Night On The Town [Jiraiya]

[Jiraiya]

Jiraiya smiled at the waitress as she brought the sake and then turned his grinning gaze to Tsunade. "Well I guess for my own health then I can't afford to lose!" Jiraiya took a small drink of sake and finally picked up the card's he'd been dealt. For the love of all things pretty and feminine! If I've got a hand like this I can only imagine what Tsunade's got! Jiraiya calmly placed a card down and drew another from the deck.

"Y'know, all this way here we talked about Naruto. How's Sakura coming along?" Jiraiya took another sip of sake and took another inconspicuous glance around to see if he could observe the waitress a little more now that Tsunade's attention was focused on the cards.

"Hmm, now that I think about it, I don't even really know this Sakura girl. What's she like? Y'know abilities, talents, favorite colors, that sort of stuff..." Jiraiya observed his hand once more and confident that he was going to win, placed it down on the table while he took Tsunade's sake cup and refilled it, then took his own and took another drink from it. At this rate, he guessed by the third or fourth round of the card game they'd be ordering more sake.

[Tsunade]

So now the conversation was turning to Sakura? Well, Tsunade was fine with that. She didn't know too terribly much about the girl personally, but her abilities were rather amazing. It seemed a little odd that it'd taken someone so long to notice her apt abilities with chakra control; most of a person's strengths were realized right out of the Academy.

"A lot of people say she's a lot like me," Tsunade stated, picking up her sake glass and once again draining it. The amount wasn't enough to get her tipsy just yet; she had a strong body in regards to it, after all. "From what I learned, she started out as one of those kinds of girls that was... Not really built to be a shinobi because she didn't have any relative strengths. From what Kakashi told me, she had brains and she had strong chakra control, and that was it. Of course, the incident at the Chuunin exams was interesting, as well. I'm sure you heard about it," she said, laying down a couple more of her crappy cards. She could easily have bet - and won - that Jiraiya had a better hand than her. Then again, how hard was that to notice? Most people would have an amazing hand of cards when they played with Tsunade.

"She picked a lot of it up rather quickly, I have to say... And she has determination. The day she came in, I was actually surprised; she'd struck me as a more timid sort of girl in most ways, with a bit of an explosive personality at times, but the moment she literally came bursting into the office, I wasn't hesitant to take her on." Refilling her cup once again, she drained half of it this time; it was mostly to keep her somewhat hydrated as she spoke. Laying down yet another horrible card, she continued. "The only thing I know she likes is umeboshi, and obviously... Her two favourite colours are pink and red." That one should've been obvious, had one seen the girl's attire; that pink apron-like skirt, the red top, and the red fabric of her headband spoke it all rather well. Her rose hair was definitely a sign, too.

"Let's just say... For a Chuunin, she can be readily compared talent-wise to medical shinobi with a lot more experience. She picked up that rather fast, too, and while it's not really... As potent as mine, it's still rather dangerous to take one of those. Then again, it'd be dangerous for anyone who could damage a ground like that," she said, chuckling. It was rare that Tsunade ever complimented anyone, but that usually referred to face-to-face conversations. Complimenting people when they weren't around was a lot more common for her, but it was still rare that she would ever compliment someone like that. "It almost surprises me, to be honest. Some day, I can easily see her surpassing my own abilities, fairly easily.

"She's a nice girl, though, really. Sometimes she can come off as... Rather 'explosive' - I'm sure you can ask Naruto about that one - but she's just got this drive, and I don't know where it came from. It's a drive to bring Sasuke back. Naruto has it, too. To be honest... While she's quite mean to him sometimes, I have to admit... She cares for him. She was worried for him for the longest time the past couple of years, and I saw her the day he returned... She seemed so bright about it." All the while, as she spoke, she was still playing her cards as best as she could, though no matter the case, she was probably going to lose. The round was almost over, and she still hadn't played very many cards, simply because she wasn't able to put most of them into play.

[Jiraiya]

Jiraiya smiled and idly watched Tsuande's moves, again using the opportunity to size up the waitress. "Another Tsunade, eh? Sounds pretty dangeous." Jiraiya obligingly refilled Tsunade's cup and finished off his own, refilling it easily.

"Everyone has to start somewhere, and from what you've said, it sounds like she started with a good head on her shoulders. I'm sure she could've become anything if she'd put her mind to it."

