In the Land of Bears, deep within the forest.
Izumi was walking leisurely, a shuriken hanging from her finger. However, this shuriken had been enhanced with Wind Release Ninjutsu, its edges wrapped in a blade formed by wind.
(A technique Danzo used, by blowing air onto shurikens and Kunai to increase their attack range.) Izumi called this move Vacuum Blade.
Izumi slowly rotated the shuriken on her finger and shouted, "Come out quickly, or if I target you, I won't be responsible!"
In the distance, several members of the Jashin cult watched Izumi cautiously and angrily.
"Damn it! Why is this Konoha brat so strong?!"
"I didn't expect to run into a Konoha Ninja while spreading our teachings in the Land of Bears. Those villagers abandoned by Lord Jashin, I'll make them scream until they die!"
Suddenly, a sweet, melodious female voice teased in their ears, "Oh really? That exciting? Can I join in?"
Their eyes widened. They looked at Izumi, then at the spot where Izumi had been standing moments before, which was now empty. She had appeared right in front of them.
"Ahhh!" One person screamed and ran, while the other two picked up large scythes and swung them at Izumi.
Izumi threw the shuriken in her hand at the fleeing person, cutting him in half instantly.
The other two froze.
"Huh? Is she crazy? We're about to cut you, and you're not dodging? You even threw away your weapon?" Then they were overjoyed.
"Serves you right to die!" Their scythes were about to strike Izumi, but her hands were empty as she moved to strike their scythes.
"Hehe, die!"
Their scythes were incredibly fast. We'll cut you in half!
Izumi smiled.
Suddenly, black talismans appeared on her black wristguards. These two talismans immediately transferred from her wristguards into Izumi's empty palms.
These "blade" sealing talismans suddenly unsealed, and two blades appeared in Izumi's hands.
Izumi gripped a blade in each hand, immediately blocking the two men's attacks, then instantly beheaded them.
Their heads flew into the air; they died without knowing how.
Izumi looked at the corpses on the ground, then suddenly covered her head and exclaimed in annoyance, "Ugh, I overdid it again. How did I forget I still have to clean up their bodies? Ah! So disgusting!"
Izumi disdainfully took their bodies back for the villagers to confirm.
The others also brought back bodies.
When the villagers saw that these Jashin cultists were dead, they cheered and hugged each other happily.
After completing the mission, the group headed towards the Village.
Sarutobi Muraki asked in confusion, "This Jashin cult is just a small religion in the Land of Hot Water; it hasn't even fully spread there yet. To run off to the Land of Bears to proselytize, they're really asking for death."
Yamamoto Kawa also responded boredly, "Yeah. Their strength is so weak! It's not interesting at all."
Akido Jiro rubbed his plump belly, then asked Sarutobi Muraki, "Teacher, shall we go eat?"
Yamamoto Kawa and Izumi's eyes lit up, and they immediately looked at Sarutobi Muraki with anticipation.
Seeing this, Sarutobi Muraki sighed and said, "Alright, let's go eat something in town."
"Yay!" Everyone immediately cheered happily.
"Time to eat! Time to eat! Teacher's treating!"
The group arrived in town and went to a restaurant to eat.
As soon as they sat down, Sarutobi Muraki suddenly froze.
Sarutobi Muraki looked at the gambling house across the street, his eyes suddenly wide with surprise, then he immediately walked inside.
Izumi and the others followed curiously.
They saw a yellow-haired, large-chested woman with the character for "gamble" written on her back, along with a short-haired woman holding a small pig, surrounded by a crowd.
"Cow! Pay up, or we'll sell you!"
"You owe us money and don't want to pay? Dream on!"
"Pay up!"
"Tsunade!" Izumi hadn't expected to see Tsunade here; it was quite a coincidence.
Sarutobi Muraki immediately called out, "Lady Tsunade!"
Tsunade and Shizune immediately looked at Sarutobi Muraki. She suddenly looked as if she had seen a savior, then pulled Sarutobi Muraki and said, "Muraki, you've grown up, kid."
He quickly shook his head and said, "Not at all, in front of you, I'm still a child."
Tsunade put one arm around him and whispered, "Hey, do you have any money? Help me out, it's an emergency."
Sarutobi Muraki was pulled by her, and Tsunade's large chest brushed against his arm from time to time, making him blush. With a hot head, he immediately nodded and said, "Okay, how much?"
Tsunade chuckled and shouted to the debt collectors, "Good! You heard him, right? He said he'd pay for me! Bye-bye!" Tsunade immediately ran out, and the big men couldn't stop her.
Then, they looked at Izumi and the others.
"Ahhh! Teacher, really, even my money is gone!"
Yamamoto Kawa covered his head, looking at Sarutobi Muraki with dissatisfaction.
Izumi and Akido Jiro also looked at Sarutobi Muraki with complaints.
Sarutobi Muraki said apologetically, "I didn't expect her to owe so much money, I'm sorry, but it's fine. I'll ask Hokage-sama to reimburse you later."
Yamamoto Kawa rubbed his hands together at Izumi and said, "Izumi, I didn't expect you to be so rich, you're amazing. In the future..."
"No."
"Huh? How did you know what I was going to say?"
"Just no!"
"Oh, don't be so stingy."
Akido Jiro asked, "Teacher. Who was that person? You actually paid her debt?"
Yamamoto Kawa, hearing this, asked with a lewd smile, "Could it be that?"
Sarutobi Muraki shook his head and said, "No, that was Lady Tsunade, one of the legendary Sannin. She watched me grow up. I haven't seen her in years, I didn't expect her to be here."
Yamamoto Kawa was shocked, "Ah! That woman is one of the legendary Sannin! So young! Is it true or false?"
Sarutobi Muraki spread his hands and said, "Of course it's true, otherwise why do you think I would have paid for her?"
Just as they were about to go back to eat, they saw a dejected Tsunade and a constantly scolding Shizune.
Both groups stared blankly at each other.
"Ha! Delicious! As expected, you just have to drink!"
In the tavern, Tsunade was continuously drinking from her glass.
Shizune advised from the side, "Lady Tsunade, drink less! Don't drink too much!"
"What's there to be afraid of!" Tsunade waved her hand, then continued drinking.
Shizune thanked Sarutobi Muraki, "Thank you, Muraki-senpai, I didn't expect to see you here, you've been a great help!"
"It's nothing, just a small matter." Muraki pleaded with Tsunade, "Lady Tsunade, please come back to the Village with me. Hokage-sama misses you very much! That's your home."
Tsunade mocked herself, "Home? I don't have a home anymore."
Sarutobi Muraki, unwilling to give up, continued, "Lady Tsunade..."
Tsunade shook her head and said, "I won't go back. What can I do now?"
...
Seeing this, Sarutobi Muraki no longer pressed her.