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"I'm volunteering to be her guardian" spoke Tsunade
The Third took a long drag from his pipe as he eyed her from the rim of his hat. He consecutively released the smoke in circular formations while contemplating, weighing the odds, and when he found no reason to say no, he answered, "very well."
A victorious smirk formed on the slug sannin's face as she hung her head low to restrain herself from the burst of elation. Sakura was her drinking buddy, the one that trained her to be the top medic in her generation, shared secrets of youthful complexion and even introduced Dan to her. Sakura was a woman she had always respected and had searched countless ways to repay her the deeds of the saint-like woman, and found none until today.
"Thank you, Hokage-sama," It meant everything to Tsunade, and knew that it would to Sakura.
"Then I'll volunteer to be his guardian" began Jiraiya, finding confidence with the offer from Tsunade
The Third however let out a small chuckle, slightly twirling his office chair before dropping dead serious, "no"
"Thank y-- w-what?!" sputtered Jiraiya, losing his formal outlook before stretching his hands out, "but why?!" whined the man
"Carrying a newborn around the world sounds dangerous," came the instant response
"But I'll take real good care of him and besides," he huffed, folding his arms across his broad chest, "I'm his godfather!" his tone matching to those of a bratty toddler
"That may be so, but you seem to lack the quality of one," explained the Hokage. Before Jiraiya could retort anything at all, he turned serious
"We have two important matters that now lie in our hands. Minato had sacrificed his son to be the container of the Kyuubi, you know that Jiraiya, he isn't an ordinary child and must remain in the village in his vulnerable years. Minato couldn't have asked for more, speaking of which, the identity of his son must remain hidden and must take up his mother's last name for safety."
Earning a nod from both of his students, he carried on, "the other matter concerns of Sakura. Her identity should remain secret for she has also earned countless enemies that wants to kill her in her most vulnerable state, with the same reason that Naruto has, she will have to opt for an unknown clan name.
"Though I don't understand her reason for keeping Naruto alive, we shall let her live on. Tsunade, since she's your responsibility, you'll make sure that she will remember everything of her past, only then will she be able to explain her actions. Understood?"
"Yes, Hokage-sama" both chorused
"But, Hokage-sama" began Tsunade, "what will happen to Minato's son?"
"I'll take care of him," he paused thoughtfully, "but through clandestine measures, I'll be having some ANBU members take care of him in an apartment that I'll give him. Anyways, you may leave; I still have a public announcement to make within a minute and maybe re-inforce a law against telling Naruto of the secret that he harbors."
"When will he be told?" asked Jiraiya
With his wisened gaze settled thoughtfully on his student, he answered, "when the time comes"
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Tsunade exited the chaotic hospital with the slumbering babe in her hands. Her hand stroking the patch of feather pink hair as she scanned the ruined village, caused by the impact set upon Sakura's forbidden technique. It was her specialty and a dark secret that the ancient village dare not reveal. But she did, to spare the life of the Yondaime's legacy. She made history, yet again, and now she made a hero named Naruto, the village's first jinchuuriki.
The child stirred in her arms, and Tsunade looked down. Her wisdom and ancient soul did not seem to occupy the babe's innocent eyes, as green met hazel in deep silence. Tsunade clung on to impossible hope that the chances of Sakura keeping her knowledge was possible. Sakura cooed and grinned a toothless smile, flailing her arms about in excitement, kicking the bundle of cloth she was in.
The woman giggled in amusement and bent to the baby's charm. Nuzzling the infant's cheek with her nose, she wrinkled her nose at the scent of burnt flesh and blood. Tsunade sighed, realizing that even if she was cleansed from her years of experience, blood stained hands may never be washed clean.
"Sakura-kyou," began Tsunade with a burdening sigh, "I will take great care of you, like the way you took care of me. I promise to reteach the lessons you've taught me, and share the knowledge you've shared with me."
