A/N: So here we are again, with a new chapter. Sorry for the delay, but as I am entering the final semester of my degree, so there are going to be more irregularities in the coming updates, so please bear with me. Also, I am very grateful for the continuous love and support this story has received so far and hope that it keeps going, we have a long way to go after all.
Also, being a huge fan of Hektols (author of New Chance), I have always been interested in the numerous ideas he had posted in his profile and have looked forward to their realizations. One of those ideas that have interested me especially is the theme named "Diary of a Jinchuuriki". Anyways, it seems that Hektols isn't coming back anytime soon. So, after discussing it with my good friends GBAboy313 and Naruto30, I have decided to write a fic on this theme. Later this year, I might publish the first chapter of the fic. I sincerely hope for your support in that endeavor as well.
Well then, without further ado, lets get on with the chapter.
CHAPTER 22: THE DRUNKEN OLD HAG AND BETS
The Tsunade retrieval squad had finally made it to Tanzaku town, 4 days after leaving Konoha. There were 6 days till the start of the Gambling tournament in the town but still there was a possibility that the granddaughter of the Shodai Hokage was already there. The first thing the team did on reaching the town was to reserve rooms in hotel close to the city-centre, pretty much in the same fashion as they did last time in the town where they crossed paths with Itachi and Kisame. The team could only hope that they wouldn't be crossing paths with the Akatsuki anytime soon.
As soon as they completed the formalities in the hotel, the team dispersed to look for Tsunade. Shino and Kiba were on one team, our favourite couple on another and Kakashi went to look by himself. He let one of his dog summons accompany Shino and Kiba so that they could send word as soon as they spotted Tsunade. Naruto and Hinata didn't have that problem as Naruto could any time summon a toad and send him to Kakashi with the message and of course Kakashi had his own summons. Naruto also had the added benefit of summoning several shadow clones, having them transform into different types of people and cover several bars and casinos simultaneously, the only problem was that being a Sannin, Tsunade could easily sense chakra, a shadow clone and a transformation.
*With Shino and Kiba*
Once on a street, Shino let loose some bugs, who had the ability to perceive chakra levels. Kiba smirked. If a bug returned after perceiving someone with beyond Jounin level chakra, it would return with the smell too and that would let him and Akamaru trail the target with ease, even if the target left the place where she was spotted.
*With Naruto and Hinata*
"Byakugan!" Hinata activated her dojutsu and began perceiving the chakra levels of everyone on the street they were searching in. "I'm afraid that this street doesn't have anyone with chakra reserves even approaching the average Jounin's chakra levels, Naruto-kun." She informed her boyfriend.
"Got it. I'll leave some clones in the bars and casinos just in case she comes in." Naruto responded. Then the couple moved to the next street.
*With Kakashi*
Meanwhile Kakashi also searched the casinos and bars on a street. He also had to do it the hard way and go into every bar or casino he came across, so far the search hadn't yielded any results.
*Back with Shino and Kiba*
"If I am correct, Kakashi-sensei mentioned that Tsunade-sama is known in the gambling community as the Legendary Sucker." The Aburame wondered.
"Yeah, that's what I heard too, why do you ask?" Kiba responded.
"Because, while my bugs search for someone with jonin level or more chakra reserves, we can go and ask about the Legendary Sucker to the public." Shino reasoned. Kiba liked the idea. And they did exactly that.
In one casino, Shino directly went to the manager.
"Excuse me sir, we are looking for the Legendary Sucker, do you have any information that could be useful for us?" The sunglasses clad boy stoically asked. The manager stared at the two genin for a minute.
"Sorry, I have no idea." He replied.
"Well, in that case, excuse us for the inconvenience." Shino responded before leaving with his teammate.
In two more bars, the same thing happened.
"Perhaps it is the manner in which you speak Shino." The heir of the Inuzuka wondered.
"I don't understand why somebody would be unwilling to share information just because of my pattern of speech." Replied Shino.
"Well…. You see…. When you talk all serious or something, they start thinking they might get into trouble just by sharing information with you." Kiba explained.
"In that case, I might have to work upon my information gathering skills. Though there is only one way to verify your assumption. You should be the one to question in the next bar or casino we enter, considering the fact that your mannerisms are quite different as compared mine and it has the possibility of making the people feel at ease, while sharing information." Shino explained, making Kiba rub his eye brows.
"Umm…can you…maybe explain it in rather simpler terms?"
