Naruto: Myoushuu no Fuuin
Chapter Three
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"So we just have to track down some old geezers?" Naruto asked when Kakashi explained their new mission.
"Tsunade and Jiraiya were students of the Third, and are two of the legendary Sannin. They're more than just some old geezers," Kakashi said.
"Yeah, Tsunade-sama is a legendary medic nin," Sakura piped in, shaking her finger at Naruto. "She's contributed more to the advancement of medicine than anyone else. Ever."
Naruto gave a considering look.
"Does she… have a nickname?" he asked.
"Mm, well, she's called the Slug Tamer," Kakashi offered. "And… the Legendary Sucker."
Sakura squawked, Sasuke looked at him in disbelief, and Naruto nodded thoughtfully.
"And she has, you know," Naruto put his hands about a foot in front of his chest. "Big ones?"
Kakashi nodded vigorously.
"Biggest I've ever seen," he said. Sakura glared at them then hmphed as she turned away.
"And Jiraiya, he's a whoremonger, isn't he," Naruto asked matter-of-factly.
"Yes," Kakashi blinked, a bit disconcerted that Naruto knew such unfavorable information about two of the jewels in Konoha's crown. "In addition to being one of the world's foremost experts in fuuinjutsu, he does enjoy the company of a certain type of women."
Naruto raised an eyebrow at that.
"Kaka-sensei, when he goes into a brothel, they close it down for him. Call a spade a spade," Naruto snorted. "So where are we looking for them?"
"The latest information the Hokage had showed Jiraiya to be somewhere in Lightning Country, so we can't go after him yet. But Tsunade was last spotted in Tea Country. It was two months ago, but it should give us a lead as to where to go next."
"Ne, Kaka-sensei, I might know a guy who knows a guy who Tsunade might be in debt to, and he might know more about where she is," Naruto said, careful to look out over the bridge instead of at any of his team. They, however, were all looking at him in interest.
"Oh really?" Kakashi asked, intrigued. "And how might you know him."
"Er, you know, just, hmm," Naruto sighed and rubbed his head. "He's just a guy a lot of people know. He's just… around, you know? So should I go talk to him?"
"Sure. In fact, we'll all go," Kakashi said.
"No!" Naruto whipped his head back around to look at Kakashi, which meant he missed it when Sasuke narrowed his eyes at him. "That would be… It's not a place… He wouldn't talk to you."
"Why wouldn't he?" Kakashi asked curiously. "I'm a Jounin."
"That's exactly why he wouldn't," Naruto said seriously. Kakashi frowned.
"Naruto, what kind of person is this?"
"The kind of person who can lend a lot of money to Tsunade without having to worry about getting it back, and then be able to keep pretty good tabs on her," Naruto said, licking his lips nervously. "The kind that doesn't like shinobi." And Kakashi understood; Yakuza.
"You're as much a shinobi as Kaka-sensei," Sakura said. "Why would he talk to you and not the rest of us?"
Naruto gave a sardonic smile even as Sasuke frowned.
"Because I wasn't always as much a shinobi as Kakashi-sensei or the rest of you," he said. "So even if I am a shinobi now, he'll talk to me."
"Alright," Kakashi agreed. "You go talk to him today and report back tomorrow morning. You're all dismissed. We'll meet at the South Gate tomorrow morning at six. I want to get an early start."
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Naruto was well aware that Kakashi was following him. He was sure that, if Kakashi had been really trying, Naruto would never have had a clue. Over the few months he'd had Kakashi as a sensei, he'd found out exactly why he was one of Konoha's elite Jounin. But either Kakashi didn't much care whether Naruto caught on or he was underestimating Naruto's perceptiveness. Most likely it was a little bit of both, though Naruto had also had the benefit of knowing Kakashi would almost certainly be following him even before he'd caught him at it. Because over his time as Kakashi's genin, Naruto had also learned that his sensei didn't give in easily, and when he did, it was because he had something else planned.
So instead of heading straight to the man he could ask his question, he instead meandered towards the center of town, near where the Hokage Tower was, then veered off on a side street that led to a busy market area. He ducked into a few different stores, knowing Kakashi wouldn't follow him inside where he was sure to be spotted. After he set up a pattern of going into a store, spending a while inside, then coming back out, he went into one that had a back door which led to an alley with an entrance to the Underground.
He slipped through without anyone taking a second glance, and knew he would have at least fifteen minutes before Kakashi would think to look for him. Which was thirteen minutes more than he really needed to disappear. The jumpsuit and his hitai-ate were quickly sealed away and exchanged for an old set of brown pants and his t-shirt. Then he slunk down through the false grate hidden behind a dumpster and was in the Underground.
