In the capital of the Land of Grass, night fell, and lanterns were lit.
As a buffer state squeezed between several great nations, its capital exhibited a peculiar kind of prosperity, especially the entertainment district at night, which was bustling with noise and excitement, brightly lit.
Inside a rather grandly decorated casino, smoke swirled, and the clamor of people filled the air.
Around the largest gambling table, spectators were packed in, with exclamations of awe or regret erupting from the crowd from time to time.
"Open! Open! Open!"
"Big! Big! Big!"
"Small! Small! Come on, small!!"
"Hahaha! A clean sweep!"
"Ah! Lost again!"
Inside the largest casino, [Kinman-ya], the air was thick with noise and smoke. The crisp clatter of dice, the clinking of toppling chips, the ecstatic cheers or desperate curses of gamblers intertwined into a symphony of desire.
At the most lively table, the crowd was packed tightly. At its center was a mature Kunoichi with waist-length blonde hair and an impressive figure.
She wore a brown-green jacket, her chest ample, with the character for [Gamble] on her back. At this moment, she had both hands pressed on the table, her almond-shaped eyes wide, fixed intently on the dice cup being shaken up and down by the dealer.
It was Tsunade, one of the Legendary Sannin.
However, her expression wasn't good, as the chips in front of her were almost gone.
"Open! Four, five, six! Fifteen points, Big!"
The dealer uncovered the dice cup and announced loudly.
Tsunade slapped the table in frustration, making her few remaining chips jump.
"Lost again!" She grumbled discontentedly.
Shizune, holding the pink-and-white pig, Tonton, squeezed through the excited crowd with effort and came to Tsunade's side, whispering, "Tsunade-sama..."
"Quiet, Shizune! I feel it! This round will definitely be 'Big'!" Tsunade didn't turn her head, casually pushing the entire large stack of chips in front of her to the [Big] area.
The value of those chips made the surrounding gamblers gasp.
The dealer stopped moving expressionlessly, the dice cup landing heavily on the table.
"All bets are final-"
Instantly, all eyes focused on the small dice cup. Tsunade held her breath.
The lid was lifted.
"One, two, three! Six points, Small!"
A deathly silence spread around Tsunade, soon broken by the sighs or schadenfreude of other gamblers.
Tsunade froze in place, watching as the dealer expressionlessly swept away her pile of valuable chips.
"How is this possible... The feeling was so strong..." she muttered to herself, her face full of disbelief.
Shizune sighed helplessly and gently tugged at Tsunade's sleeve. "Tsunade-sama, we've already... run up a large debt again."
As if to confirm her words, the casino owner, a shrewd-looking middle-aged man in a silk gown, immediately approached with a humble yet smile, followed by a clerk holding an account book.
"Tsunade-sama, you see..." The owner rubbed his hands, signaling the clerk to present the account book. "This is your... um, tab for tonight. Please have a look."
Tsunade glanced at the long number, confirmed the amount, and waved her hand impatiently. "Alright, alright, I know."
She took the pen and signed her name flamboyantly in the debtor column, her movements crisp and decisive, as if she weren't signing a huge IOU but an insignificant note.
"The amount is correct, right? Can I go now?" She tossed the pen back to the clerk, her tone carrying a trace of impatience.
"Correct! Absolutely correct!" The owner bowed repeatedly, his face beaming. "Please take care! Welcome back next time!"
He personally saw Tsunade and Shizune out of the casino's main door.
Watching the two disappear into the night market crowd, a thuggish-looking samurai, the head of the security, couldn't help but complain in a low voice behind the owner: "Boss, that woman owes so much, why are you still so polite to her? Should we..."
"Shut up!" The owner whirled around, sharply rebuking him. "If you want to die, don't drag us down! Do you know who she is? That's a Ninja from Konoha! A real Ninja who kills without blinking! Not someone you sword-swinging samurai can compare to!"
He lowered his voice, a flicker of fear in his eyes, then showed a greedy expression. "Besides, she's the legendary [Legendary Sucker]! The debts she runs up will eventually be paid by Konoha Village, that big sucker! What do you know!"
The security head shrunk his neck. Hearing 'Konoha Village' and 'Ninja', he could only sneer resentfully and say no more.
…
Leaving the suffocating noise of the casino, the night breeze seemed to sober Tsunade slightly from her gambler's fervor.
She pulled out a brown-red gourd from her chest, uncorked it, and took a large swig. The pungent liquid slid down her throat, making her frown slightly, yet she felt a sense of relief.
