The night was cold over the small village of Imaicho. Only the wind among the trees dared to make any noise. It was late and nobody in their right mind would be willing to step out to the night when you could be sitting inside your house in front of a young fire warming your tired bones. But then again, the blond Sannin had always been a little different from other people.

Tsunade shivered unvoluntarily. Sitting on the highest branch of a pinte tree, the blond woman had been there from the morning until the night, always looking forward, eyebrows pulled together into a frown. Her back against the trunk and knees up to her chin, her arms were embracing her cold body in a useless effort to keep her warm. She wished she had taken her jacket.

A current of frozen air crushed violently over her small body. Narrowing her eyes, unnoticed tears spilled from the sides of her eyes, leaving a cold, uncaring sensation on her cheek. Then she wished to have his familiar, warm figure next to her, wiping away her coldness and sorrow.

It seemed her wish was denied. It started to rain, the heavy dark clouds bursting into tears. Just what she wanted to do. But her pride would not let her, of course. Tsunade shivered again. She wanted to go back home and pull the blankets over her head to be able to sleep calmly on her empty, cold bed. But she didn't want to go right now. She couldn't. Sitting there in the middle of the night transformed her into a new Tsunade. She became the wise, serious person she was deep inside. The Tsunade no one knew about, not even her assistant Shizune. She would always hide her real self under a fake masc, hiding the old, tired Tsunade.

Her mind was always fighting against her confused feelings. She was empty, thinking about nothing and about everything at the same time. Her life. Good topic. It is a disaster. Period.

That's it?

What else could she say about it? Oh yeah! Synonymous; tragic, horrible, catastrophic, calamitous, shattering, devastating, ruinous...

In two words. A failure.

The tree she was sitting on shook, giving emphasis to her last statement. Thanks...

Sighing, Tsunade jumped to the frozen ground. She groaned when reached the grass, her muscles aching. She stood there on her knees for a few minutes before her toes went numb. Cursing under her cool breath she shook her feet, she went towards the inn Tsunade and Shizune slept.

When she opened the door, Tsunade found a concerned Shizune staring at her.

"Where have you been, Tsunade-sama!?" She screamed at the busty woman.

Closing her eyes in annoyance, Tsunade took off her heels. "Shizunee... Could you please calm down?"

Shizune stood in silence while Tsunade went to the bathroom to take a bath. From inside the bathroom, the black-haired young woman could hear her master say, "I just... went for a walk, that's all."

"I'm sorry Tsunade-sama. I thou-"

"Shizune, I do know what you thought. You know me better, it's not like I always go to a bar each night." There was a silence for a few seconds. "Jeez Shizune! This inn makes me sick. The bathroom is just so dirty. Why didn't you choose the best inn? Ugh."

"I'm sorry. But this is the best one in Imaicho."

"Then remind me not to come back."

After drying herself, Tsunade went to her bed and threw herself to it. Sighing tiredly, she closed her eyes and fell asleep. She dreamed about her young years. Being innocent and happy while her team was still strongly together. Before Orochimaru had left... Before Nawaki and Dan had died... Even before she had left her –her, and only hers-Baka. She didn't notice, but her bottled tears escaped their honey prisons, leaving that old and familiar uncaring sensation.