Casinos naturally cannot afford to ignore such a situation.
Kazuki, who had just received his winnings, noticed the front desk teller rushing over, having previously mentioned that the casino could provide other services.
"Everyone, please calm down!"
"Our casino upholds fairness and transparency. We do not slander winners or cheat our guests out of their money. Please rest assured!"
With that, the man issued an order to the two Chunin stationed in the casino. Pointing at the gambler who accused Kazuki of cheating, he commanded, "Take him away and lock him up!"
After a few more attempts to pacify the crowd, the commotion gradually settled.
The staff member turned to Kazuki and bowed respectfully. "On behalf of our casino, I sincerely apologize for this misunderstanding."
"This dealer falsely accused you, and we will ensure he is appropriately punished."
"As for the inconvenience caused to you… our casino is prepared to offer compensation."
The well-dressed casino employee gestured towards a private room in the back. "Please, follow me so we can discuss the details."
Kazuki narrowed his eyes, scanning the receptionist from head to toe.
Of course, he wasn't interested in the person themselves—nor did he have any ulterior motives.
After all… when it came to appearances, who could possibly compare to the golden-haired, twin-tailed 'big fish' standing beside him?
Kazuki wasn't in a hurry to accept the casino's offer. Instead, he turned to face the gathered gamblers and raised his voice.
"Everyone, listen up!"
"I've been having a chat with the casino."
"If you don't see me come out later—if you don't see me here again…"
"Well, you'll know what happened. But my advice? Keep quiet. No need to bring unnecessary trouble upon yourselves."
The receptionist's expression stiffened.
"Sir, please don't joke like that. Our casino is a reputable establishment, not some shady den of crime. Of course, you'll walk out of here safely."
"Now then, please, this way."
She hurriedly gestured toward the private room again, clearly eager to avoid any further speculation among the guests.
Kazuki turned toward Tsunade and gave her a casual wink.
"Meeting at the gambling table must be fate. Care to join me for a little walk?"
Tsunade, still in high spirits after her winnings, had no intention of backing out now. She gave a slight nod and followed Kazuki into the secluded room.
The moment they stepped inside—
A wave of chakra pressure filled the air.
This wasn't just any meeting room. Four individuals stood waiting, their chakra signatures unmistakably those of experienced shinobi. From their fluctuations, all four were at the Jōnin level.
As soon as they entered, Sunflower, who had been following closely behind Kazuki, instinctively took a defensive stance, ready for battle at a moment's notice.
"Relax, Sunflower."
Kazuki extended a hand, signaling for her to lower her guard. Under the wary gazes of Tsunade and the casino's enforcers, he casually strolled over to a chair and sat down.
"Let's not waste time."
"I'm from Konoha. Release my people, and I'll leave without causing any further trouble for your casino."
The casino staff frowned. They hadn't expected Kazuki to be this direct.
Even Sunflower was taken aback by his bluntness.
Tsunade, on the other hand, arched an eyebrow.
Konoha…?
The kid who just helped her win a fortune turned out to be a Leaf shinobi?
One of the four Jōnin exhaled sharply.
"You certainly don't mince words. I wasn't expecting that."
"What's wrong?" Kazuki asked, completely unfazed.
"Your casino makes an enormous amount of money daily, doesn't it?"
"If you refuse my conditions, and I suddenly disappear—or worse, I start telling every gambler in here just how much wealth you're hoarding—what do you think will happen to your business?"
He leaned back, tapping a finger against the armrest.
"For a casino of this scale, is it really worth losing money over just three Konoha shinobi?"
His words hung in the air, thick with unspoken consequences.
A tense silence filled the room as the four Jōnin exchanged glances.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity—
"…Fine. We'll accept your terms. You can take your people and leave."
"But the money stays."
The moment the words left his mouth, Tsunade scoffed.
"Absolutely not."
She crossed her arms and glared.
"This is money I won fair and square. Why should I leave it behind?"
"When I lose, do you ever return my money?"
Sunflower anxiously looked to Kazuki, hoping he would persuade Konoha's legendary princess to back down. After all, their comrades' safety was the priority.
