AN: I've always wanted to write a story with the awesome Mito, but the idea for one never came to me...until now! *^*

Disclaimer: Sadly, Naruto is still based in Japan, and I don't have enough money to fly my armada over there and take it...

"She's blonde, Hashirama." Mito breathed as she held her newborn granddaughter for the first time, the swaddled baby lying in the crook of her arm.

"And you're a red head, my dear Mito." The Hokage laughed and sat on the arm of the chair his wife was sitting in, black eyes looking down on the tiny baby.

"That's not what I meant."

Hashirama's smile faded as his attention turned from his grandchild to his wife.

"What do you mean?"

Mito cast a careful glance over to her sleeping daughter-in-law lying in the hospital bed merely five feet away. Her son had gone for food after he handed his daughter off to her and hasn't popped in since.

"Do you remember that man we met at the dinner back around New Years?" the red head whispered gently as she readjusted the baby.

"Vaguely. Why?"

"Do you remember the amount of interest she," Mito cocked her head over to the baby's sleeping mother. "Took in him? He had sandy hair, very tall…remember?"

"Mito don't." Hashirama sighed and ran his hands down his face slowly, getting up and pacing lightly.

"Hashi, look at her! She looks nothing like her father." Mito hissed. Her voice, despite her control, woke the baby in her arms and she let out a gurgled cry. The new grandmother cooed down to the baby, stealing quick glances towards the mother sleeping in bed.

"Tsunade looks like her mother," Hashirama raised his hand towards the blonde woman lying in bed.

"But nothing like our son."

The Hokage became quite as his wife stared him down, her jade eyes pinning him to the wall.

"She's two hours old, Mito. It'll be years until she starts looking like anyone."

And so, being the good wife she was, Mito kept her mouth shut.

Four years later and she's holding her granddaughter's hand, her other hand on the top of her little blonde head as the toddler held on to the hem of her grandmother's kimono.

"Is it gonna hurt, gramma?" Tsunade's hand tugged on the flowing tresses of Mito's ivory kimono.

"It might, dear." Her hand moved to cup the young girl's face to her hip, fingers coursing through the shimmering golden locks.

"A lot?" The girl raised her head up to meet her grandmother's eyes, her own honey-brown glittering in the fluorescent hospital lights.

"It's like getting pinched." Mito smiled and kneeled to her granddaughter's level.

"It only hurts for a second and you get a treat when it's all done. Come here," the red head licked her thumb and rubbed a small blemish off the child's face, then patting her cheek once it was gone.

"How many do I have to get? I'm scared." Tsunade's bottom lip jutted out and tears started bubbling in her eyes. She gathered the cloth of her grandmother's kimono in her tiny fists and buried her face in the silky fabric.

"Just a few. And I'll be right there with you, so don't be scared." Mito smiled softly and pulled Tsunade's face from her dress when the doctor walked in.

"Are you ready, Tsunade?"

"No."

"Oh, come on my little princess. Lets get this over with." Mito sighed as she picked the small girl up and followed the doctor back to the exam room.

"You can have a seat right here, milady." The doctor said as she took her seat and pulled a tray over, vials of vaccines lining the silver tray.

"She's gonna put those in me?" Tsunade squealed and tucked herself in her grandmother's body, burying her head in her neck.

"Remember what I said, Tsunade. It'll only hurt for a second." The doctor came over and rolled up the four year-olds sleeve, wiping it down with a disinfecting cloth.

"Your grandmother is right, Tsunade. Just hold her hand and look away." The black haired woman smiled and reached for the first needle, uncapping it and holding Tsunade's arm.

"Gramma."

"You're fine, darling, you're fine."

"Na-uh! I'm gonna die!"

"You will not die, child." Mito laughed in to her grandchild's hair as she watched the doctor move for another syringe.

"I got the same shots you're getting and I'm still alive."

"But those are worse! They're humongous…"

"Okay, I'm done." The doctor chirped as she disposed of the last syringe.

"You see that, you didn't even feel a thing." Mito smiled and rubbed Tsunade's cheek with the backs of her fingers.

"And since you were so brave, you get to pick out a treat." The doctor reached for a small container on her desk and tipped it so Tsunade could see the contents.

"Go ahead, pick what you want." She smiled and watched Tsunade stick her little hand in the jar.

"Is there anything else you need, milady? Any other tests or concerns?" Mito looked up at the doctor, about to open her mouth and say no when something came to mind.

"Yes actually, there is doctor."

"Yes ma'am?" Quickly looking down to make sure Tsunade was occupied with her candy; Mito motioned for the doctor to some closer.

"I need you to keep this under the strictest of wraps, no one but you is to know of this request. Can I trust you?"

"Yes ma'am."

Mito nodded, blinking and taking a breath.

"I want you to run a paternity test."

"On…" The woman's head tilted downwards towards Tsunade. Mito nodded.

"I can do that."

The Uzumaki immigrant was standing over her husband's grave, hair out of their usual buns and loose around her youthful face.

"Our grandchildren are gone, Hashi. Baby Nawaki should be making his way up to see you as we speak. And Tsunade…" her hand balled into a fist while the other held an old, crinkled paper. Mito brought it to her face, reading it over and over again, even though she could recite it word by word at the drop of a hat.

"Has taken up her mother's drinking habits I'm afraid." She let slip a cynical laugh from her unpainted lips, closing her eyes and covering her face with her free hand.

"What happened to our family?" Mito clenched her teeth and let tears fall from her eyes.

"Grams…" a weary voice sounded from behind the old seal master, causing her eyes to snap open.

"Tsunade, how are you dear?" Quickly wiping her eyes and mustering the strength for a fake smile, Mito turned around to face her granddaughter.

In the bleariness of the tears, Mito could have sworn she saw her little darling grandchild standing there, beaming brightly with her arms outstretched for her. But after a few blinks, the precious little girl was gone and there stood a woman: a tired and broken woman.

"I'm okay. You okay? I know you only come here when you don't want to hit the bottle." Tsunade smirked and walked up to her grandmother, slipping a hand on her shoulder.

"Such wise words from someone so young. It's truly humbling." Mito scoffed sardonically and turned to meet eyes with Tsunade. There were dark circles under the honey pools, making her look older than her twenty-three years.

She was dressed in her jounin fatigue, her headband tied to her head with small specks of blood splattered on the cool steel plate.

"Well it's better than drinking." The blonde laughed darkly and wiped her face with the back of her hand.

"Why don't you try it, then?"

"It's not strong enough." Silence ensued after the blonde lowered her head in prayer and dropped a flower on her grandfather's grave. She turned to leave, walking past her grandmother with a woeful smile.

"Darling wait." Mito grabbed her granddaughter's sleeve, her entire frame tensing from her fingers to her back.

"What is it, grams?" Tsunade turned back tiredly and waited.

"I want you to have this. It's something I feel you deserve to know." Mito handed off the paper and turned to face Tsunade.

She pulled her granddaughter's headband off and kissed her forehead, holding her blonde head to her lips.

"I'll always love you, no matter what." Stunned, Tsunade took the medical document from her grandmother and watched her walk off. Mito was never an overly affectionate person; at least Tsunade never saw it from her grandmother. Like she was in a trance, Tsunade lifted her hand to her forehead, pressing a finger to the spot where her grandmother's lips made contact with her forehead.

"Okay…" Tsunade whispered and eyed the old document in her hand, noting the date as she brought it closer to her face.

"Paternity test?"

What were the results? A

Well if you're a good infer-er, I think you know... *cackles evilly in lair*

Hope you guys liked my first Mito story, it was loads fun to write!

PEACE :P