Godly Tycoon Mode: Winning Over the Beautiful Landlady

On the main street of the hot spring town, neon lanterns cast an ambiguous warm light in the night.

Naruto, holding the money bag he had looted from Jiraiya, stopped in front of a three-story wooden building.

A gilded signboard hung above the entrance—"Flower Moon Palace"—and two rows of female attendants dressed in matching yukatas bowed in unison at the doorway.

He stepped inside.

A woman was sitting behind the reception desk.

She was in her early thirties, with her hair loosely styled in a bun, and the line of her collarbone extended down from the neckline of her yukata.

She was fiddling with the abacus when she heard footsteps. She looked up, her gaze falling on Naruto's face before sliding to the bag of gold coins in his hand. A glint of light flashed in her eyes.

"I've booked the best suite, the VIP suite."

Naruto slammed the entire bag of money onto the mahogany counter, the crisp sound of the gold coins clinking echoing through the quiet lobby.

The bag came undone, and several gold coins rolled out, leaving golden afterimages on the marble countertop.

The proprietress stood up.

Her yukata sash cinched her waist as she walked around the counter, her body carrying a scent of sandalwood and hot spring sulfur mixed together.

"This young master is truly generous."

She reached out and picked up a gold coin, tracing the pattern with her fingertips. Her smile shifted from polite to genuine. "The top-tier room is on the rooftop, with a private outdoor hot spring. Shall I personally escort you up?"

She took a half step closer, her collar opening slightly open with the movement.

Naruto glanced at her sideways, a smile playing on his lips.

"Lead the way."

As the proprietress turned around, her fingers inadvertently brushed against Naruto's hand, and she deliberately slowed her pace, keeping him within half a step.

I heard hurried footsteps behind me.

"Hey! Hey! Wait a minute!"

Jiraiya burst in from outside, his hair a mess from the night wind, his nose red from the cold.

He watched as the landlady eagerly led Naruto towards the stairs, and he was completely stunned, as if struck by lightning. "That's my money! You're staying in a five-star hotel while I'm starving?!"

Naruto didn't turn his head, but waved his hand behind him.

"Didn't you say last night you wanted to experience life among ordinary people? Here's your chance."

"I was gathering material! I was gathering material, don't you understand?!"

"Don't know."

At the corner of the stairs, Naruto disappeared into the second-floor corridor.

The proprietress glanced back at Jiraiya, her smile revealing a blatant snobbery, then turned and followed him.

Jiraiya stood in the center of the hall, and two female attendants looked at him as if he were a homeless man.

He searched all his pockets but couldn't find a single copper coin.

"... This kid."

A gust of cold wind blew in from outside, and he shivered.

--

The top-tier suite was even bigger than Naruto had expected.

The 60-square-meter tatami living room has sliding glass doors leading to an open-air hot spring with cypress wood flooring, where grapefruit slices float on the water and steam rises.

Naruto took off his coat and threw it on the sofa, then untied his ninja tool pouch and placed it on the bedside table.

The hot spring water reached above my chest, and my muscles relaxed in the warm current, gradually drawing away the deep fatigue from the intense activity of the Sage Body.

There was a knock on the door.

The proprietress came in carrying a tray with sake, sashimi, and chilled fruit.

She knelt by the pool and arranged the tray, showing no intention of leaving.

"Did you come alone, young master? And that person outside...?"

"I don't know him."

The proprietress laughed out loud, her eyes crinkling at the corners.

She crawled to the edge of the pool, reached for the sake pot, poured a cup, and handed it to her.

The cuffs slipped down to her elbows, revealing her fair forearms.

"I've been running this inn by myself for three years. It's rare to see someone as generous as you, young master."

She handed the wine glass to Naruto, lowering her voice, "Just let me know if you need anything, and I'll take care of everything."

Naruto took the wine glass and drank it all in one gulp.

The liquor was spicy, sliding down my throat and into my stomach, where it dissolved in the steam of the hot spring.

"Pound your back."

He handed the empty cup back.

The proprietress paused for a moment, then smiled.

She went around behind Naruto, rolled up her sleeves to above her elbows, and placed the heel of her hand on his shoulder.

Her hand had just pressed down when she stopped—the muscles below her shoulder were as hard as iron, and heat emanated from under her skin, making her palm itch.

"Young Master has practiced Taijutsu?"

Her voice unconsciously lowered even further.

"Um."

