XX-level Hokage

Itachi didn't speak. The black crows scattered and disappeared from their original spot in an instant, then appeared behind Mashiro in the blink of an eye, reaching out to grab Mashiro.

Mashiro made no move. A stone wall appeared out of thin air and blocked Itachi's attack. Then, from the shadow of the stone wall, a weapon suddenly stabbed out. Itachi, who was stabbed, turned into a flock of crows again. But when he returned to his original position, he was still injured. On his left shoulder, a wound was dripping blood.

"It seems I underestimated you." Itachi formed hand seals upon receiving the item.

Fire Release: Phoenix Flower Technique

Flames surged towards Mashiro from all directions. "Water Release: Masawa Barrier"

Itachi's fire-style attack was unlike any other fire-style attack Mashiro had ever encountered. It was incredibly powerful, so Mashiro abandoned the easy, no-hand-seal ninjutsu and released a water-style ninjutsu with a single hand seal.

Water comes from all sides, forming a water cube that encloses its white interior.

When water and fire meet, steam keeps billowing out, but the billowing steam seems to be drawn back into the water! Until the flames disappear, the expression becomes more serious than ever before, and the kaleidoscope turns on again.

"Magic: The Art of Gahang" "Illusion: The Art of the Other Shore"

The kaleidoscope on Mashiro's chest also started spinning.

Instantly, large iron nails formed by illusion pierced Mashiro's body, rendering her unable to move.

Just when Itachi thought the outcome was decided, Mashiro, whose body was pierced by iron nails, suddenly transformed into countless red flowers. "What a pity."

The illusion space shattered, and Itachi and Mashiro were once again in a standoff.

"Illusion Technique: Other Shore Technique" was found by Mashiro in the Hyuga clan's internal inheritance scroll. It's unclear why it appeared there. This ninjutsu is simple and practical, allowing one to perform a substitution jutsu within an illusion space.

"Itachi, let's go." Kisame, who had been silent since Mashiro appeared, emerged from the forest carrying Asuma and said this. He put Asuma down and the two turned to leave. This time, Mashiro didn't try to stop them; she had achieved her goal.

Chapter 43: The Tale of Tsunade, the Fire Princess (Part 1)

Even after helping the unconscious Asuma up, Mashiro saw Kakashi and Kurenai in front of her and asked with concern, "Are you alright? Are your injuries serious?"

Kurenai looked at Mashiro and gently shook her head, saying, "I'm fine, just a little exhausted. I'll be alright after a rest. But Kakashi's injuries seem quite serious."

Just then, Kakashi fainted.

After placing Asuma and Kakashi together, Mashiro said to Kurenai, "Wait here for a while, I'll go get someone." With that, she quickly left.

On the way, Mashiro secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

When Itachi and Kisame first appeared in Konoha, Mashiro sensed it through the Shadow Squad. Even during the subsequent battle, Mashiro was already nearby, but he was secretly observing.

Mashiro currently has no way to deal with Tsukuyomi. As the strongest mental attack, Tsukuyomi can only be broken by someone whose Sharingan power surpasses that of the user and whose mental strength is strong, but Mashiro clearly cannot do that now.

Therefore, Shinji secretly waited until Ryo used Tsukuyomi on Kakashi before choosing to reveal himself.

Mashiro was certain that, due to Itachi's physical condition and plans, he would never easily use the Mangekyou Sharingan unless absolutely necessary, whether it was Amaterasu, Tsukuyomi, or Susanoo.

However, besides the Kaleidoscope's own abilities, Itachi also possesses two divine weapons: the Totsuka Blade and the Yata Mirror. Therefore, if it weren't for the needs of the plan, Mashiro really wouldn't want to run into Itachi right now.

Mashiro was willing to fight Itachi for one purpose only: to show Kisame that she had conveyed some information to him through Kakuzu, and that this battle would dispel Kisame's doubts about the information.

"The Totsuka Sword, I really want it," Mashiro murmured. In his previous life, the Totsuka Sword had been his weapon.

"Lord Kakashi's soul has suffered immense damage; we are truly powerless to help," the captain of the Konoha medical team said helplessly to the Third Hokage. "Soul domains are inherently very troublesome to deal with; you don't need to blame yourselves," the Third Hokage said, looking at the unconscious Kakashi.

"Mashiro, go and fetch Tsunade. Have her treat Kakashi and, incidentally, inherit the Hokage position," the Third Hokage said, turning to Mashiro.

“Okay, teacher,” Mashiro nodded. Tanabata Street.

Located in a small town in the Land of Fire, the town is very prosperous and bustling. It is a town known for gambling and has a thriving entertainment industry. Tanbata Street is the largest entertainment street in the town, filled with vendors selling goods and travelers who are ready to try their luck.

Jingyin was walking helplessly down the street. Her parents did nothing but gamble and sleep all day, and they were still asleep in the hotel at this hour. She was forced to do errands like buying food.

