Tsunade laughed heartily, the sound ringing out until tears almost formed in her eyes. From behind, she pinched Shizunes cheek playfully.
"You little brat, you dont understand the Senju clans legacy. Great-grandpa, grandpa, and grandma left plenty of money behind. I'm the only one spending it now."
Standing up, Tsunade looked ahead with a smile that barely hI'd a flicker of sadness. "I bet I wont even spend it all in my lifetime."
"But... we dont have any income! Lady Tsunade, your bets are huge," Shizune hesitated before adding, based on her calculations, if Tsunade lost even a million each day, eventually not even the whole village of Konoha could cover those losses.
And remember, Tsunade had never actually won once. Only losses. "Are you planning to lose everything and then just go back to Konoha? Because if we cant take missions, there's no reward."
Before Shizune could finish, Tsunade puckered her lips with a look of disdain. "Go back to Konoha? No way! Not in this lifetime!"
"Whats so interesting about that boring place?" Tsunade asked, raising an eyebrow.
But when she caught the worried look on Shizunes face and saw she was about to say more, Tsunade confidently patted her chest. "Dont worry. Trust me, We'll never run out of money!"
"B-but…" Shizune started to protest, but before she could finish, a commotion broke out nearby. Tsunade instantly froze and turned toward the noise. It was coming from the casino's vicinity.
"Huh? Isn't that some place in the Land of Grass... Oh, a movie theater? Why is it so lively today? Could something interesting be happening again?" Tsunade mused.
The last time she'd been here was when the movie 'Gambling Den' had left a strong impression on her, but it had been almost half a year since then, and no new films had come to that small theater. Now, suddenly, it was bustling again? That was definitely odd.
Curious, Tsunade started heading over, seemingly ignoring Shizunes attempt to say something. "…One day it'll all run out," Shizune muttered under her breath.
When she looked up and saw Tsunade already walking ahead without hearing her, she sighed helplessly. She just knew it would be like this again.
So, she followed quietly, understanding that Tsunade was probably trying to distract herself from her sadness. But it had been so long now, even Dan wouldn't want her to keep going like this. "Excuse me… please, let me through. Lady Tsunade, wait for me!" Shizune called out.
For some reason, quite a few people had gathered at the movie theater entrance today. But with Tsunades strength, they quickly pushe'd their way inside.
When they saw the new billboard outside, both of them immediately realized theyd guessed right, there was a new movie.
Only, "Lady Tsunade? Sir Jiraiya? Sir Orochimaru is in it too?!" Shizune exclaimed, staring in surprise at the colorful poster. Three familiar figures stood with their backs turned, but all three had turned their heads back, smiling.
"Why are everyone on this poster?" she asked, eyes wide.
Then she noticed the text below and read it aloud: "The Three Sannin Cause a Ruckus in Kusawood? Huh? Kusawood? That's in the Land of Grass, Isn't it
Could this story really be about everyone in the Land of Grass?"
Though the characters looked a little off, the title and their outfits made it clear, this movie had to be about them.
Just as Tsunade finishe'd speaking, she suddenly stared at the poster with a blank expression. "Ive never even been to the Land of Grass!" she said, eyeing the image carefully.
Having trained and gone on missions with them for so long, she could immediately tell that the Jiraiya on the poster was the real deal. That lecherous grin, that sleazy pose, who else could it be but that idiot?
As for the other two, the one with the faintly frog-like look had to be someone impersonating her. But what was Jiraiya up to? Had they actually gone to the Land of Grass? Had she forgotten?
Tsunade furrowed her brow, trying to remember, but nothing came to mind. Still, seeing Jiraiya on the poster reminded her that before leaving, he had mentioned going there.
"Well, whatever. Why bother overthinking it?" Tsunade rubbed her head and looked back at the poster with renewed curiosity.
"Ive made up my mind, I'm not gambling today. I'll watch this movie first, and if that bastard causes trouble…"
Her eyes flashe'd with determination as she recalled the last film. Clenching her fist, she vowed, "I'll beat him to a pulp!"
"Really, Lady Tsunade?" Shizunes face lit up with a bright smile. "No gambling today? That's great! I'll go buy the tickets right away."
Worried Tsunade might change her mind, she quickly dashe'd off to get the tickets. Since she'd bought tickets before, she knew the routine well. Plus, knowing Tsunade wasn't gambling was just too rare an opportunity to miss.
"Come to think of it, Lady Tsunade didn't gamble last time either because she was watching a movie! But that night, she slipped off alone, and no one knew where she went. We even searched the gambling hall, but she was nowhere to be found."
Shizune muttered with a frown before stepping up to the counter. "Hello, two seats together, please."
"Would you like some cola and popcorn? Oh, and we have new red bean soup and fried dumplings!" the clerk offered.
Before long, Shizune returned with the tickets, cola, and popcorn, her face beaming. This time there were no freebies, which she thought was a shame.
"Lady Tsunade, its starting soon! I got the tickets, let's hurry inside!" Following the directions on the tickets and the ushers guidance, they quickly found their seats.
Soon enough, the entire theater plunged into darkness, this time even quicker than before. On the big screen, the familiar banner appeared once again:
An Exclusive Presentation by Land of Grass Entertainment. Certified by Kusawood Studios! A High-Quality Production!
Shizune and Tsunade's eyes immediately locked onto the screen. "What kind of movie is this?" Shizune whispered.
"Why is that guy even in the Land of Grass?" Tsunade murmured, puzzled.
Then, as the images shifted, a strange line of text appeared:
[Starring: Jiraiya, Tsunade, Orochimaru]
…
Curious and a little confused about the movies plot, Shizune and Tsunade fell silent as soon as it began, their eyes glued to the screen. The story opened in Konoha, right after the end of the Second Great shinobi War.
By then, the Legendary Sannin had already become well-known across the shinobi world. To better reflect the current times and the Sannin's reputations, and following Jiraiya's suggestions, the script had been heavily rewritten by Charlie.