Tsunade and her group had barely reached the entrance when the gambling hall’s doors were flung open from inside.
A round, beaming fat manager, flanked by seven or eight attendants, bowed in unison, their movements as synchronized as if they had rehearsed them a hundred times.
“Tsunade-sama, your presence honors our humble establishment!
Please, come in, come in!” The manager’s voice was sweet enough to make anyone sick, his smile blooming like a chrysanthemum.
“Someone!
Bring the finest tea, the best snacks!
Prepare the Heaven-Class VIP Room!” Tsunade stood at the entrance, arms crossed, looking down at this overly enthusiastic crowd.
The corner of her mouth twitched.
“…You’ve got the wrong person,” she said flatly.
“How could we be wrong?” The manager waved his hands repeatedly, his smile growing even brighter.
“I’ve long admired Tsunade-hime’s illustrious presence!
To meet you today is a blessing of three lifetimes!
Quickly, quickly, this way, this way!” Tsunade’s twitch intensified.
Behind her, Shizune’s face had turned as red as a boiled shrimp.
She wished the ground would swallow her whole.
Tonton, cradled in her arms, let out a bewildered “Puyo,” having no idea what was happening.
Souji, balancing the three large chests on a shoulder pole, followed at an even pace.
As he passed the manager, he tilted his head slightly, the corner of his mouth lifting beneath the black cloth.
In a voice only Tsunade could hear, he said, “Tsunade-sama’s reputation truly…
is renowned throughout the shinobi world.” Tsunade’s step faltered.
Her golden eyes slanted toward him, brimming with killing intent.
“Kid.
What are you implying?” “Nothing.” Souji’s expression remained calm as he continued forward.
“I just think it’s a rare skill to be so genuinely anticipated by so many people.” “Anticipated?” Tsunade ground her teeth.
“They’re anticipating my money!” “That’s still anticipation.” Souji nodded seriously.
“Pure, unvarnished anticipation.
That kind of sincerity is rare in the shinobi world these days.” Shizune nearly laughed out loud, then barely suppressed it, her shoulders shaking with the effort.
Tsunade took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the urge to break every bone in this brat’s body on the spot, and strode into the gambling hall.
Behind her, the manager and his attendants swarmed around her like they were welcoming the God of Wealth, carefully carrying the three chests filled with banknotes inside.
Inside the hall, every gambling table fell silent.
All the gamblers turned in unison, their gazes fixed on Tsunade, their eyes burning with the same fanatical excitement.
The Fat Sheep.
A living Fat Sheep.
A Super Fat Sheep carrying 150,000,000 ryo!!!
Tsunade’s expression remained unreadable as she strode through the crowd, heading straight for the central dice table.
“What are you all crowding around me for?” She slapped the table, her golden eyes sweeping the room.
“Gamble if you’re going to gamble, play if you’re going to play!
I’m here to have fun today.
Win or lose, it’s all by skill!” The room fell silent for a second before erupting into enthusiastic cheers.
“Tsunade-sama is right!” “By skill!” “Someone!
Increase my bet!
All in!” The manager smiled so broadly that his eyes disappeared.
He personally pulled out a chair and invited Tsunade to sit.
The attendants quickly laid out tea and snacks before bringing tray after tray of chips, all of them the highest-denomination gold-rimmed chips.
Tsunade sat with her legs spread in a commanding posture, casually grabbing a handful of chips and rubbing them between her fingers, producing a series of crisp clinks.
She stared at the dice cup shaking in the dealer’s hands.
In her golden eyes, the dangerous excitement unique to gamblers slowly began to burn.
Souji and Shizune stood some distance away, quietly watching.
“How long do you think Tsunade-sama will last this time?” Shizune whispered.
Souji thought for a moment before calculating.
“Judging by the betting odds…
with three chests of banknotes…
probably six to eight hours.” Shizune’s face immediately fell.
“So we’re sleeping in the stables again tonight?” “No.” Souji’s tone remained calm.
“I brought enough money for room and board.” Shizune let out a sigh of relief before looking back at Tsunade.
