Disclaimer: I still don't own Naruto! xD

A/N: Though this probably goes against all of my beliefs in the Tsunade x Orochimaru pairing, this chapter is kinda heading towards some Tsunade x Jiraiya fluff. She still isn't sure of her feelings for him yet, so don't get the wrong idea! Lol. Anyway, as you read along, you'll definitely notice I added a surprise plot into this story and if you're a fan of Ino and Shikamaru, then this is the time you probably wanna R &R. Won't go too much into detail, now here is the fourth chapter- Enjoy!

"Mommy!!!"

Sanosuke jumped into her arms, cuddling against her warm body, cradling his head into the crook of her neck. Tsunade put on a smile for him and held him up, kissed his cheek.

"Are you enjoying your party so far?"

"Mhm. It's awesome!!! But some of my friends say they have to start going home soon before it gets too cold outside. That's what their moms and dads say."

"Oh. Well that'll be alright. At least you'll get to have the rest of your birthday cake all to yourself when everyone leaves," The blonde haired mother reminded, laughed when her son hugged around her neck tighter.

"This is the best party ever!"

"I bet it is."

Tsunade subconsciously dropped her smile at the familiar voice, looked up with stern ambers into a pair of dark eyes. Unlike the other sannin, Jiraiya was always the one she looked down upon. To make a long story short, the man was just a perverted old bastard who liked to pretend her face was located at her breasts.

"What the hell do you want, Jiraiya?," Tsunade growled protectively.

"Hey, I just came to see how my god son was doing, is that a problem?," He retorted a little angrily, crossing his arms.

Before she could open her mouth to argue back, her son immediately turned around to wave to his god father.

"Hi, Jiraiya!"

"What's up, little man? How's it feel to turn five?"

"It's the best! And mommy said I could have as much cake as I wanted!"

"Oh she did, did she?," Jiraiya smirked, chanced a devilish glance at the mellow Hokage.

"Mhm. I also got lots of presents! I even got a paint ball gun!"

"Wow, that's quite a gift for someone your age. Are you sure your mother's alright with you having something like that?"

Sanosuke nodded brightly. "Yup. Mommy said I could have anything I wanted for my birthday!"

Jiraiya smirked wider, giving his childhood friend a knowing gaze.

"My, my, Tsunade. I thought you were supposed to be his mother-" "Zip it, Jiraiya before I shove my foot up your-"

"Sanosuke!!! We're playing cops and robbers!!! Wanna join?!!!"

They were Sanosuke's friends, all in a small crowd of toothy smiles, assorted pigtails for the girls and spiky hair for the boys which seemed to be popular nowadays with the younger children for some reason. Beaming, the birthday boy gazed up at his mother with endless joy, a large smile and shining golden eyes to match.

"Can I, mommy?!," Sanosuke exclaimed.

"Of course, sweetheart."

After kissing his cheek, she let him down onto his feet, her son immediately scampering off towards his awaiting friends. The blonde didn't realize how long she was watching her son when the silver haired sannin broke her from her daze.

"I knew you hated kids, but I never knew that having one would make you like this."

Scowling, Tsunade whipped her head towards the perverted toad sage. Sometimes, he could really get on her last nerve.

"Like what? Nice?"

"Well...uh, yeah. Exactly," He said light heartedly, scratching the back of his head.

"For your information, I always wanted a child. I just didn't want to let you know that," The Hokage affirmed, crossing her arms defiantly.

Eye brows raised, he couldn't help but let out a laugh. It was impossible. The abrasive, sailor-talking bombshell wanting children? He couldn't remember a day when she was nice to anyone but her brother and Dan.

"You have got to be joking. Are we still talking about you? Tsunade or the fifth Hokage?"

"Both, you bastard!," She yelled. An overwhelming amount of hurt was filling inside of her and she couldn't decipher where it came from or why. She didn't even know how to stop it.

Unwanted tears began welling up in her eyes as she watched his smirk fade away. The Godaime didn't want his sympathy nor his affections. It only made her feel worse. Usually she'd overlook his offensive words, but now, deprived of her emotional strength, Tsunade didn't even know how to fight back her emotions. At that moment, she damned the Otokage for what he's done to her.