But to her dismay, Kazuki didn't intervene. Instead, he agreed with Tsunade.
"She's right. Keeping the money isn't an option."
The room grew even tenser.
Both sides were poised to attack at any moment.
The silence stretched on, the weight of the standoff pressing down on everyone—except for Kazuki, who simply stretched out his pinky and absentmindedly picked his ear, looking completely unbothered.
Of everyone in the room, he was the only one acting casually.
"…Fine! I accept your conditions!"
"You can take your people—and the money!"
"All I ask is that you don't cause any further trouble in our casino!"
The Jōnin's expression was dark as he reluctantly conceded.
Kazuki let out a small breath, flicking the dust off his pinky before responding indifferently.
"Don't worry. As long as my people are safe, I won't stir up any trouble."
"Bring them out."
"…One more thing."
Just as the casino staff prepared to comply, Kazuki spoke again.
"You have some kind of technique for controlling people, don't you?"
"Whether it's the spies you caught earlier or the two who broke in yesterday—I want you to undo whatever manipulation you've placed on them."
The Jōnin hesitated, his jaw clenching in frustration.
Then, after a long pause—
"…Fine. We'll remove it."
With that settled, Kazuki leaned back, waiting.
Tsunade, who had been observing quietly, suddenly spoke up.
"You're from Konoha, right? You should know who I am."
"Of course," Sunflower replied, her demeanor shifting into one of formal respect. "Tsunade-sama."
Tsunade studied Kazuki with a complicated expression.
"You recognized me from the start. Did you help me win just to get me involved in this mess?"
Sunflower tensed, immediately bowing. "I apologize, Tsunade-sama!"
She assumed Kazuki had planned everything from the beginning.
But Kazuki simply shook his head.
"No."
"I knew who you were. And yes, I helped you win."
"But not because I wanted to use you."
Tsunade frowned, puzzled. "Then why?"
Kazuki smirked.
"I just thought… you were too pitiful. I couldn't bear to watch."
Tsunade: "???"
Kazuki left it at that.
Tsunade's eyes twitched as she struggled to comprehend his reasoning.
The granddaughter of the First Hokage… one of the Legendary Sannin… was 'too pitiful'?!
She was about to demand an explanation when Shizune frantically tugged on her sleeve, silently pleading for her to drop it.
After that, the man issued an order to the two chunin inside the casino.
Pointing at the man who had accused Kazuki of cheating, he commanded, "Take him down and lock him up!"
The murmurs of the crowd quickly died down, leaving the casino in silence.
The casino staff member stepped forward, bowing deeply to Kazuki. "On behalf of our establishment, I sincerely apologize."
"This dealer falsely accused you, and we will take appropriate disciplinary action."
"As for the inconvenience caused…" The staff member gestured towards a private room in the casino. "We would like to offer compensation. Please, follow me so we can discuss the matter in detail."
Kazuki narrowed his eyes, observing the staff member carefully.
Of course, he wasn't admiring the man's looks, nor was he interested in anything else.
After all… compared to this guy, who could possibly compete with the golden-haired, twin-tailed big spender standing next to him?
For now, Kazuki wasn't inclined to accept the offer. Instead, he turned to face the gathered gamblers and raised his voice.
"Everyone, listen up!"
"I came here to have a good time and gamble like the rest of you."
"If you don't see me walk out of this casino later, or if I suddenly disappear from sight…"
"You all know what happened, but I advise you—keep your mouths shut. Don't invite unnecessary trouble upon yourselves."
The receptionist's face twitched slightly.
"Sir, you jest," she said quickly. "Our casino is a reputable establishment. How could something like that happen?"
"Now, if you would, please."
She once again motioned for Kazuki to follow her to the private room, eager to prevent any further rumors from spreading among the guests.
Kazuki turned to Tsunade and gave her a knowing look, blinking.
"Meeting at the gambling table is fate. Care to accompany me for a bit?"
Naturally, Tsunade, who had just won a hefty sum, didn't forget their earlier agreement.
She nodded and followed Kazuki towards the secluded room.
As soon as they stepped inside—
A surge of chakra filled the air.
