These characters belong to Masashi Kishimoto.

Izumo knew that getting called into Tsunade's office before lunch was not beneficial to his health. The Hokage wouldn't be able to get her hands on a bottle of Sake until noon. Only a handful of people could side step her wrath. He was one of the few but it had taken him time and blood to pick up that particular trick. And he had only come because she asked specifically for him. He sighed, as he climbed the last flight of stairs and found himself walking down a gently curving hallway, marking that he had indeed made his way to the Hokage's round tower. He looked ahead to see Shizune's empty desk. He really should just ask her out but something always came up right as he tried to ask. Kakashi coming in nearly dead from a mission going horribly wrong, Tsunade trying to strangle a client that stared south of her eyes a few times too many, and now he knew the thunderous roaring from the next room would get in the way today. Another load roar sounded and he flinched involuntarily. The room was soundproof. Just as he was about to back away from the tempest on the other side a slender brunette slipped though a crack in the solid wood door and slammed it shut as something collided against it violently.

Izumo scratched his hitai-ate covered head as he took in Shizune's disheveled appearance.

"Things going that bad with the council?"

He helped her to her feet as she nodded, "They want her to pick another successor."

Izumo frowned, "When will those old farts see that Naruto is the best ninja to ever wear the Leaf symbol. He's surpassed Kakashi, Jiraiya, his father…"

Shizune shared a heavy sigh with him, "They refuse to acknowledge him because they have no proof. That's why I asked for you."

He stared at Shizune, getting distracted by the slight pink tint to her cheeks before remembering that he was confused by something else. "What? Why?"

She motioned for him to follow her which he did. The girl could ask him to walk through fire and he would step into the burning flames without a second thought.

"You and Kotetsu have seen almost all of the mission reports handed in when you were Tsunade-sama's assistants."

He held open the door to the stairwell as she continued down.

"There is a certain scroll we need to find. You might remember it but I doubt it. I barely remember it. But I do know that it had a certain seal."

Izumo racked his brain and came up with nothing as he opened another door, leading out to another spacious hallways three floors down from the Hokage's office.

"A seal from the Land of Whirlpool."

Izumo stopped in the middle of the hall. From what he knew about Whirlpool country was barely anything. Konoha hadn't done any business with them in years. He caught up to Shizune matching her pace. "You found something didn't you?"

She sent him a smile that had him tripping on his own boots. "Years ago Whirlpool asked for our help. A smart mouthed red haired woman came to the city. The Third asked Minato to partner up with Kushina. That's how they got together in the first place. Back then you still had to sign contracts in your own blood."

He opened the door to the room that Shizune wandered toward as his mind latched onto her hints.

"You're going to use the blood from the scroll to match to Naruto's blood. A paternity test!"

The excitement in her brown eyes made his heart beat speed up, "They can't deny his linage if we can prove it from both parents!"

He stepped into the room and all the excitement he felt suddenly dropped down two levels. Boxes were overflowing and stacked nearly to the ceiling. He looked back to Shizune and sighed when he met her pleading eyes. Just why oh why could he not say no to anything she asked? He sighed as he strode forward and began to pull out long forgotten boxes and started to sift through them.

"Thank you Izumo, for helping."

He shrugged as he eyed yellowing scrolls trying to ignore the smell of stale ink, "If it'll help Naruto then I'd run through the streets naked."

He stealthily looked at her out of the corner of his eye as she dusted off her own box. He liked the blush he got out of the woman.

"He'd saved my life twice now and he nearly got himself killed to save this village. He deserves this. It would be an honor for this village to have him as Hokage, not the other way around."

He caught Shizune smiling at him and it made his heart raced faster than it should have, she gave that smile to everyone. He turned back to his work but Shizune's voice brought his eyes to her again.

"I'm sorry I had to drag you here on your day off though."

He shrugged, "its okay. I don't mind. I've got good company."

He almost missed the blush she tried to hide from him as she peered closer into the large brown box. The company might be good but as he looked at the vast amounts of boxes he had to look through, the day was starting to look gray with a slight musky smell.

Hours passed and between the two of them they had gotten through almost a quarter of the room. Izumo sneezed as dust settled once again into his nose.

"They aren't very good at cleaning are they?"

Shizune laughed as she placed another box on the side of the room they designated as the lost cause zone.

"Maybe I'll ask Tsunade-sama to get a few genin to go on a super secret mission."

Izumo laughed along with her. When he was younger his super secret genin missions were helping old ladies with their chores or finding lost pets. Not much had changed these days.

"Then maybe this would have been easier. My eyes are going to be red for weeks."

"Oh."

The disappointment in her voice was crushing.

"You can go really I can handle it by myself."

"I told you that if you ever needed me all you had to do was ask. You asked and I'm here. I don't really have the best track record with turning you down you know."

It was true. He had turned down a mission asked of him from the Hokage but when she asked him to go on that same mission it had only taken the words "it's important to me" coming from the petite assistant for him to walk back into Tsunade's office and accept the mission he had just declined. Then there was the time that Iruka had gotten the flu and Izumo had become a substitute teacher at the academy all because Shizune told him he was good with kids. Kotetsu had never laughed as much as when Izumo went back to his normal job as a Gate Watcher with blue hair. But he didn't mind. Because when everything was all said and done he always got to see Shizune smile and that was a reward in and of itself. That same smile that he loved so much crept back into full bloom on her face and it clouded his mind.