She didn't ask any more questions, and pressed down along the shoulder blade.

With each press, the heat emanating from her palm surged upwards, and by the fifth press, her breathing had become erratic.

Naruto leaned against the pool wall with his eyes closed, the steam blurring his expression.

This is the kind of setup a time traveler should have.

The arduous path of cultivation is for those without any special advantages.

The system gave me Perfect Sage Body, Pure Byakugan, and the Eight Gates —achieving the greatest benefit with the least cost; that's what efficiency is all about.

The remaining time, of course, should be used for enjoyment.

Outside the window, Jiraiya was squatting against the back wall of the inn, hugging his arms and curling up into a ball.

The November night wind blew in through his collar, and he sneezed three times in a row.

Achoo--! Achoo--!

Faint laughter and the clinking of glasses could be heard coming from the second floor.

He looked up at the window that was shining with warm light, his eyes reddening.

"Four hundred and thirty-five thousand taels... I saved up for half a year..."

--

The next morning.

Naruto pushed open the hotel door, feeling refreshed, his blond hair shining brightly in the morning light.

At the bottom of the steps, Jiraiya sat on the ground, hugging his knees. His hair was a mess, his eyes were sunken, and his nose was bright red. He looked like he had been pulled out of an ice cellar.

"They're gone."

Naruto stepped over him.

"... Do you have any humanity left?"

Jiraiya struggled to his feet, his knees cracking twice. "I squatted in the cold wind all night."

"You can stay at another hotel."

"I have no money! You robbed me of all my money!"

"So you chose to squat against the back wall of someone else's hotel to get some fresh air."

Naruto continued walking, his tone calm, "What do you call this? This is called serving one's own duty."

Jiraiya opened his mouth to retort, but a sneeze silenced him.

The two walked east along the main street.

The town was not yet fully awake; only a few breakfast stalls had set up their stalls.

Naruto bought two rice balls and tossed them to Jiraiya, then walked ahead, munching on a steaming hot miso grilled rice ball.

Do you have any leads on Tsunade's whereabouts?

Naruto asked questions as he ate.

Jiraiya took a sip of hot water, recovered, and wiped his nose.

"She has an old habit: she always wins at gambling. So wherever she goes, the local casino staff all know her."

Jiraiya swallowed the rice ball. "There's a place called Tanzaku Town half a day's journey east. It's the largest gambling city in the Land of Fire. If she's still active within the Land of Fire, we should go there and ask around. We'll most likely get some information."

"If you always win at gambling, is it still gambling?"

Naruto stuffed the last bite of rice ball into his mouth. "That's called withdrawing money."

"Don't underestimate her. Although Tsunade a gambler, her Medical Ninjutsu and Monster Strength— "

You've said it eight hundred times.

Naruto interrupted him and quickened his pace.

Jiraiya jogged to catch up, thinking to himself: How does this kid's legs grow so long? His strides are ridiculously long.

In the afternoon, the outline of Tanzaku Town appeared at the end of the road.

Unlike the leisurely atmosphere of the hot spring town, the noisy crowds can be heard from afar in Tanzaku Town.

A three-story casino building stands in the center of town, with red and black lanterns hanging at the entrance. People coming and going are dressed in various styles, including merchants, ronin, and ninjas on missions from ninja villages.

Naruto sat down at the noodle shop at the entrance of town and ordered a bowl of ramen.

Jiraiya went to the casino to gather information.

Ten minutes later, Jiraiya rushed back, his face bearing a complex expression—excitement, nervousness, and a hint of unease.

"Found it."

Naruto stopped eating with his chopsticks.

"She's gambling in the biggest casino."

Jiraiya lowered his voice, "And—she's won like crazy. She's almost emptied the entire casino's chips by herself, and the boss is already ordering people to move the reserve vault."

Naruto put down his chopsticks, a smile curving his lips.

A system notification sounded in my mind--

[Main Quest Tracking: Target "Tsunade Senju" has entered within 500 meters.]

He stood up and slammed the money on the table.

"Let's go see this legendary fat sheep."

Jiraiya: "... Wait, who's the fat sheep?"

Naruto had already stepped out of the noodle shop.

The golden figure disappeared into the light and shadow of the casino entrance. Jiraiya took two steps in pursuit, and suddenly had a premonition— the Tanzaku Town was about to undergo a major change.

The door to the VIP box on the second floor of the casino was ajar, from which came the sounds of clinking chips and a woman's languid laughter.