It was raining, back then. On that fateful night, almost ten years ago; the night Tsunade decided she had finally had enough.
He had caught her on her way out of town, and the instant he saw his teammate- no, former teammate, now- he had known she was leaving.
The rain matted her bangs to her forehead- it was an odd feeling, after wearing her hitae-ate for so long. She didn't have to look back to see who was behind her.
"There's nothing you can say, Jiraiya. I'm going."
He regarded her carefully, a faint look of sorrow in his eyes. "I know that much. But I'm going to say what I have to anyway, even if it doesn't make any difference in the end."
She turned around to face him. When she looked, it was as though she was seeing him for the first time again. The only thing she could think was that years were catching up to him.
"I just need to ask why. Why you're leaving- abandoning your village. Like he did." There was no need to ask who 'he' was. They both knew, and it saddened the aging medic to compared to the final member of their trio.
"Honestly, Jiraiya, I'm not even sure. All I know is I can't stay here any longer. The war is over, I'm not needed anymore, anyway."
"The latest war. There will be another. You'll be needed again."
"I know. That's probably why I'm going. I've done all I can, and if I try to do any more I'll just go crazy." She looked down at the ground, no longer able to look her former teammate in the eye. "I just… I can't take it anymore. I try and I try, and in the end I can't do anything! I'm tired, and I'm getting old. Too old. I'm lucky to have lived for this long as it is. And I know that if I tried to retire normally, they'd try to pull me out next time they have any use for me." She looked up, meeting his once again. "I can't take any more of this, Jiraiya. I'm done."
They remained like that for a while; just staring at each other as the rain pelted down. Then, slowly, he nodded. She turned around and walked away.
"Tsunade-san! Wait!"
She didn't stop. She continued walking, as though she had never heard her name being called at all, before the owner of the voice cut in front of her.
"Please, Tsunade-san! At least listen to me!"
Said woman regarded to young woman in front of her thoughtfully. Short dark hair was plastered to her face from the rain, and there was a sharp look in her dark eyes that was vaguely familiar. Tsunade remembered seeing her around, and even giving her a little bit of training when she was heading the units that trained new medics. Still, she felt like there was something she was missing about her…
"Ah. I recognize you, now. You're Dan's little niece, aren't you?"
The girl's face brightened, and she nodded eagerly. "Yes; Shizune."
Tsunade's face softened into a kind, if sad, smile. "I'm not going back there, you know."
The young one hesitated. "Then…Then at least take me with you!"
The older woman's surprise was evident. The only reply she gave was to close her eyes, and shake her head; the same kind, sad smile still on her face.
And then she was gone.
"Tsunade-san! Tsunade-san!"
------------
Three years had passes since Tsunade had left, and she was currently flat ass broke, sitting at a table in the middle of a poorly lit low-class bar.
She sighed. She would have to get out of town soon, she had borrowed a lot of money, and the loan sharks would be on her tail pretty soon. Damned casino was rigged, that was for certain. There's no way she would have lost with that hand otherwise! And she had thought her luck was finally turning around, too.
Her thoughts were interrupted by a group of three men who had just appeared and were now standing around her.
Shit, she thought. Should have left town a little sooner.
"Say, there, ma'am, I believe you owe our family a bit of money; I don't suppose you could return it?"
Tsunade thought carefully. Right now, her options were limited, weren't they? Maybe she could play dumb and hope they think they've got her mistaken…
"Money? I'm afraid I don't know what you're talking about."
The oldest of the men, the one who had addressed her earlier, looked at her before smirking knowingly. "I see. Well, if you don't have the money we could think of other forms of payment…"
Oh, shit. Playing dumb wasn't working, and she couldn't flee at this point- not only was she surrounded,
But the bar was so crowded she wouldn't be able to wade her way out of there fast enough before they caught up to her. Maybe she could just take the easy way out and kick their asses in the guise of a bar fight, but then she would probably get arrested…
"Perhaps we could step outside, ma'am?"
Right as she was about to take her chances with pummeling them into oblivion, she was saved by a vaguely familiar voice.
"Aunt Marie? Oh, there you are, Auntie! I've been looking all over for you, what are you doing in a place like this?" Instantly four pairs of eyes shot to the woman who had just approached the table. "Eh? Who are these people, Auntie? Are they bothering you?"
