Archive of Our Own

Tsunade had come to realize that her life was anything but predictable. She had also come to realize that life is temporary. She only felt this way because people were constantly being taken from her life when she least expected it. She knew that people died in times of war but she never expected the victims of war to be her lover and her brother. After their passing’s, Tsunade saw life as temporary but always unpredictable.

She looked to her teammates, Orochimaru and Jiraiya. She remembered watching them as they grew up together. She didn’t want to grow close to them but she found it was inevitable. She tried to fight it but she eventually succumbed to seeing Orochimaru and Jiraiya as her friends and eventually, her family.

They would grow to become her right and left hand men. She trusted them with her life, despite Orochimaru showing signs of his ruthlessness. Despite part of her growing suspicious of Orochimaru, there was another part of her that knew he would never hurt her or Jiraiya. Even when they were in a three way deadlock and Orochimaru held a kunai to stab Jiraiya and Tsunade stood in the way, he refrained from harming both of them.

That meant something to Tsunade.

It wasn’t until the Third Hokage exposed Orochimaru for his heartless experiments to gain immortality that Tsunade realized she never really knew her teammate. She never really knew Orochimaru. He had this way about him where he could talk to you and you would feel like you knew everything and nothing about him at the same time. It was a skill to be able to talk like that so effortlessly. He was cold and Tsunade realized that too late.

Orochimaru had come to be someone Tsunade trusted but after he betrayed the Leaf and their sensei time and time again, she had no choice but to look at him differently. She had no choice but to look at him as the enemy. She didn’t want to look at him with hate but he had done this to himself. She would cry herself to sleep some nights as she reminisced on the times when Orochimaru and Jiraiya used to train together.

Back when life was so simple.

Sometimes, she wondered if she would ever go back to a time where she would stand by Orochimaru and Jiraiya’s side again. It was after she was elected as the Fifth Hokage and she sent Jiraiya on an infiltration mission in the Hidden Rain that she remembered life temporary and unpredictable. She had lost Jiraiya and she blamed herself for his death.

Tsunade mourned his death at night when no one could see or hear her. She wailed for the loss of her best friend. She sobbed when Naruto had told her that if the roles were reversed, Jiraiya would never have sent her on a mission that dangerous. Naruto had painfully reminded her that Jiraiya loved her unconditionally. Tsunade’s heart was broken and she wondered if it was even worth stitching back together at this point.

Yet, life was unpredictable.

She had been thrown into the Fourth Great Shinobi War and fought against the reanimated Madara Uchiha alongside the other Kage. She got to show Madara just what Hashirama Senju’s granddaughter could do. While she and the other Kage were defeated, Tsunade did everything in her power to save her fallen Kage. She looked up into the night sky as she awaited death. She closed her eyes with a small smile on her face. She felt at peace. She would be with everyone she lost soon enough.

“Look at the sorry state you’re in, Tsunade.”

She knew that voice anywhere. Her eyes slowly fluttered open as she heard her summoning slug move to attack the intruder. Tsunade was revealed from the slug, allowing her to look into those devious snake-like eyes Orochimaru had. His face seemed serious but she knew him well enough to know he was concerned for her well-being. Seeing your old comrade sliced in two is never an easy sight to behold, even for Orochimaru.

“You were reckless, Tsunade.”

Tsunade could hear Orochimaru talking to Katsuyu, informing her that he was not a threat. He had come to aid the Five Kage and she had heard that he specifically requested that she be cared for first. There were many emotions swarming around in Tsunade. She was still angry at Orochimaru but she couldn’t fight the feeling of happiness she got when he had come to save her.

They spoke to each other briefly but Tsunade had to fight back her smile when she told him that even someone like him could change. It was true, Orochimaru still didn’t make sense to her but she believed that he was worth trying to understand. They stared into each other’s eyes and nodded to each other. They were in silent agreement that they would have to have a more in depth conversation at a later time.

It was after the war that the pair made time for a talk. They sat down in the field where they used to train together when they were kids. The two of them would look out at the open grass and smile at the nostalgia that lingered within this location. Tsunade frowned, the only ones left from their team now were the two of them.

“Who told you about Jiraiya?”

“Who told me is unimportant.”

“Did you even mourn for him?”

“I found his body.”

Tsunade wanted to punch him for daring to drag Jiraiya’s body out of where it was lost. She was about to scream at him until she heard his calm voice state, “I retrieved his body from the depths of the lake. He had lost one of his arms and there were multiple stab wounds where rods were still impaled in his back.”

“Why are you telling me this?”

“Because he was still smiling.”

She was at a loss for words when he said that. Silent tears made their journeys down her face as Orochimaru stared out at the open field. The wind was blowing, pushing the grass into whichever way it desired. Orochimaru had a blank look on his face, as if he wasn’t even staring at the field. It was like he was somewhere else.

“Do you remember this place, Tsunade?”

“How could I forget?”

“I still remember Hiruzen’s two bells.”

“Jiraiya fell for a trap and didn’t get a bell.”

The two of them chuckled softly as they remembered that day. Tsunade had bragged about her bell, which resulting in Jiraiya telling her that she had a flat chest. Tsunade was instantly enraged by that insult while Orochimaru just watched the two of them. He would have to admit that Tsunade and Jiraiya were quite entertaining.

Tsunade had rested her head on Orochimaru’s shoulder, staring out at the field with her friend. Orochimaru slowly reached over to place his hand on top of hers. It was unlike him to show affection like this but Tsunade chose not to say anything about it. She had a feeling he needed this.

“Thank you, Orochimaru.”

“For what?”

“For coming back to me.”

“Tsunade…”

Neither of them dared to move to look at one another. Tsunade stared out at the field as she stated, “You didn’t have to save me during the war but you did. I still didn’t trust you but you forced your care on me anyways. I’ve scared countless people in my lifetime but you’ve never been afraid of me.”

Orochimaru was laughing softly. Normally his laughs sounded sinister but this one sounded genuine.

He had a small smile on his face as he replied, “When you’ve looked death in the face as many times as I have, you learn not to be afraid of anything. I’m not so much afraid of you, rather, your incredible strength. I’d rather not be on the receiving end of your punches.”

Tsunade couldn’t help but laugh at Orochimaru. He didn’t have much of a sense of humor but she knew him well enough to know he was trying to joke around with her now. She couldn’t deny that she would also hate to be on the receiving end of one of her attacks. She knew the amount of chakra she put into her attacks was lethal.

“I will miss you, Tsunade.”

“What do you mean?”

“I can’t stay here.”

“Just when I thought I had you back…”

The blonde sighed as she removed herself from his shoulder. Orochimaru turned to look at her as she continued, “Just when I thought things were back to being as normal as they could be… you leave. I don’t understand why you always do this. Sometimes, I don’t think I’ll ever understand you, Orochimaru.”

Orochimaru shook his head with a smile on his face, “Come now, Tsunade, I’m not leaving to die. We both know that this place was never my home. The Leaf was never meant to be where I reside. We both know that I belong in the Hidden Sound. I have much work to do there to restore it.”

“The Sound isn’t your home.”

“Hm? Whatever do you mean?”

He could see that her hand was gripping the ground hard enough to rip some grass out. She looked like she couldn’t make eye contact with him. He had never been so intrigued by Tsunade before.

It appeared that she was showing a much more vulnerable side of herself with him. He felt grateful to be beside her to witness this side of her. He felt grateful to be in her presence.

His eyes widened as he listened to her soft voice, “You don’t belong in the Sound like you think you do. You think the Sound is your home but I don’t buy that for a second. Home isn’t a place… home is a person. Home is where your heart feels at ease. Jiraiya and I are your home and since he’s no longer with us… I’m your home.”

“Am I your home, Tsunade?”

She froze for a moment but then slowly turned to look him in the eyes. She had known those yellow eyes to be mysterious and devious but now they were soft and almost kind. She barely noticed that he had never removed his hand from hers. She took notice in how his hand was cold, yet soft. She thought that accurately described Orochimaru.

Tsunade had a small smile on her face as she looked back at her friend. The wind was blowing through both of their hair but Orochimaru could still see that smile on her face.

She gave a grin as she answered, “I won’t be fully home until we meet Jiraiya again but for now I’ll make do with what I’ve got… and I’ve got you.”

“So, yes, you’re my home, Orochimaru.”

Tsunade found herself quite busy as she passed along the mantle of Hokage on to Kakashi Hatake. She had been the Hokage for years and she wasn’t getting any younger, despite the jutsu she used to make herself look nearly thirty years old. She knew that it was time for her to step down and let Kakashi pave the way for the next generation.

