CHAPTER 01

X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X

Time: X years Post-Juubi Resurrection
Location Unknown

Two figures stared at each other across a black void filled with distant pinpricks of light, yet the two of them were illuminated like it was high noon.

The woman appeared full of rage, only the tears flowing across their cheeks proclaiming their bottomless sorrow. The giant fox appeared to be entirely accepting of their predicament, resignation radiating of his frame.

"You lied to me, you bastard!"

"It was the only way to do this."

"I broke- I broke my promise. To him. Do you have any idea-"

"I am sorry it had to be this way."

"You have to- We need- There's got be another way."

"Your son would have been so happy to see you of all people be so optimistic." The giant fox sighed. "We both knew it would come to us."

"You lied to them too!" The woman trembled in rage. "The eight of them died because you lied to them."

"…They knew."

The woman froze in confusion. "…What?"

"They chose to keep you in the dark because you never would have agreed otherwise."

"You should have picked one of them." The woman felt her grief overwhelm everything. "I'm a washed out old drunk!"

Ther giant fox's smile widened. "They wanted you because you would give them a future. My partner believed in you. I would be shaming his memory if I entrusted this mission to anyone else."

The woman trembled. "…Even you're going to… You promised you would go back with me, Kurama."

"Foxes are devious tricksters." The giant fox laughed, grief and joy pouring off him. "We've got plots within plots, Tsunade."

"…You're a fool, you orange nutcase." The woman chuckled at her bad joke, placing a hand on the fox's leg. "Naruto would not have wanted this for you."

"Yes, but the time for wants has long since passed. Necessity and tattered hope is all that drives us now." The fox bent down to touch the woman on her forehead with his snout. "Now go! Go and save our world, Tsunade." He turned her around and pushed her forward. "And make sure he doesn't become a ramen freak this time. He was insufferable about it."

The woman choked on her laugh, tears streaming down her cheeks. "Your past is so going to hate you for all the plans I have, Overgrown Bunny."

"The Overgrown Bunny will get over it." The giant fox growled in outrage, grief and joy. And perhaps not a little bit of longing. "Go on before you get any more wrinkles, Legendary Sucker."

The fair faced blonde turned and walked into the void, the orange light of the giant fox at her back and tears streaming down her cheeks.

Towards a peaceful future for the Elemental Nations. Towards a better path for Konoha. And far more important, a joy filled life for her friends and family and a little blond bundle of sunshine she was proud to call her son.

Time: Unknown

Tanzaku Gai

Tsunade woke up with a jolt, her senses cataloguing everything around her. A habit from years of living on the run.

She was seated beneath the shade of a tree with Tonton resting on her lap. Vast fields of rice stretched before her with farmers working in them as the heat of the noon sun shone high above them. The sounds of Tanzaku town drifted across her, the familiar tones of gamblers and games anchoring her to the truth of the situation.

She was back in the past. All the brats from Konoha, the Sand Siblings, Karin, Mei, Darui, Kurotsuchi, every single shinobi and civilian… All of them were still alive. Shizune and Sakura were still alive. Her son was still here.

She began to tremble at the realization, but a lifetime of conditioning forced her to prioritize.

Still trembling, Tsunade placed a sleeping Tonton in the shade of the tree and took a deep breath or three or five to center herself. Standing with the noon sun above her, she began moving through a series of maneuvers designed to push every single muscle in her body to their limits. She had designed the exercises to act as both a physical diagnostic and regular exercise to strength core muscles. Plus, moving through the exercises allowed her to stop the shivers racing her body and focus on the present.

While she was unsure of the exact date she had landed on, Tsunade figured she had arrived a year or two before the Uchiha massacre. This would put her in the prime position to not only stop the idiocy from taking place. Itachi would not become a Missing-nin after being forced to murder his entire family and Sasuke would have a normal childhood. Plus, she might get the opportunity to stop the Hyuga foolishness and give that blowhard Ay the lesson he deserved.

The Akatsuki were years away from possessing the strength necessary to hunt the Jinchuuriki and she had a host of ideas to cut their head off before they ever become a threat.

