Seven days later ...
Tsunade,Jiraiya and Dan head out on their mission. Their mission is to retrieve a scroll that contains forbidden jutsu which the Hidden Leaf developed. In the wrong hands it could spell disaster for Konoha.
The trio nonchalantly follow the dirt road out of Konoha. Tsunade still has butterflies from her kiss with Dan and the pair could barely look at each other without getting flustered.
Jiraiya has absolutely no idea what transpired between them and simply laughed in his mind. He did not understand woman at all especially Tsunade. Not that he cared being rejected by her but he would keep his distance.
"Are you two okay back there?" Jiraiya teases over his shoulder.
"We are fine," Tsunade replies quickly.
"How about we stop and rest at the inn a few miles from here?"
"Sounds good to me Jiraiya," Dan answers putting his hands in his pockets.
"So how are we suppose to get this scroll?" Tsunade asks tightening her two,loose,hanging ponytails.
"We will work out a plan of action as soon as we reach the inn," Jiraiya looks at the road.
Some 8 hours walk later ...
The trio arrives at Ryokan inn. Tsunade books three rooms for one night-all of the rooms located next to each other. They all unpack before deciding to hit the bar for a drink or two.
They all sit down at a table and orders a bottle sake. Jiraiya takes out a scroll and lays it on the table along with a map.
"I guess this means we are going to plan our strategy now?" Tsunade asks.
"Correct," he opens the map,"according to the Intel Lord Third gave us our enemy is located here somewhere," he points.
"I see right in the middle of enemy territory," Dan points out.
"So what do we do?" Tsunade sits back.
"Ambush is always our best option," Jiraiya reads the scroll.
"True it will give us the advantage and the element of surprise," Dan looks at the map.
"What does the Intel say about our enemy?" Tsunade sips on her sake.
"It says here that they are some of the best earth style users and they specialize in camouflage jutsu," Jiraiya puts the scroll down.
"Then I suggest we launch a surprise attack and get the scroll before they disappear," Dan drinks his sake.
"Mmm," Jiraiya rubs his chin,"it's our best option."
"I agree," Tsunade finishes her sake.
"Then it's settled," Jiriya puts away the map and scroll.
They spend the rest of the night chatting and drinking sake. Not to much though because they are in the middle of a mission and couldn't do their job properly if they all have a hangovers.
"Well I'm going to hit the hay," Tsunade finishes her last bit of sake.
"Count me in," Dan smiles.
"I think that's a good idea," Jiraiya yawns.
The following day ...
Trio gear up and set out to continue their mission. It takes them approximately five hours to reach the border.
"This is it if we cross this line we will be in enemy territory," Jiraiya clenches the straps of his back pack.
"Let's go," Dan commands.
They immediately scatter and head for the trees. Jiraiya upfront,Dan in the middle and Tsunade at the back. It didn't take long before they find traces of their enemy.
"They were here about four hours ago," Jiraiya looks at the ash from a previous fire.
"But why didn't they cover their tracks?" Dan asks.
"Maybe they want someone to find them?" Tsunade adds.
"Or they didn't cover their tracks because they're in their own territory?" Jiraiya rubs his chin.
They continue their journey east tracking their enemy. It didn't take long before the trio finds them. The enemy are located about fifty feet away. Two of them seem to be arguing over something.
"There's the scroll," Dan whispers,"strapped to the big guys back."
"They are fighting over something we could use that as a distraction," Tsunade points out.
"Good idea Tsunade," Jiraiya compliments her.
"Let's get closer," Dan whispers.
They move closer. Swift and quiet. But just as they prepare to strike something unexpected happens. The Hidden Stone ninja gets ambushed by ninja from the Hidden Mist.
"What the hell!?" Tsunade asks surprised.
"No idea but let's be careful," Jiraiya warns.
They stay hidden in the trees watching the Stone and Mist fight it out.
"Give us the scroll," a Hidden Mist nin demands.
"Who are you to make demands?" A Hidden Stone nin snaps back.
Suddenly the group of Mist shinobi attack the Hidden Stone shinobi. Tsunade,Dan and Jiraiya watch on as chaos erupts underneath them. The ground shakes,kunai clash and the scroll disappears.
"I lost sight of the scroll dammit," Jiraiya grits his teeth.
Suddenly a,large amount of,mist fills the air. It quickly spreads across the forest causing the Hidden Stone nin to panic. Sparks of clashing kunai can be seen here and there in the mist.
"Tsunade!" Dan pulls her out of the way a kunai cutting his arm.
"Dan,"she gasps,"are you okay?" She covers his wound with her hand.
"I'm fine," he breaths heavily.
Suddenly a man with a sword attacks Tsunade from behind. She manages to dodge his attack and punches him in the face sending him flying 100 feet through the air.
"Jiraiya!"
"I know."
Jiraiya covers Tsunade's back as she quickly heals Dan's wound.
"Got it," she finishes.
"Watch your back," Jiraiya warns.
Suddenly paper bombs tied to kunai embed themselves in the wood near the trio's feet. They escape,to the ground,just in time as the tree explodes splinters flying everywhere.
They stand on the ground back to back,forming a triangle shape,holding their kunai. Jiraiya's eyes scan the area left to right. A Hidden Mist nin suddenly attacks him but Jiraiya blocks the enemy with his kunai.
"Hey! You're from the Hidden Leaf!" He screams just before Jiraiya kills him.
