Tsunade Went Broke Yet Again

The moment Tsunade and the other two reached the entrance, the Gambling Den's doors were flung open from inside.

A round, beaming proprietor emerged with seven or eight attendants. They bowed in unison, their movements so precise they might have rehearsed them a hundred times.

"Lady Tsunade! Your visit is an honor to our humble establishment. Please, come in!"

His voice was sickeningly sweet, and his eyes crinkled with delight. "Someone bring out our finest tea and pastries! And prepare the VIP suite!"

Tsunade stood in the doorway with her arms crossed, looking down at the overly enthusiastic Gambling Den staff. Her mouth twitched.

"...You've got the wrong person," she said flatly.

"How could we possibly?"

The proprietor waved his hands, his smile growing wider. "I've admired your heroic bearing for years, Lady Tsunade. To meet you today is the honor of a lifetime! Please, come in!"

Tsunade's mouth twitched harder.

Behind her, Shizune's face had turned as red as a boiled shrimp. She wanted nothing more than to crawl into a crack in the ground.

Tonton gave a bewildered oink in Shizune's arms, with no idea what was happening.

Sōji followed at a steady pace, carrying the three large chests on a shoulder pole.

As he passed the proprietor, he tilted his head slightly. Beneath the black cloth, his lips curved into a faint smile, and he spoke softly enough that only Tsunade could hear.

"Lady Tsunade's reputation truly has spread across the Shinobi World."

Tsunade stopped. Her golden eyes slid toward him, sharp with murderous intent.

"Brat. What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing."

Sōji kept walking, his expression calm. "I just think it's a rare talent to inspire such heartfelt anticipation in so many people."

"Anticipation?" Tsunade ground her teeth. "They're anticipating my money!"

"That's still anticipation." Sōji nodded earnestly. "Pure, undisguised anticipation. You don't see sincerity like that often in the Shinobi World."

Shizune nearly burst out laughing. She fought to hold it in, her shoulders shaking.

Tsunade took a deep breath, forced down the urge to break the brat's bones on the spot, and strode into the Gambling Den.

Behind them, the proprietor and his attendants gathered around the three chests full of silver bills and carried them inside with the care they might have shown a visiting god of wealth.

Every table in the Gambling Den had fallen silent.

The gamblers all turned to follow Tsunade with their eyes, the same fervor burning in every gaze.

The Legendary Big Spender. Here in the flesh. And she'd brought a hundred and fifty million ryō!!!

Tsunade's face was stony as she strode through the crowd toward the dice table at the center of the hall.

"What are you all crowding around me for?"

She slammed a hand on the table and swept her golden gaze across the room. "Keep gambling! I'm here to play, same as everyone else. Whether you win or lose is up to you!"

The room went quiet for a second. Then cheers erupted.

"Lady Tsunade's right!"

"May the best gambler win!"

"More chips! I'm going all in!"

The proprietor grinned from ear to ear and personally pulled out a chair for Tsunade.

The attendants hurried to set out tea and pastries, then brought tray after tray of chips, all gold-rimmed and in the highest denomination.

Tsunade sat down with an easy swagger. She scooped up a handful of chips and rolled them between her fingers, making them clack together.

She watched the dice cup shaking in the dealer's hand. A dangerous excitement, the kind only a gambler knew, gradually lit her golden eyes.

Sōji and Shizune stood a short distance away and watched in silence.

"How long do you think Lady Tsunade will last this time?" Shizune asked quietly.

Sōji thought for a moment and calculated. "At these stakes and odds, with three chests of silver bills... maybe three or four hours?"

Shizune's face fell. "Does that mean we're sleeping in a stable again tonight?"

"No," Sōji said calmly. "I brought enough money for food and lodging."

Shizune breathed a sigh of relief, then looked back at Tsunade. Her eyes held a complicated mix of helplessness, familiarity, and the faintest hint of pride.

After all, Lady Tsunade was the only person in the entire Shinobi World who could inspire such heartfelt anticipation in an entire Gambling Den.

That was a kind of fame in its own right, wasn't it?

Across the room, the dice cup struck the table, and the dealer shouted:

"Four, five, six! High!"

Tsunade had bet on low.

Her expression didn't change. She grabbed another handful of chips and pushed them toward high. "Again."

Sōji's mouth twitched. At this rate, she might not need three or four hours.

Night blanketed every rooftop in Kanazawa Castle, but the entrance to the Gold and Silver Hall blazed as bright as day.

Dozens of large red lanterns hung overhead, bathing the entire street in crimson light. Even the cracks between the paving stones were clearly visible.

The proprietor stood at the front, smiling so broadly his eyes had narrowed to slits. Satisfaction spilled from them.

Behind him, more than twenty attendants stood in neat rows and bowed together at a perfect ninety-degree angle.

"Safe travels, Lady Tsunade! We look forward to your next visit!"

Their voices rang out in perfect unison, full of feeling, as though they had practiced countless times.

In fact, they had practiced. The moment Tsunade lost her last bet on triple dice, the proprietor had slipped into the back courtyard, gathered everyone, and called an emergency rehearsal for the send-off.

Tsunade stood in the doorway, her blond hair stirring in the night breeze. The sleeves of her green robe billowed in the wind.

Her face was stony as she stared down the brightly lit street, her golden eyes giving nothing away.

Behind her, Shizune clutched Tonton and leaned limply against Tsunade's leg, as though all the strength had gone out of her.

Tonton looked wilted too. Exhaustion filled her dark, beadlike eyes, and Shizune was holding her so tightly she could barely breathe.

Sōji stood a little behind them, his bamboo staff planted on the ground and the shoulder pole empty.

The three chests that had held the silver bills now sat empty in the Gambling Den's vault. The proprietor had put them there himself, his hands trembling as he did.

"Lady Tsunade..."

Sōji spoke with just the right touch of curiosity. "There's something I don't understand. May I ask?"

Tsunade didn't turn around. "Spit it out."

"That hundred and fifty million ryō..." Sōji paused. "Where did you get it?"

Shizune visibly stiffened.

Tsunade turned and fixed her golden eyes on him, her face unreadable. "What are you getting at?"

"Just curious!"

Sōji waved a hand and said evenly, "As far as I know, the Five Great Nations pay roughly thirty to fifty million ryō for an S-Rank Mission."

"And even someone at Kage Level might not receive one S-Rank Mission a year in peacetime. A hundred and fifty million ryō is no small sum."

He tilted his head slightly, his gaze beneath the black cloth settling on the Gambling Den's now-closed doors.

"What you lost in Tanzaku Town before was pocket change. It wasn't hard to guess where that came from. But this time..." He left the rest unsaid. His meaning was clear.

Tsunade stared at him for a few seconds, then gave a derisive laugh.

"You're good with numbers, brat." She turned and strode away. "We'll talk as we walk. You want to stand here and let everyone gawk at us?"

The three of them made their way slowly down the brightly lit street. Behind them, the Gold and Silver Hall's send-off party remained bowed.

Only when the three figures disappeared around the corner did the proprietor straighten and let out a long breath.

"We're rich..." he murmured. At last, he let his smile spread without restraint. "We're fucking rich..."