Naruto: Blade of the Sharingan

The Land of Hot Water truly lived up to its name as a nation of hot springs. With numerous small volcanoes, it was abundant in hot springs, making it a tourist country. Throughout the several Great Ninja Wars, it had always maintained a neutral stance.

However, precisely because of its harsh environment, its agricultural output wasn't very high. It relied entirely on its tourism economy. And in this world, there was no mass production of "little umbrellas". Even if there were, commoners probably couldn't afford them, so the population kept increasing. This led to the people of the Land of Hot Water, in their pursuit of an ideal paradise, giving birth to many beliefs and cults, among which was Hidan's Jashinism.

Honestly, Uchiha Nagi didn't quite understand the people of this cult. Why choose such an unpleasant name? Would anyone dare to join a religion with "evil" (邪 - ja) in its name upon hearing it?

Uchiha Nagi bought a horse and rode towards the coast. The Land of Hot Water bordered the Land of Fire on one side and the sea on the other; beyond the sea lay the Land of Water.

Upon reaching a city called Nagawa, Uchiha Nagi stopped. He planned to replenish his supplies in a large city. Before he even neared the city gates, a strangely dressed person thrust a flyer into his hand.

"Sir, please be sure to take a look! Join our Jashin cult..."

Uchiha Nagi: "..."

Speak of the devil, and he shall appear. And recruiting people so openly, was that really okay?

Looking around, there were commoners dressed in sackcloth who paid no heed to these proselytizers, and peddlers in simple work clothes who took the flyers and hurriedly carried their goods on their shoulders into the city. Everyone seemed to be used to it.

Uchiha Nagi didn't dwell on it further and walked directly into the city, wondering where to get some money. He hadn't taken many steps when he saw a crowd gathered at the entrance of a shop with "Gambling" written on it, muttering about some legendary "fat sheep"...

"Fat sheep? I'll go take a look." Uchiha Nagi's money could actually last him a while longer, but hearing the words "fat sheep," he was reminded of a certain woman known for losing every gamble.

Upon entering, he found the place packed. Most of the gamblers were red-faced, waving money in their hands, nervously staring at the woman in the center.

Uchiha Nagi looked closely. Blonde hair, a sealing mark in the middle of her forehead. As for her chest... a huge pair of "papayas," surging like waves, coupled with her queenly aura and appearance, was simply irresistible. At least ninety percent of the gamblers around had their attention fixed on her, either staring at her chest or her face. One could only imagine how many dreams she would appear in that night, or how many billions of lives she might be responsible for "killing".

"I bet big—!" Following the blonde woman's shout, the surrounding people followed suit with their bets, but in the opposite direction.

"I'll bet small~" "Me too, small..." "And me, I'll also bet small..."

"Reveal, reveal, reveal...!"

The eyes of the people around were bloodshot as they continuously egged her on. The house dealer, however, had a woeful expression. Since this woman had arrived, the crowd had won a considerable amount of money. That's right, she was Tsunade, the legendary "Sucker." If she bet big, the outcome would be small; if she bet small, the outcome would be big...

After a few rounds, even those who hadn't heard of her nickname gradually noticed the pattern: this woman's luck was abysmal. But that was great! Wouldn't they win by just betting the opposite?

So, the casino's croupier, with a pained look on his face, revealed the results... The bizarre thing was, even if the croupier secretly cheated to let her win, she would inexplicably lose. And once she lost, the gamblers who bet against her would win.

"Boss, this won't do! If she keeps gambling, our casino will be bankrupted by those bastards!" an underling whispered into the owner's ear.

"Mm, it seems this is the only way..." The owner nodded; he had a plan.

Before the next round could begin, the owner forcefully cleared out the casual gamblers around and respectfully addressed Tsunade.

"Hello, esteemed lady. It's so crowded here, and those smelly men... In my opinion, how about I invite you to play in the VIP room?"

Tsunade was also feeling the heat, fanning herself by pulling at her collar, the beautiful scenery of her chest causing those around her to constantly swallow their saliva.

"Fine, let's go. And bring me another bottle of sake."

Beside her, a pure-looking young woman with black hair said worriedly, "Lady Tsunade, please don't gamble anymore. We're almost out of money..."

Tsunade waved her hand dismissively. "What's there to fear? Money lost will come again. If we run out, we'll just borrow more. Besides, worst comes to worst, we can just run back to Konoha. The annual rent should be about due for collection..."

That's right, as the princess of the Senju clan, Tsunade was a landlady. This was why she had money to squander, and also why many people were willing to lend her money. The Senju clan's properties were still in Konoha's central district...

Uchiha Nagi mused for a moment. The Uchiha clan, of course, also had many properties, but with so many clan members, it was naturally impossible for their wealth to be as concentrated as Tsunade's. But that was all in the past; he estimated they had now been confiscated by Anbu and Root.

"Excuse me, may I join?" Uchiha Nagi silently pushed through the crowd and walked up, opening a case filled with bundles of Ninja World banknotes.

"Hehe, of course, you can. But let me tell you beforehand, customer, cheating is not allowed here." The shifty-eyed owner grinned; another fat sheep had arrived.

In the VIP room, there was equipment to monitor Chakra. People in the Ninja World had a fixed mindset: using too much Chakra. Even cheating in casinos mostly involved using Chakra. But this casino owner was different. He had managed to bring in a professional cheater who relied purely on skill to oversee the games; even ninjas couldn't detect anything unusual.

Soon, Tsunade and her companion, along with Uchiha Nagi, were invited into an elegant inner room. The table was laden with gambling paraphernalia. At the same time, the owner, smiling, introduced a thin man with very wide finger joints and calloused palms...

Tsunade glanced at Uchiha Nagi, probably sensing he was a ninja. But his strength was evident, and he was a medical ninja himself, so he wasn't afraid of traps or poison. Thus, she strode in nonchalantly.

"Welcome, you two..." The tall, thin man smiled confidently. "Please choose your preferred game, and I shall entertain our honored guests."

"..."

Two hours later.

"Lady Tsunade, we've lost even our last bit of money! We can't even afford an inn tonight! What should we do?" Shizune's face was full of despair. As Tsunade's attendant, she often went hungry for two out of three days. Whenever Tsunade got money, she gambled; if she borrowed money, she also gambled. They often spent half their time living in the wild.

"What's there to fear? Isn't Tonton still here? We can just sell her for money."

"Eek—!" Shizune nervously hugged the small pink pig in her arms.

However, the next second, Tsunade turned her head towards the space behind her. "Come out, you who's been following me since the casino..."