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She and Shizune had not returned to Konoha for a long time.
So after the two finally stepped back into the village, Shizune first returned to the Kato residence to pay her respects and tidy up some affairs.
At that moment, Tsunade was alone in the Konoha casino.
With no one around to restrain her impulses, Tsunade gambled with even greater abandon.
The dealer picked up the stack of Hanafuda-style cards and began shuffling skillfully.
Others at the table started placing their bets, and the stakes were not low.
Even the most conservative gambler placed a bet of tens of thousands of ryō.
Tsunade, however, took out the most—well over several hundred thousand ryō, including three large bills marked with 100,000 each.
"This... this is..."
Standing not far away in a green robe,
A girl with twin buns and sharp eyes—Tiantian—had her mouth agape in awe, her gaze fixed in disbelief.
She had seen this woman before—on the scrolls in the Konoha archive room.
Could it be…?
The person she'd admired most since childhood—her idol, the legend herself—
Tsunade-sama!
No doubt about it!
The real deal!
She looked exactly like the portrait from over a decade ago!
Despite the passage of time, her beauty remained undiminished, and her figure was just as striking!
This was truly the living, breathing Princess Tsunade of the Sannin!
"Brother, brother! Do you see her too? Am I dreaming? I-I think I just saw—" Tiantian was already trembling with excitement, tugging Tian Yu's sleeve repeatedly, her eyes brimming with admiration.
"Yes, that woman is Tsunade," Tian Yu nodded calmly. "I brought you here just to see her."
"!!"
Tiantian's shock deepened.
Looking up at Tian Yu, her eyes now sparkled with a different kind of admiration.
"No way, brother—you even know Tsunade-sama? You're incredible!"
Tian Yu simply smiled and didn't say anything.
Know Tsunade?
At this point, their relationship wasn't just familiarity—they shared a solid camaraderie built over shared experience.
Tian Yu didn't rush to greet Tsunade right away. Instead, he silently stood with Tiantian as observers, watching Tsunade play several rounds.
As expected—
Tsunade, true to her infamous Gambling King curse, lost every single round.
This time, it wasn't due to rigged cards or shady dealings—this particular casino was officially sanctioned by the village and had long maintained tight security and regulation against cheating.
No—Tsunade lost because of her legendary misfortune.
Tian Yu watched Tsunade's pitiful plays and winced.
Even with strong starting hands, she still made poor decisions and lost every round.
This woman…
Did she even know how to play cards?
If the phrase "loser's instinct" needed a face, it was definitely hers.
"Alright, Tsunade, that's enough. You've already lost too much," Tian Yu finally couldn't hold back and spoke up.
Tsunade, who had just suffered several painful losses totaling hundreds of thousands, looked thoroughly defeated.
But the moment she heard Tian Yu's voice—
Her eyes instantly lit up in surprise and joy.
"Huh? Tian Yu?! What are you doing here?!"
"I'm here to trouble you with something."
"Trouble? No, no! Help me win a few games first! I'm down a fortune!"
Tsunade suddenly dragged Tian Yu over, wrapping her arm around his neck like an old friend.
Her tone was warm, almost flirtatious.
"I'm here on official business…" Tian Yu sighed.
"Hahaha! Helping me recover my money is official business! Don't worry—if you help me win today, I'll owe you big-time!"
Tsunade laughed heartily, her mood completely transformed just by seeing him.
"Really?" Tian Yu raised an eyebrow, clearly intrigued.
"Of course! I, Tsunade, never go back on my word!" she said proudly, puffing her chest.
So, Tian Yu took her place at the gambling table.
"Who's this kid? Never seen him around here before."
The other gamblers eyed him curiously.
He looked barely thirteen—delicate features, black hair tied back with a jade clasp, and sharp eyes that glinted with youthful clarity. He seemed like some noble family's pampered heir.
"Heehee, this is my little brother," Tsunade announced with a cheeky grin. "He'll play a few rounds on my behalf. I'll cover all his bets. Any objections?"
"None," the others nodded,
As long as Tsunade-sama was footing the bill, they had nothing to worry about.
Besides, with a baby-faced newcomer like him, it would be easy to clean him out.
Or so they thought.
The game resumed.
"I'll deal this time. Kid, just follow our lead," the old man at the table said as he shuffled the cards again.
Bets were placed.
Tian Yu took the last 50,000 ryō Tsunade had and pushed it all in at once.
Smirks and snickering filled the table.
They all thought he was another rich fool who didn't know better.
Tiantian glared at them, fuming, before looking at her brother nervously.
She had never seen him gamble before.
But Tian Yu wasn't nervous.
He had already grasped the rules while observing earlier—this local variant of bridge wasn't difficult to master.
The game went like this:
Shuffle, deal, build hands, and compare points.
Players only competed against the dealer—if their hand beat the dealer's, they won.
---
As time passed,
The gambling table where Tian Yu played became the center of attention.
At first, the games were evenly matched—everyone had their share of wins and losses.
But after a few rounds, things began to shift.
Tian Yu's chips started multiplying:
50,000 ryō became 100,000,
100,000 became 200,000,
200,000 turned to 400,000,
Then 800,000…
And soon—1.6 million!
In just thirty minutes, silver bills were stacked like bricks beside Tian Yu!
He was on fire!
The old man gritted his teeth and forced a smile. "Kid… you're lucky. Very lucky."
But of course, Tian Yu knew better.
This wasn't luck.
Yes, the casino enforced strict regulations to prevent blatant cheating.
But in the world of seasoned gamblers, sleight of hand—the thousand-hand technique—was just part of the game.
Tian Yu felt no guilt about it. Every player at that table was using tricks of their own.
In other words, they were all cheating.
That meant the match was technically fair.
But compared to them,
Tian Yu's technique was simply superior.
After those first few rounds, he didn't lose a single game.
By the time he hit 1.6 million, the atmosphere turned cold.
The other players glanced at each other, exchanging subtle signals.
"One last big round!" someone suddenly called.
The others agreed immediately—this was their final chance to win everything back in one shot.
Tian Yu didn't mind.
He calmly pushed all 1.6 million into the center.
If he lost this hand, he'd lose it all.
The cards were shuffled, dealt.
Tension thickened. The room fell silent.
Everyone looked at their cards.
Suddenly—
"Ha!" A burst of laughter rang out.
The old man sitting across from Tian Yu beamed, his white beard trembling as he laughed.
His matched cards gleamed with promise.
His eyes swept across the table—
And stopped on Tian Yu.
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