The sound of loud cheers and clinking coins filled the arcade as Kyra and Jiraiya sat at a table on the side. They had stopped gambling, but Jiraiya insisted on coming here.
"Ky-chan, I can't miss something like this," he said with a mischievous grin.
Kyra smiled and agreed, although she still didn't feel entirely comfortable in this environment. But for Jiraiya, she was willing to do it; he seemed to enjoy the lively atmosphere. As she looked around, the long-awaited exotic dancers' performance suddenly began.
The stage lit up, and the attractive dancers appeared, their smooth movements capturing the audience's attention, including Kyra's. She had expected there to be only female dancers, but to her surprise, there were also some very attractive men moving rhythmically. Kyra couldn't take her eyes off them and felt an unusual excitement coursing through her. "Look at those muscles," she thought playfully.
Jiraiya grinned as he witnessed Kyra's reaction. Unconsciously, Kyra used her voice to make one of the dancers come closer to her. The dancer started giving Kyra extra attention, and she felt her cheeks slightly blush. "Did I pick up something from Jiraiya?" she thought with a slight flush on her face.
Meanwhile, Kyra and Jiraiya were unaware of Shizune, an acquaintance of Jiraiya's, who was also present in the arcade. Disguised in simple attire not to draw attention, she stood in a corner, discussing with the arcade owner how to repay Tsunade's debts. Tsunade, a respected Hokage, had unfortunately accumulated considerable gambling debts, and Shizune was often called upon to resolve these issues. But now, it turned out Tsunade had underestimated the situation, and the debts were much larger than Shizune had expected.
Jiraiya noticed Shizune among the crowd and immediately recognized her. He knew there could be only one reason for her to be in an arcade like this. But Jiraiya wouldn't be Jiraiya if he didn't want to tease her a little first.
"Well, well, what brings you here, Shizune?" he said with a grin as he walked toward her.
Shizune rolled her eyes and sighed. "You know very well why I'm here, Jiraiya. Tsunade's gambling debts have become a problem again."
As they were talking, the atmosphere in the arcade seemed to change. The arcade boss and his henchmen started behaving more aggressively, pushing people around. It quickly became apparent that more than just gambling debts were at play. The arcade boss had discovered that Tsunade, the Hokage herself, owed him money, and now he wanted to use that information as leverage to force Konoha to carry out dark tasks for him
Kyra also noticed the commotion caused by the gambling hal boss and realized that Jiraiya was no longer enjoying the dancers but possibly seeing trouble. She was momentarily distracted, but eventually noticed and walked over to Jiraiya, staying close by.
Shizune and Jiraiya made their stance clear to the arcade boss, who glared at them. "I have no interest in gambling debts," Jiraiya stated firmly. "And I certainly don't want Konoha involved in your dark dealings."
Shizune added, "The Hokage won't be blackmailed. She stands for her responsibilities, no matter how difficult the situation may be."
The arcade boss sneered, "What do you two know about responsibilities? You're just wandering travelers who think they can save the world!"
Jiraiya grinned confidently. "Maybe we are wanderers, but we know what it means to stand up for others and protect them. That's something you clearly have no clue about."
Shizune spoke calmly, "It's not just about us, but about the safety and well-being of Konoha. We won't allow you to endanger our home."
The arcade boss grew angrier. "You two think you mean something in this world? I'll show you who's in charge here!"
He signaled his henchmen to attack Jiraiya and Shizune. Jiraiya looked at Shizune and gave her a brief nod, indicating they needed to be cautious.
Shizune made a few quick hand seals and prepared to use her ninjutsu. "We have no choice," she whispered to Jiraiya.
Jiraiya smiled and drew a kunai. "Be careful," he warned.
The henchmen rushed towards them, but Jiraiya and Shizune were experienced shinobi and deftly evaded their attacks. They fought to keep the gambling boss away from the bystanders, so that no one else would get hurt.
Kyra understood the situation perfectly. She took a deep breath and released her powers over everyone in the hale with a loud and powerful voice. "STOP!" she shouted. Everyone froze.
"Visitors, go home, except for my friends," Kyra commanded. A large crowd of people started moving and hurriedly left the Casino.
"You," Kyra pointed at the gambling hal boss and his henchmen, "sleep for a full day!" she yelled. Within a second, the men collapsed on the ground, asleep.
Using her powers had completely exhausted her. Kyra felt her energy draining away, and she fainted.
However, the action had taken a toll on Kyra. Fortunately, Jiraiya and Shizune were there to catch her and care for her. They took her to a quiet place away from the gambling hal , where she could recover.
Kyra slowly opened her eyes and saw Jiraiya sitting next to her bed. He smiled in relief when he noticed she was conscious. "How do you feel?" he asked concernedly.
Kyra rubbed her forehead and said, "Exhausted, but I think I'll be fine. Is everyone safe?" she inquired.
Jiraiya nodded. "Yes, thanks to you, everyone is safe. Well done," he said softly.
"That's an understatement," added Shizune, who was still healing Kyra with her ninjutsu.
Kyra weakly smiled and fell asleep again, exhausted from the events.
While she recovered, Kyra kept thinking about what Jiraiya had told her earlier. She realized she couldn't continue wandering and that it was time to make a decision about her future. But she didn't know what yet.
Jiraiya took Kyra aside to talk to her. "Ky-chan, I need to go back to Konoha for my mission," he said seriously. "And I don't want to pressure you, but maybe it would be good for you to come with me. There, you will find people who can understand and accept you for who you are."
Kyra was grateful for Jiraiya's concern, but she still hesitated. "People like me?" she said softly.
Jiraiya placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "Yes, there are people there with all kinds of abilities. Not everyone will be as welcoming, but there are enough people who will give you a chance. Wandering around like
this is no longer safe for you. Because of this incident, people will hear about your abilities, and there will be people who will want to use you as a weapon."
As Kyra pondered Jiraiya's words, Shizune entered the room. She had tended to an injured dancer and was pleased to see Kyra awake. "How are you feeling?" Shizune asked concernedly.
"I'm still tired, but I think I'm getting better," Kyra replied.
Shizune smiled and said, "You did something incredible, Kyra. I've never seen anyone put so many people to sleep at once. It was impressive."
Kyra blushed and thanked Shizune. She realized that she felt safe and supported with Jiraiya and Shizune, and that made her decision easier.
"I want to go with you to Konoha," Kyra finally said with a determined smile. "I can't promise I'll accept everything right away, but I want to give it a try."
Jiraiya and Shizune smiled, happy that Kyra had accepted their offer. They knew it was a big step for her to go to Konoha, but she was convinced it was the right decision.
Together, they left the arcade, heading to Konoha, where Kyra would begin a new chapter in her life.
Hey everyone! I've had a lot of fun writing this chapter, and I'd be thrilled to hear your thoughts on it. If you enjoyed the story, I kindly ask you to leave a review. Your feedback is incredibly valuable to me. Thanks in advance for your support! :-)