Tsunade had clearly been in this town for a while.
With no effort, she led Hikari and her two companions into an unassuming little tavern, deftly ordering two jugs of sake, a few side dishes, and a jug of fruit juice.
The juice was for Hikari.
"Even though you're a hundred-something-year-old senior, Miss Hikari, your body's still underage. Drinking this early could stunt your growth… so stick to this for now," Tsunade explained.
Hikari had no objections. She wasn't much of a drinker anyway.
As for the other two…
Esdeath and Eriri sat quietly, eyeing Tsunade appraisingly.
Esdeath was sizing up Tsunade's strength. Despite the hemophobia debuff, Tsunade was one of the legendary Sannin, renowned for her taijutsu prowess. You could tell just by looking at her muscle density. Esdeath's battle instincts were itching.
Eriri, meanwhile, was staring at Tsunade's jaw-dropping chest, then glancing down at her own. Whatever she was thinking, her expression turned a bit dejected.
Well…
Eriri was already pretty well-developed for her age, but compared to Tsunade's legendary proportions, she fell short. And even Tsunade couldn't compete with a certain ghost princess from the One Piece world, who had nearly double her height…
"Phew…" Tsunade sighed after a few cups of sake, her expression loosening up. "The special sake from the Land of Demons really hits different."
She glanced at Hikari's companions. "So, what're the names of your two friends?"
"Uesugi Eriri and Esdeath. I met them after leaving Konoha," Hikari replied casually.
"I see…"
As a Senju descendant, Tsunade didn't jump to conclusions like the Grass ninja, assuming Eriri's red hair meant she was an Uzumaki. But her kage-level instincts still picked up on something unusual about the two.
Hikari didn't bother explaining, just sipping her juice and sharing road-trip anecdotes while clinking glasses with Tsunade.
At this point in her life, Tsunade was a bit of a boozehound, and having just pocketed two million ryō, she was in high spirits. It didn't take long for her to drink herself into a slurring, tipsy mess.
"…So, you three came to the Land of Demons to chase rumors about 'Moryo'?" Tsunade asked.
"That was the plan," Hikari said. NSDAP "But seeing you two gave me another idea."
She gestured toward Eriri. "My friend here has a rare bloodline disease. Some foreign energy in her body makes her health unstable. Could you take a look at her, Miss Tsunade?"
"…My fees are pretty steep," Tsunade said, hiccupping.
"Ten million ryō," Hikari said, holding up a finger.
"!?" Tsunade's eyes widened, her drunken haze clearing slightly. "You… serious?"
"Dead serious." Hikari unsealed a scroll, revealing a chest packed with cash and placing it on the table.
She'd already had Fugaku and the others appraise the treasure she brought back from the Akame ga Kill world. The currencies didn't align perfectly, and some jewelry was hard to value, but liquidating those dozens of chests would net her five to ten billion ryō—equivalent to twenty or thirty Asuma heads. Ten million for Eriri's treatment was pocket change.
But first, Tsunade's hemophobia needed addressing.
Hikari was about ninety percent sure of her plan.
"This folder contains research from Konoha Hospital and two other doctors, plus their prototype 'bloodline suppressor.' You just need to refine it. If you need blood samples, Eriri will cooperate," Hikari said, placing a stack of files and several dark red blood bags on the table.
As expected, Tsunade's eyes lit up at the sight of the money, probably imagining herself dominating the casino. But the moment her gaze hit the blood bags, she instinctively looked away, her hand trembling slightly around her sake cup.
To most, it was a fleeting moment.
But Hikari, watching Tsunade's micro-expressions, caught it instantly. Esdeath, too, narrowed her eyes and murmured, "…Hemophobia?"
"What?" Hikari feigned ignorance, glancing at Esdeath.
"…I've seen it in the army," Esdeath said, tilting her head. "Some new recruits, after watching friends die, develop a fear of blood due to trauma. Does Miss Tsunade have something like that?"
Esdeath's interest in Tsunade plummeted. In her eyes, someone plagued by a psychological condition like hemophobia was just a "weakling," not worth her attention.
Tsunade pursed her lips and downed half a jug of sake.
Shizune, nearby, looked nervous.
Tsunade's hemophobia was still a closely guarded secret, known only to a few like Hiruzen and Jiraiya. Most Konoha ninja thought the Senju princess was just tired of war and taking a break. If the village's enemies found out…
"I see," Hikari said, a playful smirk creeping onto her face. "Miss Tsunade's been through a few Shinobi Wars, so a psychological condition like this is understandable. I happen to have some methods to treat it. Interested in trying?"
"No…" Tsunade started to refuse.
"Really?" Shizune blurted out.
Shizune was probably the one most desperate for Tsunade to overcome her hemophobia.
