"This is quite the fine drink. It must have some age to it," Jinghang remarked as he took a sip from his cup. "Smooth on the palate, warm as it goes down—not too fiery, not too mild. And the aftertaste… hints of plum and orchid. Not bad at all!"
He glanced around the room, nodding slightly in approval. As expected of the Supreme Hall, the level of luxury here rivaled that of the Green Palace reception hall used by the Daimyō. The room was resplendent, radiating opulence and grandeur. On either side of the gambling table stood ten beautiful women, each with peach-like complexions, tall and elegant figures, and a hint of allure in their eyes. Truly, this was a scene befitting the name "Supreme."
"These are your chips."
Zangetsu pushed a pile of 17 crystal blocks and 5 gold chips toward Jinghang.
Jinghang picked up one of the crystal blocks and held it up to the light, examining it closely.
"Hmm, looks like real crystal."
"It is," Zangetsu confirmed. "Each one is worth ten million ryō. You've won a total of 175 million. Feel free to count them. As I said before, if you wish to cash out now, you can take the money and leave immediately. We'll even arrange transportation for you. Also, these…"
Zangetsu pulled out two cards and respectfully handed them to Jinghang and Tsunade.
"Regardless of whether you win or lose, both of you are entitled to these Supreme Cards. With these, you can enjoy free accommodations and meals across Kyoho Casino's half-street complex, valid for life."
"And if I decide to keep playing?" Jinghang asked.
"That's simple. As long as the game is ongoing and you're willing to play, I'll accompany you to the end."
"Let's go, then! Do you think I'm afraid of you?"
Tsunade, already growing impatient, urged them on.
"Wait."
Zangetsu raised his hand, his tone calm but firm.
"I apologize, but I can only accommodate one player at a time. Princess Tsunade will not be participating."
"What!?"
The four people on Jinghang's side were taken aback. Zangetsu had directly addressed Tsunade by her title, revealing that he had seen through their earlier charade. This meant that all the little tricks they had pulled before had been entirely transparent to him.
However, Zangetsu had been polite and respectful. If they chose to cash out and leave now, it wouldn't be a loss of face. But if they insisted on continuing, any further trickery would be tantamount to a direct challenge, leading to an all-out confrontation. Jinghang wasn't looking for a fight; he just wanted to make some money.
"Lord Kazekage," Zangetsu continued, addressing Jinghang directly, "do you still wish to play? Let me remind you that this room is equipped with the most advanced chakra-detection technology in the entire shinobi world. Any use of genjutsu or ninjutsu will trigger an immediate response, and such actions will be considered cheating."
He paused, his tone growing colder. "The consequences for cheating are the same everywhere in the shinobi world. Of course, no one here could stop you if you chose to use your abilities. However, if such an incident occurs, Kyoho Casino and the forces behind it will spare no expense in placing a bounty on your right hand. You are a man of status, so I trust we won't have any unpleasant misunderstandings. Correct?"
With Tsunade's identity exposed, Jinghang's own cover was naturally blown. Zangetsu's words were sharp, but his approach was professional. He laid everything out clearly upfront, avoiding any disputes later on.
"You make a good point," Jinghang said with a nod. "I just have one question."
"Please, go ahead."
"What happens here if I use ninjutsu or genjutsu?"
"This will light up."
Zangetsu pointed to a decorative centerpiece on the gambling table—a sculpture of two dragons playing with a pearl.
"Really? Let's test it."
Without waiting for a response, Jinghang used his Magnet Release to lift one of the gold chips. Instantly, the pearl in the sculpture emitted a dazzling white light. Jinghang held the chip for a moment, then set it down, causing the light to extinguish.
"Wow, it really works! Did you see that, Gaijin? Did you see it?"
Jinghang exclaimed, his excitement akin to that of a child discovering a new toy.
Gaijin, adjusting his sunglasses, replied stoically, "I saw it, my lord."
"Well then, what's your choice?" Zangetsu asked politely.
"I choose to eat first."
The room fell silent in disbelief.
"Can't we eat before gambling? The vegetarian meals at the Wind Temple were terrible—I barely ate anything for lunch," Jinghang said with a pitiful expression. He then pointed to Gaijin. "Can you arrange a meal for my friend here as well? He hasn't eaten either."
"My apologies for the oversight. I'll have it arranged immediately. What would you like to eat, Lord Kazekage?"
"Anything you recommend. Aren't you all eating too?"
Jinghang gave Tsunade a meaningful look. Tsunade caught on immediately.
