"So, explanations now." Tsunade says, clicking her fingers, "Who's Tenzo and who are the 'mean people' who hurt you?"
Sakura looks up at Tenzo. His face is bare, his smile unpractised but somehow all the sweeter for it.
"Tenzo-kun is my friend. There are some mean Mask people. They tried to get me in the hospital after I healed my dad, then they attacked us all in the hotel room on the way to the vacation. And Tenzo-kun was one of them, but he's not now and we're friends. He's really nice! He can make flowers." Sakura says, nodding at him encouragingly.
The Hokage's chakra gives a slight twinge of displeasure, but his face is set in a vaguely amiable expression.
Tenzo holds his hand out and several white roses bloom.
Shock cripples Tsunade's aura.
Sakura begins to hold her hand up to copy Tenzo, but Kagami seizes it at once.
No, Kagami says sternly, if you really can use Mokuton – and I don't see how you can – you cannot show it off. Do you want ROOT to come for you?
They already are! Sakura protests.
Why give them more reasons to keep at it? If you avoid them long enough, they should eventually stop wasting resources on you. And if they don't, you want to keep a trick under your belt.
"How remarkable." Tsunade says coolly, having recovered from her shock.
"You won't give Tenzo-kun back to the mean Masks, will you?" Sakura asks the Hokage, gazing up at him.
The Hokage gives her a sincere smile. "I suppose that is up to Tenzo."
"Nope." Tsunade says flatly. "You and I both know he's been conditioned to behave as his master wills it."
"Forgive me, Tsunade-chan, but what is your concern in this matter? You know I will – "
"I don't know much of anything, as this kid's already proved." Tsunade says, jabbing a thumb at Sakura. "And my concern is Mokuton. The boy's got my grandfather's abilities and my old teammate's fingerprints all over him."
Tenzo inches closer to Sakura. She wraps her hand in his shirt, holding on tightly just in case someone tries to rip him away.
"Tsunade-chan – "
"As the head of the Senju clan, I am humbly requesting that you relinquish your rights over this child, and allow me to give him my name." Tsunade glances at Tenzo, whose chakra is a wash of icy shock. "Provided you want that, Tenzo."
Overcome, Tenzo only nods. He's trembling. Sakura tries to soothe him with a touch of her chakra, but he's so on edge that he skitters away, almost bumping into the Hokage's desk. Sakura sends him an apologetic look.
"I do want that." Tenzo says finally. "To – to be a Senju? Is that – "
"To be family." Tsunade gives him a crooked grin. "I don't care if you ever pick up a kunai again. I'm not doing this for your ability. You could be a gardener for all I care. But you and share something, and I'm happy to make it official if you are."
Tenzo smiles, then folds himself up into a deep bow. "Thank you, Tsunade-sama."
Tsunade catches Sakura's eye and huffs, "Might as well call me Oba-san. Only a Senju could get away with that."
Tenzo's smile is unrestrained, his face shining with joy.
Even the Hokage seems a little happy, though his aura is mostly storm clouds.
Tsunade carefully unstraps the mask from Tenzo's face, then holds it in the palm of her hand, facing up. Revulsion squirms in her aura.
She crushes the mask without a word, fine dust raining from her grip.
Tenzo and Sakura stare at her, open-mouthed.
"Okay, the Hatake kid'll take you two somewhere quiet while the Hokage and I have a chat." Tsunade says briskly, gesturing to Sakura and Tenzo. "We've a few things to talk about and it might take a while."
Kakashi steps a little further in the room, his chakra a mass of relief and anxiety, the latter of which is pointed squarely at Sakura. He looks to the Hokage for the final word.
The Sandaime taps his pipe against his desk and gives the slightest of nods.
Sakura gives him a warning look, then pats Tsunade on the arm.
"You'll be okay." Sakura says.
"Thank you?" Tsunade replies, her head tilting in question.
Sakura gives her a subtle thumbs up and links arms with Tenzo, ignoring Kakashi's attempts to grab her attention as they leave the room.
xxxxxxxx
Tsunade regards her former teacher with a renewed interest. He looks sunken, old. Tired. Not much like the vibrant sensei she remembers, or even the world-weary Hokage she left behind. His spark has dimmed.
"I've adopted Haruno Sakura." Tsunade says right out, uninterested in beating about the bush.
"Oh." Sarutobi sags in his chair, a puppet with cut strings.
He kneads his forehead with his fingertips. Tsunade, remembering the terrible migraines he used to suffer, gently touches his face. She can feel the tension burning under his skin. She removes it with a wash of chakra.
"Ah, thank you." He says, touching his temples as if noting the difference. He gives her a smile, and even though it's housed in this weatherworn face, it's the same old smile she remembers from her youth.
