Backstory: Tsunade and Shizune [timeline 3-2 BA]
Characters: Tsunade-hime and Shizune.
Setting: Konoha, 2-3 years before the Akatsuki.
Rating: G
Summary: In which Tsunade meets Shizune, and takes her as an apprentice.
Shizune hitched the lumpy package under her arm up as it threatened to fall again. It was probably the last time she would be able to go out and check on her friends. Her family was moving. Everything was getting packed up, and everyone was being quiet about it. She wasn't even allowed to tell her friends that they were leaving. They hadn't even told her where they were going. Her little forehead creased up in worry. Most of her friends would be ok, but some of them had no one else to take care of them. She hoped her going away present would help for a few days, at least, and that they would find someone else who would treat them kindly.
The alley wasn't too far from her house. Mother had asked her not to feed them at home, because they would come at all hours and wake the house up with their racket. Shizune made it around the corner, then yipped in surprise as she almost tripped over a wrapped up lump leaning against one of the rough wooden walls. The cats and the puppy were there, but they didn't rush to greet her like they normally did. It looked like they were a little worried about the person-sized lump, too. Shizune tip-toed by and went further down the alley to crouch down and unwrap the package. The scraps she had been collecting for a few days tumbled out of the greasy wrapping and plopped onto the packed ground. She separated some out for the dog, because he tended to nip at the cats and steal their food. They all seemed very happy and started eating, leaving Shizune to look back at the cloaked figure. Brown leaves had blown up against the person, and she wondered how long she had been here. It was getting too cold to sleep outside. Maybe the person needed help, too. Maybe he was a stray.
Shizune crept up quietly and tried to peek in and see who it was all wrapped up and sleeping here. She had to -holding her breath, and oh so carefully- lift a flap of the hood back to find out. The young woman's face she uncovered surprised her. Most people who slept on the streets were old and scarred and hairy and smelled bad. This lady smelled a little funny, but not bad. She kind of smelled like Father after he had a late night out and came home singing, and Mother had to put him to bed. Shizune wondered if she had been singing, too, as she settled down to rest in the alley.
Taking a little breath, Shizune decided since she was the one that found her, she needed to see if the woman needed help. Touching her shoulder gently, she breathed, "Oba-san? Oba-san? Are you ok?"
As the child became more insistent in her shakings, Tsunade scrunched her brow and emitted a low, muffled groan and tried to curl up into a tighter ball. Bad enough a faint sense of magic had already demanded her return to the conscious world (and the doozy of a hangover that danced on her senses like an obese man in wooden clogs) but now some brat was bothering her. Couldn't a woman be left to sleep off her drunkenness in peace? ...Apparently not.
Bloody kid.
The blonde cracked open one bleary eye to get some sort of look at the girl, only to slam the eyelids shut again immediately after low light viciously stabbed her retina. She hadn't been able to see much but whatever. She hurt, she made sure to vocalize the sentiment in the form of a strangled moan, and then she reached up to pull the hood of her cloak back down over her face. Her hand flopped bonelessly to the ground, the red polish on her nails lightly chipped at the edges.
....The kid was asking a question. And if her brain didn't hurt so much from even the thought, she would've snarled at being bothered.
I'm fine, she thought she muttered but it came out more like "mmmfnnglsgh."
Hardly the truth. Except to her. She was fine. Sure, the morning after sucked like hell but she'd managed to block those memories successfully.
Shizune looked at the woman critically as she covered her head back up. Yes, it looked like whatever happened to Father sometimes had happened to her, but he was usually nicer about it. At least she remembered how to lower her voice, though. He seemed to appreciate that. Oh, and he said that food helped, too. She could do that! Delighted at the thought, she kept her balance with one little hand on the lady's shoulder, and stuck her earnest little face almost right in her hood, asking again, very quietly, "Oba-san, would you like something to eat? I live very close to here." Shizune reached out and gently patted her cheek as she spoke, then rested her hand on the lady's forehead, concentrating and hoping that the lady would feel well enough to get up and at least get out of the alley. Maybe Mother would even make her the egg-in-a-glass drink that Father offered to let her try before Mother stopped him.
Tsunade sighed when the kid put a hand to her cheek and then her forehead, but before she could begin to grouse about the kid's lack of manners pertaining to personal space, she felt the warmth of magic as well as some of the ache of her hangover ease. Years of conditioned control kept her from snapping her eyes open to scrutinize the girl. The child didn't have the finesse of the instructed, but through the simple contact and thread of energy Tsunade could Feel that the girl had potential and talent - two things that piqued her interest immediately.
(And it was rather nice to not have to marshal her own power to heal the goddamned headache. Some of it still lingered, but the girl's magic did help.)
She waited until the girl drew her hand back before opening her eyes. "Thanks, kid," she said with semi-bleary eyes and a half-smile.
Shizune didn't know what she was being thanked for - oh, of course, the invitation to breakfast. "It's alright!" she piped, "Mother always makes a little extra, and no one is eating much today, because..." Oh yes, she wasn't supposed to tell anyone they were moving. She drooped a little and sighed, stubbing a toe in the packed dirt of the alley. "Um, well, I mean we have plenty." Shizune reached up for the lady's hand. "I'll take you there, ok? My name is Shizune!"
A mental eyebrow rose. So the girl--Shizune--wasn't even aware of what she'd done? Curiouser and curiouser...
And was it just Tsunade, or did this kid vaguely resemble Dan in the eyes?
...
It had to be just her.
"Nice t'meetcha," she didn't quite slur as she got to her feet. "M'name's Suko."
"Hai, Suko-san! That's a pretty name." Shizune kept hold of Suko's hand and went expertly weaving through the morning market traffic, not always realizing the grown woman couldn't always get through the same holes in the crowd. They made it the few streets back without too much trouble, and Shizune dropped her hand, turned and bowed, very formally, and said, "Please come in. I will tell Mother we have a guest." She then looked up, grinned, and scampered inside.
