One week ago the war ended and the Leaf emerged victorious thanks to the three Legendary Sannin. There was a lot of blood shed but many lives were saved at the same time. War was nothing but an unnecessary act that resulted in the untimely deaths of innocent people. Oh what horrors the trio witnessed when they were forced to rejoin the war. They saw countless bodies scattered on the floor like fallen leaves from a tree and in every corner they looked, crimson red blood was pooled on the ground. It was horrible, so horrible but thankfully that was all in the past now. However, they were not willing to talk about the nightmare that they lived through, well at least Tsunade and Jiraiya didn't want to speak of it. Orochimaru didn't seem to care. It was an opportunity to kill without a price to pay so he was completely fine with it. Tsunade and Jiraiya however, spent endless nights waking up in a cold sweat due to a horrible nightmare that they experienced in their sleep. How terrible it was for them to relive each and every moment of the battle they had to participate in. They saw bodies falling lifelessly to the ground and blood being splattered all over the place. It would definitely take some time for those nightmares to cease to exist.
Since they returned to the village, Tsunade and Jiraiya have not spoken nor seen each other. Their relationship was strained, on the verge of becoming non existent and with each passing moment, their relationship would further deteriorate. He was still feeling used and his hurt was still evident in his life. Never once did she ever apologize for what she did, the pain that she caused him and in the back of his mind he knew that he would never receive an apology. Tsunade had too much pride for that and she was much too stubborn to ever give in and apologize. She didn't want to be around him at all so every opportunity she had, she avoided him as if he were plagued with a grave disease. Her guilt was becoming too much for her to handle and she just couldn't bring herself to apologize to him or even face him without feeling like a terrible person. She wished, oh how she wished things could be different between them, that they could simply go back to the strange but good relationship that they shared from when they were children, but it turns out that when you sleep with someone, your relationship changes for the better or the worse. In her case, their relationship took a turn for the worse.
It made him incredibly sad to think that after all they have been through in their childhood till now, that their relationship has actually come to being one that was on the brink of becoming non existent. All his life, he thought that somehow he would end up with her and live happily ever after but obviously that was never going to happen. He vowed to himself that he would forgot about her and move on with his life but that was proving to be the most difficult thing that he ever had to do in his life. He often found himself staying up at night just thinking about her and envisioning her perfect smile. He loved her smile more than anything in the world but has not seen it in a while. He remembered the day that he got the once in a lifetime opportunity to make sweet passionate love to her. That was by far, one of the best moments in his life and he wished with all his heart that it could have turned out better in the end. He wanted to start a relationship with her but she wouldn't have any of it and that broke his heart into millions of scattered pieces. He had to be strong, he had to get over her. He deserved that much but why was it so hard for him to do just that?
When he returned to the village, he was given strict instructions by his doctor to stay at home and rest. Tsunade healed him completely but he was still a little woozy from the injury he sustained. He spent three weeks at home, taking his time to recuperate and reflect upon his life. Now he was as good as new and ready to venture out into the village. His first task for the day was to meet his student at their agreed location and train him for a few hours. He had high hopes and aspirations for Minato because he saw him as a natural talent. Jiraiya knew that the little blonde haired boy was destined for greatness and he promised himself that he would help him every step along the way on his journey to excellence.
He made his way over to the lawns of the Academy, the place where they agreed to meet and immediately saw his blonde haired student sitting on the swing, staring into oblivion. Minato was orphaned at a young age so he was all alone. It wasn't a surprise that he was so mature for his tender age of ten for when a child is left alone to fend for himself, he is forced to grow up quickly. Jiraiya felt sorry for the boy because he too knew what it was like to be all alone. He never knew his father and his mother died when he was only fourteen years old. In a sense he was better off than Minato since he was a teenager when his mother died while Minato was just a young child. They could relate and therefore Jiraiya decided to be the father figure that he needed.
"You're early." Jiraiya said as he walked towards the boy.
"Jiraiya sensei." Minato smiled, "I haven't seen you in such a long time."
"It has been quite a while hasn't it." Jiraiya said, trying to recall the last time he saw his student but came up short, "I hope you've been training in my absence."
Minato nodded his head, "I trained everyday."
Jiraiya smiled at how dedicated his student was. He was proud to call himself his teacher.
"So how was it?" Minato asked feeling a bit inquisitive.