"Of course," Hikari said. "Psychological conditions like this aren't hard to treat. The best way to beat fear is to face it. So… just see more blood."
As her voice trailed off, the surroundings subtly shifted.
The tavern was still the same, but the patrons now wore Konoha's green vests and Uzumaki-emblem headbands. Their chatter turned to the "Demigod" of the Rain Village, border clashes between the Land of Wind and Fire, and the recent jonin meeting…
This should've alarmed Tsunade, but she was too drunk to notice, her mind sluggish. Just as she started to process it, a familiar male voice called out.
"…Tsunade, there you are!"
Kato Dan, clad in a Konoha jonin vest, appeared at the tavern door and strode over. "I wanted to discuss the medical ninja training system from the meeting… Who's this?"
He paused at the table.
"Oh, she's…" Tsunade began, but her voice faltered, confusion clouding her face. "Who?"
"Madara," Hikari said. "I'm Uchiha Madara."
A flash of blade light followed.
Kato Dan reacted instantly, leaping aside, but the strike severed his arm, blood spraying like a fountain!
Under Tsunade and Dan's gazes, Hikari rose slowly, a deep blue aura flaring around her, forming the skeletal frame of a giant.
"This chakra… Uchiha's Susanoo?!" Tsunade gasped.
"Heh." In the Susanoo, Hikari's crimson eyes gleamed. "Ready to face the blood?"
…
"Lady Tsunade?"
Back in reality, from Shizune's perspective, Tsunade's eyes suddenly glazed over, and her body began trembling like a leaf, as if she'd seen something utterly terrifying.
In her panic, Tsunade unconsciously activated her Strength of a Hundred Seal, black curse marks spreading from her forehead across her body.
After a brief hesitation, Shizune realized something and snapped her head toward Hikari. "Lady Hikari, what's happening to her?"
"Just a side effect of the treatment kicking in. No need to panic," Hikari said lightly.
From the moment she showed the blood bags, Hikari had been using Tsukuyomi and Yatayoi.
With the prior mark in place, pulling Tsunade into the genjutsu was effortless. And since Tsunade's attachment to Dan and Nawaki was even stronger than Danzo's obsession with the Hokage title, Yatayoi faced little resistance.
Hikari had recreated the Nine-Tails attack in the illusion, destroying half of Konoha, killing projections of Dan and others, and finally slaying Shizune in front of Tsunade. That was what pushed Tsunade to overcome her fear, launching her first counterattack while trembling.
"She fought back… that's probably a sign she's healed, right?" Hikari mused.
In the original timeline, Naruto's influence had cured Tsunade in a similar way.
Though… there might be some lingering side effects.
Hikari rubbed her chin, assessing the situation, then turned to Shizune. "Miss Shizune, take her to rest. If there's any issue, come find me."
"…Understood," Shizune replied.
…
The "treatment" took a toll on Tsunade's mental state.
After Shizune took her back, she was out of it for two days before gradually coming to.
Her complexion was worse than before, as if gambling and alcohol had drained her. But her eyes? They were sharper, reclaiming the fierce aura of a Sannin.
When she saw Hikari again, Tsunade was silent for a long time before finally offering a complicated, "Thank you."
"No big deal. Just a small favor," Hikari said, waving it off. "The offer still stands. If you can cure Eriri's condition, the ten million ryō is yours."
"…I have a question," Tsunade said after another pause. "I looked through the files you gave Shizune. The Konoha Hospital diagnostics are standard, but… who developed that 'suppressor'?"
"Hm?" Hikari frowned slightly, not answering immediately.
Tsunade seemed to already have a guess. "Is it… Orochimaru?"
"There aren't many medical ninja in the Five Great Nations who could advance blood research to this level. Orochimaru's one of them. I worked with him for a long time and know his writing style. At least two of those research papers have his touch."
"…You're right. It's Orochimaru," Hikari admitted, seeing no point in hiding it. "I ran into him by chance during my travels. We had a little disagreement, but it's resolved now. We're sort of partners—he's researching topics, including Eriri's blood sample, with my funding."
Hikari paused. "By the way, I'd love for you to join the research team. If you're in, I'll offer thirty million ryō a year on top of the ten million, and you're free to do whatever—drink, gamble—no interference from me. Just a casual invitation, though. Your call."
"…"
Tsunade's brow furrowed, and she stayed silent.
After a long moment, she took a deep breath. "I'll help with Eriri's treatment, but working with Orochimaru… that's a separate matter."
"Fair enough," Hikari said.
She really wanted Tsunade on board—being the top medical ninja in the shinobi world, she'd lighten Orochimaru's load significantly. But if Tsunade wasn't interested, forcing her would only tank efficiency.
"Then let's talk another deal," Hikari said. "How much would it cost to learn the Yin Seal and Palm Mystic Technique?"
(Chapter End)