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Tsunade's POV (Senju Manor - Hidden Leaf Village)
Morning
Tsunade groaned pitifully as she lay on coughing, wallowing in misery. It hadn't been her little outing against the KDA, that had been easy work. No, it had been the drinking session Dez and she had set out on after. Dez was a reformed criminal under her employ, and Tsunade was a chronic gambler and drinker. The two had always partied after business. Shizune, as always, had been a bit of a party pooper and had tried in vain to reign them in.
Perhaps that's why she was sitting beside her, lounging, the TV suspiciously cranked loud, and Shizune was audibly enjoying it more than normal. The cascade of booming TV dialogue and Shizune's laugh made Tsunade's head threaten to split. Shizune was meek and subservient around others, and while she was undoubtedly loyal, she had no hesitation in punching back alone or with a trusted company. All the same, Tsunade was wise enough, even in her diminished state, not to punch back. Even in moments like this, Shizune was too kind for her own good and likely had their secret hangover cure boiling on the stovetop.
Once Shizune had grown bored of her revenge against Tsunade, the woman, as predicted, grabbed the hangover cure she had been secretly procuring and offered it to Tsunade. Tsunade sighed as she threw back the medication with a wince. However, almost immediately, the symptoms were relieved, and Tsunade rose with a thank you to Shizune as she ventured into her bathroom.
While the Senju was a shell of what it had been as the remaining heir, Tsunade was afforded what little they had left: being this manor and not having such an inconsequential amount of capital. The large bathroom was decorated a light shade of brown; a shower and jacuzzi occupied the back, and a sink with several faucets dominated the left wall. Looking into the large mirror, Tsunade glanced at herself, pleased to see her henge holding well. Kunoichi's life withheld one's beauty longer than most, but Tsunade hated the small amount of age she had been subjected to and always hid the minor imperfections.
Marching over to the Jacuzzi, Tsunade activated it before disrobing herself. Slinking out of her clothes, Tsunade haughtily threw towards and not in the laundry bin as she settled into the slightly warm water. It would take time for it to be as hot as she liked, but all the same, she lounged in the water with a content sigh. The slowly rising heat eased her aging muscles and allowed her true relaxation. However, her mind settled slowly.
As a veteran Kunoichi, Tsunade had lived a long and stressful life. She had witnessed both her lover and her brother die. Had survived a war, abandoned her home, and started her own Mob. At this point in her life, little could honestly bother her besides her traumatic fear of blood and the few loved ones she had left. Yet even since she had met a certain blonde, that had all changed.
She could remember the powerful, intelligent, yet kind Minato Namikaze. In many ways, the man had been one of many things that led to Orochimaru betraying the Leaf. The man never seems to forgive the Namikaze for managing to outshine him. Yet Tsunade had always seen that for the best, the man had been one of a kind. In many ways, he had been what Dan had always hoped he would be. Kushina Uzumaki was someone she also knew well. They had crossed paths during their careers and, more than that, had a loose familial tie. Her grandmother had been a Uzumaki, after all.
Tsunade could remember the day Jiraiya had come to her excitedly to tell her of their child's birth. She had been happy for the couple but not all that invested. The way she had seen it, he would likely never match his father or mother, and even if he did, it would be just another travesty.
This led to the day Naruto and she met. The young man looked like his father and acted like his mother. Just as every remarkable man she had met, the fool attracted danger and faced it fearlessly. Tsunade's first impression of Naruto was a poor one. The way she saw it, regardless of what or who he may be, he was doomed by his own ideals and will.
Tsunade had saved them, not wanting his death on her conscience that day, but she had intended to dismiss them. However, Naruto had predictably shown up in the exams. And Tsunade had watched as he faced all opponents, beat them, and touched them. The blonde used his power with shocking consideration and seemed determined to win and reach an understanding with those he faced. Tsunade liked it but saw the exams ending from a mile away.
Gaara had clearly been on a level of his own. Tsunade could tell just by looking at him that the idea of Naruto surviving such a power with a twisted man, let alone winning, had seemed laughable. So much so that Tsunade had made something of a wager to herself. If the Blonde somehow survived Gaara, she would allow herself just a smidgeon of hope.
As most had thought, Naruto had failed to defeat him, but it had been a shocking battle, and the ending had captivated Tsunade. Battle, war, fighting, killing, and violence, however it was referred to, had become a part of Tsunade's life. Yet, she saw something absurd in the middle of one of the best fights she had ever seen. For a man to offer mercy and kindness for an opponent who would never return it…
It was the sort of nonsense Dan and Nawaki would've loved. Tsunade could remember the day Nawaki died. He had proudly promised her to end the war himself, and Dan had gone missing, attempting to do the same…
"It's worth living in this wretched world for a lovely sight! Truly, I feel inspiration blossoming at this very moment~!" Jiraiya cried out happily, sitting on her sink as if he belonged there.
Tsunade groaned and slightly shifted below the water. "I really am not in the mood, Jiraiya."
"You really aren't; normally, you'd kick me out of here as well as kick my head from my shoulders." Jiraiya jokes. "That being said, may just ask what size are those love-"
Tsunade, expecting him to push, launched a bar of soap at his head, which the Sannin narrowly ducked.
"Fair enough was pushing my luck, I suppose." Jiraiya nervously chuckled before his face shifted into a severe expression. Tsunade raised a brow as the man collected his thoughts. "Anyway, I came here because of something I heard recently. Rumor has it you had a hand with crushing the KDA and the Police Force."
"How did you learn that? The story won't break for another hour at least."
"Master spy~!"
"Oh, shove it with that shit." Tsunade barked. "I'm still convinced you only do so to peep at women all over the Elemental Nations!"
"Come on now, Tsunade. You know none of them have anything on you. It's hard to focus here!" Jiraiya chuckled. "But all the same, I've told you hundreds of times by now. You can't distract me that easily. I won't pretend you have to answer, though. I find myself curious. Why get involved?"
"To help my subordinates, besides doing low-effort jobs like that, it keeps Sensei off my back," Tsunade replied, slowly realizing Jiraiya was here for something serious.
"And that back has enough problems. Though I must admit the thought of you doing such crossed my mind, I dismissed it. Dez had the backup of Asuma's team, who were more than enough for that little group. They could've just as easily diverted some more men from the distraction to the raid. But you specifically got involved and caught some stragglers yourself. Why put in so much effort if it was just for show? We both know you don't care for the Leaf, so why waste your time and effort?"
"Cuz I felt like it," Tsunade replied with ease. "The same way; I feel like I'm about to kick you out of here."
"Or maybe it's because you felt like helping one Naruto Uzumaki…" Jiraiya trailed off purposely, but Tsunade chose to respond with silence. "Let's see… kept an eye on him during the exams, saved his butt from S-rank criminals thanks to that, and now are crushing his enemies. If I didn't know better, I'd say you're warming up to my student."
"Yet you know better." Tsunade stiffly informed Jiraiya. The man was sickeningly in love with her. In truth, she thought the world of Jiraiya, while he was a pervert, was outshined by his true self. Like her drinking and gambling, she recognized it as a coping mechanism. Over the years, Jiraiya had pined after her and supported her through thick and thin. Even helping Tsunade form her Senju Mob. But due to this, I had a nasty habit of calling her out. But Tsunade was determined not to give it to him.
"Normally, I'd think I did, but your behavior has just been odd, the oddest of all being your return to the Leaf..."