Uchiha Yato declared.
"Tsunade ran away from her wedding. I'm here to bring her back to get married."
These words were spoken with utmost gravity by Uchiha Yato, and Jiraiya heard them clearly, but when strung together, they filled him with an inexplicable sense of panic.
After a brief moment of stunned silence, Jiraiya erupted with a roar.
"That can't be true!"
"Why is she getting married? I didn't hear anything about this!"
"The old man didn't tell me either!"
Coming back to his senses, Jiraiya stared at Uchiha Yato and said,
"You..."
"You must be lying to me, right?"
Uchiha Yato maintained his solemn expression. "Even someone as lazy as me came out to help track down Tsunade."
"Do you think anything less important would have gotten me to leave?"
At this moment, Jiraiya, blinded by his concern, completely forgot about Uchiha Yato's usual antics.
Unable to calm down, Jiraiya needed help—and Uchiha Yato was just the one to provide it.
"Alright, if we're being honest, this is all your fault."
Jiraiya was once again left dumbfounded. What was going on?
"Tsunade ran away from her wedding—what does that have to do with me? It's not like I told her to run away."
"I didn't even know she was getting married. How could I possibly know she ran away?"
Uchiha Yato explained, "You should know I've been trying to arrange for Princess Tsunade to marry into the Uchiha clan, right?"
At this, Jiraiya nodded reluctantly, though clearly displeased.
This matter had become so widely known in the Hidden Leaf that even the guard dogs at the gate would shake their heads at the mention of it. Everyone knew.
Uchiha Yato continued, "She never got any word from you, so she had no choice but to reluctantly agree to marry an Uchiha."
"But then, for some reason, she decided to run away."
"Now even a slacker like me has to come out and look for her. Isn't that just great?"
Listening to Uchiha Yato casually describe Tsunade's escape, Jiraiya felt an inexplicable chill in his heart.
Seeing Jiraiya's turmoil, Uchiha Yato decided to twist the knife further.
"Look, since we've run into each other, how about you help me out?"
"I have intel on Tsunade. Help me find her, will you?"
It had to be admitted—Uchiha Yato was a master at playing with people's emotions.
Who in their right mind would ask the person secretly in love with the runaway bride to help track her down?
It was like the genjutsu Uchiha Yato had once cast on Obito.
She's getting married, and you're the one helping her escape. To put it bluntly, it was downright humiliating.
But our hopelessly devoted fool, Jiraiya, agreed. After arranging the next steps for Yahiko and the other two in terms of training and missions,
he set off with Uchiha Yato to find Tsunade.
Two days later, within the Land of Waves,
Uchiha Yato announced, "According to the latest intel from the Third Hokage,"
"Lady Tsunade is currently at the 'Big Fat Sheep' casino in the Land of Waves."To be honest, Uchiha Yato really wanted to vent his frustration right now.
Tsunade was jokingly called the "Big Cash Cow" in gambling circles, and now, Uchiha Yato and Jiraiya had caught her at this very casino named "Big Cash Cow."
Standing outside the casino's entrance, the two exchanged glances before quietly discussing their plan.
Before coming here, Uchiha Yato had mentioned that Tsunade's fleeing from marriage must have carried some degree of danger.
Jiraiya, recalling Tsunade's temper, had actually believed Yato's nonsense.
After careful consideration, the two finally reached a consensus—they would disguise themselves and infiltrate the place.
A sly smile curled at the corner of Uchiha Yato's lips.
He turned and entered a nearby clothing store, and when he reappeared shortly after, his appearance had completely transformed.
He now wore a blue yukata, its fabric light and smooth, fluttering as if carried by the wind.
The collar of the yukata was casually open, revealing his well-defined chest and faintly visible collarbones, exuding a lazy yet captivating aura.
His long black hair was meticulously styled into a carefree look, with a few strands falling over his forehead, adding to his roguish charm.
At this moment, Uchiha Yato resembled a dashing playboy straight out of a painting, drawing the gazes of passersby.
