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"Ah that's good sake!" Jiraiya said with a satisfied sigh. He slammed the cup down on the table and refilled it before downing the small amount of liquor and repeating the process. Across from him, Naruto was busy poking at a steak. "Wazza matter?" The Sannin slurred, his face flushed. "Don' want the steak?"

"Not really," Naruto answered.

"Why not? Missin' Gohan?"

"Nah, it's not that." Naruto gave the steak a vicious stab. "It's not ramen!"

Jiraiya nearly fell over. "Ramen!?" The Sannin howled, almost sobered up just by that one comment. "I bring you to a fantastic restaurant and all you want is ramen? The hell's your problem kid!?"

"What's wrong with ramen!?" Naruto demanded.

"Everything! You gotta eat more than just noodles and broth kid, otherwise you're gonna stay a midget forever!"

"I'll show you midget!" Naruto shouted. He lunged, but slipped on the seat and cracked his chin on the table. "Owowowowowowowow!"

Jiraiya laughed uproariously. "Serves you right!"

Naruto tried to glare, but the effect was ruined by the bright red mark on his jaw and Jiraiya burst out laughing again. Knowing he wouldn't get anywhere that round, Naruto sat down and sulked, trying to massage his bruised chin and his bruised ego. While the blond was busy looking anywhere but at the still-laughing Jiraiya, he noted an unusually high number of waiters hurrying past the table, all laden with more food than Naruto would've thought possible for one person to eat.

Curiosity getting the better of him, Naruto stood and peered over the dividers that separated the tables. Another three booths over was where the waiters were heading and they sat down all the plates then left in a rush. Naruto frowned. He didn't know if they were going for more or tending to other customers, nor did he care, all he cared about was the fact that someone over there was eating the restaurant out of house, home, and checkbook. Naruto winced in sympathy for whoever was paying the bill over there. Whoever the SOB eating was, he was packing it away like Gohan could. Naruto froze at the thought. No! It couldn't be!

Could it?

Naruto hopped down and started walking.

"Where the hell are you going now?" Jiraiya called after him. He got up to follow when Naruto didn't answer. "Damn brat," the sage fumed. "Ignore me will you! I'll show you!"

Naruto stopped at the booth and just glanced at who was doing all the eating. His jaw dropped when he saw who it was. Gohan was eating like it was his last night on earth. Two women were with him. One was slender with black hair and the other was blond and the biggest chest Naruto had ever seen on a woman (and he'd seen some impressive ones while he was researching for his Orioke no Jutsu). Naruto froze at the thought.

Research?

That damn Ero-Sennin was rubbing off on him!

The blond was the first to notice him. "What do you want, brat?" She demanded.

Naruto ignored her, not even hearing her, instead focusing on Gohan, who he hadn't seen in half-a-month. The table was covered with food and on the floor next to Gohan, reaching almost as high as the teen's elbow, was a stack of plates and bowls.

"Hey, what's the big deal, kid?" Jiraiya asked, coming up behind him. Jiraiya too froze, but for a different reason. "Tsunade!"

"Jiraiya!?" Tsunade answered, looking just as thunderstruck as the sage himself did.

Gohan finally quit eating and jumped as he noticed Naruto for what looked like the first time. "Hey, Naruto!" he said. Well it might've been that. His voice was too muffled by the food that was making his cheeks bulge like a chipmunk's. Gohan swallowed. "It's been a while!"

Naruto shook himself out of his stupor. "Yeah!" The two lapsed into an awkward silence. "Uh."

"Right," Gohan said, nervously.

Tsunade broke the silence. "Why in the hell are you here, Jiraiya?" She demanded.

Shizune sighed. "Here we go again," she muttered.

"What am I doing here?" Jiraiya repeated. "Looking for you, that's what I'm doing!"

"You need physical therapy too?" the Slug Princess demanded. "Like this one?" She jerked her head irritably at Gohan.

"Huh?" Naruto asked. "Therapy? What's she talking about?"

"Are you a ninja or not?" Jiraiya asked. "Look at his arm, idiot." Naruto did and did a double-take when he realized Gohan wasn't wearing his sling and his arm was moving freely.

"Hey! You're arm's fixed!"

