In a Guard office, Tsunade slammed her hand down on the table, her voice rising in frustration. "I told you, I didn't dine and dash! I just didn't have enough money to pay at the moment!"
The guard, standing impassively, responded calmly, "Eating without paying is considered dining and dashing."
Throwing her hands up in exasperation, Tsunade retorted, "I said I would pay! I just didn't have enough on me. And your hotel charges are outrageous!"
She wasn't completely broke when she arrived in Grass Village. She'd managed to scrape together some funds from the Land of Fire, so the idea of dining without paying was far from her intention—especially given her 'supposed connection' to the leader of Grass Village.
But that's when things had gone sideways. After hiring a random guide to show her around the village and sample the local cuisine, they ended up at this international hotel. She barely had a few bottles of alcohol, and the bill nearly gave her a heart attack. The hotel staff had proudly informed her that they were serving Grass Village's 25-year-old signature wine, the "Grass Special Edition," priced at a staggering 1.8 million per bottle.
It was ridiculous. Two bottles had cost her nearly four million. When she saw the bill, she went silent. Even her gambling losses hadn't been this absurd.
"What kind of nonsense is this 'Grass Special Edition'? This is daylight robbery!" Tsunade fumed, her frustration mounting.
She shot the guard a flat look and retorted, "I suspect you guys tricked me into buying it. Let me tell you, I'm very familiar with your leader. Back in the Land of Rain—"
"Stop, stop, stop!" The guard interrupted, unbothered. "If I'm not mistaken, you are Tsunade, the legendary Sannin of Konoha, granddaughter of the First Hokage, trained by the Third Hokage, and the one with the Shikkotsu Forest contract, right?" He flipped through his file and glanced back up at her. "After the Second Great Ninja War, you left Konoha, correct?"
He skimmed the document for a moment before continuing, "You're not the first Konoha Sannin to claim they know our leader. The last one ended up in jail. So, my advice is to admit it now."
"…What?" Tsunade and Shizune both froze, shock washing over them. The last Konoha Sannin had been imprisoned in Grass Village? Was it Jiraiya?
Tsunade's face twitched in disbelief. "What the hell did that idiot do?" she muttered under her breath, then scowled, her voice laced with irritation. "And this 'Grass Special Edition'… Is this for real?"
The guard explained calmly, "The Grass Special Edition Wine is one of our village's signature drinks. The 25-year-old version comes from a rare year when the climate was perfect, and the brewing plants grew exceptionally well. It's highly regarded by collectors across the Ninja World. Only a million bottles were produced, making it quite expensive. It represents status and refinement, and it's a popular choice for banquets. The Grass International Hotel is the only place that serves it."
He paused briefly before adding, "And the Grass International Hotel caters specifically to visiting honored merchants, so naturally, the prices there are higher."
Tsunade and Shizune blinked, still processing. "Is that so?" Tsunade muttered, slowly beginning to understand. No wonder everything there was so overpriced...
But then her frown deepened. "I still feel like I've been scammed," she grumbled. "A rare climate? Only a million bottles? And they've been selling for all these years and still haven't sold out?"
The guard responded without a hint of hesitation, "Yes, there are only a million bottles. As for why it hasn't sold out… well, those who can afford it aren't your average customers. So, it sells at a slow pace." He continued, his tone serious, "Now, please pay the remaining balance. If you cannot, given the amount involved…"
He paused, and both Tsunade and Shizune understood the implication. If she didn't pay? Well, she'd be going to jail.
Shizune looked at Tsunade with concern. "Tsunade-sama..."
"Wait, wait!" Tsunade quickly raised her hand to stop her. "I want to file a complaint! The hotel didn't make the pricing clear, and they tricked me into buying it! I had no idea!"
The guard, unfazed, replied dryly, "They showed you the menu, and you refused to look at it. You had even loudly declared they didn't need to show you the menu, saying not to worry because you had enough money."
"...Hahaha..." Tsunade scratched her head awkwardly, chuckling nervously. "Well, I didn't know at first, okay?"
"Take her away!" the guard said flatly, turning to his colleague, ignoring her excuses.
"Wait, wait! I want to see your leader! I came all the way here to visit! Don't worry, I'll pay as soon as I have the money!" Tsunade said in a hurry as she saw the guard dismissing her.
