"Hokage!" Tsunade's hand tightened sharply around her wine cup. An indescribable expression crossed her face—there was a trace of bewilderment, a trace of wistfulness, and even a trace of remembrance.
After a long while, she gave a self-mocking smile. "Not interested."
"An answer I expected." Shin shrugged, not the least bit surprised.
He poured himself a cup of wine and drained it in one gulp before saying, "In a few days, Jiraiya will probably bring a kid named Naruto Uzumaki to find you and invite you to return to the village as the Fire Shadow. I hope you'll still stick to that answer then."
"Heh." Tsunade chuckled, already somewhat drunk. She leaned forward slightly, pressing the waves at her chest against the table, her cleavage faintly visible. "And what does Lord Shin think? Did you come all this way just to say that? Besides, since when did an old man like you start caring about the Fire Shadow's position?"
Bang!
Shin lightly tapped her forehead, knocking her back upright. "Naturally, I have no interest in who becomes Fire Shadow. I didn't tell you this to persuade you to go back and become Fire Shadow, either. I'm merely informing you of what's happening in the Ninja World. As for my purpose..."
As he spoke, he raised his right hand, and an ancient parchment-like document appeared in it. He handed it to Tsunade. "I came here to have you sign this contract."
Slightly drunk, Tsunade accepted it and carefully examined its contents. Yet she discovered that she could not recognize a single word on it. The dense writing looked like tadpoles.
"What is this?" Tsunade asked in a low voice.
Shin tilted his head. "A contract of sale. I came all this way and helped you pay off so many gambling debts.