Chapter 1

"Well what do you think?" Jiraiya asked as he looked at his readers, anxiously awaiting their reactions to his recently published novel. It was the first book he had ever written and was therefore doubtful that it was any good. He decided to share his work with his longtime student Minato and his wife Kushina because he valued their opinions. However, he was afraid that their receptions to the completed novel would be negative.

"This is an excellent story Jiraiya Sensei." Minato said with a smile after putting his copy of the book down. Minato was the Fourth Hokage of the Village Hidden in the Leaves despite his young age. He was a skilled ninja and one could argue that he was the best of his generation. Jiraiya took pride in his student and though some would credit Jiraiya with how well Minato turned out, he insisted that it was all due to the natural ability to excel that Minato possessed.

Kushina nodded her head in agreement with her husband and reached across the table they were all seated at to take hold of one of Jiraiya's hands and gave it a reassuring squeeze, "Minato's right Sensei. This is a great tale." She assured him.

Kushina was not only Minato's wife, she was also the current jinchuriki of the nine tailed fox demon, and was nine months pregnant with her first child. She was to have a baby boy and was very excited at the thought of becoming a mother. However, the birth of her precious child would have to be top secret due to the unpredictable and terrifying spirit Kushina carried within her. The seal that kept that spirit in captivity was strong but could be undone as a result of the excruciating nature of child birth. In the event that were to happen, someone with cruel intentions could try to extract the beast, manipulate it, and use its powers to do harm to not only the village, but to the entire ninja world. That was why Kushina had to be protected and monitored closely up until she went into labor. It was a scary and unfortunate reality for her, but she didn't let it alter her happy-go-lucky personality.

Jiraiya rubbed the back of his neck nervously, "Are you two sure about that?" He laughed, "I mean, it is my first novel. You can tell me if it's horrible, I won't be offended." Jiraiya was told at a young age by the great elder toad of Mount Myoboku that his destiny was to travel the world and write books. Though he never considered himself to be much of a writer, he decided to give it a try since the elder toad prophesied it to him. Therefore, he was almost certain that his very first book was not a good piece of literature.

"We're positive Jiraiya Sensei." Minato assured him, "We wouldn't lie to you. We genuinely think the story is good."

"I love how action packed it is, you know!" Kushina exclaimed happily and then placed a gentle hand on her bulging stomach, "I also love how motivated and persistent the main character is." She said in a softer tone, "He has great dreams and aspirations and he never goes back on his word. He's trustworthy and also kind, and a bit of a goofball. That's exactly how I want my son to be."

Jiraiya looked at Kushina softly and felt happy that she thought so highly of the main character in his novel. For the first time, he saw Kushina as a gentle mother who just wanted her child to grow up to be a decent human being. The young girl he knew was no more and was replaced by a woman who was not only a great wife, but a loving mother as well. He then watched as Kushina looked at Minato and smiled and the two nodded their heads at each other at the same time. Minato then placed his hand on top of the hand that Kushina had resting on her stomach.

"Jiraiya Sensei." Minato started, looking directly at his mentor, "We would like to name our son after the main character of your book."

Jiraiya was touched beyond words. He could not believe that his student would actually honor him in such a profound way by naming his child after a character that Jiraiya created himself. When Jiraiya was in the beginning stages of writing his novel, he didn't quite know what to write about. He wanted to tell a story, but not just a trivial tale that would be forgotten as soon as one finishes reading it. He wanted to tell a story that had great meaning attached to it and one that would leave the reader feeling inspired and hopeful. He then recalled his experiences as a ninja and decided to write about that, but modified some of the details. He needed a main character for his story so he created a character that was relatable, but everything that a great hero should be. As for the name of the character, he didn't put that much thought into it.

"Are you sure you want to name your son that?" Jiraiya asked frantically, "I mean, I just thought of the name when I was eating a bowl of ramen."

"Naruto." Kushina said, falling in love with the name the more she said it, "I think that's the perfect name for our child."

"Besides, I think it's only right that we name him after the main character of his godfather's very first novel." Minato smiled and watched as a smile emerged on Jiraiya's face.

"I'm his godfather?" He asked, making sure that he was actually hearing correctly.

The couple nodded their heads in union, "You're like family to us Jiraiya Sensei." Kushina explained, "We want you to look out for our sweet Naruto and be his sensei just like you did for Minato."