She saw a look of sadness in Naruto’s eyes when she made her decision to make Kakashi the Sixth Hokage. As she made her way over to him she was surprised to see that the sadness in his eyes had been replaced with determination. She tilted her head in confusion when he spoke to her first.

“You don’t have to apologize, granny Tsunade.”

“What do you mean?”

“Obito already said I’d be Seventh.”

“Naruto…”

The blonde male had a soft smile on his face when he explained, “Back during the war, Obito told me that he saw me as competition because we both wanted to become Hokage. Kakashi pulled me aside after and told me that Obito told him that he needed to be the Sixth Hokage. Obito knew I still had more work to do before I could become Hokage so I’m not going to sit around crying about it. I’ve got more work to do before I’m ready to be Hokage!”

Tsunade felt tears prick at the corners of her eyes as she saw the face of her younger brother flash before her eyes as Naruto’s words echoed in her mind. She blinked the tears away as she walked over and planted a soft kiss on Naruto’s forehead, just as she did when he was younger. She pulled away and kept a gentle smile on her face as she whispered to him.

“You’re going to blow us all away when you’re Hokage.”

Tsunade didn’t miss how Naruto’s face lit up after she said that. She knew he was going to do big things for this village when it was his time to lead it. She knew one day he was going to change the Great Nations. She knew that he really would blow everyone away when he was finally given the title of Hokage. She knew he would make a million mistakes but he would learn from each one to make himself and the village better.

She had placed her hand on his shoulder before she walked towards Kakashi. The grey haired male had just finished up an enthusiastic conversation with Guy when he turned to greet Tsunade. The two of them made an unlikely pair but that’s why they worked so well together. She shook her head when she heard Kakashi let out an exaggerated sigh.

“Are you sure you don’t want to be Hokage a little longer?”

“You’re just what this village needs, Kakashi.”

“You know I’m going to make a lot of changes.”

“That’s what I’m hoping for.”

Kakashi’s eyes held a look of curiosity in them as he listened to the older woman speak, “I’m not the one who can help with the evolution of the Leaf. Even without your Sharingan, you have better eyes than me. You could always see the way forward and that’s why you’re the best person to lead this village now.”

“Are you sure you want to retire, Tsunade?”

“I don’t think I’ll retire just yet.”

“What’s on your mind?”

“I’m just trying to figure out where I’m needed.”

Kakashi shook his head before he motioned for her to follow him. They walked to the top of the Hokage’s tower and looked out at the village. Tsunade had stood on the top of the building countless times but she would never get used to the sight.

She would never get used to seeing all the people walking through the streets. She would never get used to seeing all the young children running through the streets, unbeknownst to them that they would carry on the Will of Fire.

The two of them looked out at the village together, sharing a comfortable silence for a couple minutes.

Kakashi eventually broke the silence when he stated, “I still think you’re needed here. There’s still so much you can teach these people. The hospital would benefit greatly if you ran it and when you create a strong enough foundation, you can pass it on to Sakura.”

“Sounds like you’ve already planned this out.”

“I just don’t think you’re done here.”

“Oh, yeah?”

“You said it yourself, my eyes are better than yours.”

It was her turn to shake her head this time. She was chuckling as she returned playfully, “I should’ve known you would use that against me. As much as I want you to be wrong… I know you’re right.”

“I’d like you to do something else for me, Tsunade.”

She turned to face him, smiling as she saw the setting sun shining down on Kakashi. She would argue that Kakashi had aged like fine wine. He just got better with age and that’s why he needed to be the Hokage now.

Tsunade knew she wouldn’t be able to grow into what this village needed and it’s because she acknowledged this that she became okay with her decision to step down.

“What can I do for you, Kakashi?”

“Can you keep tabs on Orochimaru?”

“What? We have Yamato for that.”

Kakashi shook his head as he turned to face her. She couldn’t see the faint smile he had on his face beneath the mask, “Yamato watches from the outside but I would like you to keep tabs on him from the inside. Consider it an excuse for you to visit him more often.”

She stared back at him in awe. She had no idea that Kakashi wanted her to visit him. She was going to pay visits to Orochimaru as friends but she knew that she would also be trying to see what he’s up to when she would go see him. She figured it couldn’t hurt to report any findings back to Kakashi.

She nodded back to Kakashi and the two of them watched the sunset together. She sighed to herself, a small smile on her face.

Orochimaru had changed… hadn’t he?

It was a couple weeks later that she made her journey to the Sound to check up on Orochimaru. She could see Yamato and a few other ninja monitoring the hideout. She shook her head and grinned when she saw Yamato nodding at her. She wished he would drop the formality and just wave at her. It’s not like Orochimaru was going anywhere anytime soon.

She entered the hideout and was immediately greeted by Karin. Tsunade noticed that she had shaved part of her hair on one side of her head. Tsunade had to admit, she pulled off the shaved head look very well. Karin smiled at Tsunade and motioned for her to follow.

Tsunade wasn’t sure what she was expecting the hideout to look like but this wasn’t it. The walls were white and the porcelain tile beneath her feet was beautiful. She had never known that Orochimaru had a love for renovations but then she remembered that she didn’t really know him as well as she thought she did. This was why she needed to be constantly checking up on him, for her mission and for herself.

“Ah, Tsunade, what a surprise.”

She couldn’t help but feel a shiver run down her spine. It was something she had grown accustomed to when she heard his snake like voice. Before, that voice was something she hated to hear but now she had to remind herself that it was a pleasant sound. She saw him standing in a dimly lit room before a table with countless test tubes and Bunsen burners heating liquids in beakers.

“What’s all this, Orochimaru?”

“Research for the Hokage.”

“Strictly business, just like always, huh?”

“It’s all I’ve known.”

She walked over to the table, watching as he placed the test tube in his hand into a tube holder. His eyes locked with hers but if she looked carefully, she could see some bags under his eyes and a faint crow’s foot wrinkle starting to form. She could tell that this body was slowly starting to decay. He would need to take a new vessel soon.

“Come now, Tsunade.”

“What?”

“I know that look.”

He had a faint smile on his face as he continued, “I know you better than you think, Tsunade. You’re looking at me like you’re waiting for me to tell you how I’m plotting something evil but I can assure you that I’ve been assisting the Hokage. I know I have tarnished your trust in the past but promoting the advancement for the Leaf is my purpose now.”

“But is that all you’re ever going to do?”

“What else would I do, hm?”

“Well…”

“What would you do if you were me, Tsunade?”

She cracked a smile at him, causing him to give her his famous snake-like laugh. She shook her head at him with a grin plastered on her face. Orochimaru was never one for humor but she could tell he was trying to joke around with her.

Truth be told, Tsunade had no idea what she would do if she had a terrible track record like Orochimaru. She had no idea what she would do with her life after a recent change of heart. She shrugged to herself, silently agreeing that she might be doing what Orochimaru was doing now.

Orochimaru took her silence as a point for him. He was about to continue with his research when she said softly, “I think I would do what you’re doing now but… I think I would be selfish. You’re selfish, Orochimaru, I won’t lie to you… but since you’re selfish, you’re going to want more than this and so would I.”

“What more could I possibly want?”

“I…”

“Tsunade, look at me.”

The blonde hadn’t realized she was avoiding the other male’s eyes.

He had a gentle smile on his face as he asked, “I have a feeling this isn’t about me anymore so what is it that you want to do? What more do you want to do with your life? I might act on my selfishness but I know you well enough to know you won’t, so what is it that you want now?”

Orochimaru watched as she bit her lip, as if she didn’t want to say what she wanted. He took a deep breath, knowing he needed to break his emotionless composure to let her feel more comfortable talking to him about something that could potentially be very personal. He knew she needed him to be a friend right now. She needed her Team Hiruzen teammate.

He reached across the table and brushed a rebellious strand of blonde hair back behind her ear. Tsunade gasped quietly at the kind gesture.

Orochimaru still had a smile on his face as he whispered, “I remember Dan mentioned how you always had a hair that refused to work with you. I believe I found it.”

He was scared he had crossed a line when he brought up Dan because Tsunade started to tear up. Just as he was removing his hand from her face, Tsunade grabbed his hand and latched onto it like it was her lifeline. Neither of them said anything. They just stared back at each other, tear-filled chocolate eyes gazing back into murky yellow eyes.

“I want what I can’t have.”

“Tsunade…”

“I know you said you could bring them back but…”

“I won’t, even if you asked me now.”

In seconds, tears were pouring down her face and Orochimaru was walking around the table so that he could wipe those tears away.

He shook his head at her as he continued, “It was wrong for me to have used your love for Dan and Nawaki against you like that back then. I know what they mean to you. I saw what they meant to you, both times.”

