**Chapter 30: The Bet**
"Boy, I am one of the Three Great Sannin. Dealing with a brat like you... I only need one finger."
Tsunade slowly extended a slender, jade-like finger, her beautiful face radiating arrogance as she gazed mockingly at Naruto.
*Damn it, even a beauty like her is infuriating when she acts like this...*
Naruto secretly spread his palm.
"Rasengan!"
*Boom!*
He suddenly lunged forward, slamming a Rasengan down on Tsunade.
"Hey, Naruto! Don't get too carried away!"
Jiraiya was startled by Naruto's swift attack. *Is he really going all out?*
"Lady Tsunade..."
Clutching the snorting Tonton, Shizune watched the billowing dust cloud with worry. *I hope nothing bad happens...*
Naruto's attack had been too fast.
"Ha! Boom!"
A sharp cry rang out from the dust cloud, followed by an even more violent explosion.
*Tsunade's monstrous strength punch?*
Jiraiya stared at the cracked road with lingering fear. He still hadn't forgotten the terrifying sensation of being struck by that punch—the sheer force was unforgettable.
"Is that all you've got, brat?"
As the dust settled, Tsunade glared at Naruto, who stood some distance away, her voice dripping with disdain.
"Damn it..." Naruto hesitated, wondering if he should get serious.
"Hey kid... let's make a bet," Tsunade suddenly said, beckoning Naruto with a flick of her finger.
"What kind of bet?" Naruto asked, startled and confused.
"Sigh... even at a time like this, she's still thinking about gambling. Tsunade really is..." Jiraiya sighed softly, shaking his head in exasperation.
"I bet you can't master the Double-Handed Rasengan within a week," Tsunade declared, pulling out the necklace she kept tucked in her robes. "The stakes are this."
"That necklace?" Naruto realized.
"Lady Tsunade, isn't that your most precious possession? How could you..." Shizune gasped, trying to stop her.
"Shizune, enough," Tsunade interrupted, her gaze fixed confidently on Naruto. "That brat has no chance of mastering such a difficult technique in a week. This bet is as good as won!"
"So confident, huh?" Naruto smirked, a mysterious curve forming at the corner of his mouth. "Alright, I'm in!"
"Then it's settled!" Tsunade nodded, leading Shizune away. "Prove yourself to me in a week..."
"It's just a double Rasengan with both hands! What's so hard about that? I can master it in three days, not even a week!" Naruto shouted indignantly at Tsunade's retreating figure.
"Hey, hey, Naruto, don't get ahead of yourself," Jiraiya said, walking up to him with a sigh. "Even with your talent, a double Rasengan is on a completely different level than a single-handed one. You have to perfectly control two separate streams of Chakra simultaneously—that's no easy feat."
"Relax, Perverted Sage! This is a piece of cake! Ha ha..." Naruto grinned confidently, completely underestimating the difficulty of the technique.
That night, deep within a dense forest, dozens of Naruto clones practiced the same technique, but none could execute it perfectly.
"Damn it! I never imagined multitasking would be this hard!"
After dispelling the two irregular Rasengans swirling in his palms, Naruto canceled his Shadow Clones and collapsed to the ground, panting heavily.
"This really is a different level of technique. Now I finally understand how much harder a double Rasengan is compared to a single-handed one. The single-handed version feels like child's play compared to this."
Naruto stared wide-eyed at the radiant full moon, gritting his teeth in frustration. "I can't give up! I have to master this technique perfectly within a week... no, within three days!"
"Only then..."
He paused, panting heavily, then muttered to himself, "Only then can I perfectly create two Nine-Tailed Rasengans with both hands. After all, if I can't even control the power of a regular Rasengan properly, the Nine-Tailed Rasengan's berserk energy might instantly pulverize my hands..."
"Alright, enough resting! Time to get back to training!"
Naruto flipped to his feet and immediately summoned several Shadow Clones to resume practicing the dual-handed Rasengan.
"Hah! Rasengan!"
*Boom! Boom!*
Two violent explosions echoed through the forest as a figure-eight-shaped crater appeared in the ground, instantly shrouding the area in a thick cloud of dust.
*Huff... huff...*
Panting heavily, Naruto let the sweat stream freely down his forehead, a triumphant grin spreading across his face as he surveyed the bizarre crater. "Now that's more like it!"
*Huff... Okay, that's enough for today. Time to head back...*
Naruto glanced at the dawn-tinged sky, took a deep breath of the forest's crisp air, and with a powerful leap, shot forward.
Within the forest, Naruto's Chakra recovered exceptionally quickly.
"Perverted Sage, open the door!"
Entering the inn, Naruto pounded on the door and shouted.
But his expression froze the next moment.
The slightly ajar door creaked open under his fist. Jiraiya hadn't locked it after all.
"Come on, old man, just one more drink..."
A sultry voice drifted from inside the room.
"Ah, ha ha, alright, alright, I'll have... one more!"
Jiraiya's drunken voice slurred, his lecherous tone barely concealed.
"Perverted Sage!"
Naruto burst through the door, his face contorted with fury. "I was out there training all night, and you're just here living it up? Fine, live it up, but why bring someone back to the inn?"
"Oh, it's Naruto."
Jiraiya exhaled a cloud of sake-laden breath and waved dismissively. "Not quite, not quite. Actually... this is a special service offered by the inn..."
"Burp!"
Jiraiya hiccuped and chuckled. "So, you see, it doesn't count as bringing a girl back to the inn..."
.....................
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(End of Chapter)