Chapter 54 (Patreon)

Naruto and Tsunade stood facing each other in the street outside the izakaya.

“Brat, this is your last chance to back down.”

Tsunade planted both hands on her hips. The posture only made her enormous chest stand out even more as she looked down at Naruto with open disdain.

“Granny Tsunade, I think you’ve forgotten something.” Naruto answered her with a wide grin. “When it comes to gambling, you’ve never won a bet in your life!”

Even as he taunted her, every muscle in his body remained taut, ready to evade the instant she attacked.

Crack!

Veins bulged across Tsunade’s forehead.

Being called “Granny” was bad enough. Having this brat mock her infamous reputation as the Legendary Sucker only made it worse.

Without the slightest hesitation, Tsunade launched herself forward. She rose into the air and brought one heel down upon Naruto like a battle-axe.

Jiraiya silently applauded Naruto’s choice of nickname while wiping a bead of cold sweat from his brow. Then he focused on the boy, fully expecting to see him flattened within the next second.

Faced with Tsunade’s ferocious attack, Naruto instinctively wanted to activate his Sharingan. However, he stopped himself out of concern that Tsunade or Jiraiya might notice.

He had yet to learn everything useful Jiraiya could teach him. Tsunade also possessed medical ninjutsu and chakra-enhanced strength that he intended to master. Revealing the Sharingan and falling out with them now would be a terrible waste.

Just before Tsunade’s heel struck, Naruto’s figure flickered and vanished.

Boom!

“He’s fast!”

“What incredible speed!”

Tsunade and Jiraiya stared in astonishment at Naruto, who had reappeared three meters away.

Naruto’s lips curled into a triumphant smile.

After acquiring the [Wind God Body], he had learned to envelop himself with the power of his [Wind-Riding Technique], greatly increasing his speed. By combining it with his original movement art, [Wave-Treading Steps], he had created an entirely new Body Flicker Technique.

He called it the [Wind Body Flicker].

Naruto did not know exactly how fast Shisui of the Body Flicker had once been, but he believed his present speed was already comparable to that of the Fourth Raikage.

The Raikage attained his speed through lightning, while Naruto achieved his through the union of wind and his unique movement art.

Boom!

Tsunade attacked with another kick.

This time, she moved twice as fast as before, and the casual look on her face disappeared.

Whoosh—

A faint sound brushed past their ears.

This time, Tsunade and Jiraiya finally caught a clear glimpse of Naruto’s movement. His body drifted away like a gust of wind, appearing several meters away almost at the same instant.

The transition was so smooth that it seemed as though Naruto had been standing there all along and had never occupied his previous position.

Two craters now scarred the street, yet both of Tsunade’s attacks had missed.

Her expression stiffened slightly. She had never expected the brat to possess such an extraordinary movement technique.

“Third move!”

With a sharp cry, Tsunade launched an even fiercer assault. The ground collapsed beneath her foot as she kicked off with all her strength, sending her hurtling toward Naruto faster than ever.

But even then, Naruto evaded her.

Tsunade’s fist closed to within a hair’s breadth of his face, the violent wind pressure stinging his youthful features. Before her knuckles could touch him, however, his body vanished once more.

All three moves had passed.

Tsunade had truly lost the bet.

“Hmph!”

She glared at Naruto, snorted, and turned to leave.

“Hey, Granny Tsunade!” Jiraiya called after her. “A bet is a bet! You’re coming back to Konoha with us tomorrow!”

Influenced by Naruto, he had also added “Granny” to her name.

That proved to be a mistake.

Tsunade whirled around and struck him before he could react, sending him flying down the street so that she could vent some of her anger.

“Granny Tsunade, how about another bet?” Naruto suddenly called out as she prepared to leave. “This time, we’ll bet on whether I can knock you down in three moves! If I lose, our previous wager is canceled, and you won’t have to return to Konoha right away!”

Tsunade stopped.

“And what do you want if you win?” she asked with a cold snort.

“Medical ninjutsu!” Naruto replied without hesitation. “I want you to teach me your finest medical ninjutsu!”

Three seconds passed before Tsunade finally turned around.

She was not someone who broke her word. More importantly, losing a bet to a child and then refusing to honor it would be far too humiliating.

If she could nullify the first wager through another contest, she would gladly accept. She still missed Dan and Nawaki far too much to return to Konoha so easily. Besides, she did not believe for a moment that Naruto could knock her down.

His movement technique might be impressive, but speed alone would not be enough.

What Tsunade could never have imagined was that Naruto knew how the original story unfolded—and that he was aware of her greatest weakness.

“All right, I’m starting!”

