Tsunade: Otokage:

A/N: That's right, I'm writing another fanfic on top of everything else (this is just my way of dealing with writer's block, juggling between projects). It's based around the idea that Tsunade sort-of takes Orochimaru's place as Otokage, since she strikes me as the 'Grey character' of the Densetsu no Sannin (With Orochimaru being Black and Jiraiya White). She isn't evil, but a bitter, selfish, cynical woman.

Prologue:

"Whassamatter? Why don't hic you dance for us?" The Kusa-Nin took another swig from his bottle, and sidled a little closer to Shizune, who laughed nervously, and took a step away from him, making sure to keep an eye on him – it would not be a good idea to let her guard down, especially not in Kusagakure.

She hated the Hidden Village of Grass, but Tsunade had insisted she treat a client here, before they move on – the high-ranking shinobi of Kusa were rich. How they got that wealth was a whole other subject, and one that had become quite heated between Tsunade and her apprentice, before the Sannin had silenced her with a word. Tsunade couldn't care less what other people did, so long as it didn't directly affect her.

"After all... when did people care about what happened to me, hmm? Where was Jiraiya, or Minato, when Dan, your father, was dying? People are selfish, get over it, kid." Shizune, however much she idolised her mentor, was not able to get over it – she'd seen the casual murders in the streets during their stay here – the intimidation, racketeering, abductions... There'd even been, in their hotel, a gang of shinobi breaking in to kidnap young women, for what, she did not wish to contemplate.

After one of them broke down their door, Tsunade had changed his mind, and facial features, very quickly, but wouldn't lift a finger to help the other girls, civilian girls, until Shizune had been put in danger trying to save them herself. Even then, Tsunade had only half-heartedly fought them, and afterwards given Shizune a disappointed look, as if she had made the wrong decision.

She sighed. Tsunade-Sensei... Why are you such a cynic? Well, she knew why, of course. It was when Tou-San died, when Tsunade, the greatest medical shinobi in Konoha, had been unable to save him, that something inside her died. She didn't even say goodbye to her team-mates, or her sensei. The only person she said anything to about leaving was a young Shizune, and even then it wasn't much.

"Pack your stuff. I'm leaving this village, and you're coming too. Dan would've wanted me to look after you." Four years later, and she still viewed Shizune very much as a child, though with more respect than she had before. At first, she'd viewed her as an annoyance, and taking her in as almost an act of penance: For not saving Dan, she'd suffer Shizune. The girl, however, had pestered her insistently, to be taught Ninjutsu, to become a great shinobi like her father, or Tsunade Okaa-San, as she'd taken to calling her.

"Ne, Tsunade Okaa-San?" Shizune kicked her feet as she dangled on the edge of the bench she was perched on. Across the picnic table, Tsunade sighed, and wished she had more Sake.

"I told you to stop calling me that, Shizune," she said, voice weary, and Shizune glanced at her, eyes bright.

"You said that you'd teach me how to heal wounds, remember? Like when I gashed my knee, and you just made the skin grow back?" She shuddered in both pleasure and disgust at the memory. Tsunade snorted.


"So... you remembered that, huh? Tsk, well tough luck, kid. You can't even mould Chakra; there's no way you'll have the control to perform medical Ninjutsu."


"I can too mould Chakra!" Shizune said, and fixed her sensei with a petulant glare. "I'll prove it!"

"Fine then." Tsunade gestured towards a tree, smiling. "Try to climb that – without using your hands." Shizune's face fell a bit, then became fixed in resolve, and she marched over to it, though she hesitated at the bottom, and placed her hands behind her back. Taking a few steps back, she then ran directly at the tree, and kept running up.

Tsunade's mouth hung open as she saw the girl run several metres up the tree, before she slipped, and fell down. Quick as a flash, the former Sannin used Shunshin to arrive at the base of the tree, and catch the girl. Shizune grinned.


"Told you, Okaa-San!" she chirped.


"Yeah, yeah, kid. You didn't go all the way up, though. We'll work on that, first – your Chakra control needs to be perfect." That was the moment she'd ceased being Dan's niece, and had become Tsunade's apprentice instead, and as Tsunade silently confirmed it, she had thought herself stronger than anyone in the world, except for Tsunade-Sensei, of course.

Of course, Shizune was under no illusions as to her strength at the moment – Tsunade-Sensei had said she was probably around Chuunin level, but had refused outright to return to Konoha to let her take part in the Chuunin Exams there. She flinched, as she noticed the same Kusa-Nin moving towards her again, this time with a friend. Hurry up, please, Tsunade-Sensei... Shizune thought, glancing at the curtain-obscured window behind which Tsunade was undoubtedly working on some rich, corrupt noble, and taking her sweet time.

Of course, it was all well and good for her – she was one of the Densetsu no Sannin; nobody would contemplate getting on her bad side, not even here. The same could not be said for her young apprentice. Shizune, at only fifteen years of age, was definitely not as intimidating as her sensei, and it seemed that to these Kusa-Nin, she was fair game. She definitely didn't like Kusagakure no Sato.

"Hey, you... I'm talking to you," the Kusa-Nin said, and reached out a hand. Shizune knocked it away firmly, and shot an anxious glance at the window of the building Tsunade was working in. If she didn't come soon... Shizune was not defenceless, but neither was she confident enough in her abilities to relish taking on two Chuunin-Level shinobi alone.