"I meant that your way of talking is different and perhaps you could get some information out." Shino replied in his monotone voice.
"Oh, now I get it. Alright let's try this out. Come on Akamaru!"
"Yip"
The duo then rushed to their closest casino.
As soon as they entered, Kiba went to the manager this time.
"Buddy, can you give us anything on Tsunade, the legendary sucker, we have been looking for her for quite a while now and so far, we have only got bullshit!" Kiba loudly, and not only the manager but some customer looked at him.
"Did she run away with debt from your boss too kid?" One drunk man asked.
"Welcome to the club boy, she lost in poker with all of us and then ran away with the money, we have been looking for her to. But she is sure to attend the poker tournament 6 days from now, we will all nab her there." Another man replied.
"I have heard that she was seen in the bar 2 blocks from here. Try your luck there, but so far anyone who has tried to get money out of her has ended up with his bones crushed so better be careful." The manager whispered. Just then one of the bugs Shino had dispatched landed on his hand and he raised an eyebrow. He then slightly tugged Kiba's hoodie.
"Hmm?"
"My bugs have spotted someone with unusually high chakra reserves." Shino whispered.
"Then let Akamaru sniff your bug, we will get the smell." Kiba whispered back. His teammate complied. Soon the duo…I mean trio were out of the casino.
"The manager said that she could be at the bar 2 blocks away from here."
"My bugs have pointed in the same direction." Shino responded.
"Akamaru, keep track of the scent!" Kiba ordered his canine partner, who yipped in response.
*Meanwhile with Naruto and Hinata*
"I can see someone with chakra reserves higher than jonin lever and I am certain it's a female." Hinata declared.
"Perhaps that's this granny Tsunade, let's move Hime, lead the way."
"Hai!"
As a matter of coincidence, the couple ran into Kiba and Shino just before they could enter the bar.
"Looks like our search has led us to the same spot, which means the likelihood of finding the target in this bar is quite high." Shino said, earning nods from his comrades.
Subtly, the four shinobi and the hound entered the bar and behold, Tsunade in her drunken glory, slumped on a table, swearing obscenities while an embarrassed woman with short black hair, who for some reason was carrying a pig (even stranger, that pig was wearing clothes and a pearl bead necklace) was trying to calm her down and make her stop drinking.
"Ah shaddap, Shizune! Hey…*hic*…Another bottle of sake!" The blonde woman, clad in a light blue kimono and dark robe, on which the kanji of "Gamble" was written on the back shouted to the waiter, who immediately complied.
Naruto's eyes twitched. He then took out the photograph and did a double check and then a triple check, there was no mistaking it: this was their target, the granddaughter of the First Hokage, the legendary medic Senju Tsunade.
"I can't believe she is one of the Sannin, I thought she would be…you know…" Naruto mused.
"Cooler?" Kiba completed for him.
"Exactly."
"I have to agree Naruto-kun." Hinata said with a sigh. The woman before them was the most legendary among all kunoichi, someone whom every female ninja looked up to as their role model, including Hinata. So, it was disappointing for her to see the said role model in such a sorry state. Naruto immediately did the hand signs of the summoning jutsu and in a moment Gamatatsu appeared.
"Gamatatsu, find Kakashi sensei and inform him our location and that we have spotted the target." Gamatatsu nodded and left to carry out the order.
For the next fifteen minutes, the group of teen shinobi kept observing Tsunade and Shizune and all of them felt a pang of sympathy for the latter as they observed how Tsunade was embarrassing herself as well as her assistant in her drunken state without a care in the world.
"This granny is unbelievable, I have heard so much about her, the most legendary medic, strongest kunoichi and all that but seeing her like this is….I don't even know what to say." Naruto whispered.
"Son, she lost everyone dear to him, her little brother and her fiancée, so she is mentally broken. This is exactly what happens when someone loses all their precious people." Minato explained from the mindscape.
This made a small part of Naruto's mind think of what would happen to him if something happened to Hinata…he realized that he would be a far worse state than Tsunade was currently, and he might as well be dead. He shook his head violently to throw such depressing thoughts away.
"Good job team, you found the target really quick." Kakashi whispered with an eye-smile as he arrived at the bar.
"So, what do we do now Kakashi-sensei? Should we…y'know, go talk to her?" Naruto asked.
Just then Tsunade got up to leave.
"Excuse me, your bill is 2000 ryo." The bar manager said aloud.
"Huh? Add it…*hic*…on my tab." Tsunade replied, piss drunk. Shizune could only look at the man apologetically.
