Naruto Uzumaki and the Legendary Sannin Chapter 15: The Cursed Necklace, a Harry Potter + Naruto Crossover fanfic

"Blah": Talking

'Blah': Demon speaking/Inner Sakura

'Blah': Naruto's thoughts/other people's thoughts

'Blah': Harry talking to Naruto

I got a new chapter here! I didn't expect to finish up this chapter so soon, but I had a pretty exciting week and a few free afternoons to finish it up. But before we get started (for those few of you out there that like to read these introductions) I thought I'd take a moment to talk about the new Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them teaser trailer that premiered recently.

At the time I'm writing this, the trailer has already been out for over a week now. So I've had time to watch it a few times, read up on Magic in North America on Pottermore (Gryffindor House 4ever XD) and needless to say: I'm pretty excited to see this movie ^^

I mean, when I heard it was announced, I wasn't very enthusiastic about it. I viewed it as Warner Brothers trying to drag out another beloved franchise, fresh off the heels of the unnecessarily long Hobbit Trilogy. And while it does still kinda feel like that, I'm still very eager to check it out. I like how this isn't Harry Potter's story for a change and we get to see more of the wizarding world without Voldemort mucking everything up and screaming, "Nyahhhh!" Setting the movie in 1926 and moving the setting to North America is a refreshing change of pace. I was always curious about the American wizarding world. Especially if you're an American kid, doubting your acceptance letter to wizarding school would even be from Hogwarts. And… while I'm not entirely happy with how the Magical Congress of the Untied States of America basically segregated Muggles (No-Majs) for over 200 years and how super-strict they are when it comes to the International Statute of Secrecy, it still makes for an interesting setting. Especially if this story involves Newt Scamander accidentally unleashing a Pandora's Box full of magical creatures in the heart of New York City. And speaking of Newt, I think I'm really going to like this guy ^^ Eddie Redmayne is great actor (ignoring his performance in Jupiter Ascending) and already he reminds me an awful lot of Doctor Who with how eccentric, energetic, curious, and adventurous he's coming across in the trailers. Tina Goldstein sure is beautiful and she could be interesting to learn more about and her sister Queenie looks like a lot of fun. And as for Jacob Kowalski, I think it's a great idea for a No-Maj to be part of this team of central characters. I would love to see a Muggle character interacting with the magical world that isn't tossed aside as soon as we're introduced to them or viewed as an abusive, overweight, ignorant asshole. I mean, in Avatar: the Last Airbender, Sokka wasn't a powerful bender and yet he was a key member of the group and could kick some serious ass, and don't forget about Suki. So it's entirely possible to include a normal person in this group of wizards and witches. I just hope Dan Fogler hits it out of the park with this role ^_^ but I can only hope

But I think we ought to return to the latest chapter of Naruto and Harry's story now. We last left off with Tsunade being conflicted over Orochimaru's offer, so now we're moving on to when Naruto meets the third member of the Sannin

Without further delay, please enjoy this latest chapter! Here we go!

Reviews are welcome and wanted!

Disclaimer: Naruto is the property of Masashi Kishimoto

Harry Potter is the property of JK Rowling

Chapter 15: The Cursed Necklace

After the journey through the nearly endless snowy fields and jagged rocks, Jiraiya and his busy pupil reached the outskirts of Tanzaku Quarters. An immensely tall archway followed by stone steps leading into the community greeted the two shinobi upon arrival. Feeling a bit winded after the climb, Jiraiya retreated into a nearby gambling house. Though it ought to be mentioned, while they entered the community and traveled over miles of rocky fields, Naruto continued his efforts to perfect the jutsu. All the while, each of his failed attempts resulted in an almost explosive amount of chakra bursting the balloon in his hands with enough force to knock him off his feet. To which, Jiraiya would reply by rolling his eyes, sighing to himself, and moved on; never noticing the unusual sounds emanating from his student's rucksack every time he fell over.

Naruto still doubted his ability to master this still unnamed jutsu, but it would take a lot more to get him to give up after the last three months of training.

'This is not easy,' he thought while Jiraiya began asking a few local gamblers about Tsunade's whereabouts, 'At the rate this is going, it may as well take me three years until I finally master this!'

Harry puzzled over their conundrum before an idea popped in his head, feeling slightly stupid for not remembering earlier, 'You know, I kinda feel like an arse for saying this so late in the game, but what if we… I dunno, tried to finish up this jutsu with your shadow clones? Remember when Hayate told us about how you could gain their experience a lot faster by making a few of them train for you before they pop? And then their experience becomes yours? Heh! I think we both kinda forgot about that…'

Naruto had been concentrating on another balloon during their conversation, ignoring a local gambler trying to swindle him. At the same time, Jiraiya was playing Chō-Han to win information from another gambler. But he seemed to have made a mistake as the mustached gambler slowly removed the bamboo cup from over the dice after the roll. At that moment, Harry's revelation with the use of shadow clones caused Naruto to lose focus and curse loudly.

"SON OF A-" he started, but then the balloon burst.

The blonde genin was thrown off his feet and the bursting bubble of chakra released a powerful blast of wind that shook the entire gambling house and sent the man trying to get Naruto's attention to be thrown aside like a rag doll. Jiraiya's long white hair went flying and he looked down, smirking as the blast caused the dice to roll and he won.

"Nice save, Naruto," he muttered under his breath and then he chuckled at the gambler seated across him, "Ho ho! Looks like I won! Now where was she headed?"

The blonde rookie blinked at the scene played out before him, visibly deflating as he realized how much time he could have saved in the last three months of his training.

Jiraiya scoped the casino where the man from the gambling house said Tsunade was going to win back the money she lost at the gambling house. But the slot machines and private gaming rooms were not occupied by the blonde woman featured on the photograph he carried and showed to all those he questioned thus far.

It was during this venture, Naruto's very first time being inside of a casino, that he took a break from the balloons and explored. His curiosity spiked as he looked around at all the flashy, bright colors, blinking lights, and arcade sound effects coming from the slot machines nearby. Spying a single coin left forgotten on the floor, he decided to try out the slot machine closest to him.

"Suppose it wouldn't hurt to play one game if it's going to be free," he said with a curious smile as he slid the coin into the tiny slot.

When Jiraiya found out from a local patron that Tsunade was last seen headed toward Tanzaku Castle earlier that day, he left the casino with Naruto, feeling envious of his luck: his student beamed as he held his frog wallet, now crammed full with more credits than he had before Jiraiya went ahead and spent it all.