Jiraiya was at a loss for words. He felt his heart swell with happiness for he truly felt as if he was apart of a great family. After losing his parents a few years earlier, it was nice to know that he found a family with Minato and Kushina who accepted him for all he was, "I promise you two that no matter what I will protect Naruto and love him unconditionally."

The trio then spoke of other topics such as who Naruto would resemble once he was born and what kind of justu they would teach him when he was old enough to learn about the ninja way. They also spoke about perhaps a sequel to Jiraiya's novel. They kept talking until the late afternoon when Jiraiya realized that it was time for him to head out on yet another journey. Minato and Kushina did not understand why Jiraiya was constantly on the move. They often wondered why he didn't just settle in the village, but they grew accustomed to seeing Jiraiya every now and then when he would return to the village for a short visit.

After saying their goodbyes, Jiraiya left their home and started to walk the busy streets of the Village Hidden in the Leaves. Unlike so many other villages, the Leaf Village was among the most prosperous. After all, it was one of the five great nations. While the village was relatively peaceful, it still had many enemies such as other villages that would not hesitate to strike against it given the opportunity. Therefore, the Leaf's leaders had to keep watchful eyes on the current affairs of the nations that surrounded the village. They had to be ready for an attack at any moment in time, they could not let their guard down. However, the Leaf Village was not without its faults, as it too had a history of corruption. Minato was trying to right all the wrongs of the village, but it would take some time.

Jiraiya found himself at the door of a familiar house. He used to visit that house on many occasions back when he was still living in the village. It was the home of his old sensei and former Third Hokage of the Leaf, Hiruzen Sarutobi. Sarutobi retired from his post as Hokage to spend time with his wife in his old age and to allow the younger generation to lead the village to prosperity. Jiraiya never thought he would see the day when his sensei was no longer the Hokage

He knocked twice on the front door, waiting for his presence to be acknowledged. After a few moments, he was greeted by an older woman with long brown hair that was transitioning into gray. He knew this woman to be Biwako Sarutobi, the wife of his sensei. He hasn't seen her in a while, for every time he returned to the village their paths never crossed. However, when he was just a boy he would see her quite often. Sometimes after returning from a mission, Biwako would invite all three of her husband's students, including Jiraiya over to their home for a meal. He missed those days and wished that for just a day, he could be a child again. Those days were some of the most memorable and happiest of his life.

"Jiraiya." Biwako said, shocked to see the tall man standing before her, "I didn't know you were in the village."

"Nice to see you Lady Biwako." Jiraiya smiled and gave the woman a sincere hug, "I was just passing through and I'm about to leave again." He explained, "Is Sarutobi Sensei here?" He asked, "I wanted to see him before I leave."

"He's in his study." She said and moved aside to let Jiraiya enter her home, "I'm sure he'll be happy to see you. He's been wondering about your travels."

Jiraiya stepped into the house and marveled at how it looked exactly as it did back when he was just a child. The house was filled with fancy furniture, suitable for a Hokage and other treasured items. However, Jiraiya's favorite part of the house were the walls that were adorned with photographs of all the important people in the old man's life. There were images of his wife, his children, and even a picture of Team Sarutobi. Jiraiya stopped for a moment to look at that particular photo. He remembered the exact date it was taken. It was so many years ago when the team was first assembled. The picture featured Sarutobi standing behind his three students. Jiraiya was in the middle with a mischievous look on his face. Orochimaru, his fellow male teammate was standing expressionless to the left of him, and on the right was the only female member of the team, Tsunade smiling sweetly at the camera.

He missed his teammates and often wondered where they were and what they were doing. Orochimaru was walking down a path of destruction and evil. He knew that to be a fact since his old comrade almost succeeded in killing him. However, Orochimaru's whereabouts were unknown to all. In fact, Jiraiya spent a significant amount of time trying to locate his old friend but was unsuccessful at all his attempts. Tsunade on the other hand was still on the straight and narrow, but where she decided to base her life was also a mystery to Jiraiya. She left the village not too long after someone who was very dear to her heart tragically passed away. At the time Jiraiya was still living in the village and was desperate to have her remain there with him, but there was little anyone could have done to have changed her mind.

Jiraiya knocked on the door that would lead him to his mentor's study and waited for permission to enter. Once he was told to come in, he entered the room and was pleased to see his sensei sitting on an arm chair, smoking his pipe and reading a book, "Hello Sensei." He said as he stepped further into the room.