"No problem. I can guarantee I'm going to be the cause for at least sixty percent of those headaches."
"Is that a bet?" Sarutobi asks slyly.
"Not today."
"Well, just don't make any more jokes and I should survive the night." Sarutobi says, fanning himself in jest. "I already know you have the maternal instincts of a hammer, Tsunade-chan, so all this talk of adoption doesn't fool me for a moment."
"I already signed the paperwork for Sakura. And do you honestly think I'd tell Tenzo I was adopting him to his face and not mean it?"
"I think you made a snap decision you may regret. You aren't planning to stay at home and care for a child, are you?"
"At least two." Tsunade says vaguely. "And no, of course not. That's what Shizune is for. She's looking forward to it, she bent my ear about interior decorating the whole journey here. And obviously I'm going to take over as Head of Konoha Hospital."
He brightens at that, "An excellent idea. I can believe that you might want to take on Tenzo-kun, considering his origins, but you mentioned Sakura-chan…?"
"I met her in Suna. She was talking down the Ichibi brat. He reeked of Chiyo's sloppy sealwork. She befriended him, despite his… everything."
Sarutobi pales, "She didn't get hurt, did she?"
"No, I made sure of that. After I dragged her off the demon and he slunk off to some sand crag, I checked her over. She insisted that her parents weren't in the same room while she got a check-up. Can you guess why?"
Sarutobi closes his eyes.
"She was covered in wounds. Some old ones, sure, but mostly fresh. Cuts and bruises, nothing serious, but she was obviously hiding them from her parents. I assume she got them in the attack on the way to Suna. That isn't what caught my attention, though. She managed to heal a few of her own wounds, including a severe scar, and she mentioned saving her father's life. I haven't come across raw talent like that since Shizune, and her skill is derived more from her ability to excel at whatever she puts her mind to. Sakura is a natural healer. After realising that, I got curious enough to tag along to Konoha when they left."
"So, she's a mere curiosity to you?" Sarutobi asks.
"You always ask dumb questions just to talk around a subject. If you want to know if I care about her, just ask straight out?"
"Do you?" He asks, his eyes piercing.
For a moment she's caught in his gaze, a genin once more, and he's rumbled one of the few schemes she'd deigned to work on with Jiraiya. Then she blinks, and he is an old man in robes, and she is his heir apparent, not that he knows it.
Sakura had had plenty of faith in Tsunade's ability to be Hokage, just based on her future self's opinion. Tsunade guessed Kagami wasn't the type to sugar-coat things, and if Tsunade was truly a terrible Hokage, she wouldn't have minced her words. She would've done everything she could to avoid Tsunade ever taking the hat.
"I care. I wish I could avoid it, but I do. It'd be easier to spend my time in gambling dens, happily squandering the family fortune, but it seems like I do have a conscience, after all." She says, her mouth twisting into a grimace.
Tsunade had been so proud to be a Senju, once upon a time. She had loved her grandfather – and still did, with all her heart – considering him to be the best man in the world. She had loved her village. She looked forward to protecting it, no matter what. Then she graduated from the Academy in only a year, and was thrust into war.
She spent some of her formative years on the battlefield, watching men die all around her until she learned how to do something about it. She saw how her family's wealth had been accumulated – through endless death and bloodshed, territories being crushed and assimilated, treaties being brokered and offerings brought forth.
Hashirama had hated it all. The day she realised her goofy, gentle grandfather had hidden his sadness from her was the day she heard he was dead. The spoiled, pampered life she had led had taken place behind a smokescreen, shielding her from the truth. The reason why she could afford to have such a childhood was because Hashirama didn't.
Then one by one, the Senju fell, like rotting trees in a dying forest. Still, she had her little brother. The future, burning bright in one young boy.
But then, her necklace was soaked in blood, still wrapped around Nawaki's neck.
So, she was the last Senju, the last of Hashirama's direct line of descendants. She still had Dan, the love of her life. Perhaps their child would be the future, the next bright spark to keep the will of fire from going out.
And then she was a little girl again, surrounded by death and feeling life being snuffed out all around her, beneath her fingertips as she failed to save another dying comrade.
But this time, it was Dan, and his blood stained her hands and it would never, ever come off.
She was the last of the Senju. And now, she was truly and completely alone.
She took the family fortune, the one Hashirama so despised, and threw it away whenever she could. Blood money could only be cursed, just as she was.
"Well, I have to say, I'm very happy for you." Sarutobi says warmly.
Tsunade, who had expected more vehement rejections and less congratulations, found herself slightly off guard.
"Uh… thanks." She says slowly. She brightens, remembering something he's sure to be displeased by, "I'm adopting Uzumaki Naruto, too."
