After finishing a whole pot of tea, a trace of doubt finally flickered in Raizen's heart.
The inn was right next door—could it really take this long?
Though he was starting to get suspicious, Raizen still didn't want to believe that Tsunade had actually run away. He assumed that since the sum was so large, she simply needed time to get things in order. After all, she was one of the Legendary Sannin and the future Fifth Hokage; she wouldn't skip town over a mere 200 million Ryo, right?
Raizen brewed another pot of tea and continued to sip it leisurely.
By the time he finished the second pot, the feeling that something was wrong became overwhelming. He muttered to himself: That woman couldn't have actually bolted, could she?
"Kohana, go check and see why no one has come yet."
"Understood, Raizen-sama!"
Kohana scurried out quickly. It wasn't long before she came rushing back, slightly out of breath.
"Raizen-sama! It's bad!" she cried out.
"What is it?" Raizen still held a sliver of hope. He figured a world-renowned figure like Tsunade wouldn't ruin her reputation over money.
"Raizen-sama, the inn is completely empty. There's not a soul left!"
"What?!" Raizen bolted upright, his eyes wide with disbelief. "She really ran away?"
"Mhm!" Kohana nodded.
Raizen truly had not expected this. In the original story, there were scenes of debt collectors chasing Tsunade, but those were usually misunderstandings or debts she eventually settled. Seeing that, Raizen had believed she had some modicum of financial integrity.
He had been far too naive.
Raizen sat back down, looking a bit dazed.
"Raizen-sama, what do we do now?" Kohana asked.
"What do we do?" Raizen murmured. "What else can we do? Debts must be paid; it's the way of the world. We track her down!"
"And to think I called her 'Big Sister Tsunade'!" Raizen sighed, sounding exasperated. "If my strength were high enough, I'd make her pay the debt by bearing my children."
"Raizen-sama, that's... a bit much, isn't it?" Kohana remarked. "Tsunade-sama looks young, like she's eighteen, but she's actually in her forties. You aren't exactly a match."
Raizen countered, "Age isn't the issue. As long as she looks youthful and can have children, it's fine. But... I guess that's just wishful thinking for now. That woman's 'Monstrous Strength' is terrifying. If I tried anything and she punched me in a fit of rage, I'd probably be sent straight to the afterlife."
In the original story, Jiraiya had nearly met his maker just for trying to peep on her. She had broken several of his ribs with one punch. That was likely with her holding back because they were teammates. If someone tried to force her in bed? They'd probably be pulverized.
Kohana suggested, "Raizen-sama, how about we post a mission on the Black Market? We can hire someone to collect the debt for us."
Raizen thought it over but shook his head. "No need. Her defaulting is likely only temporary. She'll pay eventually."
Raizen knew she would become the Fifth Hokage. 200 million Ryo? She could gather that easily once she was in power. Even without corruption, her medical ninjutsu was the best in the world; people would line up to pay her for treatment.
"Let her run. Just keep a record of the interest—charge her the highest market rate."
Once she returned to Konoha to take the Hokage seat, she wouldn't be able to hide. Seeing her every day, Raizen didn't believe she could keep dodging him. Furthermore, his strength would only grow. Once his "fist" was stronger than hers...
If she still refused to pay, he'd "enforce" the settlement and have her bear children to clear the debt. By the time four years of compound interest passed, how much would she owe? She'd probably have to have a whole litter to pay it off.
Raizen wasn't short on money, so he wasn't in a hurry. He had time. What he lacked wasn't cash, but time to develop in the shadows. Besides, this 200 million debt was essentially "white wolf" profit—he hadn't lost any of his own principal.
Raizen narrowed his eyes. "Tsunade, you big-chested woman... next time we meet, I'll secretly place a Flying Thunder God mark on you. Let's see where you hide then."
Tsunade's escape didn't cause him much stress. He knew he'd get the money in the end, and collecting high interest in the meantime was a nice bonus.
"Kohana, how's business lately?" Raizen asked, stretching his limbs.
