Despite a ninja's extraordinary physical fitness, even standing up was a struggle for him at this moment.
A simple action like getting up took him five or six minutes!
After barely managing to stand, Rock Lee limped out of his room with the help of a crutch, enduring the severe pain.
As a self-proclaimed hardworking genius, he had to keep pushing himself!
He couldn't let his injuries hinder his training!
Just as he reached the door, Rock Lee saw his teacher, Might Guy, approaching and quickly retreated back into his room.
Ever since his injury, Guy had been acting strangely. The once enthusiastic mentor who encouraged relentless training now insisted that he rest more and move less.
Rock Lee didn't want his teacher to catch him sneaking out.
However, moments later, Guy, who had just finished visiting Kakashi, opened the door to Rock Lee's room.
Catching Lee off guard, Guy frowned and said, "Lee! Why don't you listen to your teacher?!"
Realizing he had been caught, Rock Lee replied, "Teacher Guy, I'm a ninja! A ninja can't just lie in bed forever!"
"I want to complete missions! I want to embrace the passion of youth!"
Might Guy's eyes turned red with emotion.
Placing his hands on Lee's shoulders, he said with determination, "Lee, there will be plenty of time to train after your injury heals!"
"If you push yourself now, you'll only worsen your condition!"
"Listen to me—get back in bed and rest!"
"When Morkel and the others bring back the legendary 'Medical Saint' to heal you, you can resume your journey of youthful passion!"
Guy was so worked up that his words came out in a flurry, his emotions running high.
"Alright, Teacher Guy!"
Lee nodded. He had absolute faith in his teacher—Guy was the person he trusted most in the world!
After offering a few more words of encouragement, Guy left the ward and stood on the hospital balcony, gazing into the distance.
The attending medical ninja had once said that Lee might never be able to become a ninja again.
Guy couldn't bear to tell Lee this cruel truth, so he chose to keep it from him.
Now, all his hopes rested on Tsunade.
If there was anyone who could heal Lee and give him another chance, it was her.
---
After successfully convincing Tsunade to return to Konoha as Hokage, Morkel and Jiraiya set off on their journey home.
To speed things up, Morkel suggested using the Flying Thunder God Technique to teleport everyone back.
"Hey, kid, why are you in such a hurry to return?" Tsunade asked.
"Just thinking about all the complicated government work waiting for me at Konoha gives me a headache!"
"Wouldn't it be nice to stay out a little longer?"
Naruto immediately supported her idea. "Yeah! It's rare to be outside the village—let's stay a bit longer!"
Morkel considered it and found their reasoning valid.
Once they returned, life would go back to the usual routine of missions, training, and daily life. It would be rather dull!
"How about a visit to the hot springs?" Tsunade suggested.
"Hot springs? That sounds boring," Jiraiya scoffed. "A trip to Kabukicho or an izakaya would be more fun."
Eventually, the group ended up at a hot spring with mixed bathing.
Unbeknownst to them, two mysterious figures in bamboo hats were secretly following them.
Jiraiya was initially excited about the idea of bathing with beautiful women.
But after entering the hot spring, he was horrified to find it full of burly men.
Then, as the burly men left, they were replaced by elderly men over fifty, their faces lined with wrinkles.
Surrounded by a crowd of old men, Jiraiya looked devastated. "Hold on... I just need to wait until the young and beautiful ones arrive..."
Meanwhile, at a small casino outside the hot spring, Tsunade and Shizune were fully engrossed in slot machines, wearing nothing but bathrobes.
"Tsunade-sama, aren't we supposed to be at the hot springs?" Shizune asked.
"That pervy old man is there—I'd rather not bathe with him," Tsunade huffed.
She knew Jiraiya's tendencies all too well.
Just as they were speaking, the slot machine flashed a warning—insufficient chips.
Enraged, Tsunade slammed her fist into the machine. "Damn it! Just once—just let me win once!"
With that punch, the slot machine broke entirely.
A nearby employee approached with a smile. "Hello, ma'am. That'll be 10,000 ryo in damages."
Tsunade's face froze.
In truth, she was nearly broke!
"How about an IOU? I'll pay it back later," she offered.
The employee continued smiling. "Sorry, but we don't accept credit."
As he spoke, several casino staff members gathered around, blocking their escape.
Tsunade could have easily taken them down with her strength.
But with her imminent return to Konoha as Hokage, causing a scene over gambling debts would damage the village's reputation!
Turning to Shizune, she said seriously, "You know what to do, right?"
Shizune hesitated. "Tsunade-sama, are you really going to..."
Tsunade nodded. "We have no choice!"
"One, two..."
"Three!"
In a flash, Tsunade and Shizune bolted from the casino.
The staff stood there, stunned. "How are they so fast?!"
"They looked so sophisticated, but they couldn't even pay 10,000 ryo!"
One employee suddenly had a realization. "Wait a minute... That golden-haired woman... with the diamond-shaped mark on her forehead... That was Tsunade! The legendary gambler from Konoha!"
"In that case, let's go to Konoha and collect the debt. A village that big can't be broke, right?"
Meanwhile, Morkel and Naruto, fresh from their hot spring bath, happened to overhear the conversation.
Without even needing to guess, they knew it was Tsunade's doing.
To protect Konoha's reputation, Naruto borrowed 10,000 ryo from Morkel and paid off the debt.
"Boys, you're true model ninjas of Konoha! Unlike that gambler Tsunade!" the employee praised them.
Morkel and Naruto exchanged helpless glances.
"She's about to be Hokage, and yet she's like this..." Naruto sighed.
Later, upon returning to their hotel, Morkel noticed their luggage had been ransacked.
His ninja tool scroll—containing valuable items—was missing!
"Damn it! Who stole my scroll?! It's worth tens of thousands!"
Naruto found a note on the ground.
[If you want your scroll back, have Tsunade pay her debts at the back mountain.]
[Signed: The Akagi Family]
Morkel sighed, exasperated. "This woman's debt never ends!"
---
After retrieving the scroll and clearing up the misunderstanding, the group finally prepared to return to Konoha.
As they arrived at the village gates, a large crowd had gathered.
Tsunade, one of the legendary Sannin, was an icon in the medical field and widely respected.
Among the crowd were Tenten, Ino, and Sakura, who had admired Tsunade since childhood.
"She's really here! The Tsunade-sama I've always admired!" Tenten cheered excitedly.
"Wait... Morkel is with her?" Ino muttered, surprised.
---
Thus, the next chapter in Konoha's history began, with Tsunade assuming her new role and Morkel stepping into the limelight as a rising genius.
More episodes are available on patreon
https://www.patreon.com/Atoki_29