"Yep," Gohan replied with a grin. "And it's thanks to Shizune-san that it is."

"Shizune?" Naruto asked. He looked at the blond. "Is that you?"

Jiraiya clocked him. "Ow! Bastard! What the hell!?"

"Think you dolt," Jiraiya replied. "That's Tsunade."

"Huh!? She's Tsunade!?"

"Yeah, so show some respect."

"You're one to talk," Tsunade huffed, pointedly not looking at Jiraiya, much like Naruto had been doing only minutes before. "So cut to the chase Jiraiya. What do you want? You never said."

"Sorry about that. Idiot here distracted me."

"Hey!"

The sage plowed ahead without acknowledging his apprentice. "You heard about the invasion Oto tried to pull off?" Tsunade showed no response.

"A little," she admitted evasively. Clearly she wanted to be shot of Naruto and Jiraiya ASAP. Gohan too for that matter. The brat had just eaten most of her money, what little she had. Now she was regretting not taking her winnings from the Royal Flush more than ever.

"Heard what happened to the Old Man?"

"A little," she repeated, this time facing Jiraiya fully, a suspicious look in her eye. Jiraiya had a feeling his former teammate was putting two and two together. "He's still alive from what I hear, so why come looking for me?"

"He's retiring," Jiraiya replied. "Said he's getting too old for the job."

Tsunade snorted. "'Bout damn time. He was too old for the job thirteen years ago." Gohan noted a sudden stiffening in Naruto's shoulders. "Let me guess. The geezer wants me to come back and be the Godaime."

Jiraiya looked distressed, as if this wasn't the way he wanted to broach the subject. And truthfully, it wasn't. He'd had fifteen different speeches planned for this little occasion and none of them had considered Tsunade figuring it out this fast.

'Stupid, Jiraiya. Really damn stupid! Of course she'd be sharper than this and you should know better.' He shook himself mentally then said, "You got it. He wants you for the Godaime position."

"Didn't he ask you? You were already in the village if the rumors are true."

"Yeah. I turned it down. So what's your answer?"

Tsunade didn't even wait a heartbeat. "No," she said flatly and immidiatly. "No deal. I'm not being the Godaime, Rokudaime, Nanadaime or any kind of 'daime, so you can take your ass back to Konoha and tell the Old Man to find someone else for the job!"

"Why not!?" Naruto demanded hotly.

"It's a fool position," Tsunade replied frankly.

Naruto went very, very, still. "What?"

Tsunade noticed and started laughing. "You want to be Hokage, don't you?" She said. "If so, then you're an even bigger idiot than you look! What's your name kid?"

"Uzumaki Naruto," the blond growled. Gohan was closest to Naruto and he blinked, making sure his eyes were working right. Naruto's pupils were slitted, just like a cat's. The battle with Itachi flashed across Gohan's mind's eye as he remembered how Naruto had been cloaked in the weird, burning, boiling chakra.

"Uzumaki huh? Your newest apprentice, Jiraiya?"

"Yeah."

"Looks just like that other blond haired idiot."

"What's she talking about, Jiraiya?" Naruto growled. Neither Gohan nor Jiraiya missed the lack of 'Ero-sennin', Naruto's chosen pet name for Jiraiya.

"The Yondaime," he answered and his voice carried the strong tone of anger, his eyes narrow and dangerous. "She's talking about Namikaze Minato, the Yondaime Hokage. He was my apprentice before you were. Minato was an amazing shinobi. The kind of talent that only comes along once every generation."

"Yeah, the Yondaime was an amazing shinobi," Tsunade said, "but it didn't take him long to die, now did it? Sealed the fox away and died like a dog. My grandfather and granduncle too, the Shodai and Nidaime. They were so concerned with giving the village peace that they gave their lives for it and died miserable deaths. The Sandaime got lucky but his time'll come. And the Fourth? Well, we all know what happened there."

"THAT DOES IT!" Naruto shouted. He lunged across the table, but Jiraiya grabbed the back of his coat as Gohan's arm came up and across and blocked him from the front. "Gohan! Jiraiya!"

"Easy does it, Naruto," Gohan said. "You know she's one of the Sannin like Jiraiya-sama and Orochimaru, right?"

