"I know a little."
As the son of Sarutobi Hiruzen, Konoha's current "crown prince," Asuma was fairly well-informed.
"After the decision was made to hold this exam, Father… I mean, the Third Hokage sent invitations to the three great ninja villages except Sunagakure. So far, only Iwagakure has said they're considering participating. The other two haven't replied yet. However, Takigakure, Amegakure, and Kusagakure have all responded and are sending people over one after another."
"I see…"
Mikami Yuu wasn't surprised by what Asuma said.
After all, the current point in time was already close to the period of the ninja world free-for-all.
As the war between Konoha and Suna had fallen into a stalemate, the other three great nations were beginning to grow restless. Kumogakure had stationed heavy forces in the Land of Hot Water and could march south at any moment. Kirigakure also desperately needed an external war to divert the internal conflicts of the "Bloody Mist Village."
Only Iwagakure, with that old schemer Ōnoki in charge, could still keep its composure, which was why they were willing to play along with Konoha for now.
As for Amegakure and the others…
They were either Konoha's vassal forces or fence-sitters unable to decide their own fate. No matter what they thought privately, on the surface they could only cooperate a little, send some people as a gesture, and use the opportunity to gather intelligence on Konoha to see if there was any chance to sell it at a good price.
As they were talking,
Yuu shifted his gaze to the side and noticed several ninja wearing Kusagakure forehead protectors walking past. Their eyes met briefly, and the other party immediately looked away. Their gazes clearly carried wariness and hostility.
"Speaking of which…"
Uzumaki Karin's mother should still be in Kusagakure right now, shouldn't she?
Yuu suddenly thought of that.
Among the hidden villages of the ninja world, Kusagakure was one of the more absurd ones—weak, yet always eager to play dangerous games.
Although the Land of Grass's geographical position was indeed miserable, being caught between the Land of Fire and the Land of Earth, if Kusagakure had even a little bit of sense, they never would have come up with the idea of using Uzumaki Karin and her mother as blood packs and finally drinking one of them to death.
This kind of "sustainable overfishing" was no less ridiculous than having a Sharingan-awakened Uchiha come defect to you, only to gouge out his eyes and put them in your own sockets.
Judging by Karin's later awakening of Mind's Eye of the Kagura and Adamantine Sealing Chains, her mother's talent was very likely not low either. And at this time, she probably wasn't that old yet, since Karin wouldn't be born for several more years.
If he reported this intelligence to Minato or Tsunade…
Wouldn't that count as a major contribution?
Could he use it to ask Hiruzen for a few new techniques, or even get a look at the Scroll of Seals?
And if one counted unofficial history outside the main story…
Kusagakure might also have the Box of Ultimate Bliss.
That thing was even more significant. According to its setting, it was a ninja tool originating from the Sage of Six Paths, and its scale was no less than a tailed beast. There was plenty of room for research and use.
Yuu silently calculated in his heart, then said goodbye to Asuma, Obito, and Kakashi before returning to the civilian district with Rin.
At this time, no one was home at the Mikami residence.
That was normal.
After all, both Mikami parents had work to do. One worked at the Konoha Library, while the other was learning how to run a business from scratch. Judging by the popularity of Raw Cola, Mikami Tajima had probably been very busy lately. Perhaps Mikami Aoi was helping too.
So,
Yuu put down his luggage and picked out a paper package he had prepared in advance. It was a souvenir he had bought at the southwestern border—several specialty pastries from the border region, along with a scroll he had written by hand. Carrying these things, Yuu went to the neighboring Nohara household.
"Oh, Yuu, you're back! I just saw Rin and was chatting with her. Come in, come in!"
As soon as Nohara Hiroshi saw Yuu, he greeted him loudly and warmly.
"You've worked hard on the front line during this time. Finally, you can rest for a while! Rin's mother went out to buy groceries and will be back soon. Eat dinner here tonight. It's just adding another pair of chopsticks!"
"Uncle Hiroshi, you're too kind."
Yuu politely greeted him and handed over the souvenirs in his hands.
"These are salted cherry blossom pastries from Oborozuki Castle and dried rock lizard meat from Wildfire City. They're just a small token of my appreciation. Please accept them."
