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Anybody who tries to give Tsunade the "woman in the group is the only sane one" or "group mom" characterizations needs to give me $50 and a handwritten apology. OR get tied to a chair and forced to watch the Search for Tsunade arc clockwork orange style. Please choose 🙂

#tsunade senju #the legendary sannin #fifth hokage #godaime #jiraiya #orochimaru #shizune kato #shes getting tagged for reasons that should be obvious #naruto

|| We all know that Tsunade was completely left to her lonesome once her brother, grandmother and Dan passed. Unable to count on the support of her friends and teammates, she was forced to leave the village with Shizune in tow. Writing prompt on Tsuna-chan's support system when she returned to the village and how she deals with the difficulties of being the Godaime and reworking the leaf's flimsy medical structure. ^^

Note: You and CI just love giving me the hard tasks, don't you? This will make my arms hurt AGAIN! Be glad I adore you both as much as I do - on days you don't deserve it. u-u'' I'll incorporate a bunch of my headcanons we discussed in this too. I will do this in two parts though. I will work on the second part - reworking the medical structure as a separate post.

Godaime's Support System Head Canons

Returning to Konoha, Tsunade felt a profound sense of displacement. The village she had once known, the streets she had walked, were now a blend of familiarity and alienation. The buildings had changed, the faces were different, and the few that she did recognize were either children she had once known, now adults, or people who had aged so much they were barely recognizable. Twenty-five years away from Konoha had left a significant gap, one that was starkly apparent as she took on the mantle of Hokage.

Being the Godaime Hokage was a struggle. She is suddenly in the role of Hokage in a village where generations are used to seeing Sarutobi Hiruzen as the Hokage - apart from the short sparkly Namikaze interlude (then stupid flake went and died and probably cursed Tsunade with his dying breath to become the godaime). She was an enigma to the villagers—a line in the history books, known but not known. They had no choice but to accept her leadership, but trust was a different matter. The first few months were challenging. She felt unfit, an impostor in the role she had chosen. She had chosen to stop running, even though it is in her very nature to do so. But that was where her loyalty to Konoha really shone - though her instinct screamed at her to leave and never look back, she stays. All her loss and pain still has done little to stifle the love for her home.

Support comes to her in the form of Shizune - ever loyal and the caretaker. Their relationship, though, was fraught with underlying tension. Shizune had always been the responsible one, the caretaker, despite being younger. She had seen Tsunade's brokenness, even when Tsunade tried to hide it. This created a deep sense of guilt in Tsunade. Though their love for each other was deep, their relationship never became one of true confidants. Tsunade, lost in her own head, believed she was protecting Shizune from her darkness, not realizing she was doing more harm than good. Shizune wanted to help Tsunade get back on her feet, but Tsunade, due to her pain and guilt remained blind to Shizune's strength, and kept her at a distance, unconsciously denying Shizune the chance to get closer. This strained their relationship, creating a painful distance despite their closeness. It was Tsunade's biggest failure. Despite all these underlaying issues between their relationship, on their return to Konoha, Shizune became a constant source of support and helped streamline Tsuande's administration in a manner that had the system up and running smoothly in a matter of days.

Jiraiya, the fool, could read Tsunade like an open book. He saw her struggles and stayed in the village during those first few weeks, lending his silent strength. She would never admit it—her ego wouldn't allow it—but she deeply appreciated his presence. The Sannin had always been a team, against the world, and having one of her teammates by her side was a comfort as she navigated this new chapter of her life.

Next to join the circle was Kakashi. Seeing Kakashi was jarring for Tsunade. Adult Kakashi looked so much like Sakumo that it was almost painful, yet hard to connect with the sullen, glaring toddler she remembered. The toddler she had spent a number of afternoons with after Sakumo's passing and the one whose memory had haunted her many a time over the years once she left Konoha - his being the last face she saw before she left (how many loved ones had she disappointed by now?). Over time, they struck the oddest friendship (*), loss and bitter experiences acting as the bridge between the two separate generations; kindred spirits who came to rely on each other. Kakashi started filling in the gaps the absence of Jiraiya and Orochimaru had left. This friendship was an integral part of Konoha starting to feel like home again. Kakashi quickly became her right-hand man, his reputation in ANBU and among the jonin turning the tide in her favor. His loyalty was unfaltering, making him a central figure in her support circle.

Inoichi Yamanaka(**) was another key figure in her support network. As her third-cousin(**), their relationship had roots in their shared past and their mutual connection to Minato(**). When she returned, they picked up their relationship easily. Inoichi, along with Shikaku and Choza, formed a bond with Tsunade during a mission when their sensei was injured(***). Shikaku, with his respect for Tsunade's skills and beliefs, was the natural choice for Jonin Commander, a position he held with distinction.

With Kakashi as her right hand, Shikaku as her left, and Shizune managing both administration and the hospital, Tsunade's inner circle was complete. Kakashi and Shikaku's advice equipped her to handle the village's disastrous state, while Shizune's unwavering support helped her stay grounded.

An unexpected addition to this dynamic was Shikamaru. From their first meeting, there was a sense of understanding between them. Shikamaru's brilliance and strategic mind made him a valuable consultant. His involvement allowed Tsunade to influence the younger generation, reinforcing her belief in the Will of Fire.

Note: This is her inner most circle. In time she develops strong relationships with other jonin and chunin, like Anko (who she had known before leaving Koniha so it was was another shock - which became a migraine once she learned exactly how unhinged and at times annoyingly clingy the kunoichi is), Izumo, Kotetsu, Genma, Iruka, and Asuma.

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* Headcanon shared with @konohagakurekakashi.

** Headcanon: Tsunade is cousins with Inoichi and Minato, with Tsunade having a Yamanaka mother and Minato having a Yamanaka grandmother. Due to their age and similar ideas, Minato and Inoichi are rather close growing up. The two genin often end up bugging Tsunade because Minato has developed a fascination with fuinjutsu. This is a headcanon I share with @minaa-munch.

*** Headcanon: During a mission, the Ino-Shika-Cho trio's sensei was injured and needed a few months to recover. During those months, the trio was placed under Tsunade's temporary supervision. Her devil-may-care attitude and wit (the looks certainly helped—as obvious by his words when he declares her the world's most beautiful woman on her return to Konoha) led to Shikaku developing a crush on her, much to Inoichi and Minato's horror ("She's our cousin!!!").

Inspired by: https://www.fanfiction.net/s/6698337/1/Regrets