It wasn't the sewer system, Naruto knew at least that, though he didn't know much more about the system of tunnels that spanned most of Konoha. But he thought it likely that it came close to overlapping either the sewers or an underground river since the place was always dripping. He was always careful to walk neither too close to the center of the tunnels where the water was deep enough in places to cover your ankles nor too close to the walls where he might run into one of the Underground's residents.
That was never fun.
Out of self-defense, Naruto had to completely ignore the sounds coming from various dark corners—moans and groans and whimpers and pleas for help. He had to ignore it, because if he looked, if he paid too much attention, he would see himself on every face and hear himself in every voice and would lose his in old, best forgotten memories.
So he kept his eyes straight ahead as he made way through the tunnels of the Underground, taking a few turns here and there until he found the exit he was looking for. He popped back up to the street behind one of Konoha's nicest brothels, which was across the street from Konoha's only casino. A few of the girls he knew from odd jobs he'd taken here and there when he was younger were in the back planting flowers and called out a hello to him and waved.
He waved back, then ducked into an alley to change again, this time into nice dark grey pants and a black long-sleeved shirt. Running his fingers through his hair in an attempt to tame it, Naruto headed towards the building situated behind the casino. He knocked out a pattern on the back door that announced he was a friendly. The door opened and he was allowed inside.
"Tell Jin that Naruto is here to see him," Naruto told the two big, hulking men who formed the welcoming committee. The one on the left nodded and headed back to deliver the message as the second hulk stayed to keep an eye on him. He might have known the code, but that didn't mean he was trusted. It took only a few more minutes before he was ushered into the back.
He hadn't been brought to Jin's office, he knew as he eyed the bare room with plain concrete floors and plastered walls. Another security measure, since he was an outsider now, that he wouldn't be allowed anywhere near something that actually had potentially damaging records.
"Naruto," Jin greeted, motioning for him to sit at the other metal folding chair at the opposite end of the scarred wooden table—the only furniture in the entire room. Naruto thought the naked bulb hanging from the ceiling made the whole thing just a touch over the top.
"It's been a long time. What business brings you back to my doorstep? You're not looking to run numbers for me again, are you?"
Naruto shook his head.
"I'm out of that business. I'm here about Senju Tsunade," Naruto told him. "I understand she owes you quite a bit of money?"
Jin's eyes narrowed.
"You always did know too much for your own good," Jin grumbled.
"How much is she in to you for again?" Naruto asked. Jin mentioned a figure and Naruto let out a whistle, tilting back in his chair.
"Was she at least any good?" Naruto asked, alluding to the rumor that Jin had only lent her the money because she was sleeping with him. Jin snarled.
"Hmm, I can't tell if that's a 'hell yes' or a 'hell no,' you know," Naruto mused.
"What is any of this to you?"
"Well, we may be able to help each other out," Naruto said, dropping the chair back onto all four of its legs and leaning forward. "You and I both know she's never going to make good on her debt to you. And you can't even, er, persuade her to pay, like you would anyone else who tried to welch."
"How does you knowing this help me?" Jin asked.
"Because I know that you keep sharp tabs on her, just like you would anyone else who was in debt to you so much," Naruto said. "And I happen to need to know where she is. You give me that information, and I'll purchase her debt from you for, let's say, ten percent of its face value."
Jin raised an eyebrow and began to negotiate. Because the boy was right; Tsunade would never pay him back, and recouping even a portion of the money was better than nothing.
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Sakura valiantly tried to strangle the scream that was creeping up her throat and begging to be let out. Her parents, as much as they had supported her in the Academy, were now finding her life as a ninja incomprehensible. Being civilians, Sakura had the intellectual understanding that they couldn't really relate or understand. Sakura found she didn't care. And irrational though it was, they were her parents, so she wanted them to be able to automatically understand everything. Automatically and immediately.
"But you just got back," her mother was saying. "Surely it wouldn't matter if you took some time to come with us to Ippana. How can they expect you to leave again with only a day's notice?"
Sakura considered this briefly, wondering if they could be there and back in two days, would Kakashi-sensei be able to delay their departure for a day? It would please her parents, and she had to admit that it was nice to be home in bed with her mother cooking for her after so many nights in a sleeping bag with field rations.
"We haven't made the trip since you began the Academy," her father said. "Because we wanted you to be able to follow your dream. But our business has suffered since we've had to outsource our buying trips. It would only be a month or two. I'm certain there's nothing so pressing you can't go. It's not like we're at war, after all."
"A month or two?" Sakura asked incredulously. "What could you possibly need to buy in Ippana that would take that long?"
"Don't be silly, we only need a week or two in Ippana to make our purchases," her mother said. "But we have to get there and back, don't we? And it's a two week journey under good traveling conditions."
"Two weeks?" Sakura asked in disbelief. She could get there in a day. Sakura felt the gulf between her and her parents—between the life of a shinobi and the life of a civilian—very acutely just then.
