The three of us were laying on the ground, gazing up at the endless black expanse above.  The only noises that could be heard were our quiet breaths, and various sounds of the night.  Why was it, that even on missions, we never talked?  These two people were my best friends that I had known for more than 6 years, and I didn't know the first thing about Orochimaru, because he had never felt the need to tell us anything about his past.  Tsunade, although she yelled a lot and tended to get her point across (whether it be with violence or not) I didn't know anything beyond her famous bloodline, and the fact that she had an obnoxious, no good boyfriend.  Who probably knew more about her than both me and Orochi combined.  I let out a thick sigh, which didn't go unnoticed and I saw both of their heads turn to face me from the corner of my eyes.

"You were being quiet,"  Orochimaru stated, sounding annoyed at the fact I had stopped being quiet.

"Yeah, why'd you stop?"  Tsunade ventured.

"I was just thinking."  I mumbled, not daring moving my gaze from the stars. I sensed them exchange glances, before Tsunade sat up and leaned over my face.  (I noted how she was careful to lean at a certain angle so her assets would be out of the range of my sight.)  Her long pony tail was dangling over her shoulder and touched my face, tickling my cheeks.  I wrinkled my nose and couldn't help but crack a smile.

"There's something that I never thought you'd do."  She told me.  I sensed Orochimaru sit up too, and for the second time, I heaved a sigh knowing they wouldn't give up until they got the truth.

"Well, actually, I'd say he thinks all the time.  Just about nothing that will actually help him on missions."  Orochimaru snickered.  I reached out to punch his leg but he easily caught my fist, and I let it fall to the ground.  I looked up and saw Tsunade's face once again, and I saw her nod in agreement.

"So what were you really thinking about, baka?"  Tsunade asked.

"Well, I was just thinking that we've known each other for 6 years, and I only remember two days where we weren't together.  But, even after all that, I don't know anything about you two.  I mean, Orochimaru, you're a stubborn, arrogant, quiet asshole, so naturally, no one can get anything out of you.  Don't deny it either, because we all know it's true."  I added as I saw him open his mouth to protest.  "Admit it, Tsunade, we've never been to his house, he's never told us about his family, he hides himself in that damned library he calls his bedroom."  Tsunade looked away, but didn't contradict me.  "And what about you,"  I directed to her.  "All I know is that you're parent's got divorced when we were 7, and you're grandfather and granduncle were the first and second Hokages.  Oh, don't forget the fact that you have an obnoxious piece of scum as your boyfriend."  

"Don't talk about him that way!"

"Why?  Because he's more important to you than us?"

"No, it's not like that-"

"Then why do you keep spending more time with him?  Why is it that we used to be able to spend every night up in the mountains looking at these stars, and now we're only lucky if you're here once every 3 months!"  I instantly felt guilty about making this all about her when it really wasn't.  "It just makes me wonder if our friendship is really there, you know."  I fell silent, and I felt stupid.  Why was I thinking this stuff, let alone saying it and making me look like a pansy.  I frowned at nothing, before realizing Orochimaru and Tsunade, were both looking up at the sky looking distressed about what I had just said, as though they had realized what I had said was true.

"You know, maybe friendship isn't so much about telling people things, but more as being able to be there for the person when they need it."  Orochimaru analyzed logically.  It felt weird hearing him say anything about friendship, or even mentioning something as dependency, however subtle he may have said it.  I glanced up at him quizzically, waiting for him to continue.

"I remember when my mom was alive, and I was having hard times, although I never mentioned it, you could always tell when something was wrong.  After all you're pestering and none of it succeeding you just decided to leave me alone.  But it wouldn't have really done anything for me if I told you, it was more the fact that I had you guys to look forward to.  You're presence was enough."  I smiled faintly, remembering the times when he had receded into the depths of his mind and blocked out everything it had seemed.  So he had been happy to see us...but he was still miserable?  I really didn't get his psychotic mind, and I wasn't about to try and fathom it.

"Well you guys were there when my parent's split up, remember you both snuck into my room and we sat there all night talking about nothing?"  We all smiled at the memory, before receding back into silence.

