Hoshiyomi couldn't help but smile at Tsunade's adorably determined expression. Feeling playful, he decided to tease her a little. He put on an air of mystery and asked,"Did you see all of it just now?"
Tsunade nodded eagerly, her big eyes sparkling.Hoshiyomi picked up the pen on his desk and started twirling it smoothly."Wanna learn this?"
Tsunade leaned forward, completely captivated by the motion. Her usual tough-girl act vanished in an instant—her head bobbed up and down with unfiltered excitement.
But just as she was fully hooked, Hoshiyomi suddenly stopped and said,"Too bad—I don't feel like teaching it."
"You—!"Tsunade's bright expression froze. Her mouth opened, but nothing came out. She clenched her small fists in frustration.
No one had ever dared refuse her like that.
Her first impulse was to punch his smug little face, but she stopped herself. If she got into a fight at school, Grandma Mito would definitely hear about it… and that meant another round of long, boring lectures about "restraint" and "public image."
Ugh. Fine. If fists are off the table… I'll outwit him instead.
Her eyes gleamed. A second later, she looked up and smirked."Ohh, I get it. You're just afraid I'll get better than you, huh? Well then—wanna bet? I'll learn it in three days. And I'll be better at it than you."
The moment Hoshiyomi heard that classic Tsunade setup, he nearly burst out laughing.
Everyone knows—betting with Tsunade is the best investment in the world.
He tilted his head playfully."Okay then. But what do I get if you lose?"
Tsunade thought for a moment and declared,"If I lose, I'll grant you one request. But it can't be anything weird! If I win, you owe me the same."
Hoshiyomi hadn't expected her to go that far—he was only teasing. But now that she was putting something on the table, how could he refuse?
This is the perfect opportunity to squeeze some value out of her!
Right now, Tsunade wasn't the broken-down gambler from the future. She was the only heir to the mighty Senju clan, and essentially a walking treasury of top-tier jutsu resources.
Hoshiyomi wasn't after money. What he wanted was access—specifically, to something like the Shadow Clone Jutsu.
He'd been itching for it for ages. Technically a B-rank technique, but its utility? Definitely S-rank.
Plus, he had a theory:
If he trained with a shadow clone, would the system give him double EXP?
If that worked, his growth would skyrocket. No way he was letting this chance slip.
Just as the bet was sealed, the bell rang to signal the end of class.
As the teacher stepped out, the classroom immediately turned noisy and chaotic. Students broke into their little social cliques, and without even trying, Hoshiyomi, Tsunade, Jiraiya, and Yako had become a group of four.
Hoshiyomi turned in his seat, now facing Tsunade directly as he began demonstrating the basics of pen-twirling.Technically, pen spinning and dagger spinning were pretty different—but Tsunade didn't care. She just thought it looked cool, so he wasn't about to overcomplicate things.
Jiraiya and Yako both leaned in, eyes wide with curiosity and admiration, practically glowing with stars.
Hoshiyomi slowly demonstrated two beginner moves, then sped them up and merged them into a fluid sequence.Tsunade and Jiraiya were openly impressed.
His little display even attracted the attention of nearby students. Though they were all new classmates and still shy, most started craning their necks or pricking up their ears to sneak a better look.
Tsunade kept watching intently, her mind saying:
"Got it! I've memorized everything!"But when she tried it herself, her hands said:"Nope, not happening."
Pouting, she crossed her arms.
Back when Grandma Mito taught her hand seals, it was always hands-on... so maybe that's what she needed.
"Hmph! You just showing off by yourself doesn't help," Tsunade huffed."When Grandma Mito teaches me, she guides my hands step by step. You should do the same!"
Yako nearly jumped out of her seat."You can't!" she whispered nervously. "My mom said holding hands with a boy can make you have babies!"
Tsunade rolled her eyes and replied confidently,"That's just something adults say to scare kids. Doctors hold hands with patients all the time, and nobody gets pregnant. Grandma Mito told me—only people who like each other and sleep together can make babies."
Then, before anyone could stop her, she grabbed Hoshiyomi's hand and placed it on hers, holding it up for Yako to see."See? Totally fine."
Jiraiya, meanwhile, looked like he was about to explode with jealousy.
"If we're experimenting… why's she not grabbing my hand?"
But Hoshiyomi wasn't complaining.Tsunade's little hand was soft, warm, and surprisingly plush. He obediently helped guide her through the motion, their hands intertwined.
From across the room, the reaction was instant chaos.
The girls:
"Tsunade's move is genius…""If only I'd asked him first… maybe I could be holding his hand right now!"
The boys:
"Tch. Lucky bastard.""Why does he get to hold Tsunade's hand?!"
"He's not even that good-looking! I'm better-looking than him!""Wait for the next combat assessment… I'm gonna wipe that smug grin off his face."
More than a few jealous little boys were quietly clenching their fists, practically seething.
Even Uchiha Iwa, seated near the center, frowned deeply.He'd long since given up trying to win Tsunade over—he was smart enough to know their clans were rivals—but just because he wasn't pursuing her didn't mean anyone else had permission to.
And now this punk was trying to overshadow him?
Not on my watch.
He narrowed his eyes. A warning needed to be issued—soon.
Back at Hoshiyomi's desk, the growing commotion finally started reaching their ears.
Tsunade glanced at him, a flicker of regret passing through her expression.After one final demonstration, she quickly let go of his hand and stood up.
"Come on, Yako. I need the bathroom."
And with that, she dragged her friend out of the room—diffusing the building tension.
Hoshiyomi, meanwhile, just chuckled to himself. He wasn't trying to show off—but if these jealous punks wanted to paint a target on him, he wasn't about to back down.
You want to throw shade? Try surviving the lightning.