Chieftain's Wife

After the war in the Land of Rain concluded, Tsunade spent her six-month break in the village doing nothing but eating, sleeping, and gambling.

However, every time she gambled, she managed to lose the equivalent of an S-rank mission reward—at least one million ryo per session.

This gave Senju Genma a brilliant idea.

As the saying goes, charity begins at home; if one must borrow money at high interest, it might as well be from outsiders, since one could always default on those debts.

Given Tsunade's combat prowess and the influence of the Senju Clan, if she decided not to pay back a loan, absolutely no one could force her.

But since she was destined to lose money anyway, it was better to lose it to her own clan than to outsiders.

Senju Genma had already planned to leverage the clan's influence to open his own casino. With the Jonin and Chunin still in the clan, he could have them oversee the floor, ensuring there would be no need to worry about cheaters or organized crime.

In the future, whenever Tsunade wanted to gamble, he would just send her to the clan's casino. Since she couldn't win anyway, he could simply provide her with a private suite so no one else could bet against her, ensuring the house would never lose.

This business was a guaranteed profit, a steady stream of income that would help subsidize the clan's expenses.

Mito had entrusted the clan to him; if she knew he was successfully developing and strengthening it, she would surely be pleased.

"It seems Genma knows I'm a bit strapped for cash lately. Thanks a lot," Tsunade said, reaching out for the money.

Genma was faster, tucking the money away into his robes.

"Haven't you been on the battlefield? Is your reputation as a 'Big Fat Sheep' so legendary that those casinos have followed you all the way to the front lines?"

Tsunade rubbed her face against Genma's in a display of feigned embarrassment.

"Of course not. It's just that I've been stuck in the Logistics Department and haven't been able to reach the front lines. I lost all my money back in the village, and I haven't been able to earn any since."

"I have to prepare for life after the war, don't I?"

"Think about it: if I, the dignified wife of the Clan Head, don't have a single coin on me and have to go out and borrow at high interest, wouldn't that be a disgrace to you, my dear husband?" Tsunade pouted, smiling.

So you do know what shame is, he thought. I thought you'd reached the realm of being completely shameless.

Senju Genma raised an eyebrow. He didn't believe a single word she said.

Still, it was true that if the granddaughter of the First Hokage and the wife of the Senju Clan Head were broke and resorting to loan sharks, it would indeed be a massive blow to his reputation as the Clan Head.

"Here's one million. Not a ryo more," Genma said, glancing at her.

"Thank you, darling." Once she had the money, Tsunade followed Genma's gaze and snapped, "You hateful man... I'll grow eventually, it's just not my time yet!"

Listening to her weak defense, Genma shook his head.

Ten days later.

Genma rose from his bed and stretched. He stepped outside; it was still early, and the surroundings were dim.

"Not going to sleep in?"

He was up early only because he had just received a notification from Sakumo Hatake to attend a meeting.

"It's fine, I feel full of energy now." Tsunade stretched as well and chuckled, "I haven't forgotten that we have important business today."

Senju Genma and Tsunade chatted as they walked to the Konoha unit command center.

Sakumo Hatake had called an emergency meeting, requiring all high-ranking officers without active missions to attend.

Setting aside Senju Genma's role as an Anbu captain and free agent, Tsunade was technically under Sakumo Hatake's jurisdiction as the head of the Logistics Department.

Inside the command center, Sakumo Hatake was listening to the intelligence Orochimaru had brought back, his expression growing grimmer by the second.

He was just about to send someone to urge Tsunade and Genma to hurry when a ninja entered to report.

"Lord Sakumo, Lady Tsunade and Lord Genma have arrived."

Sakumo Hatake replied calmly, "Let them in."

"Yes."

Senju Genma pulled Tsunade through the door, and seeing the troubled expressions on everyone in the room, he knew something bad had happened again.

"Sakumo, we're here. What's going on?" Senju Genma asked first.

Sakumo Hatake pondered for a moment before explaining the latest intelligence Orochimaru had gathered.

The situation was actually quite simple.

The Hidden Sand Village had sent reinforcements to the front lines.

In addition to fifteen hundred ninja, Orochimaru had also spotted Shukaku among the Sand forces.

The so-called Shukaku actually referred to the One-Tail Jinchuriki, Bunpuku.

However, as time passed, Bunpuku's name had been forgotten, and people simply referred to him by the name of the Tailed Beast within him: "Shukaku."

From the moment he was born, the One-Tail Shukaku had been sealed inside Bunpuku, making him the One-Tail Jinchuriki.

Not only that, but through diligent training, he had learned to master the One-Tail and maintain a friendly relationship with it.

"Has the Hidden Sand Village gone mad? They actually dare to deploy a Tailed Beast," Tsunade said, shocked.

One had to realize that in the ninja world, Tailed Beasts were the equivalent of nuclear weapons.

Every major ninja village possessed them, but they were generally not used on the battlefield; they served primarily as a deterrent.

The First Shinobi World War saw the deaths of every Kage from the various nations; except for the Second Kazekage, Shamon, who died an unnatural death in accordance with the traditions of the Hidden Sand Village, all the other Second Kage perished in battle.

Yet, despite the intensity of the conflict, no nation had ever deployed a Tailed Beast into the fray.

The destructive power of the Tailed Beasts was simply too great; if the precedent of using them in warfare were ever set, every village would follow suit, potentially inflicting irreversible damage upon the world.

Sakumo Hatake did not answer Tsunade's question, turning instead to look at Senju Genma.

"Genma, I heard that the Third Kazekage is currently sending men across the Land of Wind to track you down. What did you do?"

What did he do?

Carefully recalling the "good deeds" he had committed, Genma shook his head and replied, "I didn't do anything. I simply completed the missions you assigned to me as usual."

Upon hearing this, Sakumo Hatake looked at him with suspicion and said, "Tell me about it. I want to know the details of how you carried out those missions."

Senju Genma reminisced for a few seconds, organized his thoughts, and then began to recount the process of his mission to Sakumo Hatake.

Of course, Senju Genma did not tell the whole truth; he replaced the parts involving his Mangekyo Sharingan with other ninjutsu he had supposedly cast.

After listening, Sakumo Hatake sighed, "I recall the mission was for you to assassinate Makima, right? Do you even know what an assassination is?"

Senju Genma pointed his nostrils toward Sakumo Hatake and said arrogantly, "Of course I know what an assassination is! I guarantee that when I killed Makima, not a single person saw me!"

"That isn't even the issue!" Sakumo Hatake slapped his forehead and scratched at his hair, "It seems your destructive power was so great that it terrified them, so they want to use the Tailed Beasts to apply pressure on the front lines and force you to return."

"Thanks for the compliment!" Senju Genma said smugly.

Seeing Senju Genma's cocky expression, Sakumo Hatake felt his irritation flare up even more, and he gritted his teeth, "I wasn't complimenting you, you arrogant brat."