"Do you think we'll always be best friends?"  I inquired suddenly breaking the silence.  I seemed to have surprised them with this outburst.

"Don't think like that!  Of course we will, Dobe!"  Tsunade reprimanded, hitting me gently on the head.  "Right, Oro?"

"The best."  He finished with a small grin.

****

On the battlefield, there were always people screaming, and after all the wars I had seen in my 14 year ninja career, I had learned to block them out.  To move on and keep fighting.  But tonight, there was one bloodcurdling scream of anguish and sorrow that made me stop dead in my tracks.  I recognized that scream, I had heard it right before I had been punched through the wall when I was caught peeping on her.  The scream belonged to Tsunade.  I instantly froze, which almost got me stabbed in the stomach by the enemy I was fighting.  At the last second I punched him in the gut before turning to go find Orochimaru.  I found him about 100 yards away torturing his opponent with a new technique he had invented.  But even he noticed the scream, and looked up to meet my gaze.  We both nodded once, before taking off running through the fight, killing the people that we needed to in order to reach the place where her scream had echoed from.  The rain was coming down heavily, which made it hard to see, but me and Orochimaru kept on running, somewhat blindly, until I saw the blond pigtails through the darkness of the night.  She was kneeling on the ground with a body in front of her.  Which meant that she had been curing somebody, but it didn't occur to me who the body was, until I felt Orochimaru nudge me and point to the mass of silver hair.

It was that idiot, Dan.  And now, upon closer observation, I realized he wasn't breathing.  He was dead and Tsunade had witnessed it.  I saw her shoulders shaking as she wept and stared down in disbelief at her lovers body.  I warily walked over to her and cautiously set my hand on her shoulder, not sure if she'd yank it off and chuck me against the nearest tree or not.  It ended up being the latter, and she merely let it rest there.  But in all reality, I don't think she even noticed it.  I felt her shaking and I felt horrible.  It was awful seeing my always stoic, and vicious teammate crumble to such a fragile state.  I looked around for Orochimaru to see that he was gone.  I frowned at the spot where he had last been standing, and wondered where the hell it was he thought was more important than comforting a teammate and friend in need.

I leaned down to talk into her ear, deciding it might be the only way she'd listen to me.  "C'mon, Tsunade-chan, You gotta get up.  Sarutobi-sensei probably won't mind if we go home.  I mean, the battles almost over anyway.  Come on, I'll even make you some hot chocolate."  She remained silent, eyes wide in horror.  She was either like this due to the fact that her fiance` was lying dead in front of her, or that his blood was on her and it was she was the one who had failed to save him.  I sighed somberly, realizing Tsunade wouldn't move unless I moved her myself.  I grabbed her by the wrist, and gently pulled her to her feet.  To my suprise, she followed willingly as I steered her out of the forest.  It occurred to me that this was the most obedient she had ever been.  This wasn't Tsunade, and a fresh wave of concern and need to help one of my best friends rolled through me, and I hastened my pace, enabling me to get to her apartment in no time.

Once there, I jimmied the lock to her door, and lead her into her room.  I made sure she was settled in the bed, and wiped off the blood that was on her face.  By the look in her eyes, I knew she was aware that I was there, she was just to wrapped up in other thoughts to really notice me.  She was still trembling, and I sighed.  Deaths were always hard, or at least that had been what I'd heard, for I had never really let anyone close enough to be affected by the loss.  I exhaled once again, glad that I still had Tsunade and Orochimaru.  

"Well, I guess you should probably get changed into something else, and um...since I know you think I'm a pervert and all, I'm going to attempt to redeem myself and let you do it on you're own, and I'll even go outside or something.  Okay?"  If it wasn't for the almost imperceptible nod, I would have thought she didn't hear me.  I strolled out of her room, going outside, hence keeping my word.  Although Tsunade was hot and all, I had been beaten up on too many occasions for trying to peep on her, and I had finally accepted that she was one woman I couldn't have.  Not to mention, looking at her when she was this distressed would have been sick and twisted.  I may be a pervert, but I did have morals.  I waited for about a half an hour, unsure of how much time she needed, before the rain from earlier returned, causing me to return back into her house.    I went to her room, and carefully knocked on the door.  I heard no shouts or demands that I don't enter, nor did I hear any commotion.  I took in a deep breath, and opened the door slowly, peering around the door frame as I did so.  She was sitting up in her bed, and was still shaking slightly.  But the tears and blood were gone, and she looked utterly lost.  

