Chapter 1: The Search for Tsunade! A Shark, A Fox, A Toad, and Two Brothers!

If you'd like to know the exact moment this story picks up, its Naruto Season 2: Episode 32

It'd been hours, but Jiraiya was nowhere to be found. 'He's probably busy drinking the rest of my money away after getting rejected by that lady. Heh, serves him right, that perv.'

But then, there was a knock on the hotel door. Griping about money and women, Naruto opened the door to a very unfamiliar sight.

Red eyes. Tomoe swirling. He hadn't seen red eyes since Sasuke's Sharingan. But here they were, staring into his soul, on the face of a man who looked a lot like Sasuke.

"Heh, hard to believe that such a child carries the Nine-Tailed Fox," A shark-faced ninja said as he appeared behind the Sharingan wielder in the doorway.

He spoke next. "Naruto, why don't we take a walk?" Naruto stepped out the doorway and into the hallway shaking, but never broke eye contact with him. Who were these guys, where was pervy sage?

"Say Itachi, it'd be a pain in the neck if this kid makes a run for it. Maybe I oughta chop off a leg just in case…", the shark said as he clutched the handle of his humongous sword and took a few steps towards Naruto. Petrified, Naruto could only stare into the semi-human eyes of the fearless man in front of him.

Suddenly, Itachi turned his head slightly in the direction of the end of the hall.

"It's been a long time, Sasuke."

The blue shark stopped his advance and turned around to see their new guest. "That's strange. He's got the same eyes as you, Itachi. I heard the whole Uchiha clan was wiped out… by you.

Turning to face Sasuke, Itachi let out a monotone answer to an unasked question. "He's my brother, Kisame." The tension in the air was too thick to even cut. Sasuke stared at his brother, the culmination of all his efforts but a death away.

It all started to click for Naruto, as Sasuke started a Chidori. "Itachi Uchiha! I've lived my life for one single purpose: To see you die! It ends here! Chidori!" He charged straight on, the rage that was held in check for all these years seemingly being let loose in a single move. It was violent, it was fast, and it was powerful.

But Itachi was faster.

BOOM!

As the dust settled, Naruto could see that Itachi had grabbed Sasuke's lightning infused arm and redirected it towards the wall, destroying part of the building completely. Still holding Sasuke's arm, Itachi snapped it in half with a quick wrist movement and threw Sasuke back down the hallway, making a dull thud as his body made contact with the wall.

The cracking sound and the scream of pain that ensued woke Naruto out of his trance. He knew what he needed to do. Channeling what Kyuubi chakra he could, a red dome slowly surrounded him. "Ninja art: Summoning-!" As his hands flashed through the seals, Kisame waved his sword by Naruto and through the chakra shroud, dissipating it almost immediately. "Too slow!", he roared. "My sword, Samehada, loves chakra! It devours it."

Naruto was stunned; He couldn't even feel his chakra! Putting his hands in his kage no bunshin seal, he struggled to conjure up the energy that'd always been right there, at the surface.

Kisame smirked gleefully as he spoke, saying, "We don't need this kid whipping out anymore jutsu… forget the legs, maybe I'll take his arms instead."

Naruto paled as Kisame brought his sword up, threatening to cut his arms clean off. He had to summon his chakra!

"You're wasting your time," he taunted. Kisame swung down, expecting a spray of blood. Instead, his blade was engulfed in a puff of smoke and stopped halfway to its intended target. Kisame's eyes widened as the smoke cleared enough for him to see long, white hair.

The Toad Sage had arrived.

Jiraiya had appeared behind Naruto, summoning a battle toad to block Kisame's swing.

"What kind cowards would put a genjutsu on an innocent young woman just to separate Naruto from me? I know that he's the one you're really after", Jiraiya revealed. "If you think you're walking out of here with Naruto, then you're sorely mistaken. I should just kill you both and save everyone a lot of future trouble!" It was more boasting than threatening, but the killing intent was there.

"The only one that's killing him, is me! I've lived my whole life for this day, this moment. This fight is mine!", Sasuke roared as he charged, his left hand cocked back in a fist. Itachi's swift kick to the abdomen bent him in half like hot metal, and a punch to the jaw sent him back to his first resting place, into a crumpled heap back down the hallway. But this time, Itachi followed.

Jiraiya, understanding that Sasuke stood no match against a ninja of Itachi's caliber, made a move to intervene. Kisame, however, blocked his path. "You heard him, Jiraiya of the three Sannin, this fight is none of our business. Let's let them sort it out."

