"If you can affect someone when they're young, you are in their heart forever" - Mara Wilson

Konoha is full of gossipers. It's a conclusion Tsunade reaches a few days after October 10th. She should have seen it coming, really. You don't go ahead, do the shit she just did and then expect people to stay quiet about it. Some of the things she hears the villagers say are hilarious.

"Just what we needed. Another child prodigy. And this one sides with the demon brat."

"It's like Hatake Kakashi all over again. Genius, but screwed in the head."

Others, not so much.

Tsunade scowls, then sneaks a peek at her parents. For once, there is not a single trace of amusement creasing Kizashi's face. The joke between him and the universe, that only he knew the contents of, is gone. Gone and replaced by a scowl. Compared to her husband and with a great deal of irony, Mebuki never stops smiling. It's a forced one, sure but it's there, to act as a shield between the world and her, their daughter. They never yell at her for what happened at the festival. They don't demand answers, they don't tell her to steer clear of the Kyuubi's host, they don't punish her for getting herself into trouble.

Nothing.

They act as if nothing happened. She doesn't know whether it's blatant ignorance, their brain's refusal to accept the reality of it all or...the unconditional love parents have for their children that ensured all of the above didn't occur the days that followed her act of bravery.

Tsunade isn't a paranoid person. Weak people are while she...she is no longer tall, mighty and powerful but a pink-haired brat whose stunt earlier this week had struck discomfort among civilians and shinobi alike.

Fuck.

She'd be stupid not to fear for her life. Kami knows whose important son or brother she had publicly humiliated and no matter how much she'd like to think that Konoha, noble, warm Konoha isn't corrupted in its own way, she knows wishful thinking and delusions (especially delusions) are the mistakes of fools. So, Tsunade sleeps with one eye open and a kitchen knife under her pillow. It's far less practical than a kunai but hell she is a four-year-old born to civilian parents which makes that the sharpest thing she has at her disposal. She tries not to dwell on such aspects since it does nothing but add insult to injury. How the mighty have fallen. She thinks, downing a glass of jasmine tea. It tastes like crap, basically water with flowers in it but she is reminded of spring mornings spent talking to her grandmother and nostalgia has always been something Tsunade equally loved and hated. Besides, it gives her the illusion of drinking sake; it's easy to pretend if the liquor is inside an opaque recipient.

Someone is watching her movements. ANBU, if her gut doesn't deceive her. The presence is subtle, subtle enough that she almost overlooked it. Word must have reached Sarutobi-sensei. He can't intervene and take into custody a child who might or might not be a spy in disguise. Not until he has proof. Tsunade is determined not to show any, meaning she has to act her age plus a few. Since prodigies are known to be skilled and smart beyond their years, that's how people must label her as: a genius. She inwardly snorts as she takes another sip from her tea.

"Is something the matter Sakura-chan?" Mebuki asks her, concerned.

She weighs her options carefully before she speaks. "Being different, it's not wrong, is it?"

"Of course not."

"What made you think that sweetie?"

Tsunade almost feels bad for manipulating her new family. Almost. Feeling guilty is the privilege of the good and she hadn't been that in years. "The people whispering behind our backs. I heard them all day."

The Haruno couple glance at one another in disbelief.

"What do they know of my daughter? You are different than most children, but that's your strength. That's what makes you special. Kami-sama gave you pink hair because nobody else could handle having it." Kizashi beams.

"As for what you did that night at the festival..." Mebuki pauses. "You were brave, Sakura-chan, unexpectedly so and that's nothing to condemn."

"So, you aren't mad?" she looks at them behind her eyelashes.

Their eyes soften.

"Mad? No." the woman shakes her head.

"But we feared for your safety." the man adds.

She doesn't blame them. No matter how old children get and no matter how skilled, parents will always worry and fret over their well-being. Compared to shinobi, civilians are a lot more open with their affection. Tsunade can't recall ever hearing her parents say they feared something. They always stood tall, like pillars of strength, even as they were dying. Had they been alive to see her funeral, would have they screamed at the sky for taking her away? Just like she did when it took them? When it took Nawaki? Death is a shinobi' second shadow. Having it stand close to you, it's easy to accept your own from a young age. What is a life compared to the greater good of the village? However, ninja mourn the same as civilians. Though they aware of their own shadow, they never quite see the one attached to their loved ones. They refuse to, tell themselves: Death will touch me, but not them, never them. And that, perhaps, is their biggest tragedy.

Tsunade grips her thigh under the table and looks up with the most determined expression Mebuki and Kizashi had seen crease the face of anyone. "Instead of going to school, I want to join The Ninja Academy."

To her astonishment, they nod gravely. "We know, Saku-chan."

Her father chuckles and scratches the back of his neck. "After what you did that night, I don't think we'd be able to stop you anyway." he pauses, glancing at his wife. "Though your mother doesn't agree, she knows that too."

Mebuki sighs, like her worst fears have just come true. "Once we sign the papers, there is no going back. You understand what you are asking?"