"Mama, Papa, I'm a kunoichi," she tried to explain. "I have duties and…"
"You have duties to your parents," her father said firmly. "And you will be coming with us."
He stood up from the table and began to walk away, as though his declaration somehow put an end to it all.
"I can't, don't you understand?" Sakura said plaintively. "I already have another mission and…"
"You can, and you will," her father ordered. "End of discussion."
"Aren't you tired of playing at being a ninja yet?" her mother asked, voice tired and distraught.
"Playing?" Sakura asked in a whisper, staggered at the realization of what her parents thought she was doing.
"We aren't getting any younger, Sakura-chan," her mother continued. "It's long past time we started teaching you how to run the shop, so you and your husband can be prepared to take it over."
"Husband?" Sakura's eyes went wide.
"Horatsu-san's son is only a few years older than you," her father said. "They've made a few discreet inquiries."
"You don't mean Horatsu Barumo," Sakura asked in horror. He was eight years older than her, and had teased her relentlessly when she was a child. She supposed he was relatively attractive, except for an overly large nose, but she'd never felt anything more for him than annoyance at best and fear at worst.
"Of course," her mother said curiously. "Horatsu-san has a good import business. It would be a good match for our families."
"But not for me!" Sakura yelled, the scream finally bubbling out of her. "I'm a kunoichi, Mama. I'm not going to be a housewife, and especially not to Horatsu Barumo."
"We haven't made any agreements yet, but the preliminary discussions have been fruitful," her father said. "If you're completely opposed to Barumo-san, I suppose we can see what other families might have sons…"
"You aren't listening," Sakura said. "I'm not going to be a shopkeeper. And you have no right to enter into any marriage negotiations without my consent. Don't you understand that I'm a ninja of Konoha?"
"You're my daughter, I have every right…"
"I'm the Hokage's ninja first," Sakura insisted. She saw the hand—she'd been training in taijutsu for years now, so how couldn't she? But the idea that her father would strike her was so unfathomable that she didn't comprehend what was happening until he'd struck her cheek. She raised a hand to where he'd slapped her and looked to him with wide eyes.
"If you are the Hokage's ninja before you are my daughter, then leave my house," her father said, turning his back to her. Still in shock, Sakura was only half-aware that the sound she heard was crying, and that it came from her mother. "Let him provide for you. When you are finished playing at being a kunoichi and are ready to accept your real duties and your marriage to Barumo-san, you may return with an apology and a properly humble manner about you."
"But Papa…"
"Until you are my daughter, I am not your father. Leave us."
Tears in her eyes, Sakura fled.
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When Kakashi arrived at their meeting place on the bridge, it was to find Sakura sobbing into Naruto's shoulder. Naruto had somehow managed to wedge himself onto the bridge's rail so that he could settle Sakura in his lap, but given the angle, Kakashi had to assume he was using chakra to hang on. Sasuke sat next to them, looking very awkward and self-conscious, but he had one arm around Naruto's waist and the other around Sakura's shoulders, offering what comfort he could.
The boys noticed his presence, and he cocked his head to the side to ask what was wrong. They shook their heads that they didn't know. Kakashi sighed and hefted himself up on the railing on Naruto's other side.
"Ne, Sakura," he said patting her back. "What's made you so sad?" The garbled wailing that came out was mostly lost into Naruto's shirt. Then she sniffled and turned her head so it was tucked under Naruto's chin and she could speak unimpeded.
"M-mama and Papa," she stuttered, still trying to calm her tears. "And Barumo! They w-want me married of all things. And taking two weeks to get to Ippana—apparently they must crawl the whole way—but I don't want to be a shopkeeper, I want to be a kunoichi."
The three males all blinked in confusion, then looked to each other to see if any of the others understood what she'd meant.
"Your parents want you to get married on the way to Ippana where you're going to be a shopkeeper in two weeks?" Sasuke tried.
"I am a kunoichi, not a shopkeeper," Sakura insisted. "I don't care what they say. If they didn't want me to be a ninja before a daughter, they should never have sent me to the Academy."
Then the whole story came spilling out.
Kakashi didn't bother sighing when he heard what had happened; he'd expected it, though not quite so soon. Civilian families inevitably pushed their children into the Academy, thinking only of the prestige of having a ninja in the family. But civilian families were not at all equipped to deal with the life of a ninja. It rarely ended well, and almost never when the child was an only child, as Sakura was.
"Sakura," Kakashi said. "I don't have anything to say that could make you feel better. Really, I don't think there's anything that could. So instead, I'll give you a few truths to think on. You're a good kunoichi, and you'll be an even better one with time. You would be a great loss to the Shinobi Corps. But civilian families really can't handle shinobi lifestyles. So I want to warn you that a time may come that you have to make a choice between your family and being a kunoichi. But no matter what your choice, I will support you and help you however I can."