"Fine, I am adding it, but you must pay up within a week." The manager replied.
"Yeah, yeah! *hic*" Tsunade responded as she left.
"Follow her, I'll just go and check how much does owe to this bar." Kakashi said in a whisper, his team acknowledged.
*15 minutes later*
The group was closely following Tsunade, Shizune and Tonton. Kakashi had also joined them, and he was still pale that the total amount she owed to the bar was about 30000 ryo. He intended to pay up for her once but this huge amount made him think otherwise, but still Kakashi had paid 2000 ryo, the amount that Tsunade got added to her tab just before leaving.
In her drunken state, Tsunade had no idea that she was being followed and Shizune with her total attention at Tsunade didn't take notice either.
Finally, being unable to walk any further, Tsunade got herself seated on a roadside bench, forcing Shizune to sit down too.
The legendary Slug princess was talking absurdly as she sat down.
"Tsunade-sama please! Can't you stop it…You have no idea how much debt you have accumulated. It's so unbecoming of one of the Sannin. Now all we do is run away from debt collectors, how much longer are we going to do that? Can't we just go back to the village?" Shizune pleaded.
"Don't mention that cursed place to me Shizune!*Hic*" Tsunade yelled, shutting her companion up.
"I pity her." Kushina said with sympathy from Naruto's mindscape.
"Kakashi-sensei, is she even in a state to talk?" Naruto whispered.
"Don't know Naruto, but from what I know about her, she could still be talked to even when drunk like that, so I guess we can try once, but if she seems to be totally out of it, we'll just have to wait until she is sober and try again." The masked ninja whispered back.
"Alright."
Now the team left their hiding spot (behind a bush) and walked straight to them. Upon seeing several Konoha ninja, Shizune was shocked but she felt a bit at ease upon seeing Kakashi, whom she already knew.
"Tsunade-sama, some people are here to meet with you." She informed her master.
"What people? *hic*…debt collectors….in that case, what are you waiting for? Let's run!" The legendary medic stated as she got up with some effort, her footing wasn't even straight.
"Tsunade-sama, I can assure you that we are not here to collect debt." Kakashi humbly said as he gave the member of the legendary Sannin a bow.
Tsunade raised an eyebrow.
"Isn't that you, Kakashi? What are you doing here?" She asked a bit aloud, still under the influence of alcohol.
"Hai it's me Tsunade-sama, I am here on an urgent mission to rendezvous with you." The copy ninja explained.
"Really now…and wait who are these brats with you, an Inuzuka, an Aburame, a Hyuuga and wait….is this brat who I think he is?" The blonde woman asked pointing towards Naruto, who raised an eyebrow.
"Naru-chan, she knows that you are our son. But for the time being don't let her know that you know about us or us being present in your mind." Kushina cautioned from the mindscape.
'Got it mom.'
"That's Uzumaki Naruto, Tsunade-sama." Kakashi replied.
"So, the boy lived huh? Interesting." Said Tsunade. "So, what does your Hokage want from me?"
"Tsunade-sama, our orders are to escort you back to Konoha immediately. The village is not in a good situation right now and it needs your strength."
"Huh?" was the only word Tsunade said, while Shizune looked quite hopeful of finally getting back to Konoha. "I am not going back to that cursed place." She responded, making Kakashi sweatdrop.
"Tsunade-sama, the village is in a dire situation, the medical infrastructure is crumbling we really need your-" Kakashi tried to explain before being cut-off.
"I think I made it quite clear that I am not going back, go tell sensei that." Tsunade shouted.
Now Naruto was irritated, Lee, Asuma-sensei, Kurenai-sensei, Sasuke all needed her help and here she was lashing out without even listening.
"Listen here Tsunade-sama! My friends and senseis are seriously injured and you are the only one who can treat them." He said out loud.
'At least he didn't call her Baa-chan from the get go.' Minato thought.
"And didn't they know that this was going to happen to them before signing up to be shinobi. Listen brat, I don't care what happens to them. They signed up knowing that getting injured is a part of shinobi life, let them face the consequences." The blonde woman lashed out.
Now Naruto was pissed off, this old hag was getting on his nerves. His comrades were lying there unconscious and here she was laughing off their injuries and not giving a damn about it.
"Naru-chan, keep calm, she is drunk and has no idea what she is talking about, besides with all the sorrows she's had in her life, she is not in her right mind too, in reality she is a very kind and caring woman." Kushina explained.
