"Because this is my first time taking out a loan,"
Kiyohara replied.
He looked directly at Tsunade.
Tsunade wore a sleeveless top with a green jacket draped over it, hiding her full, curvaceous figure beneath the fabric. On her lower half, she wore light blue cropped pants that hugged her long legs, making them appear round and full.
"Your first time?"
Tsunade frowned slightly.
…Uh-oh.
It seemed she herself had borrowed money many times before.
Kiyohara immediately understood from her subtle expression that Tsunade's "personal credit" was already ruined.
"Ahem. I'm Tsunade Senju. Lend me some money now, and once I win it back, I'll definitely repay you," she said, staring at him.
"Lady Tsunade… you're going gambling?"
Kiyohara asked.
Tsunade's gambling habit was no secret. In fact, she had earned the nickname "The Walking Cash Cow."
Stop already, Lady Tsunade. Everyone else out there wins, but you're the only one who always loses.
Kiyohara thought that even if he lent her money, she probably wouldn't have the chance to win.
Still, an idea flashed through his mind.
He eventually took out fifty thousand ryō and handed it to her.
"Lady Tsunade, I'm very interested in medical ninjutsu. Could you teach me a little?"
Kiyohara asked.
At this point in Konoha's history, the medical ninjutsu system still wasn't as structured as it would be in the future.
When Sakura and Naruto went on their first mission, Naruto had to cut his own hand with a kunai to counter poison. The reason was simple—at that time, Sakura didn't know even the most basic medical techniques like Detoxification Jutsu or Hemostasis Jutsu.
It wasn't until Boruto that every genin began receiving basic medical training, with talented ones selected for further study.
"Hmm…" Tsunade frowned again.
"Lady Tsunade, everyone else is urging you," Shizune called out as she hurried over, clutching Tonton in her arms.
She desperately wanted Tsunade to stop gambling, but Tsunade had assigned her the task of watching the situation inside.
And Shizune would never disobey her master's orders.
"Kid, you're lucky," Tsunade finally said, nodding.
"I'll give you two jutsu. You give me a hundred thousand ryō."
She spread out her hand.
Though they were only basic medical jutsu, they weren't easy to obtain.
Only because she was short on money and since Kiyohara was a Konoha shinobi, she was willing to "sell cheap."
"No problem, Lady Tsunade," Kiyohara replied with a small smile.
He was surprised she actually agreed to the deal.
He quickly handed over a hundred thousand ryō, then brought out blank paper and a pen for Tsunade.
He originally prepared these to record the missing-nin Kiyohara's ninjutsu, but now they were perfect for Tsunade to jot down medical ones.
A single C-rank mission typically rewarded between thirty thousand and one hundred thousand ryō.
But, according to the official databook, if multiple shinobi completed the same mission, the reward was split evenly among them.
That meant earning one hundred thousand ryō required completing several C-rank missions.
"You even carry this stuff around…"
Tsunade muttered.
She assumed he was a studious type and didn't think too much about it.
Without further thought, she grabbed the pen and scribbled instructions onto the blank page.
The two medical-nin techniques she gave him were Hemostasis Jutsu and Detoxification Jutsu.
"Money for goods, goods for money."
Tsunade said, returning the scroll and pen to Kiyohara. Then, clutching the thick stack of cash, she hurried toward the casino.
"Shizune, let's go!"
Tsunade was already eager to turn her luck around.
Shizune had witnessed the whole transaction.
Although every medical shinobi knew these techniques, she could only sigh.
Lady Tsunade really was addicted to gambling.
"Lady Tsunade… you lose nine out of ten bets," Shizune pleaded again.
She felt that by lending Tsunade money, Kiyohara had only harmed her.
"Shizune, you don't understand. Losing simply means I've temporarily deposited my money. Quitting means the money is truly gone forever."
Tsunade proclaimed this universal truth of gamblers.
Then she said no more and strode into the casino, ready to conquer it and reclaim everything that belonged to her.
…
Kiyohara stood there watching Tsunade and Shizune leave, shaking his head.
If the Three Legendary Sannin represented the three great sins—
Then Orochimaru was poison,
Jiraiya was lust,
And Tsunade… was gambling.
She even had the kanji for "gamble" embroidered on the back of her coat.
"You got lucky. Those two jutsu are pretty useful,"
the missing-nin Kiyohara commented.
Every shinobi could only master a limited number of jutsu.
To become a jōnin, one had to master at least two chakra nature transformations.
Most shinobis only used a handful of techniques their entire careers.
He had spent years running around doing shady jobs for Orochimaru—every technique he learned was combat-oriented.
He knew nothing about medical ninjutsu.
"I wonder if I can learn them in just a few days," Kiyohara said, staring at the messy handwriting. Fortunately, with effort, he could still make out the instructions.
"It's enough. I can guide your chakra."
The missing-nin assured him.
He could help Kiyohara train in these two basic medical jutsu.
They didn't require Yang Release, so even someone like Kiyohara, whose chakra natures were only Wind and Lightning, could learn them.
"Alright."
Kiyohara nodded and continued walking down the street.
He and the missing-nin Kiyohara could communicate inside his mind, just like Naruto and Kurama.
No one outside could hear their exchange.
'I hope the remaining money is enough to buy decent armor,'
Kiyohara thought.
A shinobi's chakra was limited and had to be used carefully.
That was why tools like shuriken, kunai and similar tools were essential.
A Fire Release: Great Fireball Jutsu might fail to kill someone,
but a single kunai to the gut would usually do the job.
So, Kiyohara wasn't going to buy more shuriken or kunai.
He needed armor.
Only chūnin were allowed to wear the green flak jackets,
but Kiyohara could still buy a high-quality chainmail shirt to wear under his clothes—
something that could reduce fatal injuries when it mattered most.
He bought all the necessary supplies and even an extra bag of lime powder.
As a result, he burned through almost all of his remaining money.
"How do I make the medicine?"
Kiyohara asked once he returned home with bags of materials.
The process of creating forbidden drugs was something only the missing-nin Kiyohara' could handle. Kiyohara himself knew nothing about it.
He also wasn't worried that the missing-nin version of himself would harm him.
If he followed the original timeline and went to reinforce along with Team Minato, he would almost certainly die.
Rin would be captured, Kakashi would lose an eye, and Obito would be crushed beneath rubble.
Even if he survived, he would probably lose an arm or a leg.
Putting trust in his future self was the better choice.
"I'll possess your body to handle this part. The heating process is extremely tricky,"
the missing-nin Kiyohara explained.
"But every time I possess you, my soul dissipates faster. I can only do it a limited number of times."
With that, his spiritual form dove into Kiyohara's body.
Kiyohara felt something strange.
He watched his own limbs move on their own—
Yet he also sensed that if he wished, he could seize control back at any moment.
(End of Chapter)