A/N: I'm back! Unfortunately, it's just for this week. I have a lot going on in July, so I won't return to my normal posting schedule until August. But I had this chapter ready, so I figured I'd go ahead and post it. I'll see you all again in August! :)

This chapter is dedicated to Miss Laury, Ojay1307, LoveChibi, astroion, MeticulousNotoriety, and Alisa. Thanks so much for reviewing everyone! They mean the world to me. :) And thank you to all of my new followers/favorites!

Kakashi shifted his weight impatiently on the tree branch, and glanced at the sun for the fifth time. Jiraiya was late. It had been six months since he'd left Sai in Konoha. And since he'd last seen Tsunade. In those months, he'd begun meeting with Jiraiya whenever the Sannin left on or returned from missions, and they would exchange intel. And—the real reason for his anticipation—Jiraiya would update him on everything in Konoha.

At last, a familiar mane of white hair entered the small clearing below him, and Kakashi leaped down without an invitation. Jiraiya didn't blink, but a hint of amusement creased his mouth. "Ah, such haste. What if I had been an enemy-nin?"

If it had been four months earlier, Kakashi might have felt a bit of chagrin at the Sannin's reprimand. By now, Jiraiya's teasing was expected. "What news, Jiraiya-san?"

"Business first." Jiraiya's joviality faded and he crossed his arms over his thick chest. "I have discovered the location of the Akatsuki's leader."

Kakashi stared at him. The Akatsuki's leader? After all these years... "I see. What do you intend to do?"

"I am returning to Konoha to inform Tsunade. She will decide what needs to be done, though I suspect I will need to gather more intel before we can make a move." Jiraiya sighed, his gaze distant. "Of all the places..."

Kakashi curled his hand into a fist. They were so close. "Where is he?"

Jiraiya's gaze flew back to him and narrowed. "Tsunade must know first. Don't go getting any ideas." He chuckled. "Anyway, enough of that. Last I heard, Naruto and Sakura were part of an eight man squad searching for Sasuke Uchiha, led by Anko Mitarashi and Tenzō, though he now goes by Yamato. Sai is with them, and it seems they are bonding well. You made a good choice, bringing him back."

"Maa, thanks for the update." If anyone could bring Sasuke back, it was Naruto. Kakashi's eye slid to an especially bright yellow leaf next to Jiraiya's sandals as his ears grew hot. Every time. Every time, Jiraiya made him ask specifically, or he wouldn't even mention her name. "And Tsunade?"

He was beginning to hate Jiraiya's big, obnoxious grin. "What, the hime?" Still smirking, Jiraiya adjusted his pack strap, as if trying to draw out his answer as long as possible. "As beautiful and hot-headed as ever, of course. She does a good job keeping Naruto in line. But... she does seem to spending more of her nights drinking." Jiraiya's expression softened. "She misses you, Hatake. I can see it in her face. And she has a withered sakurasou she keeps on her desk. I don't suppose you know anything about that?"

Kakashi smiled, though an ache pulsed with every beat of his heart. "Hai, I do. Thank you, Jiraiya-san."

Jiraiya studied him for a moment, then shrugged his pack higher. "Well, I'd better get going. Tsunade needs my report." His eyes gleamed. "Do you have a message for her? If you make it sappy enough, I might include it in my next Icha Icha manuscript."

There was too much he wanted to say—too much he couldn't say—especially for a message delivered by Jiraiya. Kakashi's mouth curved wryly under his mask. Strange, since he was a man of few words. Which Tsunade knew—of course she knew. He already had the perfect message. One she would remember from the first time he'd given her one. He certainly did, and replayed it in his mind far too often. "Just... give her another sakurasou for me."

"Hardly good Icha Icha material," Jiraiya grumbled. He started to turn away, then hesitated. "Kakashi... stay close by. Konoha may need you sooner rather than later."

"Understood." Kakashi watched Jiraiya vanish in the direction of Konoha and took a deep breath of crisp autumn air. He would be ready.

Two weeks later.

Water splashed under Kakashi's boots as he pushed himself faster through the rain of Amegakure, surrounded by his ninken. Following Jiraiya's fading scent through the rain was a challenge, but his ninken were up to the task. They'd tracked more difficult targets many times. He gritted his teeth under his damp mask, remembering Tsunade's message. If only they could find the toad sage in time.