"Jiraiya." Sarutobi said while looking up from his book, "What a pleasant surprise. Have a seat."

Jiraiya sat on the chair that was directly in front of his teacher and could see how retirement has treated the old man. He no longer looked as stressed as he once did. It was probably a wise decision on his part to step down as Hokage so that he could focus more on his health, "You look good Sarutobi Sensei. I could never imagine you just relaxing at home but I think it's good for you."

"I thought the same Jiraiya, but I can see that Minato is doing a fine job." Sarutobi said, "What brings you here to my neck of the woods?"

"I came to see Minato." He said, "And I also came to give you this." He pulled out a copy of his book from his satchel and handed it to the older man, "It's the first book I've ever written. I haven't sold many copies but Minato and Kushina seem to like it. I wanted you to read it."

Sarutobi accepted his copy of the book and glanced at its title, "The Tale of a Gutsy Ninja." He read, "Is it a bibliography?"

When Jiraiya was just a boy, he was reckless but determined. He got into trouble around the village when he wasn't on missions, and when he was away on missions he took the most risks out of all his teammates. Therefore, it didn't come as a surprise to Jiraiya when Sarutobi thought the book was about himself.

"No it's not about me." Jiraiya shook his head, "Rather, it's about who I aspire to be."

"I'll be sure to read it." Sarutobi promised his student, "However, I was wondering if you would consider moving back to the village."

Jiraiya was taken back by Sarutobi's sudden question. Surely Sarutobi knew Jiraiya's reasons for not wanting to stay in one place.

"Minato is doing a great job as Hokage, but I think he needs someone to be his right hand man." The old man explained, "I think that person should be you Jiraiya."

Sarutobi initially wanted Jiraiya to succeed him as Hokage, but Jiraiya refused to stay tied down to the village. All of the Third Hokage's students were skilled ninjas. They were dubbed as the Three Legendary Sannin of the Leaf after they led the Leaf to victory during the Great War. However, they were all scattered away from the village and one of them happened to be an enemy now. Jiraiya would have been the best choice as the Hokage especially since Tsunade had issues of her own. Ever since Tsunade left the village, for some reason Jiraiya just did not want to stay there. So he busied himself with travel and writing, anything to keep his mind off of the friend he lost.

"You know that I can't stay here Sensei." Jiraiya said slightly irritated, "My travels are not over."

Sarutobi rested his pipe on the small table beside him and leaned closer to Jiraiya in an attempt to persuade him to stay, "Don't you think it's about time that you stop frolicking around the globe and stay where you are needed?"

For a second Jiraiya felt as if he were a young boy again, being scolded by his teacher. The truth was that no matter how old Jiraiya got, in the eyes of the former Third Hokage, he would always be his pupil.

"I'm not needed here." Jiraiya stressed with a slightly raised voice, "Minato has everything under control."

Jiraiya just could not understand Sarutobi's sudden need for him to remain in the village. Jiraiya was too much of a free spirit to possibly stay in one place. Furthermore, his heart was just not in the village anymore.

"Have you found her yet?" Sarutobi asked his student.

Jiraiya lost his train of thought as soon as he heard his mentor ask him that question. Why was he asking him that? What did she have to do with anything?

"Who are you referring to Sensei?" Jiraiya asked, trying his best to pretend as if he had no idea in the world as to what his sensei was talking about.

Sarutobi rolled his eyes and shook his head, clearly seeing past Jiraiya's façade, "You know exactly who I'm speaking about Jiraiya." He said, too tired for games, "Don't pretend as if you don't."

Jiraiya sighed deeply, realizing that there was no use in lying to the person who knew everything about him, "I haven't found her." Jiraiya admitted, somehow feeling ashamed in saying it, "The last time I saw her was when she left the village."

"She hasn't contacted you nor made any attempts to find you." The older man stated, "That to me sounds like she doesn't want to be found."

Jiraiya looked at his teacher and wondered where this conversation was headed.

"Therefore, you should stop wasting your time trying to find her." Sarutobi said bluntly, "Instead you should occupy your time doing things that will benefit the village."

"You're wrong Sensei." Jiraiya said, "I'm not looking for her. On my travels I try to gather information that I can bring back to the village. It may not seem like I'm doing anything at all to help, but just because you don't see it doesn't mean that it's not fact." Jiraiya rose to his feet and started towards the door, "It was nice to see you, but I must be on my way now."

