Chapter 41: Betting Against You? No Need to Cheat!

"Kid, what's with that look? Do you believe I'll beat you up?"

Tsunade clenched her fist, her eyes glaring with menace.

"Ahem, Lady Tsunade, your expression doesn't seem like you're trying to learn how to defend against cheating," Shizune interjected kindly, trying to defuse the situation.

"Tch, whatever."

Tsunade didn't care. She had said similar things many times before and wasn't bothered by Tsunade's anger.

Tsunade glanced at her, then turned her gaze to Kyoichi. Noticing the similar looks in their eyes, she retracted her fist and snorted, "Gambling is a sacred endeavor. Cheating would be an insult to my character."

"I believe that…"

Kyoichi handed the cards back to Shizune, calmly agreeing with her.

Tsunade's expression softened.

"However," she continued with a smile, "while I don't cheat, I can observe others. If some fool dares to cheat in front of me, I can catch them and make them pay my debts, right?"

"Uh…" Shizune was stunned, pondering for a few seconds but finding no flaw in her logic.

But then…

Kyoichi scoffed, "Aren't you overthinking it? With your luck, anyone who knows your reputation wouldn't even need to cheat."

"Kid, you looking for a fight?!"

Bam!

A single punch cracked the nearby cliffside.

Tsunade's face darkened.

What he said…

No need to cheat?

They could win against her with their eyes closed, huh?

This brat had repeatedly challenged her gambling skills, completely disregarding her reputation as one of the Legendary Sannin.

"Fine, let's bet. The simplest game—guess the card."

Kyoichi reached out and took the deck back.

"Hmph, kid, I'll show you that my money isn't so easy to win."

Right there by the roadside…

The two began dealing cards, leaving Shizune utterly dumbfounded.

What kind of situation was this?

She watched the game closely, noticing that Kyoichi didn't even look at his cards, simply placing them face down on the ground.

Tsunade, after seeing her hand, smiled.

"Aren't you going to look?"

"No need. I've already won. I'll just flip them later."

"Uh…" Damn it!

Tsunade's mouth twitched, and she almost punched the kid right then and there.

He was infuriating.

She gestured for Kyoichi to reveal his cards.

Kyoichi flipped them over, and Tsunade glanced at her own hand…

Then, she silently placed her cards back into the deck.

"Again!"

"Uh…"

"Again!"

"Uh…"

"Dammit, are you cheating, kid?"

Three rounds…

Kyoichi hadn't even looked at his cards, yet he always ended up with a better hand than Tsunade, driving her to the brink of rage.

This brat must be cheating.

It couldn't possibly be her own fault!

"Haha, do I need to? Besides, you're one of the Sannin. Can't you tell if I'm cheating?"

Kyoichi chuckled.

This was typical of a cursed gambler—always suspecting others of cheating when, in reality, it was just their own terrible luck.

"Impossible!"

Tsunade's expression shifted between anger and doubt.

Kyoichi stood up and said, "This is boring. Shizune, you play a few rounds with Lady Tsunade."

"Me? I don't know how…"

Shizune looked utterly lost.

"It doesn't matter. Playing with Lady Tsunade doesn't require skill."

"Huh?!" Tsunade tilted her head, her beautiful face now filled with murderous intent.

Shizune broke into a cold sweat.

She reluctantly started playing.

A few moments later…

"I'm done! This is no fun!"

Tsunade threw the cards down.

Five rounds, all losses.

The worst part was…

Her opponent didn't even know how to play. Shizune had to ask Tsunade to check the cards for her, yet she still lost every time. It was beyond frustrating!

"See? I wasn't wrong, Lady Tsunade. If you want to catch cheaters, just don't gamble yourself. Otherwise, who would even need to cheat against you?"

"Uh…" That made sense!

If she stopped gambling and just observed, she could catch cheaters and extort money from them.

Even better…

If the casino itself was cheating, she could directly blackmail them.

Tsunade held gambling in high regard and despised underhanded tactics, but this wasn't about gambling—it was about making money to pay off debts.

Brilliant!

She was delighted, completely missing the underlying meaning of Kyoichi's words.

Bad luck?

Wasn't that just common sense?

Tsunade herself knew her gambling luck was bizarre. If she ever won, she'd actually start worrying.

For her, gambling wasn't just a hobby—it was also a way to gauge the safety of those she cared about.

So far…

Since leaving the village, she hadn't won a single game.

"By the way, do you have any other money-making or debt-dodging tricks?"

Tsunade's eyes sparkled.

This kid seemed uninterested in such shady methods, but he clearly knew a lot about them.

Kyoichi fell silent for a moment, then said, "Have you ever considered… getting a pet?"

"A pet? What for? We can barely feed ourselves," Shizune said pitifully.

It was true.

Any money they managed to scrape together would be gambled away by Tsunade within days. Their daily expenses were covered solely by Shizune's medical ninjutsu earnings.

"Idiot! A pet is an asset. If someone comes to collect debts, I can hand over the pet as collateral, then have it escape and return. Perfect! But the pet would need training, preferably with chakra…"

Tsunade's mind was quick, already devising a full plan.

The Sannin were all clever individuals.

Kyoichi nodded, though he found the situation a bit odd.

This development…

Wasn't he supposed to be convincing her to stop gambling?

Oh well…

It was hopeless…

After all, Tsunade's gambling wasn't just about the game itself.

He sighed…

Just then, a system notification chimed.

Kyoichi was momentarily stunned.

He summoned the system.

In the task log, there was an unread entry.

It was the reward for the mission completed by Shisui and the others after their combat training.

[Mission Complete: "Combat Training," "Will of Fire" Teaching]

[Evaluation: Excellent]

[Reward: Genjutsu - Dark Mist Technique]

However…

The next entry left him speechless.

[Mission Complete: "Cheating Techniques," "Debt Repayment" Teaching]

[Evaluation: Good]

[Reward: Chaotic Impact]

This counted too?

Well, the technique was quite practical.

Alright, even if the subject matter was a bit unconventional…

He glanced at Tsunade, feeling a mix of emotions.

Tsunade leaned against the railing, gazing into the distance, and suddenly sighed. "Kid, if life in the village ever gets tough, you can always come find me… Just don't die!"

"Don't worry, I understand."

Kyoichi waved his hand.

He knew exactly what Tsunade meant.

The village might seem harmonious on the surface, and the Senju clan were considered great contributors to Konoha, but the reality was different. Not to mention Hiruzen Sarutobi, Danzo in the shadows had always been wary and oppressive toward the Senju.

Tsunade understood all this but chose not to speak of it.

Now that Kyoichi had awakened the Senju physique and become a jonin, if he were to gain military achievements and prestige in future wars, he might even have a shot at becoming the Fourth Hokage.

But…

Would Hiruzen and Danzo allow it?

Tsunade doubted it.

That old man didn't truly see Kyoichi as one of his own, otherwise he wouldn't have gone to such lengths to arrange this meeting between her and Kyoichi.

She patted Kyoichi's shoulder and said, "You're like a brother to me. As long as you're not rebelling, no one will dare say a word if you leave the village."

"If that day ever comes… I will."

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