Pakkun had found him with Tsunade's message that morning, as Kakashi had been breaking camp about a day's travel from Konoha.

Kakashi straightened in surprise, dropping his unused shuriken back in his weapon pouch. If Pakkun was here, did that mean Tsunade...? "Maa, it's good to see you, Pakkun. What brings you here?"

Pakkun shook his head as he attempted to catch his breath. "Kakashi, I'm glad I finally found you. I have an urgent message from the hokage. She says you are the only one who can help, and that no one else knows she sent me to you."

Kakashi frowned, and freed the finger-sized scroll from Pakkun's jacket. Tension clamped his chest as he unfurled the message and quickly scanned Tsunade's hasty writing.

Kakashi, Jiraiya has gone to Amegakure to get more information on the Akatsuki's leader before we make a move. But he refused any help I offered and stubbornly insisted on going alone. However, I fear this mission is too dangerous for a single shinobi, especially since we know so little. I need you to follow Jiraiya to Ame and provide backup should he need it. You're the only one I can ask. Be careful.

-Tsunade

Kakashi grimly rolled up the message. Jiraiya was going to Ame by himself? He'd never been to the Village Hidden in the Rain, but he knew enough about it to understand Tsunade's worry. He bit his thumb and placed his palm on the ground to summon the rest of his ninken. As the rest of his pack surrounded him, he shoved the message into his pouch. "We're going to Amegakure."

And now they were here. Kakashi halted and crouched behind a large boulder, studying the city ahead. Jiraiya could be anywhere. If he had his ninken divide to search and then reverse-summon him when they found Jiraiya, he could get to the Sannin much quicker. But he couldn't risk them being seen, either.

Kakashi twisted in the mud to face his ninken. His jutsu was still limited without his left hand, but he'd managed to master a few of his more frequently-used techniques with one-handed signs. Including Hiding in the Mist. With luck, it would conceal his ninken from enemies at least until they were able to find Jiraiya.

Pakkun blinked in the rain. "What's the plan, Kakashi?"

Kakashi formed the signs and held up his two forefingers in the final seal. Thick white mist grew around them, shrouding even Amegakure from sight. "Separate and search until you find Jiraiya. When you find him, summon me immediately. I will stay here, as I am more likely to be detected."

His mist technique completed, Kakashi lowered his hand, but remained in a crouch as his ninken dispersed. He focused on gathering chakra and activated the Mangekyō. Against the Akatsuki, he couldn't be too prepared. If Jiraiya was in danger, he would have to be prepared to extract them both immediately.

Twenty minutes later, Kakashi tensed at a tugging on his chakra. One of his ninken had succeeded. He closed his eyes at the brief rush of coldness as he was summoned. The chill faded, and Kakashi opened his eyes to Pakkun crouched in front of him on a flat rock in some sort of lake.

"Kakashi, Jiraiya-san needs you now!" His mission completed, Pakkun vanished in a puff of smoke.

Kakashi jerked his gaze up at the urgency in Pakkun's voice. Jiraiya lay on a similar rock fifty yards away, metal spikes protruding from his back. Above him, six figures in black—and all with the same orange hair, turned as one, as if to attack Jiraiya again. No time to think—Kakashi blurred through the signs—he only needed a moment to get to Jiraiya. "Water release: Water Dragon Bullet!"

Kakashi raced across the water—pouring his remaining chakra into the Mangekyō—as the dragon burst from the lake, distracting the six Akatsuki. He reached Jiraiya's side and wrapped an arm around the nearly-unconscious Sannin. "Kamui!"

They warped into the dimension just as one of the Akatsuki leaped for them, hatred twisting his face.

Kakashi gritted his teeth at the stabbing pain in his eye as he and Jiraiya landed on one of the many black blocks stretching endlessly through the dimension. He'd never transported this much through his Mangekyō before, and he shook his head slowly to clear it. Jiraiya was motionless. His chest cramped. Was the toad sage still alive? He pressed a finger to Jiraiya neck, and was greeted with the slightest pulse. Relief flooded Kakashi, but he also knew he had to get Jiraiya to Tsunade as soon as possible if he was to survive.

