The man was thrown out of the casino's entrance by two burly men, landing hard on the ground.
"I'm warning you—you can eat recklessly, but you can't talk recklessly!"
"If you slander our casino again, things won't end so simply!"
After issuing their threats, the two casino enforcers exchanged glances before turning back and re-entering the establishment.
A small crowd quickly gathered around the fallen man, murmuring among themselves, their curiosity piqued by the commotion. Kazuki, however, remained indifferent.
It wasn't his problem.
Besides, trying to strike it rich overnight at a casino was the man's own foolish mistake.
"Come on, let's go in."
"Captain, that person…"
Kazuki shook his head. "Ignore him. He's just a regular gambler—I doubt we'll get any useful information from him."
As a member of the Anbu, Sunflower had been trained to think logically rather than emotionally. She hadn't intended to help the man out of sympathy—she had simply considered questioning him for information.
However, Kazuki was convinced the man wasn't worth their time.
Not quite right.
At least, when the casino staff threw him out, Kazuki had sensed something unusual.
The two men who had just manhandled the gambler… Their chakra levels weren't ordinary.
Both of them had at least the strength of a Chūnin.
Strangely enough, the guards stationed at the casino entrance had chakra levels even lower than that of a Genin.
In the chaotic world of the Shinobi, most casinos would station strong fighters at their entrances—both as a deterrent and as a warning: Don't cause trouble here, or you'll regret it.
But this casino was doing the opposite.
Instead of having strong guards at the door, they had intentionally placed weak ones.
There were only two explanations for this: Either the owner of this casino was an absolute fool… or they were deliberately putting up a façade.
If it was the latter, then the real danger was hidden inside.
This casino wasn't just any ordinary gambling house.
It was a trap.
And that aligned with what they had already discovered: A Konoha Jōnin-level spy had been captured here without even putting up a fight. That meant this place had overwhelming strength behind it.
No doubt about it—this was a black-market den.
A place where the underworld's power brokers did business.
This casino… was dangerous.
Kazuki narrowed his eyes. "Let's go."
He and Sunflower followed the flow of people into the casino.
The moment they stepped inside, they were met with an overwhelming cacophony of voices.
Groups of gamblers surrounded the gaming tables, their eyes fixed intently on the dice cups as they pinned their hopes and dreams on the roll.
"Open!"
"Big! Big! Big!"
The dealer lifted the cup, revealing the dice. Cheers and groans erupted at once—some were celebrating, others cursing their losses.
The thick scent of tobacco smoke hung heavily in the air. Sunflower coughed, her throat irritated by the pungent mix of smoke and sweat.
"You okay?" Kazuki asked, pulling a white cloth from his sleeve and handing it to her.
"Here. Tie this over your mouth—it'll help."
She took it but looked at him in surprise. "Kazuki, doesn't the smell bother you?"
In a place like this, she avoided calling him 'Captain.' It would draw unnecessary attention.
"I'm fine," he replied calmly.
Then, in a low voice, he reminded her to stay close and not act recklessly.
Kazuki led her to a relatively quiet gaming table and stood nearby, observing a few rounds of play.
"Come, place your bets! The game's about to begin!" the dealer called out.
The rules were simple—three dice, bet on whether the total would be high or low. There were other betting options, too, like guessing the exact number or betting on a triple, but those had a lower probability and much higher payouts.
Kazuki remained silent, watching the game unfold.
Sunflower shifted slightly beside him. "Kazuki, we're…"
Sunflower was a little puzzled. She didn't understand what their captain was up to.
"Shh, stay quiet," Kazuki whispered, stopping Sunflower from speaking. He remained still, observing the game table without a word.
After two more rounds of betting, the dealer who had been rolling the dice finally took notice of Kazuki.
"Hey there, little brother," the dealer called out with a grin. "You've been watching my table for a while now. Why not step in and play a round or two?"
He sized up Kazuki and smirked. "From the look on your face, I'd guess it's your first time in a place like this, am I right?"
"You've been standing here without making a bet for quite some time. What's the matter? Are you worried that our casino isn't on the level?" The dealer chuckled. "After watching so many rounds, you must've drawn your own conclusions."
"This isn't some back-alley operation run by thugs and swindlers. Our casino operates on fairness and transparency. We don't make mistakes. You can bet with confidence."
His words carried a rehearsed smoothness, a practiced assurance meant to put gamblers at ease.
Kazuki simply smiled and nodded. "Alright then, I'll play."
With that, he placed a two-thousand-ryo bill on the 'Big' section of the betting pool.
"Place your bets, place your bets!"
The dice cup was shaken vigorously, and the gamblers around the table leaned in, eyes gleaming with anticipation.
"Alright, let's see what we've got!"
The dealer's hands moved swiftly, lifting the cup to reveal—
Four, four, five.
Big!
"Whoa! A great start! You're in luck, little brother!"
The dealer gathered the losing bets and distributed the winnings. When he reached Kazuki, he grinned. "Congratulations!"
"Alright, alright, settle down! Let's move on to the next round!"
The gamblers who had lost groaned in frustration, while the dice roller prepared for another round.
Clatter—clatter—clatter!
The dice rattled in the cup before the dealer slammed it onto the table.
"New round! Forget the last one and place your bets!"
Kazuki calmly placed his previous winnings—now totaling four thousand ryos—back on 'Big.'
The dice cup was lifted once more.
Three, five, six.
Big again!
Another win.
The dealer counted out Kazuki's winnings, now eight thousand ryos, and handed them over.
The surrounding gamblers murmured in surprise, eyes flicking toward Kazuki with a mix of envy and curiosity.
"Not bad, kid! Looks like you're on a roll tonight!"
The dice roller chuckled, as if he were the one profiting from Kazuki's streak.
Then came the next round.
Kazuki remained composed, but this time, he didn't place his bet on 'Big' or 'Small.'
Instead, he pushed all eight thousand ryos into the Leopard Pool—betting that all three dice would land on the same number.
Not only that, he wagered specifically on Triple Sixes.
The payout? 200 to 1.
If he won… he'd walk away with 1.6 million ryos.
A hush fell over the table before a wave of laughter erupted.
"Heh… kid, I said you were gonna make a fortune tonight, but aren't you getting ahead of yourself?" the dealer chuckled, shaking his head.
Even the gamblers around the table laughed, eyeing Kazuki with amusement.
"Open it up already! You're taking too long!"
"C'mon, it's been 'Big' so many times—it's gotta be 'Small' this round!"
The dealer smirked and lifted his hands. "Alright, alright, let's see what fate has in store!"
He gave the dice cup another vigorous shake, so fast that the watching gamblers could barely keep up. Then, with a dramatic flourish, he lifted the cup.
And then—
Silence.
The entire table froze.
The dealer's grin disappeared.
Six. Six. Six.
Triple Sixes.
Leopard.
Big.
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