"Shizune, why did you come looking for me today?" She asked as she walked, swaying the gourd, her gaze sweeping over the dazzling array of food stalls and variety shops lining the street. "Usually, you wait until I've lost everything by dawn and go back on my own."
Her gambling luck was well-known, and usually by dawn, she would have lost everything and then return to her lodging disheartened.
As for the debts she owed, she never worried about extortion… after all, Ninja weren't exactly pushovers. If the other party tried anything, Konoha's Anbu wouldn't mind stretching their limbs.
Shizune, holding Tonton, quickened her pace to keep up with Tsunade, her tone worried. "Jiraiya-sama is here. He brought some news from the village."
"Jiraiya?" Tsunade's steps halted, a flicker of surprise in her eyes.
'That guy, wasn't he chasing his 'research material' and the Child of Prophecy all over the world?'
'What brought him here to find me?'
Soon, they returned to the quiet inn where they were staying.
Lanterns hung at the inn's entrance, casting a dim yellow light.
And right next to the inn, in front of the ornately decorated establishment named [Flower Moon] from which came the sounds of string music and feminine laughter, a familiar white-haired figure was surrounded by several brightly dressed geisha.
Jiraiya, wearing a red shortcoat and geta, was gesturing animatedly, saying something that made the geisha cover their mouths with giggles, their bodies shaking with laughter.
Several cross-shaped veins instantly bulged on Tsunade's forehead.
She clenched her fist, knuckles cracking softly.
"You idiot!!!"
A roar shattered the night's tranquility.
Tsunade's figure flashed, instantly appearing behind Jiraiya. A fist concentrated with monstrous strength mercilessly smashed into the back of Jiraiya's head!
"Ow-!" Jiraiya let out a miserable shriek, lurching forward and nearly falling face-first into the ground.
He clutched the back of his head, which instantly swelled into a large bump, tears welling in his eyes as he looked back. "Tsunade! What was that for! It hurts!"
The geisha were startled at first, but upon seeing it was a well-endowed woman, they couldn't help but giggle and soon dispersed with playful laughs.
"What for?" Tsunade slung the gourd over her shoulder, crossed her arms, and looked down at the grimacing Jiraiya. "I should be asking what you, you old pervert, are doing here! Shouldn't you be off in the Land of Hot Water doing your 'research'? What are you doing looking for me?"
She emphasized the word "research" with heavy sarcasm.
Jiraiya rubbed his head, grimacing as he stood up, but the playful smile on his face gradually faded, replaced by a rare seriousness.
He looked at Tsunade, his expression complex.
Seeing this look, Tsunade's heart sank.
She knew Jiraiya. No matter how frivolous he usually was, once he showed this expression, it meant there was truly important, possibly even bad, news.
"Let's talk inside," Jiraiya sighed, pointing to the inn behind him.
At the back of the inn was a guest room with a private small courtyard, quite elegant.
Outside the engawa was a small garden. A bamboo shishi-odoshi filled with water made a soft 'clack' sound as it struck a stone, particularly clear in the quiet night. The pond reflected the moonlight, shimmering.
Tsunade and Jiraiya sat side by side on the engawa, looking at the night scenery of the garden.
Shizune knelt quietly behind them, brewing a strong cup of tea for Tsunade to sober up, while the little pig Tonton lay obediently by her legs.
Jiraiya detailed the recent upheavals in Konoha: The Uchiha Clan's rebellion plot, Itachi's collusion with the mysterious organization Akatsuki, the brutal Night of the Massacre, and how the self-proclaimed Shura, leader of the Star Ninja, took the opportunity to attack Konoha and took away the last Uchiha survivors.
Then, the rebellion launched by the Hyuga Clan's Branch Family's members, Hizashi and his son, where a group of branch members broke free from the Caged Bird and defected to join the newly risen Land of Stars...
Tsunade held the teacup but didn't drink, just listened quietly.
The moonlight shone on her still-beautiful profile, not revealing much expression, but her fingers holding the cup tightened slightly.
The Uchiha... that clan entangled with the Senju for decades had nearly been wiped out in such a manner.
As the last descendant of the Senju Clan, a complex, indescribable emotion welled up in her heart… a mix of sighing, emotion, and a touch of sorrow for a kindred fate.
"To think... the Uchiha have come to this as well," She finally said softly, her voice carrying a trace of weariness and the weight of time.
She put down the teacup and looked at Jiraiya. "That Shura... I think I've heard of him a few times, the mysterious Ninja who attacked Konoha and Kumogakure. The Land of Stars... is that country in the western part of the Ninja Continent?"