"Yeah, me too, Sakura-chan," Naruto piped up.
"Agreed," Sasuke said.
"Good," Kakashi said. "Now wipe your face so you can see properly and we'll head out. We still have our mission."
Sakura nodded sharply and took a spare bandana from her pouch. She didn't miss that he'd told her to do it so that her vision wasn't impaired instead of to make her look better, as her mother would have. And she found she preferred Kakashi's reason.
"Naruto, were you able to meet with your contact?" Kakashi asked. He nodded.
"She's on her way from Coral to Saijin City," Naruto said. "There's a poker tournament there she wants to play in. She'll be there in two days."
Kakashi blinked.
"That's… very specific information," Kakashi said. Naruto shrugged, knowing Jin had a very hefty investment in her. He thought of Tsunade's promissory notes sealed safely away in his pouch, and suddenly realized that it was now him who had a very hefty investment in her.
"Well then," Kakashi said when he decided Naruto wasn't going to offer up any additional information. "Let's go."
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It was a two day journey for them to get to Saijin City. Saijin was a small city as far as that went, but one whose entire economy was based on vice. There were dozens of casinos, at least twice that number of brothels, and more bars, it was rumored, than could be found in the rest of Fire Country combined.
Kakashi only wished he were there on personal leave instead of a mission. Sighing, he turned to his kids.
"Do you know which casino is hosting the poker tournament?" Kakashi asked Naruto.
"The same one that does every year." Naruto shrugged. "The Hajimeto Hotel and Casino."
"Hmm, we'll have to find out where that is…"
"You don't know?" Naruto asked, surprised. "It's the best place in town. Jeeze, haven't you ever been here before?"
"No, are you saying you have?" Kakashi asked.
Naruto just shrugged. "Come on, I'll show you where the place is."
Kakashi eyed the casino Naruto pointed out with dismay. It was one of the taller buildings he'd seen in Saijin, and even from the outside he could tell they went for opulence. They also went for security, as it was clear no expense was spared there with discreet monitors covering every point of ingress he could see, from windows to roof. Then there were the more mundane physical guards posted around the actual entrances. He wondered if they had hired shinobi to help them set it up or whether they had someone on staff who was just that talented. He'd have to check the mission logs when he got back, to make sure nobody in Fire Country was going to an outside Hidden Village to hire shinobi.
"Sasuke, Sakura, circle the building. I want you to analyze the security and report back with any possible weak spots we could exploit."
They nodded and were off. Naruto watched him and waited.
"We aren't really going to try to break in, are we?" Naruto asked, shifting his weight uncomfortably.
"No, but it's a good exercise," Kakashi said.
"Good," Naruto said with relief. "Because these aren't the sort of people even a shinobi should piss off. At least, not without the Hokage behind him first."
"And you seem to know quite a bit about them," Kakashi replied. "How is that again?"
"Oh, you know," Naruto said with a shrug. "Where I grew up, it's kind of hard not to pick up on that kind of thing."
"Naruto, you grew up in Konoha," Kakashi said.
"And you think that somehow means the entire village is perfectly safe and crime-free?" Naruto asked incredulously. "Get real, Kakashi-sensei. The village isn't perfect, and there are any number of places shinobi don't bother patrolling."
The look in Naruto's eyes suddenly made the boy appear much older, and Kakashi wondered again what his life had been before being put on Team 7.
Sasuke and Sakura came back then and told them what they'd found on the security.
"Basically," Sasuke summed it up. "The only way anyone's getting into that casino right now is if they're one of the players."
Naruto cocked his head to the side in thought.
"I could probably play," he said. "I know a guy who could get me a seat in the tournament."
Sasuke's eyes cut straight to him, silently questioning how.
"But the amount you have to pay to be a player in the tournament is exorbitant," Sakura said with a sigh. "We found out the minimum was at least equivalent to an AA-ranked mission."
"And the expense account for this mission doesn't run nearly that high," Kakashi said. Naruto shrugged.
"There's a guy who's helping run it that owes me a favor," Naruto said. Kakashi shook his head, half in amusement, half in exasperation.
"That," Kakashi said. "Must be some favor, given the minimum buy-in."
"Yeah," Naruto said with a shrugged. "But then, he knows it's not like I'd ever lose at cards."
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Naruto had left his team to find accommodations and find out whether or not Tsunade had made it to Saijin City yet while he headed off on his own to call in that favor.
He threaded his way through the back alleys like a native, heading towards a small tea house very few outsiders even knew existed.
"Morning, Neechan," he said to the girl who answered the door. "Is Hiriko-nee available?"
"Of course, honorable sir," she said, bowing him into the establishment and leading him to a table. "One moment please."
