I do not own any of the characters in this story, except my original characters, nor the world where this story resides.

Thoughts

(Authors notes)

*beep* = Obscene/offensive language

Beginners Luck

CH. 1

~Approximately 8 years ago,

On a mysterious planet, far, far away~

A very tall bald man wearing a red cape, a type of gold scale armor and a red skirt stares into the cosmos. He has visions of a sea of blood, an all-consuming white fire, and a silver creature struggling to live on a dead husk of a planet, before it eventually succumbs to starvation.

Aron shakes his head, trying to remove the visions from his memory.

"Does it have to be thus?" He ponders as he continues scanning the cosmos. He smiles as a kernel of a plan sprouts in his mind, "I'll need help with the first part of the plan, if it is going to succeed." He snaps his fingers as he turns around, and suddenly he is in an underground corridor, standing before an enormous iron door. "I hope Loki is in a good mood."

~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~(.}*{.)~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~

~Now~

"Okaa-san…" a slender seven year old girl with black short hair called out as she came running up from behind Tsunade as she was walking to the casino.

"Mito…" Tsunade asks watching the little girl approach her, who is wearing a grey short-sleeved shirt and black cargo shorts, "Where is Shizune, and why are you not with her training?"

"I'm tired of running up and down trees, or floating leaves on my hands and feet. You said I could be with you today," Mito said with a sad puppy look on her face.

"I did, did I? Well, stay out of the way, I'm going to try to win some money."

"Good luck with that," Mito said under her breath.

"What did you say," Tsunade demanded as she glared at Mito.

"Nothing… I was merely wishing you good luck. So that you would win lots of money," Mito said with an angelic look on her face.

"Yeah right…" Tsunade said, as she stomped her way to the casino with Mito tagging along behind her.

"Okaa-san…"

"Yes, Mito…?"

"Why is onee-chan so sad today?"

"Today is the second anniversary of the day she lost her precious one."

"My meigosan…?"

"Yes…we miss her."

They continued walking in silence.

Eventually, they walked to a small dingy little building. People of all sorts were either hanging out outside of the building, or going in and out of it. Some of the people noticed Tsunade and her daughter, but they only greeted Mito.

"Oi, Aiko-chan… how are you doing?" called out a little old man, who each morning, sat playing his Shime-daiko by the casino entrance (AN: Some people address Mito as Aiko, it's a nickname. It means love child or little loved one. People are still trying to figure out the identity of Mito's Father.)

"Oh… I'm fine oji-san," Mito said with a bow. "I'm sorry, but I can't talk right now, abayo," she said with a small wave as she rushed to catch up with Tsunade.

When Mito finally caught up with Tsunade, she was already sitting at a table playing a game of cards.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," Mito whispered in Tsunade's ear as she was about to exchange some cards.

"Nani…?" (AN: She doesn't realize that Mito has been paying attention to the rules of the game since she first started tagging along with Tsunade.)

"I would exchange this one instead," she whispered as she pointed to one of the cards in Tsunade's hand.

"Oi… who's playing this game anyways?" the Dealer asked as Tsunade thought about Mito's suggestion.

"Shut up… I'm her Sensei," Tsunade barked at the dealer. "Well, it wouldn't hurt to try her suggestion," she thought as she laid down that particular card and asked for another.

After that, everyone took their turn and placed their bets. Then it was the decisive moment, as everyone started to reveal their hand.

"Nani…" the dealer said in hushed tones as Tsunade revealed her hand.

Tsunade just sat there waiting for the winner to pick up his winnings, but nobody did. All of the other players just sat there and scowled at her.

"Okasan… pick up the money… you won," Mito says as she bumps Tsunade's side with her elbow.

"I did?" the bewildered Tsunade asks with wide eyes.

"I cannot believe I'm saying this… but… you won," the Dealer said with a smirk.

"Um, thank you," Tsunade mutters to the dealer as she bows, gathers her winnings and leaves with Mito trailing behind her.

