Confusion (Revised)

When Naruto saw the shopkeeper actually hugging the bear head and rubbing against it, he couldn't take it anymore.

"If you don't want that bear pelt, give it back!"

"Yes, yes, yes! How could I not want it?!"

The shopkeeper put on a show of thinking it over. To Naruto, his sharp-faced look made him seem exactly like a crooked merchant scheming over how to drive down the price.

After Naruto raised a hand and swatted the fly buzzing around in the air to death, Wind Release Chakra compressed into a pellet and burst outward, turning into a violent gust.

"Sorry, but that fly buzzing around was getting a little annoying." Naruto showed no remorse as he looked at the general store the wind had thrown into disarray.

"So, how much are you planning to pay for this bear pelt?"

"How about ten thousand ryo?"

Rubbing his hands together, the shopkeeper named the true price he had in mind for the pelt.

Naruto tucked the ten thousand ryo into his clothes, carried the two people away from the general store, and rented a room at an inn. After settling the unconscious pair inside and feeding them water by mouth once more, he left the inn, used the Transformation Jutsu to turn into C.C., and wandered around the village.

Suddenly, a sign with the word "Gamble" written on it caught her attention.

"Nine-Tails! I've thought of a good way to make money!"

"What way?"

"Gambling!"

C.C. felt the more than nine thousand ryo in her pocket and began calculating how she could use the Nine-Tails to cheat and double it! Then double it again! And again!

C.C. swaggered into the Gambling House and spotted someone unexpected gambling there. Sitting boldly at a big-small betting table, Tsunade lavishly slapped a large sum of money on small. When the dice were revealed, the result was big.

She actually ran into Tsunade here... It would be criminal not to fleece this legendary fat sheep properly! If she didn't win Tsunade's money, whose money would she win?

After that, whenever Tsunade bet on big, C.C. bet on small. Whenever Tsunade bet on small, C.C. bet on big.

Sure enough, she won every time. Tsunade's gambling luck was truly unmatched—horribly bad, yet she was still so addicted to gambling.

Before long, the other gamblers had nearly won all of Tsunade's money. Seeing the knowing looks exchanged among the people in the Gambling House, Naruto secretly used Chakra to cheat. A breeze swept by, and under Naruto's control, Wind Release Chakra changed the numbers on the dice.

In the final round, Tsunade had only one last stack of money left. Watching Tsunade lose nonstop, even C.C. felt that the Gambling House people had gone too far. Weren't they just ganging up to scam Tsunade?

"Bet on big in the last round."

C.C. walked up beside Tsunade and bent down to whisper into her ear.

Tsunade's eyes widened as she stared in shock at the green-haired woman who had suddenly spoken to her. Seeing the confidence on C.C.'s face, Tsunade decided to trust her.

She placed her final stack of money on big.

In the last round, Tsunade won. Because the amount she had wagered and the multiplier were both high, she won back all the money she had lost in one go.

Seeing the ugly expression on the face of the person in charge of rolling the dice, C.C. smiled in satisfaction and turned to leave the Gambling House.

"Wait!"

Tsunade chased after C.C. and stopped her.

"Do you need something? We don't seem to know each other, do we?"

C.C. tilted her head and looked at Tsunade curiously. Had helping her win that round just now exposed her?

Tsunade took a few quick steps over to C.C., stared seriously into her golden eyes, then suddenly placed both hands on C.C.'s shoulders and solemnly said, "Take me as your apprentice!"

"Huh?"

C.C. wore a startled expression. She felt like she had misheard something. What had Tsunade just said?

Take her as an apprentice?!

"Are you joking?"

A few minutes later, C.C. and Tsunade sat on benches outside a dango shop, eating dango. C.C. looked troubled as she clenched her teeth, while Tsunade's face practically screamed, "I want to become your disciple and learn gambling!" C.C. cast a pleading look toward Shizune behind Tsunade.

Shizune turned her face away and pretended not to see C.C.'s pleading gaze.

"Sorry, but I don't have anything to teach you. I only helped you win just now by cheating. Those people at the Gambling House cheated to win your money, while I used Chakra to cheat and help you win it back."

"You should gamble less from now on... The saying that nine out of ten gambles are scams isn't a joke."

C.C. patted Tsunade on the shoulder and casually offered that advice. Who was Tsunade? She was someone who had inherited the First Hokage's bad habits from childhood. It would be strange if she could change.

C.C. forcibly tore her eyes away from Tsunade's impressive assets. Honestly, it was her first time seeing such a devastating pair of breasts in person. The real thing was far more explosive than in anime. Holy crap, they were truly terrifyingly huge.

She couldn't keep herself under control at all!

"See you if fate allows~! Never see you again~!"

C.C. blew Tsunade a kiss, leaped onto a rooftop, and vanished from Tsunade's sight.

After undoing the Transformation Jutsu, Naruto let out a sigh of relief. She hadn't expected to run into Tsunade during a casual visit to a Gambling House. What kind of luck was that?!

After returning to the inn and looking at the unconscious pair, Naruto hugged his knees and sat by the window, gazing at the rain clouds gathering in the distance. He entered his inner world, lay on top of the Nine-Tails, and did nothing, simply remaining there quietly.

Perhaps the vigorous life force in Naruto's Uzumaki Clan blood had affected Mikoto Uchiha, causing the severely injured Mikoto Uchiha, who had been on the verge of death, to awaken.

Mikoto Uchiha's eyelids trembled. Her long eyelashes quivered slightly before she slowly opened her eyes.

"Where is this... Am I not dead?"

Mikoto Uchiha looked at the unfamiliar ceiling. Her memories remained frozen on that day, when she had finally lost consciousness while lying on the cold ground.

Chapter 24: Confusion (Revised)

(1/2)

"Naruto, that woman woke up."

"Huh? Which woman woke up?"

Naruto abruptly raised his head, looking utterly confused as he lowered his gaze toward the Nine-Tails.

"The Uchiha Clan woman." Without saying anything else, he threw Naruto out.

"Yahoo~! You're awake~!"

After the Nine-Tails kicked Naruto out of his inner world, Naruto saw that Mikoto Uchiha had awakened and excitedly ran over to her.