Jiraiya hesitated; Should he let the brothers settle their feud? Sasuke would surely die if Itachi wished it. He could intervene, and he knew he could take Itachi, but with Kisame here to fend off and protect two genin as well… that was a lot for one man.

But Jiraiya also knew right from wrong. Besides, there were bigger plans in play, and Itachi killing Sasuke was not in them. He jab-stepped at Kisame, forcing the Ex-Kiri nin to stab Samehada into the ground, trying to slow him down. As soon as the sword made contact with the wood, Jiraiya spun to his right and let out a spray Kebari Senbon. Kisame used Samehada as a shield and avoided major injury, though a few needles got him in his left arm. Itachi, meanwhile, had deflected them all with a kunai, his 3- tomoe Sharingan spinning. "Jiraiya, don't make this harder than it needs to be. Give us Naruto."

"Like hell! I should kill both of you for even suggesting that."

Jiraiya made the critical mistake of staring Itachi down. Itachi closed his eyes. "So be it," he said, as they flashed open at Jiraiya. "Tsukuyomi!"

The blood that dripped from Itachi's left eye hit the ground before Jiraiya did. The hall was silent as Jiraiya slumped against the wall, sliding to his knees, his eyes wide and misty. "Naruto," he whispered, "run." His head slumped forward.

Kisame went to grab Naruto before he could heed Jiraiya's words, but Naruto ducked his attempt and sprinted down the hall. Of course, he wasn't fast enough to outrun either Itachi or Kisame and was tackled to the ground. He could taste the sea salt as Kisame pinned him down with his body weight. All Naruto could see was Jiraiya on the ground, one eye closed and the other misted over. 'Damnit! If I don't do anything, he's gonna hurt Sasuke and Pervy Sage!'

Naruto overheard Itachi speaking to Sasuke. "You will never be strong enough to defeat me. You are weak because you don't hate. You're pathetic, otouto-kun. Let me show you how strong hate is." Itachi's Mangekyo Sharingan activated, spinning, drilling into Sasuke's soul. Itachi lifted him off the ground with his hand on his throat. "Tsukuyomi!"

"No! Sasuke!"

Itachi released his grip and let Sasuke fall with a thud. Itachi suddenly slumped over against the wall, sliding down next to his brother's motionless body. He was bleeding out of both eye sockets.

"... Kisame, we must go. I'm afraid I've overexerted myself. Grab the jinchuuriki."

Kisame freed one arm from his hold on a struggling Naruto and grabbed the back of the blonde's head.

'No, no, no! Jiraiya-sensei!'

WHAM!

Naruto's body went limp, and Kisame got up and slung him over his shoulder. He walked over to Itachi and gave him a hand. The sooner they left, the less likely that Jiraiya would get up in time to track them, if he got up at all. Kisame heard Sasuke groan as they hobbled away.

Knowing that separating themselves from Jiraiya was the key, they took to the forest, away from prying eyes, their target in tow.

Just as they left the hallway, however, another figure approached the down Konoha Shinobi...

Using his Hitai-ate as a rough mirror, Gai peered around the corner of the hallway, intent on ambushing his comrade's aggressors. There were vaguely dark shapes reflecting back but they appeared to either be crouched or prone.

'Ah, they have expected me! I must work on my stealth in the future with Neji-kun, because if I can hide from him, then I can hide from anyone! My youth will shield me! Alright, here I go!' Gai took some smoke bombs Tenten had given him and tossed them down the hallway. Hearing them detonate and watching the smoke billow past him, he was surprised to hear no commotion or signs of trying to escape the smoke.

'I guess will have to overwhelm them with my superior skill! Hai!' Gai shot off the wall he was leaned up against at a 45-degree angle to his right, landing on the far side of the hallway's wall where he twisted his body around to face the hallway, now just a cloud of thick, white gas. He shot off the wall with his left leg extended, zooming down the hallway and hoping to make contact with an opponent for a devastating kick. Instead, his leg impacted the other side of the hallway's wall, splintering it and having Gai's leg go through it all the way. Gai's upper thigh was where the outside of the wall used to be. Pulling his leg from the hole, he dropped down in a defensive position, expecting a counterattack. Instead, he found himself balancing on the body of one Uchiha Sasuke, the boy he was meant to find and return to Konoha. He was currently unconscious, even with Gai crouching on top of him.

