Chapter 13   - Ch13. Tsunade Senju, the 'Sannin' 1

Konoha Hospital, Tsunade's office:

Tsunade reminisced with a bottle of sake about her recent time in Konoha, on the verge of a breakdown.

Tsunade returned to Konoha a week ago and a lot of things have happened since then.

First of all, she and her teammates were hailed as heroes for keeping Hanzo at bay during the clash of the Ame and Konoha army, leaving Ame's military in quite the precarious state.

Tsunade could see the proud smug look of Jiraiya as he eyed big-b.r.e.a.s.ted females with apparent l.u.s.t as if he was about to choose which pouch is the right one to stick his kunai into. Tsunade found it gross. And they wonder why she never 'fell' for such a gallant figure!

Tsunade loved Jiraiya... as a friend. But a lover? She would rather commit seppuku.

Oh, she couldn't even remember the number of times Jiraiya asked her to 'scratch' the itch when they were in the field together. Tsunade had her urges too as every self-respecting twenty-plus years old woman but... Jiraiya? Really? Bleh.

Her status as a kunoichi from the Senju clan made her shielded from receiving seduction missions and she was not about to give her v.i.r.g.i.nity to anyone, much less a pervert who sticks himself to every hole he finds on the road.

Unlike the general population of shinobi who are informed that yes, chakra indeed does prevent them from getting a venereal disease, she was one of the best medic-nin in Konoha. She knew better. Chakra was not omnipotent.

But it was her pride. Most of her academy year classmates already lost their purity years ago. Some of them as young as twelve. It was a sad thing but the current reality. Tsunade was pure. She just was not innocent. Not since she plunged a kunai through the throat of a bandit on her first C-rank mission. And she will never regret it. Not for a second.

She had to sigh when she spotted that even Orochimaru's lip was twitching upwards at the praise they received. She was disappointed. She thought him smarter...

To be honest, this was the first really big achievement for her teammates. Jiraiya is good at spying and sealing and Orochimaru at research and Jutsu. Not really something Konoha lacked or something that could bring them fame. This was the first time both orphans of her team were under the limelight since Sarutobi-sensei took them under his care.

Her? Not so much. She was Senju. Always praised, coddled, where she went people treated her like a princess. And it was great! Until she was six. Since then it has become utterly annoying. So, when she came from Suna front after she single-handedly pushed Konoha forces into a victory, and received the praise, Tsunade was apathetic to it. Instead, she remembered all the blood that flowed through her fingers. All the blood of her allies. Those she couldn't save. Sad sight but the current reality indeed.

The exact same thing as she was experiencing now.

What... heroes! What... held Hanzo long enough to win! She was not a stupid idiot! She saw the man completely fine after the fight with them and their summons! He let them go and even gave them a disparaging title for it! Yet, her teammates took it as praise.

Idiots.

They couldn't even notice when they were being mocked...

Tsunade couldn't, no, didn't even want to count how many times she had to use her experimental technique, Creation Rebirth, and how much life force she was forced to use. Tears streamed down her cheeks every time she realized that one fight cost her Fifty years of her life. Fifty years in exchange for saving her teammates and herself from a continuous lethal dose of salamander poison. No matter how she pleaded, her teammates refused to retreat.

Were Jiraya and Orochimaru even worth it? Jiraya took thirty and Orochimaru took at least twelve years from her. Her body was freaking seventy! Only her medical transformation and the vitality of Senju kept her looking the same or her performance from dropping. Nobody even realized...

Sensei was too busy being Hokage.

Orochimaru had his research and wanted recognition. He was already on a mission with her brother.

And Jiraiya... he didn't care. He would soon leave again to Ame in order to train three orphans. The idiot thought he finally found his 'chosen one'.

Oh, why does he have to sound so much like Orochimaru when he starts to talk about finding a 'prophesied' little boy!

Tsunade quietly sobbed into her arms, as the bottle fell onto the ground, spilling the contents.

Unknown to the Sannin, their break up was set in stone in the exact battle they received the title from Hanzo. Their medic was forced to do too much for the team. Too much sacrifice to keep two childish idiots alive. Neither Jiraiya or Orochimaru were yet the fabled incredible Sannin from cannon.

Tsunade just couldn't. Fifty years. She was well aware of what that meant for her. It meant Nawaki was the only one who could restore the Senju clan. She never cared for it. But... This was one blow too many for Tsunade. Orochimaru may be a poison expert but he was completely out of his league when it came to rare Salamander's poison. She only had to use eight years of her life to keep herself alive through the poison thanks to her medical expertise and various drugs in her system.

Forty-two years were squandered through Katsuyu to a white-haired idiot who cared only about f.u.c.k.i.n.g whores and to a research-addicted justu-crazed smug bastard. Not even a single meaningless thank you.

Tsunade was a realist. And the reality was, Hanzo could singlehandedly f.u.c.k up the entirety of Konoha force. Tsunade REALLY doubted even the 'God of Shinobi' Hiruzen Sarutobi would come out of that fight alive. Hanzo was indeed a ninja from the generation of her Grandfather. It showed, alright. He could make a bloody smear out of the Konoha shinobi force and wouldn't even need to approach! His poison was better than anything Suna could ever come up with. It's just, he found it more amusing to play with the pupils of the current 'God of Shinobi'.

They did not fight a war with Iwa in Ame. They were ALLOWED to fight a war with Iwa in Ame. A very distinct difference. Tsunade only hoped Amegakure didn't join the fight... She had enough of meeting Hanzo for one lifetime. She would most likely not survive another...

Tsunade snorted when she realized she was a seventy-years old v.i.r.g.i.n. It actually brought quite the humor into the entire situation.

Her eyes trailed to Nawaki's photo and a charming smile spread through her face.

As long as Nawaki survives... The clan can still go on. I am not needed anymore.

She sadly noted but was happy it was that way. No forced marriage to recreate the Senju clan. No political schemes. No, she was now supposed to live her remaining life in the hospital, helping the village. She chuckled as she remembered THAT discussion with her sensei.

Telling the man she was now physically older than him... Both had to get drunk under the table. Hiruzen because she was apparently his first choice as successor and Tsunade because she just didn't want to have a mental break-down in front of her sensei. Tsunade of course tore him a new one. Spending her life in the hospital... Ha! As if.

Tsunade remembered the spike of... nature energy. Yes, she flipped through the books of her grandfather and was surprised when the Sage Arts, the thing Jiraiya-baka was so enamored with, were a chakra diluted form of raw nature energy. Tsunade deeply desired the war to end so she could use her new privileges as one of the 'Sannin' and retire due to 'old age', hehe, and start looking for the source of that spike.

Her very own adventure! She didn't even know what for! She only knew, her instincts, her heart deeply longed for anything that was produced by that spike of energy. Illogical but... it was the first and truest feeling she held after her love for her brother. It was precious.

Tsunade played with a bottle of sake, her head lying on the table, half-drunk as she did kissy faces at the photo of her cute lil' bro.

Suddenly the door flew wide.

"Tsunade!" Jiraiya shrieked.

"What Jiraiya!" Tsunade screamed in annoyance. He was the very last idiot she wanted to see this fine alcohol-filled evening! "I won't go on a date with you! Now go!"

Jiraya quieted down, his face serious. Tsunade blinked as a really bad feeling sneaked into her heart.

"Tsunade, I am sorry... it's Nawaki. He..."

Tsunade palled to ghost white and didn't even wait for him to finish, she rushed out of the room. Her heart, breaking.