Chapter V: The Return of the Legendary Three
--Soldier Headquarters Library, Midgar—
Tseng pulled another book off of the shelf, flipped it open to the table of contents, and then sat it back on the shelf with a dejected sigh. Not in this one either. Damn it old man, did you have to take all of your notes with you?
On a rather large courtesy desk, of a similar design to the ones you can find in just about any library around the globe, sat a surprisingly small number of books with a relatively large number of notes. All of the books were written by the same man, Doctor Gainsbrough Gast, the man responsible for Midgar's revolutionary clean power system (A/N: No, it isn't Mako this time around), a good number of medical patents ranging from advanced prosthetics to a whole new class of cancer treatments, and, most importantly, the man responsible for the creation of SOLDIER, both as an organization and the people within it. However, nearly eleven years ago both the good Doctor and his wife, a young SOLDIER named Ifalna disappeared, taking both their child, a young girl named Aeris, and most of their research notes, including the biological/psychological files on several people whom the higher management of SOLDIER had 'volunteered' to let Dr. Gast experiment on. Among this group of young SOLDIERs was one Strife Cloud and one Lockheart Tiffa.
While Tseng was reminiscing, a man wearing a long white lab coat with thick half moon spectacles entered the library, striding directly to the black ops leader.
"Your secretary said that I might find you here." The man stated simply, as if that one sentence explained everything.
"What do you want, Hojo?" Tseng asked. Of all the men and women in SOLDIER, Tseng could count on one hand all of the people who had truly warranted his disrespect. Professor Hojo, the man who had been selected to replace Dr. Gast, topped the list.
"Not much, not much. I'm just curious what the head of the Turks wants with my predecessor's research notes." The scientist stated, giving Tseng a look that could send shivers down the spine of even the most hardened warrior shinobi.
"I'm not in the mood for any of your games today, Hojo. What I want the files for is my business, all you have to do is give me the files I want if you have them, or tell me if you don't and get out of my way." Tseng replied, pulling another book off the shelf. If he felt Hojo's gaze, he gave no indication of it.
"If that's how you feel, Tseng, then I'm afraid I can't help you." The dark scientist stated as he turned to leave. Just as he was about to walk away a voice stopped him dead in his tracks. "Having some trouble, Tseng?"
Tseng turned toward the speaker and smirked. Speaking of which… "No trouble at all, Sephiroth. Hojo was just going to get some of Dr. Gast's old research notes for me."
The head of SOLDIER just nodded, exchanging a knowing smirk with Tseng before setting his gaze on the spectacle-wearing scientist. "Is that so…"
Hojo was sweating buckets. No one said 'no' to the head of SOLDIER, not even it's chief scientist. At least, not its current chief scientist. "O-of course, Sephiroth-sama! I w-was just heading down to the R&D library to get them!" the dark scientist said, trying hard not to send a hate filled glare at Tseng with Sephiroth present.
Immediately after Hojo left the room, two of the most powerful men in all of SOLDIER were all but rolling on the floor laughing at the other man's plight.
--Turtle Paradise, Wutai—
"Just so you know," the bartender said as he leaned closer to Jiraiya, who was just pulling up a stool. "A woman matching the description you gave me is in the back booth. She had a kid with her, looked like some kind of an apprentice."
Jiraiya took a quick look back toward the booth indicated, going over a quick mental checklist. Diamond seal on forehead, check. Mid-length blond hair, check. High cheek bones, check. Flat chest, not any more. Okay, it's definitely her. Jiraiya stood up, placing several folded bills on the counter. "Thanks for the tip." He said, as he turned toward the back booth.
The woman in question looked up at the bar, not missing the exchange, or who was doing the exchanging. So the past keeps coming back to haunt me, isn't it? The woman's musings were cut short as Jiraiya stepped up toward the booth. "Mind if I sit here?" Jiraiya asked, indicating the empty seat opposite the more-than well-endowed woman.
"Sit down, Jiraiya, I know you will anyway." The woman said, pouring two shots of sake.
The young girl sitting next to the woman looked completely confused. She knew the name Jiraiya from her studies, but she still had to ask. "Tsunade-sama, is this the Jiraiya, one of your old teammates?"
Tsunade sighed, taking a sip of the alchohol. "Yes, this is Jiraiya. Jiraiya, allow me to introduce you to my apprentice, Shizune. She's Dan's niece, and she's also one of the most talented pupils I've ever had."
Jiraiya nodded, accepting the shot glass as he smiled at the young girl. "I suppose it's time I got down to business and ask you what brings you to Wutai?" Jiraiya said as he raised his glass to Tsunade before downing the contents.
"Not much, other than stopping to get a drink and a few supplies, why do you ask?" the medic-nin asked in return, pulling out a deck of cards.
Jiraiya sighed, mentally steeling himself for what he had to say next. "I have a pair of propositions for you, Tsu-chan." The perverted Sannin couldn't resist the temptation to use his old pet name for the woman. "Sensei is getting tired, if nothing else he needs a new successor."
This got Tsunade's attention. "What does he need a new successor so soon for, he's not that old?"
"He's old enough to be expecting his second grandchild, and he can't both teach at the academy and run the village at the same time. Before I left for here, both he and the council requested that if I found you I was to extend the offer to you."
"No disrespect to either sensei or the council intended, but I'll have to decline. I'm not cut out to be Hokage." Tsunade responded, putting the cards away and throwing back another shot.
"Well, then, it looks like I don't have to bother with my second proposition then." Jiraiya said as he stood up.
