Naruto: A New Life with Tsunade

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The idea was solid, but executing it was another story.

Kusagakure was a small village, but infiltrating it wasn't something a mere genin could pull off.

Natsume's top priority was still to grow stronger.

During the day, he trained in Water Release, and at night, he practiced Wood Release. His progress was steady.

But at seven years old, his body had its limits.

After a long day of training, Natsume took off his coat and collapsed into bed, falling asleep almost immediately.

The next day—Sunday.

Tsunade, with a rare smile on her face, took Natsume to Tanzaku Town.

This time, she used the Transformation Jutsu, disguising herself as an ordinary woman—someone plain enough that Natsume wouldn't draw attention.

" Tsunade-nee, what are we doing here?" Natsume asked, suspicion creeping into his voice.

"Let's just say we're going to earn a little spending money," she replied with a playful glint in her eyes.

By the end of the day, Tsunade and Natsume had cleaned out the gambling den, walking away with a cool million ryo. But on their way back to Konoha, they were intercepted in a small forest.

Previously, the casino bosses knew who Tsunade was and dared not cross her. But now, seeing only a young woman and a child, their arrogance got the better of them.

"Which casino are you from?" one thug growled, eyeing them with contempt.

Natsume, now surrounded by eight burly men, didn't flinch.

He wasn't worried—because Tsunade stood behind him.

"Enough talk!" another thug shouted. "Hand over all the money you won today, or you won't make it out of here alive!"

"We can't do that," Natsume said calmly.

He tilted his head, recalling Uzumaki Naruto's brash style. Maybe fighting first and talking later was the better approach?

Tsunade watched him with interest, curious about what her young charge would do.

Though still a child, Natsume had proven to be mature, intelligent, and surprisingly shrewd for his age.

Taking a deep breath, Natsume prepared for his first real combat experience. Even though he had Tsunade's support, a nervous excitement ran through him.

Wood Release: Wood Clone Jutsu!

In an instant, Natsume multiplied, creating three identical clones of himself.

"He's a ninja!" one of the thugs yelled, panic flashing across his face.

The thugs may have been strong compared to regular people, but they were nothing against trained shinobi.

The three Natsume clones immediately threw shuriken—six in each hand, a total of eighteen—raining down on the group of thugs. They barely had time to react.

As they scrambled, two of the clones rushed forward.

Before the thugs could recover, Natsume used the Wood Clone Jutsu again, balancing the numbers.

In moments, the thugs were pinned and immobilized.

Natsume stood over them. "Ready to talk now?"

"Our boss won't let you get away with this!" one of the thugs spat defiantly.

Natsume raised an eyebrow. "Tough talk."

He turned to Tsunade. "Sister, show them what you can do."

With a soft smile, Tsunade took a few steps forward, then casually lifted her leg and slammed it into the ground. The earth cracked, sending chunks of rock flying into the air. The sheer force left the thugs trembling in terror.

"Wh-Which casino are you from?" Natsume asked, covering his mouth as dust billowed into the air.

"G-Gunma Casino!" one thug stammered, signing frantically with his hands.

"And your boss? What's his story?"

"His name's Morikawa. He used to be a gangster, but now he runs the Gunma Company and their casino."

"I see."

Natsume waved his hand dismissively. "You can go."

Tsunade blinked in surprise. "You're letting them go?"

"They're just grunts, not worth the trouble," Natsume replied. "I'm more interested in the Gunma Company. Since they made the first move, there's no reason for us to hold back. I've got a plan to bring their whole operation under my control."

Tsunade's expression shifted to one of confusion. "You want to run a casino?"

"No," Natsume shook his head, smiling. "I want to control all of them."

"...?"

Tsunade couldn't keep up with his thought process.

"A single casino is small-time," Natsume explained. "But if we integrate them all, raise the standards, and improve the experience, the profits will soar. I'll unite all the casinos under one banner."

His ambition went beyond mere gambling. Natsume wanted to become the underground king of Tanzaku Town.

Tsunade needed a moment to process it.

As a ninja, she had always believed that her income would come from completing missions. Business and management were foreign concepts to her.

But Natsume didn't see things that way. In his mind, there were countless ways to make more money than risking his life on missions.

He found the entire shinobi system absurd. Powerful ninjas who could shake the world were bowing to the whims of daimyo and nobles, treated like mere tools. Even organizations like the Akatsuki operated within this flawed system.

Natsume didn't understand it—and he had no intention of conforming to it.

"So, what's your plan?" Tsunade finally asked, snapping out of her thoughts.

"Standardize the rules, improve the games, and provide better services. Charge a protection fee for those who want to operate under our banner," Natsume said confidently.

He planned to modernize the casino scene in Tanzaku Town, making it clean, organized, and profitable.

Casinos that refused would either have to improve or face opposition. Natsume was prepared for both, and he would offer them a choice—join him or be left behind.

Tsunade stared at the boy in amazement.

It wasn't just a good idea. It was revolutionary.

Natsume looked up at her, his eyes gleaming with expectation. "But I can't do it alone. I need your help, Sister."

Tsunade hesitated for only a moment before picking him up and holding him close. "Alright, whatever you need, I'll help you."

Natsume tilted his head slightly, catching a glimpse of the First Hokage's necklace hanging from her neck.

So close... so warm.

He rested his head on her shoulder, the soft fabric of her robe brushing against his cheek. The adrenaline from the battle was wearing off, and exhaustion crept in.

Within moments, he was asleep, his breathing slow and steady against Tsunade's chest.

Tsunade glanced down at the boy in her arms, her thoughts swirling. She had never met a child like him.

And now, he was hers.

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