(A/N) Moving on! 2nd of three parts of the month between the rounds. I hope you all have had a good new year!
"Do I have to be here?" Shikamaru complained tiredly.
"If I'm going to suffer through trying to work out what the heck Tsunade wants with me, you're coming too," Umi replied immediately.
Shikamaru just huffed, clearly not going to bother arguing with her.
"And besides, maybe you might be able to work out why she abducted me."
"You went willingly."
"UNDER DURESS!" She squawked, waving her arms. "Do you have any idea how scary she is?"
"No but I bet she appreciates the compliment," Shikamaru deadpanned, gesturing to where Tsunade was standing, clearly within earshot.
Umi looked like she wanted to die, and honestly, mood, but for now they were stuck here.
"You brought a friend," Tsunade remarked dryly. "A Nara if I'm not mistaken?"
Shikamaru waved lazily. "Hi."
"He's learning medical ninjutsu too," Umi said, ruthlessly throwing him to the wolves. How rude.
"Oh?" And now she looked legitimately interested. Wonderful. "Is he now?"
Shikamaru nodded reluctantly. "I am, yes." He was going to regret this wasn't he. He was absolutely going to regret this so much.
"So," Tsunade smirked, clapping her hands together. "What are you both working on?"
Shikamaru regretted it already.
Orochimaru had to admit this was somewhat of a minorly momentous occasion, given that all three of the legendary sannin were together for the first time in over a decade. Well, in the same place at the same time. Together was a bit of a misnomer. They likely weren't going to all interact at the same time, given Tsunade and Jiraiya were only barely on speaking terms, and Orochimaru and Jiraiya weren't exactly friendly.
The only way all three would be seen together was if they were fighting. Either sparring or just flat out arguing with some Tsunade punching Jiraiya through a few walls.
"Orochimaru, didn't think you'd be here," Jiraiya greeted, for once not acting like a ridiculous pervert.
"Sensei requested my presence as he is mildly suspicious about activity within the village. Trust me, I would far rather be in Uzushio." Orochimaru narrowed his eyes slightly as a mist-nin he knew was here for the event left their eyes on him for just a bit too long. "Watch out for Training ground 16, it's rather flooded at the moment."
Jiraiya raised an eyebrow, making a half sign for code. "Oh really? An entire training ground? Are you sure?"
Orochimaru snorted softly. "Unfortunately, yes, it's quite true. Two Uzushio genin and one of their sensei flooded it. And continue to flood it regularly. I would avoid that training ground if you don't feel like getting soaking wet. Or drawn into a three way spar. Or four-way if Shisui's been over there for longer than twenty seconds and doesn't have anywhere urgent to be."
Jiraiya looked extremely confused for a moment, and Orochimaru remembered Jiraiya had both known Shisui before the incident, and hadn't been told about said incident.
"I'll catch you up," Orochimaru sighed. "Since clearly you and your spy network are completely useless."
"It is not!" Jiraiya complained loudly. "And besides, I have places to be other than your creepy house with all it's snakes everywhere."
Orochimaru raised an eyebrow at him. Oh, making a fuss were they? "Well then. I have a new clutch hatching soon, and as such, would prefer it if your giant feet weren't tramping around and nearly stepping on them." He didn't actually have any clutches at his Konoha house, mostly because he wasn't here often enough to set up a breeding program that he cared enough to maintain.
When Jiraiya seemed fully ready to continue a fully fabricated argument, Orochimaru rolled his eyes and shunshined away. He wasn't going to deal with his idiot teammate for longer than needed.
Naruto wondered what it would be like to not have glass shards in his lungs. He didn't really remember the incident that had caused them, other than some flashes of Hihana taking him to the hospital, and a lot of pain.
"Naruto?" A voice when he entered the hospital made him turn. Umi was standing near the door, holding a clipboard, with Shikamaru next to her holding what looked like a dead fish. "What're you doing here? Did you get hurt?"
Naruto shrugged. 'Tsunade said something about glass in lungs.'
Shikamaru looked roughly like he wanted to be struck with lightning and die right there. "That's why she's kicking us out with instructions to figure out how to revive this stupid fish."
Naruto shrugged again.
"Somehow that explains so much, and nothing at all…" Umi noted, tapping her chin with the clipboard. "Eh, whatever. Come on Shika. Good luck Naruto! I hope it goes well!"
Naruto hoped it did too, he needed to see Sasuke win the third round. He might not be participating cause he tied with Lee, but he could be there for his teammate! He pumped a fist, and headed for the receptionist desk, stomach turning at remembering the multitude of other times he'd needed help and gotten none. But just maybe. Just maybe with Tsunade here he wouldn't be turned away immediately.
The lady glared at him, but didn't immediately dismiss him, so Naruto took that as a win. "Lady Tsunade is in room 124 on the third floor."
As the conversation was apparently over, Naruto hoped he could find room 124 before it was too late or someone who was going to throw him out found him.
He found it easily enough, entering it to find three nurses and Tsunade. Plus some black haired lady with a pig by her feet.
"There you are brat," Tsunade barked. "I was beginning to worry I'd have to fetch you myself."
Naruto shrugged. 'Couldn't find the room.'
She narrowed her eyes at him, but didn't bother pressing. "Up here. I'll sedate you myself. You'll wake up in a few hours probably. Depending on what the fuzzball does, you might be out of here today."