"Lucky little punk," he mumbled under his breath while he pouted, "Who the hell could get that far with just one coin?!"

Naruto rubbed his cheek against his now very fat novelty wallet while his cheeks blushed in the cold, "Lucky! Lucky! Lucky! I see now why those prohibitions you mentioned are so important! If I had stayed there, I would have probably started blowing it all off after that last slot! Heh!"

Jiraiya's pout vanished, as he suddenly looked more sly and greedy; he leaned over Naruto, reaching his hand toward the very plump frog wallet, "Say, if you want me to keep your winnings safe, you could always lend me your wallet and-"

"Touch the wallet and you're gonna lose one of your hands," Naruto threatened before he slid the wallet deep into his rucksack, which made Jiraiya back off and raise his hands in a weak surrender.

"Okay, okay, okay, I'm kidding, kiddo," he said before he fished into his tunic for a spyglass and said, "Tsunade was last seen heading towards the castle overlooking the city. If we miss her, we could still use the altitude to spy her from a distance. She should still be close by, but let's move it."

Naruto nodded and followed his teacher, "Right!"

But when the two of them reached the base of the tourist attraction, they were surprised to find there was no castle at all. Suspicious, Jiraiya hopped to the closest roof of a wall surrounding where the castle should have been and his disciple followed. They were both left breathless and confused when all they saw were the ruined remains of a castle before. A few minutes earlier, they both could have sworn they felt a tremor back in the casino, followed by a low rumble. But it was over almost as soon as it started and neither of them thought much of it up until now. As they stood on the roof, they spotted a few people fleeing the scene in terror. One of them, a middle-aged civilian, dressed in a wintery gardening uniform, was one of the last people looking as if they were running for their lives.

Jiraiya called out to him before he fled, "Hey there, stranger! What the hell happened over there?!"

"You ought to run too! There are monsters up there," the man shouted.

Naruto blinked, thinking of thestrals or dementors, "Monsters?"

"What sort of monsters?! What do you mean?" the Sannin questioned as he instinctually and defensively stepped closer to his student.

The gardener stammered, "A-A serpent! IT WAS A GIANT SERPENT! It destroyed the entire castle in an instant!"

Naruto stopped breathing, feeling as if his stomach dropped into his lower intestine. He sharply looked up at his teacher and Jiraiya looked right back at him. The blonde genin was certainly alarmed as he reached towards the wand hidden in his pocket. The Sannin looked more brave and silently determined and focused while the gardener fled without another word.

"Orochimaru," the genin muttered.

Jiraiya nodded and commanded his student in a strict but protective tone in his voice, "Stick close to me no matter what, Naruto. Understood?"

"You don't have to tell me twice," the teen answered before he followed his mentor towards the castle ruins, drawing his wand out of reflex while he ran close behind the Sannin.

But much to their collective confusion, no one was there. The serpent the panicked gardener claimed was nowhere to be seen and no hint of chalk-white skin or long black hair was anywhere to be found. Jiraiya landed on the road at the foot of the ruins with a thundering boom that literally cracked the earth beneath him, raising dust around him and his small blonde companion. Naruto followed close behind and trembled at the impact his large mentor made when he landed. Jiraiya looked serious and quite fearsome as he looked from side to side, one of his arms hovering over Naruto protectively; ready to grab him at a moments notice.

But it didn't seem entirely necessary when he sensed no immediate danger nearby; he couldn't sense any chakra apart from Naruto's and the area seemed relatively peaceful apart from the obvious ruins. He noticed the blown out wall nearby and couldn't help but feel a slight squirm in his belly, recognizing it as possibly Tsunade's handiwork. But apart from that, it didn't seem as though much of a fight had occurred apartment from the wall.

"So where is he?" asked a somewhat uneasy Naruto, before he asked, feeling a bit more relaxed as he stood taller, "Do you think he's gone?"

"Yeah," the Sannin nodded as he let Naruto move out from under his wing, "It looks like he's gone…" then Jiraiya took a second to realize Naruto was holding a thin wooden rod as if it were a weapon and asked in a more joking manner, "What's with the stick? You run out of kunai or something?"

Naruto froze in place before he looked down and flinched, forcing a blush to rise in his cheeks, hiding his wand very quickly into his coat, "Uhh, oh! Whoops! Heh! I guess I did!"

'Nice save,' Harry commented.

"You're ridiculous sometimes, kiddo…" the Sannin smiled before he stood up taller and checked out the area some more, "It doesn't look like Tsunade's here either, so let's head back to town."

Naruto looked back at the Sannin and reminded him, "What about that stuff you mentioned about the altitude?"

"Ooh, right," the tall man blushed too and moved very much like his student as he dug around for his spyglass, "Thanks for reminding me, kiddo! We won't be able to see as far without the height of the castle rooftops, but the tops of these walls should do fine."

About an hour later, after it became too dark for the Sannin to search for Tsunade with the spyglass, Jiraiya and Naruto headed back to town as the Sannin tucked the device back into his tunic.

"No luck…" the blonde genin sighed before turning to his teacher, "Do you think she's still here in this town?"

Jiraiya shrugged, "I don't know. But I do know I would have spotted her from a distance if she were leaving. For now, let's keep looking around here and see if anyone else has seen her after the casino and the castle."

"I can't help but think she might have made a run for it if Orochimaru was here," Naruto commented as his fears got the best of him.

"That's possible," the Sannin admitted while they walked by a pet store, noticing a few pet snakes displayed in the window, before he reasoned, "but we don't know if he was here looking for you or looking for Tsunade."

The blonde rookie looked back at his mentor and asked, "Why would he be looking for her, too?"

"I don't know," the white-haired man said again as he frowned, "But whatever his reasons are, it can't be good... One possible theory could be that he knows we're out looking for her and wants to finish her off before we can get her to help us. I mean, if Orochimaru has a mole inside Konoha (whether it's Danzo or not) it would make sense if he knows about our mission. But it's just a theory; for all we know, he could have a completely different reason for looking for her."

With that said, Naruto couldn't help but think of his own possible theory for why Orochimaru would change his mind from sending Oto-nin to hunt him down, to searching for the same medic he and Jiraiya were currently tracking down.

'Harry? Do you think it might have something to do with that curse?'

'Doubtful. But then again, I'm willing to bet Orochimaru doesn't know medical ninjutsu won't have an effect on his condition.'

'Yeah, but this Tsunade is supposed to be a legendary medical-nin, right? So wouldn't it make sense that he thinks there might be a chance Tsunade's ninjutsu could fix him?'

