1055

"Nervous?"

Tsunade twitched a little at the question, quietly glaring before she returned to the window. It was evening now, the time of day when the sun disappeared across the horizon and shadows lengthened into infinity. She watched as the remnants of life in the small village finally died out, and all that could be heard was the call of a nightingale. It was only seven o'clock, too.

Tsunade peered at her old teammate out of the corner of her eye and frowned. Stupid Jiraiya, she thought bitterly to herself, it just had to be him that accompanied on her first 'solo' mission.

She snorted.

She used 'solo' loosely, because it was more a test to see what limits Leaf's best and brightest could be forced to without breaking. If there was one thing hidden village's liked to know it was how much their men could take - because, like any good weapon specialist will tell you, their blades and knives and toys are only as good as their understanding of them. It was death to have a sword snap on you.

And such things were never more important in the wake of a war.

Tsunade leaned her forehead against the window. It was surprisingly cool after the hot day, the little annex of wind country suffering dutifully in the midst of a dry season.

Her charge had already been memorized and destroyed before leaving fire country, Jiraiya laughing and jesting along behind her. For a moment, she'd wished Orochimaru hadn't been off on his own mission, or he could've accompanied her instead. Tsunade took another covert glance of her stupid teammate. He was flipping through the girly magazine he always kept stashed in his pack, underneath the kunai and empty scroll or two.

Tsunade refused to acknowledge how she knew that exactly.

"It's okay you know, I was nervous too," she could hear the grin, even from behind his twenty-seventh issue of Naughty Ninjas, "-buutt, it's sort of like you're first time, you know? Hurts a little at first, might be blood, but then when you really get into - and barring any gun jumpers - I promise you'll enjoy it."

He made a crossing motion in the air. "Cross my heart."

Tsunade blushed a little, angry that Jiraiya still had the power to embarrass her, even after six years of insipid innuendo. She really wished that Orochimaru had come now, because at least he would've been silent instead off offering so many pointless encouragements. Erg, she truly despised Jiraiya.

"...Almost time?" Sighing, Tsunade closed her eyes for a moment, before glancing up at the clock on the far wall. It was nice they'd managed to rent a room so well furnished for what must be a trickle of clientele. She wondered if they even had tourists during the dry season.

Twenty minutes of eight.

The sound of pages being ruffled let Tsunade know that her silence was noted and that her old teammate was still her friend and in a way would always be her teammate, so she should say something. Anything, at least.

How in the hell had she gotten to understand Jiraiya so well, anyway?

"I'll leave in ten minutes."

It was silent for half a heart beat.

Then, "You ever wonder what you can do in ten minutes?"

Tsunade thunked her head against the window and rolled her eyes, again. "Will you ever stop being a perverted letch?"

A dry chuckle, and Tsunade couldn't help grinning into the glass, a sense of confidence that had been previously lost returning in a tidal wave. It was a warming comfort, because she felt like herself again, instead of some quivering child. She knew the mission she was about to face was potentially damning (to her morals, her soul, which somehow existed without her consent) but with a friend along, perhaps it wouldn't be too bad.

In all her childish anger of his personality, she'd forgotten exactly why it was a good thing Jiraiya had come.

Though she might condemn herself, (hell, even Orochimaru would've looked down on her if she'd come back broken) Jiraiya, she knew, would always smile and say 'Que sera, sera.'

Because for him, there would always be a next time and Tsunade didn't have to be perfect.

Maybe, she reflected, it was why she hated (loved) him so much.

"You never -" Tsunade paused as she adjusted the decorative kimono around her body, patting at the concealed senbon in her hair, "laughed when I wore those heels for the first time, did you?"

Another heart beat of silence, and she figured if this was one of those ridiculous shojo manga he'd be embracing her and dropping a soft kiss on her lips. It was a bitter lesson, but Tsunade had already learned that dreams don't often (if ever) reflect reality.

Losing her brother, a grief that never fully gave her rest, was testament to that.

He rolled up the magazine and tucked it into his bag next to the bed. Tsunade could almost see the shift in him, a palpable change from sweet - talker to serious comrade, one who hadn't abandoned her yet.

It made her feel braver still.

He grinned boyishly and suddenly he was in front of her, to close, far to close for her heart to take. A tickle in the back of her tightly wound hair, something adjusted to someone else's preferences.

Tsunade felt annoyed that she wanted that stupid shojo dream.

"It wasn't funny. I like it better when your comfortable with me and those ridiculous scraps of leather made you feel even more out of place than when you grew in boobs."

She glowered and wasn't sure if she wanted to pummel him or hug him because he was so damn intuitive for a boy.

So she settled with closing her eyes, sidestepping and waltzing out the door.

"I'll come find you, Tsunade, when your done."

It was a strange good-bye, and she waved vaguely in response.

The funny thing was, for being a cheap flirt and philanderer, Jiraiya always did make good on his word.

A/N - I liked this one the most I think, its almost on par with unnamed 489, which previously had been my favorite. Guess I got two favs now. Review, plz, I really like hearing what people think.

Oh, and did you notice the 'I'll come find you,' wink, wink? It thought it was a cute thing to drop in.