After the end of the second shinobi war, Tsunade left Konoha with her apprentice Shizune. God, were there so many old senile people grumbling about that particular thing!

They all wanted her to be their personal healing tool. But... she was fed-up and left. In the middle of the Council meeting as they were all raving and raking at her, she just up and went away, consequences be damned. The council couldn't help but gape at her. ​​

Tsunade traveled to the Ame no Kuni... And she saw the results of the war. It was disheartening, really. She tried to heal anyone she could as she trained Shizune on the innumerable amounts of injuries there. The girl was shaping up quickly into a good medic.

But... Tsunade couldn't find any clue about the phenomenon she felt during the war. It was only when she was on her wit's end, she met in the market of one town a girl who told her a peculiar story about two kids who grew a tree. It ignited her hope and she instantly checked it out only to find... mokuton. It brought new hope to her life.

Then... the problems started. She was dying. It took her years to find out what the discomfort was but when the first symptoms started, she quickly understood. Her body was slowly starting to lose its ability to replenish her chakra. She didn't know why. She tried everything she knew... but nothing worked!

Eventually, she accepted that her life in this world was coming to an abrupt end but she refused to die before she met the two mokuton users. Somehow even the thought of that made her seethe in rage and stubbornly continue her search no matter her condition.

And so, Tsunade traveled all around Ame once again. Trying to find more clues only to find... nothing.

At least her apprentice, Shizune, was shaping up good. She was ten but already on the level of elite medic-nins of Konoha when it came to iryo-ninjutsu. Tsunade could be proud of that. She left her medical legacy in the form of Shizune.

In the end, Tsunade decided to briefly return to Konoha. She wanted to 'deposit' Shizune back into the village and go on her last wild hunt across the Ame until the reaper claimed her.

But in a stroke of good luck, she could feel a tug. A slight tug on her chakra. When she focused, she found out it was pulling her... somewhere.

After she left Shizune in Konoha, she went to follow that tug as her instincts screamed at her to do so. It surprisingly led her to Mizu no Kuni of all places! Tsunade traveled all over the country following leads. She avoided only Kirigakure. It was frustrating, really.

But finally, after years of traveling around Mizu in various disguises, dragging her utterly exhausted, chakra-depleted self through the towns of the humid country as she visibly aged by the day and her body ached, bones creaked, and muscles weakened... when she thought she would just drop dead on her feet, she finally saw the two figures that plagued her mind for years. She just could feel that it was them, she was looking for. And her heart desired to be in their presence. She instantly approached them and her wish was fulfilled. She met them and was a nervous wreck due to it. Damn, she said the first thing that appeared in her mind! What 'we need to talk'! It was damn embarrassing!

Senju Tsunade... quivered in her boots. The sheer thought made her internally chuckle at her pathetic self. But as she gathered her courage to speak with them... her eyes landed on the man and she froze. Her heart desired to be held by that man. She didn't even know what or why but she deeply wanted it.

Before she could get her head out of the gutter, the man bent her over his shoulder and she, much to her eternal embarrassment, passed out due to the sheer exhaustion. Her body just shut out. And she remembered no more.

...

Tsunade Senju fluttered her eyes open. Slowly, groggily, only to close them quickly. She moaned! Moaned from the sheer pleasure she felt. The feeling of... being rested. She didn't feel at ease and rested for years! A cute yawn tore out of her throat and Tsunade's face split into a beautiful smile. She moaned again and giggled at the pleasant feeling of joy that filled her. This was heaven...

Tsunade rolled her body, lying on her side, her cheek burying into the lap of... wait.

She snapped her eyes open and if not for the firm hands that held her body down, she would have jumped to her feet. Her wide, shocked eyes looked in front of her as she regained her clarity.

She saw... Rei. That name sprang up in her mind almost instantly even though she was sure they never introduced themselves to each other.

Rei chuckled at the 'deer in the headlights' expression Tsunade showed. She was madly blushing and he couldn't resist and put his hand on her cheek, stroking it slightly.

He chuckled again when his little affection earned him a satisfied moan from Tsunade, making her even more embarrassed as he continued stroking her cheek.

"How do you feel." He asked her tenderly.

"I-, I feel..." Tsunade's breath hitched. She felt... amazing. Young. Energic. Strong. She felt... alive. Tears welled in her eyes and started to stream down her cheeks. The only thing she could hear was the cooing voice of Rei as she bawled her eyes out into his shirt.

"Don't worry, you are alive. Safe." Rei whispered to the distraught woman as he stroked her hair. Tsunade curled into him, her loud wails resounding through the dimension.

When her tears were finally exhausted, Tsunade looked again at Rei.

"What happened." She asked him quietly, sniffing. "How come I am... alive."

"Well, you see..." Rei started explaining the bond and their current situation with an awkward expression.

Hearing everything, Tsunade mulled over it. She was now bound to a ninja from Kiri. It was... baffling but she spent years trying to find him. She would not be deterred by a little set-back like this! She was a Senju! Senju didn't back down!

"I understand." Her expression turned to steeled and determined one. "I will defect for you, then." For her it was a foregone conclusion. If she couldn't keep Konoha and Rei at the same time, she had to choose what was more important to her.

Tsunade saw Rei's jaw drop at her statement and the casual way she said it. Both knew she meant every word thought.

"No, you will not." Rei recollected himself and admonished, putting his index finger to her lips, stopping any and all protests.

Just then a blue-haired woman with a slight smile came closer to them.

Konan. Tsunade's mind supplied. Tsunade returned the smile as she couldn't help but feel happy at seeing the unknown woman. Konan was the same. She decided to be good to Tsunade but it was astonishing that Tsunade's mere presence brought her joy. To a lesser degree than Rei's but it was still noticeable.

"This is..." Rei started introductions.

"Konan." Tsunade interrupted as her lips curled into a calm smile.

"Nice to meet you." Konan stated and Tsunade nodded.

Both women looked at Rei intently.

"If I won't defect from Konoha... how could I stay with you?" Tsunade asked but then blinked as her eyes grew horrified. "I can't be separated from you!" She shouted desperately.

Rei showed a mysterious smile.

"We will do it like this..."