As they left the Hidden Waterfall Village, Fubuki and Fuu traveled south towards the Land of Fire. Some basic tests confirmed Fubuki's assumption that, as a demon host, Fuu had a large chakra capacity but poor control. Thus, as they traveled, Fubuki taught and had Fuu practice various chakra control exercise that could be performed while walking. As she struggled with the exercises, Fubuki lectured her on chakra theory, anatomy, and other topics. On the first night they camped a short distance from the border with the Land of Fire, and Fubuki was pleased to note that Fuu's survival training was up to par.

As Fuu was setting up camp, she noticed that Fubuki was writing on a large scroll. "What are you writing?" she asked.

"I'm writing down what I know about the Akatsuki," Fubuki replied. "The Hokage is going to have a lot of questions for me, so hopefully I can cut back on the time I'll need to explain things by preparing a written record."

"The way you talk about the Hokage, have you met him before?" Fuu asked.

Fubuki smiled. "I have, but it was in my past life. I doubt he'll recognize me now."

Fuu wondered at this. She didn't know much about Fubuki at all, even though she had agreed to leave her home village with the woman. Now might be a good time to learn more. "What do you mean by your past life?"

Fubuki hesitated, a distant look on her face. She then looked Fuu in the eyes and seemed to come to a decision. "Fuu, I know we don't know each other very well, but I'd like you to be able to trust me. Fubuki isn't the name my parents gave me; rather, I took the name after a failed mission forced me to change my identity. I'm afraid I can't tell you much about it, as I've been forbidden to reveal my identity to anyone." She paused. "Everything from my old life is lost to me now. All I have left is my mission, and my hope that I can prevent at least one person from suffering what I have suffered."

"You mentioned parents," Fuu said. "Do you miss your family?"

"Yes…" Fubuki replied, "It was hard to go on at first. But I had to move on. Some people, even ninja, break down when they lose someone close to them. They withdraw from the world, and either wallow in their misery or give in to vice to forget. I couldn't do that, though. It would be disrespectful to my friends and family to let their sacrifices go to waste like that."

"I think I know what you mean," Fuu said. "My mother was always cold and distant. I was told that she fell into depression after losing my father. When I was younger, it upset me that she didn't seem to love me like a mother should, but after she died, I found myself pitying her. I know that there is a lot I could resent about my life, but it's just not in me to be angry or depressed all the time."

Fubuki smiled. "I'm glad you think that. You might as well go to bed; I'll be staying up a while longer."

After Fuu had retired to her bedroll, Fubuki continued to stay up, writing on her scroll until it was too dark for her to continue.

On their second day of traveling, the two entered the Land of Fire. Fubuki had no identification, but Fuu's forehead protector, plus the documents Hisen had given them, was enough to convince the border guards that they were on a legitimate mission for the Hidden Waterfall Village. That night they stopped in a small city, where Fubuki suggested they stay in a cheap hotel.

The following morning, they had breakfast in a café attached to the hotel. While they ate, Fubuki told Fuu to watch the other travelers and try to determine if any of them were ninja. Fubuki had selected a table that allowed her to watch the door as well. She tensed as she saw a short figure wearing a black cloak and a conical straw hat enter the café but relaxed as the figure removed their hat to reveal a teenaged girl with messy blond hair only partially tied back in a bun.

"Is that one a ninja?" Fuu whispered.

"What makes you think that?" Fubuki whispered back.

"Well, you seemed to react when she appeared," Fuu replied. "Besides that, there is something about the way she carries herself."

In the meantime, the girl had passed them on her way to the counter. "I'm looking for a woman named Tsunade," the girl said to the man behind the counter. "She's a notorious gambler. Blond hair, well endowed."

"Yeah, I remember her," the man replied. "I last saw late the day before yesterday. It seems she got into some trouble and had to disappear."

The girl thanked the man and turned to leave, but Fubuki rose to intercept her. "Excuse me, but I heard you were looking for the gambler Tsunade and I was wondering why."

"A friend of my sensei is suffering from a chronic illness," the girl replied, "so she asked me to find the legendary medic Tsunade. She is better known around here as 'the legendary sucker,' but it seems I just missed her. Do you know anything about her? I don't know which direction she might have gone, and I only have a few more days before I have to return home."

"Well I don't know where she is now," Fubuki said, "but I happen to know quite a bit about Lady Tsunade, so perhaps I can help you find her."

"Sensei, should we really be getting involved?" Fuu asked. "I thought you wanted to get to the Leaf Village as soon as possible."

"Fuu, Lady Tsunade is one of the legendary sannin of the Hidden Leaf and someone I have incredible respect for. I think it is well worth our time to try and find her, as she would be a great ally for our mission." Sensing that Fuu was still uncertain, Fubuki smiled. "Don't let her nickname fool you. Just because she's a bad gambler, it doesn't mean that she's a bad ninja."

