According to their routine, Haruki and Tsunade were training in the grove outside the village.
After intense exercise, the area was left in disarray.
The crooked trees were proof of their intense battle.
There was a small incident where Haruki tried to mimic Nagato's Rinnegan abilities, mainly Bansho Ten'in and Shinra Tensei.
The former can pull a specified target towards oneself, while the latter repels various attacks and objects.
In Haruki's view, these two abilities were very similar to gravitational and repulsive forces.
So, he used wind release to simulate push and pull effects.
Because of his vast chakra reserves, he could replicate effects similar to Bansho Ten'in and Shinra Tensei without worrying about the consumption.
But the first time using it, he wasn't very proficient.
He accidentally blew off Tsunade's clothes.
Ahem.
Although he had seen it before, Tsunade was caught off guard and got furious.
She flicked his forehead hard several times, causing it to swell.
Haruki rubbed his sore forehead, genuinely not meaning to do it.
But his explanations fell on deaf ears.
"Tomorrow, we'll head to Konoha's western town, Kinoshita."
Haruki used chakra to restore the small forest as much as possible, but since the trees were repeatedly damaged, he had to use wood release as a substitute.
But they were not the original trees.
"Okay."
Tsunade didn't have any objections and had been looking forward to the so-called summer social investigation for a long time.
The only downside was that the three little kids, Uchiha Obito, Hatake Kakashi, and Nohara Rin, were tagging along.
They were too young for some adult content.
Haruki returned to Konoha and parted ways with Tsunade. He went to the fruit store.
Kakashi had spent an unforgettable month there, becoming a proud fruit ninja.
The residents of the nearby streets were already quite familiar with him.
Especially the fruit store owner's uncle.
A tall middle-aged man who loved to shout "Good job, you deserve a reward!" while throwing fruit at Kakashi from various tricky angles.
Except for occasional mistakes at the beginning, Kakashi sliced all the fruits neatly, earning applause.
After a month, he had accumulated a total of 50,000 ryo in rewards.
Although his father, Hatake Sakumo, took it away saying "You're still young, I'll save it for you," Kakashi, who had received his first fortune in life, was still very happy... just kidding!
He was about to throw up.
Now Kakashi had developed an aversion to fruit.
But luckily, this kind of life surrounded by spectators was about to end.
"Kakashi."
Haruki greeted with a slight smile and then looked at Obito and Rin inside the store.
"Does it hurt? If it does, let me know."
Rin hesitated for a moment, then inserted a knife into Obito's body.
A trickle of blood immediately flowed from his arm.
Obito, unfazed, replied, "It doesn't hurt at all, you can use more force next time."
Rin looked a bit nervous, her hands glowing with faint green light.
Haruki sighed.
He didn't know what to say.
Because Rin had medical talent, Haruki started teaching her.
Originally, he planned to find a guinea pig for practice.
But Obito volunteered to be the test subject.
Meanwhile, Kakashi sighed as well, sharing Haruki's sentiment.
But it wasn't without benefits.
This idiot fought him less because of it.
He had some peace.
Ha, women only slow down my fruit-cutting speed.
After Rin finished her treatment, Haruki informed them to gather at Konoha's main gate at 9 AM the next day.
Kakashi felt alive again.
No way they would make him cut fruit during the social investigation, right?
Obito was also excited.
Going out meant more time spent with Rin.
After all, they rarely met during the summer holidays before.
After Haruki left, he contacted Orochimaru for Mikoto.
She needed the elder's Sharingan for the Hashirama cell surgery.
She had drained too much of her ocular power dragging the Jonin at the Naka Shrine into illusions, risking permanent blindness if she didn't transplant soon.
...
Early September brought a touch of autumn.
The temperature was no longer as hot as summer.
The next day, after breakfast, Haruki and Tsunade headed to Konoha's main gate.
Kakashi, Obito, and Rin hadn't arrived yet.
After a while, they arrived one by one, all carrying backpacks, clearly prepared.
"Leaving Konoha, our social investigation trip officially begins."
Haruki glanced at them. They were all excited about the trip.
"And your summer homework can also begin. Your experiences and observations on the road will be the material for your reports. I don't need fancy language, just your genuine feelings."
After saying what needed to be said, Haruki smiled, easing the atmosphere.
But he remembered something else and added, "We might encounter battles on the way. If it's not particularly dangerous, you three handle it yourselves."
The three nodded in unison.
The first stop was Kinoshita.
As the name suggests, it was a town by a river, typical of riverside towns.
It had rich aquatic products.
Of course, Haruki didn't choose it for the food.
Kinoshita was a week's journey west, followed by the Land of Iron.
Taking their time, it took Haruki and the group a week to reach Kinoshita.
The intersecting waterways dominated the city.
It reminded Haruki of Wujiang Water Town.
It was close to sunset, and the crimson glow reflected off the water and buildings, making one feel refreshed.
They found an inn to stay and had a dinner full of fish.
"Um…"
In the room, Tsunade suddenly seemed shy. "Haruki, I want to…"
"What do you want to do?"
Haruki raised an eyebrow and smiled, "It's just us two, do whatever you want boldly, I won't resist."
"That's not what I meant!"
Tsunade glared at him. This guy always thought the wrong way.
"Huh?"
Haruki felt a bit disappointed. "Then what do you mean?"
"Ahem, don't get mad when I tell you."
Tsunade was embarrassed again. "I saw a casino earlier."
"Oh."
Haruki thought it was something serious. She wanted to gamble.
Although she didn't gamble as often due to his influence, she sometimes couldn't resist.
"Let's go."
Haruki extended his right hand.
He wasn't short of money now, so making Tsunade happy was a good use of it.
After all, happiness was the most important.
Tsunade's eyes curved like crescent moons. She elbowed his waist and said seductively, "I'll make it up to you next time."
Haruki's eyes shifted, seeing the deep abyss of bunny eyes.
"How will you make it up?"
"You'll see then."
Tsunade placed her hand on his right hand, eagerly pulling him outside.
The casino was in the eastern part of Kinoshita, a rather secluded area.
With no internet games in the ninja world, most people's evening entertainment was sleeping.
But the casino was different.
It was bustling with red lanterns illuminating the hall.
Before entering, Tsunade instinctively changed into a normal appearance.
Haruki was slightly stunned, remembering her nickname.
The Legendary Big Spender.
Losing to the point of escaping debt with transformation jutsu.