Strongest Hidden Mist Village [141]

"Two, three, three points... Small!"

With the dealer's announcement, the entire room fell silent. Even his voice carried disbelief. Countless gamblers stared at the dice, then turned to Tsunade—as if they'd just witnessed a miracle.

"This... this can't be..."

"The Big Mark actually won again? A big win?!"

"Impossible! How could she be winning?"

"Hey, Big Mark, are you cheating? There's no way you can win this much in a row!"

Accusations flew. Tsunade, seated at the main table, frowned. At the remark about cheating, she snapped her ponytail and slammed her palm on the table.

"Shut up, all of you! You think I'll lose forever? It's called a change of luck!"

"Shizune, collect the money!"

"Yes, Lady Tsunade!"

Shizune, who had been sulking moments ago, now beamed as she shoveled money into the cash box. Tsunade-sama was truly on a lucky streak—actually winning big. Shizune had almost never seen it happen.

Since they'd left Konoha and drifted between casinos, they'd nearly always lost. No—hardly ever won anything. If it weren't for the occasional idiot bringing money to them (loan sharks, robbers), they'd have been broke long ago.

But today was different. In just one hour, their capital had multiplied tenfold.

"This round, I'm betting Small!"

Confidently, Tsunade put down 100,000 ryō. With money in hand, she started playing big.

"I'm betting Small too!"

"Me too! This Big Mark is acting strange today. Bet with her and you'll make a killing!"

"She's not a loser today—she's the Goddess of Fortune! I'm putting thirty thousand on Small!"

Seeing Tsunade go in again, gamblers followed suit. Everyone bet on Small. The dealer wiped sweat from his brow. At this rate, something bad was bound to happen—but he didn't dare cheat.

Tsunade's reputation preceded her. Any casino caught cheating her was unlikely to survive. The dealer looked helplessly to the floor manager, who gave him a sharp look: don't make trouble.

Left with no choice, he braced himself.

The table filled with chips, nearly all placed on Small.

"Please let it be Big," the dealer thought bitterly. If I lose too much, I'll be a sacrifice to Jashin myself.

"Five hundred thousand ryō, betting Big."

A calm voice interrupted, and the dealer's tense face relaxed. He looked toward the source, relieved.

"Sir, are you sure you want to wager five hundred thousand on Big?"

Yoru stepped forward through the crowd, placing his bet on Big. He looked straight at Tsunade, smiling.

"The Big Mark bet on Small. Why wouldn't I go Big?"

Laughter erupted.

"Kid, you've made a mistake today."

"Today's Big Mark isn't a Big Mark; she's a God of Gambling!"

"Five hundred thousand is no joke, kid. If you lose everything, don't cry."

Even Tsunade narrowed her eyes and grinned. "Why give your money to the house? Give it to your big sister instead—maybe I'll even call you handsome~"

"Is that so?" Yoru smiled.

He had to admit, the Senju bloodline was something else. Tsunade was around forty, but time hadn't touched her. Smooth skin, delicate features—she looked like a young woman. That violet-blue diamond on her forehead gave her a unique charm.

If Mei Terumi was a beautiful, seductive bloom, then Tsunade was the kind of woman who could eat you alive.

"They say if you meet a Big Mark, you'll be rich. I came here to make money—not give it away."

"Brat!"

Tsunade's smile vanished. "Since you're so eager to lose, I'll be glad to help."

"Let's begin!"

"No more bets!" the dealer called. He shook the dice, then opened the cup.

"Six, six, five—Big!"

Gasps filled the room. It really was Big.

Yoru accepted the payout with a smile, eyes locked on Tsunade.

"No wonder they call you the Big Mark. Bet against you, and you'll be buying beachside villas."

"You—!"

"Keep going, folks! Just bet opposite the Big Mark~"

As Yoru turned to leave, Tsunade grabbed his sleeve.

"Not so fast."

"Hm? I didn't win your money. You're stopping me?"

"You're a dōjutsu user, aren't you?"

Tsunade lowered her voice. "Didn't you see the sign? No ninjutsu or kekkei genkai allowed—especially dōjutsu types."

"This is the Jashin Casino—top tier in Akakyu City. It's backed by the Hot Water ninja. If they find out you've been cheating..."

She leaned in, whispering near his ear, "You'll be in serious trouble."

"Oh?"

