The death of loved ones was a daily occurrence for any respectable shinobi family. Countless men, women and mainly children had been killed due to the ravages of war. Losing one's clan leader, however, was not a simple occurrence. The leader was the head of the family and if careful steps were not taken then it could prove to be fatal. That day, the two great clans of the Senju and the Uchiha had simultaneously lost their leaders and the best warriors of their generation. Butsuma Senju and Tajima Uchiha had been battling each other ever since they were able to walk and that day, after countless encounters their lifelong rivalry had been resolved for good. Their sons and family buried them with the highest honors as was expected for them. As soon though as the caskets were buried and the final goodbyes were said, the clans started planning their next actions to win the eternal war of dominance.

The first step was to appoint the new leader.

The two clans had been always fundamentally different in customs and attitude in general but this time, unknowingly, they had coordinated in one thing: the unanimous decision of who would be leading the clan next.

In the dimly lit underground meeting room of the Nakano Shrine, hundreds of men, eyes bright crimson glowing in the dark, were listening intently to Madara Uchiha's passionate promises on exacting revenge for the fallen loved ones, breaking into loud cheers as the young man was now finished with his speech. Izuna was next to his brother looking at him proudly, establishing his position silently yet assertively as the second in command.

Amongst the tall trees of the vast forest, scattered Senju folk were watching, as Hashirama Senju was declaring his undying devotion in protecting everything his kin and subordinates held dear. Men, women and children were watching their newly appointed leader promising them peace and an end to the plagues of war. Hanami and Touka were sitting on the wide bark of a cut tree, watching their cousin giving his speech. The weather was getting better by the day and Hanami had allowed Touka to leave her bed.

"He has grown so much" Touka was moved seeing her little cousin taking the reins of the clan

"I am getting a positive feeling. He is going to do great things!" Hanami added.

The meetings absolved and that day, unbeknownst to both clans, a new era had unfolded.

"What? I will be training with you? Where is grandma?" Tsunade was exasperated "Hanami-Obaa sama you are not a combatant. I want to train with someone who can actually fight!"

In the green planes of Konoha's training area, the little girl was yelling at Hanami-Obaa sama. A bold move, given the woman's status.

Hanami was looking calmly at Tsuna throwing a fit…typical for a child her age and generation, while she was smoking from a long slender and intricately sculpted kiseru. Tsunade had hoped her grandmother would teach her the Uzumaki clan's prized sealing techniques.

"Mito is busy" Hanami said, "all you have is me, take it or leave it."

"You are but a healer" Tsunade continued complaining "what good would that be? I want to be strong! I want to learn fuinjutsu!"

Hanami remained unhinged at her grandniece's prickly attitude. It was obvious that the girl had not been around during war time, only then she would have known what it truly means to be a medical ninja. Lack of experience, Hanami mused. Funny thing that the most ignorant ones are the most shouty…

"Not enough chakra" Hanami said blowing smoke from her mouth and crossing her arms, making Tsunade flinch. It had been an insecurity of hers ever since she had started practicing…even though she was a descendant of the most powerful man in existence, her chakra reserves were pitiful compared to his. She had long ago forsaken the dream of utilizing her grandfather's or granduncle's techniques which required inconceivably massive storages of chakra. What infuriated even more was that her imbecile teammate Jiraya, seemed to have a bigger chakra quantity than her. Her teacher, however, had noticed that the girl had excellent chakra control and Tsunade was developing a powerful taijutsu style. If one were to enter her deepest thoughts, her superhuman strength was something of a compensation for her limited chakra capacity…she hated losing after all.

"Uzumaki techniques utilize a lot of chakra, dear" Hanami added "you simply do not have enough"

"Shut up! What would you know?" Tsunade hated being corrected. Who did her aunt think she was, demeaning her like that?

Hanami regarded her grandniece's rage, simultaneously taking a puff from her pipe. Hashirama had done it. He had spoiled the girl rotten and now she walked around with a sense of entitlement, as if she owned the village.

She lowered her smoking hand and looked straight into Tsunade's eyes.

"Let's fight then. If you win, I won't bother you again and you can go find Mito"

"Piece of cake!" Tsuna said but the granny's confidence was raising question marks at the back of her head. She had never seen the old hag fight or even heard a story of her participating in a battle. "Wasn't she for healing and infiltrations when she was young? What's up with her?" she felt that something was amiss, but her pride could not possibly let her refuse Hanami's proposition.

The granny was not even on battling attire, wearing a yukata with long sleeves. Two teardrop shaped earrings adorned her stretched down ears, each of them paired in the color as each of her eyes, only worn on opposing sides. Her long white hair has a half updo, staying in place with two beautiful hairpins. Yes, grandma Hanami was not a fighter and it was obvious.

"What's wrong, Tsuna? Since I am just a healer, this should be easy for you, having second thoughts?"

The old lady's last remark was enough to send Tsunade flying at her, readying her fist to meet her face. Before she could land the blow though, her grand aunt had successfully dodged in a matter of seconds blowing a needle at her which struck her at the forearm. Tsunade's hit landed on the grass, making the ground below collapse.

