"Brat, what kind of eyes are those? You looking to die?"
Tsunade clenched her fist, her expression darkening.
"Cough, Tsunade-sama… your eyes don't really say 'I'm trying to learn restraint,'"
Shizune stepped forward awkwardly, trying to defuse the tension.
She was used to this sort of thing Tsunade blowing her top was basically a daily occurrence. She didn't even flinch anymore.
Tsunade gave her apprentice a sideways glance, then turned her sharp gaze toward Jingyi. She narrowed her eyes slightly.
"You've got eyes like mine," she muttered. Then, folding her arms, she scoffed, "Gambling is a noble pursuit. It's part of my nindo."
"I believe it," Jingyi replied flatly, his tone betraying no hint of sarcasm.
Tsunade's scowl relaxed into something close to a smile.
"But," she continued, "I don't need to bet money myself. I can just watch others gamble and spot the cheaters. If someone's dumb enough to try and pull a fast one in front of me, I'll make them cough up a thousand ryo to cover my losses."
Shizune blinked in disbelief. She wanted to object… but couldn't find the logic hole.
Until
"Are you hearing yourself?" Jingyi said with a smirk. "Everyone in the Land of Fire knows your name. No one would dare cheat you they'd run the second you walked in."
"You little punk, wanna get smashed?!"
Boom!
Tsunade slammed her fist into the rock wall beside them. The stone cracked like glass under her raw strength.
She was pissed.
Did this brat just insult her gambling skills? The Legendary Sucker, ridiculed in every casino from Tanzaku Quarters to Fire Town?
"I'll show you," she growled, pulling out a deck of cards. "Let's bet. One round."
Jingyi calmly took the cards and began shuffling. "Alright. Easiest game guessing cards. You sure you're ready?"
"Bring it on."
They sat cross-legged by the roadside. Shizune stood behind them, speechless.
Jingyi laid down two cards face-down.
Tsunade grinned confidently.
"You not going to check your own cards?"
"No need. I already won."
Tsunade twitched. Smug little...
She flipped both cards.
A loss.
Again.
And again.
Three rounds.
"Wait a second, are you cheating?!" she snapped.
"Cheating? Tsunade-sama, you're the one who's supposed to see through cheaters. If I were cheating, you'd know... right?"
Jingyi's smirk didn't help her mood.
Tsunade gritted her teeth. Her fists trembled with frustration. She wasn't even losing money, and yet this kid was getting under her skin worse than Jiraiya.
"Shizune," Jingyi said, dusting off his hands, "why don't you take a turn?"
"Eh? Me? But I don't know how to play…"
"Doesn't matter. Just draw and let her see your card. She'll tell you who wins."
Shizune reluctantly sat down.
Five rounds later, Tsunade was fuming.
"Enough! This is dumb!"
She stood up and kicked the deck aside. Shizune, visibly nervous, just stared at the scattered cards.
"You see?" Jingyi said, standing up calmly. "Tsunade-sama, you've got terrible luck. Even people who don't know how to play beat you."
"Then I just won't bet anymore!" Tsunade huffed. "I'll watch and catch cheaters. That way I still make money!"
She seemed genuinely inspired by this.
Jingyi internally sighed. Wasn't I trying to convince her to stop gambling…?
Tsunade, on the other hand, looked thrilled with herself.
"Hey, Jingyi," she asked, her eyes sparkling, "any other ideas for earning quick money?"
He blinked.
After a moment, he answered, "...Have you considered getting a pet?"
"A pet?" she and Shizune said in unison.
"We barely have enough to eat!" Shizune added, exasperated.
"You idiot," Tsunade snapped. "A trained pet could be useful. If someone comes to collect a debt, I give them the pet. Then it escapes and comes back. Boom debt erased. Genius!"
Her eyes gleamed with renewed excitement.
Jingyi gave up trying to argue. It was like talking to a boulder.
At that moment, a quiet chime echoed in his mind.
[System Notification]
He glanced at the interface only he could see.
[Mission Complete: 'Actual Combat Training' and 'Will of Fire Instruction']
Rating: Excellent
Reward: Genjutsu – Demonic Illusion: Darkness Technique
Not bad.
Then came a second, less expected one:
[Mission Complete: 'Gambling and Debt Strategy Lectures']
Rating: Good
Reward: Taijutsu Skill – Sudden Charge
…Seriously? That counts?!
He looked up at Tsunade again. She was gazing toward the horizon, the wind gently fluttering her hair.
"Kid," she said, "if things ever get too rough in the village… come find me. Don't you die, you hear?"
"…Yeah," Jingyi nodded. "I got it."
He understood what she meant.
Konoha might look kind on the surface, but even the Senju clan founders of the village weren't safe from politics. With Danzo lurking in the shadows and even the Hokage watching closely, trust was a rare currency.
Tsunade patted his shoulder firmly.
"You're like a little brother to me. As long as you're not committing treason, no one will stop me from protecting you."
"…And if there is a day like that?"
She didn't answer. She didn't need to.