"You brat, believe it or not I'll use the Yin Seal on you tonight and make you beg?", Tsunade gave Aoba a sidelong glare.
"If it's only you, Sensei, even if you use the Yin Seal, you still couldn't make me beg."
Aoba wore a face full of confidence.
"Besides, don't forget, I can use the Yin Seal too."
Tsunade's body shivered, then she straightened her expression, "No, you can't use the Yin Seal!"
"Why not?"
"There's no why, just don't use it!"
Tsunade began to make an unreasonable fuss.
'If this brat uses the Yin Seal too, it will be ruined.'
"Then if Sensei doesn't use it, I won't either."
Aoba adhered to a principle of not using the Yin Seal first.
A few days ago he'd been too carried away and forgotten; afterward he'd remembered that he too could use the Yin Seal.
The two of them faced off like that for a while. Seeing that Tsunade still wouldn't yield, Aoba bowed his head and kissed her again.
When they separated, neither of them mentioned it further.
"In a few days I want to go to the casino and play, you'll go with me," Tsunade tidied her messy clothes and licked the corner of her mouth.
This pervy brat's technique was getting more and more practiced; he certainly had practiced a lot on Shizune and the others.
"No problem."
Aoba agreed decisively, but then quickly remembered another question in his heart.
"Sensei, you haven't been to a casino for several years, right?"
Konoha did have casinos, but after becoming Hokage Tsunade had gradually stopped going. Maybe it was the sense of responsibility that came with being Hokage, but it certainly wasn't the whole reason.
Tsunade was silent for a moment, then leaned closer into Aoba's embrace.
"Actually, gambling is like drinking."
"They say you drink to drown sorrow; gambling is similar, to drown sorrow or to escape something. But…", Tsunade's eyes held a smile, her gaze soft as she looked at Aoba, "I don't need to run away anymore."
"Sensei…", Aoba couldn't help himself and kissed her again.
"Mm, Kurotsuchi will be back soon."
"It's fine. She's out catching fish; she won't be back that quickly."
———
Just as Aoba said, Kurotsuchi at this moment was carrying a bamboo basket on her back, cheerfully busy in a little river.
When she returned, she happened to see Tsunade walking toward where she was.
"Tsunade-sama, I've already caught all the fish."
Kurotsuchi happily showed the dozens of fish in the basket to Tsunade.
Tsunade glanced, forced a small smile, and said, "You take them over; I'll go rinse my mouth."
"Oh."
Kurotsuchi went back with a puzzled look.
She didn't understand why Tsunade would rinse her mouth at this time, 'Usually people rinse after eating, right?'
———
"What the, going out to play and you didn't even call me…"
They were supposed to be attending the Five Kage Summit, but along the way they kept stopping and detouring to wander the streets. It felt almost no different from a trip.
Early that morning, when Kurotsuchi had just woken in the inn, she found a note slipped into the room by Aoba.
She wasn't complaining that Tsunade was slow on the road; she was complaining that every time they went out to play, they didn't bring her along.
Kurotsuchi was always puzzled, 'Aoba and I are the same age, so why does Aoba always like to go out with Tsunade?'
She remembered Tsunade was over forty, 'Teacher and student, can they really hang out together like that?'
Also, when Aoba and Tsunade were together, Kurotsuchi always felt like an outsider.
They didn't look like master and apprentice at all.
Kurotsuchi was very confused and wanted to ask, but she could never find the opportunity.
After brainstorming for a while in the morning, she gave up thinking. After washing up she left the inn.
This was a city she hadn't been to before, maybe there would be lots of interesting things.
———
On the other side, Tsunade was inside the casino, carrying out her big-money splurge.
Aoba watched nearby feeling pained.
Only now did he see firsthand Tsunade's spending ability.
She treated money like it wasn't money, throwing bill after bill away.
Ten thousand was already the lowest chip denomination.
It was lucky Tsunade hadn't gambled since becoming Hokage. Otherwise, no matter how much Konoha earned, it wouldn't be enough for her to spend.
It was also lucky Aoba had used a wooden clone with a Transformation Jutsu to stand opposite Tsunade.
He'd been betting against her in reverse; although he couldn't win it all back, at least he recovered some capital.
"Damn it!", With the last chip taken away, Tsunade's side of the table was empty.
She slammed the table in anger and nearly broke the gambling table in front of her.
The other gamblers stepped back clutching their chips, scared she might lose control.
Tsunade merely glanced coldly at them, 'Am I that kind of person?'
She was just annoyed that in less than half a day she'd lost four million; it was infuriating.
"Madam, if you haven't brought enough money, our establishment offers loans," A staff member came over and began to pitch their service.
This was the casino's main source of income.
Tsunade glanced coldly at the staffer, said "no need," and then pulled Aoba's hand and left.
———
"Sensei, not continuing?", Outside the casino Aoba asked curiously.
"No money left! I only brought that much," Tsunade replied listlessly.
Aoba thought for a moment, then said, "Sensei, wait here a second."
"What are you going to do?"
Before Tsunade could finish asking, Aoba had already gone back into the casino.
When he returned, he had one million in his hand.
"Sensei, here."
"Did you rob someone?", Tsunade took the one million in disbelief.
"Uh… actually when you were gambling I also tried with a clone. Since it was the first time, I only made one million."
Aoba didn't dare say he'd won by betting against her.
"I didn't expect you brat to have such a talent," Tsunade's expression was complicated as she looked at the million in her hand.
For some reason she suddenly felt an impulse to take him as a disciple.
"If Sensei wants to continue, you can use this money."
Aoba thought since Tsunade was out this one time, she might as well enjoy herself fully. If she kept losing, he'd just keep betting against her.
But Tsunade patted his head with the money and said, "Gambling? At your young age you should learn something better!"
"?"
Aoba looked as if he'd seen a ghost.
'Whoever you are, get off my teacher right now!'
"Let's go shopping!", Tsunade grabbed Aoba and left.
Although she wanted to continue playing, she decided against it.
Continuing to gamble would only lose more; better to stroll around this place with the annoying apprentice.
Tsunade had some self-knowledge, she knew if she continued she'd only lose. And even if she wanted to win, she didn't dare.
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