"Thank you for helping me," the girl said, bowing. "My name is Hanako."

"I'm Fubuki, and this is my student Fuu." Fubuki cleared the table they were sitting at, and then had Fuu lay out her map of the Elemental Nations. "Now, if Lady Tsunade was in trouble and had to leave quickly, it probably means she is out of money. As such, she will probably head to a nearby city where she can find work as a medic."

"What about Makiba Town?" Hanako asked. "They have a big card tournament coming up."

Fubuki shook her head. "Too obvious. She will be trying to avoid debt collectors, and that is the first place they'll look." Fubuki considered the map. "I doubt she traveled north, because we were coming the other way and I think I would have noticed her even if she was disguised. And she probably won't travel southeast, because the Hidden Leaf Village is in that direction."

"How about Kokkyou Town?" Fuu asked. "There are a lot of refugees from Rain living there, so there is probably a lot of demand for doctors."

Fubuki considered this. "Actually, that does seem like a good bet. Okay then, let's go."

Fubuki, Fuu, and Hanako took up a brisk pace as they left the city.

"You know, Hanako," Fubuki said, "it's unusual for a ninja your age to be given a solo mission."

Hanako nodded. "Well, my mission isn't official; it's really more of a personal errand for my sensei. That's why I was given a limited amount of time to finish it. Besides, my sensei says that I'd probably be able to achieve chunin rank already if I could take the exams."

"Why haven't you, then?" Fuu asked.

"Because the standard exam can only be taken by a group of three, and I'm not currently assigned to a team," Hanako replied. "My sensei doesn't have the time to train a full team, but she wanted a personal assistant and thought I had potential, so she took me under special apprenticeship. I've learned a lot from her, and I'll help my sensei anyway I can, even if it means undertaking difficult missions."

Fuu nodded. "I know what you mean. Even though I only recently became Fubuki's apprentice, I suppose my situation is somewhat like yours. That reminds me. Have you ever heard of a group of criminals known as the Akatsuki Organization?"

"Hmm, I've heard the name before," Hanako replied, "but I couldn't tell you anything about them. Why do you ask?"

Fuu was about to reply but Fubuki cut her off. "Don't look back, but we're being followed."

The motley company of men was led by a severe looking man in a white suit. They came to a halt as three young women suddenly appeared in front of them. "Why are you following us?" Fubuki asked.

"We're looking for the Legendary Sucker, Tsunade," the leader replied. "See, she owes our boss, Choseki, a lot of money, and it was rather rude of her to leave town before we could settle accounts."

"Well, I'll be sure to pass that along to her when I see her," Fubuki said.

The man scowled. "No, I'm afraid that's not going to be enough. After the trouble we've gone through, we need to take care of this matter personally. So, I suggest you tell us where the old lady is, if you don't want us to trouble you further."

"Look," Fubuki said, starting to get irritated, "I don't know who you think you are, but I don't want you around when we find Lady Tsunade, lest you scare her away. Either let us pass along a message for you, or you can try to find her on your own, but I don't want you following us. And you better not try anything with us, either, or else I'll have to knock that smile right off your face." She glanced at another of the men who was grinning unpleasantly.

"Oh, you're real hard, I can tell," the second man said, and then he looked at Fuu. "But I bet this one is really soft." Fuu flinched from the man's leer.

The first man put a hand on the second's shoulder. "Easy, Kashi, don't get carried away."

Kashi turned and spat on the ground. When he looked back at the young women, his face was hard. "You know, Gantetsu, I'm tired of chasing after some old lady, and now these bitches are disrespecting us. Plus, it's been too long since I've had any fun." He began to move towards Fuu. "Now if you girlies aren't going to cooperate, perhaps I'm going to have to force you."

Kashi either didn't see the flash of anger on Fubuki's face, or else he didn't care. He grabbed Fuu's wrist, but his hand only closed on smoke as the girl disappeared. He didn't have a chance to react, however, before Fubuki backhanded him so hard that he went flying.

Gantetsu swore as the second girl also disappeared, leaving only Fubuki. "Clones! Looks like we've got to do this the hard way!" He motioned to the men behind him. "The real girls are around here somewhere. Find them!"

Fubuki cracked her knuckles. "You're asking for it."

Gantetsu sneered. "Heh, I won't go down so easily. You're not the only one who can use ninja techniques."

Hanako and Fuu watched the confrontation from their hiding spot in the bushes. Unfortunately, their cover wouldn't conceal them very long against the five men searching for them.

Suddenly, Hanako broke cover, running towards the open road. "Come and get me!" she called. With a shout, the searching men began to give chase.