As she was walking, Shizune suddenly bumped into a man with a scar. "I'm so sorry," Shizune quickly apologized.

"Use your eyes, you bastard," the scarred man threatened before leaving. Shizune breathed a sigh of relief.

"Sir, isn't it wrong to steal someone's wallet?" A hand reached out from the crowd and landed on the scarred man's shoulder. "I advise you not to meddle in other people's business, I can..." The scarred man stopped before he could finish speaking, his eyes becoming unfocused.

A girl dressed in a black robe embroidered with silk stepped out of the crowd, took a green wallet from the scarred man's arms, and then turned and handed it to Shizune.

Shizune then realized her wallet was missing and hurriedly grabbed it, knowing full well that it was her and Tsunade's last savings. Shizune thanked Mashiro.

"No need to thank me. This person does have some skills and seems to be a ninja, but I don't know why he's taken the path of petty theft," the woman said to Shizune.

"Anyway, thank you so much. I need Shizune." Shizune said, holding the woman's hand. "My name is Hinata Mashiro." The woman smiled and said...

"Hyuga? Are you a Konoha ninja?" Shizune asked in surprise.

“Yes, we came here to carry out a mission for the village,” Mashiro said.

"On a mission? Do Konoha's genin have to travel this far on missions now?" Shizune asked Mashiro as she ate ramen in the restaurant.

“Normally, genin don’t need this, but this mission was directly assigned by the village, which is why I need to come here,” Mashiro said, sipping her ramen soup.

"Special assignment, it seems Mashiro-chan must be exceptionally talented. She'll definitely become a very outstanding ninja in the future, unlike me..." Shizune sighed as she spoke. "Shizune should also be a thief, right? What's wrong? Are you having a hard time these days?" Makoto said casually.

“Strictly speaking, I should also be considered a Konoha ninja, but I’m currently training with my master all over the place. How should I put it, my master is a bit unreliable,” Shizune said.

Then Jingyin started complaining about all the terrible things that happened when she was traveling with her master to various places to cultivate—or rather, when she was running away from debts.

Even Shizune herself didn't know why she would suddenly tell these things to a stranger. This was all thanks to Mashiro's familiar technique, "Illusion: Mind Words".

"It seems that Shizune is not living a very good life right now," Mashiro said, staring at Shizune with wide eyes.

"It's not that it's not good. I'm already very happy to be by your side, adults. Of course, it would be even better if you were more reliable," Shizune said as she gradually regained consciousness.

"Because of the mission, I'll be staying here for a few more days. We can go shopping together during these days," Mashiro said to Shizune.

"Of course it's great!" Shizune was very happy. After pouring out her troubles to Mashiro, Shizune had come to regard Mashiro as a very good friend. This inexplicable friendship made her, who hadn't had any friends her own age for many years, very happy.

At that moment, Shizune noticed the clock on the wall.

"Oh no, it's already past 1 a.m." Shizune hurriedly raised her hand to call the owner over. "Boss, two more servings of ramen to go, please."

After finishing her sentence, Shizune said apologetically to Mashiro, "I'm sorry, I have to go back now." "It's okay, don't worry about it," Mashiro waved her hand and said.

"Your noodles will cost 230 taels in total." The shopkeeper handed the packaged noodles to Jingyin and said. Jingyin took out her wallet, opened it, and was immediately stunned; there were only ten taels inside.

"Could it be that Lady Tsunade..." Shizune recalled the tender expression on Lady Tsunade's face when she returned last night, and suddenly everything became clear. "I'll pay for her." Mashiro, who had been secretly observing, took out her money and paid for Shizune's bill.

Shizune blushed with embarrassment, thanked Mashiro many times, then grabbed her noodles and stormed out the door. "Shizune is still as cute as ever."

Mashiro, her face flushed, watched Shizune's hurried departure and chuckled softly.

Back at the hotel, Tsunade was sitting on the sofa with Ton-Ton in her arms. When she saw Shizune return, Tsunade's expression immediately turned awkward.

After placing the noodles on the table, Shizune stopped Tsunade from reaching for them, angrily saying, "Lady Tsunade, didn't I say we can't touch the money in that wallet? That's our meal money for the two of us and Ton-Ton."

Tsunade awkwardly scratched her head and said, "I had a feeling yesterday that I would have good luck, so I thought I'd give it a try, but my premonition didn't work out."

Seeing Tsunade's expression, Shizune said helplessly, "Lady Tsunade, you're not allowed to touch the money in there next time. Today I went to buy food and I didn't have enough money to pay. If it weren't for Shizune paying for me, I probably would have been washing dishes today."

"Mashiro? Is he your boyfriend? He's actually willing to pay for you." Tsunade said, shifting her gaze. "Lady Tsunade!!!"

Chapter 44: The Tale of Tsunade, the Fire Princess (Part Two)

In the evening, Tsunade slipped out of the inn again with her meager savings.

On her way to the casino, Tsunade was praying for good luck when a voice suddenly called out to her. "Lady Tsunade, Lady Tsunade."