"I didn't mean to offend you boy." Sarutobi started, "I just don't want you to get your hopes up. She has been through a lot."

"I'll see you when I return to the village when Minato's son is born." Jiraiya said before walking out of the old man's study and starting his journey to wherever the wind decided to take him. He felt somewhat guilty in lying to his teacher, but he felt as if it was what he needed to do. He was being truthful when he said he was gathering information on behalf of the village, but the part about not looking for that woman was a complete lie. He spent days, weeks, even months on end trying to locate the person he so desperately wanted to help, but failed every time. There were days when he felt like giving up, but then he would imagine looking at her face once again and that alone would give him the motivation to try again. Some would say he was being foolish, but when one loves someone so much, he would do anything to be in the company of that person. He wasn't entirely sure when he would ever see her again, but he vowed to keep trying until the day would come when they would reunite.

He stopped at the apartment he stayed at when he was in the village to gather a few items for his journey. He owned the apartment, but he never really considered it to be home since he was rarely ever there. He thought about selling it on multiple occasions, but stopped himself every time. Perhaps he made the right decision to keep it since soon Minato would soon have a son, and Jiraiya wanted to be involved in the child's life as much as he could.

It wasn't a fancy apartment. In fact, it wasn't much to look at and was in a constant messy state. It only consisted of a small bedroom, bathroom, kitchen, and living area. He didn't have that much furniture since he did not see the need for extravagance in a space he barely occupied. It only had the bare necessities.

Once he was in the apartment, he located his backpack and stuffed it with some fresh clothes, a few cans of non-perishable food items in case he became hungry on the road, bottles of purified water, and other items essential for survival. He had no intentions on sleeping out in the wilderness, but if the situation called for it at least he would be prepared. On his travels, he would usually stay in cheap inns until he found what he was looking for in the town he would end up in. If he didn't find what he wanted in a week or so, he would pack up and leave on yet another journey. Maybe it was a lonely, tiresome existence, but Jiraiya became accustomed to his nomadic lifestyle. In fact, it would feel strange to him if he had a permanent home. However, if he found the person he was so longing to see, then maybe settling down would be something to consider.

He approached the village gate and informed the ninja in charge of monitoring who entered and exited the village that he was leaving once again. They bid him farewell and wished him safety on his travels. He then walked out the village, determined that this time around he would find the one who has occupied all his thoughts for years.

After a day and a half of traveling down seemingly never ending dirt roads under the blazing sun and other unfavorable weather conditions, he decided to settle in a small town in the countryside called Otaru Village. It was minuscule compared to the Leaf with not much to see or do. The buildings were old and quite small, the roads were basically deserted, and only a few storefronts existed. He wondered to himself how anyone could survive in such an impoverished town. Surely if he lived there he would die of boredom. He ventured further into the village and came across an inn. He was tired and his body ached with pain. It seemed as if his travels took a toll on his body and he needed rest. He then decided to stay in that inn for at least the night.

He walked up to the front desk and was greeted by the receptionist who worked there. She was a younger woman who seemed to be in her early twenties. She had short brown hair and kind, green eyes.

"Welcome to Otaru Inn." She said with a smile upon noticing Jiraiya's presence, "My name is Hitari, how may I help you."

"Do you have a room available for the night?" Jiraiya asked, clearly exhausted. He was almost certain that his eyes were bloodshot and had dark circles underneath them and hoped that inn was available. He was exhausted and just needed to sleep.

He watched as Hitari skimmed through her guest book and watched as a smile emerged on her face, "You're in luck today sir." She started, "Currently we only have three parties staying with us so there is more than enough room for you." She smiled and Jiraiya felt relieved, "Would you like a room with one bed or two?"

"Just one for the night." He said and handed her some money, "This should cover it."

She accepted the money and was about to give him his change when he stopped her and shook his head, "You can keep that." He said, "I just need the room key."

Hitari reached into one of the drawers of her wooden desk and emerged with the key for the room Jiraiya paid for, "Here's your key." She said and handed him the key, blushing when her hand brushed against his, "And thank you." She smiled, remembering that he allowed her to keep his change, "Your room is number 104. We have a café on the premises. It's small, but the food is good and it also has a bar." She explained and pointed in the direction of the café, "I hope you enjoy your stay."

