Although Tsunade was thrilled inside, she forcibly suppressed her excitement.
After all, she wasn't sure if it was just a coincidence. She had to test it several more times — no, dozens, hundreds of times.
Tsunade, full of fighting spirit, quickly took on several opponents one after another.
In the second round, Senju Kyo vs. Mai Shiranui, win, earned 4,500 ryō.
In the third round, Senju Kyo vs. Mai Shiranui, win, earned 3,600 ryō.
In the fourth round, Senju Kyo vs. Mai Shiranui, win, earned 7,200 ryō.
...
Damn! Why is everyone playing as Mai Shiranui!?
"Hmph, men really are all pigs."
While Tsunade complained on the outside, inside she was quite pleased.
This situation actually helped her quickly figure out how to counter Mai Shiranui, leading her to continuously win the betting games.
This was a thrill she rarely experienced.
It even made Shizune, who was watching from the side, somewhat anxious.
She had heard Lady Tsunade say before that whenever something like this happened, bad things tended to occur to the people around her.
Shizune even speculated that this might be the real reason why Lady Tsunade kept away from the village...
But she couldn't help but think, with some frustration: then why did Lady Tsunade bring me along? Am I just naturally tough or something?
...
Just as Tsunade was getting better and better at the game, and was in the heat of battle, a familiar voice rang out behind her:
"Lady Tsunade, it seems you're enjoying this game quite a bit."
After easily finishing off her opponent, Tsunade turned around to see Natsuhiko's smiling face.
He was patting Shizune's head as he greeted her.
Even though they both had white hair, this guy definitely looked more pleasant than Jiraiya...
It must be a looks thing—white hair isn't something everyone can pull off.
Tsunade thought this to herself, but outwardly she looked impatient and said, "Why is it you again, white-haired brat? I already told you I'm not going back for now."
In reality, she was somewhat happy that Natsuhiko had come to find her again. It meant he didn't prioritize making extra money over finding her.
However, since she was deeply engrossed in her gaming, she didn't have time to deal with Natsuhiko and planned to shoo him away with a few words.
But then, she heard Natsuhiko laugh and say, "Don't worry, Lady Tsunade, I'm not here to make you go back."
"Actually, I believe that even if you stayed in Konoha, if your heart wasn't in it, it wouldn't make much difference."
"It's better to let you adjust your mood, and when you've had your fill of fun, you'll naturally return to Konoha."
Tsunade had started another round by now, but, distracted by what Natsuhiko was saying, she glanced at him again.
Seeing the sincerity in Natsuhiko's expression, she felt a tinge of emotion.
"After all the people who've come to fetch me, why couldn't any of them think like you do?" Tsunade mused while delivering Senju Kyo's super special move, Orochi Nagi, to drain another Mai Shiranui's last drop of health.
"No wonder Grandma picked you as her disciple. You really have insight."
"Right now, even if I went back, I'd just be a figurehead..."
Her voice grew a little melancholic, but she quickly shifted the topic, teasingly asking, "You're not saying this just to have more time to make money on the side, are you?"
"What are you doing to earn money these days, anyway?"
Natsuhiko's expression turned a bit strange.
"Lady Tsunade, didn't you notice the name on the sign at the entrance to this arcade?"
Tsunade's previously smooth gameplay suddenly stalled, leading her to get counter-attacked by the enemy.
After hurriedly turning the tables on her opponent, she turned to Natsuhiko, stammering, "Wha... what? You mean this place is actually yours?"
"So that 'Natsuhiko' on the sign really is you!?"
"How did you manage to open this place in such a short time?"
Tsunade's shock was understandable; she only knew some of Natsuhiko's feats through Shizune and hadn't witnessed his many inventions.
She could hardly imagine that this dream-like arcade was entirely built by a 16 or 17-year-old boy.
Let alone the fact that constructing such a place in just a few days on the outskirts of town would require significant manpower and resources, which seemed beyond Natsuhiko's abilities.
Natsuhiko smiled slightly and casually explained, "I just borrowed a little from the magic of storage scrolls."
Hearing this, Tsunade was momentarily stunned, then had a sudden realization.
Although regular storage scrolls couldn't hold an entire building, if the parts of the building were stored separately and transported using storage scrolls, then reassembled on-site, it was indeed possible to set it up in a short time.
Tsunade didn't probe further into Natsuhiko's methods but quickly thought of something else:
"Since you're the owner of this place, doesn't that mean I can play all the machines without waiting in line?"
Seeing Lady Tsunade shamelessly make such a bold statement, Shizune couldn't help but cover her face in embarrassment.
But Natsuhiko had anticipated this. He pulled out a gold card and handed it to Tsunade, saying, "Lady Tsunade, as long as you have this VIP membership card, you won't have to wait in line to play."
At this, Tsunade finally believed that Natsuhiko was the owner.
Though she felt a little embarrassed, she still slipped the gold card into her chest pocket. Even if Natsuhiko wanted to take it back, it was too late now...
At the same time, Tsunade became a bit wary. Was Natsuhiko being so nice because he had ulterior motives? Could it be that he hadn't given up on his mission and was trying to win her over with kindness?
If that's the case, Tsunade thought:
Let the barrage come even harder...
However, to her surprise, after chatting a bit more, Natsuhiko left, saying he was busy with the store.
It seemed like he had really just come by for a quick chat.
Now, Tsunade felt a bit unsettled, unable to figure out Natsuhiko's intentions.
Natsuhiko Amou, truly a mysterious man...
But Tsunade didn't dwell on it. She figured that as long as she was determined not to return, what could Natsuhiko do? Drag her back?
With that, Tsunade quickly let the matter go and refocused on her gaming...
At the same time, she thought with satisfaction:
With so many fun things here and Natsuhiko's gold card, it looked like she could enjoy a pleasant springtime here.
That's what Tsunade originally thought, but the next day, when she arrived at the arcade's location early in the morning, she was met with an astonishing sight:
The arcade building, with its somewhat strange design, was completely gone.
It was as if everything from the previous day had been a dream...
Fortunately, the cold touch of the gold card against her chest reassured Tsunade that yesterday had indeed happened.
There was also a notice board where the arcade had stood.
Tsunade stepped closer and saw the message written on it:
[Today, this shop is located 5 kilometers southeast of here.]
Staring at the board for a while, Tsunade finally snapped out of it.
Only now did she understand why the place was called "Natsuhiko's Game Arcade"...
So it really did move!
(End of Chapter)