Naruto's expression was one of repugnant disbelief. "You're kidding. Her? She's a Sannin? That joke's not funny, Gohan!"

"It's true," Jiraiya replied. "She is. You won't stand a chance in battle against her." He paused for a moment before continuing, killing intent starting to curl off of him. "Although, if she doesn't watch her mouth, she's gonna regret trying to insult Minato."

"Let the kid go, Jiraiya," Tsunade said, smirking at Naruto. If Naruto's hair had been black, Gohan would not have been surprised at all to see it turn gold right then and there and have the electricity start peeling off him. "So kid, you think the Hokage is some great thing to aspire to? Are you willing to fight for it? Maybe even die for it?"

"Damn straight I am!" Naruto shouted.

"I don't believe you."

"I'll show you," Naruto snarled.

"Naruto!" Jiraiya said sharply. He was ignored. Tsunade leaned forward in her chair.

"That sounds like a challenge, and I don't back down from a fight. Are you willing to put your kunai where your mouth is, kid?"

"Name the time and place," the blond growled. There was no mistaking it this time. His eyes bled from blue to bright crimson.

"The time is right now," Tsunade answered, either not noticing the eye color change or choosing not to care. "The place is outside in the alley." Naruto growled like an animal at her, jerked roughly to jar Jiraiya's hand loose, then spun on his heel and strode straight out the door. Tsunade snorted and followed after him.

"Your funeral kid," Jiraiya muttered as he stood to follow.

"She wouldn't kill him," Shizune said, but she sounded less than certain.

"She wouldn't dare," Gohan snarled, angered at the very thought. Shizune blinked, doing a double-take of her own. Gohan's obsidian eyes were a shade of green so bright and clear it could put a goddess to shame. "If she kills Naruto, she won't have enough time to regret it." He strode after Naruto and Tsunade. "I'll never fail in protecting my family and friends. Never again. Not ever!"

Jiraiya whistled. "I don't know what psychobabble you worked on him, Shizune, but you brought him out of whatever funk he was in."

Shizune shuddered at the look in the teen's eyes. He hadn't been kidding when he'd spoken of the things he'd done. Only someone who'd been to hell and come back victorious could have eyes like that.

Outside, the mood was no less intense. Naruto and Tsunade glared daggers at each other. If Naruto was at all apprehensive about going against a Sannin, there was no trace of it on his features. Jiraiya smiled wistfully as he watched his student. "Just like him," he said so no one but himself could hear. "Your Old Man would be damn proud."

Tsunade held up a finger. "This is all I'll need to beat you."

"Suit yourself," Naruto growled. "Use it as an excuse when I kick your ass."

The Slug Princess laughed again. "Show me."

Naruto's hand whisked out of his shuriken holster, launching the stars at Tsunade. The Sannin dodged simply by leaning to one side. "That all you've got?" She asked, watching the flight of the stars. "Because if it is, this is going to be a fast…"

"HENGE!"

The stars burst like balloons and turned into Shadow Clones. Tsunade's brown eyes widened in shock. "A Kage Bunshin? At his age? Impossible!"

One of the clone Naruto's laughed. "If I had a ryo for every time I've heard that one!" He quipped. The clones fired a shuriken volley. Not one got anywhere near Tsunade as her feet worked like a dancer's carrying her into and through impossibly small gaps in the volley. Before the clones could land, Tsunade was on them. Her finger stabbed twice and both clones popped, stabbed through the chest.

"One question before I end this," Tsunade said, turning back to Naruto. "Why are you so driven to be Hokage? It's just a title that's a death sentence."

"Because it's my dream!" Naruto answered with a feral grin. Tsunade looked taken aback by the answer, but she recovered fast and smirked at the blond.

"Big words. I hope you know a man can't go back on his word."

"I never go back on my word!" Naruto proclaimed. "It's my Nindo and I'll never go back on it!" Naruto's grin faded into a determined glare. "You may be an annoying old hag," he said, "but you're strong, I'll give you that at least."

"Old?" Tsunade asked, a vein bugging in her forehead.

