MM Racing Chapter 466 Tsunade is the God of Gamblers!
Chapter 466 Tsunade is the God of Gamblers!
Chapter 466 Tsunade is the God of Gamblers!
The afternoon sun shines obliquely, casting bright light onto the wooden floor through the floor-to-ceiling windows on the second floor of "Wanxiang Sweet Drinks".
Menma, young Sasuke, and Boruto sat at a four-person square table by the window, with their half-finished drinks on the table.
On a soft chair against the wall, Shizune struggled to settle the tipsy Tsunade into a relatively comfortable semi-reclined position.
The legendary blonde female ninja had her eyes closed, her brows slightly furrowed, and her rosy lips unconsciously muttering something. Her full breasts rose and fell with her breath, attracting the attention of several young men at nearby tables who couldn't help but steal glances at her, only to hastily look away when she was met with a silent and serious gaze.
Jingyin sighed softly, turned around and walked to the counter, whispering a few words to the curious-looking waiter.
A moment later, the waiter brought over a cup of steaming tea with a faint aroma.
Shizune took the cup, tested the temperature, and then carefully sat back down in the chair next to Tsunade. She gently lifted the back of Tsunade's neck with one hand and brought the rim of the cup to Tsunade's lips with the other.
"Lady Tsunade, some hangover tea will make you feel better," Shizune said softly.
Tsunade opened her mouth slightly, allowing Shizune to slowly feed her the warm tea.
After drinking about half a glass, she mumbled an "hmm," and her brows seemed to relax a little, but she was still not fully awake.
The pink piglet, Tun Tun, sidled up to Shizune's feet, rubbed its nose against her trouser leg, and then raised its round little eyes to curiously examine the three people at the opposite table.
Boruto sipped his milk tea, then leaned close to young Sasuke's ear and whispered incredulously, "Master—um, Tsunade—is she like this where we're from—uh, very bold?"
He thought of the Fifth Hokage in his own world, who, although he occasionally drank, was mostly dignified and reliable, and he simply couldn't reconcile that image with the blonde beauty in front of him, who was completely drunk and unconscious.
He thought his voice was very soft, but the word "mother-in-law" seemed to have triggered a certain key word.
Tsunade, who had been slumped in the chair and seemingly asleep, suddenly frowned, her long eyelashes fluttered a few times, and she abruptly opened her eyes!
Those were eyes that, even with a hint of intoxication, remained bright and sharp, like the finest amber. At this moment, they were fixed on Boruto with a touch of annoyance at being disturbed and a hazy hangover.
"!!!"
Boruto was startled by the sudden opening of his eyes and almost choked on the pearl in his mouth. He quickly patted his chest, looked away somewhat guiltily, and pretended to be focused on studying the pattern on the milk tea cup.
Shizune was also taken aback by Tsunade's sudden awakening, and quickly handed over the remaining hangover tea: "Lady Tsunade, have some more."
This time, Tsunade didn't let Shizune feed her; she reached out and took the teacup herself.
Her movements seemed a little unsteady, but her hand holding the teacup was unusually steady.
She tilted her head back and drank the rest of the hangover tea in one gulp, her throat bobbing as she swallowed softly.
When she put down her teacup, the hazy intoxication in her eyes faded considerably. Although her cheeks were still flushed, her eyes had regained some of their former clarity and sharpness.
She first turned her gaze to the blond boy who had called her "grandma" earlier, looked him up and down, and a hint of doubt flashed in her eyes.
That face, and the color of that hair and eyes—how could it remind her of Minato?
She temporarily set aside her questions and turned her gaze to the black-haired youth next to Boruto who had been silent all along, wearing a dark stand-up collar coat and carrying the Kusanagi sword.
Her brow twitched slightly when her gaze fell on young Sasuke's face.
This face—it's very young, but that cold and aloof demeanor, the subtle contours between the brows, and especially that restrained yet undeniable presence—instantly reminded her of the Uchiha clan ninjas in the Land of Stars.
That feeling of aloofness—it's very similar.
Are they members of the Uchiha clan?
Finally, her gaze fell on Menma.
The young man who single-handedly created the amazing Kingdom of Stars was leisurely leaning back in his chair, holding a cup of lemon tea in his hand, slowly sipping through the straw, and looking at her with a faint smile on his lips.
Seeing Menma like this, Tsunade's annoyance caused by being drunk and disturbed was overwhelmed by a more complex emotion.
