Familiar scenes featuring three small figures quickly caught Tsunade and Shizune's attention. One watched with curiosity, the other with a flood of memories. Tsunade seemed lost in thoughts of those innocent days in Konoha.
Despite the sadness she felt over losing her grandfathers, Granny Mito and Nawaki had helped her regain strength, and along the way, she had met two comrades she would never forget.
Those truly had been happy times. Seeing the three little figures training under the old mans watchful eye brought a faint smile to her lips. But then…
"What kind of garbage movie is this? What a terrible film!" Tsunade suddenly burst out, standing up in anger.
"That idiot Jiraiya! What a fool! The same guy who struggled to throw kunai properly, how are we supposed to believe he's a genius? And another thing, "
She pointed sharply at a character on the screen who vaguely resembled her. "Is that supposed to be me? When did I ever grovel at that idiots feet?"
"Lady Tsunade, please!" Shizune whispered urgently, startled by her masters sudden outburst. She gently tugged on Tsunade's sleeve and said softly, "Try to calm down. We need to keep quiet, everyone's watching."
If she kept going like this, people might guess who she really was. After a moment, Tsunade muttered, "This is so frustrating! If that fool were here, I'd punch him!" But she sat back down without causing a scene, watching the screen again with a cold sneer. "If I ever wanted to kiss him, that horny toad would've come running."
"Yes, yes! Especially since Lady Tsunade is so beautiful!" Shizune added quickly, trying to lighten the mood. "
Sir Jiraiya really knows how to portray someone like you," Shizune quickly agreed, trying to comfort her master before turning her attention back to the big screen.
While Tsunade's anger was obvious, Shizune found herself genuinely absorbed. In an era where entertainment was scarce, a movie with a mix of plot, romance, and comedy was a rare treat.
Even if the story wasn't entirely realistic, little Shizune didn't mind, it was genuinely enjoyable. Besides, if Jiraiya and Tsunade actually ended up together, that would not be so bad.
She was sure her uncle Dan wouldn't want to see Tsunade spiral downward forever. Even Tsunade herself, despite being annoyed by some parts, was curious to see how the story would unfold.
As the story went on, the war forced the three of them to part ways and follow their separate paths. Then, for love, Tsunade set off with Orochimaru to find Jiraiya in the Land of Grass.
Tsunade's face turned green with frustration, and she crushed her right gauntlet so hard that nearby movie watchers flinched. 'This woman was fierce!'
But this time, instead of standing up, Tsunade raised an eyebrow and said coldly, "Me? Go look for that idiot? No way! Absolutely not!"
Time slowly passed, the journey continued, and they often reminisced about their shinobi training days. In the end, Jiraiya finally let go of his inner struggles and found love, the kiss did happen after all.
It seemed like Jiraiya's desperate plea to Charlie to rewrite the ending came from knowing Tsunade wouldn't lay a finger on him in the Land of Grass, so he took full advantage of it!
However, as the movies final frame faded, inside the theater, Tsunade suddenly stood up, her face dark with anger, slamming her hand down.
"Smash this place to pieces! What a terrible movie!" she shouted.
"Sorry! Sorry! We'll compensate! We'll pay for the damages!" came the panicked response.
"Hey, young lady, how do you get so mad over a comedy that you wreck the theater? Look at this bill, its not small at all!"
"Hmm, your teacher here looks kind of familiar!" someone called out.
"This is our compensation. Really sorry, truly sorry!" Shizune quickly apologized as she handed over the payment.
Seeing Tsunade still fuming, she hurriedly pulled her away. They were no longer official Konoha shinobi, and Tsunade had been keeping her location a secret to avoid being found. It was better to leave before anyone noticed them.
Once they had put some distance between themselves and the scene, Shizune finally spoke up, a bit frustrated. "Honestly, Lady Tsunade, how can you just smash peoples property like that? We paid a huge sum, more than what you lose gambling in a day."
"Do you think I care?" Tsunade snapped, scowling. "Those guys were ripping me off, charging an arm and a leg! Why are you holding me back? If it were up to me, I'd smash the whole place!"
She glared fiercely. "How dare they slander me!"
$$$
Shizune hesitated for a moment before responding, "Well, Lady Tsunade, you did start it… Also, from what I heard, this was actually approved by Sir Jiraiya himself. He signed the contract.
If we refuse to pay, we'd owe even more. Apparently, Sir Jiraiya ran into some serious trouble in the Land of Grass and is drowning in debt, so he had no choice."
"That idiot…" Tsunade muttered. "Could it be his girlfriend got caught up in this or something?"
She paused, then pursed her lips and waved her hand dismissively. "Serves him right. Whatever, I'll settle with him later. For now, I'm going to gamble a bit, blow off some steam."
"What? You're going to gamble again? didn't you say no gambling today? Lady Tsunade, that won't help, you'll just get more depressed every time you lose."
"I lose happily! So what?" Tsunade struck a proud, rich lady pose. "Money let's me be willful!"
Just then, a loud voice nearby caught their attention.
"Look! Look! Kusa Blind Boxes! Exciting and thrilling! A whole new experience!"
"Officially licensed! All the heroes from the shinobi villages are here! You can even pull classic hidden versions!"
"The daimyo of the neighboring Land of Grass just unlocked a classic diamond hidden version, no more eating grass for him, living the good life from now on!"
Tsunade stopped in her tracks, curious, and glanced toward a crowd gathered nearby. 'What was going on? Could it be another theater? The place looked lively…'
What Tsunade didn't realize was that, thanks to all the hype, at least nine out of ten people around her were actually plants, hired just to create a buzz. Still, seeing the crowd piqued her curiosity, and she walked over to check things out.
Shizune followed quickly, her eyes wide with interest. "kusa Blind Boxes? Whats that?" she wondered silently.
After learning more about them and noticing Tsunades eager expression, Shizunes face fell slightly as she muttered, "Isn't this just another form of gambling?"
Before she could say more, the shopkeeper overheard and immediately bristled.
Picking up a box, he said firmly, "Young lady, how can you say that? Gambling? This Isn't gambling! It's honest business, buying and selling with both parties agreeing.
Inside these boxes are adorable figurines, including rare ones like a single-handed Senju Hashirama holding the Nine-Tails.
You get something you can actually hold, how is that gambling? When you lose at gambling, do you get such beautiful dolls?"
"But a single figurine costs a hundred ryo... Isn't that too expensive?" Shizune asked skeptically.