Meanwhile, elsewhere…
"Senior Shinji, let's go eat that~"
"Eat what?"
"You know… that~"
Tobi winked and nodded toward a barbecue restaurant nearby.
Three black lines appeared on Shinji's forehead. Just say you want barbecue! Why make it sound so mysterious and suggestive?!
"Fine, if you want it, let's go. But next time you speak in riddles, I'll cut your kidneys out and use them as snacks to go with my wine."
"Leave it to me!" Hidan grinned wickedly, pulling out a small knife.
Tobi scrambled back several steps in panic, clutching his waist protectively.
Ignoring this pair of bickering troublemakers, Shinji led the group straight inside. They took a large table and ordered piles of meat and kidneys.
Tobi was on the verge of tears, terrified they would run out of kidneys and use his to make up the order.
Meanwhile, behind a half‑wall just a short distance away, two other people were eating and drinking heartily.
They had clearly had quite a lot to drink; their cheeks were flushed and their eyes were glazed over.
"Have some more, Shizune! Don't be so polite with me!"
Shizune held a small piglet in her arms, looking helpless and anxious.
"Lady Tsunade… we don't have any money left."
"So what? Worst case, we just leave an IOU note."
Tsunade suddenly moved over, wrapped an arm around Shizune's shoulder, and took a long swig of sake, exhaling in deep satisfaction.
"Ahh~ that hits the spot!"
"I don't think they allow credit here. If we keep eating without paying, it'll ruin your reputation."
Shizune was torn. This was different from owing money to gambling houses.
Those people were all scoundrels who only wanted Lady Tsunade's money.
They used every trick in the book — cheating, loan‑sharking, threats, deception… anything to swindle her.
So whenever Tsunade refused to pay, or even bankrupted them instead, Shizune only felt guilty for a moment before deciding they deserved it.
But running away without paying for a meal? That was something she couldn't accept.
Simply put… she was too proper and soft‑hearted.
But Tsunade didn't care. "Relax, relax~ what reputation do I even have left anyway? Don't worry… as soon as I get money, I'll pay them back first. In a little while, when we're almost done eating, you leave first. I'll handle the rest."
"Why don't you go first, Lady Tsunade? I'll stay behind. Worst case… I'll wash dishes here until the bill is paid. That should cover it."
Suddenly, a mischievous grin spread across Tsunade's face. "You sure you want to stay and wash dishes?"
"What?"
Something felt wrong. Shizune looked at her nervously.
"Actually, the meat didn't cost much. It's the sake… see? All the best wine in the whole shop is right here on this table. If you really stay to work off the debt… you'd probably have to wash dishes for about half a year."
Tsunade's soft, ominous voice struck Shizune like a dagger straight through the heart.
Pfft!
Shizune froze instantly, turning to stone.
"H‑half a year?!"
She was stunned. She never imagined Tsunade would do something like this.
Who orders this much expensive alcohol when they know they don't have money?!
Me, said Tsunade's expression.
"Hey, hey — calm down! Keep your voice down… people are staring."
Tsunade quickly nodded and smiled at the surrounding customers, pretending Shizune was simply drunk.
Shizune struggled furiously, but couldn't break free from Tsunade's incredibly powerful, embarrassing embrace.
Just before she nearly suffocated, Tsunade finally let her go. Shizune gasped for fresh air, her face bright red.
"Lady Tsunade! How could you do this?!"
Seeing her little assistant truly upset, Tsunade said, "Since we're leaving an IOU anyway, why not 'borrow' a bit more? Don't worry — I will pay it back, plus interest."
Since she put it that way, what could Shizune do? She sighed deeply, turned her frustration into appetite, and began attacking the meat on the table with renewed determination.
Tsunade found her little companion utterly adorable. She drained another cup and laughed heartily.
When they were nearly finished, Tsunade waved her hand, telling Shizune to go ahead and leave first. She herself stayed behind to keep drinking.
Shizune left feeling terribly guilty, but since the owner saw someone still sitting at the table, he didn't suspect anything and let her go.
Customers leaving early for some reason or another were a daily occurrence.
But because Shizune was so nervous and flustered, she didn't notice Shinji and his group nearby.
Shinji only caught a glimpse of someone's back and didn't recognize her at all.
He just kept eating and drinking…
A while later, Tsunade finished the last bottle of wine and let out a satisfied burp.
"Alright… time to go."
She stood up unsteadily and headed toward the restrooms.
The owner kept a close eye on her and signaled a waitress to follow and keep watch.
It wasn't just that he was afraid she would run off without paying — he was also worried something might happen to her after drinking so much.
But something did happen — and it was big!
The waitress suddenly came rushing back, panic‑stricken, and whispered a few words to the owner.
"What? She's gone?! I told you to follow her and watch her!"
"I did follow her! I saw her walk inside with my own eyes… but when I went in after her… she was just… gone!"
The waitress was trembling, half‑convinced she had seen a ghost.
The owner glared at her fiercely. "Come with me — let's go take a look! I refuse to believe a grown woman just vanished into thin air!"
The restrooms were enclosed spaces with only a small barred window — too small for anyone to pass through unless they broke it open.
But as they hurried over, a young girl walked casually out of the restroom, then calmly went to the sink to wash her hands.
Neither the owner nor the waitress paid any attention to the little girl. After all, they were looking for someone with two massive peaks, not a flat runway.
Once outside the restroom, the girl casually dropped a signed IOU note onto the table, then walked easily toward the exit.
Burp~
Before she got far, she couldn't help letting out another loud burp, releasing a strong wave of alcohol fumes.
If the owner had smelled that, he would definitely have found it suspicious.
What kind of child drinks this much alcohol?
"Ugh — that stinks! Whose brat is this? Get lost, go bother someone else!"
As luck would have it, Hidan was sitting right there and caught the full force of that smell. It was so strong it instantly killed his appetite.
Being scolded didn't bother the girl at all. She only turned her head instinctively to glance at him.
And with that one glance… it was over.
That face… that bastard… the one she could never forget, day or night!
Usually, she was the one who owed everyone else money and never paid back. But that one time… things had been reversed.
And what made it worse was that ever since then, she had never seen that bastard again.
A thousand words, countless curses, years of anger… all condensed into five words: "YOU BASTARD — PAY ME BACK!"
____________________
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