She paused for a few seconds, then leaned forward slightly, resting her elbows on the table and propping her chin up as she asked, "The old man—was he killed by Orochimaru?"
The question came somewhat suddenly, but Tsunade's tone was calm, and she did not seem angry or furious, only a deep sense of melancholy.
Three days ago, in the gambling concession on the border of the Star Country, Tsunade won a large sum of money when Jiraiya's messenger toad delivered the news that the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, had been killed by his disciple Orochimaru.
The few words from that little toad didn't shock Tsunade too much.
Since losing that bet with Mianma that day, she has been winning money for the past month.
Win big, win big!
From a once-famous "big fat sheep" renting a casino in Las Vegas to a "gambling god" feared by all casinos!
However, the price of such a gamble is too high.
Because of Tsunade's status, no casino dared to kick her out or refuse her entry to gamble.
Even if Kado returns to Las Vegas, he will still have to grovel and serve this man.
Even though Tsunade had left Konoha for many years, and even though she harbored resentment towards some of her teacher's policies and the internal conflicts within Konoha, Hiruzen Sarutobi was still the teacher who guided her growth and the elder who watched her grow from a naive girl into one of the Legendary Sannin.
And Orochimaru—
That companion who once trained and fought alongside me has actually gone this far, committing the act of killing his master!
After her initial anger subsided, she gradually calmed down and could only lament the unpredictability of life.
After calming down and thinking it over, she realized that Orochimaru was able to kill the Third Hokage from within Konoha, and the inaction of the various ninja clans chilled her to the bone.
Once upon a time, Konoha was a place where, under the rule of Grandfather Hashirama Senju and Great-Grandfather Tobirama Senju, people were focused on external threats, and even Madara Uchiha couldn't take away the clan members. Yet, the hearts of the people in Konoha have fallen to this state.
This added to her sadness, as well as a sense of disappointment and alienation towards the current state of Konoha.
The straw was taken out of the mouth, and the water droplets that had condensed on the edge of the lemon tea cup slowly slid down the cup wall.
He met Tsunade's gaze; her black eyes were calm and unwavering, and she simply nodded slightly.
"Perhaps for him—"
"This is the best way to end it."
There was no attempt to exonerate Orochimaru, nor was the tragedy exaggerated; that battle was Hiruzen Sarutobi's own choice.
Upon hearing this, Tsunade first chuckled, a short laugh tinged with self-mockery and desolation.
Yes, the best way —
To protect the village, he fought to the last moment, dying at the hands of his former disciple, embodying his understanding of the "Will of Fire" with his life.
This certainly seems like the path that stubborn old man, who always likes to shoulder responsibility, would choose.
After laughing, Tsunade slowly exhaled, as if to expel the pent-up frustration in her chest.
"Ah, that's right." He then spoke again.
"At least—the old man died protecting Konoha. As Hokage, he fulfilled his duty." This was her final conclusion and farewell to her teacher.
Jingyin promptly poured her another cup of tea.
Tsunade took it and only took a small sip. The warm liquid slid down her throat, bringing a little comfort.
"That Jiraiya guy—" She put down her teacup, her gaze returning to Menma, her tone becoming somewhat complicated.
"When the toad delivered the message to me, besides informing me of the old man's death, he also mentioned something else."
She paused, seemingly observing Mianma's reaction.
"He wants me to go back." Tsunade looked directly into Menma's eyes and said slowly, "Return to Konoha and succeed as the Fifth Hokage."
Menma's expression remained unchanged as he calmly met Tsunade's gaze, as if he had expected this all along.
Tsunade continued, "He said that old man Danzo Shimura, through some unknown means, has gained the open support of the Daimyo of the Land of Fire and has become the acting Hokage. He is now eliminating dissidents and installing Root forces on a large scale."
"If I don't go back soon—the position of Fifth Hokage will likely fall into his hands."
Her understated words, however, depicted the undercurrents of power struggles taking place in Konoha at this moment.
A "Root" suppressed in darkness by Hiruzen Sarutobi is attempting to break through the ground and seize supreme power under the sunlight, with the support of the Daimyo of the Land of Fire and the internal chaos.
After listening, Menma simply hummed in agreement.
Seeing that he didn't even show the slightest surprise, Tsunade smiled helplessly again.
She shook her head, her long golden hair swaying slightly with the movement.
"So—Danzo's foolish actions were also part of your plan, weren't they?"
What does Danzo's rise to power mean?
Tsunade knew all too well.
