Tanzaku Street, Gambling Den.
The air was thick with a complex mix of tobacco, sweat, and copper coins, as shouts, the clatter of dice, and the clinking of chips crashing down interwove into a sea of clamor.
This was a paradise or Hell for gamblers, where money and luck collided in a frenzy.
Before the most crowded gambling table, the surrounding throng was exceptionally excited.
Not because the stakes were the highest, but because the one sitting opposite the dealer was the Legendary Sucker.
Her long blonde hair was tied in a ponytail, a diamond mark sat upon her forehead, and her figure was proud and imposing.
At this moment, she was staring intently at the dice cup shaking in the dealer's hand, her breathing slightly hurried.
Beside her, Shizune, holding the little pink pig Tonton, anxiously tugged at Tsunade's sleeve and leaned in to whisper a reminder:
"Lady Tsunade, you can't gamble anymore. Our money is almost gone. If you keep losing, we won't even have enough for a room or food!"
Shizune was nearly driven mad with worry.
They had gambled their way here from the Land of Hot Springs. Their once-plentiful travel funds had been nearly depleted under Lady Tsunade's terrifying "luck" of losing every bet.
At this rate, they really would end up on the streets!
However, Tsunade, in the heat of her gambling fever, was in no mood for advice.
"Alright, alright, I get it! Stop nagging!"
Tsunade waved her hand dismissively with some impatience, her gaze still locked onto the dice cup.
"Watch me this time; I'll win back everything I lost in one go!"
She took a deep breath, her face lighting up with a mix of hope and desperation common to gamblers, and then without hesitation, she pushed all her remaining chips into the "Big" area!
"All in!"
With a grand sweep of her hand, she shouted at the dealer:
"Come on! Keep going, open it!"
The surrounding crowd erupted in excited gasps and jeers.
The Legendary Sucker went all in again!
Here comes the good part!
The dealer was likely overjoyed internally as he lifted the dice cup under everyone's gaze.
"One, two, three—six points, Small!"
The crisp announcement of the points sounded like a final judgment.
The pile of chips representing Tsunade's last hope was skillfully swept away by the dealer.
In the end, she naturally lost everything.
"Lost... lost again..."
Shizune's vision went dark, and she nearly fainted.
Tonton let out a "pu-pu" sound in her arms, as if sighing in grief.
Tsunade stared blankly at the empty table, the bravado and hope on her face instantly freezing before crumbling.
She pursed her lips, a brief flash of bewilderment and defeat crossing her eyes, but it was quickly replaced by a deeper irritation and the obsession—or perhaps self-consolation—that "one more time and I'll definitely turn it around."
"Tch, what rotten luck!"
She muttered a curse, felt her empty pockets, and habitually reached for her sake flask, only to find it empty as well.
Finally, she leaned back against the chair, somewhat dejected.
The moneylenders and speculators in the gambling den, who had long since targeted the "Legendary Sucker," swarmed in like sharks scenting blood!
"Lady Tsunade, don't lose heart, I'll lend you money!"
A fat man with a face full of smiles and shrewd eyes was the first to approach, holding a promissory note.
"Me too! My interest is low and the process is fast!"
A tall, thin man refused to be outdone.
"Lady Tsunade, no collateral needed here, just your reputation is enough!"
Yet another voice rang out.
They all spoke at once, scrambling as if Tsunade hadn't just lost everything but was instead a lucky winner about to hit the jackpot.
Although Tsunade's reputation as the "Legendary Sucker" was widespread, and she often defaulted on debts or disappeared, this didn't stop the moneylenders from flocking to her.
The reason was simple: Jiraiya.
In the eyes of these moneylenders, Jiraiya was a true hero, a man of real integrity!
The vast majority of Tsunade's gambling debts were paid off by Jiraiya.
For these lenders, whether it was Tsunade herself or Jiraiya who eventually paid, as long as the money returned to their hands with interest paid promptly, that was enough!
To them, Tsunade was simply a "high-quality client" with a reliable "guarantor" and immense spending power!
Two casino thugs were thrown inside.
"Who says she's out of money?"
A clear voice drifted in from the entrance.
"Lady Tsunade, I've come to bring you some money."
He wore Konoha's iconic green Jonin vest over a dark blue undershirt, his headband perfectly straight.
In his hand, he casually carried a cloth bag that looked heavy.
Tsunade and Shizune both turned their heads simultaneously toward the source of the voice.
Their eyes met directly with Naruto's, who was holding the money bag and looking at them calmly.
Shizune's eyes instantly widened, her mouth hanging slightly open, while Tonton poked its head out curiously from her arms.
'This boy... looks so much like... the Fourth Hokage...'
Shizune gasped internally.
Shizune was Kato Dan's niece and about the same age as Kakashi, so she had naturally seen Minato.
The boy's features, hair color, and even that calm yet sharp temperament were seventy to eighty percent similar to the Fourth Hokage in her memory.
However, with the six whisker-like marks on his face, he was different after all.
Tsunade's reaction was faster than Shizune's, and far more complex.
After her initial shock, shock, doubt, and scrutiny flashed through her emerald eyes.
She looked at Naruto, then at the money bag in his hand.
This kid... could he be... Minato's son?
Did the Old Man actually dare to let the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki leave the Village for a mission?
Naruto ignored the fellows slumped on the ground in lingering terror, as well as the various suspicious and probing gazes in the gambling den.
Carrying the money bag, he walked straight through the crowd that parted for him and reached Tsunade's gambling table.
He opened the bag, and stacks of bills fell onto the table, quickly piling into a small mountain.
Everyone was shocked by this display—how could that small bag contain so much money?
This money was all from Naruto's royalties. Aside from a tight budget for physical training during his time at the Ninja Academy, Naruto had never really lacked money.
Tsunade watched this scene with some surprise.
But after a moment's thought, she understood how it was done.
Was a Sealing Technique used on that bag?
Naruto pointed at the money.
"Gamble. Once you've lost it all, come with me to treat a patient."
Tsunade leaned back, the chair creaking slightly. She crossed her arms, accentuating her proud curves, though her posture relaxed a bit.
She took the money bag from Naruto and then signaled to the wide-eyed Shizune to put the money away.
It just so happened that Tsunade didn't want to gamble anymore; as Shizune had said, if she continued, she wouldn't even have money for sake.
That simply wouldn't do!
"I'll take the money for now."
Then, she stood up, her posture erect, instantly regaining the Aura of one of the Legendary Sannin.
"Let's go treat the patient first."
Naruto took out a bottle of sake he had bought in advance from his ninja tool pouch and handed it to the approaching Tsunade.
"Daiginjo sake, huh? It'll do."
Tsunade unceremoniously took the sake and began chugging it straight from the bottle.