"If you're heading out on a mission, what are you doing here?"
After her fit of impotent fury passed, Tsunade began to heal the two boys, her voice tinged with confusion as she worked.
Tatsuma shook his head. "I'm not sure. Jiraiya-sensei hasn't given us the mission briefing yet. He just said we had to see someone first—I didn't expect it to be Lady Mito."
Tsunade frowned. Uzumaki Mito had stayed out of village affairs for a long time. While Hiruzen Sarutobi would occasionally visit to seek her counsel, it was usually more out of respect than necessity. Mito generally listened and remained silent. Aside from the early days of Hiruzen's appointment as Hokage, she had stopped offering suggestions or voicing opinions entirely.
If there was something that required her input now, it likely boiled down to one of two things: the Nine-Tails, or... perhaps the tragedy that had befallen the Uzumaki clan six months ago.
Thinking of this, a suspicion took root in Tsunade's mind. Konoha hadn't been idle after the destruction of the Land of Whirlpools. Beyond the usual diplomatic posturing, the village had been busy behind the scenes—recovering the remains of the Uzumaki clan, scouting the ruins of Uzushiogakure, and salvaging whatever intel or assets were left behind.
The Sannin themselves had been dispatched on search-and-recovery missions, and even Hatake Sakumo, usually tasked with guarding the village, had been sent away for a long stretch on a classified assignment.
Still, a mission that allowed Jiraiya to bring two children along couldn't be too dangerous. Tsunade shook her head, deciding to squeeze the details out of Jiraiya once he emerged.
She turned to the boys, her eyes narrowing. "Do you two have any cards or dice on you?"
Minato looked utterly blank. Why would he carry gambling supplies on a ninja mission? Tatsuma likewise shook his head. He hadn't known they were coming here, let alone that they'd be running into the Legendary Sucker.
Tsunade pointed toward the gate. "Go buy some. Quickly! If they finish talking before you get back, we won't have time to play."
Minato nodded. He didn't know why Lady Tsunade wanted them, but he was a good, obedient boy. Tatsuma, however, was more skeptical. "Lady Tsunade, why don't you go yourself? You're definitely faster than us."
A flash of renewed irritation crossed Tsunade's face. She stomped over to the main gate and threw a punch. An orange-red barrier shimmered into existence, blocking the path they had just walked through.
Tatsuma didn't need to ask anything else. It turned out when Tsunade said "house arrest," she wasn't being metaphorical. She was literally locked in.
"I'm on it!"
Tatsuma bolted. Minato, being a sharp kid himself, had no intention of staying near the human powder keg that was Tsunade and followed right on Tatsuma's heels.
Since they weren't strolling this time, the trip was short. In less than thirty minutes, they were back with decks of cards and a dice cup.
By the time they returned, Tsunade had already replaced the smashed stone benches with fresh ones. The moment she saw the cards, her eyes lit up with a predatory gleam. The irritability was gone, replaced by a cheerful, almost manic grin as she waved them over.
"Blackjack! Do you know how to play? I'm the dealer!"
Tsunade hurriedly tore open the plastic wrap on the cards. Tatsuma nodded, while Minato looked lost. Tatsuma leaned in and whispered, "Just follow my lead."
As Tsunade began to shuffle with practiced, flashy flourishes, Tatsuma spoke up. "Lady Tsunade, we don't have any chips."
"Don't you have money?" Tsunade asked, her hands a blur of card-shuffling techniques.
Hearing that she wanted to play for cash, Tatsuma shook his head immediately. "We can't gamble with money. How about we bet push-ups or squats? Ten per bet."
"Fine by me. Wouldn't want anyone saying I'm preying on children's lunch money anyway."
"As expected of Lady Tsunade—so considerate. Though, I should warn you, I'm feeling pretty lucky today."
"Hmph! Luck is nothing compared to raw, cold skill!"
Tsunade's tone was brimming with confidence. She dealt the cards. Her face-up card was a six—an awkward, middle-of-the-road number that made her immediately scowl.
Tatsuma glanced at his hand: two Aces. He split them immediately. "Split."
One bet became two—double the reward, double the risk. Minato, still confused, held his cards like they were top-secret documents. Tsunade dealt Tatsuma's hit cards: two Kings.
Tatsuma flipped his cards. "Blackjack. Twice."
Seeing Tatsuma hit two Blackjacks instantly, Tsunade's face went dark. She turned to Minato. "Do you want a hit?"
Minato didn't even know the rules. He looked at his cards and flipped them onto the table. "Is this one also a Blackjack?"
Minato's hand: an Ace and a King. In a single deck, there are only four Aces and four Kings. These two runts had just vacuumed up three of each in the first round.
Tsunade looked down at her own hand, cursed, and tossed the remaining deck onto the table. "Fine! Beginners' luck!"
[Ding! STR +2, ENG +2; Special Talent: Card Luck (Tsunade-Limited Edition) +100%]
Hearing the system notification, Tatsuma's eyelid flicked. Pickup regular attributes; do NOT pickup special talent, he commanded mentally.
By the time he finished sorting his rewards, Tsunade had already hammered out thirty push-ups with terrifying speed. She sat back down, eyes burning with a refusal to accept defeat. "Again!"
"Impressive, Lady Tsunade. Your confidence is unshakable. I hope my luck holds out just a bit longer."
"Blackjack."
[Ding! PHY +2, ENG +2; Special Talent: Card Luck (Tsunade-Limited Edition) +100%]
Tatsuma's heart skipped a beat at the reappearance of the talent. Pickup regular attributes; ignore special talent! he shouted internally. If there was one thing he didn't want, it was "Tsunade-tier" gambling luck. In this world, that wasn't a talent—it was a supernatural curse.
"Again!"
"As expected of... your perseverance..."
[Ding!]
"Again!"
"As expected of... your iron will..."
"Your... indomitable spirit..."
An hour passed. The brand-new deck of cards was already starting to show signs of wear and tear. Tatsuma's throat was getting dry; he was literally running out of synonyms for "determined" to keep his Kudos Cult system farming.
Tsunade's face was now darker than Black Zetsu's. She had gone from grand boasts at the start, to nonsensical gibberish in the middle, to her current state: brooding, lethal silence.
"Blackjack. Sorry, Lady Tsunade, it seems my streak isn't over yet."
Finally, Tatsuma's latest Blackjack broke the camel's back. Tsunade slammed her palm onto the stone table, which disintegrated into a pile of gravel. She stood up, her aura flared with menace. "Are you two brats cheating?!"
Minato looked at Tatsuma with wide, innocent eyes. He didn't know if Tatsuma was cheating, but he himself still didn't fully understand the win conditions. How could he cheat at a game he didn't know?
Before Tatsuma could respond, a kind yet authoritative voice rang out through the courtyard.
"That's enough, Tsunade. Are you really reduced to throwing a tantrum at two children?"