He sat at the low table, polished to a high glossy gleam. The place was small, and had only four tables, with orchids delicately placed into ikebana arrangements spread out through the room. As he waited, a small water feature caught his eye, holding his attention as the hollowed out length of bamboo filled with water, tipped and emptied, then shot back upright, causing a soft cracking sound. Then it started filling all over again.
When Hiriko entered, she looked surprised to see him. The expression was quickly smoothed over as she joined him at the table and motioned for the tea to be brought.
"Naruto-kun, is that you?" she asked. "I thought you were getting out of the business to be a shinobi?"
"I did." Naruto shrugged. "Or I tried, anyway. Seems that life doesn't let you make clean cuts, though. I'm looking for Ichi."
"My husband's at the Hajimeto Hotel, getting everything ready for the tournament," she answered. "Is it anything I can handle without him? He's been rather besieged lately."
"I'm calling in a mark he owes me," Naruto answered. "I need a seat in the tournament, and I need him to front me the stake."
Hiriko just stared.
"I will, of course, pay back the stake ryou for ryou with my winnings," Naruto explained.
"I see," Hiriko said, recovering. "I believe this will be acceptable to my husband. Come to the Hajimeto Casino tomorrow and he shall have a seat held for you." Naruto nodded.
"Thank you, Hiriko-nee," Naruto said. "Also, could you pass along that I may have another piece of business to discuss with him at the end of the tournament? It should be profitable venture for him, getting rid of some bad loans."
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Kakashi had been skeptical that Naruto had actually gotten what he'd set out for. He had, of course, followed the boy, and all he'd seen was him being served tea at a tea house, then go around the town making some clothing purchases.
But the next morning, he and Sasuke and Sakura had watched Naruto change into the rich looking civilian clothes and confidently stride into the Hajimeto Casino, where he was greeted like an old friend and ushered quickly inside.
"Do you ever get the feeling that Naruto hides more than he tells us?" Sasuke asked, eyes narrowed in thought and a frown forming on his face.
"Yes." "Yes." Sakura and Kakashi immediately agreed with him.
Then a dark haired woman with a slight build exited the casino and caught Kakashi's eye. Shizune, he recognized.
"Watch the entrance," he ordered his two remaining students. "I'll be back."
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Tsunade didn't know what to make of the strange luck she was having. She wasn't doing horribly, but she wasn't doing exceptionally well either. Instead, she was somewhere in the middle, progressing through the tournament by the skin of her teeth.
This was distressing to her for a number of reasons, not the least of which was that she used her luck as a sort of barometer of things to come—the better luck she had, the more likely something bad was coming her way, and vice versa. So this odd middle ground made her unsure of what to expect.
Then she sat down at the table with her next match-up, not bothering to even look up as she anteed and waited for her opponent to do the same.
"Senju Tsunade, isn't it?" her opponent asked as the cards were dealt. "A pleasure to meet you."
She looked up from the table to eye the twerp, and had to stop herself from sucking in a breath. The kid looked almost exactly like Minato had when he was still a little brat trailing around after Jiraiya. She shoved her chair back.
"If you leave the table before we're through, you forfeit, you know," the kid said mildly.
"Did Sarutobi send you?" she asked, eyes narrowed. But he only smiled and placed his bet.
"Ma'am?" the dealer eventually had to prompt her. "Do you plan to forfeit?"
"No," she said, looking at her cards and putting some chips up to start the betting.
"So did the old man send you here after me?" Tsunade asked again.
"Konoha must be very different now than it was when you were there, if you believe it can fund an expense account that could cover entry into this tournament," he said.
"You are from Konoha, though," Tsunade said. He nodded.
"Uzumaki Naruto," he introduced himself, sweeping the chips from the pot into his pile. She frowned, both at the name and the loss.
"Uzumaki?" she asked, surprised. Tsunade had been sure he was Minato's kid.
"I believe we have a mutual acquaintance," Naruto said, studying her intently as the dealer started off another hand. "I've recently made some acquisitions from him you may be interested in. Do you recall a man named Jin from your time in Konoha?"
Tsunade froze and stared at the boy, wondering how in the world a kid so young could get mixed up with the Yakuza.
"I may know such a man," she said noncommittally. "But I know many men. Why might any business between the two of you interest me?"
The dealer motioned for her to either match the kid's bet or fold. She shoved the chips out on the table.
"Ah, I suppose it might not," Naruto said, shrugging. "I simply thought you might be interested in knowing who held your debt."
Tsunade dropped her cards. Naruto raised an eyebrow.
"Lucky they fell facedown," Naruto said. "Face up and you would have folded."
"So you're not a ninja," Tsunade said, growling at him. "Just one of his…"
"Oh, no, I'm definitely a shinobi," Naruto corrected her, watching the dealer as he dealt the Turn.
