Chapter 13: A Little Shock from Tsunade

Words : 1239 Updated : Sep 12th, 2025

"Thank you, Lord Jiraiya, and the three of you." Matsuyama Koji remained respectful. Then. He couldn’t help but complain, recounting Hirakawa Ken’s past. The guy was a seasoned gambler. But. The Hirakawa family held considerable power in the Land of Rivers, and their wealth was substantial. However, due to Hirakawa Ken’s incompetence and gambling addiction, Hirakawa Hiroshi was considering grooming another successor. As a result. In recent years, the amount of money Hirakawa Ken could squander had dwindled, leaving him with a mountain of debt. Even the payments owed to the Hirakawa family had been embezzled by him. In short, there was no shortage of conflicts. As Matsuyama Koji spoke, his eyes suddenly lit up. "By the way, Lord Jiraiya, since you’re currently leading a genin team, does that mean you’ll have time to take on more missions in the near future?" "Theoretically, yes." Jiraiya had a vague idea of what Matsuyama Koji was getting at— A direct commission. Matsuyama Koji quickly leaned in closer. "It’s like this. Our family is planning to do business with a man named Gato in the Land of Waves. However, that guy seems to have amassed a large group of samurai in the Land of Waves, and we’re concerned he might resort to underhanded tactics." "I’ll take the mission, but you’ll need to formally request it through Konoha first." Jiraiya immediately agreed— The Land of Waves. That place might not just have samurai; there could also be ninja lurking around. "I understand. Thank you, Lord Jiraiya." Matsuyama Koji’s eyes sparkled. Jiraiya smiled. "By the way, Mr. Matsuyama, I have a question. Have you or any of your friends’ gambling houses seen a young woman wearing clothes with the character for ’gambling’ on them?" "The character for ’gambling’?" Matsuyama Koji frowned. After a moment of recollection, his expression turned serious. "Yes! There was someone like that just yesterday." "I see. Thank you." Jiraiya’s lips curled into a smile. Of course. After leaving Konoha, how could she not come to Tanzaku Quarters?! He chuckled silently. "Thank you, Mr. Matsuyama. I assume our mission is complete now?" "Yes, thank you for your help." Matsuyama Koji bowed. Then, he paused for a moment and added, "However, if you’re planning to look for this ’gambling’ woman, could you do me a small favor?" "What is it?" Jiraiya had a bad feeling about what was coming next. "She lost quite a bit of money at our gambling house. If you see her, could you help us collect the debt? At the very least, get an IOU from her..." Matsuyama Koji spoke cautiously. He had a rough idea of who she might be. The legendary "Legendary Sucker." But at the same time, she was also a walking disaster. "Well, hahaha, I’ll do my best. I’ll definitely get you that IOU. How much does she owe?" Jiraiya coughed lightly. Who knew how much Tsunade had lost? Getting her to pay back the money anytime soon was unlikely. He felt slightly embarrassed. Matsuyama Koji breathed a sigh of relief. "That’s fine. As long as I have an IOU, I can explain it to the family." "You understand, this kind of business isn’t just mine alone." He quickly added. Jiraiya nodded repeatedly, showing he understood. Kurenai, following behind, looked at Kyohiko and Kakashi in confusion, hoping for an explanation. But. Both of them shook their heads. Of course. Kyohiko knew that Jiraiya’s target was likely Tsunade, who had left Konoha. As one of the Sannin, Tsunade was currently suffering from hemophobia, making it difficult for her to function as a normal ninja. Combined with her psychological issues, leaving the village was a natural decision. He didn’t expect to bring Tsunade back but was instead thinking about how to gain some benefits from her. After all, she was Tsunade! Even a small trickle of her knowledge would be a massive boon for him at this stage. Kyohiko’s eyes gleamed as he began to think seriously. Medical ninjutsu... Konoha already had a well-established medical ninja system, so there was no need for him to meddle. As for other knowledge and techniques, Tsunade might not be willing to teach them easily. And the Creation Rebirth technique... Had Tsunade even developed it yet? Kyohiko pondered. After much thought, he decided to take things one step at a time and adapt as he went. ... In Tanzaku Quarters, near the old Tanzaku Castle, Jiraiya looked around, sensing the surroundings with a serious expression. "Teacher, who were you asking Mr. Matsuyama about earlier?" Kurenai couldn’t help but ask. Jiraiya glanced at them and then smiled. "Take a guess." Kakashi thought for a moment, then shook his head. "I don’t know." "Is it one of the Sannin? I’ve only heard that she’s associated with gambling." Kyohiko whispered. Jiraiya looked at him and then chuckled. "You little rascal!" Then, he nodded. "I mentioned earlier that besides the mission, there’s another matter. I wanted to check on Tsunade’s whereabouts." As they walked, Jiraiya continued, "Kyohiko, have you started researching other nature transformations for Water Release?" "I’ve only been trying to compress the water flow. I’m not sure if that counts as nature transformation." Kyohiko replied. Jiraiya nodded. "That’s it." He couldn’t help but sigh. "Sometimes, I wonder if the Second Hokage was like you when he was young... He tried compressing Water Gun and eventually improved it into Water Release: Water Severing Wave." As he spoke, Jiraiya recounted the terrifying power of that technique. Nothing it couldn’t cut! A fearsome Water Release technique. Moreover. He also talked about the Second Hokage’s achievements. Kakashi and Kurenai listened intently. Kyohiko did too. However, he was more focused on the techniques. "So, my approach is correct?" "Compression and concentration are common techniques in high-level ninjutsu. It’s not just Water Release; Fire Release and Lightning Release have similar techniques, like the Third Raikage’s signature move, Hell Stab..." Jiraiya explained as they walked. Kakashi’s expression changed slightly, as if he had an idea. Just then, Jiraiya suddenly stopped and looked toward a building on the side of the street. It was an izakaya. At that moment, a girl’s voice came from upstairs. "We’re almost out of money!" "Ah..." It was Shizune’s voice. In Kyohiko’s memory, the voice’s owner surfaced. The original Kyohiko had briefly been classmates with Shizune before she left with Tsunade. They hadn’t seen each other since, but the girl’s voice hadn’t changed much. "Found her!" Jiraiya grinned, looking around— "Teacher, I think it’s better if we go in through the front door. I heard that lady once nearly sent you to the hospital." Kyohiko whispered a reminder. Huh? There was such a story? Kakashi and Kurenai immediately perked up, their curiosity evident even through their masks. Jiraiya was annoyed. "Brat, where did you hear that gossip?" "My grandmother told me." "Damn it!" Jiraiya, embarrassed and angry, punched Kyohiko lightly on the head. "You know too much!" However, he followed Kyohiko’s advice and entered through the front door, avoiding the risk of being punched to death by barging in unannounced. Seeing Jiraiya, Tsunade wasn’t surprised— They were familiar with each other, and the commotion earlier had been enough for her to recognize who had arrived. "Yo, Jiraiya." Tsunade held a bottle of sake, leaning lazily against the wall. Her assets were undeniably impressive, and her relaxed posture only emphasized their impact. Even Kurenai, a girl herself— She stared wide-eyed, occasionally glancing down... Utterly shocked.

Chapter 13: A Little Shock from Tsunade

Comments (0)