Manga Chapter: 405

Character(s): Tsunade, Jiraiya

Pairing: JiraTsu

Dummy

It took all of Tsunade's monstrous strength to make it into a barren stretch of hallway before the tears came. Things were flying apart again and she wasn't sure her old heart could take it. Jiraiya. Gods, why him as well? When would it be her turn? She was so, so tired of being the one left behind. Hot moisture trekked down her pseudo-youthful face as the heaving breaths set in. Her proud shoulders fell to a level reserved for the mourning as her amber eyes screwed shut. Air hissed in through her gritted teeth as she fought for a semblance of control. The cool temperature exuded by the surface of the wall beside her melted slowly through her long hair to her burning scalp. As it prickled across her nerves, she tried to reason with herself.

The fool knew before he started the fight that his death was a possibility. He had to have known. Her teammate had been a lot of things in his life, but stupid was not one of them. That thought turned out to be the wrong one to pursue. Soon little snippets of days long gone were spilling in again. His hair had been so short when they met, nothing like the flowing mane it is--was now. The tense change made her want to curl into herself, to numb the ache he was leaving somehow. She could see his rugged face and devilish grin peering back at her from a hundred times and places. Emotion was rising, choking her. But then a high, cocky voice was ringing in her head, the one she'd forgotten had ever been his. "Nice to meet you...I'm Jiraiya! You can send me a love letter later!"

A feeble epithet spilled from her painted lips at the memory...because there are some love letters that Tsunade wishes she'd written.