Chapter 57.1- Gamer of the Desert

XXXXXXX- TSUNADE

Mitotic Regeneration was the only thing that had saved her life, she knew. Her legs had been broken in more places than she could count in one go. Her stomach had been torn open by a flying piece of debris, and her entire right arm had been crushed underneath a falling building. But that was not the pain that tore at her. One second the Kazekage and his friend in the Akatsuki robe had taken their fight to the skies, and the next there was nothing that remained of her precious village. She would not cry. She did not have the tears left in her but to see her Grandfather’s dream brought low like this broke her heart in the way a thousand Dan’s could never. It was in this moment that she realised that she had the same disease. The disease she hadn’t hesitated to identify in Sarutobi-sensei, and Jiraiya, and Dan, and even Orochimaru had had in one way or another. The love for Konoha that went beyond everything else. Except in her case, it had taken her losing it for her to come to terms with it. The village was gone. A crater was all that remained. The Hokage monument still stood, but that was a cold comfort at the end of the day.

Her teammates. She decided they were the ones she’d look for first and foremost. They would have a plan. Some way to join the flight that still raged above them. Because gods help her, she was going to make sure both of those men answered for the damage done to hr Grandfather’s village. With much of the village gone, she had an easy enough time feeling out Jiriaya’s chakra signature. He was slumped against a boulder. His arm was bent at an odd angle and there was a piece of rebar going straight through his midsection. Naruto was by his side, looking relatively unscathed by what they had just endured and frantically worrying over his sensei. She decided to hurry to them before Naruto got a bright idea into his mind like trying out medical ninjutsu.

She body flickered in their direction. It took her two usages of the technique before she appeared by their side. “Ba-Chan!” Naruto sounded more excited than ever to see her. She ruffled the boy’s hair and leaned down to work on her teammate. The only body she knew better than Jiraiya’s was her own. She had an easy enough time putting him back in one piece. Most of the damage had been superficial in truth. Even the metal that pierced through his midsection had done a good enough job of missing anything vital. The only issue that was really apparent was the concussion. Naruto hovered over her, watching her every action with interest and worry. She’d already assured him his sensei would be alright. Such an untrusting boy.

“What of the Akatsuki member you were fighting? The woman?”

“Oh her? After the red headed guy flew up fighting Desert guy over there, she just left. Turned into paper and flew off” He explained.

She nodded, not even bothering to question the unique ninjutsu. She’d seen it all during the war, and it seemed that this generation was dead set on proving that thought to be wrong. New techniques were now a dime a dozen.

“Did you see anything of Orochimaru?”

“Ero-Sennin said we should go look for him and we were heading there when the village blew up”

She nodded, finished up with healing the concussion and began waiting for him to regain consciousness.

A/N; Next bit