The Terrifying Gambling Debts of Great Tsunade

Tanzaku Town was even more bustling and prosperous than Kazuhiko had imagined.

Passing through the massive torii gate at the entrance, the cries of vendors rose and fell in a continuous chorus.

Casinos, shops, izakayas, and hot spring inns followed one after another, with crowds surging through the streets, as lively as the commercial district in Konoha.

Kazuhiko and Kakashi walked side by side through the throng; thanks to their disguises, the two did not stand out.

Although they were within the Land of Fire, the mission was top secret, so neither of them intended to reveal their tracks.

"According to the intelligence, the last place Lady Tsunade appeared was the casino district of Tanzaku Town."

Kakashi raised a hand to touch his cheek; he was quite unaccustomed to being without his mask after the transformation.

"That area ahead, decorated with red lanterns and luxurious trimmings, is where the casinos of Tanzaku Town are most concentrated."

The two quickened their pace through the crowd, heading toward the target area.

The atmosphere here was completely different from what they had passed before.

Regardless of size, every casino had burly bodyguards standing at the entrance, their sharp eyes scanning everyone who entered or exited.

At the entrance of the most luxurious casino, there were even ninjas wearing headbands stationed on guard.

Kakashi led Kazuhiko straight into the largest and most extravagantly decorated casino.

Before they had even stepped inside.

The noisy shouting and the crisp sound of rolling dice filled Kazuhiko's ears.

Inside the casino.

It was even more clamorous, thick with smoke.

Kakashi narrowed his eyes and scanned the crowd, "Kazuhiko, wait for me here. I'll be right back."

It seemed he was going to find a secret contact.

Was Tsunade's trail really that well-hidden?

Was all this necessary?

Kazuhiko was quite puzzled, frowning slightly as he looked at the rowdy casino.

"Truly a den of iniquity..."

"Young man, you're new here, aren't you? Want me to show you the ropes?"

A gambler saw that Kazuhiko looked unfamiliar and, thinking there was profit to be made, immediately sidled up to strike up a conversation.

"No need. I, Huang, am incompatible with gambling and drugs!"

The man froze for a moment, then broke into a smile.

"Heh heh, Young Master Huang, you're joking. To tell you the truth, I'm a professional at this. Bet with me, and I guarantee you'll win without losing!"

Kazuhiko sized the man up.

The man had a sleazy appearance and disheveled clothes; one look was enough to tell he was a gambler who had lost everything.

Believing he could help one win money was less logical than joining a pyramid scheme and believing that sleeping on the floor today would make you a boss tomorrow.

Kazuhiko pulled out a stack of small-denomination bills and waved them in front of him.

"I'm asking about something. Has a lady with blonde hair, wearing a green trench coat and with a particularly eye-catching figure, been here to gamble recently?"

The man was instantly drawn to the cash, his eyes becoming sharp and calculating.

"Blonde hair and a green trench coat? You must be talking about the 'Legendary Sucker'!"

"Tell me in detail. If I'm satisfied, this money is yours."

"Hey, don't even get me started. She's a celebrity here in Tanzaku Town!"

He lowered his voice, his tone hurried.

Clearly, in his view, Tsunade's whereabouts were no secret at all.

"Just three days ago, the Legendary Sucker swept through a dozen or so casinos here, big and small. And guess what happened?"

What else could happen?

She lost money, though it wasn't as if she couldn't afford it.

Seeing that Kazuhiko had no intention of playing along, the man said sheepishly:

"She lost every single round, not a single win! I can't give you an exact figure, but in our casino alone, she lost a full four million ryo! I was lucky enough to run into her at the time and made a small profit."

Seeing that Kazuhiko still had no intention of paying, he scratched his head and continued:

"I heard from friends at other casinos that she's lost at least two million ryo at each place over the past few days. Adding up all the casinos, she's lost at least forty million ryo, principal and interest included!"

Kazuhiko remained expressionless, muttering to himself.

Forty million in a few days?

She truly lives up to the name of the Legendary Sucker.

"And that's just a small part of it!"

The man leaned in closer, lowering his voice:

"Let me give you some inside information. The 'Big Fat Sheep' isn't gambling in Tanzaku Town for the first time. She hasn't paid off her previous debts, and this time she's added even more. Altogether, it's accumulated to at least over a billion ryo!"

Over a billion ryo?

To be able to owe that much money, she certainly had some real talent.

Uchiha Kazuhiko could only say that Tsunade truly lived up to her reputation as someone who lost every bet she made. Her fame preceded her, and in one word—

Incredible!

"Do you know where she is now?"

"I heard from the casino staff that she seems to have gone to the underground black market to take on missions to pay off her debts. After all, with that much money owed, regular missions wouldn't even cover the interest, let alone the principal."

After the man finished speaking, Uchiha Kazuhiko put away the banknotes and walked straight out of the casino.

"Hey, Mr. Huang, you haven't given me my payment for the information yet!"

"I'm not satisfied with your information."

Gambling addicts weren't worth pitying.

Uchiha Kazuhiko ignored him and caught up with Kakashi, who had already stepped outside.

"How did it go?"

Kakashi looked at Uchiha Kazuhiko with a strange expression.

"The intelligence personnel said the same thing as that man. The last time Lady Tsunade was seen was at the underground black market in Tanzaku Town."

Uchiha Kazuhiko: ...

Since everyone's intelligence was the same, what was the point of you using that secret channel to get information?

"So, shall we head to the underground black market? See what kind of mission Lady Tsunade is working on?"

"No need."

Kakashi shook his head directly, his tone certain:

"According to past intelligence, it is impossible for Lady Tsunade to do missions to pay off debts. Her gambling debts could never be paid off by working. Even the highest-paying bounty missions in the black market only offer a few hundred million ryo at most. To pay off her debts, black market missions simply aren't enough."

So, working is impossible, is it?

Truly, the more debt one has, the less one worries.

Uchiha Kazuhiko was speechless.

Just how much money did Tsunade owe out there?

Since when could "a few hundred million ryo" be described with the words "at most"?

Was earning a "small goal" really that easy in the world of the Hokage?

A question formed in Uchiha Kazuhiko's mind:

How on earth did Tsunade manage to owe so much money?

Thinking back to the relevant plot points in the original story, he remained puzzled.

Even if Tsunade transformed into a little girl to scam or ambush people, it was impossible for people to keep lending money to a bottomless pit like her.

With debts that couldn't even be cleared by emptying out the black market's missions, how exactly did Tsunade manage it?

"Where do we go now?"

Uchiha Kazuhiko felt a bit helpless.

Kakashi shook his head and walked over to a corridor by the street to sit down.

"We just need to wait here."

"Wait?"

"Yes, Konoha's intelligence network is already in operation. Although Lady Tsunade's whereabouts while hiding from debt are secretive, Konoha has informants among the loan sharks and the black market in Tanzaku Town. Within half a day, the relevant information will be delivered to us, and then we will know Lady Tsunade's movements."

The two didn't wait for information on Tsunade, but instead, they were met by an uninvited guest.

"Uchiha Kazuhiko..."

The person wore a Yugakure forehead protector and, ignoring his disguise, revealed Uchiha Kazuhiko's true identity the moment they met.

Sensing something was wrong, Kakashi stood in front of Uchiha Kazuhiko with a serious expression.

"A ninja from the Root organization?!"

"There's no need for that, Lord Kakashi. I came here specifically to..."

Kakashi stared at the man, his eyes unfriendly:

"You've been tailing us?"