Tsunade Goes Bankrupt Again, Again, and Again

Just as Tsunade and the other two reached the entrance, the gambling house's doors were violently pulled open from within.

A plump, round-bodied shopkeeper with a face full of smiles led seven or eight attendants in a neat bow, their movements as synchronized as if they had rehearsed it a hundred times.

"Lady Tsunade, your presence brings glory to our humble establishment! Please, come in, come in!"

The fat shopkeeper's voice was sickeningly sweet, the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes crinkling into a flower. "Someone, bring out the finest tea and pastries! And prepare the VIP private room!"

Tsunade folded her arms and stood at the entrance, looking down at the overly enthusiastic gambling house staff. The corner of her mouth twitched slightly.

"...You have the wrong person," she said expressionlessly.

"How could we possibly be mistaken?"

The fat shopkeeper waved his hands repeatedly, his smile growing even brighter. "I have long admired Lady Tsunade's heroic bearing. To meet you today is the fortune of three lifetimes! Quickly, quickly, this way, please!"

Tsunade's mouth twitched even harder.

Behind her, Shizune's face was as red as a boiled shrimp, and she wished she could crawl into a crack in the ground.

Tonton, in her arms, let out a bewildered little squeak, completely unaware of what was happening.

Sōji followed steadily behind them, carrying the three large chests.

As he passed the fat shopkeeper, he tilted his head slightly. Beneath the black cloth, the corner of his mouth lifted as he spoke in a voice only Tsunade could hear.

"Lady Tsunade's reputation truly is... renowned throughout the Shinobi World."

Tsunade stopped in her tracks. Her golden eyes slanted toward him, brimming with killing intent.

"What do you mean by that, brat?"

"Nothing."

Sōji continued walking with a calm expression. "I simply think that being so sincerely anticipated by so many people is quite a rare talent."

"Anticipated?" Tsunade gritted her teeth. "They're anticipating my money!"

"That is still anticipation." Sōji nodded seriously. "Pure, undisguised anticipation. That kind of sincerity is rare in the Shinobi World."

Shizune nearly burst out laughing, but desperately held it in, her shoulders shaking from the effort.

Tsunade took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the urge to tear this brat's bones apart on the spot, then strode into the gambling house.

Behind her, the fat shopkeeper and his attendants surrounded the three chests full of banknotes like they were welcoming the God of Wealth, carefully carrying them inside.

Inside the gambling house, every table had stopped.

The gamblers all turned their heads in unison, their eyes following Tsunade's figure with the same burning fervor.

A fat sheep. A living fat sheep. A super Legendary Big Spender carrying 150 million ryō!!!

Tsunade's face darkened as she strode through the crowd and headed straight for the dice table in the center.

"What are you all crowding around me for?"

She slapped the table, her golden eyes sweeping across the room. "Gamble if you want to gamble, play if you want to play. I came here to have fun today. Win or lose, it's all down to skill!"

The room fell silent for a second, then erupted in enthusiastic cheers.

"Lady Tsunade is right!"

"Let skill decide!"

"Someone, raise my bet! I'm going all in!"

The fat shopkeeper smiled so broadly his eyes disappeared, personally pulling out a chair for Tsunade.

The attendants swiftly laid out tea and snacks, then brought over tray after tray of chips, all of them gold-edged chips of the highest denomination.

Tsunade sat down with an imposing air, casually grabbed a handful of chips, and rolled them across her fingertips, producing crisp clinking sounds.

She stared at the dice cup in the dealer's hand. In her golden eyes, a dangerous thrill unique to gamblers gradually ignited.

Sōji and Shizune stood some distance away, silently watching.

"How long... do you think Lady Tsunade can last this time?" Shizune asked softly.

Sōji thought for a moment and calculated, "Going by the betting odds, with three chests of banknotes... around three or four hours?"

Shizune's face immediately fell. "Does that mean we'll have to sleep in a stable again tonight?"

