Chapter 94: A Teacher is Like a Parent

The night passed without any further incident.

The next morning, Shinho, Tsunade, and Shizune continued their journey. As for the Fourth Raikage, they paid him no mind.

At precisely nine in the morning, they arrived at Thunderclap City, a border town in the Land of Lightning. Compared to the bustling metropolises of the Land of Fire, this place was much more rustic and rugged.

Shinho thought it felt more appropriate to call it a "Stone City."

"We'll stay at this inn. Shizune, go handle the check-in," Tsunade said as her gaze drifted toward a nearby casino.

"Tsunade-sama!" Shizune said in frustration. "Don't forget why we're here!"

"Purpose?" Tsunade glanced at Shinho, then smiled as if she'd had a sudden realization. "Kid, come with me."

Shizune's reminder made her remember she needed to bring Shinho along—after all, she'd need someone to pay when she inevitably lost.

"Tsunade-sama!" Shizune fumed, gritting her teeth. "That's not what I meant!"

"It's not often we get to visit," Tsunade replied nonchalantly, still smiling. "No rush, we'll take a little stroll first."

You're heading straight to the casino!

Frustrated, Shizune grabbed Shinho by the wrist, saying, "No! Shinho, don't give her any money!"

Tsunade's eyes narrowed, sensing danger.

In the next second, she swiftly scooped up Shinho and bolted. "Shizune! I'll give him back after I'm done having fun!"

Her voice echoed in the air as her figure vanished from sight.

"Tsunade-sama!" Shizune stomped her foot in frustration, angered beyond words.

She was resolved to follow them, using Shinho's own tactics against Tsunade, aiming to minimize the damage Tsunade would do to their finances.

Shinho's head spun as Tsunade dashed through the streets at full speed. His vision blurred as he was pressed tightly against her, held firmly by her arms. The weight of her chest pressed against his face, swaying with each step and repeatedly hitting him.

He instinctively wrapped his arms around her waist to steady himself.

"We're here!" Tsunade said excitedly as she arrived at the casino's entrance.

"Welcome," two young women standing by the door greeted them with deep bows.

"Any open tables?" Tsunade asked, glancing over her shoulder.

She didn't see Shizune following, which surprised her a bit. Though she wasn't sure why Shizune hadn't caught up, it was exactly what she wanted. Without Shizune to stop her, she could finally enjoy herself.

"Yes, we have space," one of the young women replied, though she hesitated. "But according to the rules, children aren't allowed inside the casino."

"He's my son," Tsunade said sharply, giving the woman a fierce look. "will you take responsibility, If he gets lost out here?"

The young woman hesitated for a few seconds, then stepped aside. "Please come in."

"When did I become your son?" Shinho asked, his mouth twitching slightly.

"I'm your teacher," Tsunade said casually. "And while I'm not your real mom, I'm close enough to be your godmother."

Shinho, now buried in her ample bosom, had no way to argue against her logic. This was indeed a parent-child-like experience.

"Now, get down," Tsunade said, bending over and releasing him. "Give me some money."

As the pleasant scent of her perfume faded, Shinho felt a pang of regret.

Steadying himself, he replied, "Shizune-sensei told me not to give you any money."

"Tsk." Tsunade clicked her tongue in displeasure, narrowing her eyes dangerously. "Whose orders do you follow? Mine or hers?"

"I listen to both," Shinho replied calmly, now standing on solid ground with his head clear.

"But you promised to pay the tuition," Tsunade reminded him, her gaze growing sharp. "Are you going back on your word?"

"I'll give you 200,000 ryō," Shinho offered after a moment of thought.

"Fine," Tsunade said, her chin raised confidently. "Watch me turn 200,000 into 5 million."

You really think you're some kind of gambling legend, huh? Shinho thought, clearly not buying into her bravado.

But 200,000 ryō wasn't much to him. With his business in the medicinal herb trade flourishing, he could make millions easily, so the amount didn't faze him.

"Ahh~ you're such a good student," Tsunade cooed, taking the money and giving him a playful pinch on the cheek before rushing off to the gambling tables.

Shinho glanced around the casino, curious. It was quite large compared to the ones depicted in the original series.

In the anime, most casinos resembled small, single-room setups with just one gambling table. But this one was more like a modern casino with slot machines on the left and traditional games like dice on the right.