Naruto went on, not hearing her. "So that means you won't die if I hit you with this." He held up a hand in front of him. "I've been working on this for the longest time now. Let's see if I can complete it." His other hand began tapping the air above his palm.

"Jiraiya-sama," Gohan muttered from beside the sage, "what's he doing?"

"Watch and see."

To Gohan's surprise, the air began to swirl and tighten. In seconds there was a small hurricane above Naruto's palm, the swirling mass of air and chakra sending tendrils of wind whipping everywhere. When he beheld it, Gohan felt a huge sense of urgency and dread. "I know this technique," he muttered. "But I've never seen it or used it."

Jiraiya watched the top of Gohan's head. 'So his body remembers even if his mind doesn't,' he thought.

Tsunade's face was one of blatant surprise. "That's the…Jiraiya! You taught him the Rasengan?"

"Sure did. He has more right than anyone to know that jutsu." Jiraiya smirked at his old teammate. "And I'd pay attention if I were you. I've seen what happens to people who end up underestimating him. It's not pretty."

Naruto roared a wordless challenge and sprinted straight at Tsunade, holding the swirling ball of whirling wind in his palm. Tsunade, he was pleased to see, didn't look anywhere near as smug as he she had just a few minutes ago. 'I'll show her!' was the only thought in his head as he dove in on the attack. Tsunade didn't waste any time. She stabbed down and drove her finger into the ground. Everyone was knocked off their feet as an earthquake sprang up and a crevice opened beneath Naruto's feet. The blond felt his heart rise into his throat as he pitched forwards.

An explosion shook the alley as Rasengan met unmoving earth. Naruto was thrown away, clearing the crevice, which was a good five or six yards long, and started tumbling helplessly on the ground. Gohan was at his side in a flicker of speed, stopping his tumbling friend with a foot.

"You alright?" He asked, helping the genin to his feet.

"Been worse," Naruto answered. "Now get outta the way, I'm not done yet."

Tsunade spun on a heel and started walking away.

"Hey! Where're you going!?" Naruto demanded hotly.

"Home. There's no point in continuing this. Any more and I might decide to stop holding back. Jiraiya!"

"What?"

Tsunade jerked a thumb at the small crater left by the Rasengan. It was a shallow bowl bisected by the crevice, the diameter being only five feet, maybe five and a half. In addition to the gash in the ground, the bowl was cut by a swirl pattern, like what one might see if looking at a screw from the business end. "Better stop teaching him the Rasengan. He'll never get it if he keeps going at this rate."

"Shows what you know!" Naruto shouted in answer, waving a middle finger at Tsunade. "I'll show you! I'll master that jutsu in three days!"

"Three days?" Tsunade repeated with a laugh, turning back around. "How could an idiot like you do it in three days when the Yondaime took three years to master it?

"Well since my dream is to be greater than all the previous Hokage," Naruto answered with a confident half-grin, "I'll do it in three days easy!"

Tsunade stared at the boy. 'He just doesn't know when to quit!' She thought in disbelief. 'Who is this kid?' Her brown eyes widened when she thought she saw the specters of her lost love Dan and her dead brother Nawaki standing shoulder to shoulder with him. "Why keep going?" She asked again, knowing there had to be more to Naruto's ambitions than what he'd told her only a few minutes ago. "Why be the Hokage?"

"It's my dream," Dan, Nawaki, and Naruto said together. "I don't need any other reason!"

The Sannin felt faint, but she covered it with the coarse, thick-skinned, shell she'd built up over the years from all the pain and loss she'd suffered. "Well you're not short on guts, I'll give you that," she said. "Tell you what. Let's make a bet."

"What?"

"I'll give you one week. If you can master the Rasengan in that time, I'll take back everything I've said about the Hokage and I'll give you my necklace." She pointed to the piece of green gemstone hanging from her neck, dangling between her breasts.

"Keep it, I don't want it," Naruto said.

"You moron," Jiraiya told him. "That necklace belonged to the Shodai Hokage, Tsunade's grandfather. It's a one of a kind piece worth three gold mines and the mountains that sit on 'em!"

"Fine then," Naruto said almost immidiatly. "I'll take the damn necklace."

'Greedy little squirt,' Jiraiya thought with an eyebrow twitch.

