Setting her cup down, Tsunade licked her lips slowly enjoying the flavor. "Mmmh, it's been a while since I've sneaked a little sake,"

Jiraiya chuckled and shook his head lightly as he picked up his chopsticks to flip the meat on the grill. Tsunade looked at him questioningly. "What?"

He stole a look at her lips and grinned setting his chopsticks down. "Here," he pored another cup of sake for her and then filled his own glass. "I want to watch you do that again."

Tsunade looked at him with a look of question as she popped a snap pea in her mouth. "Why?"

Jiraiya felt that familiar warmth growing in his core as he tapped his index finger against the edge of his little white cup. "Because it's not every day you get to watch a young woman drink sake like that."

"Like what?" tsunade said feeling slightly offended.

"Like this." Jiraiya raised his cup to his mouth a little slower this time. He watched her for a second before slowly drinking his sake and tilting his head back just a little. She could see the muscles in his neck and the definition of his jaw line. He set his cup down and licked his perfect lips real slow. Tsunade's eyes never leaving his mouth for a single second. So that's why he wanted to watch her drink again. She felt a warm pulling between her legs but was pulled away from letting her thoughts go farther down a path she didn't even think existed as Jiraiya cleared his throat. She looked up at him and felt her face become warm and prayed it wasn't red. Mentally she shook it off and did as he had done, sipping her sake slowly and licking her lips again as she set the little cup down grinning at him.

He rested his chin on his hands, elbows on the table. Jiraiya looked like a love sick puppy. "Tsunade… when did you get so hot?! Tell me! HAHA!"

Tsunade glared at him and kicked his shin hard from under the table. She growled, "When did you stop being a pervert? Oh wait! You didn't!"

Jiraiya's eyes water as the pain coursed up his leg. "Ow! why so hard?! It was a complement!"

"A complement? Really Jiraiya do you know anything at all about women. I don't know how you can spend so much time staring at one but have no idea how to properly speak to one!" she poured some soy sauce on her rice and began to eat as he rubbed his shin.

"Well you are just completely wrong there. I am an author. I know the right things to say to the ladies but you're different. I can mess with you. It's amusing to see you get mad sometimes. Plus, it's how we have always been. I say something stupid, you get mad and an argument begins." Jiraiya shrugged. "In most literature they would say that you and I? Have a connection of love," he winked at her.

Tsunade scoffed, "that's not love that's just childish." She felt a little pang in her heart at the thought that she was just someone for him to aggravate and look at.

Jiraiya grabbed a piece of pork and shoved it into his mouth. He shook his head, "No I am right. When a kid picks on a girl it means he likes her."

"That only counts for little kids on play grounds. You're a 16 year old Shinobi. If you look so much like a man then you should act like one." Tsunade said in a dry tone sipping down another cup of sake.

Jiraiya leaned forward setting down his chop sticks his elbows resting on the table as he studied her. He was fascinated as her cheeks flushed pink under his gaze. He couldn't tell if it was the alcohol or him causing the blush. Jiraiya grinned. "Oh I'm a man. Believe that. If that's what you want then there is one right here but!" he held up a finger, "just like you, a man has many different sides. There is a young boy inside, the strong man and the lover who holds his woman. You only know the boy tsunade. Don't be so quick to tell me what I need to be,"

I want to see the strong man who holds his woman, tsunade thought. Her whole body felt warm as a side effect to his words. Tsunade couldn't tell if her feelings had really changed this much towards this buffoon or if the sake was clouding her better judgment. "Such deep words from such a perv,"

Jiraiya gave her a shit eating grin and spread his arms open wide. "The one and only, ya know?! Haha!"

Tsunade shook her head and smiled, "You're such a loser, Baka."

*****END FLASH BACK****

Tsunade stood smiling at the memory of the two of them all of those years ago. It was hard to believe so much time had really passed them by… everything was so different now. It wasn't as if they where sixteen and could pick up where they had left off all those years ago. If she stayed and entertained the idea of being something with Jiraiya now she would have to look back on the past anymore. They could make new memories every day together. On the other hand Shizune was probably worried sick about where she had gone off to. She didn't mind the old memories especially now that they both had some sound closure. Tsunade really did need to get back to her own room.

"You have enough baggage of your own right now," Tsunade told herself. Her heart felt as if it were breaking into a million pieces as she walked over to the bed and picked up her green jacket sliding it on over her shoulders. She sat down and slowly slid the straps of each of her heals around her ankles before standing again and walking over to the scroll that was lying on the desk for her to find this morning. Her perfectly manicured red nails tore off the section with Jiraiya's hand writing on it and stored it in her pocket. She picked up his brush and dipped it in the small jar of ink next to it writing him a note of her own. When she was done she turned around looking at the large bed and its wrinkled sheets in the small room she had shared with the man she was in love with just a few hours before. If only he had woke me up maybe things would be different she thought. It was easier when he was physically beside her to not run away. Tsunade gripped the aluminum door handle in her hand and turned it slowly. A single tear sliding down her cheek as she disappeared. Just like that. Slipping from Jiraiya's life again.

At 11:30 AM Jiraiya stepped into his rented room slowly. Disappointment filled his insides turning his guts uncomfortably. The large bed was empty with its sheets thrown away and crumpled. He moved slowly as the realization that she had really left slinked deep into his bones. He closed the door and leaned against it. The orange copy of his new book, make out paradise, he had been holding in his hand fell to the ground with a heart breaking thud.

She was gone… again. Jiraiya let his knees fold and he slid down the door sitting on the floor. He didn't understand why she left every time. He always proved he truly loved her and she always ran. Just this once he wanted to win the girl. His girl. The one he had loved since before he could remember loving.

"Damn it," he groaned hitting his head against the door a few times. "She's gone." Jiraiya stared off into space as warm tears ran down his cheeks. This is why you are a hermit Jiraiya. People cause too much pain he thought to himself as his eyes shut tight fighting the tears.

He could never figure out what went wrong. Why it always had to be like this. Jiraiya thought back to when things had started between the two of them all those years ago. He remembered it like it was yesterday…

FLASH BACK! GET READY FOR THE NEXT CHAPTER!

PLEASE READ AND REVIEW! IT WAS HARD FOR ME TO MAKE TSUNADE LEAVE. BUT JIRAIYA HAS ANOTHER BOOK TO WRITE AND THE CHININ EXAMS ARE HEATING UP IN THE LEAF VILLAGE. THIS IS GOING ON AROUND THAT TIME OF NARUTO SHONIN JUMP.

JIRAIYA'S FLASH BACK IS GOING TO BE A LITTLE LONG. I'LL PROBABLY SPLIT IT INTO A FEW DIFFERENT CHAPTERS. BUT THE STORY IS GOING TO FLOAT ALL THE WAY THROUGH THE ORIGINAL SHOW WITH A LITTLE TWIST AND A FEW FLASH BACKS.