"How was what?"
"War."
Jiraiya was hoping that he wouldn't ask that. How was he supposed stand before a ten year old and tell him that he was brutally wounded, saw people die horrible deaths before his very lives and even took a few lives himself? No, a child as innocent as he was shouldn't have to hear about such horrors. He was so young and innocent that Jiraiya didn't want to ruin him.
"Maybe I'll tell you about it when you're older." Jiraiya said, trying to avoid the topic. He didn't wish to tell Minato about the hell he lived through but little did he know that Minato wasn't going to stop pestering him.
"Why can't you tell me now?"
"Because you're too young Minato now, drop it."
"I'm a ninja Jiraiya sensei. One day I may have to go to war and it's only in my best interest to know about what it entails beforehand."
There was much sense in what Minato was saying. For a young child, he was smart but nevertheless Jiraiya was still reluctant. Perhaps Jiraiya himself didn't want to relive the terrible memories of war that were engraved in his mind.
"Here's the deal Minato, if you do really well in training today then I'll tell you about my experiences but if not, then I won't tell you until you're older. Got it?"
"Loud and clear."
Tsunade and Shizune were walking over to the training field on the outskirts of the village. Today would be the first day of Shizune's training. Tsunade decided to dedicate her time to teaching her the art of medical ninjutsu. Shizune was still very young to be able to understand every single thing relating to medical ninjutsu since it was very complicated and required special concentration and knowledge but nevertheless, Tsunade was going to just teach her the basics from now so that in the future she would be an exceptional medic. Tsunade's faith in Shizune was on the highest level and she believed with all her heart that Shizune would excel in this field.
Shizune walked before Tsunade, giggling as she tried to catch a butterfly that was fluttering before her. She was such a happy little girl, completely oblivious to the guilt that her master felt. Tsunade never uttered a word about Jiraiya to Shizune and she wanted to keep it that way for she knew that Shizune would want to meet him and if they met, Shizune would definitely get attached to him. Jiraiya had a personality that made people want to be friends with him and even if he didn't know it, it was clear that he was great with children. Therefore, he would be left unknown to Shizune.
"Be careful not to fall Shizune." Tsunade called out as she watched Shizune continue her attempt to capture the colorful butterfly. The last thing she wanted to happen was for Shizune to fall and injure herself in some way.
"Yes Lady Tsunade." Shizune said and continued to chase the butterfly but this time she slowed her pace and tried her best to be more careful. However, her attempts were futile and she tripped on a rock that was directly in her path. She fell to the hard floor and scrapped her knee on the rough pavement. She cried out in pain and grabbed hold of her now bleeding knee.
"Shizune!" Tsunade gasped in horror and ran to her side.
Blood was now dripping down her leg and Tsunade didn't think twice before she placed her glowing hand on the wound. Before Shizune's very eyes, her cut disappeared within moments of Tsunade placing her hand on it. Soon all that was left of the injury was a small bruise that was barely recognizable and dried blood. It amazed her and she was curious to know how her cut simply disappeared.
"How did you do that? And your hand, it was glowing green!" Shizune said, still amazed at what she just witnessed. Never in her life has she ever seen something like that and she found herself excited at the very thought of being able to do that so effortlessly.
"That Shizune is medical ninjutsu."
"Medical ninjutsu." She repeated and then realization dawned on her, "Aren't you going to teach me that?"
"That's correct." Tsunade said as she grabbed a handkerchief out of her pocket and dabbed it with her saliva before cleaning away the dried blood on Shizune's leg.
"That's so cool! I want to be able to heal stuff like that too! Can you teach me how to do that now? Oh please say yes Lady Tsunade!"
"Shizune calm down." Tsunade chuckled and helped the child up to her feet, "Before you can heal injuries you must learn the basics. First you must understand what chakra is and how to control it. Chakra control is a key element in becoming a medical ninja."
"I can't wait to learn Lady Tsunade. What you just did was so cool and your hand was glowing! How did you get it to glow? Please tell me!"
Tsunade took hold of Shizune's small hand and started to walk in the direction of the field once again, "Once we get to our destination I will tell you all about it."
"But why can't you tell me now?" Shizune whined.
"The place that we're going to was where I trained when I was a little girl. It's a great learning environment and I think that you will not only learn a lot there but you'll also love it."
"Why will I love it?"