“I never got to ask you, but did Nawaki-“

“No, he didn’t suffer, nor did he hesitate.”

Orochimaru squeezed her hand as he stated, “I had the misfortune of witnessing both your lover and your brother’s deaths. I don’t understand why I had to be the one to witness such horrors of war but I have learned that bringing them back would only pain you more… and myself, as well.”

“Tsunade, you have yet to tell me what you want.”

“You already know.”

“I’d like to hear it.”

“Of course, you would.”

It was her turn to squeeze his hand as she described what she wanted, “If I had things my way, I’d want to be married to Dan. I’d want to give him children and watch them grow up learning from us and Nawaki. We’d live in a two story home in the Leaf with Jiraiya coming to visit. He’d bring the kids treasures from all over the world and you would teach them how to love all animals, even the ones who look scary on the outside.”

There were tears streaming down her cheeks again as she continued, “Dan would be the Hokage but he would pass it on to Naruto when he’s ready. Our kids would have Nawaki as their sensei when they graduated from the academy. Dan and I would make so many mistakes but we would learn from each one to make the village safe and sound for them.”

“And then?”

Tsunade leaned against Orochimaru as she finished, “Our kids would grow up to become whatever they wanted to be. You and Jiraiya would grow old with us and the three of us would go to the training grounds and we’d reminisce on the good old days when everything was so simple.”

“That sounds… lovely.”

“But it’ll never happen.”

“You want to settle down, don’t you?”

“It’s not in the cards for me anymore.”

Orochimaru was about to ask why she couldn’t settle down anymore but she cut him off by saying harshly, “The woman who wanted all of that gave up when the world took everyone I love away from me. This world… it can be unpredictable and cruel. It’s taken everything from me so that I could never settle down like I want to.”

The raven haired male could see she was going through various emotions, ranging from sadness to rage. He couldn’t believe he was doing this but he knew it had to be done. He gently grabbed her chin and that’s when he placed his lips to her forehead, planting a soft kiss to it just as she had done to Dan and vice versa. She gasped, feeling more tears falling down her face as she took in the significance of the act of love.

“O-Orochimaru…”

He slowly removed himself from her. He allowed himself to smile when he saw her feeling the diamond mark on her forehead where he had kissed. She gradually started to form a smile. She had to admit, Orochimaru was good at surprising her and keeping her on her toes. Maybe, just maybe… he had changed for the better. Maybe she couldn’t fulfill her dream, but he could. Maybe he could have what she couldn’t have.

“That’s what you should do.”

“Hm?”

“You can settle down, Orochimaru.”

Orochimaru didn’t even bother to hide the obvious confusion he was feeling when he heard her say that.

She quickly went on to explain herself, “It’s not in the cards for me to settle down and have kids but why couldn’t you do that, Orochimaru? What I’m trying to say is… you have more of a chance at having a normal life than I do. You have a chance to become something much bigger than yourself.”

“Tsunade, don’t take this the wrong way but…”

“What are you-“

“Have you gone mad?”

Orochimaru was pacing around the room, trying to dismiss everything. He turned to his friend, “You can’t possibly be serious about this. Normal is something I have never known. Tsunade, I can assure you that I would be the worst at ‘settling down.’ You know what I’ve done… happily ever after is something I do not deserve.”

The blonde walked over to him and grabbed his hands as she countered, “I know what you’ve done but I’ve seen you change. I’ve seen you grow, Orochimaru. You’ve done terrible things in the past but that’s not what I see today. Today, I see a man who is trying to atone for his sins… but you’re going to live a sad life if this is all you’ll ever allow yourself to have.”

“I don’t mind this life here, alone.”

“I’d believe that if Team Taka wasn’t here.”

“Tsunade… people like me don’t settle down.”

She had a hard look in her eyes and that’s when Orochimaru knew he wasn’t going to win this.

Her eyes held a bit of a playful look in them as she returned, “And people like me with a fear of blood don’t work in hospitals but here we both are. I’ve never known you as one to make excuses, Orochimaru.”

“Why do you want this for me?”

“Because I know you want it, too.”

The raven haired male was about to take a step back but Tsunade reached forward and grabbed his hand. If she didn’t know it, she would have said that Orochimaru was scared. She could tell that settling down was something he had convinced himself that he didn’t deserve. Nothing broke her heart more than to know that Orochimaru really thought he didn’t deserve to have a family.

She pulled him closer to him, which she knew frightened him even more. She held her ground as she stated, “I know you want a family, Orochimaru. I know you don’t think you deserve it but what you don’t realize is that you’ve always had a family. It was Team Hiruzen. We may have a small family now but you can make it bigger.”

Orochimaru let out a sigh he didn’t know he was holding when she embraced him. He was hesitant but he eventually wrapped his arms around Tsunade.

There were tears making their journeys down his face, landing on her shoulder. If she felt the fabric of her clothes dampening, she didn’t say anything. Orochimaru couldn’t fight the smile that crept onto his face.

“One day, Tsunade… one day.”

“I’ll hold you to that, Orochimaru.”

In a few years, Tsunade had watched the world around her change time and time again. The first change was that Kakashi’s face was carved into the mountain that stood proud looking over the village.

The second change was when all the people she watched grow from genin to adults express their excitement that their wives were with child. Tsunade would watch the next generation of ninjas grow before her eyes.

Tsunade was there when the Konoha 12 came to the hospital to deliver their children. The only child she did not deliver was Sasuke and Sakura’s child.

When she had received word from Orochimaru that Karin had been the one to deliver the baby she felt at ease. She knew that Sasuke and Sakura were in good hands with Karin. She smiled when Orochimaru informed her that Sasuke and Sakura had a beautiful girl, whom they named Sarada.

Yet, Tsunade saw that in Orochimaru’s note that he had someone he wanted her to meet. This peaked her interest. With all of these births happening between the Konoha 12, she was wondering what Orochimaru was doing. She knew he was leaning towards having children now so she was hopeful that he had found someone to settle down with to start a family.

She parted ways from the Leaf one morning to visit her friend. She had a bit of a pep in her step as she made her way through the forest. Orochimaru had sounded eager in his note, or as eager as someone like Orochimaru can sound. Tsunade tried to keep her expectations low but she couldn’t help but listen to all the thoughts flooding her head that Orochimaru might have completely changed now.

She came to a drastic stop when she saw someone with pastel blue hair leaning against the wall in the mouth of the snake entrance of the hideout. That light blue hair seemed eerily familiar to her but she shook her head, trying to push the thought into the back of her mind.

As she walked closer to the male, she noticed he was a rather tall individual. What surprised her was that he was smoking a cigarette.

He looked old enough to be of age to smoke but engaging in such a physically harming act never really sat well with her. As she approached him, she caught a glimpse into his eyes. There was no mistaking it. Those were the same eyes as Orochimaru. He had to be Orochimaru’s son.

“Who are you?”

“You must be my damned aunt.”

Tsunade cocked an eyebrow at the blatant disrespect but chose not to say anything about it. She grit her teeth when the blue haired male blew out smoke at her face. She had never felt so utterly disrespected and she wondered how much longer she would be able to bite her tongue before she said something she would regret.

“My name is Log.”

“Is Orochimaru your father?”

She didn’t miss how Log scoffed at her question. He flicked his cigarette to the ground and stepped on it, squishing it as an added measure to make sure it was put out.

Log rolled his eyes before replying, “Don’t try to call that bastard my father. I see him as nothing more than unavoidable irritation.”

Now that was surprising.

It seemed that Orochimaru’s own child resented him. Log made a motion that instructed Tsunade to follow him. She trailed close behind him but chose not to speak to him. He seemed to be cold and abrasive, which contrasted with her own quick-tempered yet compassionate self. It seemed that they were more like fire and ice.

As Log turned into a room and stepped out of the way, Tsunade was frozen in her place at the sight before her. Her breath grew shaky as she looked out at the five giant test tubes that seemed to be glaring back at her. She watched as Log walked over to the middle test tube, which contained a younger version of Log. The boy in the tube must have been about five years old.

“Wh-what is this?”

“Ah, Tsunade, I see you’ve met my children.”

“Y-Your… your children?”

Orochimaru walked to Tsunade, noticing how she seemed to be going back and forth between rage and sadness.

Orochimaru nodded and smiled, “Yes, I took your advice and I started a family. It took me some time to gather DNA from compatible subjects but I have created the perfect synthetic human. Though, there were some complications at first.”

