Chapter 14: The Gambler and the Sage
Sitting cross-legged on the tatami mat in his quiet home, Hyuga Shinra focused inward, attempting to compress the vast ocean of chakra within him. It was the only method he could conceive of to refine its quality, to increase its potency. The light blue energy swirled and churned under his mental guidance, its hue darkening almost imperceptibly with immense effort.
After what felt like an eternity, he opened his eyes, a frustrated sigh escaping his lips. "This is agonizingly slow."
His relentless focus on quantity over the last year had come at a cost. He now possessed the chakra reserves of a Kage, but its purity was lacking, making his techniques weaker than they should be. Purifying this massive volume was a Herculean task, requiring many times the effort of a ninja who had cultivated quality from the start. It was a classic case of misguided ambition, a lesson in the importance of foundational balance.
"Alright," he conceded to the empty room. "My physical training has hit a ceiling for now. I'll focus entirely on chakra refinement and let the Shadow Clones handle ninjutsu practice."
Having made his peace with the tedious process, he left his home and made his way toward the Ninja Academy. A new enrollment period was beginning, and it was time to register. Attending the Academy was a necessary step. While its curriculum was basic, it was precisely that foundational knowledge—the history, the tactics, the standard protocols he had no context for—that he lacked.
After paying the tuition fee—a sting to his nearly depleted finances—he was officially registered, awaiting the start of the term.
"To think I have to pay for this," he grumbled, shaking his head. Two years ago, he had been relatively wealthy. Now, after funding his expensive training regimen—custom lead weights, endless kunai and shuriken, and an appetite that could empty a pantry—he was nearly broke. If not for the wild game in the mountains, he'd have gone hungry. He couldn't even afford the luxury of a single explosion tag.
These days are too hard, he lamented internally. I need to recruit Konan when the time is right. With her paper-making prowess, the richest person in the ninja world will be me. He held a fondness for the poor, blue-haired girl from Amegakure, but she was likely just an infant now, making such plans a distant fantasy.
"Hey! Is that little Shinra?"
A familiar voice cut through his financial musings. He turned to see Tsunade standing outside the entrance of a bustling casino. He did a double-take. In the year since he'd last seen her, her body had undergone a dramatic, almost unnatural transformation. The once modest chest had blossomed into a formidable, D-cup presence.
This is unscientific, his mind screamed. What kind of growth spurt is this? It's like she switched out her entire torso! He knew her legendary figure was coming, but the speed of the transition was jarring.
"Hey, kid, where are your eyes looking?" Tsunade asked, a faint blush coloring her cheeks as she strode over, delivering a light, playful knock on his head.
Shinra rubbed the spot; her "light" tap still carried enough force to sting. "Haven't seen you in a year. You've gotten quite tall; I almost didn't recognize you," she said, gesturing to his height.
Heh, you've grown a lot faster in other areas, he muttered internally, a careful, charming smile plastered on his face. He knew better than to voice that thought aloud unless he wanted to test the durability of his Sage Body against her fist.
The smile worked its magic. Tsunade's expression softened, and she suddenly pulled him into a tight, smothering hug, pressing his face against the soft, immense pillow of her chest.
For a moment, Shinra saw stars. He struggled to turn his head, gasping for a breath of air that was heavily perfumed with her scent—a mix of clean soap and something uniquely feminine. It was a disorienting, albeit not entirely unpleasant, experience.
After a long moment, Tsunade released him, her own face slightly flushed before she quickly reverted to her boisterous self. She couldn't explain it, but she felt a unique pull towards this boy, a fondness that went beyond their previous brief meeting.
Unbeknownst to her, Shinra had completed his annual system lottery a few days prior. The prize hadn't been a flashy new ability, but a subtle, passive increase in his attractiveness to the opposite sex. Combined with his youthful charm, it was a potent combination.
"Little Shinra, you're just in time! Your big sister is going to conquer the tables today!" Tsunade declared, puffing out her chest proudly.
Shinra's eyes were inadvertently drawn to the movement, and he swallowed hard.
"Little pervert!" Tsunade chided, her blush deepening, but she was laughing as she grabbed his hand and pulled him toward the casino entrance.
Shinra was about to protest, but a brilliant, opportunistic idea flashed in his mind. This was it—a golden chance to replenish his funds! Tsunade's legendary bad luck at gambling was more famous than her title as one of the Sannin.
A plan formed. He would bet against her. It felt a little cruel, but her money was going to be lost to someone. It might as well be him, and he could always find a way to make it up to her later.
With his mind made up, he followed her into the noisy, smoke-filled den with a newfound enthusiasm.
Inside, he saw the usual crowd of hopefuls and hustlers. It seems the competition for easy money is universal, he mused.
If only the Tenseigan's vision could see through dice cups instead of just chakra pathways, he lamented. Cheating would be so much easier.
"Little Shinra, do you have any money?" Tsunade asked, her eyes gleaming with excitement as they approached a dice table. "I can lend you some if you don't, but you have to pay me back!"
"No, I'm fine. I have a little saved," he said, pulling out his meager wallet. He looked at Tsunade's excited face and thought, Well, Sister Tsunade, it's up to you now whether I'm eating instant noodles or dining like a king.
While his Observation Haki could grant him heightened perception, he had no experience reading dice games, making it useless here. His fortunes were now tied entirely to Tsunade's notoriously terrible luck.
Then, Tsunade pulled a storage scroll from her pouch and unsealed a stack of bills so thick it made Shinra's eyes widen. That's... several million ryo! A powerful wave of envy washed over him. Today, he would either leave this place a pauper or a very rich five-year-old. The dice began to rattle.