After hearing Jiraiya's words and spotting Yato beside him, Tsunade sobered up instantly, realizing what had happened.
She exploded, "Damn you, Yato! Spreading rumors about me again?!"
"Today, I'll teach you a pain called broken bones!"
With that, she launched a Painful Sky Kick straight at Yato.
Fully aware of how Tsunade would react, Yato had already predicted her next move and deftly dodged.Uchiha Yato then said, "If we're going to fight, let's take it outside. Don't wreck the owner's izakaya, or we'll have to pay for the damages."
With that, Yato swiftly leaped out of the izakaya in a few quick steps.
Seeing Yato leave, Tsunade immediately followed suit, and of course, Jiraiya trailed right behind her.
The chase led them all the way to a vast forest near the border of the Land of Waves.
The forest was lush and verdant, with sunlight filtering through the gaps in the leaves, casting dappled shadows that gave the place a serene yet mysterious atmosphere.
However, before Yato could even steady his footing, Tsunade charged at him like an enraged lion, not even bothering with an opening remark—just swinging her fist straight at him.
Her furious demeanor made it seem as though she held some deep, irreconcilable grudge against him.
Faced with such a fierce assault and knowing he was in the wrong, Yato chose not to retaliate. Instead, he relied on his agility to dodge left and right.
For a while, the only sounds were the relentless boom boom boom of Tsunade's monstrously powerful punches missing their mark and slamming into the ground around them.
In an instant, the entire forest seemed to erupt—explosions rang out one after another, deafening and chaotic.
Dust and wood splinters flew everywhere, turning the once peaceful scenery into complete disarray.
The cause of all this destruction? Tsunade's overwhelming strength, unleashed in her failed attempts to hit Yato.
Her attacks mercilessly ravaged the innocent forest, leaving it in ruins.
After this "pleasant" bout of venting, Jiraiya could only cautiously tend to Tsunade.
Meanwhile, Yato didn't stir up any more trouble and instead explained,
"First of all, Jiraiya, I didn't mean to deceive you. But this was the fastest way to find Tsunade, right? Not a bad method, huh?"
Jiraiya simply replied, "Alright, I get your reasoning. Just stop messing with Tsunade—she's had enough already."
And indeed, she had.
She had just lost all her money gambling and was drowning her sorrows in alcohol.
Then, right when she was starting to enjoy herself, she ran into the last person she wanted to see.
And upon seeing that person, she heard the most infuriating rumor imaginable.
Then, when she tried to punch him, she couldn't even land a hit, leaving her seething with frustration.
Yato then shifted his focus to Tsunade and said, "Tsunade, you'll forgive me, right? Considering how young I am."
Just as she was about to take a breather, Tsunade's anger flared up again.
Ding~
"Congratulations, Host, for causing emotional fluctuations in Jiraiya and Tsunade."
"Reward: 500 Emotion Coins."
Hearing the sound of the coins being deposited, Yato felt a wave of satisfaction—this was exactly why he had messed with Tsunade and Jiraiya in the first place.
But then, Tsunade suddenly calmed down and said, "Fine, I forgive you."
Jiraiya was stunned by this.
"Huh? Since when was Tsunade this easygoing?" he thought.
But then Tsunade added, "Whatever you came to me for this time, unless you let me punch you ten times, I'm not agreeing to anything."
Hearing this second statement, both Jiraiya and Uchiha Yato let out a sigh of relief.I thought to myself, "This is the real Tsunade. I almost thought the one earlier was fake."
At that moment, Uchiha Yato said, "The Third Hokage sent me to bring you back."
This answer was both unexpected yet made perfect sense.
Tsunade didn't take it to heart and directly said, "Then you can go back and report the mission completed. There's no way I'm returning!"
Naturally, Tsunade wouldn't return to the Hidden Leaf Village so easily.
For Tsunade, that place was painful.
Her lover and her younger brother had both permanently left her in the recent great war.
Moreover, she herself had developed hemophobia because of it. Not being able to function as an excellent medical ninja was her greatest pain.