Tsunade was barely listening when Orochimaru explained, “Log was my first successful synthetic human but he aged far too quickly. There was an error in his genetic makeup that caused him to age faster than a normal human. By the time I was able to correct the error, he was nearly eighteen years old. He’s stable and he now remains here in the Sound with me. He helps me monitor the future children.”

“Their hair… whose DNA is that?”

“I thought you knew.”

“Whose is it, Orochimaru?”

“I used Dan’s.”

The hideout seemed to shake when Tsunade punched a hole in the ground. Orochimaru had jumped away and was now watching as her breathing got heavy. She snapped her head to look at Orochimaru.

Orochimaru tried to remain expressionless but she had caused damage to his laboratory so he was hoping that her outburst hadn’t effected the children. The one Log was standing before was the one that was supposed to awaken soon. Orochimaru would be damned if Tsunade got in the way of him creating a family.

“What the hell are you plotting, Orochimaru?!”

“I’m afraid I don’t understand.”

The blonde marched over to Orochimaru, screaming at the man who held his ground, “When I told you to settle down you knew I meant with another person! You didn’t need to create a family so what are you doing?! I can’t believe you would go back on your word! These aren’t your children! These are your experiments! Why else would they all look the damn same?!”

Tsunade grabbed Orochimaru by the front of his shirt, hissing in his face, “And what’s worse is you had the audacity to use DNA from my lover to create these experiments! I can’t believe you would do this to the Leaf, to me! You know better than anyone how much Dan means to me and here you are throwing his DNA around like it’s nothing!”

She shoved him back, causing him to stumble back until he regained his footing.

He brushed himself off before countering, “If you must know, I did this for you and myself. I used Dan’s DNA as a means of giving you back a portion of what you lost. I see that my intentions to be a good person were not interpreted how I expected… but I shall not stop this.”

“If you won’t stop this…”

“Tsunade-“

“Then I will!”

Orochimaru’s eyes widened when Tsunade punched the ground again, causing the ground to crack beneath them. Log, who had ignored their entire altercation, reached a hand out to place it on the tube in front of him. He didn’t even notice how the other tubes around him had fallen to the ground, shattering, and exposing the creations inside to the outside world. The only remaining tube was the one Log was standing in front of.

Tsunade was trudging over, missing how Orochimaru ran to the exposed creations to try to stabilize them. She missed the silent tears that fell down Orochimaru’s face when he realized that there was no life within each creation.

The tubes behind Log were still in the early stages of development so they could not survive without the nutrients the tube provided. Orochimaru would never know who these children would have grown up to be.

Tsunade was about to punch through Log to get to the tube but she gasped when she heard Log speaking to the being in the tube.

Log spoke to the being like it was the only person in the world to him, “Mitsuki… what am I going to say to you? You’re supposed to awaken soon but what will my first words be to you? It’s always been easier to talk to you when you’re like this because I don’t think you can hear me.”

All her anger seemed to subside when she watched the cold hearted Log turn into a sensitive and vulnerable teenager.

Log had a small smile on his face as he continued, “Domestic life like this isn’t really my style but… I’m dedicating every day to you. Everything I do is for you, Mitsuki.”

She felt tears prick at her eyes as she listened to his soft spoken words, “This world will never be as kind to you so it’s up to me to protect you. I’ll bleed and fight for you so that one day I can give you the world. I’ll make a million mistakes but I swear, Mitsuki, I’ll make the world safe and sound for you.”

Log had begun to finally take in Tsunade’s lingering presence. Log was deeply hurt that the person who was supposed to be his aunt had dared to kill innocent lives. Log would never get to see his siblings grow up.

The only one he had was Mitsuki now.

Log’s eyes shifted to the side to see Orochimaru’s weeping form. Seeing his parent in such a heartbroken state filled Log with rage he had never felt before.

“If you touch Mitsuki, I won’t hesitate to kill you.”

“Stand aside, Log.”

“Will you kill me, too, aunt Tsunade?”

“I haven’t killed anyone!”

“Look around you and tell me that again.”

Log turned to face her as he shouted at her, “Look around you and tell me that you haven’t killed anyone! You killed my brothers and sisters in those test tubes! I told Orochimaru from the start that people wouldn’t accept us but I never would’ve thought that the one family I have in the Leaf would be the one to take life from defenseless and innocent children!”

“You’re not real people.”

“Because I wasn’t born naturally?”

“There is nothing natural about you.”

The blue haired male was glaring at her as he snapped, “And you think that you’re natural? You walk around leaking chakra because you want to hide how naturally old you are! What’s so wrong with aging, huh? I lost eighteen years in months and I own that. You’re in your fifties looking like you’re thirty so tell me again whose the natural one? You deceive everyone from the start!”

Tsunade got right in Log’s face, but to her surprise he didn’t back down. She returned aggressively, “The difference between you and I is that I didn’t need someone to steal DNA from others to create me. I was made with love and kindness by two people who adored me while you were made… you were made from him to serve him!”

Log had dared to grab Tsunade by the front of her shirt, mimicking how she had grabbed Orochimaru moments ago.

Log’s voice was cold as ice as he hissed, “I might have been made by Orochimaru but from what I can see… the only monster here is you.”

Neither of them could say anything because the test tube that contained Mitsuki started to release the liquid. Log shoved Tsunade away and turned to see that there were a pair of identical yellow eyes staring back at him.

The test tube opened and the child inside fell forward. Log instantly dove forward to catch the child before he hit the floor. Tsunade was shocked by the action but decided to remain silent to watch the two blue haired males.

“Wh-where am I? Who… who am I?”

“Your name is Mitsuki.”

“Mitsuki… who are you?”

“I’m your older brother, Log.”

Tsunade was surprised when she saw Mitsuki look over Log’s shoulder to observe her.

Mitsuki’s voice sounded raspy but she heard him ask, “And who is that? Why has she not come to greet me as you have?”

Log looked over his shoulder, a glare present as he answered coldly, “That’s your piece of shit aunt, Tsunade. Don’t worry about her, Mitsuki. She might have the family title of ‘aunt’ but I can assure you the only family you have reside in me, Orochimaru, and a few others I’ll show you.”

“Why is Tsunade not considered family?”

Mitsuki was about to look around but Log gently cradled his face in his hands, preventing Mitsuki from witnessing the horror that lurked behind him. Tsunade wanted to feel hurt by the words Log had said about her but she felt more rage than pain.

She didn’t even notice how Orochimaru was quietly sobbing, holding one of the lifeless bodies that would’ve been one of his children. She missed all the pain she had caused the snake family.

“You'll understand when you're older.”

Tsunade made monthly visits after that, much to Log’s dismay. He didn’t want her anywhere near his little brother but there was nothing he could do about it if Orochimaru allowed her to visit each time.

Log remembered constantly fighting with Orochimaru about letting her visit. He didn’t understand why Orochimaru continued to let someone who hated the family to continue to enter their home.

She barely even spoke to them. She would just observe them, especially Mitsuki. Tsunade told herself that the reason she continued to observe Mitsuki on a regular basis was simply because she didn’t trust him.

She didn’t trust that he would be able to become a good experiment so she took it upon herself to push him in the right direction when needed. If he dared to step out of line then she would be ready to step in to keep him in check.

She kept a constant eye on Log, as well. She deemed him as someone who was not a threat, as he never gave any signs that he wanted to leave the Sound. She had noticed that Log was rather fixated on Mitsuki. She wondered if that was because she had taken such an interest in the younger clone. Yet, Tsunade and Log knew that only time would tell who Mitsuki was going to be.

Mitsuki noticed that Tsunade did not treat him as an aunt should. He was aware that she was to be considered his aunt but she was far less affectionate than her aunt Karin. He was aware that Tsunade never went out of her way to speak to him. He noticed that she preferred to watch him from a distance. He decided she was not a threat. If she wanted him dead she would’ve done it by now.

Then what was her purpose?

There was a day when Log was needed in the lab with Orochimaru so Mitsuki was left unsupervised. He was five years old but he was wise beyond his years so the family felt comfortable leaving him unattended. The family was unaware that Tsunade would be making a visit that day. She was surprised to find Mitsuki sitting on the ground in the arena where countless ninja had fought to the death. He was sitting in the center of a circle he made out of books.

She was curious as to what he was reading. She started to make her way over to him, her heels clicking and echoing against the walls. When she was finally standing before him, her eyes widened with surprise. She saw that he was reading books about medical ninjutsu. The current book he was reading was one specifically about Tsunade’s forbidden jutsu.

“You’ll never master that jutsu.”

“It’s good to see you, too, aunt Tsunade.”

“That’s a forbidden jutsu.”

“Will you teach it to me?”

