God of Gamblers, Sage of Gamblers, The Dead Revived

"Jiraiya? Is it really you!"

Looking at the bald man in front of her, Tsunade covered her mouth with a snicker.

At this moment, Jiraiya was decked out in gold-threaded silk robes, diamond rings on all ten fingers, and a thick, long dog-head gold chain hanging around his neck—a textbook nouveau riche getup.

If Shizune hadn't called out, she probably wouldn't have recognized him.

"Ah~ Long time no see."

Jiraiya rubbed his shiny bald head, the rings on his fingers refracting a blinding gleam of treasure light.

"Did your new book sell big?"

Seeing Jiraiya like this, Tsunade couldn't help but guess.

"No! No! I've been failing at gathering material lately... cough... In short, all the wealth I have now came from gambling."

Jiraiya let out two exaggerated laughs, putting on a mystifying air.

"Sigh..."

Tsunade Hime pressed a hand to her forehead and sighed, "You're still the same when you lie, not an ounce of improvement."

Jiraiya froze in classic Three Ninja bewilderment.

This wasn't going according to plan!

Why wasn't she following the script?

In his original plan, Tsunade would ask him about his gambling techniques, and then Jiraiya would tell her about the Main God, Reward Points, and the Exchange List.

But the first step of the plan had already failed! The subsequent battle plans were naturally stillborn, completely aborted!

A bead of cold sweat slid down his cheek, and Jiraiya felt his throat go dry.

Given how seriously Orochimaru took this mission, if he really failed, he'd probably be turned into Toad Soup to feed the snakes...

"You're nervous?"

Tsunade raised an eyebrow, her almond eyes wide, "This isn't some coincidence, is it... What are you really trying to do? Spit it out!"

With that single word, authority surged forth.

Jiraiya subconsciously shook his head frantically.

By the time he came to his senses, he realized his actions had already exposed too much.

"...Aren't you curious how I can make money gambling? I have a special gambling technique, a secret art passed down by a certain God of Gamblers with the surname Gao..."

Jiraiya's voice was dry as he recited the script, trying to force the routine.

But Tsunade had walked more roads than his routines, and she wasn't buying it.

With a wave of her elegant hand, her dark green cloak fluttered without wind, the character "Gamble" on her back swaying in the breeze. Tsunade let out a disdainful cold laugh, exuding an air of grandeur, like a true big shot.

She spoke in the tone of a seasoned veteran sharing wisdom, "Gambling relies on luck first, and intelligence second. I don't have luck, and you don't have either... You made a fortune gambling? Orochimaru becoming Hokage is more believable than that!"

"Besides, there's never been a God of Gamblers named Gao in history."

Mentioning Orochimaru was bad enough, but hearing that name made Jiraiya break out in cold sweat.

"I'm serious! God of Gamblers Gao Jin never lost a single bet in his life—his gambling skills were exquisite, perfected to the highest degree! If you don't like him, Sage of Gamblers Stephen Chow is also impressive, though he seems to rely on cheating with his Kekkei Genkai to win every time..."

A cold male voice came from the second floor, cutting off Jiraiya's words.

"So that's what you used the Reward Points you borrowed from me for?"

Jiraiya opened his mouth, and after a long pause, barely squeezed out a suicidal excuse: "Studying these alternate-dimension recordings for writing material—actually, I prefer cavalry and Jingdong Re..."

"Use them however you like, it's none of my business." The icy voice, like a venomous snake's tongue flicking, sounded again.

Hearing that voice, Tsunade's skin crawled with goosebumps, cold sweat pouring down her body, her almond eyes filled with gravity.

She would never mistake it!

The owner of that voice—even if he turned to ashes—she would recognize him!

"Orochimaru!"

Tsunade gritted her teeth, an unhealthy flush rising to her face, her heart surging with emotion as if recalling some unpleasant memories.

She stared hard at Jiraiya, who stood beside her meek as a chicken, her voice dripping with disappointment: "You're mixed up with Orochimaru now? Are you planning to betray Konoha?"

