Kakashi perches in the tree closest to Sasuke's window. He can see Sasuke from there. He can't see the side of her that is crushed, and he is glad of that. Kakashi does not like seeing yet another Uchiha teammate crushed and dying.
If Kakashi still had a full emotional range, he would be crying. But he doesn't so he is sitting in a tree feeling awful.
"Yo!" says a voice from beside Kakashi.
Kakashi nearly jumps 20 meters into the air. Nearly. Instead he settles for pulling a kunai on the person who sneaked up on him.
"Woah, calm down!" says Wind, holding up her hands to show she means no harm and eyeing the kunai in Kakashi's hand. "I thought you would have sensed me coming."
Kakashi lowers the kunai. He did not sense Wind coming. "You are literally right next to me and I cannot sense you. Are you sure you're real?"
Wind giggles. "Fairly sure! Why are you staking out the hospital?"
"Just checking on Sasuke," says Kakashi.
"What a coincidence," says Wind. "Me too. Can't have Okami dying before Jiraiya gets back. So do you wanna come with me to her room?"
"No," says Kakashi. "I don't want to see...not again…" he shudders, remembering Obito. "I think I'll stay here, where I can't see…" he trails off and looks away.
To his surprise, Wind puts her hand on his shoulder. "I understand. But we'll do our best to save Sasuke." Wind leaps from the tree to Sasuke's room, leaving Kakashi alone.
Does Wind really understand? Kakashi wonders.
Nagato stares at the kid who is apparently Jiraiya sensei's kid. His mouth falls open in shock. "She's…" he points at the girl and falls over backwards.
"Yes, she is," says Iruka. "Kimiko has a letter to prove it and everything. Lord Third says she looks like Jiraiya did at that age."
Nagato picks himself up and leans on the fence surrounding the property. "So where is Jiraiya sensei, anyway? Lord Third never said."
"He's looking for Tsunade." Iruka is unsuccessfully trying to open the front door without dropping his armload of books.
Nagato is a little confused. "Why are you using the front door when you were just around the back?"
"The back door leads through the music room," says Iruka, finally managing to get the door open. "And there is a lesson in there. You never interrupt the music lessons. Even if the village is under attack and the house is burning down."
Nagato looks at the Uzumaki symbol on the door. It is very well placed, that symbol.
"Why don't you come in?" asks Iruka.
"Are you sure it's safe?" asks Nagato, grinning so Iruka knows he is joking.
"Oh, it's never safe in there," says Iruka. "Come on, Kimiko."
Kimiko gets up and goes inside while Iruka stands in the doorway keeping the door open.
"Are you coming in or not?" asks Iruka.
Nagato knows better than to disobey that look. He opens the gate, trots up to the door and takes half of Iruka's stack of books. "Those look heavy," he says.
"Thanks," says Iruka, and herds Nagato and Kimiko into the house's dining room, half of which is laid out as a living room. He dumps his stack of books on the table, and Nagato follows his example.
Nagato turns to Kimiko. "Hello," he says again.
"Hi," says Kimiko shyly.
Nagato fishes in his pocket for his stash of snacks. Konan and Yahiko's kids are always easier to handle if he gives them a biscuit or two. Nagato finds a packet of gummy snakes and holds out the bag to Kimiko. "Do you like snakes?" he asks.
Kimiko's face erupts in the most adorable smile. She nods and takes a gummy snake. She seems more interested in holding it than eating it though.
Nagato hears the violin music coming from somewhere in the house finish. A few minutes later (during which time Kimiko stares at her snake like it's worth a fortune), a woman appears, dragging a small boy behind her.
"BUT MUUUUUUUUUUUM!" moans the boy. "I don't wanna stop having lessons!"
"Then quit whining!" snaps the woman, angrily.
Following along behind is a middle aged lady with a messy bun in her hair. She sees Nagato. "Sorry about these two," she says. "They have the same argument every week, but nothing ever comes of it."
Nagato shrugs.
The arguing mother and son leave, and the woman comes back to the kitchen after escorting them out. "I'm Kazama," she introduces herself, proffering a hand for Nagato to shake.
"Nagato Uzumaki, Leader of the Hidden Rain," says Nagato, shaking the proffered hand.
"Nice," says Kazama, totally nonplussed. "So what brings you here?"
