Some debts are measured in gold. Others are written in blood and memory.
The Konoha Theater was packed to the brim.
Perhaps because of the chaos of the previous night, many villagers had poured into the hall, hoping that music might quiet the anxiety pressing against their hearts. Laughter was subdued, voices hushed — even applause carried a restrained, fragile edge.
On the second floor, Ayato reclined comfortably in his seat, eyes half-lidded as he listened to the renowned performer sing below.
Each note flowed like warm silk across the air.
This… was exactly the sort of life Zhongli enjoyed.
Opera. Refined ambiance. Leisure without haste.
And more importantly — synchronization.
Every moment spent aligning his habits, speech, and temperament with Zhongli nudged his role progress forward. Right now, that mattered more than anything else.
Just another 4.4%, and he would reach ten percent synchronization.
Enough to unlock his first Zhongli skill.
Enough to finally gain a real margin of survival.
"I'm sorry — may I sit here? All the seats below are already full."
A voice suddenly interrupted his thoughts.
"Please."
Ayato turned slightly.
A tall, striking woman stood beside him.
"Thank you."
She settled into the adjacent seat with casual confidence.
Golden hair spilled over her shoulders. A dark violet diamond glimmered on her forehead. Draped over her shoulders was a green coat with a massive Gamble character stamped boldly across the back.
Ayato recognized her instantly.
One of the Legendary Sannin.
A walking casino catastrophe.
The woman whose luck could bankrupt entire cities.
Senju Tsunade.
"Didn't expect Lady Tsunade to still be in the village," Ayato said calmly.
Tsunade glanced sideways at him, suspicion flickering through her amber eyes. "And who are you? I don't recall seeing you before."
Her mood was terrible.
She had planned to quietly slip into Konoha and raid the local casinos like old times.
Instead, the moment she stepped inside the village, she lost every last coin she owned — and even walked out owing the casino a substantial sum.
Penniless, irritated, and now trapped waiting for Shizune to bail her out, she had come to the theater purely to kill time.
On top of that, she had heard about the Nine-Tails incident on the way here.
Bad luck stacked on bad luck.
"I'm the owner of the Odd Jobs Shop. A pleasure to meet you."
Ayato politely averted his gaze.
…Not that it helped much.
Way too big.
"Odd Jobs Shop?" Tsunade frowned slightly. "Since when did Konoha have something like that?"
"You've been away for over a year, Princess Tsunade," Ayato replied evenly. "A new shop appearing during that time isn't exactly strange."
"Oh?" Tsunade leaned back lazily. "Then what kind of business do you run? Loans, maybe?"
Her eyes glinted faintly.
Given her reputation, that was a dangerous question.
"Not at the moment," Ayato answered calmly. "I don't have the capital to let you burn through."
He paused.
…That sentence suddenly felt riskier than intended.
"Tch. Stingy," Tsunade muttered. "It's not like I wouldn't pay it back…"
She stole another glance at him. His composed posture and refined bearing strangely eased her irritation.
"Based on what I've heard," Ayato added casually, "you already owe money to more than twenty casinos."
Hashirama's lifelong anxiety suddenly made perfect sense.
Even a whole village might not be enough to repay Tsunade's gambling debts.
"Cough — don't air people's dirty laundry," Tsunade choked, nearly sputtering.
"Maybe. But you just came from a casino, didn't you? Looks like you added another debt today."
Ayato smiled faintly. "Since I have some time… how about it? Anything you'd like to ask or resolve?"
"You really run a fortune-telling shop?" Tsunade snorted.
"I don't tell fortunes," Ayato said, settling more comfortably into his seat. "I resolve doubts. Or simply listen."
"Then tell me," Tsunade said lazily, already convinced he was another street con artist, "what troublesome problem do I have right now?"
"Plenty, actually."
Ayato rose slowly and met her gaze.
His dark eyes were deep — too deep. For a fleeting moment, Tsunade felt as though her consciousness were being pulled inward.
Her posture stiffened instinctively.
"…When you see blood," Ayato asked gently, leaning closer, "do you still lose all your strength?"
The change was immediate.
Tsunade's pupils contracted sharply.
It felt as though a buried wound had been torn open in a single stab.
Very few people knew about her hemophobia.
Only a handful — those closest to her past.
She hadn't even told Hiruzen.
Which meant anyone who knew this had to be deeply connected to her personal history.
Chakra flared unconsciously around her body as Tsunade stood abruptly, fists tightening.
One wrong move — and the entire theater might collapse.
"Relax," Ayato said calmly, already turning his gaze back toward the stage. "I mean no harm."
"Who exactly are you?" Tsunade demanded, irritation rising dangerously.
"The owner of the Odd Jobs Shop," Ayato replied lightly. "Now — do you have something you'd like to ask?"
"…Fine," Tsunade said coldly. "Then tell me this. How did I develop this fear of blood?"
"Nawaki. And Dan," Ayato answered without hesitation. "Watching the people you loved most die in your arms."
Silence slammed down between them.
Tsunade stared at his profile, calculation flashing through her eyes.
"But the dead are gone," Ayato continued quietly. "Everyone's life is a journey. Every journey eventually reaches its end. There's no need to rush."
He rose smoothly.
"Ah. The opera's over. I'll be heading out."
Before Tsunade could react, Ayato had already turned and walked away into the crowd.
She snapped out of her daze and moved to chase him—
"Excuse me, ma'am."
A waiter stepped directly into her path.
"You haven't paid for this table yet."
"…?"
Tsunade stared down at the bill in disbelief.
That bastard…
He didn't pay a single coin.
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