"What is the matter okaa-san?" Mito asks as she follows Tsunade back to their rooms at the inn.

Tsunade doesn't answer Mito as she sullenly returns to their suite.

"You're back early," Shizune says as she folds and repacks their laundry. Tsunade just grunts in reply as she goes into her room and slams the door behind her.

"Why is okaa-san mad?" Mito asks as she stands there looking like a kicked puppy.

"Tell me what happened," Shizune said with a sigh as she sits down, and allows Mito to climb into her lap after she sets aside the laundry that she is holding.

In a bewildered tone, Mito tells Shizune about Tsunade winning a hand of cards at the casino.

"I was afraid something like this may happen," Shizune said as she looks into Mito's eyes, "when I saw her, last night, giving you her grandfather's necklace as a birthday present."

"Was that bad?"

"No, hime, it was good that she gave it to you, but she doesn't feel like she deserves to be happy. She feels that whenever something good happens in her life that something bad will also happen."

"Oh," Mito whispers as she nuzzles up against Shizune and rubs the stone in her tiny hand.

~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~(.}*{.)~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~

"Why did I give her that necklace?" Tsunade frets as she paces about in the room. "Damn you Jiraiya… why couldn't you have kept it in your pants?" Tsunade curses as she thinks of Mito's parentage.

Tsunade walks over to her private stock of sake, and pours herself a shot as she remembers the night of about five years ago.

~Flashback~

In a dark room is a lone woman crying as she sits at a table clutching a bottle in her right hand.

"He's gone… I can't believe he's really gone," thought the woman as she chugged down more of the sake from the bottle. "First Nawaki, then Dan…?"

The woman finished the bottle and then shattered it against the far wall. A blinding light suddenly appeared in front of her as she was about to stand up to fetch another bottle. As the light slowly dimmed, the crying woman noticed that the light was taking the form of a blond haired blue-eyed short woman with fox ears wearing a white Kimono with a red obi. Tsunade momentarily stares at the Kami that has been worshiped by her family since Obaa-san Mito Uzumaki. She has been Tsunade's bosom friend since childhood.

"What do you want Inari?" demanded the crying woman with a start, as she stood up.

"Sit down and shut up Tsunade," the woman said with such authority that Tsunade did just that. "I have much to tell you."

~Flashback pauses~

"Jiraiya…Of all the people… you had to get drunk and impregnate a Kami," Tsunade bitterly thought to herself, "I still don't know why she thought I would do a better job of raising Mito, instead of you."

~Flashback continues~

"Jiraiya of the legendary Sennin of Konohagakure, also known as Ogata Shuma Hiroyuki, is the father of a daughter…our daughter."

"Jiraiya huh… who'd have thunk it," Tsunade chuckles at Inari's expense, "So why have you visited me," Tsunade asked as politely as she could.

"I noticed that you were in mourning for lost family members and I wanted to give you something to comfort and bless you."

"Really…" Tsunade whispered as she looked around for a gift of some kind.

"Really…" Inari replied as she motioned with her hand at a bundle of cloth that was lying in a basket that was suddenly sitting on the table. "I am letting you raise my daughter as your own, Tsunade… raise her well for I will be expecting much from you," Inari warned as she disappeared.

Tsunade stood up and peered into the basket to see a small baby wrapped in swaddling clothes sucking its thumb. As Tsunade examines her, she notices that the baby has very pale skin and that she has a prominent black spot, which is encircling her left eye. Tsunade saw and began to feel the baby's small tuft of black hair.

"Heh… I think my obaa-san would find you to be a cute baby… hmm… I think I'm going to name you after her… Mito… yeah, she'd be honored that I named you after her."

After checking Mito's omutsu, Tsunade staggered to bed.

~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~(.}*{.)~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~

~the same night~

As Tsunade slept, in her mind, she finds herself sitting and crying in front of Dan's grave.

"Why did the village have to take you away from me?" Tsunade sobs as she stares at his grave marker.

