Chapter 61: Chapter 61: All In
The second floor of the casino.
A group of well-dressed individuals—clearly members of the upper class—sat around a luxurious gambling table, stacks of chips piled high in front of each of them. The atmosphere was thick with tension. Some players appeared excited, others nervous, and a few remained eerily calm. All eyes were glued to the card game at the center of the table, as if trying to read not just the cards but the minds of their opponents.
Every movement, every breath felt magnified in the charged air. The entire scene exuded a mix of thrill and danger, the kind that made hearts race uncontrollably.
Suddenly, a loud crash echoed from the floor below, shattering the fragile tension that gripped the room.
A man seated near the center of the table, slicked-back hair gleaming under the chandelier and a cigar resting between his lips, was deep in thought. The unexpected disturbance pulled him out of his reverie. Annoyed, he furrowed his brows and glanced at the burly man in a tailored black suit standing behind him.
"Go down and see what the hell is going on," he ordered curtly.
The suited man nodded respectfully, turned, and quickly made his way downstairs.
---
Downstairs.
Once he understood what had caused the commotion, the suited man's face darkened. He turned to the group of gamblers gathered around a single table and spoke with icy disdain.
"We don't care about your cheap tricks. If you dare cause trouble again, don't blame us for getting rough!"
The warning had an immediate effect. The previously agitated gamblers shrank back, their expressions turning sheepish. No one dared to speak.
The man in the suit scanned the crowd, still visibly displeased. Who would be foolish enough to stir up trouble in a place like this?
But then he saw her.
His eyes widened, and for a long moment, he stood frozen in disbelief.
No way...
Wasn't this the legendary "fat sheep" of the gambling world?
Yet when his gaze dropped to the massive stack of cash in front of Tsunade, he nearly choked. The sheer amount was staggering.
He gasped audibly, his thoughts spiraling.
How could that notorious loser have won so much? No wonder the others were so worked up.
Almost instantly, his demeanor shifted. He rolled his eyes, plastered on a flattering smile, and stepped forward.
"Master Tsunade," he said with mock reverence, "this floor is a bit... ordinary. Not very exciting. How about we move to the second floor? There's a private room up there where the real masters play. I promise you'll have a fantastic time."
Tsunade raised an eyebrow. She was intrigued.
She had lost at least seven or eight million in this casino over the years and was a frequent visitor, but she'd never once heard about a second floor.
"That's exactly what I was thinking," she replied with a smirk and got up.
Just as she was about to follow the man, Shizune tugged nervously at her sleeve.
"Tsunade-sama, we've already won a lot. Maybe we should just leave while we're ahead..."
Shizune's worry was etched clearly across her face. She feared Tsunade would end up losing everything they had just won.
"Relax, Shizune," Tsunade reassured her with a confident grin. She thumped her chest. "I'm on fire today!"
Shizune had no choice but to nod and silently follow her up the stairs.
---
Second floor.
As the man in the suit escorted Tsunade up, the players already seated around the table exchanged puzzled glances. They didn't recognize her.
"Want to join us for a few rounds?" asked the man with the slicked-back hair, now wearing an inviting smile after the bodyguard explained who she was.
"The minimum bet up here is one million. Can she even afford that?" a blue-haired young man scoffed while spinning a chip between his fingers.
Tsunade didn't respond. Instead, she coolly handed the money she'd won downstairs—about 1.2 million—to the dealer.
"Please exchange this for chips," she said.
That money represented nearly all the cash on the lower floor, a total clean-out.
"I'm dying over here!" someone said, laughing. "I thought she came loaded, but it's barely over a million!"
The others chuckled, their faces mocking.
Tsunade frowned, irritated by the jeers. She removed her coat and handed it to Shizune.
"Shizune, find a tailor shop and have the word 'God' embroidered on the back," she said, pulling out another wad of cash from her chest.
Shizune nodded and left without a word.
"She seriously just said 'God'? As in, God of Gamblers?" someone burst out laughing again.
"She really thinks she's something after beating those low-level players downstairs?"
Unbeknownst to them, several ninjas lurking in the shadows—hired to protect the high-stakes players—had just recognized Tsunade. Their expressions turned grave.
That's Tsunade! One of the legendary Sannin of Konoha!
They all silently prayed their employer wouldn't provoke her too much. If she got angry, they wouldn't stand a chance.
Tsunade sneered, "Let's see if you're still laughing when this is over."
The dealer began shaking the dice. Everyone fell silent, ears straining to pick up the subtle sounds.
Tsunade's expression hardened. She could tell immediately—the dice had been tampered with. But she didn't say a word.
Snap!
The dice clattered to a stop on the table.
---
As the games progressed, Tsunade kept winning. The others had mixed results—some small wins, many losses. Her stack of chips grew steadily.
The blue-haired young man, who had lost the most, slammed his palm on the table.
"Let's stop playing dice. Too easy for cheaters. Let's play poker!"
Tsunade shrugged. "Whatever you like."
The man with the slicked-back hair stood up and waved off the next round.
"You all go ahead. I'm sitting this one out," he said, smiling thinly.
Tsunade didn't comment, but she noted it. She had long suspected he was behind the rigged dice.
With him out of the game, the dealer began dealing cards.
The blue-haired young man's eyes lit up as he checked his hand. Without hesitation, he shouted:
"All in!"
With a dramatic sweep of his arms, he pushed his mountain of chips forward, the clatter loud and crisp.
Tsunade glanced at her own cards, then calmly set them back on the table. She tapped the back of the cards with two fingers and casually pushed her chips forward.
"I'm all in too."
The other players stood up in panic.
"I'm out. My stomach's killing me!"
"I just remembered—my grandma's about to give birth to my dad. Gotta go!"
"What?! Your dad is being born? I need to see that too!"
Only Tsunade and the blue-haired man remained.
"Show your cards!" the young man said confidently. He flipped his hand, grinning.
He was sure he had the win. Statistically, Tsunade only had a 1% chance of victory.
But then Tsunade turned her cards.
"Sorry," she said with a calm smile. "Looks like I won."
A collective gasp filled the room. Everyone stared in disbelief. These were veteran gamblers—masters of their craft—but none of them could see how she had done it.
The man with the slicked-back hair mumbled to himself, "Her gambling skills... they're better than mine..."
"This can't be!" the blue-haired man cried, his eyes bulging. He had been watching her every move like a hawk. There was no way she could have cheated.
"Why... why is this happening...?" he muttered, collapsing into despair.
Just then, Shizune returned, holding the coat.
"Tsunade-sama, how did it go? Did you win?"
Tsunade took the coat, slipped it on, and smirked. "Of course I did."
She then began collecting the enormous pile of chips in front of her.
"How... how did you do it?" one of the remaining gamblers asked, still stunned.
"Want to learn?" Tsunade teased.
"Really?" the young man asked eagerly.
"Fake." She flashed a mischievous smile and walked off with Shizune by her side.
The others remained seated, silent, watching her go. The word "God" now embroidered across the back of her coat stood out boldly under the chandelier's light.
They could only watch in silence as the realization sank in: they had been thoroughly outclassed.
"It seems we've hit a wall this time..." someone muttered.
---
After Tsunade left, the blue-haired young man's face twisted with rage. He pounded the table and shouted into the shadows.
"Kill her! I'll pay thirty million!"
In the darkness, the Jōnin he had hired for protection blinked in confusion.
"???"
pàtreøn (Gk31)