Kakashi steadied his breathing, and focused on the remaining shreds of his chakra. He could only hope the strain of transporting again so soon wouldn't be too much. He clamped a hand on Jiraiya's arm, and summoned the pathway out of Kamui. His eye screamed in pain as the wet warmth of blood trickled down his cheek. The dimension warped around them, and he gasped as the light of reality filled his vision.

Completely drained, Kakashi fell back in the middle of the hokage's office, clutching his bloody eye. Thank the shinobi gods. They'd made it to Konoha.

"Baka!" Tsunade gently smacked Naruto upside the head. "Stop blaming yourself. You will catch up to him one day."

Naruto scowled, rubbing his head. But then he sighed and offered a tired grin. "Ah, hai, you're right. Thanks for always knocking some sense into me, Baachan. I'll never give up chasing Sasuke, believe it!"

"I believe it." Tsunade smiled and leaned back against the edge of the front of her desk. Still, she ached for him. She didn't doubt his ability or belief in his former friend, but there were things outside of his control. And if Sasuke never returned... she didn't know what that would do to him. She only prayed it wouldn't break his spirit.

"Hey, where's Pakkun?" Naruto turned in a half circle, as if Pakkun might be behind him. "He usually hangs out around here."

Tsunade crossed her arms over her stomach so he couldn't see her trembling hands. "I sent him on an errand a couple of days ago. He hasn't returned yet." Sending Kakashi to assist Jiraiya had seemed like a good idea. But now... Ame—and the Akatsuki—were an unknown danger. What if neither of them returned? Had she sentenced them to their deaths? She inhaled shakily. No. They were both elite shinobi. She had to trust them.

But even the best die, her mind whispered tauntingly. Like her grandfather, Hashirama. Like Tobirama. And her sensei, Hiruzen Sarutobi.

Tsunade ground her teeth. And that was the worst part of being hokage. Endless paperwork and meetings were nothing, in the end. But sending out her shinobi on life-threatening missions while she stayed behind, sitting in her office... Some days, she felt she could hardly stand it any longer. She managed a rueful smile. And Naruto thought he wanted to be hokage. This would drive him insane.

"Ha, I knew it!" Naruto crowed, jolting her out of her thoughts. "You're sending secret messages to Kakashi-sensei, aren't—"

A rush of cold swept through the office, and the space in front of Tsunade seemed to warp and twist, creating a dark opening. She lunged forward, fist glowing with chakra—and two figures dropped out of the hole. The dimension-warping—at least, that's what she assumed it was—vanished, leaving behind the two figures huddled on the floor.

Tsunade froze, her chakra flickering out, at the same moment Naruto cried, "Pervy Sage! Kakashi-sensei!"

Kakashi fell back from the motionless Jiraiya, blood trickling from his Sharingan. His gray eye fixed on Tsunade. "Help—help Jiraiya."

Kakashi. Tsunade took a stunned step forward, gaze locked on his—but Naruto's cry broke through her shock—and she finally processed Kakashi's words. She turned to Jiraiya, and horror choked her. Black metal blades protruded from his back, and his left arm was severed. She immediately knelt at his side, healing chakra surging through her hands. His condition was severe. If Kakashi had brought him here a few minutes later... "Naruto! Find Shizune and—"

"Tsunade-sama!" Shizune burst into the office, eyes wide. "I sensed—" She took in Jiraiya and Kakashi in a glance, and spun back around. "I'll get Sakura and prepare the hospital!"

Tsunade studied the black metal spikes as she infused Jiraiya with chakra. She'd never seen anything like it, so she didn't dare remove them until they got Jiraiya to hospital and had him stabilized. "Hang on, Jiraiya," she whispered.

Naruto hovered over her shoulder anxiously. "Tsunade-baachan, will he be all right?"

"Hai. I think so. Kakashi brought him just in time." Jiraiya's pulse was steady, so Tsunade took a quick glance back at Kakashi to asses his condition. The relief in his eye as he met her gaze was palpable. She understood. They both knew the feeling of being too late. He still pressed a hand to his bleeding Sharingan, and his chakra levels were dangerously low, but other than that he would be all right.

