Even though Saiki had said it was his treat, Kushina and Tsume had intended to pay. However, Saiki had already used a "urinary flicker" to sneak away and settle the bill.
"Thank you for your patronage!"
At the door of the Akimichi BBQ, the fat owner, Dofeng Akimichi, smiled broadly. These were big clients who ate more than his own clan members. He had made a killing tonight.
"Considering your spending, here is a membership card. Welcome back anytime! Just let me know in advance next time so I can prepare better."
He handed Saiki a special card.
"Haha, you're too kind. I'll definitely let you know!" Saiki smiled, taking the card.
"Let's go!"
He waved, and the group left under the dim yellow streetlights.
"Come back soon!" the owner called out.
As they walked, Kushina looked at Saiki's happy face. Knowing he had paid secretly, she said, "Saiki, seriously... if you do this again, I'm not coming. Didn't I tell you? Don't waste your money. Save it!"
"Sensei, I didn't waste it!"
Even Tsume added, "Kushina is right, Saiki. It's fine once in a while, but don't throw it away."
Saiki knew he was "poor" by ninja standards, but to him, spending money on things that made him happy wasn't a waste.
If you have to restrict your eating and drinking, what's the point of living?
But he wouldn't argue. Money was important for buying ninja tools and training resources.
"I understand, Sensei! Everyone was happy today, so I wanted to celebrate!"
Saiki obediently admitted his "fault," and Kushina didn't press further.
Soon, they reached the point where they had to separate. Before leaving, Kushina told them to meet at the training ground tomorrow. She wanted to see their progress from the last half-month.
Saiki knew she was just bored and wanted someone to play with.
Despite the looming war, Konoha's night market was bustling with a superficial sense of peace and prosperity.
Walking through the streets, they saw couples and families holding hands.
Seeing Shizune blushing and nervously clutching the hem of her shirt next to him, Saiki shook his head with a sigh.
"Shizune, are you full?"
Startled from her thoughts of whether she should grab his hand, Shizune jumped. "Y-yes! I'm full!"
"You silly girl, what are you always thinking about?" He rubbed her head.
Her eyes darted around. "N-nothing!"
He poked her forehead. "Stop daydreaming. Let's get home."
Shizune pouted slightly but hurried to catch up.
When they got home, they noticed some furniture had been moved. As a ninja, basic observation was second nature.
"Did Lady Tsunade come back?" Shizune asked.
Saiki felt a sudden, sharp premonition. "I hope not."
He sprinted to the second floor.
Shizune was confused by his haste until a blood-curdling roar erupted from upstairs.
"TSUNADE!!!"
The shout was so loud the entire building seemed to vibrate. Shizune covered her ears. The raw emotion in the scream was so desperate and furious that it could make anyone weep for the sender.
The money on the bed was gone. All 1.45 million Ryo.
Saiki hadn't made even half that much in his entire previous life.
He had planned to live a life free of financial worry with that cash, and now it was gone.
He wasn't a dog, but he would never forget that woman's scent lingering in the air. He was filled with regret and rage.
Regret that he thought Tsunade's house was safe. Regret that he had rushed to change his clothes because of Kushina instead of hiding the money properly.
And rage, because he knew exactly what she was doing with it.
"I have to get my money back!"
Thump! Thump! Thump!
Saiki charged back down the stairs.
"Shizune, watch the house! I'm going to find Tsunade!"
He bolted out the door.
"Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
With a puff of smoke, five clones scattered in different directions.
"Saiki, what happened?!" Shizune yelled, but he and the clones were already gone.
"Please don't lose it all! Please don't lose it all!" Saiki muttered, jumping from roof to roof, ignoring the patrol ninja.
He had lived with Tsunade and Shizune for three years. He knew every gambling den in the village and which ones were her favorites.
Saiki headed for her top spot while his clones checked the others.
The three taboos of a ninja were alcohol, money, and women. The Sannin were living proof of those vices.
Konoha allowed gambling dens only because ninja were under too much stress and needed a place to vent. Plus, the First Hokage was a degenerate gambler.
But more importantly, the Konoha higher-ups were in on it.
The measly budget Hiruzen gave Danzo couldn't possibly fund Root; Danzo was involved in every grey industry in the village, including human experimentation.
Hiruzen wasn't much better. He tolerated Danzo because Danzo's grey money helped the village.
The Sarutobi clan didn't have monopolies like the Ino-Shika-Cho; as Hokage, Hiruzen needed his own funding.
Ninja might sound noble, but most were common people. If you didn't pay them, no one would risk their lives.
In a basement gambling den on West Road.
"Big! Big! Big! Give me big!"
"Small! Small! It has to be small!"
"One, two, three... Six points! Small!"
"Dammit! No!"
"Hahaha! I won! I knew it would be small!"
The night was ending for normal people, but for these gamblers, the night had just begun.
Only the house was smiling. Ten bets, nine scams—the house always wins.
The entrance was a small door in an alley guarded by a thuggish man with a scarred face.
Swish!
Saiki materialized in front of him. The thug almost cursed until he saw Saiki's eyes. They had met before, and Saiki had "educated" him. He shut his mouth instantly.
"Saiki-kun... are you looking for Lady Tsunade?" he asked with a fawning smile.
"Get out of the way," Saiki snapped.
The man scrambled aside. "Please! After you!"
Once Saiki was inside, the thug muttered, "Kids these days... his eyes are terrifying."
The staff didn't stop Saiki; they knew he was here for Tsunade, and no one was stupid enough to lie to a ninja when they could already feel her chakra in the back room.
A waiter led Saiki to a private VIP room.
