Tsunade: The Gambling Years
Tsunade watched the reels spin, sipping her drink. Shizune was off shopping with Tonton. The first reel stopped on a watermelon. The second, a watermelon. Tsunade leaned in, her nose inches from the machine. The third stopped on…a banana.
She downed her drink and opened her purse. It was empty. She looked around wildly, as if someone would magically give money to her. She sighed and made her way to the bar.
"Another," she said.
"Can you pay?" the bartender asked, frowning.
"Of course I can pay," she snapped.
He poured her saki. She sat down and began sipping at it. She watched him carefully as he tended to another customer. She could cast a genjutsu on him, but she preferred not to do that anymore. And besides, a genjutsu was a bit extreme for a mere bartender. How to get out of this one?
She glanced around. There were two exits to the casino, one to the south, one to the east. She could make a run for it; surely, as one of the sannin, she could outrun anyone. But there was Shizune to consider…she knew Shizune was in a bad mood and wouldn't pay.
Tsunade closed her eyes and continued to drinking, running all possible scenarios in her mind. Keeping her eyes closed, she signed a jutsu under the bar and felt the chakra surge through her body.
She opened her eyes to see a surprised bartender.
"Sir, when did you get here?"
"Just now," said Tsunade.
"Did you see a brown-haired woman leave?"
That's right, I've been using brown hair. "Why, yes, she left moments ago."
"She didn't pay," she bartender exclaimed and hurried away.
Tsunade, proud of herself for her disguise, stood and turned to see a furious Shizune, Tonton nestled in one arm, a full bag of groceries in her other. She knew, of course, that Shizune saw right through her disguise.
"Lady Tsunade,"
"Let's go," said Tsunade, guiding Shizune away by the elbow.
The moment they were out of the casino, Tsunade dashed down the crowded street. Shizune ran after her, shouting.
"I'm dropping the groceries!"
"Forget the groceries!" Tsunade roared.
They didn't stop running until they were far out of town. They stopped by a creek.
Shizune was annoyed that she lost all of the groceries except for a loaf of bread. Tonton, despite being an active little pig, was tuckered out from the action. Tsunade paced about, wracking her brain for a way to get more money.
"Lady Tsunade," said Shizune, "how much longer can we do this?"
"I don't know." She shook her head. "I don't care."
Shizune's head drooped and she slumped her shoulders.
"Don't get discouraged, Shizune, we always pull through, we—"
"But that's just it," she cried. "We 'pull through', we're not really comfortable . . ."
Tsunade narrowed her eyes. It wasn't like Shizune to act so fragile; she must've really been hurting.
"We can stay in the next town for a while," said Tsunade. "Maybe I can refine my poker game while there."
Shizune took a deep breath and stood up straight.
"Okay," she said. "I can live with that."
"Good." Tsunade clapped her hands together. "Now, let's set out and find our next meal. Tonton!" She looked around. "Tonton, where are you?"
Shizune gasped. "Where is Tonton?"
They called the pig's name together.
"My lady, I'm so sorry, I—"
"Never mind," Tsunade snapped. "She has a history of wandering, she always comes back. If she doesn't return soon, I'll summon her."
They waited, and waited, and waited. The sun began to set, and still, Tonton didn't return. Tsunade tried to summon her, and she didn't appear.
"Did someone steal her?" Shizune whispered in horror. "How could they possibly do that, with you and me here? What ninja could possibly have the skill to get her away from us without detection?"
Tsunade, deep in thought, barely heard her. She bit her thumb and summoned Katsuyu. Shizune jumped back in surprise.
"Katsuyu, Tonton has gone missing. Please find her."
"Yes, Lady Tsunade."
Katsuyu vanished. Tsunade felt bad for summoning the mighty slug for such a small task, but because Tonton was Tsunade's main tracker, she was left with no other options.
In a while Katsuyu returned, and revealed that she felt signs of Tonton back in the town they were just in.
Tsunade was surprised. "How did I not detect her?" she asked, more to herself than Shizune.
Shizune shrugged.
Tsunade sent Shizune to fetch Tonton; she couldn't show her face in that town again for a while.
Tsunade sat and looked up at the stars. The night air was cool and, viewing the stars, her mind grew clear and calm and she felt peace, a rare thing these days. The gambling was thrilling, but not peaceful.
Shizune soon returned, Tonton running ahead. Tonton leaped into Tsunade's arms and…
"What do you have in your mouth, Tonton, is that…?"
Tonton had a wad of bills in her mouth, which she dropped on Tsunade's lap, quite pleased with herself.
"Well," said Tsunade, looking at a bewildered yet amused Shizune. "It looks like we know how we're getting our next meal."