At that moment, Shizune and Sakura arrived with a team of medical-nin. Tsunade stood and took charge as the medical-nin moved Jiraiya to the stretcher. "Keep him on his stomach. Sakura, stay next to the stretcher and monitor his vitals. Shizune, as soon as these black rods are removed, I am placing you in charge of a team to analyze them. They are made of a foreign substance." She glanced back at Naruto and Kakashi as Jiraiya was carried out. "Naruto, stay with Kakashi and help him to the hospital. Don't let the elders get to him. I'll give you an update when I have one."

Naruto nodded sharply, and crouched at Kakashi's side. Tsunade let her gaze linger on Kakashi's for a moment, then turned and followed her team out. Time to get to work.

Five hours later, Tsunade stepped out of Jiraiya's room and let the door close quietly behind her. She massaged her forehead wearily, and only then noticed Naruto and Kakashi sitting on the bench outside of the room. They both stood, but only Naruto hurried to her. Kakashi didn't move.

"Tsunade-baachan, how is Pervy Sage?" Naruto stopped in front of her, but his blue gaze fastened on the door behind her as his fists clenched and unclenched.

Tsunade stepped to the side, the corner of her lips curving fondly. "You can go see him. Just don't get in the way."

"Hai, hai." Eagerly, Naruto pushed the door open and disappeared into the room.

Tsunade's gaze shifted to Kakashi, but she remained where she was. After all, they were in a hospital. A certain amount of restraint and respect was required, no matter how her heart threatened to burst from her chest at his presence. Instead, she said, "What are you doing out here? You should be recovering."

Kakashi lifted a shoulder, hand remaining in his pocket, though he seemed to shift a little closer. "Maa, I'm fine. Just tired. How is Jiraiya-san, truly?"

Tsunade studied him more closely. Most of the blood had been cleaned from his face, but a few dried flecks remained under his eye. She noted the tension lining his masked face. So, the Sharingan was still causing him pain. That, she could fix. She strode to Kakashi, and he stiffened as she lifted her hand to his eye, then relaxed as she only let her glowing hand hover over it. "Jiraiya lost a lot of blood, and his throat was crushed in the fight. It will heal eventually, but right now he is unable to speak." She added dryly, "He is resilient. I am sure he will be back to peeping in no time." Unfortunately.

Kakashi's eye crinkled. "And writing his page-turning literature."

His intended joke did make her feel better, but Tsunade couldn't help a scowl. "Don't tell me you are still reading that trash."

Kakashi's gray gaze captured hers, and her heart jumped in her throat as he murmured, "What I have is better than anything Jiraiya could dream up." Then he chuckled slightly. "But no. I am only reading his first book. It's quite good. You should think about picking it up. I think you would like it."

Tsunade snorted. His first book that didn't sell well? "I doubt it." Still, she couldn't deny her curiosity was piqued. She cleared her throat. Time to change the subject before they crossed hospital boundaries. "But I still don't know what those black rods are. They seem to have a strange sensitivity to chakra. I only hope they didn't cause him permanent damage. He's going to have a hard enough time of it without his arm. Perhaps you can give him some pointers."

Kakashi nodded slowly, his eye never leaving her. "I can try, if you want me to. Not that I can hold a candle to one of Sannin."

Tsunade managed a slight smile as she removed her hand from his Sharingan. "Don't be ridiculous. We aren't all-powerful. The world is changing and—"

"Tsunade." Kakashi's warm hand caught hers, and any remaining thoughts fled her mind. "I am glad I got to Jiraiya-san in time. I don't want you to lose anyone else precious to you."

"I..." Tsunade swallowed and finally forced words past the tightness in her throat. "I was so afraid I would lose you both." She closed her wet, aching eyes. "I—I couldn't bear it if you died. If it was because of me..."

"Tsuna." Kakashi's tender voice surrounded her like a warm blanket, and he tugged on her hand, bringing her closer. She didn't try to stop him. No one was here to see them, anyway.