"Tsunade...I...I didn't mean it, you know that."

She shook her head, demurely hiding her face with her hand. Lips pursed, trying with all her might to hold in her tears, Tsunade couldn't retort nor deny when a pair of strong arms embraced her. Shock wouldn't let her shout at him, weakness wouldn't allow her to deny him. His warmth was double her own body heat and his sense of masculinity made her tentatively relax against him, head rested against his strong chest. Yes. This was why she hated being around him. In fear of falling in love with him, letting him take her heart when it already belonged to another special sannin.

"Please. Just don't cry...I've never seen you cry nor do I want to start now. I'm sorry if i've upset you," He whispered huskily, sending shivers down her spine.

Tsunade couldn't deny that she was extremely attracted to him. Yes, he was a pervert, a lechor and every other word in the book. But he was also sweet and compassionate, loving and warm. It hasn't occurred to her before why she never went out with him when they were younger. Even if he was an old pervert, Jiraiya was still undeniably sexy. It didn't matter if he was fifty or even sixty. He'd always look good to her.

As she stood still in his strong arms, her mind was drifting to places she had been to afraid to visit. Things that concerned Jiraiya, that concerned her and the two of them together. In the two minutes they stayed against eachother, Tsunade had explored possibilities of her maybe giving him a chance, of them going out and possibly getting together. But she couldn't do that. No, not ever. She had a man. A handsome, wonderful, sweet and loving man. She couldn't believe she had thought of cheating on him. Not Orochimaru- not the man she loved.

"I'm fine now," Tsunade muttered uncomfortably, blushing a million shades of red when he began unwinding his arms from her form.

She reluctantly looked upwards, furrowing her eyebrows at the soft, tender look in his eyes. Gods, was he pathetic.

"Are you sure?," He asked worringly.

She nodded slowly, averting her eyes down, fidgeting with the acrylic of her nails.

"...Then...would you mind...if..."

The blonde haired Hokage looked up at him once she found out his words were directed towards her. Embarrassment wouldn't let her say anything. He nearly saw her cry, it was more than just embarrassing. Humiliating. Mortifying. She never let anyone see her tears, especially the silver haired sannin.

Gazing at her helplessly almost, Jiraiya tentatively reached out to hold her hand. Tsunade widened her eyes, her cheeks flushing deeply. She looked from her fragile, dainty hand in his strong one to his eyes, dark and handsome.

"...Um...if you'd let me...hold you again?"

She refrained herself from gasping, locked their eyes into a stare. In all honesty, she didn't know what to say. He was waiting so patiently, it flattered her to no days end. Orochimaru rarely asked her permission when he wanted to do something with her, to her. In the beginning of their relationship, yes. But now, whatever he did, she went with it whether she liked it or not.

"...I...I guess so," The amber eyed Godaime whispered, unable to think of anything else to say.

The old Tsunade would have declined his wish with a nonchalant 'hell no' and a roll of her eyes. But now, she didn't know how to do that anymore. In a way, not only has Orochimaru changed her, but her son. She was so used to being nice to her son, loving. He brought her joy unparallel to every single delight that brought her happiness in the world. Sanosuke changed her. Tsunade couldn't dream of being her old self around him, her only child.

Her body went completely tense when he engulfed her into another embrace, tighter and closer than the last. The colour of her cheeks intensified as she contemplated on whether or not to end it now in case someone important saw.

'What the hell do I care what other people think?'

That single thought alone reassured herself to let loose just a little bit more, get comfortable if only for a minute. Her body melted into his own, gently snuggling into his warmth. Tsunade kept her hands rested onto his chest, inhaling his invigorating, masculine scent. Whatever he used, whether it be body wash or cologne, it smelled good. She never wanted to let him go. It scared the living daylights out of her to come to that conclusion.

Nuzzling into her hair, he mumbled tenderly, "You smell nice...like flowers..."

Tsunade subconsciously gripped his shirt in her hands, the shock never ceasing to leave her amber irises. Why was he always so kind to her? Sometimes she wished he would just leave her alone and continue on with being the pervert that he was with other women. There was always that small pang of hurt whenever she saw him flirting with some other girl, especially when they were younger. Even now, she had to turn away whenever she saw him groping some female. There was an attraction between them, undeniable, but like she had concluded prior, she didn't have the heart to cheat on Orochimaru.

