Sixteen year old Sakura walked into Ayumu Alley in Grass Country with a feeling that she didn't belong there. This decently sized town was completely filled with people and 'adult' enterprises. Sakura chuckled to herself. Hidan would have a field day in this place. She walked to the first restaurant she saw that didn't look too shady. The minute she stepped in, she spotted a black-haired woman with her head on the table and a small pig beside her, snorting in concern.
"Excuse me... are you alright?" asked Sakura as she sat opposite the stranger. The jaded woman raised her head and offered a weary smile.
"I'm fine, just a bit tired."
Sakura reached into her pack and pulled out a vial filled with light blue liquid. She gestured to the half empty tea cup on the table.
"May I?"
The woman shook her head and watched as the teen poured out the vial's contents into the cup.
"These are herbs I found exclusively in Yugakure." Sakura explained, "This particular concoction is supposed to relieve headaches, muscle pains, and give a quick boost of energy. Not at much as caffeine, but it's certainly the healthier alternative and it only took a few hours to make. It don't taste very good, but it'll help you get through the day. By the way, my name's Sakura Haruno."
The older woman grasped Sakura's waiting hand.
"I'm Shizune. Nice to meet you, Sakura-san." the woman smiled. She lifted the cup to her lips and took a sip of the altered tea. Shizune's eyes widened in surprise as she looked at Sakura.
"Sakura-san, do you have a another vial of that elixir?"
~
Shizune found who she was looking for in a pachinko parlor about two hours later.
"Tsunade-sama!!" she shrieked, "You're gambling again and wasting all your money!!!!!"
Tsunade waved off her frazzled assisstant and continued playing.
"Loosen up, Shizune. Have some fun, will ya? I'm only playing a small game, you should play too." the blonde said.
"You've been playing for over two hours!"
"That's beside the point."
Shizune sighed and took the empty seat next to the Legendary Sucker. Tonton oinked at the black-haired woman and nuzzled her stomach, reminding her of something she had stashed in her pocket earlier. Shizune pulled out a vial from the inside pocket of her dress. She held it out to Tsunade, who looked at it with a cocked brow.
"What's this?" Tsunade questioned. She grasped the container, took a whiff, and tried some of it, "An energy booster? And a high-quality one at that. Where'd you get this, Shizune? This kind of stuff is usually expensive because of the herbs used and the time and effort it takes to make it."
"I thought so too. I was at a cafe and this young lady gave it to me. She told me that it only took a few hours to make. It was different than the ones I've seen in stores and it was similar to yours, Tsunade-sama. Granted, it wasn't as strong as yours would have been, but the resemblance is uncanny."
The blonde stared at the elixir with a new found interest. It wasn't everyday that they'd come across someone who had a talent close to her own.
"I'd like to meet this person, whoever she is. Her name, Shizune?"
"Sakura Haruno."
~
The aforementioned sat in a booth in a bar on the nicer side of town. She had just paid a visit to Zetsu and had been chatting with him for the past two hours. He was the same as usual and had provided her with a great abundance of rare herbs that he had grown himself. She would have spent more time with him, but he had to go on a mission. Sakura took a swig of her beer and leaned back into her seat.
"Sakura-san?"
She looked to her left to see Shizune smiling down at her.
"Hello again, Shizune-san. And... Tsunade-san? Well, what a wonder to find you here." Sakura smirked. Tsunade's lips curled upwards in amusement as she slid into the plush seat across from Sakura.
"Oh, you know of me?" the sannin mused. Sakura set her beer on the table and propped her head up with her chin.
"Who doesn't? Tsunade Senju, one of the most powerful kunoichi, even shinobi, Konoha has ever known. You also carry the title 'sannin' along with Orochimaru-san and Jiraiya-san. Along with your inhuman strength and quick-thinking comes your abilities as a medic-nin. You are the best of the best, rival to none." she informed, causing the blonde's smile to turn into a grin.
"My reputation precedes me, just like yours."
"Mine?"
"Of course. You are very well known in the black market, didn't you know? Sakura Haruno, the little girl that can take on any mission- none of which are too big or small. You've killed hundreds and took at least half of the shinobi out of the bingo book single-handedly. The leader of Amegakure, the leader of Kusagakure, and the Mizukage ask you to do the missions that no one else dares to take up. You've made quite a big name for yourself, young lady."
Shizune didn't know what to make of this. Looking at Tsunade, then looking at Sakura, she was starting to think that the two were frighteningly similar. As the drinks began piling up at their table, Sakura and Tsunade got drunker and drunker. Both started talking without filters, and Shizune was learning so many things from the two that she didn't think she was supposed to know.
"Has that ever happened to you?" Tsunade slurred, "Someone that you care about is dying and nothing you can do can help them. You try and try but it's no use and it's all your goddamn fault. Than happened to my Dan... it was all my fucking fault!"
She turned her eyes to Sakura, who had her head down.
"I was fourteen." whispered Sakura. Tsunade and Shizune focused all their attention on her. "I had a friend named Juugo. I saved him from an experiment lab and we traveled together. He also had this list of things he wanted to do since he had been in that hell hole since he was three. We traveled the elemental nations, doing everything he wanted. But then came that goddamn day when we were attacked, and I couldn't stop it. He was bleeding so much because of his damned hemophilia! I couldn't help him! FUCK!"
Shizune noted that as another resemblance in their lives.
"Did he finish his list?" Tsunade asked.
"No. He had one more thing and I don't even know what it was." growled Sakura. She took a deep breath and calmed down her anger, "But on another note, I think my genin teammates are the same as yours. Did you know that Naruto went training with Jiraiya, and Sasuke went training with Orochimaru. Can you believe that?"
"Is Naruto an obnoxious idiot and does Sasuke constantly have a stick up his ass?"
"Hell yeah!"
"Holy shit! It's like they're twins!"
The two shared a laugh and Shizune sweat dropped. She supposed that both of them were better off drunk. As Sakura grabbed a new bottle of beer, she looked at Tsunade with a dead serious expression.
"There's something I want to ask you, and I want you to take this into full consideration. Being totally fucking hammered may not be the best time, but it's better than nothing." she said, her eyes cloudy, "Tsunade-san. Will you...."
~
Hangovers fucking suck- is what Sakura learned early the following morning. The birds were singing, sunlight shined though the window, and she was lying on Zetsu's guest room floor. She didn't make it to the bed when she stumbled into his apartment, and now she was looking under it. Kami, he really needed to sweep under there. A water bottle entered her field of vision. She looked up.
"Tsunade-san?" Sakura murmured, rubbing her eyes, "What are you doing here?"
"Making sure you're not dead from all the alcohol you've consumed. Hurry up and drink, it should help with the headache. After you're all better, we can head out."
Sakura sat up groggily and stared at the sannin with confusion.
"We?" she questioned. Tsunade grinned.
"Don't you remember? Maa, you little brats and your low tolerance with alcohol. You asked to be taught by me."
The girl's eyes widened.
"Now hurry up, Sakura! We don't have all day. I can take you to a couple of gambling halls before Shizune comes and hauls us out."
A genuine smile grew onto Sakura's face.
"Hai, Tsunade-shishou!"