The girl examined the needle and she took it out throwing it at her side. She was not very content that she had not finished the fight in one blow. Hanami landed several meters in front of her taking a puff and saying, "you have some power there, baby girl…brilliant chakra control".

Tsunade frowned at the old woman's undisturbed demeanor. "This time I am going to put an and to this…I will attack with more frequent hits and she is bound to go down" and with that plan settled in her mind she dashed towards her once more. Hanami stood there, unmoving, unflinching. "Got you!" said Tsunade triumphantly but just as she was about to land a hit on Hanami, a numbing sensation started circulating towards her body. The sudden change was enough for her to trip, losing control and falling helplessly to the ground, succumbing to the substance that was rapidly spreading in her whole body.

Hanami gracefully approached her, with her piercing jewel toned eyes fixated on Tsunade's struggling face.

"Not much you can do, if poisoned Tsuna-chan."

"H-How…ah…the needle…had been poisoned…"

"Good observation" Hanami smiled.

Tsunade was looking at her Obaa-sama resentfully which was frankly the only thing she could do in her state of forced tranquility. The woman knelt next to her, looking patronizingly. She tried to move and struggled to get back up, to beat the crap out of her, but to no avail.

"The more you move, Hime, the worse it will get" Hanami said to her "what's wrong baby girl? I thought you would defeat me…"

"…antidote…you have…it…I have lost…" said Tsunade and her eyes started welling up, tears running down her cheeks and watering the grass below "…I lost to a medic…"

"Hm…" said Hanami "I am not giving it to you, Tsuna…"

Tsunade was stupefied. Hanami Obaa-sama could potentially be very scary, but she had never been cruel. Had her parents or grandfather seen this, the old woman would not have been forgiven.

Hanami watched Tsunade's struggle a little more before completing her sentence "…I will teach you how to make it."

"…you want to teach…me…?" Tsunade was surprised.

"Dear, I apologize for poisoning you, but your head is truly thick" the old lady said, getting some supplies out of her yukata "I simply cannot let such a talent go to waste…"

"…talent?"

"Yes, Hime, talent" and she started presenting the ingredients of the antidote one by one to a paralyzed yet watchful Tsunade. As she was steering up the concoction, she started talking again

"The poison I used on you…you must have felt it. Like millions of insects crawling under your skin rendering you paralyzed. The more you moved, the faster it spread."

She got out a syringe and carefully sucked out the liquid she had made. With a light pinch, she gave Tsunade the antidote. The girl was in shock. Not only grandmother Hanami was able to fight, but she had defeated her in less than a move.

"Tsuna…" said Hanami "…power is nothing if you cannot protect the ones you love". She had learned her lesson. It is not that granny Hanami was incapable of fighting…she had long ago decided that it was not what she was suited best for. Simultaneously she had noticed her body becoming less stiff…the antidote had started to take an effect.

"You want me to become a medical-nin…"

"Precisely…" her aunt answered "…medical ninjutsu requires precise chakra control…and the best of us were gifted with it. You utilize it to fight Tsuna, but those hands can do a lot more. Don't throw away the talents that you have been blessed with, just so you can chase something incompatible. You have great potential if you are to look onto the right path."

Just like that, she placed more tobacco on her beloved kiseru, got up from her seat and lit it up again to take her leave "oh…she turned her head to Tsunade "next time, if you fancy, you will be the one to heal Jiraya-chan".

Tsunade scoffed. The lady had her for good.

"You know" said Hanami before leaving "you can become all powerful you want, but power protects your loved ones only up to an extent…medical ninjutsu on the other hand…" she paused as if she remembered something "medical jutsu can tramp life and death" she completed her sentence and just like that, disappeared leaving Tsunade lying in the middle of the field just as the sun was setting.

The old lady arrived at her home and undid her hair, placing her favorite hairpin in a wooden box adorned with flowers. How many years had she had those? She then looked at the wrinkled self in the mirror and mused at how the years had passed…what had been an alluring beauty was now a frail old woman. Hashirama nii-sama's granddaughter had already become twelve…oh how time flies.

*Bang* *Bang*

The sound of knocks on her front door broke her out of her ponderings, and she made her way to her house's main entrance

"Feeling better?" Hanami inquired, her gaze meeting her guest's determined eyes

"I want you to teach me medical ninjutsu!" declared Tsunade not sparing a second

"Ohhh" Hanami raised her eyebrow "Gladly" she smiled "I will teach you everything I know…"

"One day…the girl is going to do wonders" thought Hanami contently, as she let her new pupil enter the house.

**Author's Comments**

Hello! Enjoy this "bridge" chapter.

I have always thought of young Tsunade as this spoiled princess like persona, who learned the harsh realities of her world the hard way, that is why here she comes across as pretty bratty. Just thinking of how nice it would have been if we saw the Sannin have more internal struggles and flashbacks. I mean...what would it be like for Tsunade to be the granddaughter of Mr. "Shinobi God" and probably being constantly compared to him as well? Madara was not impressed as we all know lol. Her disposition (brass, hotheaded, hating to lose etc.) would have someone thinking that she would hardly be a medic (who usually stay in the sidelines instead of going into the fray), that is why I had her discover here the essence of medical ninjutsu, which became her specialty.

Thank you for reading and your comments,

xoxo CS