"Because it's a beautiful environment. The grass is green and tall enough tickle your ankles. There are a lot of butterflies there, trees and beautiful flowers of many colors. Trust me Shizune, when you get there you're not going to want to ever leave."
Tsunade's description excited the girl for she was now jumping up and down, "I wanna go there!"
"Well we're almost there."
They continued to walk until they approached the field where Tsunade trained as a little girl. In the middle of the field sat the same three tree stumps that were present when Sarutobi drilled Tsunade and her team with his famous bell test. The objective of the whole test was to retrieve bells from Sarutobi, however there were two bells and three students so one of them were going to be left without a bell. That unlucky student would be tied to the stump until further notice. Of course, nobody wanted to be the unlucky one so they all tried their best, however, Jiraiya was reckless and approached Sarutobi without any thought. In the end, he was caught in all the traps that Sarutobi strategically placed all over the field. He was the only one without a bell so therefore he was tied to the stump. Tsunade held up her bell in front of his face and teased him while he was pinned against the stump. She laughed and mocked him and he stood there absorbing all of her abuse until he reached his breaking point and teased her back. Sarutobi had to pry them away from each other before they killed each other. He sent Tsunade and Orochimaru home and then lectured Jiraiya.
Now as she looked back upon that day, she regretted ever teasing him because now he was one of the strongest ninjas alive. If she could, she would take back all the words of abuse that she bestowed upon him but she didn't have the power to change the past so she couldn't do a thing about the terrible decisions she made, more specifically when she decided to sleep with him. Perhaps if she never did that, she would still be friends with Jiraiya.
Deep down inside she wanted to apologize to him and patch their relationship up until it was brand new so that they could start over but for some reason she just couldn't. Maybe her guilt was so much that she couldn't stand the thought of looking him directly in the eyes without feeling like a horrible human being and so called friend. Even if she decided to apologize, she wouldn't know where to start and she knew that things would be extremely awkward. Instead, she decided to avoid him as much as possible to buy her some time until she got to the point where she could stand before him and say those simple three words, "I am sorry."
Shizune looked around her and was absolutely amazed by the beauty of the field, "It's so pretty here Lady Tsunade!"
"I told you it would be." Tsunade smiled and stood before Shizune, "Now, we should start your first lesson. You have much to learn so we shouldn't waste any time."
"Okay."
"Becoming a medical ninja is perhaps one of the hardest things to do in the life of a ninja. It not only takes knowledge and skill but it requires excellent chakra control and concentration. Medics are important members of a squad. They can not only heal their teammates but can also use medical ninjutsu to defeat their enemies. You see Shizune, medical ninjutsu is very convenient to know."
"What's chakra and how do I control it?"
"Everybody is born with chakra. Chakra is essential to even the most basic technique; it is the moulding of the physical energy present in every cell of the body and the spiritual energy gained from exercise and experience. Once moulded, it can be channelled through the chakra circulatory system, which is just like the regular circulatory system, to any of the three hundred and sixty one chakra points in the body. Chakra allows us to do things that are usually not possible for humans such as walking on water and blowing fire through our mouths. It takes a lot of time, concentration and training to be able to sufficiently build up chakra and the ability to properly control it. Since you're training to become a medic, you must spend a lot of time working on your chakra control."
"It's all so confusing." Shizune whined.
"Don't worry, you're only six. As you get older you'll understand better but for now you must understand that you have to dedicate a lot of time to your training and I won't go easy on you."
"But why won't you go easy on me?"
"Because I see so much potential in you. It will do you no good if I go easy on you."
"I understand."
"Good." Tsunade said and was about to give Shizune another lesson on medical ninjutsu when she spotted a white haired man and a little blonde boy walking into the same field that they were occupying, "Oh crap." Tsunade muttered under her breath when she realized that it was none other than Jiraiya walking onto the field.
She automatically felt flustered and wanted nothing more than to run off of the field with Shizune but her plans were ruined when Jiraiya called out to her.
"Hi Tsunade." He said, feeling just as flustered as Tsunade. He wasn't expecting her to be on the field but he couldn't just pretend as if she wasn't there. It was only common courtesy to say hello.
"Hi." Tsunade said and grabbed Shizune's hand. She was about to make up an excuse to leave but then Jiraiya decided to engage her in conversation.
