He opened his eyes that morning to see the empty space beside him in bed. The sheets were wrinkled, indicating that someone was once laying there, and her scent was still present within the fabric. Looking around the room he felt lost and empty, as if he were missing an integral part of himself. It was only when he recalled her being next to him the night before that he realized what he was missing was actually her.

He laid in the spot that was supposed to belong to her for the night, imagining her being right there next to him. How he wished that circumstances were different and that she could still be there. However, he knew that until she managed to overcome her grief, she would continue to be miles and miles away. He wanted to love and be loved in return, but she needed to be in the right mindset in order to give her heart fully to him. She needed time to be able to open up and let someone in without fear of that person dying. It would take a significant amount of time, but he was willing to wait even though it pained him to be apart from her.

He didn't know the exact moment when she walked out of the room and out of his life the night before. She must have slipped out when he fell asleep. He wondered if it pained her to leave his side. For a moment, he thought that perhaps she was still nearby. He then sprang out of bed with a newfound jolt of energy ripping throughout his body and made his way down the hall to Tsunade's room. He was hoping that she was still there, but his heart sunk to the floor when he saw housekeeping cleaning the room that she once occupied. She was gone without a trace.

Sadness overcame his being, and all he wanted to do was to retreat to his room and bury himself under the sheets that still carried her scent. But, he refused to give in to self-pity. He forced himself to stay in a healthy mental state for his own sake. As much as he was devastated and heartbroken, he had a feeling that perhaps Tsunade wouldn't want him to be depressed over her decision. He was positive that she would want him to carry on with his life. He went back to his room, not to wallow in his sadness, but to ready himself to set out on yet another journey.

There was no purpose in him remaining in that town. He encountered who he was longing to find and now that she was gone, he didn't want to stay there. He wanted to move on from that place that changed his life and seek out a new adventure. He wasn't sure on what he would do, but knew for sure that he needed a change of scenery.

After freshening up in the bathroom, he packed his belongings. After placing his items in his backpack, he walked around the room to ensure that he was not leaving anything behind. After he gathered his things, he walked out of the room and went downstairs to the receptionist area. He checked out of the inn and paid what he owed. However, before he left town for good, he stopped by the café to say goodbye to Fugio.

When he entered the café, he saw Fugio serving a couple their meal at the table they occupied. Jiraiya stepped further into the café and seated himself at the bar. Fugio noticed that Jiraiya was there and walked behind the counter after he was done attending to his customers.

"Hello Jiraiya." Fugio said and waited for the toad sage to greet him back, "Is something the matter?" He asked when Jiraiya did not acknowledge his presence.

Jiraiya looked up at Fugio, pulling himself out of his thoughts, "Tsunade left." He said, feeling an overwhelming amount of sadness when he said those words out loud. He knew that she was gone, but saying that truth made the reality of it all truly sink in. It hurt that she wasn't there, it severely pained him not knowing when their paths would ever cross again. But as much of an unfortunate situation it was, he understood why it had to be that way. He just wished that he could somehow change those circumstances and make it into a reality where he had the woman he loved the most in his life.

"What do you mean she left?" Fugio asked, not really understanding what Jiraiya meant. From the observations he made when Jiraiya and Tsunade were together, and based on how Jiraiya would speak of Tsunade with such admiration and love, he could tell that their bond was not one that could be broken easily. Therefore, he was having a hard time wrapping his head around the fact that Tsunade simply left Jiraiya alone.

"She left town Fugio." Jiraiya repeated, "She's gone."

The old man retrieved a glass from the cabinet behind him and filled it with iced water before handing it to Jiraiya. He then went into the kitchen and emerged with a plate of two pork dumplings and placed it in front of the Sannin, "Eat this, it was just prepared by the chef." Fugio had no idea if Jiraiya was hungry or not, but felt the need to provide the sage with some kind of comfort.

"I'm really not that hungry Fugio." Jiraiya pressed.

"Look Jiraiya." Fugio started and moved from behind the counter to take a seat beside Jiraiya, "I've had women leave me before and I know how you must be feeling. From what I could see, you really love that woman."

"I've loved her my entire life." Jiraiya said, remembering the very first day he met her.

It was his first day at the academy. He was being rambunctious as usual, trying to get the attention of all the girls in the class. Of course, all his efforts were rendered futile and he was met with total embarrassment. It was then when Tsunade walked in. She was a thin girl with a high ponytail and bright eyes. Most of the children knew who she was because of her family ties to the First and Second Hokage. It was almost as if she were a celebrity and everyone wanted to be her friend. However, Jiraiya had little care about her prestigious lineage. In his eyes she was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen. He wanted to approach her and become her friend, but nerves overcame him and he ended up saying something ridiculous to her. Of course, she had little patience for his antics and as a result gave him a nosebleed when her fist made contact with his nose. Despite the fact that she brought him public humiliation, he never lost the strong feelings of love he harbored for her.

Now years later, he got the opportunity to experience romance with her. It was short-lived, but it was easily the greatest time in his life. He just wished that it could have lasted longer than it did. He could honestly say that though they did not put a title on what they shared, he was truly happy. If she had stayed, he was positive that she would be the one he would have spent the rest of his life with.

"If it's meant to be, it will happen Jiraiya." Fugio said, "If it is in your destiny to be with her, one way or another you will meet again. When that time comes, it might not happen right away. There may be new obstacles you have to overcome, but eventually you will be together if that's what's meant to happen."

"How can you be so sure of that Fugio?" Jiraiya asked, "Do you actually believe that?"

"I'm a firm believer of things happen if they're supposed to. There is someone out there for everyone and if Tsunade was meant to be the person for you she will be. You'll just have to wait for her."

