Behind Konoha Village.
Training Ground No. 106.
Ordinarily, early February would still be winter. But in the ninja world, such logic didn't apply at all. Konoha's weather had abruptly returned to a comfortable 16°C, as pleasant as ever.
During this extremely busy period for village missions, the only team that still had the leisure to train at a practice field was last year's Team One.
Nawaki:
Grandson of the First Hokage.
Grandson of the current Nine-Tails Jinchūriki.
Younger brother of the current Hokage's disciple.
Disciple of the current Hokage's disciple.
Heir to the Senju clan.
With that many titles stacked on one kid, who would dare send him to the battlefield to die?
Even during wartime, when Orochimaru had no time to personally lead him on C-rank missions, the village didn't dare assign him to other teams either.Might Dai:
A perennial genin—more precisely, a genin for over a decade.
Compared to someone like Maruboshi Kosuke, who could casually wipe the floor with chūnin, Dai was the real definition of a genin:
low chakra reserves, limited use of the Three Basic Techniques, poor stamina, and only taijutsu to rely on.
The root causes were simple: overtraining, lack of proper guidance, self-developed Eight Gates, and too many hidden internal injuries. He was far from the Might Guy of canon.And Bai Xing…
"Lightning Release: Earth Flow!"
Zzzzt—!
"Damn it! Failed again! Why is it like this?!"
At the training field, atop a tall, leafy tree.
A brown-haired boy nervously hid behind the trunk, poking his head out to watch the bizarre Lightning Release technique used by the black-haired youth below.
The innocent green grass had already been scorched black. Clearly, this wasn't the first attempt.
And yet Bai Xing's hands had been aimed perfectly at the special wooden training post in front of him.
"Bai Xing… you're terrifying."
On the ground, Bai Xing dropped to both knees.
According to his 'genin-level' chakra reserves, using a C-rank ninjutsu three times should already leave him exhausted.
Looking at the devastated lawn, Bai Xing could only apologize internally.
—To keep being a genin, I can only sacrifice you.
"You—you—you're way too outrageous."
When Nawaki arrived, he'd originally planned to give Bai Xing some pointers. Instead, he nearly got caught in the blast radius of Bai Xing's 'accidental' ninjutsu and had fled into the tree instead.
"You learn fast, sure, but your jutsu working one moment and failing the next—
as your teammate, I'm seriously worried about my personal safety."
Bai Xing twitched the corner of his mouth.
"Alright, young master. What did you actually come to see me for today?"
Since his legal-doctor "experience card" had expired a few days ago, he'd obediently returned to doing D-rank missions with the two of them—about one every two days.
Just yesterday, they'd helped a renovation crew move building materials. Dai had nearly collapsed from exhaustion.
"Well… actually…"
"I've got something really important I need your help with."
"No money."
"???"
Nawaki stared at Bai Xing blankly.
I haven't even said it yet—how did you know?!
"How did you know I wanted to borrow money from you?"
Bai Xing leaned back against a completely pristine training post—one without a single scratch—and crossed his arms.
"Just a guess. I recently spent a lot of money commissioning a custom ninja blade. I'm broke.
Loan denied~"
"And Dai still owes me two hundred thousand ryō."
"So right now—"
"I've only got two hundred thousand left. I'm seriously poor."
Nawaki: "..."
"Wait a minute," Bai Xing continued, genuinely puzzled.
"Don't you do missions with us every day? You should've saved quite a bit.
And your grandma gives you plenty of allowance too."
He stared at Nawaki in disbelief.
"How does a dignified young master of the Senju clan have no money—and need to borrow from me?!"
Faced with the question, Nawaki laughed awkwardly, scratching his cheek and averting his gaze.
"I… lent it to my sister."
"..."
Bai Xing instantly recalled Nono telling him that Tsunade had borrowed money from her—
fifty thousand ryō at first, never repaid, then borrowed more and even asked for his opinion.
"How much did she borrow?"
