122. A Bet

Next Morning,

Izuna wakes up. He groggily opens his eyes and looks around. He recalls yesterday's event and turns towards Tsunade.

Tsunade is hugging his left arm while sleeping soundly.

Zzz…

"I need some booze. Shizune! GIVE ME SOME BOOZE." Tsunade sleep talks.

"Yes… yes… Tsunade-sama."

Shizune opens her eyes and stretches her arms.

"…"

Izuna speechlessly looks at them.

'Is this their usual sleep routine?'

Shizune hurriedly stands up and runs towards the door.

"I need to order breakfast for Tsunade-sama."

As if recalling something, she pauses and turns towards Izuna.

"Iz… Izuna! Can… can you lend me some money for breakfast? Tsunade-sama spent all of her money yesterday and we don't have money for breakfast."

Sigh…

Izuna rubs his forehead and looks at Tsunade.

"This woman."

He forks out some Ryo notes and hands them to Shizune.

"Shizune, go and get our breakfast. I will wake her up."

Shizune nods her head and approaches the door.

Oink… Oink…

Tonton follows her. She is still traumatized by Izuna's joke. Shizune opens up the door and slowly exits the room.

Izuna shakes Tsunade.

"Wake up, Tsunade! Wake up!"

He shakes Tsunade. Tsunade refuses to budge from her place.

"Tsunade wakes up or you won't get any booze."

Izuna plays his trump card.

"No… No! I am awake." Tsunade immediately sits up.

"Where is my booze?" She demands Izuna.

"That is…"

Kyaah… OINK…

A scream and squeal interrupt them. Izuna immediately stands up and dashes towards the scream.

"That's Shizune's scream." Tsunade also stands up and follows him.

Outside the entrance,

They notice a trembling Shizune and Tonton who are staring at A. A has dead fish eyes with big dark bags under his eyes. His brows are twitching and his hairs are a mess.

"You finally opened the door." A yell in his hoarse voice.

There are various fist-sized holes on the wall and door of the room. A's hands are trembling and he is staggering.

Bam…

A face plants on the ground and faints.

"Raikage-sama… Raikage-sama… are you okay, Raikage-sama?" One of Raikage's bodyguard shakes him.

"He is completely fine. He is just exhausted because of sleep deprivation. Just allow him to rest for an hour or two."

Izuna walks away from Raikage's unconscious body. Raikage's bodyguard raises his head and notices Izuna. He immediately puts guard against him.

"You don't have to worry. If I wanted to kill him, then him being awake or unconscious won't make any difference. Regardless of the situation, he would get a certain death."

Izuna ignores the bodyguard and walks away. Tsunade and Shizune follow him.

"I am hungry. Let's eat some breakfast."

"You bastard! Don't underestimate us, Kumo ninjas. Silent Shinigami or not." The Kumo ninja takes out a kunai and runs towards Izuna.

Huh!

Izuna turns around and activates his Sharingan.

"Genjutsu: Sharingan"

The Kumo ninja's body paralyzes, and he stops mid-air.

Bam…

He feels on the floor and angrily stares at Izuna.

"Please forgive him for his rudeness." Another ninja immediately bows his head to Izuna and begs him.

"You better tell your subordinate, there are some people he can't mess with."

Izuna deactivates his Sharingan and turns to Tsunade.

"Let's go."

The Kumo ninja wipes the cold sweat from his forehead and turns towards his partner.

He makes some hand signs and dispels the genjutsu.

"Amai, why you apologized to that Konoha bastard. As an elite Kumo ninja, how can you neglect your pride so easily?" He questions Amai.

Smack…

Amai slaps him and answers.

"Wake up! Togai. You don't know the full extent of his prowess."

"What's so special about him? He just made a name for himself during the Third Ninja War." Togai sobers up.

"Togai! Three years ago during our peace treaty with Konoha, Raikage-sama planned to capture the Byakugan during this opportunity." Amai explains to him.

"Uhu... I know about that. But sadly, we failed to get our hands on it." Togai shakes his head in frustration.

"No Togai! You don't know the entire event because Raikage-sama suppressed the news. Let me tell you, since you are one of his bodyguards.

We had to pay a price to get away from the situation. It was during that time, the 'Silent Shinigami' of the leaf engaged in combat against our forces.