Jiraiya, wanting to prolong the game slightly took one of the poorer cards that Tsunade had just laid down and added it to his hand. Jiraiya looked up and took another sip of his sake. "She picked up that? Heh, from the way Naruto kept going on, she's probably going to end up killing him one day, I'm sure. History really does repeat itself, eh?" Jiraiya put down a few more cards and rearranged the rest.

"That drive...as uncharacteristically philosophical as it makes me sound, that drive is what defines us, both as ninjas and people." Jiraiya took another sip of sake and placed his cup down gently. "Without that drive, we aren't right. We need a goal to set our sights on. Without that goal...we wither like a plant left inside..."

Jiraiya shrugged and downed his cup in one swift motion. "I know I've got drive like that myself, heck that was the reason I took Naruto on in the first place...but...my own drive won't last forever. We're getting old, Tsunade, and soon Konoha and the rest of the world will be in the hands of these new generations. That's why we've got to teach them everything we can while the day is still ours!" Jiraiya refilled his glace and unobtrusively leaned out of the booth to see the waitress leaning over to place a tray of sake at another table. Jiraiya could feel the color rising to his face and his mouth starting to salivate. All in all, a pretty typical response...

[Tsunade]

His words were rather philosophical, and it was fairly uncharacteristic of him, but in a way, he was right. They were getting old, and that drive certainly was something that made them who they were. The Will of Fire, some called it, but Tsunade didn't quite believe it was the same thing.

"The Will of Fire. Hiruzen-sense-- the Third talked about it quite a bit," Tsunade said, just as Jiraiya began to look slightly out of the booth. Knowing what he was looking at, she sat up just barely out of her seat, reached over, and cuffed him hard on the side of the head, then returned to her seated position with her cards and played her next move.

"Behave, or I'll drag you outside and settle it," she threatened, though her threats were only half-empty. Knowing her, she would certainly drag the man outside and settle it, in her own manner, but it wasn't a death threat... Just a threat to put him in a hospital bed. Though, strangely enough, she wasn't really in the mood to do such a thing. She didn't really have any real drive to drag him outside and beat the living snot out of him, but if it really came down to it, she probably would.

"She almost makes up the brains that Naruto tends to lack at times," Tsunade said, thinking a little bit. "Tch, much like I made up for the lack of brains you tended to have when you were younger. Sakura's got skill in tactic, to an extent, though... Comparing her to some of the other geniuses, she's made out to be rather lowly. Hell, my own strategizing abilities are made lowly by his IQ. Nara Shikamaru... I still can't believe it. Laziest shinobi and yet the one with most brains," she said, playing another move.

"But I tell you, we aren't through our prime yet. Sure, we're getting old, but look at the Third. Even in his old age, he still managed to hold out for almost an hour against Orochimaru... At least, from what I heard. I'm not ready to croak yet, and I'm sure you're not gonna croak with the toads either," she jested lightly. Ah, there was nothing wrong with a couple toad jokes every now and then... Besides, she was sure he'd counter that with some strange slug joke or other.

"Naruto has an undying drive, though. It... It reminds me of Nawaki," she managed to choke out, biting back the memories of her brother. "I think that's why I can stand Naruto so easily. He reminds me so much of Nawaki... And of Dan, too."

[Jiraiya]

Jiraiya dutifully accepted the cuff on the head and tore his eyes away, bringing the attention back to the game. He took a look down at the card's on the table and was mildly surprised to find that judging from first appearances Tsunade wasn't doing so bad after all. It was then that Jiraiya remembered he'd been playing down a bit, if nothing else than to draw the game out.

"Sarutobi-sensei...yes, he did. Quite often. I know those words helped shape me into who I am now. I...sometimes wonder if they affected Orochimaru at all...but I can only guess on that." Jiraiya's face turned somber again as he reflected on his failure, not just his own in failing to stop Orochimaru from killing the Third, but also in being unable to save his own pupil Minato. "Oh well, weren't we trying to avoid depressing topics?"

Jiraiya smirked at Tsunade's comment on Naruto's intelligence. "Just about everyone I've met would make up the brains that Naruto lacks, but nobody. Absolutely nobody I've ever met could hope to match his raw determination. You've seen for yourself. After all, it is why he now wears that necklace that belonged to the First."

Jiraiya waved the waitress to bring them another order of sake as theirs was running dangerously low and turned his attention back to the cards. "Believe me, I'm not gonna croak anytime soon. Unless you decide to slug me that is..."

"Dan...Nawaki...Yes, the do seem very similar to Naruto don't they. It's a shame they aren't with us. Such determined shinobi would be a major asset to any village. But enough about the past! Dink up! Drink up! The night is young and we're getting older every day!"

