Once the peace treaty 2.0 was put into effect, Konoha's forces began to withdraw from the battlefield in waves.
The ninjas in the camp wore unhidden expressions of joy.
For anyone, being able to survive on the battlefield was a blessing.
Thanks to Kazuya's overwhelming performance, the losses were minimal.
However, the Feudal Lord of the Fire Country still demanded a hefty sum from the Feudal Lord of the Land of Frost.
They called it: National Defense Support Funds!
After all, on the surface, Konoha's deployment was to aid the Land of Frost against the invasion of Kumogakure, acting purely out of noble intentions.
It was the Will of Fire in full effect!
Wherever the leaves danced, the fire would flourish eternally, signifying that the sacrifices of ninjas from other countries held value. The nutrients produced would allow Konoha's ninjas to burn like flames, never extinguished.
As for whether other countries would extinguish it? That was of no concern to Kazuya!
What?
You ask what happens if the Land of Frost doesn't pay?
Ha!
Konoha's Anbu and the legendary Sannin are still here!
Refuse to pay?
Does the Feudal Lord of the Land of Frost not fear meeting their ancestors in the afterlife?
A joke!
A few days later.
As Konoha's ninja forces fully withdrew from the Land of Frost, both the Feudal Lord of the Land of Frost and the ninjas of the Snow Village finally breathed a sigh of relief.
The plague god...
No, the heroes of Konoha had triumphed!
Tears in their eyes!
They had come through this time, but please don't come back again!
...
On the way back.
Kazuya took a detour to Rose Street in the Land of Hot Water.
In this great battle, Tsunade also played a significant role.
Had it not been for her unleashing LV5's monstrous strength and the Asura bloodline, it would have been difficult for Kazuya to suppress two jinchuriki alone.
Humans are human because they possess a grateful heart.
Kazuya was just that way.
He arrived near Rose Street, and unsurprisingly, Tsunade and Shizune were still staying at the same inn as before.
When he arrived, he happened to see Shizune carrying her little pet, the pig, out the door to a loan company.
After waiting for a while,
Shizune came rushing out of the loan company, panic written all over her face, carrying several boxes of cash.
If he guessed correctly, she had borrowed this money with her skills!
And Tsunade?
She probably hadn't planned to pay it back either!
"Looks like…"
"Last time drained Tsunade dry."
Kazuya couldn't help but chuckle at this sight.
30 million!
That was a significant amount!
Soon,
Kazuya saw Tsunade rush out of the inn, completely ignoring Shizune's attempts to stop her and headed straight for the biggest casino on Rose Street.
"Ugh…"
"I can't let Tsunade-senpai keep losing money to others; wouldn't that undermine the prestige of the Legendary Sannin?"
Kazuya felt a pang of sorrow.
Having gained so much from Tsunade, both emotionally and logically, he should express his gratitude.
Without hesitation,
Kazuya followed Tsunade's footsteps and entered the casino.
The atmosphere was lively and boisterous!
The cheers were deafening!
In this familiar place, he took a familiar seat once again.
"I bet small!"
Kazuya placed his chips on the betting table.
"What?!"
Tsunade, sitting opposite him, immediately exploded with anger. She slammed her hands on the table, jumped up from her chair, and shouted, "You! You again! How dare you show up in front of me!!!"
Here he was!
The guy who treated her like a beacon had returned!
Last time, he had cleaned her out of 30 million!
"Ha!"
After placing his bet, Kazuya scoffed, "What's there to be afraid of? I know you're Tsunade, so who are you trying to scare? If you have the guts, gamble; if not, go back to whatever you were doing!"
Tsk tsk!
Kazuya's eyes lit up.
That astounding shockwave could only be described as a classic Tsunade!
That sort of madness was far superior to Asuna and on par with Nico Yazawa!
"Do you think I'm afraid?!"
Tsunade's eyes widened with fury, shouting, "Today, I swear I'll win back everything I lost!"
"Wow, aren't you impressive!"
Kazuya replied sarcastically.
"What's wrong?"
"What do you mean what's wrong?"
"Come on, be a man and bet high!"
"Fine, I'll bet!"
"Who's afraid of who?!"
"Big!"
"Small!"
"Damn it… Again! Big!"
"Small!"
"Ahhhhh… This, this is a technical adjustment, again, big!"
"Small!"
"Ah, no…"
"Ha! You're no match for me, who has mastered over a thousand gambling techniques!"
"Get lost!!!"
Half an hour later, the gambling table had seen 12 consecutive small outcomes, leaving the surrounding gamblers in shock.
"This guy is a gambling god, no way!"
"Too impressive!"
"Won 20 million in half an hour, I'm so envious!"
"I think the main reason is that big lady is just too stupid!"
"Tsk tsk, no wonder she's known as the big fat sheep!"
The gamblers around were chattering excitedly, amazed at what they witnessed.
"Goodbye!"
Kazuya also swept the money off the table and smiled at Tsunade, saying, "Thank you, Tsunade!"
What the hell!
Crack! Crack!
Tsunade's fists clenched, cracking ominously. Veins bulged on her forehead, and she felt like punching this bastard into a pancake.
"Don't, don't…"
Beside her, Shizune panicked and quickly grabbed Tsunade, urging, "Lady Tsunade, you can't lash out! If you kill someone, no casino will let you play anymore!"
"You… you're right!"
Tsunade ground her teeth for a long time but had to swallow her anger.
Damn it!
That bastard had won 50 million from her, treating her like a cash cow!
What a disgrace!
This was an utter humiliation!!!
…
A few days later.
Kazuya returned to the Hidden Leaf Village.
The familiar scent of home washed over him.
Kazuya looked up at the distant Hokage Rock, feeling a wave of emotion.
Finally…
Kazuya stood at the same height as the Hokage!
After returning to the village, he went through the usual tedious tasks.
First, he checked in at the Anbu, showing his face and writing a mission report.
Then, he went to the Third Hokage, receiving some praise while basking in the shock of those around him.
This time, Hiruzen Sarutobi was very generous and completely opened up the sealing book to him.
However, now, he had little interest in the sealing book.
Kazuya casually selected a genjutsu—Dark Passage Technique—just to get by.
The techniques in the sealing book were powerful, but the training difficulty was too high.
Besides the Flying Thunder God, finding someone to grind for experience with the other techniques was challenging.
So, he didn't bother wasting his time.
Of course, there was one good thing: he had been promoted again!
Anbu Commander!
Hiruzen handed him the appointment documents with a trusting expression.
Not bad!
Kazuya was quite satisfied with this.
In the Hidden Leaf Village, the position of Anbu Commander was already quite high.
Counting the Hokage, it was roughly in the top six.
Its authority was slightly weaker than the elders like Koharu Utatane, Homura Mitokado, and Danzo, but it was essentially on par with the head of the Jonin, Nara Shikaku.
From this point on, Kazuya had officially stepped into the core of power in the Hidden Leaf!
"Feels pretty good…"
Kazuya lay back lazily on his sofa at home, enjoying this rare moment of relaxation.
Knock knock!
Knock knock!
In the evening, suddenly, there was a knock on the door.
Who could it be?
Kazuya groggily opened the door, only to see an unexpected visitor.
...
Note: If you are interested, read up to chapter 90 at patreon.com/MythicForge11