Gai stepped off him and checked his pulse, then shook him a bit. His head bobbled this way and that, until Gai was sure he wasn't going to wake up. The smoke cleared a bit as it dispersed throughout the hotel, and Gai was able to spy Jiraiya, slumped against the wall. He made his way over carefully; this could be a trap, after all. He grabbed the large man's shoulder, shaking it. No response. 'Gah, Master Jiraiya, awaken! What happened here?'

"Master Jiraiya! Awaken! I am in need of your assistance! Yoshhhhhh! Where is Naruto-kun?!" Gai shook Jiraiya forcefully, but Jiraiya's head simply lolled back and forth, unresponsive. 'This type of unresponsiveness is the same as Kakashi's. Could it have been Itachi? They did say they were after Naruto. Ah! Naruto-kun is either searching for a doctor or has been captured by Itachi and that other person! I will search for a doctor to heal them and then together, we will find Naruto-kun!'

Five minutes later...

Gai stared down into the face of the local hospital's receptionist, her scrunched up wrinkles and round glasses not budging against Gai's humongous eyebrows. He was leaning over the reception counter, his face against the glass partition while the older woman simply stared right back. "You mean there are no doctors in this whole town? Where did they go?"

She narrowed her eyes. "Young man, the only doctors we have are currently in Tanzaku Town, on standby for the Gambling Gamut Superregional and Festival. But if you want those black creatures on your face taken off, I would be glad to assist you." She slowly raised a hair trimmer, which she flicked onto high and waved back and forth.

Gai flew from the glass and his skin started to redden. "Yosh! I have vowed to never be rude or unkind to the elderly, but you! Your flames of youth have burned out long ago! You are matched only by the most hip and cool ways of my eternal rival, Hatake Kakashi!" He threw his arms around as he spoke, showing her the power of his youth!

She didn't seem amused. "Yeah, sure. The insane asylum for this district is in Kinai. Perhaps a doctor there will help you. Have a good day, Shinobi- baka!" She buzzed the security button and two guards appeared and dragged Gai out. They promptly dumped him in the street. Seeing their forms retreat inside, Gai could not understand why civilian hospitals hated shinobi so much. Was it their amazing abilities that fostered jealousy?

Dusting himself off, Gai felt a pang of loneliness. 'I wish Lee-kun and my young pupils were here, they would make this trip much less lonesome. If I can reach Tanzaku Town and be back by nightfall, then I may be able to find Naruto quickly! Yosh, my team would never let a moment be wasted when his comrades were in danger!' With new determination, Gai sprung to his feet and ran as fast as he could to Tanzaku Town, welcoming the challenge.

It was only sunset, but Gai saw the fireworks erupting overhead and it spurred him forward. He pumped chakra into his leaps from tree to tree, arriving atop the entrance gates of the town and stopping for just a moment. Immediately, the smells of barbeque and Dango hit his nostrils, the people below him dancing and shuffling through the street, all alike, like an indistinguishable blob of human.

Tanzaku Town, the unofficial gambling capital of Hi no Kuni, was packed with gamblers, entertainers, and festival-goers. Once a year, this town became a hotbed for both high rollers and the impoverished. The draw of winning the poker tournament (and the grand prize) was more than enough for some to bet everything. Gai saw the myriad of vendors peddling their wares to small children, trying hard to squeeze every penny from them they could. The clubs and gambling halls were already starting to beef up their security, hiring thugs from out of town as added measures. Gai couldn't notice any shinobi among them so far, though.

Leaping from the pinnacle of the entrance gate, Gai wasted no time in getting to the hospital; He roof hopped the low establishments until he had made it across town to the glowing high rise, its figure towering over the other buildings, bathing them and Gai in fluorescent light.

Instead of going through the front doors, Gai let his roof hopping momentum carry him through the third-floor window of the hospital. He rolled through the patient's room and into the hallway, righting himself with incredible dexterity and agility. Gai took a look at both ends of the hospital hallway. To his surprise, he neither saw nor heard anyone. No doctors making calls, no nurses checking on patients. Snaking his body flush against the interior hospital wall, Gai crept down the hallway. He stopped himself short of the turn in the hall and used his forehead protector as a rough mirror. Seeing nothing of interest, he rounded the corner.

The hairs on the back of his neck stood at attention. Was that... skin? On the floor? He squinted his eyes to make sure he wasn't hallucinating, and sure enough, on the floor laid a heap of human skin, almost like a snake's. Gai walked over to it and grabbed a chunk of it, his index finger slipping into a hole. With a grimace, Gai held up the empty husk by an eye cavity.

