When Tsunade stepped outside the casino, she was frozen in her steps. She knew almost instantly that Akira was close by. She could still feel the faint but lingering presence of her chakra.

Akira's here. She's here.

There was no way Tsunade could have possibly mistaken Akira's chakra for someone else's. She may not have have seen her for a decade but Tsunade could never forget the familiarity of Akira's presence. She knew it like the back of her hand.

Akira's chakra has always been a little different than of a normal shinobi largely due to the fact that wasn't like the rest of them either. The uniqueness of her chakra was hidden in plain sight and would have been very obvious if one knows what to look for.

By each passing second, Tsunade could feel herself sobering up. The sudden realization that her daughter was in such a close vicinity caught her off guard. She was suddenly overwhelmed by the emotions she had been trying to ignore for the past ten years.

She wanted to see her.

She had been meaning meaning to see Akira so many times in the last years that she had lost count of them. She had even gone as far as to reach the outskirts of their village only to turn back around and run for the hills. Tsunade just couldn't face Akira. She was scared of what awaits her once she returned home, afraid of what Akira would say after she left her so many years ago.

She was terrified to be a burden for her daughter. It was never her intention to leave as long as she did, she only wanted to grieve properly and move on from Dan and Nawaki's death but for some reason, a decade later, she was still grieving.

Tsunade didn't exactly know what she was doing but she somehow found herself roaming around the unfamiliar village for the last person keeping her alive.

Just a glimpse. Just a glimpse then I'll be gone. Tsunade kept repeating the words to herself. She had continously kept tabs on Akira through Jiraiya but there was nothing like seeing her in the flesh.

Tsunade was well aware of the fact that she had hurt her daughter and she knew that her sudden return would cause her only more pain. She just couldn't do that again. She just wasn't ready to put Akira through all of that all over again.

Though Tsunade could easily discern Akira's chakra from a specific distance, she was certain that it was not the case for her daughter. Though it was clear that Akira was blessed with a remarkable skill in chakra control like her mother, Akira was just too young to remember Tsunade's chakra. She was just so young.

It wasn't long until Tsunade found her sitting on the bar of a sushi shop. Tsuande's breath was caught in her throat. For a moment, the world around her disappeared and all she could see was her daughter. She was sitting on her own, her back faced Tsunade but there was no doubt in Tsunade's mind that it was Akira.

She knew it was her.

Her hair that used to reach her waist as a child now fell just a little past over her shoulder in waves of light blonde, a familiar Konoha issued cloak hung neatly on the back of her chair but Akira's gaze was worlds away. She spun a chopstick in between her fingers as she stared at practically nothing.

Tsunade realized Akira was here on a mission. Tsunade almost scoffed at herself for thinking otherwise. Of course, she's here on a mission. What was I expecting?

She would never admit it even to herself but a part of her still hoped that her worst fears hasn't become a reality. Throughout the years, Jiraiya had relentlessly assured Tsunade that there was no reason for her to believe that Akira loathed her. He had told her that Akira understood why her mother left but she knew deep down that Akira must have hated her for leaving. She hated herself for leaving.

What she did was cruel and selfish. But it was better than dragging Akira down with her to a pit of endless grieving and what ifs.

She had her glimpse of Akira. She had with her own two eyes how Akira had grown into an astonishing young woman. Tsunade knew she should leave. It was obvious that Akira was better off without her but she couldn't bring herself to move. She knew she was being selfish yet again. Akira deserved so much better than her, she deserved a mother who can take care of her and not someone who needed taking care of.

Tsunade knew that the right thing to do was to keep her distance and she wasn't sure if it was the alcohol or just her but she found herself weaving hand signs and masking her appearance before closing the gap that separated her from her daughter.

She had absolutely no idea what she was going to do when she sat on the stool next to Akira but the words came out of her mouth without her permission.

"You're a long way from home." Akira stopped mid-sip from her drink and looked at her right where the voice came from and found a woman clearly in her late 50s with graying hair and a smirk.

For the second time that night,Tsunade's breath was caught in her throat. When Akira's eyes pierced into her own, for a split second, she saw Dan's face instead. Even when Akira was young, people had told her how much they looked similar but seeing at her now, Tsunade thought how wrong all of them were. Akira had always been so much like Dan than she was of her. They just didn't know him enough to see.

Akira blinked a couple of times in confusion, unsure if she was the one being talked to by the unfamiliar woman. "I'm sorry?"

Instincts were suddenly taking over Akira's entire body. She discreetly checked the shuriken holster on her left leg just in case the woman attacked.

"You're Tsunade's daughter." She said as a matter of fact then casually orders a dish from the menu.

"Oh, no." A defeated sigh escaped Akira's lips. I know where this is going. She had encountered this conversation too many times than she wanted to remember. The resemblance between her and her mother kept giving away their relationship to the people Tsunade had a debt to.