"I'd do anything to see you smile."

He heard Shizune drop whatever she was holding. He hurriedly picked up yet another scroll and looked through it. He really hadn't meant to let that slip. Damn this dust and damn that smile of hers. But somehow he couldn't really think about damning the woman he had this unrelenting crush on. He could however damn himself for not being able to ask her out. Even now he couldn't do it. She had too much on her plate as it was. He glanced back at the gentle slope of her shoulders as she leaned down to pick up another box. She was the Switzerland between Tsunade and, well, just about everyone. He wanted to ask today but he couldn't now. His timing was always bad when it counted especially now, with the council. He wanted to strangle the grumpy oldsters and he could only imagine what Tsunade wanted to do to them. He sighed as he set another box aside. Just as the box thumped on the floor another box thumped on the other side of the room followed by more loud thumps. Before Izumo could even comprehend what was happening he found himself pressed firmly against Shizune from the weight of the boxes on his back. He shrugged the heavy cardboard off but didn't move away. Not with the way Shizune peered up at him. He felt her move beneath him, something hard moved under his chest.

"I found it."

He let out a gentle sigh as he smiled down at her and the scroll she pulled out from between them.

"You had to pick the highest box didn't you?"

She shrugged her shoulders which bumped into the heel of his palms that lay flat on the floor above her supporting him. He could feel her under him as she moved. He could feel the knot of her wrap around dress press into his belly. He could also feel the warmth of her skin soak into his clothes. He locked eyes with her as she blushed. He glanced off to the side but his vision didn't meet the floor like he wanted it to, it landed on a slender cut on her cheek. Even though he took the brunt of the impact for her she still got scratched. He wanted to groan at his timing but instead he peered at the single droplet of blood welling up to the surface.

"You've cut yourself."

"Are you going to kiss it better?"

He studied her face and found the tiniest hind of a blush gracing her features. He always said yes to her. Why stop now? He bent his face down to hers. He heard Shizune suck in a breath of air. He felt her lungs expand beneath him. He tried not to notice what else brushed against his chest as she did that. He let his lips gently brush against her cut. But he should have known that just one little brush of his lips against her smooth skin wouldn't be enough. He found his lips kissing her again and again and again, his kisses landing further and further away from her boo boo and closer and closer to her mouth. But he couldn't stop himself. Just as he was about to finally kiss the lips that made his heart nearly stop with all those smiles he heard the doorknob turn. He shot back away from Shizune who hadn't moved since he gave her that first tender kiss. He sat on his haunches and stared blankly at one of Shizune's medical assistants.

"Shizune-san I've set up the lab like you asked. They're ready to run the test when you find the scroll… What happened in here?"

Shizune was blushing as she pulled herself from the pile of papers and files around her.

"Nothing. A little accident but I found it. Take it up to Hematology right away."

The medical assistant nodded once and left the room after glancing back at the heap of boxes and papers on the floor. Shizune hadn't looked back at him yet. Izumo wanted to kick himself. She was probably kidding and he read the signals wrong. At least before she didn't know about him liking her. Now it would be awkward at every chance encounter. He cursed under his breath for ruining any chance he had with her.

"We should probably clean this place up."

Izumo picked up the overturned box to his right. This was probably the box with the sharp corner that caught him in between his shoulder blades. He'd probably have a bruise from using himself as a shield. He almost regretted saving her because of the position it had now put him in but he couldn't regret his actions. He'd risk his life for her whether it be to an S ranked ninja or meager boxes.

"Izumo?"

The apprehension in her voice made his heart fall. He stopped shoving the files back into their cardboard graves but he couldn't bring himself to look up at her.

"Yeah?"

"It still hurts."

His head shot up to see her staring at him, her cheeks still slightly heated from her delicate blush. He pulled himself from his squatting position and stood before her in three long strides. Once again his lips landed on soft skin and he laid a gentle kiss on her slightly swollen cut. He pulled back and looked into her brown eyes.

"Better?"

"Much."

Then her lips were pressed against his. Izumo wrapped is hands around the smaller woman, pulling her against him and hoisting her up a little higher so he could kiss her better. He reveled in the taste of her. She was tangy and sweet like the spiced tea she loved so much. He was sure she could hear his heart beat humming in his veins. He never wanted to stop kissing her but they both needed some air. He let her slip against him, making sure she found her footing but he didn't let her go. She played with his haired that poked out of his capped hitai-ate.

"Why didn't you tell me that you liked me sooner?"

"I always had bad timing. I was going to tell you today but with all this going on I didn't want to add anything else to your plate."

"As long as you pay for my plate then I won't mind you adding to it."

He smiled down at Shizune, "Are you asking me out on a date?"

She smiled right back at him hooking her arms around his neck leaning further up against him.

"I think I am."

He caught her smug smiling lips in his own and let his tongue do the answering but soon they were interrupted again. A loud crash could be heard followed by a bellowing muffled voice. It sounded like it was coming from right next door but they both knew it was coming from three floors up. They looked at each other and smiled.

"We'll tell Tsunade later."