'A snake... Orochimaru? Could it be? He must need to be healed after Sarutobi-sama sealed his arms away. But why is no one left here? What happened?' Gai dropped the lifeless bag of skin on the ground and started checking patient rooms. Surely someone had to be here, no?

After he passed the sixth empty room, Gai paused a moment. He heard metal moving, pulling something...

'The elevator!' Gai hid himself behind a door in a patient room, being careful to not let his shadow stick out into the hall. The elevator dinged as its doors slid open, and footsteps began echoing towards him.

"I'm telling you, Kabuto-kun, she will accept my offer. She has too much of a soft heart for Dan and Nawaki, dead as they are," the first raspy voice said.

"Yes sir, but what if she doesn't? What is our contingency plan? We've proven that no normal doctors can heal you, even I can't restore your arms." The second voice sounded younger, calmer. Gai heard the footsteps, in perfect tandem, heading straight past him.

"Yes, even my body replacement technique failed. But Kabuto-kun, as gifted as you are, Tsunade-chan is in a class all her own. Still, I suppose I'll have to wait for my next host if Tsunade-chan can't heal me. Gah, curse the Shinigami and curse Sarutobi! I hope he suffers in that ugly god's gut, he and the Yondaime both."

'Tsunade? Of the Sannin? If she is in town, then she will definitely be able to heal Master Jiraiya and Sasuke-kun, not to mention Kakashi-san and Lee-kun! I must find her.' Gai heard the younger voice laugh, it sounded light on the top but there was an undercurrent of evil that bounced around the hospital, echoing off the walls.

The laughter receded, and the young one spoke. "I will finish making sure we gathered an adequate number of test subjects, Orochimaru-sama. You should go rest; If Tsunade-sama decides to accept our deal, you'll need to be at full strength in case she tries anything."

"So precious, to think of your Lord's health in such trying times. Truly Kabuto-kun, what would I do without you?" There was no answer; Gai heard at least one figure melting down into the hospital floor, their chakra presence bleeding away.

The footsteps receded slowly from Gai's hearing, and after the hospital was silent, Gai slipped back out an open window, into the streets below.

Itachi never actually expected to get the nine-tailed jinchūriki. He simply had no other excuse for the situation, though. He had to pass information to Jiraiya about Akatsuki and see his little brother but to actually get the jinchūriki... Kisame wouldn't have just walked away from this opportunity. Calling Kisame off during their conflict with Kakashi and the other Konoha-nin was risky enough.

When Jiraiya got up, Itachi was going to be the most wanted man in the elemental nations. Konoha would be without its most powerful weapon, hidden or not. That was not ideal, for neither the Akatsuki nor Itachi. Akatsuki was still trying to keep a low profile gathering the lesser bijuu, but if Itachi was moved to priority number one on ANBU's board, then the group would catch even more publicity.

Itachi leaped from a branch in the trees to the river below, standing on the current and letting it take him, like a flat escalator. Kisame landed behind him a moment later, the boy in Itachi's thoughts resting on Kisame's blade. How Kisame managed to carry bounties like that, Itachi would never know.

He opened his mouth to speak but the blood from his lungs came out first, a gentle spray of red liquid hitting the current and dissolving into the water.

"Ne, Itachi, are you alright?"

Itachi's posture went rigid, his body tense. "I'm fine, Kisame. I will require rest, soon, to recover." 'Not to mention, to formulate a plan to get out of this predicament.' "Using Tsukuyomi in such a manner is... exhausting."

Years of being a trained shinobi told Itachi that Kisame shifted slightly. Itachi narrowed his eyes. Kisame only reset himself when he was uncomfortable with a situation or when someone was lying. It was the smallest of tells, but it meant everything.

"Something on your mind?"

"Yeah, I mean... what're we gonna do with this kid? We can't seal his bijuu yet, so what? We just chain him to the wall for a while?"

"I don't know, Kisame. I didn't plan on taking him. I came merely to see his progress," 'and my brother's progress, as well,' "but the situation forced our hand. We had no excuse not to take him. Besides, Leader-sama will be glad since we've gotten him before he can cause us any issues." Itachi let the current take him around the bend the river, and saw water roiling over a fallen tree, hidden just beneath its surface. Itachi loved nature, the serenity of it. Things only died when they had to, water only flowed because it was meant to, nothing was ever done naturally unless it had to be done. Itachi's life was, in spite of itself, quite natural. The things he'd done were born out of necessity, never want.