The only downside was that the dealers weren't as glamorous as he'd hoped.

"Shinho," a voice suddenly called.

Shinho blinked and looked up to see a beautiful woman in a black, straight-haired kimono.

"Shizune-nee?" he asked tentatively.

"It's me," Shizune confirmed in a hushed voice, glancing over at Tsunade before asking, "How much money did you give her?"

"Not much, just 200,000 ryō," Shinho replied.

"That's not much?" Shizune scolded, rolling her eyes. "Stay here. I'm going to win it back."

She rushed over to the opposite side of the table where Tsunade was gambling and began placing bets against her.

The casino was crowded, and with Tsunade engrossed in her gambling, she didn't even notice Shizune had snuck in. Plus, Shizune was a master of the transformation jutsu, a skill she had perfected while running from debt collectors with Tsunade—truly a tale of hardship worth writing a book over.

After watching for a bit, Shinho grew bored. He found an empty spot, closed his eyes, entering his meditative training state.

By his estimation, he was just two or three months away from reaching the level of a second-tier Gu Master. If he put in enough effort, maybe even just one month would suffice.

…

At the Cloud Village outpost in Thunderclap City, the Fourth Raikage sat grim-faced, watching over Karai, who lay in a bed, looking weak.

His shirt was open, revealing his chest, which now bore a grotesque bulging mass shaped like an insect.

"Raikage-sama, I'm fine," Karai said weakly.

"Don't try to act tough," the Raikage said, walking over to the window in frustration. "Where are Mabui and C? They should've been here by now."

"Raikage-sama," Karai explained as best as she could, "This place is far from the village, so it will take some time for them to arrive."

"Stop talking," the Raikage growled, glaring at her.

He was naturally impatient, and after witnessing one of his other bodyguards die horribly last night, sitting around and waiting wasn't something he could tolerate.

He scowled, his mood worsening. He hadn't expected the situation to take such a sharp turn.

Stealing the secret technique scroll from Sugi Village had gone smoothly. A small village like that would have been no match for him; he could have wiped them out single-handedly.

But after they left, Sugi Village had hired the Nokizaru Group to hunt them down, and his bodyguards had been caught off guard by their use of Blast Bugs.

A few minutes later, a knock echoed at the door.

In a flash, the Raikage appeared at the door and opened it to reveal a man and a woman standing outside.

The man was C, one of the rare all-rounder jounin in the Cloud Village, skilled in genjutsu, medical jutsu, and sensory abilities.

Medical ninjas were always in short supply among the Five Great Shinobi Villages.

In the original story, Kankuro was poisoned by Sasori, and the entire village of Sunagakure was helpless. Ultimately, it was Sakura Haruno who saved him.

This demonstrated just how advanced Tsunade's medical ninjutsu was, standing far ahead of others.

The woman now accompanying the Fourth Raikage was Mabui, his external brain. Calm, calculating, and resourceful, she wore a greenish jacket and a pencil skirt, her long white hair contrasting with her dark skin, and she held a clipboard, looking every bit the efficient secretary.

"Raikage-sama," Mabui and C greeted him in unison as they arrived.

"Save Karai first," the Raikage ordered, motioning toward the injured bodyguard on the bed.

"Let me take a look," C said as he approached Karai. Seeing the massive lump on his chest, his brows furrowed.

"is my situation still salvageable?" Karai, noticing his expression, asked weakly.

"Don't say such disheartening things," C responded as he placed his hands on Karai's chest, his fingers glowing with a faint green chakra.

"This is Sugi Village's secret technique," the Raikage said, handing a scroll over to Mabui. "Had I known it would cost lives, I wouldn't have gone."

"This was a necessary sacrifice," Mabui said softly, accepting the scroll. "And besides, what's done is done."

"Have we found the location of the Nokizaru Group yet?" the Raikage's face darkened with anger. "I won't rest until I kill every last one of them."

"We're still tracking them," Mabui replied. "They're quite adept at hiding. We've found traces of them, but their exact location is still unclear."

"Find them, fast," the Raikage said coldly, his face growing more grim.

Mabui nodded calmly, used to the Raikage's fiery temper. It was precisely because of his volatile nature that she had to maintain her composure at all times.

"How's his condition?" The Raikage turned back to C, who was still tending to Karai.

"It's serious," C replied after a moment of hesitation. "The lump contains explosive chakra."