The door to Jiraiya's room creaked, and Tsunade pulled back from Kakashi so fast she had to blink a couple of times before she was able to focus on Naruto shuffling out of the room. His blond brows were pinched, and he'd sucked his bottom lip in as he always did when thinking hard. She frowned. "Naruto?"

Naruto lifted his head and stared at them for several seconds. Then he scratched his head. "Pervy Sage wants me to go to Mount Myōboku."

The hidden land of the toads? "Why—" She blinked. Wait. "Jiraiya is unable to speak. How did he tell you this?"

"He wrote it. Kind of." Naruto grinned sheepishly. "It was hard to read, so Sakura-chan helped me translate it."

"I see." If Jiraiya had gone through all that trouble, then he must consider it important. Tsunade exchanged a glance with Kakashi. "Did he say why?"

Naruto's face hardened. "Because Pain is coming for me."

One week later.

Tsunade closed Jiraiya's door behind her, and turned to regard her friend as he slept, white hair spread all over the pillow. But she caught a flutter of eyelashes, and barely held back a snort. The idiot was pretending to be asleep. Probably hoping she would let something sentimental slip out.

She walked to the chair next to his bed, and sat down, crossing one leg over the other. "You know," she mused, "I never thought about this before, but touching toads can cause warts. No wonder you have such a big one on your no—"

"Gah, Tsunade," Jiraiya grumbled, cracking his eyes open. His throat still rasped, but it had healed considerably in the week since Naruto had left. "You... never let me get away with anything."

Tsunade smirked. "What are old friends for, you big oaf?" Her voice softened, "But I am glad you are all right."

Jiraiya sighed, and closed his eyes again. "I wouldn't be, if it wasn't for Hatake." He gripped a fistful of blanket. "There were six of them, Tsunade. And they all had the Rinnegan."

"The... Rinnegan?" Impossible. But Jiraiya wouldn't claim such a thing unless it was true. Tsunade laced her fingers tightly, the pressure keeping her focused. "That's—that's why I came to see you. Now that you are able to speak, I need to know everything that happened in Amegakure. I'm debriefing the elders in an hour."

"Ah." Jiraiya grinned, though it seemed a little forced. "I should have known you didn't come in here just to reminisce about old times."

"Jiraiya..."

"No, Hime. I know it's your duty." Jiraiya's grin turned self-satisfied. "The duty I recommended you for, remember? Now I get to lounge in bed while you have to deal with those bitter old fossils. Can't say I envy you."

Tsunade rolled her eyes, though she knew Jiraiya was trying to ease her guilt the only way he knew how. But no matter how much he joked... if it hadn't been for her orders, he wouldn't laying in a hospital bed, his future as a shinobi uncertain. "We aren't finished analyzing the black metal. There's still a chance I can reverse the damage it did to your chakra pathways. I won't stop until you're—"

"Tsunade." Jiraiya's dark eyes fixed on her. "I don't blame you. And no matter how much you want to, even you can't heal everything. I've accepted my fate for what it is. There is more to life than being a shinobi."

Tsunade blinked back tears, but Jiraiya continued before she could say anything. "Didn't you come down here to get my report on Pain?" He chuckled darkly. "That's what he calls himself. Catchy, isn't it?"

Tsunade swallowed her tears and listened as Jiraiya recounted his battle and analysis of Pain's abilities. This was their chance. If they could figure out a way to defeat Pain, then they would defeat the Akatsuki. As the Godaime Hokage, that was her duty. And she wouldn't fail.

An hour later, Tsunade stood at the expansive windows in her office, gazing out at Konoha. The sky was blue, the sun was shining, and civilians and shinobi alike walked the streets, happy and peaceful. But no matter how perfect the day, she couldn't shake the sense of foreboding hovering over her like a dark cloud. A storm was coming, and there was nothing she could do to stop it.

"Tsunade-sama," Shizune whispered behind her urgently. "Everyone you have requested is here."

Right. There was only so long she could put off reality. Tsunade sighed, and turned to face the members of the meeting she had called. Homura and Koharu; the elders, Shikaku Nara, Shima the toad, who had brought the corpse of one of Pain's bodies, and Kakashi, who stood against the back wall with Genma Shiranui, the shinobi assigned to watch him. Since he had seen Pain and saved Jiraiya, the elders had allowed him to stay in Konoha for the time being, but only under strict observation. Which meant she'd had no chance to talk to him, except for brief exchanges. But he was here, and that was what mattered.

