Tsunade, the granddaughter of the First Hokage and one of the Legendary Sannin, was not only a formidable kunoichi but also widely regarded as one of the most beautiful women in the ninja world. Despite her exceptional strength and medical prowess, Tsunade had one glaring weakness—gambling.
Unfortunately for her, she had notoriously terrible luck, earning her the nickname "The Legendary Sucker" across every casino in the Land of Fire.
As usual, Tsunade found herself drawn to the gambling dens once again. And as always, she lost everything in a single afternoon. Worse still, she ended up borrowing a significant sum to keep playing, hoping for a turnaround that never came.
In the past, owing money wouldn't have mattered. She was Tsunade of the Senju clan—granddaughter of Hashirama Senju. Most people wouldn't dare provoke her over something as petty as debt. The casino owners would simply accept the loss and hope she wouldn't return too soon.
But now, things had changed.
With the Uchiha Clan Police Force gaining more authority in Konoha, the casino had strong backing. And the moment Tsunade defaulted on her debt, the casino wasted no time reporting it. A squad from the Uchiha Police Force was dispatched immediately.
Tsunade, seeing the police approach, made a quick decision. Rather than risk an embarrassing public confrontation, she slipped away and used a Transformation Jutsu, shrinking into the form of a blonde-haired little girl to evade notice.
Though she could easily overpower the guards if she wanted, Tsunade had no intention of escalating the situation. As a proud member of the Senju, she wouldn't tarnish her family's name over something like this. Disappearing quietly was the better option.
However, just as she thought she had escaped cleanly, she encountered someone unexpected—a young member of the Uchiha clan.
Back in the Warring States Era, the Uchiha and Senju were mortal enemies. Even though the founding of Konoha had brought peace between the clans through Hashirama Senju and Madara Uchiha's alliance, the rivalry between their descendants never truly vanished.
Tsunade herself had brawled with Uchiha kids in her Academy days and wasn't fond of them. So when she saw Uchiha Byakuya, her heart sank.
"Little sister, are you alright?" Byakuya knelt down with a teasing smile, gently pinching the transformed Tsunade's cheek. "My name's Uchiha Byakuya. Don't be scared, I'm a good guy!"
He clearly recognized her. But instead of calling her out, he played along, amused by her disguise.
Tsunade's face twitched. Though she was fuming inside, she forced a cute, innocent expression. "I'm fine... thank you for your concern, big brother..."
"Being out alone is dangerous," Byakuya said warmly. "Why don't I walk you home?"
"No, no! I know the way!" Tsunade quickly tried to excuse herself, but Byakuya casually grabbed her wrist.
"Come on, you called me a good person, didn't you? Let me be one and make sure you get home safe," he said with exaggerated sincerity.
At that moment, Uchiha Mikoto walked up beside him, looking at the scene with mild suspicion. "Well... I don't mind. It really is dangerous for a child to wander alone."
Tsunade's mood plummeted further. Today was already a disaster—she had lost all her money, been chased by the police, and now she was stuck pretending to be a little girl in front of two Uchiha.
Why did things have to get even worse? When did the Uchiha become so annoyingly helpful?
Just as her frustration peaked, a system notification suddenly echoed in Byakuya's mind:
[Ding! Detected Tsunade's negative emotion. +100 Negative Energy. Sage Body fragment acquired...]
In that instant, Byakuya felt a massive surge of chakra flow through him, his body undergoing subtle but profound changes.
"The Sage Body...? I actually got that from Tsunade?" Byakuya thought, stunned. The system had activated from her emotional outburst, and now he had acquired a rare and powerful trait associated with the Senju lineage.
Byakuya simply found Tsunade amusing. Seeing her like this sparked his mischief—he wanted to tease her a little and gain some negative energy from her reaction.
Unexpectedly, his teasing yielded a surprising benefit: he actually acquired a trace of the Sage Body.
The Sage Body wasn't just durable—it granted immense vitality and chakra reserves, a trait inherited by the Senju from the Sage of Six Paths. Although what he obtained wasn't a complete Sage Body, even a partial inheritance was a massive boon for Byakuya.
To think he gained part of the Sage Body from Tsunade... it made him wonder—could he obtain other abilities too?
With that thought in mind, Byakuya looked at the petite Tsunade in front of him and smiled.
"Little sister, where's your home? I'll take you back."
"My home…?"
Tsunade froze at the question, clearly unsure how to respond.
Of course, her home was at the Senju compound—but if she revealed that, her identity would be exposed.
Right now, she was using the Transformation Jutsu to pose as a little girl in order to shake off debt collectors. If the truth came out, it would be mortifying.
She was Tsunade Senju, the granddaughter of the First Hokage, a legendary kunoichi—yet here she was, hiding from debt in the form of a child. There was no way she'd let a member of the Uchiha clan know.
So, faced with Byakuya's question, she could only feign innocence.
"Big brother… I forgot where my home is," she said, her tone naive and confused.
"You forgot? That makes sense. You're still young—of course you might not remember the way home." Byakuya grinned. "Then I'll help you find it!"
Without waiting for her agreement, he grabbed Tsunade's small hand and started walking.
Tsunade instinctively tried to resist. With her strength, even in this form, she could've easily shaken him off.
But doing so would blow her cover.
No way was she letting herself be exposed like that—especially not in front of someone from the Uchiha clan. The shame would be unbearable.
And so, with a mixture of frustration and helplessness, Tsunade allowed herself to be dragged away by Byakuya.
[Ding! Sensed Tsunade's frustration: Negative Emotion +50, Taijutsu proficiency +2]
[Ding! Sensed Tsunade's helplessness: Negative Emotion +60, Chakra control +3]
[Ding! Sensed Tsunade's resentment: Negative Emotion +70, Ninjutsu mastery +4]
…