Yoru looked down at her, noticing the soft swell of her cleavage, then quickly pieced it together.

The artificial body he used—built by Yukiko—was an Uchiha-type shell, outfitted with two Mangekyō Sharingan. It could hide chakra flow and deactivate the Sharingan freely. Unless someone looked closely, they'd never know he wasn't a real Uchiha.

But Tsunade had noticed something. She must have sensed the chakra flow in his eyes.

"So what do you want?"

"Gamble with me."

Tsunade leaned closer, her hand sliding to his waist—where stacks of cash were tucked into his coat lining. Her eyes lit up.

"If you win, I'll let you walk. But if I win... you hand over everything."

You sneaky Big Mark... trying to scam me?

Yoru chuckled. "Alright. I'll bet—but we change the terms."

"If you win, you get the money. But if I win..." His gaze slowly swept over her figure, and his smile deepened.

Tsunade's expression flickered with annoyance, but she agreed easily. A lecherous, cheating punk like this deserved a good lesson.

"I accept!" she huffed, then turned to the manager. "Prepare a private room. I'm gambling with this guy one-on-one!"

The casino manager quickly nodded, while gamblers around them sighed in frustration. A one-on-one match meant they couldn't ride Tsunade's bets anymore—there went their shot at getting rich.

Tsunade and Yoru followed the manager to a private room, with Shizune trailing behind, clutching the money box.

"How do you want to play?" Tsunade asked, pointing to the various gambling tools.

"Dice will do," Yoru said casually.

"Alright, simple rules—higher roll wins. Each bet is 100,000 ryō. Whoever loses all their money first, loses."

"No problem."

"You're going to watch this old lady win every last coin off you!" Tsunade declared, full of confidence as she picked up the dice cup.

Yoru smiled, placed 100,000 ryō in front of him, and started shaking his own dice.

They both rolled. Tsunade lifted her cup: "One, two, two... five points."

Her smile froze.

She glanced at Yoru's cup.

"Sorry—just a bit higher. Triple twos," Yoru grinned, revealing a neat six-point roll.

"Damn it! Again!" she snapped, snatching another stack of cash from Shizune.

Losing the first round didn't shake her. She'd long gotten used to it. With her luck today, she was sure she'd turn it around and clean this cocky brat out.

But starting from the second round, her luck vanished.

Every throw—one, two, three. Again and again. Yoru couldn't stop chuckling.

In under half an hour, all her earlier winnings were gone.

"Lady Tsunade, at this rate... we'll be broke again..." Shizune said, distressed.

She'd thought today was their breakthrough. But not only had they lost the winnings, now their capital was getting shredded.

"Hmph! I don't believe it!" Tsunade barked. "Again!"

"Careful, Lady," Yoru teased. "At this rate, even your underwear might be on the table."

"You pervy brat, just you wait!" Tsunade gritted her teeth, gripping the dice tightly.

She was sure Yoru wasn't cheating. No chakra flow, no dōjutsu signs—it was just her own rotten luck again.

Still, she refused to back down.

"Want to keep going?" Yoru smirked after a few more rounds. "You're almost out of cash. I do take early surrenders—only half the pot~"

"Who said I'm giving up?! Keep going!" Tsunade snapped.

She'd never concede—not in a casino, and especially not after challenging him to this duel.

"Fine then. I'll reluctantly take your last 100,000," Yoru chuckled. "Just hope you're ready to accept defeat."

"Hmph! You go first this time!" she growled, focused.

"Sure," he said, rolling calmly. "One, two, three... six points."

Tsunade grinned. "This round is mine!"

She rolled. "One, two, two... five points?!"

"Impressive," Yoru said with a laugh. "You rolled the only number that could still lose. You really are something else."

"Alright, Big Mark. You're out of money. And by the rules—that means you lose."

Shizune looked heartbroken as Yoru casually scooped up the last of their money.

Tsunade turned to leave with a cold snort.

"Hold up," Yoru called. "Aren't you forgetting something?"

"Brat, don't push it! I already lost my money—what more do you want?!"

"It's not about me. It's about you keeping your word."

He spun the dice cup lazily in his hand, eyes boldly raking over her figure.

"Senju Princess. One of the Legendary Sannin. Surely you wouldn't go back on a bet?"

"...How interesting," Tsunade murmured, narrowing her eyes. "You know who I am, yet you still have the guts to make that demand."

