Kapitel 15: Request?
"You've come back after all. How about going for a drink tonight?"
As night approached, Tsunade went to the Jake Food Store and found Jake next door, directing people to pack up. She greeted him with a smile.
"I don't need to eat, Tsunade-san. I haven't finished organizing my place yet, so I don't have much time," Jake replied.
As soon as he finished speaking, Natsukawa walked up and bowed slightly, apologizing for interrupting his conversation with Tsunade. "If you're packing up the house in the back, why not let me do it? I know where to buy household items and can clean up quickly."
Jake sighed helplessly. This mature shopkeeper usually had a sharp eye, but today she seemed a bit slow. He clearly didn't want to go, so why did she butt in?
Despite Natsukawa's good intentions, Tsunade's prompt visit meant someone had notified her, and it wasn't hard to guess who.
Tsunade patted Jake on the shoulder. "Since Natsukawa says so, why don't you come with me?"
"Okay, then I'll leave it to you, Manager Natsukawa."
Jake nodded, handing money for the purchases to Natsukawa before following Tsunade to the izakaya. Tsunade had two hobbies: drinking and gambling. Even with a small-scale battle on the front line, she could still immerse herself in the joy of the bar and the casino.
"This is the first time Jake-san has called me Manager Natsukawa. It's recognition of my ability, right?" Natsukawa thought, feeling encouraged. She turned back to the store, ready to ask two people to help her tidy up Jake's room. The cleaning had already been done, but furniture and household items were still lacking.
At the izakaya, Tsunade skillfully ordered a few bottles of shochu some grilled meat skewers, and other small dishes. Jake ordered a cup of tea and a bowl of ramen. He was a bit hungry, and since he couldn't go home to eat, he would make do here.
When the shochu arrived, Jake once again declined Tsunade's offer to pour him a drink. Tsunade murmured a few times about how boring he was before drinking a few cups herself.
"Tsunade-san, we know each other, so please state your purpose directly," Jake said after eating a few bites of ramen and finding the taste mediocre.
Tsunade's face was a bit red, either from the alcohol or from embarrassment. "Now that you've figured it out, I won't beat around the bush. Konoha wants to purchase another batch of medicine. This time, you should bring a lot with you."
"The medicine at Konoha Hospital has already run out. With many injured patients accumulated from the earlier battles and the need for medicine on the Grass Village battlefield, we need more supplies. The medicine purchased last time is almost used up. Although the war in the Rain Village has basically ended, the Hidden Cloud Village near the border of the Soup Village is restless, and so are the Hidden Mist Village and others."
Jake nodded and asked, "Does Konoha still need the same medicine and quantity as last time?"
"Yes, but…"
"But Konoha's finances are tight, and we don't have the money to buy the medicine, right, Tsunade-san?"
"I really can't hide anything from you," Tsunade admitted reluctantly and poured herself another drink. Given her status, it took a lot of work for her to talk about credit. It seemed difficult to communicate with Jake regarding money matters, as seen from his decisive refusal to trade during their last encounter.
Although she knew it was difficult, Tsunade had a task to complete, so she asked, "So, can we buy a batch of medicines on credit?"
"I'm sorry, Tsunade-san, but medicines cannot be bought on credit. If you don't have money, I accept valuable items like gold and jewelry for exchange," Jake replied firmly. He couldn't open that door, especially in the early stages of their business. If they buy on credit on the second transaction, it would only encourage more requests from Konoha in the future.
"Gold and jewelry? I'll ask Sensei then. But our village's finances are difficult now, and Daimyo's funding has yet to arrive," Tsunade said.
Jake quickly interrupted Tsunade's drunken rambling with a serious expression. "Wait, Tsunade-sama. Please don't tell me any confidential information about Konoha. I'm just a merchant here to make money. I have no interest in other matters."
Tsunade restrained herself a little after hearing the words and then asked, "Uh, sorry about that. Sometimes I can't control my mouth after drinking too much. But how is the work going for Natsukawa and the others?"
"It's good. I have promised Natsukawa that once the business expands, her friends will be given priority."
"Thank you so much. Otherwise, it wouldn't be easy for the Senju clan to take care of them," Tsunade said, feeling relieved. Many people fought on the battlefield because of her grandfather's call. She would feel guilty if the Senju clan didn't care for them.
"If my business expands to other parts of the Land of Fire, can Natsukawa and the others leave the village?" Jake asked.
"Of course, it's possible. Although some of them know ninjutsu, they are not ninjas. They can leave the village freely." Tsunade replied casually.
This statement made Jake feel a little relieved. Compared to outsiders, the nameless members of the Senju clan were people that Jake could trust due to their family history.
After chatting for a while, Jake left, and Tsunade planned to drink some more before leaving. The next day, Jake instructed Natsukawa about the pharmacy and prepared to leave for the capital of the Land of Fire.
There, he would find the largest bookstore. Jake believed that the ten novels he brought would perfectly match the current taste of the ninja world. Five of them were very violent, and five were very suggestive.
In this world of frequent warfare among ninjas, only well-rounded and fulfilling books can comfort the unsettled people at the heart of the ninja world.
However, before Jake left Konoha, a member of the ANBU found him. "Mr. Jake, the Hokage requests your presence."
****
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Wöchentlicher Energiestatus
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