"Long time no see, Tsunade." Jiraiya said with a smile while gazing upon the woman he had not seen in years. He was giddy with excitement that he was finally in her presence, but tried to hide the happiness he felt. It has been so long since he had last seen her and therefore wanted to savor the moment. He then decided to take his time to study her appearance and engrave it in his memory. For the most part, she looked the same as she did many years ago. However, she appeared to be thinner than before, and her once bright hazel eyes dulled throughout the years, probably due to the trauma she was forced to live through. Nevertheless, she was beautiful to Jiraiya.
"What are you doing here?" She asked in a cold tone that didn't come as a surprise to Jiraiya. He figured that the years have hardened her persona and he more than understood why.
"I'm just passing through town." He explained and then noticed the black haired adolescent sitting beside his old teammate with a surprised look on her face. She was Shizune, the niece of Tsunade's deceased boyfriend, and also her apprentice. Tsunade took her under her wing after the passing of her uncle. "Hello Shizune." He smiled at the younger woman, "You sure grew up didn't you." The last time Jiraiya saw Shizune, she was just a small child, but now she was a slender young teenager who was traveling the world with her mentor.
Shizune rose to her feet and walked over to Jiraiya to greet him in a sincere hug, "It's so good to see you Master Jiraiya." She said, "What have you been doing over the years?" She asked, curious as to how the Sannin lived his life.
Jiraiya was hoping that it would be Tsunade to ask him about the happenings in his life, but figured that this way Tsunade could indirectly learn more about what he has been doing for the past few years, "I've been traveling from village to village." He explained and pulled out a copy of his novel from his coat pocket before handing it to Shizune, "I also wrote this book. Feel free to read it."
"You're an author then." Shizune said while glancing down at Jiraiya's piece of literature, "That's exciting, I'll be sure to read it."
"An author?" Tsunade scoffed, "Don't make me laugh. When we were kids you could hardly put a sentence together."
Jiraiya chose to ignore Tsunade's negative comments and handed her a copy as well, "Don't worry Tsunade, I have a copy for you too."
Fugio arrived with the round of sake in hand and noticed the interaction between his new friend and the blonde woman, "Here are your drinks Jiraiya." He announced and set the tray down before him, "Is this your friend?"
Jiraiya watched as Tsunade rolled her eyes at the older man's question and had to stop himself from laughing, "Yes, Tsunade and I go way back."
"It's nice that you have someone besides myself to talk to then." Fugio said in a self deprecating way.
"Don't be foolish Fugio." Jiraiya demanded, "You know I enjoy our conversations." He then looked at Tsunade once again, "Would you like to join me for a drink, for old time's sake?"
Tsunade looked down at the empty glass in her hand and sighed heavily. She wanted to say no over and over again, but by saying no to him, she was also saying no to alcohol. She already had a few drinks, but she was always up for more. She figured a drink or two with her old teammate couldn't be the worst thing ever and reluctantly agreed, "Fine."
Jiraiya knew that she could not resist sake, it was her favorite drink after all. He recalled how they used to drink together on multiple occasions in the past, before all the tragedy Tsunade faced, when they were both still residing in the village. They would talk about whatever random topic that came to mind, and they would laugh at nothing in particular, even at the corniest of jokes they would blurt out. Instead of thinking about the seriousness of the life of a ninja, they would drink their troubles away and enjoy each other's company. He missed those days dearly and would do anything to get them back.
"Lady Tsunade, TonTon and I are going to head back to the room." Shizune told her mentor while gathering the small pig in her arms. She understood that it was no longer appropriate for her to be there since Tsunade and Jiraiya were about to start drinking and she was still a minor. Therefore, she excused herself so that the adults could rekindle their former friendship, "It really was nice seeing you again Master Jiraiya."
Tsunade turned to Shizune before she left, "Remember to keep the door locked. I'll be up soon."
Shizune nodded her head, understanding what her mentor told her and retreated to the room. Tsunade didn't see Shizune as just a mere pupil, she viewed her as her very own child. Furthermore, Shizune was the last piece of Dan she had therefore, she vowed to protect her at all costs.
Now that they were alone, Jiraiya hoped to learn more about the life Tsunade was living after her departure from the Leaf Village. He recalled the last time he saw her. It was the day after the funeral of her boyfriend Dan. Prior to meeting Dan, Tsunade tragically lost her dear younger brother Nawaki due to the war between the Great Nations. He was only twelve years old when he passed away. He was so young, and so full of promise, but the war denied him the chance to live a full life. Tsunade was devastated over the loss of her brother, but then she found happiness again in Dan, and hope for a world without animosity and hatred. Dan was everything she wanted in a man, and he even had the ambition to become the Hokage, just like Nawaki. Tsunade loved him with all her heart, but then he suffered fatal injuries during one of their battles in the war. As a medical ninja, Tsunade tried to save him, but he was too far gone and ended up dying before her very eyes. She then developed a phobia against blood after looking at her love's lifeless body and then at her bloody hands that just could not save his life.