Her eyes were filled with complicated emotions: helplessness, resignation, and a faint trace of pride.
After all, throughout the entire shinobi world, only Tsunade-sama could make an entire gambling hall sincerely look forward to her arrival.
Wasn’t that, in its own way, another kind of fame throughout the shinobi world?
In the distance, the dice cup slammed heavily onto the table as the dealer shouted, “Reveal!
Four!
Five!
Six!
Big!” Tsunade had bet on “Small.” Without changing her expression, she grabbed another handful of chips and pushed them toward “Big.” “Again.” Seeing this, the corner of Souji’s mouth twitched slightly.
At this rate, she probably wouldn’t even last six to eight hours.
…
The night was as black as ink, blanketing every rooftop of Kinzawa City.
Yet the entrance to the House of Gold and Silver was as bright as day.
Dozens of large red lanterns hung high above, bathing the entire street in a brilliant crimson glow.
Even the cracks between the stone paving slabs were clearly visible.
The fat manager stood at the very front, his face overflowing with smiles, his eyes narrowed into thin slits, each one brimming with satisfaction.
Behind him, more than twenty attendants stood in neat rows, bowing at a perfect ninety-degree angle in complete unison.
“Tsunade-sama, take care!
Please come again!” Their voices were loud, perfectly synchronized, and filled with heartfelt enthusiasm, as though they had rehearsed it countless times.
In fact, they had.
The moment Tsunade lost her final three of a kind, the fat manager quietly slipped into the back courtyard and gathered everyone for an emergency rehearsal of this farewell ceremony.
Tsunade stood at the entrance, her blonde hair gently swaying in the night breeze while the sleeves of her green robe billowed softly.
Her expression remained unreadable as her golden eyes gazed toward the brightly lit street ahead, no one knowing what she was thinking.
Behind her, Shizune held Tonton in her arms, her entire body limp as though all the strength had been drained from her, leaning weakly against Tsunade’s leg.
Tonton looked just as listless, his little black bean-like eyes full of exhaustion.
Shizune was holding him so tightly that he could barely breathe.
Souji stood slightly behind and to the side, his bamboo staff tapping lightly against the ground, the shoulder pole resting across his shoulders now completely empty.
Those three chests that had once been filled with banknotes now lay empty inside the gambling hall’s vault.
The fat manager had personally taken possession of them, and his hands had been trembling the entire time.
“Tsunade-sama…” At that moment, Souji spoke, his tone carrying just the right amount of curiosity.
“I have a question, if you don’t mind my asking.” Tsunade didn’t turn around.
“Go ahead.” “That 150,000,000 ryo…” Souji paused briefly.
“Where did it actually come from?” Shizune’s body visibly stiffened.
Tsunade turned to look at him, her golden eyes fixed on him, her face devoid of emotion.
“What exactly are you trying to say?” “I’m just curious.” Souji waved a hand casually, speaking in an even tone.
“From what I know, the reward for a single S-Rank Mission in the Five Great Nations is usually around thirty to fifty million ryo.” “And even Kage-Level Shinobi might not receive a single S-Rank Mission in an entire year during peacetime.
One hundred and fifty million ryo isn’t a small amount.” He tilted his head slightly, his gaze beneath the black cloth settling on the gambling hall’s now-closed doors.
“The money Tsunade-sama lost in Tanzaku Town before was relatively small, so it wasn’t hard to imagine where it came from.
But this time…” He left the sentence unfinished, yet the implication was already obvious.
Tsunade stared at him for several seconds before suddenly letting out a snort.
“Kid, you really know how to do the math.” She turned around and strode forward.
“Let’s talk while we walk.
Do you want everyone standing around watching us like we’re monkeys?” The three slowly walked down the brightly illuminated street.
Behind them, the farewell line from the House of Gold and Silver remained frozen in their deep bows.
Only after the three figures disappeared around the corner did the fat manager finally straighten his back and let out a long sigh of relief.
“We’re rich…” he muttered, his smile finally blossoming without the slightest restraint.
“We’re fucking rich…”