Baa-chan - 6

Late that night, Jiraiya wasn't surprised to discover Tsunade sulking at a bar in the town. He took a seat beside her and ordered a drink for himself.

She greeted him with a non-committal grunt when he turned to her; hoping persistence would remind her of her loyalty to the Leaf.

"Tsunade…I know you've endured a lot of pain, but you really have no excuse for turning your back on Konoha," Jiraiya said quietly, tipping some sake into his cup, "It's what they'd want you to do: Nawaki and Dan. You have the chance to fulfill their dreams."

"Jiraiya?"

He looked at her expectantly.

Tsunade lifted her glass to her lips, "Shut up, Jiraiya."

*

After several knocks on the door to his hotel room, Naruto managed to muster the strength to roll out of bed and answer it.

He was surprised to see Shizune and he was unsure of why she had come, "Naruto, is it? I need to talk to you about something."

"Erm…this late at night?"

Shizune nodded, "Yes. I…I just want you to know that Tsunade-sama has suffered many tragedies in her life and that I really don't think you should be testing her when she's in such an emotionally fragile state."

"But I still have to fight her, sis." Naruto reasoned, yawning, "I'd look like a coward if I let her win. She can't talk trash about being Hokage, not on my watch!"

"If you push her too far, she may end up making some very bad decisions!" Shizune argued, but then relaxed, "Naruto, that necklace you're competing with her for…everyone who has worn it in the past…has died wearing it."

The blonde boy looked at her for a long moment and Shizune wondered if he really cared about the necklace's curse.

"Sis, I understand what you're trying to do, but I can't back down," Naruto answered, undeterred, "She'll either accept that she's the next Hokage or I'll make her accept it."

*

The following day Kakashi was still recovering from his fight with Itachi, and had not been pleased to hear that Sasuke had also been injured while encountering him.

For the moment he sat cross-legged on his bed, looking over a scroll he had been given that detailed past information on Itachi. Pakkun was sprawled out beside him and perked up his ears when he noted a third presence nearby, "Someone's at the door."

"Go answer it then, please."

With an annoyed grumble, Pakkun slid off of the bed and trotted out of the bedroom, towards the front door. One sniff told him who had stopped by and he pulled on a rag that had been specifically tied to the door knob for him. He opened the door and said, "Come on in, kid."

"Hey there, Pakkun," Sato gave the pug a pat on the head in greeting and closed the door behind him, "I came to see how my uncle's doing."

"He's fine, but he's looked better…"

Kakashi shuffled out of his bedroom, cracking his shoulders as he stretched, "Well, isn't this a surprise? I didn't think you'd be paying me a visit today, Sato-kun."

"I was just curious to see if it was true that you got your butt kicked by some crazy nukenin," The genin explained, following his uncle into the kitchen, "They said you were totally out of commission…"

While retrieving two glasses from a cabinet Kakashi gave the boy a sideways glance, "You heard correctly, but as you can see I'm good as new now."

Sato's cheerful expression began to weaken. His uncle frowned from beneath his mask, 'Maybe I'm not exactly as good as new…' He poured milk into each of the glasses and returned the carton back to the refrigerator, 'He probably knows better than anyone when I'm not at full strength…it's as if he can sense it.'

"Thanks, Kakashi…" Sato accepted the glass he was offered and sat across from him at the table. He was quiet for a moment after that, fingering at his drink disinterestedly.

"What's on your mind?" Kakashi could tell something was troubling the boy.

"I was afraid because I didn't find out until after it happened…" The silver haired boy said softly, "I was worried."

"Worried? Of what?"

Sato raised his midnight eyes, his face serious, "I was worried because I knew that if you died that day then I'd really be alone, and there wouldn't be anything I could do about it." His voice lowered, "It'd be just like when mom died…"

Kakashi understood and silence filled the room as he recalled his older sister. She hadn't been a very popular topic of discussion, for him, at least. Sato sipped at the milk half-heartedly, trying to settle his nerves.

"Your mother became very ill after she married your father," He wasn't certain how to explain it to his nephew, "Her health only worsened after you were born."

"…I know that." Sato confirmed. He had already learned how leukemia was nothing easy to live with, and that she had put up a strong fight during her life to conquer it.

Pakkun, from his place on the floor beside the table, began to grow nervous. It had been several years since Kakashi had approached the subject of his sister and it only opened up old wounds, 'He and Semi never saw eye to eye, not once…though Kakashi still tried to protect her when he could.'

The main quarrel that had created such a large gap in Kakashi's relationship with her was the suicide of their father when they were children. Semi still respected and cared for her father even after his humiliating error on a past mission that tarnished his honor.

Kakashi told her she was a fool to still revere Sakumo after his failure to secure the safety of the village, but she had never paid him any heed. They began to grow apart after that, and she had always tried to show him that living "by-the-book" would never truly bring happiness to his life.

'And then she met that tramp from Hidden Dragonfly: Riei,' Pakkun recalled, smiling in spite of himself, 'He was the most reckless, high-spirited jounin to ever live in Leaf…and the bane of Kakashi's professional existence.'

Sato leaned his elbows on the table, his eyes dancing with a painful memory of his past.