"Do you love me?" a disembodied voice whispers in her ear.

"You know that I love you."

"Did you believe me, when I said that I love you?"

"Yes."

"Do you cherish our time together?"

"…With all of my heart."

"Then why do you not fight for the village, as I fought for the village?"

"No, it was their fault that you…"

"If we meant anything to you… you must forgive them. Just as I would forgive them if you had left before me."

"But I…"

"Are you lying to me about your love for me?"

"No…never!"

"Then forgive them, so that you may love again," Dan said as his spirit, which was sitting right next to her, fades away.

Tsunade thrashes about in her bed, as she continues her restless sleep.

~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~(.}*{.)~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~

The blinding light of the morning sun pours thru the motel room window. In the distance, she can hear the sound of waves and the beating of a drum. Is this paradise? No, it isn't paradise, just another hung over morning for Tsunade.

"Why is the sunlight so loud this morning?" Tsunade thought as she started to regain consciousness. Slowly she sat up in bed and saw Shizune sitting at the room's table, feeding a baby with a bottle. "Who is that and why is that brat in my room?"

"Good morning, Lady Tsunade," Shizune said in a hushed tone, "I am feeding the daughter that Kami had given you last night. Kami too visited me and she suggested that I help you care for your daughter. This is a good thing since you were in no condition to care for the baby last night."

~Shizune's FLASHBACK~

Shizune is packing her scrolls to prepare to leave the motel in the morning, when a bright light suddenly appeared in her room before coalescing into the shape of a blond haired blue-eyed short woman with fox ears wearing a white Kimono with a red obi.

"Who are you," Shizune said in a frightened voice.

"I am Inari, a Kami, and I have come to tell you that your sensei has been given a chance to- redeem herself- I have given her a daughter. I want you to help care for her… go… Tsunade is in no condition to take care of the child right now," she said as she disappears.

Shizune lowers her head and ponders the responsibility that Kami had just given her.

"Typical," Shizune mutters to herself.

~End of Shizune's FLASHBACK~

As the memories of the previous night slowly seeped into her brain, Tsunade got up with a grunt and walks over to sit at the table to the right of Shizune.

"It really happened then… Well, I named her Mito after my obaa-san. I think she would be a good opportunity for you to grow as a Kunoichi. I want you to take care of Mito and train her as well," she said as she stood up. "Don't worry; I'll assist you when I can. Well… hurry up, finish, and get ready to leave, while I go find a victim… ahem… someone lucky enough to loan me some money and we'll leave this place in the dust," Tsunade said as she left the room.

"I guess, it's just you and me kid," Shizune said as she looks down at Mito, as she suckles from the bottle.

~End flashback~

"Yeah, Jiraiya would have been a much better choice than I…," Tsunade thought to herself as she sat on her bed with the bottle in one hand, and the shot glass in the other.

As she is about to pour herself another shot, she notices a picture that Mito had drawn, hanging in a frame on the wall.

"To the best Okaa-san in the world," it stated in large letters over a drawing of Tsunade punching some idiot who thought it was ok for him to push Mito out of his way. It was a very crudely drawn picture, but it is one of Tsunade's most beloved treasures.

"What am I thinking," Tsunade suddenly thought, "Jiraiya has trouble taking care of himself, much less a daughter. Hey, I even cut back on my drinking," she thought as she corks the bottle and notices the amount left in it.

~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~(.}*{.)~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~

Shizune had just left the sitting room to put away the clothes, when Tsunade enters and notices Mito sitting on the floor drawing another picture.

"What am I afraid of?" Tsunade thought as she looks at Mito, "Nothing's going to happen."

"Are you feeling better okaa-san?"

"Yes, much better. How about we go back to the casino and show them how winners do it," Tsunade said with a chuckle.

"Yea," Mito shouts as she jumps up and takes Tsunade's hand.

"You never know… if we win enough I might even be able to repay all of those debts that I am running away from," Tsunade thought as they walk out of the suite's door.