The funeral came and went, but Tsunade could not forget the great man she lost, nor could she recover from her newly developed phobia. She deemed herself unfit to carry out the duties of a ninja, and asked the Third Hokage for permission to leave the village with Shizune in tow. He granted her wish and when Jiraiya found out, he tried to stop her. Of course Tsunade refused to listen to him and left anyway. He never forgot how sad, how broken she looked on that day. It was as if she were a mere shell of the person she once was. The caring, sometimes hot headed woman who carried a deep love for her village was no more and was replaced by a grief stricken person who lost all the hope she had in the world. He so desperately wanted to help her, but she wouldn't allow him to. Instead she left the village and left him wondering if he would ever see her again.
As he sat beside her, he couldn't help but wonder if she somehow managed to recover from all her pain. Was it possible that she found away to pull herself out of the depths of despair? And if she did, why hasn't she returned to the village? He took a sip of his beverage, and watched as she finished hers in just one gulp. She winced slightly as it went down and reached for another glass. In a split second, Jiraiya's eyes managed to lock onto hers and when they did, all his questions were answered. He knew that she was just as traumatized as she was the day she left the Leaf Village. He was certain that the pain she felt was still weighing heavily on her soul, for through her eyes, he saw sorrow, he saw despair, and most of all, he saw helplessness. It was perfectly clear that she was still grieving the great losses in her life.
He wanted to hold her hand and get her to talk to him about her emotions and how she gets up each day with such a heavy burden pulling her down. He wanted to tell her that there is always a light at the end of the tunnel. He wanted to show her how to recover, but he knew that she would never listen to him. If he even attempted to bring up her past that was obviously still affecting her in the present, she would surely walk away from him and he would never see her again. So he decided against trying and figured he would move onto lighter topics.
"How long are you in town for?" He asked, focusing on her facial expressions. Over the years he became quite adept at reading her. He could tell how she was feeling by the quiver of her delicate lips, and even in the slightest furrow of her brow. When he asked her that question, he could tell that she almost didn't want to answer it.
She gulped her drink down before answering, "I'm leaving tomorrow." She stated quickly, not adding anything else to the conversation. It was as if she just wanted to sit there and drink instead of engaging in any sort of interaction with her longtime companion.
"Leaving so soon?" Jiraiya asked, "And here I was thinking we could hang out a little more. It has been so long since we've seen each other."
"There's a reason for that Jiraiya." Tsunade said with a slight slur and a pink tint to her cheeks. If she wasn't drunk before, she was surely getting there.
"And what is that?" He asked, wondering what the reason could possibly be.
She took another sip of sake, "Because you're a hopeless idiot."
He couldn't say that he was offended by her sly remark. She always referred to him as either an idiot or a pervert. In fact, her negativity towards him felt very familiar, almost as if it were a comfort to him. So instead of feeling disdain towards her, he laughed and poured her another drink, "Oh come on Tsunade, don't be like that." He started, "You know you missed my handsome face and unmatched charm."
"Like I would ever!" She shouted and punched him on the arm. He held the spot that received the blow and was thankful that she didn't use the full extent of her strength. He should have known not to provoke her, but he was having a good time and felt a strong sense of nostalgia that he couldn't help himself.
"I see you haven't lost any of your strength." He commented, "You haven't lost any of your beauty either."
She looked at him as those words escaped his mouth. She was going to punch him again, but the way in which he made that statement stopped her. He didn't say it as a joke, nor did he say it in order to get a rise out of her. His words were sincere and she didn't quite know how to react. Therefore, instead of inflicting pain on his being, or even saying anything in return, she drank some more.
She looked at the book Jiraiya placed in front of her earlier and wondered if he really became an author. She remembered him going on and on about what the elder prophesied to him so long ago, but she never actually thought that he would follow through with it, "Did you really write this Jiraiya?" She asked while opening the book and skimming through its pages.
"Of course I did." He said, pleased that she was thinking about the novel that took him months to complete.
"What is it even about?" She asked, "Something perverted I'm assuming?"
Jiraiya was known far and wide as an unapologetic pervert, so it wasn't out of the norm for Tsunade to assume that his story was centered around adult topics, "You'll just have to read it to find out."
She rolled her eyes, annoyed that he wouldn't just reveal the book's contents to her when she asked. Nevertheless, she stuffed her copy into the small bag she brought along with her. Perhaps she would read it.
With each passing second, she felt her reflexes slow, and soon she completely lost control of the uptight personality she was trying to embody.
She was soon slumped over on the bar, begging for more alcohol, but Jiraiya and even Fugio could tell that she had enough.
"Jiraiya!" She shouted, "Give me more sake!" She demanded and slammed her fist down on the bar. Thankfully the alcohol in her system suppressed her chakra which prevented her actions from breaking the countertop.