If that paranoid, insidious man, who constantly claims to be working for Konoha and will stop at nothing to achieve his goals, were to seize power, Konoha would inevitably face a brutal purge, and its foreign policy would become extremely aggressive.
This will undoubtedly exacerbate tensions between Konoha and its neighboring countries and other ninja villages.
Is this a bad thing for Menma, who has just publicly declared that he will "unify the ninja world and bring true peace" and the Star Country he rules?
From a certain perspective, a Konoha embroiled in internal strife, led by radicals, and potentially making enemies everywhere, is far easier to deal with than a united and stable Konoha led by her or Jiraiya.
Danzo's coveting of the bloodline limits of the various ninja clans further highlights the inclusiveness and superiority of the Star Country's system.
Mianma put down his lemon tea cup with a slight crack.
He placed his hands on the table, leaned forward slightly, looked at Tsunade, and said calmly, "I didn't do anything."
Yes, after the Konoha Crush plan, aside from guiding Naruto's backup plan, he didn't do anything against Danzo.
They did not send anyone to assassinate Danzo, did not secretly support other forces in Konoha, and did not even try to trip Danzo up.
He simply let things develop naturally in the direction some people expected.
Upon hearing this, Tsunade raised her hand and rubbed her still slightly throbbing temples. The lingering effects of the hangover and the information she had just received left her brain feeling somewhat tired.
"You did nothing—ha, that was definitely the right choice for you," she said softly, her expression somewhat complicated.
Based on her understanding of the young man before her, if Menma really wanted to kill Danzo, there would definitely be more than one way.
But he chose the least effortful and most profitable option.
Wait and see.
Doing nothing would be the greatest indulgence for a power-hungry schemer like Danzo, who believed the time was ripe.
With the death of the Third Hokage, Danzo would naturally pounce on him like a hyena smelling carrion, sparing no effort to seize the coveted Hokage position.
The more radical Danzo becomes, and the more ruthless his methods, the more severe the internal strife within Konoha will be, and the greater the potential chaos that may erupt in the future.
And this is perhaps exactly what Menma wanted to see.
"Brilliant, but also incredibly ruthless," Tsunade commented.
Different perspectives lead to different angles of view and different strategies for addressing issues.
She couldn't blame Menma for her choice, especially since she herself was hesitant about returning to Konoha.
Nearby, young Sasuke and Boruto listened quietly to their conversation.
Although Boruto wasn't very clear about the details of the power struggle in Konoha, the words "Acting Hokage" made him instinctively feel that things were not simple. He looked at his master Sasuke and found that Sasuke was slightly lowering his eyes, as if he was thinking about something.
Young Sasuke's inner world was not as calm as he appeared.
Listening to Tsunade and Menma's conversation, he once again deeply felt the huge discrepancy between this timeline and the history he knew.
In his timeline, Tsunade, persuaded by Jiraiya and inspired by Naruto, eventually returned to the turbulent Konoha, shouldered the responsibility of becoming the Fifth Hokage, and devoted herself to the revival of Konoha for many years afterward.
Meanwhile, Tsunade was already in the Land of Stars, living a leisurely life, and had a considerable understanding and tacit agreement with Masahana.
Judging from her tone and questions just now, the possibility of her returning to Konoha to succeed as Hokage is extremely slim.
In this timeline, if Konoha loses the Third Hokage and even Jiraiya gives up on becoming Hokage, it will likely usher in an even darker and more turbulent period led by Shimura Danzo.
All these changes were brought about by the boy named Menma in front of us.
His appearance, his choices, his goals, the Star Kingdom he established, and his every move were all completely changing the course of the entire ninja world.
During the brief silence between conversations, a nimble purple figure appeared at the stairwell behind Menma.
She seemed to spot the noodles next to the table by the window at a glance. Her yellow eyes lit up instantly, and she walked over with light steps, bringing with her a faint, sweet fragrance.
Ignoring the other people around her, she reached out an arm from behind and affectionately wrapped it around Menma's neck, pressing her cheek against Menma's side and shoulder, letting out a soft, coquettish call.
"Meatball Bro!"
The girl's voice was clear and melodious, filled with undisguised joy: "When did you get back? Why didn't you tell me?"
Mianma had already noticed her approaching. Now that she was being hugged, he simply turned his head slightly, a helpless yet indulgent smile on his face, and gently patted the girl's slender arms wrapped around his neck.
"Hydrangea, don't hug me so tightly, it's hot." His voice was gentle and affectionate.
