Disclaimer:
Naruto and all of its characters belong to Shueisha and Masashi Kishimoto.
I own nothing but the original characters I create.
"Dialogue"
'Thoughts'
-Author notes-
Chapter 117: The Bet
"A bet?" Tsunade looked at him suspiciously.
"Yes, since you like those so much, I figured it would be a good way to go about this," Naruto suggested.
Jiraiya and Shizune had followed outside and saw the two of them standing a short distance apart.
"He's not hurt?!" Shizune exclaimed in pure shock upon seeing Naruto standing seemingly unhurt.
"I told you. The brat's tough," Jiraiya said with a knowing look.
Tsunade raised an eyebrow. "What kind of bet? Do you even have anything I could possibly want?"
"The terms are simple," Naruto said, pulling out a large wallet filled to the brim with money. "If I win, you come with us to Konoha without complaining. If I lose, I'll apologize for my previous comments and this wallet is yours…"
Tsunade's eyes widened at the sight of all that cash. "How much is in there?"
"Hey! That's my emergency wallet!" Jiraiya screamed while checking all his pockets, realizing he hadn't noticed it was missing.
"I borrowed it," Naruto admitted. "I hope you don't mind, after all, this is kind of an emergency."
"Wait..." Tsunade paused, confused. "I thought you didn't want me as Hokage. Why would you want to bet on me coming back to the village?"
"I still believe you're unfit to serve as Hokage," Naruto stated bluntly. "But your combat skills don't seem completely rusted. I assume your medical skills are still at least decent."
Tsunade narrowed her eyes. "You need a medic." She concluded that he only wanted her because of that.
"There are a few in the village who are in need of the Legendary Sannin medic, if that person still exists…" Naruto said.
Tsunade stared at him, trying to gauge his motives. If what he was saying was true, then this boy was a bit less selfish than she initially thought, and at least he was willing to care for others. "And what do you want to bet on?"
Jiraiya's eyes widened...this was a rare opportunity to end this. "Just say dice! She always loses at those!"
"You shut up!" Tsunade glared at him. "And I don't always lose!"
"Its around seventy percent thought..." Shizune mumbled under her breath.
Naruto shook his head. "Those types of games rely too much on luck. I have something else in mind."
Tsunade crossed her arms. "And what is that? Spit it out already."
"A combat challenge."
"You want to fight me?" Tsunade stared at him in disbelief. "My punch from earlier must've done some internal damage after all."
"Naruto, what are you thinking?!" Jiraiya shouted.
"Is he crazy?" Shizune wondered aloud.
"I never said I wanted to fight. I just want a simple combat challenge," Naruto clarified, pointing to the middle of the street.
"You stand over there and let me attack you once. If I can make you take a step back, I win. If you can stop my attack without moving, then you win."
"Just one attack?" Tsunade asked, seeking confirmation.
"Just one," Naruto assured her.
Tsunade seemed hesitant, trying to figure out his angle.
"You're not afraid of what a genin could do, right? You are one of the Legendary Sannin, after all. You should be able to stop anything I throw at you with little effort. " Naruto goaded her, giving her a gentle nudge.
"Naruto..." Jiraiya was growing concerned. He had an idea of what Naruto was planning, but a frontal attack with the Rasengan wouldn't be enough. Tsunade had plenty of ways to stop him without even moving. And as far as he knew, Naruto didn't have anything stronger than that.
Tsunade chuckled. "You know what? Fine. I'll accept this bet. I may lose often at the tables, but I won't lose in something like this."
"We have an agreement then," Naruto said.
The two of them got into position after Jiraiya managed to disperse the crowd and assured the restaurant owner he would cover the damages so the guards wouldn't be called.
Jiraiya watched as Naruto prepared. He still believed this wasn't going to work. He would have to think of another way to convince Tsunade to return to Konoha.
But he wasn't prepared for what Naruto was about to do.
"Go on, brat. Show me your best jutsu," Tsunade said with a confident smile.
"Then, I'll get started," Naruto said as he lifted his right hand, where chakra began spinning rapidly.
In only two seconds, a perfect Rasengan was formed.
Tsunade's eyes widened in surprise.
"That's the Fourth's jutsu." She glanced at Jiraiya. There was no doubt he had taught Naruto.
"You taught him the Rasengan?! Teaching an A-rank jutsu to a genin with no experience...how reckless."
"That's the Rasengan?" Shizune murmured, seeing it for the first time.
"Hmph! No matter. Bring it on," Tsunade said confidently. She did not care how potent the jutsu was, it was still being performed by someone who lacked real combat skill.
That jutsu was terrifying in the hands of Namikaze Minato because of his ability to perform the Flying Thunder God and strike from anywhere, making it impossible to avoid. But she was sure Naruto didn't know that technique. Even Jiraiya hadn't been able to learn it.
However, none of them were ready for what was coming next.
"I'm not done yet," Naruto said, surprising them.
The Rasengan, though already formed, still wasn't ready. It took too long to prepare, so he didn't set a time limit on the challenge. He could take as long as he wanted.
"What… What else is there to do?" Tsunade wondered. The Rasengan was complete...if he didn't release it soon, it would explode in his hand.
"Naruto, what are yo—" Jiraiya's words died in his mouth.
The blue Rasengan began to shift… turning red as flames appeared around it.
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