Chapter 63: Chapter 63

“It shouldn’t be difficult for someone like you to secure funding,” Kitazawa said, watching Tsunade seethe with frustration, a faint smile tugging at his lips.

“And what methods are there for getting funds?” Tsunade demanded, taking a deep breath to calm herself, though her teeth were still clenched.

She’d returned to the village because Hiruzen Sarutobi had promised her virtually unlimited funding. Now, all these rules and restrictions were driving her up the wall.

“One option is to develop new ninjutsu,” Kitazawa explained. “As long as it relates to Psychological Medic techniques, even a low-level jutsu could be worth a million ryo.”

Ordinarily, only S-rank missions brought in rewards as high as one million ryo—and those missions were grueling, dangerous, and time-consuming. Even for Tsunade, completing an S-rank mission wasn’t easy money.

“That’s pretty generous,” Tsunade admitted, frowning slightly. “But creating new ninjutsu takes time. Isn’t there a faster way?”

“There is,” Kitazawa said, “but the amounts are much smaller.”

“Then what’s the point?” Tsunade scoffed, folding her arms. “I’m going straight to the old man. If he doesn’t give me money, I’m leaving again!”

“Lady Tsunade!” Shizune blurted out, alarmed. She definitely didn’t want to go back to a life of running from debt collectors and skipping meals.

“I might have a solution,” Kitazawa said, blinking as an idea struck him.

“Oh? What is it?” Tsunade leaned closer, curiosity sparking in her eyes.

“There’s a line in the project budget for medical expenses related to treating Yakumo,” Kitazawa said, choosing his words carefully. “You could submit a list of medicinal ingredients—and pick the most expensive ones.”

Tsunade stared at him, momentarily stunned. Then a grin slowly spread across her face. “Why are you suddenly willing to help me bend the rules?”

Kitazawa gave a serious look. “I didn’t have a choice before. But now, I’m on your side.”

He knew the best way to motivate someone like Tsunade was a mix of firmness and flexibility. Strictly sticking to Hiruzen’s rules would only drive her away—bad news for both the mission and Yakumo’s treatment. Between Hiruzen and Tsunade, his choice was obvious—for Yakumo’s sake.

“Very good.” Tsunade’s grin widened. She slung an arm around his shoulders and pulled him closer. “Not bad at all, kid!”

Kitazawa nearly toppled into her embrace, thrown off balance. Tsunade noticed his awkwardness and quickly let go, clearing her throat and giving his shoulder a brisk pat instead.

“Come on. You’re coming home with me,” she said, her eyes sparkling mischievously.

As Konoha’s foremost medical ninja, she knew exactly how wildly the prices of medicinal ingredients could fluctuate. She could easily skim a profit while still treating Yakumo properly.

Shizune shot Kitazawa a wide-eyed look, silently mouthing Traitor! Her inner thoughts churned.

’I thought you were a man of principle… How did you cave so fast? Your moral bottom line is way too flexible.’

“So… where is Lady Tsunade staying these days?” Kitazawa asked as they began walking.

“You’ll see soon enough,” Tsunade said breezily, mentally running through a list of rare herbs and precious compounds she might add to the expense report.

Realizing she wasn’t going to elaborate, Kitazawa dropped the subject and simply followed her.

After several minutes, he realized the streets and houses were looking more and more familiar. Eventually, they stopped right in front of Kurenai Yuhi’s home.

“Shizune and I live next door,” Tsunade announced, pointing at the neighboring house on the left. “It’s more convenient for coordinating our work on the project.”

Kitazawa nodded, then stepped forward and knocked on Kurenai’s door.

“Kitazawa? And… Lady Tsunade?” Kurenai blinked in surprise when she opened the door, then quickly stepped aside. “Please, come in!”

Tsunade strode inside, bending to slip off her sandals. Shizune followed right behind her, while Kitazawa entered last, shutting the door and heading toward the living room.

The moment Kitazawa stepped into the living room, his eyes couldn’t help but light up.

Arrayed before him, from tallest to shortest, were four pairs of fair, delicate legs and pale, elegant feet.

Tsunade wore long pants that hid most of her legs, revealing only feet adorned with red nail polish. Meanwhile, Kurenai Yuhi, Shizune, and Yakumo Kurama all sat with snow-white calves exposed, their bare feet resting lightly on the floor.