Before the first of the men could reach Hanako, she pulled a cluster of senbon from her cloak and threw them into the air. Before the needles could fall, she performed a rapid series of hand signs, charging her attack. "Lightning Style: Electric Flurry!" With a flash, the needles shot out to impale the approaching thugs.

Three of the men fell to the barrage, but the last two were out of range and stopped short. Eyeing Hanako warily, they considered their options, but they failed to notice Fuu sneaking behind them. "Lightning Style: False Darkness!" Struck from behind, the remaining two thugs crumpled.

"So, had enough yet?" Hanako pulled out a kunai as one of the men tried to get up. Hearing a noise behind her, she turned, only to see Kashi collapse in a heap, a kunai thrown by Fuu embedded in his throat.

Not only had Fubuki's last punch shattered his technique, it had knocked Gantetsu for a loop as well. "Ah, you win!" he cried out, struggling to his feet. He looked at his fallen companions. "Blast that Kashi; he could never keep things professional. We'll head back, but don't think our boss will forget this."

"I'll remember that," Fubuki said. "Now get out of my sight."

Fuu watched silently as Gantetsu picked up Kashi and retreated along with the other men. Once they were out of sight, she turned to Fubuki. "Was it really a good idea to fight those guys? I don't think we need to be making enemies."

"Those men were thugs," Fubuki replied. "They wouldn't hesitate to take advantage of you if you let them. Sometimes you must stand up for yourself, even if that means conflict." She paused. "Still, I admit that the situation could have gone better. And I'm glad you're considering the ramifications. All too many ninjas, once they decide upon a course of action, pursue it with such single-mindedness that they become blind to the consequences of their actions."

Fubuki then turned down the road. "We still have a way to go before we reach Kokkyou Town, so let's get a move on."

As they took up their pace, Hanako looked at Fuu. "Thanks for watching my back there. So, you can use lightning style techniques as well?"

"I suppose so," Fuu replied, "though I've only really been able to use just the one."

Hanako smiled. "That's alright. We all must start somewhere. Still, it's interesting how much the two of us seem to have in common."

Fuu returned the smile. "I'm glad you think so. Back home I had trouble relating to other people my age."

Fubuki laughed. "You see, Fuu? It's not that hard to make friends."

Fuu, embarrassed, changed the subject. "How will we be able to recognize Tsunade?"

"Well, it can be somewhat difficult as she uses a special technique to disguise her age," Fubuki replied, "Although she usually keeps her hair fair. She is typically accompanied by her assistant, who has black hair, and her pet pig, so keep a look out for them as well."

"You seem to know quite a bit about Tsunade," Hanako said.

"You could say that she's a major role model of mine," Fubuki said.

"Really?" Fuu sounded incredulous. "This person who gambles all her money away and slinks from place to place while hiding from debt collectors?"

Fubuki sighed. "She wasn't always like this. Remember how I told you that some people break down after losing someone close to them? Well, that happened to Lady Tsunade. Believe me; it's awful for me to hear how someone I respect so much is living like this. That's why, when I want her to assist us, it's not just for our sakes but for hers as well."

They had reached the outskirts of Kokkyou Town when Fubuki motioned the others to stop. "There they are," Fubuki said, indicating two travelers. The younger woman had short, dark hair and was carrying a small pig. The older woman had white hair and appeared to be rather elderly, stooping forward while she walked.

Fubuki stepped in front of the two. "Lady Tsunade, we would like to have a word with you," she said, addressing the older woman.

The old woman looked at her quizzically. "Young lady, I think you may be confused."

Fubuki smiled. "Sorry, Lady Tsunade, but I know that the techniques you use to hide your age can also be used to make yourself look older than you actually are. Besides, it's hard not to notice Shizune while she is carrying Tonton." Upon hearing their names, Shizune's face flushed and Tonton produced a small pig noise.

The old woman smirked, and then straightened up so she could look Fubuki in the eyes. "You seem to know a bit about us."

"Oh, I'm a long-time admirer," Fubuki acknowledged. "You'd be surprised how much I know about you. But perhaps we could find someplace more private to talk."

Soon Fubuki, Fuu, and Hanako were sitting at a table in a teashop. Across from them sat Tsunade, her assistant Shizune, and her pet pig Tonton. Tsunade had adjusted her technique so that she no longer looked so old.

"My sensei wants to hire you for a consultation," Hanako said. "The details are in this scroll." She produced a scroll from her cloak and handed it to Tsunade.

"So those two are still alive," Tsunade said as she read the scroll, "and she is your sensei?" Hanako nodded assent. "She says she can clear all of my gambling debt, even with that one family. Do you realize how obstinate they are?"

"As the scroll indicates, my sensei has risen in station since you last saw her," Hanako replied. "She now has powerful connections. I know that what she offered is well above normal for a single consultation, but my sensei wanted the best."