The girl named Ziyanghua reluctantly let go of her arms and sat down in the empty seat next to Mianma.
The hydrangea naturally nestled against the hemp, tilting its head slightly and looking at him with curiosity.
She wore a light purple Chinese-style martial arts uniform, the soft fabric clinging to her body and outlining the slender curves of a young girl just coming of age.
Her smooth, short purple hair was slightly curled at the ends. A small star-shaped hair clip was pinned to her left forehead, while a strand of hair on her right side was tied up into an exquisite and distinctive bun.
Her clear, innocent yellow eyes were fixed on Mianma, a sweet smile curving her lips.
"I just returned to Star City with two friends today," Menma replied casually, his gaze falling on the paper bags with the logos of well-known clothing brands that Hydrangea was carrying.
"You went shopping?"
Upon hearing this, Hydrangea's lips curled up even higher, a hint of smugness in her eyes as she raised the bag in her other hand slightly: "Yes! Aunt Kushina and I went together! We bought you some new clothes! They're all the latest styles!"
As she spoke, her gaze swept over Menma's black tracksuit, the meaning clear: it was time to change into something nicer.
Mianma chuckled slightly, but a warm feeling welled up inside him.
He glanced at the direction the hydrangea had come from, but didn't see the familiar red figure at the entrance on the second floor.
"My mom didn't come with you?"
"Oh, we were just strolling around when Uncle Minato called," Hydrangea explained. "It seems he captured an Akatsuki member, someone quite special, with some kind of immortality," she said. Aunt Kushina needs to help cast some powerful sealing jutsu to prevent any accidents. She went ahead and told me to either continue shopping or go home.
"Immortal body?" Tsunade, who had been leaning back lazily in her chair, immediately raised her head upon hearing this, her amber eyes flashing with intense interest, and the lethargy from her hangover seemed to be dispelled almost instantly.
"Do immortal humans really exist in this world?"
As a legendary medical expert, she understood the mysteries and fragility of the human body better than anyone else.
Cell division has its limits, and organ failure follows its own laws. So-called "immortality" is often just an extraordinary regenerative capacity or a special life form.
However, the fact that Minato Namikaze and Kushina Uzumaki treated this "immortal body" with such seriousness, requiring special sealing, is clearly not an ordinary case. It is very likely that it involves some forbidden ninjutsu or bloodline limit.
"Yes, that's what Uncle Minato said on the phone." Hydrangea nodded, then looked at Tsunade: "Oh, right, he also mentioned that Lady Tsunade needs to come over as well, he said something like—"
"Assistance in biological tissue sample analysis and—um—maintaining viability? I don't really understand."
She blinked her big yellow eyes.
Tsunade and Shizune exchanged a glance.
Shizune's eyes showed surprise, while Tsunade's eyes ignited with curiosity.
After all, that's an immortal body.
"Interesting." Tsunade's lips curled into a smile, an excited smile that came from facing a challenge.
She stood up, slightly swaying, holding onto the back of the chair. Jingyin quickly got up to help her.
"Let's go see what this immortal guy is all about." She knew Minato Namikaze quite well; a target he valued so highly was definitely worth the trip.
"Yes, Lady Tsunade," Shizune replied, nodding apologetically to Masa and the others before helping the still somewhat unsteady Tsunade toward the stairwell.
With a "humph," Tun Tun quickly took off to catch up.
Hydrangea watched them leave, then looked at Menma.
"You go back first, I'll stay with them a little longer," Menma said with a smile.
"Okay!" Hydrangea happily replied, then smiled politely at young Sasuke and Boruto before picking up her shopping bag and walking briskly towards the stairs. Her purple figure quickly disappeared around the corner.
The three people were back at the table.
Boruto, still processing the information he had just heard, couldn't help but ask, "What is the Akatsuki's immortality?"
Although young Sasuke didn't speak, his gaze also fell on Menma.
In his timeline, Hidan of the Akatsuki did indeed possess a strange "immortality" and the Death Possession Blood Curse Technique, but he was ultimately tricked and buried alive by Shikamaru.
Could it be that in this timeline, Hidan was captured by the Land of Stars so early on?
And judging from the conversation just now, it seems like they're going to be sent for research?
"A very interesting research sample." Menma didn't answer directly. His gaze was fixed on the bustling pedestrian street outside the window, watching Shizune and Tsunade disappear into the crowd.
The sunlight outside the window is just right.
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