Chapter 85 – No Change! It's Her
The wealthy clients who came to Tsunade for treatment would casually spend millions, even tens of millions, so she never had much of a sense of the true value of money.
But today truly made her feel defeated.
She hadn't expected that even 20,000 ryō would not be enough for a good meal.
Sure, 20,000 was enough to eat, but only on dishes that tasted mediocre.
For the first time, Tsunade thought about how hard it must have been for Shizune all these years, managing expenses and keeping them fed.
As Tsunade walked, she found herself standing in front of Yakiniku Q, the famous barbecue restaurant.
She glanced at the storefront, and a wave of nostalgia washed over her.
Back when she and her teammates were still chūnin, they often came here for gatherings: mission celebrations, holidays, or just to relax after long days. Yakiniku Q was beloved by many ninja in Konohagakure, a place where shinobi of every rank gathered to enjoy good food.
Of course, that was the price seven years ago. She had been gone for so long that she was sure the prices had risen considerably.
After looking at it for a moment, Tsunade turned away and instead noticed the Pansi Cave next door. From time to time, groups of two or three walked in together.
Her eyes lit up—how could she have forgotten this?
Twenty thousand ryō might not be enough at other restaurants, but it was more than enough for a foot bath at Pansi Cave! And with that, she could head straight to the free restaurant inside and eat as much as she wanted.
"I'm so stupid—I should have thought of this sooner."
Clapping her hands in annoyance, Tsunade hurried inside.
"Hey, you there—the man!"
As soon as she entered, she ignored the photo wall that most customers were crowding around and instead approached one of the staff directly.
"Hello, esteemed guest. Welcome to Pansi Cave."
The attendant greeted her politely, preparing to guide her toward the photo wall, but Tsunade casually asked, "Which masseuse in your shop is the most popular?"
The attendant froze, then quickly answered, "That would be Masseuse No. 006."
"Is she busy right now?" Tsunade pressed.
The staff member knew without checking—No. 006 was the shop's most requested masseuse, skilled and pretty, always fully booked with barely a moment to rest.
So he nodded apologetically. "Yes, madam. She's currently with a client and should finish in about half an hour. I recommend you choose another masseuse."
He expected Tsunade to give up. Most people did when told they'd have to wait.
But instead, she waved her hand with a smile. "No need. I'll wait for her. Arrange a room for me."
"Ah?"
The staff member was taken aback. Few customers—especially women—were so insistent. But training kept his expression neutral, and he bowed slightly. "Of course, madam. Please follow me."
He led Tsunade to a small private room with two foot bath chairs, meant for one or two clients.
"What would you like to drink? We have black tea, green tea, chrysanthemum tea, genmaicha, kukicha… and also sake, beer—"
"Sake," Tsunade cut him off impatiently.
"Understood. Please wait."
As he turned to leave, Tsunade added, "No need to worry about me. I'll go to the restaurant first. That Masseuse No. 006 will be free in half an hour, right?"
"Yes," he confirmed.
"Good. Then I'll eat something while I wait. No sense wasting time."
Following the directions he gave her, Tsunade soon arrived at the free restaurant inside Pansi Cave.
It wasn't crowded, and she quickly found a seat. After waiting for the counter to clear, she went up to order—not her usual beef noodles, but something different this time.
While the food was being prepared, she grabbed a few small cakes and snacks to tide herself over.
Meanwhile, back at the hotel, Shizune had returned with dinner and was waiting for Lady Tsunade.
She had finished her mission after 5:40 p.m., picked up food on the way back, and returned to their room—only to find Tsunade absent.
She waited, checked the door, and even stepped outside several times. But Tsunade never appeared.
The sky had already darkened, and still, there was no sign of her.
Shizune wasn't really worried—this was Konoha, after all—but she was curious.
Lady Tsunade had said they would leave that very night. So where had she gone?
After completing her afternoon mission in a nearby village, Shizune had gone straight to the Hokage's Office to submit her report. With the employer's signature, she collected the reward for exterminating the wild boar, and since several D-rank missions were still unclaimed, she completed those as well.
Finding lost animals was tedious but easy with the Shadow Clone Technique—it just took a little time.
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