"Thank you."

"I can see why Sanosuke is so persistent whenever he wants to be picked up by you," Jiraiya mused.

"Usually anyone who gets this close to me, other than my son, gets a fist in their goddamn face," Tsunade snapped, her cockiness slowly returning. It seemed nowadays that the only people who brought out the old Tsunade inside of her was either Orochimaru or the perverted toad sage, occasionally Shizune.

The sannin holding her laughed, making her skin erupt goosebumps- and it wasn't from the cold either.

"Hmm, then I must be very special to you, huh?"

"...Not really..." She was seething, enraged. How dare he mock her feelings for him?

Tsunade didn't like being inferior, nor mistaken for some cute blonde with big boobs. Though that's who she was, it just gave people the wrong idea wherever she went. Misguided villagers still carry around false accusations of their Hokage as some abrasive bombshell who got knocked up and now decided to act nice. That wasn't how she was at all. Yes, she may have been a bit too vulgar in the past and she was sort of a bitch, but hey- either they loved her or they hated her. She was who she was.

"Sure?," He tried, well aware of her growls.

"Jiraiya, you're trying my damn patience."

"Would you like me to let go of you then?"

Tsunade loosened her grip on his shirt. "That would suffice."

Inwardly thankful that he had let her go, she couldn't help but feel this unexplained hurt in her chest at his disappointed dark eyes. Jiraiya beneath it all, really was a sweetheart. A handsome sweetheart.

"It really is getting kinda chilly out here. You sure I can't hold you one more time?"

Deliberately crossing her arms, she let her eyes scan the dwindling sea of people until they fell upon Shizune who was conversing with Anko and some fellow Jounnin.

"Maybe later," She muttered subconsciously before walking off.

"Alright. I'll be waiting!," He called off after her, Tsunade rolling her eyes.

'Gods, what a pain in the ass...'

Before she could approach Shizune and the others, someone called her name, and it wasn't Jiraiya. The blonde haired Hokage didn't know if anyone would give her a break today. First Konohamaru, and now the spiky haired pest, Naruto.

"Hey, Grandma Tsunade!!!"

Body tense, she counted to five in her head as a last resort of relaxing herself before doing the mistake she made prior and turned around to see what he wanted. Along with him was Sakura, Shikamaru, Ino, and the fat one who she couldn't quite keep up with. All she knew was he ate alot of those damn chips.

Large grin upon his face, arms behind his head, the teenage gennin stopped before her with that stupid, goofy expression on. The Godaime could only conclude that whatever it was, it wasn't about him. Shikamaru and Ino greeted her together while the rest stated their lax 'Hi, Lady Hokage's'.

"These two got somethin' they wanna tell ya," Naruto explained.

Tsunade raised an eyebrow. From what she could see, Sakura and Choji looked unsurprised. They must already know what it is. Shikamaru cleared his throat, grasping a hold of Ino's hand. He tried to remained coolly unconcerned, yet it was failing miserably infront of the Hokage's eyes. She could see he was extremely embarrassed.

"Umm. Well, I don't know how to say this, but..."

"It's alright, Shikamaru. Don't be nervous," Tsunade reassured wisely, summoning up a small smile.

The young chunnin blushed, his gaze switching back and forth from her eyes to her ample breasts in her revealing fish net shirt, which were a little too close for his liking. Ino growled.

"Shikamaru...," She whispered warningly. Her beau immediately snapped out of his daze, nodded.

"Sorry."

He looked back to Tsunade who still had on her charming smile, a hand on her hip. "Go on. I'm listening, Shikamaru."

Gulping, the spiky, black haired chunnin opened his mouth and let his words come out. A bit too fast for his liking.

"MeandInoareexpectingandwewerethiningofbabysittingSanosukesowecan-"

"Woah, woah there, honey. Slow down. Take a deep breath...good. Just relax. What is it?"

Exhaling softly, Shikamaru closed his eyes and repeated his incoherent syllables in complete, coherent sentences.

