Tsunade

Origin

Tsunade was born and raised in the Hidden Leaf Village as the grand daughter of the village founder, the First Hokage making her also the grandniece of the    

Tsunade In Her Youth          

Second Hokage. She grew up to become a powerful ninja and an expert in Medical Justu, as a member of the Three Sannin; but terrible luck in gambling. She did so by being the student of the Third Hokage, allong with Orochimaru and Jiraiya, the other two Sannin members. After she grew up a bit, she and the other two were major factors in the Second Shinobi World War, mostly due to the Sannin fighting Hanzo, the person that gave them there world-wide known name. While they were traveling through the Land Hidden in the Rain they encountered three orphan children. Jiraiya was inspired to train them, Orochimaru wanted to kill them, and Tsunade wanted nothing to do with them, and wished to move on with there plans. Soon after, she would lose both her little brother and her lover. This brought her in a time of great grief and sorrow, as well as she lost hope in the name Hokage because both her lover and her brother wanted to become Hokage, and both times she gave them the crystal necklace that was hers, only to be returned both times. With all emotions raging wild, Tsunade fled from the Konoha and took her lover's niece with her, soon to become her apprentice Shizune. She would overcome this trauma to be the Fifth Hokage of the Hidden Leaf Village to protect the land and it's people.

Creation

Naruto Vol. 18 JPN (2003)

Tsunade is a lead charcater of the Naruto series that was created by Masashi Kishimoto. She was introduced after the invasion of the Hidden Leaf Village by Orochimaru with the Sand Village forces and the death of the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi. Her lineage dates back to the creation of the Hidden Leaf Village as the grand daughter of the First Hokage and the niece of the Second Hokage. This made her the first choice to take on the title of the Fifth Hokage. She has long blond hair she pulls into duel pigtails, a gray top she keeps wide open in the front to expose her very ample bosom, open toed sandals, a green cloak with the 賭 (kake) kanji that means "gamble", and a diamond shaped seal on her forehead. Her name comes from the Japanese folktale of "The Tale of the Gallant Jiraiya" (児雷也豪 傑物語, Jiraiya Goketsu Monogatari). Though named directly after the character Tsunade, the personalities are drastically different and her name sake was Jiraiya's wife.
 
She first appeared in Naruto Volume 16, CH. 139 "Eulogy!!", and her first anime appearance was in Naruto - Episode 83 "Jiraiya: Naruto's Potential Disaster!". Her character in the Japanese series is voiced by Masako Katsuki for the adult role, but for the scenes of Tsunade as a child is voiced by Haruhi Terada. She was later drawn on on the cover of Naruto Volume 18. The U.S. dub produced by VIZ Media is done by Debi Mae West for the adult role, but for the scenes of her childhood is voiced by Megan Hollingshead . Tsunade is one of the most powerful all-around ninjas to be produced from the village, and is said her power matches her beauty. Her main skills are in the medical fields of ninjutsu.

She is a member of the Three Sannin ninja along with her former squad members, Jiraiya and Orochimaru. They were all the pupils of Hiruzen Sarutobi. Tsunade is a woman who loves to gamble, but is infamous in her bad luck. She frequently loses and was in serious debt when she was approached as the choice of the next Hokage. Whenever she has won in gambling, death of someone soon follows. Her assistant, Shizune, is the niece of her dead lover and she has a pet pig named TonTon. Her character's linage to the founding of the village has earned her honorific of "Hime", meaning "princess".

Character Evolution

Tsunade the Fifth Hokage

The evolution of Tsunade's character has primarily been in personality and additive, but in flashbacks her appearances as a young girl has been shown. Though in the maid story she is actually in her 60s, she uses a special transformation jutsu that keeps her body looking young. As a child she was flat chested but grew up to be a well endowed woman with a bust exceeding 106cm. To date, her character's true appearance has only been hinted at and never been completely seen. She has changed back twice in Naruto after releasing the special Yani Seal upon her forehead, but changes back after rest. Her curvaceous body has been a source of various fanservice scenes.
 
