After the dice hit the table, Tsunade braced both hands against its edge, a thin sheen of sweat breaking out on her forehead.
She closed her eyes and focused every ounce of her attention on listening—crisp, scattered. It had to be low!
"Low! It's definitely low this time! I can't be wrong!"
She shouted with confidence.
Mirai picked at his ear. "Then I'll go with high."
Kushina swallowed and carefully lifted the dice cup—
Four, four, five. Thirteen points.
High.
Silence fell over the courtyard.
Nawaki's mouth hung open. Orochimaru raised an eyebrow, and Mito Uzumaki laughed beneath the covered walkway.
Tsunade sat frozen in her chair, her lips moving twice. She looked as if her soul had been sucked right out of her.
She'd lost. She'd gotten all three rounds wrong.
"Big Sis Tsunade?" Kushina cautiously poked her shoulder. "Um... you lost..."
"I—" Tsunade slammed her hand on the table and sprang to her feet. Her blond hair was a mess, and her eyes were wide. "How could I get all three rounds wrong!? That's impossible! Did that brat cheat somehow?"
"The dice are yours, and Kushina brought the cup over. I didn't even touch the table the whole time." Mirai spread his hands, his smile perfectly innocent. "Big Sis Tsunade, a bet's a bet."
Tsunade pointed at him, her finger trembling. "You... Did you secretly use some kind of Dojutsu? Mind reading? The ability to see the future? Come clean!"
"I'm from the Uzumaki Clan. Where would I get a Dojutsu?" Mirai tilted his head.
"And you don't really think those 'listen to the dice and guess the number' tricks work in a casino, do you, Big Sis Tsunade? The moment the dice hit the table, the angle, the force, the table's elasticity, even the humidity can all affect the result.
Listening with your ears? That's a scam casinos made up to fleece suckers."
Tsunade's face turned from green to red, then white. At last, she slumped in her chair and muttered, "I don't believe it... I don't believe it..."
"Big Sis, you lost to a seven-year-old! Hahahaha!" Nawaki laughed so hard he rolled on the ground.
"Nawaki, laugh one more time and I'll beat you up!"
"Help me, Teacher Orochimaru!"
Orochimaru stood calmly to one side, his gaze sweeping over Mirai Uzumaki, thoughtful.
No matter how you looked at it... for a seven-year-old to pull that off was pretty interesting.
The curve of Orochimaru's lips deepened.
"One month, Big Sis Tsunade! Whenever I call, you come! Massages!" Mirai held up one finger, grinning like a little devil. "Starting tonight. I'll book a shoulder-and-neck package first."
Tsunade slumped over the table, her voice muffled. "...Fine, fine! You're so annoying!"
Kushina bounced over to Mito and excitedly reported, "Grandma Mito! Mirai won! Big Sis Tsunade lost!"
Mito smiled and patted her head, her gentle gaze passing over the group making a ruckus in the courtyard—
Tsunade chased Nawaki, trying to beat him up, while he ran circles around Orochimaru.
Meanwhile, Mirai egged her on from the sidelines. "Big Sis Tsunade, you're not going to hurt him like that! You've got to put some power into it! Where's your Heavenly Foot of Pain?"
"Mirai, are we even still friends?" Nawaki shouted.
"It's gotten lively around here," she murmured. Steam from her tea misted her eyes. "Hashirama, can you see this...?"
The evening breeze swept through the courtyard, carrying the laughter and bickering of the young people. On this autumn evening, the Senju Clan Compound seemed to have come alive again.
After the betting fiasco came to an end, Mirai walked over to Orochimaru of his own accord.
He looked up at the man who would one day become one of the Sannin, a rogue ninja, a mad scientist—and the "snake lady."
Right now, Orochimaru was only a handsome young Jonin. His long, flowing hair and bookish air lent him an almost gentle appearance.
"Hello, Senior Orochimaru." Mirai greeted him properly, his voice carrying a hint of solemnity. "I didn't get a chance to say hello when Nawaki called out to you earlier, so I wanted to make up for it."
Orochimaru lowered his head slightly. His slit-pupil eyes, like a snake's, met Mirai's for several seconds.
"You know who I am?"
"I've heard of you." Mirai didn't so much as blink. "Big Sis Tsunade's mentioned you a few times. She said you're one of the best among her classmates."
Orochimaru fell silent for a moment, then his lips curved into a gentle smile unlike anything he'd show in the future.
"Mirai Uzumaki," he slowly repeated the name. "Interesting."
He reached out and lightly patted Mirai on the head. The touch was gentle, as if he were testing a fragile vessel.
"If you have time, you can come talk to me about Ninjutsu. The Adamantine Sealing Chains... are a very interesting Kekkei Genkai."
With that, he withdrew his hand and turned toward Nawaki. "Let's go, Nawaki. We haven't finished training today."
"Ahhh! Teacher Orochimaru, let me play a little longer!"
"Be quiet and follow me."
The two of them gradually disappeared beyond the gates of the Senju Clan Compound.
Mirai stood where he was and touched the top of his head. The spot Orochimaru had patted seemed to still hold a trace of coolness.
"Orochimaru..." he murmured. "At this point in time, he's still a good teacher."
Unfortunately, after witnessing Nawaki's accidental death on the battlefield in the original story, Orochimaru had become obsessed with finding a way around death and began researching immortality.
That was also what led him to collude with Danzo and become a fallen snake!
Kushina came over and asked curiously, "What are you mumbling about?"
"Nothing. I just feel like someone extraordinary came to our house today."
"Senior Orochimaru?" Kushina tilted her head. "He seems pretty gentle."
Mirai didn't answer. He just watched Orochimaru walking away, his eyes shifting thoughtfully.
His gentleness was real, but so was his thirst for forbidden knowledge.
—I need to find a chance to get on good terms with Snake Uncle.
If he ever defected, maybe I could get a bit of a head start on his technology tree.
And then there was Nawaki, a descendant of the Senju Bloodline, blown up on the battlefield by an Explosive Tag, his insides completely torn apart.
That was just too ridiculous.
But this time, Mirai didn't want to let that happen again. He had to hurry up and grow stronger.
"Mirai! What do you want for dinner? I'll help Grandma make it!" Kushina tugged at his sleeve.
"Anything's fine. Whatever you make."
"Really? Then I'll make tomato fried rice! I'll show you the Fried Rice Sage's power!"
"...Pick something else, please."
"Why? You said anything was fine!"
"Tomatoes... I'm practically turning into one. Why would I eat more tomatoes?"
Their bickering echoed through the courtyard of the Senju Clan Compound, and the wistful look in Mito Uzumaki's eyes grew deeper.
"Hashirama, wait for me a little longer. Once I've passed on the responsibilities I carry, I'll come find you!"
She was the current Nine-Tails Jinchuriki. She had to safely pass the Nine-Tails on to the next generation before she could close her eyes in peace.
Watching the lively Mirai and Kushina, Mito Uzumaki felt that day wasn't far off.
Hashirama might have been a complete idiot, but life without him really was dull!
Before you continue