The next day, Tanzaku Town.
Jiraiya returned to the Aohua Inn.
"Mr. Matsuyama, here's your IOU. Next time you come to Konoha, bring it along—I'll have the money ready for you."
"This… you're paying it off?"
Matsuyama Kōji asked cautiously.
Jiraiya smiled. "No need to worry. I'm just transferring the debt from her to me."
Matsuyama hesitated for a moment, then said, "It's best not to shoulder her gambling losses. People like her—easy pickings—lose money wherever they go. Even you might not be able to keep up with it."
Behind them, Kyōen struggled to hold back a laugh—and the urge to glance back at Tsunade—keeping his face stern and serious.
However...
Jiraiya cleared his throat and said, "I'll talk to her about it."
"You won't get through to her! We see people like that all the time in the gambling business. They all say they'll change, but they always sneak back in."
Matsuyama was being sincere. Otherwise, as a casino owner, why bother saying such things?
Jiraiya forced a chuckle.
"Well, let's leave that topic aside. Next time you're in Konoha on business, I'll treat you properly. We can catch up then."
"It's probably my uncle, Matsuyama Ichirō, who handles the East Side business in Konoha—he's the one managing the deals with Gato."
Matsuyama explained.
Jiraiya nodded. "No problem, I'll reach out when the time comes."
"Alright. You really should try talking some sense into your friend. Her luck is just terrible—honestly, it's rare to see someone who doesn't win a single hand."
Matsuyama added helpfully.
But then—
Boom!
A loud crash echoed.
The door behind them was blasted to pieces.
Tsunade stood there, face dark, her green jacket with the large "Gamble" kanji glaringly obvious.
Her eyes were sharp as blades, and she spoke each word clearly.
"You! I've tolerated you long enough!"
"Calm down! Calm down! He's just a casino owner—it's not worth it,"
Shizune desperately held Tsunade back.
She was way too good at it.
So good it was honestly heartbreaking.
Kyōen quickly looked away and focused on the smashed door instead.
That chakra burst just now—it was her Monstrous Strength Technique in action.
Tsunade was a complete natural at this!
That kind of explosive force? She could unleash it casually, without even building up chakra or aiming carefully.
This had to be at least master level, right?
Kyōen thought to himself.
Matsuyama hid behind Jiraiya, his face pale.
This woman's strength is terrifying!
Even Kakashi, face masked as usual, looked visibly shocked by her destructive power.
Tsunade's looks and the scale of her destruction were… quite the contradiction.
"Anyway, we're going now!"
Jiraiya immediately grabbed Tsunade and ran.
If they didn't leave, they might have to pay for the door too!
Matsuyama didn't even dare to chase after them.
Then it hit him.
Such immense power, clearly close to Jiraiya, a hopeless gambler, a walking jackpot...
Putting all that together—there could only be one person.
One of the Legendary Sannin—
Tsunade.
Hissss...
Even Matsuyama had heard stories of this woman.
Incredible strength, notorious temper.
What luck!
Another day alive as a casino owner.
"Tsunade, your temper… I mean, the guy wasn't wrong, was he?"
Jiraiya couldn't help saying.
Tsunade gave him a cold stare and fell silent.
Her gambling luck was, of course, atrocious.
But—
Some things were better left unsaid.
For instance—
When her luck turned good, bad things tended to happen to people she cared about.
Tsunade would rather have bad luck.
At least then, it meant the people she loved were still safe.
She didn't explain it.
They continued on toward Konoha, and after a while, they stopped to rest.
Tsunade suddenly looked over at Kyōen.
"Hey, brat! Come here."
Huh?
Kyōen looked around, then realized she meant him.
He had no choice but to walk over.
"Lady Tsunade."
"Sit down. What ninjutsu do you know?"
Tsunade asked bluntly.
Kyōen listed out the techniques he'd learned.
Tsunade listened, her brows gradually furrowing.
Eventually, she asked, "You haven't learned any genjutsu?"
"No."
Kyōen shook his head.
Tsunade looked a little surprised.
"Why not? Wasn't it passed down?"
Back then, even other nations had heard of Senju Tōka's genjutsu. It should have been passed on.
Kyōen explained,
"My grandmother's genjutsu was very powerful, but both my parents had only average talent, so the techniques weren't passed down. There are a few scrolls at home, but I never studied them."
Most of them weren't very practical—hard to learn, limited in power, and not a priority.
So instead—
He had focused on taijutsu and physical conditioning.
Tsunade nodded thoughtfully, then asked, "How long have you been studying Water Release?"
"A little over half a month. I'm still not very skilled with it."
Kyōen looked a bit embarrassed.
Tsunade fell silent.
This kid...
Being able to do what he could in just half a month?
That was genius-level among shinobi.
What's he embarrassed about?!
Is he trying to piss me off?
Her gaze turned a little sharp.
"Brat, are you looking to get smacked?"
"As a shinobi, I should strive for perfection in my techniques. I'm still far from that."
Kyōen replied with total seriousness.
From the side, Jiraiya quietly gave him a thumbs-up.
Brave soul.
He was already lighting a candle for the poor kid in his mind.
Tsunade raised a brow but didn't say anything.
Instead, she gave him a dazzling smile and gently patted his shoulder.
"You mentioned before that even if I have hemophobia, my experience and skill still count for a lot. I think it's time we put that theory to the test—with you."
"Thank you, Lady Tsunade."
Kyōen bowed respectfully.
If Tsunade said she was going to "test" him, it was definitely going to be rough.
But—
There were countless people who dreamed of being trained by Tsunade, and couldn't even get a chance.
This was a rare opportunity. No matter how tough it got, he had to grab it.
Kakashi and Kurenai were already green with envy, sneaking glances their way.
In this era, Tsunade was the idol of nearly every young kunoichi.
Kurenai had always dreamed of becoming her student. If she had the chance to be personally trained by Tsunade, she'd be over the moon.
Unfortunately, by the time Kurenai graduated, Tsunade had already left the village with Shizune. There had never been an opportunity.
And now she understood why—
Hemophobia.
A terrifying condition for any shinobi.
The thought left Kurenai feeling a bit down.
After a short rest, the group resumed their journey.
On the road, even though Tsunade didn't expect anyone would dare come after her or Jiraiya, she still remained extremely vigilant.
Konoha, Hokage's Office.
The Third Hokage stared in disbelief.
"What?!"
"Lady Tsunade has returned. She's currently about ten minutes away from the village."
"...!!!"
Sarutobi Hiruzen's stunned expression slowly shifted into panic.
Tsunade's return...
For a moment, he didn't know how to face her. Countless emotions welled up inside him.
At last, Sarutobi let out a long sigh.
"I understand. You may go. There's no need to make a fuss over this."
"Yes, sir!"
The ANBU agent saluted and vanished from the office.
Once he was alone—
Sarutobi lit his pipe, staring in the direction of the village gates.
After a long moment, he exhaled a thick cloud of smoke.