After settling Kirigakure's internal affairs, Chiba set out together with Tsunade and Orochimaru, who was bound for the Sound Village. The three traveled by sea and disembarked within the borders of Yugakure. Following Chiba's instructions, Orochimaru passed through the Land of Hot Water and headed toward the Land of Rice Fields, intent on reorganizing the Sound Village he had founded and bringing every last force there firmly under Chiba's banner and Kirigakure's authority.
Chiba, meanwhile, continued onward with Tsunade, crossing the Land of Hot Water and the Land of Frost, their destination set on Kumogakure in the Land of Lightning.
Among the Five Great Nations, only Kirigakure stood isolated overseas. The other great powers were separated from one another by a patchwork of smaller countries, serving as buffers that prevented constant border conflicts. In times of war, however, those very same lands became battlefields, their people trampled and displaced while the great nations fought by proxy.
Between the Land of Earth and the Land of Wind lay the Land of Stone. Between the Land of Earth and the Land of Fire lay the Lands of Grass and Waterfall. Between Fire and Wind was the Land of Rivers. As for the Land of Rain, it sat at the crossroads of Fire, Wind, and Earth, making Amegakure a perpetual victim of every great war. Pain and the Six Paths emerging from there was no coincidence-it was the inevitable result of a land endlessly crushed beneath the wheels of history.
Between the Land of Fire and the Land of Lightning lay the Land of Hot Water and the Land of Frost. Orochimaru's Sound Village, located in the Land of Rice Fields, was nestled between Earth, Fire, and Lightning without directly bordering any of them, making it relatively stable and defensible. That was precisely why Orochimaru had chosen it.
After parting ways with Orochimaru, Chiba and Tsunade continued through the Land of Hot Water. This small country was famous for its peaceful, leisurely way of life-a place that prided itself on having forgotten war. "Hot Water" meant hot springs, and the land was filled with them, making it a favorite resort for people from all five great nations. Natural resources were abundant, tourism thrived, and the economy was lively. But its military power was almost nonexistent, a tranquil oasis adrift in a violent world.
Hidan had come from this land, though he was nothing like its peace-loving people. Hatred and brutality filled his heart, and he despised Yugakure's tranquil lifestyle, which eventually drove him into the cult of Jashin, where slaughter was worshiped as the highest sacrament. Through inhumane experiments, he alone gained immortality and the cursed ritual of Death Possession Blood, later drawing the attention of Akatsuki and becoming Kakuzu's infamous partner. Whether he had already joined them or not, even Chiba did not know-but for now, the Land of Hot Water remained as peaceful as ever.
Hot spring inns, restaurants, theaters, and casinos lined the streets. The moment Tsunade saw them, her eyes lit up.
Chiba chuckled softly, already aware that her gambler's instincts had stirred again.
"Want to go in and play for a bit?"
Tsunade paused, then shook her head. "Isn't this the wrong time? Aren't we supposed to be heading for the Land of Lightning to discuss serious matters?"
"Serious matters will still be there later," Chiba replied with a smile. "And a little rest won't change their attitude. Come on-I'll keep you company."
Tsunade felt a faint warmth spread through her chest. She knew Chiba was thinking of her. Leaving Konoha had been a wound that never truly closed. It was the village her grandfather, Senju Hashirama, had founded-the place where she had grown up, where her family and memories were rooted. No matter how far she traveled, it was always home. And now she had turned her back on it.
Then there was the war between Konoha and Kirigakure, where Orochimaru and Jiraiya-once her comrades-had stood on the opposite side. Even after building the Medical Division in Kirigakure and realizing her lifelong dream, a lingering melancholy still clung to her heart.
That was why Chiba wanted her to gamble-to let it all spill out.
For the first time in a long while, Tsunade smiled sincerely, that bright, unrestrained smile returning to her face. She nodded and strode inside with him.
The casino wasn't huge, but it was elegant and refined. The moment Tsunade stepped inside, a familiar excitement surged through her, her grin blooming like a flower.
"Alright-let's make this a big one!"
Chiba shook his head with a faint laugh. This really is Tsunade… the legendary big spender.
Before long, the two of them were deep into the games. Both were unimaginably wealthy, even by the standards of a resort nation, but Tsunade's terrible luck quickly became legendary. She lost again and again, to the delight of every gambler around them. Chiba, while no master of gambling, at least wasn't cursed-he ended the day only slightly down.
But winning and losing didn't matter. What mattered was watching Tsunade laugh and shout, finally unburdened. Seeing her like that, Chiba joined in, fully immersing himself in the chaotic joy of it all.
By nightfall, Tsunade was flushed with excitement, even before drinking. She had lost heavily, but her heart felt light. Laughing loudly, she slung an arm over Chiba's shoulder.
