"Wait, why should I be the one losing money?"
Tsunade gritted her teeth. "This wasn't caused by me alone!!"
"Uchiha Hiko can't escape this debt either!"
She stomped in frustration, clenching her fists. "It's all his fault! If he hadn't said such nasty things, I wouldn't have lost control!"
"Stop!!"
Tsunade's eyes widened as she watched Hiko walk further and further away, not even glancing back. Worse still, he was heading away from the town.
"Hiko is trying to run away!"
But Hiko didn't stop—only a fool would. Why stay and lose money when he wasn't the one with deep pockets?
As Tsunade's voice echoed behind him, Hiko picked up his pace.
He had no intention of returning to the town. If the residents whose homes were destroyed wanted compensation, they could ask whoever they wanted—he didn't care.
Between the damaged homes, broken belongings, and injured civilians… Hiko just hoped there weren't any fatalities.
Tsunade's monstrous strength was nothing to scoff at.
"Master Jiraiya, shouldn't we just leave?"
Shizune whispered urgently, looking around at the chaos. Angry villagers had begun gathering, murmuring curses under their breath.
"I think it's a great idea," Jiraiya muttered. "But we can't just run."
He looked back at the destruction, face grim.
"What Tsunade caused… I have to help fix it. And you're a medical ninja. If anyone's seriously hurt, we need to help them."
He sighed heavily. "As long as no one died, the rest can be compensated."
But the word compensation sent a dull pain through his chest. His wallet would never recover.
"Killed by Tsunade-sama's temper," Shizune muttered under her breath as she moved quickly to treat the wounded. Itachi and Jiraiya both joined the rescue, helping move rubble, calming civilians, and taking tally of the damage.
Jiraiya, as one of the Legendary Sannin, had many responsibilities—but playing financial backer for one of Tsunade's meltdowns wasn't one he relished.
Meanwhile, Hiko had traveled far from the chaos and devastation, the burning town now just a glow on the horizon.
What he didn't expect was for Tsunade to catch up.
"You running away because you're broke?" she sneered.
"..."
That woman was infuriating.
Blood rushed to Tsunade's head. Hiko had a point, but did he have to say it out loud?
Even if she had the money, that didn't mean she should shoulder the blame alone.
But cleaning up this mess… it gave her a migraine.
Healing could be done by Shizune, and Jiraiya could help settle the people. Itachi was calm and reliable. But paying for the entire street?
Even with Jiraiya's earnings from his books, that kind of compensation would bankrupt anyone.
And if they just vanished, word might reach Konoha or worse—the Fire Daimyō. That would cause political ripples no one wanted to deal with.
Eventually, Hiko stopped running. He casually tossed a kunai, skewering a rabbit he'd hunted along the way. Finding a stream nearby, he cleaned it and began preparing a fire.
He was done running.
Tsunade followed and sat nearby, staring at the flames.
She looked exhausted.
"You, Tsunade, have today?" Hiko snorted, tending the fire. "Trying to figure out how to afford the damages?"
Despite her debts, in the shinobi world, there was no one better at making money than Tsunade.
The best medical ninja alive, she could charge a king's ransom for a simple consultation.
If she so much as put out the word, people would line up from the Uchiha Shrine to Konoha's gate, offering fortunes just for her to look at them.
But there was a catch.
She owed a lot. Massive gambling debts. And her hemophobia had severely limited her ability to operate directly.
Shizune handled most surgeries now. Tsunade stayed back, giving instructions from a distance.
By now, Hiko had skewered the rabbit on a stick and roasted it over the fire. Night had fallen, the flickering flame the only light.
As the savory aroma of grilled meat filled the air, Tsunade snapped out of her daze.
She hadn't even noticed how dark it had gotten.
Hiko sliced the roasted rabbit in two, handing one half to her.
"You know..." he said between bites, "Uchiha can bear the debt."
Tsunade blinked.
"As long as you return to Konoha, help ease the tension between Uchiha and the village… and stay. Help us rebuild that bridge. Uchiha will pay the full compensation."
That made her pause. A full street's worth of damages? That wasn't cheap. And he was offering to pay it all?
"But why?" she asked, suspicious.
Hiko shrugged.
"Because it's worth it. Having someone like you, with your reputation and skill, support Uchiha—it's invaluable. Even if it stretches our budget for a while, it's a price worth paying."
He bit into the rabbit leg again, savoring the flavor.
"And honestly," he added, licking the grease from his fingers, "we could even cover your gambling debts. Think about it."
Tsunade choked on her bite.
"Cough cough! Are you serious?!"
Hiko didn't flinch. "Dead serious."
"If Uchiha clears your name, covers the damages, and even your debts, you owe us only one thing: your cooperation in protecting our clan's position."
"The one behind the Nine-Tails Attack wasn't one of us. The so-called 'Madara' isn't from Konoha's Uchiha clan. I swear it on our family's name."
Tsunade narrowed her eyes, uncertain.
"You can use this incident to negotiate with the Hokage. Promise peace, and we'll pay."
"You'll oversee relations with the Fire Daimyō, keep him calm. Uchiha handles the money. We end the cycle of hostility. One move—two gains."
"Otherwise…" Hiko's expression darkened, "If this continues, things could spiral beyond anyone's control."
"Think about it. You don't have to decide now. Give me your answer in the morning."
With that, he tossed the rabbit bone aside, leaped up into a tree, and leaned against the trunk, preparing to sleep.
Tsunade sat by the fire, conflicted.
Her stomach was full, but her heart churned. The offer was beyond tempting.
A street's worth of compensation. Her own debts. Gone.
But at what cost?
She glanced at Hiko's relaxed figure.
Could she tie herself back to Konoha and the Uchiha clan?
Her pride warred with practicality.
By the tree, Hiko opened his eyes halfway, catching her stare.
"If you don't agree, and the village keeps targeting Uchiha…" she said slowly, "what will you do?"
Hiko yawned, then turned away.
"Then we deal with it. One step at a time."
"I won't stand by and let someone slit my throat in my sleep. And Uchiha won't wait around to die, either."
"If it comes to bloodshed, it won't be one-sided. We've always been on the defensive."
"All we want… is to live in peace."
He closed his eyes again.
The Uchiha Massacre—that future—was not one he would allow to repeat. He wouldn't stand by and let Itachi kill their own kin, not for the village, not for anyone.
If the village refused to change, he would.
He'd already planned to begin leaking information—about Akatsuki. About Obito.
Let the world turn its attention to the true threats. Let the Five Great Nations watch him, not Uchiha.
Maybe then... they'd be left alone.
Tsunade didn't reply.
She remained by the fire, deep in thought, watching the flames flicker.
Back in town, Jiraiya counted coins with a hopeless expression.
Even all his royalties wouldn't cover this.
And it wouldn't be long before people realized Tsunade the "Big-Spender" had been staying in town. Her reputation made her easy to identify.
And once word reached the capital...
The fallout wouldn't be so easy to run from.