Under the hazy moonlight, in a dilapidated house on the border of the Land of Cedars, the Fourth Raikage sat with a face as dark as a thundercloud. His fists clenched tightly as he replayed the day's events in his mind.
"We got played."
This time, their mission had been clear: to seize the secret techniques of the Land of Cedars.
For things they didn't possess, Kumogakure always took the simplest approach—stealing.
Whether it was small nations, reclusive ninja clans, or even places like Konohagakure, they dared to act.
Decades ago, they had tried to kidnap Kushina Uzumaki, the Nine-Tails' Jinchūriki, to obtain Konohagakure's sealing techniques.
Although they ultimately failed, at least they had lost to the future Fourth Hokage.
A few years ago, they even attempted to steal the Byakugan during Konohagakure's weakest moment.
Though they were thwarted again, Kumogakure had no qualms about such actions.
This time was no different. However, this time they ran into trouble.
"The Xuan Saru Group."
The Land of Cedars seemed to have anticipated their move and hired the Xuan Saru Group for protection.
Unprepared for such resistance, Kumogakure's forces were countered, and the consequences were severe.
"Ni Kai was blown to pieces, and Karai was struck by the Xuan Saru Group's unique technique—Exploding Bugs. This is a disaster."
The Fourth Raikage glanced at Amoi, who was currently treating Karai, and shook his head in frustration.
The mission had been completed, but it looked like they would lose two subordinates in the process. This left him deeply dissatisfied.
"How's it looking? Any hope?"
After a moment of silence, the Raikage walked over and asked in a low voice.
"Apologies, Raikage-sama. My medical ninjutsu isn't enough for this."
Amoi's face was filled with helplessness. Seeing the Raikage's expression darken further, he hesitated before speaking again.
"However, there might be someone nearby who can help."
"Who? Speak!"
The Raikage's eyes lit up at the news, but Amoi's response made his expression shift slightly.
"It's Tsunade-sama from Konohagakure. There's no medical ninja in the world who can rival her. If we ask for her help..."
Tsunade?
The Raikage didn't mind Amoi addressing Tsunade as "sama." After all, regardless of the village, most medical ninjas would refer to her with respect.
She had laid the foundation for the medical ninja system, benefiting every village—a universally acknowledged fact in the shinobi world.
But Tsunade...
"Don't be naive, Amoi."
Karai, lying on the ground, raised his head in frustration.
"And stop calling ninjas from other villages 'sama.' Konohagakure and Kumogakure don't get along. Why would anyone from Konohagakure save me?"
"But you..."
"Even if she's willing to help, I..."
Listening to his two subordinates argue, the Raikage grew increasingly annoyed. He found himself torn over what to do.
As he thought about it, his mind drifted to his father, who had once single-handedly faced ten thousand Iwagakure shinobi to protect his comrades.
His brow furrowed as he made up his mind.
"Hmph, old man, if you could do it, so can I!"
Ignoring his quarreling subordinates, he lifted his gaze toward the horizon, his decision made.
At the entrance to a small town in the Land of Cedars, Orochimaru led Kimimaro toward the bustling streets.
Under the moonlight, the town was brightly lit, filled with laughter and chatter.
Drunken men stumbled through the streets, their expressions varying between those who had won money and those who had lost.
Kimimaro wasn't unfamiliar with such scenes. He'd seen similar sights in the Land of Hot Water. However, he was unclear about their purpose here.
"The Land of Cedars is our destination," Orochimaru said casually, seemingly indifferent to the lively surroundings. His focus was solely on his objective.
Finding someone wasn't difficult for him, especially since Tsunade hadn't hidden her whereabouts.
Her love of gambling, coupled with her consistent losses, made tracking this "big sheep" a simple task.
"I'll introduce you to someone later. That woman was once my teammate."
"A teammate? Like Jūgo and me?"
"...No. Perhaps more like that Jiraiya from last time."
The bond between the Sannin was complicated. Even though they had gone their separate ways, and Orochimaru often found Jiraiya annoying, he couldn't deny the camaraderie they once shared—a true friendship forged through life-and-death battles.
"I see."
Kimimaro's gaze turned cold. The white-haired man from before had dared to attack Orochimaru-sama!
"Don't make that face. Tsunade doesn't like it. Besides, if she gets angry, even I might not be able to handle it," Orochimaru said with a chuckle, shaking his head.
He surveyed his surroundings carefully before continuing.
"Alright, let's go. She hasn't changed much after all these years. This time..."
"There shouldn't be any unpleasant surprises!"
On the bustling streets of the small town, Jiraiya wandered, his eyes scanning the surroundings.
Under the streetlights, women dressed in vibrant outfits caught his attention, and a peculiar grin spread across his face.
"..."
Behind him, Kakashi and Kitagawa Minamoto both wore deadpan expressions.
They had seen this countless times before, despite their repeated attempts to dissuade him.
But no matter how many warnings they gave, the legendary "Toad Sage" of the Sannin simply wouldn't change his ways.
His carefree demeanor was embarrassing no matter how often they witnessed it.
"Minamoto, was he like this the last time you traveled with him?"
Unable to bear it any longer, Kakashi lowered his head, hoping to avoid drawing attention.
"Pretty much. Actually, it was even worse last time."
Minamoto sighed, rubbing his temples as he recalled the past.
"He told me outright that I wouldn't be allowed into 'proper' hot springs. Only later did I realize what he meant by 'proper.'"
"..."
No wonder this kid had such a fixation on hot springs—it was all Jiraiya's fault!
