'Meow... and just like that, another thousand points,' Takeshi mused, a sense of satisfaction washing over him. 'Earning points really is pretty easy.'
With just a few casual words, he had secured enough for a bag of luxury cat food. Might Guy could train himself to exhaustion for a week and not see that kind of return. It just went to show that even hard work required the right approach.
His thoughts had drifted to Hayate, and he'd turned back on a whim. He wasn't sure what Hayate's illness was, but with Tsunade's level of medical skill, she could at least treat the symptoms, even if a complete cure was out of reach. If he could help the poor guy get a little healthier, maybe he wouldn't meet such a grim end down the line. Hayate had excellent potential, especially with a sword.
Unfortunately, his body was just too frail.
Takeshi sighed softly and headed for Tsunade's tent. It wasn't hard to find her by following her chakra, but he paused when he realized Onoki was still inside, receiving treatment.
"So, Tsunade... can my back really be cured?" Onoki asked, his voice strained.
"Have a little faith in my skills, Tsuchikage," Tsunade replied, sitting calmly across from him.
The main part of the treatment was done, but it would require follow-up sessions for the next several days. That meant Onoki couldn't return to the Land of Earth just yet. What worried him more, however, was whether she was holding something back.
'After what they did to Rasa, you can't trust any of the Sannin,' he thought, his vigilance rising. 'And this one is the worst of them, always scheming. She's probably thinking of a way to screw me over right now. I can't let my guard down.'
But as a layman, how could he possibly know if she was being deceptive? At her level, even another medical-nin might not be able to spot a hidden trick, let alone someone like him who knew nothing about the art.
"Relax," Tsunade said, her voice sounding remarkably kind. "Since I've taken the money, I will treat you with my full effort."
Takeshi, who had been lingering at the entrance, instinctively took a step back. When she put on that particular expression, it usually meant trouble.
*CRACK!*
With a single punch, the table between them shattered into splinters.
Tsunade stood up, her chakra flaring with killing intent. Her expression was anything but friendly now. "But if you question my medical ethics one more time," she said, her voice dangerously low, "I'll have no choice but to land my next punch on your back."
"Uh, no, no! A misunderstanding, just a misunderstanding!" Onoki stammered, shrinking back.
One could offend anyone but their doctor and chef. Tsunade's recent good mood had made him careless, he'd forgotten that Princess Tsunade was not known for her patience.
"Hmph. Go get some rest. The treatment will still take a few more days," she said, clapping the dust from her hands and kicking the debris to the side.
An Anbu operative appeared almost immediately and began cleaning up the mess with practiced efficiency. He produced a sealing scroll and, with a few swift movements, stored the broken table and replaced it with a new one in seconds. The sheer skill of the maneuver left not only Onoki but also Takeshi slightly amazed.
'Konoha's ninja really are professionals.'
"I'll be leaving, then," Onoki said, his face a wooden mask. He was thoroughly intimidated. 'She's a repeat offender. Best not to provoke her.'
"Rest well, and stop wasting your time on useless worries," Tsunade said haughtily. "If I didn't want to treat you, you couldn't make me do it for a hundred million."
After he left, she sat back down, a faint smirk playing on her lips. A moment later, a black cat flickered into existence beside her, courtesy of the Flying Thunder God.
"You really didn't hold anything back, meow?"
"Hm? Of course not. I'm a doctor with principles," Tsunade said. "I took the fee, I agreed to the treatment, and I'll do my best. However... his lower back injury is directly related to Iwagakure's ninjutsu style. I gave him a little warning, but I know he won't give it up." She let out a low, knowing laugh.
It was a future problem. Once she was done, Onoki wouldn't have to worry about his back for at least ten years. But after a decade, his body would be older and more fragile. If he kept using techniques like the Weighted Boulder Jutsu, the injury would inevitably return.
"Meow!" The black cat raised a paw in admiration.
That couldn't be considered holding back. Tsunade had explained the risks, if Onoki couldn't maintain his own health, a relapse was his own fault.
"About the money," Tsunade began, "we can't split it fifty-fifty. I have to give half to the medical corps. Of course, that portion can be considered my fee for all the hard work and mental strain. That's fair, isn't it?"
"Meow! Perfectly fair."
"For the rest, we'll split it fifty-fifty. You get twenty million, and with the ten million that will be unfrozen later, I'll give you thirty million in total."
Just as she finished dividing up their earnings, a rustling sound came from outside the tent. Takeshi and Tsunade exchanged a look. He created a shadow clone to continue the conversation while his real body slipped out and circled around the back. There, he saw Jiraiya squatting behind the tent, his expression a mixture of fury and resentment.
Takeshi approached silently. 'Can't just knock him out,' he thought. 'But I can definitely give him a scare and earn some points.' Considering how often Tsunade had been beating him up lately, transforming into her would have a near-perfect success rate.