"I'm a bit hungry as well," she said.
"Then please, allow me to lead you to the side hall for your meal. Once you've finished, the game will officially begin."
"Hmm, this is excellent—top-grade tuna sushi, and belly cuts at that. Gaijin, don't hold back. Eat up; you'll need the energy to carry all our winnings later."
Jinghang took a bite and nodded in satisfaction.
Tsunade, on the other hand, absentmindedly picked at a piece of conch meat, chewing slowly with a furrowed brow. She seemed lost in thought.
"Have you ever gambled in the Land of Wind before?" Jinghang suddenly asked.
"No," Tsunade replied, shaking her head.
"Then that means this Zangetsu fellow might actually know you."
At this point in her life, Tsunade was still young and hadn't yet gained her infamous reputation as the "Big Spender" across the five great nations. Her name wasn't widely known in gambling circles.
"I usually gamble in the Land of Fire. I've never set foot in other countries' casinos. Could this Zangetsu be someone from Konoha?"
"Don't overthink it. Plenty of people know the Princess of Konoha."
"No, there's something familiar about his build, but his voice doesn't ring any bells."
"Forget it. If he's a problem, we'll deal with it."
Jinghang shrugged, unbothered, as he chewed on his sushi.
"Are you sure you can handle this? He's clearly one of the casino's top experts, and you…"
Tsunade gave Jinghang a skeptical look. It was true—Jinghang had little to no experience in gambling.
"You'll find out tonight whether I can handle it. I've been keeping a secret from you, you know. I'm actually the legendary Gambling God of Sunagakure."
"Yeah, right…"
Tsunade's cheeks flushed slightly.
"Are you full yet?" Jinghang turned to Gaijin.
"Mm." Gaijin swallowed his last bite of sushi and nodded.
"Good. Let's go test this Zangetsu guy's skills."
Jinghang snapped his fingers, exchanging a meaningful glance with Gaijin. Gaijin responded with a subtle nod.
"Have you all finished your meal?" Zangetsu asked as they returned to the gambling hall.
"Yes, it was excellent. Can we begin now?" Jinghang replied.
"Whenever you're ready."
"What shall we play?"
"Anything you like," Zangetsu said confidently.
"Then... how about poker?"
"Fine by me."
"Let's get started."
"Very well."
Zangetsu pulled out a deck of cards, quickly unwrapping it and spreading it out on the table in a flawless arc.
"Please inspect the cards."
Jinghang walked up, trying to imitate the dramatic flair of gamblers in movies. He picked up a card and inserted it into the bottom of the deck, intending to perform a flashy move. However, he miscalculated his strength, and the cards scattered everywhere like falling snow.
Watching from the sidelines, Tsunade covered her face in embarrassment, while Pakura turned her head away entirely.
Jinghang awkwardly clapped his hands. "No problem, no problem. Let's start."
Returning to his seat, Jinghang pointed at Gaijin. "He'll handle my chips. That's okay, right?"
Zangetsu glanced at Gaijin. "That's fine."
The game began. Zangetsu shuffled the cards with such skill that his movements were mesmerizing, drawing admiration from everyone watching.
The first round of cards was dealt. Zangetsu gave Jinghang a face-down card and then dealt one to himself. Next, he dealt Jinghang an ace face-up, while his own face-up card was a jack.
"Your bet," Zangetsu said, gesturing toward Jinghang.
"How about one million?" Jinghang said casually, signaling Gaijin to push forward a gold chip.
"I'll match it," Zangetsu replied, pushing forward his own chip.
Jinghang peeked at his hole card—it was another ace.
As the game progressed, Jinghang's visible cards became a ten, another ten, and a jack, forming two pairs. Zangetsu's visible cards, on the other hand, were a jack, a three, and a five.
From the visible cards alone, Jinghang had a clear advantage. Unless Zangetsu's hole card was the final jack, there was no way he could win. But now it was Zangetsu's turn to act.
By this point, the pot had grown to 30 million ryō.
"Thirty million," Zangetsu said, tossing in three crystal blocks.
What? A bluff?
"Call," Gaijin said calmly, pushing in three more crystal blocks.
"Showdown. Two pairs—aces and tens!" Jinghang declared, flipping over his hole card with a flourish.
Tsunade and Pakura, seeing Jinghang's cards, broke into smiles of relief. Tsunade even clapped her hands in excitement.
"My apologies. Three jacks."
Zangetsu quietly revealed his hole card.
It was the final jack.