"They're out of sake Tsunade." Jiraiya lied, not really wanting to tell her that she has reached her limit and giving her anymore to drink could lead to alcohol poisoning.
"What?!" She yelled and then suddenly grew tired. She rested her head on the counter of the bar and grumbled in exhaustion, "That's ridiculous!"
Jiraiya realized that due to Tsunade's current state, it was time for them to retreat to their respective rooms. However, Tsunade was too drunk to get to her room safely. Jiraiya knew what he had to do, but under normal circumstances his companion would not be too pleased with him. He paid Fugio for the drinks and rose to his feet to walk over to Tsunade. He placed her bag over his shoulder and held her forearm. As soon as his hand made contact with her skin she pulled away from him.
"Tsunade." He sighed, "We have to go now. Let me help you."
"What makes you think I can't pull myself up?!" She said in a raised voice and proceeded to stand up. But as soon as she was on her feet, she lost her balance and bumped into Jiraiya. He managed to prevent her from falling by grabbing hold of her waist. To Jiraiya's surprise, she didn't try to pull away from him, nor did she punch him for holding her. Instead she leaned into him, clearly exhausted and too drunk to do anything else. He would be lying if he said that having her in such a close proximity to himself had no affect on him. The truth was that he felt calm, almost at home with her in his arms. It was probably wrong of him, but he was glad she was too incoherent for her to object to him taking care of her.
He looked down at the woman who was leaning on him and saw that her eyes were closed. She was falling asleep in his arms and he wished that they could stay like that for just a moment longer, but it was late and he needed to get her to the safety of her room. He looked at Fugio, silently asking him for help, but Fugio didn't know what to do to be of any aid to his friend. Jiraiya realized what he had to do and was almost scared to do it. For all the years he had known Tsunade, he never dared to hold her or do anything more than allow her to take care of herself, but now he had no choice. With his heart beating wildly in his chest, he turned her body so that she was directly facing him and lifted her slightly so that he could carry her bridal style to her room.
Her eyes flickered opened as she was being lifted, "What are you doing?" She grumbled sleepily.
"You need my help to get to your room Tsunade." He told her and then watched as her eyes closed again and as she rested her head against his neck. Was this really happening? He breathed in her delicate scent and felt as if all the feelings he felt for her for many years were coming back and he could no longer suppress them. He peered down at her and was amazed that even in her drunken state, she looked so peaceful as she slept and didn't lose any of her radiant beauty. Against his better judgement, he ran the back of his hand against her rosy cheek. It was a gesture that felt so intimate to him that he was surprised he did it in front of Fugio. He made sure that she was secure in his arms, and afterwards walked out of the café to take her to her room.
It didn't take him too long to arrive at her room. To his surprise, her room was only a few doors down from his and he had no idea. He knocked on the door, hoping that Shizune was still awake. He wasn't quite sure what he would do in the event that Shizune did not open the door. Surely he could not just leave Tsunade outside of her room, and if he were to take her back to his room, she would probably throw a fit the following morning. Thankfully, Shizune opened the door and when she did, Jiraiya wondered why she didn't look concerned at her master's condition. Perhaps she has seen Tsunade drunk more often than she should have.
"She overdid it again didn't she?" Shizune asked and sighed before taking Tsunade's bag from Jiraiya's shoulder. She then opened the door wider so that Jiraiya could enter the room.
Once he was inside he went over to one of the beds and laid Tsunade down, "Does she get like this often?" He asked Shizune.
Shizune walked over to Tsunade and carefully removed the green jacket her mentor was wearing, "All the time." She said with regret, "I'm used to it though." She mentioned, trying to sound as if Tsunade's drunken escapades had no affect on her. To Jiraiya it seemed as if Shizune had to grow up quite fast and act more mature than she should have to. He instantly felt bad for the teenager, but also sympathized with Tsunade for her knew what she had to endure over the years. He wished he could help them, but knew that unless Tsunade wanted the help, it would be impossible.
"Don't worry about us Master Jiraiya." Shizune said, noticing the worried look on his face, "We take care of each other."
Jiraiya then reached for the blanket at the foot of the bed and covered Tsunade with it to ensure that she wasn't cold. He looked down at her once again and could only imagine her internal suffering. The pain she felt must have been tremendous, "Tsunade," He started, "It was so good to see you again, I've missed you. I hope you decide against leaving town tomorrow." He said, certain that she would not recall him saying those words to her the following day. He then placed a gentle hand on Shizune's shoulders, "Try to get some sleep." He told the young girl before letting himself out of the room in order to return to his.
Shizune settled in her own bed, exhausted from the day's activities but before she turned the light out she heard her master's voice.
"Shizune." Tsunade said, "I think we'll be staying in town longer than we planned to." She informed the girl before falling into a deep, alcohol induced slumber.
Shizune smiled to herself, knowing very well why Tsunade decided to stay in that town for longer than anticipated, "Goodnight Lady Tsunade." She said and turned the light off for the duration of the night.
