"Why are you sleeping on the sofa? Without even a blanket? What if you catch a cold?" Mikoto frowned, her voice filled with worry.
Senba rubbed his forehead and explained, "I spent all night studying Genjutsu. Just as I was about to go back to sleep, Lady Tsunade arrived to discuss something. After she left, I simply lay down on the sofa and fell asleep..."
Mikoto's eyes narrowed slightly.
"Lady Tsunade?" She looked surprised. "The First Hokage's granddaughter? The Third Hokage's student? That Tsunade Hime?"
Senba nodded, which made Mikoto's expression even more astonished.
"What did she come to see you for?"
Senba hesitated for a moment, but then simply recounted everything that had occurred. He described how he met Tsunade, how he won five hundred thousand Ryo from her, how he then visited the casino and won a significant amount, how he taught her gambling techniques, and how they agreed she would teach him Medical Ninjutsu.
As he spoke, he suddenly noticed Mikoto's expression changing. The smile on her face gradually disappeared, eventually replaced by a completely impassive look.
"Is something wrong, Mikoto-nee?"
Mikoto scrutinized him, a frown on her face. "Uchiha Senba, when did you learn to gamble?"
Senba stiffened. This question... he could only offer a sheepish smile, blaming the system for this situation. It had given him such a reward; he couldn't just ignore it, could he?
Besides, he wasn't addicted to gambling; he had simply gone to earn some money.
Never mind. If he didn't make his position clear, Mikoto would scold him all day.
"I'm sorry. I promise I won't go to the casino anymore, truly."
Mikoto was silent for a few seconds, observing him closely. "Really?"
"Really." Senba raised his hand. "I swear."
Anyway, he could just give money to Tsunade to gamble on his behalf once she learned those gambling techniques.
Mikoto's expression finally softened. She reached out and ruffled Senba's hair, making his already disheveled hair even messier.
"Alright, go wash up and change your clothes."
She stood up and said, "Get ready to eat. You slept through lunch, so you must be hungry by now."
Senba nodded obediently and went upstairs.
...
When he came down after washing up, a delicious aroma was already coming from the kitchen. Mikoto was standing in front of the stove, using a spatula to stir the food in the pan.
Senba walked over and stood beside her, watching her cook.
"Mikoto-nee."
"Hmm?"
"I gave Uncle forty million ryo."
Mikoto's movements paused.
"Uchiha Setsuna?" She tilted her head, her eyes holding a complex emotion.
Senba nodded. "I asked him to help buy two ninja swords made entirely of chakra metal."
Mikoto's hand trembled slightly. Ninja swords made entirely of chakra metal... one would cost approximately twenty million Ryo. Two would amount to forty million Ryo.
"One for each of us," Senba continued. "The rest of the money will be given to you for safekeeping. It should last us for a while, so you won't have to go on dangerous missions."
Mikoto looked at Senba, her eyes filled with surprise and complexity, but primarily heartache.
She whispered, "It's too expensive... forty million yen is enough for us to use for a long time..."
Senba interrupted her. "Just consider it your graduation gift. Besides, the money has already been spent, so there's no need to hesitate."
He didn't want her to overthink and refuse the sword. He was genuinely afraid she might go to Setsuna to retrieve the money.
"Thank you." Mikoto's hand paused for a moment, and then she gave a soft response and continued cooking.
The kitchen was quiet for a while, with only the sizzling sound from the pan.
...
After dinner, they cleared away the dishes. Mikoto suddenly took Senba's hand.
"Come on, let's go to the training ground."
Senba looked up at her, puzzled.
"I want to see your strength," Mikoto said seriously. "Even though you haven't graduated from the Academy yet, since even Lady Tsunade acknowledges you, you certainly aren't weak, are you?"
Senba thought for a moment, then nodded. There was no reason to refuse.
The two of them changed into their battle suits and left the house. Night had already fallen, and the moon hung in the sky, casting a cold glow.
Konoha's training ground was not far. It was an open area surrounded by a few large trees. Usually, many ninjas would practice here during the day, but at this time, it was completely empty.
The two of them stood in the center of the field, the moonlight stretching their shadows long.
Mikoto loosened her wrists and looked at him. "I won't go easy on you."
Senba curled his lips slightly. "Just what I wanted."
Mikoto took a deep breath and began to form hand seals.
Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!
She took a deep breath and then exhaled sharply. A huge fireball erupted from her mouth, carrying a scorching heat.
Senba smiled and moved away with the Body Flicker Technique!
His figure instantly vanished from the spot and reappeared five meters away. The fireball streaked past him and hit a tree trunk behind him, exploding in a shower of sparks.
"Quick reflexes." Mikoto smiled and formed another seal.
Lightning Release: Groundrock!
She pressed her hands to the ground, and chakra conducted through the soil. In the next instant, the ground beneath Senba's feet suddenly flickered with blue electrical light!
'Does she want me to jump?' Senba didn't try to flicker away and instead leaped into the air, curious to see her next move.
"You can't dodge if you jump, can you?"
Mikoto's voice came from below. Her hands formed seals again, this time for the Phoenix Sage Fire Technique.
Countless small fireballs flew from her hands like the seeds of a balsam flower, shooting toward the airborne Senba!