Naruto: Starting with Tsunade-san

In addition to everything else, he suddenly had a wild idea. If he went gambling with Tsunade, betting against whatever she wagered, the money would undoubtedly roll in.

Since Tsunade was underage, she was prohibited from gambling within the village.

Although she could use the Transformation Jutsu to sneak by, it would be awkward if caught, leaving a bad impression.

But outside the village, there were no such restrictions.

Perhaps because he had been an honest and upright person in the past, Tōshirō only thought about running a proper shop and earning honest money.

Looking back now, he thought, How foolish!

With Tsunade's golden finger of always perfectly avoiding the right answers, why would he bother running a business when he could effortlessly rake in profits?

Based on this reasoning, Sorry, Elder Itachi, but I'll have to put your mission on hold for now.

Once I deal with that monster, I'll immediately turn around and tackle the task you assigned me.

.....

The next day, Tōshirō prepared everything, slung his backpack over his shoulder, and stepped out of his house. The sunlight was warm and pleasant on his cheeks.

"What great weather…"

Tōshirō sighed contentedly and walked toward Konoha's gates. There, he saw Tsunade waiting early in the morning, pacing back and forth. From Tōshirō's God's-eye perspective, it seemed like she was eagerly anticipating going on this mission with him.

This time, it was just the two of them. Both were top talents among their peers, so the mission was unlikely to pose any significant issues.

Ah, this irresistible charm of mine, Tōshirō thought, smugly running a hand through his hair as he greeted her cheerfully.

Seeing Tōshirō arrive so late, Tsunade immediately scolded him harshly, berating his lack of punctuality.

Tōshirō was momentarily stunned. Wait, isn't she supposed to act shy and reserved at this point?

But this was fine too.

The two gate guards were watching, so the act had to be convincing. Tōshirō nonchalantly said, "Ha, it's just being late once. What's the big deal?"

Tsunade, even more annoyed by his lack of remorse, grew angrier.

As the two bickered their way out of the village, the guards exchanged looks and sighed. They couldn't help but worry about whether the pair would successfully complete their mission.

One was the granddaughter of the First Hokage, and the other was a Uchiha without a Sharingan—both rising stars in the village. Naturally, the guards were somewhat aware of their circumstances but couldn't understand why these two were paired together for this mission.

Throughout the journey, Tsunade and Tōshirō argued non-stop.

Tsunade had been so excited about going on a mission alone with Tōshirō that she couldn't sleep the night before, imagining it as almost like a date.

Yet the next morning, this guy was not only ridiculously late but also completely unapologetic about it. Her temper flared instantly.

Unless Tōshirō apologized, she wouldn't forgive him anytime soon.

"Hmph."

Suddenly, Tōshirō relented. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have talked back earlier."

Tsunade's anger dissipated almost instantly. Her cheeks flushed slightly. "Well… since you're sincerely apologizing, I'll graciously forgive you."

Noticing there were no other nosy Konoha shinobi around, Tōshirō mischievously poked his fingers together and grinned. "Little Tsunade, once this mission is over, come help me with a personal matter, won't you?"

Little Tsunade?

Something personal?

Tsunade's face reddened even more, and her lips twitched as though they might melt.

Is… is this a confession?

The confession hit Tsunade like a whirlwind, leaving her completely flustered.

"Wait! I'm not mentally prepared for this! Isn't this too fast?" she stammered.

Tōshirō smiled. "It's fine, not fast at all. I think it's just right."

"Well… okay then. Seeing as you're so sincere, I'll generously agree."

Tsunade's voice was soft and hesitant.

Tōshirō was so thrilled that he nearly grabbed her hand. "Great! Then once this mission is done, come gambling with me!"

"Mhm… mhm…"

Tsunade, shy and blushing, lowered her head. Then, after a beat, she suddenly realized—

"GAMBLING?!"

"Exactly! Your gambling luck is so terrible that if I bet against you, I'll definitely make a fortune. How about we split the profits 50-50?"

Tōshirō blinked playfully as he spoke.

Hearing this, Tsunade, who had been overthinking things just moments ago, suddenly felt utterly embarrassed. She punched Tōshirō into the distance and then ran off.

"Wait for me! Please, Tsunade, come gambling with me! Without you, how am I supposed to make money?"

The boy's pleading voice echoed from behind, but Tsunade didn't stop. She kept running forward, biting her lower lip. Her delicate face showed a mix of anger and shyness—angry at Tōshirō for being so dense, shy because her face must have been bright red earlier, making her feel utterly humiliated.

That idiot Tōshirō!

She had made it so obvious just now, yet this fool still didn't get it. Did he really need her to spell it out?

She kept running, lost in her own thoughts, not knowing how far she had gone until she suddenly noticed there was no more sound behind her.

Tsunade paused, her brows furrowed.

Weird. Why is it so quiet?

As she wondered, she sensed something approaching from behind. Instinctively, she jumped aside and turned to look at the object.

Her eyes widened in surprise.

It was a strange contraption with two wheels, and riding on it was none other than Tōshirō.

"What... what is that thing?" Tsunade exclaimed, her eyes round with curiosity.

She had never seen anything like it before. In this era, bicycles had yet to be invented.

Tōshirō shamelessly claimed ownership of the invention. "It's called a bicycle."

Tsunade stepped closer and examined it. The design looked vaguely familiar—she remembered Tōshirō and Orochimaru tinkering with something similar before.

"And what's it good for?"

Without answering, Tōshirō demonstrated by riding the bike around her in a few smooth circles. He then stopped, leaning his elbow casually on the handlebar. "Looks pretty cool, doesn't it?"

Tsunade crossed her arms and gave her verdict. "Boring. It's slower than just running."

Tōshirō nodded in agreement. In a world where ninja could run faster than most vehicles, a bicycle was little more than a toy.

Feigning innocence, he asked, "By the way, you seemed pretty upset earlier. Why? And don't you love gambling? Why'd you hit me?"

Faced with his string of questions, Tsunade froze.

Yeah… why was I so angry?

From Tōshirō's perspective, she had indeed been unreasonable and hard to understand.

"Because…"

The next words refused to come out. If she said it, wouldn't that basically be a confession?

The mere thought made Tsunade shake her head furiously, internally panicking. Out loud, she stammered, "Gambling is a sacred thing to me! I can't allow you to insult it!"

"Sacred? Why?"

Tsunade's heart raced at the question.

Why? You're asking me? Who am I supposed to ask?!

This excuse had been made up on the spot. How could she possibly explain it?

While she racked her brain for an answer, Tōshirō seemed to have a revelation. His gaze dropped, and his voice took on a sorrowful tone. "I see. Now I understand. It's my fault."

Tsunade blinked, confused.

Tōshirō sighed deeply. "I know your love for gambling comes from your pride in your grandfather. You must gamble because it reminds you of him, right?"

He looked up as he spoke, his dark, clear eyes brimming with sincerity.

(End of Chapter)

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