"Bitch has hic spirit!" said another shinobi, and he joined the first. "Don't you know who we are?" Scum, she thought. Probably murderers and rapists as well, but definitely low-life scum.

"I don't want any trouble," she said, and tried to smile. The first Kusa-Nin laughed.

"Well, in that case," he said, whilst coming even closer. "It's best not to fight, y'know? Just go with the flow... You may even enjoy it." He licked his lips, and Shizune shuddered again, took another step backwards.

"Yeah... Oi, Kuro... Room for two in there? I'm thinkin' of taking a piece myself." The second Kusa-Nin leered at her as well, and Shizune fought the urge to vomit, deciding that she would have to fight, and hope that the noise attracted the attention of Tsunade.

She reached under her robes for a pair of poisoned needles. The two Kusa-Nin drew Kunai as well, still with the same amused expressions on their faces. Tsunade! Shizune silently willed, as she backed away, ready to throw. Her needles had a special poison, artificially created by herself and Tsunade-Sensei – one that only they held the antidote for. She'd just need a scratch on these two... but Kusa-Nin were known to poison their weapons as well... they'd just need to scratch her and it'd all be over... and then... No, don't think about that! It's not going to happen!

Before anyone could start the fight, the wall of the building collapsed, and the three shinobi jumped away. Sprawled in the wreckage was another Kusa-Nin, and Tsunade stood over him, cracking her knuckles.

"Oi, you!" she said, and glared at the two remaining Kusa-Nin. "I've had it with you bastards!"

"Tsunade-Sensei!" Shizune called out, and jumped to her side. The blonde woman glanced at her, and snorted.

"We're leaving here, Shizune. It was a trap, all along."

"I told you. Your luck was just too good today, Tsunade-Sensei." The two turned to leave, and Kuro saw this as his chance. He ran quickly towards Tsunade's unprotected back...

Only for the Sannin to turn and punch him. Tsunade was known for two things: her medical skills, unrivalled in all the Great Shinobi Nations, and her insane strength. Bone cracked under her fist, and the unfortunate ex-shinobi sped into a wall head-first, where he settled down, limp and broken. The other Kusa-Nin, seeing his friend swatted down like a fly, dropped his kunai and ran.

"Coward!" Tsunade screamed after him, and she waved her fist, before snorting again. "Those bastards thought they could beat me? Just because Jiraiya-Baka and Orochi-Teme did more missions than me doesn't mean I'm a slouch." She always took implied slurs worse than they may actually be – a by-product of being continually underestimated by others compared to her team-mates.

"Well, at least we're leaving, Tsunade-Sensei."

"Hmph. You got anywhere in mind for our next destination, Shizune? I was thinking about going to Takigakure. I hear they're in need of a good medic-nin – they had a pretty bad monsoon recently..."

"Tsunade-Sensei..." Tsunade glanced at her apprentice, who was looking pointedly at the floor, and sighed. That was never a good sign. When Shizune did that, it meant that she was about to say something she didn't want to, but had to anyway. "Why... why can't we go back to Konoha?" She straightened and looked her sensei in the face. "I know Dan was important to you, but... he was to me, as well! And he... Tou-San wouldn't have wanted us to do this. They were threatening to label us missing-nin, Tsunade-Sensei!"

"We won't go back." the older woman's voice was firm. "There is nothing for me in Konoha, and nothing for you, either. You know that. Look to the future, Shizune, not the past."

"The future... That could mean we go ba-"

"I said no, Shizune!" Tsunade whirled on her apprentice. "We will not go back to Konoha. They don't learn, they never do! For ten years I told them: train medic-nin; we will need them. They said they'd think about it, and people died for their foolishness. Good people died. If Homura and the others all die tomorrow, I won't give a damn."

"What about Jiraiya, and Minato? You were... fond of Minato."

"Don't bring that up, Shizune. They chose their path, and I choose mine."

"And mine as well?" Tsunade stepped back as if struck, and when she next spoke, her voice was icily cold.

"If you want to leave, you are welcome to," she hissed, and Shizune paled. I didn't mean it like that!

"N-no, Tsunade-Sensei! I-it's just... I miss other people. You can understand that, at least?" Tsunade tsked, but did not otherwise respond. "I-if you will not go back to K-konoha, why don't you make your own village?" Tsunade looked up at that. "Where you decide the future." Tsunade was silent for a few moments, and when she next spoke, it was contemplative.

"There was a legend once... of an ancient village, before Ojiisan's time... They called it Otogakure..." Tsunade fell quiet, lost in her own musing. Shizune knew better than to interrupt her thoughts. "Shizune, follow me."

"Where, Tsunade-Sensei?" Shizune was glad she'd actually managed to get her sensei to agree to something, but that name... Otogakure... there was something about it that made her anxious, though she could not tell what.

"Otogakure. I will make my own future." The Sannin had a glint in her eyes, and a smile on her face, the first she'd worn for a long time. "Heh. It was a good idea after all to take you on, kid. Now, let's get going."

"Hai, Tsunade-Sensei!"

A/N:

Another plot-bunny, formed whilst I was contemplating the similarities between Orochimaru and Tsunade (and their apprentices). At this point, the Kyuubi has yet to attack Konoha, and Shizune is aged fifteen, whilst Tsunade is in her late thirties.

As always, reviews are welcomed.

Subutai's Ghost