Outside, there was a cart loaded with household goods, but with a blanket spread over the top to make things less noticeable. It looked like whoever lived here was about to leave, and very soon. A young man was bringing horses around the side of the small house now, ready to hitch them up.
"Oh, Shizune, this is not the time. What have you brought home this time? You know how busy we are pack..." Shizune's mother, tugged along by her sleeve, stopped suddenly as she saw the visitor, then bowed. "Princess. I am honored to welcome you to our home."
Tsunade blinked in surprise when she saw the woman Shizune lead to the foyer where the blond stood. No wonder Shizune vaguely resembled Dan - her mother was Dan's sister. The surprise became annoyance that flashed momentarily through her eyes.
"Oharu," she returned neutrally. "How many times did I ask you not to refer to me by that?"
Oharu nodded, but didn't seem very upset by the reprimand. She'd heard it plenty of times before, and would likely hear it again before her esteemed visitor left. Until then, though... She stepped back and bowed, allowing access to her home. "Do please come in. Are you hungry? We're not quite finished with breakfast yet, and you would be welcome at our table."
Shizune's eyes got larger and she stood on tip-toe in excitement. She had found a princess! What a princess was doing sleeping in an alley must be a very good story indeed, so she planned to stay small and quiet, so they wouldn't shoo her out of the room as they talked to Suko-oba-san. Well, Princess Suko, really.
Oharu led Tsunade to the back room where breakfast was technically over, but hadn't been cleared away. Gathering what food was left, she looked a little abashed, "If you'd like anything else, I'd be happy to fix it for you."
Shizune crossed the room and sat on the bottom stair, almost just out of sight, peeking around the corner and staying very quiet.
Tsunade shook her head. "This is fine," she said, sitting and accepting the food. "Thank you." It was an appreciated gesture; Oharu had culinary skill the other woman envied, and besides, the food was free.
"What's going on, Oharu? You would be one of the last people I would expect to be leaving here."
Oharu sighed a little, her training making her reserved and unwilling to complain to one of higher station; especially if her complaints were both true and unpleasant. She glanced towards the front door, where the horses were being harnessed, then sat across from the princess and leaned in a little to keep her voice low. "I feel as if things are going to become dangerous here, very soon. Especially for anybody who has a friendly connection with the royal family. I know it seems silly. Things seem well here, they are safe, but I have such terrible dreams."
She glanced at the stairs and sighed again. She knew Shizune was there listening, but she also knew the child would just retreat one more step up if she shooed her away. "I just... I have a very bad feeling. I feel like my family needs to be somewhere else, and very soon." More quietly, almost to herself, she added, "You've been gone such a long time, princess."
"Indeed," Tsunade replied too softly, her expression decidedly too relaxed though her brown eyes glittered with a dangerous light. "Are you saying that that Arashi kid, whom my teacher chose as his successor to the throne, isn't doing his job?" She wasn't taking Oharu's words as a personal insult to her or her mentor, but rather she was making certain that that young, brash kid was taking his duties seriously. Her faith in Sarutobi was solid, but she knew he wasn't perfect. And if that kid wasn't living up to Sarutobi's expectations... She might have a thing or two to say about that.
Oharu looked guilty and quickly shook her head, "I do not know, but I do not think he is anything less than he should be. I haven't the connection with him that our family has had with yours over the years." Oharu nodded her head respectfully and looked more guilty, wanting Tsunade to stay and take up her rightful place as a noble and an adviser to the king, and knowing she would probably throw off her disguise and make herself known if she indicated it would be a good idea, but... "You don't have to lecture him, m'lady. I'm sure he's doing the best he can. I just don't know if it will always be enough."
Shizune was fidgeting now. Her family had known the princess? From a long time ago? Mother looked so sad, like when she had just woken up a few days ago. She had to help, so she stood up and quietly moved behind her mother's chair, taking her sleeve in hand and resting her head against her arm. She patted with the other hand, but she knew she shouldn't interrupt any more than that. She was surprised when Mother picked her up and snuggled her in her lap, smiling. Shizune hugged her tight, then settled in to hopefully hear more of the story.
Oharu smiled more for Tsunade and beeped Shizune on the nose. "Well, Shizune-chan, I had better apologize. Thank you for bringing this lady home with you." Shizune beamed and looked back to the Real Live Princess, right here at their table. But still, she had been sleeping in the alley... "Are you really a princess?" she blurted out, before her mother could stop her.
Tsunade tried hard not to wince but didn't quite succeed. "Yes," she mostly didn't sigh. "I'm descended from Konoha's founders." She simply didn't add by the gap of a single generation.
Her gaze returned to Oharu's face, watching the woman as she played with her child. Oharu was a low-grade seer who divined things usually by vague dreams or intuition. Nothing ever really actually specific but whatever she had seen, or felt, was making her uneasy enough to move out her whole family. It probably was nothing, and within a few months Oharu would return.
Tsunade hoped it was nothing. She knew, even if Oharu didn't, that she could literally go check and find out, but that would be difficult at best. She didn't know when it would happen, or where. As far as physical position went, Tsunade could shift through time but when she emerged from the time stream (stream? HAH!) she would be in the same location as she had started. Plus, there was a limit to how far forward or back she could travel in a single jump. In theory she could make a jump, take the necessary time to acclimate and change her body, then make a second, but she wasn't that curious enough about anything to deign it worth the effort.
She shifted her attention to Shizune. "Have you found a tutor to teach your girl so she learns what she can do with her Talent?"
Oharu blinked, "Talent?" She looked at her little girl more closely, then back at Tsunade. "She's always been so quiet. I haven't noticed anything unusual..." Shizune wasn't really paying attention. She was busy trying to imagine Suko-san, or Suko-hime, in pretty dresses or dancing at a fancy ball in the castle. ....it was a lot harder than she thought it would be.
