Chapter 193: A Little Tip a Day

Tsunade was thoroughly enjoying herself. She hadn’t touched a deck of cards in over ten days, and every time she passed a casino, her hands would itch with longing. Unfortunately… As the next Hokage, she had an image to maintain. Of course... The real reason was that no casino in Konoha dared let her through their doors. Everyone knew Tsunade never won. And as Hokage, she couldn't just rack up debts—worse yet, even if she did, no one would dare come collect. So… Under Kyoichi’s persuasion, they decided to stop doing business with her altogether. “She’s the only one that easy to beat. With everyone else, it’s actually really hard to win. Just think of it as her gift to you.” “…That’s kind of weird.” Konan clearly couldn’t grasp this kind of mystical logic. Gambling… Could someone really be so unlucky that they always lost? No way, right? And on top of that… Why was Tsunade looking so pleased even after losing money? That was just bizarre. Konan sank into deep thought. “Go to bed early. You’ve got school tomorrow. The guest room should already be soundproofed—just find Shizune if you need anything.” “Wait a sec—one last question.” Konan looked serious. Kyoichi paused and turned to her. “What exactly is Tsunade-hime’s legend?” “Oh, nothing too fancy. First, she’s known as the Legendary Cash Cow. Second, she’s the infamous Anti-Cheater Princess.” That second title— It had only surfaced in the past year or two. According to Shizune, to pay off her debts, Tsunade had taken to disguising herself with Transformation Jutsu and visiting all her old casinos incognito. With her ninja skills, she actually caught quite a few cheaters. One of the casinos even turned out to be running a full-blown scam. She made a decent haul back then, even saved up some spare change. Life became a lot less stressful for Shizune, who no longer had to worry constantly about money. Konan didn’t know what to say after hearing that. It really was a legendary casino tale. No wonder she wore a giant “Gamble” kanji embroidered on her clothes like a badge of pride. --- The Next Morning When Kyoichi woke up, he was immediately greeted by the rich aroma of something delicious. Ever since Oriri had started studying sealing arts and Shizune buried herself in poisons, the kitchen had been mostly abandoned. So this morning was… He peeked in. Konan was in there, apron on, steaming breakfast. “You’re up? It’s almost ready. Let’s eat before we head out.” She gave a sweet smile. Kyoichi was a little embarrassed. Letting a guest cook… This was definitely a first. Behind him, Oriri peeked out cautiously and muttered, “I’ll definitely cook tomorrow…” “Everyone’s busy. Honestly, eating out or just popping a ration pill is totally fine,” Kyoichi replied with a shake of his head. It’s just breakfast. Not having it wouldn’t— Okay fine… Waking up to a freshly made breakfast was a small luxury. Especially with that smell wafting through the air. “Kyoichi-sama, you say it’s no big deal, but I dare you to eat a ration pill right now if it’s really that simple!” Shizune had just finished washing her hands and returned. She’d helped Konan prepare the food, so she was fully justified in her righteous tone. Kyoichi had no counter. Freeloaders don’t get to be picky. “It’s nothing fancy,” Konan said modestly. “Just some simple breakfasts I usually make. I also prepared some rice balls. If anyone’s too busy, they can take them to go—just heat them up and they’re good to eat.” She brought out the food. It was all pretty ordinary—just classic homemade dishes made with whatever was on hand. At that moment, Tsunade also came out, freshly washed and dressed. After a round of thanks, everyone began to dig in. Feast time! Tsunade probably felt her image had taken too much of a hit last night and wanted to salvage it a bit today. But after a few slow bites, she noticed everyone else was nearly done eating. So… She sped up too. Still, all was well. Konan had mentally prepared herself for this, and seeing everyone enjoying her food was the best compliment any cook could ask for. She beamed. After breakfast, everyone went their separate ways. Kids who graduated during wartime had it tough. Even though they were only eleven or twelve, one had to go intern at the hospital, while another was off to train with the ANBU… And herself… Seventeen or eighteen years old, now spending her youth working for the good of the village. Tragic! As she walked the streets of Konoha with Kyoichi, her thoughts drifted—until they passed a casino. “That’s a casino?” “Yup. Don’t tell me you beat Tsunade-nee a couple times and now you think you can gamble and make some cash too?” Kyoichi narrowed his eyes warily. Konan was such a good kid. If Tsunade turned her into a gambling addict, Nagato might just march into Konoha carrying a sack of rice in rage. “Of course not. I’m just curious… is it really possible for someone to always lose?” “In any case, you should never touch gambling,” Kyoichi said seriously. He had zero desire to experience the power of the Rinnegan. Besides… Why gamble when you can just make Explosive Tags? Way more profitable. Wasting her talent like that on gambling… What a waste! Konan nodded, but made sure to memorize the name of that casino. After that, she followed Kyoichi all the way to the Konoha Ninja Academy. “Wow, it’s so big! And they have a dedicated training ground. Back in Amegakure, our training space was tiny—just enough for throwing kunai.” Konan was genuinely impressed. The wealth of the big villages was on full display. Compared to Amegakure, this place was luxurious. “Training grounds are essential,” Kyoichi said. “And they’re always built where they’re visible from the classroom buildings.” “Why’s that?” Konan didn’t get it. Was there some deeper purpose? “It helps create a competitive atmosphere. Think