Konoha's Maelstrom

21

AN: I'm back! Short chapter, but it's written pretty well, or I hope so.

On their walk to the next town, Meiko learnt several things about Tsunade.

Firstly, she was nicknamed the "Legendary Sitting Duck" due to her terrible gambling skills. Secondly, she often took money from moneylenders and never paid it back. Thirdly, she was around fifty years old. Finally, she was vain (or Jiraiya thought so).

Meiko barely refrained from saying her thoughts on the matter. Essentially, she thought Tsunade was an old hag throwing a toddler tantrum.

They were three hours away when Meiko asked another question. "Let's start the training for the jutsu you're going to teach me."

"Let's get to the village and after we get information, we can start," Jiraiya decided.

Meiko groans impatiently. For all her father's good traits, she also got her mother's impatience when she was eager. "Come on, Pervy Sage! I might as well do something on the way while you get the information you need."

Jiraiya thought over it. "Fine," Jiraiya said after some more thought. He then reached into his bag and pulled out some water balloons. "We're going to need these."

Meiko stared at them hard. She vaguely remembered reading about water balloons on a scroll in her father's office, but she had briefly glanced at it, so she wouldn't exactly know what the scroll said. "You're not making this jutsu up, right?"

"Idiot! Learn the basics then the harder steps," Jiraiya replied. "Now watch closely."

Meiko's eyes narrowed, her senses activated, but there was nothing too sense. Then the balloon started poking outwards in all directions, then it burst in Jiraiya's hand, the water falling everywhere.

Jiraiya smirked at the thoughtful look on Meiko's face. "Now, you try." He tossed her a water balloon.

She caught it, then started tossing it from hand to hand as she thought. Jitaiya watched for a minute then turned back to his thoughts, the peace and quiet of the walk making a small smile tug at his mouth.

Meiko, however, was not smiling. She was confused; she was annoyed; she was infuriated. All she had gotten from Jiraiya's brief example was that she needed chakra to burst the balloon.

Five minutes passed with no breakthrough and the balloon was still being tossed between her hands. Another two minutes and Meiko had a thought.

"Do you have a spare water balloon?"

"Yes," Jiraiya answered and tossed her one.

"Thanks." She placed it in her bag and then went back to the one in her hand. She needed one more so that if the first popped, she had a second to try with.

There was no reply, only snores. Meiko rolled her eyes.

She stared at the water balloon a second time. The day was passing quickly. Then she was struck by a vague memory of steps.

Four years ago, she had been going through her dad's scrolls and saw a scroll with a water balloon drawing. It said something about–

Meiko held the balloon in her right hand and concentrated on spinning the chakra in different directions. The balloon started poking out and five seconds later, it popped.

Jiraiya, very lost in thought, jumped at the sudden sound. He turned to look at Meiko, who was staring at the empty balloon shell with starry eyes.

"You didn't?"