Chapter 352: Hashirama’s Discovery

Chapter 352: Hashirama's Discovery

Watching Orochimaru leave, Tsunade took out a die in front of Jiraiya, casually rolled it onto the table, then quickly covered it with a teacup. After a moment of shaking, she suddenly stopped and looked at Jiraiya.

"Big or small?"

"Uh…"

Jiraiya scratched his head and muttered, "This isn't really going to work, right? No matter how weird your gambling luck is, you can't use it to predict the future."

Tsunade impatiently said, "Just guess. Don't talk so much."

"Alright… I'll guess big."

"Then I'll guess small."

As soon as she finished speaking, Tsunade eagerly lifted the teacup.

On the table, a single six.

"Six, six—smooth and lucky! Looks like everything will be fine."

Tsunade nodded in satisfaction.

Jiraiya stared at her, speechless.

You lost.

…

"Lifting my rogue-nin status?"

Walking through the streets, Orochimaru mused to himself, "Quite bold."

Tsunade had changed a lot in the time they hadn't seen each other, to the point where he couldn't quite read her anymore.

Before considering victory, first consider defeat… But how much worse could they lose? And why bring me into this?

Orochimaru couldn't quite figure it out for the moment, so he hadn't agreed to anything.

Jiraiya, on the other hand, hadn't changed at all—still the same as before.

Unknowingly, Orochimaru had wandered near the Hokage Building. Noticing that ANBU were tailing him, he didn't mind. Instead, he curiously observed the crowd gathered at the entrance.

"Even if she's the Daimyo, she still has to pay her debts! Sir, please make an exception—I just want to meet Lady Tsunade."

A few debt collectors from various casinos had blocked the entrance, trying to demand repayment, while nearby ANBU looked exasperated, struggling to maintain order.

"Sorry, gentlemen, but Lady Tsunade isn't here at the moment. As for the debt… I'll have Lord Shikaku handle it."

"Really? That's great!"

After much persistence, the debt collectors were finally promised a resolution and cheered as they dispersed.

Orochimaru chuckled as he glanced at a certain figure brushing past him. He paid them no mind and continued toward the Hokage Building.

Since he was here, he might as well greet Shikaku as the envoy of the Snow Country.

Elsewhere, Hashirama hesitated as he watched Orochimaru head toward the Hokage Building. In the end, he chose to follow the casino workers and leave.

He had specifically used Transformation Jutsu to sneak into Konoha, wanting to see how Tsunade had been managing things over the years. Meeting the younger generation of Konoha could wait for later.

To be honest, after observing Konoha's development today, he was generally satisfied.

The village's infrastructure was impressive, and those so-called electric trains were fascinating. More importantly, Tsunade hadn't gambled away the Land of Fire or Konoha itself—definitely progress.

But…

Watching the debt collectors around him, Hashirama frowned.

Tsunade was still as carefree as she was in childhood. She was the Daimyo now, yet she didn't seem to care about maintaining her image.

Well, to be fair, Hashirama himself never really understood the whole concept of "image" and "public appearances" either.

Tobirama had once told him, If you don't know how to maintain your image, just smile. If that doesn't work, keep a calm and composed expression. I'll handle the rest.

Even so, Hashirama understood that a nation's Daimyo defaulting on debts and allowing creditors to gather at the Hokage Building was a serious dereliction of duty.

If this led people to believe that the Daimyo was an irresponsible gambler, what would happen if the public's dissatisfaction grew?

At that moment, he overheard the murmurs of those around him and couldn't help but worry. But then, he heard—

"The Daimyo is really kind—she didn't even punish us for coming to the Hokage Building to collect debts."

"Yeah, and she's a golden goose! If she came to our casino every day, we'd be raking in money."

"How can you say that out loud? Aren't you afraid she'll stop coming?"

"What's the problem? Even using her visits as a marketing strategy hasn't gotten us into trouble. Relax."

"…"

Maybe… just maybe… he was overthinking things?

Hashirama was baffled to discover that Tsunade's gambling habits—even her debts—hadn't actually angered these collectors.

If Shikaku were here, he'd have explained—

You can outrun a monk, but not the temple. A Daimyo's debts weren't going anywhere. She couldn't exactly abandon the country and flee, could she? As long as Tsunade didn't resort to underhanded tricks, she was the casinos' most prized customer!

However, that was just the casinos' perspective. It didn't reflect public opinion as a whole.

Pondering this, Hashirama took another walk around Konoha, this time listening closely to how people spoke about Tsunade. Sure enough, he heard plenty of discontent.

"I'd feel safer in the Snow Country. The Land of Fire may be prosperous, but when that terrorist attack happened before, they couldn't even defend themselves."

"Yeah, I agree. Did you see all those debt collectors? The Daimyo is nothing like the hard-working leader they portray in the propaganda."

"Looks like the Land of Fire is heading down the same path as the Land of Wind."

Hashirama frowned as he watched a few shopkeepers whisper among themselves.

Something was off.

This was Konoha, the heart of the Fire Country, where Tsunade's influence should be the strongest.

If public dissatisfaction was spreading even here, then what about the rest of the Land of Fire? What did the people think of Tsunade?

Hashirama's instincts screamed danger.

As the First Hokage, he might not have been the sharpest when it came to politics, but he knew how crucial Konoha's stability was. Yet now, the village felt unsettled and restless…

Just then, he saw a Konoha Police Force patrol pass by. The shopkeepers immediately fell silent.

Hashirama narrowed his eyes.

The patrol had clearly heard the complaints but simply walked by, wordlessly stopping the discussions.

Something about this felt off, though he couldn't quite put his finger on it.

Moments like these made him wish Tobirama were here to analyze the situation for him.

With a resigned sigh, Hashirama turned toward the Hokage Building.

No matter—Tobirama wasn't here, but there was still another "external brain" he could consult.

…

"Rumors against Tsunade? The Police Force heard them but didn't take action?"

After finishing the immigration procedures at the Hokage Building, Orochimaru returned to his rented lodgings, only to be met with Hashirama's question.

He fell into deep thought.

Rumors attacking the Daimyo… Was this the work of the Snow Country?

No. While the Snow Country had indeed been spreading propaganda in its favor, it wouldn't have reached this level of circulation within Konoha.

Orochimaru shook his head.

Unlike Hashirama, he understood that today's Konoha was no longer the same as in the past.

Old Konoha was like a mercenary village, chaotic and diverse. The current Konoha, however, was a military stronghold.

Because of historical ties, many businesses were still allowed to operate here, preventing Konoha from becoming as tightly sealed off as the Snow Country. But compared to the past, governance was far stricter.

Without permission from above, spreading pessimistic sentiments would at best get someone expelled, at worst—killed.

Every shopkeeper had signed agreements before opening their businesses. They knew when to shut their mouths. They wouldn't have kept talking until the Police Force arrived.

With that in mind, Orochimaru recalled Tsunade's earlier proposal.

Tsunade, just what exactly are you planning?

(End of Chapter)