"Oh yeah, I'll go make you that hot chocolate!"  I exclaimed, remembering my promise.  

"That's okay, I'll be fine.  You can go home now, Jiraiya."  The normal snap and edge in her voice that was there whenever she spoke to me was gone.  Which was bad, because there was no expression in her voice, only the slightest hint of pain and sorrow that I could tell she was trying to conceal.  

"But I really think-"

"Thank you, Jiraiya.  I appreciate what you've done so far, but I really don't need help.  Now please, go home."  I knew that I should be going home anyway.  Plus, angering Tsunade was always bad, and I didn't know what would happen if I were to upset her even more.  I nodded, and vanished with a blast of smoke.

****

Here I was, standing in the same forest I had trained in, the same forest I'd always used to hide from my worries and troubles, the same forest Tsunade's heart had been broken.  I had avoided it ever since Dan's death, but I had never really hated it.  Up until now.  I was facing my teammate and friend, who was in the process of deflecting.  I didn't know whether or not to feel sorrow or anger.  But I had never wanted to show weakness to my rival, so I masked my sadness with an icy glare.

"Orochimaru, what are you doing here?"  I asked rather harshly.

"Surely, even an idiot like you would know."  Orochimaru retorted impatiently, as though it was a waste of time having to explain such simple matters to me.

"Surely, even a bastard like you would know that it's stupid to leave your home behind."

"This village has nothing to offer for me.  I want power, which I can not obtain by staying here."  He turned away from me and took a couple steps forward.  That was when it hit me.  He was really leaving and he would if I didn't do something.

"What about your friends?"  I sounded more desperate than I had intended.  I watched him, waiting for a reaction.  He stopped dead in his tracks, before turning around sharply to face me.  His pale face was set and angry, but it was his eyes that made me take a step back automatically.  His eyes met mine with the most lethal, murderous gaze he used only on enemies he truly hated.  

"I have no friends."  He declared icily.  After 22 years of knowing him, I had managed to figure him out better than most people, but even now, I knew he wasn't lying.  I felt my jaw drop as I remembered his promise from when we were 14, and how it had just crumbled before my eyes.  I watched him turn back around, stunned.  But before I could say anything else, he vanished into thin air, and I was alone in the forest.  I felt myself tumble forwards a few steps, before sprinting to the spot where he had vanished.  It was useless, even I knew that once someone vanished like that, it was impossible to track them.  My best friend was gone, and there was nothing I could do.

****

"On the way, I saw someone with her that could prove to be quite troublesome."  Kabuto alerted his master dutifully, as he landed on the roof next to him.

"Tell me, who is this troublesome someone?"  Orochimaru inquired.

"He's a sannin, just like yourself, Orochimaru-sama."  

Jiraiya.  Orochimaru thought, unable to help himself from smiling.  The wall collapsed as Tsunade punched it, forcing him to retreat to the nearest tree.  They needed to relocate, and from there, this fight would get truly interesting.

***

Here we were, all three of us, standing on top of our most powerful summons, pitted two against one.  In all my experience of fighting these two, not once had I ever imagined it would come to these extremes.  I looked from Tsunade, who's face was serious, but her eyes were somber as she came to the same realization I had, to Orochimaru, who's face remained impassive.  I wanted to shout, What about our promise!?!  Not only to Orochimaru, who had abandoned us, but Tsunade who had virtually removed me from her life.  I cared for these people more than anything in the world, and this was what it came to?   Fate definitely wasn't one of my friends.  I hardly listened to what Gama and Manda were saying, I was much more absorbed with trying to figure out things between the three of us that weren't being spoken.  After minutes of virtually nothing, I admitted defeat once again to cruel fate.  This was going to be a long battle.