Chapter 36: Bet

Konan and I entered Tanzaku Gai a week after our parting with Kurenai and Anko. It was quite depressing to chase after Slug Sannin. She definitely had the disappearing act down the pat...

We found a spot in a bar, sat down, and ordered food.

Konan discreetly nodded with her head to the right and I smiled at her. There, Tsunade Senju and Shizune sat, a paper crane near them.

Tsunade was completely wasted and Shizune was fussing around her, trying to make her stop drinking. Konan and I didn't approach immediately. We ate our food, talked a little... I tried and succeeded to make Konan smile in public... achievement of the century!

Then, I stood up and went towards the two women, Shizune on my trail.

I sat across them, making Tsunade raise her cheek from the table and look at me, instead of the sake bottle in her hand.

"G'way." She slurred in a commanding tone.

"Senju-san." I crossed my hands and interwoven my fingers on the table with a cooly

, 'got-you' smile as her eyes minutely widened and both she and Shizune tensed.

"I came to propose a bet."

"And why sh'd I tak'it?" Tsunade drunkenly waved her finger from side to side in front of my face.

"Because you are an unrepentant gambler."

Shizune's cheek flushed but it was obvious that neither Tsunade nor Shizune are THAT out of shape. Drunk? Maybe.

"I have to give it to you, Tsunade. Your acting is superb. I am sure you are purging the alcohol from your body right about now."

The second I finished saying that, the drunk, flushed Tsunade's face, quickly morphed into the perfect picture of impassive seriousness.

"And what exactly are the stakes?" She asked disinterestedly but the corners of her lips were tugging upward.

Shizune face-faulted... Not THAT was not an example of good acting. I smiled at Tsunade. She was hooked. Good.

"The highest stakes." I shrugged, watching her eyes widen.

"You win, I pay your debts and give you five times the amount of Senju's Estates."

Tsunade and Shizune gaped at me. The amount Tsunade owed... Eh, let's just say she indeed tried to gamble everything she earned by curing the highest officials of Daimyo court and from her time as an active S-rank kunoichi and the head of the Konoha hospital.

She was not some run of the mill kunoichi. She earned a LOT. Not on missions. But her time as a doctor? That paid a lot.

Jiraya might be the wealthiest due to his books but Tsunade was not that far behind. The keyword being 'was'. Her wealth still somewhat holds but she has at most 10% of what she started with.

Funny how ninja's usually got more wealth by doing something else than actually being a ninja...

Theoretically, Tsunade could continue gambling until she dies because so far she never touched Senju money which is a lot more than her own 'meager' earnings as they are the major landowners in Konoha. Their wealth is continuously used by the village as Hashirama was the idiot who allowed the village to leech a little from their accounts in 'emergencies'. Well, we all know that according to the elders of Konoha, the village is always in an emergency...

Alas, despite that and the clan's extinct state, their wealth still grows. Slowly but steadily. They are packed with Ryo. It was quite funny that 'extinct' Senju is currently the second wealthiest clan after Hyuuga, barely above Akimichi. But then again, Hyuuga's never 'donated' as much money as Senju to the village.

Five times the Senju Estates...

"Who are you?" Tsunade looked at me warily. The amount I offered her... I could buy a third of Konoha with that. Or... the entirety of Konoha if we take into account only the prices of lands without buildings or businesses. No wonder Tsunade was bewildered. It would be ten percent of Daimyo's personal wealth in wealthy Land!

"Yotsuba Rei." I told her casually.

Both Shizune and Tsunade went rigid.

"Kaminari Daimyo..." She muttered under her nose but then looked at me. "And if I lose?"

She relaxed, probably thinking I need her medical skills or something. She sipped sake from her bottle.

I pointed at her. "You. I want you."

Sipping her sake might not have been such a good idea. Tsunade promptly spat it out as she heard me and started laughing.

"Boy... I could be your grandmother. Have some shame." She snickered, making Konan frown.

Konan did not like her love to be belittled.

"I am from Kaminari." I shrugged, making Tsunade laughter increase.

"Yes. That would definitely explain a lot!" She genuinely smiled at me. "Sigh. The youngsters nowadays. Willing to pay such an amount for bragging rights! I mean sure, sex with me would be the luckiest thing that ever happ-"

Tsunade's mocking tirade was interrupted when Konan's killing intent fell on her. With the amount of chakra in Konan's body... it was a damn impressive display, making even Tsunade tense.

"How long are you going to belittle my master, bitch?" Konan impassively asked as her cold amber eyes gazed directly into Tsunade's.

Both girls glared at each other until Tsunade wistfully looked at her sake.

"I like you girl. You have a spirit..." She sighed, reminiscing about her own past.

"I think you misunderstood." I interjected and continued only when I had Tsunade's undivided attention. "I do not want you for a night. I want you forever. If I win you will be my concubine."

Their jaws dropped to the ground. Sure, Tsunade received many such proposals. But to receive one from FOREIGN noble? No... foreign son of Daimyo? That was insane. The shitstorm this would cause if she accepted... Maybe even the next shinobi war!

Then again, she received offers from nobles to be their concubine slash glorified sex relief. But even she, no matter how close Senju and Fire Daimyo were, never received an offer from the Royal Family. She was considered unworthy. Yet, here they were...

"Sigh, if I was a scheming bitch I would be jumping from joy from such a proposal... Is Kumo so eager for another war? You can't be proposing to me without knowing the consequences, can you?"

I snorted at that but didn't say anything demeaning about Konoha. Not yet. As for the consequences...

"So?"

"So?" An amused smile bloomed on her face as she leaned forward, her eyes filled with excitement. "So, tell me, cards, roulette, or..."

"Tsunade-sama, you can't!" Shizune shrieked, horrified.

"A battle. One on one." I told Tsunade who looked at me as if I was retarded while Shizuna was looking bewildered. Then Tsunade's eyes looked at Konan and she nodded.

"I see. You will have the girl fight me."

Konan excluded a certain confident air. Impassive and cold. Like a Hyuuga. This only increased after she managed to erase an entire mountain. She was not arrogant. Only cold to others.

"Nope. You vs me." I rolled my eyes at Tsunade.

"Haaaa." She released an exasperated sigh. "Look. I may be drunk and out of shape but..."

"Relax, we are not fighting to the death. Don't worry. I will be gentle. I know you are old." I quipped, smugly noting the pulsing vein on her forehead.

"Old..." She muttered, looking intently at me.

"Yes. As you said, you could be my grandmother."

"As I said..." Her eye started twitching, and I sagely nodded.

"Everybody knows you look like a hag. Jiraya likes to boast when drunk and among whores..."

"Jiraya... Hag..." Tsunade was gritting her teeth.

"Well, then again, y-"

"Fine!" Tsunade screamed. "Let me give you a good spanking!"

We both stood up and went away. Konan and Shizune looked at each other, exchanging resigned look as they followed us.