"Oh, look at you. You came over, and that's already enough. Why bring gifts? You're making us seem distant…"
Nohara Hiroshi said a few more polite words before noticing the scroll among the "souvenirs."
"This is…"
"Oh, it's Water Formation Wall. Previously, you gave me the Water Clone and Wild Water Wave scrolls, and they helped me a lot. So I specially prepared this. I hope you'll accept it."
"?!"
Nohara Hiroshi was startled.
Water Formation Wall was not some common technique. It was a genuine B-rank ninjutsu.
Although it was defensive, its value was still considerable. Ordinary chūnin, unless they rendered important service, had basically no chance of obtaining a technique of this level through normal channels. So Nohara Hiroshi's surprise was obvious, and he repeatedly refused.
But…
To Yuu, this was merely repayment for the timely help the man had given him back then.
"…This is too valuable. Those two basic ninjutsu scrolls weren't much. How can I accept such a heavy return gift?"
Nohara Hiroshi was still hesitant.
But Yuu's tone was sincere.
"It's only one ninjutsu, nothing more. If not for the two scrolls you gave me back then, I wouldn't have been able to establish my foundation in Water Release so quickly. The situation outside is growing more and more chaotic. Perhaps one day, a new war will break out, and you may go to the battlefield too. So…"
"Alright then."
Nohara Hiroshi was persuaded.
After putting the scroll away, he looked back at Yuu with emotion in his voice.
"Yuu, your progress during this period has really been incredible. Rin just told me that you encountered Chiyo at the border, and you personally captured a jōnin from Sunagakure. Truly impressive!
"At this rate, maybe in another two years, I'll have to call you Jōnin Mikami, haha."
"And that Konoha Raw Cola—I heard you came up with that too? Tajima and Aoi have been incredibly busy lately. They can barely keep up with deliveries every day. Recently, even Ichiraku Ramen and Yakiniku Q launched special 'cola sets,' and many villagers are full of praise for them!"
Hearing Nohara Hiroshi's praise,
Yuu looked modest.
"You're overpraising me, Uncle Hiroshi. As for the cola, Lady Tsunade mainly helped improve the formula, and my father is the one working hard to run the business. I only came up with the idea. I really don't dare take credit."
"Haha, it's good for young people to understand humility. Alright, I'll accept these gifts. Tomorrow night, I'll treat everyone to Yakiniku Q. Our two families can gather together and celebrate the safe return of you two juniors! Tell your parents too. You must come!"
"Alright. I'll be sure to let them know."
Yuu agreed.
After that, Yuu looked at Rin.
"Rin, I'm planning to visit Lady Tsunade. Do you want to come with me?"
"Sure!"
Rin readily agreed. "I bought a souvenir for Lady Tsunade too. Let's bring them together!"
So,
Yuu and Rin left together, each carrying some things, and headed toward Konoha Hospital.
Tsunade wasn't there.
However, Sarutobi Biwako was.
She was also an instructor in the Advanced Medical Class and had something of a teacher-student relationship with Yuu and Rin. She also carried the identity of the Hokage's wife, so the two specially went up to visit her and offered the souvenirs they had brought from the border as a token of respect.
When Sarutobi Biwako learned that Yuu and Rin were planning to go find Tsunade as well,
she coughed lightly and said somewhat unnaturally, "Little Tsuna… has some things to do these past two days and may not have time to see you. There's no need for you to make a wasted trip to the Senju compound. Go home and rest first. If I see her, I'll mention you two to her."
"Hm?"
Yuu paused slightly, then reacted.
His next destination had indeed been the Senju compound.
After all, Tsunade was currently the thickest thigh he had latched onto. Since he had been away, that was one thing, but now that he was back, he definitely needed to maintain their relationship.
And Yuu had several things on hand that required Tsunade's help, such as the Scorch Release research and the continued expansion of Raw Cola.
If Tsunade wasn't at Konoha Hospital and wasn't at the Senju compound…
"Uh…"
Yuu had a rough guess where Tsunade was.
"Rin, you go home first."
After leaving Konoha Hospital, Yuu said to Rin beside him.
"Eh? What about you, Yuu?"
"I'm going to see a few acquaintances. I'll go back later."
"…It's fine. I don't have anything to do anyway, so I'll just walk around with you! When you're doing your business, I'll wait outside and absolutely won't disturb you. Is that okay?"