“Bring me paper and a pen,” Tsunade ordered as she settled onto the sofa.

“I’ll get them.”

Kitazawa turned and headed upstairs.

Tsunade watched him go, one brow lifting in amusement. “It seems you and Kitazawa have quite the rapport,” she teased lightly.

Kurenai’s heart skipped a beat, but she kept her expression calm. “Kitazawa and I are just former classmates,” she said smoothly. Though she did harbor a good opinion of him, it hadn’t crossed any particular lines—yet.

“Lady Tsunade,” Kitazawa announced as he returned, handing her the requested supplies.

Tsunade crossed one leg over the other and placed the paper on her shapely thigh as a makeshift desk. When she leaned forward to write, her ample chest shifted, straining against her top.

Kurenai instinctively glanced downward and felt an indescribable pang of inadequacy.

“How’s the progress on your original ninjutsu?” Tsunade asked as she began scribbling.

“We’ve completed two so far,” Kurenai Yuhi answered. “The Therapeutic Words Jutsu and the Truth Extraction Jutsu.”

She briefly described their effects.

“Excellent work,” Tsunade said after a moment of thought. “Those jutsu are very well-targeted.”

“It was Kitazawa’s idea,” Kurenai added quickly, refusing to take credit for herself.

“You’re full of surprises,” Tsunade remarked, casting a sidelong glance at Kitazawa.

“Thank you for the praise, Lady Tsunade.” Kitazawa dipped his head politely, then launched into an explanation of the third jutsu currently under development.

“The concept is solid,” Tsunade acknowledged after listening carefully. “But there are some flaws. Psychological illnesses stem not only from negative emotions but also from genetics, physical health, and personality traits.”

Kitazawa felt genuine admiration stir within him. ’This is what true expertise sounds like.’

“The idea of modifying the Demonic Illusion: Hell Viewing Technique is brilliant,” Tsunade continued, her lips curling into a faint smile. “It just needs some refinement. We’ll dive deeper into that tomorrow. For now, let’s handle the medicinal supplies Yakumo needs.”

“Understood,” Kurenai agreed without hesitation. Having Tsunade involved would significantly lighten the load for her and Kitazawa.

Shizune, however, sighed and shook her head. ’Buying medicine, my foot. This is just Lady Tsunade’s way of siphoning off funds…’

“Kitazawa, come on,” Tsunade said brightly as she finished writing her list, an eager grin spreading across her face.

“Sure.”

Kitazawa felt no qualms about skimming a little money from Konoha’s coffers. Tsunade wasn’t the type to go overboard; at most, she’d pocket a modest bit of extra cash.

After glancing over the list Tsunade handed him, Kitazawa confirmed his suspicion: she’d padded it just enough to net a personal profit of around five hundred thousand ryo—a small sum in the grand scheme of village finances.

They soon arrived at the Hokage’s office.

Hiruzen took the medicinal list and scanned it quickly. A flicker of suspicion crossed his features, but after a moment’s thought, he simply sighed.

If he denied Tsunade some perks, she’d bolt from the village again—just like Orochimaru.

“Kitazawa,” Hiruzen said, setting the paper down. “Head to the ANBU and withdraw the funds.”

“Yes, Hokage-sama.”

Kitazawa promptly made his way to the ANBU office and returned a short while later with a passbook showing a deposit of two million ryo.

“Hand it over,” Tsunade said, holding out her hand impatiently.

“Sorry, Lady Tsunade,” Kitazawa replied, gently catching her wrist. “I should hold onto this.”

Tsunade’s eyes narrowed in irritation, and she shot him a glare sharp enough to cut glass.

But Kitazawa only smiled back, unfazed.

“Tch! You’re such a spoilsport,” Tsunade huffed, pulling her hand back. “Fine. But hurry up and buy those ingredients!”

She was quickly realizing that bullying Kitazawa into submission was a lost cause.

After they purchased the medicinal supplies, Tsunade tucked away the leftover funds for herself.

“See you tomorrow,” she said cheerfully, slipping the passbook into her cleavage before sauntering off toward the nearest casino.

Kitazawa watched her retreating figure, shaking his head in amusement. Indeed… Lady Tsunade has a very broad…

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