Tsunade shook her head but noticed Mitsuki hadn’t dared to look up from the book since their conversation started. She could see those bright yellow eyes shifting from one end of the page and then back to the start of the new line.

He felt her chocolate brown eyes staring at him but he wasn’t intimidated by her in the slightest. He knew she wouldn’t make a move unless he did.

“I see. I’ll have to learn it on my own, then.”

“You won’t be able to learn it.”

Mitsuki’s shoulders shook, causing Tsunade to grit her teeth to prepare herself for the attack she assumed was coming. She let out a confused noise when she heard him humming in laughter. Her eyes widened as she realized that his shoulders were shaking because he was laughing. The blue haired male found what she said to be humorous.

He finally looked up from his book, an emotionless smile on his face as if he wasn’t sure how to smile correctly.

Mitsuki continued to smile as he said, “You really are as stubborn as my parent says. Well, I can see you won’t be of any assistance to me in my endeavor to become a medical ninja so I suppose I’ll have to do it on my own.”

“Why do you want to be a medical ninja?”

“Hm?”

“No one will trust you.”

“You certainly are a fan of broken glass, aren’t you?”

She was visibly confused by his words. Mitsuki didn’t even blink as he continued, “I am aware of your past. I can tell you walk upon broken glass, or rather the people you have been forced to leave behind and the experiences that define who you are. Instead of sweeping away the broken glass and starting anew, you would rather break another bottle and dance upon the broken glass.”

He reached behind him to grab a pencil from his back pouch. He drew a star on the page where he had stopped reading.

He was still looking at the pages of the book as he stated, “I hope the only thing we have in common with each other won’t be destroying everything we ever touch.”

Tsunade’s eyes narrowed as she watched the child put a snake bookmark in the text he was reading. He stood up, clutching the book to his chest. He wore that same emotionless smile on his face as he bowed to her. She wanted to say something to him but the words were stuck in her throat. Mitsuki hummed in laughter to her before walking away.

“Cheers to us.”

Mitsuki was eight years old when Tsunade noticed him sitting within a circle of books, just like he was sitting when he was five. She was watching him from a distance. She wasn’t planning on engaging in conversation, seeing as how she was still shaken from their last one three years ago.

“I know you are here, aunt Tsunade.”

Her eyes widened, not expecting him to be a sensory type. She rolled her eyes and started to make her way over to him. She noticed that the books that surrounded him this time were ones regarding senjutsu. So, it seemed his newest fascination was in acquiring sage mode and the sage transformation.

“I thought you wanted to be a medical ninja.”

“Oh, I already am.”

“What do you mean?”

“You can’t see it, can you?”

Tsunade was appalled when Mitsuki reached up and moved his light blue bangs up, revealing a purple diamond mark that rivalled her own. Mitsuki removed his hand and carried on reading his book. He paid his aunt no mind as she seemed to lose herself in her own thoughts. He decided it was best for her to figure her shit out before she continued talking to him.

She was absolutely floored that someone who wasn’t her apprentice mastered her own forbidden jutsu. It blew her mind that not only did she not teach him her jutsu, but he was merely a child. Tsunade felt threatened by this child. He could only go off of what he had read in books to learn the jutsu. He didn’t need her and it seemed he was proud to show that.

“You haven’t even signed a summoning contract.”

“Will you always be doubting me?”

Tsunade opened her mouth to say something but no words came out. It seems he struck a nerve, causing Mitsuki to look right into her chocolate brown eyes.

His voice wavered slightly, “You hardly speak to me yet when you do all you do is try to put me down. I wonder why you have such an undying hatred for me. I would say I don’t really care but since you’re family… I must care.”

The older woman avoided his gaze as he continued, “I know much about you but you know nothing of me. It would be in your best interest to try to get to know me before you judge me so critically. I have made efforts to grow close to you but you have made it quite clear you don’t trust me nor do you want a relationship with me… yet, I still yearn for one with you for reasons I cannot understand.”

Tsunade bit her lip when she heard Mitsuki sigh. She looked at him, not missing how defeated his voice sounded, “I’m still young so I know there’s still plenty for me to learn about this world and the people in it. But… I have read in countless books that you were the one who trained Shizune, Sakura, and Ino… I know I’m young but… doesn’t family help one another?”

“You have Karin.”

“She doesn’t know your jutsu.”

“She knows medical ninjutsu. That’s enough.”

Mitsuki shook his head, still refusing to look at her. Tsunade missed how a silent tear fell down Mitsuki’s face and fell into his book.

The blue haired male returned softly, “Every time I think I found you in the books… you show me that you’re nothing like the Tsunade portrayed. I don’t understand it but…”

The child closed his book, sealing the tear within it. Mitsuki turned away from her and began his departure. She started walking towards him but she stopped when he turned to her. His eyes were closed but there was a sad smile on his face as he tilted his head.

“One day, I’ll heal all that hatred in your heart.”

“How are Orochimaru’s kids these days?”

“Those creations aren’t children, Kakashi.”

The two adults were standing on top of the Hokage’s building, watching the sunset. Kakashi noticed how Tsunade tensed as soon as Orochimaru’s name and children were brought up. He watched as her hands seemed to tighten their grip on the railing she was holding. Kakashi shook her head at her. At the end of the day, all he felt for her was pity.

“They look like children to me.”

Tsunade was denting the railing as she snapped, “The youngest one is eight years old but he’s mastered my forbidden jutsu without me being his mentor. He’s eight years old and he’s trying to be a sage. No ordinary child would have the intelligence or the chakra to do either of those on their own so no, Kakashi, I don’t think those experiments are children.”

The grey haired male lazily shrugged before replying, “Maybe so but, I remember I was pretty young when I became a Jonin. It just sounds to me that you’re threatened by this kid because he doesn’t really need you like you thought he would. If he’s eight and he hasn’t expressed any intent to harm the Leaf then what’s the harm in his existence?”

“He’s young. Orochimaru can easily manipulate him.”

“Then wouldn’t Log hate the Leaf, if that was the case.”

Tsunade’s eyes shifted to give Kakashi a dangerous look. She grit her teeth before hissing, “I don’t understand why you’re so fond of these experiments all of a sudden. You’re the one who wanted me to keep an eye on Orochimaru and these creations but you seem to prefer them over me.”

Kakashi just chuckled at Tsunade’s obvious anger. He shook his head at her before responding, “I’m just trying to give these kids a fair chance, as you should, too. They may be Orochimaru’s children he created but I think they deserve the same chance as everyone else. If someone like Naruto can become highly respected in the village then why can’t Log and Mitsuki?”

“You can’t be serious, Kakashi.”

“Hm?”

“You can’t seriously want them in this village.”

“I’ve been considering it.”

The blonde woman turned to him and Kakashi was wondering if she was considering punching him.

He looked her straight in the eyes as she stated, “I am strongly considering allowing those kids to transfer to the Hidden Leaf to join the academy. Everyone deserves a fair chance, even Log and Mitsuki.”

“The elders won’t allow this.”

“If you agree then they will.”

Tsunade’s eyes widened at how cheerfully Kakashi said those words. Her eyes narrowed at him, “You honestly think that I would let those things in this village? You should already know that I won’t let that happen, Kakashi.”

Kakashi’s eyes turned serious as he countered, “As the current Hokage, I’m going to pass my title down to Naruto soon. That will mean that you’ll have two people who are ready to argue against you if you still hold that negative view of Mitsuki and Log. When Mitsuki turns thirteen, I’m going to bring this up again and I hope to God you’ve changed your mind.”

“Are you trying to make a bet, Kakashi?”

“You never win your bets, Tsunade.”

“I’ve got a good feeling on this one.”

The two adults were staring into each other’s eyes, determined to make the other change their mind.

Tsunade punched the air above her head as she declared, “I bet that I won’t like Mitsuki by the time he’s thirteen.”

Kakashi shook his head as she chuckled, “Are you sure that’s how you want to bet, Tsunade? You’re an exceptionally unlucky person so I feel confident. I bet that you’ll like Mitsuki by the time he turns thirteen.”

“I won’t lose, Kakashi.”

The grey haired male continued to chuckle as he walked past her. She watched his retreating form, noticing how he was still laughing.

Kakashi stopped and turned to face her, “Don’t forget that my eyes are better than yours. I might not have the Sharingan but I can see it clearly now…”

“You’re going to love Mitsuki.”

In the next two years, Tsunade watched as ten year old Mitsuki mastered the sage transformation. Tsunade watched in awe as Mitsuki was now the youngest person in the Great Nations to achieve sage mode. Tsunade wondered what more was out there for him to learn now. He was now an extraordinary medical ninja and sage.