The woman opened her eyes to find Sakura cross-eyed, staring at her drool-formed bubble and it popped, slightly startling the child before giggling again. Tsunade giggled in gentle delight and began her march through the ruined village. Though life may be harsh, and she also worried for Naruto, she trusted the Hokage to take care of the boy, like he trusted her to take care of Sakura.
To have the strongest kunoichi in history to be reborn and get stronger in the next generation may be a trump card to the village. If Sakura ever made it to Hokage, then imagine what the village would be like. Thousand scenarios planted the seeds of anticipation, as Tsunade couldn't wait for the following days to come. To have her Lady, her teacher, be trained again by her student was a very rare occasion.
However, remembering that she was going to be the guardian of the Mysterious Sakura, the child in her hands, was yet again, beyond extraordinary. For an infant to have an ancient soul might have a positive or negative outcome in her developing years.
Sakura's baby years had been pleasant and easy, changing diapers, making bottles, and giving her baths. As long as she didn't make the child cry, she wasn't in hell in the dead of the night. When her infant years came, Tsunade could never manage to complete her beauty sleep.
The child had been conjuring up faint genjutsu's that scattered her presence throughout the house, making it difficult for Tsunade to find her. She was a crawler at the age of one, seeing to it that Tsunade had made her too healthy and her baby fats was weighing down her progress to get up on her two feet. She panicked when she just found Sakura over by the kitchen counter, handling two massive kitchen knives, flailing them around and giggling.
'Well, at least, she had shown her interest in sharp and shiny things' thought Tsunade before rushing quickly at the infant. She cradled her in her arms with a bottle to interfere her growing wails.
That was not the worst that could come; at the age of two, Sakura was walking on her own and proved herself frighteningly dangerous when she threw a tantrum. She shook the whole apartment and caused a fissure on the living room, creating a gap that made it possible for the lower level to take a peep on their upstairs neighbour. Sakura's shrill shrieks was on the most intense frequency and had the potential to break the glasses, much to her neighbour's dismay. Soon enough, Tsunade was forced to move out, even if she was the Hokage's successful student.
She walked up to the Hokage, finding no place at all, and asked if she could stay in. The Sarutobi manor was more than delighted to have her in their home. She was pleased when they assisted her in taking care of Sakura, and the Hokage was successful in hushing the infant before she threw in another of her tantrums.
"Sakura-kyou was worse than you when you were eight, Tsunade," remarked the Hokage after hearing her story
An embarrassed laugh was all that Tsunade could reply, remembering one day when Sakura came in to her life to be disciplined by the strict woman.
"Yeah, she threw a horse at me when I wouldn't shut up," reminisced the Slug Sannin
"She did?" voiced Sarutobi's daughter-in-law, entering the living room, shaking a bottle in hand to feed the slumbering Sakura in the Hokage's arms
"Well, close to the mass of one," restated Tsunade, when a comfortable pause loomed in the room she spoke up, "how's Naruto?"
"He's fine, rather pricey I should say," remarked the Hokage
"Really? Why?"
"He has an impossible appetite," chuckled the Hokage
"And the council?"
"I've managed to convince them about Naruto, it was no easy job I should admit"
Tsunade sighed, "at least he's safe now, right?"
The Hokage nodded.
The days flew smoothly by, seeing to it that Sakura was kept pacified, keeping her ballistic tempers at bay. The moment Tsunade decided to read to Sakura, she fall at her most silenced mode. She'd hold the book so that she can see the pages, and the woman slid her finger beneath the words as she read them aloud.
One day, when Tsunade woke up in the afternoon, she panicked when the infant was missing by her side. She violently searched throughout the Sarutobi compound without shame, crying out Sakura's name over and over until Sarutobi's family understood what was happening when they came in. Soon, the compound was full of voices echoing out the infant's name.
Tsunade was relieved when she didn't find Sakura in the kitchen holding knives again, she was all the more hopeful when she didn't find Sakura in the two weaponry rooms in the compound. Instinctively dashing to their library, she found them, sitting on the Hokage's lap, reading scrolls while the old man snored on.
