Darkest Before Dawn

The Legend of Tsunade

"Ah, hello, Sakura-chan!" Tenzou smiled. He tousled her hair gently and crouched down to her level. "I've got a little surprise for you."

Sakura cocked her head to the side and glanced up at him with wide, wondering eyes.

"What kind of surprise?" she questioned. He reached into his back pouch and pulled out three books. Tenzou handed them to Sakura who read the covers curiously. The first read 'The Book of Basic Medicine', the second- 'Rules of Shinobi', and the third: 'Bingo Book: Edition 5.9'. A smile immediately blossomed on the girl's face.

"Happy Birthday." he greeted. Sakura set the books down and threw her arms around the ANBU's neck, pulling him into a tight hug. Tenzou chuckled and hugged back.

"Thank you so much, Tenzou-san!" she exclaimed. She let go of the older man and stared at one of the books, "But I wonder... is it really okay for me to have a Bingo Book?"

Tenzou scratched the back of his head sheepishly.

"Well... no one said you couldn't have it..."

The two talked for a while before Sakura waved and continued on her way to the training grounds. The streets were slightly packed, as usual, and Sakura decided to skim through the Bingo Book to pass the time. There were plenty of ninja from all over the five nations, but none of them was the one she hoped to find- much to her displeasure. But one thing did that catch her attention was a particular rogue from Konoha.

Tsunade Senju
Birth Date: August 2
Age: 45
Height: 163.1 cm
Weight: 48.9 kg
Blood Type: B
Classification: Medical-nin, Sannin, Missing-nin
Affiliation: Unknown
Class: S
Nature Type: Lightning
Cause of Defection: Unknown

Sakura was slightly interested. Her father used to tell her stories about the great ninja of Konoha. She could vaguely remember the story of Tsunade, the Slug Sannin. The story went that Tsunade didn't like what Konoha had turned into, and decided to leave without anyone witnessing her disappearance. Tsunade took nothing but her young apprentice, Shizune. But of course, no one knew the real story.

 Didn't that one guy, what's-his-name, say that he was a Sannin?'

When she arrived at the training grounds, she spotted the aforementioned in the middle of the green field with his arms crossed. The minute he caught sight of her, he strode over and leered at her with his towering form. Sakura craned her head up and stared at him with disinterest.

"Do you need something, Pervert-san?" she questioned sweetly.

"For one, my name is JIRAIYA, not PERVERT!" he exclaimed angrily, "And two, all joking aside, I was wondering what you're doing out here. I followed you out here, and it seems rather odd for a little girl to come to a training ground all alone."

Sakura tilted her head to the side.

"You're a stalker too?" she questioned incredulously.

Jiraiya could have yanked out his hair.

The girl giggled and decided that it was enough messing with him for now. She set her books on a nearby stump and tied her kunai pouch around her right thigh. She twirled around and faced Jiraiya with her arms locked behind her back and a big grin plastered on her face.

"I'm just kidding around, Jiraiya-san," she said as she stuck out her tongue, "I'm come here all the time to train. I'm usually with Ibiki-sensei, but sometimes he gives me days off, and I spend those days training here. I don't have anything else to do but walk around or read books, so why not train?"

The sage 'hmmed' in thought and tapped his chin.

"Won't your parents get worried?"

He noticed her flinch before she shrugged it off. Sakura marked a target in the tree with a kunai.

"The dead can't get worried. At least I don't think." she said. She took twenty paces backwards and aimed her kunai. She threw it and landed the shot in one flick of the wrist. "Is that all you wanted to know? I mean, I'll answer more questions if you have any."

"Not at the moment, no." he replied.

"Good. Now it's my turn. Please tell me about Tsunade Senju, Jiraiya-san. Or really, tell me about why she left."

Jiraiya shouldn't be surprised. The story of Tsunade Senju was a popular story among the people, even if a lot of it had turned to fiction. Tsunade had become one of the most notorious missing-nins out there. Her infamy probably sprouted from how powerful she was and how all her strong loyalty crumbled to dust within seconds. He turned his gaze at the small girl standing a few feet away from him.

"Why do you want to know?" he asked.

"I'm curious."

"Well, I guess it's only fair." he sighed, "But I'll give you the short version. Orochimaru, one of my good friends, and I had been on a genin team with Tsunade. We got stronger, but failed to give Tsunade the attention she needed. So eventually, she grew tired of us and left the village. Orochimaru and I... we've looked for her everywhere. We just couldn't find her. And after twenty years... We still won't stop. We will bring her back."

Jiraiya stopped himself and looked to the side. Sakura though, had a carefully blank expression on her face.

"So you're chasing after the memory? It's a waste of time."

His attention snapped over to her. Sakura stood in all her six year old glory with her arms crossed and her eyes as hard as steel. Never in Jiraiya's life had he seen a child with such a mature, unforgiving look.

"You said it yourself. It was your fault that she left. If she doesn't want to come back, you can't bring her back. Let's say you do. You become so happy that your team is one again, but is it really? She'll be in chains and in a jail cell, and all you can think about is your own happiness. Leave her be, won't you? She probably is content with her life if she's been away for twenty years."

Sakura held her books to her chest and yanked the kunai from the bark. She looked at Jiraiya again and gave him a toothy grin.

"But that's only my opinion. You don't have to listen." she said, "Though, when you see her, I think you'll know that she'll never be the same."

She waved at him and trotted off the grounds. Jiraiya could only stare after her, his mouth slightly agape. This little girl....

Unbelievable.

Disclaimer: I do not own the picture