At the ninja cat hideout.
A special envoy from the Daimyo arrived to visit.
All the items previously plundered from the Uchiha shops by Kudo were returned—doubled in value. Furthermore, a special declaration was made stating that everything had been Kudo's unauthorized personal action and had nothing to do with the Daimyo. The Daimyo expressed deep respect for the Uchiha and vowed that Kudo would be imprisoned for life.
Moreover, having learned of the Uchiha's mission to seek heirs, the Daimyo specifically arranged for Princess Tsukihime of the Land of Fire to be betrothed to the Uchiha to help propagate their lineage.
When Raizen returned to the hideout and learned of this, his eyes nearly popped out of his head. What kind of madness had possessed the Daimyo? To actually marry his precious princess into the Uchiha clan?
Princess Tsukihime held the title of the most beautiful woman in the Land of Fire; she was the pearl in the Daimyo's palm. Raizen had heard rumors of her beauty during his previous time in the capital, though he had never seen her in person.
"Meow! Lord Raizen, Princess Tsukihime will arrive in Konoha with her dowry in one month. Do you wish to decline the Daimyo's offer?" Xiao Hua jumped in front of Raizen, handing him a scroll containing the Daimyo's compensatory gifts.
"Hmph! Though I don't know exactly what the Daimyo is plotting, he is offering his most beautiful daughter to the Uchiha. Such sincerity cannot be ignored. How could we refuse?"
Although Princess Tsukihime was a civilian, her reputation as the greatest beauty in the Land of Fire meant that any man—provided he wasn't a fool—would accept.
"Have the cats reply to the Daimyo. Tell him the Uchiha accept this marriage proposal."
Xiao Hua nodded. "Understood, Lord Raizen."
Raizen continued, "But for now, let's focus on reopening the shops."
"The cats have already been deployed," Xiao Hua reported. "We can fully resume business operations within a day or two."
"What about the casinos?" Raizen asked.
"The staff is safe and ready. We can open immediately."
"Good. And the pleasure houses?"
"Since those operate anonymously, the enemy didn't know we were the owners. They weren't attacked and are operating normally."
"Excellent. Xiao Hua, accompany me to the casino. I want to take a look."
Raizen's primary sources of income were the casinos and the pleasure houses; he placed great importance on their management. The pleasure houses didn't require much attention since they were running smoothly. However, the casinos attracted gamblers who liked to cause trouble when they lost, requiring more hands-on oversight.
Soon, Raizen arrived at one of his gambling dens in the capital. Business had resumed, but because of the recent harassment by rogue ninjas, the atmosphere was quiet. Only a few gamblers were playing.
"Lady Tsunade, please stop! If you keep going, we won't even have money for a hotel tonight."
In front of a slot machine stood a woman wearing a green coat with a ponytail of blonde hair. She possessed "assets" that would make even Kurenai and Anko envious. She was currently engrossed in feeding coins into the machine. Beside her stood a tall, slender woman in black, clutching a small pig and desperately trying to persuade her to stop.
"Hahaha, Shizune, just watch!"
"I'm definitely winning this round."
She dropped a coin and hit the start button, staring expectantly at the display. Tsunade's voice was loud; Raizen heard her clearly the moment he stepped inside.
That voice? Could it be the Legendary Sucker?
Raizen's eyes lit up as he walked toward the sound. A green coat with the character for "Gamble" on the back, blonde hair in twin ponytails... and that world-shaking chest. It was indeed Tsunade Hime, known in the gambling world as the Legendary Sucker.
Raizen was genuinely surprised. He never imagined that one day Tsunade would grace his establishment. With the Legendary Sucker here, his casino was practically guaranteed to turn a massive profit.
Raizen stepped up beside Tsunade, watching her play with interest. Sensing someone's presence, Tsunade glanced up at Raizen before returning her focus to the machine. Shizune, however, stared at Raizen's face with a look of pure infatuation. What a handsome man.
Raizen signaled for a tray of coins, sat down at the machine next to Tsunade, and began to play. Tsunade ignored him and continued her streak. Shizune, meanwhile, stole frequent glances at Raizen, her face flushing as she drifted into some unknown fantasy.
Beep, beep, beep!
Raizen dropped a coin and started the spin. The first symbol: Seven. The second: Seven. The third: Seven.
"I won?" Raizen murmured, slightly surprised.
Seeing him win, Tsunade's brow twitched. A large pile of coins poured out for Raizen. He continued. After a few more beeps, three watermelons appeared. He won again.
Raizen's eyes widened. His luck seemed suspiciously good today. Seeing him win a second time, Tsunade's scowl deepened.
Beep, beep, beep. Three bananas. Another win!
Raizen began to wonder if the machine was broken. He had personally calibrated these machines to ensure the house won more than it lost. How could he hit a triple streak?
"Hahaha, won again!" Raizen chuckled, collecting his coins.
Beside him, Tsunade couldn't take it anymore. Why was she losing every single round while this guy won three times in a row the moment he sat down? She stood up, looming over the seated Raizen.
"Move over. I want to play this machine."
Raizen looked up. Tsunade's "Great Peaks" were nearly pressed against his face. He looked at her chest with a touch of embarrassment, marveling at the sheer, suffocating scale. If she leaned in any further, he'd probably stop breathing.
"Uh, sure. No problem."
Giving up a seat to the Legendary Sucker was a no-brainer. As long as she was willing to play, she could sit wherever she wanted; the result would be the same. Raizen stood up and moved to the seat Tsunade had just vacated.
"At least you've got some sense, kid," Tsunade muttered. She sat down and glared intensely at the machine. Shizune's eyes also held a glimmer of hope. If they could snag a lucky machine, perhaps Lady Tsunade could win back their hotel money.
Tsunade began feeding coins. Raizen watched from the sidelines with amusement.
Beep, beep, beep. The machine whirred. The patterns stopped: Seven, Watermelon, Banana. Loss.
Tsunade grunted, refusing to be beaten. She dropped more coins. Watermelon, Banana, Mango. Loss again.
"I don't believe this!" Tsunade growled, shoving all her remaining coins into the slot at once.
Beep, beep, beep! The machine spun. Seven... Seven... Tsunade held her breath, her eyes fixed on the screen.
"Seven, seven, seven!" Shizune whispered, her fists clenched. If they hit the jackpot, they'd be back in the black.
Ding! The final reel stopped on a banana. Loss!
Seeing the result, Shizune slumped in despair. "It's over. We're sleeping on the streets tonight."
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