As the granddaughter of The First Hokage, it had been expected of her but to tell the truth, nothing else would have fit her like a glove. She had wanted to be powerful, to be respected for more than just her name. To have people all over The Elemental Nations acknowledge that Senju Tsunade did what no other man and woman before her had done. It was a matter of pride. It was a matter of honour. It was a desire born out of love. Become a shinobi and give your life? Nothing as noble. For how much it took, Konoha also gave and try as she might, there was no denying the fact that she could have left the village, but the village would have never left her heart. She replies, serious and unlike how children should be. "I understand, kaa-san."

Mebuki nods, and if there are tears in her eyes, Tsunade pretends not to notice. "She could have chosen anything else." is what she hears her tell Kizashi when they get home.

The same words are spoken again at The Academy Entrance Ceremony but if she hears, she can't bring herself to care because her sensei is just a few feet away in all his Hokage glory. Older than she had ever seen him but no less the man who had been like family. Who is family. Had Tsunade heard Mebuki mumble to her husband that day, she would have turned around and said that no, she had it all wrong. She chose nothing.

The shinobi path, on the other hand, had chosen her long ago.

.

.

"Look how big her forehead is!"

"I know right! She is ugly, unlike us."

Kids, Tsunade muses, can be shits too. Little ones, but that doesn't excuse their behaviour. Back in the day, you'd have never seen something of that sort happen. Mostly because the stench of death and the possibility of war were always looming. The Ninja Academy of today is gentler with their approach, the conditions that need to be met so you are allowed to join are stricter, true, but that's only because wars are fought with manpower and Konoha is not at war now. In between, it's highly advisable to focus on polishing only the brightest gems. During her generation, there wasn't any time for that. Rough stones, pearls, rubies, they were all smashed together. The best ones pulled through and got their names in the bingo book. The ones too soft for the cruel world they lived in got theirs carved on The Memorial Stone.

I probably fell in both categories.

The war hadn't killed her but Senju Tsunade was dead all the same. She wonders whether it'd be considered narcissistic to mourn your own life.

"Hey, we are talking to you! Are you deaf?"

She catches the girl's wrist inches away from her hair. It's a test of self-control because she knows her own strength and applying the slightest pressure would break it. "Next time you try that, I will make sure that you are."

She wouldn't actually follow through her threats but they don't know that.

"Come on Ami, let's leave the freak alone." the smarter of the two says, equally fearful.

Tsunade lets go of her wrist, not surprised when she sees the echo of her tight grip show. The brat rubs at her skin, nose high in the air. If nothing else, they have pride in common. The two leave her alone. That was her first pre-genin confrontation. No one would have dared to get within five feet of the Hokage's niece if she hadn't wished it, much less have the guts to insult her. Clan children are still respected, she observed, but the same can't be said about civilian ones. Most people see them as a means to an end, rightfully so. Tsunade is eager to change such mindset though she can't help but wonder. Would Haruno Sakura have become great without my rebirth?

She likes to think that yes, she would have. Pink hair and large foreheads aren't for the weak of heart.

"If they bother you, why don't you tell Iruka-sensei?" Standing to her left, a dark-haired boy asked her. He wears a trench coat that reaches his chin as well as tinted glasses. It's easy to identify him as the Aburame heir. Bugs from all over the backyard are attached to him. She imagines that he must also have a rough time.

"Iruka-sensei would have given them a scolding. This way, they won't bother me again tomorrow." she explains.

Compared to her former Academy instructor, Yoshida Emiko, the man is mellow and lets them get away with many things. Tsunade was used to getting her way but Emiko-sensei hadn't cared about that. She had treated everyone equally while her spoiled attitude had done little to impress her. The hag had even knocked down her ego a few steps and made out of attending The Academy a nightmare she'd never forget. Jiraiya had kissed his headband on the day they graduated and though Orochimaru would never admit it, there was no mistaking the relief that had shown on his face. After Emiko, all Academy teachers had looked like pups to her and that has yet to change.

"Your forehead is not that big."

Tsunade didn't expect the kid to say anything else. The Aburame weren't known to be a social bunch, unless that also has changed. "And I've seen scarier things than your bugs." she retorts. Huge understatement. While she can't see his eyes because of the glasses, she guesses she just shocked him.

"They don't disgust you either?"

He is sceptical for a five-year-old.

Tsunade almost laughs. She had performed plenty of gross surgeries and had seen ninja die in less dignified ways. Little can disgust her now. "These guys?" she picks one from atop his shoulder. "No."

He looks at her in awe as she places the insect back where she took it from. "You are the first to say that." he scrunches up his nose in confusion. "And you are a girl."

She puts her hands on her hips. "Whoever told you that girls aren't as brave as boys was most likely a boy himself."

"A man." he corrects her. "Tou-sama did."

Same shit little one. I bet your mother would strongly disagree.

"Parents aren't always right." she says instead and extends out her hand. "I'm Sakura."

The kid stares at it, perplexed, as if he still can't grasp the thought of talking to someone other than family.

She stomps her foot impatiently, acting her age. "Well, go on. You don't leave people with their hand hanging."

He listens and shakes her hand. "I'm Shino." he seems uncertain whether to say something else but eventually makes up his mind. "Thank you."

