Feeling anxious and defeated, Shikaku barely remembered finishing his meal.
"Perfect, we've got three people now! Let's play some cards. It's been so long-I've been dying for a game!" Tsunade exclaimed after the meal, pushing her dishes aside and pulling a deck of cards from her jacket.
She waved Xin over. "Come on, kid! This time, I'm gonna wipe the floor with you!"
"With those skills even a dog wouldn't bother looking at?" Xin teased. "You think you can beat me?"
What's next? Betting clothes off? he thought. And dragging Shikaku into this? You're gonna lose so bad you won't even have a shirt left!
"Come here, Shikaku," Tsunade called, motioning him over.
"By the way, what's your name again...?" Tsunade asked, squinting at him.
"Shikaku Nara..." Shikaku replied, feeling a bit of a stab in his heart.
"Eh, doesn't matter. As long as you can play, we're good. Oh, and no IOUS," She said, slapping the small pile of cash she'd earned recently on the table.
Xin folded his arms and leaned back, waiting for Tsunade's inevitable downfall.
The rules weren't difficult. As someone from the highly intelligent Nara clan, Shikaku memorized them quickly and was soon pulled into the game.
Xin played it cool this time, avoiding being the landlord whenever possible and keeping a low profile.
It was time for Shikaku to give Tsunade a lesson.
Tsunade's expression shifted from excitement to confusion, then to frustration, and finally, full-blown anger.
Within an hour, her pile of money was gone, most of it scooped up by Shikaku.
Focused and calculating, Shikaku was too deep into the game to notice Tsunade's growing fury. He meticulously counted every card, leaving Tsunade with no chance.
"This game's pretty interesting," Shikaku mused, playing a pair of twos.
Tsunade likely didn't have anything left to counter it, so...
"Three!" Shikaku declared calmly.
Tsunade's forehead vein bulged, but Shikaku kept on with his meticulous calculations. He was worse than Xin-at least Xin would sometimes go easy on her.
Not Shikaku, though. He was in it to win, oblivious to the rising tension.
Everyone always said the Nara clan was brilliant but had issues with emotional intelligence. This moment was proof.
Unable to take it anymore, Tsunade slammed a joker onto the table. "Take that!"
But Shikaku wasn't fazed. "Bomb."
"And a four."
As the single four hit the table, Xin burst into laughter.
"I can't... I need a break!" Xin said, unable to contain his amusement.
"What's so funny?" Shikaku asked, confused as he looked up from his intense card-counting.