"Explosive? When will it go off?" the Raikage asked, his face tightening.

"It'll detonate when it reaches its limit," Cee said, his voice filled with worry. "If Karai refrains from using ninjutsu, we can delay it a little, but he has at most until tomorrow."

"Damn it!" The Raikage raised his fist, but before he could slam it down, he caught Mabui's warning look. With a reluctant grunt, he lowered his hand. It wasn't the first time he had destroyed a desk in frustration, but this wasn't the place.

"So, what do we do now?" the Raikage asked, feeling helpless for one of the few times in his life. C was the best medical ninja in the village, and if he couldn't save Karai, then they were out of options. Yet, the thought of just standing by and watching Karai die was unbearable to him.

"We have one day," Mabui said after a brief pause. "There are two options."

"What are they?" The Raikage asked urgently.

"First, capture the Nokizaru Group. They're the ones who used the bugs, so they can likely remove them," Mabui said, raising one finger. "Second, find a stronger medical ninja. C is skilled, but he's not a specialist in medical ninjutsu."

"Then do it," the Raikage ordered without hesitation. "Use every resource we have."

Mabui nodded, unsurprised by his command. In Kumogakure, the village's unity was its strength, and defections were exceedingly rare, unlike in other villages.

As Mabui left to make arrangements, the Raikage turned back to C. "Do your best to ease his pain."

"I will," C said, feeling guilty that he couldn't do more. "This is my failure."

"It's not your fault," the Raikage said, waving off the apology.

C resumed his medical treatment as time ticked by. The Raikage waited, his face a mask of barely restrained rage and frustration.

Finally, there was another knock on the door.

"Any news?" the Raikage asked, opening the door immediately.

"Yes," Mabui replied, her face as calm as ever. "We've found Tsunade's whereabouts."

"Tsunade?" the Raikage asked, surprised. "Where is she?"

He had expected news about the Nokizaru Group, not one of the legendary Sannin. But Tsunade's medical skills were renowned throughout the ninja world. If they could get her help, Karai would surely be saved.

"She's at a casino here in Thunderclap City," Mabui answered.

"I'll go get her," the Raikage said without even a second thought.

"Wait," Mabui stopped him quickly. "It would be better if I went."

Although relations between Kumogakure and Konoha had been peaceful in recent years, the history between the two villages was bloody. She feared that the Raikage's temper might escalate things if they met Tsunade. From what she had heard, Tsunade wasn't exactly known for her gentle temperament either.

The Raikage hesitated but eventually nodded in agreement.

Relieved, Mabui left the Raikage's side and made her way to the casino.

When she arrived, she ignored the questioning look of the young woman at the entrance and walked straight in.

Scanning the room, it didn't take long for her to spot Tsunade—her presence was hard to miss.

Mabui's brows furrowed slightly. Tsunade looked like someone who had already lost quite a bit, her face darkened with frustration. Thankfully, Mabui hadn't approached her directly yet—Tsunade was clearly in a foul mood, and getting involved now might have spelled trouble.

At that moment, Shinho, who had been meditating nearby, opened his eyes. His stomach rumbled. Checking the time, he realized it was already noon.

Didn't they say that Tsunade wouldn't let kids go hungry?

As he scanned the casino floor, his gaze locked onto the dark-skinned woman standing near Tsunade—Mabui. The name instantly came to his mind.

If Mabui was here, it was undoubtedly at the behest of the Fourth Raikage.

Walking over, Shinho tugged on Mabui's sleeve.

Startled, Mabui looked down and saw a strikingly handsome young boy. What a beautiful child, she thought, momentarily taken aback.

"We need to talk," Shinho said directly.

In the original story, Tsunade had initially refused to help due to her hemophobia. The Raikage had then challenged her to an arm-wrestling match. When she lost by a single move, she was forced to agree to help.

But Shinho wasn't about to let them get away so easily this time.

"What do we need to talk about?" Mabui asked, curious but wary of the boy's boldness.

"The Nokizaru Group," Shinho replied without hesitation.

Mabui's expression stiffened, her eyes filled with shock, confusion and a bit of wariness.

How could this child know about the Nokizaru Group?

"My teacher is Tsunade," Shinho continued.

"Ah, I see," Mabui said, her suspicions somewhat alleviated. But how did Tsunade come to know about this?

This whole thing was going to be complicated.

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