Uncovering Scars

Tsunade bit her lower lip hard, leaving a bloody tooth mark, and turned her head away to hide the tears in her eyes. "Don't think that just because you paid off my debt, I owe you a favor! I, Tsunade Senju, am not someone a brat should pay for! Jiraiya, who exactly is this brat?!"

Jiraiya rubbed his temples and sighed, "He's not my disciple. He's the son of Minato Namikaze and Kushina Uzumaki, the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, Naruto Uzumaki."

The air became thick.

Tsunade hearing the name "Minato," Tsunade's drunkenness subsided somewhat; upon hearing "Nine-Tails Jinchuriki," she abruptly turned her head, re-examining Naruto's shoulders and back, her gaze finally settling on the terrifying, almost tangible, and uncontrollable life force within him.

The medical-nin's intuition was screaming alarm bells—this body had completely defied human logic.

She slightly raised her chin, using harsh words to mask her inner turmoil. "No wonder he's so disliked, just like his father, so self-righteous."

Naruto didn't reply, but took half a step forward and slammed the black card onto the crack in the table.

"The legendary Legendary Sannin, who always loses at gambling, even has others clean up his gambling debts. You've completely disgraced the Senju Clan today."

Naruto's voice wasn't loud, but every word pierced the heart, each sentence precisely cutting through Tsunade's veil of evasion. "You wear the necklace of Nawaki around your neck, carry the last wish of Dan in your heart, yet you hide in the casino every day pretending to be dead. You always tremble when you stare at blood; what truly traps you isn't Hemophobia, but the guilt of surviving alone."

Tsunade's shoulders stiffened completely, her lips lost all color, her breath seemed to be stuck deep in her throat, and she staggered backward again.

"Stop talking!"

Shizune mustered her courage, spread her arms, and stood in front of Tsunade, her chest heaving violently.

Naruto glanced at her, his smile deepening.

He snatched the black card from the table and shoved it into Shizune's arms. "You can protect your master, but don't turn her into a cripple. Take this and keep the money safe."

[Ding! Target's Shizune Affection +10 (Current: 50) | Stage: Emerging Trust]

[A structural crack has appeared in Tsunade's mental defenses; the bond quest is now available to trigger.]

Naruto turned around and walked towards the casino entrance.

Sunlight streamed in through the crack in the door, casting a dazzling halo over his blond hair.

He stopped at the door, not turning around. "You lost the bet. I'll give you three days to think it over. After three days, whether you want to or not—you have to come back to Hidden Leaf with me to treat people's injuries."

The door was pushed open, Naruto ignored Orochimaru on the second floor and walked straight into the sunlight.

Jiraiya glanced at Tsunade, and quickly followed her out.

On Tanzaku Town Street, the sunlight dispelled the chill of the casino.

Jiraiya crossed his arms and glanced at the boy beside him out of the corner of his eye. "You kid, are you really that confident she'll go with you? Three days? Aren't you afraid she'll run away?"

Naruto's steps were steady, his voice filled with absolute certainty. "She will. People who always lose at gambling are punishing themselves deep down. She's been running away for too long; what she needs isn't heartfelt persuasion, but an external excuse to 'have to go back.' I've arranged this forced reason for her."

Jiraiya paused for a moment.

This twelve-year-old boy's psychological game is so sophisticated it sends chills down your spine.

He secretly pondered that even if he were to take action himself, he would absolutely not be able to grasp Tsunade's Achilles' heel.

Meanwhile, deep in the shadows on the second floor of the casino.

The Kabuto Yakushi adjusted his reflective round-framed glasses, closed the notebook in his hand, and his smile revealed a calculating intent.

He was thinking to himself, "I'll conduct a thorough investigation and uncover all the taxes you've evaded."

The young master of the Uzumaki Clan is incredibly generous, unlike Genin, and he is meticulous in everything he does.

Lord Orochimaru's plan may not go as smoothly as expected.

Orochimaru's snake-like eyes gleamed with a cold, phosphorescent light as he stared in the direction Naruto had left. He licked his dry lips with his long tongue. "How interesting. You even dare to touch the wounds left by the dead. I really want to know if your Yang Release, which can evaporate fresh blood, can heal my hands. Naruto-kun, just how many surprises are you hiding?"

Tanzaku Town, the long corridor leading from the underground casino to the backyard.

A few paper lanterns swayed in the draft, and the wooden debris and scattered chips on the ground told the story of the commotion that had just occurred.

Jiraiya stopped and instead of following Naruto outside, turned around and looked behind him.

Tsunade and Shizune had just come out of the half-collapsed private room and were heading to the backyard for some fresh air.

"Tsunade, there's one more thing."

Jiraiya's hands fell to his sides, his usual playful demeanor completely gone. "Master... Hiruzen Sarutobi, during the Konoha Crush alongside Orochimaru using the Reaper Death Seal. The village is leaderless, with elders, clans, and Root all vying for positions. I've been ordered to find you and ask you to return and assume the Fifth Hokage."

The air felt as if it had been sucked out, and the temperature dropped.

Shizune covered her mouth tightly, and the Tonton in her arms let out a very low whimper.

Tsunade stood still, her shoulders motionless, her breathing steady, like a statue whose soul had suddenly been ripped away.

Three seconds later, she smiled.

It was a laugh tinged with deep sorrow and mockery, forced out from the depths of his throat.

"Hokage? That kind of thing... who wants to be it?"

She raised her voice, her chest heaving, "The First Hokage died to become Hokage! Nawaki died to become Hokage! Dan died protecting the Hokage! Only a fool would risk his life for such an empty title!"

Naruto, with his hands in his pockets, turned back from the shadows of the corridor.

He let out a short, sharp sneer through his nose, extremely soft, yet jarringly loud in the surroundings.

"Why are you laughing?!"

Tsunade turned her head, her amber eyes filled with a palpable killing intent.

Shizune tried to speak up to dissuade her, but Tsunade.

Naruto tossed the golden chip he'd won in his right hand, his tone languid. "I laugh at you, you legendary fat sheep. Not only do you have terrible gambling etiquette, but you also lack the courage to face your past. You can renege on your debts when you lose money, but when you lose a life, you hide in a casino, using alcohol and dice to sentence yourself."

He stopped tossing the chips, his azure eyes staring straight at him. "The village your brother and your man risked their lives to protect, and you didn't even dare to look at it. Do you deserve their deaths?"

Tsunade stomped on the floor tiles, shattering her wooden clogs into pieces.

After that one sentence, the Chakra completely went out of control, and the surrounding air was violently pushed aside.

"Kid, do you want to die?"

She gritted her teeth and spoke slowly and deliberately.

Naruto took a half-step forward and beckoned to her with his right hand. "The fighting arena in the backyard is spacious enough. I'll let you take three moves from here. If you can make me take a step back after three moves, I'll acknowledge that you have the right to continue running away; if you can't defeat me, obediently come back to Hidden Leaf with me."

The casino owner, huddled in the corner, tried to slip away, Naruto kicked aside a wooden plank on the ground and shoved a wad of cash in front of him. "Opening Gate, clear the place. Deduct the repair fee from here."