'Maybe… But that curse is ancient, not to mention unbreakable. We don't have anything to worry about.'

'Except maybe running into the freaky snake guy if he's snooping around for the same target we're after.'

'Touché.'

Not too far down the road, Tsunade and Shizune were seated at a table in one of the numerous local taverns. Tsunade had removed her coat, wearing a grey, sleeveless, kimono-style blouse, closed lowly by a dark obi, exploiting her sizable cleavage while she drank an alarming amount of alcohol. She had long given up on using the little white cups and drank sake straight out of the bottle. The whole time, Shizune was forced to watch while remaining sober herself.

"Yo! Mister! 'Nother round over here! C'mon!" she shouted, as her face blushed deeper and deeper with every sip.

"Lady Tsunade," her worrisome assistant chided, came across more as a weak whining, "You've had enough already!"

But the blonde woman ignored her and treated herself to another bottle from a slightly reluctant waiter. As she continued to watch her mentor becoming more and more drunk every passing minute, Shizune felt terribly depressed, conflicted, and betrayed all at once. Her lips quivered before her eyes turned away from her master and found the wooden table and the floor patterns of the pub a little more interesting.

Just outside the very same pub, Jiraiya's nose picked up the scent of fried chicken and booze coming from inside. It sure got his stomach growling as his mouth began watering up. He turned to the pub rather greedily as he eagerly rubbed his stomach. Naruto stopped with him and got a bad feeling when his teacher turned toward the bar with that hungry look on his face.

Jiraiya then announced, "Let's stop in here for a bite to eat…"

"Isn't this a tavern?" his pupil questioned, "You shouldn't be dragging me into places like this! I'm still underage!"

"Taverns have food and normal drinks here, too," the Sannin brushed off and insisted as he raised the curtain into the bar, "Besides, kiddo, places like these are the best places to gather the latest news and Intel!"

But almost as soon as he entered, the drunken blonde woman seated directly across the entrance recognized the proud and boastful booming voice. She looked up, temporarily breaking free of her drunken stupor and recognized the aged face of her other, still astonishingly tall and broad-chinned, former teammate. Jiraiya spotted her instantly and remained still, so astonished to have literally stumbled right into her but also by how stunning she looked, even though he knew it was a clever illusion. She still managed to make his heart skip a beat by the very sight of her.

Naruto followed and spotted the blonde woman across the bar and held his breath. He only caught a glimpse of her likeness in the photograph Jiraiya carried, but it was uncanny. He couldn't believe it was really her, fearing they might have been too late or Orochimaru might have killed her only moments ago.

"Tsunade," he heard his mentor breathe.

And then the woman responded, confirming her identity when she shrieked, "Jiraiya?!"

Naruto felt warm and filled with hope that their mission was coming to a successful close and he would be going home soon as he watched the two Sannin locked eyes.

"W-What in the world are you doing here?!" Tsunade asked, flabbergasted to be seeing her old friend for the first time in over a decade, but then the next question she asked was, "Have you put on weight?"

Jiraiya visibly deflated in a frustrated and exhausted sigh before he mumbled and avoided answering her second question, "We finally found you…"

The waiter returned with additional drinks and also food for the group of shinobi and kunoichi seated in the booth. Naruto was the only person not drinking alcohol, due to his age, but also the only person that seemed to have an appetite as he dug into a lamb kabob and salt-broiled fish. The adults were astonishingly quiet and none of them seemed very interested in eating, especially Jiraiya after Tsunade made that comment about his weight. It was a stark contrast how Naruto was drinking a glass of chocolate milk while the adults had glasses now partially filled with strong alcohol or the occasional mixed drink that remained mostly untouched.

But it wasn't just the drinks or the desire to eat that was noticeable. Naruto expected Tsunade to show more enthusiasm or at least be curious about what her former teammate had been up to after so many years. But instead, the blonde wizard sensed a lot of tension between them and especially from the dark-haired lady. For a while, no one said anything and no one bothered to ask who Naruto was nor did Jiraiya make an effort to introduce him. But that didn't bother him in the slightest right now; it was more important to him now that the adults talk business and let Jiraiya do whatever he needed to convince the best medical-nin in the world to come back to the village. So Naruto showed his best manners and stayed quiet while he ate what he assumed was now his supper.

It was rather tempting for the rookie to want to break the silence, feeling rather uncomfortable after no one said anything for nearly ten minutes straight. The most exciting thing that happened was when Tsunade removed a deck of blue cards from her blouse. This caused Naruto to look away awkwardly, Jiraiya to smile, and made Harry blush. The two Sannin then played a silent game of cards, possibly poker, which Jiraiya won with a very lucky hand. Tsunade scowled at her lose and tossed the useless hand she held aside. Soon after that, Tsunade broke the awkward silence after a surprisingly restrained sip from her drink.

"Been seeing a lot of familiar faces today," she said.

"Including Orochimaru?" Jiraiya asked, sounding more like an interrogator, not bothering to beat around the bush as he sharply tapped the cards into an organized deck, "What was he doing here?"

Shizune turned sharply at her mentor but then she shot a glaring look right back at her, growling slightly. Naruto heard it too and suddenly lost his appetite as he sat up straight. He would have inched a little further away from the blonde Sannin, surprising by her sudden hostility until he heard an unmistakable snorting.

He nearly jumped in his seat as a small, plump pig emerged next to Shizune and started eating from the small bowl of rice belonging to her. Naruto would have wanted to address the pig wearing the red vest and pearl necklace, helping itself to the food on their table. But given the lack of reaction from the adults, this seemed to be a regular occurrence to them.

Naruto had certainly seen stranger things ever since he became a shinobi: from talking dogs and toads, or thestrals living in abandoned barn houses and jinchuuriki, he took the latest absurdity in stride. The rookie simply drank from his glass of milk, careful to keep it far from the pig.

"Nothing much," she claimed casually, "Just wanted to catch up, I suppose."

Jiraiya wasn't convinced as she avoided looking directly at him while she answered.

"But what are you doing here anyway?" she fired back as she slumped back into a drunken stupor, "What do you want from me?"

Naruto feared it wasn't going to be easy to talk her into returning to the village, picking up on her slightly bratty tone. But he also started to doubt her credibility as such a legendary healer, as he watched her slouch and occasionally hiccupped.

Jiraiya set his suspicions concerning Orochimaru aside and told it to her as straight and as charismatic as was expected of him, "We need your help. You see, our dear old sensei… Well, he's not doing so well right now. He's been poisoned and now he's circlin' in the drain."

