Chapter 14: Tsunade’s ruminations.

"Ino-san, I don't think we should do this, e-especially while being on a mission like this." Hinata got a scared look on her face as she remembered last night's events. 

After they found the corpse, her sister Hanabi and Inugami searched the whole town till the morning, using the Byakugan and the Inuzuka's nose, while Ino and Hinata were sent to the Major. Both groups didn't find anything.

"Bah, don't remind me of that. I thought this was going to be a simple mission. Not something creepy like this. But that's all the more reason to have fun now. And besides, it's not like we have much to do until later, since sensei kidnapped Inugami for some super important one-on-one training. Seriously what are we, some chopped liver?"  

"And your idea of fun is… to visit a fortune teller?" Hinata asked skeptically.

Ino excitedly nodded. "I'm going to ask about mine and Inugami's future together. How many kids do you think we will have? Three, five, or ten? Guess we will find out today~."

"Cmon Ino-san, there is no way that they can predict your future. It must be a scam!"

"Can you prove that it's a scam?" The question made Hinata freeze.

Ino looked smugly at that. "That's what I thought! Don't worry Hinata, these things work. My own mother bagged my dad after listening to a fortune teller's advice." Ino then gained an impish look as she stared at Hinata. "By the way, you can ask about your future prince charming as well~"

Hinata panicked and started to glow bright red. "I-I d-don't have s-someone like that…" She was muttering rapidly to herself. But then she was interrupted as they arrived in front of a big tent that gave off a strong smell of scented candles.

"We are here! Let's go Hinata!" And with that Ino grabbed the blushing girl's hand, and went inside.

– – –

Tsunade was in a bad mood. And it all started yesterday, specifically, it started all after she decided to talk to that rude Konoha brat!

And she was now regretting that she ever did so. But she couldn't help herself. When she saw that a Konoha ninja entered the same place as her, she already got irritated like she always does when that happens. But when she saw that it was a kid, things got worse. It was clear that he was a complete beginner, Tsunade could see that from a mile away.

And that brought back up some really bad memories.

So she decided to help the kid out. His head was probably filled with all the propaganda crap that her village bombarded their children with. Which makes those naive kids believe that if they just work hard enough they would reach their goals of becoming an elite ninja or even the next Hokage, and happily live after. 

But that was not how the world worked. The path of the shinobi meant that you would be used until you eventually die. Nothing more and nothing less.

So she figured that she would do a good thing by giving the kid a taste of reality. But she didn't expect the answer he would give her.

'Hokage? Why the fuck would I want to become some overworked paper-pusher until the day comes to finally sacrifice myself for "the greater good of the village"?'

Tsunade was stumped after hearing that. She should have been pleased that the boy could understand. Pleased that she was not alone with her belief. 

But she strangely wasn't.

It was comforting to her when she was telling herself such stuff all the time. It felt like she was back in control of her life after she accepted the horribly reality of their world. But seeing the same behavior from an outsider perspective, bothered her greatly. It was not something in her own mind anymore… it was more real, and gloomy. It totally ruined the mood!

'Is that what Shizune always sees when I rant drunkenly?'

"Ahhhh! Damn that brat! I should have hit him harder!" Tsunade screamed suddenly while clutching her hair, making the old woman, who was supposed to tell her future betting odds, flinch.

"M-Maam, do you want me to read your future, or not?" 

But before Tsunade could answer, they were interrupted by two people entering the tent. And to Tsunade's dismay, they were both Konoha shinobi.

"One future telling for me and my friend please!" The blond one said energetically. 

The other one though, which obviously was a Hyuga, looked way less enthusiastic as she pulled on the other girl's arm after seeing Tsunade. "Ino-san, we need to wait before this lady is finished!" Making the other girl glance at her as well. But besides some impatience growing in her eyes, there was no reaction.

At least they didn't recognize her. Thank kami for small mercies.

The fortune lady nodded, a placid smile stretching her countless wrinkles. "Yes, I have to ask you kindly to wait outside, until I'm done."

But Tsunade saw an opportunity to take her mind off her current problems.

"Don't worry, they can go ahead, I can wait. Unless you have a problem with me listening?"