Naruto nodded agreement, hopping up on the bed and laying back.
Tsunade dismissed the nurses, and her green coated hand coming for his face was the last thing he saw before he passed out.
Naruto woke up, and a pain he hadn't even realized had been there was gone. It didn't hurt to breathe any more. It was a novel experience.
Shikamaru was sitting nearby, reading a book on what looked like something medical.
Naruto snapped his fingers somewhat ineffectively to try and get Shikamaru's attention. He was never very good at snapping his fingers.
The movement apparently caught Shikamaru's eye because he looked up. Apparently he didn't feel like putting the book down to sign, and spoke. "You're awake. Feel any better?"
Naruto nodded emphatically. 'Doesn't hurt to breathe.'
Shikamaru raised an eyebrow, looking almost concerned. "It hurt to breathe?"
Naruto flapped his hands a bit. 'It did, but I didn't realize because it always had. Minor chronic pain I forgot was there most of the time.'
Shikamaru just grunted in response, standing up. "I was instructed to get Tsunade once you woke up, so I need to go do that."
Naruto nodded amicably, watching his friend leave. Now he just had to wait and hope Tsunade actually came and he wasn't kicked out of the hospital because of the fuzzball! ...Okay maybe he had some lasting issues with the hospital.
Tsunade did come in just minutes later, Shikamaru and Umi trailing behind her. "Alright brat, let me do a final checkup and you should be good to go."
Oh thank goodness, getting out of the hospital is so close. Nearly there.
He sat through the check up fairly calmly, barely vibrating with excitement at getting out. He'd been in for less than four hours and he was already ready to be out. He avoided this place for a good reason.
"Alright brat, you're good to go," Tsunade said finally stepping back. "You're discharged."
Naruto took that chance to yeet himself out the window.
Well, based on the figure jumping out the window, and the flash of bright yellow Sasuke spotted, visiting Naruto in the hospital was pointless. He was not at all surprised, he knew Naruto hated the hospital, avoiding it whenever possible and preferring to go to Shikamaru with any injuries. It'd helped Shikamaru practice, so they'd never addressed it.
Plus the furball meant Naruto wasn't really ever in any danger of dying and healed quickly anyway.
Sasuke was aware of the incident when Naruto was a kid, Naruto had told him soon after he'd lost his own voice, although he wasn't sure Shino or Kakashi was aware of it. Shikamaru probably knew, but he knew everything.
"YOSH!" Ah, Rock Lee was it? "HOW ARE YOU THIS FINE DAY ESTEEMED RIVAL!"
Yeah Lee had decided he was going to have Sasuke as some sort of 'eternal rival'. He'd asked Kakashi once, and had been warned off, but really he didn't mind. It was fun usually.
Yunikon, who was apparently with Lee, he'd been seeing the two together a lot more often now that Sasuke thought about it, waved to him.
Sasuke waved back. He addressed Lee, signing to him. 'I'm fine. How are you.'
"I AM GOOD!"
"Volume down Lee, you do not need yet another noise complaint," Yunikon sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose.
"Apologies!" Lee insisted, still loud, but no longer shouting at the top of his lungs. "Sasuke! Train with us!"
Sasuke took one look at the two, Yunikon still sighing, and Lee making an epic pose with his thumb out in a thumbs up, and decided, what did he have to lose. It wasn't like he'd really been doing all that much besides a bunch of stamina and speed training. A lot of speed training. Although Lee was really fast, and Yunikon was on a team with one of his opponents.
'Sure why not?' Sasuke decided quickly.
Lee made a face like a very surprised owl, then beamed at him. "YOSH! I SHALL ENDEAVOR TO MAKE SURE IT IS HELPFUL TO YOU!"
Yunikon jumped like he hadn't actually expected this, which, fair, but Sasuke just shrugged at the confused glance he was sent.
"ONWARD!" Lee shouted, running off.
"No, if you put that there it's going to destabilize after a few seconds," Fuji disagreed. "I've tried."
"But if you move the stabilization thing here, then you can disable it with this seal and a flick of chakra, and it'll go boom faster and be hotter."
Fuji examined it, then turned it upside down to check. "Huh, I think you're right." They adjusted it again, then drew in the right symbol. "Alright! Let's check!"
"Yes!" Tenten unsealed another training dummy, where she kept getting them from Fuji didn't know, and set it in the middle of the field. She backed away to a safe distance, then Fuji slapped the tag onto the training dummy, activated the disabling seal, and sprinted for her. They made it just in time, the seal exploding behind them.
"Let's move the disabler a little bit farther away," Fuji decided. "That was too close."
"Deal." Tenten pulled out yet another piece of paper, Fuji had no clue where she was getting all of those either, and started sketching out the seal again.
They could sense the weird and horrified looks the two were getting from the Hyuuga in the corner, but they paid him no mind. Tenten had said he was a teammate, and left it at that, so Fuji had elected to ignore the Hyuuga. Afterall, they had stuff to blow up.
(A/N) And another third of the Month Between. Next time we have everyone else. Probably. We should. I hope it's been a wonderful January for all of you! For the record, I do ship it. I ship my wonderful pyro children. Go see the Ao3 version of this story under the same name for the poll, or come see my discord server with the code pnQAF39!