The blonde-haired rookie felt his stomach ache a bit at the reminder of the old man's condition. But it worked to earn Tsunade's attention; Shizune as well as she seemed worried by the news.

"But there's still a chance we can save his life," Jiraiya mentioned with a hint of hope rising in his voice.

Tsunade then started snickering, not showing as much concern as her companion while the Sannin taunted her old friend, "You need me, then? To make a house call and fix his boo-boos?"

"He doesn't have a lot of time left, Tsunade," frowned Jiraiya before he sounded more insistent, "The whole village depends on this."

"Somehow, I don't buy it," Tsunade said as her emotions flipped on a dime, now sounding more insulted before she looked at her former teammate and turned the tables on him, "You went through all this trouble looking for me, traveling for what I assume was hundreds and hundreds of miles, all so that you can ask me to help heal our idiot of a teacher back to health?" the thing was, Jiraiya seemed a little bit nervous, especially as she continued, "Something tells me you're not giving me all the facts…"

Naruto turned to his mentor, confused as he watched a small bead of sweat run down his cheek.

"What are you really here for, Jiraiya?" Tsunade questioned in a more serious, demanding tone, "Why do you want me to come back to Konoha?"

Jiraiya said nothing for a few moments before he let out a tired sigh and decided to come clean, dreading Naruto's inevitable reaction, "What the hell… The village requests that you accept the title as the Godaime Hokage."

Tsunade was surprised, Shizune was taken aback but seemed more confused at the request, and Naruto's face was frozen in shock. The blonde rookie would have done one hell of a spit-take if he were drinking his chocolate milk at the time. But instead he turned to his teacher, angry and confused.

"What?!" the blonde-haired teenager shouted, earning the attention of the other tavern patrons with his outburst.

Jiraiya rolled his eyes and he muttered, "Here we go…"

"You told me that we needed to find her to help save the Sandaime," the blonde rookie avowed in a more controlled, but heated tone as Tsunade and Shizune watched the genin speak to the Sannin as if he were more his friend than his master, "You never said that we were out recruiting his replacement!"

"Calm down," the Sannin ordered his disciple with a firm but reasonable attitude.

"No, I won't," Naruto thundered but then he slowed down as he continued to frown at his teacher, looking more hurt than angrily defiant when he said, "You never once mentioned to me that we were setting out to find the new Hokage, when I agreed to go out this far to help save the Hokage that's still alive!"

The Sannin would have commanded Naruto to be quiet but his student had calmed down on his own. The blonde rookie still frowned at his mentor, and the look on his face suggested he still had something to say to him.

"Why didn't you tell me?" he asked, disappointment clearly evident in his voice.

The Sannin couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt when he asked him that, reminding Jiraiya how his student reacted to the truth about the Akatsuki, and he sighed, "I figured you would have been upset if I told you the truth… Homura and Koharu, the Konoha Council, tasked me to find his replacement if we're too late to help him or if he's unable to fulfill his duties as Hokage… That is, assuming of course, Tsunade agrees to come back to Konoha."

Naruto still looked angry with the Sannin, though he seemed more upset. He did not appreciate not being told the entire truth of their mission from the beginning. To the young genin, it was just as bad as lying, especially when the life of someone he cared about was on the line.

"It would not have made a difference to me whatsoever if you had told me that three months ago. I still would have been on board with this mission," he assured, and revealed what disappointed him most, showing how much he came around to trusting the Sannin after the last several months, "After everything that happened in Pleasure Avenue, I thought you weren't going to keep secrets from me anymore."

Jiraiya realized where his student was coming from and frowned, "I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize," Naruto spoke up, sounding more forgiving, "Just make it up to me."

Tsunade had heard quite enough at this point and quickly grew irritated, "Jiraiya, who the hell is this brat?"

"This is Naruto Uzumaki," the Sannin smirked with a hint of pride as he turned back to catch the look on his teammate's face.

The blonde woman's eyes widened slightly as she looked back at Naruto. She looked at his face, recognizing something about the rookie, be it his demeanor or his likeness. She also hadn't heard that surname since before she left the village behind.

"Uzumaki," she then breathed too low for the others to hear.

Without further interruptions, Jiraiya returned to their original conversation, "So… back to business: Will you at least agree to come back home and save the old man?"

Naruto watched the Legendary Sucker in silence, feeling somewhat embarrassed when he reflected on his interruption. Tsunade didn't answer right away, which caused Shizune to look at her master as if she were anticipating something bad. Jiraiya narrowed his eyes suspiciously at her, catching the look on Shizune's face and wondered what was going on inside his old teammate's head that made her so reluctant to answer. She sat there for a whole minute, her face still pink from the alcohol, before she finally answered.

"No thanks. I decline," she stated.

Jiraiya was surprised, visibly confused and somewhat appalled by her answer. Tsunade's dark-haired companion seated beside her seemed like her worst fears had come true and tensed up in her seat. Naruto raised his brow when the Sannin answered, his face losing some color then after as he felt his stomach turn cold, making him feel sick. He sat there; looking more shocked and scared than the others as his mind turned to Sarutobi. The blonde rookie couldn't believe she would refuse in the manner she did, not showing any sign of care or concern for the Sandaime's life.

If that was her final answer on the matter, then their mission was a complete failure and the old man would be dead. That thought echoed in Naruto's mind as the genin imagined the face of his surrogate grandfather. He took slow, deep breaths, which turned out to be a more difficult task when his insides felt as cold as ice. Sweat ran down his face while his mind ran through his worst fears. He knew it would only get worse after that: Danzo would become the Godaime and Naruto could never return home; worst of all, his friends would be trapped and made to suffer under Danzo's tyranny. And if that weren't enough, Naruto himself would be doomed to exile and exposed to the threat of Orochimaru and the Akatsuki.

But it looked like Jiraiya wasn't ready to give up when he glanced over at Naruto, noticing his distress. The tall white-haired man cracked a smile and thought back to when he heard Tsunade give him that same answer decades ago.

"That line brings back memories," he said as he let out a warm chuckle, "You used to say the exact same thing back when I asked you to go out with me."

When Jiraiya spoke up and responded as he did, Naruto felt compelled to say something as well, do anything he could to change Tsunade's mind.

"Hang on," he said and then asked, "You're not coming back?"

Tsunade glanced over at him, raising her glass close to her lips and shrugged, looking back at her drink without a care in the world, "I don't feel like it."

That answer didn't cause Naruto to break back down into cold, dark thoughts about the future. That kind of an answer, coming from a grown woman, caused a fire to ignite in his chest.