"Ne, Itachi. I have another question. How did Tsukuyomi take Jiraiya of the Sannin out? I heard he uses nature chakra sometimes, and from what I understand, that negates genjutsu, right?"

Itachi furrowed his brow. How did Kisame know such an intricacy about Jiraiya's sage mode? It wasn't a secret, but it also wasn't common knowledge, since anyone who had seen Jiraiya using sage mode was probably dead now. He must've heard rumors.

"He would have had to have been in Sage Mode for it stop me." Itachi didn't like Kisame's intrigue. He knew that Kisame was here only to watch over him and make sure he wasn't a mole. He was doing a terrible job thus far, letting Itachi plan their itinerary.

"Kisame, who is your target?" Itachi said, changing the subject. He knew it was Rōshi, the four tails jinchūriki from Iwagakure. Taking Kisame's mind off Jiraiya was his true aim. Like his skill of altering a kunai midair with another, he hit his target.

"Feh, the Yonbi. I'm assuming you're sitting this one out?" Itachi's silence answered him. He could feel Kisame's beady eyes on his back, waiting for the barb at his stamina to sink in. Itachi merely turned his attention back to the water around him.

"We should use the impending darkness to cover more ground. I'll rest in the morning." The water kept flowing, as it was supposed to. Itachi did the same.

Tonton squealed as the slot machine sprayed coin after coin from its slot. Tsunade could hardly believe her-

Luck. "Shizune, grab my bag. We're getting out of town." The air around the blonde Sannin was cold, even as the bustle of the casino turned its attention to her. It was her third jackpot in as many minutes, and she decimated the competition in the poker tournament. The final round to decide the champion was tomorrow, but Tsunade wasn't planning on staying. Not with the surprise visit from Orochimaru last night. Apparently, the Nidaime had made a kinjutsu to revive the dead. That sounded amazing, but there always was a trick with her snake faced teammate.

She and Shizune marched out the casino through a mob of drunk, cheering gamblers. Never had Tsunade been more anxious to leave one, but sudden changes of fortune never meant well for her. She unconsciously felt her necklace, her grandfather's gift. The smooth gem felt weightless between her powerful fingers.

"Tsunade-sama, I believe we should head further into Hi no Kuni. The closer we are to Konoha, the less likely Orochimaru will follow."

The Sannin snorted. "Who said I wanted to get away from him?"

"You can't be serious! He's not going to bring them back, he's a liar! He killed your sensei!"

Tsunade knew that. She bit back telling Shizune that she didn't need to parrot what Orochimaru had told them both already. They emerged from the crowd surrounding the casino, into the mostly-clear streets of the city, vendors on both sides eyeing her full bags of coin carefully. Usually, the nightlife of the festival would overtake this area, but the casinos and clubs had pulled so many people inside that there were hardly any left outside. Tsunade hated being so visible. The women were too open, too exposed, best to get back to their room and-

Someone bumped into Tsunade from behind and her sandal caught on a rock in the street, sending her to the ground. Though rusty, her ninja reflexes saved her a spot in the mud as she shot her hands down and cartwheeled up, twisting her body around to face the idiot that knocked her over. Her eyes widened when she saw so much... green.

"Oh! So sorry! Pardon me, young lady, I am looking for the great- Yosh! Lady Tsunade, master of the medical arts and one of the three Legendary Sannin! I, Maito Gai of Konoha, require your assistance! My comrades- er, our comrades are in danger!" Gai waved his arms and pointed in the direction they needed to go.

"Our comrades? I don't follow."

"Master Jiraiya was attacked and put into a comatose state. Uchiha Sasuke suffered the same fate, and Uzumaki Naruto, Master Jiraiya's apprentice, is missing. I think he was captured by Uchiha Itachi and a fish!"

"A fish?"

"A fish-man!"

"Was it a fish-man or a man-fish?"

"Excellent question Tsunade-sama, it was most definitely a man-fish! Gah, your knowledge is unsurpassed!" Gai gave her a thumbs up, his teeth sparkling from a ray of light that shouldn't have been present in the darkness.

She subconsciously took a step back as the beam of light reflected off his teeth and hit her. "I'm sorry, could you repeat your name again?"

"Maito Gai, son of Maito Dai and Konoha's Green Beast!"

"Ah. I knew your father. But, well, I'm sorry Gai-san, but I don't do that type of stuff anymore. My assistant Shizune would be more than capable in my stead, for a fee."

