Mikami Yuu froze when he heard that, then turned back.
He saw Rin's small face flushed red, her eyes dodging, looking like she wanted to say something but couldn't.
Clearly, Jiraiya's earlier remarks hadn't left her completely unaffected. In theory, setting aside the fact that Pakura was an enemy, she really was a very beautiful woman. She had a good figure, and she was already a jōnin at fourteen. That made Rin feel a little inferior.
"…How could that be possible?"
Yuu smiled and answered casually, "I'm only interested in her Scorch Release. I want to study how that kind of kekkei genkai works. That's all. Lord Jiraiya is an old pervert. Just listen to whatever he says casually. You don't need to take it seriously."
"R-really?"
Rin was half convinced and half doubtful, but she was too embarrassed to keep asking. She just nodded with her cheeks still red. "Mm… I understand! Sorry, Yuu. I asked a strange question…
"By the way, is Lord Jiraiya really so… improper? And that book, Icha Icha Paradise—is its content really like Obito said? He's one of Konoha's Sannin, after all… How could he write that kind of thing?"
"Ahem, the Sannin are still people. People all have basic physical needs. Lady Tsunade likes to drink a few cups and gamble when she has nothing to do, doesn't she…"
Yuu answered vaguely.
The air fell briefly silent.
The two stood facing each other in the room, looking at each other's faces, and both felt a strange atmosphere slowly brewing.
Suddenly,
Obito poked his head in from outside and loudly shattered the silence. "Rin, Yuu, you're both here… Yuu, want to spar with me? My Fire Release has improved a lot lately. I feel like I can finally be your opponent!"
"…Tomorrow."
Yuu thought, You only awakened your eyes two days ago. How much could you have improved? But out loud, he answered calmly, "It's too late today. Get some rest."
"Alright then. Tomorrow for sure!"
After perfunctorily dealing with Obito,
Yuu took his cup, went out to brush his teeth and wash up, wiped his face, and got ready to turn off the lights and sleep.
As Konoha's main base on the southwestern battlefield, Wildfire City's accommodations were better than Oborozuki Castle's. But compared to Konoha Village, there was no contest. After all, this was still the front line. Many living facilities were unavailable, and everything had to be simplified.
In the darkness,
Yuu's thoughts briefly drifted back to Konoha Village. He thought of how he had previously tried to persuade Mikami Tajima to write adult books for money, and of the Konoha Raw Cola plan. He wondered how things were progressing now…
The next morning,
sunlight passed through the clouds and fell over Konoha Village's main street.
The three members of Asuma's team, who had just completed a several-day escort mission for supplies, entered the familiar village gate covered in dust.
"Phew… finally back!"
Sarutobi Asuma let out a long breath and instinctively wanted to pull out a cigarette to relax with a couple of puffs. This was a new habit he had picked up recently. But when his hand reached his tool pouch, he remembered the girl beside him and could only rub his fingers awkwardly, deciding to smoke somewhere else later.
Beside him,
Kurenai Yūhi's delicate face showed a faint, barely noticeable weariness, but her ruby-like eyes remained bright.
"Yeah, we're finally back. There wasn't much fighting this time, but the route was really long. My whole body feels like it's falling apart."
"Speaking of which, it feels like we haven't seen Yuu, Kakashi, and the others in the village for a while."
"Them?"
Asuma pulled a face. "You don't know? They've already received special approval to go to the front line of the Suna battlefield!"
"What?!"
Kurenai stopped abruptly and looked at Asuma in surprise. "The front line? Don't you need at least chūnin-level strength to be sent there? They're still genin!"
"…"
Asuma's mouth twitched, and he almost couldn't hold it together. "Kurenai, you don't really think those guys are still normal genin, do you? Forget Kakashi—he was promoted years ago. As for Yuu… with how ridiculous his progress speed is, I think he might even be stronger than Kakashi now."
At this moment, Asuma didn't know he had just said the plain truth.
In fact, even he had only said it casually and didn't really think Yuu had become that strong. After all, Kakashi's reputation still carried plenty of weight.