"This must be the little girl you took in." He said noticing the raven haired girl standing beside his old teammate.
Tsunade's heart was pounding in her chest. He was being so nice, talking to her, pretending as if nothing happened between them and she was feeling like the worst person in the world. Why did he have to be such a good person?
"Yes, this is Shizune." Tsunade said and looked down at the girl, "Shizune, this is Jiraiya, my old teammate."
"Hi Master Jiraiya." She said politely.
Tsunade noticed the boy by Jiraiya's side and out of curiosity asked him about the boy, "And who is this?"
"Oh, this is Minato Namikaze. He's my student. We came here to train but if you were training here before we came we can go somewhere else."
"No that's okay." Tsunade blurted out, "We were just leaving."
"But Lady Tsunade-"
"Say goodbye Shizune." Tsunade demanded, cutting off Shizune.
"B-Bye." Shizune said feeling somewhat confused.
"Seriously Tsunade, if we were intruding-"
"No, we're leaving." Tsunade said and walked away from the two males. She couldn't be around him, she just couldn't. How could she stand before him and act as if everything was fine between them when things were the complete opposite? And why was he being so nice? He should be angry with her and tell her nothing but horrible things and yet he was engaging her in friendly conversation. And then she so rudely cut him off and walked away from him when he was trying to patch up their relationship. Why was she being such a horrible person? How could she ever face him again after that? She just couldn't.
"Why did we leave when we just got there?" Shizune asked, still confused about what just happened a few moments ago. First she met two people for the first time and the next thing she knew she was being dragged away from them when as far as she was concerned, the white haired man only wanted to talk to them. And what of her training?, "I thought you were going to train me."
"Perhaps I'll tell you why we left when you're older but for now don't question it." Tsunade said, "And as for your training, we weren't going to do any physical activity today. I just wanted to show you where I trained as a little kid. I can teach you the basics in the comfort of our home." Tsunade said as she continued to walk home with Shizune by her side.
Shizune wasn't satisfied with her answer so she pressed the topic further, "When Master Jiraiya came with Minato you started to act strangely. He was your teammate so you two should be friends. Why were you being so nervous?"
"Didn't I just tell you not to question it?" Tsunade asked feeling a bit annoyed by the girl's persistence, "Just drop it and walk up." Tsunade couldn't tell her the real reason why they left so abruptly. How could she tell a six year old that she used her teammate for sex and refused to take their relationship to a romantic level and because of that they aren't friends anymore? That would not only taint her innocence but it would be extremely awkward to tell her all of that. Plus, she doubts that a little girl such as Shizune would understand her plight. It was terrible that Tsunade didn't have anybody to talk to about her situation. She had to keep all her thoughts and concerns to herself and make decisions without getting a second opinion. It was hard not having anybody but an innocent little six year old who didn't know anything about the real world.
"He seems nice." Shizune said softly.
"What?" Tsunade said and stopped walking.
"Master Jiraiya seems nice."
This is exactly what Tsunade didn't want to happen. She didn't want Shizune to know about Jiraiya because everybody he meets likes him. She didn't want Shizune to get close to him only to have their relationship shattered because of what Tsunade did to him, "Just forget about him."
"Why? I would love to get to know him."
"Shizune no! Forget that you ever met him!"
"But why? He's your friend isn't he?"
Now that was a question that she couldn't answer. What were they? Friends, acquaintances or something else? She wasn't sure. Tsunade took hold of Shizune's small hand again and continued their walk, "Let's go home."
As long as they stayed in the village, they would always see Jiraiya around. Shizune would someday meet up with him again and when she does, she would always want to be around him until they form a bond. Tsunade and Jiraiya's relationship was on the rocks so Tsunade didn't want Shizune to get close to him but if Shizune ever came across him again, that would be the inevitable. She knew what she had to do but at the same time wished that she didn't have to go through with it.
"That was Lady Tsunade wasn't it?" Minato asked as he sat down beside his mentor. They just finished their training for the day and he was absolutely exhausted.
"You read about us so you should know that she was indeed Tsunade." Jiraiya said, taking a sip of his water then handing it over to the panting boy beside him.
"Why was she acting so strange?" He asked, "It was as if she didn't want to see you. And she was in such a rush to leave. It was weird."