Sarutobi boggles at her, his pipe almost snapping in his hand. He takes a moment to compose himself, all the colour draining from his face.
When he finally speaks, his voice is hoarse, "That is… not a wise decision, Tsunade-chan. You know certain parties would be displeased – "
"Well, Danzo can shove a rock in his craw and chew it. The kid is all alone. Shizune will be happy to take care of him. We've already discussed it. She doesn't know about Tenzo, but if you have one kid, you may as well have another, right?"
"We are trying to keep Naruto's parent's enemies from discovering who he truly is – "
"He's got his father's looks and the Uzumaki name. It's not a stretch to assume the reason why is because his parents were an Uzumaki and someone who looks an awful lot like the last Hokage. The secret's already out. He's an Uzumaki, I am a Senju. Our families are linked. No one will question my choice to take him on. Sure, some will assume it's because of the Kyuubi, but what can they do? I'm taking on a ward of the state, so I'll need some paperwork, a meeting with the Council, and since he's a charity case the village can cover the costs of the house he'll need to live in."
"The village is not going to pay for your terrible idea, Tsunade-chan."
"Why not? It's already paying for all of yours. How is Danzo, by the way? Still skulking in the shadows? Abducting children from their beds?"
"Tsunade-chan, you know the situation is fraught with tension and peril, I cannot be as cavalier as you would like. I must move delicately – "
"With the grace of a drunken Maito Gai, I know. In the meantime, children are dying."
"Tsunade-chan…"
"He tried to take Sakura twice because she has similar abilities to myself. How many times did someone try to take me, as a child? Every time, the Hokage personally intervened and eventually it just stopped happening. I'm not saying you should have done something yourself, but you should have made sure something was done. Sakura was forced to kill to protect herself and her mother. That should never have happened. The blood is on your hands, Sarutobi-sensei. Not hers."
"I'm sorry you feel that way." Sarutobi says. He looks so much older than she remembers. A withered old oak, trapped behind a desk. "About Sakura-chan… I am surprised at you. I'm happy you moved on, after Dan, but I never expected – "
"What are you talking about?" Tsunade asks, heart pounding. He can't mean what she thinks he does.
He gives her a look, as if she's being particularly obtuse. "Haruno Sakura was born outside Konoha. Mebuki spent the later years of her pregnancy in Arashi. She never started to show while in Konoha. She simply returned home with a child that had supposedly been born on the journey home. A child with curious colouring, pink hair and green eyes. Colouring that almost, but not quite, matches her father. She looks nothing like Mebuki. That's normal, of course. It happens often. It's not as though she looks much like you, either. But she takes after you in other ways. She cracked a wooden floor during a tantrum. She saved her father's life when he was in a diabetic coma, curing his kidney disease in one sitting, the first reported incident of Sakura ever healing anyone at all. I was astounded. I hadn't seen such a medical prodigy since… well, since you. And then reports began to surface of Sakura's parents possibly abusing her – "
"They did what – " Tsunade starts angrily, then cuts herself off, aware that she has shown her hand.
The Hokage gives her a sardonic smile, "Come now, Tsunade-chan. Sakura's parents take her to Suna on vacation, where she – quite by chance – bumps into you, and you, for reasons you will not discuss, decide to give her your name and take her into your clan?"
"She's my ward – "
"Much like Shizune-chan, who you didn't feel the need to adopt, despite her familial ties to your fiancé. Not only that, but upon meeting Sakura, you decided to end your self-imposed exile and finally return home after years of being away. I had thought I would never see you again, Tsunade-chan. I know how serious you were when you left. I cannot tell you how overjoyed I am to have you back with us. I just wish you felt you could be honest with me."
Tsunade levels him with a flat, unimpressed stare.
He returns it, and she abruptly remembers where she learned the look from in the first place.
"According to Mebuki's medical reports, since 'giving birth,' she has failed to conceive. It has only been four years, of course, but there are signs that she may have difficulty ever having children again. It is not a stretch to assume she has never been capable of bearing children at all, and that she left Konoha with her husband to adopt your child."
"How would they have even known I was pregnant?" Tsunade hisses.
"I know you receive regular updates from Konoha Hospital. I know if you had a child, you would want it brought up in Konoha, your home. I know it would not be difficult for you to covertly request the files of couples with issues of infertility, and the hospital staff would simply assume you were trying to find methods of aiding such issues. You would have had your pick of potential parents to choose from, with their physical traits marked down for you to peruse. It would have been easier to find which had suitable colouring to match you and Sakura-chan's father. You could have contacted them and offered them the chance to adopt your future child, if you considered them appropriate, hence the months they spent outside of Konoha, 'staying with family.'"
