He laughed and slapped his cards on the table, grinning smugly.
"Hahaha! Nine o'clock in the sky! The highest card! It looks like I'm the biggest winner tonight!"
However, the other gamblers at the table barely reacted to his declaration. They didn't care how strong his hand was—because he wasn't the dealer. This round's banker was Kazuki.
In this game, only hands compared to the dealer's truly mattered. If the old man won, he would take money from the dealer.
"Hahaha, kid, hurry up and hand over the money!" The old man demanded with a broad, victorious grin.
Kazuki, however, simply chuckled. He tapped the edge of his cards against the table before spreading them out with a flourish.
"Sorry to disappoint," he said calmly. "I also have nine o'clock in the sky. And the banker—" he glanced at the dealer's hand, then smirked, "—has only half past. That means… a total sweep!"
Silence fell over the casino.
The old man's triumphant expression froze mid-smile. Around the table, the other gamblers' faces darkened as realization set in.
Nine o'clock in the sky. Total kill.
When the dealer draws this card combination, no other hands matter. The dealer holds a slight edge by default, making it impossible to lose within the game's rules.
With this round's clean sweep, Kazuki's winnings doubled yet again, soaring to a staggering 3.2 million ryo!
"No way! I'm out!"
"I've got nothing left to bet…"
One by one, the gamblers slumped in defeat, abandoning the table. Their money had all been funneled into Kazuki's pockets. And the biggest loser of them all was the old man sitting across from him.
"You… you brat! You must be cheating!" The old man suddenly shot up from his seat, his finger jabbing in Kazuki's direction. "There's no way you're this lucky!"
Kazuki's expression remained calm, but his eyes sharpened, carrying an unmistakable warning. "That's a serious accusation. Care to back it up? Which eye of yours saw me cheat?"
"That's right!" Another voice chimed in before the old man could continue.
Tsunade, standing beside Kazuki, straightened up and fixed the man with a fierce glare. "Are you planning to cause a scene over a fair game?"
The old man hesitated, his mouth opening and closing like a fish gasping for air.
But before he could retort, a nearby gambler hurriedly pulled him back. While they might not know Kazuki, everyone in this casino recognized Tsunade. And she was not someone to cross.
Normally, they reveled in winning her money—but tonight, this kid had turned the tables. No matter how bitter they felt, they could do nothing about it.
The old man's face turned an ugly shade of green. His expression was as sour as if he had swallowed a live insect, but with Tsunade and the casino's rules looming over him, he dared not say another word.
"Damn it!"
As Kazuki, Tsunade, and the others left the casino, a furious roar erupted from behind them.
BANG!
A table was suddenly overturned, tea splashing everywhere. The old man stood there, fists clenched, his eyes gleaming with dangerous intent.
"Hahahaha~~!"
Laughter rang out through the streets.
Tsunade slapped Kazuki's shoulder, still doubled over with amusement, tears welling in her eyes from how hard she was laughing.
Kazuki sighed. "Is it really that funny?"
"Of course!" Tsunade's grin widened, her excitement still fresh.
"Did you see that old man, Shimura Jikawa? His face was priceless! I swear, he turned greener than a toad! Hahahaha!"
Kazuki raised an eyebrow. "You know him?"
"Yeah. We've played together plenty of times. That guy's actually pretty good at gambling." Tsunade smirked. "His name's Shimura Jikawa—he's an elder of the Shimura clan. Back in the day, he was one of my grandfather's subordinates."
Kazuki's expression twitched.
Gambling with you… is there anyone who wouldn't look good in comparison?
Tsunade, the Legendary Sucker, could hardly be the standard for measuring someone's gambling skills.
But what truly caught his attention was the man's lineage.
Shimura clan?
That complicated things.
As he mulled over the implications, a quiet voice spoke up beside him.
Tenten, who had been trailing behind in stunned silence ever since meeting her idol, finally snapped back to reality.
But what happened next completely shattered her perception.
Tsunade-sama, the person she had admired most since childhood…
Was actually a gambler?
And not just a gambler, but a terrible one at that?
This… This was nothing like the legendary Tsunade-hime she had imagined!
Was this what her brother had meant by a "collapsed house"?
There were fallen idols every year,
But today, it was her own?
For a moment, Tenten's expression grew complicated.
"Kazuki, why don't you travel the ninja world with me? Don't stay cooped up in Konoha!"
Suddenly, Tsunade spoke, her golden eyes gleaming with excitement.
"No!"
Before Kazuki could even respond, Tenten immediately rejected the idea.
"My brother just joined Anbu! How could he leave Konoha now?"
Seeing the little girl's determined expression, Tsunade scoffed.
"What's so great about Konoha? And it's just an Anbu captain position… Though he is about to be promoted to Anbu Commander… What's the big deal?"
"...Huh?"
"???"
Both Tenten and Kazuki were stunned.
"Anbu Commander?" Kazuki asked cautiously.
"Oh, it hasn't been officially announced yet."
Tsunade muttered nonchalantly.
"Didn't your last mission have an S-rank classification? After you left, I spoke with old man Sarutobi, and he decided to promote you."
"The official notice should be issued soon."
Kazuki nodded. He glanced at Tsunade and said softly, "Thank you."
He figured… she had probably played a role in his promotion.
Tsunade didn't bother hiding it and replied with a grin, "You're welcome!"
"If you really want to thank me… come with me when I leave Konoha! If you're there, I won't have to worry about losing money in the casinos!"
Her eyes gleamed mischievously.
Kazuki's cheek twitched. "I'll pass…"
Tenten, who had been frozen in shock, finally snapped back to reality.
"Anbu Commander…"
"S-rank mission…"
Suddenly, she turned to Kazuki and yelled in disbelief, "Brother! You took on an S-rank mission?!"
"You told me before it was just a B-rank mission!"
Even though Tenten hadn't officially graduated from the Academy yet, she knew how dangerous an S-rank mission was!
Chapter 89: Shall I Stay at Your House for a Few Days?
Realizing just how serious the situation was, Tenten couldn't contain her frustration.
As his younger sister, she was truly afraid of losing him.
"Alright, don't be mad, Tenten. I'm fine."
Kazuki tried to calm her down, but she remained unconvinced.
By now, the sun was setting, and the three of them walked through the streets of Konoha.
Upon reaching his home, Kazuki turned to Tsunade.
"Tsunade-sama, I'll take Tenten home now."
"Hm…"
But just as he was about to part ways, Tsunade suddenly had an idea.
"Kazuki, why don't I stay at your house for a few days?"
Even Kazuki was momentarily caught off guard by her words.
"Welcome!"
"No!"
Tenten, who had been sulking moments ago, immediately shut down the idea.
She eyed Tsunade suspiciously. Was it possible that the legendary Sannin had ulterior motives for her brother?!
"Tenten, don't be rude."
Kazuki sighed, patting her head before turning to Tsunade.
"Please don't mind her, Tsunade-sama. She's just a kid."
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