"Come on, Chiba-no, Mizukage-sama-let's drink!"
They ordered fine food and liquor, eating and drinking to their fill. Tsunade, as always, was both a terrible gambler and an even worse drinker, quickly growing drunk. By the time the cups were emptied, her cheeks were glowing, her eyes hazy.
"You're a good guy, Mizukage," she slurred. "Back when we first met at the casino, I could already tell you were decent… gambling reveals character, you know… If only I'd met you earlier…"
Chiba smiled lightly. "It's not too late now."
"True enough! Cheers!"
Later, Tsunade insisted on soaking in the hot springs. Worried she might drown in her state, Chiba chose a private bath. Supporting her inside, he watched as she slipped into the water, and before either could think twice, they found themselves holding each other.
When morning light filtered through the window, Tsunade awoke, turning sharply to find Chiba beside her. Her face flushed crimson.
"What… what happened?!"
The answer was obvious, and she knew it. Young, powerful, brilliant, famous, wealthy-Chiba was everything a woman could want. And when she thought back on all they had been through, she realized part of her had hoped for this.
She glanced at him again, feeling a warmth she hadn't known in years.
Then she noticed the faint smile on his lips.
"You were awake this whole time, weren't you?!"
Chiba opened his eyes with a grin. "Of course. Otherwise, you'd have won the last round."
Blushing furiously, Tsunade swung at him. Chiba caught her fist easily, leaning close.
"Not satisfied? Then let's fight another round."
And so, the battle began again.
He couldn't help but sigh in quiet admiration-she truly was a masterpiece of this world.
Chiba did not resist either, stepping in after her, and before either of them could fully process it, the two of them were already wrapped tightly around each other within the warm, mist-filled waters of the hot spring.
…
A single night slipped by.
Early the next morning, pale sunlight slanted through the window, falling softly across Tsunade's sleeping face. Her brows furrowed slightly before her eyes slowly opened.
In the next instant, as if she suddenly sensed something, she sharply turned her head-and met Chiba's face right beside her.
Her pupils widened, her cheeks instantly burning red.
"What… what happened?!"
It was, of course, a foolish question. Anyone would know what had happened.
Tsunade realized it immediately as well.
But still…
For a moment, she couldn't quite accept it.
Had she really… done that with someone?
And with a man she hadn't even known for very long…
Even though he was undeniably the kind of man that made every woman's heart stir-young, powerful, outstanding, brave, intelligent, handsome, wealthy, holding great authority and a name that shook the entire shinobi world. It was no exaggeration to say that no woman could find a better man to entrust herself to than Chiba.
Even so, Tsunade couldn't help feeling shy and flustered.
As memories of the days she had spent with Chiba flowed through her mind, she recalled how they had fought each other fiercely at the gambling tables, nearly to the point where she had almost gambled herself away. She remembered getting drunk senseless in a tavern, only for Chiba to escort her back to the inn and guard her the entire night without doing anything improper.
And when Hiruzen Sarutobi and Konoha had abandoned her-when they had even tried to have her eliminated-it was Chiba who had stepped in to save her life, and then offered her a new place to belong.
When she was at her lowest, he had taken her to a casino to let her vent, and then drank with her until she felt truly free again.
Only now did Tsunade realize that, deep down, she had actually been hoping for all of this to happen.
Of course, with her personality, she would never admit that out loud.
But the sweetness and happiness in her eyes, along with the flush on her cheeks, betrayed her completely. At this moment, she was no legendary Sannin, no fearsome woman who dominated the shinobi world-just a woman, pure and simple.
She turned again to look at the still-sleeping Chiba, and for the first time in a very long while, a feeling of warmth and belonging filled her heart. A quiet sense of security settled over her.
Perhaps this was what it meant to finally have something to hold on to.
Suddenly, she noticed a faint smile tugging at the corner of Chiba's lips.
"Y-you… you were already awake, weren't you?!"
"And you were just pretending to sleep?!"
Her words sounded fierce, but they were nothing more than bluster.
Chiba opened his eyes and smiled. "Of course I was awake. Otherwise, wouldn't that last battle have ended with you as the victor?"
Tsunade was instantly filled with embarrassment and anger, and she swung her fist toward him. Her punches were no joke-one careless blow could have demolished the entire hot spring inn.
Chiba caught her fist effortlessly, smiling as he held it in place.
"What? Not satisfied?"
"Of course I'm not!" Tsunade snapped, still flushed.
Chiba leaned close to her, his voice low and commanding as he spoke into her ear.
"Then let's have another round."
In an instant, the flames of battle were reignited within the room.
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