That demand...? Yoru blinked.

"Well, you've got guts, I'll give you that. So... you want me to honor our deal?"

"That's right," he nodded. "Time to pay up."

Tsunade's laughter rang like silver bells—but in a blink, she vanished.

The next instant, she was right in front of him. Her right hand glowed with massive chakra—she swung.

Boom!

The air trembled with the force of her blow.

"You dare lust after this old lady's body?! Die!"

Her punch landed—and was caught.

Yoru didn't budge.

Tsunade's eyes went wide. She'd used Monster Strength. Even if it wasn't full power, it should've crushed stone.

But the blow felt like slamming into steel. His palm didn't so much as flinch.

"You...!"

"Breaking a promise? That's not like you, Tsunade-hime," Yoru said, gripping her fist and pulling.

Her eyes turned sharp. She twisted, coiling her other hand into a fist and slamming it toward his head.

This time, there was no holding back.

The punch howled through the air—BOOM!—but Yoru's figure vanished.

Her strike smashed the ground, blowing the room apart. Even the entire casino shook.

"Where are you running?!"

"Lady Tsunade!"

"Wait for me at the inn, Shizune!" she ordered, then burst through the window.

Shizune clutched the money box and followed, but when she stepped out into the street—Tsunade was already gone.

Their speeds were fast—one ahead, one behind. In no time, they arrived at a winding cave formed by hot springs.

Yoru strolled deeper. Tsunade followed relentlessly.

The strange terrain didn't slow her down. This guy had blocked her partial Monster Strength barehanded, matched her speed, and was clearly a dōjutsu user. No way she'd let him go without figuring out who he was.

But as she chased, something felt off.

Echoes began to bounce off the walls—faint cries and moans, growing louder.

"What is that sound...?"

Her chest tightened. She pushed forward faster, eyes locked on Yoru's back.

"You—who the hell are you?!"

They delved deeper. The heat intensified, volcanic rock fragments appeared around them, and it was clear—they were now beneath Akakyu Mountain, nearing the magma-filled depths.

Suddenly, Yoru stopped.

Before Tsunade could attack, the scene ahead made her eyes widen in shock.

They stood before a massive, fire-lit cavern. Its walls were clearly carved by human hands.

The space was divided: a circular corridor on the outside, and a central area with three bridges leading to it—beneath them, lava flowed.

At the center stood a stone pillar rising from the lava. Its top had been carved into an altar.

The altar was bizarre—covered in triangular symbols. The center was hollow, like a giant basin, and in it was a blood-red scythe embedded in stone.

Even from afar, Tsunade could see the dried, blackened traces of blood on the stone—baked by heat.

Around the altar, black-robed cultists stood in a circle, chanting strange incantations. Their expressions were twisted—fanatical, frenzied, almost... holy.

Dozens more roamed the outer corridor, dragging in bound victims from other tunnels and pushing them toward the center.

Those cries Tsunade heard earlier—came from the prisoners.

"What the hell is this...?!"

Tsunade trembled, but gritted her teeth and forced herself to ask, "Who are you? What is this place?"

Yoru calmly replied, "The Jashin Cult. Ever heard of it?"

"They perform rituals—sacrificing flesh and soul to 'communicate' with the so-called god Jashin. In return, they claim to receive blessings: limb regeneration, eternal youth, immortality…"

"So long as there are enough sacrifices and enough faith, Jashin will grant you anything. Or so they say."

"Akakyu City's high traffic, and Hot Water Village's quiet backing, gave them all the cover they need."

"And now—this is what it looks like when they start a ritual."

As he spoke, one of the black-robed cultists grabbed the bloody scythe, raised it high, and shouted an incantation.

Then he jumped into the hollow center—and began the slaughter.

The bound prisoners couldn't resist. One by one, they were butchered.

Heads flew. Blood sprayed like Akakyu's famous hot springs. Some were split in half, guts spilling onto stone. The stench of blood and entrails filled the cavern.

Yoru shook his head. "I used to think the Third Ninja War was brutal. But this…"

He glanced back. "Tsunade-hime? Even if you've left Konoha, surely this scene—Tsunade?"

He froze.

Tsunade—the legendary Sannin, the one who could split mountains with her fist—was now pale as a sheet, collapsed to the floor, retching.

Her eyes were filled with fear.

Her hemophobia had triggered.