"Maybe she had something to do." Jiraiya lied. He knew that the reason for her sudden departure was because she didn't want to be around him. So that's what their relationship has come to. Things were so bad between them that she didn't even want to be in his presence.
Things were silent for a while until Minato spoke up, "She's the girl you're in love with isn't she?"
Jiraiya looked at the boy lost for words. He was amazed at how he could know that without being told, "How did you know that?"
"I saw the way you looked at her." He simply said, "It's clear that you have feelings for her. You told me that she doesn't love you back so that would explain why she wanted to leave so bad. What happened between you guys?"
"I'm not going to get into details with a little kid like you but know this, I'm trying to get over her."
"And have you been successful?"
"Not at all..." Jiraiya said sorrowfully. He hated that it was so hard to fall out of love with her. He should be able to easily fall out of love with her due to all the crap she put him through over the years but getting over her was one of the hardest things he ever had to do.
"Maybe if you put some distance between yourselves then you can get over her."
"Perhaps you're right."
"Jiraiya sensei?"
"Yes Minato."
"I did well today, I believe it's time for you to tell me about your experiences at war."
Jiraiya rubbed his temples in frustration, realizing that he wouldn't be able to simply get out of telling him, "Okay Minato you win." He started, "I had terrible experiences at war. The most terrible one was when I almost died."
"You almost died?! Is that the reason why you stayed home for three weeks when you got back?"
"Yes that's the reason. You see, a large shuriken was thrown into my back. It was buried so deep inside of me that I couldn't stand any longer and I was loosing so much blood that I couldn't maintain my consciousness. I don't know what happened after that but I knew exactly what happened when I woke up and saw Tsunade sitting beside me. She was in the process of healing me and she told me that Orochimaru was still fighting our battle by himself. She wasn't finished healing me but I stood up and said that I was going to go help him. Of course she told me to stop being stupid and allow her to finish healing me. I said terrible things to her and she got mad and stormed off to help Orochimaru. I was going to join them but my wound opened up and I was bleeding again. I fell down again and lost consciousness."
"What happened then?" Minato asked, eager to know the rest of the story.
"I woke up and she was there. She must have come back for me and found me lying lifelessly on the ground. She carried me to safety and healed me. When I woke up I wasn't even a bloody mess. She must have cleaned me up too."
"That means she cares about you."
"No she doesn't Minato, she was just doing her job as a medical ninja."
"She didn't have to go back for you, she could have left you to die but she didn't. I'm telling you that deep down, she cares."
Jiraiya didn't believe anything that Minato was saying. There was no way that she cared about him. If she cared, she would have apologized for what she did, "Can we drop the Tsunade topic please."
"Okay fine. But what happened next?"
"We went into the war. It was terrible Minato. So many bodies were lying dead on the ground, blood was everywhere. I saw people die before my very eyes and I was forced to take some lives myself. We went up against our main opponent and together we defeated him and ended the war. Now that it's over, perhaps now we can restore peace."
"I'm glad that you didn't die Jiraiya sensei."
"Me too kid, me too." Jiraiya was so happy to have a child like Minato in his company. He was so kind and genuinely cared about him. He would always be there for that kid, "How about we go get some lunch. Ichiraku ramen perhaps?"
"Sounds great!"
"Okay then let's go."
The following morning, Tsunade woke up extra early. She had somewhere to go and wasn't planning on taking Shizune with her. She went into Shizune's bedroom and saw that she was still fast asleep. Deciding not to wake her up, she retrieved a piece of paper from Shizune's note book and a pen and composed a note explaining where she was. She taught Shizune how to read a few weeks ago so she knew that the girl wouldn't have any problems reading it. She left the note on the bedside table and ran her fingers through Shizune's straight black hair before leaving the room. She then went into the kitchen and left out a box of cereal and a bowl to place the crunchy breakfast food in so that Shizune wouldn't have to wonder what she would consume when she got up. After ensuring that all the doors were locked, she left the house.
She walked and walked until she got to the Hokage mansion. She walked through the door and kept walking until she approached the door to her sensei's office. As usual, she entered the room without so much as a simple knock. It was early so she wasn't expecting Sarutobi to be in his office so instead of looking for him, she sat in his chair at his desk, waiting for him to grace her with his presence. It didn't take too long until he walked through the door of his office and when he did he was quite shocked to see his only female student sitting at his desk.
"Tsunade what are you doing here?"