Affiliation: Hidden Leaf Village
Rank: Hokage
Registered Ninja #: 002302
Date Of Birth: August 2nd
Age: 54
Zodiac Sign: Leo
Height: 163.1cm
Weight: 48.9kg
Blood Type: B 
Completed Assignments: 

• D-Rank 40 / C-Rank 236 / B-Rank 467 / A-Rank 418 / S-Rank 95

Other than her incredible skill in medical justu, she is equally powerful in taiustu. By focusing her chakra into a single point of her attack. It gives her incredibly destructive ability and could crush a stone wall with a single strike. Her strength has earned the description of being monstrous.

After suffering the trauma of the death of her younger brother, Nawaki; and later her lover, Dan, during the Third Ninja War, she developed a crippling phobia of blood called Hemophobia. She would leave the Hidden Leaf Village to wander with her apprentice, Shizune. She left her life behind her, but was later approached by Jiraiya with Naruto that she was selected as the next Hokage. Though originally uninterested, it was through meeting Naruto, who shared the same dream of her lover Dan and brother, that she would accept the duty of protecting the village and it's people. Despite taking the role of Hokage, she was been just as lazy as she's ever been and tries to avoid tedious paper working, leaving that to Shizune.

Tsunade after time skip

After the two year time skip in Naruto, Tsunade has had her image carved into the village's landmark mountain and put forth changes to the ninja teams she had been pushing for long before she originally left. That was to assign each ninja team with a ninja trained in medical jutsu to improve survivability among the squads. She also accepted Sakura Haruno as her apprentice and taught her brother medical justu and the ability to control her chakra in combat.

Recently

The Fourth Ninja War has erupted across the lands as Madara Uchiha has tapped the talents of Kabuto that he acquired from Orochimaru to revive and control the dead as puppets to create an army of the greatest dead ninjas in history. Tsunade is left wondering if her lover Dan is among this massive army.

Major Story Arcs

Tsunade was winning alot of money in the casino she was at. She had a bad feeling because she was winning so much so she left. The next day she ran into Orochimaru preparing to make a deal. He would give back Tsunade's brother and 

The Three Legendary Sannin Face Off     

her lover if she fixed his arms. Tsunade was considering on wht she would do. But Shizune was begging her not to take the deal because her brother and Shizune's uncle would like it. Then Tsunade poisened Jiraiya when they had dinner. The next day Tsunade went to meet Orochimaru and she refused. After Naruto and Jiraiya found Tsunade they all had dinner together and Jiraiya asked Tsunade if she would be the next Hokage because her Grandfather was the first and the founder of the leaf village. Naruto went crazy saying that he was supposed to be the next hokage. Jiraiya told him that he still had a long way to go and the village needed a new leader. Tsunade politely refused. Then she asked why would anyone want to give their life for someone else. Naruto yelled at her and Tsunade challenged him to a fight.

The Fight

When her and Naruto were both outside Tsunade lifted one finger and said this is all I need. After she said that Jiraiya told her not to show off. When Tsunade said come and get me Naruto pulled out a kunai and ran towards her. When he came arms lentgh, she plucked him. This pluck took off his headband and knocked the kunai out of his hand. He went flying into the air and when he landed his headband and kunai landed right beside him. He was stunned by her strength for a second but when he recoved he got back up. When he got back up he tried to do Rasengan on her. Tsunade was suprised that Naruto was trying the fourth Hokage's jutsu. Naruto failed to finish the jutsu and Tsunade looked like she was no longer surprised but mad. She started to yell at Jiraiya and ask why he taught him the Rasengan when he knew that only he and the fourth could complete that jutsu.

The Bet

After Tsunade said that Naruto could not do the Rasengan he told her he could perfect in a week. Tsunade took this as a bet and she said "Ok, what's in it for me?". Naruto said "If I can't perfect the Rasengan in a week, then we won't bug you anymore about why you're not going to be hokage. If I can perfect the Rasengan in a week, then I want that Necklace you have around your neck".

The Necklace of Death

When Naruto said this, Tsunade's eyes went wide and she remembered the first time she gave the necklace to someone. The first person she gave the necklace to was Shizune's uncle. Tsunade loved Shizune's uncle and when she ave him the necklace was the day before he went to war. That night, he died in battle. Tsunade was grief stricken. The second time she gave the necklace to someone it would be her little brother as a birthday gift. The day he also went to battle even though Tsunade told him not to and that it was to dangerous. The next day I was dead. The paramedics told her his body was so twisted up that you couldent even tell who it was.
The truth is, that Tsunade is actually as old as Jiraiya but she uses her chakra to help herself look younger. One of her main fears is growing old.