Whatever Tsunade had been expecting, it wasn't gratitude and a bow. "Nothing to thank." she assures. Though she doesn't know it then, The Aburame don't take social acceptance lightly and befriending Shino has just earned her a clan's favour.

Uzumaki Naruto spends his days by himself. Now that he is old enough to have joined The Academy, the orphanage is but a distant thought. He no longer lives there but inside a small apartment. Still in the shady and scary part of the village but he doesn't whine about it. He has his own bathroom, kitchen, and bedroom that he shares with no one. Grandpa Hokage visits him whenever he can and gives him money. Though shop keepers aren't fair with prices, he doesn't mind buying cheaper clothes and mostly ramen. He doesn't know how to cook anyway and the stove looks like it could burn someone who doesn't. Overall, he is happy. He knows he should be, at least but loneliness is heavy and he isn't strong enough to carry it. One day, he will be.

But not today.

When he closes his eyes, Naruto returns to the festival. He hears the drunk man yell harsh words, remembers how it feels to have his feet leave the ground because of somebody else' strength. He thinks he shouldn't have sneaked out of the orphanage but it was his birthday and he had wanted to see the bright lights and maybe get away with eating some candy. He would have been good and returned afterwards as if he never even left. Unfortunately, people had seen him. The really bad ones always did. Most usually ignored him but some, some hated him. Hate is ugly, Naruto decided that night and promised to never hate anyone. He didn't know much about grown-ups, (duh he wasn't one, how could he?) but he liked to think he knew children (since he is one himself, he thought that would be enough).

Some time later, he found out that it wasn't. Pulling pranks didn't make his classmates like him. Sure, they laugh (sometimes, when he felt really inspired) yet still walk away whenever he gets close and asks whether they could play together. He no longer tries to earn their friendship (false, he always will because refusing to giving-up is such a strong part of who he is that his subconscious acts on it even if Naruto himself doesn't understand that yet). His pranks never cease and he makes sure his voice is loud enough to give Iruka-sensei a headache. He won't ever be a shadow. When he does something, people will know. Meanwhile, pink becomes his favourite colour though Naruto would sooner eat vegetables than admit that. Unlike the rest, Sakura-chan doesn't ignore him, not intentionally. She is quiet, keeps to herself and speaks if spoken to. The fact that she never plays is her only flaw really. He is hesitant to talk to her. What do you say to someone who protected you?

Naruto feels words wouldn't be enough. So, one night as he struggles to do the boring homework sensei gave them, he glances over at the ANBU ordered to guard him. Where were you when I needed you? He bites his lip, knowing that isn't fair. Grandpa Hokage had switched them after that night. "Ne, Tora-san, how do you thank a girl?"

Silence.

He tries again, determined. This is too important. "She saved me which is pretty cool. I always thought boys are supposed to be stronger than girls. I don't think that anymore." he pauses. "Please, Tora-san?" He almost loses hope when the ANBU answers:

"Try and give her a flower but don't mention the boys are stronger part."

He grins happily. "Thanks Tora-san!" then he goes back to his homework, mumbling all the while about what flower he'd give.

.

.

Naruto nearly trips over his own feet when he gives Sakura the white rose he had bought. His cheeks are flushed pink in embarrassment and all he can think about is how it would have been better to leave it inside her bag. He closes the hand that doesn't hold the flower in a small fist. You are not a scared y-cat. "Here." he hands it to her. "It's not much but I promise to make it up to you one day." A white rose means respect, admiration. He had liked the sound of that.

The pink-haired girl blinked twice. She looked at the flower, then she looked at him.

Naruto can't stand silence. It bugs him and it bugs him hard. "If you'd like another one, that's fine too! I could go back and change—"

Sakura drew the white rose closer to her chest. "No. I like this one." she huffs. "Baka, you shouldn't have gotten me anything."

He shakes his head vehemently, relieved that she didn't refuse the gift and that he had made the right choice. "You protected me." he clenches his fist. "Nobody has ever done that, so, thank you." Nobody has ever deemed him worthy of protecting before.

She looks angry for some reason that he can't begin to comprehend. "I'd do it again." she snorts, correcting herself: "I will do it again. You are a trouble magnet."

Naruto has never known much about grown-ups (who does? clearly not him) and he used to think he understood children (he is a kid himself) but one thing he'd never quite get is how he had gotten this lucky.

"Eh?" his eyebrows pinched in confusion. "What's a magnet?"

A/N: God, did I miss writing Tsunade. She is one of my favourite characters! Why the heck did I take so long to update? Anyway, thank you for the positive feedback! I tried my hand at writing from Naruto's point of view for once. I almost cried a little bit. His past really is sad. I hope you will like this chapter at least half as much as I have enjoyed writing it.

PoppyxHatake: Hello again! It was so nice of you to leave a review here as well. I appreciate the gesture and how involved you already are in the story even though it's at the beginning. Your questions are good. Please forgive me for not answering them. I like to keep the mystery. Jiraiya and Orochimaru's reactions to Tsunade's death will be shown, all in due time, I promise. You will also see how it affected them. Also, The Third Hokage might or might not die. Thank you for the compliments! Hope to read from you again.