C H A P T E R 7

I slowly walked to the hospital. I didn't want to go back. I wanted to run straight to the shrine and wait for Itachi but I couldn't.

I still had responsibilities.

I slipped into the large building and tip toed past the nurses station. Quickly glancing up at the clock, 'I made it just in time for the second rounds'.

"Ma'am?"

Yuki's voice stopped me mid scurry. I sighed turning my body to face the small girl. She stood up from her seat at the station, her body still hidden by the large desk.

"Yes?"I replied, resting a hand on my hip.

"Sorry ma'am there was a man who came looking for you while you were gone."

"A man?" I questioned.

"Yes".

"Where is he?"

"I told him he could wait in your office. It seemed really important, I didn't know if you were okay with that I am sorry." Her voice gave away her fear at some sort of preconceived punishment I would enact on her.

My fingers ran through my hair. "It's okay Yuki. Thank you for telling me". I replied.

Her eyes lit up, her head came down in a bow. I walked up to her placing my hand on her head. "Don't be scared of me okay, I promise I don't bite." I smiled.

Her head shot up an ear to ear grin, "Yes ma'am!"

I rocked back on my heels spinning myself in the direction of my office. The soft clicking of heels followed. Walking down the empty halls, I thought deeply of who might be waiting for me in my office.

Arriving to the door of my office my hand clenched the handle. I could sense the man's chakra through the door.

'What could he possibly want?'

I slide the door open and stepped inside sliding it shut behind me. "Is there a reason why you're here?" I spat.

The man stood in the shadows of the room. His tall crippled form stood at the far side of the room, a cane in hand that insistently tapped against the floor. The man took a tentative step into the light that broke from the covered windows. Just looking at his face gave my body a visceral reaction. The hate I had for him was inconceivable.

"I came to inform you that your former teacher has been nominated to become the 5th hokage." His half shadowed face held an ominous smile. 'Sickening!'

"And what does that have to do with me?" I ground out, trying hard to keep myself in check.

"Just passing along information." The smirk etching a hedious thin line arcoss his tight lips.

"I need you to go along with Jiraiya and Naruto to retrieve Tsunade." A dark laugh escaped my lips, "You know for someone who hates the Uchiha you seem awfully eager to enlist us in your plans." My arms crossed over my chest, it was almost impossible to hide the disgust from my face. But he made no move, no indication that he would respond.

"Leave me out of whatever you have planned. I have no intention of ever participating in any of your schemes ever again." My voice felt harsh as the words left my lips.

I wanted to go over there and wipe that smirk right off his face, and I knew exactly how I was going to do it. Break every bone in his body and have him beg for mercy.

"You participated in the massacre of your own free will."

He was baiting me. He wanted to get a rise out of me, but I wasn't stupid enough to let him get to me.

I scoffed and walked over to my desk taking a seat and turning to him.

"You are a despicable human being. But I will never let you manipulate me ever again." I raised my gaze to him, the sharingan activating in the process. "Lay a finger or take any action against Tsunade, Sasuke, or anyone else for that matter and I will make sure you regret it with everything that you are."

He smiled.

I jumped up from my seat and made a b-line for him. My hand seizing onto the hand that held his cane. With a crushing force I squeezed his hand, almost breaking every bone. My red eyes bore into his. "I promise you a sharingan wielded by a true heir is more dangerous than any second hand sharingan you could ever hope to have."

A knock came at the door. Looking back I pulled away from him. "Now I suggest you leave."

"I'll have my way whether it's with your assistance or not." With his parting words, he disappeared back into the shadow. Taking a deep breath I walked over to the door pulling it open.

"Jiraiya? What are you doing here?" I asked tilting up to look up at the tall man.

"Commme on is that any way to greet someone?" He cooed pulling me into a hug. His enormous body engulfed mine.

"You're crushing me." I breathed trying to pry myself from him.

Then I felt something squeeze my ass. In an instant I ripped myself from him and punched him square in the face sending him clear across the hall and right into a wall. The impact of his body hitting the wall caused the building to tremble.

"Do that again and next time you'll end up in the morgue Jiraiya." I growled.

Jiraiya was on the other side of the building, eyes rolling and drool coming down the side of his lips, "Soo soft...."

I sat down at my desk and ran through the afternoon paperwork. My eyes glanced up at the clock above the door.

'Soon.'

Jiraiya leaned up against the wall near my desk. His arms crossed over his chest and his left leg angled so that his foot pressed flat against the wall behind him. "So why did you come, other than to grope me ?" I questioned leaning back in my chair placing the paperwork back on the desk.

"I assume you already heard that the council plans on making Tsunade the next hokage." I laid my arms against the rest and narrowed my eyes. "You threw Tsunade under the bus." I chuckled.

"You know that she would be a much better hokage than I would." A laugh escaped my throat. "The drunken gambler is better suited for the position of hokage than a lonely pervert?! If that's the case then she's definatly the one for the job." I laughed harder.

"You know she would be a lot better at it than I would." His was serious.

I tilted back in my chair thinking of a world with Tsunade as hokage. A sweat drop formed, 'He is right about one thing she's probably better suited. But... she might kill everyone in the process.' I thought back to my days training with the legendary sannin. I have only really felt fear for one person in all my life and it was for Tsunade. She was a nightmare sometimes.

"I wanted to ask if you would help me find Tsunade." My eyes shot to his. "I can't. I have a responsibility to this hospital. It was the last thing the 3rd asked of me."

Jiraiya face held a stern look.

"You're the only one who has found her in the last 20 years. She's also more inclined to come back if you are the one asking her." I sighed.

'He's probably right.' But I still couldn't leave, the hospital wasn't in good shape. Plus Tsunade might rip me to shreds for not taking my job seriously. Despite everything else that could be said about Tsunade, she took her role as a medical ninja very seriously, and if she knew I had left my position for a "wild goose chase" she would kill me.

"I can't..." I started, as my hand propped under my chin, " But I do know where you could start looking."

Jiraiya's brow raised in a questioningly.

"I heard a rumor of a legendary sucker running around in a village not to far from here." A grin tugged at both of mouths at the mention of ridiculous nickname. "You and I both know how Tsunade is a marvelous looser." I chuckled.

"Yea the god of luck never really was on her side."

I pushed back from the desk giving myself enough room to stand. My arms stretched up as far as they could. All the muscles in my back stretching from years of stress and impossible posturing. It felt... amazing.

"There has been something I have been meaning to ask you ." His statement caused me to freeze, my head cocking to the side. "Why was Danzo here?"

My eyes narrowed. 'Could he possibly know something?'

"He came to tell me that Tsunade was nominated for hokageship". His eyes narrowed back at me. He didn't appear to believe me, but didn't press me on the subject any further.

"Alright." He pushed himself off of the wall and proceeded to move towards the door. His head tilted to the side as his hand reached for the door, "Oh and thank you for the heads up on where to find Tsunade." He gave me his signature smile and waved me off as he turned the corner and walked down the hall.

My eyes darted to the clock.

"Perfect timing."

I slipped past the door, down the hall, and out the door.