Natsumi Uzumaki

Tsunade Senju part II

"Ero-sennin, do you really think your old lady friend is going to be here?" Natsumi asked as they walked down familiar roads she had walked nearly two weeks ago. "This must be the sixth place we've tried.

"You and me both, kid," Jiraiya looked at her and patted her on the back. "I'm not sure if she's going to be here, but I'm sure hoping she is. Anyway, it looks like we're going to have to find a place to wait for a couple of hours," Jiraiya said, looking to bright afternoon sky.

"Why's that?" Natsumi questioned.

"It's too early," Jiraiya answered. "There's no way Tsunade's going to be up and about. Not at this hour, we'll have to wait till dark if we're going to get a chance at seeing her. In the meanwhile though, I'm going to take a soak in the local onsen."

Natsumi furrowed her brows in a disappointed stare. "You're off to perv on random women while we're supposed to be on a mission? C'mon, Ero-sennin, this is low even for you!" The red haired girl exhaled exasperatedly. When was this guy going to give his libido a rest?

"Look, kid, I've been a lot more missions than you have, alright? I know how to spend my time, so don't go lecturing me," Jiraiya said with clear annoyance; Natsumi couldn't argue with him there since it was true. "Why don't you come with me? You could use a soak, and if it makes you happy, why don't you do that exercise I showed you in the water?"

That did sound pretty good, Natsumi had to admit. she couldn't remember the last time she visited an onsen - oh wait, yes she could and it wasn't exactly great either.

Learning how to water walk on boiling hot water was a damn good way to keep motivated though, Natsumi had to credit Greninja for that.

Finally she gave in. "Alright, I'll come to your stupid onsen but don't try to drag me in to your game of Peeping Tom. I'm not interested in that kind of stuff."

"What, you're not into women?" Jiraiya goaded.

I'm a girl" Natsumi said hitting Jiraiya on the head.

Alright, Alright no need to get your panties in a twist" Jiraiya said

"Fuck you," Natsumi shot back. "Let's get going already, Ero-sennin."

Jiraiya made an indignant noise. "When will you stop calling me that, kid? You're cramping my style."

"What style, Erojiji?"

"Damn it!"

ooo-

(Hi no Kuni - Tanzaku Gai Outskirts)

In the countryside of Hi no Kuni on the far of Tanzaku Gai three cloaked men in matching grey cloaks and conical straw hats stood on a hilltop overlooking the city of sin in the distance.

On the right was a bespectacled white-haired adolescent man; he wore his hair in a pony tail and had an air of smug confidence and intelligence about him.

"We are nearly there, Orochimaru-sama," Kabuto stated, looking to the man on his left, withdrawing a hand from his cloak to push up his old fashioned spectacles. "Tsunade of the Sannin... She was sighted here not too long ago."

Orochimaru did not answer and merely flicked his tongue hungrily.

How many years had it been since he last saw her? Orochimaru remembered the day well, it was not so long after her younger brother, Nawaki, had met his early end on the battlefield.

In a way, Orochimaru mused, he and Tsunade very much alike for she, too, was proven to be a prodigy unlike any other, even amongst the elitist.

Skilled and competent, as such was expected of the Shodai's granddaughter. Orochimaru once held fond memories of her, after all, she had saved his life many times on the battlefield. There was perhaps even a time he would've seen her as a suitable partner.