"No." Sōji's tone remained calm. "I brought enough money for food and lodging."

Shizune sighed in relief, then looked at Tsunade's back, her eyes filled with complicated emotions—helplessness, resignation, and a faint, subtle pride.

After all, throughout the entire Shinobi World, Lady Tsunade was the only one who could inspire such sincere anticipation from everyone in a gambling house.

Wasn't that another kind of being renowned throughout the Shinobi World?

In the distance, the dice cup slammed heavily onto the table, and the dealer shouted:

"Open! Four, five, six—high!"

Tsunade had bet on low.

Without changing expression, she grabbed another handful of chips and pushed them toward high. "Again."

Seeing this, the corner of Sōji's mouth twitched slightly. At this rate, she probably would not even last three or four hours.

The night was as black as ink, soaking every roof tile in Kanazawa Castle, yet the entrance to Gold and Silver Hall was bright as day.

Dozens of large red lanterns hung high overhead, bathing the entire street in a brilliant crimson glow. Even the cracks between the stone slabs were clearly visible.

The fat shopkeeper stood at the front, his face piled with smiles, his eyes narrowed into two slits overflowing with satisfaction.

Behind him, more than twenty attendants stood in orderly rows and bowed at ninety degrees in unison.

"Lady Tsunade, take care! We welcome you back anytime!"

Their voices were loud and synchronized, brimming with emotion, as if they had rehearsed it countless times.

And in fact, they had. Right after Tsunade lost her final bet on triples, the fat shopkeeper had secretly slipped into the back courtyard and gathered everyone for an emergency rehearsal of this farewell ceremony.

Tsunade stood at the entrance, her blonde hair fluttering lightly in the night wind, the sleeves of her green robe billowing.

Her face was as dark as water as her golden eyes gazed at the brightly lit street in the distance, though no one knew what she was thinking.

Behind her, Shizune held Tonton, her entire body limp as if all the bones had been pulled from it, weakly leaning against Tsunade's leg.

Tonton was listless as well, its black-bead eyes full of exhaustion. Shizune was holding her so tightly that she could barely breathe.

Sōji stood slightly behind them to the side, his bamboo staff touching the ground and the shoulder pole across his shoulders completely empty.

The three chests that had held the banknotes now lay completely empty in the gambling house's vault. The fat shopkeeper had personally accepted them, and his hands had trembled while doing so.

"Lady Tsunade..."

At that moment, Sōji spoke, his tone carrying just the right amount of curiosity. "There is something I do not understand. I wonder if I should ask."

Tsunade did not turn around, and her tone was equally unfriendly. "Speak."

"That 150 million ryō," Sōji paused, "where did it come from?"

At his words, Shizune's body visibly stiffened.

Tsunade turned around, her golden eyes fixed on him, her expression blank. "What are you trying to say?"

"I'm merely curious."

Sōji waved a hand and spoke evenly. "As far as I know, the reward for an S-Rank Mission in the Five Great Nations is usually around thirty to fifty million ryō."

"And even Kage Level experts might not receive an S-Rank Mission once a year during peacetime. 150 million ryō is no small sum."

He tilted his head slightly, his gaze beneath the black cloth falling on the gambling house doors that had already closed.

"The amounts Lady Tsunade lost in Tanzaku Town before were small, so their source was not difficult to understand. But this time..." He did not continue, but his meaning was obvious.

Tsunade stared at him for several seconds before suddenly letting out a derisive laugh.

"You sure know how to keep accounts, brat." She turned and strode forward. "Talk while we walk. Do you want to stand here and let people stare at us like monkeys?"

The three of them slowly walked down the brightly lit street. Behind them, Gold and Silver Hall's farewell party remained bowed.

Only after the three figures disappeared around the corner did the fat shopkeeper straighten up and let out a long breath.

"We're rich..." he muttered, the smile on his face finally blooming without restraint. "We're fucking rich..."