"There you are!" exclaimed Tsunade, startling the Hokage to rise abruptly, the woman screamed when she thought Sakura would fall, but instead, she swooped to an upside-down manner and had her feet stuck to the wooden desk.
The Hokage mildly cried in surprise in response to his student's sudden entrance. Immediately diving down to his desk, she plucked Sakura out and held her in her arms. Tsunade unconsciously switched to a motherly mode and began crying at how relieved to see Sakura unharmed and found.
The infant just pointed at her scroll, facing it to Tsunade, as if wordlessly asking what the word accentuated meant. The woman laughed as tears streamed down her face before explaining the infant, noting Sakura's interest in books.
"Is everything all right?" asked the Hokage before his family came rushing in to the library
"I found her" sobbed Tsunade, still sitting on the ground and an infant Sakura on her lap, clutching the scroll a she read, then she tugged on Tsunade's shirt pointing at another word.
"Oh that?" said Tsunade with a tired smile, "orgasm means--wait, what are you reading?!"
Snatching the scroll away from the infant's hands, Tsunade dispelled the genjutsu she recently sensed and growled in fury when an orange book popped into view. Growling dangerously as she turned to her teacher--now flushed red and eyes wide open-- she handed Sakura over to Sororo, the Hokage's oldest son before rising to her heeled sandals while rolling her sleeves up.
Sakura merely giggled in amusement as she watched the two adults chase each other in the massive library, darting through aisles lined by shelves upon shelves of books.
Sororo sighed, "the Sarutobi compound sure isn't quiet when these guys are around, right, Megumi?"
Sakura slapped her tiny arms on the strong man's as she jumped merrily and in excitement when Tsunade managed to grab the Hokage's white robes.
His wife, named Megumi, then answered, "sure isn't but it is fun, why don't we get a kid of our own"
"Sarutobi-sensei, even if you are old, my teacher or even the goddamned Hokage, it's still unforgivable to let an infant read one of your perverted books and get away with it!!"
"Tsunade-hime, please have mercy! Please have--"
The Sarutobi compound shook and moaned at the massive force driven within its walls. Unfortunately, nothing meant pleasure in the old man's case.
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"Go on Sakura, say hello to them" encouraged Tsunade a few days later; the kid was still three and deserved to have some friends.
Sakura, clad in her diapers, hid behind Tsunade's leg with a reprimanding look on her face, the other hand clutching her milk-filled bottle. She stared warily at the group of toddlers bunched in a group in the middle of the grassy park, tumbling over one another, chatting, crying, or simply just being babies.
Sakura popped her bottle in her mouth and stretched her hands high above, slightly bouncing as she demanded Tsunade to carry her. The woman shook her head and ushered the toddler towards the group, she fell on the grass and began to wail, "me no want!!"
"Hello!"
Sakura fell quiet and vigorously sucked on her bottle, her burrows furrowed deeper as she furiously rubbed her eyes. She hated strangers seeing her cry. Before her, stood a fellow toddler with spiky blonde hair and friendly blue eyes
"Why you cwy?"
Sakura shook her head and pushed herself against Tsunade's leg. The woman sighed tiredly and gently nudged the pink-haired toddler forth, though such force was enough to let Sakura tumble forward and land on her chin, her diaper sticking high up with bent knees.
Naruto laughed and squatted down with a hand offering to help her. Sakura pulled her bottle from her mouth and sprayed Naruto some milk on the face as a warning to stay away.
"Yummy!" grinned Naruto, before yanking the girl's bottle and running away with it
"No!" Protested Sakura, getting up on her feet, "mine!!" she shrieked running after Naruto
Tsunade just laughed and walked over to the other parent's.
