C16

"Sure enough, you're back. How about going for a drink tonight?" Tsunade's voice came from the entrance as the sky darkened. She had stopped by Kain's food store and found him overseeing some workers who were packing up items next door. She greeted him with a friendly smile.

Kain shook his head politely. "There's no need for that, Tsunade-san. I'm still busy organizing my place, and I don't think I have much time tonight."

Just as he finished speaking, Aya, the store manager, stepped forward. After bowing slightly to both of them, she respectfully interrupted their conversation. "If you're talking about cleaning the yard where Kain-san lives, you could leave that to me. I know where to buy household items and how to organize them quickly."

Kain suppressed a sigh. While Aya's intentions were good, she had completely misunderstood him. He had been making an excuse to avoid going out, and now she had unwittingly backed him into a corner. Tsunade had already tracked him down that evening—no doubt, she'd been tipped off by someone, and Kain had a pretty good idea of who that might have been.

Tsunade chuckled, stepping closer and patting Kain on the shoulder. "Aya's right. You should come with me."

Resigned, Kain nodded. "Fine. I'll leave my place in your capable hands, Manager Aya." He handed Aya some money for shopping and cleaning supplies before turning to follow Tsunade. She was known for two things: her love of gambling and her passion for drinking. It seemed she was determined to indulge in the latter tonight.

Aya watched them leave, feeling somewhat pleased. "This is the first time Kain-san has called me 'Manager Aya.' Maybe that means he's recognizing my abilities," she thought to herself. With that in mind, she returned to the store, planning to enlist a few more hands to help tidy up Kain's living quarters. While the space was already clean, it lacked proper furniture.

At the izakaya, Tsunade effortlessly ordered a few bottles of sake and several plates of skewers. Kain, on the other hand, kept it simple. He ordered tea and a bowl of noodles, feeling genuinely hungry. Since he couldn't eat at home, he figured he might as well have something substantial here.

When the sake arrived, Tsunade offered him a drink, but Kain politely declined. She grumbled something about him being "boring" and happily downed a few glasses on her own.

"Tsunade-san," Kain began after taking a few bites of noodles, "we've known each other for a while now. Why don't you go ahead and tell me why you're here?"

Tsunade's face was slightly flushed, likely from the alcohol. "Did you figure it out already?" she said with a slight slur.

"Since you've already seen through me, I won't waste time. Konoha needs another batch of medicines, Kain-san. This time, we need a lot more."

Kain paused. He had anticipated that Konoha might come to him again, given the constant flow of wounded ninjas from the battlefield. Supplies were always running low, especially with the ongoing conflict in the Land of Grass, and now the skirmishes with other villages were ramping up once more. Although the war in the Land of Rain had mostly ended, tensions with Cloud Shinobi and Kirigakure were rising, creating new demand for medical supplies.

Kain leaned back in his chair and asked, "The same type and quantity of medicines as before? Is that what Konoha wants?"

"Yes," Tsunade confirmed. She hesitated for a moment, then added, "We hope you can sell the entire batch to Konoha."

Kain gave her a long look, sensing there was more to the story. "But Konoha's finances are tight, and there's no money to buy medicine right now, correct?"

Tsunade sighed, rolling her eyes as she poured herself another glass of sake. "I really can't hide anything from you, can I?" It wasn't easy for her to admit the village's financial struggles, and negotiating with Kain had never been simple. He was always direct, and last time, he had firmly refused any deals that weren't clear-cut.

"So, you want me to provide the medicine on credit?" Kain asked.

Tsunade set her glass down and gave him a pleading look. "Yes. Would that be possible?"

Kain's expression hardened. "I'm sorry, Tsunade-san, but I can't extend credit for medicine. If Konoha doesn't have the funds, I'd be willing to accept gold, jewelry, or other valuables in exchange."

Tsunade grimaced, knowing this was exactly what she had feared. "Gold and jewelry, huh? I'll need to ask the Hokage about that. But the village is really struggling right now—the daimyo hasn't provided any funding in quite some time."

Before she could continue, Kain raised his hand to stop her. "Please, Tsunade-san, don't share confidential details about Konoha's financial situation with me. I'm just a businessman. The inner workings of the village are none of my concern."

Tsunade blinked, realizing she had nearly let slip too much in her slightly tipsy state. She apologized softly. "I tend to lose control of my mouth when I've had too much to drink. I'll be more careful. By the way, how's Aya doing with her work?"

"She's doing well. I've already promised her that when the business expands, her relatives will be prioritized for employment."

"Thank you for that, Kain. Honestly, the Senju clan can't accommodate them anymore," Tsunade said, sounding relieved. Many of her clan members had fought bravely on the battlefield, and the Senju clan's resources were stretched thin. The fact that Kain was offering them jobs was a huge help.

Kain nodded. "Speaking of expansion, if I decide to open shops in other parts of the Land of Fire, would people like Aya be allowed to leave the village to help?"

"Of course," Tsunade replied casually. "Some of them know ninjutsu, but they're not full-fledged ninjas, so they can leave the village without restrictions."

Kain felt a sense of relief. Having trustworthy people like Aya and her family working for him, even outside Konoha, would give him more peace of mind. After a few more minutes of casual conversation, Kain excused himself, leaving Tsunade to enjoy her sake.

The following day, Kain checked in with Aya about the progress of the pharmacy and began making plans for a trip to the capital of the Land of Fire. The capital had the largest bookstore in the region, and Kain was confident that the ten novels he had brought with him would be well-received. In a world plagued by war and uncertainty, he believed that literature—especially entertaining and even risqué content—would offer people a much-needed escape.

Just as Kain was about to leave Konoha, however, an Anbu ninja appeared in front of him.

"Mr. Kain, Lord Hokage wishes to meet with you," the masked figure said.