Tsunade and Shizune had been away from Konoha for a long time. Upon their return, Shizune headed to visit the Katō family first.
At this time, Tsunade was alone in a casino, completely indulging in her gambling habit without anyone to restrain her. With no one to stop her, she wagered even more recklessly than usual.
The dealer shuffled the deck of cards, and the other gamblers placed their bets. The stakes were high, with even the smallest bet being tens of thousands of ryō. Tsunade, true to form, wagered the most—several hundred thousand ryō—laying down three banknotes worth 100,000 ryō each.
"This… this is…"
A girl in a green robe stared in shock.
A stunning woman with long blonde hair tied into two low ponytails sat at the table, exuding an air of confidence despite her string of losses.
Tenten's mouth fell open in disbelief. Her eyes widened as she recognized the woman from the records in Konoha's archives.
This… this person… wasn't she—
The legendary kunoichi, the idol Tenten had admired since childhood—Tsunade-hime?!
Oh my god!
It was really her!
The resemblance to the portrait in the scrolls was uncanny. Though more than a decade had passed since that image was recorded, Tsunade hadn't aged a day. She was still just as stunning, and her presence was as overwhelming as ever.
This was the real Tsunade-hime-sama!
"Brother, brother! Do you see this? I'm not dreaming, am I? I… I think I just saw—" Tenten's voice trembled with excitement as she shook Kazuki's arm, unable to contain herself.
"Yes, that woman is indeed Tsunade," Kazuki confirmed with a nod. "I brought you here just so you could see her."
Tenten's astonishment only grew.
She turned to her brother with newfound admiration.
"No way… You actually know Tsunade-sama? That's incredible!"
Kazuki simply smiled without saying anything.
How well did he know Tsunade?
Not only had he met her, but he also shared a rather good relationship with her.
He didn't rush to speak with her just yet. Instead, he stood quietly to the side, allowing Tenten to watch Tsunade gamble.
As expected…
Tsunade's legendary bad luck held true.
She lost every single game.
This wasn't like those times when a casino rigged the games against her. This particular establishment was well-regulated, with strict oversight to prevent cheating.
No, this time, Tsunade lost purely because of her own terrible luck.
Kazuki winced as he watched her play.
She had good hands, but she played them terribly.
Does she even know how to play properly?
If anyone epitomized the saying "a glutton for punishment," it was her.
Finally, unable to watch any longer, Kazuki sighed and spoke up.
"Alright, Tsunade. That's enough. You've lost a lot already."
Tsunade, now visibly frustrated after losing several games and several hundred thousand ryō, perked up at the sound of his voice.
"Huh? Kazuki? What are you doing here?!"
"I came to find you. There's something important I need to talk about."
"Forget that—come help me win a few rounds! I've been on a losing streak, and I need to turn things around!"
Before Kazuki could protest, Tsunade pulled him close, draping her arm around his neck in a familiar manner.
"I came here for serious business…" Kazuki muttered, exasperated.
"Hahaha! Helping me win money is serious business!" Tsunade grinned. "Don't worry, if you help me win, I'll owe you one. Anything you need—I've got you covered!"
Kazuki raised an eyebrow.
"Really?"
"Of course! You have my word!" Tsunade said confidently, puffing out her chest.
With that, Kazuki took Tsunade's seat at the gambling table.
The other gamblers eyed him warily.
"Who is this kid? Never seen him around before…"
Several other gamblers in the casino turned their heads when they saw Kazuki.
A boy around twelve or thirteen, his black hair neatly tied with a jade crown, exuded an air of youthful elegance. His clear eyes and delicate features made him look like a refined young heir from a prestigious family—hardly someone who belonged at a gambling table.
At first glance, he seemed inexperienced, an easy target.
"Hee hee, this is my little brother," Tsunade said with a grin as she plopped down beside Kazuki. "I'm letting him play a few rounds for me. I'll cover the money—any objections?"
The gamblers exchanged glances before nodding.
"Fine."
Since Tsunade-sama was paying, there was no reason to refuse. Besides, with such a fresh-faced kid, what were the odds of him winning? He'd probably lose it all in no time.
The game resumed.
"I'll be the dealer this round," an older gambler announced as he shuffled a deck of bridge cards. "Just follow along, kid."
The others placed their bets.
Kazuki, however, didn't hesitate. With Tsunade's funds dwindling to just 50,000 ryō, he went all in.
The room filled with hushed chuckles.
They were already picturing the pile of money shifting into their hands. A naïve boy, unfamiliar with the world, throwing his last bet away—it was too easy.
Tenten, standing at the side, glared at the gamblers mocking her brother. Despite her confidence in him, she couldn't shake the worry creeping in.
She had never seen Kazuki play cards before.
The dealer distributed the cards again.
But what the gamblers didn't know was that Kazuki had been watching closely from the start, memorizing the game's mechanics and patterns.
Bridge was simple.
Shuffle, deal, match, compare—then determine the winner.
For most players, the odds came down to luck and skill in reading the cards. But Kazuki had already grasped the deeper layers at play.
As the rounds progressed, the balance of power shifted dramatically.
50,000 ryō became 100,000.
100,000 became 200,000.
200,000 doubled again to 400,000.
Then 800,000.
Then 1.6 million.
Stacks of silver bills now covered Kazuki's side of the table.
The room fell into stunned silence.
The old gambler across from him forced a smile. "Little brother… you're quite lucky."
But his expression—more twisted than cheerful—betrayed his true feelings.
Was this really just luck?
Of course not.
Casinos had strict management, but in high-stakes gambling, cheating was inevitable. Every so-called veteran at the table had their own tricks.
And Kazuki?
He wasn't just keeping up—he was outplaying them all.
To gamblers at this level, cheating wasn't dishonorable. It was expected. Winning was about skill, deception, and reading the opponent's hands before they could read yours.
And in that regard, Kazuki was simply better.
He hadn't lost a single round since he started.
The gamblers grew restless, exchanging subtle glances. The air was thick with tension.
"Let's make this interesting—one final game!" someone called out.
It was their chance to reclaim everything in one go.
Kazuki didn't flinch. He calmly pushed all his winnings to the center of the table.
If he lost this round, he'd lose it all.
The cards were shuffled.
Dealt.
The room fell into silence.
One by one, the gamblers picked up their hands, scanning their cards.
Then—
"Hah! Hahaha!"
The old gambler across from Kazuki erupted in laughter, his beard trembling as he clutched his cards. His eyes swept over the table triumphantly.
The final play had begun.
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