Team Sharingan

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or assorted characters I'm just messing up the world to fit the delusions coming from my skull. The voices in my head are real.

Chapter 31

Jiraiya turned to avoid the punch from the pink haired girl and walked into a roundhouse kick from Mikoto.

"Because you were off chasing some skirt, Itachi nearly captured Naruto." The former matron of the Uchiha clan snarled.

"I was just…" he started and found himself pinned to the nearest tree.

"I don't care for your excuses. When we get back to Konoha you can bet that I will be filing charges of dereliction against you. This is a mission, not a Sunday stroll for you to try and get laid."

Mikoto turned to look at the pair. "Grab your gear, we're moving on."

Naruto and Sakura were silent as they went to where they stashed their gear.

"Mikoto, come on. I didn't think they'd be after Naruto yet." The Toad Sage tried to plead his case.

"You are here to help train them and find Tsunade. If you so much as go and peep for more smut for that stupid book you write I will personally make sure you think you're a five year old girl and have Sakura braid your hair before I personally remove your MANHOOD!"

Jiraiya swallowed.

"Now, grab your shit oh great and powerful Toad Sage and haul your pale ass." Mikoto snarled and walked after Naruto and Sakura. Jiraiya released a breath he'd been holding. "That is one scary woman." He mumbled.

"Jiraiya!" was yelled back at him.

"If she was a bit older or I a bit younger I'd be in love." He muttered and hurried after them wondering how he could work around her new restrictions.

XX

A week of following leads led them back tracking several times. During that week, Mikoto had worked with Sakura leaving Naruto to learn from Jiraiya. The Toad Sage had begun to teach the blond the steps to create the Rasengan and was shocked the blond had the first two stags down within days. The last stage was giving the blond trouble and it was Mikoto who found him asleep in the field, the remains of balloons and rubber balls littering the ground around him.

"He passed out just a few minutes ago."

She turned to glare at Jiraiya who held up a hand. "I've been here the whole time. I was teaching him how I was taught the move and he's been very stubborn."

Mikoto studied the blond. "He's nearly exhausted his chakra and that hand is showing signs of damage. Why didn't you make him stop?"

"I haven't known the brat long, but even I can see he's determined to learn and will work himself into the ground only to do it again and again."

Mikoto sighed. "Naruto is what the Uchiha should have been." She said taking a seat and watching the blond sleep. "He is the epitome of hard work. Itachi when he was younger worked hard. He trained and even when he used his Sharingan he would work to master anything he'd copied."

They were silent for several minutes. "Sakura would have been a good branch member." She said and a soft smile touched her face. "That hair would have been the envy of many of my clan." She looked at Jiraiya. "When I was their age, I was a strange girl. I used to dye my hair, drove my mother insane."

Jiraiya listened as the female Uchiha matron talked about random things. "Everything about my clan was about image and power." She shook her head then stood and Jiraiya watched as she picked up Naruto and carried him back to camp.

He watched as she laid him out right next to Sakura and raised an eyebrow as the two teens moved together.

"Can you explain that?" he asked. "Sensei gave me an overview, but he left out a lot of details and their sensei was very tightlipped."

Mikoto shook her head. "Maybe when they've known you longer. But to me, you haven't earned the right."

Mikoto took up her position as the fire crackled and the Toad sage sat in silence watching the pair and wondering what he had all missed over the years and thought about the female Uchiha's words.

XX

Three days later the group of four entered Tanzuka. Sakura looked around. "Sensei what's going on?" Mikoto looked around. "It looks like some kind of festival."

"Its gambling week." Jiraiya said. "This town is made up of casinos and gambling houses." He gestured to a wall with numerous flyers. "She's here. She wouldn't be able to pass up this much betting."

Naruto looked around. "So we're supposed to find a busty, blond woman who loses as much as you peek on women?"

"What are you thinking?" Sakura asked as they ignored Jiraiya's protests and his dance of he being a super pervert.

"Shadow clones." Naruto said. "I swarm the town using Jiraiya's description and when a clone finds her and dispels."

Mikoto nodded. "It would save time." Her eyes watching everyone as she too ignored Jiraiya's antics.

"It's a shame her photo was her Genin one." Naruto said as they had read up on Tsunade before they left Konoha.

"And my interaction with the Sannin was limited. My husband and the clan council forbad us from interacting with them. Usually only Anbu or my husband dealt with them on an extended basis." The Uchiha matriarch said. "By the time I returned to active duty, the Sannin were no longer in Konoha and only Jiraiya returned from time to time."

"That's because I'm awesome." The mentioned Toad sage said popping up next to them.

"You're still here?" Naruto asked in a flat tone and they watched as Jiraiya face planted and sobbed about "No respect."

"Let's do this!" Naruto said and made the familiar cross-shaped seal.

Mikoto watched as nearly a thousand Naruto's appeared and scattered in every direction.

"Its something to see, isn't it sensei?" Sakura said smiling as her teammate used his favorite jutsu.

"I'm just glad he's learned about its secret and how to manipulate the amount of chakra he pumps into them."

Naruto rejoined them and grinned. "If Jiraiya's old teammate is here, we'll find her." He looked around. "Hey, where's Pervy sage?"

A muffled shout had all three look down to see Naruto standing on Jiraiya's back with his face in the dirt.

XX

It took ten minutes before Naruto looked around. "Found her." He said and with Sakura took off down the road. Mikoto followed while Jiraiya was still going on about being used as a doormat.

They found a dozen of Naruto's shadow clones waiting outside a bar. "Let me go first." Jiraiya said as Naruto worked on dispelling his clones in groups of ten.

"Oh, and be careful she has a temper." Jiraiya said and not even eight seconds later came flying back out and created a crater.

"Something tells me she isn't happy to see you." Naruto said standing over the groaning Jiraiya.

Mikoto behind her mask scowled. You are coming with us Tsunade, the only question is will you be conscious when you do it?

XX

AN: Sorry for the long delay. As many know real life and health issues have slowed me down. Its taking time to write as some of my stories I have to go back and read or find my notes. According to my girlfriend my desk is a sentient life form…my cousin thinks its that pizza we left there. Regardless I have to clean it one of these days and some of my notes need to be fixed…cleaned or re-written as pencil seems to have faded over time.