[Tsunade]

Tsunade snorted quite inelegantly at the slug joke as the waitress refilled their sake, chuckling. Perhaps now she was getting a little closer to tipsy, but it'd still be a while before she was really there. Refilling her cup, she downed the whole thing and watched Jiraiya's moves. Looking at the cards... She noticed something. She was doing better than she'd thought she was; now she could lay down three more... Doing so, she picked up another card and was a little surprised. She was doing much better than she'd thought... All evidence to the contrary that I can't gamble, she thought to herself.

"Sure, he's got raw determination, but that's not going to get him anywhere, really," Tsunade said. "His determination might be unmatched by anyone, but even so, if he lacks skill, then where does that determination go? It's like having matches and wet firewood... You just can't light the fire if the wood's wet." She hoped her analogy made some sense, at least. "And so much for avoiding depressing topics," Tsunade said, resting her one elbow on the table and propping her chin up on the heel of her hand.

"So where should we hit after this? Shizune's going to be mad that I'm gone all night, but I could really care less... I need to get out more, anyways," Tsunade said dryly, downing another cupful of sake. She played a couple more of her cards, and continued. "Hell, already I'm starting to get tired and I haven't even had much," she muttered, glancing at her once-horrible hand that was a fairly mediocre one now. For some reason, she wasn't liking the looks of her hand... Not because it meant she was probably going to lose, but because she could just feel a bad omen creeping up on her.

"Is it just me, or is there some sort of... Bad omen that seems to be creeping up? I don't know, but I just have a really weird feeling that something's going to go wrong sometime soon... Kind of like instinct, you know?" She looked up at Jiraiya, her look questioning and slightly confused. Perhaps he'd feel the same way...

[Jiraiya]

Jiraiya smiled. "Sometimes, just the determination itself can be enough to get one through somehow. I don't know how, but Naruto always makes me feel like he'll always prevail in the end, no matter the odds. It's like he's a protagonist in a novel...hmmm, that gives me an idea..." Jiraiya let his mind wander for a few moments then chuckled. "Heh. Forgot I already wrote that one...maybe I should just re-release it?"

Jiraiya shrugged and continued on trying to figure out how to salvage his hand that seemed to be rapidly deteriorating. "Bad omen? Yeah, I've got this nagging sensation the next Make Out book isn't going to come out on the deadline, should we just call the game a...draw?" Jiraiya looked at Tsunade nervously hoping that she wouldn't want to press the advantage that she seemed to be rapidly gaining in the game.

"Nothing like picking up some dango after sake, right? Let's head out, the night won't last forever. Hey, I'll even pay the bill! Just don't finish this game for gods' sake..." Jiraiya felt a few beads of sweat start to drip down his face. He didn't particularly feel like running into any bad omens tonight.

[Tsunade]

"Oh, hell, if it's your new book that's going to be the bad omen, then hell, I'll keep playing," Tsunade said, but countered her comment by throwing her cards down. She knew that something like that wouldn't considerably be a bad omen, to her, anyways. When it came to her, said bad omens tended to be much larger-scale, and yet when she lost, nothing happened. Nonetheless, the game was considered a draw now, and hopefully that wouldn't cause anything bad to happen. One could never know, maybe it would cause some good to come of it...

At the mention of dango, Tsunade nodded. Dango sounded like a good idea, but the mention of the word just brought thoughts of Mitarashi Anko to her mind, and in her opinion, that woman was much too childish to be a proctor. Such antics... But, whatever. Dango were good, and Tsunade would eat them, hopefully. She wasn't about to let Jiraiya pay the whole bill, however; she still had money in her pocket, thankfully.

"Yes, I don't feel like seeing anything... Remotely horrible happen to anyone tonight." She wouldn't admit that she had a feeling that something was going to happen regardless, just because they'd played with the strands of what might be considered 'fate' and called their card game a draw. Hopefully, however, it wouldn't be something horrible; perhaps something good could come of it. Tsunade doubted it, but it was surely possible. Standing up, she thought about the dango and slipped her money to the waitress who scuttled her way over as they stood. Paying the woman for both of their sake, she walked her way to the door and continued talking.

"Dango sounds like a good idea... Even though it reminds me a little too much of Anko."

[Jiraiya]

Jiraiya nodded. "It's settled then, we'll call it a draw, get some dango and walk some more and no bad omens in sight! It's a flawless plan!" Jiraiya stood stretched a bit and attempted, unsuccessfully to make eye-contact with the waitress. Oh well, Jiraiya, you can't win them all!