The Hyuga girl looked like she very much did, but the blond girl was less reserved as she chirped happily. "Nah, I don't mind."

And with that she turned her attention towards the fortune teller.

"My name is Ino! You see, there is a boy I like…"

The fortune teller nodded knowingly. "I see, you want a glimpse of your romantic future. I get requests of this kind the most. So I can assure you the quality of my prediction. Tell me more about the boy, and your relationship with him. So I can make it as accurate as possible."

Ino hummed thoughtfully at that. "Hmm, my relationship with him… Actually, it's pretty bad currently. I'm quite sure that he hates me. Oh, and he rejected me already. And we also insult each other all the time. Though, while I admit that I start it most of the time, it's his fault! He is just such a jerk all the time, completely unlikable."

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There was a stunned silence after Ino closed her mouth. Everyone was looking weirdly at her, even Tsunade.

"…Did you ever think of pursuing someone else? It doesn't sound like you like each other much." The fortune teller tried hesitantly.

"No!" Ino immediately changed her entire demeanor after hearing that. "I decided years ago that we will be together. He is mine, and only mine. And I will stop at nothing to make that happen, unterstand?"

Then Ino's eyes grew dreamy. "And you wouldn't say this after you have seen his face, lady."

"Right…" The fortune teller said.

Tsunade wanted to scoff at the girl. Being this obsessed with some boy was ridiculous. No, being obsessed with anyone like this was just simply pathetic.

Then Tsunade froze.

Wait, did she even have any right to talk down to the girl? Wasn't she the one obsessed with her lover even decades after his death, despite being unhealthy as hell? It was not the first time she asked herself what Shizune was thinking every time she cried drunkenly about her dead uncle…

Tsunade could feel a migraine coming. This was supposed to take her mind off her problems, not add to them!

"Do you need to hear more?" 

"No, that's enough. I will now glimpse into your future." 

The old woman peered hard into a crystal ball filled with some strange pink smoke, seemingly gazing at knowledge only she could see.

"Hmm, the path to your desired heart will be a rocky one."

"Hmph, I knew it wouldn't be easy, tell me something I don't know."

"There will be many competing with you, you will have to fight hard."

"I guess some things never change, huh?"

"And even your friends won't be spared, bringing tension to your relationships."

"Ugh, it must be that man-stealing bitch Sakura. To think that she would jump ships in the future…" Ino muttered angrily, missing the widening eyes of the girl next to her.

"And the boys heart will pulled to many directions, making hi-"

Ino suddenly stood up and slammed one hand on the table and pointed with the other to the startled fortune teller.

"Let me put a stop to your charlatanic ways right here, old fossil!"

"W-What?"

"There is just no way that Inugami will fall for so many girls! In fact, if I didn't work so hard, he would most likely die alone because he rejected every girl on this planet or simply scared them off with his unpleasant attitude. It takes a special woman to break his shell and mold him into the man he is supposed to be!" It was clear to everyone who she thought that would be.

"Let's go Hinata! I guess you were right about this being a scam."

And with that the girl pulled her companion out of the tent, leaving a frozen fortune teller behind. Though she snapped out of it quickly.

"Hey, you didn't pay!" She screamed after them.

"I need a drink. Damn Konoha brats…" Tsunade, on the other hand, was already somewhere else with her thoughts.

– – –

In a dimly lit room without any windows, two men were conversing. 

"It seems like we need to change our plan a bit. I've spotted someone else than the ninjas we had expected. And what a person it is. It's none other than one of the legendary sannin Tsunade." The man said with a delighted chuckle.

The other man visibly panicked hearing that. "But that's horrible, boss! Why are you laughing? Are we going to abandon the plan for now?"

"Abandoning the plan? Why would we ever do such a thing?"

"We are strong, but there is no way that we will beat someone like her!"

"But there is, my friend! The snake talked surprisingly much during the time with me. And he especially liked to talk about his old teammates, weirdly enough. He loved to make fun of the idiotic one as he called him, or mock the one that wasted her skills. And during those talks, he let something surprisingly useful out. So I'll have to correct you, my friend. This isn't horrible, but in fact a blessing!" 

And with that the man's haunting laughter reverberated around the walls.

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