"What do you mean you don't feel like it?" he asked and then he shouted, "Don't you realize what's at stake?!"

"Naruto," Jiraiya commanded with a firm boom in his voice, forcing Naruto to stop and look at him, and the Sannin had an interesting expression on his face when he ordered his student in a more serene voice, "Calm down."

He did as he was told but noticed the Sannin motion his head towards Tsunade whilst looking straight at him. It seemed, at least from Naruto's point of view, based on his facial expression that he was motioning him to do something. Naruto then noticed he had not ordered him to keep quiet, at least not in the direct sense. It almost seemed like Jiraiya wanted him to talk to Tsunade, but go about it more calmly.

Harry picked up on it too and wondered, 'I suspect one of the reasons he brought us on this mission was in case he wasn't able to convince her by himself… Maybe he needed you to show her what's at risk, aside from Sarutobi's health.'

'If that's true, then I better do a good job,' he thought back, not minding the possibility of Jiraiya using him to add further emotional weight to his persuasion.

"I don't," the blonde rookie cleared his throat and tried to make his best argument, "I don't understand. Why would you refuse to help him? Why won't you come back? Even if you do agree to return to the village, no one is going to force you to become Hokage. All we need you to do is come back and help the Sandaime. You could still refuse the elder's request."

Tsunade looked at him again, looking bored and answered back before she sipped again, "Like I said, I'm not interested."

"But-" the response he received nearly made Naruto explode in a fit of anger at her stubbornness, but calmed down (learning from his past mistakes) as his mind turned to warm memories of the old man, causing him to sound more heartfelt as he spoke, "Look… I… I don't know what happened between you and the Hokage that makes you so uninterested in coming back to save his life… But he means a whole lot to me… he's my grandfather."

Jiraiya frowned at that last detail but the blonde kunoichi and her companion both blinked at genin. Tsunade looked from her drink and was rather confused while Shizune seemed lost.

The Sannin said as she doubted the rookie was a blood-relative of her sensei, "What?"

"Well, I mean, he's not my real grandfather, I know that. But he was the one who raised me," he corrected himself awkwardly as Jiraiya looked away for a moment, Shizune understood better, though her mentor simply rolled her eyes and drank more, "He's the closest thing I've ever had to a grandfather… I know he's not perfect and he makes mistakes, but his heart's always in the right place," when he said that, Naruto remembered how the Hokage had acknowledged his failure to give him a normal childhood and remembered the remorse the old man shown because of it (further fueling his desire to save him), and he said reasonably, "He has a lot of regrets… but for as long as I've known him he's always tried to make up for everything he's done… Like I said, he's not perfect but the Sandaime is a good man… and he means the world to me."

Tsunade observed Naruto in silence and she listened to him well. But she noticed her former teammate grow tense when the genin showered her former sensei with care and forgiveness. She took the moment to glance over at Jiraiya and noticed how he didn't seem to like how much Naruto seemed to admire the old Hokage. Her eyes narrowed suspiciously, maliciously at her teammate, to which he noticed and quickly looked away. But Naruto soon spoke up again and she turned her attention back to him.

"And I'm not alone on that. There is a whole village full of people that need him right now," the blonde rookie guessed it probably wouldn't be a good idea to mention who else was already considered to replace the old man, "Whoever the elders have in mind to replace the Sandaime, there's a good chance their candidate has no interest in following in his footsteps," he spoke with more courage emanating from his voice as he squashed his earlier fears, "I don't understand why you don't care about your sensei anymore, but I bet he wouldn't even hesitate to help you if you ever gave him the chance."

Naruto felt he said enough to make his point and leaned back into his chair. Shizune couldn't help but feel some respect for the genin and turned to her master. Jiraiya smiled at his student and nodded in approval, but then he frowned when he heard a snort, followed by a loud, drunken chortle.

"Heh! Hahahahahahaha," Tsunade laughed mockingly at the blonde rookie as his cheeks turned pink from anger and embarrassment while she snorted at him, "That was one of the cheesiest speeches I've ever heard! Hahahahaha! You lost me right at the end there," she cackled one more time, reflecting her true age, before she calm down and said with an almost evil smile, "But in all seriousness, I couldn't care less about that old man. He's not going to live forever. Sarutobi-sensei was bound to croak sometime soon. May as well accept it and let nature takes it's course, right?"

Jiraiya frowned at his drunken teammate and Shizune looked down at the table. But Naruto sat across from the blonde kunoichi and stared back at her. He didn't think it would be simple to persuade Tsunade, but he also didn't think she would have been so horrendous.

At first, he was heartbroken for the old man and said, "How could you say something like that?" then his anger began to grow as he raised his voice, "How could you be so selfish?!" he stood up from his seat now and the lights above the table flickered, "How could you be so heartless?!" Tsunade watched, in the middle of drinking, as the genin stood and slammed his hands down on the table, rattling the plates and glasses as he shout, "HE WAS YOUR TEACHER!"

Jiraiya was fast to force Naruto to sit back down with a single hand when his disciple earned the attention of the other patrons again. The Sannin didn't have to scold Naruto to get him to pipe down, though he wished Tsunade would stop as well.

"Heh… Jiraiya, where the hell did you find this little hamster?" she teased, earning a nasty look from the blonde rookie, "Unlike your previous disciple, this brat falls short in every department I can think of, all the way down to brains and his looks."

The blonde rookie remarked, "Excuse me?!"

Jiraiya cut him off before he had the chance to add further and tried to take Tsunade's words in stride, "Oh, c'mon, don't be so mean, Tsunade! Little Naruto has plenty of charm to him, once you get to know him. Besides, everyone pales in comparison to Minato Namikaze. His skills were unparalleled; he was overflowing with talent for ninjutsu, smart as hell, popular with the ladies and he was modest about all of it! Just like me, he was quite a looker! Heh!"

Naruto felt his outrage subside as Jiraiya sung praises of the late Yondaime Hokage. The blonde rookie knew the world-famous shinobi was close friends with his mother, so it was nice to learn more about him as a person from the very shinobi that trained him. It served as a good distraction, until Tsunade decided to add her own twist to the lesson.

"But even with all that going for him, the Yondaime died young," that caused Naruto and Jiraiya to look back at her and frown, "Sacrificing his life for the sake of the village," she scoffed, which made the corner of her former teammate's mouth twitch, "Human life isn't like cold, hard cash. To risk it all and throw away is nothing but a fool's errand."