"She owes you money doesn't she?"

The woman chuckled, the lines on her face becoming more visible as she did so. " She does actually."

Akira shrugged nonchalantly, "I'm not paying for her." Akira was definitely curious about the woman now. She seemed familiar, like they've met somewhere before though Akira was absolutely certain this was the first time she had ever seen the lady.

"Do I know you?" Akira's eyes narrowed amd Tsunade's heart skipped a beat.

"I used to know when you were younger." That wasn't exactly a lie in Tsunade's part. She did know Akira as a child. Not anymore. The person sitting right next to her was completely different from the child who bid her goodbye on the village gates. That child was oblivious, unaware, still free from the gravity of her duties. This girl, no, this woman she was seeing bled of confidence and grace in ever action. Tsunade could see from her face how she had embraced her responsibilities wholeheartedly despite its burden. She had grown into someone Tsunade could only dream of becoming.

"Really?" Akira's right eyebrow arched this time, still suspicious. So, Tsunade, still enamoured by the presence of her daughter, continued her cover story. She told her stories, facts only someone from the village would know and things no one would have known if they didn't see Akira grow up. And true enough, Akira was convinced of her identity.

For what seemed like only a few minutes for Tsunade but hours in reality, the two exchanged stories with each other. It was much easier this way. To Akira, she was just a retired shinobi traveling the world, not someone living a life full of regrets. She told her stories of her time as a shinobi, the adventures, the missions, something she never had the chance to do when Akira was younger as she did not fully understood yet what it takes to become a shinobi. Still, she was careful to keep her cover on and noticed that Akira never mentioned any names. But still, it didn't took long for Akira to succumb into the familiarity of the elder lady.

She didn't have a lot of women in her life growing up. She had her friends for sure but Rin was gone, Kurenai was just only a few years older than her and even Kushina was not much older either. They were like her older sisters and Biwako Sarutobi became her honorary grandmother. The fact that the two most important women in her life died at the same night didn't help at all. She didn't have anyone to buy clothes with or talk to when her budding romance with Kakashi at the time became all too confusing. She went through all of these alone. Of course, she had Jiraiya but despite being the writer the Make Out Series, there were things only a fellow woman can understand.

As the older lady continued to speak next to her, Akira wondered if this is what it felt like to have a mother. The shinobi in her told her to shut up, pack her things and leave the woman who literally showed up from nowhere. She reminded herself that genjutsu was not exactly her strong suit but the other part of her was a little too assured that this woman was harmless and she was technically part of her old life. She was just so kind and she listened and laughed with her.

They talked about the village and how much it has changed over the last few years. Tsunade told her abour her travels and the places she had visited and it came to her knowledge that Akira had dreamt to travel sthe world as well. Not for missions, but for herself. When Tsunade asked asked what was stopping her, Akira's answer was short but it was more than enough for her to see the dedication that she has for the village. Like her father.

"I guess I want to protext my people more than anything." She answered with a shrug and a smile. Tsunade knew she meant each word from the look in her eyes alone. Akira told her how protecting the village was what she wants to do the most not because she needs to,but because she wants to. There was nothing else she would rather be than be a protector of her home.

"So you want to become Hokage, then? Is that what you want too?" Do you have his dream too?

Akira's laugh filled the air. "No." she chuckled. "I don't really like paperwork." This made Tsunade laugh herself. She guess that Akira had seen the mountains of paperwork from the Third Hokage and it did not look appealing to her either.

" I prefer protecting the village from the outside. Besides, I'm better off at field work anyway."

"Captain?" Their converstaion was interrupted by two seemingly normal shinobis to the normal eye but their all too familiar black cloaks immediately gave away their identities to Tsunade.

ANBU.

Akira quickly excused herself from their conversation and headed out. Tsunade was well aware of the fact that Akira had joined the ANBU at an age younger than what everyone was accustomed to but she was never informed that Akira had become a team captain. Both she and Jiraiya had been against the idea of Akira being an ANBU knowing how dangerous the missions they were sent to are but there was really nothing anyone could do when Akira sets her mind to something. All they could do was to watch and pray that she would come home every time.

The three talked in hushed tones but Tsunade heard enough to perceive that whatever their mission is, it was not going as planned.

There was a moment of silence between the three as Akira contemplated what their next move would be.

"Tell the others we're moving out on the first light." Her command was curt but spoken with absolute finality.

When Akira returned to her seat, there was a noticeable change in her mood. "Mission's not going well, huh?" Tsunade asked though the answer was more than obvious by the look in Akira's face.

Akira let out a deep and frustrated sigh. "I don't really like long-term missions."

"Someone waiting for you back home?" Tsunade took her chances and asked. She wondered if Akira had had the chance to fall in love yet. She hoped that Akira hadn't yet as she wanted to be there for her daughter when she starts dating but the deep flush of red quickly spreading across Akira's cheeks told her otherwise.

