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War had resumed. Unlike the Third Great Ninja War, this conflict involved only Konohagakure and Kumogakure. For now, it was a tense standoff. The last invasion by Kumogakure had failed, thanks to Namikaze Minato single-handedly stopping the famous AB Combo—Fourth Raikage A and Killer B, the Eight-Tails Jinchūriki. But now, Minato was dead.
Without him, Kumogakure wasted no time in launching another assault on Konoha. If the Leaf Village hadn't managed to hold the line, Kumo would have spilled blood. In truth, Kumo didn't need to win outright; they would be satisfied with gaining leverage for the eventual peace talks. It wasn't likely that Konoha, weakened after losing the Fourth Hokage, would commit to a full-blown war against Kumogakure.
According to the original timeline, this war would last two to three years.
Natsume remembered it vividly—not for the battles, but because of the incident that followed during the peace talks. A diplomat from Kumogakure attempted to kidnap Hinata Hyūga, the eldest daughter of the Hyūga Clan. He was killed by Hiashi Hyūga, and in retaliation, Kumo demanded that Konoha hand over Hiashi. When Konoha refused, war seemed imminent. In the end, Hizashi Hyūga, Hiashi's brother, offered his life as a substitute, preventing further conflict.
Now, Natsume found himself on Tanshu Street, a bustling district in Konoha where people indulged in eating, drinking, gambling, and other pleasures. Vendors lined the street, izakayas were packed with patrons, and women stood outside certain establishments, offering their services. Even in the cold, many sought warmth in the company of others.
Tsunade, unbothered by the scene, held Natsume's hand in one of hers and carried a red box in the other. With a familiar ease, they made their way toward a nearby casino.
"Natsume," Tsunade said as they stopped in front of the building, "use your Transformation Jutsu to change your appearance. They won't let a kid in to gamble."
Natsume nodded and performed the Henge no Jutsu, transforming into a man in his thirties.
"Not bad," Tsunade mused, giving him an approving look. "Who did you model yourself after?"
"No one important," Natsume shrugged casually. In truth, he had transformed into Chow Yun-Fat, imagining the scene as if it were straight out of God of Gamblers.
"Alright, let's go," Tsunade said, pushing open the casino doors.
As they entered, all eyes turned toward them. The casino owner noticed the necklace Tsunade wore and paled slightly. "Is it really her?"
"Who?" a young woman in a cheongsam asked, confused.
"You fool!" the owner hissed. "How can you work in a casino and not know her? She's the legendary sucker—Tsunade Senju!"
He could barely contain his excitement. The legendary sucker had just walked into his establishment.
Tsunade opened the red box, revealing a stack of cash. "Exchange this for chips," she said brightly.
"Of course!" the owner responded eagerly, his voice practically dripping with anticipation. Everyone in the gambling world knew that Tsunade always lost, no matter how much she bet.
Within minutes, Tsunade and Natsume had 150,000 ryō in chips—a decent amount, though far from an overwhelming sum. Still, it was more than enough to play with. A payout for a B-rank mission was around the same, though mission earnings had to be divided with the village and the team. For Tsunade, completing missions was easy. She could have lived comfortably, much like Jiraiya and Orochimaru, if not for her crippling gambling addiction.
"Give half the chips to my apprentice," Tsunade said, smiling. "Let him play as well."
The casino owner eyed Natsume with a grin. If Tsunade was a sucker, her apprentice must be just as bad. Two for the price of one—what a stroke of luck!
With 80,000 ryō in chips, Natsume sat down at a table. There were many games to choose from, but he suggested they stick to one of the simplest: a dice game where the player bets on whether the roll will be high or low. The rules were straightforward—if you won, you doubled your bet; if you lost, the dealer took your chips.
The dealer shook the dice cup and placed it on the table. "Place your bets!" he called.
Tsunade hesitated before putting down 3,000 ryō on a low roll. Natsume followed suit but placed 8,000 ryō on the opposite outcome, betting on high. He wasn't sure if Tsunade's legendary bad luck was real, so he decided to test it out.
The dice were revealed—six, five, and five.
"Congratulations to the winners," the dealer said.
Tsunade had lost, but Natsume had won. Surprisingly, she seemed more excited about his victory than upset by her own loss. For her, gambling was less about money and more about distraction. But Natsume was different. Tsunade treated him like family, and for that, she was genuinely happy when he won.
Not everyone shared her enthusiasm, however. The casino owner's smile began to waver. Natsume wasn't subtle about his strategy, and soon, other players started copying his bets. Though the house wasn't losing money outright, their profits were shrinking, and nothing irritated the owner more than seeing his customers win.
"Good job!" Tsunade exclaimed, counting their winnings. In just a few hours, they had made an extra 100,000 ryō. Though she didn't care much about the money, she couldn't help but feel excited by their success.
"Let's hit the next casino!" she said, dragging Natsume along.
By dusk, Natsume checked their total winnings and smiled. They had earned one million ryō—the equivalent of an S-rank mission. Not bad for a day of gambling.
"Natsume," Tsunade said slyly, "you're still young. How about I hold onto the money for you?"
Her tone was all too familiar. It reminded Natsume of his mother, who would say something similar whenever she wanted to "hold onto" his lucky money.
"I'll keep it," Natsume replied quickly, clutching the bankbook. While he didn't mind accompanying Tsunade, he wasn't about to give up their hard-earned winnings.
Tsunade chuckled, ruffling his hair. "Alright, alright, you keep it."
She wasn't worried about him. Natsume was smart, responsible, and more than capable of handling himself.
"We'll do this again tomorrow!" she said excitedly, seemingly unaware of the potential consequences of their winning streak. But no matter— they could always use the Transformation Jutsu to avoid recognition.
After returning to clan compound, they had dinner, and Natsume spent three more hours practicing his Mokuton (Wood Release). Once he was alone, he began plotting his next move.
Now that he had one million ryō, he could rent a space to serve as a temporary base. The only problem was manpower. Kabuto Yakushi wouldn't be of use for another two or three years.
Natsume rubbed his chin thoughtfully. Perhaps there were other options. A certain mother and daughter—two members of the Uzumaki Clan—came to mind. They could be worth pursuing.
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(A/N:-Chow Yun-Fat is a highly acclaimed Hong Kong actor known for his roles in action films, particularly in the "heroic bloodshed" genre popular in Hong Kong cinema. He gained international fame for his collaboration with director John Woo in films such as A Better Tomorrow (1986), The Killer (1989), and Hard Boiled (1992). Chow is also well-known for his role in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000), where he played the skilled swordsman Li Mu Bai.
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