"I called you all here to discuss what we know of Pain, the Akatsuki's leader." Tsunade walked to stand next to her desk, and focused on the elders. "Thanks to Jiraiya and Shima, we have one of his bodies, which is in autopsy now. I have placed Shizune in charge of it, and she will be going there after this meeting. I was able to speak with Jiraiya earlier today, and he told me all he knows. The information he gave me will be invaluable to defeating Pain."

"Defeating Pain?" Koharu scoffed. "Surely, you're not planning an attack on Amegakure, Hokage-sama. That is too reckless, even for you."

Tsunade gritted her teeth. "No. As Naruto is the Nine-Tails jinchūriki, Pain wants him. For all we know, he could be coming to Konoha now to find Naruto. And I intend to be prepared if that happens."

The elders exchanged glances.

A rumble shook the building, and fear seized Tsunade as she spun toward the window. To the east, a plume of dust and smoke rose above Konoha's rooftops. Too big to be a simple accident. Though she couldn't see the cause, she didn't need to. She knew who it was. Pain was here.

Shikaku took a step forward. "What is tha—"

An Anbu appeared in front of her desk, breathing heavily. "Hokage-sama, we are receiving reports of attacks all over the city. They are wearing Akatsuki robes and asking for Naruto Uzumaki."

No time for procedure. Tsunade met Kakashi's steely gaze across the room. "Go."

Kakashi didn't hesitate. He strode for the open window, Genma behind him. He passed so close to Tsunade that his hand brushed the back of hers, along with his whisper, "Stay safe, Tsuna."

Tsunade exhaled shakily, but she didn't have time to think about Kakashi, or whether she would see him again. "Shizune, to autopsy. We will need any intel you can get us." She started for the door, haori flowing behind her. "Shikaku, with me. I'm going to the rooftop for a better vantage of the attacks."

She shoved past the elders, and Koharu gasped, "Wait! What about us?"

Tsunade stopped, and looked back. But her gaze found Shima, not the elders. "Return to Mount Myōboku and inform Naruto. We need him."

"You can't do that!" Homura said indignantly. "Bringing the Nine-Tails back to Konoha is too danger—"

Tsunade shut the door in his face.

A/N: Before you guys get too many expectations, I wanted to let you know that I won't be rehashing Pain's attack. We all know what happens, and you all can assume it generally goes the same way in this story. I'll only be focusing on the parts that are relevant for the characters in this story.

Miss Laury: Thank you so much for reviewing! I always appreciate you taking the time to review, especially with how busy things are. I admit, it gave me great satisfaction to get rid of Danzō. Hate that guy. Thank you for all the compliments! :D Tsunade and Pakkun's scenes are so fun to write, so I'm glad you enjoyed it! And yeah, poor Tsunade and Kakashi, nothing ever goes right for them. Hopefully they'll get what they deserve one day. It's been fun to twist what happened in canon to fit this story, so I'm very happy it makes sense! Good luck with all of your school! :)

Ojay1307: Thank you! :) I appreciate the encouragement. Hopefully, all of my re-plotting will make the rest of the story much better, lol.

LoveChibi: Aww, thank you so, so much! You're too kind. :) Your review honestly made my week. I'm so glad you enjoyed the chapter! I wasn't sure if it worked as well as I wanted it too, so I'm so happy it brought the feels! I hope the rest of the story will be worth waiting for.

astroion: Here's your update! :D I hope you enjoy it!

MeticulousNotoriety: Thank you! Long-awaited kisses are the best, aren't they? XD I admit, I'm looking forward to writing when he returns for good, too. Poor Tsunade won't know what to do with herself, lol. Unfortunately, they still have a bit to go through before then. Thank you, I appreciate that! :)

Alisa: Thank you so much! I'm so happy you enjoyed the chapter. :) Not gonna lie, I rather enjoy putting characters through pain and suffering, but it just makes the good things that much sweeter. But yeah, I felt bad for Tsunade too. I'm sorry you only get this chapter until August, but I'm glad you're looking forward to it!