"If any of that was true – which it obviously isn't – why would I do all of that, then come home to adopt my own child anyway?"
"Because of the rumours she was being abused and because her hereditary talents had made her a target. You would want to be close to her, to keep her safe and ensure she was not being threatened by her adoptive parents or an outside force."
"Listen to me, Sarutobi-sensei. I am not Sakura's mother. I have not forgotten Dan, I will never forget him, and – " Tsunade jabs a finger at him when she runs out of words, feeling strangely off-balanced. This was the last thing she ever expected to talk about with Sarutobi.
He reaches forward, laying a hand on her arm. She hadn't even realised she'd slammed her hands down on his desk. His eyes are warm with understanding.
"Moving on has nothing to do with those we lost, it's something we do for our own sake. For our sanity, if nothing else. It has no bearing on how much you did or do love that person. They won't return to you simply because you wish it, so you cannot waste your life wishing for death to undo itself. Moving on does not mean forgetting, Tsunade-chan. It means you believe you deserve a future, not just a past. If I am correct, you have a chance. A child of your own. Sakura is very special. When I told her she could not adopt another child, she climbed onto my desk, looked me right in the eye, and said, 'You'll see.' She reminded me of you, so headstrong and firmly convinced that you were always right. Even if she isn't your child, she might as well be. This is your chance to have a new family, Tsunade-chan. The life you have always deserved."
Tsunade is not close to tears.
"She's not my daughter." Tsunade says plaintively.
"She is now," Sarutobi replies gently, "She and Tenzo-kun are Senju. As for Naruto, well. You only have to sign on the dotted line and he's yours, too. Are you prepared for that, Tsunade-chan? Three young lives, depending on you?"
Tsunade has a flash of her first day as a genin, faced with her new team. A creepy-looking boy, prettier than she was, and a white-haired prankster, the same kid who always said she'd die an old maid. She remembers meeting her teacher for the first time, seeing a strange look in his eye. Years later, she'd identified it as fear.
Fear of making a mistake, messing up three vulnerable children. And that fear proved to be justified when Orochimaru went off the rails, Tsunade lost herself in drink and Jiraiya became rootless, a wandering hermit.
"I'll do everything I can." Tsunade says, swallowing down her fear. Sakura believes she will die a horrible death one day. Tenzo was another faceless soldier in Danzo's army of dolls, just a pawn to be positioned as he liked. Naruto is currently one of many orphans, but the only one sure to never leave with a family.
There's no time for fear.
Her grandfather always said: You plant a forest from one tree. It only takes a single seed to shape a nation.
She has three, and she'll plant them well.
Sarutobi sits back in his chair, a pleased twinkle in his eye like he knew all along this was how things would turn out.
xxxxxxxx
After Shizune arrives outside the Hokage's office, still panting, Tsunade bursts out with a triumphant grin and announces that Tenzo was to come with them immediately.
Tenzo looks delighted.
Shizune looks distraught.
"Tsunade-sama." Shizune gasps, big red patches on her cheeks. "I've only just got here!"
"Well, there's little point in us waiting around for nothing, now. We've got to get Tenzo settled into his new home!" Tsunade says, the wicked flash of amusement in her chakra telling Sakura that she knew exactly why Shizune was annoyed.
"Be that as it may – Tenzo?" Shizune frowns, momentarily diverted.
Tsunade nods at the teenage boy, still clutching Sakura's hand. He gives Shizune a meek smile.
Shizune studies him, then pins Tsunade with a look that says we will talk about this later.
"You're really going to take care of Tenzo-kun?" Sakura asks, feeling almost faint with relief.
Tsunade tosses her head, "Oh, why not. We've got room in the house and a hideous, overgrown garden that needs tackling."
Tenzo lights up, a jolt of eagerness running through him. He likes the idea very much.
"You haven't even seen the garden. You don't know what it's like." Shizune grumbles.
"I know you. You love a good project." Tsunade winks at her. "Does the house you picked have a roof?"
Shizune bristles in indignation, "Of course it has a – "
"I'm going home now." Sakura announces. "My parents have to unpack and I have to give everyone their presents! I would've got you something but I didn't know you at the time." She says directly to Tsunade and Shizune, then she turns apologetic eyes on Tenzo. "And I forgot you might want something. I'll use what's left of the money my grandmother gave me to get you something nice."
"By, 'the money my grandmother gave me,'" Ryuu repeats, putting on a girlish, high-pitched voice, "Do you mean 'money my parents keep giving me?'"
"Huh?" Sakura says, baffled.
Her parents look hunted, eyes flickering over everything and everyone – except her. Why are they feeling guilty?
