Chapter 130: Nawaki Gets Drunk and Causes a Scene in Front of the Third Hokage

Minato, who had also had a bit to drink, felt his face flush, but he was still mostly in control of himself. He tried to calm Nawaki down, saying, "It's not about your looks. You just haven't met the right girl yet. Trust me, it'll happen."

This is why I said we shouldn't drink, Minato thought. Now look what's happening—Nawaki's losing it.

"Bullshit!" Nawaki suddenly shouted, grabbing Minato by the collar. "If I had a face like yours, or a cool look like the Silver-Haired Devil, you think I wouldn't have girls flocking around me?"

Takuya: "..."

Minato: "..."

What now? Minato thought, feeling a bit dizzy and really just wanting to sleep.

Minato shot a pleading look at Takuya, who simply tossed him a rope and said, "Tie him up and hang him from a tree. He'll sober up eventually. I'll take care of this booze."

Patting Minato on the shoulder, Takuya quickly ditched the scene, taking the half-finished bottle of sake with him.

"Damn it!" Minato cursed as Takuya vanished.

"Minato, you liked Kushina, didn't you? I could tell. Too bad she wasn't into you," Nawaki slurred, his words stabbing right at Minato's pride.

That was years ago, Minato thought, feeling the sting. Do you really have to bring that up?

Nawaki's words hit a nerve, and Minato's eyes narrowed. He suddenly felt a lot less sympathetic toward his drunken friend. Maybe Takuya's right, Minato thought. A little time hanging from a tree might teach Nawaki to keep his mouth shut.

With a determined grin, Minato quickly and efficiently tied Nawaki's hands and hoisted him up into the air. After making sure the knots were secure, Minato rubbed his aching head and headed home, leaving Nawaki to dangle until he sobered up.

And so, Nawaki's first experience with drinking ended with him hanging from a tree in the Senju compound.

"Let me down! Somebody let me down!" Nawaki yelled, swaying in the breeze. The cold wind on his face finally made him realize that he was about to throw up, and he started shouting for help.

On patrol nearby, a couple of ANBU operatives heard the commotion. Tracing the source of the noise to the Senju compound, they were greeted by the sight of Nawaki hanging from a tree, still clearly drunk.

"What should we do?" one of them asked.

"Let's get him down and take him to the Hokage. Let him handle this mess," the other replied. Dealing with an ordinary citizen, they might've given them a lesson they wouldn't forget, but Nawaki was no ordinary citizen. As the grandson of the First Hokage and Tsunade's little brother, he was too important to handle roughly. Better to let the Hokage deal with it.

So they untied Nawaki and carried him, still swaying and unsteady, to the Hokage's office.

"What happened here?" The Third Hokage asked, raising an eyebrow as the ANBU operatives dragged Nawaki into his office. He was in the middle of trying to figure out how to scrape together another team of medical-nin for the front lines when they interrupted him.

Nawaki, reeking of alcohol and barely able to stand, was the last thing Hiruzen expected to see.

"He's drunk," Hiruzen realized immediately, recognizing the signs.

"Lord Hokage," one of the ANBU operatives said, stepping forward with a bow. "We were on patrol when we heard shouting coming from the Senju compound. When we arrived, we found this kid tied up in a tree, completely hammered. So we brought him here."

"This is ridiculous," the Third Hokage muttered, though there was a hint of a smile on his face. Nawaki was only thirteen; hardly old enough to be drinking. But then again, Hiruzen recalled that Tsunade and her friends had been sneaking sips long before they graduated from the academy. Compared to them, Nawaki was pretty tame.

"Was he alone?" Hiruzen asked.

"Yes, Lord Hokage," the ANBU operative confirmed.

Hiruzen sighed, guessing that Nawaki's drinking buddies had left him hanging, quite literally. "Take him home. I'll let Tsunade handle him when she gets back. She'll know how to deal with him."

Just as the ANBU operatives were about to haul Nawaki out, he suddenly lifted his head and stared at Hiruzen with bleary eyes. "I know you... You're the monkey!"

Hiruzen almost choked on his pipe, the ember flaring dangerously as he inhaled sharply.

The ANBU operatives froze, staring in disbelief. The nickname "Monkey" was one only a few of Hiruzen's late peers had ever dared to use, and even then, it had been years since anyone had said it out loud.

"You little brat," Hiruzen muttered under his breath, not sure whether to laugh or rage.

But Nawaki wasn't finished. "My sister says you're a dirty old man, just like Jiraiya! Always trying to peek at her when she's in the bath!"

"Get him out of here, and tie him back up!" Hiruzen snapped, slamming his hand on his desk. The veins in his forehead throbbed with anger.

This had gone from funny to dangerous. If word of this got out, Hiruzen's reputation could be ruined. Being a bit of a pervert was one thing, but being accused of peeping on one's own students was something else entirely. He could already imagine his wife's reaction—not to mention the potential fallout with the Daimyo.

The ANBU operatives, wide-eyed and pale, quickly covered Nawaki's mouth and dragged him out of the office. They were already regretting bringing him here.

And so, Nawaki found himself back up on the tree, but this time with a dirty sock stuffed in his mouth to keep him from spouting any more dangerous accusations.

That night, Takuya slept soundly, thanks to the alcohol. Minato, too, was out like a light after his long day. He didn't even make it to his bed, passing out on the floor as soon as he got home.

Nawaki, however, woke up in the middle of the night, shivering from the cold. With a groan, he freed himself from the ropes and stumbled back to his room in the Senju compound.

The next morning, he awoke with a splitting headache and sore wrists where the ropes had dug in. "Damn it," he muttered, rubbing the red marks. "It must've been Takuya and Minato who tied me up."

As he slowly pieced together the events of the previous night, Nawaki's face paled.

"Oh no... Sis is going to kill me," he whispered, dread washing over him.