At a small town on the border between the Land of Frost and the Land of Lightning, Tsunade sat at a gambling table, staring intently at the dealer's hand. In the end, she gritted her teeth and slammed her last bit of money down on the "small" bet.
The others at the table lit up upon seeing this, rushing to bet on "big" instead.
The result was obvious—Tsunade lost everything again.
"Shizune, give me the money! I'm turning this around!"
"No, Lady Tsunade! That's our money for food and lodging. I absolutely won't give it to you!" Shizune clutched the pouch tightly, completely unwilling to compromise.
"Shizune, trust me! I will make a comeback!"
Just as Shizune was about to speak, Tsunade suddenly struck, snatching the pouch with lightning speed.
"Don't worry, Shizune. Once I win, I'll treat you to a feast!"
"Lady Tsunade, you've said that so many times, but you've never won. At this rate, we'll have to treat people's injuries again to make money. I don't mind, but you…"
Hearing Shizune's words, Tsunade's hand froze just before she placed the bet. She suddenly stood up, pulling Shizune out of the casino.
"Lady Tsunade, what are you—"
"Nothing. Just suddenly don't feel like gambling anymore. Let's use this hundred ryo to treat you to a feast!"
"Lady Tsunade, we only have a hundred ryo left. We still need to pay for lodging. Maybe let's skip the feast—"
"No way. Money's something we can always earn back. Don't sweat the small stuff. Come on, come on, let's go eat!" said Tsunade as she dragged Shizune into a big restaurant.
After eating and drinking their fill, Tsunade looked at Shizune paying the bill and smiled. All these years, what she was most thankful for was taking Shizune as her student.
Tsunade was sure—Shizune respected her from the heart.
Though she initially took Shizune along because she was Dan's niece, after so many years together, Tsunade had truly come to accept her. If not for Shizune's companionship, she didn't know what kind of mess she'd have become.
Back when she was alone, she often gambled away all her money and had to sleep on the streets.
Ever since Shizune came along, she'd find ways to earn money. Even though Tsunade would gamble away a good chunk of it, there was usually enough left for food and lodging.
But today, it was clear their money wouldn't be enough even for lodging. After this big meal, they were down to just a few coins.
The two discussed it and found a place that could at least shelter them from the elements to sleep for the night.
The next morning, Uchiha Yuan and Hyuga Asana suddenly appeared at the border of the Land of Frost.
"Yuan, why are we here?" asked Hyuga Asana.
"I want to have someone check your physical condition."
"My physical condition? I'm fine! Why do I need a checkup?" Hyuga Asana asked, puzzled.
"We're about to head to the moon to find the Otsutsuki clan there, and obtain their bloodline to supplement the final part of your genetic deficiency.
But before that, I must confirm—absolutely—that there's nothing wrong with your body. I don't want a minor hidden issue to cause a problem I didn't foresee."
After hearing Uchiha Yuan's words, Hyuga Asana's lips curled into a smile. She really enjoyed this feeling of being cared for.
"Then who are we going to find?" she asked after a moment.
"Across the whole ninja world, the strongest in medical ninjutsu is one of the Legendary Sannin—Tsunade. So of course, we're looking for her."
"How do you know she's at the border between the Land of Frost and the Land of Lightning?"
"Thanks to the bounty exchange stations. Their info is very up to date. I also posted our mission to find the passage to the moon on the bounty boards."
Hearing this, Hyuga Asana nodded and didn't ask further.
The two continued forward, carefully searching for traces of Tsunade.
"Yuan, about 2000 meters ahead and to the right, there are two strong chakra signatures. It could be Lady Tsunade," said Hyuga Asana suddenly.
Hearing that, Uchiha Yuan's eyes lit up. He took Hyuga Asana and teleported twice consecutively to the location she described.
To Uchiha Yuan's surprise, they arrived just as Tsunade and Shizune were treating the Fourth Raikage's guard—an event from the original storyline.
While Tsunade was negotiating terms with the Fourth Raikage, Uchiha Yuan and Hyuga Asana suddenly appeared.
Shizune was startled. Tsunade immediately used the Body Flicker Technique to rush to Shizune's side and shield her behind her.
"Shizune, no need to be so tense! It's me!"
"You're… Uchiha Yuan?" It had been years, and Uchiha Yuan had changed a lot—his appearance, his voice. Though they were technically classmates, they hadn't been in the same class and only knew each other in passing. So Shizune wasn't completely sure.
Uchiha Yuan smiled and activated his Sharingan.
That confirmed it for Shizune—this really was Uchiha Yuan.
"Lady Tsunade, he's Uchiha Yuan! My classmate. He's from the village. You don't need to worry!"
Only then did Tsunade lower her guard.
"Lady Tsunade, hello!"
Tsunade nodded but said nothing.
"Yuan, long time no see! How have you been all these years?"
"Pretty good! Oh right—Shizune, can you guess who she is?" Uchiha Yuan pointed to Hyuga Asana.
Shizune tilted her head and stared at Hyuga Asana for a while but couldn't recognize her.
The main issue was that Asana currently had her Byakugan activated. Her Byakugan had become very different from the usual Hyuga white eyes, and her hair had turned silver-white. Shizune just couldn't place her.
"Shizune, I'm Hyuga Asana," Asana said with a smile, introducing herself.
"Hyuga Asana! You're that Asana who always followed behind Hyuga Chiwa? Your Caged—" Shizune's words cut off abruptly. She realized asking that might be rude.
Hyuga Asana didn't mind at all. She smiled and said, "The Caged Bird Seal has already been broken by me and Orochimaru-sensei."
"Orochimaru-sensei? You're Orochimaru's disciple?" Tsunade, who had remained silent, asked.
"Yes, Lady Tsunade."
"Uchiha Yuan—I heard you've awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan?"
Uchiha Yuan nodded.
"Orochimaru's disciple and a Mangekyō Sharingan wielder… Looks like the situation has reversed," Tsunade said, half-smiling, as she glanced at the Fourth Raikage.
Uchiha Yuan followed her gaze and then asked Tsunade, "Lady Tsunade, shall I deal with this problem for you?"
The Fourth Raikage was fairly strong among Kage-levels, but at this stage, Kage-level meant little to Uchiha Yuan. If he wished, he could easily dispose of the Fourth Raikage.
(To Be Continued...)