Watching the reward appear, Uchiha Kazama let out a sigh.
This sort of thing felt somewhat helpless.
After all, many a time, certain things had already deeply embedded themselves in everyone's thinking.
So much so that even such a normal matter could not be figured out.
"Shikaku Shadow Helper."
"Go, and make the arrangements according to this plan."
Uchiha Kazama spoke calmly.
Hearing Uchiha Kazama's words, Shikaku Nara let out a sigh, then nodded and exited the Hokage's Office.
In the Land of Rivers.
"Big, big, big!"
"One, two, three, six points, small!"
"Lady Tsunade, you already owe us eight million taels."
"Now, are you going to continue?!"
The Dealer opened the dice cup and looked with a smile at the Blonde Beauty before him-Tsunade.
"Continue, I refuse to believe this."
"Eighty consecutive times of small!"
"Again!"
Tsunade looked utterly displeased.
She considered herself the God of Gamblers, after all; losing continuously like this was definitely something she could not accept.
"Lady Tsunade, outside-"
"Shizune, don't disturb me; I refuse to believe it'll be small this time!"
"Keep betting on big!"
Tsunade unhappily interrupted Shizune's words.
Right now, her eyes were already red with desperation.
Anyone who didn't know better would have thought Tsunade was about to activate the Sharingan.
"I'll bet on big too."
"One million taels."
Right at that moment, a familiar voice reached Tsunade's ears.
"Jiraiya!?"
Tsunade turned around, looking at Jiraiya who had appeared behind her, and a displeased expression surfaced on her face.
"Open!"
"Four, six, six, that's sixteen points, big!"
The Dealer opened the dice cup, revealing the points inside.
"Uh..."
"Lady Tsunade, we now owe you an extra two million taels."
"And as for this lord, this is your one million taels."
The Dealer was stunned, then took out the chips and handed them to the two of them.
Beside the legendary God of Gamblers, Lady Tsunade, there always appeared a White-Haired Man-Jiraiya!
The appearance of this person meant that Tsunade was about to win money.
Therefore, the Dealer was also somewhat worried.
Letting Tsunade win money meant that he, this Dealer, wouldn't have a job anymore.
He might even get whacked by his own boss.
"You came to find me, didn't you, something the matter?"
"Let's go, let's go cash in."
"Shizune, I told you, it was bound to come up big."
Tsunade took her chips and left the place looking very happy.
She had to admit, the feeling of winning money was genuinely quite good.
It was also precisely because she had won money.
If Jiraiya had appeared just a moment ago while she was still losing money.
He probably would have been beaten up by now.
Soon, the two of them arrived at an eatery.
After sitting down and ordering their food, Tsunade brought out a flask of sake.
"Speak."
"Are you here this time to try and persuade me to return to the village again?"
Tsunade said as she brought the flask in her hand up to her lips.
She took a gentle sip.
"No."
"My main reason for coming to find you this time is that some problems have arisen in the village."
"I wanted to talk to you about them."
Jiraiya looked at Tsunade with a helpless expression.
Over the years, apart from tracking Orochimaru out in the field, he had spent his time trying to persuade Tsunade to return to the village.
All of those things from the past had already happened a very long time ago.
Jiraiya still hoped that Tsunade could let go, keep moving forward, and live out a future of her own.
Instead of remaining perpetually immersed in her memories.
Yet every single attempt at persuasion had failed.
"The village's affairs?!"
"I don't care, and I'm not interested."
"If you're going to stay here now, then you can properly keep me company for a meal and have some drinks."
"If you want to talk about village matters, get ready to be punched flying by me."
Tsunade spoke up with a hint of displeasure.
During a meal, hearing Jiraiya talk about village matters was the thing she found most annoying.
She didn't want to go back to that place at all.
That village which had once made her so happy was no longer the same.
The people closest to her had passed away one by one.
The once peaceful village had also been reduced to a tool of authority in the hands of those people.
She didn't want to return to a village like that in the slightest.
At the thought of this, Tsunade brought the sake flask back to her lips.
This was the reason Tsunade didn't want to see Jiraiya.
Every single time, he would make her think of unpleasant things.
"The old man is dead!"
After taking a deep breath, Jiraiya still ended up telling Tsunade what had happened in Konoha.
Upon hearing this news, the flask in Tsunade's hand trembled slightly.
Upon hearing this news, Shizune clutched the Piggy in her arms and left the private dining room.
Because the matters to be discussed next, along with Lady Tsunade's reaction, were not suited for her to continue witnessing here.
Inside the private room, a long silence ensued.
"Was it because of Shimura Danzō?"
Tsunade's voice turned somewhat cold.
The relationship between Shimura Danzō and Hiruzen Sarutobi was already very delicate to begin with.
Furthermore, in Tsunade's view.
Throughout all of Konoha, the only one with the capability to kill Hiruzen Sarutobi was Shimura Danzō.
That bastard was shady as hell.
If he were allowed to manage Konoha, the village might end up turning into a gathering place for assassinations.
The various Shinobi Clans would probably get dragged into it as well.
"No."
"Danzo is dead too."
Jiraiya shook his head.
And slowly spoke.
"What!?"
Tsunade started in shock.
Such a thing already exceeded her expectations.
The Hokage of Konoha, along with the leader of Root, were both dead?!
"It was the Uchiha who made a move."
"According to reports, the Konoha High Command was preparing to carry out the Clan Extermination Plan against the Uchiha."
"The Uchiha found out."
"You also know that genius within the Uchiha."
"Uchiha Kazama!"
"He awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan, directly controlled the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, and launched a coup against the village."
"In a single night, the entire Konoha High Command was thoroughly slaughtered."
"Now, Uchiha Kazama has already become the Fifth Hokage."
Jiraiya shared the intelligence he had gathered with Tsunade.
Upon hearing such news, Tsunade was completely dumbfounded.
Had the Uchiha Clan finally been pushed to such an extent, after all?!
With a frantic Uchiha running Konoha, this was a situation Tsunade had never foreseen.
"What are you planning to do now?"
"Are you going back to strike against the Uchiha?"
"Did you ask me to return to the village together for this reason?!"
Tsunade let out a sigh, then slowly spoke.
At this moment, Tsunade no longer had her previous casual attitude.
Instead, she stared intently at Jiraiya with piercing eyes.
"I don't know more intelligence from inside the village right now."
"I also don't know what changes the Uchiha have made after taking power."
"So, can you return to the village with me to take a look?"
"If the Uchiha manage things properly, actually..."
Jiraiya did not continue.
Instead, he looked at Tsunade.
These were things he had to do.
Because he had previously been in the Land of Earth, when passing by here, he had simply stopped by to ask Tsunade.
If Tsunade could go back with him, then...