The Kiri rebellion would be in full swing with Mei leading them against a mind-controlled Yagura, a revenge plan that proved the fallen Uchiha was more than a few cards shy of a full deck. There were a couple of ideas she had discussed with Shikamaru and Mei before her trip to the past, but their implementation depended on Hiruzen-sensei listening to her instead of the three relics he called advisors.

And did Tsunade have so many, many fantasies for them. She was going to utterly-

"Tsunade-sama?"

Tsunade stumbled into a half crouch at a voice she had not heard in years.

"Tsunade-sama, are you alright?" The voice came closer.

Digging her nails into her palm, Tsunade took a shuddering breath and turned.

Shizune stood before her, a familiar sense of worry marring her face. "How many times have I told you not to drink- Is everything alright? You look like you've seen a ghost."

Shizune. Her niece. The woman who had sacrificed a proper career and future family to take care of a washed-up drunk that had spent years dishonoring the memories of her loved ones. The girl Tsunade loved like a daughter.

Shizune stepped forward, hand stretched forward with a diagnostic jutsu. "Were you drinking in the middle of the afternoon? Again? I told you-"

Tsunade pulled Shizune into a hug, burying her face in a petite shoulder to hide the tears streaming down her cheeks.

"Tsunade-sama, what-"

"I'm so happy you're here, Shizune." Tsunade choked out. "I'm just so happy."

Instead of questioning her rambling, Shizune returned her hug and stroked Tsunade's back in a comforting gesture. "Take as long as you need, Tsunade-sama. I'll be right here."

By the time, Tsunade had regained her composure and let go of Shizune, the sun had dipped quite a bit. She wiped her tears away with a rough swipe of her haori.

Shizune gave a compassionate smile. "Are you feeling better, Tsunade-sama?"

Tsunade smiled. And if the smile trembled at the edge, her apprentice said not a word. "Never been better, Shizune. Never been better."

Shizune just nodded. "Was it a bad dream?"

"The worst kind. One that I hope never comes true." Tsunade forced her shivers away.

Shizune appeared concerned. "Do you need some sleeping aids?"

Tsunade had little time to waste on her comfort now. "Before that, what is the date? Month and year too."

Shizune looked confused. "Tsunade-sama, what's going on?"

"The date, Shizune." Tsunade spoke with the weight of the command from her days as Kage.

Shizune instinctively straightened and answered her question.

Tsunade could not believe the answer. "Oct 13…" It was only three days after Obito had unleashed an angry Kurama on Konoha, destroying a quarter of village and ending with the sealing of Kurama inside Naruto.

She cursed so loud that Shizune jumped. Just a little further back and she could have saved Naruto's parents. Only three days and she could have averted it all. Still, arriving this early provided her with an excellent opportunity.

Tsunade cursed one more time, picked up Tonton and dragged Shizune with her. "Come on, Shizune. We need to pack our bags."

"Pack our bags?" Shizune quickly matched Tsunade's stride. "Where are we going?"

"Konoha." Tsunade knew her answer had shocked her apprentice but she would be telling her truth soon enough.

If she made good time to Konoha, she would be able to accelerate a lot of her plans and potentially cut off several problematic elements from ever cropping up.

"Tsunade-sama, I don't understand. I thought you would never go back to the village. Why now?" Shizune could not hide her bewilderment.

"Konoha was attacked by Ku- the Kyuubi. They're going to need all the hands they can get."

"Kyuubi attacking the village? Tsunade-sama, there's been no news or rumors. How could you-"

"I'll tell you the entire story on the road, Shizune. Right now, we need to get to Konoha quickly. Got a kid to adopt before anybody gets their grubby hands on him." Naruto was not going to be left alone ever again.

"Kid- What- What are you- Is this another- Tsunade-sama!" Shizune continued to splutter.

Tsunade continued to drag her apprentice, mind racing through plots and plans to ensure two Uchiha and several Missing-nin were killed, decapitated, burned, melted, sunk beneath the ocean and scattered to the winds.

And above all, to make sure Naruto had the best life she could provide.

X-X-X-X-X-X-X

A/N: I've decided to take a page out from "Blind Stars of Fortune" by 100demons. A person travels back in time to prevent an unholy future. But instead of Naruto, it is an adult who can take the actions that Naruto might need years for and with enough pull to change things on both the local and international level.

Hence, this story.