"Ino and I are expecting. We were hoping if it was alright if we could babysit Sanosuke for a few months. You know, to get the full child experience. We have absolutely no idea how to take care of a child."

Tsunade raised both of her eyebrows, eyes widened. "But you two...are so young..."

Ino flushed gently, demurely descending her blue eyes.

"It came unexpected. We used protection-" "When?," Shikamaru said, an incredulous look in his eyes.

Fuming, the teenage blonde shouted, "I don't know! How the hell should I know?! This is all your fault! You're the man!!!"

"Well you're the woman! You girls take care of this stuff!!!"

"I don't have to put on a condom, you do, smart ass!!!"

"Just what are you trying to say?!!-"

"Guys!!! Guys...calm down...Everything's gonna be alright. Don't fret now. It's done. You both are expecting. There's nothing you can do about it, just deal with it."

The couple stopped arguing, letting go of eachothers hands. The pregnant blonde turned her head away from her boyfriend, angrily crossing her arms.

Tsunade sighed softly. 'Thank goodness i'm not a teenager anymore.'

"Now listen. You two aren't going to solve anything by arguing. Do your parents know?"

"Yeah," Shikamaru answered firmly, dark eyes serious.

"How many months is she?"

"Around two. She's due in October."

The Hokage nodded as she looked from Ino to Shikamaru. It was clear that the two argued alot, the blonde angry and heated while the chunnin remained somewhat stoic and placid. He's put up with her before and now wasn't any different. The couple were truly something to be reckoned with.

"Alright then...well it's good you told me. But you really should have told me earlier. I've been sending you guys out on alot of B rank missions lately. What if she got hurt?," The Hokage rebuked gently, shaking her head in disappointment.

Shikamaru looked down at his feet, stuffed his hands into the pockets of his green jacket.

"I know. We really haven't found out though until last month. It took all of our courage just to come tell you, Godaime."

Cocking a small smirk, the amber eyed kunoichi reminded him, "Unlike your parents, i'm the one who's really in charge of you. Look at me as your boss. As responsible shinobi you all are to report to me anything that can delay you from doing your job. Including pregnancies."

"I am truly sorry, Lady Hokage," Shikamaru pleaded a little flatly than intended. He was too upset with himself.

Tsunade shook her head again.

"Please, don't apologize. I understand. But really, Ino, you're off missions for a long time. You know that, right?"

The blue eyed kunoichi turned her head towards her, nodded sadly then sighed.

"I'm aware, Godaime. But i'm prepared. I can still practice my Gen jutsu..."

Laughing lightly, Tsunade scolded the aloof teenager.

"Not even Gen jutsu, Ino. Take it easy. I want to see a healthy baby come out of that womb, you hear me? Make all of us blondes, proud."

Ino giggled along with Sakura, the two friends seemingly getting along a lot better than before, from what Tsunade could observe. The guys could only groan and roll their eyes, mumbling 'women' under their breaths. The Hokage couldn't believe how much teenagers grew up nowadays. Especially Shikamaru.

'Just like his father...'

"Of course, Godaime," Ino gushed, giggling even louder.

"Good. Just let me know if there's anything I can do for you two. Remember, i'm a mother as well."

"Oh, Lady Hokage, that is why Ino and I came. We want to babysit your-" "Oh, yes. That's right. Sorry, just got a little short term memory in me for a second," Tsunade apologized, placing a finger on her cheek.

"Told ya she was old," Naruto side whispered to Choji who was munching on barbecue flavored chips.

"I heard that, brat!"

The gennin jumped at her voice, inching slowly behind his girlfriend. "Protect me, Sakura...," He whispered frantically.

"Oh, jeez. Do you see what I put up with, Ino? A dumbass," Sakura complained, crossing her arms.

"Thank goodness he's not my baby's daddy. I wouldn't know what the hell to do."

The two bursted out with uncontrollable laughter, oblivious of the fuming Naruto. Shikimaru held in his stifled laughs as Choji, who was blissfully unaware of it all, continued stuffing his face.

Tsunade rolled her eyes for the umpteenth time. Boy, this bunch of gennin and chunnin were something else. At least the rest of their peers weren't this messed up.

"Anyways. Shikimaru."

