Sarutobi Household.
"So that's the situation. I'm out of options."
Tsunade sat in front of Biwako, spreading her hands helplessly.
Biwako also looked troubled. "Fifty million ryo, huh..."
That was no small amount—it wasn't something any ordinary family could casually take out.
Biwako sighed. "You really know how to cause trouble."
In front of her teacher's wife, Tsunade acted meekly, mumbling, "I didn't think they'd actually chase me all the way to the village..."
Seeing Biwako struggling with the dilemma, Tsunade cautiously asked, "So... can you take out that much?"
Biwako shook her head helplessly. "You'd have to sell me off to get that kind of money."
Tsunade looked shocked. "No way! I mean, Sensei was Hokage for so long, wasn't he?"
Biwako shot her a glare. "What do you take your teacher for? He wasn't Hokage to amass wealth."
Precisely because Sarutobi Hiruzen had been Hokage for so long, their family had never cared about money.
They weren't people who sought material luxury—having a comfortable life was more than enough for them.
Besides, after Hiruzen's passing, the Fifth Hokage had been providing their family with a generous stipend.
Tsunade groaned in distress. "Then what should I do?"
Biwako thought for a moment before saying, "I'll ask Ryuji to help. Maybe the clan members can pitch in."
Hearing this, Tsunade quickly said, "Then forget it..."
The Sarutobi clan, like the Uchiha, lived scattered in separate households.
If they were like the Hyuga, a single large family, it would be one thing.
But for Biwako to gather money now, she'd essentially be borrowing from ten, twenty different households.
In the end, Tsunade would owe countless favors.
Biwako turned and went inside.
When she returned, she had a stack of cash in her hands.
"There's about three million ryo here. Take it."
Tsunade accepted the money with a grin. "Thanks."
Biwako scoffed, "Just get out of here. That's my retirement fund—you've cleaned me out."
Tsunade chuckled. "You don't need that much for retirement. I'll take care of you in the future."
"Just don't give me more headaches, and I'll be grateful."
Leaving the Sarutobi household, Tsunade looked down at the thick stack of bills in her hands and let out a sigh.
It was still nowhere near enough.
Why had she ever thought gambling was a good idea?
This was all her grandfather's fault!
As she walked down the street, she suddenly spotted two familiar figures standing near a signpost.
It was the debt collectors.
They were happily strolling around, and when they noticed her, they waved cheerfully.
"Lady Tsunade!"
"What a coincidence, Lady Tsunade!"
"Seeing how calm you look, I bet gathering the money is going well."
"We're looking forward to seeing you in two days!"
Tsunade really didn't want to see them, so she forced an awkward smile and quickly walked away.
Right now, she was carrying a huge sum—three million ryo.
That was enough to hire a ninja to assassinate some minor Daimyo.
But this was inside Konoha.
Who could make a move under the watchful eyes of the Tower of Solarity?
Even she couldn't do it.
And even if she somehow managed to gather all fifty million, the thought of handing over such a massive amount made her heart ache.
Maybe she should just refuse to pay.
Even if the matter got out, it wouldn't bother her much—she wasn't someone who cared about public opinion.
Or so she told herself.
She didn't have many close connections in the village, after all.
But Shizune… If she got dragged into this mess too, Tsunade would feel guilty.
The next day Asuma showed up at her door with a sum of money.
He said it was from his mother.
Tsunade counted it—two million ryo.
It probably wasn't easy for Biwako to gather this money.
Tsunade felt a bit guilty and thought that she should make more time to visit her former teacher's wife in the future.
She turned and called to the person inside the room, "Shizune, go buy some more sake."
Since she might not be able to gather the full amount anyway, she might as well enjoy herself first.
----------------
Kogoro and his companion were in a great mood.
After searching for a full two years, they had finally found their fat sheep—Tsunade.
And even better, they found her right in her own den, Konohagakure.
Now they no longer had to worry about her running away.
Thinking about how they would receive fifty million ryo in just two days, Kogoro was thrilled, secretly praising himself for his foresight in lending her the money back then.
He wasn't worried in the slightest that she wouldn't repay.
This was Konoha, after all, and Tsunade was one of the legendary Sannin.
A ninja village like Konoha cared deeply about its reputation.
Just as the two stepped out of a restaurant, they were approached by a young ninja.
The man politely addressed them, "Are you Mr. Otsuka Kogoro and Mr. Kondo Sugano?"
Kogoro raised an eyebrow. "And you are?"
"Lord Hokage requests your presence."
Kogoro exchanged a glance with his companion, both puzzled.
Kogoro then said, "Lead the way."
This was Konoha, and if the Hokage wanted to see them, refusing wasn't an option.
They were led into a lounge.
Kogoro and his companion whispered to each other.
"Tsunade probably couldn't gather the money and went to Lord Hokage for help."
"We have the IOU in hand. We can't let them shortchange us a single coin. These big villages rely entirely on external mission commissions for income, so they care a lot about their reputation and credibility."
The two men waited in the lounge for a while before the door finally opened.
Leading the way was a young man dressed in black—presumably the Hokage.
There were many rumors about the Hokage circulating in the outside world.
Just as they were about to bow in greeting, another middle-aged man followed closely behind him.
To their shock, this middle-aged man was dressed in official government attire.
The man looked at them and spoke, "Otsuka Kogoro and Kondo Sugano, correct?"
The two nodded.
"This is Lord Shudani Enou, Assistant Minister of the Central Criminal Department."
Upon hearing this, Kogoro was utterly shocked.
He immediately prostrated himself on the ground, pressing his forehead tightly against the floor.
"Greetings, my lord!"
Shudani Enou spoke calmly, "The Otsuka Casino in Tanzaku Town—you're the owner, correct?"
Cold sweat poured down Kogoro's face as he hastily replied, "Yes, my lord, I run the establishment."
The Hokage, standing to the side, found the scene quite amusing.
This was the power of government authority over civilians.
As the Hokage, all ministers in the Land of Fire—except for the Daimyo himself—would treat him with utmost respect.
Yet, the reverence these commoners showed toward a minor official was far more genuine.
"You are under arrest, You are charged with tax fraud, extortion, and driving a woman to her death. If you have anything to say, save it for prison." Shudani Enou declared.
The two men were utterly stunned.
Kogoro shouted in protest, claiming he was innocent, while Sugano collapsed to the ground in fear.
Shudani Enou ignored them and instead bowed respectfully toward the Hokage. "Lord Hokage, I will take them away now."
At that moment, Kogoro suddenly seemed to remember something.
He hastily pulled out a slip of paper from his robe and turned anxiously to Makoto.
"Lord Hokage! Lord Hokage, please save me! Lady Tsunade from your esteemed village owes us money— a full fifty million ryo! If you can help me, I'll write off the entire debt!"
Before he could say anything more, Shudani Enou swiftly snatched the IOU from his hands.
"The crimes you've committed will result in the confiscation of all your assets. Naturally, this debt note will be seized as well."
Kogoro's face instantly turned deathly pale, then suddenly erupted in furious shouting, accusing the Hokage and the officials of colluding to frame them.
Shudani Enou, unfazed, simply delivered a sharp slap, knocking Kogoro into a daze.
"Lord Hokage, I shall take my leave."
He respectfully presented the IOU with both hands before pulling out chains to bind the two men.
Then, he led them away.
Makoto glanced at the note in his hand and clicked his tongue.
"Fifty million ryo… That's no small sum."
As he spoke, a slight smirk crept onto his lips.
--------------
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