Tsunade was watching ten year old Mitsuki sitting in a circle of books. It was a rather familiar sight for Tsunade at this point. She would walk in looking for him and she could normally always find him reading. She was walking towards him when she stopped, her eyes locking on the books surrounding him. They were all books about the Legendary Sannin but the current book he was reading was one specifically on Orochimaru.

She was surprised to see that Mitsuki’s shoulders were shaking. She thought that maybe he was laughing at all the misdeeds that Orochimaru had done. She thought that now she could finally capitalize on the fact that she knew these creations were just like Orochimaru. Mitsuki was just learning how to not repeat his parent’s mistakes. He was learning how to get away with his crimes.

“Is it true, aunt Tsunade?”

“What?”

“Is it true my parent is a bad man?”

Tsunade felt conflicted by that question. Her brain was telling her to expose Orochimaru for all the terrible crimes he’s committed in his life. Her brain was telling her to tell Mitsuki Orochimaru is a bad man and he was going to corrupt his children soon so they could carry out his devious plans.

But she didn’t.

Her heart held her back. Her heart reminded her of the Three Way Deadlock when Orochimaru wanted to kill Jiraiya but Tsunade stood in the way. When the dust cleared on them that day the truth was revealed. Jiraiya trusted Orochimaru and Orochimaru cared for his teammate. Orochimaru exposed himself that day. He showed everyone that he had feelings.

So, no, Tsunade could not allow herself to answer Mitsuki’s question. She could not allow herself to tell Mitsuki that his parent was a bad man because not all of Orochimaru was bad. He was nowhere close to being a saint but he wasn’t far off from being good, either. Tsunade bit her lip as she realized she couldn’t force herself to utter that Orochimaru was bad.

Yet, Tsunade’s silence was all Mitsuki needed to know that his parent was not a good person. If Tsunade wanted to agree then she would’ve done it by now. When it came to the moments were she could point out someone’s flaws, Mitsuki knew his aunt did not falter. But, if Tsunade wanted to defend Orochimaru then she would’ve said something. Her silence spoke a thousand words to him.

“I see… so it’s true.”

Instead of Mitsuki closing the book, he dropped it on the floor. Tsunade took a step back. She was confused by this sudden behavior and started to worry that Mitsuki was going to snap.

Slowly, Mitsuki pushed himself up to his feet. He turned to his aunt, revealing the countless streams of tears flowing down his cheeks.

Mitsuki sounded so broken as he cried, “This is why you hate me so much, isn’t it? You hate me because I’m… because I’m Orochimaru’s son… so that means that I’m supposed to be bad, too, right? You’ve been watching me because you think I’m going to turn out just like him… all this time I thought you were watching me because you were interested in me… you watched me in waiting, weren’t you?”

“Mitsuki…”

“You made me a fool.”

The blue haired male shook his head, tears flying from his face and onto the books surrounding him. He didn’t even bother to wipe the tears away. Tsunade wondered if there were endless pools of tears residing within those eyes. Mitsuki was a silent crier but the amount of tears that were released caused Tsunade to feel some pain in her chest.

He wasn’t looking at the blonde woman as he said softly, “You’ve enjoyed watching me this whole time so I must make one request, aunt Tsunade. I know I am not in the best position to make a request but this is one that I believe you will be able to do perfectly.”

Painfilled sun colored eyes pierced into chocolate eyes when Mitsuki looked up. His voice broke in certain parts as he spoke, “You have kicked me down countless times in my short existence and I never understood why until today. So, all I ask of you is that you watch me as my world burns down. You’ve sunk my ship…”

“So, watch me drown.”

Tsunade called after Mitsuki as he took off running out of the room. She paused for a moment, wondering if she should chase after him. This is what she wanted, isn’t it? She wanted him to understand why she didn’t like him but she didn’t feel satisfied. Instead, she felt pain and sadness for breaking a child down from the inside out.

She had spent five years of this child’s life constantly putting him down. She took pride in it at first but after seeing Mitsuki express such human emotions she didn’t feel good about herself, anymore. She was under the impression that Mitsuki couldn’t show emotion but it seemed that he could. She thought that Orochimaru had created Mitsuki to be the opposite of Log. It seems they were opposites, but not in the way she thought.

She thought that Log was the mistake. She thought that he was a mistake not only for his faulty genetic code but for also being able to show emotions, specifically anger. But the more she thought everything through, the more she realized that Orochimaru gave them emotions because he wanted them to be as human as possible.

Was she wrong about everything?

Tsunade shook her head, forcing herself out of her thoughts. She took off running after Mitsuki. She gasped as she exited the room but was stopped by Log.

Tsunade took a step back as Log growled, "What the hell did you do to my little brother?! He took off running and now he’s gone! Karin can’t even sense his chakra!”

“He was reading about Orochimaru!”

“And I bet you told him we’re bastards like him!”

“No, I didn’t! I-“

“Save it!”

Log stepped towards her, hissing out words laced with venom, “You’ve hated us from the start! You hated us because you didn’t understand us and all these years we’ve been alive you haven’t tried once to look past our genetics to see who we are! You can only see us for what we are so I don’t know why Orochimaru keeps letting you visit us! I don’t know why he thinks you’re good… you’re nothing!”

Tsunade had tears in her eyes as Log’s eyes glared into her soul, “I know my little brother like I know my own mind and you will never find anyone as trusting or as kind! I love my brother more than anything in this life so I’ll choose his happiness over mine every God damn time!”

Tsunade felt Log grab her by the front of her shirt, bringing her as close as possible as he snarled, “Put what we had aside, I’m standing at his side! You never wanted to see us succeed! You never wanted to see us happy so, God, I hope you’re satisfied!”

“Just fucking leave!”

“Log-“

“I don’t know why Orochimaru even bothered with you.”

A stray tear fell down her cheek when Log turned to run down a hallway. She knew Log wasn’t a fan of her but now she finally got to take in the magnitude of her actions these past five years. She watched as Log disappeared from her field of vision. She was happy he didn’t see her tear. He would’ve called them crocodile tears.

She shook her head and aggressively wiped the tear away using the back of her hand. She had a determined look in her eyes as she decided that she was going to find Mitsuki. She had a strong feeling that Mitsuki wasn’t even in the hideout anymore. She ran out of the hideout and into the fog covered forest. She knew she was running into the fog blind but she had to try to find Mitsuki.

Tsunade paused when she heard the sound of someone crying. She quickly changed direction and ran towards the sound. She slowed down until she was walking, taking in the sight of the child in front of her. She was surprised when she felt her heart breaking for Mitsuki. She had done this to him.

Mitsuki was a crumpled mess on the ground, staring at his own reflection in a pond. There were tears that would fall from his face and into the pond, obscuring the view of his reflection from time to time. Mitsuki moved himself so that he was sitting in front of the pond. He shook his head. He didn’t even know who that boy was looking back at him anymore.

“Mitsuki…”

“Why have you come here, Tsunade?”

She felt pain in her chest when she noticed he didn’t call her aunt Tsunade. She hung her head as he cried, “Have you come here to put me down, again? Are you here to tell me that a shinobi doesn’t show weakness like this? Shinobi don’t cry so just say it.”

She remained silent as she heard him let out a shuddered sigh. She looked up, noticing how he was starting to try to wipe the tears away.

More tears travelled down his face as he stated, “This won’t go back to normal, if it ever was. I think you would prefer things this way. It’s better for you this way.”

“I didn’t come here to hurt you.”

Mitsuki stiffened as he took in her words. He knew she could be deceiving him but he sensed no distortions in her chakra as she spoke. Mitsuki sensed that she was telling the truth but part of him was waiting for her to put him down, just like always. He shook his head and made a motion with his hand, beckoning for her to sit beside him.

She gulped as she walked over to him. She was absolutely terrified but not of Mitsuki. She was scared that she was going to make a mistake and hurt Mitsuki more than she already did. She had never acted as the aunt she should have. This was her time to show Mitsuki that she could be good. This was her time to show him that there wasn’t just hatred inside her heart.

“I don’t know you very well, do I, Mitsuki?”

“No, you don’t… but I know you.”

“What do you know?”

Mitsuki seemed to scoff at her question, but she could tell it was playful. The tears seemed to stop streaming down his face as he answered, “I know that you have lost more than I could ever imagine. I know those losses have affected you greatly, even causing you to become a medical ninja afraid of blood. Yet, you once called my parent your ally, your teammate… your friend.”

The blue haired male slowly turned to look at Tsunade as he continued, “I know that you have been hesitant to train others in medical ninjutsu, yet, you surprised yourself and took three pupils. You are known to be rather quick-tempered and you are not one who is shy from making your thoughts and feelings known. You have great strength but it is your strength for character that people looked to when you were the Hokage.”