Oharu looked up, a mixture of pride and worry in her eyes. "If you please, my Lady, what have you seen her do?"
Now Tsunade gave a rueful half-smile. "She eased a bit of my hangover-headache, and it didn't look like she realized she knew what she was doing."
Oharu blinked again. She was very proud of her daughter, and so happy healing talent had manifested in her family, but she was also very worried. Would there be a good teacher where they were moving? Was this a good move or a bad one for her litle girl? "I do not have anyone in mind to tutor her. I don't know the reputations of any in ...the place we're going to." she looked up, a new worry forming. "Is it something I need to take care of now? Is she stable enough to wait until I can find someone to teach her?"
"Teach me what, Mother?" Shizune asked, curious, but hugging a little tighter. Mother looked worried a lot these days, but she hoped she hadn't caused it this time.
Oharu answered gently, with a small smile, "The Princess says you helped her stop hurting. We should find you a teacher to help you learn to help other people, too."
Shizune smiled, very pleased with the idea. "I like to help!"
Oharu hugged her, "You're my little helper, aren't you?"
Shizune nodded and smiled at the pretty princess. "I really helped you? Yay! I'm a hero!" Oharu chuckled quietly and looked to Tsunade for an answer.
"How soon does she need to learn more? ...will it be dangerous if she doesn't yet?"
Tsunade drank her coffee as the mother and daughter talked.
"Yeah," she told the kid, "you did."
She sipped the coffee again before answering Oharu. "I'll teach her."
Oharu tightened her grip on Shizune automatically, and the little girl looked up, worried, and whispered, "Mother, what's wrong?"
"It's alright, dear," Oharu murmured, looking at Tsunade to make sure she was serious. "Why? Why would you offer? We're leaving, and .. I assume you are not going to stay here, either..."
"Hardly." Tsunade sipped the coffee. "I'm offering because finding good teachers is hard, and not many have a gift for healing. And a Talent is best developed when it manifests, because it's still malleable and there aren't any self-imposed blocks or restrictions."
She paused. "And I'm offering because she's got Talent, and because...she reminds me of Dan."
Oharu nodded, thinking hard. She loved her little daughter dearly, and she reminded her of Dan as well. She still missed her bright and cheerful brother very much. She knew Tsunade-hime missed him even more, though. "I'll... have to talk it over with Shizune. I want her to understand what this means."
Shizune was looking more serious by the minute. "What what means, Mother?" She tugged at Oharu's collar. "Teach me what?"
Oharu bowed to Tsunade and asked humbly, "Would you explain about her talent, and I will explain what going with you will mean." The bow hid the tears in her eyes. She could wipe those away while Shizune listened to the princess.
"You've got abilities like mine, witchling, and they need training," Tsunade replied. "Not exactly like mine, but close enough."
Shizune wrinkled her nose. "Witchling" just sounded weird. "What abilities? ... You have abilities?? Like what?" Shizune believed her, mostly, but she was sleeping in an alley, and she didn't know any magic people who had to do that.
In reply, Tsunade held out her free hand, palm up. A green-gold light began to emanate from the middle of her hand, spinning up into existence and forming a glowing sphere that spun on its own access even as the insubstantial 'wall' swirled and spun. "My specialty is the manipulation of energy in its pure form, rather than having a specific element to draw upon. I'd wager you can play with the same sort of energy." And while her gambling skills sucked at best, she knew this was a bet she would win.
She closed her fist, crushing the ball and reabsorbing the energy back into herself. "Talent without training is dangerous, and it can spike and be loosed when you least want it to. And when that happens, someone might get hurt. It could be you. It could be the people around you. I'm one of the best at doing what I do," if not the best "and I can ensure that you learn everything you can in a safe and proper manner. And... there's something you should know." She gave the girl a slight, sheepish smile. "My real name is Tsunade, not Suko.
"And yes, I'm that Tsunade."
The light reflected in Shizune's suddenly very wide eyes. She watched the glowing ball without comment, but still deeply entranced. She was a little scared, though, when the princess told her she could hurt somebody. She really didn't want to hurt anybody. Hurting people was not nice. Her little face crumpled slightly, almost to tears. She was about to protest that she would never hurt anybody, and she still didn't know exactly how she could, since she was sure she couldn't make that glowing ball thing that Suko-hime made, but then she wasn't even Suko-hime anymore. She was Tsunade. That Tsunade? What Tsunade.... Tsunade-hime... ah! "You almost married my Uncle Dan?" Shizune placed both hands on the table, still worried about energy and hurting people on accident, but amazed that there might have been a princess in the family, and she could have been her aunt!
Oharu sighed a little and turned Shizune to face her. "Tsunade-hime says you have a gift for healing, Shizune-chan. You're not going to hurt anybody, but you will need a good teacher to help you learn to use it to help people, and so it won't get away from you or surprise you later on."
Shizune relaxed a bit, but she had heard what Mother was saying before, too. "But I have to go with her, and she's not going to come with us when we move, is she?" She asked very slowly, obviously understanding what it meant.
Oharu frowned a little, but kept her eyes mostly dry as she shook her head. "No, my dear little girl, she won't be coming with us. You would have to go with her, instead. You need to decide if it's what you want to do. I'm sorry to ask you to make this decision so suddenly."
Shizune looked at her mother for a minute, then as Tsunade-hime, then asked her mother, very softly, "Do you think I should go?"
Oharu swallowed, then nodded. "I trust her, Shizune-chan. She is a good person, and will take care of you and keep you safe. I would not trust you to many people, but I trust her. It would be good to take this opportunity to get the best teacher you can, and she is the best teacher there is."