"Then why…"
"I have a teammate who's interested in medical ninjutsu," Naruto answered.
"I'm not going back to Konoha," Tsunade warned. Then she cursed as Naruto won again. He left a few chips on the table as ante and she tossed a few out for her own.
"Luckily you won't have to to meet with her," Naruto said.
"You're here with your team?" she asked. "Then Sarutobi did send you."
"Of course," Naruto agreed. "I have a message he wanted delivered. But that doesn't mean I don't have other business with you."
"I'm not taking on another apprentice," she warned.
"I'm not asking you to," Naruto said. "I'm asking you to meet with her."
"Why should I?" she asked. "What's in it for me?"
He gave her a look halfway between amusement and pity. Tsunade narrowed her eyes as the dealer laid out the Turn and she folded, having absolutely nothing.
"You don't seem to understand your situation here," Naruto said.
"Oh? What situation is that?"
"You've been very careful over the years to only borrow money from… shall we say… less than reputable sources," Naruto said. "Given your status and theirs, there was no recourse for them when you skipped out on them."
She narrowed her eyes.
"I am a Shinobi of Konoha," Naruto continued. "So the rules you're used to playing by? They don't apply anymore. And if you're smart, you'll want to keep me happy. Which means indulging me by talking to my teammate about being a medical nin."
Tsunade's mind raced ahead to a hundred different possibilities and outcomes, then nodded.
"I'll talk to the girl," she said. "But no way in hell am I coming back to Konoha. And I'm not taking whatever message you have from the old man."
"Hmm, well, we'll see, I suppose," Naruto said with a shrug as they were dealt another hand. "Why don't we make a little side wager? In addition to this." He gestured to the chips, not even looking at the cards he was dealt.
"What kind of wager?" she asked, hiding the fact that she was very pleased with her cards. A pair of nines in the hole was a better start than she'd had so far.
"I win, you take the message," Naruto said, laying it on the table along with a good number of chips. "You win, I don't try to give you the message again."
"And you cancel my debt," she said, matching his chips and raising them. He laughed.
"Are you kidding me?" he said. "No way is one C-rank mission worth cancelling your debt. Give me a little credit here."
The dealer burned a card and dealt the flop, laying out the three community cards face up on the table. Tsunade refrained from smiling when she saw it had another nine. Which meant at least three of a kind. And the brat still hadn't looked at his cards. She raised the betting.
"Well," she mused. "What would it take for you to put that on the table?"
"You'd have to offer something of equal value," he said, matching her chips and motioning the dealer to lay out the Turn—an ace. "I'd consider anteing the debt I purchased from Jin in exchange for, say, you anteing your coming back to Konoha and establishing and running a medical school. Full time."
Tsunade's eyes widened. Then she looked from her cards to Naruto—who still hadn't even looked at his cards yet—and back again. She blew out a breath. There was no way she could lose. Three of a kind and two more cards to be dealt? It was a sure thing.
The dealer burned a card then set out the River. It was another ace. She smiled. Full house.
"Done," Tsunade said, pushing all of her chips over the green felt covering the table into the bet. "All in."
"All in," Naruto agreed, pushing his own chips in.
"Full house," Tsunade said, showing the cards in her hand. "Aces over nines."
She reached out to take the chips, but Naruto's hand stopped her. Then he turned over his cards, one by one.
When she saw the first ace, she began to sweat. With the two on the table, that meant three of a kind. Which, she reminded herself, wasn't enough to beat a full house. Then he turned over his second card, and she stared in disbelief. Another ace.
"Four of a kind, Uzumaki-san wins," the dealer declared, pushing the chips over to Naruto. He smiled and handed Tsunade the message tube from the Third.
"I'll expect you back in Konoha by the end of the week," he said.
She began cursing, but Naruto just waited her out.
"I'm not going back you little twerp," she snarled. "I don't care what our wager was, I refuse."
"Tsunade," Naruto said, face looking like it was carved out of stone. "I told you, I don't play by the rules you're used to, so stop acting like a spoiled child. Jin and the others you've dealt with may have had to take what you're willing to give, but I don't."
"Like a pathetic little genin like you could do anything," she said.
"Ah, but as a genin, I have the right to bring my grievances to the Hokage," Naruto countered.
"He wouldn't do anything," Tsunade said. "Not to me."
"Perhaps not for me," Naruto allowed. "But if he were to ignore me, I would have cause to appeal to the Fire Lord. And if I were to then sell your debt to the Fire Lord …"
He trailed off, and Tsunade's eyes went wide as she stared at him. The Fire Lord had been trying to get her to come to his Court for years to be his healer. And if he held her debt… he could make the Hokage send out his shinobi to force her to his Court, where she would have to serve until her debt was paid off.
