Conceded

However, Shizune was not the type of person to go back on her word.

Since she had made the promise herself, no matter how reluctant she felt inside, she would still honestly abide by it.

Thus, Shizune handed the Ninjutsu Launcher over to Tsunade.

"Lady Tsunade... although I lost, I still hope you can quit gambling in the future," Shizune said, carefully choosing her words. "Even though as your disciple, I shouldn't be making demands of my master, this is truly what I think in my heart."

"If it is at all possible, I implore you to quit gambling. Only by quitting can you set a good example for the younger generation of the entire ninja world!"

The way she said that...

Takizawa Dan couldn't help but press his hand to his forehead.

Clearly, he and Shizune shared the same goal—hoping Tsunade would quit gambling and return to a normal life—but their methods and techniques were worlds apart!

Takizawa Dan had used a persuasive approach, tying it to his own future by claiming he lacked the funds to train and that Tsunade was his only source of income, so he hoped she could save the money for him...

Such a reason sounded very sincere, and most importantly, it inadvertently protected Tsunade's reputation, giving her the feeling of an enlightened master providing for her disciple.

In short, both emotionally and logically, he had grasped Tsunade's psychology; it was hard for her not to yield!

Yet, the way Shizune put it was essentially moral kidnapping, saying Tsunade must quit gambling for the sake of the youth and for setting an example, blah, blah, blah...

Who wouldn't be furious hearing that? Is she implying that she's lived her whole life just to serve the younger generation and the youth of the ninja world?

If it were the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, who valued education and placed all his hopes on the youth, then perhaps such an argument would work. But then again, the Third Hokage already lived like a saint, leaving no room for anyone to pick faults.

If Tsunade were truly that kind of person, then the talk of quitting gambling would naturally follow.

Takizawa Dan couldn't help but sigh repeatedly. His senior sister seemed to be a bit dim-witted... a classic case of high intelligence but zero emotional intelligence or social grace.

Sure enough, upon hearing Shizune's words, the faint smile on Tsunade's face vanished, replaced by a cold expression.

"I know what I should do regarding this matter; you don't need to worry about it."

With that, Tsunade took the Ninjutsu Launcher from Shizune's hands and passed it to Takizawa Dan.

Seeing Tsunade looking at her with that familiar disdain, Shizune immediately lowered her head in self-deprecation, seemingly unable to understand what she had done wrong.

Takizawa Dan shook his head repeatedly. Senior sister, please stop feeling aggrieved. I suspect Tsunade has been driven quite mad by you over these past ten years...

Tsunade hasn't even complained about being wronged, yet you're already starting.

Fortunately, the Ninjutsu Launcher was now in his hands. This was the biggest gain of the day, and Takizawa Dan had no complaints.

"By the way, Senior Sister Shizune, which scrolls are inside this? What ninjutsu can I currently use?"

After weighing the launcher and testing its balance, Takizawa Dan fiddled with the device and asked Shizune.

"Hmm... currently there is one Fire Style, two Water Style, one Wind Style, and two Earth Style scrolls."

Shizune recalled for a moment and continued, "Here, I'll give you these scrolls together. You can study them when you have time."

"But you must be careful. Keep the safety on when you're not using it to prevent any accidental discharges."

After saying this, Shizune pulled a handful of scrolls from her pocket and handed them to Takizawa Dan.

It wasn't that she had intended to hoard these items or be difficult; it was just that since this was Takizawa Dan's first time using a Ninjutsu Launcher, an accident could easily occur if he were careless.

Just like someone handling a gun for the first time, one would certainly unload the bullets to ensure safety and prevent accidental firing.

Now that Takizawa Dan had asked, Shizune gave him all the scrolls.

Takizawa Dan took the scrolls and examined them.

Because they had to fit inside the launcher, the scrolls were as compact as possible, likely less than a third the size of a standard scroll.

However, this size was just right for fitting into the launcher's slot.

Each time, one scroll could be loaded. Once used, the scroll would automatically incinerate, requiring a new one to be loaded.

To put it simply, it was like a gun that required reloading after every single shot!

Coincidentally, in his previous life, Takizawa Dan had been a huge fan of live-action CS games and was a total enthusiast for firearms.

Therefore, getting his hands on this simplified, gun-like Ninjutsu Launcher made it incredibly easy for him to get the hang of it!

In just a few moments, Takizawa Dan had completely mastered the operation.

Watching Takizawa Dan handle the Ninjutsu Launcher with such ease, Shizune looked extremely surprised.

After all, there were no firearms in the ninja world, and it was usually very difficult to get used to them at first. Someone like Shizune had spent three full days just to get the grip and posture right.

Yet, looking at Takizawa Dan, he had learned it in an instant?

As Shizune marveled at the gap between people, an unprecedented thought surfaced in her mind.

Perhaps, this Ninjutsu Launcher belonged to Takizawa Dan after all!

Otherwise, how could he be so familiar with it, as if he had played with it countless times?

For a moment, the sense of loss Shizune felt over the launcher faded, replaced by a sense of relief that it had returned to its rightful owner.

"This is a good item. Takizawa Dan's abilities in all areas are top-tier; the only pity is that he lacks chakra and cannot release ninjutsu freely," Tsunade remarked from the side. "With this thing, it can certainly make up for quite a few shortcomings."

Takizawa Dan nodded as well. His main goal was to hide the fact that he could use ninjutsu; otherwise, he wouldn't have gone to such lengths to obtain this launcher.

With this device, he could use it as a cover for any ninjutsu he released in the future.

"By the way, Senior Sister Shizune, what rank are these scrolls? Can I buy more when I run out?"

Takizawa Dan pressed further.

This was the most critical point. If a gun had no bullets, no matter how good it was, it was just a piece of scrap metal!