Shizune sniffled. This was very hard. She didn't want to move, but now to not move with her family sounded even worse. She wanted to make her parents proud of her, though. And she wanted to help people and not hurt them... so... She turned to hug Oharu tightly and said in a very, very small voice, "I'll go with her."
Tsunade's expression was one of compassion and understanding as she watched them. It wasn't an easy thing, for any of them. She herself was ill-equipped to care for a child, but she had always been a fast learner. And... maybe taking the kid under her wing had been the reason behind her random return to Konoha in the first place.
She rubbed an eye as she dismissed the thought. She dictated her own path, dammitt.
Setting the cup down, she stood. "I'll give you both some time to get ready. Pack light, Shizune-chan. We can only what we can carry." Until I've taught you how to 'vanish' things, that is. She gave Oharu a look over Shizune's head. The other woman would understand if there was anything really important that should go with Shizune, that Oharu should give them to Tsunade to hold onto.
Impression conveyed, Tsunade pulled her hood up over her head to hide her identity and went to sit on the front stoop.
What the hell was she doing, offering to take on an apprentice? Sarutobi would laugh if he knew about this and then scold her for impulsiveness. Well, her old mentor wasn't here now, so at least she was safe from that.
Oharu came out in fifteen minutes with a very quiet Shizune holding tightly to her hand. Shizune had a small pack on, and carried a blanket neatly rolled up and tied in her free hand. Oharu handed Tsunade a large box lunch and a small packet, much like a book, wrapped in oiled leather. "I've written down where we're moving, and who to contact if you can't find us easily. Also her medical history so far... some likes and dislikes... and a letter. For later. You can decide when." She had to swallow painfully, and Tsunade could tell that it was very hard for her to keep her throat clear for Shizune's sake. The little girl was looking up at her mother intently and would see any break, which would only shatter her own very fragile resolve.
Tsunade nodded as she took both items, doing a swift flourish with the hand holding the packet. The gesture caused the packet to simply vanish, leaving Tsunade's hand free.
Oharu briskly wiped the corner of her eye and smiled, kneeling down to hug her daughter. "Now I want to to be very good for Tsunade-hime. She's going to take care of you and teach you everything you need to know. I know you're going to be a good girl. You are always a very good girl. I love you very much, Shizune."
Shizune leaned into the hug with all the strength in her little body, but Oharu gently set her back on her feet and gave her hand to Tsunade. Shizune didn't say anything, but when Oharu added, "Be safe, and learn how to help people, and then come back and see us again, Shizune-chan," she was able to nod, her grip tightening on Tsunade's last two fingers.
Oharu kissed her on the head and walked back inside. There were still a few things left to be packed onto the waiting cart, and they had to leave soon. Shizune looked up at Tsunade, and quietly followed her through the less crowded morning streets of Konoha. She only looked back over her shoulder once for a long moment as she walked, and though tears started to stream down her face, a few sniffles was all Tsunade heard for almost the rest of the day.
Tsunade didn't stop their walking until they were hours outside the city. A glamour had allowed them to pass through the city gates without being questioned.
The girl kept up her tight grip on Tsunade's fingers, and Tsunade gave back a gentle squeeze of silent understanding before carefully pulling her hand free. "Let's eat some, hm?" the blonde said before sitting down and opening up the lunch box. One whiff and she felt her mouth start watering. She'd missed Oharu's cooking, so this would be a wonderful treat.
They had walked a long way, and Shizune was very tired and ready to sit down. She smiled as she took the first couple of bites of the familiar food. Oharu hadn't had much time, but had still managed to put in a few of Shizine's favorites. But after a few more bites, she couldn't help but chew on her lower lip as she looked back towards her home town. The town her family didn't even live in anymore. She stayed quiet, looking around at the unfamiliar countryside between bites with a serious expression. Her attention was obviously not on finishing her lunch, and she scooted closer to her new magic-princess-teacher and asked, "Where do you live, Tsunade-hime? Where are we going?"
Tsunade swallowed the mouthful of sandwich before answering. "First off, it's just 'Tsunade', not 'Tsunade-hime'. Just because I am nobility doesn't mean I need to be addressed as such. And actually, it could prove dangerous later on. As for the other two questions..." She trailed off, brown eyes gazing into the distance. "I don't exactly 'live' anywhere. I wander. Sometimes there's a roof over my head, generally there's not."
She kicked herself mentally at how tired the kid looked. The girl was young, couldn't even be ten, and they had traveled far in Tsunade's zeal to put as much distance between them and that city. They could stay here for a while, then, before moving on. We won't be able to get as far as I'd like, she thought. It was getting colder at night, and while she herself could cope easily, it wouldn't be fair to the kid. That meant more hotels or inns.
...
Maybe they would accept some sort of barter. Trade of skills or something.
Shizune dutifully nodded and made a mental note to not call her "princess", which she promptly forgot. "You don't have a home? .... is that why you were sleeping in the alley?" Shizune was a little worried. Mother said Tsunade-hime would take care of here, and while she was willing to learn magic so she wouldn't hurt anyone, she didn't really want to sleep in any alleys. Her food forgotten, she scooted a little closer, looking up at her teacher. "...we don't always have to sleep in alleys, do we?"
"No, we won't be sleeping in alleys, and you found me there because I was tired, it was there, end of story." Tsunade ruffled the girl's hair. "Don't worry, I said I'd take care of you, and I will. No alley-sleeping, unless we absolutely have to.
Shizune made a face as her hair got ruffled, and tried to smooth it back down, but felt much better when Tsunade said that. She yawned hugely and took a few more bites, looking back the road they had traveled again. It would cool down as it got later, but right now the sun was warm on her shoulders, she was very sleepy, and before she knew it, she was dozing off, slumping over Tsunade's thigh, the last bits of her lunch sliding off her lap.
Tsunade blinked down at the sleeping girl, and sighed. Holding her sandwich in one hand, she vanished Shizune's lunch with the other. She let her hand come to rest on the girl's back. Life was going to be interesting, oh yes.