"Don't want anything bad to happen to anyone? Tsunade, you aren't finally developing feelings for me after all these years now, surely?" Jiraiya smiled and laughed, but not mockingly.

As they exited the bar Jiraiya looked around for a place that would likely have good dango. "Eh? Mitarashi Anko? One of those chunnin exam proctors? How so? Is there something funny I missed in my wonderous life of travel, adventure, and romance?"

((lol seriously, I must have missed that particular episode...whats up with the Anko and the dango references? >_< ))

[/blockquote]

[Tsunade]

[[If you saw the first Chuunin exams you'd know what I'm talking about, lol... Anko loves dango. xDDD]]

"Stories, really. I've met her, and she's... Rather irritating sometimes. It surely sounds like a flawless plan, though," Tsunade said as they walked out of the door and began to roam the streets, the moonlight casting a glow over the earthen street around them. At the mention of any feelings for Jiraiya, Tsunade stiffened mentally. She dared not admit it, no. She knew it was there, and she hated admitting it to herself. She cared for Jiraiya, and there couldn't be anything more than that. To her, it was just a friendly care, from knowing him for so long. You tended to grow closer when your one teammate became a badass and you were forced to fight them in later years, as well as spending so much time together when they were younger.

"Tch. Feelings for you? Sure, I've got feelings for you, but they mostly involved bloodied noses, broken bones, ruptured organs, and my tossing you around like a ragdoll. Oh, and having to clean up the bloody mess later," she lamented, being thoroughly sarcastic. "No, Jiraiya, honestly, I wouldn't want anything to happen to you. We're good friends, and we've known each other since we were about six. Sure, you're an idiot sometimes, sure you're a pervert, but you care about a lot of things. You and I were both hit the same with his disappearance. We both endured it. It's a friendship thing, really, and I'm sure you understand." There, that sounded legitimate, both to Tsunade and hopefully to Jiraiya.

She couldn't help, though, that think they were still quite close even after being separated for the longest time. It had been over two and a half years since they'd last communicated, and it had been a long time. As much as she hated to admit it, she'd missed Jiraiya's thoughtful presence. He usually had good ideals at hand in regards to most situations, and he had at least half a brain that he knew how to use. That, and some of his less perverse works - which Tsunade had once read - were good, too; he had just a knack for that. It was one of the things she just enjoyed reading.

As they reached the dango stall, Tsunade ordered them each two of the sweet food, then sat down on the bench to wait. As she did, she stared up at the moon, the rays of light casting a glow upon her young-seeming face, and thought. Just thought. Many things ran through her head, and she wasn't minding the silence at all. Of course, all the while she hoped that Jiraiya would probably break it...

[[I'm referring to his ones that were like, the adventures of Uzumaki Naruto and stuff. xD]]

[Jiraiya]

((The Gutsy Ninja! Yay for none Make-Out Jiraiya writing reference XD! And I must have missed that section of the chunnin exams T_T i don't remember any dango in that section...))

"Hmm. Well if you say so." Jiraiya watched as Tsunade purchased the dango. He'd reserve judgement on this Anko girl once he saw her. The other proctor he knew for certain was skilled in what he did. Morino Ibiki. Jiraiya remembered the days when Ibiki hadn't been a proctor yet. That was so long ago, Jiraiya thought shaking his head. He definitely wasn't getting any younger.

Jiraiya took the dango Tsunade had bought for them and they found a bench, apparently absorbed in some of his own thoughts. "Tsunade...you know, I've been wondering about that. You think of us as friends right? No, you want to think of us as friends." Jiraiya turned his head and looked down the street before turning back to Tsunade.

"Tsunade, we've been friends for decades. We're already drinking buddies, and you just admitted you care for me. Just one date? It won't kill you to love a man. I'm sorry if I sound harsh, but just because you love someone doesn't mean they're going to die. Nawaki, Dan, I know you loved them both, and I know how you shut yourself off a little further after each. Would it be that hard just to open up for once?" Jiraiya set down his dango and put his hands palm down on his knees. He took another look at Tsunade then turned his head.

"I'm sorry, this isn't probably why you decided to come on out tonight...You don't have to answer if you don't want, but please, at least think it over for yourself..." Jiraiya leaned back in his seat and sighed.