"Business is great, Raizen-sama! Ever since your marriage to Princess Tsukihime, things have only gotten better. Many nobles in the Land of Fire are choosing to work with us out of respect for the Princess. Profits have nearly doubled recently."
"Good. Keep it up," Raizen nodded with satisfaction. "If you run into trouble you can't solve, come find me in Konoha."
"Understood, Raizen-sama."
"I should head back now," Raizen said, standing up. "With so many kids at home, I can't stay away for too long."
He still had several wives nearing their due dates. He couldn't be gone for extended periods. "Oh, one more thing, Kohana. Send a cat to track Tsunade and the others. When you find them, tell them that the payment can be delayed—no problem—but the interest will be calculated at the highest possible rate."
"Got it!"
Raizen smiled and used the Flying Thunder God technique, vanishing instantly.
"Raizen-sama is so handsome!" Kohana sighed with a look of regret. "If only I weren't a cat, I could have helped contribute to the revival of the Uchiha too..."
On a quiet path far from the capital, Tsunade panted as she asked Shizune, "Is anyone following us?"
Shizune, equally out of breath, took a deep gulp of air. "Tsunade-sama... I don't see anyone behind us."
Tsunade let out a massive sigh of relief. "Good. We'll rest a bit and then head to the neighboring town of Sukagawa."
"Tsunade-sama, why did we have to leave the capital so suddenly? We were living so well! We didn't have to pay rent, and the gambling den even gave us free lunch. It was perfect for saving money while you enjoyed your hobby!"
"We even saved up quite a bit lately!" Shizune added.
Both were skilled in medicine and often treated wealthy merchants for generous fees. Combined with Tsunade's recent self-control in gambling, they had indeed saved a small fortune.
"We saved some, but we're still missing more than half!" Tsunade lamented.
"Huh?" Shizune was confused. "What do you mean?"
"Ugh, don't mention it. Uchiha Raizen showed up. I wouldn't have left otherwise," Tsunade muttered.
"Raizen-sama was there?" Shizune's eyes went wide.
Tsunade nodded. "That's why I had to drag you away. Otherwise, even if I sold you, it wouldn't be enough to pay him back! If only you were a bit more promising... a mere Special Jōnin isn't worth that much money," she added under her breath.
"What? What did you say, Tsunade-sama? What isn't worth much money?" Shizune hadn't quite caught the last part.
Tsunade let out an awkward, boisterous laugh. She had accidentally let her inner thoughts slip. Good thing she didn't hear, or she might stop training, she thought.
"Ah! Hahaha! Nothing! Shizune, you just keep working hard. I have high hopes for you!"
Once she's well-trained, she'll be worth a lot more. I can haggle for a better price then. After all, a skilled medical ninja shouldn't be sold too cheaply.
Shizune had no idea that Tsunade had set her sights on the high rewards from Raizen's "Seeking a Child" mission. Tsunade wasn't just being greedy; she had noticed the way Shizune looked at Raizen. Seeing that Shizune was smitten with the handsome Uchiha, Tsunade figured she could make some money while fulfilling her assistant's secret crush. Two birds, one stone. Besides, the Uchiha were a prestigious clan in Konoha; marrying into the family wouldn't be a bad fate for Shizune.
"Tsunade-sama, my talent isn't very high. I'm afraid I'll disappoint you," Shizune said apologetically. Learning medical ninjutsu was already her limit; mastering Tsunade's other abilities would be incredibly difficult.
"Don't sell yourself short, Shizune! I know what you're capable of. You'll succeed, just trust yourself!" Tsunade gave her a motivational "pep talk," all the while thinking about the future payout.
"Mhm! I'll do my best!" Touched by the encouragement, Shizune nodded seriously.
"Good! We've rested enough. Let's move!"
The two figures slowly disappeared toward the horizon.
"Raizen-sama, you're back!"
As soon as Raizen returned home, a maid servant rushed to meet him.
"What is it?" Raizen asked.
"Miss Reiko is about to give birth! She's in the delivery room right now!"
"What?!"
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