Setting: Konoha, 2-3 years before the Akatsuki.
Rating: G
Summary: In which Tsunade meets Shizune, and takes her as an apprentice.
Shizune hitched the lumpy package under her arm up as it threatened to fall again. It was probably the last time she would be able to go out and check on her friends. Her family was moving. Everything was getting packed up, and everyone was being quiet about it. She wasn't even allowed to tell her friends that they were leaving. They hadn't even told her where they were going. Her little forehead creased up in worry. Most of her friends would be ok, but some of them had no one else to take care of them. She hoped her going away present would help for a few days, at least, and that they would find someone else who would treat them kindly.
The alley wasn't too far from her house. Mother had asked her not to feed them at home, because they would come at all hours and wake the house up with their racket. Shizune made it around the corner, then yipped in surprise as she almost tripped over a wrapped up lump leaning against one of the rough wooden walls. The cats and the puppy were there, but they didn't rush to greet her like they normally did. It looked like they were a little worried about the person-sized lump, too. Shizune tip-toed by and went further down the alley to crouch down and unwrap the package. The scraps she had been collecting for a few days tumbled out of the greasy wrapping and plopped onto the packed ground. She separated some out for the dog, because he tended to nip at the cats and steal their food. They all seemed very happy and started eating, leaving Shizune to look back at the cloaked figure. Brown leaves had blown up against the person, and she wondered how long she had been here. It was getting too cold to sleep outside. Maybe the person needed help, too. Maybe he was a stray.
Shizune crept up quietly and tried to peek in and see who it was all wrapped up and sleeping here. She had to -holding her breath, and oh so carefully- lift a flap of the hood back to find out. The young woman's face she uncovered surprised her. Most people who slept on the streets were old and scarred and hairy and smelled bad. This lady smelled a little funny, but not bad. She kind of smelled like Father after he had a late night out and came home singing, and Mother had to put him to bed. Shizune wondered if she had been singing, too, as she settled down to rest in the alley.
Taking a little breath, Shizune decided since she was the one that found her, she needed to see if the woman needed help. Touching her shoulder gently, she breathed, "Oba-san? Oba-san? Are you ok?"
As the child became more insistent in her shakings, Tsunade scrunched her brow and emitted a low, muffled groan and tried to curl up into a tighter ball. Bad enough a faint sense of magic had already demanded her return to the conscious world (and the doozy of a hangover that danced on her senses like an obese man in wooden clogs) but now some brat was bothering her. Couldn't a woman be left to sleep off her drunkenness in peace? ...Apparently not.
Bloody kid.
The blonde cracked open one bleary eye to get some sort of look at the girl, only to slam the eyelids shut again immediately after low light viciously stabbed her retina. She hadn't been able to see much but whatever. She hurt, she made sure to vocalize the sentiment in the form of a strangled moan, and then she reached up to pull the hood of her cloak back down over her face. Her hand flopped bonelessly to the ground, the red polish on her nails lightly chipped at the edges.
....The kid was asking a question. And if her brain didn't hurt so much from even the thought, she would've snarled at being bothered.
I'm fine, she thought she muttered but it came out more like "mmmfnnglsgh."
Hardly the truth. Except to her. She was fine. Sure, the morning after sucked like hell but she'd managed to block those memories successfully.
Shizune looked at the woman critically as she covered her head back up. Yes, it looked like whatever happened to Father sometimes had happened to her, but he was usually nicer about it. At least she remembered how to lower her voice, though. He seemed to appreciate that. Oh, and he said that food helped, too. She could do that! Delighted at the thought, she kept her balance with one little hand on the lady's shoulder, and stuck her earnest little face almost right in her hood, asking again, very quietly, "Oba-san, would you like something to eat? I live very close to here." Shizune reached out and gently patted her cheek as she spoke, then rested her hand on the lady's forehead, concentrating and hoping that the lady would feel well enough to get up and at least get out of the alley. Maybe Mother would even make her the egg-in-a-glass drink that Father offered to let her try before Mother stopped him.
Tsunade sighed when the kid put a hand to her cheek and then her forehead, but before she could begin to grouse about the kid's lack of manners pertaining to personal space, she felt the warmth of magic as well as some of the ache of her hangover ease. Years of conditioned control kept her from snapping her eyes open to scrutinize the girl. The child didn't have the finesse of the instructed, but through the simple contact and thread of energy Tsunade could Feel that the girl had potential and talent - two things that piqued her interest immediately.
(And it was rather nice to not have to marshal her own power to heal the goddamned headache. Some of it still lingered, but the girl's magic did help.)
She waited until the girl drew her hand back before opening her eyes. "Thanks, kid," she said with semi-bleary eyes and a half-smile.
Shizune didn't know what she was being thanked for - oh, of course, the invitation to breakfast. "It's alright!" she piped, "Mother always makes a little extra, and no one is eating much today, because..." Oh yes, she wasn't supposed to tell anyone they were moving. She drooped a little and sighed, stubbing a toe in the packed dirt of the alley. "Um, well, I mean we have plenty." Shizune reached up for the lady's hand. "I'll take you there, ok? My name is Shizune!"
A mental eyebrow rose. So the girl--Shizune--wasn't even aware of what she'd done? Curiouser and curiouser...
And was it just Tsunade, or did this kid vaguely resemble Dan in the eyes?
...
It had to be just her.
"Nice t'meetcha," she didn't quite slur as she got to her feet. "M'name's Suko."
"Hai, Suko-san! That's a pretty name." Shizune kept hold of Suko's hand and went expertly weaving through the morning market traffic, not always realizing the grown woman couldn't always get through the same holes in the crowd. They made it the few streets back without too much trouble, and Shizune dropped her hand, turned and bowed, very formally, and said, "Please come in. I will tell Mother we have a guest." She then looked up, grinned, and scampered inside.