"Thanks." He said, ignoring how Hitari was batting her eyelashes at him, and how she blushed when their hands touched. Usually Jiraiya would have acknowledged her actions towards himself, but he was too tired to do anything about them. Instead he retired to his room for the night.

He entered the room and was pleasantly surprised to see that despite the rundown town it was situated in, the inn was well kept and the accommodations were decent. He threw his bag on the ground and immediately went into the bathroom to have a shower and rid himself of the dirt and grime that accumulated on his flesh due to hours of travel. After he cleaned himself, he dressed in a simple white tank top and his gray boxers before he plopped himself tiredly on the bed and closed his eyes until he drifted off to sleep.

The following day, Jiraiya woke up in the late afternoon. He was never an early riser, but it was quite unusual for him to awake from his slumber at such a late hour. He rubbed his tired eyes and let out a rather loud yawn. He then remembered where he was and although he had no intentions on staying in that boring village for an extended period of time, he knew that he needed to take a look around, just to make sure that who he was looking for was not in that town. He had little faith that she would be there since Otaru Village was probably the last place she would ever visit. He knew her to be someone who liked to have fun in gambling halls and drink heavily in bars. Otaru Village was not home to gambling halls and Jiraiya was certain that the only bar in town was the one in the inn's café. He laughed to himself at how ridiculous it would be to actually find her in that town and got out of bed to start his day.

After freshening up in his room, he went downstairs to the lobby. He did not see Hitari at the front desk and figured that she only worked the night shift. He was slightly disappointed that she wasn't there, but hoped that he would see her later in the night. The Sannin then walked into the café when he became hungry. As Hitari said, it was quite small and only two people, probably one of the three parties staying in the inn, were occupying a table. There was only one person working in the café. He was an older man with a bald head, plump stomach, and had a large white mustache over the top of his lips. He was cleaning a few clear glasses when Jiraiya approached him.

"Someone had drinks at this time of the day?" Jiraiya asked, engaging the man in pleasant conversation.

The man looked down at the glass he was cleaning and chuckled, "Yes, I found it to be quite strange too."

"I'm Jiraiya." He said and held out his hand for the man to shake, "I'm staying in this inn."

The older man shook Jiraiya's hand and introduced himself, "My name is Fugio. Nice to meet you." He smiled, "Are you hungry? Is there anything I can get you?"

Jiraiya thought about what he wanted to eat for a second but couldn't come up with anything, "Say Fugio," he started, "How about you order something for me and I'll eat whatever you decide."

Fugio looked at Jiraiya with an amused look on his face. Out of all the guests who came to the café, nobody ever tried to have any kind of conversation with him, "That's a dangerous game Jiraiya. What if I order you something you don't like?"

"Don't worry about me, I'll eat just about anything." He boasted.

Fugio didn't argue any further with Jiraiya. Instead he placed an order with the chef, amused at the little game they decided to play.

"So where are you from Jiraiya?" He asked as he waited on Jiraiya's meal, curious about Jiraiya's story and how he ended up in his town.

Normally Jiraiya would not have told a stranger about where he was from and who he was. Being a ninja was a dangerous profession, especially being a highly ranked ninja. The Leaf Village also had many enemies who would not hesitate to kill Leaf ninja. Therefore Jiraiya had to be careful and had to blend in with his surroundings. However, he felt as if Fugio was not a threat. He was just a kind old man who worked in the café of an inn.

"I'm from the Village Hidden in the Leaves." He said, "What about you?"

"I was born and raised in this town." He started, "The Hidden Leaf Village huh? So are you a ninja then?"

"That I am." Jiraiya smiled, proud of who he is.

"You must have great stories then." Fugio said. He often wondered about the life of a ninja. He always wanted to be one, but the village he was raised in was poor and didn't have ninjas. He also didn't have the luxury to travel the world, so he never had the opportunity to learn the way of the ninja. He still found the profession to be interesting though.

"I have many stories. Some are happy, and some are sad, but I'm happy with the path I chose to become a ninja. I met some great people along the way." Jiraiya explained.

Suddenly, the chef rang the bell that sat in between the window that faced the café dining room and the kitchen, indicating that the meal was ready. Fugio went to retrieve the plate and then placed it in front of Jiraiya, "Here you go. I hope you like it."

Jiraiya looked down at his meal and saw that it was miso soup with extra pork and noodles, accompanied by a rice ball and a steaming hot cup of green tea. He wondered how the old man could have known that it was one of his favorite dishes.

