Tsunade skillfully performed the Summoning Jutsu and summoned the scroll that contained the names of those bound by blood contracts, including Arima.
Watching from the side, Jiraiya was filled with envy.
Inwardly, he vowed, 'Someday, I'm going to sign a contract with an incredible summoning beast too.'
Orochimaru, on the other hand, didn't seem particularly moved. His family already had summoning scrolls, but none of the creatures had ever satisfied him.
That was why he hadn't signed any summoning contracts yet.
The sky was almost completely dark now, and there were few people left on the streets.
Orochimaru and Jiraiya stood shoulder to shoulder, shielding Tsunade from the biting wind.
They had also noticed that her hands were beginning to stiffen from the cold.
But Tsunade couldn't care less about that. Her heart was ablaze with hope. She had to know, was her brother alive or dead?
In front of her stood the human-sized scroll. It was heavy and unwieldy, so Jiraiya had to help her lay it flat on the ground.
Suddenly, Tsunade hesitated. She found herself unable to open the scroll. Turning to Jiraiya and Orochimaru, she gave them a look, silently asking them to do it for her.
Jiraiya, ever the carefree one, had absolute faith in his sensei's strength and felt no pressure whatsoever.
With his usual clumsiness, he began to unroll the scroll, which made Tsunade's heart ache. She was worried that the idiot would tear it apart.
As the scroll gradually unfurled, complex and unfamiliar symbols began to appear, symbols that didn't even seem to belong to the shinobi world. Orochimaru was immediately intrigued.
And finally, as the scroll opened completely, the name "Arima" appeared, his blood contract was still intact.
This discovery was like sunlight breaking through storm clouds for Tsunade. All the anxiety and doubt melted away.
She jumped up with joy, whispering over and over, "Thank you God…. thank you."
Looking back on everything from the previous night to now, it felt like she had been trapped in a nightmare, lost and dazed.
Now, it was as if she had survived a disaster and finally found peace.
Jiraiya shrugged, saying nonchalantly, "You all should learn from me. I never doubted Arima-sensei for a second.
He's my lifelong idol. Arima-sensei is amazing, he could survive anything, even the worst odds. A blessed man like him will always make it through."
To Tsunade, it was hard to tell whether she should scold this idiot for running his mouth or praise him for being so sweet.
Orochimaru retorted, "You idiot. Confidence is one thing, but you should also know your limits. If you can't say anything useful, maybe say less."
Unconvinced, Jiraiya shouted.
"Hey, you damn snake. Don't underestimate me. Dreams make me different, and hard work changes my destiny. My dream is to become someone like Arima-sensei. Just watch, I'll change the world someday."
Orochimaru didn't argue for once. Instead, he seemed thoughtful. Deep down, he knew he lacked Jiraiya's passion for the future.
Tsunade, like someone recovering from a long illness, felt her spirits lift, and even her stomach began to rumble. Only then did she realize she hadn't eaten a single bite in over a day.
She waved her hand and said boldly, "Let's go get some barbecue. Then I, the 'Gambling Queen of Konoha,' will take you two to the gambling hall across the street for a little fun."
Orochimaru offered no comment, but Jiraiya immediately shook his head like a drum. He had been burned there once and was now terrified of going anywhere near that place.
Tsunade huffed in dissatisfaction.
"We're going to gamble on Arima-nii's fate. If I start winning big, it means he's in danger.
But if I lose everything, then it means he's safe and sound. So, what do you say? Want to see if your idol is okay?"
Jiraiya didn't want to go at first, but Tsunade's strange gambling streak was uncanny, like some fraudulent fortune-teller who actually had real power.
He thought, 'Maybe this really can tell us something about sensei's situation... as long as I don't place any bets.'
And so, after a quick dinner, the three of them marched boldly into the gambling hall across the street.
The moment the gambling hall's manager saw them, his face lit up with recognition.
A few years ago, these three had come gambling here with Lord Arima, and it had been a very profitable night for the house.
He enthusiastically ushered them to the liveliest table in the center of the hall.
Jiraiya kept glancing around nervously, as if expecting something to jump out at him.
Orochimaru looked indifferent, being here was no different than strolling through a park.
Tsunade, the infamous "Gambling Queen of Konoha," approached with full confidence, her entire stash of chips placed on the dealer's side.
Tsunade was a frequent visitor here, and many of the regulars had given her a nickname behind her back. "Rich Lamb."
Every time she came to gamble, nearly everyone walked away with at least a month's worth of winnings.
As soon as she sat down, the other gamblers lit up like they'd seen treasure, rushing over from other tables.
Tsunade's favorite game was dice, betting big or small. She ordered a set of dice and a cup, shook it casually, and placed it on the table, gesturing for everyone to place their bets.
Most of them held back, waiting for her move.
Seeing that, Tsunade decisively bet on "Big." Immediately, everyone else bet on "Small," piling up chips into a miniature mountain.
When Tsunade lifted the cup, the dice showed "Small." The room erupted in cheers.
Even though the prize pool had been split among many people, the thrill of opening the cup and winning was unbeatable.
Tsunade smirked slightly, thinking, 'Just as expected, I lost.'
But for accuracy's sake, she had to keep testing.
In the second round, however, she went all in on a low-odds play, and won big.
This threw all three of them into confusion. Tsunade thought, 'Wait... is my gambling divination not working anymore?'
Not convinced, she placed more bets. But in the end, her win rate was about fifty-fifty.
Orochimaru pondered this.
He concluded that the alternating wins and losses still indicated her gambling luck was in play, but it meant Arima-sensei's current situation wasn't clearly good or bad.
Given Arima-sensei's extraordinary strength, if he was still missing now, then he was likely trapped in a state between life and death.
Orochimaru shared his theory with Tsunade. He suspected that Arima-sensei had been sealed away, but the seal wasn't harming him directly. Still, it would require external help to break.
This aligned somewhat with Tsunade's intel, Arima's last known location was the Uzumaki clan's ancestral shrine.
If he had been sealed there, and they could find a way to release him from the outside, everything could be resolved.
Tsunade felt like she was getting closer to the truth.
She quickly handed all her winnings to the others and dashed off toward home, she had to report everything to Mito, without a moment's delay.
Jiraiya looked at the pile of chips in his hand, then glanced around at the greedy eyes fixed on them.
Terrified, he grabbed Orochimaru and bolted to the exchange counter, cashing everything out and fleeing the place.
Back at home, Tsunade stormed in, didn't even bother taking off her shoes, and threw herself into her grandmother's arms.
Her words came pouring out like a waterfall as she recounted everything she had learned.
Mito listened with a complex mix of emotions. She scolded herself for missing the obvious, blinded by her own assumptions.
But above all, she was overjoyed to hear that Arima might still be alive.
She was also amazed by Tsunade's uncanny gambling luck, who would've thought it could serve as a tool to ward off misfortune and seek out the truth?
Without hesitation, Mito summoned the remaining village elders, assigned them to oversee daily affairs, then swiftly packed her things and donned her long-unused shinobi gear.
She was ready to set out for the long-forgotten Uzushiogakure.
Just as she was about to leave, she felt a small tug at her sleeve.
Looking down, she saw Tsunade's eyes brimming with hope. Her heart softened.
'Bringing her along won't slow us down... and maybe her strange luck will come in handy again.'
And so, with Tsunade in her arms and a few trusted guards at her side, Mito set off toward Uzushiogakure.
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