"Because this is my first time taking out a loan," Kiyohara said.
He looked up at the woman standing before him.
Tsunade wore a grey, kimono-style blouse with no sleeves, and a green haori jacket draped loosely over her shoulders, barely concealing her voluptuous figure. Below, she wore dark blue capris that tightly wrapped around her legs.
"First time?" Tsunade frowned slightly, a look of disappointment flashing across her face. "That's a shame. Lenders usually give better rates to returning customers."
'Oh no.'
It seemed she was speaking from extensive personal experience.
The moment Kiyohara saw that subtle expression, he knew her personal credit score was definitely in the negatives.
"Ahem. Anyway, I'm Tsunade," she introduced herself, brushing a strand of blonde hair back. "Lend me some money now. I'll definitely pay you back with interest after I turn things around today."
Kiyohara looked at her skeptically.
"Is Lady Tsunade going gambling?"
Her love for gambling was no secret. The nickname "The Legendary Sucker" (or The Legendary Fat Sheep) wasn't just a rumor; it was a statistical fact.
'Stop, Lady Tsunade,' Kiyohara thought. 'Everyone else walks into a casino to win money. You walk in to donate it.'
He felt that lending her money was essentially throwing it into a furnace. However, a thought stirred in his mind. This was an opportunity.
He pulled out a stack of bills—50,000 Ryō.
"Lady Tsunade," Kiyohara said, holding the money but not letting go. "I am very interested in the knowledge of Medical Ninjutsu. Could you teach me a little?"
In this era, the medical system of Konoha was still primitive compared to the future.
Decades later, Sakura Haruno would revolutionize the system, ensuring every team had a medic. But right now? Even basic first aid was rare.
When Naruto and Sakura went on their first C-rank mission to Wave, Naruto had to drain the poison from his hand by stabbing it with a Kunai because Sakura didn't know the Poison Extraction Technique.
"Hmm..." Tsunade furrowed her brow, eyeing the cash.
"Lady Tsunade! Everyone else is waiting!"
Shizune hurried over from a distance, clutching Tonton the pig. She looked stressed. She desperately wanted Tsunade to quit gambling, but Tsunade had assigned her to "monitor the perimeter"—which was code for "don't nag me while I play."
"Fine," Tsunade snapped, her patience for teaching warring with her desire for capital. "Kid, you're lucky I'm in a hurry."
She held out her hand. "I'll give you two basic jutsu formulas. You give me 100,000 Ryō."
Kiyohara blinked. 'Pricey.'
But these were techniques from the greatest Medical-nin in history. Even the basics, when taught by her, were worth gold. It was only because she was desperate that she was "selling cheap."
"No problem, Lady Tsunade." Kiyohara smiled faintly.
He quickly counted out another 50,000 Ryō to make the total, then handed her a blank scroll and a pen he had bought for his own notes.
Generally, a single C-rank mission paid between 30,000 and 100,000 Ryō. Since rewards were split between a three-man cell and the village tax, 100,000 Ryō represented months of hard labor for a Genin.
"He even carries scrolls around..." Tsunade muttered.
She assumed he was just a nerd who liked studying theory. She quickly scribbled the cultivation methods and chakra flow diagrams onto the blank page.
The two techniques were essential:
Healing Resuscitation Regeneration (Basic Hemostasis).
Poison Extraction Technique (Dokunuki no Jutsu).
"Money for goods."
Tsunade shoved the scroll and pen back to Kiyohara, snatched the thick wad of cash, and practically sprinted toward the casino entrance.
"Shizune! Hurry up! I can feel the luck shifting!"
Shizune watched the transaction with a pained expression. She knew exactly where that money was going.
"Lady Tsunade... nine out of ten gambles end in loss," Shizune sighed, clutching Tonton tighter.
"Shizune, you don't understand," Tsunade said, turning back with a solemn expression. "Losing money isn't losing. It's just temporarily depositing it with the house. Quitting? That is when you truly lose forever."
With that golden maxim of the addict, she vanished into the gambling den, ready to dominate (and likely lose everything).
Kiyohara stood in the street, watching them leave, and couldn't help but shake his head.
If the Legendary Sannin represented the Three Vices:
Orochimaru was Gluttony (for knowledge and life).
Jiraiya was Lust.
And Tsunade was undoubtedly Greed (Gambling).
The kanji for "Gamble" (Kake) on the back of her haori wasn't a decoration; it was a warning label.
"Good luck. You actually obtained two useful techniques," the Missing-nin's voice echoed in his mind.
"Can I actually learn them in three days?" Kiyohara looked at the scribbled handwriting. It was messy, but the chakra diagrams were precise.
"Medical Ninjutsu relies heavily on Yang Release and precise chakra control," the spirit explained. "While you don't have a natural Yang affinity, everyone possesses Yin and Yang spiritual energy. I can guide your chakra flow to compensate for the lack of intuition."
"Okay." Kiyohara rolled up the scroll.
The communication between him and the spirit was seamless, completed entirely within his mind, much like a Jinchūriki conversing with their Tailed Beast.
"I hope the remaining money is enough to buy good armor," Kiyohara calculated mentally.
A ninja's chakra is limited. Tools are not.
A Great Fireball might singe eyebrows, but a sharp Kunai to the kidney was fatal 100% of the time.
However, Kiyohara didn't buy weapons. He went straight to the armory.
Only Chunin and Jonin were permitted to wear the standard issue Konoha Flak Jacket. However, anyone could buy Chain Mesh Armor (Kusari-katabira).
He bought a high-quality mesh shirt to wear under his clothes. In a chaotic melee, it could mean the difference between a scratch and a gutted stomach.
After acquiring the armor, he bought common tools and, as a final touch, a large bag of Quicklime Powder.
It was dirty. It was dishonorable. But against an Uchiha or a swordsman, blinding them was a valid tactic.
By the time he returned home, his wallet was light, but his inventory was full.
"How do we make the medicine?" Kiyohara asked, dumping the bags of herbs onto his table.
This was the final step. The Secret Medicine formula from Orochimaru. Kiyohara knew nothing about alchemy or pharmacology.
"I will possess you to complete this step. The heat control required is too precise for a beginner," the Missing-nin said.
"However, be warned. Every time I possess you, it accelerates my dissipation. I won't be able to do this often."
"Do it," Kiyohara said.
He trusted his future self.
If he followed the original timeline, he was dead meat. Rin captured. Obito crushed. Kakashi traumatized. Kiyohara? Likely a nameless corpse in a ditch.
He closed his eyes.
A cold sensation washed over him, starting from his spine and spreading to his fingertips.
When he opened his eyes again, his gaze was sharper, colder.
He watched his own hands move. They grabbed the herbs with practiced efficiency, crushing and mixing them with a dexterity he didn't possess.
He was a passenger in his own body.
....
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