"Excuse me ma'am, we were just finishing a little bit of business with your Aunt, we'll be put of here as soon as we get the money she owes us."
The short-haired woman looked surprised, before tuning to Tsunade with a stern look. "Aunt Marie! What on earth happened? How do you owe these people money?"
Tsunade was no fool. This girl was offering her a way out, and she knew how to take it. She put a hand to the side of her face in a gesture of distress. "Eh, I don't know! I don't remember anything about money, but you know how my memories failing me…"
The younger woman turned back to the three loan sharks. "Perhaps you have my aunt mistaken for someone? She obviously has no idea what you're talking about…"
The three men looked at each other, then Tsunade, before turning to each other and mumbling amongst themselves. "Boss Tanaka did say she was traveling alone…"
They looked back at the medic. Suddenly, the young twenty-something they had been given a description of looked old, and dazed; maybe they had been wrong…? The lights in the bar were incredibly poor; it wasn't so hard to get confused…
"Ah, We're sorry, madams, perhaps you were right, I think we might have the wrong person, after all. Terribly sorry for the trouble."
Tsunade's face brightened with a breezy smile, "Well, I do hope you boys find who you're looking for."
"Come one, Auntie. Let's go back to the hotel now, alright?"
"Alright, dear, I'm coming…"
When they had gotten out of the bar into the dank streets, Tsunade turned to her 'savior'.
"Well, I suppose you'll be wanting to come along with me, Shizune?"
The younger woman smiled. "It'd be an honor, Tsunade-san."
Tsunade gave a teasing frown. "Now, if you intend to follow me around like I think you will, you had best be calling me Tsunade-sama."
If anything, Shizune's smile widened. "Of course, Tsunade-sama."
-------------------------------------------------------
Seven years ago, when Kabuto was fourteen and Shizune was twenty-three, they had been in the same medical unit. It hadn't been for very long; only around two or three months, and the two had only had a few conversations during that time. Despite their limited interaction, however, they had gotten along well.
"You know, I don't see why you haven't taken the Chuunin exams yet, Kabuto- With your skills, I'm sure you could pass easily."
It was a warm spring day, and they had taken a break from training for lunch. They weren't quite sure how or why exactly, but they had for some reason ended up eating together.
He looked up at her with mild surprise- the comment seemed to have come out of nowhere; but he smiled and thought for a moment to find just thew right way to say what he was trying to communicate.
"Well, I guess I don't think it's quite time for me to be a chuunin, that's all. It's a lot of responsibility, and right now I'd like to focus on my medical training."
Shizune nodded in understanding. She looked at him thoughtfully for a moment. It was strange, really. Sometimes it was easy to forget he was only fourteen, but at other times it was hard to remember he was anything else. It was especially odd, how he could disarm so easily with that smile of his.
"I suppose I can see your point, but you know sometimes the harder missions can be better training than just studying."
His smile brightened, and took on an almost secretive air. "I suppose so. But I have until July to think about it, so I'm not really going to concern myself about it for now."
When she saw that smile of his, he had the strange feeling that the conversation would go no further, even should she try to purse. She returned to her lunch.
Not long after, the last of Shizune's family died, and she left to find the closest thing she had to a family member- her late uncle's fiancée, and the person she respected more than any other; Tsunade.
Kabuto had always figured it was coincidence that it was at that same time that he decided to take up the offer to become a spy he had been given.
Shizune had forgotten. After all, how could she remember someone she only knew for a few month seven years ago, especially since so much had happened since then?
Kabuto had not forgotten. He just thought it best to pretend they had never before met, especially since she herself didn't remember. It was practically insignificant, right?
He attributed his sudden recollection to having had such an uneventful week, and thought no more of her. For a little while, anyway.
---------------------------------
Um, I know that the first part of the chapter revolving around Tsunade was a bit awkward, especially because we won't really be seeing her again, but the rest of Shizune's back story was supposed to have flowed a little more smoothly than it did. Plus it was especially awkward how the two different parts were sort of… smashed together, but there was no other place for the Kabuto/Shizune part to go, and it wasn't long enough to be a chapter on its own, so…
I apologize. I am a failure as a writer, and as a human being.