'All right mom, if you say so, I'll try to keep calm but her words are getting on my nerves.'
"Tsunade-sama, I apologize for Naruto's way of talking but he is right, there are several injured people in the village, people who have injuries that need your attention. You are the only hope for them." Kakashi reasoned, as humbly as he could.
"I've had enough Kakashi, I don't give a flying fuck about those shinobi. Konoha has taken everything from me, so go back and tell sensei to go look for someone else."
"Umm….Tsunade-sama, Hiruzen-sama is not the Hokage anymore, he has passed on the hat to Jiraiya-sama," Kakashi corrected. Indeed, Tsunade's words were getting on his nerves as well, but he knew she was just too intoxicated to even think right.
"Jiraiya really!?" Tsunade wondered before bursting out in laughter.
"Hahahahahahaha! Jiraiya, Hokage…that old pervert being the Hokage…..Hahahaha…..what was sensei smoking when he passed the hat to that old pervert. And what was that fool thinking accepting it. He was better off writing that smut you love to read and peeping. Even that's better than taking that cursed hat." Tsunade ranted.
"Oi Baa-chan, you have no right to insult the Hokage and Konoha. What was that about Konoha taking everything from you? Your own grandfather founded the village, your granduncle strengthened its foundation! How dare you insult them!?" Naruto yelled in frustration and anger. He had always wanted to be the Hokage and here was this old hag laughing off at that dream as if it was nothing.
"Listen here brat! They were my family, they became Hokage so what? They died for the village, my grandfather could never have a peaceful life, my granduncle died brutally against the gold and silver brothers, and he didn't even get to be Hokage for two years. That cursed, whoever becomes Hokage dies, only fools can dream about being Hokage!"
"What did you say old hag! How dare you insult the Hokage!?" Naruto yelled again.
"Haah! You are yelling like you want the hat too. In that case you are a fool too, and you know what, there was a kid who had the same hair and same eyes like you, he also dreamed about being Hokage. He even achieved it and became the Yondaime Hokage…but what did he get from that…sacrificed himself against the Kyuubi…he could have just gone somewhere and lived a happy life instead of foolishly sacrificing himself for the village. Don't be a fool like that." Tsunade ranted again.
"THAT SENILE OLD HAG!" Kushina screamed in anger from Naruto's mindscape while Minato couldn't help twitch his eyebrows in irritation.
Now Naruto was pissed…beyond pissed, even Hinata was pissed at the Slug Sannin. The Namikaze family had accepted her as one of their own and she considered them her family too. To insult her family like that and make fun of her Naruto-kun's dream was a massive and bloody redline that nobody was allowed to cross without consequences.
"How dare you call the Yondaime a fool, at least he fought and died for something he believed in!" Naruto yelled as he charged towards Tsunade, who sidestepped avoiding his punch and with a flicked a finger on the blonde's forehead, which was enough to send him flying into a tree.
"Naruto-kun!" Hinata shouted in concern as she ran towards where he had landed.
"Tsunade-sama…what are you doing? He is just a kid." Shizune shouted.
"That's why he needs to learn his place and the just how stupid his dream is." The slug princess responded.
Meanwhile, Hinata managed to pull Naruto out of the tree he had slammed into.
"Are you okay?" She asked, caressing his face.
"Yeah Hime, I'm fine." Naruto responded before moving his gaze towards the slug princess. "So, you wanna to spar Baa-chan? Fine by me."
"Hah! Try your luck kid, you're a hundred years too early to even stand against me. All I need is one finger to put you in your place." Tsunade challenged with a smirk, showing her index finger.
"Naruto-kun, wait." Hinata reprimanded.
"Hina-chan, you know who she insulted right? How are you even expecting me to not fight back?" Naruto asked in frustration.
"I'm not telling you to step back dear. I want to join in too, she insulted your dream and my family as well." Hinata said in a determined voice.
When Tsunade saw both the blonde boy and the Hyuuga girl walk up to her and take battle stances, she smirked again.
"So, the Hyuuga wants to join too, huh? Fine by me…. I can still take you both down with nothing more than one finger." She challenged again.
"I wouldn't be so sure of that you drunk old hag." Naruto retorted.
"Wait, Tsunade-sama, you don't need to do that, please. You are too drunk." Shizune said worried and alarmed at the quickly escalating situation.