"No, Tsunade-sama, she won't be. No medical specialist Konoha has been able to wake Kakashi up, and I fear the same jutsu that he was struck with was used on Master Jiraiya and Sasuke, too." Tsunade saw his face morph into a sort of twisted maze of tendons and muscle, all pulling down. "One of my students also lies crushed and broken in a hospital room. None of the doctors want to operate on him for fear of him dying. Tsunade-sama, you are the only hope he has left. You are the only hope I have left."

"He's that important to you, huh?"

Tsunade saw his chest swell with pride, and he spoke with dignity. "Rock Lee is the hardest working, kindest, most youthful shinobi I have ever seen. He has inspired me to become the taijutsu menace that I am since he can do nothing else but taijutsu. To see such a fire dimmed in one so young hurts me more than even the death of my own father did. It's as if I am watching my own child give up on his dreams. He's wanted more than anything to be a proper Konoha shinobi, but now, he's powerless. It would mean everything to me if you could return to Konoha some time to heal him!"

She just couldn't hold it in anymore. She tried but lost control. Tsunade laughed in his face, a deep one full of her gathered pessimism. "How stupid is that student of yours?" She asked, but continued to laugh, the notion of it all astounding her.

'A boy who can't mold chakra got hurt trying to play ninja! Humph, serves him right, What a stupid idea. You can't possibly expect to succeed with a handicap like that. Such a dream is like dreaming of being Hokage: stupid, and will get you killed!'

Shizune spoke behind her nervously. "Lady Tsunade, be more compassionate! You're being insulting to someone who needs our help! Besides, Master Jiraiya is hurt. Don't you want to heal an old friend who's not trying to burn your home down?"

Tsunade rounded on her apprentice and put her hands on her hips, unfazed by the palpable anger coming from behind her. "Shizune, dear, I'll go and heal that old pervert Jiraiya and maybe the Uchiha kid, but what this guy is asking of me is ridiculous! If I even were able to heal him then what happens next?" Tsunade whirled to face Gai, the veins in his neck and forehead pulsating with anger. "He dies, because he can't use chakra, and that blood will not be on my hands. I've got enough of it." The thought of blood made her shudder. Dan's death replayed freshly in her mind, and it was almost like she could smell the blood from that night.

Drip.

Drip.

Drip.

Tsunade's eyes widened as she came back to reality, to Gai's hands, blood seeping from his balled fists. "You've never even met him, yet you mock the trials he has had to go through to be a ninja… To think how your Will of Fire has dimmed so badly over time... I do not know why Master Jiraiya wanted to find you, but I pray he doesn't, so he won't have to see what disgraces the other two Legendary Sannin have become! It is Lee's dream to be the most splendid Konoha Shinobi. Without that dream, his life is pointless! Lee would rather die trying to achieve his goal than not try at all! That is his Will of Fire! Where is yours?!" Tsunade looked on as Gai raised his blood-soaked hands and gestured with them violently, blood flying everywhere.

"If I cannot find someone to heal him, I will devote the rest of my life to learn how! My father gave me the strength to protect those I care for. I will give to Lee this very same strength if it kills both of us!"

"You're insane," Tsunade shuddered. She felt the light dabs of cloth on her face as Shizune tried desperately to get every drop of blood from her person, but she couldn't break eye contact with the maniac in front of her.

He grinned and shut his eyes, his hands on his hips. "No, Lady Tsunade, I'm determined. I'll do anything for Lee- kun. If I fail to heal him or to get someone who can, then I know I gave it my best shot! It is better to try and fail than assume defeat and give up!"

Shizune turned to face Gai, her mouth open in shock. Tsunade gasped. It was the same belief Nawaki and Dan both carried! Was her Will of Fire so weak as to forget what they stood for? 'Dan, Nawaki... what would you say if you saw me now?'

Gai wasn't done yet, though. "Which is why I'm here in front of you. Master Jiraiya is injured and a ninja of Konoha is missing. Lady Tsunade, will you help us?" Gai extended a hand to her. For the first time in a long time, she didn't notice the blood on it.

Tsunade took it with her own.

A/N: I published a version of this story a year ago and I must say, I'm very glad I took it down because it was some hot garbage. I feel that, as an English major in college, I've improved my writing drastically, and have had this plot rolling around in my brain for a long time. I'd appreciate that you read & review my story because they only help! I have a goal of making it into "1,000 PLUS: Extraordinary Fics with Extraordinary Reviews" catalog one day!