Chapter 29: WTF, So Cringe?

In the end, Hagawa's butt was spared. With the blessing of the [God of Gamblers] Trait, winning back that 500,000 ryō was a certainty. Even Jesus couldn't have stopped it.

"What do you want to eat tonight?" Tsunade asked, dangling the money she had just won. Paired with her words, anyone who didn't know better would think she was offering to become his sugar mama.

"Yakiniku," Hagawa said without the slightest hesitation. He deserved at least a third of the credit for Tsunade winning that half a million ryō. After gambling for so long, shouldn't he enjoy himself a little?

"No problem!" Tsunade said with a smile, reaching out to ruffle his hair.

Can you stop patting my head every time you talk? Hagawa subconsciously tried to push her arm away, but it didn't budge.

Her strength is pretty impressive. Tsunade felt his force and couldn't help but raise an eyebrow. This strength was a benefit from the [Shurikenjutsu] Trait's arm strength bonus, but she didn't know that.

"This way." Tsunade took his small hand directly and led him across the street. A warm and soft sensation spread from his hand. Hagawa glanced at his enveloped hand and quickened his pace. Soon, they arrived at the yakiniku restaurant.

"Lady Tsunade!" A voice called out as soon as they entered. Hagawa instinctively looked over. It was Inoichi Yamanaka. Besides him, there were two other young men: a big, red-haired guy and a man with a pineapple head. Although it was their first time meeting, Hagawa guessed they were Chōza Akimichi and Shikaku Nara. Together with Inoichi, the three were known as the Ino-Shika-Chō trio. (Though in his head, he always mixed them up: Yamanaka was the pig, Akimichi the butterfly, and Nara the deer).

After some pleasantries, Inoichi took the initiative and asked, "Lady Tsunade, we've already ordered. Would you like to eat with us?"

Tsunade nodded slightly. Like Hagawa, she didn't know the meaning of the word "polite."

"Is this Lady Tsunade's new student?" Shikaku Nara asked, curiously sizing up Hagawa.

"No," Tsunade explained. "He's a child from Nonō's orphanage. I'm helping to look after him."

You're looking after him? Shikaku thought, a strange feeling creeping into his heart as he recalled the various legends about Tsunade.

"Was the memory extraction useful last time?" Tsunade asked Inoichi casually.

"No," Inoichi sighed. "Although he saw the culprit, the person was wearing a mask."

"A mask?" Tsunade scoffed. "Could it be that disgusting old geezer Danzo again?" With her personality, she naturally detested Danzo Shimura. He was like a rat in the sewer, always engaged in shady, darkness-crawling activities.

"There's no evidence at the moment," Inoichi said, cold sweat trickling down his face. Tsunade dared to bad-mouth Danzo, but they didn't. If that old codger set his sights on them, the Ino-Shika-Chō trio would have to "drop gold coins" again. Danzo's Root had already forcibly taken countless geniuses from their three clans.

Hagawa glanced at Tsunade. Lu Xun once said: for forbidden jutsu, find Tobirama Senju; for a scapegoat, find Danzo Shimura. Tsunade had actually guessed half-right this time. One of the masterminds was indeed Danzo.

Hagawa pondered. In the original series, when Hiruzen found out what Danzo had done, he gave him no punishment and simply took Yamato away. Telling Tsunade would be of little use. Besides being unable to explain the source of his information, it would also anger Danzo. Then he'd probably end up "committing suicide by stabbing himself with eight kunai." The only valuable thing to come out of it was Yamato. Although his Wood Release was far inferior to Hashirama's, it was still Wood Release, which held a special meaning for Tsunade. I'll find a chance to tell her later.

The yakiniku dinner ended, and Hagawa followed Tsunade home. They didn't do anything else—just purely studied medical ninjutsu.

Time flew by, and soon it was Saturday. For the past five days, Hagawa had only done three things: train, train, and still f*cking train.

At Konoha Hospital, Hagawa was practicing with his sword in the open space outside Nonō's office. Since it was Saturday, he had come over early in the morning. Of course, before practicing with the sword, he had been treating that carp. Now that his chakra was mostly depleted, he came outside to practice Konoha-ryū Swordsmanship.

After an unknown amount of time, four lines of text appeared before his eyes. It's here! Hagawa's spirits lifted. He had finally passed through the gate.

[E-Rank Ninjutsu Trait: Swordsmanship Ninja (Acquired)]

Activation Condition: Reach the introductory level in Konoha-ryū Swordsmanship.

Effect: Increases the power of Konoha-ryū Swordsmanship by 10%.

Note: Can be evolved into the D-Rank Trait [Swordsmanship Genin] by increasing proficiency.

The effect and evolution path were simple and crude. Hagawa nodded with satisfaction. After introduction comes proficiency, then mastery. Once he reached mastery, he estimated he'd be at the level of a Tokubetsu Jōnin.

Besides [Swordsmanship Ninja], the progress bar for [Seven Ninja Tools] had also skyrocketed. After reaching the introductory level in Konoha-ryū, his proficiency with the tachi now met the condition. The progress for [Seven Ninja Tools] was now at 90%, with only one tool left.

From the office window nearby, Tsunade was watching.

"Is he tired?" Tsunade asked, looking at the stopped Hagawa. "Can this little guy even handle learning so much?"

"I've tried to advise him, but he says it's fine," Nonō said helplessly. Hagawa's training volume was something many Genin couldn't even compare to. And he was learning everything: genjutsu, swordsmanship, and medical ninjutsu.

Tsunade suddenly let out a soft "eh." Hagawa had started practicing with his sword again. But it was completely different from before. His proficiency had soared as if he had just experienced a sudden enlightenment. From Tsunade's perspective, Hagawa's skill in Konoha-ryū Swordsmanship had already surpassed most Genin. Nonō noticed the change as well. She froze for a moment, her face showing her astonishment. A genius truly cannot be judged by common sense.

"Looks like there's nothing to worry about," Tsunade said, retracting her gaze. She sat down on the sofa and crossed her legs again. The plump flesh of her thighs strained against her pants, accentuating their shapeliness.

"I'm going to get back to work, Lady Tsunade," Nonō said, used to her ways. She gave a greeting and left.

While Hagawa was practicing his sword, the Konoha Knowledge Bookstore was busier than usual. A poster was pasted at the entrance. On the poster were three female ninja. The one in the center was clad head-to-toe in a purple bodysuit, her figure explosive as she held a tachi. The one on the left wore a black bodysuit that revealed her fair legs. The one on the right stood with her back to the viewer, showing off a beautiful bare back and buttocks.

Near the bottom center of the poster, three large, orange characters spelled out: Taimanin. Below that was a line of small text: "A masterpiece by the genius new novelist, Thunder Fire Sword. An adult novel you can't miss."

The eye-catching poster drew in a continuous stream of customers. Driven by curiosity, they opened Taimanin and were immediately captivated by its contents.

Just then, a man wearing a red haori and a forehead protector with the character for "Oil" stopped in his tracks. He stared at the poster, his eyes widening.

WTF, is it really this cringe? I have to at least check it out.

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