The blonde rookie narrowed his eyes at the Sannin, unable to hold back the hot anger bubbling in him as Tsunade smiled with that remark. Naruto did his best to hold back but as the woman continued her drunken taunts, that task became almost impossible.

"My grandfather and the Nidaime both risked their lives and sacrificed themselves," she lectured and then finished with an unbearably condescending attitude, "They went ahead and died in vain for the sake of the village, and it's still no safer than it ever was."

"What the hell happened to you, Tsunade?" interjected Jiraiya as he frowned at his old friend, showing better patience for her cruel words than his student, "I don't know if these thoughts have always been running through your head, but to go around and say stuff like that-"

"You know I'm not as young as I look. People change over time and pick up a few things over the years," she interrupted and looked over her drink, "Same thing can't be said about our sensei," that made Jiraiya's patience run thin as Tsunade smirked, "If some old fart tries to act like a hero, of course he's done for the second he takes a stand."

Naruto was so enraged when Tsunade mocked Sarutobi's courageousness. He was virtually seconds away from losing control as the lights above the table flickered again. But he was able to keep his magic in check, with Harry's help. He didn't want Naruto to make the same mistake he did with Aunt Marge. But as he gained control over his magic again, the urge to attack Tsunade grew as his face began to turn red, almost like a habanero.

"Face it," she stated with a more serious look, "the title of Hokage is a fool's game."

That would have been the end of it for Naruto if he had a shorter fuse. But with magic at his disposal, he was tempted to reach into his pocket, knock her out cold with a Stunning Jinx, and drag her back to Konoha. Though it looked more like he would much rather wail on Tsunade and cause her as much physical pain as possible. He clenched his fists so tight until his knuckles turned white as he breathed through his nose and shook.

"Speaking of fools," she added with a false optimism, "Our precious teacher should actually be perfectly content with his current situation," that caused Jiraiya's eyes to widen ever so slightly as Tsunade took it too far, "He finally gets to follow in the steps of his predecessors as well as his idiot of a successor, and croak!"

There was a loud and violent crash of sounds that filled the tavern and startled the other patrons; crashed, smashed, shattered plates, bowls, and glasses full of milk, mugs of beer, and bottles of sake littered the floor when Naruto pounced. He didn't grab his wand as he reeled his arm back, intent to cause as much damage as he could upon the kunoichi. But Tsunade didn't even flinch, instead looking mildly annoyed as the last of her drinks were wasted. Not that she would have needed to flinch, because Jiraiya grabbed the back of his pupil's coat. Naruto felt he was so close and tried coming back at her with his other fist but didn't come close.

"YOU HEARTLESS BITCH!" he roared after the second failed attempt, and then he shouted back at his teacher, "LEMME AT HER! LET ME GO!"

"Down," he commanded, "We'll be thrown out if this keeps happening."

Tsunade's mouth curled into a smug smile and snickered as she watched the blonde genin struggle to attack her. Naruto caught the smile and the small laugh, which only further enraged him. He wanted to kick her teeth in and tried one last time to throw a haymaker at the drunken Sannin. But Jiraiya heaved him back into his seat with one arm, as if Naruto were some large doll. The blonde rookie breathed hard through his teeth as he shook and glared at the kunoichi. Shizune looked to her master, begging her to stop mocking the rookie shinobi. But Naruto cut her off when he stood and slammed his hands back down on the table

"YOU SELFISH FRAUD! YOU WOULD LET A GOOD MAN LIKE HIRUZEN SARUTOBI DIE WHEN YOU HAVE THE CHANCE TO SAVE HIS LIFE?!" he roared as Tsunade furrowed her eyebrows at his defiance, "AND THEN YOU GO AHEAD AND INSULT HIM WHILE HE'S ON HIS DEATHBED?! ON TOP OF THAT, YOU GO AHEAD AND INSULT THE YONDAIME AS WELL, AFTER EVERY GOOD AND SELFLESS THING EITHER OF THEM HAS EVER DONE?! HIRUZEN SARUTOBI WAS YOUR TEACHER! HE WAS YOUR COMRADE! YOUR FRIEND! AND YOU'D LET HIM DIE IN VAIN AND LET THE ENTIRE VILLAGE SUFFER OUT OF SPITE?! YOU TRAITOR," he then slammed his right fist into the palm of his hand so hard that he cracked his knuckles, prepared to fight, "I DON'T CARE IF YOU'RE A LADY OR ONE OF THE SANNIN, I'LL SLUG YOU FOR THE BACKSTABBER YOU ARE!"

Tsunade sneered at the genin, a subtle growl in her throat, feeling an urge to beat the boy into submission. Jiraiya frowned, ready to pull his student back, while Shizune seemed more caught in the middle of the chaos. The little pig with the pearl necklace looked uneasy, sort of caught in the middle, much like Shizune.

It was in that moment, Tsunade moved surprisingly fast after all the drinks she had so far. Naruto would be lying if he said he weren't intimidated when she got right in his face; she rested a hand on her knee, looking relaxed and cocky as she smirked at him. The genin was surprised by her speed but his anger ruled out his sense of self-preservation. All he wanted, more than anything at the moment, was beat the living snot out of the Sannin, no matter what harm came to him.

She offered him a fair warning, "You think it's wise to sass at one of the Sannin?"

"I said I didn't care, didn't I?" he replied, not remotely interesting in backing down now.

"Fine," she scoffed, "You have a lot of guts to say all that to my face… Let's take this outside, brat."

Naruto came up with a cheeky quip before he insisted, "Old ladies first, baa-chan."

The kunoichi's smirk vanished the instant she heard that. She glared at the genin as Shizune's eyes went wide and Jiraiya's skin turned a shade paler. The subtle look of rage on Tsunade's face was perhaps the angriest the Toad Sage had seen her in over a decade.

Tsunade added, sounding like she was on the verge of exploding with anger, "You have a real death wish, don't you?"

Jiraiya sighed once their group moved outside in the cold. Shizune looked worried as ever, though Tsunade seemed to calm down somewhat after that comment. Naruto, on the other hand, had lost none of his tenacity and looked eager to strike. He stood across from the blonde Sannin down the emptied street, hand ready to reach his weapons holster. Though he noticed the kunoichi wasn't armed and she didn't even bother to put her coat back on while in the cold.

"Despite how I might look, I was once one of the Sannin. I won't need my full strength against one insignificant genin," the rookie shinobi narrowed her down as she raised her pointer finger and smiled with confidence, "This one finger should do the trick."

"You'll find out soon, I'm full of surprises," he replied and didn't waste another second.