Outside, there was a cart loaded with household goods, but with a blanket spread over the top to make things less noticeable. It looked like whoever lived here was about to leave, and very soon. A young man was bringing horses around the side of the small house now, ready to hitch them up.
"Oh, Shizune, this is not the time. What have you brought home this time? You know how busy we are pack..." Shizune's mother, tugged along by her sleeve, stopped suddenly as she saw the visitor, then bowed. "Princess. I am honored to welcome you to our home."
Tsunade blinked in surprise when she saw the woman Shizune lead to the foyer where the blond stood. No wonder Shizune vaguely resembled Dan - her mother was Dan's sister. The surprise became annoyance that flashed momentarily through her eyes.
"Oharu," she returned neutrally. "How many times did I ask you not to refer to me by that?"
Oharu nodded, but didn't seem very upset by the reprimand. She'd heard it plenty of times before, and would likely hear it again before her esteemed visitor left. Until then, though... She stepped back and bowed, allowing access to her home. "Do please come in. Are you hungry? We're not quite finished with breakfast yet, and you would be welcome at our table."
Shizune's eyes got larger and she stood on tip-toe in excitement. She had found a princess! What a princess was doing sleeping in an alley must be a very good story indeed, so she planned to stay small and quiet, so they wouldn't shoo her out of the room as they talked to Suko-oba-san. Well, Princess Suko, really.
Oharu led Tsunade to the back room where breakfast was technically over, but hadn't been cleared away. Gathering what food was left, she looked a little abashed, "If you'd like anything else, I'd be happy to fix it for you."
Shizune crossed the room and sat on the bottom stair, almost just out of sight, peeking around the corner and staying very quiet.
Tsunade shook her head. "This is fine," she said, sitting and accepting the food. "Thank you." It was an appreciated gesture; Oharu had culinary skill the other woman envied, and besides, the food was free.
"What's going on, Oharu? You would be one of the last people I would expect to be leaving here."
Oharu sighed a little, her training making her reserved and unwilling to complain to one of higher station; especially if her complaints were both true and unpleasant. She glanced towards the front door, where the horses were being harnessed, then sat across from the princess and leaned in a little to keep her voice low. "I feel as if things are going to become dangerous here, very soon. Especially for anybody who has a friendly connection with the royal family. I know it seems silly. Things seem well here, they are safe, but I have such terrible dreams."
She glanced at the stairs and sighed again. She knew Shizune was there listening, but she also knew the child would just retreat one more step up if she shooed her away. "I just... I have a very bad feeling. I feel like my family needs to be somewhere else, and very soon." More quietly, almost to herself, she added, "You've been gone such a long time, princess."
"Indeed," Tsunade replied too softly, her expression decidedly too relaxed though her brown eyes glittered with a dangerous light. "Are you saying that that Arashi kid, whom my teacher chose as his successor to the throne, isn't doing his job?" She wasn't taking Oharu's words as a personal insult to her or her mentor, but rather she was making certain that that young, brash kid was taking his duties seriously. Her faith in Sarutobi was solid, but she knew he wasn't perfect. And if that kid wasn't living up to Sarutobi's expectations... She might have a thing or two to say about that.
Oharu looked guilty and quickly shook her head, "I do not know, but I do not think he is anything less than he should be. I haven't the connection with him that our family has had with yours over the years." Oharu nodded her head respectfully and looked more guilty, wanting Tsunade to stay and take up her rightful place as a noble and an adviser to the king, and knowing she would probably throw off her disguise and make herself known if she indicated it would be a good idea, but... "You don't have to lecture him, m'lady. I'm sure he's doing the best he can. I just don't know if it will always be enough."
Shizune was fidgeting now. Her family had known the princess? From a long time ago? Mother looked so sad, like when she had just woken up a few days ago. She had to help, so she stood up and quietly moved behind her mother's chair, taking her sleeve in hand and resting her head against her arm. She patted with the other hand, but she knew she shouldn't interrupt any more than that. She was surprised when Mother picked her up and snuggled her in her lap, smiling. Shizune hugged her tight, then settled in to hopefully hear more of the story.
Oharu smiled more for Tsunade and beeped Shizune on the nose. "Well, Shizune-chan, I had better apologize. Thank you for bringing this lady home with you." Shizune beamed and looked back to the Real Live Princess, right here at their table. But still, she had been sleeping in the alley... "Are you really a princess?" she blurted out, before her mother could stop her.
Tsunade tried hard not to wince but didn't quite succeed. "Yes," she mostly didn't sigh. "I'm descended from Konoha's founders." She simply didn't add by the gap of a single generation.
Her gaze returned to Oharu's face, watching the woman as she played with her child. Oharu was a low-grade seer who divined things usually by vague dreams or intuition. Nothing ever really actually specific but whatever she had seen, or felt, was making her uneasy enough to move out her whole family. It probably was nothing, and within a few months Oharu would return.
Tsunade hoped it was nothing. She knew, even if Oharu didn't, that she could literally go check and find out, but that would be difficult at best. She didn't know when it would happen, or where. As far as physical position went, Tsunade could shift through time but when she emerged from the time stream (stream? HAH!) she would be in the same location as she had started. Plus, there was a limit to how far forward or back she could travel in a single jump. In theory she could make a jump, take the necessary time to acclimate and change her body, then make a second, but she wasn't that curious enough about anything to deign it worth the effort.
She shifted her attention to Shizune. "Have you found a tutor to teach your girl so she learns what she can do with her Talent?"
Oharu blinked, "Talent?" She looked at her little girl more closely, then back at Tsunade. "She's always been so quiet. I haven't noticed anything unusual..." Shizune wasn't really paying attention. She was busy trying to imagine Suko-san, or Suko-hime, in pretty dresses or dancing at a fancy ball in the castle. ....it was a lot harder than she thought it would be.
