"Shizune, let's go."
"Master Tsunade…"
Shizune's heart warmed.
She knew that Tsunade-sama still wanted to continue gambling, but to protect the relic left by her mother, Tsunade had willingly given up her urge to keep playing.
Thus...
Shizune also made a decision.
"Master Tsunade, I still have 20,000 ryō here…"
"This is for our meals and lodging during this time…"
Tsunade's golden eyes immediately lit up. Her previous gloom disappeared completely as she snatched the money out of Shizune's hand without hesitation.
"Great, just in time!"
Shizune was dumbfounded.
She had indeed intended to give Tsunade some money,
but... she had only planned to hand over 10,000 ryō to ease Tsunade's gambling addiction, keeping the other 10,000 ryō for their daily living expenses.
Yet, with a swoop, Tsunade had taken the full 20,000 ryō!
Tsunade's confidence in winning back their fortune could be expected...
But knowing her habits, she would probably lose everything.
Which meant...
For the foreseeable future, they would be completely penniless...
Meals and accommodation? Gone!
They were going to end up living on the streets!
---
Chapter 66: The Big Fat Sheep and Winning Money
Tsunade, once again holding a "capital" of 20,000 ryō, immediately slapped 10,000 ryō down on the small bet side of the gaming table.
"Open!"
"Four, five, six—Shunshi—Big!"
The Princess of Konoha, Tsunade-hime… lost another 10,000 ryō!
Seeing the result in the dice cup, Tsunade gritted her teeth fiercely.
She hadn't won a single round today!
The past few games, she had bet small, only for the dice to roll out big — including a straight-up triple!
She simply couldn't believe her rotten luck.
Could it really not open small even once today?
Gritting her teeth, Tsunade grabbed the remaining 10,000 ryō, intending to bet again on small.
At that moment, a slightly young voice sounded beside her: "Bet on big. It'll open big this time."
Tsunade turned around.
A young boy, not too tall, clearly still in his early teens, stood beside her. She noticed he had just placed 100,000 ryō down on the big bet side.
Tsunade frowned slightly.
Yet, as if under some spell, she followed the boy's advice and placed her last 10,000 ryō on big.
"Bets are closed! Opening the cup!"
The casino staff shouted, covering the dice cup with one hand while swiftly moving the other — subtle tricks altering the results without notice.
Tian Yu sighed lightly.
A hint of pity flashed in his eyes as he glanced at Tsunade.
Honestly,
He hadn't spoken up out of respect for Tsunade's status as the Princess of Konoha or out of personal gain.
It was simply that the scene of Tsunade and Shizune earlier had been... too pitiful!
As someone with elite jonin-level perception and a master of forging, Tian Yu could easily distinguish the dice numbers just by sound — like some drama scene where masters could "hear" the dice points.
He had clearly heard: Three, Five, Five — Big!
However…
Just after advising Tsunade to bet on big,
he noticed the casino dealer's sleight of hand — manipulating the dice points mid-air with incredible dexterity to turn the results small.
Although the staff had loudly shouted "no more bets," Tian Yu's sharp senses caught the shift in the dice cup: now showing Two, Two, Two — Triple! Small!
This casino clearly operated shady tactics to maximize its profits.
Moreover, with the large number of bets on small, even including Tian Yu's own big bet, the house still stood to make steady gains.
In short...
Even when Tian Yu predicted big correctly,
Tsunade's bad luck still triggered the casino's underhanded tricks!
Tian Yu looked at Tsunade, his expression complicated.
At this point, he could only attribute the outcome to Tsunade's almost legendary gambling misfortune — the stuff of myths.
"Oi, brat, why're you staring at me like that?" Tsunade snapped, sharp instincts flaring.
She turned her sharp gaze onto Tian Yu, immediately treating him as a potential troublemaker.
But instead of a threat, Tian Yu just looked at her... strangely.
"Big sister, your gambling luck… is honestly the worst I've ever seen."
"Huh?" Tsunade blinked.
At that exact moment, Tian Yu made a small, imperceptible gesture.
The gaming table shook lightly — just a tremor.
"Open!"
"Three… Five, Five—Big!"
The casino staff who opened the dice cup froze.
Weird.
He had clearly tampered it to be a small result... why hadn't it changed?
Had the mechanism malfunctioned?
But the surprise lasted only a moment before the dealer resumed his professional demeanor and loudly announced:
"Big wins!"
"Shizune, I finally won!"
Tsunade almost jumped up in excitement, seeing the results in the dice cup.
"Shizune, we're turning our luck around! I'm gonna win it all back!"
Although she had only restored her funds back to 20,000 ryō, Tsunade was utterly ecstatic. She even dropped her earlier guard against the young man who had "helped" her win.
After all, she had listened to his advice and really won this round.
"Wanna keep winning?"
Tian Yu leaned closer, his voice low but confident. "Trust me, and I'll make you win more."
Tsunade narrowed her eyes slightly, carefully sizing Tian Yu up.
"Kid, you talk big."
Tian Yu simply smiled and stood calmly, refusing to elaborate further.
Soon, the next round at the gaming table began.
"Clack clack~"
The dice rattled in the cup.
Before long, they landed.
"Place your bets! Final calls!"
The casino dealer was sweating bullets.
For ten consecutive rounds, the dice had landed on big, with the casino bleeding money badly.
This couldn't go on.
Even if it meant risking exposure, the dealer had to manipulate the results this time!
The moment was tense.
Almost every other guest placed bets on small — far more stacked than big.
Tian Yu casually pushed 200,000 ryō onto the small bet pool this time,
then leaned toward Tsunade's ear, whispering, "Two, two, two — triple two, leopard."
Tsunade hesitated.
She wanted to question him, but the game was about to close.
Gritting her teeth, Tsunade placed 10,000 ryō on "Two Two Two - Leopard."
Anyway, she thought, she had just won thanks to this kid's tip. If she lost this time, she wouldn't owe him anything!
The dealer, seeing someone bet specifically on a particular triple, couldn't help twitching the corner of his mouth awkwardly.