Relieved that Minamoto hadn't caused any trouble during their journey, Kakashi couldn't help but reflect on Jiraiya's earlier suggestion: having Minamoto transform into the Third Hokage to sneak into a hot spring.
Was that really appropriate?
Of course not. It was utterly humiliating!
Thankfully, while Jiraiya might seem unreliable, he hadn't led them to any truly shady places.
Despite his antics, he always managed to gather intelligence, eventually leading them to the Land of Cedars.
"Alright, Kakashi-sensei, we're already here. Relax a little," Minamoto said, noticing Kakashi's unease.
"Jiraiya-sama has his unique methods of gathering information. We might as well wait for him to finish."
"Exactly! Kakashi, you're worse than Minamoto here," Jiraiya chimed in, clearly displeased.
"Do I really seem that unreliable?"
"..."
Was that a question he could even ask?
Kakashi remained silent, but Minamoto quickly filled the awkward pause.
"Did you find anything? You must have uncovered something by now, right?"
"Of course!"
Jiraiya nodded confidently before smiling.
"Kakashi doesn't know Tsunade well, but I've been her teammate for years. I know her habits like the back of my hand.
She loves gambling but always loses. So I visited every casino along the way, looking for someone drowning in debt. Sure enough, I found our 'big sheep.'"
"And she loves drinking too, right?" Minamoto asked with a grin.
"I noticed you avoided the more indulgent bars, sticking to izakayas instead. Was that because of her?"
"Tch, you're right," Jiraiya admitted, impressed by Minamoto's quick thinking.
"No matter how much she loses, she always finds a place to drink it off. I've already pieced together her movements and confirmed she's in this town."
"So, is she gambling or drinking now?"
"At this hour?"
Jiraiya glanced at the sky before answering.
"It's late, so she's probably lost everything by now and gone to a bar to drown her sorrows."
Jiraiya never overestimated Tsunade's luck. She could burn through hundreds of thousands in mere hours!
At this point, she was likely deep in debt and seeking solace in alcohol.
"Alright, our target is clear. Let's go. I've already figured out where she's been frequenting. We should find her there."
"Got it. What a shame, though..."
Minamoto sighed, drawing curious looks from Kakashi and Jiraiya.
"What's wrong?"
"Didn't you ever think about this?"
"Think about what?"
"If Tsunade-sama always loses, why didn't we bet against her?
We could've been living in oceanfront mansions by now!"
"..."
Jiraiya and Kakashi exchanged a glance, both rendered speechless.
Without another word, they turned and walked ahead.
Minamoto chuckled and quickly followed, glancing at his system as he did.
[New Side Quest Unlocked] [One Big Happy Family] [Assist Jiraiya in finding Tsunade and bringing her back to Konohagakure.]
"It seems we're almost done. But..."
Minamoto suddenly stopped, his expression turning strange as he looked into the distance.
"One big happy family, huh? Looks like it's time to make a heavy strike!"
Inside an izakaya, Tsunade sipped her drink, glancing at the unconscious Shizune slumped nearby.
"Passed out already? Pathetic."
She nudged Shizune, only to receive no response. With a sigh, she rested her head on the table for a moment.
"I'll become Hokage, I swear!"
Memories of two familiar faces flashed through her mind—their smiles, their voices, and the sight of them lying in pools of blood.
"Tch. Damn it."
Tsunade sat up abruptly, pouring herself another drink.
Leaving Konohagakure and indulging in alcohol were, in some ways, her attempts to forget the past.
Of course, drinking was also one of her vices.
But as she drank, she suddenly frowned.
Despite her relaxed demeanor, her senses as one of the Sannin remained sharp.
"Someone's here. Why would so many people come to this rundown bar? And none of them seem ordinary..."
Though she couldn't pinpoint the exact situation, she trusted her instincts.
Still, she didn't move. She was confident in her abilities and curious to see what would happen.
"You must be Tsunade-sama, one of the Legendary Sannin from Konohagakure."
Before long, two figures entered through a side door. One of them immediately knelt in a deep bow.
"We have a request. Please, you must help us."
"Who are you?"
Tsunade had already recognized them as Kumogakure ninjas, especially the man behind the speaker—the Fourth Raikage himself!
But she was puzzled. Why were they seeking her out?
"And it seems there's someone else..."
Her gaze shifted toward the outside, while Amoi continued pleading.
"I am Amoi, a ninja of Kumogakure. My comrade is gravely injured, and only your renowned medical ninjutsu can save him. Please, I beg you to help my comrade!"
"Tch. Who would've thought Kumogakure's medical ninja would come begging a Konohagakure ninja for help?"
A raspy voice interrupted Amoi's plea, coming from another side door.
"I recall Kumogakure once tried to steal the Byakugan from Konohagakure. And now you're here begging for help? How ironic."
Hearing the voice, Tsunade raised an eyebrow. She recognized it instantly.
The Fourth Raikage turned his head, his gaze locking onto the newcomer.
"Orochimaru?"
"Well, if it isn't the Fourth Raikage..."
The two stared coldly at each other, both surprised to encounter one another in such a place.
"Hey, hey, hey! We're here! This should be the place!"
Before the tension could escalate, another voice rang out from the main entrance.
The sudden arrival caused all three groups to adopt strange expressions.
Creak—
The door opened, revealing three white-haired individuals.
The oldest among them, upon spotting Tsunade, broke into a grin.
"See? I told you we'd find her!"
But before he could finish, he noticed the other two groups.
"This is..."
For a moment, the entire izakaya fell silent as the three groups stared at one another.
Even Tsunade was taken aback. She hadn't expected such a lively night.
(End of Chapter)
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