Even a Pig Could Make Something of It

Ye Ning suddenly realized there was a problem.

Tsunade still hadn't paid the bill!

Several people had come to the table, but aside from freeloading, not a single one of them had thought to pay.

Now Tsunade had passed out drunk, too.

So Tsunade had invited him out to eat, and he still had to pay for it himself?

Ye Ning seriously suspected Tsunade wasn't drunk at all and was just trying to skip out on the bill.

But after calling her several times without getting a response, Ye Ning had no choice but to give up on waking her to pay. He obediently settled the bill himself.

Fortunately, his cheap old man had left him a large sum of money before leaving. Otherwise, he would have had to skip out on the bill with a drunken Tsunade in tow.

The Daimyo's Son of the Land of Fire and one of the Konoha Sannin eating barbecue and fleeing because they couldn't pay? They'd be laughed out of their minds if word got around!

Speaking of that large sum of money, Ye Ning suddenly thought of something.

If Tsunade found out he had that much money, wouldn't she just snatch it and use it for gambling?

With Tsunade's luck at gambling, she could lose not just that amount, but probably the entire annual budget of the Daimyo Mansion!

Looks like he'd better hide the money...

After paying, Ye Ning returned to the table and grumpily hoisted Tsunade onto his back. He was in no mood after being swindled out of money, and his movements were naturally much rougher.

"Drink, drink, drink. All you ever do is drink! I know you're upset, but you don't have to drink every day, do you? And if you're going to drink, fine, but then you skip out on the bill and act shameless about it. You're a grown woman..."

The more he thought about it, the angrier he got.

Ye Ning simply raised his head and gave Tsunade's ample backside two smacks.

"Smack!"

The crisp sound of the slaps echoed through the twilight streets.

His palm landed on those full, rounded cheeks, and they rippled at once, jiggling with a satisfyingly soft bounce.

Ye Ning hadn't held back, and the drunk Tsunade finally reacted a little:

"Quit it!"

"Stay still. Don't move around!"

With that, he raised his hand and gave her two more smacks.

He had to admit, they really were bouncy.

"..."

The next day, the sun was already high in the sky.

Ye Ning slowly climbed out of bed, his whole body stiff and aching.

Don't get the wrong idea.

Ye Ning finally understood what people meant when they said an angry woman was harder to hold down than a pig waiting to be slaughtered for the New Year.

Tsunade hadn't been angry last night, only acting up because she was drunk, but the difference was hardly worth mentioning.

Ye Ning had gone to great lengths to get Tsunade into bed and tuck her in, but the moment he turned around, she kicked the blanket onto the floor again.

Then she sat straight up. She didn't speak or do anything else; she just stared right at him.

She had put him through the wringer all night.

And could someone explain why, when he drank with Tsunade, the liquor he drank at night was still there when he woke up in the daytime—and the liquor he drank during the day was still there when he woke up in the daytime?

Tsk...

What a headache.

Come to think of it, Tsunade had said she'd find him a genjutsu master to teach him today, right?

Could she still be asleep?

Ye Ning shook his head and got up, then walked out of the room.

As he crossed the courtyard, he saw several figures sitting there.

One of them was Tsunade, who had been drunk the night before.

Of the other two, one wore a Konoha jōnin uniform and had a pale face and an effeminate air; the other wore a clan robe and looked ruddy and full of vigor.

Ye Ning froze.

He didn't recognize the man in the clan robe, but he knew he couldn't be mistaken about the other one!

That trademark move of licking his lips with his tongue... There was no doubt!

One of the Sannin... Orochimaru!

After a brief moment of stiffness, Ye Ning let out a long breath.

At this point in time, Orochimaru hadn't yet become as deranged as he would during his human experiments. He seemed a little aloof, but in truth, he was still the sort who was cold on the outside and warm on the inside.

It was only natural to be wary of him, but Ye Ning didn't need to be afraid.

As for the other guy... Ye Ning studied him carefully, but couldn't figure out who he was.

Could Tsunade really be planning to have Orochimaru teach him genjutsu?

That didn't sound so bad, actually.

As everyone knew, Orochimaru was exceptionally good to his students.

He had devoted himself to teaching Nawaki, and when he taught Sasuke, he practically treated him like his own son. He hadn't been bad to Anko, either; even after defecting from Konoha, he hadn't laid a hand on her.

Besides, Orochimaru's genjutsu was certainly no slouch before he began his reincarnation experiments.

Although Orochimaru had been taken down by one of Uchiha Itachi's genjutsu techniques, his genjutsu was definitely strong. Otherwise, his Genjutsu score in the Databook wouldn't have been 10.

"Hey, you're finally awake. Come over and meet your future teachers."

Noticing Ye Ning in the hallway, Tsunade smiled broadly and beckoned him over.

Wait, what did she mean by "teachers"?

Was that unfamiliar ninja also going to teach him genjutsu?

Or was he going to teach him... Taijutsu?

As far as Ye Ning could remember, Konoha didn't have many famous Taijutsu specialists.

Apart from Might Duy and his son Might Guy, Ye Ning couldn't think of any other Taijutsu specialists.

The man in front of him was obviously neither Might Duy nor Might Guy.

Might Duy was an eternal Genin and could never have had contact with someone as high-ranking as Tsunade. As for Might Guy, he was far too young.

Puzzled, Ye Ning walked over and stood in front of the three, letting them look him over.

"So this is your other little brother, Ye Ning? He's unexpectedly handsome."

Orochimaru curled his lips into a bewitching smile.

Ye Ning couldn't help shivering.

If someone else, especially a woman, had praised him like that, he might have been a little pleased. But when Orochimaru said it, he really couldn't feel happy about it!

And Ye Ning noticed something else strange, too.

Orochimaru's attitude toward him...

Was inexplicably friendly?

"Well, brat, these are the teachers I found for you: Orochimaru, one of my fellow Sannin, and Kurama Dequn, a jōnin of the Kurama Clan. One of them will teach you genjutsu, while the other will help you develop your Kekkei Genkai. You'll also study Taijutsu and Medical Ninjutsu with me."

"Hey, kid, starting today, your good days are over. From now on, you'll be facing training straight out of hell!"

Tsunade folded her arms. Her face gave nothing away, but Ye Ning could sense the concern beneath the surface.

Orochimaru would help him develop his Kekkei Genkai, a Kurama Clan jōnin would teach him genjutsu, and he'd study Taijutsu and Medical Ninjutsu with Tsunade. Maybe he could even learn some Lightning Release Ninjutsu from Hatake Sakumo...

With a teaching lineup like this, even a pig could make something of itself, right?

Ye Ning's mouth twitched.

Just how afraid was Tsunade that he'd meet the same fate as Nawaki?

And yet, a warm feeling stirred in his heart.