I have an ongoing compilation of (extremely) short Tsunade/Shizune stories on AO3 and just now, I started thinking about the title again. "Bound." (If I were to go back, I'd probably name it differently.)

It's probably obvious, but "Bound" refers to Shizune's side of their relationship. She is bound to Tsunade by a number of factors: Dan's death, her being Tsunade's student and attendant, and a personal investment in Tsunade's wellbeing. In a way, these kind of go hand in hand.

Presumably, Tsunade accepted Shizune as an apprentice partially if not solely because of Shizune's relation to Dan. At that point, the relationship between Tsunade and Shizune can be read as obligatory - that is, obligation is what binds them.

Flash forward to their selves after they've been traveling a decade or so. Shizune has learned all she can from Tsunade and is capable in both healing and combat. She can return to Konoha at any time. Tsunade, while consistent in her (bad) habits, continues to suffer from her internal turmoil. Shizune knows this and knows that she cannot fix this, but continuously attempts (maybe, sort of) to keep Tsunade in line regarding her debts, gambling, and drinking.

The "obligation" binding Shizune to Tsunade has changed from a student's obligation to learn to an attendant's obligation to serve, or, as Shizune's willingness to stay with Tsunade may suggest, a friend or even caretaker's obligation to look out for someone who, for all her strength, is still hurting inside. My takeaway is that after all they've been through, it's safe to say that Shizune considers Tsunade to be the most important person in her life.

Regarding Tsunade: I feel as if she takes Shizune for granted. But, she's not exactly wrong to do so. If she's in trouble, Shizune will come running if she isn't there already (or on a mission or dead, etc). Shizune is, in a sense, her conscience - even if she chooses to ignore or one-hit KO that conscience. While not emphasized, Tsunade has an implicit trust in Shizune at this point. Notice how Tsunade never seems to worry when it comes to Shizune, her only (unless you include Tonton) moral support for years. It's because she fully knows Shizune's capabilities and that she - barring a few exceptions - will not recklessly throw herself at the enemy.

Why do I even ship this