Tsunade smirked as she rolled up the scroll. "She makes a tempting offer. What about you, do you also have a job to offer me?"

Fubuki looked uncomfortable. "Well, sort of. There is a dangerous criminal organization threatening the Hidden Leaf Village, and I was hoping you would help me disrupt their plans."

Shizune seemed alarmed by this information, but Tsunade's expression turned sour. "I see. And what could you possibly pay me to convince me to help you?"

"What are you saying?" Fuu exclaimed. "Aren't you a Leaf ninja? Your home is in danger, but you only care about money?"

"Fuu!" Fubuki chided, silencing her. "Please forgive my apprentice. She doesn't know your history." Fubuki paused. "Unfortunately, I can't pay you directly, but I'm sure that the Hokage would…"

"And what makes you think I want anything to do with the Hokage?" Tsunade snapped. "If you think I'd willingly go back to the Leaf Village, then you're just as ignorant about me as your apprentice."

Tsunade looked like she was about to storm out of the teahouse, but Fubuki interrupted her before she could stand. "Before you decline, let me ask you a question. If you were offered the opportunity to rescue your loved ones – your brother and your fiancé - from their untimely deaths, would you take it?"

"What kind of a question is that?" Tsunade huffed. "Sure, I'd give anything to see them again, but it's just not possible!"

"That's not the point. The point is that you say you care about them, yet you seem to be doing your best to forget about them."

Shizune gasped, but Tsunade managed to look even more indignant. "Where do get off saying such a thing?"

"Like I said before," Fubuki continued calmly, "you'd be surprised how much I know about you and your loved ones. Nawaki and Dan became ninjas in order to serve and protect the people of the Leaf Village. When they died you could have made sure their dreams lived on, but instead you fled the village and became a professional gambler. You used to be a legend; one of the Fire Country's shining jewels. Now you skulk about, wasting your life and your money and hiding from the consequences. Can you honestly say you prefer living like this?"

"Guilt," Fuu quietly interjected, causing the others to look at her in surprise. "You're supposed to be a legendary medic, right? You have the power to save lives. Yet you were unable to save the lives of those closest to you. You always lose at gambling, but you never stop. Perhaps you are just trying to punish yourself for your perceived failures."

Inwardly, Fubuki smiled. Fuu was even more perceptive that she thought.

"Consider this, Lady Tsunade," Fubuki said. "The enemies arrayed against the Leaf Village will most likely be the death of the Hokage and Master Jiraiya. Do you really care so little of them that you would just sit by while they die?"

"That's low," spat Tsunade. "Sarutobi-sensei and Jiraiya are active ninja. You couldn't blame me if they got themselves killed."

"I couldn't," Fubuki replied, "but I think it would only add more to the guilt you have been carrying all these years. Please, Lady Tsunade, come back to the village. It's the only way you'll ever be able to free yourself from your guilt."

Shizune looked plaintively at Tsunade. "Lady Tsunade, maybe you should visit the village again. I think it would be good for you."

"You too, Shizune?" Tsunade sighed. "Well, I suppose I owe it to sensei to at least check in once… But I'm not committing to anything beyond that!"

Hanako cleared her throat, suddenly reminding everyone that she was still there. "What about my sensei's offer?" she asked.

Tsunade looked at Hanako. "If I am going to see Sarutobi-sensei again, I should probably take care of my debts first. I'll stop by your village and see your sensei's companion before I head back to the Leaf Village."

"Lady Tsunade, are you sure you will be alright?" Shizune asked as Tsunade said her goodbyes to her and Tonton. Hanako had insisted that only Tsunade could accompany her back to her village due to security restrictions. Shizune had agreed, reluctantly, to accompany Fubuki and Fuu to the Leaf Village.

"Shizune, it's not like this is a dangerous job," Tsunade replied. "Or are you afraid I'll run away?" She chuckled at Shizune's stricken look. "Oh, relax. I wouldn't last a month without your help. I promise I'll come straight to the Leaf Village as soon as I'm done with this job. It should take me less than two weeks; I'll send a slug summon if it looks like I need more time."

Hanako nodded at Fuu. "I'm glad I got to meet you. Hopefully we'll encounter each other again sometime."

Fuu smiled. "I hope so, too."

With that, the two groups went their separate ways.

Hanako began to breathe easier as she and Tsunade left the Fire Country. Because of the sensitive situation in her home village, she had been told not to reveal her allegiance to anyone beside Tsunade. But now that they were approaching the Hidden Rain Village she could once again wear her forehead protector, marked with the symbol of the Rain ninja. For a while she was afraid that she would have to return home empty-handed, but now she had not only successfully retrieved Tsunade, she had also discovered a potential enemy of the Akatsuki. Konan-sensei would be pleased.