She had initially planned to visit the casino, but the Third Hokage and his meddling had completely extinguished her gambling mood, leaving her only with a gnawing frustration.
'Dan... Nawaki... Only a fool would become Hokage!'
Her destructive urges surged, and she desperately wanted to beat someone senseless.
Unfortunately, Jiraiya wasn't around; otherwise, she would have challenged him to a proper spar.
After a few steps, Tsunade suddenly noticed a shop.
'Hmm?'
"Pet Services?"
'That's interesting.'
After a moment's thought, Tsunade lifted the curtain and stepped inside.
She glanced around, noting the spotless cleanliness and the children tidying up the place.
"Welcome, ma'am. What can we do for you?"
"What kind of shop is this? It looks interesting. And why are there only children here? Where are your adults?"
Tsunade casually pulled up a stool and sat down.
The children didn't seem to recognize her, and she made no effort to reveal her identity as "Tsunade," relishing the anonymity.
"Hello, ma'am. We're Konoha's Pet Services. We mainly offer bathing, grooming, and occasional medical care for pets. This shop is run by our orphanage, so we children manage it most of the time."
Urushi hurried over and answered Tsunade's question promptly.
Tsunade nodded thoughtfully.
'The orphanage... So it's Nono and Kabuto's operation.'
'That kid really has some talent, but why does he always get involved with pets?'
A vague sense of unease stirred within her.
Hearing the word "pets," Tsunade suddenly recalled an earlier thought and asked, "A pet service shop-do you sell pets?"
"Well, we don't sell them directly, but if you need one, we can help you find breeders who have young animals for sale."
"A black cat! I want to raise a black cat!"
Tsunade gritted her teeth.
'What use is it? I'll raise a black cat and beat it every day!'
'Why not beat the real Raj? Because I can't catch him!'
Ever since that black cat learned the Flying Thunder God technique, she hadn't been able to land a single blow on Raj.
The only times she could hit him were when he deliberately let her.
Otherwise, no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't touch him-unless she resorted to Raikage-style attrition tactics.
But Raj had the Flying Thunder God.
'Damn that Flying Thunder God!'
"May I ask why you want to raise a cat?" Urushi cautiously inquired, but when his gaze met Tsunade's fierce eyes, he immediately shrank back, too frightened to continue.
He hastily shook his head and said, "There really isn't a black cat here."
"No... hmm?"
Tsunade suddenly glanced inside, then used the Body Flicker Technique to dash through a small door into the service shop.
She found Raj and Kabuto huddled in a room, Kabuto massaging and tending to Raj.
When Raj saw Tsunade burst in, his first instinct was to run.
"Where do you think you're going?!"
Tsunade slapped the doorframe.
Kabuto's heart nearly leaped into his throat at the sight.
'Stop hitting the door! It was just repaired! If you break it again, we're doomed!'
Fortunately, Tsunade didn't go that far.
She gently tapped the door and said, "Come on, you two. Let's go out for a drink."
Kabuto looked utterly bewildered.
'What does this have to do with me? I'm just helping with a massage! Why am I getting dragged into this? And is it really appropriate to let a five-year-old drink?'
He had a mountain of objections, but seeing Tsunade's expression, the boy forced a polite smile, bowing respectfully.
'Maybe I can get away with drinking less this way.'
"Meow~ Can I skip it?"
"No. I'm in a foul mood today and want to find some people to drink with," Tsunade stated bluntly.
Well, that settles it.
A foul mood trumped all other reasons.
Raj could guess the situation-it likely
It stemmed from Tsunade's conversation with the Third Hokage. But he never imagined she'd find him even after he'd hidden here.
'She doesn't even have a pet. What's she doing at a pet shop? Could she actually want to adopt a black cat?!'
"Little one, find me a black cat. I'll pay double if you succeed," Tsunade said, turning to leave, not forgetting her quest for a black cat.
Urushi glanced at Kabuto, who nodded urgently, signaling him to agree.
"Very well, I'll look for one," Urushi replied.
"But black cats are rare in our village. You might have better luck searching elsewhere."
'Damn it! Why couldn't he just shut up? Why add that extra line? He's practically selling me out!'
Raj pretended not to see or hear anything.
Tsunade, however, pondered thoughtfully.
'True, why bother searching so hard? That damned black cat has connections to the Cat King. He could find any cat imaginable over there. Not just black cats - even Ninja Cats! And Ninja Cats can take a beating far better than ordinary cats.'
Of course.
When Tsunade said she'd "beat" the cat, it was just an angry outburst. She had a sharp tongue but a soft heart.
Even if she kept a cat, she wouldn't mistreat it. At most, they'd share meals, but when hungry, she might consider whether to slaughter it...
Tsunade glared at Raj, her eyes sharp.
"Meow~ I'll check later. If there's one, I'll definitely find it for you. But if not, would you consider other colors?" Raj answered cleverly.
Find a cat? No problem.
Ninja Cat Castle was overflowing with cats - so many they barely seemed like cats.
He could easily give Tsunade one to keep, turning it into a sort of forced labor. The only catch was: no pure black cats.
If Tsunade kept squeezing a pure black cat, she'd feel like she was squeezing herself.
"I'm coming with you. Let's go now," Tsunade declared immediately.
Visiting Ninja Cat Castle would be a good excuse to take a walk and clear her head. Staying in Konoha and constantly seeing the Hokage Building and those rows of statues was getting on her nerves.
"Alright," Kabuto replied quickly.
Going to Ninja Cat Castle meant he wouldn't have to drink.
Raj glanced at him.
'This kid's too naive. Does walking or looking at cats stop you from drinking? Of course not.'
Stepping outside, Tsunade quickly found a liquor store and bought several bottles.
Kabuto initially wondered how they would carry them all. But when Raj instantly took all but three bottles, he understood immediately.
'Not drinking is out of the question. Though Raj might not need to drink... After all, the guy couldn't drink while walking, since he needed his paws.'
Kabuto, on the other hand, might get his share from the remaining bottles.
'This is corrupting a child!'
Kabuto felt a surge of indignation.
"Here, you take one bottle, Raj takes one... Don't make that face. Alcohol is good stuff, but kids shouldn't drink too much.