In a dark, windowless room, greasy tatami mats were strewn with playing cards, dice, and mahjong tiles.
Two shady-looking men huddled together, whispering in low voices.
"Light blonde hair, tied back in a ponytail like some old dude, purple diamond mark on her forehead—is that the legendary one?"
"That's her! Add that fair skin and those… assets, plus that killer figure—she's the biggest cash cow around!"
"So, boss, what now?"
"Relax. Just gamble with her like normal. I heard you don't even need to cheat when betting against her—she'll lose everything all by herself!"
Their scheming voices faded, leaving only the sound of their lecherous laughter drifting out into the hall.
—
Out front, in a cramped gambling den, Tsunade sat cross-legged on the tatami, bold and brash as ever.
Her tea-green, black-edged coat was tossed aside; up top she wore a loose, sleeveless white shirt, a black sash around her waist, and dark blue capri pants below.
Thank goodness for those pants—otherwise, with a sitting posture like that, it'd be pure fanservice.
The noisy den didn't dampen Tsunade's spirits at all; in fact, she was the rowdiest one there.
"Four, five, six—big!" Tsunade smacked her palm on the tatami, her confidence radiating as her… assets bounced wildly—though no one dared stare.
All her fellow gamblers stared feverishly at the dice cup on the floor.
"Small! I'm betting small!"
"Me too—move over, let me in!"
"Damn it, step on my foot again and I'll go for the family jewels!"
As Tsunade slapped down a wad of cash, the crowd erupted, scrambling to throw their money on the opposite side of her bet.
"No more bets! Hands off!" The dealer pressed the dice cup down with one hand, waving the other to swat away greedy hands.
Still just a little loli, Shizune knelt at Tsunade's side, her face pale and hopeless.
It was only morning, and Tsunade-sama had already gambled away everything in her purse—including their living expenses and lunch money.
What were they supposed to eat for lunch now?
…Tonton?
Would they have to beg Rinjin-sama to bail them out again?
So embarrassing~
Lost in despair, Shizune watched as the dealer lifted the dice cup.
A tidal wave of cheers erupted around them.
Seeing the dice—one, two, three—Tsunade just clicked her tongue and curled her lip in disdain.
Little Shizune's vision blurred as she swayed on her knees.
What now?
Were they really going to cook Tonton?
They didn't even have a pot!
When Tsunade started eyeing the crowd for a loan, Shizune's face went even paler.
No way. She couldn't let Tsunade-sama borrow money!
Gritting her teeth, Shizune crawled closer and tugged at Tsunade's sleeve, whispering:
"Tsunade-sama, you… you can't borrow money… Don't you remember what Rinjin-sama said? If you borrow money to gamble, he'll never give you another cent."
Tsunade froze, her soft lips pressing together in a pout.
She could tell the difference between a moment of fun and a lifetime of happiness.
She'd worked hard to finally bag that bastard and earn the title of wife—she couldn't risk losing it over this.
With a reluctant nod, Tsunade pushed herself up and shouted to her gambling buddies:
"I'm out of cash for today! I'll be back in a couple days for my revenge!"
The dealer sucked in a sharp breath, jumping up in a panic.
"Big fa—uh, Tsunade-sama, c'mon, we're just getting started! You're on a roll, you could win it all back next round—don't give up now!"
What he really wanted to say was: There are so many casinos in the Land of Hot Water, why do you always run out of money here? Tsunade-sama, share the love—let us get rich too!
Hearing the dealer's plea, Tsunade wavered for a moment.
But she was no fool.
With Rinjin's spies everywhere, if he found out she'd borrowed money, with his stubborn honesty, she'd never get another penny.
Biting her lip, Tsunade shook her head, scooped up her tea-colored coat, and draped it over her shoulders.
"Next time… No, in two days I'll be back. You better keep my money safe—watch me win it all back!"
With that, she stomped out of the casino.
Shizune let out a long sigh of relief, her cheeks finally regaining some color as she hurried after her.
—
Two days later, Tsunade and Shizune made their way south from the Land of Hot Water, back to Konoha.
At 66 Mingcha Street, Tsunade barged through the front door.
"Rinjin, I'm home!"
Her playful shout rang out.
In the tearoom, Rinjin—busy writing something—shuddered and clapped a hand to his forehead.
This money-burning woman… why is she back again?!
Moments later, the tearoom door slid open and Tsunade strolled in, all smiles.
Honestly, if you ignored her gambling habits, this woman's figure was enough to make any man's mouth water—provided you could afford her.
If Rinjin ever started hustling for cash again, you could bet it was Tsunade's fault.
She was, hands down, the biggest threat to peace in the ninja world.
With a helpless sigh, Rinjin set out a teacup and poured some cold tea for the busty beauty.
Sliding it over, he asked, resigned,
"Out of money again?"
Before Tsunade could reply, Shizune, kneeling nearby, was already blushing furiously.
So embarrassing! Even if they're married, isn't it shameful to keep asking for money like this?
But Tsunade didn't care at all.
She'd done way more embarrassing things… uh… never mind that.
Besides, they were childhood friends who knew each other inside and out—nothing to be embarrassed about.
Nodding, Tsunade sprawled lazily across the low table, actually acting a little coy for once.
"Rinjin, aren't you bored stuck in the village all the time? Come travel with me! We'll team up, sweep every casino in the ninja world, and laugh all the way to the bank!"
Her big, beautiful eyes sparkled with admiration—and a bit of drool slid down her cheek.
Rinjin instantly shook his head.
"My dear wife, I'll have to pass! If we both go out and become the legendary 'cash cows,' my stash won't last till next year. And when that happens…"
He let his gaze drift to Tonton in Shizune's arms.
Instantly, the little pig started squirming like it had seen a ghost.