Jiraiya didn't know if he believed in what the old man was saying. Life has not exactly gone the way he planned for it to go. His best friend turned to the darkness and everyone told him that it turned out that way because that's what happens in life . So how could he put his trust in life and just wait for something to happen or not? He wanted a guarantee, not a maybe.

While Jiraiya was not keen on 'whatever will be, will be', he was certain that he would wait on Tsunade. She was the final straw for him, he didn't want anyone else. He just wanted her. How could he actually attempt to be with someone else when Tsunade's image invaded his mind everyday? She was the one he truly loved in a world of hatred. She was the one he wanted to build a life with, if only she would let him. He didn't know how long it would take for her to put her pieces back together, but he didn't care. If it took weeks or even years, he would wait patiently because he was hopelessly devoted to her.

"I'll always wait for her, for as long as it takes." He said in sincerity then proceeded to eat the food Fugio provided for him.

Fugio then went to tend to another table and when he returned to Jiraiya's side, he was done with his meal. When the older man saw the sage reach into his pocket to retrieve his wallet to pay for the food, he stopped him, "That was on the house Jiraiya." He said then noticed the bag Jiraiya had beside him, "Are you leaving town as well?"

Jiraiya nodded his head, "Yes, I need a change of scenery and a new adventure."

"You're going to look for her aren't you."

If Jiraiya said that it didn't cross his mind to set out to look for the lover he lost, he would be telling a blatant lie. The truth was that he considered locating the blonde Sannin, but decided against it. He knew that he needed to give her time and space to figure her life out. That was something she just could not do with Jiraiya nearby. If he were to involve himself in her healing process, he could be running the risk of sabotaging his chances of getting back together with her. So, he made the decision to stay away and let her find her way back to him.

"I'm not going to look for her Fugio." Jiraiya said, "I thought about it, but I'm not. She needs to space and I love her and respect her enough to give her the space she needs to figure it all out."

"Where will you go then?"Fugio asked, wondering what new destination Jiraiya had in mind.

Jiraiya never knew where the winds would take him. He usually would just travel for a day or two and see where he would end up. Some would think it to be chaotic, but he found an unexplained thrill in traveling to an undetermined location, "I'm not sure where I'll go or what I'll do, but I need to go."

"I understand." Fugio said, "I hope everything works out for you."

Jiraiya gathered the backpack he had beside him and rose to his feet, "We'll see each other again." Jiraiya said while holding out a hand for Fugio to shake, "Thank you for everything."

Fugio gave Jiraiya's hand a firm shake, "Take care of yourself and remember what I told you."

Jiraiya nodded his head and walked out of the café, hoping that one day he would encounter the old man again. For the short time that they've known each other, they developed a strong bond similar to that of a father and son. Jiraiya told Fugio of his problems and Fugio would give him sound advice. It was comforting to Jiraiya to have someone like him to confide in especially since his own father was no longer living. Fugio could never replace the great parent that Jiraiya lost, but it was nice having him as father figure.

Jiraiya then suddenly could understand how Minato probably viewed himself. He too was like a substitute father in Minato's case since the blonde Hokage was orphaned at a young age. Now he could understand why Minato was so attached to him and didn't just see him as a teacher. It warmed his heart to know that Minato also saw him as a father he wasn't lucky enough to have in his life. To grow up without a father must be a terrible experience, something that Jiraiya could never wrap his head around. He was fortunate enough to have both mother and father in his life so he could never imagine not knowing who his father was.

He walked out of the town that had such a profound impact on his life. He chuckled to himself as he remembered that initially he didn't want to stay in that town for he thought it would be too boring. Little did he know back then that he would meet up with the woman he longed to see, get the opportunity to comfort her and love her, and then lose her all in the span of a couple days. He truly would never forget the time spent in that quiet, rural town.

His journey started off later than he planned, but that detail didn't seem to bother him. He liked the quiet he experienced as he walked down the dirt road. It gave him the chance to become emerged in his thoughts, and his memories of his favorite person. Soon nightfall came and he had to turn in for the night. Instead of checking himself into an inn, he decided on becoming one with nature and settling in a tent beneath the stars.

He promptly set up the tent he brought along with him. After that was done, he gathered a few twigs and dried up leaves and set them ablaze. He sat by the fire he created and pulled out a can of chili he had in his possession. He consumed his meal and then headed into his tent after putting the fire out. As he laid there listening to the rustling of leaves blowing in the chill wind, and the chirping of crickets that surrounded his tent, he imagined Tsunade being right next to him. He thought of how intimate and wonderful it would be with just the two of them laying side by side surrounded by nothing but nature and the quiet. His heart ached however, when he remembered the painful truth of her not being there.Wherever she was at that moment, he hoped that she was thinking of him as well. With her image crisp in his mind, he closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep.

The following morning, he dismantled his tent, and headed down to a nearby stream of water to rejuvenate himself before continuing his journey. When he arrived at the stream, he unclothed himself and jumped into the cool water. He cleaned himself and then got out of the water and immediately dried himself off with a towel he brought along with him before getting dressed. He then pulled out a few saltine crackers from his backpack and proceeded to eat them. As he consumed his snack, a frog jumped out of the stream and landed by Jiraiya's feet. He acknowledged the frog's presence and when he did, the frog regurgitated a scroll. At that point, Jiraiya knew that the frog was a messenger that was probably sent to him by Minato or even the Third Hokage. That could only mean that he was being sent on a mission, or that something was terribly wrong. He took the scroll from the frog and started to read it after unraveling it. After he read it, a gasp escaped his mouth and a cold sweat ran down his back. This could not be happening. Were they absolutely positive? He stuffed his last cracker into his mouth, and put the scroll into his bag before securing it on his back. His new adventure would have to wait, because at that moment the one and only destination he had in mind was the Village Hidden in the Leaves.