"You spent a hell of a lot of money at Suna's market. I know, because the Uchiha drew up a budget and spent an hour revising it in the hotel. It seems more likely to me that your parents just give you money whenever you ask for it, rather than your grandmother gave you a small fortune."
Sakura stares at her parents.
"More lies?" She demands. "More stories, like if you make a face and the wind changes, it'll stick like that?"
Her father squirms, "Well, you were so pleased with yourself for taking care of your birthday money from last year. It seemed a shame to ruin your fun…"
"When did it really run out?"
"Halfway through April." Her mother says mournfully. "We've been topping it up ever since."
Sakura claps her hands to her face in horror, "I've been spending your money? I bought so much dango! And the puppy treats!"
Her mother looks pained, glancing up at the dog-stick she's holding. The puppies are both snoring very loudly, swaying gently in her grip.
"We thought it was sweet, how you tried to keep track of it all…" Her father says.
Sakura droops. She isn't good with money at all.
"I better give everyone their presents." She says gloomily. "They're going to get homemade things from now on."
Takumi unfolds himself from where he had been leaning against the wall, "We'll escort you, Sakura-chan! You can unseal your bags, right?" He asks her parents.
Her mother looks vaguely insulted, only nodding in return.
"I'll come too – " Kakashi begins.
"No, Mister Hokage-sama might need you to put boys in bad places." Sakura says severely, arms crossed.
Kakashi winces.
Tsunade sparkles in delight, looking between them as if watching a sparring match, "Everything alright, kiddo?"
Sakura wrestles with her frown, managing a half-smile, "Yes, Oba-san."
"Oba-san?" Kakashi stares at them both, then at her parents. "Oba-san?"
"You didn't know? Sakura is a Senju, now." Tsunade says sweetly. "She's my heir. Though I suppose we may have a succession crisis, what with Tenzo…"
Tenzo smiles shyly, shaking his head.
Kakashi looks like a hastily-carved statue, standing stock still in the middle of the room. His single eye is bulging in shock.
Sakura digs into her bag and pulls out the scarf she bought for Kakashi in Suna's market.
"I got this for you." She says, holding it aloft. He unfreezes abruptly, bending to examine it. "It's to cover your face. I still haven't seen it, you know. Will it blow away in the wind if it isn't covered up?"
Kakashi's hands dig into the soft material, not pulling it out of her grip. She hears him exhale, a quick, shaky breath. "It hasn't yet. Thanks for this, Sakura. I wasn't expecting anything."
"No one ever does after the Rinne Festival. That's why it's the best time to give presents." Sakura informs him. "Everyone's always like – oh!" She makes a shocked face.
"Oh. Oh! Wait. Oba-san?" Kakashi says again, pointing at Tsunade's smirking face.
"Yep. Spread the word. The Senju clan has returned." Tsunade says, throwing an arm around Tenzo. "With a goddamn vengeance."
xxxxxxxx
Sakura consults her mental list of gifts to give.
She's already taken InoShikaCho their presents. Ino adored her silver ribbon, especially when Sakura told her it can be used to deflect kunai. Shikamaru feigned disinterest in his set of puzzle boxes, but Sakura felt his flash of curiosity at the sight of them. Chouji accepted the bag of sugared fruit with a reverent sigh, thanking her fervently.
She swung by the Uchiha Compound and dropped off Fugaku's fancy sun cream and Mikoto's healthy cookbook, Itachi's tome on meditation and Sasuke's soft toy tomato. Everyone had seemed happy with their presents.
But none of the Uchiha could tell her where Shisui was.
She isn't really worried. She'd know if something had happened to him.
Ryuu and Takumi had chosen to walk with her in the open throughout the Compound, not watch from the shadows. Kagami whispered that it was to stop the Uchiha from being suspicious of them, but she couldn't answer why they'd be suspicious of their fellow Konoha nin.
Now, they slink through alleys and hop across rooftops, following her as she hands out presents. She's thankful they aren't looming over her, but figures it'll be harder to give them the slip if she can't actually see them.
She can't let them know where she's going.
She isn't going inside the shrine. She hasn't been in there on her own since meeting Izanagi. But she needs to find Shisui. Not just to give him his present, but to make sure he's okay. It's been too long.
She can feel Takumi's confusion and Ryuu's suspicion as she heads further into Konoha. The shrine is in a far-out corner of the village, away from the hustle and bustle of the market. You can't see it unless you're looking for it, so she's not worried about them spotting her destination before she does.
When she gets close enough, she bends down to fiddle with her shoe, and sinks into meditation. She can feel her chakra's fire, leaping and flickering with every breath she takes. She pushes her senses out, pointing her focus at the shrine.