After a pause, Asuma lowered his voice and added,
"By the way, I heard the old man… ahem, I mean the Third Hokage, mention that the village intends to hold a chūnin exam soon to demonstrate military strength to the other nations and avoid further war. Maybe Yuu and the others will be called back to participate too?
"After all, nominally, they're still listed as genin."
"Really? That's great!"
Kurenai subconsciously clenched her fist, joy appearing on her face.
She had been training hard every day lately and often went to her father, Yūhi Shinku, for guidance. She felt that her strength had improved quite a bit. But if she compared herself with Mikami Yuu, she still felt far from enough.
If she could pass this exam and become a chūnin…
Would that mean she could get a little closer to that battlefield and to those familiar figures?
As they spoke, a burst of noise from a street corner not far away interrupted their conversation.
"Huh? Why are so many people lining up over there? What are they doing?"
Namiashi Raidō, rarely taking the initiative to speak, pointed toward a shop with a sign that read Akimichi Beverage Shop.
A fairly long line snaked out from the shop entrance. Among those waiting were both ninja and civilians, most of them wearing expectant and curious expressions while discussing among themselves.
"Wow! So this is Konoha Raw Cola? The packaging already looks exciting!"
"I heard the taste is amazing! Better than sake! One sip and it wakes you right up!"
"More than that! My neighbor's older brother is a ninja, and he said that after drinking this, chakra recovers especially fast. It's like a soldier pill, but much gentler and doesn't hurt the stomach at all!"
"Really?"
"Anyway, rumors say the formula was personally adjusted by Lady Tsunade. Guess what I think? I think it's trustworthy! Lady Tsunade may have terrible gambling luck, but when it comes to medicine, she's top-tier!"
"…Konoha Raw Cola?"
Kurenai stood on tiptoe curiously and watched a few customers walk out of the shop holding transparent glass bottles printed with a leaf symbol. When they twisted off the caps, there was a soft hiss, and fine bubbles rose inside. It looked very fresh.
It made her want to try a sip too.
Asuma noticed Kurenai's interest and immediately waved his hand generously. "With so many people lining up, the taste can't be bad. Kurenai, let's line up too. My treat!"
"Then thank you. I'll treat next time."
After about fifteen minutes in line,
it was finally Asuma's group's turn.
The price board inside the beverage shop clearly read: Large bottle: 15 ryō. Small bottle: 10 ryō.
Asuma had money, so he generously ordered three large bottles.
Then the three held the cool glass bottles beaded with condensation and copied the others, twisting off the caps with a pop. Immediately, a unique sweet fragrance rushed into their noses. When Kurenai lifted the bottle to her lips and carefully took a sip—
"Mmm—!"
"Wow! This is way too good!"
Kurenai couldn't help exclaiming, her red eyes widening.
That sip had given her a sensation she had never experienced before. It was refreshing, sweet but not overly so, and there was also a strange sparkling impact, as if countless tiny bubbles exploded one after another on her tongue, washing away all her fatigue and making her feel instantly energized.
Beside her, Asuma directly tipped his head back and drank half the bottle in one go. His throat bobbed, and he let out a satisfied sigh.
"Ha! This really has kick! This texture… it's amazing! No wonder so many people are lining up for it!"
"Let's go. Buy two more."
This time, before Asuma's group could reach the front of the line again, the Raw Cola at Akimichi Beverage Shop was declared sold out.
The people in line dispersed at once and rushed toward other shops.
But at the moment, there didn't seem to be many stores selling Raw Cola, and their stock was limited. Those who hadn't managed to buy any began running around everywhere, asking whenever they saw a place that sold food.
"Hey, boss, do you sell that Konoha Raw Cola here?"
"Huh? Raw… Raw Cola? N-no, customer. We mainly sell dango and sweet soup…"
"Tsk, you don't have it? Forget it, I'll check somewhere else."
"Wait! Customer! Our red bean soup is also excellent!"
At the corner of the street, the owner of Dango Three-Color Sweets Shop was sweating from being asked by several customers. For a moment, he stomped anxiously and turned to shout at the apprentice inside.
"Why are you still standing there? Hurry and go ask around where this Raw Cola is stocked from!"
The apprentice nodded hurriedly and dashed out of the shop.