She traveled and lived abroad most of the time but wasn't completely cut off from news.
However, she spent most of her time in the prosperous Land of Fire or its surrounding small countries and didn't know much about events in the distant western part of the Ninja World.
Jiraiya nodded, crossing his arms over his chest, his expression serious. "Yeah. According to the intelligence I've gathered, a few years ago, this Shura took control of the originally weak Hoshigakure, overthrew the government of the Land of Bears with lightning speed, slaughtered the Daimyo and nobles, and established the Land of Stars."
"In recent years, this country has been expanding continuously, annexing several surrounding small countries. They even wiped out the sizable Yukigakure. Now, the Land of Stars has become a powerful force to be reckoned with in the west, directly bordering the Land of Earth and the Land of Wind. Its territory and Ninja scale are probably second only to the Five Great Nations."
Jiraiya paused, then continued, "Two months ago, I received intelligence from the village's Anbu, and... an order from the old man."
Mentioning Hiruzen, Jiraiya's tone held a note of helplessness. "The old man ordered me to find a way to infiltrate the Land of Stars and gather intelligence on this country, especially regarding Shura."
Tsunade keenly caught the key point. "The old man gave the order personally? Is this Shura that important?"
Jiraiya took a deep breath, his golden pupils looking particularly grave under the moonlight. "According to the intelligence Sensei provided, this Shura is extremely unusual. He can infiltrate Konoha multiple times, treating our village's barrier as if it weren't there. And various pieces of intelligence indicate that even Kumogakure suffered major losses at his hands."
"His Land of Stars seems to be consciously collecting Ninja with Kekkei Genkai. It's said he has a female Uchiha Ninja under his command named Uchiha Hikari, suspected to be a descendant of the clansmen who left Konoha with Uchiha Madara back in the day. In the team that attacked Konoha this time, multiple rare Kekkei Genkai appeared, including the Shikotsumyaku from Kirigakure, the Ketsuryugan of the Chinoike Clan, and even... clansmen of the Uzumaki Clan."
"The Uzumaki Clan?" Tsunade looked up sharply, a flash of shock in her eyes.
That surname stirred deep-seated memories in her, reminding her of her grandmother, the first Nine-Tails' Jinchuriki who sealed the Nine-Tails… Uzumaki Mito.
Shizune, beside her, also gasped, covering her mouth. "The Uzumaki Clan? Didn't they... perish due to war many years ago? And how could the Hyuga Clan's Branch Family's members break free from the Caged Bird?"
Tsunade looked at Jiraiya with equal confusion. The Hyuga Clan's Caged Bird Seal was considered almost unbreakable.
Jiraiya shook his head, his face also full of bewilderment. "That's the issue. This Shura seems to possess some unknown power. Not only can he find these Kekkei Genkai Users who should have been lost to history, but he can even break powerful restraints like the Caged Bird. I suspect..."
His voice lowered. "The [Child of Darkness] that the Great Toad Sage prophesied might bring destruction to the world... perhaps, is this Shura."
The courtyard fell into silence, broken only by the occasional 'clack' of the shishi-odoshi.
The moonlight seemed to carry a chill.
Tsunade fell silent.
She finally understood why Jiraiya had come to see her so seriously.
It wasn't just to convey the changes in Konoha, but because he was about to step into an extremely dangerous and unknown territory.
The prophesied [Child of Darkness], a powerful Ninja rapidly rising, full of mysteries, seemingly able to break common sense.
Jiraiya looked at Tsunade, his tone lightening a bit, but his eyes still serious. "So, before heading into that dragon's den and tiger's lair, I had to come see an old friend, see how much money our [Legendary Sucker] has run up this time."
"However, before going west, I still need to make a trip to the Land of Rain. There seem to be some restless movements there too." Jiraiya thought of the Akatsuki mentioned in Hiruzen's intelligence, and the images of Yahiko, Nagato, and Konan surfaced in his mind.
'I wonder how those three are doing.' Jiraiya thought about their last parting… it had been sixteen or seventeen years.
"Hmph." Tsunade rolled her eyes at him, the previously heavy atmosphere dissipating somewhat.
She picked up the gourd and took another sip, her gaze turning back to the deep night outside the window.
She had only left Konoha for a few years, and such major changes had occurred… the Uchiha and Hyuga defecting, a mysterious Land of Stars, the Child of Darkness from the Toad Sage's prophecy?
Tsunade couldn't help but think gloomily: 'Old man... just what have you been doing...'