One chakra signal.
Shisui's flashfire aura.
He's here! Sakura's heart leaps.
She sends out a cautious pulse of chakra, hoping her shadows won't pick it up.
She feels a subtle fluctuation in Shisui's chakra, a dim response to her touch.
Now she just has to mask Shisui's exit from the shrine.
She throws caution to the wind and runs in the opposite direction from the shrine. Takumi and Ryuu follow her at once. She stops as soon as they've gone a fair distance.
Sakura feels Shisui's signal move slightly. He's leaving the shrine. And she won't be there to meet him.
She pivots, crying out, "Shisui-kun!"
A jolt in his aura, like an arrhythmic heartbeat.
Then, the crackle of ozone right in front of her.
Shisui appears, his face lighting up at the sight of her. In a flash, her head's digging into his stomach after he drags her into a hug. She can feel the livewire of tension of his aura.
"Welcome home, Firefly." Shisui murmurs.
"I got you the best sand, Shisui-kun." Sakura tells him, her voice a little watery.
She can feel his chuckle reverberate through his chest, "What? I was kidding!"
She fishes out the little bottles of iridescent sand, blinking up at him hopefully.
He sighs, cuffing her on the head gently. His chakra is light and affectionate, but she can feel something dark lurking just beyond the joy of seeing her.
"What's wrong?" She asks, biting her lip.
His smile twitches and dies abruptly. He promised her no more fake smiles, so she tries not to mind the sight of his pale, stressed frown.
"Sakura, I…" He stumbles to a halt, closing his eyes. He kneels down, drawing level with her face. When he opens his eyes, they are very dark and serious, intent on her. "I've been reinstated. Not that you know what that means. Haha… Uh, remember when I said I was on a break?"
Sakura nods. He'd said as much when they first met, months ago. She hadn't given it much thought.
"Well. Break's over. I'm back on missions. I'm not gonna have time to play anymore." He says, a sad twinge in his aura.
"No more playing shinobi?" Sakura asks.
"Nope. And I never really taught you much besides running, huh? Doesn't that just say it all. About me and what I'm good for. Running. The coward's way out. You'd never run from a fight, would you?" He asks her absently, his mind clearly elsewhere.
She wants to bring him back to here and now, because she can't help him elsewhere.
"Do you want to know what happened in Suna?" She asks.
His eyes snap back to her face. "Why does that sound like something happened in Suna? What did you do? Overthrow the Kazekage? Start a revolt? Steal a diamond?"
"No." Sakura pouts. "I just… um. Well, on our first night at the inn – "
"Something happened on your first night in Suna?" Shisui interrupts, incredulous.
Sakura winces, "Well, no. Our first night on the way to Suna. We stopped at an inn and lots of Masks attacked us."
Shisui lets out a dramatic death-rattle, clutching his chest, "I can't take it! Spare me the details, please."
"Um, one of them tried to get me but my mum got him. And then another one hit her in the head and she fell down. And then Takumi-kun burst through the wall! Like, whoa! And he got the Mask on the floor. And – "
"Back up." Shisui says, screwing up his face. "Don't spare me all the details. Give me some details. 'Like, whoa' is not a detail."
"I, um… I… One of the Masks tried to get Kakashi-sensei's eye so I punched him really hard and he died." Sakura says quietly.
Shisui stares at her.
Then he sweeps her up into a hug, clutching her to his chest. Her feet are dangling, high off the ground.
"The first time you left the fucking village." He says, choked, holding her like a lifeline.
"Bad word." Sakura replies, blinking back tears.
He lets out a high-pitched laugh, a little hysterical, "Sorry, sorry. What the fuck was Kakashi even doing there if he was just gonna let that happen?"
"Bad word, bad word." Sakura repeats sternly. "You said it twice, that's not nice. Now you've got to wash your mouth out or your tongue will fall off."
"At this rate, let it happen." Shisui mutters. "May my tongue be struck from my mouth if I fuck up one more time. Who would miss it? Well, I guess I would. Ice cream just isn't the same without a tongue."
"Kakashi-sensei got his secret eye from the store." Sakura tells him. "You could probably get another tongue there."
"There's a ring of truth in that statement that scares me. Why do you even believe that? Ugh, whatever. Listen, Firefly," He places her back on the ground, not seeming even slightly affected by her weight, "You did a bad thing for a good reason. I'm sorry you had to do it. But you did. And it's done. So all that's left is what's yet to happen. That, you can control. Do you want to fight? Or are you done?"
Sakura thinks about it. Killing the Mask was the worst thing that's ever happened to her. But if her mother had died, it would have been the worst thing in her entire life for years to come. She knows that. She remembers feeling her mother die, buried under the house she helped build.