He pushed the door open to see a red-faced, desperate Tsunade shouting bets at the table.
She sat in the VIP seat, surrounded by a group of shady-looking men.
The briefcase was nowhere to be seen. All that remained in front of her was a pathetic, tiny stack of bills.
The room was soundproofed with seals, but when the door opened, the roar of the main hall flooded in. Everyone looked back.
Seeing Saiki standing there, expressionless, Tsunade's hand froze mid-air.
Saiki didn't yell. Regardless of the situation, he had to give her some face in public. He wasn't stupid.
He walked over and sat in an empty seat. The other gamblers looked at him in confusion.
Saiki stared them down. "What are you looking at? I can't gamble? Place the bets!"
The owner had arrived, knowing things would get messy since Tsunade had brought so much money today.
The dealer looked at Saiki, then at the owner.
Tsunade, who had already lost everything and taken out another loan, couldn't even meet Saiki's eyes. She didn't dare tell him to leave.
Seeing the heavy atmosphere, the owner nodded. He didn't care about Saiki's age as long as the boy had money.
The dealer shouted, "Place your bets!"
Everyone looked at Tsunade. They used her as a reverse-compass. Buy whatever she didn't buy, and you were guaranteed to win.
Even Saiki looked at Tsunade.
Tsunade's heart raced. Saiki and Shizune had come to get her many times, but this was the first time Saiki had sat down to play with her.
The fact that she had gambled away his money was undeniable.
Her excitement died instantly. She took her last bit of cash and placed it on "Big."
Naturally, everyone else immediately bet on "Small."
The dealer looked at Saiki. Saiki pulled out the 20,000 Ryo Tsume had given him tonight and placed it on a "Leopard" (Triple Six).
Tsunade's eyes nearly popped out. She knew her luck. She couldn't believe Saiki would bet on the same side as her, let alone on a specific triple.
She wanted to scold him, but his cold, unwavering gaze stopped her.
"Start," Saiki said.
"Bets are closed!"
The dealer knew Tsunade's luck—ten losses out of ten. He didn't even need to cheat. He rattled the dice cup and slammed it on the table.
"Reveal!!"
The room erupted.
"No way! My eyes must be failing me!"
"It... it's a six, six, six! A Leopard! The house loses everything!"
Tsunade rubbed her eyes in disbelief. When she confirmed the result, a shiver ran down her spine.
She always lost. Whenever she won, it was an omen that something terrible was about to happen.
Saiki had hit a Leopard on the same side she bet on. She was terrified.
"Impossible! How?!" the gamblers screamed.
The dealer looked at the owner. The owner looked at a plain-clothed man—a ninja—who just shook his head. There was no cheating.
Even Saiki was surprised.
According to the rules, hitting a Leopard meant he won thirty-six times his bet, on top of clearing the table.
Saiki hadn't cheated. He had just bet big to spite Tsunade. If he had lost, he would have used his Flower-Flower Fruit to cheat the next round and win it all back anyway. It wasn't like cheating a basement casino was an immoral act. He just hadn't expected his luck to be this good.
Then, the "God of Gamblers" Saiki took over.
Facing both of them, the dealer didn't dare cheat. They had wins and losses, but by the end, Tsunade's IOUs were back, Saiki's 1.4 million was back, and they had an extra 600,000 Ryo in profit.
Tsunade was distracted and played poorly, but she didn't lose every time tonight.
The casino didn't dare stop them from leaving. Tsunade was a Sannin; the fact that she hadn't leveled the building after losing was already a testament to her character.
They walked out around midnight.
Saiki walked ahead, carrying two heavy briefcases. Tsunade followed behind in total silence. Neither said a word the entire way home.
When they arrived, Shizune was asleep on the sofa. Saiki pressed her sleep points and carried her upstairs.
When he came back down, Tsunade was sitting on the sofa, looking like a child who had been caught stealing cookies.
Saiki poured two glasses of water and sat next to her.
"Drink some water," he said.
Silence. Tsunade didn't look at him. Saiki didn't speak either, but he was seething.
Finally, after a long silence, Tsunade asked with a trembling voice, "That first round... did you cheat?"
"No," Saiki said firmly.
Tsunade's body shook. Losing was her fate. Winning meant death followed.
She had won many times tonight. She thought of Nawaki. She thought of Dan Kato. She began to tremble with fear.
Saiki knew her trauma, but his anger boiled over. He reached out, grabbed her collar, and forced her to look at him.
"Tsunade! What the hell are you afraid of?! You bastard!" he roared.
Normally, Tsunade would have punched him through a wall for this. But her fear and guilt left her weak.
"Let me go!" she struggled, but her resistance was frail.
"Look at yourself!" Saiki screamed. "I don't care about the money! I care about you! Stop falling into this hole! People have to look forward! The past is dead!"
Tsunade's eyes flashed with anger. She didn't know how to argue. "Mind your business! I'll pay you back!"
"Is this about the money?!" Saiki's rage peaked. "The money is important, but you're more important! Can't you just pull yourself together?!"
Tsunade snapped like a wounded beast. "Who do you think you are?! You're just a kid! Stay out of my life!"
Saiki was momentary silenced. He always joked about being her "child groom," but they both knew it was just banter.
But he wouldn't back down. "I'M YOUR FAMILY!"
With a violent tug on her collar to emphasize his point, a loud RIIIIIP echoed through the living room.
Tsunade's top was torn wide open.
Two massive, plump, snow-white breasts—perfectly shaped and pale—erupted from the fabric. Her pink, stiffening nipples were exposed clearly in the dim light.
Saiki froze.
Tsunade stared at him, her mouth hanging open in shock.