Attentive and alert when he heard his name, the chunnin responded with his calm, cool demeanor.

"Hmm?"

"It's alright. You can watch after my son for as long as you want. I only ask that if you want to take him out, don't give him any sweets. My baby boy gets extremely hyper and trust me, you don't want that."

With a hearty laugh, Shikimaru nodded as a smile came over his stoic features.

"I hear ya loud and clear. So, who normally watches over your kid when you're busy and such?"

"Oh, well my assistant, Shizune. But she simply can't handle him. I could be in the middle of paperwork and Sanosuke and his friends would charge into my office just a terrible mess. I was actually considering hiring babysitters prior, but with you guys, it'll be perfect."

"Sounds good. Ino and I really don't like staying in one place, so if we're gonna babysit the little tyke, we'll definitely be taking him out."

"Sure. Please, go right ahead," Tsunade quickly responded, using emphasis on her sentence with a wave of her hand. "I'd much rather you two take him out than him going out alone with his friends. He definitely needs supervision."

Shikimaru nudged his girlfriend lightly who was recovering from her laughing.

"Hey, Ino. She says it's alright."

Wiping tears from her eyes, the pregnant blonde nodded as she regained composture from her laughter, standing responsibly beside her beau.

"Thank you so much, Godaime. We truly appreciate it."

"The pleasure is mine."

As they discussed deeper into the babysitting, Naruto, who was still angry at the girls for laughing at him, stomped off towards an empty table, sitting down and pouting visibly with his face cradled in his hands.

"Stupid girls. Grrr, Sakura should be standing up against that Ino bimbo, not laughing with her. Some girlfriend I have..."

"Girl problems?"

He knew the voice by heart. There would just be wasted effort lifting his head to see who it was. Unmoving from his sulking, Naruto heard his sensei sit beside him, setting his bottle of sake on the table.

"Yeah."

"Lay it on me. What's up? Is it Sakura?"

"Yeah."

"She embarrassed you again?"

"No. Ino totally dissed me and Sakura's laughing along. Would you want a girlfriend who laughs against you instead of standing up for you?"

Jiraiya sighed. He understood women like the back of his hand, but with Sakura, it was a different story.

"Naruto. What you may see now isn't how you should look at her all the time. You have yourself a real special girl, and if you care enough about her, if you really loved her, then you'd overlook all of that. So what if she's laughing with her friend? Isn't she allowed to?"

"...I guess..."

"See. But look at it this way, if it was some other girl who dissed you and Sakura had no clue who she was, then yeah, she'd stand up for you. A hundred percent."

Furrowing his brows, Naruto lifted his blue eyes to gaze at his girlfriend from afar. He sighed, admiring her pink, bubble gum hair, her long legs and lean figure, pretty face that he coveted the day he met her. Then he thought to all of their intimacy. Though rare, she kissed him; hugged him tight when he was upset and sometimes for reasons unknown. They haven't been dating long, but because they were friends, it just made their relationship ten times better.

"Yeah. You're right. She'd never let someone else put me down other than her friends."

"Just like you'd do for her."

"Except I wouldn't let anyone put her down. Not even my own friends."

Jiraiya took a swig from his bottle, nodded.

"Exactly. You hit it right on the nose, Naruto."

The spiky blonde took his face from his hands, smiling.

"Wow. I feel better. Thanks pervy sage," He exclaimed while patting the intoxicated sannin on the back.

Growling, Jiraiya retorted loudly, "Don't get comfortable, kid!"

Muffling his laughter, Naruto began standing up before heading back to his girlfriend.

"Just promise me the next time you hit on Grandma Tsunade, that it actually works this time!"

Once it passed seven o' clock, everyone was well on their way home. They wished Sanosuke a happy birthday and said their goodbyes to Tsunade. The birthday boy ended up with, literally, loads of gifts as well as enough cake that would last for weeks.

'Why the hell does he get to have all the cake? Shoulda stole some from that little punk...'

Naruto subconsciously growled under his breath. It wasn't that he hated the feisty little toddler, it was that he was the Hokage's son that irked him.