Similar scenes appeared in several shops one after another.
Asuma, Kurenai, and Namiashi Raidō found the scene rather novel.
"Who would've thought that after only a few days away, the village would suddenly have such a magical drink? Next time we go on a mission, we can buy a few bottles to take with us and drink on the road."
Asuma shook the remaining half-bottle of cola in his hand.
"Mm."
Kurenai nodded and looked at the simple leaf logo on the bottle. For some reason, the image of a certain white-haired boy suddenly appeared in her mind.
Could this thing… have something to do with him? After all, Lady Tsunade had never done business before, and she had heard that he seemed to be studying under Lady Tsunade…
At the same time, inside the Senju clan residence,
Tsunade, dressed lightly, looked at the several bottles of Konoha Raw Cola on the tea table and listened to Shizune's explanation, her brows slightly furrowed.
"So this is the finished product Mikami Tajima came up with? It isn't that different from the earlier sample… Can it really make that many people line up to buy it? When did Konoha villagers' tastes become like this?"
"Well…"
Shizune scratched her head, equally confused. "I'm not too sure about the reason either, but this Raw Cola really is selling very well. I went out and looked around earlier. The few shops that have stock all have long lines of ninja and civilians outside."
"And I heard even Yakiniku Q and Ichiraku Ramen are already negotiating with the Mikami family, preparing to launch a 'barbecue cola set' and 'ramen with cola' combination. Judging by this momentum, Konoha Raw Cola may really become one of the village's signature drinks."
Signature drink?
The hand Tsunade was using to hold the bottle paused slightly. She remembered the scene several months ago when that brat named Mikami Yuu had come to her with this cola formula, looking very serious, and made a bet with her.
At the time, she had thought victory was guaranteed and hadn't taken the bet seriously at all.
But now…
No way.
Was she going to lose again?
Tsunade's heart skipped, and she felt a little nervous, but her face remained tense. She even waved a hand with forced disdain.
"Tch, it's just novelty! When something new comes out, of course everyone wants to try it. We'll only know its real level after some time passes!"
Shizune hesitated. "Um… Lady Tsunade, there's one more thing. Mikami-kun seemed to mention before that if this business succeeded, he was willing to give you thirty percent of the profits as a 'technical consultant fee.' But you seemed to have refused at the time…"
"…"
This time, Tsunade's face stiffened even more. Even the fingers gripping the cola bottle tightened sharply, making the glass creak under the pressure.
Although it still wasn't clear who would win the bet between her and Mikami Yuu in the end, there was no doubt that Konoha Raw Cola could sell decently in Konoha. And if monthly sales really reached two hundred thousand, thirty percent would be sixty thousand—not a small sum.
Maybe…
she could talk to that brat later and say she had only been joking earlier?
In theory, it wasn't impossible.
But she had been the one who personally refused. The proud Tsunade-hime, one of Konoha's Sannin and granddaughter of the First Hokage, really couldn't bring herself to lose face like that.
Tsunade suddenly coughed and slammed the half-finished cola bottle down on the low table with a heavy thud.
"S-so noisy! It's only a thirty percent share. Who do you think I am? Do I need to snatch money from a brat who still smells of milk? Let's go, Shizune!"
"Huh? Lady Tsunade, where are we going? Konoha Hospital still has…"
"What hospital?! That brat and Nohara Rin aren't even in the village anymore. Can't the remaining students be taught casually by those medical jōnin? So annoying! Come with me to the casino! I need to get rid of bad luck!"
Tsunade abruptly stood, grabbed the green coat with the gamble character beside her, and threw it on with practiced ease. In her mind, she had already imagined herself dominating the gambling table.
Beside her,
Shizune wore an expression of utter despair.
Although she was only in her teens now and had not yet followed Tsunade for twenty years like in Naruto's time, Shizune knew Tsunade's luck very well.
Get rid of bad luck…?
She was afraid it would only get worse. After all, Tsunade had always lost nine out of ten gambles. If Hiruzen Sarutobi and Jiraiya hadn't secretly spoken to Konoha's gambling houses before and told them to go easy on Tsunade, she probably would have lost even more miserably…