26. Tsunade's Private Tutoring
"Nonō, go handle your tasks. I'll watch over Hanekawa," Tsunade said casually after finishing her meal, waving her hand dismissively.
"You can't take him to a gambling den," Nonō Yakushi said suspiciously, her eyes narrowing.
"I won't," Tsunade replied, crossing her arms.
Of course, she wouldn't take him—if Hanekawa went on his own initiative, that would be a different story entirely.
"In that case, I'll leave him to you, Lady Tsunade," Nonō finally agreed after a moment's hesitation.
Unlike Tsunade, she couldn't move so freely; the duties of Konoha Hospital required her constant attention.
---
"Hanekawa," Nonō said, holding three empty bento boxes. "Be obedient, and don't upset Lady Tsunade."
"Understood," Hanekawa nodded obediently.
"And one more thing," Nonō added, as if suddenly recalling something. "Don't leave the village for now."
"Why?" Hanekawa asked, momentarily stunned and curious.
"There have been several cases of children going missing near Konoha, including newborn infants," Nonō explained without holding back.
Missing infants?
Hanekawa immediately thought of the surgery Tsunade performed earlier and Yamanaka Inoichi's serious demeanor.
Adding the timeline into consideration, could this be related to the Wood Release experiments?
In the original story, Konoha conducted such experiments in an attempt to replicate Senju Hashirama's invincible Wood Release abilities.
Using Hashirama's cells for human experimentation, the project resulted in numerous deaths before Hiruzen Sarutobi shut it down. However, Danzo Shimura and Orochimaru continued in secret, eventually producing Yamato, a successful Wood Release user.
"Just don't leave the village," Nonō said softly. "Konoha is filled with skilled ninja—no one would dare act within the village walls."
"Understood," Hanekawa replied, holding back his inner commentary.
With that, Nonō left the office.
---
"Shall I continue, Lady Tsunade?" Hanekawa asked, raising his hands over the koi fish.
"Go ahead," Tsunade replied, glancing at him. "I'll correct you if anything is wrong."
Hanekawa took a deep breath and let his chakra flow through his hands, emitting a warm, soft glow.
Tsunade absentmindedly drummed her fingers against her thigh, her mind wandering to where she could borrow money next.
Despite her numerous debts, her reputation as one of the Sannin and a legendary medical ninja usually guaranteed someone would lend to her. In the war-torn shinobi world, a good healer was invaluable.
"I'll step out for a moment," Tsunade said after spotting a potential source of funds.
Hanekawa nodded slightly.
To his surprise, Tsunade returned less than ten minutes later, her expression cheerful.
There was no doubt—she'd managed to "find" some money.
---
"Your posture is wrong," Tsunade said, approaching him. She reached out to adjust his arms, lifting them slightly.
Hanekawa instinctively looked up, only to have his view completely obstructed by a shadow of "mountain range." He couldn't even see her face.
"Focus," Tsunade reminded him.
Hanekawa quickly snapped back to reality and resumed his practice, his determination renewed.
Under Tsunade's guidance, his progress bar increased significantly.
---
Two hours later, his progress had already reached 15%.
Tsunade's private tutoring was indeed extraordinary.
"Are you holding up just fine?" Tsunade asked, giving him a once-over.
"My chakra is nearly depleted," Hanekawa replied.
Hanekawa put away the scroll and said, "Let's go to the casino."
Tsunade's eyes lit up, her beautiful face brimming with excitement.
Under her lead, Hanekawa found himself at a ninja world casino.
Though this was his second life, it was his first time stepping into an actual casino.
---
"Lady Tsunade," a young man at the casino entrance stopped them, saying, "According to the rules, children are not allowed inside."
"Is that so?" Tsunade raised her hand and clenched her fist.
The sudden burst of pressure in the air made the man stagger back, his face pale.
"P-Please, go ahead," he stammered, quickly putting on a fawning smile.
With decades of punching power behind that hand, there was no way he could stand against her.
---
As soon as Tsunade entered the casino, all eyes turned to her, many of them gleaming with a look that screamed money.
The reason was simple.
She was a living legend—The Big Loser.
Anyone who frequented the gambling scene knew her infamous reputation.
As for Hanekawa, he was instantly overlooked.
People came to casinos to win money.
Anything else was irrelevant.
Hanekawa took a look around.
The ninja world casino was reminiscent of early arcade parlors.
The left side had rows of gambling machines plugged into the wall, while the right had betting tables crowded with people placing their wagers.
Unfortunately, there were no sultry dealers in sight.
"Make some room for Lady Tsunade," a young dealer said with a smile.
The money delivery queen had arrived, after all.
An argument broke out around the tables as everyone scrambled to sit with Tsunade.
---
Uh-oh.
Hanekawa noticed a big problem: his height. He couldn't see the betting table at all.
Just as he was about to find a stool, he suddenly felt himself being lifted.
A faint fragrance wafted through the air.
Hanekawa blinked.
When he realized he was now sitting on Tsunade's lap, it finally hit him.
"Alright, let's start," Tsunade said, holding him in one arm as she leaned forward with a serious expression.
Why does this feel like a sport?
Hanekawa thought, acutely aware of the soft weight pressing against the top of his head.
---
Once he adjusted himself and got a clear look at the betting table, he sighed inwardly.
It wasn't a simple game of high or low.
Instead, it was a roulette board with 37 slots.
The betting options ranged from single-number bets to red/black, odd/even, and high/low, each offering different odds.
Single-number bets had the highest payout but required pure luck.
Hanekawa figured his luck wasn't too bad—after all, he'd been reincarnated, hadn't he?
And even if it wasn't great, it couldn't possibly be worse than Tsunade's.
As long as their combined luck was average, they should avoid going bankrupt.
---
"Bet on black," Hanekawa said quickly when he saw Tsunade placing her chips on red.
"Alright," Tsunade said after a moment of thought, moving her chips to the black section.
"No more bets," the dealer announced, spinning the roulette wheel.
A few seconds later, the result came in: black.
"We won?!" Tsunade froze for a moment before excitedly hugging Hanekawa.
"I... can't... breathe..."
Caught off guard, Hanekawa felt like two mountains had suddenly collapsed onto him.
"Again!" Tsunade released him, her confidence soaring. "We're winning it all back today!"
'No, Lady Luck seems to be smiling on me instead' Hanekawa thought, focusing intently.
Sitting on his human chair, he began offering Tsunade strategic advice.
Although not every bet hit, they avoided obvious mistakes, and their odds improved significantly.
---
Three hours later, they walked out of the casino with a modest profit of 300,000 ryo.
While it wasn't a fortune—barely a third of an S-rank mission reward—it was an unprecedented success for Tsunade.
Her luck, balanced by Hanekawa's guidance, had finally turned normal.
"Let's go!" Tsunade patted Hanekawa's shoulder with a grin. "I'm treating you to roast chicken!"
______
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