Oharu looked up, a mixture of pride and worry in her eyes. "If you please, my Lady, what have you seen her do?"
Now Tsunade gave a rueful half-smile. "She eased a bit of my hangover-headache, and it didn't look like she realized she knew what she was doing."
Oharu blinked again. She was very proud of her daughter, and so happy healing talent had manifested in her family, but she was also very worried. Would there be a good teacher where they were moving? Was this a good move or a bad one for her litle girl? "I do not have anyone in mind to tutor her. I don't know the reputations of any in ...the place we're going to." she looked up, a new worry forming. "Is it something I need to take care of now? Is she stable enough to wait until I can find someone to teach her?"
"Teach me what, Mother?" Shizune asked, curious, but hugging a little tighter. Mother looked worried a lot these days, but she hoped she hadn't caused it this time.
Oharu answered gently, with a small smile, "The Princess says you helped her stop hurting. We should find you a teacher to help you learn to help other people, too."
Shizune smiled, very pleased with the idea. "I like to help!"
Oharu hugged her, "You're my little helper, aren't you?"
Shizune nodded and smiled at the pretty princess. "I really helped you? Yay! I'm a hero!" Oharu chuckled quietly and looked to Tsunade for an answer.
"How soon does she need to learn more? ...will it be dangerous if she doesn't yet?"
Tsunade drank her coffee as the mother and daughter talked.
"Yeah," she told the kid, "you did."
She sipped the coffee again before answering Oharu. "I'll teach her."
Oharu tightened her grip on Shizune automatically, and the little girl looked up, worried, and whispered, "Mother, what's wrong?"
"It's alright, dear," Oharu murmured, looking at Tsunade to make sure she was serious. "Why? Why would you offer? We're leaving, and .. I assume you are not going to stay here, either..."
"Hardly." Tsunade sipped the coffee. "I'm offering because finding good teachers is hard, and not many have a gift for healing. And a Talent is best developed when it manifests, because it's still malleable and there aren't any self-imposed blocks or restrictions."
She paused. "And I'm offering because she's got Talent, and because...she reminds me of Dan."
Oharu nodded, thinking hard. She loved her little daughter dearly, and she reminded her of Dan as well. She still missed her bright and cheerful brother very much. She knew Tsunade-hime missed him even more, though. "I'll... have to talk it over with Shizune. I want her to understand what this means."
Shizune was looking more serious by the minute. "What what means, Mother?" She tugged at Oharu's collar. "Teach me what?"
Oharu bowed to Tsunade and asked humbly, "Would you explain about her talent, and I will explain what going with you will mean." The bow hid the tears in her eyes. She could wipe those away while Shizune listened to the princess.
"You've got abilities like mine, witchling, and they need training," Tsunade replied. "Not exactly like mine, but close enough."
Shizune wrinkled her nose. "Witchling" just sounded weird. "What abilities? ... You have abilities?? Like what?" Shizune believed her, mostly, but she was sleeping in an alley, and she didn't know any magic people who had to do that.
In reply, Tsunade held out her free hand, palm up. A green-gold light began to emanate from the middle of her hand, spinning up into existence and forming a glowing sphere that spun on its own access even as the insubstantial 'wall' swirled and spun. "My specialty is the manipulation of energy in its pure form, rather than having a specific element to draw upon. I'd wager you can play with the same sort of energy." And while her gambling skills sucked at best, she knew this was a bet she would win.
She closed her fist, crushing the ball and reabsorbing the energy back into herself. "Talent without training is dangerous, and it can spike and be loosed when you least want it to. And when that happens, someone might get hurt. It could be you. It could be the people around you. I'm one of the best at doing what I do," if not the best "and I can ensure that you learn everything you can in a safe and proper manner. And... there's something you should know." She gave the girl a slight, sheepish smile. "My real name is Tsunade, not Suko.
"And yes, I'm that Tsunade."
The light reflected in Shizune's suddenly very wide eyes. She watched the glowing ball without comment, but still deeply entranced. She was a little scared, though, when the princess told her she could hurt somebody. She really didn't want to hurt anybody. Hurting people was not nice. Her little face crumpled slightly, almost to tears. She was about to protest that she would never hurt anybody, and she still didn't know exactly how she could, since she was sure she couldn't make that glowing ball thing that Suko-hime made, but then she wasn't even Suko-hime anymore. She was Tsunade. That Tsunade? What Tsunade.... Tsunade-hime... ah! "You almost married my Uncle Dan?" Shizune placed both hands on the table, still worried about energy and hurting people on accident, but amazed that there might have been a princess in the family, and she could have been her aunt!
Oharu sighed a little and turned Shizune to face her. "Tsunade-hime says you have a gift for healing, Shizune-chan. You're not going to hurt anybody, but you will need a good teacher to help you learn to use it to help people, and so it won't get away from you or surprise you later on."
Shizune relaxed a bit, but she had heard what Mother was saying before, too. "But I have to go with her, and she's not going to come with us when we move, is she?" She asked very slowly, obviously understanding what it meant.
Oharu frowned a little, but kept her eyes mostly dry as she shook her head. "No, my dear little girl, she won't be coming with us. You would have to go with her, instead. You need to decide if it's what you want to do. I'm sorry to ask you to make this decision so suddenly."
Shizune looked at her mother for a minute, then as Tsunade-hime, then asked her mother, very softly, "Do you think I should go?"
Oharu swallowed, then nodded. "I trust her, Shizune-chan. She is a good person, and will take care of you and keep you safe. I would not trust you to many people, but I trust her. It would be good to take this opportunity to get the best teacher you can, and she is the best teacher there is."
Shizune sniffled. This was very hard. She didn't want to move, but now to not move with her family sounded even worse. She wanted to make her parents proud of her, though. And she wanted to help people and not hurt them... so... She turned to hug Oharu tightly and said in a very, very small voice, "I'll go with her."