The so-called private lounge housed four individuals from the casino, all of whom… judging by their chakra signatures, were trained shinobi at the Jōnin level.
Immediately, Sunflower, who had been trailing behind Kazuki, assumed a defensive stance, ready for combat at a moment's notice.
"Relax, Sunflower."
Kazuki raised a hand, signaling her to stand down. Under the watchful eyes of Tsunade and the casino staff, he casually took a seat.
"Let's not waste time."
"I'm from Konoha. Release our people, and I'll walk away without causing any more trouble."
The casino staff frowned. They hadn't expected Kazuki to be so direct.
Even Sunflower looked surprised.
Tsunade, on the other hand, arched an eyebrow.
Konoha?
So the kid who had helped her win all that money was from her own village?
One of the Jōnin exhaled sharply.
"Well… you certainly don't beat around the bush."
"I need a moment to consider how to respond to that."
"What's there to think about?" Kazuki countered.
"Your casino brings in a fortune every day, right?"
"If you refuse my terms, I could easily vanish—or worse, start spreading rumors among the gamblers about just how much money this place has."
"Tell me… what do you think would happen to your business then?"
The room fell into a tense silence.
The four Jōnin exchanged glances, weighing their options.
Finally, one of them spoke.
"Fine. I'll agree to your terms, but—"
"Your winnings stay here."
"Absolutely not!"
Before he could finish, Tsunade shot him down without hesitation.
"This money was won fair and square. Why should I leave it behind?"
"When I lose money, does your casino ever offer to return it to me?"
Sunflower glanced at Kazuki, hoping he would mediate. The safety of their comrades was the top priority.
But to her surprise, Kazuki didn't try to persuade Tsunade. Instead, he sided with her.
"She's right. We're taking the money with us."
The atmosphere in the room grew heavier.
It felt like a single wrong move would cause the two sides to clash.
Sunflower was growing anxious.
Tsunade, on the other hand, didn't look concerned in the slightest. She was even cracking her knuckles, as if ready to throw down.
Kazuki, meanwhile, seemed completely unfazed. He nonchalantly picked at his ear with his pinky finger, as if he had all the time in the world.
In the end, the casino Jōnin relented.
"Fine. Take your people and your money."
"All I ask is that you don't cause any more trouble in this casino."
"Deal."
Kazuki blew the dust off his pinky finger. "As long as our people are safe, we won't start anything."
"Bring them out."
"Oh, and one more thing."
Kazuki suddenly added, just as the Jōnin thought they were done.
"You seem to have some kind of method for controlling people."
"Whether it's the spy from before or the two who broke in yesterday—undo whatever jutsu you used on them."
The Jōnin's jaw clenched.
But after a brief pause, he gritted his teeth and muttered, "Fine. No problem."
Kazuki said nothing more.
He simply waited for them to bring the captives out.
Tsunade stepped closer, eyeing him curiously.
"You're from Konoha, so you should know who I am, right?"
Kazuki didn't even hesitate.
"Of course. You're Tsunade-sama."
Compared to Kazuki's indifference, Sunflower answered more formally, showing proper respect to the legendary Sannin.
Tsunade's expression turned complicated.
"Then tell me… did you recognize me from the start and help me win just to get on my good side?"
"I'm sorry, Tsunade-sama!" Sunflower quickly apologized, thinking Kazuki had plotted everything.
But Kazuki shook his head.
"No."
"I did recognize you, but helping you win wasn't about currying favor."
"When you bet on the leopard, I gave you a choice."
Tsunade thought back.
That was true…
Seeing her hesitation, Kazuki smirked slightly.
"You're misunderstanding something."
"I don't do things just to help people."
"I didn't help you because you're a Konoha senior."
"It's just that… you looked so pitiful. I couldn't ignore it."
Tsunade: "???"
Kazuki left it at that.
Tsunade, however, wasn't one to let things go.
She was determined to get to the bottom of it.
Why would he say she, one of the Legendary Sannin, the granddaughter of the First Hokage, was pitiful?!
From the side, Shizune desperately tugged at Tsunade's sleeve, signaling her not to ask.
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