“You know my history but not me.”

“It seems we have that in common.”

Mitsuki looked away from the older woman as he spoke, “I’m glad the only thing we have in common with each other isn’t destroying everything we ever touched. We might not have much in common with each other at the moment but I believe that this is a good start, don’t you think?”

Tsunade was hesitant but she surprised herself and Mitsuki when she reached her hand out.

Mitsuki stared at the hand as Tsunade stated, “You and I haven’t been getting to know each other like family should. I’ve treated you like a stranger when all you wanted was an aunt. I… I’m willing to start over and try again… that is, if you would allow me, Mitsuki.”

The blue haired male stared at the hand and then shifted his eyes to look at Tsunade’s face. There was a gentle smile on her face, something he was unfamiliar with seeing.

Mitsuki was at a loss for words.

This is what he had been waiting for since he had been created. He was waiting for Tsunade to let him into her life. Mitsuki slowly reached forward and grabbed her hand.

This was what he wanted all along. Mitsuki finally felt like he was meeting the Tsunade he had read about in all the books he read. There was a sparkle in her eyes that Orochimaru had told him about.

Orochimaru told him that she only had a sparkle in her eyes when she was truly happy. Mitsuki felt all the strain and tension leave his body in seconds. There were identical smiles on their faces as they shook hands.

“My name is Mitsuki. I’m your nephew.”

“It’s nice to meet you! I’m your aunt Tsunade.”

It was in a matter of one year that Tsunade realized Mitsuki brought her more joy than she could ever imagine. Every day there was something new about Mitsuki that made Tsunade admire him even more. Log was right, Tsunade would never be able to find someone as trusting or as kind as Mitsuki. He was a gentle soul with grace in every movement.

Tsunade regretted that her relationship with Log was still strained. She would admit that she was making an effort to repair their bond but it was evident that Log wanted nothing to do with her. He would always send her icy glares from across the room or he would blow smoke in her face when she was close to him. Log had to have been the most stubborn person Tsunade had ever met, and she was pretty stubborn herself.

Yet, Log wasn’t as cold as she thought he was. There were rare moments Tsunade would witness where Log let his walls down, but only for Mitsuki. She had come to realize that only Mitsuki could light up Log’s usually bored yellow eyes. Mitsuki was the only one who could make Log put the cigarette down and laugh. Tsunade could tell that Mitsuki was created to be Log’s purpose.

She felt her heart flip in her chest as she would watch Mitsuki sprint to Log when he would see him. Their interactions were like a dance that only the two of them knew.

The routine would start with Mitsuki racing to him with the biggest smile on his face. Log would assume a stance where his arms were open wide with his cigarette clenched between his teeth as he grinned back at his little brother. Mitsuki would jump on Log and the older clone would throw him up in the air, both of them laughing. Their laughs would echo and bounce off the walls, making the most beautiful music Tsunade had heard.

When Mitsuki would return to Log’s arms, they would laugh to one another at the fact that Log had lost his cigarette. Log would lean in close so that their noses were almost touching, causing Mitsuki to giggle. Tsunade would see Log saying something to his little brother but she was never close enough to hear the words he spoke.

Whatever he said, it would always make Mitsuki smile and return the same words to him. Tsunade often wondered what they said to each other but she didn’t want to intrude on their moment.

Tsunade was overjoyed when Orochimaru forgave her for the torture she had made him endure years ago. Orochimaru continued to surprise her as he told her he could understand where she was coming from that day. She was expecting Orochimaru to hate her for killing his family but he didn’t. He met her with an open mind and an open heart. Tsunade had prayed to Jiraiya that day, telling him that she had their Orochimaru back.

Tsunade was walking through the halls to meet with Mitsuki but she froze when she noticed a familiar door was open. She froze in her tracks as she peered into the room. She had always passed the room but the door was always closed. Her heartbeat immediately started racing as she stared into the dimly lit room. This was the room where Orochimaru was creating life.

This was where she killed his family.

She felt numb as she walked into the room and sunk to her knees. She was shaking under the weight of the memories that flashed across her mind. Her eyes darted from one broken tube to the other.

She could faintly heart Orochimaru’s sobbing in the background as he held the lifeless bodies of his creations. She bit her lip when she realized Orochimaru must have been so heartbroken that day that he didn’t even bother to clean the mess. This room probably put Orochimaru into a worse state than she was in now.

Tears were welling up in Tsunade’s eyes as Log’s harsh words echoed in her mind. She was going to punch through Log to kill Mitsuki back then. Blood dripped from her bottom lip but she hardly noticed it.

She hardly noticed when someone had entered the room and stared down at her. She barely noticed that her tears were making their journeys down her face and falling onto the cold floor.

“Aunt Tsunade… what’s wrong?”

“I did this…”

“I know you did.”

“Why… why don’t you hate me?”

Mitsuki quietly walked over to her and sat down with her. She wasn’t even looking at him as he replied, “You seem to be doing a good job at hating yourself for me. Yet, I have forgiven you years ago for this. I see no need to continue to put you through such emotional and mental pain, especially if you’re still beating yourself up for it.”

“I was going to kill you and Log…”

“But you didn’t and that’s what matters.”

Tsunade closed her eyes as she shook her head. She had a longing look in her eyes as she whispered, “I don’t understand how you’re so okay with what I did to your family. I put you through hell for years but you… you’re so quick to forgive and forget. I couldn’t do that.”

“I suppose I’m different.”

“You really are.”

The blue haired male could tell that she was carrying this pain within her for years, although it was pushed deep down within her. As a medical ninja, it must have hit her harder since she’s supposed to save lives.

Yet, there she was snuffing lives of innocent infants. Mitsuki could understand that she had been suffering for quite some time but he was here to ease her pain. He was here to be her shoulder to lean on. He was here to give her the love she deserves.

That’s what family does.

Mitsuki reached out and held her face in his hands. He used his thumbs to wipe away her tears.

She gasped as she heard him speak to her softly, “Keep your head up, princess, before your crown falls. These voices in your head will be your downfall. I know that this is hard but you don’t have to go through it alone.”

Tsunade was sobbing as she launched herself at her nephew. There was something about the way Mitsuki called her princess that took her back to the memories of being called princess Tsunade by Onoki.

Mitsuki welcomed her with open arms, holding his aunt close. She was crying into his shoulder, weeping as she let the pain and sadness wash over her.

Mitsuki had a small smile on his face as she gently raked his fingers through her hair. He made no comment as he felt the fabric of his kimono dampening. There was something so soothing to Tsunade to feel those fingers running through her hair. There was something soothing about Mitsuki.

Neither of them noticed the figure that was smoking a cigarette in the doorway, watching the scene playing out before them.

Mitsuki kept the small smile on his face as he murmured to his aunt, “Keep your head up, princess, it’s a long road. I know it hurts right now but I know you’ll make it home…”

“So, keep your head up.”

Another year had flown by and Tsunade was confident when she said she was no longer suffering due to her past actions. On the days where she was feeling low, Mitsuki was always there to shoulder the pain. On the days where Mitsuki was lagging, Tsunade was there to pick him up. While Tsunade knew she and Mitsuki had each other, she wondered who had Log.

She knew that Mitsuki and Log had each other on such a deep and intimate level but she knew that Log would never talk to Mitsuki about what bothered him. She could tell that Log was the type of person who would hold the weight of the world on his shoulders and snap when the weight was too much to bare.

Log was the type of person who would never confide in Mitsuki because he didn’t want to bring him down. He was the type of person to think keeping everything to himself was better than overwhelming those around him with his problems.

Mitsuki was training with Orochimaru when Tsunade found Log sitting on top of a large snake statue, watching the sparring match. There was a part of Tsunade that told her to leave him alone but then there was another part of her that was telling her this was her chance to make amends with Log. This was her chance to have two nephews.

“It’s now or never.”

She took a deep breath and then jumped to join Log on top of the statue. Log cocked an eyebrow when he saw her sit down and make herself comfortable. Log was tempted to shove her off the statue but he knew Mitsuki would send him a disapproving look. He contemplated leaving but he knew Suigetsu would call him a little bitch. It was a lose/lose situation, in Log’s opinion.

“What the hell do you want, Tsunade?”

“How have you been, Log?”

“Fan-fucking-tastic.”

“Log, I’m just trying to get to know you.”

“Who asked you to?”

Log removed his cigarette as he turned to her and snapped, “Who the fuck asked you? I certainly didn’t. Did you just assume that since Mitsuki forgave you that I’ll fall like a damn domino and follow him? I’m not like Mitsuki.”

