It was the ten-minute break between matches. After hearing that the next match would be between Yukari from the Hidden Stone Village and Shōta from the Hidden Cloud Village, Tsunade decided not to remain in the audience and instead returned to an empty rest room to hydrate.
Even Tsunade had to admit that water was very important for women.
"The secretion system being too good isn't always a good thing," Tsunade muttered to herself.
After drinking two bottles of water, Tsunade felt like she had finally come back to life. She exhaled heavily. The sunlight was simply too harsh. With the speeches and the battle earlier, and having to face the arrogant Darō while looking up at him in mid-air, she had been in the sun for so long that even Tsunade, once known for her mastery of Water Style jutsu, felt a bit dizzy.
Indeed, water is an essential source of life for humans.
After replenishing her body with much-needed hydration, Tsunade turned to leave the rest room.
Returning to the audience section would let her watch the next match start. Even Tsunade knew that watching the opponent's battle was the fastest way to understand them. By the time she fought them, she would have a clearer picture in her mind.
Especially since the match between Yukari and Shōta intrigued her. These two were the most mysterious in Tsunade's eyes, and the least amount of information was available on them. This made Tsunade pay extra attention, especially since this Chūnin Exam was critical in deciding whether she would take a bath with Jiraiya or not.
Of course, Tsunade knew that mixed bathing was a thing in this world and seemed to be quite popular. Even though children here might mature early, Tsunade was still just a ten-year-old girl. If not for the system's influence, her development might still be delayed, but mixed bathing was no big deal for her.
Except for Jiraiya, that is.
Jiraiya had shown an astonishing talent for lechery from a young age, often doing things that annoyed Tsunade. Even Tsunade once yelled in frustration, "I treat you like a brother, and yet you want to sleep with me!"
And this was when they were both just six years old.
Therefore, if the mission failed, it wouldn't just be about taking a bath together... it would be a battle!
"Tsunade."
A familiar voice suddenly rang out, pulling Tsunade's attention back to the present.
"Kakashi… Onii-san?" Tsunade called, looking up at the figure standing in the doorway.
Seeing Kakashi there, Tsunade immediately followed the rules of the bet. It was a habit the system had drilled into her. The system's punishments for failed tasks always came with a certain time window for Tsunade to fulfill them voluntarily. Only when she refused to comply would the system step in...
Tsunade had once tried to avoid fulfilling the punishment of becoming Jiraiya's slave for a day, only to find a complete collection of "Tsunade" and "Naruto Uzumaki" adult-themed books waiting for her at Jiraiya's house…
The revenge for her father's death was nothing compared to that.
Jiraiya had been so amazed by the collection, luckily not recognizing that the "Tsunade" in those books was actually Tsunade. Jiraiya felt secretly happy the system hadn't punished him, but Tsunade immediately noticed and used her "Physical Style: Manual Amnesia Technique" to erase Jiraiya's memory. She then tore up the books and burned them, sealing them forever.
"Did you need something?" Tsunade asked.
It was unusual for Kakashi to show up in such a place. After all, the rest room was strictly off-limits to non-participants, and although not heavily guarded, it wasn't easy to just stroll in.
"I need to speak to you privately for a moment," Kakashi said, his face expressionless.
Tsunade felt a jolt of unease. Was something exposed?
At such a crucial moment, Tsunade couldn't help but be cautious. She kept her distance from Kakashi, warily watching him.
"I watched your match earlier," Kakashi said.
"Mm?"
Tsunade's heart eased. It seemed like Kakashi hadn't discovered what she was worried about.
"The match was exciting," Kakashi continued, appearing a little hesitant, as if he wanted to say something but couldn't. Finally, he added, "I think ninjutsu might suit you better, but I still hope you use the technique I taught you in the next match."
"…"
Tsunade was a little speechless. Kakashi had gone through all this trouble just to say that? But since it wasn't about revealing her secrets, Tsunade didn't plan on turning against Kakashi just yet. With a fiery determination, she said, "Don't worry, I won't bring shame to the Katō family's swordsmanship!"
"That's good," Kakashi said, showing a faint smile.
After making that promise with Kakashi, Tsunade returned to the audience. Jiraiya was still there, fiddling with the missile launcher Tsunade had thrown at him, looking confused and funny, while Orochimaru had disappeared.
Not paying attention to Jiraiya, Tsunade looked at the arena, but to her surprise, it was still empty.
"Did the match get delayed?" Tsunade asked, confused, looking toward the still-dazed Jiraiya.
"It's over," Jiraiya replied, not even looking up.
"Over?"
Tsunade was taken aback. It hadn't been that long. Yukari and Shōta must have just stepped onto the stage a minute or two ago. Had the match been decided with just two jutsu? Even if one used a deadly technique to instantly defeat the enemy, that would be way too fast, wouldn't it?
"Who lost?"
"Yukari."
"…"
Tsunade was a little surprised. Was Shōta, who had barely any useful information on him, actually a hidden super-powerful boss? He seemed like just an ordinary person, and yet could he have become the final boss just by spitting into his palm and combing his hair into a slick back?
This was not scientifically possible!
"How did he lose?" Tsunade asked, unable to help herself. If Shōta was truly a formidable opponent, Tsunade felt she needed to understand his abilities, so she could prepare herself mentally when they eventually faced off.
This wasn't a joke. If her opponent was someone skilled in taijutsu but weak in ninjutsu, rushing in for a close-quarters fight would be like throwing her life away!
Jiraiya, clearly annoyed by Tsunade's incessant questioning, finally muttered two words.
"Surrender."
"…"
(End of Chapter)