Shinobi Isekai!

Promises

She was tempted to remind him that he didn't even like 'his kid'. Manipulation aside, their personalities were clearly polar opposites of each other and, as hilarious as it was to watch them bicker on the way back to the village, that didn't make it any easier to bridge the gap between them. While he may feel guilty about what he said to her now that she was injured and possibly dying, he hadn't actually said anything wrong. The words caught in her throat, though. She couldn't muster her usual bite when he looked so miserable.

"I don't know what you expect me to do," she said honestly, reaching up to lay her palm against the side of his weathered face. "I won't be any use. You know that."

"I'll go with you," he said quietly, leaning into her touch. "I need you to be there, Hime. I can't trust anyone else."

As flattering as that was, she had to look away from his sincerity. She didn't want to go. Even now, the smell of blood in the air threatened to send her to her knees. Only Jiraiya's steadying presence kept her on her feet. There was no way she would be any help in a working operation room.

An idea struck her.

"Which room are they taking her to?"

"I don't know. I came to get you the instant they took her away."

She gave him a Look™ and turned away, picking up a thin paper booklet from Shizune's desk and flipping through the pages. There!

"There's an operating sphere with an observation deck," she said, reaching behind her to hand Jiraiya the booklet. "If we go there, I'll be on standby without having to worry about passing out." She rushed past him out the door and into the hallway. "Wash your hands," she called out behind her. "I'll meet you there."

The hospital was abuzz with activity, nurses, cleaning personnel, and shinobi all rushing through the halls like ants in a colony. Their panic was both palpable and perfectly warranted. The new Hokage's only child was critically injured. Again. Tsunade unconsciously gripped her grandfather's necklace, the crystals digging into her palm.

The hat was cursed.

She hailed a tired looking nurse, the younger woman looking at her with thinly concealed awe.

"Hanako Hatake is to be taken to theater D-23 immediately."

Rather than immediately running to comply, as Tsunade expected, the nurse regarded her sternly. "State your shinobi ID."

"002302," she recited crossly, the numbers rolling off her tongue with practiced ease despite the decades since she last used them. "Do you know who I am? This is an emergency."

The nurse looked decidedly unimpressed. "I'm sorry, ma'am, but your ID does not meet hospital regulation. I'm going to have to ask you to return to the lobby as this area is off limits for non-staff personnel."

Tsunade stared at the other woman, eyes wide with offense. "Excuse me?"

"I know who you are," the nurse continued. "And it is a great honor to have you here. However, you cannot expect anyone in this hospital to take orders from you. You are not a member of staff, nor are you an active duty shinobi. I'm afraid you will need to apply for a change in ID number if you want to step out of retirement."

Retirement? Since when—?

Sarutobi. It had to be. She hadn't even considered why no one bat an eye at her return. Clearly, they had no idea she'd actually deserted. She could understand his decision to hide it given the serious blow to morale it would have been, but still. She wasn't entirely sure being retired made her life any less complicated than being a deserter.