Rin clasped her hands together, blinked, and asked softly.
"That's fine, I guess."
Yuu had originally been worried that the place he was going wasn't suitable and might corrupt Rin. Also, his judgment might not be accurate; if he guessed wrong, it would be a wasted trip. But since Rin had already said this, he no longer insisted.
So,
the two turned and walked toward another direction in the village.
This area was located in one corner of Konoha, rather far from the residential district. As they approached, noisy human voices rang in their ears. The air was mixed with the smell of alcohol and a restless atmosphere. Faintly, a sign with the word Gamble appeared in view.
At first, Rin was still a bit confused.
But when she saw Yuu clearly heading toward a casino with guards at the entrance, her steps slowed involuntarily, and uncertainty appeared on her face.
"Yuu-kun… are we going to… a casino?"
This…
didn't seem like a place people their age should be going, right?
Just then,
the voices of several passersby who had just come out of the casino drifted over.
"Tsk, tsk. Lady Tsunade's luck is really terrible today…"
"Who says it isn't? I saw the tables she bet on. She lost every single round! What round is this already?"
"At least this much, right?" One passerby made a "five" gesture. "Judging by her momentum, she won't stop until she loses everything…"
"Sigh. No wonder people secretly call her the 'Legendary Sucker'…"
"!"
Rin instantly froze in place. Her eyes widened, her small mouth opened slightly, and she was completely stunned.
Wait… Lady Tsunade? Gambling? And losing a lot?
How did those words fit together?
Rin subconsciously looked toward Yuu, only to see that he didn't look very surprised. Instead, he had an expression of "as expected."
"Looks like she's here. Let's go in, Rin."
"Hey, you two, wait. Kids aren't allowed inside…"
The guard at the casino entrance called out.
Yuu casually used Transformation Technique, turning himself into someone in his twenties.
"Is this fine?"
"Oh, you're ninja… then it's fine."
Although the ninja world had rules saying adulthood began at twenty, and minors were prohibited from drinking and gambling, such things were more principles than absolute law. Especially for ninja, as long as the situation wasn't too serious, everyone turned a blind eye. Otherwise, Asuma wouldn't have learned to smoke so early.
Of course, the guard still warned Yuu not to sit at the tables recklessly, or he might lose all his pocket money and get scolded by his parents when he returned home.
Then,
Yuu pushed open the door carved with dice and pai gow patterns.
Inside the casino, the light was slightly dim, but the sound was extremely loud. The clatter of gambling tools, shouts, curses, and ecstatic cries from gamblers all intertwined. Combined with the ever-present smell of tobacco and the glint of coins, it formed a unique atmosphere that made one's adrenaline surge.
Yuu swept his gaze around and quickly locked onto a large round table.
There, Tsunade was rolling up her sleeves without any regard for image. One hand was on her hip, while the other slammed down on the gambling table with a smack. Her body leaned slightly forward, and her beautiful pale face carried a trace of unwillingness from losing too much.
"Open! I refuse to believe it! This round has to be high!"
The dealer expressionlessly lifted the dice cup.
"Two, three, four… nine points. Low!"
"Tsk! Lost again!"
Tsunade angrily punched the tabletop, producing a dull thud that made several small chips nearby jump.
The gamblers around her looked at this Konoha princess, whose brows were tightly furrowed and whose whole body was radiating low pressure. They all subconsciously took half a step back.
"One, two, three… still a few thousand ryō left. One more round! If I lose it all, whatever!"
Seeing Tsunade push out her last chips, preparing to go all in,
Yuu squeezed to the side, coughed lightly, and spoke.
"Lady Tsunade."
"?!"
Tsunade was startled and abruptly turned back. Seeing Yuu and Rin, she froze.
"Huh, it's you two? When did you return to the village? How did you find this place?"
"…"
Yuu's face remained normal.
But Rin's expression was rather complicated.
The woman in front of her… was really the dignified, powerful, life-saving medical saint she admired?
Tsunade seemed to catch Rin's disappointment and immediately reacted. She threw the dice in her hand away, trying to maintain her dignity as a senior.
"Oh my, w-who put dice in my hand?
"Um… Rin, Yuu, don't misunderstand. I don't usually come to places like this. Today was just a coincidence…"