Shinju frowned after hearing that.
"So that's how it is."
The old man Tsuchikage was extremely cautious. Even when Shinju faked an injury, he sent medical-nin to check him several times. So when it came to something as serious as a Jinchūriki, there was no way he'd take it lightly.
"However," Tsunade continued, "it seems the Four-Tails' Jinchūriki from Iwagakure doesn't get along with Ōnoki. He's not in the village right now."
Shinju's eyes lit up.
"Then do you know where he is?"
Tsunade shrugged.
"How would I know that kind of thing? But you can buy the info from a bounty station. ╭(￣▽￣)╮"
Shinju instantly got annoyed.
"I already gave you all my money to pay off your gambling debt! Where am I supposed to get extra cash to buy intel?! (ꐦ ಠ 皿 ಠ)"
Hearing that, Tsunade lowered her head, realizing she was in the wrong.
After a moment, she said,
"I'm one of the Legendary Sannin, and the current Hokage of Konohagakure. Maybe I can just show my face and get us a discount? ❛‿˂̵✧"
Shinju looked at her, puzzled.
"Really? That works?"
Tsunade puffed up her chest confidently.
"I'm still pretty famous across the shinobi world. You never know until you try."
...
Iwagakure – Tsuchikage's Office
Ōnoki looked down at the scout-nin reporting to him.
"That stubborn old bastard Rōshi still refuses to come back?"
The scout replied respectfully,
"I've explained the situation to Rōshi-sama in full. He said there's no need to worry about his safety..."
Bam!
Ōnoki slammed his hand on the desk in frustration.
"That old fool! He really doesn't know what's good for him!"
"If he didn't have the Four-Tails sealed inside him, I wouldn't care if he lived or died! ╰_╯"
After a few deep breaths, he sighed.
"Forget it. Let him be. Rōshi's mastered Lava Release, and with the Four-Tails inside him… he should be fine."
...
Outside Iwagakure
Sasuke, Karin, Jūgo, and Suigetsu—all wearing the Akatsuki's black cloaks with red clouds—stood outside the village, observing from a distance.
Karin spoke first.
"The Five-Tails' Jinchūriki is being heavily guarded by Iwagakure. There's no way to infiltrate right now."
She turned her head toward the towering crystal mountain outside the village and complained,
"Sasuke, you said we came here to find Shinju. That's why I agreed to follow you. But your real goal was the Five-Tails inside Iwagakure! If you lie to me again, I'm leaving the team!"
Sasuke raised his hand and pointed at the massive mountain of crystal that pierced the clouds.
"You didn't hear? That crystal mountain was created by Shinju himself."
"Shinju is in Iwagakure."
"And collecting the Five-Tails is also part of his goal."
He lied, of course—he needed Karin's chakra-sensing ability.
Karin hesitated but eventually decided to believe him.
Next to her, Suigetsu looked uneasy.
"Forget all that. We should talk about how we're getting into Iwagakure first."
"I heard the Tsuchikage has some kind of special Dust Release technique that can break people down into molecules. If we get caught, we'll be erased from existence! (ー_ー)!!"
Sasuke's expression darkened slightly.
"We'll wait until nightfall. There'll be an opening."
...
Land of Earth – Bounty Station
The moment Shinju and Tsunade stepped inside the bounty station, every eye turned toward them.
Shinju's bright hair and striking looks stood out, of course.
But the real attention came from Tsunade—specifically, from her… figure.
The crowd began whispering.
"Whoa, look at that woman! She's huge!"
"Man, she looks incredible! I gotta find a way to get close to her!"
"Are you crazy? Don't you see the guy standing next to her?!"
"What, that pretty boy? Please, I could take him down in a second. ٩(๑`^´๑)۶"
"Keep your voice down! That's Shinju! He's the guy at the top of the bounty list—with a 3 billion bounty on his head!"
"Wait, what?! (꒪⌓꒪)"
Ignoring the chatter, Shinju and Tsunade walked straight up to the information broker's desk.
The broker was sharp and immediately recognized them.
"Shinju?! And Tsunade-sama?! I never thought I'd see both of you in my lifetime—what an honor!"
Tsunade, clearly enjoying the flattery, tilted her chin proudly.
"We're looking for the whereabouts of Rōshi, the Four-Tails' Jinchūriki from Iwagakure. ´∀`"
The broker nodded quickly… then rubbed his hands together expectantly.
The meaning was clear—he wanted payment.
Tsunade awkwardly smiled.
"Let's talk about this… I don't have any cash right now, so maybe we could—"
But the broker shook his head firmly.
"No can do. I've got a family to feed too, you know. And come on, you of all people should understand—our line of work is dangerous. You wouldn't be trying to stiff me, would you? ( ˙-˙ )"
Tsunade froze, embarrassed.
"I–I…"
That's when Shinju stepped forward.
"Of course we'll pay."
The broker's eyes sparkled. (´◊ω◊｀)
"Wait—this info is for Shinju-sama?"
"If that's the case, I can make an exception and give it for free!"
"I'm your number-one fan! ❛‿˂̵✧ Just give me an autograph!"
Tsunade's face darkened instantly. (╯‵□′)╯︵┻━┻
"What's that supposed to mean?! You want my money but not his?!"
"Do all you information dealers have no standards?! (′д｀σ)σ"
In the end, Shinju traded a crystal for Rōshi's intel.
When they walked out of the bounty station, Tsunade's face was still sour.
Shinju held back his laughter.
"Sensei, looks like your 'showing your face' strategy didn't work so well after all."
Tsunade waved him off irritably.
"Alright, alright, enough! Let's just see where Rōshi is now. (個_個)"
Shinju unrolled the intel scroll. Inside, Rōshi's movements over the past six months were recorded in detail.
After scanning it, Shinju frowned.
"This guy's been walking? Six months and he's only gone this far?"
Tsunade chuckled.
"You wouldn't understand. Rōshi's a wandering monk—he travels the continent on foot to 'measure the world with his steps.'"
Shinju's eyes lit up in realization.
A wandering monk with the Four-Tails sealed inside him—a monkey named Son Gokū.
This was obviously a tribute to Journey to the West!
As expected, the Japanese really loved borrowing from Chinese classics. （ --0027▿ --0027 ）
Tsunade looked at him suspiciously.
"Why'd your expression get so weird all of a sudden?"
Shinju waved his hand.
"It's nothing. I just thought of something funny."
Then he lowered his gaze back to the scroll.
"Based on his movements, he started in the Land of Wind and is heading back toward the Land of Earth."
"The last recorded sighting was on the border between the Land of Birds and the Land of Wind. He's probably still in the Land of Birds now."
(The Land of Birds sits between the Land of Wind and the Land of Earth.)
"We'll check the Land of Birds later. We're bound to find him."
Tsunade nodded.
"Alright. Want me to come with you?"
Shinju immediately shook his head.
"No need. You've already been with me long enough. You should head back to the village—there's still plenty of work waiting for you there. (๑╹ヮ╹๑)ﾉ"
----------------
Pls Drop some Power Stones
+100 chapters and support me on Patreon(.)com/Jixo