"Kiba! Help!" laughed Naruto as he moved his tiny, short legs as quickly as possible, infuriated when another member joined, she kicked up her speed and ran Naruto down. The boy laughed harder with angelic, tones, it seemed as if his baby laughs hadn't faded away. Sakura who landed on Naruto's back and pinned him there, yanked her bottle from his grip and whacked him on the head and said again, "mine!" before drinking in her bottle's milk.
"Hey, Nawuto, you awight?" asked a voice
"Yeah, Kiba, this is Sakuwa!" grinned Naruto, still on the ground, "hey guys!"
Sakura blinked as a few more toddlers waddled over to them, "this is Sakuwa" said Naruto, rising to his feet, causing Sakura to tumble again on her chin with her diaper-clad rear sticking up in the air again, everyone around her laughed, Sakura's face turned pink.
"I'm Kiba, this Hinata"
The girl named Hinata was timid and had pale skin, her wide lavander eyes lowered as she stuttered her greetings. The boy next to him had brown hair, white cloth wrapped on his head and a sombre look to his façade; with his lavander eyes set on Sakura he muttered his name as an attempt of introduction, "Neji".
"Shino" spoke the boy standing next to Neji, his mouth muffled behind his tall collar
"I'm Ino!" beamed a blonde girl, her blue eyes, like Naruto, arched along with her inviting smile. Each of her hand held two boys in place, on her left was an overly chubby toddler and sat on his diaper, "this Choji!"
The other sat cross-legged on her right, holding his chin in his free palm, resting his elbow with his eyes drooping tiredely, "Shika, say hi!"
"Me tiwed" complained the boy; on top of his head was a group of stray, spiky hair tied in a ponytail.
"Sakuwa" said the toddler, rising to her feet, yet hugging her bottle with security, "my bottuw"
All the toddlers laughed, signifying the start of a new friendship.
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Tsunade thought that her training shall arise the moment Sakura was potty trained. She knew she didn't have to worry about teaching the girl some boring history, instead she'd give her a pile of books to read about it every now and then. Deciding to set a schedule, she'd let her read after breakfast, play with the kids in the afternoon by the park, and tell some great stories about the great ninjas before going to bed.
Sakura had been living an intellectual life as she had once shared with Tsunade when she was still being taught. The woman clung on to her teacher's words believing that a strong mind was the foundation of a strong body, for what use are muscles and strength if you don't know how to apply them.
"Mommy!!" cried Sakura from the bathroom
Immediately, Tsunade jumped to her feet and rushed to her, "what?!" she breathed, "what is it?!"
With Sakura sitting on a red potty, she stood up with glee and said, "I make poopoo and peepee in the potty! Am I a big girl now?"
Tsunade just sighed and smiled tiredly at her, "Sakura, honey, it's three in the morning, please don't shout out like that"
Tsunade then yawned before wobbling her way to clean Sakura up, "And I guess you are a big girl now... after you get some sleep, we're gonna do something today"
The moment they dove in bed, they slumbered on until the sun had risen early enough to awaken them. Tsunade awoke to Sakura's brutal methods, which was a splash of her bottle on the woman's face. Sputtering to the sweet, lukewarm liquid, the groggy woman livened at the youthful laughter of Sakura, who's baby giggles had not subsided.
"Alright little missy" beamed Tsunade, "starting today, you'll be the awesome kunoichi I once looked up to"
Sakura blinked, "what do you mean?"
"You'll see, Sakura-chan" grinned Tsunade, leading the toddler out of the room, mentally cracking her knuckles, unfortunately the memories of Sakura's past methods on teaching her began flooding her mind like the cascading river, "Time for some payback, Sakura-sensei"
Little did Tsunade know that Sakura heard that, and whimpered, "mommy...?"
To be Continued...
A/N: the suffix I used on Sakura was kyou, meaning lady, lord or dame. That's all, thank you for the reviews, but please don't stop! n.n
P.S. Hime, as I've used on Tsunade (Tsunade-hime), hime means princess, and it is her title, too!