Being so disgusted by her arrogance, Naruto focused chakra into his feet and almost vanished. He drew out and threw two shuriken at her. Whilst she hopped to the left to dodge the blades, the genin took out a blunt kunai, intent on slamming it into the side of her head. But as he made his move, Tsunade ducked down low and he missed. The Sannin then used her one finger, caught the kunai by the ring, jabbed his wrist, twirled the kunai in her hand, and raised it up high, slamming Naruto's forehead with the blunt ring of the kunai with an upward thrust. The rookie saw lights as his back arched and feet hovering inches from the ground. Whilst in midair, he blinked and gasped as Tsunade curled her finger and flicked his forehead.

Shizune held her breath, covering her mouth, as she watched Naruto was violently thrown fifty feet down the road in a single flick of a finger. The rookie tumbled, rolled, and crashed until he skid to a stop, gasping for breath as he recovered. His forehead had a large bruise and his face was covered in dirt as he brushed off a few pebbles from his cheeks. He stared at the blonde kunoichi, unable to see her smirk with pride and satisfaction over her remarkable strength.

He heard Shizune shout in alarm, "Lady Tsunade!"

'She flicked me,' the blonde rookie thought as he sought Harry's aid, after the older wizard had allowed him to handle the summit in the tavern before it turned south, 'She tossed me down the road with a single finger! How the hell did she do that?!'

'I'm not sure. But if I had to guess, I think it has to be her chakra. But I've never known any shinobi to be able to enhance their physical strength that much with chakra alone.'

Naruto was almost tempted to reach for his wand as he thought penitently, 'If I could use magic in public against her, she'd pass out and be halfway to Konoha before she even knew what hit her!'

'Let's not resort to that unless she refuses to change her mind,' he warned, seriously considering it after witnessing her behavior.

The blonde rookie replied, 'Fat chance.'

Back up the road, outside the tavern, Tsunade watched the blonde genin do his best to stand back up. As she watched him struggle, she couldn't help but turn her nose up at at his efforts. She noticed now that he didn't wear his shinobi headband and wondered about that. She noticed the bruise she left on his forehead, but also noticed the scar to the right. Tsunade couldn't figure out what could have caused the blemish, though it could have been due to the amount of ethanol she consumed. Still intoxicated, she assumed he sustained it from some mission. But that's not what she was curious about.

"HEY, KID," she shouted from the distance and got his attention, "I've got a question for you before you pass out," the genin frowned back at her and let his foot slide before he caught himself and she asked, "Why do you care so much about the Hokage? Anyone can respect them for their strength and skill or whatever, but why the hell are you so passionate about it? What makes the title of Hokage so important to you?"

As soon as he found his footing, the blonde shinobi was able to stand still and face the kunoichi. He caught his breath and decided to amuse her with more strength in his voice.

"Because I admire the Hokage," he answered, "and I want to be like them, even if I have to risk my life," he then looked up at the kunoichi with a small, proud grin, "To be Hokage is my dream!"

Those last few words and the look on Naruto's face caused Tsunade to flinch as her eyes widened; a shiver ran down her spine as she could have sworn she saw the ghosts of her loved ones, looking back at her alongside the blonde young man. Jiraiya noticed the look on her face, while Shizune stared at the genin, unable to believe the resemblance he had to the very same people Tsunade was painfully reminded of. The Sannin herself looked down at the road, distracted from their bout.

Naruto, oblivious to what Tsunade was thinking, noticed it as an opportunity. His right hand twitched and he began to concentrate.

'Nii-san, I'm gonna try something,' he thought, as anger fueled him, 'I think I could do it.'

Harry nodded and watched with amazement as the beginning stages of the jutsu took form faster than it ever had before. Naruto was able to form an almost solid sphere of chakra that took Tsunade completely by surprise when she sensed the intense buildup of raw energy. Jiraiya smirked with a bit of pride, feeling a tiny bit smug after Tsunade had brushed off his student earlier.

"TAKE THIS," he roared.

Naruto dashed after the kunoichi as fast as he could, moving at an alarming speed. Tsunade was so dumbstruck when she recognized the jutsu, she realized she was too late to get out of the way. So she did the only thing she could think of and swung her arm down like a hammer.

Before Naruto could hit Tsunade at full force, he felt as an earthquake had struck; the road beneath Naruto had split open and he fell. The sphere of chakra struck the fractured rock in a flash and formed a large crater. Naruto tasted blood and dirt and coughed until the dust settled. When he looked up to see where the attack had come from, he was paralyzed to see that it had formed from the point where Tsunade's pointer finger struck the earth.

The blonde genin proceeded to cough as he climbed out of the crater, welcomed and tended to by a concerned Shizune.

She patted his back and checked him for further bruising, "Are you okay?"

Tsunade stood tall over Naruto and frowned in disapproval at the damage the sphere had caused, 'I did not expect him to try to use the Yondaime's signature jutsu... It's still far from complete... But...'

She looked over at Jiraiya and noticed him squirming at the damage she caused. She guessed he was having a flashback to when she clobbered him and sent him flying over a hundred meters, after she caught him sneaking a peak of her naked in a bathhouse.

"Was it you, Jiraiya?" she questioned with a daring smirk, "You taught him how to use the Rasengan, didn't you?!"

Both Naruto and Harry looked up at Tsunade when she finally revealed the name of the chakra sphere jutsu. It came as a surprising relief for them to finally put a name to it.

"I am his mentor," shrugged Jiraiya, "For now, at least."

"You and the Yondaime are the only ones that could even manage that jutsu," she said, "Playing mighty mentor by teaching him ninjutsu he doesn't stand a chance of mastering? That's cruel, Jiraiya... that's how dreamy-eyed, snot-nosed brats get started on the whole I'm gonna be Hokage bandwagon."

"SHUT YOUR DAMN MOUTH ALREADY," shouted Naruto as he forced himself to stand up to face her and he dared as he thought about using his shadow clones to aid him, "Gimme three days and I'll have this jutsu mastered!"

Tsunade frowned in frustration at how the boy kept getting back up and how certain he sounded with his claim. But then she got an idea and went back to smirking.

"Anyone can talk tough," she huffed, "But a real man doesn't break his promises!"

"I never go back on my word," he stated back fiercely with a smile as he was reminded of Hinata and his trials during the Chunin Exams, "That's my nindo!"

Tsunade almost seemed impressed, which caught the attention of Jiraiya and Shizune as the same face she had whenever she felt lucky, which was never a good sign, "How about we make a wager, then?"