"Hold your horses, cowboy," Tsunade interrupted. "You haven't won anything yet. Besides, I need to get something in return if I win." She held up a frog-looking coin purse that was filled to bursting. Gohan could hear coins shifting around inside. From the sound of it, the wallet was stuffed with all the money Naruto had earned during his time as a shinobi and maybe even from before that.

"Ah!" Naruto cried, alarmed. "Gama-chan! When did you…?"

"If I win," Tsunade pressed, shutting the blond up, "then I get your little toad here and all the money he's got in him. And I was a genin once too. I know how shitty the pay is. It'll take you a long time to earn all this back."

Naruto spluttered.

"Do we have a deal?"

The blond looked indecisive for only an instant. "Deal!" he said.

Tsunade and Naruto's thoughts were identical as Naruto retrieved his wallet and started walking away. 'Sucker!'

Six Days Later…

Shizune went through her morning routine with all the care of a robot. She felt like glass. All week she hadn't said a word to Tsunade about the deal she'd overheard Orochimaru offer to her mistress. It was unwise to do so, especially since Tsunade didn't know Naruto at all. Shizune had spent the last six days with the blond genin and Gohan, both to guard Naruto from Tsunade, as terrifying as the thought was, and watch over the young saiyan boy to make sure he kept up with his physical therapy. It was only after observing both boys training at the side of the river a few miles from town that Shizune almost quit worrying about Gohan entirely. The boy was driven! He was pushing himself to limits that were almost insane, even for one such as him.

Quite possibly the only other boy who possessed more drive than Son Gohan was Uzumaki Naruto. The two trained in total silence, each one ignoring the other as he focused totally on his own tasks. Gohan went through blazing martial arts forms that were crisp and clean, graceful and deadly. There wasn't a single flaw in any of the moves he made, a testament to just how long he'd been fighting, but each time he finished a form, he would mutter, "It's still not enough!" and keep pressing forward. The medic was positive that it wasn't healthy to put that much strain on his body, but she trusted Gohan to know his own limits.

Naruto was similarly intense, but he was only working on the Rasengan, which hadn't improved much from when Shizune had last seen it earlier that week. That was a foregone conclusion, she knew, since even the Yondaime had had trouble mastering it, and if the rumors were true, had never managed to bring the technique to its ultimate form. Jiraiya had admitted to failing at that task as well. Still the boy was making progress. Each day, the crater that the technique made was smaller, deeper, tighter, and the screw thread spiral was fading as well, not nearly as defined as it had been before.

Each time he drove his palm into a rock and noted the swirl in the crater, Naruto cursed vehemently and went right back to it. It was amazing really. Neither boy spoke to the other. Each just pushed his limit. The only sign that they were even aware of the other's presence was that they stayed out of each other's way, knowing that the other's presence was enough.

Shizune watched the boys a bit longer and then slipped away, her mind suddenly set. Someone had to know about the deal being offered to Tsunade. She couldn't ask Tsunade directly because the Sannin would just ignore it or deflect the inquiries. It had to be someone who would know Tsunade deeply and could make her see reason, and maybe even stop her should it come to that. That left one person and one person only.

Shizune found Jiraiya fairly quickly.

She only had to search the brothels after all. She found him coming out of one, laughing with the two women on his arm, and his face red from what had to be sake. The old man started moving off through the crowd, so Shizune forced chakra into her feet, darted up the side of a building and leaped off the roof's edge, soaring well out over the street and in front of Jiraiya.

"Jiraiya-sama!" She called as she arced for earth.

Jiraiya stopped, hearing his name called. He looked around, squinting past the blur of alcohol, and saw no one he knew. Only two people in this city would call him that. It was either Gohan or Shizune and he didn't see either around. When he turned around to continue with Aoi and Kimiko, the two prostitutes on his arms, he was surprised to see Shizune drop out of the early afternoon sun and land right in front of him.

"Shizune?" He asked. She nodded. "What does Tsunade want?" He was automatically assuming that Tsunade had something that she needed him for, although he couldn't imagine what for the life of him, and had sent the ever-faithful Shizune to collect him.

