"This should be enough money, right?" Tsunade grumbled, tossing a stack of bills onto the table. "Hey, boss, bring me two more bottles of sake!"
It seemed Tsunade had made a tidy profit from the war, reaping quite a bit from the battlefield.
Not every ninja liked to keep their money in the bank; some preferred to stash it in sealing scrolls.
Just unseal a scroll, and out would spill a heap of cash.
No doubt, Tsunade had struck it lucky.
As for whether Orochimaru or Jiraiya would get a share of her winnings, Takuya seriously doubted it.
It wasn't hard to get something from Tsunade—except for her money.
Even if you're her teammate, asking for a share of her winnings was out of the question.
Absolutely not—her gambling fund was non-negotiable. If she gave some away, what would she have left to gamble with?
"Hiccup... You guys go rest up. I've got something to do outside. I'll be back soon. I've booked us a spot at the hot springs. You go ahead and enjoy it."
With money in hand, there was no way Tsunade would stay put at the inn. She wouldn't be back until she'd lost it all at the gambling tables.
"Yes, Lady Tsunade," Uzumaki Nami replied respectfully, completely unaware of Tsunade's true nature.
Takuya spread his hands, a not-surprised-at-all look on his face.
He had already figured this out. The town had several casinos, and Tsunade must have been here before; otherwise, she wouldn't have confidently led them straight here.
So this was what she'd been waiting for!
Let her gamble. It's not like she's losing my money.
Takuya wasn't going to waste his breath trying to convince Tsunade to quit gambling.
Everyone has their own way of unwinding—no point in trying to change that.
"She probably won't be back tonight," Takuya remarked. "Just focus on your training. Once we get back to the Leaf Village and sort out your new identity, you'll be able to live there openly."
He had already taught Uzumaki Nami how to refine chakra.
"Getting rich off someone else's loss makes you feel invincible!"
After spending so much time running around the Land of Rain, Takuya was feeling exhausted. Soaking in the hot spring, he finally felt his whole body relax.
With her pockets full, Tsunade had rented out an entire hot spring pool just for them, leaving the innkeeper grinning from ear to ear.
Leaning against the warm stone, a towel behind his neck, Takuya closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep without realizing it.
"Splash!"
The sound of someone entering the water jolted Takuya awake. He opened his eyes and silently questioned, "Snowy, someone's here. Why didn't you warn me?"
"Because she doesn't have any ill intentions toward you, Master," Snowy replied, blinking innocently in the sealed space. After all, isn't your relationship with Tsunade good? Why be on guard?
Ill intentions? That's not the issue!
Takuya was speechless as he watched Tsunade, clearly drunk and barely able to stand, mindlessly toss her clothes aside and slide into the hot spring, humming to herself. A row of black lines appeared on Takuya's forehead.
Couldn't you check if someone was already here before barging in?
Stripping down in one go.
It's hard to pretend I didn't see anything in this situation.
This scene was just… too much.
To make matters worse, she seemed to think the hot spring was a swimming pool and started trying to do a few laps.
Unable to stand it any longer, Takuya swiftly knocked her out with a punch.
Wrapping her in a towel, grabbing her clothes, he carried her over his shoulder and dumped her in her room. Turning to a bewildered Uzumaki Nami, he said, "Tsunade's drunk and completely out of it. Help her get dressed."
"Yes…" Nami nodded dumbly, glancing from Tsunade, who was wrapped in just a towel with a flushed face, to Takuya's retreating back. Her mind began to fill with images she really shouldn't be imagining.
Soon enough, Nami found herself in a dilemma.
Tsunade wasn't just drunk—she'd passed out cold. Nami couldn't move her at all. In the end, she could only pull a blanket over Tsunade and leave getting dressed for the morning.
"Ugh... My head... Did I drink too much last night?"
The next morning, Tsunade woke up feeling like her head was splitting. She reached up to rub her head, only to gasp in pain when she touched a sizable lump.
Someone hit me?
Who the hell dares to hit me?
She sat up abruptly, shivering as the blanket slid off her.
Looking down, she blinked in confusion. She wasn't in the habit of sleeping naked.
Is this… a towel?
Grabbing the clothes lying next to her, she quickly dressed and picked up the towel, memories of last night slowly returning.
She'd been excited at the chance to hit the casinos, so she had a bit too much to drink at the BBQ place.
After getting a little buzzed, she headed to the casino, but her luck was terrible, and she lost everything in no time.
Not wanting to leave just yet, she borrowed more money from the casino owner—and lost that too.
Feeling down, she snatched a few bottles of sake from the casino on her way out, drinking as she returned to the inn, planning to relax in the hot spring.
But as soon as she stripped off her clothes and stepped into the hot spring, she blacked out.
And that's all she remembered!
Tsunade's eyes widened in shock, her face draining of color.
"Creak…"
Just then, the door to her room opened, and Uzumaki Nami walked in with a cup of warm water.
Seeing Tsunade awake, she brightened and hurried over to offer the cup.
"Lady Tsunade, you're finally up! You were too heavy for me to move, so I couldn't get you dressed. Here, drink some warm water—you must have a terrible headache after all that alcohol."
Tsunade took the cup and sipped, her forehead twitching with rising anger.
"Crack!"
The cup shattered in her grip, causing Nami to yelp in fright, her face paling.
"My head does hurt, but not because of the alcohol—it's because someone hit me!"
Someone actually hit me!
And they had the nerve to go for the back of my head? How underhanded can you get?
"It was that brat, Takuya, who brought me up here, wasn't it?" Tsunade turned to glare at Nami, who instinctively crossed her arms over her chest and nodded frantically.
"Yes… Master Takuya said you were drunk and asked me to help you get dressed."
Great…
This is just perfect.
Tsunade was mortified, rubbing her forehead as she realized how much face she'd lost.
"That little brat probably got an eyeful!"
She couldn't let this slide. Dammit, this was beyond embarrassing—it was a complete disaster!
Not only was it a disaster, but she also got hit. How is that fair?
She had to make this right.
Tsunade leapt out of bed, not even bothering with shoes, and stormed over to the next room. She kicked the door open and marched in, shouting, "Takuya Yagami, what did you do to me last night!"
What is this, a morning wake-up call?
Takuya was peacefully asleep, cuddling his warm, fluffy "Snowy" pillow, when Tsunade's voice shocked him awake.
Rubbing his eyes, he set Snowy down beside him, looked at the door that had been reduced to splinters, and then at the fuming Tsunade standing in the doorway. He rubbed his eyes again and yawned before complaining, "What could I have done to you?"
"I should be asking what you were trying to do! You didn't say a word, just walked in and started stripping, then jumped in the hot spring. Do you really think that's appropriate in front of a kid like me?"
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