How About a Bet

On the road outside Konoha, Haku's master and the Fourth Hokage's disciple traveled side by side.

Not far behind them followed another person, also the Fourth Hokage's disciple.

A Shadow Clone.

Jiraiya carried only a massive scroll, his left sleeve hanging empty. Naruto wore a backpack and chatted casually with Jiraiya.

As for the Shadow Clone trailing behind them, he walked while lowering his head to watch his palm. A black sphere had visibly condensed above it.

The prototype of the Rasengan—the Tailed Beast Bomb.

"Hey, Pervy Sage, where are we supposed to look for Grandma Tsunade?" Naruto asked curiously. This was much earlier than when he and Jiraiya had gone looking for Tsunade in those "memories," so naturally, he had no idea how Jiraiya had found her.

In fact, even in those memories, "he" had barely known how Jiraiya had obtained information on Tsunade's whereabouts. The old man always used gathering intelligence as an excuse to slip into every sort of pleasure district wherever he went...

"Tsunade's easy to find. You just need to—" Jiraiya was about to show off his understanding of that old woman's habits when he suddenly sensed a violent burst of Chakra behind him...

A Tailed Beast Bomb was formed by mixing Yin and Yang Tailed Beast Chakra in a ratio of two to eight. It was extremely difficult to control, especially one balanced on a Jinchuriki's palm. It was practically like holding a restless landmine in one's hand.

Bang...

The Tailed Beast Bomb in the Shadow Clone's hand unfortunately dispersed. The escaping, violent Tailed Beast Chakra directly blew Naruto's clone apart, and the clone's training experience entered Naruto's mind at the same time. Master and disciple hurried forward a few steps to avoid being caught in it.

Poof!

Another Shadow Clone of Naruto appeared. He conscientiously ran a short distance behind the two of them and resumed practicing the Tailed Beast Bomb. In truth, if they had not been traveling and drawing attention by making too many clones, Naruto would have long since created a hundred or so clones to train.

The Chunin Exams were about to begin, and Naruto wanted to become stronger as quickly as possible.

Because that also meant the "snake" and "raccoon dog" the Great Toad Sage had mentioned would soon appear.

They were Orochimaru and Gaara.

Orochimaru was undoubtedly difficult to deal with, while Gaara at this time was even more of a lunatic. Once those two truly threatened the village, Naruto would naturally step forward without hesitation.

Every bit of additional strength meant one more person he could protect when the time came.

Master and disciple continued walking as though nothing had happened.

At noon, the two arrived at a small town.

Without question, Jiraiya swaggered straight into the red-light district, leaving his adorable disciple alone at the inn to practice ninjutsu.

Naruto was happy to take it easy. He really was not good at gathering intelligence anyway.

After reviewing the essentials of the Flying Thunder God Technique in his mind, Naruto pressed his right hand against the tea table. Chakra spread out from his palm as he attempted to draw the unique mark of the Flying Thunder God Technique.

He had barely traced a blurry outline before the mark distorted...

"Ugh! Failed again!" Naruto scratched his head in frustration.

But he quickly gathered himself and tried again.

Failed.

Failed.

Failed.

An entire afternoon passed.

"Ah..." Naruto collapsed onto the small bed, his mind exhausted and his head covered in cold sweat.

Just how had Dad learned such a difficult technique...? Recalling the ghostly figure of his father, Minato Namikaze, using the Flying Thunder God Technique in those memories, Naruto could only think that his father had been unbelievably cool. But why could he not learn it...

It felt like he was only missing something tiny...

One crucial little thing...

Just one point... He could not think of it, could not understand it, and so he simply could not get past this hurdle.

The technique could not be completed.

When Jiraiya returned reeking of alcohol and perfume, he found Naruto already exhausted enough to have fallen asleep on the bed. Jiraiya smiled soundlessly, leaned against the window, and quietly gazed at the dim yellow sunset in the distance.

He looked at his severed left arm and thought of the two disciples far away in Amegakure.

Nagato...

For the entire following week, Jiraiya and Naruto remained on the road searching for Tsunade. Their search area was within two hundred kilometers of Konoha, because Jiraiya knew Tsunade would not stray too far from the village.

Whenever they reached a town, they first visited every local casino, large and small, asking after that "legendary cash cow." The casino owners and regulars would usually shake their heads regretfully and say, "Haven't seen her in a while." Ah, what a huge source of income they had lost...

Naruto did not idle away his time on the road either. Besides diligently practicing the Tailed Beast Bomb, he repeatedly mulled over the Flying Thunder God Technique, dismantling, analyzing, and testing it over and over, but every attempt failed without exception.