But she also remembers breaking her mother's fall, protecting her from a Mask who'd see her dead without a trace of regret. She remembers how it felt, facing him down and knowing she was the only thing standing between her family and death.
It had been terrifying.
But what was worse was the thought of her not being there. What could have happened.
"I want to protect people." Sakura says firmly.
Shisui sighs, but a flicker of a smile lights up his face, transforming it. "Brave Firefly. I know you'll work wonders."
"I already have." She says, a cheeky grin beginning to emerge.
Shisui cocks his head, raising an eyebrow. "Am I… looking at Senju Sakura right now?"
"Uh-huh!" Sakura nods, beaming.
Shisui's chakra glitters with joy and pride, "Wonder child. Miracle worker! I knew you could do it!"
Mindful of Takumi and Ryuu, both close-ish but neither trying hard to listen in, Sakura whispers, "And I can do Mokuton now, too."
Shisui trips over nothing, face-planting.
He doesn't move, but she hears a pained groan that sounds like, "Noooooo."
Drama queen, Kagami says sagely.
"You can't. Keep. DOING this to me!" Shisui wails, writhing as if in agony.
"Are you alright, Shisui-kun?"
"Leave me here to dry out in the sun."
"Like a lizard?"
Shisui takes in a rattling breath, presumably inhaling dirt from his position, "More like a twelve-year-old with a burgeoning heart condition."
Silence.
"From all this stress!" He adds.
"You shouldn't play on the floor, you know."
"Go away. I'm in mourning."
"For what?"
"For a time in which life was simple."
xxxxxxxx
Naruto is the tallest in the whole orphanage. The old lady says that's just 'cause he's the one of the oldest, and he's actually kind of short for his age, but it still counts.
He stands on his tiptoes, stretching up as much as possible. He got to have a shower all by himself today, 'cause the plumbing had gone wonky and the water was too cold. None of the other kids wanted to use it, but Naruto didn't care. He has to be as clean as possible if he wants to get picked.
There's two ladies in to see everyone today. One's kinda young, with black hair and eyes. She's pretty. She doesn't look anything like him, but that doesn't stop him imagining sitting at the dinner table with her, maybe even calling her kaa-san…
The other lady is tall, with sand-blonde hair and a purple mark on her head. She's got a huge chest. Some of the kids around Naruto are giggling at her, but Naruto's too busy comparing her hair colour with his, wondering if maybe she's from the same place as him. Everyone comes from somewhere, and everyone hates Naruto here, so he must be from somewhere else. And he's never seen this lady before. He imagines a whole big family is out there, waiting for him to come home. Maybe the lady has been looking for him?
He sighs when the women start talking to Kaede. That means they've already picked the kid they want, without even having to talk to any of them. They barely looked at him, either, so today must be another dud. Still, he thinks, straightening up, if not today, maybe tomorrow!
"Naruto, can you come over here, please?" Kaede says, opening The Picking Place's door and gesturing towards him.
Naruto's heart nearly stops.
He's never been taken to The Picking Place! That's where they take all the kids who the maybe-parents want to talk to, to see if they like them or not. No one's ever asked for him before.
He stares at the two ladies, mouth wide open, and walks over to them on shaking legs.
Kaede grimaces, "Close your mouth, Naruto. Remember your manners."
Naruto covers his mouth with his hands, horrified. How dumb can he be? Maybe-parents don't want stupid kids or ones without manners. And he's both. He has to trick these ones into thinking he's good.
He makes himself smile, holding his hands behind his back, and follows Kaede into The Picking Room.
As he enters, Kaede grabs his arm and whispers, "Don't blow it, boy. This is your chance."
Naruto trembles all over, but nods with grim determination. He has to do this.
Kaede tries to help Naruto up onto the chair, but he wants to show he's a big boy and he can do it all by himself, scrambling up on his own. The two ladies sit opposite him, a big wooden table stretching between them. Naruto has never sat here before, he's only ever glimpsed the inside of the room through the crack in the door. He can see where kids like him have sat, scratching their names into the table leg with their nails. Naruto wants to do the same, since he can spell his whole name, but what if the ladies notice?
Kaede slips out of the room, muttering something about 'leaving you all to get acquainted.'
"Hello, Naruto." The blonde woman says. She's smiling at him. Whatever he's doing, it must be working! "I'm Tsunade, and this is Shizune."
Shizune is the black-haired lady. She's smiling too, even though her eyes look kind of sad. "Hello, Naruto-kun." She says gently.
"Can you tell us about yourself?" Tsunade asks.