"Thanks Fugio!" He exclaimed and picked the spoon up to begin consuming his meal, "This is great."

Jiraiya ate the food that was provided for him and told Fugio that he would be back later in the night for a few drinks. He decided that he wanted to stay in the village for a few more days and made his way over to the front desk to pay the fee for extending his stay. When he arrived at the front desk, he saw that Hitari was at the desk beside the person Jiraiya saw there before he went to the café. He approached the young girl, happy to see her there.

"Hello Hitari." Jiraiya smiled and watched as the young woman blushed, "Are you just starting your shift?"

She shook her head, "Actually no." She started, "I just received a better job elsewhere and I'm here to collect my last check."

"I see." Jiraiya said.

"Did you need me for something sir?" She asked, batting her eyelashes again.

"I wanted to extend my stay. I'm going to be in town for a little while longer." He explained.

Hitari then instructed the person sitting at the desk to extend Jiraiya's visit and when Jiraiya paid the bill she assured him that he was good to go, "You're all set sir."

"Please call me Jiraiya." He told her, "Tell me Hitari, what do you do for fun around here?"

Jiraiya could not deny that Hitari was good to look at. Furthermore, he enjoyed the company of beautiful women. He figured that if he was going to be in the village for a longer time, then perhaps he could have some fun for the duration of his stay. A smile graced Hitari's face and then she led him out of the inn and further into the town. Together they visited a small festival that was being conducted in the heart of the town. It wasn't as extravagant as the festivals that the Leaf would host, but it was nice nevertheless. They ate street food like corn on the cob and cotton candy, and Jiraiya even impressed the girl by winning her a stuffed toy at one of the game booths. Overall, it was a good time and Jiraiya was enjoying himself up until the point when the sun set and was replaced with the moon.

Jiraiya walked Hitari to her small apartment and she invited him inside. He walked inside her home and felt unusually awkward. Usually he had no problem being in the company of a pretty young girl in the privacy of her apartment, but for some reason he didn't feel comfortable being there. Hitari approached him, and judging by the way she was walking and the look on her face, her intentions were clear. She wrapped her slender arms around his waist and brought her face closer to his. She was about to crash her full lips down upon his until he stopped her by backing away.

"What's wrong?" She asked, "Don't you want to kiss me?" She was somewhat hurt by Jiraiya's reluctance.

He honestly did not know what was wrong with him. Under any other circumstances he would have jumped at the opportunity to be with such a good looking woman, but for some reason he had no desire to do so.

"I'm sorry." He said and immediately let himself out of her apartment. He was glad that she got a job somewhere else, for that meant he would not have to see her again. It wasn't anything she did, but Jiraiya just had no interest in being with her even if it was just for the night.

He went back to the inn and walked into the café feeling confused and somewhat embarrassed. The café was deserted. The couple who was there a few hours ago was gone. He was happy that he would have the entire café to himself so that he could talk to Fugio about what happened. However, he realized he was not alone when he spotted two women sitting at the bar. Upon further inspection, he realized exactly who they were. One of the women had short black hair and had a small pig sitting beside her on another bar stool. But he could spot the second woman straight out of a crowd of thousands. He recognized her long, silky smooth blonde hair tied off into two ponytails, and her milky white skin. He blinked twice, just to ensure that he was not seeing an illusion before him, and when the two women were still there, he smiled to himself. Finally.

He walked over to the bar and sat right beside the blonde, going unnoticed by her. She was clutching an empty glass, the same glass Fugio was cleaning earlier, that more than likely contained sake, her favorite drink. Her cheeks her flushed with a pink tint to them, and her eyes were low. She didn't seem to be intoxicated, but she looked to be on the verge of it. The black haired woman was busy feeding a bowl of rice to the tiny pig.

Fugio then emerged from the kitchen and immediately walked over to Jiraiya, "What can I get you to drink?"

Jiraiya smiled with confidence, "A round of sake for me and the lady."

He watched as the blonde woman's clutch on the glass tightened until a crack emerged on it due to the pressure she held it with. He then noticed a vein on the side of her head protrude due to her boiling anger and then he almost collapsed with sheer joy upon seeing her face turn to his in rage.

"If you think I would ever drink with you –." She started, but stopped when she realized who she was looking at. Her hazel eyes grew wide with shock.

He smiled when he saw how beautiful she was even when angry. He finally found who he has been looking for, "Long time no see, Tsunade."