'How in seven hells can an old lady nearly in her sixties have a kid?! I feel for the guy who got her knocked up. Has to deal all the time with that dumb blonde of a bitc-'

"Ummm, are you alright?"

Mentally awoken from his thoughts, the spiky headed gennin gazed at his girlfriend with surprised cerulean orbs.

"Wha?"

Sakura giggled. "Never mind," She said quietly.

Grasping his hand in hers, Sakura leaned her head onto his shoulder, smiling.

"It's only natural that you're an idiot..."

Naruto flushed gently, finding himself smiling as well. The comment wasn't supposed to be vulgar nor mocking. It was a compliment- that's what Sakura liked about him. His pure, ignorant 'i'm a moron' nature. She couldn't have asked for a more sweeter and dumber boyfriend.

"Thanks, I guess," He muttered, scratching the back of his head.

They walked together in serene silence, passing by other couples; some married and some short term. Finding curiosity in them, the blonde haired ninja studied a young couple in particular, bundled together in a close embrace, sharing a kiss that looked like it would never end. Naruto also saw a child, around Sanosuke's age, tugging on his mother's kimono, whining to go home. Before out of eye sight, he caught one more thing. The woman was pregnant.

'Would Sakura and I be like that one day if we ever made it that far?...Their so in love. Most couples usually argue and whatnot when they've gotten that far in their relationship...How come they're not like that?'

He took a glance down at her pink haired head, studying the warmth in her emerald eyes, mature face. An inevitable amount of love found its way into his heart for her, making him lean down to kiss the top of her head. Sakura looked up, blinking in awe as her cheeks bled with a small blush.

"Naruto? What...what's wrong?"

He shook his head, unclasping his hand from hers to wrap his arm around her waist while pulling her closer.

"Nothing. Just wondering how on earth we're gonna make this work," He answered truthfully, watching her eyes soften with affection.

"Oh, Naruto...of course this is going to work. Yes, you may be a complete idiot sometimes and the Godaime might not think highly of you, but that's what makes you special. You're my idiot...understand?"

A large grin found its way onto his face, laughing.

"Yup, whatever you say!"

Sakura strained a happy smile, furrowing her eyebrows in slight puzzlement, her blush deepening.

"Naruto...," She said knowingly.

"What?"

He was challenging her. It intrigued her.

Giggling, the kunoichi whispered, "Nothing. Just stop with the goofy smile and kiss me, would ya?"

She saw as his grin dropped, the blue of his eyes deepening with something she knew had to be love. Whenever his face went like that, he was serious. And with her, he seemed to do it alot, despite the times when he'd pull that carefree, ear to ear smile.

"You don't have ta tell me when to do that..."

"Then do it," She challenged deliberately, batting her eyelashes for effect.

Naruto fell to her charming like a moth to a flame and before she knew it, he consumed her lips in a gentle, passionate kiss. The sensations he was giving her felt so good, they had to stop walking- in the middle of a busy street, just to think straight and enjoy the kiss as much as possible.

She's never felt so strongly for any other guy before. Not even Sasuke. It pained her to know that he'd never come back, but in her time of mourning, Naruto was there. He was there to comfort her, to hold her. It showed her another side to him- it let her know that he wasn't just an idiot. He could also be caring and giving and affectionate. That's what made her realize that the entire time, what she was looking for, was in him. Her goofy, rambunctious, carefree guy who pulled off the spiky hair and made blonde the new sexy all over again.

"I love you..."

"I love you too, Naruto."

When their kiss ended, he pulled her tight against him, feeling the shiver of her body and the cold of her arms.

"Jeez, woman. You knew it was gonna be a little chilly today and yet you didn't come prepared?"

Sakura responded with a sigh of disappointment, her boyfriend doing the same.

"Then I guess I can't have you freezing on me."

Unwinding his arms from around her, he then started to unzip his jacket, ignoring her weak protests.

"Oh, Naruto. I couldn't...please. You wear it, I don't need it-" "Aww, stop complainin'. You're my girl. I care about ya..."

Soon, she had stopped her fruitless arguing, a blush as bright as her hair appearing onto her cheeks. Subsequently, she felt warmth overtake her body as his orange jacket covered her shoulders. She looked up, saw his genuine smile as real as anything she's ever known.

