Shinobi Isekai!

Promises

((Fanart by the incredibly talented @AilaSilent on twitter!))

The hospital had changed a lot in the time since she left the village.

It was bigger, for one. What was once a single, block-like building was now a sprawling complex. Entire wings were dedicated to individual fields with both shinobi and civilian divisions. Nurses confidently used state of the art technology to treat injuries sustained during Orochimaru's attack and smiled as they escorted children to psychiatric appointments. Behind the general reception desk, a large plaque was mounted on the wall, the names and heraldry of prominent shinobi clans listed in order of the amount of money they donated to the hospital's construction and maintenance. The cubic mon of the Hatake took pride of place at the very top.

Tsunade leaned against the desk Shizune had claimed for herself, the expensive hardwood digging into her hip as she read over a medical chart. It belonged to the precious 'Lee-kun' and, though she didn't perform the boy's surgery herself, she was invested in his further recovery. Shizune was more than capable of handling even a case as severe as his, but the memory of two pleading children had Tsunade sticking her nose in as an outside advisor. If either of those brats asked her about their friend, she would at least be able to say he was on the road to recovery.

He'd probably be discharged already if he stopped trying to train in casts, but he wasn't her patient.

The door to the office flew open and she looked up to see Jiraiya rushing in, eyes wide and—.

Tsunade looked away, closing her eyes as her muscles seized. She started breathing through her mouth, careful to keep the scent of the blood on her teammate's hands from sending her into catatonia.

"I'm sorry, Hime," Jiraiya said, his voice shaking like she hadn't heard in decades. "I wouldn't ask this of you if there was another way."

Tsunade's heart stuttered in her chest. She kept her eyes closed and regulated her breathing. "What happened?"

She could feel the heat radiating off the taller man's body as he stepped closer to her. "Hime, it's Chibi-chan. Suna's jinchuriki brought her back and she's—." He cut himself off and she opened her eyes despite her fear. Her old friend had aged in the hours since their shared breakfast. The wrinkles around his eyes were deeper, the corners of his mouth turned down in a bereaved frown. His dark eyes met hers and his voice was hoarse as he spoke. "Hime, she's hurt really bad."

An image of the little girl who'd so skillfully manipulated her into coming back to the village came to the forefront of her mind. Jiraiya took her kidnapping hard, blaming himself for not recognizing Orochimaru's cronies for what they were, but there wasn't much they could do but wait. In the wake of invasion, shinobi of their caliber couldn't be spared. He made such a big show of not wanting children, but the instant his grandchild was threatened he turned into the very epitome of a doting grandfather.

It was only a day. How had she managed to injure herself bad enough to need emergency care? Didn't Orochimaru need her alive?

"Hime." A muscle in Jiraiya's jaw ticked. "Please."

What was she supposed to do? He didn't expect her to get involved, did he? She could barely breathe in the same room as his bloody hands, how was she supposed to perform an emergency operation?

"Jiraiya, I can't. Shizune is more than capable—."

"Shizune is already there," he said grimly. "But she can't—I don't know her, Hime. That's my kid bleeding out on the floor out there. The last time I saw her I—." He cut himself off, sucking in a deep, shuddering breath. There were tears in his eyes, she realized, the cheerful façade stripped away to reveal a haggard old man. "Please, Hime," he all but whispered, dark eyes boring into her soul as he begged her. "I'll never ask you for anything again. You can leave the village again right after and I won't chase you down. Just...please save my kid."