Two days later, in the southwest of the Land of Fire, lay a town famous for its hot springs and trade.
Tejima Shinichi appeared on a bustling street. He wore a sun-shading bamboo hat and ordinary traveling clothes, his presence muted, making him indistinguishable from the surrounding travelers.
He stopped in front of a seemingly ordinary local specialty shop.
After noting an inconspicuous flame mark on the door frame—resembling a child's graffiti—he quietly circled to the back of the shop and pushed open a secret door leading to the storage room.
The room beyond was dim; the moment he stepped inside, the lights suddenly flicked on.
"Who is it?"
A low voice came from behind, full of vigilance.
Hearing the voice, Tejima Shinichi turned around calmly.
He took off the bamboo hat, revealing his young face and amber eyes.
When the person in front of him saw his true face, the cold glint in their eyes instantly vanished.
An Anbu operative, dressed as an ordinary merchant, flickered and reappeared, kneeling on one knee before Tejima Shinichi with his head slightly lowered in deep respect.
"Lord Shinichi!"
Tejima Shinichi looked at the Anbu operative before him and, without any extra pleasantries, cut straight to the chase.
"Make it quick, I'm on a tight schedule. According to the intelligence you sent back yesterday, Lady Tsunade appeared in this town yesterday?"
"Yes, Lord Shinichi!" the Anbu operative replied immediately. "Our people confirmed that Lady Tsunade and her companion, Shizune, arrived yesterday afternoon and are currently staying at the 'Blossom Inn' in the town's east district. Judging by her past patterns of movement, they are likely..."
The Anbu operative paused, his voice helpless.
"...at the largest 'Kinmitsuya' casino in town right now."
The operative's helplessness was understandable.
After all, the person he was reporting on was one of the Sannin who shook the ninja world, Konoha's legendary Princess Tsunade.
However, this lady's current title among the common folk was one known to everyone in the casinos—The Legendary Sucker!
Tejima Shinichi only nodded slightly, indicating he understood.
"It's fine, as long as I know the specific location!"
He put the bamboo hat back on his head, covering most of his face.
"Continue your surveillance and keep the information flowing. Leave the rest to me!"
Without asking for any more details, he turned and left, his figure merging back into the flow of people on the street outside, with a clear direction—the east district of the town, that casino named 'Kinmitsuya'
... Inside the Kinmitsuya Casino.
The largest gambling table was crowded with red-eyed, heavy-breathing gamblers.
In the center of the crowd, a blonde woman was particularly eye-catching.
She wore a grass-green robe with the character for 'Gamble' on the back and a blue-purple mark on her forehead. Propping her hands on the gambling table, she leaned forward and shouted at the dice cup on the table.
"Again! I don't believe in this bad luck! This time, all in—Small!"
She slammed her few remaining chips forward.
As her voice fell, the surrounding gamblers, like sharks smelling blood, instantly erupted into an even greater clamor, scrambling to bet their chips on 'Big'.
The dealer responsible for shaking the dice looked at the one-sided betting, cold sweat seeping from his forehead.
"Damn it, I don't believe it, wagering my life's craft..."
He gritted his teeth and, bracing himself, uncovered the dice cup—
Three dice, clearly two fives and a six.
—Big!
In an instant, the dealer's eyes looked as if they were about to pop out of their sockets!
"Yahoo—!"
The gamblers erupted in deafening cheers, frantically raking back piles of chips.
"How is that possible?!" Tsunade's eyes widened in disbelief. She suddenly leaned over, grabbed the dealer's collar, pulled him toward her, and shouted angrily. "How can it be Big again! Are you cheating?! Speak!"
The dealer's face turned pale from being throttled, and he cried out in grievance.
"Miss! Please be reasonable! Even if I were cheating, I should have rolled Small to let you win! By rolling Big, aren't I losing even more?! What would be the point for me?!"
These words left Tsunade stunned.
She let go resentfully, pushed the dealer away, and irritably scratched her blonde hair. Looking at the empty table in front of her, she let out a lament.
"Damn it! Lost it all again!"
Behind her, holding the pink piglet Tonton, Shizune could only let her shoulders slump weakly and let out a sigh.
"Lost it all again... Lady Tsunade, shouldn't we consider our money for the next meal..."
Tsunade seemed not to hear. Irritably scratching her hair, she suddenly stood up, her chair screeching harshly against the floor.
"I'm done! Today's luck is too rotten!"
She turned away angrily, pushed through the still-cheering gamblers behind her, and strode out of the casino.
The gamblers watched 'The Legendary Sucker' leave, letting out waves of regretful boos.
On the street, Tsunade's anger had not yet subsided. Shizune followed behind holding Tonton, looking at her shriveled wallet with a worried face.
"Um... Lady Tsunade," Shizune said, on the verge of tears as she pulled out money from the wallet that wasn't even enough for a single meal. "We... we almost don't even have money for tonight's lodging and food..."
Tsunade was already irritable from losing money. Hearing this, she waved her hand dismissively, trying to save face.
"How noisy! It's just a tiny bit of money... Tomorrow, once my luck turns around, I'll naturally win it back!"
That said, perhaps because the excitement from the casino had passed, Tsunade's own stomach let out a faint growl at an inopportune moment, causing the expression on her face to freeze instantly.
Seeing this scene, Shizune felt a wave of despair.
As the atmosphere grew awkward, a voice rang out from the side.
"If you two don't mind, how about I treat you to a simple meal, Sister Tsunade?"
Tsunade and Shizune were both startled and looked toward the source of the voice.
They saw a boy wearing a bamboo hat and carrying a huge food box standing not far away.
Tsunade narrowed her eyes. Although the other party's tone was respectful, she remained wary, especially displeased by the overly intimate form of address.
"Kid, you've got a sweet tongue... but don't go around calling just anyone 'Sister', you bastard!"
Upto 30 chapters ahead on patreon :-
patreon.com/Viki2