"We need to talk," Shizune said. Something about her tone cleared up the fog in Jiraiya's head. He would need to be sober for this. He stepped over to an open rainbarrel and dunked his head into the icy water inside. He came out spluttering and shook his head, sending water drops flying from his long white hair.

"Sorry girls," he said to the prostitutes, "I'll come around again tonight, okay?"

"Sure thing, Jiraiya-sama," one said with a smile. "We'll be waiting." He watched them saunter off through the crowds with a grin. Nighttime couldn't come fast enough, he decided.

"Alright, Shizune, what does Tsunade want?"

"That's why I'm here," Shizune said. "I need to talk to you about Tsunade-sama."

The way she said it put Jiraiya on edge. "What'd she do now?"

"It's what will she do that's got me more concerned," Shizune answered cryptically. "Can we talk somewhere else?"

"Lead the way."

The two shinobi vanished, merging easily into the crowd. They meandered, wandering aimlessly. Jiraiya was about to ask what was so important that they had to take such a random roundabout route, but Shizune shushed him with a shake of her head before he opened his mouth to ask the question. It wasn't as if Jiraiya didn't know what they were doing. Shizune was taking measures to lose a tail, both untrained and the shinobi variety. What was making her so wary? Shizune slipped into an out-of-the-way bar at the end of an alley. There were small windows that were so covered in grime you couldn't see out of them. There was only one door into the place and Shizune led him to a table that gave them a perfect view of the room and door, allowing them to observe the comings and goings of the clientele.

It was a pretty good location, full of drunken racket to disguise their conversation.

"So what were you so worried about?" Jiraiya asked. "What's Tsunade up to that so important." Shizune took a deep breath, gave him an apologetic look, and started explaining. It took her the better part of an hour and a half to explain it all and more when Jiraiya started prodding for more information.

"This is bad," Jiraiya muttered. "I never thought that Orochimaru would target Naruto."

"Do you have any idea why?" Shizune asked, looking more worried than ever.

"More than a few," Jiraiya answered, "and each one is more unlikely than the last. I've got no idea what's brought Orochimaru's sights onto him, but whatever it is, it can't be good."

"What's the main reason do you think?" Shizune prodded again.

"The main reason? I would guess Akatsuki. Not many people know this, but Orochimaru used to be a member of the organization. That much is certain. What isn't so certain is why he left. I haven't been able to dig up many details, but some of the evidence suggests a run in with Uchiha Itachi. I think that's most likely because of Orochimaru's obsession with the Sharingan."

"So maybe he wants to kill Naruto-kun as revenge for Itachi defeating him?"

"It's possible. That bastard can hold a grudge like no body's business. And coming to Tsunade is a good idea for him. He knows her. The three of us go way back, and he knows how to push her buttons. And mine too for that matter."

"What about raising Uncle Dan and Nawaki from the grave? Can he really do that?"

"Yes and no," Jiraiya replied. "Yes in that he can make recall a soul from the next life and put it into a body. No in that it's not a real resurrection. The revived person isn't a person at all. It's a sham, a body of dirt and clay, given the appearance of the deceased one, and animated by the soul. It's a jutsu, nothing more. The revived person is just a tool for the user."

"You sound like you know it."

Jiraiya stared at the back of his knuckles, his fingers interlaced on top of the table. "I do know it," he admitted. "Orochimaru used it to revive the Senju brothers."

"Tobirama-sama and Hashirama-sama?" Shizune breathed. "The Nidaime and Shodai Hokage?"

"Yeah. There was a third one too. I think it was supposed to be Minato, but it failed."

"Why?"

Jiraiya smiled bitterly. "Because Minato's soul is currently in the belly of the Shinigami, the specter that's brought forth by the sealing jutsu he used to put the Kyuubi into Naruto. Minato isn't in Heaven, nor is he in Hell. He's in limbo. Purgatory. His soul will remain there for eternity."

Shizune looked horrified. "That's awful."

"It is," the other agreed, "but Minato chose that fate himself. He knew the consequences when he made those hand seals that night. He knew he would die and forever give up his chance at the afterlife."

"So what do we do about Naruto-kun? Do you really think Tsunade-sama will try to kill him?"

