Naruto: Manipulation-Chapter 116: The Orphanage Director’s Daughter, Karin

The Land of Hot Water.

A remarkable country.

With its abundance of hot springs, this land had become a vacation sanctuary in the ninja world and was recognized as a neutral nation, allowing it to avoid many conflicts.

Danger was a rare occurrence here.

When Shigen arrived in the Land of Hot Water, he quickly noticed that the village's Hidden Hot Water ninja were few in number, a stark contrast to the numerous shinobi found in the Hidden Rain Village.

It seemed...

This place truly was safe.

As someone dedicated to helping others, Kakuzu had established the ninja world's largest orphanage and retirement home in this peaceful country, offering refuge to many homeless orphans and abandoned elders.

Of course.

Kakuzu carried a heavy burden.

Luckily, his unnaturally long lifespan allowed him to see the orphans grow up and give back to the institution. And, with his relentless killing and bounty-hunting, he had amassed quite a fortune.

Here...

The descendants of the Uzumaki clan were the most concentrated.

They no longer carried the Uzumaki surname, instead working as caretakers and staff in Kakuzu's orphanage.

With the Five Great Nations mastering the art of sealing tailed beasts within Jinchūriki, the Uzumaki survivors were no longer hunted. And with an immortal rogue ninja like Kakuzu protecting them, no minor village dared to provoke them, allowing them a fragile sense of security.

Recently...

Some disturbances had arisen.

A blonde woman had been staying near the orphanage with her disciple.

During the day, she treated the sick, and in doing so, she noticed how the locals greatly revered the orphanage director and her daughter, Karin, for their exceptional medical ninjutsu.

Coincidentally, she had met the young girl named Karin and, recognizing her talent, taught her some medical techniques. But she hadn't expected that, come morning, she would be visited at her inn by Karin's mother.

"I am Karin's mother."

The orphanage director, a gentle red-haired woman, had none of the Uzumaki clan's famed fiery temperament. She arrived with her daughter at her side, speaking softly as she explained her purpose. "I heard that a great medical ninja has arrived nearby..."

"That would be me."

The blonde woman wasn't one for humility.

Though she clutched a bottle of alcohol early in the morning, making her seem anything but a respectable medic, the moment she stated her name, all doubt vanished.

"I am Tsunade."

She gazed at the red-haired director with curiosity. "Are you of the Uzumaki clan? We were distant relatives in the past..."

"So you really are Lady Tsunade!"

The orphanage director looked at her in shock, then quickly apologized. "Forgive me. We no longer use the Uzumaki surname."

She hadn't expected...

This woman to truly be Tsunade!

Even though the Uzumaki survivors lived in the remote Land of Hot Water, they had heard of Tsunade—the granddaughter of the First Hokage, Senju Hashirama, and one of the Legendary Sannin. Her reputation as the "Slug Princess" was revered across the ninja world.

"You abandoned the Uzumaki name as well?"

Tsunade took a deep swig of alcohol as she spoke.

"Yes."

The red-haired woman nodded, reluctant to dwell on the past. "The Land of Whirlpools was destroyed long ago. The Uzumaki name only brings disaster..."

"..."

Tsunade knew that Konoha had done nothing to help when Uzushiogakure fell. She could only drink in silence before mumbling, "As distant relatives, even we stopped using the Senju name long ago..."

"Forget it."

"No need to talk about the past."

Tsunade swiftly changed the subject. "I have patients to see later. Would you like Karin to come with me?"

For years, Tsunade had maintained a consistent routine.

Mornings were spent treating patients with her disciple, Shizune. Afternoons were for gambling and losing all her money. Evenings were dedicated to drowning herself in alcohol before stumbling back to sleep.

"I need to tend to the orphanage."

The red-haired woman politely declined, then carefully took out a small gift. "I came not only to thank you for teaching Karin medical ninjutsu, but also because someone wishes to meet you..."

"Who?"

Tsunade continued drinking.

"Lord Kakuzu."

The woman's expression grew apologetic, as if embarrassed to mention it, yet even more unwilling to ignore Kakuzu's request.

After all...

Without Kakuzu, there would be no orphanage.

"Pfft!"