“I don’t understand why you hate me so much, Log.”

“Are you fucking stupid?”

The older clone breathed in his cigarette and blew out smoke, thankfully it wasn’t directed at Tsunade this time.

Yet, his anger was directed at her instead, “Have you forgotten your shit first impression? The first thing you asked me was if I was Orochimaru’s kid, not a, ‘hello, my name is Tsunade, what’s your name?’ It was bold of you to assume that I even liked being his kid.”

Tsunade avoided his gaze, letting his words hang over her, “And you didn’t even bother to apologize so how the hell in that interaction did you think that I liked you? But then you ruined your chances at having me like you when you murdered my brothers and sisters all because you couldn’t be bothered to understand my damned parent.”

Log’s words hurt far worse than any attack sent her way, “You couldn’t be bothered to hear him out and you couldn’t be bothered to throw your temper tantrum somewhere else. You could’ve thrown your temper tantrum anywhere else but, no, you chose to have it there because you knew there was the potential of you eliminating Orochimaru’s damned experiments.”

The blonde was gripping her pants at the knee tightly as Log continued harshly, “You couldn’t be bothered to see us as people. To you, we were experiments with no feelings or thoughts of our own. You took one look in my eyes and all you could see was Orochimaru. You had the nerve to threaten to kill me and my little brother because you thought you were playing the role of a hero. Well, news flash, you’re the fucking villain!”

Tsunade kept trying to blink back the tears as Log finished sarcastically, “So, I’m so terribly sorry if in all that fucking shit you couldn’t see why I don’t like you. I’m so sorry that in all that pain you caused that you couldn’t see how you made me not like you. But, no, go off on how you’ve got such a shitty life because everyone you love is dead while I sit here knowing I’m not even a real fucking person. Honestly, I don’t understand why Mitsuki loves you so much.”

“I’ve hurt you… I’ve hurt you badly, Log.”

“No medical ninjutsu can fix the pain you caused.”

“I know… I know…”

“Then do me a favor and fuck off.”

“I… I can’t do that.”

Log let out an exaggerated groan as he threw his head back. Log was grumbling under his breath as Tsunade stated, “I know you don’t want me in your life but… but I’ve changed. Every time I come here I’m learning and growing with your family. I know I can’t undo the damage that I’ve done but I’m trying to atone for my sins. I’m trying to be what your family needs.”

“And what do you think we need?”

“Someone to lean on.”

“I have-“

“No one.”

The blue haired male glared at her for cutting him off. She turned to him with a determined look in her eyes as she stated, “You have no one because you don’t let anyone in. You walk around like you’re fine but you’re the one whose suffering even more than me and I’m the cause of it. You think you’re doing everyone a favor by keeping everything bottled up but you’re killing yourself, Log.”

It was Log’s turn to look away from Tsunade this time. Tsunade took a chance and placed her hand on top of Log’s as she said softly, “You can call on me. You can fall on me. If you want to, you can tell me what you’re going to do in life. You could put it all on me. When life’s getting hard on you that’s when you need your family. That’s when you need me.”

Log slowly turned to look at Tsunade as she smiled, “I know that fixing our relationship isn’t going to be easy. You’re going to put me in my place and I’m going to sit you down and make you talk things out, even if you don’t want me to. We’ve got a long way to go but it’s worth it. You’re worth it, Log.”

He stared back at the woman he had learned to dislike in every way possible. He stared back at the woman who was owning up to her past mistakes. He stared back at the woman who never stopped trying to be a part of his life. He stared back at the woman who wasn’t intimidated by him in the slightest. He stared back at the woman he hoped he would be able to call his aunt Tsunade one day.

Log shook his head with a faint smile. He breathed in and turned his head away from her to blow the smoke out. He flicked his cigarette on the ground, shaking his head when he heard Mitsuki comment that littering was bad. Log looked at his aunt, both of them smiling to each other.

“Don’t expect me to call you aunt just yet.”

“I’ll be waiting for that day.”

Today was the big day. Today was the day that the elders and previous Kage would determine whether Mitsuki was allowed to transfer to the Leaf to join the academy.

Tsunade kept her poker face on as she saw Kakashi enter the room with Naruto. She smiled to herself as she saw Naruto still had that giddy smile on his face. He had only been Hokage for a week now but it seemed it still hadn’t truly sunk in.

The elders’ eyes widened when they saw the file that contained Mitsuki’s information. They looked from the paper to the Kage, silently asking them if they were seriously considering accepting Orochimaru’s child.

Each of the Kage had a different expression on their faces. Naruto was grinning. Kakashi looked bored. Tsunade was nearly expressionless. The Kage were hard to read at the moment.

One of the elders cleared their throat before stating, “We are now going to vote upon whether Orochimaru’s child will be allowed citizenship for the Leaf, as well as if he shall be allowed to go to the academy to train as a shinobi of the Leaf. The two of us elders shall vote first. My vote is no.”

“I vote no, as well.”

Now it was up to the Kage to make their decisions. Naruto started with a smile on his face, “Well, I’d have to be an idiot to say no to Mitsuki, since he’s kind of like me, you know? He’s going to be an outsider just like I was but I think he’ll be able to thrive here in the village. My vote is yes.”

The elders were shocked by this and looked to Kakashi for help. The grey haired male shrugged and stated, “I don’t see anything wrong with Mitsuki coming to the Leaf. He might be Orochimaru’s creation but everyone deserves a chance. So, if it wasn’t obvious enough, my vote is yes.”

“Tsunade, you’re the tie breaker.”

The room went silent. The only sound that could be heard was the ticking of the clock on the wall. With each second that went by, the ticking of the clock seemed to feed into the tension.

The elders were beginning to feel drops of sweat slowly falling down their faces, as if they were terrified that Tsunade would vote against them. Naruto stared at Tsunade with fierce blue eyes while Kakashi was smiling under his mask.

Tsunade looked directly at the elders as she exclaimed, “You two must sit there on your pedestal comfortably. It must be easy for you two to not give a second glance at someone reaching out for help. So, what if he’s Orochimaru’s child? Mitsuki is his own person and shouldn’t be looked at any differently than you would look at me or any one else in this village.”

“My vote is yes.”

The elders’ jaws dropped in shock. Tsunade was the one that the elders were banking on to be on their side. Naruto was cheering loudly, saying that he knew Granny Tsunade would make the right decision. Kakashi remained silent but Tsunade knew there was a shit eating smirk on his face.

As Mitsuki was granted permission to become a citizen of the Leaf, Tsunade and Kakashi watched from the top of the Hokage’s tower as he entered the village. The two of them watched as Mitsuki stared in wonder at the place he was going to call his new home. Mitsuki was going to become something much bigger than himself here, Tsunade was sure of it.

Kakashi was lazily leaning against the metal railing with his arms folded against his chest.

He had a mischievous look in his eyes as he said, “I remember when we were up here years ago. You seemed pretty intent on not accepting Mitsuki into the village. So… are you going to tell me what changed your mind?”

“Mitsuki changed my mind.”

“How’d he do that?”

Tsunade was watching Mitsuki maneuver his way through the people as she replied, “He forced me to change my view on him. I looked at him like he was an experiment but he made me realize his creation doesn’t dictate who he is… he’s the one who dictates who he is. I had forgotten that everyone deserves a chance in life to be whoever they want to be. It took some time but… he helped me find who I’m supposed to be now.”

The two adults peered down as they saw Mitsuki trip over something in the street and fall to the ground. Tsunade was about to jump down to help him when she saw a blonde haired boy with eyes as light as the sky run over to help him.

A silent tear streamed down Tsunade’s face as she saw Naruto’s son help Mitsuki back to his feet. The two boys continued to talk to each other, light blushes dusting across both of their faces.

Kakashi was smiling down at the sight as he said, “He’s going to grow up to become a splendid shinobi and an even better person. Just think, Tsunade, you gave him this opportunity. You changed his life.”

Tsunade had a smile on her face and tears in her eyes as she watched Mitsuki run off with Boruto, hand in hand. As she watched his back, she could’ve sworn that she saw him growing up all over again. She saw him as a curious five year old chasing after his older brother. She saw him as a kind-hearted ten year old running through the pages of the books he had read. Now, she saw him as a strong-willed thirteen year old racing towards the unknown.

Tsunade knew that Mitsuki’s life would be full of ups and downs but she would be at his side through everything. She knew that whatever life threw at Mitsuki would never be enough to break him. He might stumble at times but she knew that nothing would stop Mitsuki. Tsunade shook her head to her friend.

“No, he changed mine.”