Hearing Hikaru's suggestion, Tsunade, Nonō, and Chiri felt a wave of warmth rise in their hearts.
They understood that this was Hikaru's way of caring for them.
And that kind of concern was deeply comforting, lifting their spirits just a little.
Tanzaku Town had long been famous throughout the Land of Fire, renowned as a unique entertainnt hub.
Although Tsunade and the others had never personally set foot there before, they had certainly heard of it — and couldn't help but feel curious and excited.
So when Hikaru made the suggestion, visible excitent spread across their faces, their anticipation and delight nearly spilling over.
After dinner, they eagerly departed from Konoha.
Riding atop the Seven-Tails, they sped past the village, heading straight for Tanzaku Town.
Before long, the entrance ca into view in the distance.
The mont they stepped into Tanzaku Town, the sight before them took their breath away.
The sheer liveliness exceeded all expectations — all sorts of shops, stalls, and performance venues lined the streets.
The crowds were bustling, and the atmosphere was electric.
Imrsed in such a setting, their moods naturally lifted.
Tsunade looked around, eyes glittering with curiosity.
Suddenly, her gaze locked onto sothing — her eyes lit up.
She tugged at Hikaru's sleeve and pointed at a casino not far away."Let's check that place out!" she said.
Hikaru frowned slightly, his tone uncertain."Are you sure? Didn't you say you'd never gamble again?"
Over the years, Tsunade had joined Hikaru for a few wagers early on, but every ti ended with her getting scamd. Eventually, she'd vowed never to gamble again.
Yet here she was, clearly tempted again.
Tsunade waved it off, unconcerned."Relax, I'm just going to look around. I'm not betting anything."
Hikaru chuckled softly. You're about to step into a casino, and you say you're just going to look?
That's like saying, 'I'll just poke it in, I won't move.'
Still, he had never been to a place like this either, and Nonō and Chiri both looked curious.
With a sigh, he led them into the casino.
The mont they stepped inside, the chaotic sounds of gambling — chips clattering, people shouting — flooded their ears.
Tsunade looked thrilled. Her eyes sparkled as she took in the scene, filled with wonder.
She looked around at the various gambling gas, a satisfied smile spreading across her face.
And in the very next mont, the sa Tsunade who just said she wouldn't bet had already exchanged her money for chips.
Hikaru silently followed suit, getting chips for himself, Nonō, and Chiri, trailing behind Tsunade.
It didn't take long before Tsunade dove in with full excitent.
Hikaru, on the other hand, didn't imdiately start betting against her. He wanted her to understand — it wasn't that he had tricked her before, she just had terrible luck.
As expected, in the bustle of the casino, Tsunade once again lost all her chips. Her face paled slightly.
She looked up at Hikaru, those erald eyes filled with unwillingness."Can I borrow a few chips from you guys?"
Hikaru t her gaze, a touch of helplessness flickering in his eyes. He replied in a teasing tone:"You need to face it — if it's gambling, you're destined to lose."
Tsunade's face scrunched up in defiance. She widened her eyes at him."No way! I was just careless earlier. I won't lose next ti!"
Hikaru almost laughed out loud.
He knew her well. These days, she wasn't addicted to gambling anymore — she was just pissed at always being so unlucky.
With a small sigh, he handed her so chips.
"Tell you what — this ti, whatever you bet on, I'll bet the opposite. If I end up winning everything, you stop gambling for good. Deal?"
It was a wager ant to help Tsunade accept her reality — that her luck was cursed, and there was no fixing it.
Tsunade glanced at the chips in his hand, hesitation flashing across her face.
She knew how her luck was. She knew she probably couldn't win.
But when she saw Hikaru's smug 'is that all?' expression, her pride flared."Fine! Deal!"
With that, Tsunade returned to the gambling table. This ti, there was less recklessness in her eyes and more determination.
But so things… can't be changed just because you want to.
Before long, all her chips had vanished again, as fleeting as her short-lived joy.
Her complexion grew paler, and the stack in her hands dwindled until she had just one chip left.
Hand trembling, Tsunade clutched that last chip and slamd it onto the table."I don't believe it! Am I really what Hikaru calls a born loser?! I'm betting on Big!"
anwhile, Hikaru's chips were stacked high.
He calmly looked at Tsunade and smiled faintly before pushing all his chips onto Small.
A mont later, Hikaru raised an eyebrow slightly and glanced toward the dealer.
He could sense that the dice — originally showing Small — had been tampered with to make it Big.
This blatant cheating irritated him.
Without a word, he used his ability to quietly reverse the result.
The dealer lifted the cover and announced flatly, "Four-five-six, Big."
But the mont the words left his mouth, he noticed the stunned expressions of the crowd, and sothing felt off.
He quickly looked down at the dice — and nearly passed out. The dice now showed: One-two-three. Small.
Seeing the result, the dealer muttered in disbelief,"How… how is this possible…?"
His face was filled with shock and confusion, as if he'd seen a ghost.
Seconds later, he was swiftly dragged away by soone nearby and vanished from sight.
A new dealer — an older man — stepped in, his expression unreadable.
He casually scanned the room, a mysterious gleam flickering in his eyes.
His gaze paused slightly when it fell upon Hikaru's towering stack of chips — as if weighing sothing.
Then the old man spoke calmly:"Apologies, the previous dealer had a family ergency. I'll be taking over from here."
None of the others, aside from Hikaru, were aware of what had just happened behind the scenes.
To them, the dealer change wasn't a big deal — they just kept playing.
As for Tsunade, after losing her last chip, she looked completely lifeless.
Without a word, she returned to Hikaru's side, a dazed, deadpan expression on her face.
But Hikaru wasn't particularly worried. He knew Tsunade was just struggling to accept the fact that she really was cursed with bad luck.
He had initially planned to leave after teaching her a lesson, but after what just happened…
He figured it was ti to teach this casino a lesson too.
Reviews
All reviews (0)