I am very proud to say that this is officially the first Kisatsun fic. :D Set before Jiraiya and Naruto troop off to find her, back when she's still wandering. x3

Scientific Interest

Tsunade was a curious person by nature.

This acute interest in the world around her spanned from when she was just a child, watching in awe as the nail deep gash on her fathers arm disappeared with the wave of a green glowing hand; it pushed her on as she worked on antidote after antidote, grinning as she imagined the expression of the old suna nin when she realised her carefully brewed poisons were useless. It sparked up now, a long dead fire flaring anew as she gently ran her fingers over the faint black lines on the shark man's face, breath caught in her throat as she carefully traced the marks that stood out so solidly against the grey-blue skin. Removing her hand reluctantly, she slid back into her stool, alcohol-glazed eyes locking on the navy haired man before her.

"Thatsh very intereshing," she informed him, waving her empty sake cup to gesture to his face. They were sitting side by side at a small bar in the rock country; having met each other shortly after the woman had ordered a glass of sake and ended up drinking the entire bottle. He had stomped in a few minutes later, looking utterly annoyed, and after taking the last available seat – she'd manage to scare everyone else away but he just ignored her – drank himself stupid.

He laughed, the sound a pleasant rumble as he shook his head slightly, watching her with drunken amusement. His headband lay discarded on the table, placed carefully face down in a last minute precaution before he succumbed to the delights of Sake.

"You could shay that, yesh." He replied, voice as slurred as hers. He cast her a sideways glance, grinning lopsidedly. "They certainly hash their ushes."

She blinked dazedly back, a similar smile twitching up the sides of her lips as she examined his face, eyes noting the pronounced cheek bones of his clan and lingering on the intriguing marks at the sides of his eyes. It was not often that she came across something that was a complete mystery to her, with her travels and experience as a medic there were few things she hadn't seen, hadn't already deciphered and discarded once she'd revealed all there was to it. Her fingers itched to touch his face once more, find the secret behind the gill-like markings and the odd coloring of his skin. This was one of those few, rare opportunities to learn something new, the very reason that she had left Konoha in the first place. (Or so she told herself.) She wasn't about to miss it.

Purely scientific interest.

"You know," An amused voice broke her from her reverie, its owner regarding her with a smirk playing across his lips as he met her misted gaze. "Itsh not polite to shtare."

She blinked at him blankly, before her mind slowly registered what he said and she giggled at herself, shaking her head slightly.

"Shorry." She apologised, reaching up and clumsily brushing a way an annoying strand of blond hair. "I've never sheen someone like you b'fore."

He looked at her curiously, scooting his chair closer noisily. "Mosht people would have run shcreaming by now." He commented, almost as if he was just speaking his thoughts aloud. She grinned back at him, raising a hand and tapping vaguely at the navy-blue diamond on her forehead, nearly poking herself in the eye.

"I'm not mosht people," she informed him slyly with a batt of a hazel eye. "I think they ish very…" She paused, searching for the right word.

"Dishturbing?" Kisame provided helpfully, signalling the barman for another refill.

Tsunade shook her head fervently, still sifting through her befuddled thoughts. "No, theysh… beautiful."

He raised his eyebrows, surprise clear on his features as he looked away from his filling cup to face her fully, nearly falling off the chair in the process. "Really?"

"Yesh." She flashed him a broad grin, eyes appraising his face once more. He was one of a kind, a long forgotten medical miracle – In her eyes, he was more than just beautiful. He was unique. "Trusht me, I know whatsh beautiful. You don't reach shixty without finding it out."

She turned her gaze to her glass once more; eyes crinkling with happiness as she found there was still enough for a final sip. So intent was she on claiming the last dregs – in case some fairy came and whisked it away, (it had happened before) - that she didn't notice the flicker of movement in the corner of her eye, the telling rustle of cloth before it was too late. A large, blue - and surprisingly smooth - hand clasped gently under her chin, drawing her attention away. Startled by the unprecedented contact, she turned her head to the side, frowning as she met the small, bright eyes of her 'scientific interest'. He considered her with a slow smile, fingers tracing the sharp edge of her jaw before he leant forward, warm, sake-tainted breath ghosting across her cheek.

"You're not sho bad yourself." He murmured, giving her time only to frown slightly in bewilderment before a set of firm lips brushed against hers.

End.

This is also my first ever writing of a kiss. :x Which is part of the reason I cut it off at that point at the end, although it came to a natural close there anyway. XD

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