Chapter – 385 Change Upon the Horizon

"So, your proposal will be accepted once all three problems you were having back then are resolved..."

Tsunade had a contemplative look on her face as she weighed all Kuroto had said, and after a long pause, she finally added, "And what is the second deal you mentioned?"

When it came to the Second transaction, Kuroto had a dubious expression on his face, 'Should I really do it? Should I or shouldn't I?'

Tsunade scowled when she noticed Kuroto's reluctant expression and said, "Out with it...!"

"Sigh... okay," he said. "So, I heard that Tsunade-sama owes quite a bit of debt to various gambling houses in the Land of Fire and its surrounding countries," Kuroto said after a brief pause.

"Huh...?" – perplexed, "A-and what of it...?" – Tsunade assumed it was a terrible situation, but debts? Why, of all things, would he bring up debts?

Kuroto paused for a moment before ultimately saying, "The second deal I'm offering you is that I'll pay off your debts."

"Huh…?" – Tsunade took a few seconds to comprehend Kuroto's comments, but she believed she had misheard him and inquired, "What did you just say?" again.

"I stated I was willing to pay off your debts," Kuroto reiterated.

"Did he say I believe what he said, Shizune?" - Tsunade inquired about Shizune's confirmation.

"If Kuroto-san said something about paying our debts, then... "I believe he said it." - Shizune smiled and nodded.

"Care to repeat that?" Tsunade asked, nodding.

"As I previously stated, I am willing to repay your debts." - Kuroto said it again, this time for the third time.

This time she heard it louder than ever before, but when she did, she had a strange smile on her face, as did Shizune. "So, to clarify, you're saying you're willing to pay off the obligations I owe to numerous gambling houses throughout the Land of Fire and its surrounding countries?"

"As long as it's not too much, I'm willing to d-...!" Kuroto nodded.

"SHIZUNE!" - Tsunade exclaimed.

"Yes, Tsunade-sama," Shizune responded hurriedly.

"Add up the total and give it to the brat, along with a list of all the individual gaming establishments to which we owe money." - Tsunade gave Shizune instructions with a solemn gaze.

"Yes, Tsunade-sama, I'll go ahead and do it." – Shizune nodded and reached into her Kimono for a black diary, which she began to tally up.

'How much debt does she owe?' Kuroto wondered, as the speed at which the two of them worked convinced him that he had made a mistake here. 'All I ask is that it be something I can afford.'

Kuroto had to wait five minutes for Shizune to complete, and at that time, Tsunade kept ordering Sake after Sake after Sake... 'Sigh, as long as Yui can learn under Tsunade-sama's instruction, it will be worth it,' Kuroto thought as he felt more and more that he had made a foolish decision here.

"Tsunade-sama, here you go." – After adding up the total, Shizune handed the document to Tsunade, who checked it over to make sure nothing was missing... It was no issue to add two or three more, but none should be left.

"All right, the list is spot on... here you go, brat," Tsunade nodded and handed Kuroto the list.

'I proposed it, and I can't back out now,' Kuroto thought as he nervously grabbed the list from Tsunade's grip... Then he turned the page to see the total.

"Huh...?" - Kuroto was taken aback at the sum.

"What exactly is it...?" You won't be able to back out now, kid." - Tsunade remarked, with a look on his face that stated, 'I'm not going to let you back away here.'

"Well, this is an unexpectedly... lower amount." – Kuroto grumbled.

"It's less?" she muttered in surprise, "Are you sure?" Tsunade inquired to confirm.

"It's only 85.345 million Ryo," Kuroto said, nodding. This sum isn't excessive... whew… With the Legendary Sucker's fame, I estimated that the sum may reach several hundred million Ryos... Surprisingly, you appear to be rather moderate..."

Tsunade and Shizune exchanged puzzled looks, and they both wondered aloud, 'How wealthy is the Hyuga Clan?'

"Cough-cough… Anyway, as I previously stated, I am also willing to pay off your debts... Now that both deals have been proposed, Tsunade-sama, it's your turn."

"I give you my word," Tsunade said with a nod. If you manage to keep your half of the bargain, I'll accept the Kunoichi Hyuga Yui, your fiancé to be exact, as my disciple."

"Thank you very much, Tsunade-sama!" Kuroto exclaimed, relieved.

"But before everything, there's one thing I want to make clear with you," Tsunade continued, nodding. "Regardless of how much work I put into training her, it'll all come down to the girl herself." It will be up to her if she can learn everything or not. Iryo Ninjutsu has the same depths as Fuinjutsu and other high-end Kinjutsu, so it all comes down to her perseverance and talent; if she can learn, I'll keep teaching her everything I know; if she can't, there's nothing I can do."

"I understand," Kuroto said, nodding. "I have faith in Yui; she will not only maintain but even surpass you, Tsunade-sama."

Tsunade chuckled. "If that's the case, I guess I'll be looking forward to the day it happens."

"With that decided, I will be taking my leave now," Kuroto said as he stood up after placing some Ryo bills on the table. "I'm sorry for having to continue, please forgive me, but I need to attend to some business. Goodbye, Tsunade-sama, it was a wonderful talk."

As Kuroto walked away, Tsunade nodded and said nothing further.

"Tsunade-sama, was it really alright?" Shizune asked after Kuroto had left. " You stated before we arrived in Konoha that you have no plans to accomplish anything. Even when Jiraiya-sama delivered Hokage-sama's command, you consented on the condition that you would simply assist with Chiyobaasama's therapy and thereafter do nothing else...! "And now..."

Tsunade remained silent until she took another sip of sake and replied, "I don't know... Shizune. When I saw Orochimaru a few days ago, he told me about some of the finer nuances that have been going on in the Shinobi World, facts that most people are unaware of... Orochimaru has determined, based on all he has theorised thus far, that the current direction of the guiding winds is more unpredictable than it has ever been, and that a new era awaits us... But even for someone like him, predicting what that new period would bring is incredibly difficult.

It's difficult to say whether this will be a brighter and more tranquil era or a darker and more chaotic one than ever before, especially since Amatsukami's current intentions remain unknown. But one thing is certain: this new period will only come after horrific conflicts, and one of those wars, in particular, will be more dangerous and devastating than anything ever seen or known.

I'm not sure what type of drivel he was spewing, but the things he said reminded me of Jiraiya's 'Child of Prophecy', and at the heart of it all is the concept of 'change.'

Whether it's Orochimaru or Jiraiya, they're both saying it... So, I've reached the conclusion that there may be some truth to it, and that Konoha will need all the support it can get if it is to survive these changes. My mission as an Iryo-nin will remain unchanged: to save as many lives as possible."

"But Tsunade-sama... your..." – Shizune intended to bring up Tsunade's aversion to blood.

"A shift is upon us, time waits for none," Tsunade stated. " I'm afraid I won't be able to continue to wallow in my anxieties and despair... As Senju Hashirama's only living descendant, I must do everything in my power to guarantee that his legacy carries on..." - Tsunade stood up after finishing the last sip of Sake and said, "Come on Shizune, we can't keep wasting our time here; we have a lot of work to do."

Shizune was taken aback by Tsunade's resolute expression, the same determined expression Tsunade had been missing for almost a decade. However, she appears to have undergone some 'change' since her arrival in Konoha.

Shizune was overjoyed to the point of crying, but since she didn't have the time, she nodded to Tsunade, stood up, and followed her with a determined expression.

'There is a shift in the horizon.' We must do everything possible to ensure Konoha's survival.'

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