"Sorry?" the response certainly caught Naruto off guard as his fierce look vanished with a more comically dumbfounded expression.

"I'll give you a whole week," she proposed confidently, "If you manage to master the Rasengan in that time, I'll acknowledge that you are worthy of becoming Hokage," she reached for the jewel she wore around her neck and offered it to him, "I'll even give you this necklace as a token."

Shizune whirled her head so fast she could have snapped her neck when she looked at her master in shock.

"Lady Tsunade," she stammered in horror, "B-But that's-"

"No thanks," the blonde rookie declined, not really interested in the offer, especially from her, "I don't want any jewelry."

"I wouldn't be so sure about that, Naruto," Jiraiya interjected, "That necklace is an heirloom! It's made from a rare and unique ore that belonged to the Shodai Hokage. You could purchase three mountains if you sold it to the right dealer."

Naruto was definitely surprised to learn how valuable that necklace was, and that it once belonged to the first Hokage. But it wouldn't help him with his mission to save the Sandaime. But then it occurred to him, that if she was willing to bet so much and she remained unaware of his experience with shadow clones, then she wouldn't mind if he altered the deal for something other than that necklace.

"How about something else?" he offered, and got everyone's attention, "You can keep the necklace. But if I master this… Rasengan, right? That's what it's called?" he waited until she nodded and proposed as he pointed at her, as if he were a famous Japanese ace attorney, "If I master it in a week and I win, then you have to come back to Konoha and save the old man's life! Deal?!"

Jiraiya loved how clever Naruto could be sometimes. He didn't get the same reaction out of Shizune and the pig, which looked more concerned for Tsunade's earlier choice with the necklace while the latter snorted with confusion again. The Sannin seriously considered the new offer and seemed to accept it well enough.

"Alright," she agreed in amusement, but flashed the jewel of the necklace again and said offhandedly, "But I'll throw in the necklace anyway," that made Naruto a bit annoyed but Shizune looked more concerned again.

The dark-haired kunoichi helped him back on his feet. Naruto nodded in thanks for her assistance but soon turned his attention back on Tsunade when she called out to him again.

"Don't forget, though, if you fail to master the Rasengan by the end of the day next week, you lose," she then showed the teen his stuffed frog wallet now in her hand, "and this frog wallet and all it's contents are mine!"

Naruto went rigid and nearly started rolling up his sleeves and marched after her.

"You thief! I ought to-" he stopped, figured it was a fair bet and agreed begrudgingly, "Fine, it's a deal!"

"Excellent," she smiled with smugness before she threw the wallet back at Naruto, which nearly knocked the wind out of him with her enormous strength.

Shizune left Naruto and rushed after her mentor in a stressful hurry.

"But why?!" she begged, "You've never wavered the necklace before-"

"It's not like he's ever going to manage it," the Sannin scoffed under her breath as she began to march away and ordered, "Let's go, Shizune!"

The kunoichi looked down at the road, hesitant to even follow her longtime mentor as she thought back to the offer Orochimaru and his atrocious assistant made earlier. Kabuto had said they expected an answer from them in a week's time, the same deadline as the deal Tsunade just made with Naruto. Shizune didn't know why she set it at that same date; to give herself time to choose between the two parties or to trick Naruto into a fool's errand to amuse her while she counted down the days Orochimaru was due to return with her answer. For the first time in her experience as a kunoichi, Shizune didn't know what to do. Jiraiya noticed how conflicted and indecisive she seemed and looked back at his old teammate before she was too far out of reach. He thought he ought to keep a close eye on her after everything that happened.

"Wait a sec," he called out, "Tsunade, how about we get another drink? For old time's sake?"

Tsunade looked like she'd rather be alone, but felt like she had no other choice if she didn't want her old friend breathing down her neck. She didn't even nod, but Jiraiya didn't waste time waiting for an answer.

"Shizune, could you take Naruto with you to look for lodgings?" he requested, snapping the kunoichi back to reality, "Is that alright with you?"

She bowed her head to the Sannin, silently thanking him, "Y-Yes, sir!"

"Alright then," the blonde kunoichi agreed in a delayed response, "I think there's a place around the block here..."

But as the two Sannin began to walk together to the bar or tavern Tsunade had in mind, Naruto thought he might end the night with a little cheekiness on his part.

"Oi," he called out, earning the attention of the senior kunoichi with a sly tone in his voice, "I thought I'd let you know, Lady Tsunade, that I tried the slot machines for the first time this morning, and this frog wallet was empty until I try them out. Even if you win this bet, it shouldn't take me too long to win back whatever you end up claiming."

This caused Tsunade's eyes to widen again, this time out of disbelief and morbid jealousy as she asked to prove if the boy was telling her the truth, "Your first time at the slots?"

Naruto shook the contents of his wallet and looked straight back at her with a small grin, rubbing his luck right in her face, "Yup!"

Jiraiya snorted, causing Tsunade's jealousy and rage to skyrocket when he watched the blonde rookie pocket his wallet and walk away with Shizune, whistling.

She grumbled angrily and pouted, "I should have kicked his teeth in."

To Be Continued…

Azeroth44: Hmmm! Again, not bad! ^^ Well done!

Kvsyaoran: Thanks! You know, I used to look at Tsunade with a lot more favor until I read the manga again and remembered how despicable she was before she attempted to kill Orochimaru; she was an alcoholic mess that wasn't above crushing a small genin for her own amusement. And given that the circumstances surrounding Sarutobi's fate are changed, I thought it might give the story a bit of a twist if she refused to save Sarutobi while he's still alive. Right now, I'd call Tsunade a traitor for refusing to help him. But, being a concerned friend, Jiraiya probably doesn't want to resort to that and wants to try and convince her to come back and help. Right now, the saving grace that's keeping the peace between them is the wager she's made with Naruto.

AZ44: Oh?

K: Yeah, Naruto pretty much saved her from being labeled a traitor when she agreed to the conditions he placed in the wager, though she's walking on some pretty thin ice now. I do plan on addressing this in the following chapter when I get around to it.

AZ44: You better.

K: I will! Don't fret!

AZ44: Good. Then I very much look forward to the next chapter ^^

K: Thanks, dude. And thank you for not blowing anything up this time either.

AZ44: I wouldn't be so sure about that!

K: What did you-

*KA-BOOM*

Merchant outside: MY CABBAGES!

K: … Meh, it was bound to happen sooner or later. Anyways, I'll keep at writing and I very much look forward to reading your reviews ^^ Catch you guys next time!