He crept closer. Inside, Tsunade and his clone were still talking. Outside, Jiraiya was stewing in a jealous rage, his eyes practically bloodshot. He looked like he wanted to charge in and demand answers, but the thought of facing Tsunade held him back.
'Damn it!'
As Jiraiya wrestled with his thoughts, he sensed a presence behind him. He whipped his head around and saw a familiar figure sitting on a thick tree branch. She was perched in an oddly girlish pose, a gentle, peaceful smile on her face that was, to him, utterly terrifying.
"Tsu... Tsunade!" Jiraiya yelped, a wave of terror and embarrassment washing over him. The familiar situation and the familiar expression immediately brought back the memory of the near-fatal punch he'd received last time.
*Gulp.* He swallowed hard, his heart pounding.
"What are you doing here?" 'Tsunade' asked, her smile growing even kinder, like a friendly big sister from next door.
"Ahem, I, uh... I was just trying to hear what you were talking about," Jiraiya mumbled, his confidence gone. "And, well, I covered some of your debt last time, so I was wondering if you could..."
If he had overheard them normally, he might have stormed in and loudly demanded repayment. But since he'd been caught eavesdropping, he didn't have the nerve. It wasn't like they'd stolen the money, they'd scammed it out of Onoki. He had no real reason to be jealous.
But still... now that they were so rich, couldn't they clear up that tiny debt?
'So pitiful,' Takeshi thought. 'Just too pitiful.'
"Meow~" he chirped, reverting to his original form. Jiraiya looked so pathetic that he almost felt bad for tricking him. The royalties probably weren't a huge amount, at least not compared to an income of tens of millions. For an ordinary jonin, though, it was likely a substantial sum.
"Damn it, it's you again!" Jiraiya's eyes widened, red with fury. The cat had transformed into Tsunade to scare him again. He'd pulled the same trick before, which had led to him mistaking the real Tsunade for Takeshi later. It was infuriating.
But he'd been in contact with Minato and knew just how strong the black cat had become. This cat was no weaker than him now. Even in Sage Mode, it would be a tough fight. The cat could just use the Flying Thunder God to escape and return later to wear him down.
"Meow! It wasn't on purpose this time," Takeshi said, licking a paw. "Why would you to be so sneaky, hiding out here like a creep?"
A few seconds later, the real Tsunade emerged from the tent. When the gambling debt was mentioned, she had the grace to look a little ashamed. At the time, she hadn't had a single ryo to her name and had accidentally smashed a stall, so she'd told the owner to get the money from Jiraiya. It couldn't have been that much, could it?
Thinking it over, she gave a slight nod. "No problem, I'll pay you back for the royalties. How much was it again?"
"Over three million!" Jiraiya said, his face lighting up. "A lot of your creditors came looking for me, and my first royalty payment was wiped out just like that!"
"Over three million?" Tsunade's expression shifted. "Hmm. Jiraiya, while I've made a bit of money recently, I still have a lot of other debts out there. I'll get that to you later. And... oh, right, didn't you use my character design for your book? Consider it royalty fee."
She had intended to pay him back, but the moment she heard the amount, her resolve vanished. Three million wasn't much compared to her recent windfall, but she just couldn't help herself. After she paid off all the debts she'd accumulated over the years, there might be nothing left.
"..."
Jiraiya's face fell. One second she was agreeing to pay, and the next she was putting it off again. He turned his gaze to Takeshi.
"Meow~ My half of the three million is yours," Takeshi offered generously, giving away one and a half million ryo he didn't have. Now Jiraiya couldn't really ask him for any more favors.
If he actually got the money, Jiraiya would have been grateful. But since that one and a half million was still with Tsunade, it was as good as nothing. His face remained blank, there was nothing more to say. The problem was right back where it started: when would Tsunade ever pay him back? He decided it was pointless to hope.
Jiraiya sighed and turned to leave, his shoulders slumped. After a few steps, he paused, a confused look on his face. What had he even come here for? He couldn't remember. When he looked back, Tsunade and Takeshi were gone. He stood there for a moment, puzzled, before it finally hit him, he had come to tell her that if she was going back to become the Fourth Hokage, he would have to leave the village for a while.
That was it.
'Oh well,' he thought. 'I'll just tell her when we get back to Konoha.'
He looked up at the sky. No matter what, he still had to go back and congratulate her. The three Sannin...
'I just hope Orochimaru doesn't do anything reckless.'
Jiraiya sighed again.
Meanwhile, Takeshi had slipped away with Tsunade. Once they were a safe distance away, he spoke first. "Meow, so you're going back to become the Yondaime?"
"Yes," she confirmed. "It's the only way I can put my own ideas into action. That lazy oaf Jiraiya won't do it, so I have to step up."
"After the ceremony is over, I'll probably leave Konoha for a while, meow," Takeshi said with a nod.
Tsunade was silent for a few seconds before she offered him a genuine smile. "Good luck. I'm sure you'll establish a great holy land. But you'll always have a place here in Konoha. You can come back whenever you want."
"Of course, meow!"
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