Bonds

Convincing

The two stood at least twenty feet from one another. One had a furious look on their face, the other with an emotionless gaze.

"I don't see the point of this fight." they called out. The others face scrunched into an enraged glare.

"Of course you don't! You were always too stupid to know anything in the first place!" they retorted. They removed a kunai from their kunai pouch. The other dropped into a stance.

If this is what you really want...

"Now...just shut up and fight!" they yelled as they dashed forward, kunai in hand and ready to take off the others head. The other shinobi quickly removed a kunai from their pouch, bringing it up to their face and blocked the attack. The blades locked. Worried eyes met enraged. It appeared it would really happen.

They would fight even if they didn't want to.

*Current Time*

"Lady Tsunade! Look who it is!" Shizune exclaimed as she approached the table the lone woman was sitting at. She wore a brown top with no sleeves and blue pants. Her long blonde hair was pulled back into a ponytail that ran down her back, two bangs were however hung on each side of her face. Her golden-brown eyes showed slight surprise.

"Jiraiya? Is that you?" she asked as she rose to her feet. Jiraiya grinned like a madman as he now stood on the other side of booth. She shook her head in slight disbelief. "It really is you..."

"Tsunade! My wonderful teammate, it's good to see you after so long!" Jiraiya yelled out. Naruto looked at his sensei with an intrigued look. His sudden shift in energy and mood was to be expected, hell, his excitement was nearly bubbling over, yet the atmosphere around the Sanin was different.

He's acting like one of Sayu's fanboys back in the academy... he concluded in his thoughts as he stood next to him calmly, showing a light smile.

"The feeling is mutual." Tsunade responded as she scooped her glass that was half filled. She lifted it to her lips and paused, her gaze shifting. She nodded at him. "Who's the kid?"

"This is my student!" Jiraiya exclaimed as he jumped behind Naruto, placing his hands on his shoulders firmly. Tsunade tilted her head back, allowing the liquid to move from the glass to her mouth. She placed the glass back down on the table after her final drink.

"You? A student? Has hell really frozen over?" she asked. Shizune lightly scolded the woman as Jiraiya chuckled.

"As much as I hate to inform you, no, hell hasn't frozen over." he responded. He moved past Naruto and slipped into the booth. "Naruto, get us a bottle of Sake, would you?"

The blonde nodded when he made eye contact with the Sanin. He needed to butter her up. She wasn't just going to return to the Leaf the moment she was asked, Naruto knew that. After hearing about what happened to her, he wouldn't be surprised if she sent Jiraiya to the moon if he asked.

To have your many claims of change to your field that you specialize in is awful, diminishing to anyone's confidence, morals. But to lose both your brother and lover to a war, where they could have been saved by the changes you were denied. No wonder she left the village.

Naruto removed himself from his thoughts as he stood in front of the counter. The bartender, who was barely conscious when the duo walked in was now asleep, his arms spread out on the counter.

"Ahem!" Naruto coughed into his hand while staring at the man. Nothing, no movement. He sighed lightly as he placed his fist on the counter. He brought it down with minimal force, but the movement caused the man to stir. He pushed himself off of the counter and looked down at the blonde while rubbing the sleep out of his eyes.