"Just humor me one more time and tell me what it was anyway." Tsunade replied.
Jiraiya sighed. No turning back now, but this is not going to end well. "I was going to suggest that you could go and see our grandson, but since you don't want to…"
"He's alive?!" Tsunade demanded, standing up so suddenly that she would have knocked over the table if it hadn't been bolted to the floor, staring Jiraiya straight in the eyes. "Tell me this isn't one of your cruel jokes, our grandson is alive?"
Jiraiya's smile slowly began to return. Maybe there's hope for her yet. "He's more than alive, Tsunade, he's in this town right now, probably just getting ready to head back to Konoha."
"How did it happen, Jiraiya. They told me he was dead. If I had known…"
"Now, before you get everything in a bunch, there's some things you should know. First off, Arashi died using the Shiki Fujin to beat Kyuubi, he wound up having to use his own child, our grandson, for the sealing, which is probably why the medic on duty told you that he was dead. Also, as you know, Keisha died giving birth, so the Uchiha's had no idea he was alive either until just recently."
"Take me to him, Jiraiya." Tsunade stated, the anger in her eyes at what she just knew had to be happening in the village shining brightly, causing even Jiraiya to nearly take a step back. "I may even take your first proposition, but no way in all nine circles of Dante's Hell am I going to fail my grandchild the way I failed our son."
Jiraiya had to fight himself not to take a step away from the furious grandmother, noting somewhere in the back of his mind the saying 'Hell hath no fury as a woman scorned', and as far as Tsunade was concerned, someone had just scorned her very, very deeply. May the lord have mercy on that poor soul.
--Kisaragi Family dormitories, Wutai—
Naruto pulled the final zipper closed on his backpack, hearing similar sounds coming from the bed behind him as Yuay finished packing as well. Both Silva and Gamakichi stalked around the room, looking for any loose article that might have been missed in the packing frenzy.
If either boy was totally honest with themselves, they would have admitted that they were slightly apprehensive about returning to Konoha. Sure, they would have their routine back, but that hardly made up for the dark stares and barely veiled insults from most of the adults. What he couldn't figure out is what the adults hated both him and Yuay for. Try as he might, he couldn't needle anything about it out of Jiraiya.
Naruto's musings were cut short as Yuffie entered the room, her own backpack slung over her shoulder. "You guys ready to go?" she asked.
In response, Yuay swung his backpack on as Silva swooped over and landed on the bag's top handle and Naruto pulled on his own bag as Gamakichi hopped on top of Naruto's head, assuming a commanding perch.
Yuffie gave a small chuckle at the sight. "I'll take that as a yes." She said as she ushered the two children out the door and toward the compound's entrance.
At the entrance, Jiraiya, as well as Tsunade and Shizune were waiting.
"Are you absolutely sure that you want to go through with this plan of yours?" the perverted Sannin asked, giving Tsunade a questioning look.
"As sure as I can be. After all, it would be a bit of a shock to just dump the fact that we're all related on him right here and now all at once, it will be easier to do in Konoha." Tsunade sighed, not wanting to voice her real fear. What will I do if something happens to him? It seems that almost all of the men I get close to…
Tsunade's musings were cut short as she felt a hand on her shoulder. For once in his life, Jiraiya did nothing perverted of his own free will, merely giving comfort to the woman whom he considered his wife. Tsunade perked up a bit, playfully brushing Jiraiya's hand away. "Now, now, Jiraiya. Save the mushy stuff for when we get back home." She said, though her eyes told a very different story.
The interplay between the two Sannin was cut short as Yuffie, Naruto and Yuay in tow, walked out of the dormitories. "Well, Tsunade-sama, what a surprise! I didn't know that you were in Wutai."
Tsunade looked at Yuffie for a second, as if trying to place her in her memory. After a moment, her eyes lit up. "Yuffie-chan?! My, you've grown from the little Genin I used to know."
Yuffie gave a small chuckle, shaking her head at the memory as well. "So I have, but now I've got a pair of future genin to take care of myself."
Jiraiya, sensing that if he didn't stop this conversation now they would never get going, took this moment to step in. "Well, we've got a long trip ahead of us, let's get going."
Tsunade and Yuffie nodded, shouldering their bags and walked toward the gate.
--A laboratory beneath SOLDIER HQ, Midgar—
That little, who does he think he is, trying to manipulate me! This and similar thoughts were going through Hojo's head as he walked into one of his many labs, slamming the door behind him.
"Now, Hojo, this is attitude is unbecoming of you."
Hojo whirled around, trying to find the source of the voice. "Who's there? Show yourself!"
"Now, Hojo, you don't even recognize the voice of your own partner?" a man with snakelike eyes appeared from behind a freestanding chalkboard, a sickening smirk on his face.
Hojo relaxed, it was only his on again/off again assistant and fellow scientist. He walked over to one of the lab benches, picking up a composition notebook, flipping it open to a specific formula. "What brings you back so soon, Orochimaru?"
The snake Sannin's smirk seemed to widen. "I have a problem that I think you can help with…"
A/N: Gomen for taking forever to update. The good news, I am a graduate of Edgewood High School! The crazy news, my parents drug me on an almost surprise vacation to Florida as a graduation present, so I haven't been able to do much writing at all recently. More good news though, I will be updating more frequently now that I am back and out of high school for good.
Story-wise, things are going to start picking up really fast here in the next two chapters. Everybody who reviewed, you guys are awesome, keep them coming, flames shall be extinguished and added to my nest of ashes. This is your one and only Shining Pheonix signing off.