"You can pay once you're released. As for your case, we'll report it to the leader as soon as possible." The guard's tone remained unchanging, as if he'd dealt with situations like this many times before.
"I want to see your leader! I need to see the head of the Uzumaki Clan!" Tsunade was still scrambling to figure a way out of this mess.
"Take her away!" The guard sighed, shaking his head. He waved his hand, signaling his colleague to move her along.
Just as the guards were about to take action, a calm voice interrupted from behind them. "Stop."
Everyone froze, including Tsunade, who looked up, her eyes narrowing as she recognized the figure approaching.
"Captain Tetsu!" The guard immediately straightened and saluted.
Uchiha Tetsu, though a recent addition to the security team, had quickly made a name for himself. He graduated from the guard training department with exceptional results, tackling complex cases and apprehending spies, earning him a swift promotion.
The guard hesitated, then asked, "Captain, may I ask what this is about?"
"Someone has bailed her out," Captain Tetsu said, glancing at Tsunade before adding, "We'll discuss the details later." He turned his attention to Tsunade and continued, "You're free to go. But don't cause any more trouble here, or I'll have no choice but to arrest you myself."
Tsunade squinted at him for a moment, then her eyes widened with recognition. "Wait… you're from the Uchiha clan, aren't you? You used to follow Fugaku around, right?"
She sighed, a rueful smile tugging at her lips. Back in Konoha, the Uchiha police force was known to them all, especially due to Jiraiya's antics. She hadn't expected to see one of them here in Grass Village.
"You've come a long way," she muttered, her voice softening as memories of Konoha's past flooded back. "I never thought I'd see any of you end up in Grass Village."
Her gaze lingered on him, guilt settling in her chest. "I… I'm sorry. About what happened back in the village," she said quietly.
Tetsu waved his hand dismissively, his expression neutral. "There's no need to apologize to me, Lady Tsunade. The Uchiha clan is no longer Konoha's Uchiha clan." His tone was firm, though there was no animosity. "Now, please leave. Don't interfere with our work. And next time, remember to check your bill before you eat."
Without waiting for her to respond, he turned and walked away, his back straight and unyielding.
Tsunade watched Tetsu's retreating figure, her thoughts swirling with mixed emotions. She sighed deeply, shaking her head in disbelief. "Sensei, what on earth are you up to?" she muttered under her breath.
Turning to Shizune, who was still standing there, wide-eyed, Tsunade waved a hand in front of her face to snap her out of her daze. "Let's go."
With a resigned tone, Tsunade added, "I didn't expect the leader of Grass Village to actually show up. He seems like a good person, though. We should thank him later."
Shizune hesitated before speaking. "But Lady Tsunade, didn't you say... are you really familiar with the Grass leader?"
Tsunade chuckled, brushing off the question with a grin. "Hahaha, yes, very familiar. Really familiar!" She quickened her pace toward the exit, eager to put the situation behind her.
In truth, she wasn't afraid of meeting the leader of Grass Village. It was more about not wanting to cause any tension, especially considering the ties to the Uzumaki clan. Grass Village had become a second home to them, and Tsunade wasn't about to jeopardize those relationships.
As they reached the entrance, Tsunade took a deep breath of the fresh evening air, feeling instantly relieved. She sighed internally, then looked up and saw a familiar figure in the distance. It was the young man she had met years ago in the Land of Rain.
Quickening her pace, Tsunade approached him with a laugh. "Hahaha, kid… Leader Akihiko, I didn't expect you to come personally!"
As they reached the entrance, Tsunade took a deep breath of the fresh evening air, feeling an immediate sense of relief. She exhaled slowly, looking up and spotting a familiar figure ahead. It was the young man she had met years ago in the Land of Rain.
She smiled, as she approached him, and called out with a laugh, "Hahaha, kid…no, Leader Akihiko! I didn't expect you to come personally!"
Just as she was about to step forward and give him a warm hug, pretending to be grateful, a resigned and slightly resentful voice interrupted her. "Sister Tsunade, you should be hugging me instead! After all, it's my money that bailed you out!"
Tsunade froze, her hand suspended mid-air. She turned sharply, her expression one of complete shock, only to find a familiar red-haired woman standing there, holding a stack of papers, smiling playfully as she walked toward her. "You... Kushina?!"
"Long time no see, Sister Tsunade! Hehehe!" Kushina responded with her signature cheerful grin.