Tsunade nearly spat out her drink, instantly realizing why Kakuzu wanted to see her. She immediately turned to Shizune, hurrying her along. "Shizune, let's go! We've got patients to see, and I can't be late for my afternoon gambling!"

"Tsunade-sama..."

Shizune hesitated but quickly followed.

"Tell Kakuzu I'll see him later!"

Tsunade called out as she strode away. "I just need to win back the money I owe him first!"

"...No."

The red-haired woman sighed.

Because Kakuzu had indeed sent her... to collect Tsunade's debt.

Little Karin clung to her mother's arm, watching Tsunade's retreating figure with curiosity. "Mom, does Lady Tsunade owe Grandpa Kakuzu a lot of money?"

"A lot..."

Her mother thought back to the astronomical amount.

Tsunade, the infamous gambler, had somehow managed to borrow money from Kakuzu. When she was struggling with debt collectors, Kakuzu had even helped pay off one of her debts.

After all, Kakuzu was quite charitable, and Tsunade's selfless wanderings reminded him of Shigen. Not to mention, Hashirama had once given him a sum of money—an old kindness that Kakuzu couldn't ignore when dealing with the First Hokage's granddaughter.

But...

This good deed backfired.

Tsunade, realizing Kakuzu was a wealthy "fat sheep," shamelessly borrowed an even larger sum from him—only to immediately lose it all at the casino, adding him to her list of creditors.

"Who would've thought..."

"Kakuzu was in the Land of Hot Water, too."

Tsunade left in a hurry, unable to meet the mother and daughter's gaze. She was sure they knew she owed Kakuzu money.

"Ugh..."

"I really shouldn't have borrowed from that guy..."

Tsunade knew Kakuzu spent his earnings helping those in need, and she felt guilty about never repaying her debt.

Unfortunately...

Her gambling luck was atrocious.

A few months ago, she had a brief streak of luck, winning big—only to lose it all just as quickly.

"Hope my luck's better today..."

Tsunade swayed slightly, her cheeks flushed from drinking, as she tossed an empty bottle toward a trash bin.

But her aim was off.

The bottle missed and shattered on the ground.

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"...Are you sure you're fit to treat patients?"

Shizune eyed her warily.

"That's what you're here for."

Tsunade grinned at her disciple, her eyes playful. "If you don't know what to do, just copy the medical scrolls that guy left behind..."

"What if we encounter something completely new?"

"Impossible."

Tsunade waved a hand dismissively. She had an almost blind faith in the medical scrolls Shigen had left behind. "I've treated countless people across the ninja world, and I've never seen a disease not mentioned in those scrolls..."

"..."

Shizune could only sigh and follow along.

Luckily...

Despite the severity of their patients' conditions, Shizune was able to handle them. Tsunade, smug as ever, felt validated in her prediction.

However...

Something felt off.

Tsunade's luck today was unbelievably good.

As a legendary gambling fool, her name was well-known in the gambling world. Yet today, she won round after round, bankrupting gamblers who had hoped to take advantage of her infamous bad luck.

"...This feels weird."

Tsunade flexed her fingers, savoring the thrill of victory, but unease crept in. She turned to Shizune, who was carrying a heavy bag of winnings. "Could this be a bad omen?"

The last time she won big...

The Uchiha clan was wiped out.

And this time, she had won even more...

A chill ran down her spine.

"...Could Kakuzu be coming for his debt?"

That was the only disaster she could think of.

"Hopefully, he won't kill me for it..."

Tsunade pondered her recent troubles and could only conclude that her misfortune might be tied to Kakuzu.

"After all, that guy is a bounty-hunting killer who makes money by taking heads. If I can't pay him back, he might just decide to cash in on my corpse. I wonder how much my body would be worth at a bounty exchange..."

"Please don't say such terrifying things!"

Shizune clutched the heavy bag of winnings tightly, quickly reminding her, "Besides, this money should be enough to repay Mr. Kakuzu, right?"

"...Yeah."

"Then what could go wrong?"

Tsunade looked up at the moonlit sky, trying to push her ominous thoughts aside. She decided to drown her worries in alcohol instead.

"Forget it, Shizune. Let's go find a bar first. The worst thing that could happen is someone trying to rob me of my money..."

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