The Calm Before the Storm

In Konoha, Senju Genma helped Kushina and Mikoto, two little girls, drag a red-faced Tsunade out of the gambling den.

Since Senju Genma had completed his Sage Mode training, Tsunade and Kushina had dragged him away from the clan compound to go out and have fun.

For the three of them, it was a way to add some flavor to life.

Ninjas were passionate about training to grow stronger, but training could also be dull and monotonous.

The Ninja Academy was on break, so at Senju Genma's suggestion, they had brought Uchiha Mikoto along, too.

Standing outside the gambling den, Senju Genma held a thick stack of bills, each worth a hundred thousand.

"Now that I think about it, gambling dens aren't so scary after all! I came once and won several million. It's faster than robbing someone."

Don't get the wrong idea. Tsunade hadn't won this money, and there was no way she could have.

"Genma, you're amazing!" Uzumaki Kushina said, bouncing up and down.

"Definitely. I almost thought I was going to lose all my pocket money just now. Thank goodness Genma was there."

Uchiha Mikoto let out a long breath. Thinking about how Tsunade had almost gambled away all her pocket money still made her a little uneasy.

Tsunade was crouched on the ground, clinging to Senju Genma as she said tearfully, "This is so unfair! We were at the same table, but I kept losing while you kept winning."

As Senju Genma looked at her with disdain, Tsunade kept rubbing against him, even sneaking in a lick on his cheek.

Wiping the saliva from his face, Senju Genma pinched Tsunade's cheek with his fair little hand. "You've got some nerve. When have you ever won at gambling? You didn't get the nickname 'Big Sheep' for nothing. If you hadn't lost several million ryo earlier, I could've made at least ten million."

Rather than minding the cheek pinching, Tsunade looked like she was enjoying it. Putting on an adorable expression, she said, "Teacher Genma, please teach me how to gamble."

"I can't. I don't know how to gamble at all. I just got lucky," Senju Genma said with a shrug.

He really didn't know how to gamble, and he hadn't cheated at the casino, either. He had simply taken Tsunade's place at the table, and somehow started winning.

The four of them joked and played around as they wandered aimlessly down the street, until they suddenly spotted something amusing.

A young man with a head of white hair was crouched outside a bathhouse, furtively sticking his head out as if he were spying.

"Is it nice?" Senju Genma asked, standing beside Jiraiya in a chilly tone.

Senju Genma didn't deny that Jiraiya was a good person, but he really couldn't stand Jiraiya's habit of spying on bathhouses.

As the saying went, a gentleman might appreciate beauty without becoming lecherous.

If you liked someone, you should go talk to them and woo them!

Sneaking a look like a pervert was nothing but sleazy and disgusting.

"Yeah, it's nice," Jiraiya replied stupidly.

But he quickly came to his senses. Seeing Senju Genma beside him, he gave an awkward smile and said,

"Oh, it's you, Genma! When did you get here? Want to watch together?"

Jiraiya knew Senju Genma.

After all, Tsunade was very fond of Senju Genma and was always talking about him.

Besides, when the Yellow-Gambling-Poison Trio had nothing better to do, they sometimes got together for a meal, and Tsunade liked bringing Genma along.

So both Orochimaru and Jiraiya knew Senju Genma.

"You really are the 'Yellow' in the Yellow-Gambling-Poison Trio. You should worry about yourself first," Senju Genma said with a smile.

Jiraiya, Tsunade, and Orochimaru hadn't earned the title of Sannin yet, so Senju Genma had started calling them the Yellow-Gambling-Poison Trio for convenience. By now, they were used to the name.

"Worry about what—"

Before Jiraiya could finish, a chill ran down his back.

He turned around and saw that Tsunade had already raised her fist.

"Tsunade, hear me out—"

Tsunade had no interest in listening to him. She punched him in the chest.

He went flying, his chest caved in. He didn't stop until he had smashed through a tree and a wall.

Senju Genma opened his big, watery eyes and looked at Tsunade with concern.

"Big Sis Tsunade, Jiraiya is Lord Hokage's student, after all. Won't Lord Hokage be angry that you hurt him so badly? Won't he punish you? Lord Hokage is so scary! Unlike me, all I can do is worry about you!"

Tsunade's heart melted. She hurriedly scooped Senju Genma into her arms.

"Don't be afraid, Genma. After he pulled a stunt like that, my teacher wouldn't have the nerve to defend him."

Nestled against Tsunade, Senju Genma spoke softly. "Why don't you heal him? That might save us some trouble."

Tsunade couldn't help taking a deep breath of Senju Genma's hair, her face showing pure bliss.

The child I raised really is the best. Not only is he cute and handsome, he knows how to care about me, too.

"He brought this on himself. I held back; it just looks bad. He won't die. Besides, I don't feel like healing him. Just take him to the hospital."

"An unfamiliar ceiling."

At Konoha Hospital, Jiraiya slowly woke up with bandages wrapped around his chest. He stared at the ceiling, bewilderment in his eyes.

Beside his hospital bed, a woman who looked like a nurse asked, "Lord Jiraiya, you're awake?"

Jiraiya's voice was hoarse as he asked, "Where am I?"

"You're at Konoha Hospital. You've been unconscious for three days," the nurse said, pouring a glass of water and handing it to him.

Jiraiya moved his arm to take the glass, but the motion made him grimace in pain.

"Ugh! Three days?! Tsunade really went all out!"

"Tsunade showed restraint. Otherwise, you'd have more to worry about than six broken ribs!"

A familiar voice came from the doorway.

Recognizing the person who had arrived, Jiraiya grinned. "Orochimaru, what brings you here?"

Orochimaru smiled as he replied, "I heard you embarrassed our teacher on your first day back in the village and got your ribs broken by Tsunade, so he asked me to check on you."

"Tell me, weren't you traveling? What are you doing back?"

Jiraiya raised an eyebrow and asked in confusion, "Didn't our teacher tell you?"

Orochimaru shook his head. "No."

Jiraiya looked at the nurse and said gravely, "Please leave us for a moment."

The nurse nodded and left the room.

"Our teacher sent me back. Things have been tense lately. The Land of Rain and the Land of Wind are both making moves. War is about to break out."

Orochimaru sighed and said in a low voice, "Just as I thought."

He had already suspected as much.

Since the First Shinobi World War, the economies of the various countries had developed at wildly different rates, widening the gap between them.

According to the intelligence, the Hardline Faction in each country had gained influence under the pretext of "promoting greater equality." The idea of expanding by force and plundering resources had become the mainstream view across the countries.

Looking at the history of the Naruto world, it was clear that, aside from the Fourth Shinobi World War, which was fought against a common enemy, every other Shinobi World War had ultimately broken out because resources were distributed unevenly.