There was simply a hurdle blocking his path.

"Do I have no choice but to do that...? It feels kind of embarrassing..." Naruto rubbed his nose. Compared to doing that, he wanted more to learn the technique himself and stand before that person.

Stand proudly before his father.

Yet unexpectedly, before he could ask his father for guidance, the fat... Tsunade appeared.

Bang!

A liquor bottle suddenly slammed onto her table. Tsunade, her cheeks flushed red, immediately furrowed her heroic brows. Which blind fool was looking to die? She raised her head with a murderous expression, only to see that shameless old Jiraiya grinning as he said, "You've had so much to drink... How much did you lose today?"

"Get lost!" Tsunade flew into a rage and raised her hand in warning. Jiraiya shuddered all over and reflexively moved a foot away from her.

Shizune sat across from Tsunade with Tonton the little pig in her arms. She apologetically said to Jiraiya, "I'm sorry, Lord Jiraiya. Lady Tsunade has had a little too much to drink..."

"Who said I'm drunk?!" Tsunade slammed the sake bottle onto the table with a bang and yelled at Shizune in dissatisfaction.

I never said you were drunk... Shizune thought aggrievedly, but she did not dare talk back to Lady Tsunade at a time like this.

You really have it rough, Shizune... Jiraiya thought silently. After all these years, that old woman Tsunade's terrible temper had not changed one bit.

"What are you doing here, Jiraiya? Peeping into women's baths?" Tsunade mocked drunkenly before gulping down several mouthfuls of liquor.

Jiraiya's mouth twitched. At that moment, Naruto walked over from behind and asked in confusion, "Pervy Sage, what are you doing... Huh? Isn't this Grandma Tsunade? Great, we finally found you!"

"Did you come specifically to find Lady Tsunade?" Shizune asked in surprise.

"Pervy Sage... Hahaha... It really suits you..." Tsunade slapped the table without a shred of dignity and burst into laughter, nearly crying from it. "Who's this brat? He's pretty funny. Pervy Sage... Hahaha..."

Jiraiya had a headache.

"Who is he... Wouldn't you understand if you took a closer look?" Jiraiya said indifferently.

"Hm? Take a closer look?..." With bleary eyes, Tsunade leaned closer and examined Naruto from head to toe. Her expression... gradually sobered.

"Why did you bring him out here?" Tsunade sternly questioned Jiraiya.

Shizune also studied Naruto carefully in confusion. She did not think there was anything unusual about the boy... Was it the whisker-like marks on his face?

"Because Naruto is a little different from what you might think," Jiraiya said with a smile.

"Hmph..." Tsunade sneered dismissively, but she could not be bothered to waste words with Jiraiya. She could not be bothered with the village's rotten affairs anymore either, and tipped back another mouthful of liquor.

She had unconsciously used medical Chakra to dispel the alcohol in her body earlier, so she needed to drink it back... Tsunade needed to get drunk right now, because she did not want to be sober today. Every moment, every minute, every second of this day was too painful, too torturous for her.

Nawaki... Shizune mouthed to Jiraiya.

Jiraiya immediately remembered that today seemed to be the death anniversary of Tsunade's younger brother, Nawaki. His mood could not help growing heavy as well. That energetic little fellow from back then had unknowingly been gone for so many years.

Tsunade drank by herself, showing no intention of paying Jiraiya any more attention.

Jiraiya also fell silent for a moment, but someone clearly could not hold back any longer...

"Hey! Old hag! How long are you going to keep drinking?!" Naruto grabbed Tsunade's hand holding the bottle and looked firmly into the eyes of this grandmother with a young, beautiful face. "There's no time to waste! The village needs you badly right now! Before long, you may even need to take over as Hokage! Come back to Konoha with us!"

Tsunade nearly laughed in fury. She tried to fling Naruto's hand away, only to find that, caught off guard, she could not shake him loose... Tsunade was instantly humiliated and enraged. Her other hand viciously gripped Naruto's, and she sneered, "Brat, are you looking to die? Hokage? What kind of bullshit is that? Only fools would want to become Hokage!"

Jiraiya covered his face beside them.

What kind of strength was that?

Naruto winced and pulled his hand free, but his eyes remained firm. "Hokage... is my dream! I will definitely become Hokage!"

Tsunade glanced at him disdainfully and took a small sip of liquor.

Grandma Tsunade was really infuriating at this point... Naruto gritted his teeth. "Then how about you, Grandma, who thinks Hokage is bullshit, make a bet with me?"

He extended his right hand, and a blue sphere of Chakra swiftly formed.

"Let's bet that I can learn the Fourth Hokage's Flying Thunder God Technique within one week!"