"Oh, I came with two of my friends," says Nagato. "When we were kids, Lord Jiraiya looked after us for a while after our parents were killed. We haven't seen him in years, but we heard he's been hanging around so we came to the Leaf, but since he's not here, we're sticking around until he gets back."
"So who's looking after affairs in the Hidden Rain if you're here?" asks Kazama.
"Oh, um, two of my other friends!" says Nagato. "I have lots of people to take care of things for me. Besides, if they need me I have ways of getting back quickly."
"Good," says Kazama, nodding firmly, once. "Would you like to stay for lunch? My husband is neck deep in his research, and I keep forgetting Naruto isn't here, so there is plenty of surplus food hanging around."
"Sure!" grins Nagato. Food is always good. "Thanks."
"Now Naruto," says Jiraiya. "We won't find Tsunade right away, so let's stop here and get some dinner before we start looking. It's always best to search on a full stomach." He leads Naruto, who is thoroughly worn out from training on the road, into the restaurant he thinks will be a good spot to stop for dinner.
Sitting in a booth at the back of the restaurant is Tsunade.
Jiraiya makes a beeline for Tsunade before she has time to see him. "Hey boobs - I mean Tsunade," says Jiraiya, looking at one and addressing the other.
"JIRAIYA!?" Tsunade spits out her sake and glares at Jiraiya. "What do you want?"
Naruto forgets everything Kazama and Iruka told him about making a good impression and rushes right up to Tsunade. Jiraiya tries to grab him and pull him back but fails. "You're Lady Tsunade?" Naruto asks. "The best medic ever?"
"Yeah, so what?" says Tsunade, picking up one of the sake bottles sitting on the table.
The young man sitting next to Tsunade clutches the pig he is holding and adopts an expression of fear.
"My friend is dying," says Naruto. "Can you help? Please?"
"Nope," says Tsunade.
Jiraiya is glad Naruto at least remembered to say please, but he is still asking pretty rudely. Well, demanding would be a better way to put it. "Kid, let me do the talking," says Jiraiya and pushes Naruto into the booth, and sits down beside him, trapping the boy by the wall. "Long time no see, Tsunade. Who's this guy, again?"
"Shizune. How did you find me?" asks Tsunade.
"I followed the train of rich gamblers," jokes Jiraiya. Then he gets serious. "We have need of your skill," he says. "Please, come back to the Leaf and have a look at Naruto's friend. If you cannot help her, so be it. But at least try."
"No can do," says Tsunade. "I'm not in the business of healing anymore."
"WHAT'S YOUR PROBLEM!?" Naruto yells, slamming his hands down on the table. "I KNOW FOR A FACT THAT OKAMI-SAN VOWED SHE'D NEVER HEAL ANYONE AGAIN, BUT SHE IS PUTTING HER OWN LIFE AT RISK TO KEEP SASUKE ALIVE OUT OF HOPE THAT YOU WILL COME AND HELP HER! CAN'T YOU AT LEAST TRY TO ACT LIKE A MEDIC?"
"What do you know brat?" yells Tsunade, slamming her fist down on the table.
"I could kick your ass!" yells Naruto.
"Try it, brat!" yells Tsunade. "Let's take this outside!"
Jiraiya knows there is no stopping the two blonde part-Uzumakis. He follows them outside and stands beside Shizune while Tsunade and Naruto face off against each other.
Tsunade holds up one finger.
"Huh?" says Naruto. "What's that mean?"
"This one finger is all I'll need to beat you," says Tsunade, who is tipsy and not at the top of her game.
"I don't believe it, 'tebayo!" says Naruto, making the tiger seal. "Fuuin: Temporal Distortion!" A black line shoots across the ground, racing from Naruto's feet towards Tsunade.
Tsunade slams her finger into the ground, breaking it apart and disrupting the seal.
"Earthquake no jutsu!" says Naruto, drawing a seal on the ground in front of him and activating it. The ground beneath Tsunade shakes with incredible force, but Tsunade has already leapt into the air. Naruto pulls out a kunai to defend himself, but Tsunade hooks her finger into the loop on the kunai's handle and wrenches the kunai out of Naruto's hand. As the kunai travels upwards, it knocks Naruto's forehead protector off. Tsunade flicks Naruto in the centre of his bare forehead, sending him tumbling backwards.
Tsunade smirks triumphantly at Naruto. "One finger kid."
Naruto glares at Tsunade and starts forming the Rasengan.