about it—if someone who’s already outperforming you keeps showing up early to train every day, how would that make you feel?” Kyoichi gestured toward the students currently training on the field. Leading the pack were Anko, Hayate, and Ibiki. “Those three are always the first to arrive. At first, it was just them. But over time, more joined in. Now, the whole class comes in early to train.” “You made them do this?” “Yup. I encouraged it. And clearly, it’s working.” If students don’t learn to endure hardship now… What, wait until they become ninja and drag their teammates down to finally realize effort matters? Not everyone’s born a prodigy. So grind it out! Konan quietly watched the training field, already imagining what it would look like back in Amegakure. Maybe… It really would work! A little tip a day! She pulled out her notebook and wrote it down again. A few more steps ahead, and Konan noticed a different classroom—only a dozen or so students inside. They already had forehead protectors and looked like full-fledged genin. She asked curiously, “Who are they?” “That’s the Chūnin Prep Class. During wartime, we didn’t have enough manpower, so a lot of kids graduated early. Many of them never received a complete education. This class is for them.” Kyoichi explained. Konan thought for a moment, then nodded seriously. Useful indeed! But… She noticed another empty classroom right next door. “What’s that one for?” “The Chūnin Special Training Class.” “Huh? Isn’t that the same?” Konan was totally confused. Is ninja education really this complicated? Kyoichi explained, “There are quite a few candidates who’ll likely pass the upcoming exam and become chunin. But in some areas, they’re still not quite qualified. That’s where special training comes in.” Sёarch* The nôvel_Fire.ηet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. “I see… but what’s the point?” Konan was puzzled. Chunin were the backbone of any village. Having them go back to study seemed like a waste of time. After all, wasn’t practical experience through missions and real combat a faster path to growth? “I have the Chunin Special Training Class instruct the Chunin Prep Class, and the Chunin Prep Class helps guide the younger students. The benefit is—when you’re teaching others, you also organize your own thoughts and develop your skills in guidance and leadership.” Kyoichi’s tone was calm, like it was the most natural thing in the world. Konan’s eyes lit up. She slapped the table in admiration. “That also helps reduce the workload for the teachers, right?” “Exactly…” “That’s amazing. You actually thought of something like… helping them.” She had been about to say “exploiting,” but… Thinking about how she might have to become one of those “demons” herself when she returned, she quickly changed her wording. This is helping them! “Ahem, it really is helping,” Kyoichi said, half-laughing. “Of course, during this process, as a jōnin, I also observe. Who has what it takes to be a team leader—and who doesn’t. You know Guy, right?” He brought up Might Guy again. For one very simple reason— He was… unique, and unforgettable. “The green-suited team leader from yesterday?” “Yeah, that’s one way to put it. He is the leader after all. But actually, his ninjutsu grades were so bad at one point, he nearly didn’t qualify to attend the Academy at all.” “Wait, seriously?” Konan found that hard to believe. A kid who almost didn’t make it as a ninja— now leading a team of genin, all of whom had pretty decent grades? “He graduated early at seven. His ninjutsu was weak, sure, but he had his own method of teaching. He was always full of positive energy, always pushing forward. No matter the setback, he never gave up.” “…I think I get it now.” Konan fell into thought. She recalled something Kyoichi said before— “Some teachers don’t understand what real persistence and effort look like.” “There really are people who succeed through sheer will and effort alone… I think Jiraiya should stop overthinking his opening chapter and just write about someone real.” “If I run into him, I’ll pass that on.” “Back to the point,” Kyoichi said, “Besides being hard-working and determined, Guy’s also not bad at guiding others. He’s got a good shot at becoming a leading jōnin one day.” Konan nodded slowly. She understood now. Explaining things clearly— that was already a skill in itself. It wasn’t easy, especially when she’d stayed up late last night preparing her own lesson, wondering what exactly she should teach. So she understood what Kyoichi meant. Teaching takes talent. Some people are good on their own, but that doesn’t mean they can pass it on to others. Like Nagato. Imagine him as a teacher… Konan shivered inwardly. That was hard to picture. Kyoichi took her on a full walk around before finally bringing her into the Chūnin Prep Class. Konan swallowed hard. “You want me to start with them?” These were genin—real genin! Each one had a jōnin instructor! If she messed up this lesson… Wouldn’t that be a total disaster? “Trust yourself,” Kyoichi said, gently. “As for what to teach—it’s up to you. It doesn’t have to be anything overly advanced or some specific ninjutsu. It can be a mindset, or a tactic, or even a basic strategy lesson.” “But still—!” Konan looked ready to cry. She’d never even led a genin team back in Amegakure. And now here she was, expected to lead a whole class of them? This is too much… “Trust yourself,” Kyoichi repeated. “In fact, genin are actually easier. They’re very aware of what they don’t know. The hard ones are the kids who don’t know their own strengths or weaknesses. That’s the real challenge.” With that, he gave her a reassuring look, then strode into the classroom first. The room fell silent. “This is Konan-sensei. She’ll be leading your lesson today.” “H-Hello, everyone. I’m Konan, a shinobi from Amegakure.”