"You see how it would be better for everyone if you just do as you've agreed?"
"You didn't even look at your cards," she protested. "There's no way you should've won."
"Perhaps. But then, I only lose at cards when I want to," Naruto said with a shrug. "Now, you'll be in Konoha by the end of the week?"
She scowled again but nodded and took the scroll, reading through it. The old man wanted her to go back to Konoha anyway, so at least it would kill two birds with one stone. And besides, the brat had never stipulated how long she needed to stay. A few weeks, maybe a month or two, tops, and she'd be out of there.
oooooooooooooooooooooooo
Kakashi had all the faith in the world that Naruto would do exactly as he'd said he would, and find and deliver the scroll to Tsunade. But he hadn't survived so long as a shinobi without always having a Plan B. And a Plan C. And usually even a Plan F.
So when Kakashi saw the girl he remembered as Tsunade's apprentice, he followed her, being none too careful about not being seen. And when she finally spotted him and used a shunshin to appear behind him, Kakashi let her think she'd gotten the drop on him.
"What do you want?" she demanded, touching a kunai to his neck.
"Maa, maa, is that any way to greet a fellow Konoha nin?" he asked cordially.
"What do you want?" she asked again. He felt the kunai pressing closer to his throat.
"That isn't very nice, Shizune-san," he said with a pout. "I'm not here to give you any trouble." But the kunai only pressed closer, and he decided he'd played the affable idiot long enough. Within the blink of an eye, Shizune was disarmed and pressed against him chest-to-chest, wrists behind her back and held tightly together in one of his hands as the other wrapped around her waist to keep her from moving.
Her eyes widened as she tilted her head back to look up at him.
"What do you want?" she asked again.
"Just to talk," Kakashi said easily. "If I let you go, will you run? Or try to poke at me with sharp objects again?"
She tried to pull away, but Kakashi only tightened his grip and she winced. Shizune sighed and relented.
"Alright."
"Good." Kakashi smiled and took a step back. "How about we talk over tea?" He pointed to a nearby tea house.
She nodded and followed, restraining the urge to stick senbon in him as his back was turned.
"You're here from the Hokage?" she asked after the tea was served.
"Aa," Kakashi agreed. "My name is…"
"Hatake Kakashi," she interrupted. "I know who you are, Hatake-san."
Kakashi raised an eyebrow as he fiddled with his teacup.
"Are we being recalled?" Shizune asked. Kakashi couldn't help but hear the faint hope in her voice. And the far more obvious concern.
"I believe so," Kakashi said. "But I wasn't privy to the message before Hokage-sama sealed it."
Shizune sighed.
"Even if it is, I doubt Tsunade-sama will agree to go back," she said.
"Not even at the order of the Hokage?" Kakashi asked, surprised.
"Hokage-sama is… very lenient with Tsunade-sama," Shizune said. "He'd have worded it so as to give her the choice."
"But you want to go back," Kakashi surmised. "Why don't you? You can come back with my team even if Tsunade-sama doesn't."
"I can't." Shizune shook her head. "Tsunade-sama is not well, and I couldn't leave her alone."
"I'm sure you could convince her to go back, even if it was just for a short while."
"No, she wouldn't take my words to heart," Shizune said. "I'm not nearly persuasive or important enough."
"Oh? I think you don't give yourself enough credit. If I'm any judge, you have more sway than you think."
"If I have any sway at all, it's only because I never ask her to do a thing she truly doesn't want to. Would you have had any luck in moving the Fourth from a path he'd chosen?"
Kakashi frowned and finished his tea as a server blocked his face.
"Let's go find my kids, I'm sure they're wreaking havoc by now."
oooooooooooooooooooooooo
Sakura and Sasuke had begun their watch carefully hidden, determined to keep from being found. After a while, though, they began to wonder at the point. And with neither Kakashi nor Naruto nor their target anywhere in sight, they were incredibly bored as well.
"Want to do the rest of the watch from that tea house?" Sasuke finally asked, pointing to one directly across from the entrance they'd been assigned to watch.
"Oh, Kami-sama, yes."
They spent the afternoon grazing on snacks at the teahouse, until Tsunade stormed out of the casino. Sasuke and Sakura came instantly alert and watchful. This turned out to be not to their benefit, as it drew her attention and she spotted them immediately. She wasn't legendary for nothing, after all. She narrowed her eyes and began to head right to them.
"Oh, shit," Sasuke muttered.
"You two." She pointed right at them. "You here with that blonde brat?"
"Er, you mean Naruto?" Sakura asked. Sasuke kicked her under the table, and she glared back at him.
"I thought so." Tsunade flopped down next to Sasuke. "Kid won all my money off me, so you two are buying me a drink."
"Er, but…"
"Sake!" Tsunade yelled the order to the waitress. Who was across the room. Sasuke and Sakura looked to each other, then shrugged.
