"Freshly steamed hot spring buns—!"
The shout interrupted her thoughts.
Following the sound, Tsunade saw quite a few people lined up before a steaming stall.
She walked over and peered inside—the fluffy Haku buns were stamped with the red character for "hot," looking soft and pillowy.
"Two, please."
She took out some change.
"Coming right up!"
Taking the buns, Tsunade bit into one.
The dough was soft, the filling sweet red bean paste, with a faint hint of sulfur—was this what they called "hot spring flavor"?
"Not bad."
She muttered as she ate while walking.
It was lively again up ahead.
A crowd had gathered in a circle, breaking into cheers now and then.
Tsunade squeezed in to look and found an acrobatics stall.
A young man was breathing fire while a little girl tossed colored balls into the air. The children watching were practically wide-eyed with wonder.
Tsunade watched for a while, the corner of her mouth lifting slightly.
Konoha had street performers too, but not this... relaxed.
She continued onward, but slowed when she passed the entrance to a casino.
Its sign was different from the casinos in Konoha, and no one stood outside stopping people.
Through a gap in the curtain, she could vaguely hear dice rattling and people shouting inside.
Tsunade's hand instinctively touched her money pouch.
She had already gambled away all her spending money a few days ago.
When she went out today, she had deliberately brought very little—only enough for some food and small purchases.
Yet her feet still stopped.
She stared at the curtain for several seconds, suddenly recalling how she had felt after losing everything a few days ago.
That stifled frustration of How did I lose again? and that last lingering bit of unwillingness to accept it.
"Forget it."
She