Uchiha Yato then spoke without joking, "Hemophobia is painful, isn't it?"
"The feeling of losing your lover and brother isn't easy to bear either, right?"
Although Yato used a questioning tone, his attitude was certain.
This instantly made the previously furious Tsunade sad.
Yes, this was the source of her pain.
Precisely because of this, she had left the Hidden Leaf Village, numbing herself through gambling and drinking to escape reality.
Jiraiya, feeling sorry for Tsunade, said, "Yato, stop. Saying these things will only make Tsunade more miserable."
But Uchiha Yato directly retorted, "What I said are facts."
"Even if I don't say it, these things have already happened."
"I'm saying this because I don't believe Tsunade is someone who would be so easily defeated."
Yato's tone was no longer teasing but calm and composed.
Tsunade also instantly calmed down and self-mockingly said, "I'm not as strong as you think. If it weren't for these things, why would I have left the village?"
Her words were filled with helplessness and sighs.
Uchiha Yato said, "The old man wants you to return this time because the Sand Village representatives are visiting the Hidden Leaf, hoping to improve medical ninjutsu."
"I suspect he also hopes you can return and cure your hemophobia."
Hearing this, Tsunade likely already guessed as much, showing little change in expression, remaining cold.
Uchiha Yato continued, "I came here with a personal motive—I hope you can return to the village."
"I've established an Uchiha Kindergarten to educate Uchiha children."
"I hope Princess Tsunade can become the first medical teacher at the Uchiha Kindergarten."
Hearing Yato's words, Tsunade couldn't help but laugh bitterly.
"You didn't listen to a single word I just said, did you?"
"I, Tsunade, don't want to go back. I'm a useless person now, understand?!"
Uchiha Yato said, "The best medical ninja can't heal herself—how ridiculous is that? How can you know if you don't even try?"
As he spoke, Yato's gaze shifted, and he added, "In that case, how about we make a bet?"
Hearing the word "bet," Tsunade's interest was piqued. She asked, "What do you want to bet on?"
Uchiha Yato said, "Simple—I bet I can cure your mental wounds."
"The wager? You come back to the Hidden Leaf with me."
"As for inviting you to be a teacher at the Uchiha Kindergarten, that's a separate matter. What do you think?"
Hearing the terms of the bet, not just Tsunade but even Jiraiya thought it was a great deal.
If she won, Tsunade could cure her hemophobia.
If she lost, there wasn't much loss for Tsunade—just a wasted opportunity.Tsunade then asked, "What if you lose? Isn't there any stake in this?"
Uchiha Yato replied foolishly, "How about I pay you ten million ryo as the bet money?"
The mention of money instantly brightened Tsunade's mood.
She readily accepted the bet, which was exactly the reaction Uchiha Yato had hoped for.
At this moment, Tsunade suddenly remembered something.
"If I recall correctly, I just said that if I agree to anything you ask, you have to take ten punches from me."
Uchiha Yato had been trying his best to downplay this matter, but Tsunade—despite her reputation for being all brawn and no brains—had caught on.
Without warning, a second intense chase erupted in an instant!
Uchiha Yato continued his baffling strategy, dodging Tsunade's furious onslaught without the slightest attempt to counterattack.
This only fueled Tsunade's rage further. She unleashed her power mercilessly, and the poor forests of the Land of Waves became the target of her wrath.
Time passed minute by minute—three whole hours went by.
Tsunade seemed tireless, relentlessly assaulting the forest.
Every strike carried overwhelming force—trees were uprooted, the earth split open with deep fissures.
The once lush and vibrant forest was left unrecognizable under Tsunade's rampage.
Finally, when she stopped, the sight before her was horrifying: the once-thriving forest had been reduced to ruins.
Fallen trees lay scattered, branches and leaves shattered; the ground was pockmarked with craters, upturned soil as if ravaged by an apocalyptic disaster.
Standing amidst the devastation, Tsunade panted heavily, though the fury in her eyes had yet to fully subside.
Once her anger had cooled, it meant the bet between Uchiha Yato and Tsunade was officially on.