Crimson Winds Of Konoha

Entering the house, Feng Huo was surprised to find a large crowd inside. Several Chūnin and Jōnin milled about, many of whom he didn't recognize—likely ANBU or shinobi from Konoha's prominent clans.

"Hey, kid, over here!" A fiery voice rang out.

Feng Huo turned. Standing amidst the crowd was a striking young woman. Her long, blood-red hair flowed behind her like a scarlet tide—both mesmerizing and slightly terrifying.

Kushina?

He blinked. Where was Minato Namikaze?

"Who's that?" Yūhi Kurenai tugged at Feng Huo's sleeve, her soft cheeks puffed slightly with curiosity.

"Oh, that's someone else's girlfriend," Feng Huo said solemnly. "Super fierce. Definitely not someone you should try to imitate."

Kurenai nodded blankly, not quite understanding.

Nearby, Yūhi Makoto—her father and a trusted associate of Hiruzen Sarutobi—had also noticed Kushina. Unlike most, he knew her true identity: the Nine-Tails' jinchūriki.

A living deterrent... and an unstable force. Opinions on her within the higher ranks of the village were sharply divided.

Danzo, for example, would probably prefer to collar her with a sealing chain and keep her locked away until needed—like a weapon taken out only when the war drums beat.

Still, Makoto had no objection to Feng Huo befriending her. As a believer in the Will of Fire, he saw no reason to shun Kushina.

"Makoto, over here!" a few Jōnin called from another table.

He nodded and parted ways, with Kurenai trailing behind him—but her eyes kept sneaking glances at Feng Huo.

"It's about time!" Kushina huffed as Feng Huo approached, arms crossed and chin raised arrogantly.

"Where's Minato-senpai?" Feng Huo asked.

"He left on a mission." Kushina's tone was light, but he heard the tightness in her voice.

As the Nine-Tails' jinchūriki, Kushina wasn't allowed to leave the village freely. Even if she wanted to follow Minato, she was anchored here.

"Hmph, heh…" Suddenly, she laughed darkly at Feng Huo, red hair fluttering like angry flames.

"What now?" Feng Huo folded his arms.

"Don't be so tense. I just wanted to borrow some money."

Feng Huo immediately turned pale. "If it's about money... then it's a matter of life and death!"

"Don't play dumb. I know you're one of the backers of Konoha Hayate Newspaper. You get advertising dividends every month!"

Thanks to the paper's growing popularity, ad prices had skyrocketed. Some merchants even booked months in advance. Feng Huo and the other stakeholders were raking in passive income—becoming wealthier than many chunin who risked their lives daily.

Kushina, self-proclaimed embodiment of justice and beauty, naturally saw it as her duty to "redistribute the wealth."

"My stomach hurts... I need to go to the bathroom," Feng Huo muttered, turning.

Kushina grabbed him by the collar and yanked him back. "Borrow or not?!"

Sighing, Feng Huo knew resisting was useless. Her sealing techniques were worth more than gold, and Minato was his future brother-in-law in spirit.

"Fine, how much? A few hundred thousand taels?"

Kushina scoffed. "Hundreds? Hmph. Let's start with two million taels."

Still, her eyes flicked to his face, watching for signs she might've gone too far.

As a jinchūriki, Kushina couldn't take high-paying missions. Most of her assignments were C-rank or lower. She got by on allowances and what little Mito Uzumaki had left behind. While Hiruzen and Minato were willing to support her, Kushina was too proud to accept charity.

She wanted to earn money herself—even if it meant borderline robbery.

Feng Huo sighed internally. Maybe today's almanac warned against leaving the house.

"I guess I could loan you a million first," he said. "It's been tight lately."

"A million it is!" Kushina beamed and clapped him on the shoulder so hard he staggered. "You're really righteous, huh? Hehe. I'll come to you again next time I'm broke!"

Pfft!

Feng Huo nearly coughed blood. He'd expected a "I'll protect you in return" kind of line—not this bandit logic!

Just then, a cry came from outside. Someone shouted in excitement: "The Legendary Sannin are here!"

Tsunade, Jiraiya, and Orochimaru entered side by side. Though they walked together, their expressions couldn't have been more different.

Tsunade's gaze was distant. Perhaps she was remembering Kato Dan. Weddings had a way of opening old wounds.

Orochimaru's yellow eyes flicked around like a radar, scanning every corner—for science... or prey.

"Ha! Kushina!" Jiraiya's eyes lit up.

"If you keep staring, Ero-Sennin," Kushina warned, her red hair lifting menacingly, "don't blame me for getting physical."

Jiraiya sat down quickly with a forced smile.

Orochimaru chuckled, then turned toward Feng Huo. "Tsunade, shall we sit over there?"

Tsunade snapped out of her haze, glanced at Jiraiya—and her eyes narrowed dangerously.

She stomped over and dropped beside Feng Huo with a smirk.

"Ah, I should go check on—"

BANG.

Tsunade slapped him back into his chair. The stool groaned under the impact.

"You trying to sneak off?" she sneered. "When are you going to pay back the money you owe me?"

Feng Huo's expression changed instantly. "You—shameless! When did I ever owe you money?!"

Tsunade grinned coldly. "I covered Nonō Yakushi's hospital bills. The debt's been transferred to me."

Feng Huo exhaled. That wasn't too bad. But then—

"…With daily interest. I'm calculating it at 9% compounding every 18 hours."

His face drained of color.

Daily compounding interest?

Even black market loan sharks weren't this cruel!

"We meet again, Uchiha Feng Huo." Orochimaru's voice slithered across the table.

Feng Huo glanced up—and immediately felt faint. His chest tightened, legs trembled, and sweat poured from his forehead.

Tsunade finished her mental math. "So that's… 100 million taels!"

THUD.

Feng Huo collapsed on the table.

"Playing dead? Hmph. Debts won't pay themselves off," Tsunade growled.

From the side, Kushina watched it all unfold, deeply moved.

"Feng Huo is in debt up to his neck… yet he still lent me a million taels. What a good person!"

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