It had been a year. One year today since the defeat of Madara, the Village Hidden in the Leaves had celebrated by naming the next Hokage. Uzumaki Naruto stood tall and proud as Tsunade put the symbol of the office on him, his two advisers Haruno Sakura and Nara Shikamaru at his side. It had been later, much later in the day when Tsunade walked into her once domain and handed the yellow haired ninja a stack of paper and a worn headband.
Naruto looked up at her puzzled. "Baa-chan, I…I don't understand. You can't leave!" he yelled and would have got up if not for the restraining hand on his shoulder.
Sakura forced him back down in the chair and stared wide eyed at her mentor. Did she know? Tsunade wondered internally, but the truth was it didn't matter if she knew or not, the Senju's mind was made up and she was resolute in her plan.
"Can't I?" Tsunade finally questioned. "Have I not done enough for the Village? Have I not given enough years of service? Have I.." Shikamaru cut her off. "This is so troublesome. Naruto sign the papers. The Hoka- Lady Tsunade doesn't owe the Leaf anything, and I belief she has other debts she wants to settle." Naruto signed the papers terminating her residency and active status as a ninja, leaving her a woman free to settle old scores without repercussions.
The blonde woman left the office and went to the apartment; she had shared with Shizune for the last five years. It had been hard on the dark haired girl when she learned that Tsunade was leaving again and this time not taking her along. She changed into standard Shinobi gear and tied her medical pack full of the supplies she'd need on her waist. Over everything went a plain grey cloak. She was ready.
The Sannin walked in the darkness all night and didn't stop until near dawn when she came to the proffered meeting place. The small hut and clearing of trees weren't anything to look at, but to her and the rest of her team, it was the place they had truly became ninjas, and the place where they had learned just how cruel the world could be.
"Come on slow pokes!" A seven year old Tsunade had called out as she jumped tree to tree. They were on their first mission without Sensei. It was a simple herb gathering, but she was beyond exited to show what she could do.
She glanced back at the other two grinning when what felt like a ring of fire wrapped around her ankle and pulled her to the ground. Tsunade hit hard and gasped up at the bandits surrounding her. What she had thought was fire, turned out to be a bull whip.
The biggest in the group squatted down and used the handle of his weapon to force her chin up. "Hey there Little Girl," He sneered. "You look lost, how about we take care of you?" The Senju knew she was in trouble, Jiraiya and Orochimaru had disappeared. She mustered up her courage and spit in that sneering face.
"Stay away from me!" She yelled and turned to flee. The whip cracked and a fiery cord wrapped around her neck as the bandit pulled her back. "You'll pay for that Bitch" he snarled.
Chaos erupted around them as snakes pooled from the brushes and Jiraiya dropped down, his kunai held out to cut the whip freeing her. Orochimaru darted out of nowhere and a snake wrapped itself around the bandit's neck as her teammate took revenge for the attack on her.
That had been the first time they had taken a life or had to seriously fight for their own. Tsunade would never forget Orochimaru holding his hand out to pull her to her feet, his eyes kind even while he was covered in blood. She sighed and watched the first rays of daylight break the horizon, the orange glow chasing away dark and with it showing the person she was waiting for.
"Tsunade" Orochimaru said shortly. "I came expecting an ambush, not you without an escort to be seen."
She scoffed. "You know I'm not here to attack you. I came to repay my debt for you saving my life." An eyebrow rose. "Why else would I pick here of all places?"
The Snake Sannin looked around. He remembered the place of course, it was his first kill and the first time he had felt true rage, true blood lust. The man he'd killed had been slowly strangled and deserved every piece of pain for hurting her. Of course that was then. His slitted gaze met her honey one.
"You mean to heal me then, even without me holding up the deal I made you."
Tsunade nodded and gestured to the abandoned hut. "This is my repayment, after this we're even."