I first posted this series in my daily drabble fic, Tales of the Leaves - chapters 126-131. Decided they should be in their own little story =)

Thanks to Ella Unlimited for coming up for the title to the whole thing!

Better Start Running

Tsunade shifted irritably at her desk, sighing for the fifth time in ten minutes and resting her head on her hands.

She simply couldn't concentrate.

Her eyes were drooping despite a full sleep the night before, and exhaustion permeated her bones.

With a groan she let her head drop down onto her desk, forehead thumping against a soft stack of paperwork. The resulting sound brought her assistant hurrying in, sending a worried glance at her mentor.

"Tsunade-sama?" Shizune asked, approaching the desk and the prone blonde woman tentatively. "It's only been two hours, and –" she paused, eyeing the desk and sniffing the air, "you haven't even had any sake! Are you okay?"

Tsunade waved her left hand in a vague gesture in the general direction of the raven haired woman, but didn't lift her head. "Can I stop for the day?" Even she winced at how pathetic and pitiful her voice sounded, but she really didn't feel as though she could work anymore.

Shizune frowned, mentally running over what she had just heard. Tsunade had never sounded so…tired. She wasn't that old was she? Her eyes scanned over her mentor, cataloging the smooth wrinkle-free face, the noticeable bags below the eyes, the weariness present in the gaze. Maybe this was worth a check-up at the hospital…

"Tsunade-sama," she cleared her throat, serious eyes meeting Tsunade's when the Hokage looked up at Shizune wearily. "You may have the day off if you accompany me to the hospital."

Tsunade's eyes widened, then her eyebrows drew together, obviously analyzing Shizune's reasons for wanting to go there. But she couldn't come up with anything. "Why?" the blonde woman asked bluntly, still frowning.

Shizune cocked an eyebrow. "The promise of a day off isn't enough to tempt you?"

The rest of the words registered in Tsunade's head and she perked up noticeably. "You're sure?" If Shizune was serious that meant she would get out of a day of work for practically nothing! Definitely worth the trip. The Hokage stood up swiftly, planting both hands on her desk and grinning at her assistant. "Let's go!"

Shizune moved to catch her mentor as the woman swayed slightly, dark eyes definitely worried now. There was no reason for Tsunade to be this weak. Unless the cause was medical.

The trip to the hospital was short, and Tsunade being the Hokage with Shizune as her assistant garnered them a clean room immediately.

Tsunade sat down on the bed, crossing her arms and huffing as Shizune fetched her medical charts. "There's really nothing about me that I don't know already," she informed her assistant pithily, but obligingly leaned back as Shizune pressed lightly on her shoulder.

"Humor me," the shorter woman replied, and began running her chakra coated hands down Tsunade's body, an inch above the woman's clothing. She searched for any irregularities in the system, any hints of fighting off an illness, or even just cell decay with age.

But when she was halfway through…Shizune's eyes popped open, but she didn't let Tsunade know of her alarm, finishing the scan in case she was mistaken.

She worked her way back up at the same pace, a smile growing on her lips as her idea was confirmed, until the raven was all out grinning.

"What's that smirk for?" Tsunade asked suspiciously as her assistant raised her eyes to look at the Hokage.

"I believe congratulations are in order," Shizune almost sang, and backed out of immediate physical range.

"Congratulations?" Tsunade's mind worked at a furious pace, connecting the sense of chakra running through her body with Shizune's glee, and her final words. "What do you mean congratu –" A quickchakra pulse through her own body revealed exactly what Shizune was talking about. "No way. No way no way no way!"

"I'd guess seven more months to go," Shizune told her mentor, almost deliriously happy and with a silly grin on her face. Then as Tsunade started up off the table and stalked towards her, she added, "I'm not the one to blame for this, I just discovered it!"

The Hokage stopped stock still, face setting and turned to face the window. "No. But I know who is." Fists clenched, she tried to restrain herself, but couldn't. "Jiraiya!" the blonde woman roared, voice shaking the hospital. "You better start running, you sorry piece of pervert! Because when I catch you there will be hell to pay!"

In the room Shizune collapsed against the wall, a stream of giggles issuing from her mouth. Maybe this would be good for Tsunade.