Tsunade's expression was one of compassion and understanding as she watched them. It wasn't an easy thing, for any of them. She herself was ill-equipped to care for a child, but she had always been a fast learner. And... maybe taking the kid under her wing had been the reason behind her random return to Konoha in the first place.
She rubbed an eye as she dismissed the thought. She dictated her own path, dammitt.
Setting the cup down, she stood. "I'll give you both some time to get ready. Pack light, Shizune-chan. We can only what we can carry." Until I've taught you how to 'vanish' things, that is. She gave Oharu a look over Shizune's head. The other woman would understand if there was anything really important that should go with Shizune, that Oharu should give them to Tsunade to hold onto.
Impression conveyed, Tsunade pulled her hood up over her head to hide her identity and went to sit on the front stoop.
What the hell was she doing, offering to take on an apprentice? Sarutobi would laugh if he knew about this and then scold her for impulsiveness. Well, her old mentor wasn't here now, so at least she was safe from that.
Oharu came out in fifteen minutes with a very quiet Shizune holding tightly to her hand. Shizune had a small pack on, and carried a blanket neatly rolled up and tied in her free hand. Oharu handed Tsunade a large box lunch and a small packet, much like a book, wrapped in oiled leather. "I've written down where we're moving, and who to contact if you can't find us easily. Also her medical history so far... some likes and dislikes... and a letter. For later. You can decide when." She had to swallow painfully, and Tsunade could tell that it was very hard for her to keep her throat clear for Shizune's sake. The little girl was looking up at her mother intently and would see any break, which would only shatter her own very fragile resolve.
Tsunade nodded as she took both items, doing a swift flourish with the hand holding the packet. The gesture caused the packet to simply vanish, leaving Tsunade's hand free.
Oharu briskly wiped the corner of her eye and smiled, kneeling down to hug her daughter. "Now I want to to be very good for Tsunade-hime. She's going to take care of you and teach you everything you need to know. I know you're going to be a good girl. You are always a very good girl. I love you very much, Shizune."
Shizune leaned into the hug with all the strength in her little body, but Oharu gently set her back on her feet and gave her hand to Tsunade. Shizune didn't say anything, but when Oharu added, "Be safe, and learn how to help people, and then come back and see us again, Shizune-chan," she was able to nod, her grip tightening on Tsunade's last two fingers.
Oharu kissed her on the head and walked back inside. There were still a few things left to be packed onto the waiting cart, and they had to leave soon. Shizune looked up at Tsunade, and quietly followed her through the less crowded morning streets of Konoha. She only looked back over her shoulder once for a long moment as she walked, and though tears started to stream down her face, a few sniffles was all Tsunade heard for almost the rest of the day.
Tsunade didn't stop their walking until they were hours outside the city. A glamour had allowed them to pass through the city gates without being questioned.
The girl kept up her tight grip on Tsunade's fingers, and Tsunade gave back a gentle squeeze of silent understanding before carefully pulling her hand free. "Let's eat some, hm?" the blonde said before sitting down and opening up the lunch box. One whiff and she felt her mouth start watering. She'd missed Oharu's cooking, so this would be a wonderful treat.
They had walked a long way, and Shizune was very tired and ready to sit down. She smiled as she took the first couple of bites of the familiar food. Oharu hadn't had much time, but had still managed to put in a few of Shizine's favorites. But after a few more bites, she couldn't help but chew on her lower lip as she looked back towards her home town. The town her family didn't even live in anymore. She stayed quiet, looking around at the unfamiliar countryside between bites with a serious expression. Her attention was obviously not on finishing her lunch, and she scooted closer to her new magic-princess-teacher and asked, "Where do you live, Tsunade-hime? Where are we going?"
Tsunade swallowed the mouthful of sandwich before answering. "First off, it's just 'Tsunade', not 'Tsunade-hime'. Just because I am nobility doesn't mean I need to be addressed as such. And actually, it could prove dangerous later on. As for the other two questions..." She trailed off, brown eyes gazing into the distance. "I don't exactly 'live' anywhere. I wander. Sometimes there's a roof over my head, generally there's not."
She kicked herself mentally at how tired the kid looked. The girl was young, couldn't even be ten, and they had traveled far in Tsunade's zeal to put as much distance between them and that city. They could stay here for a while, then, before moving on. We won't be able to get as far as I'd like, she thought. It was getting colder at night, and while she herself could cope easily, it wouldn't be fair to the kid. That meant more hotels or inns.
...
Maybe they would accept some sort of barter. Trade of skills or something.
Shizune dutifully nodded and made a mental note to not call her "princess", which she promptly forgot. "You don't have a home? .... is that why you were sleeping in the alley?" Shizune was a little worried. Mother said Tsunade-hime would take care of here, and while she was willing to learn magic so she wouldn't hurt anyone, she didn't really want to sleep in any alleys. Her food forgotten, she scooted a little closer, looking up at her teacher. "...we don't always have to sleep in alleys, do we?"
"No, we won't be sleeping in alleys, and you found me there because I was tired, it was there, end of story." Tsunade ruffled the girl's hair. "Don't worry, I said I'd take care of you, and I will. No alley-sleeping, unless we absolutely have to.
Shizune made a face as her hair got ruffled, and tried to smooth it back down, but felt much better when Tsunade said that. She yawned hugely and took a few more bites, looking back the road they had traveled again. It would cool down as it got later, but right now the sun was warm on her shoulders, she was very sleepy, and before she knew it, she was dozing off, slumping over Tsunade's thigh, the last bits of her lunch sliding off her lap.
Tsunade blinked down at the sleeping girl, and sighed. Holding her sandwich in one hand, she vanished Shizune's lunch with the other. She let her hand come to rest on the girl's back. Life was going to be interesting, oh yes.