Naruto freezes. He can't tell them about his pranks, or how he loves ramen, or how he's a Monster. Oh! He lights up, "I have a big sister named Sakura! She's got pink hair and she likes ramen, just like me! When we're big, we're gonna have a house and a tree and a pond with fish – and a dog, but she's already got two, can you believe it?"
"Sakura, you say?" Tsunade repeats, her eyes glittering in amusement, "I just adopted a girl named Sakura. What a coincidence."
"Well, it's not my Sakura, 'cause she's already got parents. Both of them." He says proudly.
"I wish I could offer you the same," Tsunade says, her smile dimming slightly, "I'm about to take on a full-time job at the hospital and I'm not married, so if you lived with me, you wouldn't have a mother and a father. Shizune would be the one taking care of you, since she'll only work part-time. Would that be enough, Naruto?"
Naruto stares at them both, something sharp pricking behind his eyes. Something loosening in his chest. He squeezes his hands into fists and bursts out, "I can cook and clean and I shower every day if the bathroom's free, and I would eat all my vegetables, even the yucky ones, and I… I… I'd be so good. I promise. If you picked me, you wouldn't regret it. You wouldn't take me back. I'm gonna be Hokage one day!"
He's shaking so hard his teeth are rattling together. Please, please, please, he prays, tears spilling down his cheeks, please pick me!
"Oh," Tsunade says, a pleased curl to her lips, "What a coincidence. So am I."
Naruto's eyes widen. He takes a deep breath, ready to shout, then she cuts him off.
"My grandfather was the Shodaime," She says, eyes crinkling as her smile widens, "My uncle was the Niidaime. And my teacher is the Sandaime. It must be fate, meeting you. If you want to stay with us, I can teach you all about being Hokage, though I can already tell… you'll be a great one, someday."
Naruto lets out a sob, clapping his hand over his mouth to muffle the sound. She's gonna be Hokage, just like him! He was right! Her whole family were Kage, that means he does come from somewhere, he does belong! He always knew he was gonna be Hokage and this must be why, it's in his family!
"And Naruto-kun," Shizune begins, "If you did pick us, we have a little house we've recently purchased. You could live there, with us. You'd have your own room – "
Naruto leaps across the table, throwing his arms around them both, "Yes! Please 'dopt me, you won't regret it, I swear! A whole room just for me? I… I want that. Please…" He's sobbing, hooking his arms around their necks in case they change their minds. He'll fight to stay with them, no one could drag him away.
"Then you pick us," Tsunade begins, laying a hand on his back, "And we pick you."
Kaede is beaming at him through the window, tears in her eyes. He'd always thought she hated him. But her wrinkled face is lit up with joy.
"One more thing." Tsunade says.
Naruto tenses. What is it? This must be the bad side, there's no way this could be as good as it seems.
"You ever wanted a big brother?" She asks.
Naruto bursts into tears, overjoyed.
Hello, friends!
So, this story IS NOT going to be split into sections. But if you want the story in smaller chunks, it'll be posted like that on Archive of Our Own.
Naruto hasn't quite worked out the difference between an adopted family and a biological one. But he's going to love it all the same.
Tsunade planned to sign some paperwork, give one brat her name, then bugger off into the great unknown, gambling away her fortune. Now she's got three kids. #prayfortsunade.
Shisui definitely inherited the Drama Queen gene that most Uchiha have.
Sarutobi put two and two together and came up: Tsunade had sex with a pink-haired man and had a little miracle baby, then gave it to the Harunos because reasons.
Tsunade exits the Hokage's office with two kids under one arm and a Starbucks in her hand: Bye, bitch.
Tsunade picks up the whole orphanage and shakes it. Orphans spill out. "I'll have that one and this one and… hmm… ah, fuck it, I'll just take as many as I can carry."
Tsunade leaves with a mountain of children.
Tsunade regards her Child Haul with a frown.
"Hmm… how do you carry kids? Well, whatever."
Tenzo ends up under Tsunade's arm, Sakura's flung over her shoulder, and she's got Naruto by the scruff of his neck.
Tsunade nods at the neighbours, "Just walking the kids! As you do! When… you have kids. I think."
Tenzo and Naruto as brothers! Who would've thought! (Naruto's keeping his Uzumaki name, btw. But Tenzo didn't have a surname. And now he does)
If you think Tsunade regards having kids like buying a goldfish, you'd be absolutely right. You get it, you make sure it has food and water and then you just kind of leave it to it. Right? Right?
(I know goldfish care is more complex than this. I know)
Quick poll for fun: What is your ideal pet?
You can get a little crazy with this. If you want a bear that wears pyjamas, you got it. I would have a Shiba Inu named Honey.
(Dogwatch Update: Two Good Dogs really need a wee. They're still in the dog-bag. And they would like a wee, please.)