Chapter 25: Starting Business

Days passed, and the construction of the gambling houses had officially begun. With the Hokage's approval—since he oversaw everything in Konoha—they could acquire land without any issue. However, to Naruto's surprise, Tsunade seemed even more excited about the venture than he was.

Watching her eagerly instructing the construction workers, her eyes sparkling with enthusiasm, Naruto narrowed his own.

"Why is she more eager than me?" he wondered.

Then, after a brief moment of reflection, the answer hit him like a ton of bricks.

"Of course! As the owner, she can gamble all she wants without worrying about money—since technically, she's the one running the place!"

His eye twitched. "But that also means she could end up draining all the profits before we even get started."

Letting out a deep sigh, he rubbed his temples. "Either I need to stop her from gambling... or I need to find another way to make money."

He glanced back at Tsunade, who was now beaming as she barked out more orders to the workers.

"What a pain. This woman is a problem."

Then, as if struck by divine inspiration, a wicked idea formed in his mind.

"Wait a minute... If I accompanied her to other gambling houses and bet against her, I could turn her bad luck into a goldmine!"

A grin slowly crept onto his face, his mind already envisioning stacks of Ryo piling up.

[ Hey, Leo—stop grinning like a creep. ]

Aurora's voice chimed in his head, snapping him out of his scheming thoughts.

"My bad," he muttered sheepishly.

"Then it's decided!" Naruto thought, his grin widening. "I'll stick close to Tsunade, use her awful luck to my advantage, and rake in profits. If luck's on my side, I might even take over a few gambling houses myself."

His mind raced with possibilities. "And with that money… I can hire Kakuzu. That guy only cares about money—if I pay him well, he won't ask questions. I can use him to rescue Karin and her mother before their tragedy unfolds. Since I don't have a bounty on my head, he has no reason to betray me. Killing multiple birds with one stone."

Feeling satisfied with his plan, he stretched and strolled toward Tsunade, who was still eagerly managing the construction crew, completely oblivious to the schemes brewing in Naruto's mind.

He wrapped his arms around her waist and launched a surprise attack, tickling her sides. Even though Naruto was just four, his unusual growth had made him nearly as tall as her shoulders.

"Tsunade, stop acting all high and mighty!" he teased, his fingers relentless.

Tsunade burst into laughter as Naruto's fingers mercilessly tickled her sides. She squirmed, trying to escape his grasp, but he was relentless. 

"Na-Naruto, stop! Hahaha— I c-can't—!" she gasped between laughs, her strength momentarily failing her. 

Naruto smirked, enjoying her reaction. Then, without missing a beat, he leaned in and said with a cheeky grin, "Then, what do you think about being my future wife? If you agree, I'll stop." 

Tsunade instantly froze, her laughter caught in her throat. Her face turned a deep shade of red as she processed his words. Shizune, who had been quietly watching, nearly choked on air. 

"W-WHAT?!" Tsunade finally sputtered, pushing Naruto away, though her strength was nowhere near her usual. "You— you little brat!" 

Naruto just chuckled, crossing his arms. "I'm serious, y'know. You're strong and beautiful, and you take care of me. Why wouldn't I want you as my wife?" 

Tsunade's face burned even more, and for once, she was at a complete loss for words. Shizune, meanwhile, was torn between shock and holding in her laughter at her master's rare moment of embarrassment. 

"Y-You're just a kid!" Tsunade finally blurted out. 

Naruto tilted his head, pretending to think. "Hmm… I'm growing fast. Give me a few years, and I'll be the perfect husband." 

Tsunade groaned, covering her face with her hands. "This brat is going to be the death of me." 

Naruto just grinned. "That means you're not saying no."

"And you've been single for so long, Tsunade," Naruto said with a smirk. "I'll help you with that."

Then, turning to Shizune, he added, "You too. Don't end up like her. I'll be a husband for both of you!"

His tone was so serious, yet his childish expression made it incredibly endearing.

Tsunade and Shizune couldn't hold back their laughter, their amusement echoing through the room. 

"You're just a kid, and you're already talking like a possessive husband?" Tsunade smirked, ruffling his hair. "Not bad, brat." 

Naruto, however, remained unfazed, his blue eyes shining with determination. "Just wait a few years," he said, his voice unwavering. "When I become stronger than you, I'll tame you both." 

Tsunade blinked before bursting into laughter again, while Shizune shook her head, trying to stifle her giggles. 

"Well, well," Tsunade chuckled, crossing her arms. "I'll be waiting for that day, then. Let's see if you can back up those words, little lord."

"Oops, I forgot to say something important," Naruto announced, crossing his arms dramatically. "But you both distracted me! So now, I won't say it." 

He tried to sound intimidating, but the plan completely backfired. Tsunade and Shizune didn't even react, barely sparing him a glance. 

Naruto's eye twitched. "Hey! I was going to tell you about a plan to make money, but since you guys don't even care… fine! I'll just find someone else to share it with!" 

Still, they remained unbothered, and Naruto groaned in frustration. "You're both impossible!" 

Tsunade smirked, finally looking at him. "Oh? A plan, huh? Well, now I'm curious." 

Shizune chuckled. "You just love being dramatic, don't you, Naruto?"

Naruto huffed, but inside, he was grinning. They always saw through him, but that just made moments like these even better.

"As we know, Tsunade is incredibly lucky in gambling," Naruto said with a sly grin, emphasizing the word lucky with air quotes. "So, all we have to do is always bet against her. That way, we'll always make a profit."

Tsunade's expression shifted instantly. "What?" Her eye twitched, and a small vein popped on her forehead.

Meanwhile, Shizune, who had been silent until now, suddenly stood up and started walking away. "You know… that is actually a good plan. We could make a fortune off this."

Naruto smirked. "See? Shizune gets it!"

Tsunade, now fuming, pointed at Shizune. "Traitor!"

Shizune just chuckled. "Nothing personal, Tsunade-sama. It's just business."