"You little brat, eating this much! I have to find you something to do!"
Inside the Hokage's office, Tsunade stared at the barbecue bill in her hand, totaling a staggering five million ryo, and her heart bled. She gritted her teeth as she glared at Shengu Xuan, who stood before her desk with his hands still in his pockets, looking half asleep. She wanted nothing more than to rush over and sew the brat's mouth shut.
"Old hag, you can eat whatever you like, but you can't say whatever you like. We made that bet in black and white. You cover all my barbecue bills in Konoha. What, is the great Fifth Hokage trying to welch?" Shengu Xuan yawned, provoking her in a tone that practically begged for a beating.
"You!" Tsunade choked with anger, but she knew trading insults with this brat would only invite humiliation. She took two deep breaths, forcing herself to calm down, then pulled a document bearing the Hokage's official seal from a drawer and slapped it onto the desk.
"Welch? I'm not about to embarrass myself over this little money. But Konoha doesn't feed freeloaders. Since you've eaten so much of the village's food, you ought to do some work, right?" Tsunade rested her chin on her clasped hands, her gaze turning serious. "In light of your outstanding performance during the Konoha Crush Plan and your contribution in driving off Orochimaru, the senior leadership has decided to make an exception and promote you to Konoha Special Jōnin!"
"Special Jōnin?" Shengu Xuan raised his eyebrows, a flicker of disinterest passing through his eyes. "Sounds like a thankless chore. I refuse. I just want to sleep and eat every day. Don't bother me with all those ridiculous missions."
"Don't turn it down just yet." A sly