Initial Meeting

At this, Tsunade narrowed her eyes, and her expression darkened. "Someone from Kirigakure?"

"You have not moved about the Shinobi World for a long time, my lady. The Kaguya Clan has not existed in Kirigakure for six years now."

As he spoke, Kaguya Yama withdrew his bone and lowered his sleeve. With a sincere expression, he said, "I followed you tonight uninvited because I have a request."

"I suffer from the Bloodline Disease of the Shikotsumyaku. I heard that Lady Tsunade's medical skill is unmatched in the Shinobi World, so I came specifically to seek treatment."

The alley fell silent for several seconds.

Tsunade's gaze first landed on the black cloth covering his eyes, then shifted to his arm before returning to where his gaze was directed. Even blindfolded, the boy's gaze was unnervingly precise.

"No treatment!" she refused without hesitation.

"The price is negotiable," Kaguya Yama said.

"It's not about the money." Tsunade turned and started to leave. "That bone disease of yours is terminal. No one can cure it."

Moonlight illuminated half her turned face, highlighting her taut jawline.

"Besides, I never win at gambling. Tonight, I won five leopard rolls in a row, and you just happened to be there, carrying an aura more ominous than a corpse's."

"Kid, are you some kind of walking disaster? Nothing good will come from getting involved with you. Shizune, we're leaving."

"Lady Tsunade!"

Shizune could not help speaking up. There was a trace of a healer's compassion in the way she looked at Sōji. "At least let me first..."

"No."

Tsunade's answer was firm. "There's something wrong with this kid."

"At twelve or thirteen, he can still calmly and clearly negotiate a deal with me."

"Either he's a monster wearing human skin, or there are ghosts behind him. A Kaguya orphan? Who knows whether he's bait sent out by Kirigakure or some other force."

With that, she took a step toward the exit. Her boot heels clicked sharply against the stone slabs, but her attention remained fixed on Kaguya Yama, as though guarding against him suddenly attacking.

Kaguya Yama merely stood where he was and raised his voice. "What if I can prove that I am merely a sick man seeking treatment alone?"

Tsunade did not stop.

"What if I can offer you something that interests you? For instance, an idea for an auxiliary treatment to suppress hemophobia attacks?"

Those words finally halted her.

"Kid!"

Tsunade slowly turned around. Her killing intent was chilling in the shadows. "You... where did you learn that I have hemophobia?"

"In Tanzaku Town, my sources are fairly well informed. Your severe reaction whenever you see blood is not a secret."

Kaguya Yama's voice remained steady. "And I happen to have some ideas regarding psychological treatment."

"I don't need it!"

Tsunade turned away and replied coldly, "And besides, my affairs are none of your concern, brat."

Kaguya Yama did not become angry. He merely bowed slightly. "The green hills remain, and the waters flow on. Should you change your mind, I shall await your arrival at Auspicious House."

With that, he turned around cleanly and decisively, tapping his bamboo cane against the ground as he headed toward the other end of the alley.

That reaction caught Tsunade off guard. She stared at the boy's back as it gradually disappeared into the darkness, her brow furrowing even tighter.

"Lady Tsunade..."

Shizune spoke softly. "If his Bloodline Disease really is still in its early stages, perhaps..."

"Perhaps what?"

Tsunade irritably scratched her hair. "Shizune, remember this: old hands who have lived long in the Shinobi World all share one thing in common—they trust their instincts."

"My instincts tell me that kid is definitely trouble. The filthy aura on him and the timing of his appearance are too perfect. Five leopard rolls in a row... Hmph!"

At that moment, she remembered the Second Shinobi World War. It had also been after an eerie streak of gambling wins that she received news of Nawaki's death.

Then she recalled another time, after a small winning streak, when she saw Dan Katō lying in a pool of blood.

Omens of misfortune—impossible to explain, yet they came true every time.

"Let's go!"

Tsunade shook her head as if trying to shake away the bad memories. "Find somewhere to drink. The money I won tonight... forget it. I'll lose it all soon enough anyway."

Their footsteps gradually faded into the distance.

In the deepest shadows of the alley, Kaguya Yama leaned against the wall and silently watched them leave.

The Six Eyes fed back Tsunade's lingering wariness and rejection within her chakra, while also catching Shizune's hesitation as she looked back several times.

She had refused, but there was still room to maneuver.

He analyzed it calmly. Tsunade had clearly reacted to the mention of a hemophobia treatment, which meant she did not truly not care.

Moreover, Shizune's attitude seemed somewhat more yielding.

He did not need to succeed in one attempt.

There were still several years before Tsunade became the Fifth Hokage, and there was room to act before the time when she was willing to practice medicine again.

Tonight's purpose had been to test the waters, to confirm Tsunade's temperament and how much she knew about Bloodline Disease.

The result was better than expected.

Though she had refused, she had not truly driven him away or investigated his background. That meant her desire to avoid unnecessary trouble had gained the upper hand.

And Shizune might become the opening he needed. After all, her Medical Ninjutsu was not weak either.

If he could not get an appointment with the specialist, an appointment with the specialist's apprentice would do!

Tanzaku Town sprawled like colored glass spilled across the central plains of the Land of Fire. It stretched five or six li from north to south, and at its widest point, nearly three li from east to west.

It backed onto the gentle slopes of Tanzaku Mountain. To the south lay the main road leading to Konoha, to the north a fertile river valley, to the east a tributary of the Shizukawa frequented by merchant ships, and to the west endless wheat fields.

Such open terrain had created its peculiar layout. It was not a neatly planned town, but a settlement that seemed to have grown outward layer by layer.

The outermost ring held warehouses, carriage depots, and cheap inns, dominated by drab rammed-earth walls and stone-paved roads.

Further in, taverns, restaurants, and pleasure houses became increasingly common. Wooden buildings crowded together, their signs overlapping one another.

At its core stood seven grand gambling houses led by Auspicious House, each a three-story or taller pavilion with upturned eaves, vermilion lacquer, gilded trim, and lights burning day and night.

The streets wound between these buildings like a spiderweb. Dust flew on sunny days, while mud swallowed ankles when it rained.

Even such a complicated environment could not stop gamblers, merchants, wandering ronin, and even ninja concealing their identities from pouring in from every direction.

It was past noon, and the scorching sun blazed overhead.

The entire Tanzaku Town resembled a massive steamer. The stone roads had been baked white, while heat distorted the roof tiles in the distance.

At this hour, even the most gambling-crazed fanatics had retreated indoors to the shade. Only a few wild dogs remained on the streets, tongues lolling as they lay beneath the eaves.

The cicadas screeched hoarsely, mingling with the aromas of food drifting from windows, the scent of alcohol, and the occasional sound of rolling dice.

At the edge of the core district stood a lodging and restaurant called Fujinoya. In a second-floor room by the window, Tsunade frowned faintly at the table full of food.

Her simple beige yukata was stretched tight over her figure, and her golden hair hung loose around her shoulders. Her face was somewhat pale from a hangover, but her eyes remained terrifyingly sharp.

Shizune sat opposite her, sipping miso soup while holding Tonton in her arms.

The little pig was lively enough, its snout twitching as it sniffed the aroma of fried tempura.

"So..."

Tsunade picked up a piece of grilled fish, her eyes fixed on Shizune. "What benefits did that kid promise you?"