Powers and Abilities

Tsunade using her chakra enhanced strength

Using precise chakra control, Tsunade is able to focus chakra into her fist and feet and release it when she punches or kicks that gives her massive strength, enough to split the ground in two with just her finger. This is actually a type of Medical Ninjutsu, and further shows Tsunade's near perfect chakra control. Even though it has been rarely shown from her, we can assume she has excellent skills in repelling genjutsu's as well. We can presume this with much belief because one of the way's to break out of a genjutsu according to Jiraiya is to either stop the flow of one's chakra, or reverse the flow, and with as fine control of chakra as Tsunade, it should be quite and easy task for her. This can repel a genjutsu because genjutsu itself is when a ninja tampers with another ninja's chakra system and flow.

Tsunade's Jutsu

• Chakra Enhanced Strength 
• Chakra Scalpel 
• Creation Rebirth 
• Genjutsu Binding 
• Healing Chakra Transmission 
• Important Body points Disturbance 
• Mystical Palm Technique 
• Painful Sky Leg 
• Summoning Technique (Katsuyu / slugs) 
• Yin Seal: Release

Anime Only:

• Eight Trigrams Trap Formation
• Four-Corner Seal Barrier
• Genjutsu Binding

Jutsu Stats

Ninja's are ranked by their proficiency with the various types of jutsu and other statistics. The score rates as a best out of five and are added up in a total score. (source, ThirdNaruto Databook)

Ninjutsu	Taijutsu	Genjutsu	Intelligence	Strength	Speed	Stamina	Hand Seals	Total
5	5	3.5	5	5	3.5	4	4	35

Yin Seal

There is diamond-shaped mark on Tsunade's head which is part of a hidden seal that covers some of her body, she uses this "Secret Mark Seal" to store chakra in and is able to use that chakra when needed. She'll use this in junction with "Creation Rebirth," a technique which speeds up cellular creation and regeneration to heal her body, rendering her almost immortal on the battlefield. But this happens at a cost though since this shortens her life span each time she uses it. She also has an electrical technique called "Important Body Points Disturbance." With this technique she sends an electrical current through her opponent's body by touching them. This doesn't physically harm the opponent, however the brain and body coordinates it's motor functions through electrical pulses, thus Tsunade's technique disrupts those pulses causing the opponent's body to react differently than they want it to.
Being a medical specialist, Tsunade's able to use techniques such as: "Mystical Hand" where she focuses chakra in her hand that speeds up the healing process of wounds, for herself or others. "Chakra Scalpel" where she focuses chakra around her hand which acts as a blade. Since it's composed of energy, it is completely sterile. And "Poison Extraction" where she uses her chakra to remove poison from one's body. She also is strong enough to use the Forbidden Medical Ninjutsu: "Total Life Sacrifice": where she gives the other person undergoing this, their chakra, total strength, and life force. She is one of the most powerful Kunoichi, and one of the most powerful Medic-Nins in the Naruto universe.
Tsunade also continually uses a transformation jutsu to keep her looking young. She is also capable of summoning giant slugs which are capable of spitting acid.

Other Media

Anime

In the original anime airing of the Naruto series published by VIZ Media, much of the fanservice scenes from completely cut from the TV airing. The closeup of Tsunade's breasts when Naruto first meets her was removed, and the scene of Kohohamaru running face first into her cleavage and pausing there was also cut. In the flashback of her youth with Jiraiya, his mocking her for being flat chested was changed.
 

Cut Scenes from Naruto's U.S. TV airing

Films

As a lead character in the Naruto series, she has appeared in several of the Naruto movies and her first appearance in the films was for Naruto Shippuden: The Movie(2007).

• Naruto Shippuden: The Movie (2007)
• Naruto Shippuden 3: Inheritors of the Will of Fire(2009)

Games

Naruto: Ultimate Ninja 3 (2005)

The character Tsunade has appeared in several of Naruto game series. Her first Naruto game appearance was in Naruto RPG 2: Chidori vs Rasengan(2005). In the English publication of the Naruto game series, Tsunade has not always been voiced by her main anime voice actress, but by Mary Elizabeth McGlynn, who voices Kurenai Yuhi.

(For a full list of games that feature Tsunade, see her profile on Giant Bomb. HERE)