"There. It's a little big, but hey. A guy's gotta keep warm too, ya know," Naruto said proudly, watching her put her arms through the sleeves.

Sakura was overcome with his affections, so much she was finding it a task on its own just to thank him. He made her speechless. But the one way she knew she could thank him was with a smile. Naruto grinned wider before leaning down to kiss her. She giggled against his lips, but accepted the kiss all the same, wrapping her arms around his neck. He pulled away, rested his forehead against her infamous one, resisted the urge to tease her with the name 'billboard brow'.

"We really should get goin'. Your mom's gonna kill me if I don't bring you home right away."

The pink haired kunoichi shook her head while snuggling up closer to him, feeling his arms go around her.

"It doesn't really matter. Let's go take a walk. Wanna do that?," She offered quietly.

Her eyes up close were the most prettiest things he's ever seen. Naruto was so fascinated with her, wanted to know so much more about her. Everything. There wasn't anything with her that was boring, and at the same time, she was unique. No way was she anything close to being like her boring, knocked up grouch of a friend, Ino.

"Yeah. Anything you want."

He kissed her forehead before adding, "As long as we stop at a ramen stand along the way. I'm starving!"

Upon hearing his stomach growl like an angry lion, she laughed, her boyfriend joining in.

"Yeah, we can do that."

"Thanks, Sakura."

"Goodnight, mommy..."

Leaning downwards, she kissed his forehead, gazing upon her drowsy son with soft amber eyes.

"Goodnight, Sanosuke. Sweet dreams."

She watched patiently as his eyes fluttered shut and his breathing slowed to a steady rise and fall. Tsunade couldn't have asked for a more special child. Convinced finally that he was asleep, she quietly left his room, but not before looking over her shoulder and blowing him a kiss.

'Orochimaru should be doing this with me...'

The kunoichi mentally shook her head. It seemed she thought about him alot lately. All with their tryst meetings of passion and whatnot, it really was kinda hard on a woman like her.

And so the Hokage, instead of going to bed like any normal mother, she went back to work. To the hospital to check up on any patients, especially the ones in the intensive care unit. She finished a little paperwork, thankful for the coffee boost Shizune offered her along the way to keep her awake. And finally, after making sure her pet pig was tended to, she herself went off to bed.

Tsunade was weary, exhausted. Being Godaime of a superior village was tough work, put that together with her life as a mother and she had more than she could handle. But somehow or another, each day, she found a way to make it.

"I must leave..."

Tsunade wobbled her lips, tears welled high in her eyes. She embraced him tight, clinging to him as if he'd never come back.

"No, not now. Please...stay with me a little longer..."

Orochimaru's face frowned, his expression that of hurt and sadness. He hated when he had to leave. There was always that heavy feeling of guilt that lingered in his mind. That was the reason why he always came back- so she wouldn't be lonely. He knew exactly how that felt.

"I can't. I must go, Tsunade. You know that."

The blonde visibly shook her head, squeezing her eyes shut. She hated when she thought like that. That was in the past.

'More like five hours in the past...'

She dressed for bed, slipping into comfy fleece pajamas and furry socks. Grabbing a hair brush, Tsunade next brushed out her blonde coloured locks until she was satisfied. Finally, her hard day was all washed away with the pure bliss of her warm, plush bed. Sighing contently, she snuggled into her pillows, closing her eyes. Out of curiosity, she reopened her ambers to gaze at her alarm clock on her nightstand.

Two fourty seven.

She moaned in agitation.

'Jeez. I have to get up in five hours...what a waste.'

Sometimes she wished she could sleep in like every normal woman her age. But no. When you were a middle aged mother and Hokage of the leaf village, you'd wanna have a break once in a while too.

Tsunade closed her eyes again and as quickly as her irises were covered, the exhausting day was put behind her and she fell fast asleep. Into an abyss of peaceful dreams and all.

'Orochimaru...'

Well, almost peaceful.

A/N: So how did I do? Please let me know and leave a review! My goal here is to get fifteen reviews and until then, chapter five, which is totally killer, is gonna have to wait, sorry XD. But to give you a little hint, let's just say that Tsunade has no idea what she's about to get herself into.