Tsunade rubbed her back as she pushed the door to her office, groaning. She'd had a long day today- a full-scale trial of military affairs had just ended, and taxed her limits to the fullest. With one glance, Shizune ran over to the kitchenette and turned on the tea kettle standing precariously close to the file of papers on the microwave.
Tsunade wearily pushed the door closed and dropped her briefcase on the floor, shrugging off her kimono-robe as she did so. She kicked off her high-heeled shoes and limped over to the living room, clearly worse for wear. Slumping down on the overstuffed couch, she said, "Y'know, Shizune…with beauty comes pain. I've had to keep a perfect posture all day, and my chest's been pulling me downward. Now my back's sore, and I can't stand it- I've got a meeting in four hours!"
Shizune smiled politely and poured a cup of strong black tea, with sugar and two lemon slices- one squeezed into the tea, and one perched on the mug's rim. Reaching into the fridge, she pulled out a croissant generously stuffed with lettuce, tomato; pickle and salami, then placed it on a tray and carried it to Tsunade, who promptly scarfed half the sandwich in a single bite.
"Shizune…I want a backrub. Now." Tsunade imperiously ordered.
Shizune sighed and started kneading Tsunade's back, while Tsunade complained about all the paperwork she needed to fill out before her next meeting.
"So much crap hinders the efficiency of all the village's processes! I've hired four trainees and it's still not enough…I've even enlisted Sakura to help when she's not on missions, and SHE can barely get through…"
So it went for a while, with Tsunade alternately complaining about work and men, particularly how hard it was for her to get a decent date, because all the men in the village were, in her opinion, 'power-hungry bastards.'
"I swear, after Jiraiya left on that damned mission of his, I don't have a single halfwit male to yell at."
Shizune suppressed a giggle at Tsunade's childish complaints. She thought, this is just like when I was in grade school…
Shizune remembered that quiet day with amusement in hindsight. She had been on the swings, sitting stock-still, and forlornly, silently crying over a boy's rejection of her feelings for him. Funny, she thought, I don't even remember the name of that kid…Thought I should'a done if I really cared in the first place….During lunch break her friend tried to comfort her, but gave up. Resigning herself to cleaning up the classroom to get her mind off the occurrence, she was surprised at the end of the day when a tall, blonde lady had slipped into the room while she went to get the broom. Their conversation was blurry in her memory, but was shaded with a few snippets of advice. Y'know, that's not the way to ask a person out. Y'gotta be more assertive. She gasped in awe when she recognized the face on the front of the newpapers- Tsunade by this point had a well-established reputation and was already well-known all over the villages. I heard that you've been getting excellent grades, is that right? Shizune had nodded a shy 'yes', too awestruck to say more. And you healed one of the students who had broken their ankle climbing a tree? Another nod. Shizune often went to the library to read jutsu scrolls, and most of them had dealt with healing people. The day the boy broke his ankle had been the day she managed to master all the techniques in medicine the library had, which admittedly wasn't many. Ah, I see. Would you like to train under me, then? An emphatic but stunned squeal accompanied nodding. It's settled, then. You'll be my student. At that, point, she had been ready to leave. Oh, and perhaps, if I'm in a good mood, I'll teach 'ya how to properly date someone. After that, Shizune never trusted Tsunade's dating advice again. Shizune giggled again.
Tsunade asked her, "What's so funny?"
"Eehh, nothing!"
Shizune quickly sobered, remembering the piles of work she had to do. While there weren't many injured at the hospital, due to the fact that there was as much relative peace as a village of their sort could be, there was one particular boy she worried about. He had gotten caught, poor thing, under a lawnmower he was using that was too big for him. I had to amputate his arm. His balance won't be the same, and he's got a bigger risk of getting killed on the field. Ah well, that's the way of the world, no?
Shizune dislodged the dark thought with a well practiced shake of the head. She was accustomed to the carnage- the long years on the fields as a medic assured that.
But I'll make sure to read to him- he must be lonely right now. She smiled to herself at the idea of aiding someone who needed her, truly.
"Shiiizzuuunnneee…..Why'd you stop?" Tsunade whined in a pretend-girly voice. "Are you worried about that lawnmower-kid?" she asked, in her normal tone.
Shizune reluctantly nodded.
"After all this time experiencing first-rate carnage, your heart melts after seeing a little kid injured, but you haven't an iota of feeling for those doing battle…I'll never understand you."
It was true that Shizune seemed to be completely detached as a medic- she worked without emotion, like a machine. She was the best in times like those.
"Well, I shouldn't keep you from him, then," Tsunade said, pulling on her jacket. She reached over to the coffee-table, grabbing the ever-present box of Tylenol and downing a few pills. She stretched carefully.
"Ah, Shizune, that did the trick. I'm the only person in Konoha that can get your expert hands rubbing out the kinks in my back every single day. Heck, it seems that power does pay." She groaned, after a moment's pause. "I'd better get started on that mountain over there", she said, pointing at a four foot high stack of papers on her desk. "Go and take care of the kid. I'm pretty sure he likes your company."
Shizune murmured thanks and bowed, leaving the room quietly. Tsunade, seated at her desk, saw a glimpse of her running out the door and to the hospital.
She glanced down at the stack of papers and her resolve collapsed. I've been takin' it easy thus far. Why should I be doin' all this? I've got three and a half hours…No need to rush.
She grabbed her phone and called one of her assistants to do her paperwork. She collapsed on the couch with the customary sake bottle, feet up, checking all the paperwork for mistakes.