Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or "Your Guardian Angel" by Red Jumpsuit Appartus.
-NowthatI'mstrongerI'vefiguredout/Howthisworldturnscoldanditbreaksthroughmysoul-
Tsunade will never forget the first time she meets the girl who had idolized her since before her first day at the academy.
It is within the hour after her harsh diagnosis of Gai's favorite student. The girl, nameless in Tsunade's eyes, is standing between the Hokage and her office. Her slim figure is well-muscled and tanned, both signs of laborious training. Her hair is up in buns, both childish and practical at once, and her clothes are chosen to house her flexibility. The forehead protector, in its proper place for once, gleams in the fluorescent light but is outdone by the spark in the rich eyes beneath it.
Before the blonde can question this girl's appearance, her high-pitched and enraged voice asks, "Who do you think you are?" This catches the Hokage off-guard, but she does not show it.
"Move it girl, I have work to do," she tells her instead; a gruff and obvious dismissal. The young kunoichi has none of it and her posture stiffens.
"I know you're one of the legendary sannin and the Hokage…but that doesn't give you the right to destroy peoples' dreams!" The voice, which had forced a sense of civility in acknowledging the identity of her superior, was back to being pissed. "Lee works harder than anyone and he's kinder than anyone and…and…"
"Listen, I already told him he's best just giving up." Who is this runt, his girlfriend? The idea of the mini-Gai having a lover would be almost laughable, if she wasn't so annoyed. "What's it to you anyways?"
Those eyes are still blazing, from dangerous embers to a fatal inferno. "Lee's my teammate, and he means the world to me. I don't care what titles everyone attaches to you; I can't idolize anyone who thinks that they can just waltz in and crush Lee's dreams like that."
"And you're here to tell me that?"
"I'm here to tell you I want a mission." Tsunade shifts this time, visibly caught. That wasn't what she had expected to hear, especially with the formal politeness demanded of a lower shinobi to a Kage. "I want to find someone who can fix Lee, since you won't, or can't, or whatever you call it." The sensibility of the request astounds the Hokage. That, coupled with the admission of being Lee's teammate softens something inside of Tsunade. She's always admired teams with strong bonds; it's human nature to covet what one does not have.
The softness steels inside of the sannin and she closes her eyes a moment, rubbing her temples. When she looks up again, her eyes are certain. "Your mission will be to take charge of Rock Lee's physical therapy and get him back up to his previous level of ninja expertise once he is in outpatient care…and to let me into my office."
Those brown eyes, many hues darker than hers, widen. "Arigatou Hokage-sama!" The girl bows and runs off, probably to tell Lee.
Tsunade enters her office and takes a few books off the shelf there. It's time she got to work.
-Iwillneverletyoufall/I'llstandupwithyouforever-