Perhaps stung by her words, Jiraiya finally snapped back to normal.

His face solemn, he met Tsunade's eyes and said seriously, "I would die before betraying Konoha. The Will of Fire burns in my heart forever! In fact, Orochimaru never truly betrayed Konoha! He never did anything harmful to the village. There was a reason he left Konoha back then."

Hearing this, Tsunade's taut nerves relaxed slightly. It wasn't that she believed his description of Orochimaru, but she was moved by his sincerity.

In Tsunade's mind, this pervy idiot Jiraiya might have been fooled by Orochimaru's words, but at least he meant her no harm.

On the second floor, a thin young man in a White coat revealed half his body.

His Golden Snake Eyes fixed on Tsunade, a hypocritical smile hung on his face: "Come up and sit... or are you afraid to come up? Has the Princess of the Senju Clan fallen to such a state?"

A classic provocation, but Tsunade fell for it every time.

She might often play the fool to dodge gambling debts, acting shameless and thick-skinned, but deep down, she still valued the honor that "Senju" represented.

After her younger brother Nawaki died, she became the last surviving orphan of the Senju Clan. Whether it was honor or responsibility, she would bear it all on her own shoulders.

"Scared of you?!"

Abandoning the worried Shizune, Tsunade grabbed Jiraiya's gold chain and charged toward the second floor.

Watching the Lucky Gambler and the Lecherous Bald Fool arrive at the VIP Room, Orochimaru covered half his face, his tone tinged with exhaustion: "Tea, milk, coffee, cigarettes—everything you need. Help yourselves."

The plan had been perfectly laid out, but the executor had gone awry. If Orochimaru had ever read xianxia novels, he might have sighed with emotion right about now: "Divine abilities cannot contend with the will of heaven."

Though the Lucky Gambler was in a casino, she now exuded a completely different aura. With just a raise of her brow, she made people's hearts tremble with fear. "If you have something to say, just say it directly! Don't waste time!"

"Wasting time is murdering life. Our thoughts are similar."

Orochimaru propped his chin on one hand and gave Tsunade an approving look: "Jiraiya and I have joined a mysterious organization. We're currently serving the Main God, and now we hope to bring you in, to recreate the glory of the Three Ninja back in the day."

How much truth was in those words remained up for debate, but at least it revealed his real intention.

Tsunade Hime was, after all, the princess of the Senju Clan. She might not be exceptionally learned, but her experience far surpassed that of ninjas from common origins.

A flicker of doubt showed on her face: "The Main God? I've never heard of it. But when I was a child, I did hear stories about the Grim Reaper, Yama, and the Evil God."

Sensing her guarded gaze, Orochimaru smiled faintly, unconcerned: "Sign a contract with the Main God, become His Reincarnator, complete the tasks He issues, and you'll receive rewards called Reward Points. And Reward Points can fulfill all of humanity's dreams."

"Including even..."

Orochimaru's tone turned deep, carrying an inexplicable fervor: "Resurrection of the Dead."

"Not that fake revival that toys with corpses and souls like Impure World Reincarnation, but true resurrection! With body heat, a heartbeat, the ability to eat and drink, to sleep, to retain all memories and emotions from life, and even the capacity to create!"

Hearing this, Tsunade's heart began to pound wildly.

If some random stranger had come to tell her this, Tsunade wouldn't have believed a word and would have just punched them straight in the face.

But Orochimaru was different. They knew each other inside and out. At the very least, when he spoke in this tone, he had never lied before.

"Resurrection of the Dead..." Tsunade murmured to herself.

Her lover Dan Katō and her brother Nawaki had both died in the ninja world wars.

And if the Main God's power was truly as Orochimaru described, even Grandpa First Hokage Hashirama and Grandpa Second Hokage Tobirama could be truly resurrected, bringing new hope and peace to the world!

In Tsunade's almond-shaped eyes, a ball of flame ignited.