Meanwhile, Jiraiya wasn't idle either.
His already somewhat weathered face now sported a pair of playful little mustaches, making him appear even more mature and composed.
Not only that, but he had also skillfully used Ninjutsu to alter his age and appearance, making himself look much older than he actually was.
This way, even if someone grew suspicious, it would be difficult to spot anything amiss from his appearance.
Once both were ready, they stepped through the casino's doors side by side.
The moment they entered, they were stunned by the sight before them.
The scale of the casino was beyond imagination—the spacious, brightly lit hall was packed with people, the noise rising and falling in waves.
All kinds of gambling tables were arranged in an orderly fashion, each surrounded by enthusiastic gamblers.
There were poker tables, dice games, and even guessing games—every type of gambling imaginable was present, a dazzling array.
Just as Jiraiya was about to ask Uchiha Yato how they would find Tsunade—
Yato cut in, "If you can't find Tsunade in a casino, then you're just an idiot."
Not long after, a burst of wild cheers erupted from one of the tables deeper inside.
That was it—the table where Tsunade was gambling would undoubtedly be the most lively. With a super "cash cow" backing them, everyone would win no matter how they bet.
Soon enough, Jiraiya caught sight of his beloved goddess—Tsunade.
She wasn't hard to recognize, with her golden hair and those world-famous assets.
It was practically her signature look!
At the moment, Tsunade was a little irritated from losing her bets.
Jiraiya wanted to approach her directly, but Yato stopped him.
Without giving Jiraiya a chance to ask, Uchiha Yato explained, "Do you see she's losing right now?"
"Yeah, so what?"
"Then what do you think will happen if you go talk to her now?"
Only after Yato's reminder did Jiraiya realize what a foolish mistake he had almost made.Tsunade, with her immense strength, was not someone to be trifled with. When she was angry, approaching her could very well mean death.
After Tsunade had lost most of her money gambling, Uchiha Yato and Jiraiya quietly left the casino, waiting for her to emerge.
Soon after, Tsunade found an izakaya to drown her sorrows in alcohol.
Jiraiya and Uchiha Yato followed her, looking for an opportunity to speak with her.
When Tsunade was halfway drunk, Yato remarked,
"Now's the time. Her anger has mostly subsided—we can approach her."
With that, Yato and Jiraiya got up and sat near Tsunade.
Though half-conscious, Tsunade's instincts as a shinobi sharpened her senses—she could tell two people were eyeing her with ill intent.
After a quick glance, she deduced they weren't debt collectors.
Probably just a couple of thugs or good-for-nothing scoundrels.
Given her figure and looks, she was often targeted by local ruffians wherever she went, so she was all too familiar with their tactics.
Tsunade spoke bluntly, "You there—the brat and the old man. You've been staring at me for a while now."
Yato and Jiraiya were momentarily stunned, but Tsunade speaking first was actually a good thing.
At least it spared them the risk of angering her by initiating the conversation.
Then Jiraiya spoke up, "Tsunade, I know your pain."
"If you're really suffering, just say it."
As he spoke, both Jiraiya and Yato dropped their disguises.
Seeing Yato, whom she somewhat knew, and her old acquaintance Jiraiya, Tsunade felt slightly more at ease.
Tsunade muttered, "The old men only care about power. We're just pawns to them."
"What use is a medical ninja who can't stand the sight of blood?!"
"How could either of you possibly understand my pain?!"
Jiraiya's mind immediately filled in the gaps—Tsunade must have felt useless as a shinobi, then was forced into an arranged marriage by the elders.
She fled the wedding, which was why she was now wallowing in self-loathing.
Beside him, Yato remained silent, knowing full well the two were now talking on completely different wavelengths.
As the conversation hit a deadlock, Jiraiya suddenly declared loudly, "Tsunade, it's okay! I know you ran from your wedding. I believe in you—you can do this!"
Tsunade, who had been about to vent further, froze in shock.
The atmosphere instantly grew tense…