The garden meeting

John Williams

Memoirs of a Geisha

.ii.

"What a beautiful girl," murmured Hashirama as he picked up his week old granddaughter. His wife, Mito, stood beside him and gave her husband a coy smirk.

"As beautiful as her mother and grandmother, I would say," spoke the Uzumaki woman, "Give her here dear, you've spent enough time with her."

"Have you decided on a name?" questioned Hashirama to his eldest daughter as he handed the young babe to his wife, who quickly began cooing at the young child.

"Tsunade," murmured the blond haired woman, who lay in bed, looking ill.

"A strong name, I would say," spoke up Mito as she brushed a stray strand of her off of the babe's head. Before she handed her back to her mother. "I wish I could stay longer, but it seems I have some matters to settle. Take care, dear, we'll be coming back around later," waved Mito as she placed a kiss on her daughters cheek and a caring hand on her granddaughters head.

Some would say that the girl, Tsunade was a lucky one. She was basically born into royalty, what with her grandfather and granduncle both having been (are) Hokage, another was that her grandmother was the Uzumaki Mito. One of the elemental countries most feared kuniochi's. And it was at the tender age of three, that Tsunade choose her path.

'To be just like nana!'

And she followed in her footsteps. At the age of six she had graduated from the exam, and who would have known that along her way as genin she would come under tutelage of yet another Hokage and be paired along with a so called genius – who to Tsunade was just a young quiet boy on the shy side – and an idiot – who seemed to be everything that her genius of a teammate wasn't.

Everything seemed to be going well for the young Senju, what with her younger brother finally starting the academy and the such. And when he graduated, he was such a happy and proud boy. As a gift for finally becoming a ninja, she had bestowed upon the necklace her grandfather had given her. And with quick kiss on the forehead, she sent him off to meet his teammates and sensei.

It wasn't until the next day her brother was sent out on a mission, she'd adviced on him not going, what with the ominous clouds appearing over her, but he didn't listen and his sensei had promised to watch over him.

It was for not.

The boy had foolishly set off a trap and it had consumed him and left him barely recognizable when his body was brought in. Orochimaru couldn't offer any words, instead he returned her prized necklace and left with only an apology. It was then, that Tsunade began to lose herself. But she hid it well.

Then her mother passed away, but that was of natural causes right? It wasn't because someone had slipped poison into the aged woman's tea. But Tsunade knew better, and she continued to hold her head high.

Then followed suit her grandfather and granduncle. And then Nana Mito, who had passed away after she had called for one of her own clansmen to come to Konoha. The young red haired girl was only here a week and she found her grandmother in her bed, looking as peaceful as ever, but gone forever.

Now all she had were her teammates and her mentor, and the little rhombus seal on her forehead that connected her with her deceased grandmother.

It was in a meeting, one she called fate after a couple months, where she met her love, Dan. They had fallen for one another and Tsunade couldn't help but fight back the tears. He reminded her so much of her deceased family, what with his loving and caring nature and his dream to be Hokage. And she let herself believe one more time, she had given her his necklace and a kiss on the forehead, showing that she believed in him.

Months later, she couldn't save him from his mortal wounds. He had left this world with compassion and love in his eyes, but he had failed to utter the words she had wanted to hear. And with that her life spiraled out of her grasp, she couldn't see for herself, but most would find her in the gambling halls of Konoha, or in one of the bars of the red light district.

She didn't have the nerve to leave her home, but when her teammate. The one she managed to not kill for letting her baby brother die left without a trace, the quietest of killers on his tail. And her nerve broke, she asked to leave, and her wish was granted.

What both her and Orochimaru couldn't see was that they left behind someone. Someone they all would have called an idiot, a fool. They didn't notice his mask breaking, nor his heart.

And it was like that, that the three sannin split paths.

Tsunade heartbroken couldn't face reality and lived in a world where everything seemed smudged and unreal. It was in this drunk and high stupor that she would always meet those she truly cherished, and it was when that haze faded away that she always broke down, worse than before.

This was why she hated losing – losing as in, people's lives. This was why she detested winning, because winning brought on karma. A karma that always struck close to home.

Tsunade sneered as she looked at the jade piece in her hand. This stupid thing she had won, this stupid thing that her grandfather had given her, had been cursed the moment it touched her hand. Her hand held the small jewel in a fist and was intent on crushing it, but she couldn't. So her hand fell away and the jewel fell limp between her breasts, where it glistened and seemed to taunt the slug sannin.

"Shizune, we're leaving."

And it was true.

The two left and were not found, unless they wanted to be.

And it was true, up to a certain point.

.ii.

"Tsunade-sama? Are you alright?" asked the pink haired girl as she held a tray filled with snacks and tea.

The blond woman blinked, before waving her hand to the pink haired girl. The girl smiled and set the tray down. The kuniochi began with her usual morning routine, that is, have tea and a snack with Tsunade, where they will usually go over what Sakura had learned the day before and what she could do to make things much more precise and perfect.

"Tsunade-sama, are you sure you're alright?" asked Sakura as she finished her tea and set her cup down. She hadn't seen her teacher so out of it in awhile and she remembered clearly what had happened the last time someone who wasn't especially close tried to snap the tempered Hokage out of her reverie.

"Fine, I'm fine, just thinking," murmured the woman, who held the cup to her lips as she read the paperwork on her desk. "Hm, Sakura, how do you think that knucklehead teammate of yours is doing?"

"Ah? Naruto?" uttered the pink haired girl in surprise, but smiled soon afterwards, "Knowing him he's probably doing his best."

Tsunade hummed at the answer her student had given her. Hazel eyes turned to actually look at the pink haired girl and it scared Tsunade how well she could see herself in this young girl. The Godaime Hokage smirked, perhaps that was another reason she took on the girl? To settle the ghosts in her past and have history not repeat itself?

"Come Sakura."

Yes that may have been a reason in the beginning, but now, not so much. And Tsunade couldn't help but suppress a chuckle. The main reason may have been to satisfy a certain blond knucklehead and to outdo both her fellow sannin.

"Its time you've learned to summon Katsuya."

The shocked look on the pink haired girls face made Tsunade outright laugh. She showed the girl the way to properly do a summon, by having her sign the contract and from there she left Sakura to her own devices.

And as she looked over the girl, Tsunade couldn't help but agree. Orochimaru may have taken on a student just to show off the power of the Uchiha, Jiraiya had taken on Naruto to honor his father and fulfill his godfather duties that he had failed to do, and also because the old pervert had seen something else in the brat.

Tsunade, she had taken on a student for who knows why. To help the girl, because of pity? Because she saw herself in her? Or was it because of something totally different. Again that had been something she had pondered in the beginning, she knew better now.

She knew much better.

'Always take the losing bet.'

AN:

And let me tell you how difficult it is to come up with an idea for Tsunade! Its difficult! And I'm pretty sure I messed up the flow of it and went in another direction half way while writing it D; Damn you Tsunade! You're such a woman! DIFFICULT AND HARSH AND COLD x( but meh, I tinkered with her and had fun though.

Well this basically wraps up this trio of shots. Hopefully you all enjoyed it :) And if you really, really enjoyed it, why not leave word of it? :D

Happy Holidays/Break everyone!

Sorugao-Bandgeek