Jiraiya stood. "I don't know, but I'm going to find out. I'll go talk to her. You keep an eye on Naruto and Gohan. Don't let them out of your sight. If Orochimaru decides to take out Naruto before Tsunade makes a move, come and get me. Gohan will be able to stall Orochimaru for a little bit. He's done it before. Let him deal with that bastard." He handed her a small scroll that he pulled out from inside his gi. "This is a summoning scroll, good for one shot. It'll call one of the toads to you. Let them know the situation and send them after me."

"What if you're already there?"

"Then we won't need it. I'm going now. You go to wherever Gohan and Naruto are. Remember, do not, under any circumstances, let them out of your sight. I don't care if it means sitting on one of them." He swept for the door. Shizune heard him mutter something that sounded like a curse as he slammed the door behind him. The dark-haired kunoichi left right after that, heading back to the river where she'd seen Naruto and Gohan training last, hoping and praying they were still there.

Jiraiya bounded over the rooftops, the wind rushing in his ears. Of course, that might've been the blood pounding in his head too. 'Dammit Tsunade. Could you really have fallen that far? You know as well as I that the revival of the dead is impossible.'

He caught a flash of blond hair in the sea of brown and black below him. It took only another glance to make the twin blond ponytails and the haori with the gamble kanji. That was Tsunade alright, no mistaking it. He leaped off the roof and landed in the intersection ahead, mixing in and moving with the crowd. He timed it just right.

"Hey! Tsunade-hime!" he called, waving, fixing his face into what he hoped was a jovial expression. He hoped it was anyway. With the dread and anger he felt, it could've been a death mask. No one was backing away from him though, which was good. It meant his face was either passably pleasant or not intimidating enough.

"Jiraiya," the Slug Princess replied curtly. "What do you want?"

"What?" Jiraiya asked, spreading his hands in a helpless gesture. "I'm not allowed to ask if a friend wants a drink? I'll pay."

The thought of free sake was all the prodding Tsunade needed. "Okay." She leveled a dangerous finger at him. "But I don't want to hear that you were going around the village saying we went on a date or anything, you got me?"

"Why would I ever do that?" Jiraiya asked, stepping aside.

"You don't fool me for a second, Jiraiya," Tsunade snipped, brushing past him.

A few hours later found them both talking and laughing about the good old days. Well, to be realistic, Jiraiya did all the laughing and talking. Tsunade only sipped at her sake with the air of a person waiting to be rid of another as soon as possible and didn't want to take the time to tell the person to beat it.

"Aww come on!" Jiraiya protested when Tsunade didn't laugh. "You're telling me you don't remember that damn bell test thing that Sarutobi-sensei made us do? I seem to remember you rubbing it in my face every day for years afterward."

Tsunade finally lost it and slammed her sake cup down on the table hard enough to shatter the thing. The barkeep looked reproachful for all of about ten seconds, the time it took for him to meet Tsunade's gaze and hurry to find another cup. "Enough with the act, Jiraiya. What do you want?"

The sage sipped his sake slowly and set the cup down with excessive care. "What makes you think I want something?" he asked, not looking at her.

"We haven't seen each other all week and now you're suddenly interested in having a drink," Tsunade answered, glaring at him. "What are you up to?" She repeated.

Jiraiya finally returned her glare with one of his own. "What deal did Orochimaru offer you?"

Whatever answer Tsunade had been expecting, it wasn't that and it showed on her face. She was clearly taken aback by the blunt question. "Wha…what would Orochimaru want with me?" She spluttered finally.

"Don't hide it," Jiraiya snapped just as frostily as Tsunade herself had done earlier. "Shizune told me everything. Orochimaru approached you almost a week ago. He offered you a deal. He said that in exchange for killing my apprentice, he would revive Dan and Nawaki."

"So she was there," Tsunade murmured, almost too softly for Jiraiya to hear. "I thought I saw someone in the shadows when I went with that kid Kabuto."

"So it's true then?" Jiraiya asked.

"Yeah."