He single-handedly faced against fifty of our elite ninja. It wasn't a fight; it was a slaughter. He killed all of them in just under a minute…"

Togai gulps his saliva as he looks at Amai in disbelief.

"It can't be true, right? There is no way such a terrifying ninja exists in the Leaf Village."

Amai shakes his head and continues.

"… It is the truth, that's the terrifying power of 'Shinigami'. Not even our Third Raikage-sama was capable of such a feat. I was a part of that mission. He spared me and Raikage-sama because he did not want to start a war with Kumogakure by assassinating Raikage-sama."

Amai turns towards Togai and rebukes him.

"Don't be too rash next time. Tsunade of the leaf is our only hope if we want to save Karai. Take Raikage-sama to our inn. Meanwhile, I will search for Tsunade and beg for help."

Amai flickers out of the inn. Togai picks up A and enters another room. He slowly places A on the bed and wipes his sweat.

'Thankfully, he didn't kill me. I thought I was about to die there. But what was the deal with all those green creatures? What sort of Genjutsu was that?'

-----------------------

Izuna, Tsunade, Shizune, and Tonton ate their breakfast.

"I want to gamble," Tsunade yells in frustration.

"Do you have the money?" Izuna questions Tsunade.

"I don't. But you will pay for me right?" Tsunade smirks at Izuna.

"And why would I do that?" Izuna tilts his head.

"Because as my favorite apprentice and as a man, it is your responsibility to pay for a woman's needs." Tsunade smiles at Izuna.

"…"

"What's gambling had to do with your needs? I can pay for your booze but not gambling." Izuna rubs his forehead.

"Ok! Let's drink booze. You said you will pay for it, right?" Tsunade laughs at him.

"I fell for your trap." Izuna sighs and follows her.

-----------------

Hicc…

"Booze is the best thing in the morning." Tsunade chugs down another cup of sake.

"It is noon already," Shizune replies to her.

"Now… now… just ignore such minor details." Tsunade waves her hand and gulps down another mouthful of sake.

Izuna lazily lies against a wall and drinks a can of cola.

Creak…

One of the Kumo ninjas opens up the door and enters the inn.

"You are one of the Legendary Sannin of the Village Hidden in the Leaves… Lady Tsunade, I have sought you out to make a request!" He bows before Tsunade.

Hicc…

"Who are you?" Tsunade questions him.

"Yes! I am Amai, a shinobi of the Hidden Cloud Village!" Amai bows before Tsunade.

Shu… Shu…

Tsunade waves her hand at him.

"If your comrade is hurt, then you heal him."

"The situation is behind my skills… please save our comrade." Amai pleads to Tsunade.

"You tried to steal the Hyuga's Byakugan. Now you want to seek help from me." Tsunade rebukes him.

"That was settled between the two villages. Our Kumogakure suffered huge losses in that incident." Amai replies to her.

"I NEVER EXPECTED HER TO LISTEN WILLINGLY! LOOKS LIKE I HAVE TO…" A barge in the room.

"YOU HAVE TO WHAT?..." Izuna raises his voice and stares at A.

Gulp…

A swallows his next words and turns to Tsunade.

"Heal Karai and we will pay suitable compensation to you once our backup arrives." A tones down his voice and request Tsunade.

"Well, now… So the big shots waltzed in. Do you think I need your compensation?" Tsunade raises her eyebrow and smirks at A.

"You don't…" A reply in a bland voice.

'I have to somehow convince her to treat Karai. I can't use force here, Shinigami is with her. I have to think of a way.' A churns the gears of his brain.

'Found it. Tsunade likes to gamble, but she always loses the bet. If I can make a bet with her and win it; then I will be able to save Karai without suffering any loss. That's it!'

He turns towards Tsunade.

"How about we make a bet? If you lose the bet, then you will have to heal Karai. If you win, you are free to leave." A try to entice Tsunade in accepting the bet.

Hicc…

"Humm… it sounds interesting. There is no harm in giving it a shot." Tsunade ponders for a while.

"Let me do it, Tsunade. I will take part in bet instead of you." Izuna walks in front of A.

"Do you have any problem, unruly A?" Izuna raises one of his eyebrows.

'Damit! He has to interfere with this. I almost got her.'

"No… no… I don't." A shakes his head.

'I do. I am sorry, Karai, I can't win against this monster.' A close his eyes.