Tsunade Wins

The Land of Hot Springs was a small country between the Land of Fire and the Land of Lightning.

Hiruzen Sarutobi fled north, taking three days to finally shake off his pursuers and reach the Land of Hot Springs.

The war between Konoha and Hidden Cloud had gradually made the atmosphere tense even in this small country, which prided itself on having forgotten war.

Disguised with transformation techniques, Hiruzen walked through a famous hot spring town in the Land of Hot Springs. Seeing the sparse tourists on the streets and the local residents' grave, worried faces as they discussed the war, he felt firsthand the immense pressure that wars between great nations placed on these small countries.

When Hiruzen had first fled Konoha, he had planned to head to the front lines, secretly get in touch with his student Jiraiya, tell him the whole truth, and ask for his help.

But after repeated pursuits by the village's ninja, Hiruzen had been forced off course and eventually ended up in the Land of Hot Springs.

"Lady Tsunade, you can't keep gambling. This is our last bit of living money."

"I'm sure I can win it all back this time. Shizune, let go!"

"Lady Tsunade..."

On the street, a teenage girl clung to the hand of a buxom blonde beauty, pleading pitifully.

Hearing a familiar voice and name, Hiruzen followed the sound and saw a familiar figure.

Watching Tsunade snatch the money case from Shizune and stride confidently into the gambling den nearby, Hiruzen couldn't help sighing.

One of his three students was a gambler, one was a pervert, and one had fallen into darkness. Who knew what had turned them into this?

Still, unexpectedly running into Tsunade gave Hiruzen another option.

He had planned to rest for a few days in the Land of Hot Springs before heading to the front lines and secretly contacting Jiraiya for help.

But now Tsunade was right in front of him. Perhaps he could ask this student for help instead.

Once the idea occurred to him, Hiruzen didn't rashly enter the gambling den. He waited patiently for Tsunade to come out, hoping for a suitable opportunity to tell her the truth.

An hour later, Tsunade emerged, looking solemn and carrying two money cases. Little Shizune followed behind her, hugging another case.

Several more gamblers came out after them, their faces deathly pale after losing everything.

It seemed Tsunade had actually won for once.

"Lady Tsunade, you're so lucky today. Why didn't you keep going?" Shizune asked excitedly. It was the first time she'd ever seen Tsunade win.

Tsunade looked up at the sky, her expression troubled. "I'm not in the mood anymore. I want to go drink!"

With that, she stepped down from the entrance and headed toward an izakaya farther down the street.

Hiruzen sat calmly across from the gambling den in a teahouse, eating sweets and drinking hot tea. He didn't hurry to get up.

Only after Tsunade had entered an izakaya ahead did Hiruzen rise and follow her.

By the time Hiruzen entered the izakaya, Tsunade was already drinking alone in a quiet corner, looking miserable.

Hiruzen walked over and sat down across from her, smiling. "Tsunade, long time no see."

Bang!

Tsunade slammed her cup onto the table and looked at Hiruzen with disgust.

Though he was disguised, Tsunade had still recognized the bastard in front of her.

"Danzo, get lost!"

"Tsunade, I have something I'd like to discuss with you in private."

Tsunade propped her chin on her left hand and held the cup in her right. With a little pressure, she crushed it to pieces, her sharp gaze fixed on Hiruzen.

"Danzo, I already know you tried to assassinate the Hokage."

"I'm not Danzo," Hiruzen said flatly.

Tsunade gave him a scornful smile. "Have you gone crazy? Looking for me to treat you? I can tell you there's no cure. It's terminal. Just wait to die!"

Hiruzen knew that, under Danzo's identity, it would be hard to earn anyone's trust. Left with no choice, he had to play his trump card.

"Tsunade, can we talk in private? Just one thing."

"Get lost, Danzo! Don't make me hit you." Tsunade pressed her right hand against the table, leaving a palm print in the wood.

Shizune, sitting beside Tsunade, was intimidated by her presence. She shrank against the wall and glared angrily at Hiruzen, that big villain.

"Ah!" Hiruzen sighed, then told Tsunade an embarrassing story from her youth that only he could have known.

"Do you remember when you'd just graduated from the Ninja Academy? You lost all your pocket money gambling, stole the deed to your family's house, and took it to a pawnshop."

Bang! Another loud thump. Tsunade flushed and snapped, "Enough! Shut up!"

"Lady Tsunade..." Poor Shizune huddled up in fear.

Tsunade braced herself against the table and leaned forward, bringing her face close to Hiruzen's as she stared at him.

"How do you know that?"

"Tsunade, there are things I can only tell you in private. They concern the safety of the village." Hiruzen glanced at Shizune and gave Tsunade a meaningful look.

Tsunade turned toward Shizune, making the girl flinch.

"Shizune, go wait outside."

Shizune looked at Tsunade with concern, then turned to Hiruzen. After hesitating for a moment, she obediently got up and went outside the izakaya to wait.

"Go on!" Tsunade sat back down and picked up the sake jug, drinking from it heartily.

"I'm not Danzo. I'm Hiruzen Sarutobi. That bastard Danzo used some kind of jutsu to switch our souls." Hiruzen lowered his voice.

Pfft!

Tsunade spat out her drink in sheer shock.

The sake splashed across Hiruzen's face, trickled down, and gathered at his chin before dripping off.

Tsunade set down the jug, wiped her mouth, then leaned forward to study the "Danzo" in front of her.

"You say you're the old man? What proof do you have?"

"The pawnshop owner brought the deed to me. I told Lady Mito, and she locked you in the shrine and made you kneel there for an entire day."

"So you're the bastard who snitched on me!" Tsunade pointed at Hiruzen in anger.

Hiruzen looked at Tsunade earnestly. "Tsunade, can you believe me now?"

Tsunade lowered her right hand, folded her hands beneath her chin, and scrutinized the man in front of her who claimed to be her teacher.

"Even if that was a secret, how can I be sure the old man didn't tell you, or that you didn't happen to find out at the time?" Tsunade remained suspicious.

Hiruzen didn't give up. Looking at Tsunade, he reluctantly brought up something else.

"I used the Telescope Technique in my office to peek at the women's bathhouse. You caught me and punched me right in the right eye." Hiruzen pointed at his right eye, feeling thoroughly ashamed.

If he hadn't been forced into it, he wouldn't have wanted to recall this incident as her teacher, let alone tell Tsunade about it again to her face.

Tsunade looked at Hiruzen with utter disgust, as if he were a piece of garbage.

"Tsunade, I really am your teacher. I'm Hiruzen Sarutobi!" Hiruzen said excitedly.

"Got it. I believe you." Tsunade waved her hand.

"Really?" Hiruzen asked in delight. Ever since Danzo had outmaneuvered him, Tsunade was the first person who knew his true identity and accepted it.

"Only you and I knew about the peeping. It was so shameful that you'd never have told Danzo." Tsunade reasoned.

Hiruzen quickly nodded, looking at his student with excitement.

"But..." Tsunade changed course.

Hiruzen froze, watching her anxiously, unsure whether his student still didn't fully trust him.

"Old man, you're a real scumbag. You were the Hokage, and you still spied on the women's bathhouse. Jiraiya turned out like that because of your influence." Tsunade complained with disgust.

"Ahem!" Faced with his student's accusation, Hiruzen covered his embarrassment with a dry cough.

He wanted to tell Tsunade that Jiraiya's lechery had nothing to do with him. He'd been a little pervert since the Ninja Academy!