Tsunade looked in the direction of the sound and saw Mashiro standing not far away. Seeing Mashiro's glare, Tsunade hesitated for a moment, then stopped.

"Lady Tsunade, the Hokage has an important mission for you." Mashiro walked to Tsunade's side and said.

"I've already retired. I'm no longer a Konoha ninja. Why do you insist on having me do things?" Tsunade said calmly. "Kakashi has suffered very serious injuries, and the Hokage wants you to treat him," Mashiro said respectfully to Tsunade.

"Kakashi? Minato's disciple? I'm sorry, I can no longer use medical ninjutsu. Go find someone else." Tsunade said, turning to leave.

"Furthermore, the Hokage hopes that you will inherit the position of Hokage and become the Fifth Hokage." Ignoring Tsunade's attitude, Mashiro continued.

"Inherit the Hokage position? Heh, the old man is really senile. Go back, I can't become Hokage." With that, Tsunade turned and left.

Mashiro didn't react to Tsunade's words at all, and watched Tsunade leave with a smile.

"Hokage, Hokage, Hokage, who wants this position and who doesn't?" Tsunade's heart became complicated because of Mashiro's words.

Her two grandfathers, boyfriend, and younger brother all died because of this position. Orochimaru, Jiraiya, and her best friend turned against each other because of it. Now, the talk of making her Hokage is utterly absurd.

Reaching the casino entrance, Tsunade calmed herself and muttered to herself, "I must win today."

"Tsunade, you've lost again. Including the previous losses, you now owe the casino 300 million taels of silver. I don't know when you'll pay it back," the casino owner said to Tsunade. "Urusai, I know. Just wait a few more days, and I'll pay it back then." Tsunade looked at the chips that had been taken away, and her mood plummeted once again.

“Waiting a few more levels won’t do. I recently contacted loan sharks and casino managers from the Land of Thunder and the Land of Water, and they seem to know you quite well.” As the casino owner spoke, two groups of people dressed differently walked out from the back of the casino.

"not good!"

Upon seeing the faces of these two groups, Tsunade sensed something was wrong.

These two groups are Tsunade's creditors in the Land of Lightning and the Land of Water, and they are also the people who made Tsunade and Shizune hide from their debts.

"Tsunade, you can't escape this time, can you? You owe our casino 1500 million yen, shouldn't you pay it back by now?" Sato, the debt collector sent by the Land of Lightning casino, said, "And the money we lent you, 400 million yen, plus interest over the years, totals 1100 million yen. Miss Tsunade, it's time to pay that back too." (Water)

"That's what Yamada, the debt collector sent by the state's loan sharks, said."

Seeing the creditors gradually surrounding her, Tsunade feigned ignorance and said, "Do I owe this much? I remember I've already paid off my debts. I need to see your boss, and we'll talk about repayment after I see the IOUs."

After hearing Tsunade's words, Sato and Yamada took out an IOU from their pockets. Tsunade's name was clearly written on it, and her handprint was also on it. Upon seeing the IOU this time, Pin Shi was speechless.

"Who knew you guys would carry around IOUs? Tch!" Tsunade muttered to herself.

“Tsunade, no, I should say Lady Tsunade, we only recently learned that the person we’ve been chasing for so long is actually one of the legendary Sannin of Konoha. If you don’t pay back the money, then we’ll have no choice but to go to Konoha. I think your teacher, the Third Hokage, would be happy to pay you back,” Sato said, waving the IOU.

As she listened to Sato's words, Tsunade's expression gradually darkened.

"I'll pay for Lady Tsunade," Mashiro said, appearing out of nowhere at the casino entrance.

"You still owe her? Do you know how much she owes?" Yamada clearly didn't think Mashiro could afford to pay it back.

Mashiro smiled, took out a sealing scroll, untied the seal, the smoke dissipated, and four large boxes appeared on the spot.

Mashiro opened the box, revealing a dense array of money inside. "Is this enough?" Mashiro asked, looking at Yamayuki.

"That's enough, that's enough." Yamada said, glancing at the money in the box and swallowing hard.

"Give me the IOU, and the money is yours." Mashiro kicked the box and said.

Upon hearing this, Sato, Yamada, and the casino owner hurriedly handed the IOU to Mashiro, fearing that Mashiro might change her mind. As Mashiro accepted the IOU, the underlings lifted the box.

"Everyone can check if this is enough. I'll give you any extra, and I'll make up the difference if it's not enough," Mashiro said, putting away the IOU.

The three groups began counting the money. After they finished, Sato said to Mashiro, "Now that the debt has been recovered, we'll be leaving." Yama Yuya smiled kindly at Mashiro and said, "If you need any money, you can come to the Land of Water to find us anytime."

Then the two groups of people who had come from afar left the casino. After checking his share, the casino owner smiled and said, "Tsunade, the debt is wiped clean. You are welcome to play anytime you want."

Judging from their reactions, Mashiro clearly gave too much.