"So," Tsunade said as she poured herself a saucer of sake. "Which one of you brats is interested in medical jutsu?"
oooooooooooooooooooooooo
Naruto was sitting in the Casino's high-rollers bank room waiting for his chips to be cashed out when Ichi walked into the room and spotted him.
"Naruto," Ichi greeted him. "Good to see you again." Ichi was Saijin City's equivalent to Konoha's Jin. That is, they dealt with all the money.
"My wife told me you had business to discuss?" Ichi asked after the pleasantries were exchanged.
"Yeah," Naruto agreed. "First off, these are yours." He pushed a relatively small stack of chips over the table towards him. "To repay the stake you lent me."
"Ah, very good," Ichi nodded. "You've always been good for it, Naruto. Unlike certain other players I've lent money to." He looked at the huge pile of chips Naruto still had and sighed.
"Mm." Naruto nodded. "That leads to our second piece of business. I understand Senju Tsunade owes you quite a bit."
"Probably three or four times what she owed Jin," Ichi acknowledged.
"Ah, so you heard about that?" Naruto asked, rubbing the back of his neck.
"Of course." Ichi nodded. "It's a small community. I assume you want to buy it?"
"I'll give you the same rate I gave Jin," Naruto nodded. "And you can pass the word I'll give that rate to any of her debtors for as long as I'm buying her debt."
oooooooooooooooooooooooo
"So tell me," Tsunade said. "What do you know about this Uzumaki brat?"
"You could always ask me yourself," Naruto said as he swung into the seat next to Sakura.
"I already talked to your girl about medical jutsu," Tsunade told him defensively.
"And?" Naruto raised an eyebrow.
"She may be acceptable," Tsunade dismissed.
"Well, you'll have a while to find out, I imagine." Naruto shrugged.
"What do you mean?" Tsunade asked suspiciously.
"Ten, twelve years at least. Don't you think?"
"Twelve years!" Tsunade sputtered. Sasuke and Sakura just looked on in confusion.
"Mmm. I don't think you could truly establish a medical education program in a day less, do you?"
She narrowed her eyes and sighed.
"No. I suppose not," she said through clenched teeth.
"Ah, so you're coming back to Konoha after all?" Sakura asked hesitantly.
"Unfortunately," she grumbled under her breath.
"Which is great, because I had an interesting conversation with Ichi after you left, Tsunade," Naruto said, waving to the waitress for her to bring them something to eat.
"…Ichi?" Tsunade said, dreading what Naruto might say.
"Mm, he had something full of interest for me," Naruto replied. Tsunade slumped; the twerp had bought that debt, too.
"How much did you win that you could buy off Ichi?" Tsunade asked.
Naruto shrugged.
"Enough." Naruto dug into his dango. Sasuke and Sakura just continued to look confused until Kakashi found them.
"My, what amazing watchers you are," Kakashi said.
"Hey, we're here, our subject's here, and we're watching her," Sakura defended herself. "What more do you want?"
Kakashi sighed. Shizune looked on in wide-eyed amazement.
oooooooooooooooooooooooo
"So," Tsunade slurred, well into her cups. "You brats gonna escort me back to Konoha?"
"If you request it, we can, Tsunade-sama," Kakashi answered, slouching his long frame back against the booth with his arms stretched across the back of it. "But our mission isn't over yet."
"Whaddya mean?" she demanded. "Ya got me to come back to that damn village. What else could ya have to do? Unless… don't tell me. You're after that Jiraiya, too, aren't ya?" She began to laugh as Kakashi nodded.
"Ne, ne, you don't know where the old man is, do you Baachan?" Naruto asked. Tsunade, Naruto shortly found, packed an enormous punch even while drunk.
"Don't call me that, you twerp," she demanded.
"Naruto, what are you saying?" Kakashi asked dramatically. "You mean that you don't have some incredibly esoteric tracking device on him? You don't know a guy who knows a guy who knows his secret traveling companion?"
Naruto rolled his eyes.
"Aw, come on now, Taichou-chan, you're letting us down here," Kakashi teased. Naruto decided his sensei must have managed more sake than he'd thought.
"What will we ever do without your guidance, Taichou?" Sakura asked, voice high as she batted her eyes at him. Naruto glared at them all and crossed his arms in front of his chest. Shizune watched the whole thing in amusement.
"Don't pout," Sasuke said, and Naruto hoped the teasing was over. "You can't blame us for being surprised, Taichou."
Naruto groaned and laid his head on the table.
"Wait, you need to know where Jiraiya is?" Tsunade suddenly asked with a gleam in her eye. "Well, lucky for you, I happen to know where he'll be in a few days. And if I have to go back to the village, he sure as hell's coming with me."
oooooooooooooooooooooooo