"I need to talk to you." She said, not wanting to waste a minute.
"Is it so important that you couldn't wait until later?"
"The earlier I talk to you the better it will be for me."
"Okay Tsunade but, can I have my chair?"
Tsunade got out of his seat and when she did, he sat down and clasped his hands in front of him, "What do you want to talk about?"
"I want to leave the village."
His heart stopped within his chest as she uttered those words. How could she actually want to leave the place where she was born and raised for good? He had to know the reason behind her decision, "Why would you want to do that?"
"The Leaf Village has too many enemies." She started, "Our enemies could attack at any time and that would only create a dangerous living situation for Shizune. It could even be life threatening. The reason why I want to leave is because I'm only looking out for Shizune's well being." She said, trying so hard to hide the real reason for her sudden decision to depart from the village.
"We live in a world of ninjas Tsunade, anywhere you go will be dangerous. Do you want to tell me the real reason for wanting to leave?"
"That is the real reason!" Tsunade lied.
There was a long awkward pause between them. Sarutobi was trying to figure out her real reason for wanting to leave the village but it didn't take him too long to figure it out, "Leaving the village won't solve your problems with Jiraiya."
Tsunade knew she couldn't keep the truth from her sensei. He was a smart man and would have figured it out in no time, "I cause him nothing but pain." She said softly, feeling like the worst friend and person in the world, "I talk down to him, I tease him, I hurt him and... I use him." She said trying to fight back the tears threatening to form in her eyes, "If I continue living here then all I will do is cause him more pain. It's best if I just erase myself from his life. He deserves that much."
"Why won't you just apologize to him?"
"My words of apology will do nothing to mend our friendship! He wants so much out of me, so much things that I'm not willing to give! I can't be around him without feeling like a complete bitch. Just standing before him kills me. I can't continue living like this. Please sensei, please just say that I can leave. Do it for Jiraiya!"
"Tsunade, do you know what you're asking of me?"
"Yes I do, I'm asking you to grant me permission to leave with Shizune."
"You're asking me to rob the village of one of the Sannin. We need you here Tsunade. You're the best medical ninja and an excellent well rounded kunoichi. What will we do without you?" He said and then grew sad, "What will I do without you?"
"What do you mean? You'll be just fine and the village has Jiraiya and Orochimaru as well as other skilled shinobi."
"You are like the daughter that I never had Tsunade." He started, "The very thought of not seeing you everyday breaks my heart. I'm not willing to let you go."
Tsunade walked over to him and bent down on her knees before him, "I promise to stay in touch with you but please, please let me go sensei. I'll go absolutely mad if I stay here. It's time for me to move on with my life."
Sarutobi pressed his old hand against her cheek, "You grew up into such a beautiful woman. I only hope that one day you can find true happiness." He said with a small smile playing on his lips, "As much as I don't want to let you go, I can see that there's nothing I can do or say to change your mind. Even if I refuse, I know that you'll just sneak out and then be labelled as a rogue ninja. I don't want that to happen to you so with a heavy heart I'm giving you permission to take that little girl and leave."
A sad smile appeared on Tsunade's lips. She didn't want to leave her sensei but it had to be done. She had to get out of the village as soon as possible to preserve her sanity. It was for the best, "Thank you." She wrapped her arms around his old yet strong body and then rose to her feet and started to walk towards the door but paused when she heard her sensei's voice.
"He would have forgiven you if you apologized you know. In my heart I know that he wants to mend your friendship."
Tsunade didn't comment on his statement. Instead she opened the door and walked out, not sure if she would ever see her sensei again.
It was now after noon and Jiraiya was still sleeping. He was never an early riser so it was completely natural for him to still be sleeping at that late hour. Only when he heard a loud knock coming from his front door did he spring up from his slumber. He rubbed his tired eyes and cursed a few expletives under his breath before he groggily got up and answered the door. He looked through the peep hole of the door and saw his sensei standing on the other side. He was curious to know what his sensei was doing at his house since it was quite unusual for him to come in person. Usually he just sent one of his assistants to either relay a message or to order him to his office. When curiosity got the better of him, he opened the door.
"Sarutobi sensei, what brings you to my home?"
"I need to talk to you, it's important."
"Oh, okay." He said, stepping aside to let his mentor in, "Come on in. Sorry for the mess, I wasn't expecting company."
