Chapter 56
"Tsunade-sensei, why are you here?" Uzumaki Kushina said in surprise.
On the other hand, Nawaki, who was very familiar with Tsunade, had already covered his face and sighed helplessly.
"Sister… you didn't lose everything again, did you?"
"Eh? You're already here, pretty fast."
Tsunade, still dressed in her ninja outfit and on her way out of the casino, spotted them and grinned happily.
"How was it? Jiraiya — that unreliable idiot — should've been reliable this time, right?"
Seeing that everyone was present, whole, and without any missing limbs, Tsunade inwardly thought maybe she should start trusting Jiraiya a little more.
"Teacher Jiraiya was following us secretly the whole way," Namikaze Minato explained.
"Good, good." Tsunade nodded. The mission pay was gone anyway — it was about time to head back.
But suddenly, an idea popped into Tsunade's mind. She glanced at them, eyes gleaming.
"You guys already submitted your mission, right? How about this — lend me your mission bounty and I'll take it for one last round in the casino," Tsunade coaxed, voice sweet as honey.
"If I win, the money's all yours. If I lose… I'll pay it back after the next mission, promise."
"Sister!!"
"I won't let you touch my teammates' hard-earned mission pay!"
Nawaki quickly stepped in front of everyone, arms spread out wide, face stern. As Tsunade's younger brother, no one knew her gambling luck better than he did.
If normal people lost nine times out of ten, Tsunade lost ten times out of ten!
She had never won a single bet — unless their grandfather Hashirama Senju had placed it for her.
Handing mission pay to Tsunade was basically burning it.
Even though she promised to pay it back with her next mission's pay, what about now? They were out shopping. If the money was gone, they'd be broke for the day — and "shopping" would become nothing but window-shopping.
"Alright, alright, Nawaki — I won't gamble anymore," Tsunade said, a little helpless.
Although her gambling itch hadn't died down, she was still willing to restrain herself in front of Nawaki.
At least on the surface.
But then, Asakawa Naoki suddenly spoke up.
"Tsunade-sensei, I'll lend you my mission pay," Asakawa Naoki smiled.
"But I'd like to go in with you and see how you gamble."
"You little brat." Tsunade's eyes lit up. She didn't expect there'd be someone like her among Orochimaru's students.
"Asakawa, what are you doing?!" Nawaki looked at him, both confused and anxious.
"You don't get it — my sister's a huge fat sheep in Konoha's gambling scene! You give her your money, and you'll neversee it again today!"
"Naoki!" Tsunade glared.
"What kind of brother talks about his sister like that in front of outsiders? I used to win all the time with Grandpa!"
"Yeah, well — anyway, Asakawa, trust me. She loses ten times out of ten," Nawaki sighed.
"Don't worry, Naoki."
Asakawa Naoki calmly handed his remaining 90,000 Ryo to Tsunade.
With him here, it'd be harder for her to lose than win.
"Didn't think you had that kind of money on you." Tsunade took the 90,000 Ryo, a little surprised.
For a fresh genin, 90,000 Ryo wasn't pocket change.
"Tsunade-sensei, I'll lend you mine too." Uchiha Mikoto grinned and pulled out 100,000 Ryo.
"And mine," Uzumaki Kushina cheerfully offered 30,000 Ryo.
...
The herd mentality was terrifying sometimes.
Asakawa Naoki didn't expect that in the end, all nine of them would hand over their mission bounties from the escort and rebel ninja mission to Tsunade.
Even Rope Tree, after watching his companions do it, sighed and reluctantly handed his over too.
"You lot are really loaded."
Tsunade looked down at the 400,000 Ryo in her hands, her heart softening a little for the first time at a gambling table.
While 400,000 Ryo wasn't a fortune for a Senju heir like her, this was different — it was the first hard-earned bounty these kids made on their first mission.
And now, they'd handed it over to her with blind trust.
For a moment, Tsunade hesitated.
But then her itch to win it all back overcame the guilt.
With a determined face, she turned toward the casino entrance.
"I'll win this time!"
Tsunade stepped into the casino, and Asakawa Naoki followed behind.
The others were about to go in too, but were stopped at the entrance.
"Sorry, everyone — only Lady Tsunade can enter," the staff politely informed.
"It's fine. I'm with her," Asakawa Naoki smiled.
"Naoki, you're wasting your time. You don't understand my sister," Nawaki called after him helplessly.
"Relax. I know exactly what I'm doing," Asakawa Naoki answered with a grin.
Of all of them, no one understood Tsunade better than him.
After all, Rope Tree had only spent his life alongside her.
Asakawa Naoki knew Tsunade's entire future — that without him, she'd go on to become the Fifth Hokage.
Tsunade and Asakawa Naoki entered while the others waited outside.
"Little guy — watch me win it all back!" Tsunade grinned.
"Got it, Tsunade-sensei," Asakawa Naoki replied.
After today, he figured he wouldn't have to worry about food money for a while.
Because this was a casino near the Fire Country frontlines, most of the gamblers were Konoha ninjas, including a few jonin.
With Tsunade's reputation and strength, practically every Konoha ninja here knew her.
After all, Orochimaru had just taken over the frontlines a few days ago, and he was Tsunade's teammate.
Even if they hadn't been officially titled the Legendary Three yet, every Konoha shinobi on the front lines knew their names.
Thankfully, everyone was also well aware of Tsunade's gambling habits — and the fact that she always played fair.
Otherwise, no one would dare gamble with her.
"Tsunade-sama, weren't you leaving earlier?" a ninja who knew her asked.
"My student just lent me some money — gonna win back everything I lost!" Tsunade declared proudly.
"Well then, good luck, Tsunade-sama!" the ninja laughed.
"Of course!" Tsunade laughed back.
As they made their way through the casino, both ninjas and civilians alike greeted Tsunade with warm, enthusiastic smiles.
Who didn't love Tsunade — Konoha's most famous fat sheep at the gambling tables?
Even the unluckiest players could make easy money by betting against her.
That was the charm of having a fat sheep like Tsunade in the house.
"Tsunade-sama, come play at my table!"
"No, no — come here, Lady Tsunade!"
Another civilian almost slipped up, about to call her a fat sheep before catching himself just in time.
*********
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