Shizune couldn't hold on, and Tonton bolted out of the tearoom.
Seeing the pig escape, Rinjin turned back to Tsunade and continued,
"So if I don't make money, we'll both end up on the streets. Imagine the headlines: 'Shocking! Why were the Konoha Princess and the Daimyō of the Land of Rain caught dumpster diving at midnight?'"
Tsunade burst out laughing.
As they bantered, the tearoom door was gently knocked twice.
"Come in."
The door slid open, and little Mei Terumi walked in, hugging Tonton.
She greeted Shizune and handed the pig back, then piped up,
"Uncle, I want to go out and play."
Rinjin nodded.
"Go ahead. Take Shizune out for a stroll, too."
Grinning, Mei grabbed the hesitant Shizune and bounced out of the room.
With the two girls gone, Tsunade sprawled even more shamelessly across the low table.
Just then, Rinjin pulled out a set of dice and started shaking them, the clatter filling the room.
Hearing that familiar sound, Tsunade perked up, sitting bolt upright with anticipation.
"My dear husband, want to go one-on-one?"
Rinjin chuckled and nodded.
"Big or small. If I lose, I'll give you ten thousand per round. If you lose… uh…"
"I strip?!" Tsunade grinned slyly.
"C'mon, it's daytime!"
"Then what?"
"Just… stay in Konoha for a whole day—no, wait, let's make it an hour."
Last time, it was a day per loss, and this woman racked up a year and seven months' worth of days before running off the next morning to avoid paying up.
Tsunade smiled, slipped off her tea-colored coat, and revealed her alabaster arms.
"Only an hour? I feel insulted. Who's shaking first?"
"You go." Rinjin pushed the dice cup over, all innocence.
Without hesitation, Tsunade grabbed it and gave it a practiced shake.
Watching her curves bounce, Rinjin nodded in secret appreciation.
He and Tsunade hadn't been married long—nowhere near that "middle-aged couple, one kiss equals three nights of nightmares" stage.
The dice rattled,
Thud! The low table groaned under the impact.
"Let's go." Tsunade's eyes shone with confidence.
She always lost at outside casinos, but with Rinjin, it was fifty-fifty. They traded wins and losses every time.
"Small," Rinjin muttered, scratching his head.
Unlike Tsunade, he rested his chin in his hand and looked bored.
The dice were custom-made, loaded with iron sand. If he wanted a number, he could make it happen.
Other people cheated to win; Rinjin cheated to lose—otherwise, Tsunade might never win a single round.
How weird—Hashirama Senju could clap his hands and get whatever he called for, but his granddaughter couldn't win at dice to save her life.
And Tsunade herself—so smart with medical ninjutsu, but gambling turned her brain to mush.
Across from him, Tsunade flashed a dazzling, confident smile.
"I call big!"
She lifted the cup and peeked.
"Haha! Five, five, four—big! Rinjin, you lost!"
"Alright, alright, I owe you ten thousand." Smiling weakly, Rinjin drew a tally mark on a scrap of paper.
Tsunade beamed with joy.
And so, the clatter of dice continued to ring out in the house…
—
Time flew by; the sun set, bathing the world in golden light.
Outside the house, Mei Terumi tugged along a girl her own age, both of them giggling.
"Rin, come have a sleepover at my place tonight! Shizune's back too!"
"Uh… is that really okay? Is Rinjin-uncle home?"
The girl named Rin looked uncertainly at the door to 66 Mingcha Street, but her eyes shone with anticipation.
Mei just waved it off.
"Uncle's home, but he either zones out in the tearoom or lies around on the porch—he won't bother us!"
With that, she dragged Rin inside.
On the old wooden corridor, the two girls headed upstairs and woke Shizune, who was napping with Tonton in her arms.
"Shizune, wake up! All you do when you get home is sleep!"
Groggily, Shizune waved her hand.
"Let… let me sleep a bit more… call me for dinner… I finally have a break, let me sleep in…"
"Dinner's almost ready!" Mei insisted, snatching Tonton and rubbing her cheek against the pig's head.
Shizune sat up, still bleary, and glanced curiously at the slightly shy girl beside her.
"Hi, and you are…?"
Blushing, Rin bowed politely.
"H-hi, nice to meet you. I'm Nohara Rin."
Seeing this, Shizune—also a quiet girl—stood up, wiped her eyes, and returned the greeting.
"Hi, I'm Shizune."
Both being gentle-natured and the same age, they quickly hit it off.
As the two chatted, Mei dragged them downstairs to the tearoom.
Outside, the dice were still rattling, and Tsunade's voice—sometimes triumphant, sometimes frustrated—drifted out.
"Mei, your family has guests… Maybe I should just go home," Rin whispered.
Mei shook her head, grabbing Rin's wrist and whispering,
"They're not guests—it's just Rinjin-uncle and Tsunade-auntie. Don't worry, those two might not even sleep at home tonight."
"Tsunade-auntie? You mean Tsunade-sama, one of the Legendary Sannin?"
Rin gasped in awe.
After the Second Great Ninja War, besides the White Fang, the Sannin were the most famous names in Konoha.
She never expected to meet one today—especially her idol, Tsunade-sama.
Beside her, Shizune nodded proudly.
"That's right, it's Tsunade-sama!"
Excitement flashed in Rin's eyes.
As an aspiring medical ninja, meeting her idol was a dream come true.
Just then, the dice rattling in the tearoom abruptly stopped.
Creak—the door slid open.
Rinjin stepped out, looking utterly spent, with a beaming Tsunade right behind him.
Glancing at the three little lolis outside, Rinjin waved weakly,
"You girls are on your own for dinner tonight. Your Tsunade-auntie and I are going out for drinks."
~~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~~
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