Oh.

Akira contemplated for a second wether she would divulge that information to the still annamed woman but before she could tell herself to stop, s smile was already forming on her lips.

"There is, actually."

Man, I really should shut-up now.

Tsunade could see a gleam in Akira's eyes as she told her how much this man means to her. All her worries from her mission seemed to disappear with the mention of the man. She looked incredibly happy and for that, Tsunade was beyond grateful.

If you ever find yourself in the Land of Fire, You should come by to the village. I think he would love to meet you." Akira says as she gestured for the bill.

Tsunade would love to meet him as well knowing that she is forever indebted to this person for bringing joy into her daughter's life.

The two women reached for the bill at the same time, and for a split second, their skins touched. All Tsunade could think about was heat.

Akira's skin was abnormally hot against her. The medic ninja in her was sure that Akira had a fever of at least a hundred at the bare minimum.

"I got this. It's the least I could do for my mother." Akira says, pulling out a couple of bills from her wallet.

"You're sick." Tsunade placed a hand on Akira's forehead and confirmed that she was warmer than usual.

Akira looked at her in confusion before dismissing her with a laugh. "I'm always warm." She grinned. "That's just me."

Tsunade knew it must have been an effect of being the Okami's reincarnation she had developed while growing up. It wasn't like this when Akira was a child or she would have instantly noticed it.

Questions as to what else Akira may have developed plague Tsunade's mind but she never had the chance to ask Akira because she was once again caught off guard when Akira placed her own Konoha issued cloak around Tsunade's shoulders.

"Here. Looks like you need it more than I do." Akira adjusted the cloak on Tsunade's shoulder and zipped it into place.

"But it's cold out-"

"I'm always warm remember?" Akira held the entrance curtains of the shop out of the way for Tsunade.

The two of them stood outside the shop where the moon was already shining bright and the streets were lit with street lights.

"You know between the two of us, you have more chances in seeing my mother more than I do." Akira started. She knew that it was incredibly inappropriate to ask a favor from someone she had just met and whom she refuses to grace with her name but she was desperate. She had to see her mother even for a moment.

Akira had made it a point to not talk about Tsunade whenever Jiraiya was around knowing ythat the man was also having a hard time dealing with his own feelings and juggling his time between fulfilling his destiny and fathering Akira as much as he possibly can.

This woman was her last chance in order to talk to her mother and sparing Jiraiya.

"So if you ever see her, can you do me a favor and tell her to come home?" Akira looked straight into the eyes of her mother and Tsunade saw right through her and into the sadness Akira was trying so hard to conceal.

"Tell her that I understand that she doesn't owe anything to me but I need to know-" Akira's voice broke.

"Tell her I need to know if it was me." Akira forced a smile in her face. "I deserve at least that."

I need to know if she left because I was different. Because I wasn't like the others.

"Okay?"

"Of course." There was nothing else Tsunade could say before Akira gave her one last smile - a smile that would haunt Tsunade for the rest of her days- before disappearing into the night with the hopes of seeing the kind woman once again

Tsunade was left on the street on her own ince again with only her thoughts to accompany her. Of all the possible scenarios that had ran through her head, never did she once imagine that Akira woulld blame herself for the decisions she made.

It was never Akira, It was always her who had the problem.

She had always been perfect to Tsunade's eyes from the moment she was born. She was the one good thing that happened in Tsunade's life. She was her miracle.

Tsunade promised herself that she would tell Akira that herself.

—

Tsunade found herself standing outside the window of her daughter's rented room, her eyes brimmed with tears as the gravity of what she had done all those years ago finally sinked in.

Akira blamed herself for something she had nothing to do with.

Just a few feet away from her, her daughter laid fast asleep on the futon. She was curled into a tight ball, the duvet only covering her lower body and the pillow that her head was supposed to be resting on, lay discarded on the floor.

Tsunade couldn't help but smile. The familiarity of the scene she was witnessing felt right. It felt like home. She had done this thousands of times before, back when the woman in front of her was nothing but a baby that can fit right into her arms, then a young child whose abilities were one of a kind she posed a danger to her own, and now, a fine kunoichi who had already surpassed her predecessors in every aspect.

Yet despite that, Tsunade can still see the child she loved more than anyone or anything in the world. She can still see Dan in her. Akira may indeed inherited her mother's looks but there was so much of Dan that lives in her.

She knew deep inside what she had to do. She needed to stop this nonsense. Dan may have been gone but he left her the most precious gift anyone could ask for and she was so busy tending to her own grief that she didn't see who needed her the most.

Tsunade knew she needed to come home.

She needed to come home to Akira.

But she was a little too late.

Way too late.

—

A/N: Thank you for all the support! I really appreciate them more than you can imagine.