Tsunade stared at Naruto for a long while, then finally stood up with a sway of her generous assets.
"I'm Tsunade. My reputation for keeping bets is well known. Since I lost, I'll honor the deal."
"But since you'll be training under me for a month, that makes you half my student, doesn't it?"
"As a student, shouldn't you treat your teacher to a few drinks?"
"..."
The group returned to the restaurant.
Empty sake bottles were scattered across the table. Tsunade had already taken off her outer coat, her face flushed and clearly tipsy.
In her tipsy state, Tsunade exuded even more boldness and charm.
Naruto had also had a fair bit to drink, though his face remained unchanged.
Alcohol didn't seem to affect him at all.
Apparently, a liver that's too strong isn't always a good thing—he could barely get a buzz before the alcohol was already filtered out.
Naruto took another large swig, sighing.
Without her coat, Tsunade's figure was even more apparent.
"Kid, I didn't expect someone your age to hold his liquor so well. Come on, drink some more!"
After downing a few more bottles, Tsunade was finally drunk enough for Shizune to help her back to the inn.
Naruto booked a room next door.
Hidan pulled a sour face.
"Bro, you're not planning to make me share a room with you, are you? Two guys alone in a small space? That's a little sus."
Naruto shook his head.
"Of course not."
Hidan immediately perked up.
"Then just book me the cheapest room. I'm not picky!"
He was already fantasizing about escaping Naruto's control as soon as they separated. The moment he got the chance, he'd bolt.
"The hallway's pretty wide." Naruto said blandly.
"Huh? You want me to sleep in the hallway? But that's—"
Before Hidan could finish, Naruto was already in his room.
The Adamantine Sealing Chains were still bound around Hidan, giving him no chance of escape.
"Disgrace! This is utter disgrace!"
Hidan fumed, slumping against the hallway floor.
Inside the room, Shizune hugged her little pig, Tonton, as she spoke in concern.
"Tsunade-sama, how can Uzumaki Naruto use Wood Release? And are you really going to train him for an entire month?"
Tsunade sat on the bed. Her drunkenness had already completely worn off, her expression serious.
"I don't know why he can use Wood Release. But regardless, he's an unprecedented genius."
"Even my grandfather, Hashirama Senju, didn't have talent like that. He might completely reshuffle the balance of power in the Shinobi World."
"That serious?" Shizune was shocked.
"That's me being conservative," Tsunade said. "The Uzumaki bloodline, the Nine-Tails, and now Wood Release, all in one boy—and he can control them perfectly. That's terrifying."
"Old man Hiruzen... you really—"
Tsunade couldn't help but grumble about the Third Hokage.
Such a genius boy, and they pushed him into becoming Konoha's enemy.
The next day, Naruto, Tsunade, Shizune, and Hidan went back to the restaurant for breakfast.
As they ate, Tsunade casually asked,
"So kid, what exactly do you want to learn from me?"
"Everything," Naruto replied without hesitation.
Tsunade chuckled, leaning closer.
"Learning everything in just one month? You're pretty arrogant, y'know. I've got a lot to offer—you think you can handle it?"
Naruto casually swallowed a large piece of bread in one bite.
"Only one way to find out."
"Hmph, fine! But before we start training, I have somewhere to go."
Tsunade stood up and walked out.
They arrived at a street corner, right in front of a gambling den.
The moment Tsunade appeared, a group of people surrounded her.
"Tsunade! When are you paying back my money?!"
"You said three days—it's been ten! Don't tell me you're trying to skip out!"
...
Every one of them was a debt collector.
And somehow, these regular civilians actually had the guts to chase down a Kage-level shinobi.
Of course, Tsunade never used violence in these cases.
Maybe that's why the entire Shinobi World called her the "Big Fat Sheep."
Emphasis on both big and fat.
"What's the rush? Today I'm winning it all back—with interest!"
"Let's roll!"
Inside the gambling den, Tsunade looked at Naruto.
"You know how to play?"
A crowd had gathered around a table.
On the table sat a dice cup, placed over a betting sheet.
There were three betting options: "Big," "Small," and "Triple" (i.e., three of a kind).
The rules were simple: three dice are rolled. If the total is 3–10, it's small; 11–18, it's big. Triples beat both sides but have a 36x payout.
"I've dabbled," Naruto replied flatly.
The dealer, a middle-aged man, started shaking the cup.
After a few practiced shakes, he slammed it down on the table.
"Place your bets, place your bets now!"
Naruto calmly activated Transparent World—everything inside the dice cup was crystal clear.
4-4-3, total of 11, Big.
With that kind of vision, this was practically cheating.
But Naruto didn't bet immediately.
After all, this was the ninja world. Who knew if some sneaky ninjutsu could alter the dice?
"4-4-3, eleven points, Big!"
Two more rounds passed, and the dealer still hadn't used any tricks.
'So honest? Just pure luck?'
Naruto was genuinely surprised.
Tsunade nudged him hard with her "weapons."
"Hey, what're you hesitating for? The worst thing in gambling is doubting yourself! If you're too scared, just hand me your money—this one's definitely Big!"
Naruto glanced at the dice cup again.
Sure enough, it was 2-3-3, total of 8, Small.
He calmly placed a 100 ryo bill on Small.
The dealer opened the cup.
Seeing Naruto only bet 100 ryo, Tsunade shouted indignantly,
"Only 100?! Kid, that's way too stingy! If it were me, I'd go all in!"
"You just said it'd be Big. If I went all in, wouldn't I have just lost it all?"
Naruto shot back.
Tsunade was speechless.
25 minutes later…
Naruto had placed 50 million ryo on Triple.
All of it won by compounding the original 100 ryo.
Tsunade, watching from the sidelines, was stunned.
This guy had just kept winning and winning!
It was like watching a version of herself who actually won.
Seeing the pile of money grow into a small mountain had her completely hyped.
When Naruto put all of it on Triple, the excitement hit a peak. Her cheeks flushed red.
Meanwhile, the dealer was sweating bullets.
He had lost so many rounds in a row—he was completely shaken.
Even though Naruto had picked the least likely bet—Triple—he still felt like the guy would hit it.
Fifty million ryo.
If Triple came up, the payout was 36x—that's 1.8 billion ryo.
He couldn't afford that. No way.
Just then, a sharply dressed young man strode into the gambling den.
He walked straight to the table, kicked the dealer aside, and smiled at Naruto.
"Sir, you've turned 100 ryo into 50 million."
"If I were you, I'd take that 50 million, leave right now, and enjoy the rest of my life in luxury. What do you say?"