Naruto spoke with obvious excitement. He bit the tip of his right thumb, then deliberately dragged the bleeding digit across his left forearm, leaving behind a long streak of blood.

He acted as though he had not noticed Tsunade’s expression change. Lowering his head, he appeared to devote all his attention to performing the Summoning Jutsu.

“Summoning Jutsu!”

Poof!

A toad nearly twice the size of an adult human appeared at Naruto’s feet. Naruto neither knew its name nor cared to ask.

Still keeping his head lowered, he pretended to be excited as he ordered, “Use your ninjutsu on that woman and cover my attack!”

The unfamiliar toad seemed easygoing. It nodded, opened its mouth, and fired a powerful jet of water at Tsunade.

Naruto raised his head.

Tsunade’s arms were trembling. Even her immense chest shook with her entire body as she stared at the blood on Naruto’s arm.

Her hemophobia had taken hold.

Shizune immediately wrapped her arms around Tsunade and pulled her out of the water jet’s path.

Naruto pretended not to understand what was happening. In a flash, he appeared directly in front of Tsunade and thrust both palms against her enormous breasts.

Boom!

Naruto did not possess Tsunade’s monstrous strength, but when combined with his extreme speed, even an ordinary shove carried tremendous force.

Caught completely off guard, Shizune had no time to steady herself. She and Tsunade toppled to the ground together.

Naruto had knocked Tsunade down with his very first move.

He had won again.

So they really are that big… Incredible.

Naruto laughed inwardly.

At that exact moment, a masked, red-haired woman suddenly appeared in front of Tsunade. Without warning, she drove the Sword of Kusanagi toward her.

Shizune reacted just in time, tightening her hold on Tsunade and twisting aside. She prevented the blade from striking a vital point, but it still pierced Tsunade’s right shoulder.

Shhk!

Blood scattered through the air.

Tsunade’s entire body trembled even more violently, and the remaining color drained from her face.

Boom!

Jiraiya, who had only just returned after being sent flying by Tsunade, rushed forward and lashed out with a kick.

The masked woman evaded him. In the next instant, her figure vanished without a trace.

Seeing this, Naruto smiled inwardly.

Later, inside the inn, Naruto looked at the still-trembling Tsunade before turning to Jiraiya with a puzzled expression.

“Pervy Sage, what happened to Granny Tsunade?”

“That…”

Jiraiya sighed. After thinking for a moment, he led Naruto outside the room and lowered his voice.

“Tsunade once lost both her younger brother and the man she loved…”

He told Naruto about Nawaki and Dan Katō, and how their deaths had left Tsunade terrified of blood.

After hearing the explanation, understanding dawned across Naruto’s face. He clenched one fist and declared, “But she’s about to become Konoha’s Hokage! She can’t remain afraid of blood forever. I have to help her!”

Before Jiraiya could stop him, Naruto strode back into the room. He planted himself in front of Tsunade and stared straight into her unfocused eyes.

“Granny Tsunade, I don’t think you should become the Fifth Hokage!” he declared. “Konoha doesn’t need a coward for its Hokage!”

“What…?”

Tsunade forced herself to raise her head, but her gaze remained distant and clouded.

Beside her, Shizune glared at Naruto, anger rising in her eyes.

“Every Hokage has suffered the pain of losing people precious to them,” Naruto continued passionately. “But they endured that pain and devoted their lives to protecting Konoha!”

He stared unwaveringly at Tsunade.

“I’ve been alone since the day I was born. I never knew my parents, and the villagers have bullied me, despised me, and hurled insults at me for as long as I can remember. But even I’m not as weak as you are!”

Naruto tightened his fist.

“My dream is to become Hokage and earn the acknowledgment of the entire village! I’ll become a powerful ninja—strong enough to make sure the people who acknowledge me and the friends I care about are never hurt again!”

As she listened, the haze in Tsunade’s eyes gradually began to clear.

She knew the truth of the boy’s lonely childhood. Hearing him speak of everything he had endured over the past twelve years stirred a deep sense of sympathy within her.

Then Naruto boldly declared that his dream was to become Hokage.

Tsunade could not stop herself from remembering Dan and Nawaki. Both of them had once spoken of the same dream with that very same light in their eyes.

“Dan… Nawaki…” she murmured.

For an instant, the images of all three seemed to overlap before her eyes.

Standing nearby, Jiraiya was also shaken by Naruto’s words. He could not help but remember his most gifted student—the Fourth Hokage.

For twelve years, he had never once returned to care for Minato’s son. As that realization settled upon him, guilt filled Jiraiya’s heart.

Minato… forgive me.

When Jiraiya looked at Naruto again, his eyes had softened.