"It looks as if you just got up." Sarutobi said, noticing the rumpled sheets on the bed.
"I did." He said, "Would you like something to drink?"
"No that's okay." He declined, "I won't be long anyway. I have a lot of work to tend to."
"Okay so, what did you want to tell me?"
Sarutobi took a deep breath before he proceeded to tell his student what he came there to say, "It's about Tsunade." He started but was interrupted when he was about to say something else.
"What about her? Is she okay? Did something happen to her?" Jiraiya asked feeling very concerned and eager to hear what his sensei had to say.
"No she's fine. Well, she's okay physically but I think she's emotionally damaged. She feels so guilty about what she did to you that she feels as if apologizing will do nothing but put her in an awkward situation."
"That's bullshit! If she had the common decency to apologize I would gladly accept it and try to fix out broken relationship. We could put the past behind us and start over. I only want her to apologize."
"She's leaving the village for good Jiraiya."
"W-What?" Jiraiya said, feeling his heart tighten within his chest, "Why is she leaving? I don't understand. This is her home, why does she want to leave?"
"She can't stand to be around you anymore. The very sight of you makes her become overwhelmed with guilt. As long as she lives here she will always see you and that is driving her insane."
"You gave her permission to leave?"
"I did."
"Why didn't you try to talk her out of it?"
"I tried but there was nothing I could do or say to change her mind. Her mind is made up and she's leaving tonight. If you want her to stay then I suggest that you find her and stop her." He said and walked towards the door, "I just wanted to let you know."
He opened the door and left, leaving Jiraiya completely confused and shocked at the information that he just received.
What was he going to do? Was he going to stop her or let her go? He wasn't sure and didn't have his mind completely made up yet but he knew that when night came upon them, he would be there at the main gate, waiting for the blonde woman that he was still trying not to love.
The sun set and it was now night time. The night was still and silent and the only things illuminating the village were the street lights that flickered on one by one and the stars above. Tsunade and Shizune walked through the now empty streets towards the main gate. Their bags were packed and they were now about to leave the place where they were born. They were leaving home. Neither really wanted to go but Tsunade felt as if she had no other options left. She had to leave not only to preserve her mental health but also to save her old teammate from more unnecessary pain.
They were now at the main gate and before they walked out Shizune tugged on the hem of Tsunade's jacket.
"Where will we go Lady Tsunade?" She asked.
"I'm not sure yet Shizune but wherever we go we'll always stick together. Do you trust me?"
"I trust you with all my heart but I'm feeling a bit sad."
"Why are you feeling sad?"
"No matter where we go, no other place will be home to me."
Tsunade felt terrible for tearing that poor child away from the only place she has ever known. How she wished things could be different but there was nothing she could do to make it all better. If she could erase the past and all her bad choices, she would but of course there was no way she could do that.
"One day we'll return."
They started to walk off and Shizune turned her head to take one last look at her home when she spotted a familiar face, "There's Master Jiraiya." She said to Tsunade.
Tsunade instantly froze as she heard Shizune say his name. Why was he there? She turned around to see him standing there, not doing anything but looking directly into her eyes. She didn't say anything or make an attempt to walk towards him. All she did was look into his obsidian eyes. Through his dark orbs she didn't see happiness nor did she see sorrow. What she did see was acceptance. He was silently telling her to go ahead.
She turned around and grabbed Shizune's hand. They proceeded to walk out of the village and for some reason, she couldn't stop the tears from running down her cheeks.
Jiraiya stood there, watching them walk off into the distance until they were no longer visible to him. He decided not to stop her. He just wanted an apology but it never came. He couldn't force her into apologizing and neither could he force her to stay. They were both in a very confusing time in their lives and perhaps distance was what they needed. Maybe one day the winds will blow them back to each other but for now, they were miles and miles apart.
Don't kill me. I know that some of you didn't want Tsunade to leave the village but in order for good to come, bad things must occur. Everything happens eventually guys so please bear with me. (Hugs)
Thank you for reading and please leave me a review to let me know what you think about this story. Feedback is always awesome, good or bad!
If you haven't already you can check out my other stories and you can also suggest to me ideas for a new story. The OTP doesn't even have to be JiraTsu. Let me know guys, I'll be happy to write whatever you want me to.
Thanks again and until next time.
Xoxoxo