"Well, now for my least favorite moment of the night." Jiraiya leaned back on the bench and took a few deep breaths, trying to compose his next couple of words. "Akatsuki's activity is on the rise. Some of the information I gathered indicates that they might start making major pushes to get the tailed demons no later than by the end of the year. Worst case scenario they start making their push in a month or so. You should know this, and I should've said it earlier, but you needed time off."

[Tsunade]

Each comment, each point that Jiraiya made, hit Tsunade like a lead brick. As much as she hated to admit it... She really did want to think of them as just "friends". Now it seemed, that he was back and in good condition - after telling her that Naruto had nearly killed him in Jinchuuriki form - she wasn't feeling along those lines anymore.

And then he mentioned Dan and Nawaki. She stopped staring at the moon and simply stared at the ground, her face blank but her eyes full of pain, of sorrow that lurked deep down in the woman's mind. She'd shut herself in because she didn't want to experience it again. And yet, at the same time... He was right. Thoroughly right. The question was, would she say yes? Even she didn't know. She felt it would be best for her own safety to turn him down, but... He wasn't being his "usual" self about it. Simply from his tone of voice, Tsunade could tell that he was being serious and mature about it. And she hated it.

Her face returned to composed as he mentioned Akatsuki, her visage becoming more business-like and resembling the Hokage she was supposed to be.

"Akatsuki's activity is on the rise. Some of the information I gathered indicates that they might start making major pushes to get the tailed demons no later than by the end of the year. Worst case scenario they start making their push in a month or so. You should know this, and I should've said it earlier, but you needed time off."By the sound of that, things didn't look too good. The question was, which Jinchuuriki would they target first? There were only two assumptions that they could make, and that was Naruto and Gaara. The question was, would they be able to predict properly? If the earliest time was to be by the end of the month, then that wouldn't be any good.

"That means they're either going to target Konoha or they're going to target Suna. And... Wait, I believe there was a message sent ahead a few days ago, saying Temari was on her way back with Shikamaru. If that's the case, then I'm sure we could notify her and tell her to prepare for a possible attack. She is Gaara's ambassador, after all. I have a feeling that with my luck it will be Konoha, but the Kyuubi would be harder to take down than the Ichibi. They know that already, with Itachi and Kisame's skirmish with Kakashi, Gai, and Kurenai." Tsunade hoped she was doing a good job of stuffing down the emotions she'd experienced only minutes ago underneath her more professional side.

Finishing her dango, she set the stick down on the plate and placed her hands on her knees, sighing slightly and staring at the ground. It was resurfacing again, what he'd said before. She had to think about it more, and the silence would help. Perhaps giving up something like that would be a good idea. Just one night wouldn't hurt, would it. If it came down to it, she'd tie Jiraiya up and not let him go anywhere, just to avoid his death coming upon him. She knew she'd cry if he wasn't there, and she wasn't afraid to admit it, either. Anyone would if someone they'd known for decades, as a friend, comrade, and teammate, someone who'd been there for them when they'd needed it, and someone who'd helped them through a lot of sticky situations, suddenly breathed his last breath on the face of the earth. It would surely be detrimental to Tsunade herself if she lost Jiraiya. He was the closest thing to a brother, to family, that she had ever had after Nawaki's death.

And yet, the more she thought about it, the more she realized that he was right. Completely right. Though perhaps not in exactly the same way, Jiraiya had suffered losses in his own life, and he'd seen the state she'd been in after Dan and Nawaki. She'd been a wreck, and he'd been there for her. Sometimes he could read her like a book, another thing she hated. He was really the only person that could read her that well, and perhaps... Perhaps it would be a good thing to say yes. Tsunade was stubborn, but she wasn't stupid.

"Maybe," was all she said. "I don't think I could decide now. If you're really going to push it... There's a festival coming up in a few days. Perhaps... Perhaps, maybe. Either way, I'll be there." She wouldn't dare say yes straight out; she wanted Jiraiya to work for it. If he was truly being serious, he would. He knew her limits, he knew her anger, and he knew how to work around it. If he could talk her into it, she'd say yes, but it would take a lot of talking. She was a stubborn woman, after all, and she wasn't about to crack open like an egg. She wasn't about to shatter as easily as glass. No, she wouldn't open up to anyone like that unless it was true. Meant. Mature. And sure. She would crack more like hardened plastic and a person's hand. Yes, that seemed more legitimate. She wasn't going to break so easily; she was known to be tough, after all.

