Meanwhile, those words drifting into the ears of Tsunade, who had already lost interest and was preparing to accept Shinichi's suggestion to leave, seemed to carry a strange magic.
Her eyes instantly lit up, and she suddenly turned toward Shinichi.
"Shinichi! One last round! We'll use only what's left! This time, you do it! Just press it randomly. Win or lose, we absolutely stop after this! I swear!"
Gamblers really are hopeless.
Shinichi sighed helplessly in his heart before speaking.
"You said it yourself. Last round. Once it's over, we will leave."
"Yes, yes! I said it! Hurry, you press it!" Tsunade nodded repeatedly, giving up the seat while staring fixedly at the screen.
Shinichi helplessly stepped forward and dumped all the remaining chips from the tray into the machine at once, quickly selecting matching symbols.
Then, under Tsunade's suddenly widening eyes, he casually slapped the huge start button.
"W-wait! You kid! Why did you choose all 7s?!"
Tsunade nearly lost her breath, her eyes widening roundly.
"Three 7s is the top jackpot combination! Do you know how low the probability is?! Isn't this basically the same as throwing the money away?! Ahhh! My money!!"
Shinichi did not answer. He simply stared quietly at the screen as the spinning symbols gradually slowed down…
The first reel slowly stopped.
A bright gold-edged 7!
Tsunade's eyes instantly widened.
The second reel shook and trembled as though struggling before finally stopping on another 7!
"T-two already!"
Tsunade's voice had already begun to tremble as her fists unconsciously clenched.
The third reel was the key to the final result. It spun the slowest, as though deliberately torturing the nerves of everyone watching.
Ding!
Finally, under Tsunade's almost suffocating gaze, the third reel stopped firmly on a shining golden 7!!!
Three 7s stood side by side, radiating dazzling light across the screen.
Ding! Dong!! Dong!!! Dong!!!! Dong!!!!!
"Jackpot!!!!"
"Congratulations!!! Big winner!!!"
The slot machine erupted in deafening electronic cheers that echoed throughout the area!
The machine's lights flashed wildly like a miniature festival! Exaggerated numbers appeared on the screen, continuously increasing, accompanied by animations of gold coins raining everywhere!
They hit the grand jackpot!
And it was the highest multiplier jackpot, the triple-7 combination!
Tsunade: "(△)"
Shinichi: "('-ω-`)"
Tsunade completely froze in place, her mouth slightly open. She stared at the astonishing numbers on the screen, then looked at Shinichi beside her, who remained calm as though he had merely pressed a switch. Her mind went blank.
Who am I? Where am I? What just happened? I hit the jackpot? H-how is that possible?!
At that moment, several well-dressed casino employees who seemed to have been waiting nearby immediately rushed over with respectful smiles.
The leader, a middle-aged man who looked like a manager, instantly bowed deeply.
"Congratulations, Lady Tsunade! Congratulations, Shinichi-sama! Congratulations on winning the grand prize in one stroke! It is our utmost honor to witness such a glorious moment!"
Clearly, this casino with a powerful background had its own information network. Not long after Tsunade and Shinichi, two major figures of the Shinobi World, entered the casino, the owner behind the scenes had likely already received the news and had secretly instructed everyone to serve them carefully, neither offending them nor allowing any accidents to occur.
Facing the employees' flattery, Shinichi merely nodded slightly and calmly said, "Please help us exchange the chips."
"Yes, yes, yes! We'll process it immediately! Please accompany us, Lady Tsunade, to the vip room for a short rest while we settle everything right away!" The manager hurriedly responded while waving his subordinates over to clear away the curious crowd and open a path.
Half an hour later, inside a private room at a high-end restaurant called Tsukimitei in Tanzaku Town.
The table was already filled with exquisite dishes, but Shizune's attention was clearly not on the food.
Her wide eyes stared unblinkingly at the blonde woman sitting across from her, who was trying to act nonchalant but simply could not suppress the upward curve of her lips.
"Tsunade-sensei? Y-you just said you won money? At a casino? And won a lot?"
Shizune's voice was full of disbelief, even carrying a trace of horror.
Ever since she could remember, Tsunade had never once walked away from a gambling table with money. She always left completely broke or even buried in debt.
Winning money?
This was more unbelievable than the Sage of Six Paths coming back to life!
Could it be haunted? Or did the casino make a mistake?
All sorts of outrageous guesses flashed through Shizune's mind.
Tsunade picked up the sake cup in front of her and pretended to take an elegant sip while trying hard to keep her expression calm and detached, but the corners of her mouth that she could not suppress still gave her away: "Ahem! What's there to make such a fuss about? Your teacher here has dominated gambling halls far and wide, with rich experience. Being able to win big money is perfectly normal, isn't it?
"Alright, alright, order whatever you want to eat, no need to look at the prices! After we finish eating, wherever you want to go shopping, whatever you want to buy, just say it! I'm in a good mood today, I'll pay for everything!"
However, the suspicion in Shizune's eyes not only failed to fade, but it also became even stronger.
Could it really have been Shinichi who won?
Her gaze drifted toward Shinichi, who had remained calm ever since sitting down, leisurely eating appetizers with unhurried movements.
...
After the meal, Tsunade grandly led Shizune and Kurenai Yuhi back to the busiest commercial street, while Shinichi politely declined the invitation to join them, saying he wanted to walk around alone.
At night, the street was even more bustling and lively than during the day, with neon lights flashing everywhere and crowds pressing shoulder to shoulder.
Meanwhile, Shinichi wandered alone through the intricate, brightly lit streets of Tanzaku Town as if without purpose.
"Where could it be?"
Shinichi slowed his steps, slightly closed his eyes, and focused all his thoughts on the strange throbbing sensation in his heart that was becoming clearer and stronger.
Following the guidance of an inexplicable intuition, he turned past two lively street corners and entered a relatively quiet side road.
The lights here were much dimmer, and pedestrians were sparse, forming a sharp contrast with the prosperity of the main street, as if they belonged to two different worlds.
Various clutter and trash bins were piled along the roadside, and a faint smell of decay lingered in the air.
Shinichi stood at the intersection, his gaze slowly sweeping across the sparse pedestrians and shadowed corners. The throbbing feeling in his heart reached its peak here.
It's nearby here. What could it be?
"Big brother, please give me something to eat… I'm so hungry… I haven't eaten for two days…"
A weak childish voice trembling with fear and timidity came from the shadows at the entrance of a nearby alley.
Shinichi turned his head and looked toward the source of the voice.
There, curled up in the shadows beside some clutter in the corner of the wall, was a boy who looked to be around five years old.
He had long brown hair that lacked care, appearing dry and messy as it draped over his shoulders. He wore obviously ill-fitting, dirty, torn clothes, and his bare feet were stained with mud and dust.