The,thick,mist disappears as quickly as it appeared. Vanishing into thin air. As soon as the mist disappeared it reveals that Jiraiya,Dan and Tsunade has a much bigger problem then anticipated.
They are surrounded by Hidden Mist shinobi on the one side and Hidden Stone on the other. Thus placing the trio in the centre of danger. They are outnumbered six to one.
"There's the scroll," Dan whispers.
"I know," Jiraiya readies his kunai.
Suddenly all hell breaks loose. The Hidden Stone attacks first trying to trap the trio. Tsunade uses her super human strength to break their earth style walls.
The Hidden Mist attacks next using water style. Jiraiya summons a medium sized toad and oil to evaporate the water. The water takes mere seconds to evaporate.
"You three are good," one of the Hidden Mist members smirks.
What are we going to do? I know Tsunade and Dan have my back but we can't keep this up all day. Think.
A large,bulky,man from the Hidden Stone steps forward. On his right eye he bares a,lightning shaped,scar. He smirks as he starts to weave signs.
"Protect my body," Dan shouts weaving signs and activating his Spirit Transformation technique.
"Wait," Tsunade tries to stop him but it's too late.
Out of nowhere explosions start to erupt around them. Dan's body is caught by Tsunade. Jiraiya acts by wrapping himself,Tsunade and Dan's body with his hair. Just as he covers them up three kunai with paper bombs explodes against his hair.
When Jiraiya unwraps them all of the shinobi lays dead on the ground. Dan's spirit returns to his body making his arms and legs move like a puppet's. Jiraiya's hair returns to normal as he picks up the scroll.
"Well looks li ..."
"Are you insane!?" Tsunade shouts.
"What?" Dan asks confused.
"What kind of a stunt was that?" She asks angry.
"Calm down," Dan asks calm.
"Don't tell me to calm down. You could've gotten your self killed!"
Uh-oh looks like Tsunade is going to kill him. I better stop her before this gets out of hand.
"I don't understand Tsunade what did I do wrong?" Dan frowns.
"Without warning you just took off!" She grits her teeth.
"I got the scroll back it was the only chance we had," he tried to sound calm.
"Tsunade cut him some slack," Jiraiya sighs.
"What!? You're siding with him?" She gasps angry.
"I'm not taking sides I'm simply trying to protect the peace between you two," Jiraiya scratches his head.
"I simply analysed the situation. The big guy who waved signs was using the explosions to distract us. He wanted to camouflage himself and his group to escape with the scroll," Dan defends himself.
"You could've warned us first," she folds her arms.
"I had no time to tell you," he sighs.
"Look Tsunade he got the scroll,took out our enemy and helped complete the mission," Jiraiya comments.
"If I didn't act when I did the scroll would be lost and we all would probably be seriously injured," Dan looks at her.
"It doesn't matter," she lowers her voice.
"Of course it ..."
"We've got the scroll now let's go," she picks up the scroll and walks off.
Jiraiya and Dan watch as Tsunade walks off. He's lucky she didn't kill him. This couldn't have been worse. And now we have to deal with an angry Tsunade. May we be shown mercy.
Jiraiya places his hand on Dan's left shoulder,"give her some time to calm down."
In her mind Tsunade realized that she has never been this angry before. Her blood boils under her skin as the throbbing in her head continues. She clenches both her fists and grits her teeth.
How can he be so naïve? And so reckless? I can't believe he doesn't understand how I feel. If I were to lose him again ...
Tsunade walks far ahead of Dan and Jiraiya not looking back. She doesn't slow down either because she is determined to reach Ryokan inn first. She speeds up her walking pace even more.
I thought she would understand? I did it to complete the mission and possibly save the Hidden Leaf from danger. Tsunade I ...
After a few hours of intense walking she finally reaches the inn. She has enough time to book three rooms before Dan and Jiraiya would arrive. She makes her way up stairs and slams the door behind her.
Dan and Jiraiya arrive just in time to hear the bang from up stairs. Oh this is bad. Tsunade might just kill him or seriously injure him. I shouldn't get involved or I might die.
"How about a drink?" Jiraiya offers.
"No thanks Jiraiya. I'll be outside if you need me," Dan turns and walks out the door.
Dan went around the inn to sit under a tree. He folds his arms behind his head and leans against the tree with his back. His eyes start to feel heavy and before long he falls asleep.
Jiraiya spends most of his afternoon at the bar chatting getting nose bleeds and talking to,beautiful,women. Tsunade didn't leave her room at all she stayed locked inside.
Sometime later ...
Dan wakes up to find that the sun had already set. He,lazily,gets up and goes inside walking past Jiraiya. He heads up the stairs rubbing his eyes.
Tsunade hears a knock at her door but doesn't answer because she knows it's Dan. He knocks again. She gets off the bed and storms towards the door.
"What?" She pulls open the door.
"I don't want to fight," he speaks in a calm voice.
"Then what is it?" She frowns.
"I ... I am sorry," he scratches the back of his head.
Tsunade's eyes widens. A sudden guilty feeling strikes in the pit of her stomach. Maybe I was too hard on him? And I did over react.
"You shouldn't apologize. I'm the one who should be saying sorry," she looks to side rubbing her arm.
"No I should because you were right. You were only protecting me because you love me and I didn't see that at first," he admits.
"Dan I still am sorry for being so hard on you," she admits getting a bit choked up.
He steps closer cupping her chin turning her head to face him. He moves a strand of hair from her face. Dan leans closer kissing her soft lips.
"I forgive you," he whispers in her ear.