"Dammit Tsunade!" Jiraiya roared, slamming his fist down on the table. The varnished wood cracked with a sound like a gunshot and the sake bottle and cups slid to the hard ground and shattered, following the angle of the newly slanted table. The barkeep looked from one to the other helplessly before throwing up his hands in defeat and finding some more glassware to clean, hoping against hope that these two ninja didn't bring the whole stand down on his head. "You didn't take him up on it did you!? Tell me you didn't listen to him!"

Tsunade bit her lip, looking hesitant for all of a second before her indecision turned to ire to match Jiraiya's. "What's it to you if I did say yes?" She growled, getting in Jiraiya's face. "You're not my mother. You can't tell me what to do! Besides, you don't know what it's like! That pain you have to live with every day, knowing you won't ever see your loved ones laugh and smile again."

"Yes I do," Jiraiya snarled. "You're forgetting, Tsunade. I lost a son. He's been thirteen years dead. Thirteen years I've had to regret, wishing I could take his place. Don't think you're the only one who's ever lost someone you care about."

"And if you were given a chance to revive him, would you take it?" Tsunade asked, not backing down.

"In a heartbeat," Jiraiya answered immidiatly, plowing on ahead when Tsunade opened her mouth to argue. "But I wouldn't do it this way. Minato wouldn't want to come back like this. He would never want to be brought back to life only to discover that I'd sacrificed someone else in his place. He would hate me for the rest of my life." He looked her straight in the eye. "And Dan and Nawaki would do the same."

"Don't talk to me about what they would want!" Tsunade thundered. "What do you know? You hardly spoke three words to them!"

"You're right. So tell me, Tsunade, since you knew them best. What would they want?"

Tsunade opened her mouth then hesitated and closed it, looking away. "Uh huh. That's what I thought."

"Is that what this is about?" Tsunade asked angrily. "You're here to lecture me on how to live my life? To tell me that I should let this chance to see my Dan and my little brother again just slip past me?"

"Orochimaru is setting you up," Jiraiya answered, setting bills down on the table to pay for the broken table, broken glassware, and the consumed sake. "I hope even you are wise enough to see that. The jutsu he's talking about using creates a sham, an imitation of life that will, in many ways, be more painful for you than Dan and your brother dying was." Jiraiya left the stand but stopped and turned back. When he faced Tsunade again, she was surprised to see the rage and killing intent in his eyes. It was the deadly serious side that Jiraiya hid behind a veil of idiocy. This was Jiraiya of the Sannin, not Jiraiya the buffoon. "I wouldn't tell you how to live your life, Tsunade. That's not what this was. This is a warning."

"A warning of what?" Tsunade asked.

"I'm warning you to stay away from Naruto," Jiraiya said, killing intent doubling. "Don't do anything to harm my godson. If you do…" he turned and started walking away, but his last words found Tsunade on the wind. "I'll kill you."

Shizune was still watching Naruto and Gohan train, hours later, the sun long since gone, when Jiraiya found her. "How'd it go?" She murmured, not wanting to disturb the boys. An explosion rocked the area as Naruto slammed another Rasengan into the much-abused rock he'd been using for practice the last few days.

"About as well as I expected but less well than I hoped," Jiraiya answered.

"Do you think she'll really…you know. Kill Naruto-kun?"

"She won't get that chance," Jiraiya said dangerously. "I'll kill her before I let her touch one hair on Naruto's head. I owe Minato that much," he whispered.

"Huh?"

"Nothing."

The pair stood in silence for another minute or two. "What do we do about tomorrow?" Shizune asked. "Orochimaru said she had a week. That was six days ago. Tomorrow is when the time is up and she has to decide."

Jiraiya looked worried for the first time. "I hate admit it," he said slowly. "But it may very well come down to a battle between the Sannin."

"But all three of you are skilled shinobi!" Shizune protested. "If all three of you were to engage in a battle…" she trailed off and let Jiraiya fill it in.

"At least one of us would die," he finished. Shizune nodded.

"Do you think it will come to that?"

"I guess there's only one way to find out. I better get some rest. I have a feeling that it's going to be a long day tomorrow," Jiraiya said, walking away. Shizune nodded and followed after him. If he was going to put his life on the line to stop Orochimaru, then Shizune would as well. And if Tsunade happened to side with the snake…well she would cross that bridge when…if it came up.

The war starts next chapter! So look forward to it!