Kakashi meanwhile couldn't decide what he should do. He knew the right thing to do was to stop his students and de-escalate the situation. But he also wanted Naruto to get back at Tsunade and smash her ego as he was also angry at her for insulting his sensei and his sacrifice. And he was interested to see how these two lovers stacked up against a Sannin. He decided to see how the spar goes and intervene if things started going out of hand.
"Proctor the match Kakashi. And you brat!" Tsunade said looking at Naruto. "If I take you both down with one finger, you and your team will go back and you will give up on that silly dream of yours." Tsunade challenged. Hinata felt worried for a moment but then steeled herself, if her darling's dream was on the line, she would do anything to make sure that Tsunade lost her bet and in this case: Hinata had to, no, will force Tsunade to use more than one finger to fight.
Naruto was having similar thoughts as well, his dream was on the line and he wouldn't let Hinata go down with just a finger, even if they were facing one of the legendary Sannin no less.
"I accept the bet, but if you lose, you will stop calling Hokages and those who dream about being Hokage stupid, and…." Naruto's gaze shifted to his jonin instructor and he let out a devilish grin. "And Kakashi-sensei will have to show what's behind his mask." The blonde jinchuuriki completed his part of the bet.
"Why am I part of the bet?" Kakashi protested as everyone looked at him with serious interest.
"Come on sensei, you are the team leader, so of course you will be part of the bet as we are your responsibility and you also seem quite eager to watch us fight." Naruto challenged with a smirk.
"Hmm….such an interesting deal, I actually have a half a mind to lose knowingly just to see what's below that mask of his." Tsunade mused. "But don't think I am going to just let you win just because of that." She added.
"We wouldn't have it any other way, Granny." Naruto responded with a smirk as he and Hinata took fighting stances.
Kakashi looked at both sides, all combatants looked ready.
"All right then, HAJIME!" The copy ninja declared.
-Meanwhile, Land of Snow-
Doto laughed triumphantly as he looked at his newest prisoner.
His niece, the daughter of his brother and a world-famous actress: Koyuki.
She was the last threat to his power in Snow. Without her the loyalists had no one to place on the throne of the Daimyo clan. The loyalists would be divided between traditionalists and any other group who didn't care.
The simplest option of dealing with her would be to simply kill her, but that didn't sit right for a few reasons.
Once word got out, and there would no way of avoiding the word getting out of her death, it would be met by loyalists rising up (and perhaps joined by some of his own forces alienated by the crime of undisputable kin slaughter) and seeking an end to his reign with the very divide he sought to exploit being rendered null.
Her fame would inspire certain groups to take action if for nothing other than token indiginity. And the possibility of gaining trade agreements with Snow would be a tempting prospect.
His best prospect to preserve his rule was to simply leave her alive at the moment, though there were other ways to neutralize her.
Reducing her to a hollow shell would be one, leaving her a vegetable would render her unable to rule or anything. And there were ways to accomplish it without making it look as though he had brought it about.
But Doto, like any good sadist, wanted to savor Koyuki's bitter despair and acceptance for a while before she could no longer exhibit such emotions.
She would have 2 months before he'd deal with her.
"I hope you find your current situation comfortable, dearest niece, you will be here for what feels like an eternity." Doto cruelly mocked as he left, unphased by Koyuki not even responding.
Doto looked at Koyuki's cell mate, a girl of the Tsuchigumo clan, finding her was a strike of luck. The Tsuchigumo rarely left their village, but this one was special and they had been able to find an opportunity where her traveling companion had left her alone at the makeshift hut they had stayed in for a while.
And with the recent enabling of Koyuki's capture, Doto authorized the advancement of certain endeavors.
A tyrant needed resources to remain in power, loyal ninja most certainly.
Career ending injuries and mortal wounds were a great drain upon this resource.
Trained medics were hard to come by, though it was often easier to take such resources from others.
But if you happened to have one of the greatest in your control, then you could circumvent some of the difficulties.
And Doto's enterprises had lent out a large amount of money to the greatest medic in the nations, as well as bought up all her debt.
She had an obscenely large debt to pay, one way or another.
Doto chuckled: "It's time to collect."
A/N: And done, another chapter complete. Well, perhaps its not that hard to guess that there will be an arc based on the Land of Snow, it will be following the Tsunade retrieval arc, which will be continuing for some more chapters and with the Snow, we will slowly transition into the timeskip years. Well, here let me just inform you that we won't be doing a complete time-skip, I have planned some arcs for for those years.
Thank you for your continued love and support, see ya all in the next chapter. RaNK001 out.