Prologue
The night was an oddly calm one, Tsunade mused to herself as she looked out at the clear sky that was just having a string of meteors flying across it a moment ago. 'But then a moment ago, that baby hadn't been born.' She added.
She had been surprised to have heard from her grandmother after all these years from the woman's self-imposed exile, but Tsunade didn't pass up the chance to see her reclusive grandmother, it was the news that she heard which had been the real kicker.
Her grandmother, as hard as it was to believe-neigh, it was physiologically impossible, and yet her grandmother had told her she was pregnant!
And Mito had wanted her to help her along as the pregnancy continued; hoping to distract the blonde woman from the tragedy of losing her brother as the offered reason.
Tsunade had only agreed to help in the end because this woman was still her grandmother and hopefully said grandmother would tell her how this was possible in the first damn place.
Well, it was two minutes after the birth and she still hadn't gotten anything, only the assurance that Kyuubi had decided to stay out of it because she didn't want any trouble.
Yeah, the 'she' part had caught her off guard too.
And what really worried her was the fact Kyuubi wanted to stay out of the way for this, Mito relaying no further explanation to that and only said that Kyuubi was also not gonna bother with trying to escape because it would just be too bothersome until later when she got to get a good look at the child first hand.
Now that part also worried Tsunade because it sounded a lot like Kyuubi was expecting the child to be her new host, and really, that was probably going to be the case, though the details of how this child was going to be raised still needed to be ironed out.
Tsunade walked away from the window and over to the bassinet near the bed where Mito lay, still weak from giving birth. She looked down at the child herself for a first hand glimpse and saw two piercing half-lidded purple eyes staring back up at her, the gaze holding her there before the baby girl closed them and fell asleep with a yawn.
Tsunade shook herself and saw the starting of red wispy hair growing on the child's head and the too dainty features, making her look like a fragile doll.
"Tsunade-chan how is she?" Mito called softly.
"She's fallen asleep." Tsunade replied glancing back at her grandmother and gathered up her resolve. "Now will you please tell me how this is even possible?"
Mito stared at her for a moment before chuckling weakly. "It was quite simple really; it was done artificially, no copulation involved at all."
Tsunade made a face at that and tried not to think about it. "But why though?"
"Because I am after Kyuubi's host, just had there been another woman given this burden to bear she would have been chosen for it instead." Mito replied.
Tsunade suddenly started to feel something akin to dread, her answer right there in the next sentence her grandmother would speak if she asked, but there was something in her that didn't want to ask because she knew she wouldn't like the answer she received.
But yet she still had to ask.
"Chosen for what exactly?"
Mito looked ready to speak before thinking better of it. "No, if I tell you, you will think less of me."
Tsunade found this highly disturbing. "What…what do mean?"
Mito looked down at her lap, suddenly looking every bit her age. "That baby…is a hybrid."
Tsunade furrowed her brow. "But…but you said…" she trailed off and her eyes widened. "You mean…is only half human?" Mito nodded. The blonde woman had figured that maybe there was something strange about the child, but to actually know… "What…what kind of hybrid is she?"
Mito was silent for a moment longer before answering. "Katako." She whispered. "But I'm sure you know that the Americans have another name for what she is."
Tsunade paled as she finally got her answer. And she was right; she really had been dreading it. "Oh." She muttered and glanced back over at the child. "What…what about her childhood, her life? Who's going to raise her?"
The blonde saw Mito looking at her and she hurriedly shook her head. "No, I'm not going to raise her, I can't raise a kid!"
Mito shook her head. "No, I'm not asking you to do that." She said and Tsunade didn't bother to keep her sigh in. "I just need you to take her to an orphanage in Whirlpool, leave her there anonymously, with the instructions to send her back to Konoha when she is older in order for her to receive Kyuubi."
Tsunade was rather stunned. "An orphanage? An orphanage?" she repeated, but kept her voice calm. "Why leave her there? Isn't there anyone else who could take care of her?"
"She will be well cared for, we are after all, family." Mito replied pointedly and Tsunade looked down to avoid her gaze.
"Sorry." She muttered. "Then what am I supposed to call her for them to know what to call her?"
Mito paused again before looking over at the bassinet. "Her name is…Kushina."