"Adding it all up… about two hundred forty to two hundred fifty thousand ryō."
"…And today you came to borrow money to buy equipment?"
"No. My sister said she urgently needs cash today. She said she'll pay me back once last month's salary comes in."
Staring at the naïve brown-haired boy, Bai Xing covered his face.
Those words were identical to what Nono had told him earlier.
He'd told Nono to refuse outright. Her hospital salary wasn't that high to begin with.
"I'm not lending."
"Why not?! I'll just repay you after finishing some missions, Bai Xing!"
Bai Xing tugged at his cheek and said flatly:
"Do you know your sister gambles?"
"Gambles? What's that?"
At that moment, Bai Xing felt his soul stumble in place.
"It's a form of entertainment where money goes in… and never comes back~!"
Earlier that day.
Doctors also needed rest.
On this rare day off, Tsunade had gone early in the morning to find Nawaki, asking for some gambling capital.
Her own salary and savings were long gone.
"Why isn't Nawaki back yet…"
"Nono said her teacher is a mission maniac. He must have a lot of savings, right~"
"Hehehe~"
Inside a large, antique-style Senju residence, Tsunade leaned by the bedroom window, daydreaming about dominating the casino tables.
The next second—
Click.
She heard movement in the living room.
Before she could react, the bedroom door opened, revealing a beautiful woman with a red hair bun, holding a long willow switch.
Her face was filled with bulging veins and a murderous smile.
"Little Tsunade~"
"G-Grandma Mito?! You didn't tell me you were coming—I would've gone to greet you!"
Something felt… very wrong today.
From behind the door crack—
Uzumaki Mito stood there, and behind her were two boys, one tall and one short.
Bai Xing yawned lazily.
"Lady Mito, I think Tsunade-sama was just temporarily possessed or something when she borrowed all that money."
"Otherwise, she wouldn't have borrowed fifty thousand ryō from her disciple and still not repaid it after two months."
"And also Nawaki's mission savings and allowance—two hundred forty to fifty thousand ryō."
"Please don't be angry~~"
"Grandma! Grandma, listen to my explanation!!"
Tsunade instantly realized why Mito had come.
It was Bai Xing, that little brat—he snitched!
"Heh heh heh—borrowing from your younger brother is one thing, but you even went after your disciple?"
"I knew from the start you'd never make a good teacher!"
SMACK!
"Ow! That hurts, Grandma!"
Inside the room, Tsunade didn't dare resist. She stood obediently as Mito whipped her mercilessly with the willow switch.
Before long, several marks bloomed across her backside under her furious glare.
Bai Xing chuckled inwardly.
Serves you right for borrowing money everywhere. Go scam Jiraiya if you want—but leave my cute disciple alone.
Not long after, Uzumaki Mito paid off Nono's debt out of her own pocket and handed the money to Bai Xing.
Nawaki received another fifty thousand ryō as pocket money.
As for Tsunade's debt, Mito ordered her to repay Nawaki immediately once her salary came in.
"Thank you, Grandma."
"Good child."
Mito patted Nawaki's head, then looked at Bai Xing.
"If I remember correctly, you and Nawaki are both Orochimaru's disciples, right?"
"Yes, Lady Mito."
She waved her hand.
"No need to be so formal. In private, just call me Grandma."
Nearby, Tsunade was standing in the corner, facing the wall in punishment.
Her day off ruined, gambling dreams shattered, she glared daggers into Bai Xing's back.
Just you wait.
"Grandma Mito, you're too kind."
"I just didn't want to see Tsunade-sama continue down this path."
"After all—"
Bai Xing turned his head, flashing a scheming smile at the furious Tsunade.
"Gambling?"
"Ten bets, nine losses."
"It's better not to touch it at all."
"Mind your own business," Tsunade muttered.
"Tsunade!" Mito shot her a cold glance.
Tsunade instantly shivered, clamping her mouth shut, teeth clenched so hard they almost cracked.
—Just wait. I'll make you pay for this one day!!!
...
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