[Jiraiya]

Jiraiya nodded. "The Festival, eh? Very well. I'll do my best to get that date from you. And by the end of the Festival I'll get your answer. I'll do my best, after all this is probably the biggest gamble of my life, and it might even be yours too. I'll make sure that this turns out well for both of us, promise." Jiraiya picked up his dango and ate a few more. "Tsunade. Don't worry. Whatever happens, whatever you choose, I'll be on your side."

Jiraiya turned back out and looked up at the stars in the night sky. "Yeah. Konoha and Suna are the only places that we know of that could be attacked, but its entirely possible and probable that the other major countries have jinchuuriki in them. It might be prudent to alert them as to the presence of Akatsuki. Might save us some trouble in the long run..."

Jiraiya turned his head back down from the heavens and looked at Tsunade. "Much as I'd like to rest and research the hot springs, I think we should head back to Konoha. You...have a lot to think over, I know. You should get some sleep, especially with the festival coming up. Wouldn't want you to get sick from stress and miss the festival now would you?" Jiraiya stood up and offered his hand to help Tsunade up in a very gentlemanly fashion. His expression was kind and friendly, but at the same time serious. Jiraiya had meant every word he'd said.

[Tsunade]

Another gamble in her life. It was the last thing she needed. Every gamble with love she'd ever had - whether it be the romantic type or the family kind - now lay in shambles. Did she truly dare to try again? Too bad her real gambling habit couldn't be like that. Too bad she couldn't be stubborn towards herself, the way she was stubborn towards her emotions. And yet, as he said that, she knew it was true and genuine? Wasn't that enough? Not quite yet. If he was willing to fight to get her, then she'd consider that fair enough. She had to be stubborn every now and then, after all. It was just part of her personality.

At the mention of sending messages out to the other villages, Tsunade thought on that. "That would mean that eventually it would reach Akatsuki in one way or another. You can't forget, while we've got ties in with other villages, they have ties as well. They would know someone was either leaking information or that someone was monitoring their movements from the outside." Tsunade wouldn't dare say what she was thinking at that moment out loud, but she knew that if word got out that someone was getting information to Konoha somehow, it would put Jiraiya in danger. Tsunade wanted nothing of the sort for the man; she was somewhat cruel to him at times, yes, but that was usually self-created through his own stupidity. Or, at least, the times that she had, it had been.

At mention of being sick with stress and not being able to attend the festival, Tsunade chuckled. "I'm under constant stress, don't you ever notice that?" she shot back as his hand helped her up. "I mean, really. I have to do paperwork while Shizune hounds me about more paperwork while the one person I know the best these days is off in some unknown land nearly getting himself killed while teaching a Jinchuuriki. I have invisible stress lines," she joked, and in a sense it was true. Her stress and age lines were there... It was just that nobody could see them due to her constant Henge.

"I still think sleeping here would be in our best interest, though. I don't need my own bed to think, you know. Besides... Hotel beds are much more comfortable than that. Shizune can handle some of the paperwork that's going to come in anyways, she's managed without me before." Glancing around, she saw the sign to the hotel and pointed. "I've heard that one's fairly good. Why don't we stay there?" She hoped they would have two vacant rooms, because Tsunade knew that she needed some time to her own, and having one room with two beds wouldn't give her the space she needed to think. While she knew she could get that alone time if they went back to Konoha, she didn't want to go back just yet. She still felt a little rebellious, and she knew she needed time away from her office. Like Jiraiya had said, she needed a break.

Without really waiting for any answer, Tsunade began to walk towards the hotel.

[/quote]

[Jiraiya]

Jiraiya nodded at Tsunade's words about the other villages. "Well, I doubt we're the only village related in espionage anyways. I'm sure that the others are at least slightly aware of something going on...after all, all the members of Akatsuki were powerful ninja in their own homelands... I would assume they'd at least try to follow the movements of such powerful missing-nin." Jiraiya knew that what she said was making sense. She didn't really want to lose anyone else, specifically not him, although he doubted she'd ever say it...well, at least not that night.

"True we're all under a bit of stress these days!" Jiraiya said chuckling. If he guessed right Shizune would be stuck with a lot more than a few papers to work with, knowing Tsunade's love of paperwork. As Tsunade made her way to the hotel, Jiraiya followed behind.

"I suppose spending the night out here wouldn't be so bad. Shizune will have to wait I guess." Jiraiya entered and paid for his room. After he had done so he turned back to Tsunade.

"I can spend some of the time out here writing my newest book idea. I've had one for a while now..." Jiraiya turned at the staircase and waited so that he could walk Tsunade to her room before going off on his own.