The Land of Hot Water is a veritable hot spring country, with many small volcanoes, hence the abundance of surrounding hot springs, making it a tourist destination. It has maintained a neutral stance throughout several Shinobi World Wars.
However, due to the harsh environment, agricultural yields here are not very high, and the economy relies entirely on tourism. In this world, there are no mass-produced condoms, and even if there were, commoners probably couldn't afford them, so the population has been continuously increasing.
This led to the people of the Land of Hot Water, in their pursuit of an ideal paradise, giving rise to many beliefs and sects, among which was Hidan's Jashinism.
Honestly, Uchiha Nagi didn't quite understand the people of this cult; why would they choose such an unpleasant name? If people hear the word 'evil,' would they still dare to join?
Uchiha Nagi bought a horse and rode towards the coast. The Land of Hot Water borders the Land of Fire on one side and the sea on the other, and beyond the sea lies the Land of Water.
After arriving at a city called Kanagawa, Uchiha Nagi stopped because he planned to resupply in the big city. Before he even got close to the city gates, a strangely dressed person handed him a flyer.
"Sir, please take a look; join our Jashinism…"
Uchiha Nagi: "..."
Speak of the devil, and he shall appear. And is it really okay to openly recruit people like this?
Looking around, there were commoners dressed in coarse cloth who paid no attention to these proselytizers, and peddlers in simple clothes who took the flyer and hurried into the city with their goods on their shoulders.
Everyone seemed accustomed to it—
Uchiha Nagi no longer dwelled on it and walked directly into the city, wondering where to get money. Before he had walked a few steps, he saw a gambling establishment with the character "bet" (gamble) written on its door. Many people were gathered, whispering about a legendary "fat sheep." "A fat sheep? Let me go see." Uchiha Nagi actually had enough money to last a while, but hearing the words "fat sheep" reminded him of someone, a woman renowned for losing every gamble.
Upon entering, he found the place bustling with people. Most gamblers were flushed and waving their money, nervously watching the woman in the center.
Uchiha Nagi looked closely: golden hair, a cursed seal between her eyebrows, and as for her chest… a huge pair of papayas, heaving, combined with her queen-like aura and beauty, it was simply irresistible.
At least ninety percent of the surrounding gamblers' attention was on her, either staring at her chest or her face. Who knew how many people she would appear in the dreams of tonight.
Or become the culprit responsible for the deaths of billions… "I bet big—" As the blonde woman roared, the people around her followed suit and placed their bets.
"I bet small~"
"Me too, small…"
"And me, I also bet small…"
"Open, open, open…"
The people around had bloodshot eyes and kept cheering, while the dealer wore a mournful face because ever since this woman arrived, many people around had won a lot of money.
That's right, she was Tsunade, the legendary fat sheep. If she bet big, it would be small; if she bet small, it would be big… After several rounds, even those who hadn't heard her nickname slowly realized the problem: this woman's luck was absolutely terrible. But that was great, wasn't it? Just bet the opposite and win!
So the casino's dealer, with a mournful face and a pained expression, opened… The strange thing was that even if the dealer secretly cheated to let her win, she would somehow inexplicably lose. When she lost, the gamblers who bet on the opposite side would win.
"Boss, this isn't working. If she keeps gambling, our casino might be won into bankruptcy by those scoundrels," a subordinate whispered into the boss's ear.
"Hmm, it's the only way…" The boss nodded. He had a plan.
Before the next round could even begin, the boss forcefully cleared out the surrounding casual gamblers and respectfully said to Tsunade,
"Hello, Lady Tsunade, there are so many people here, and those stinky men smell so strong. In my opinion, how about I invite you to play in the VIP room?"
Tsunade was also hot and kept fanning herself by pulling at her chest, the beautiful sight making the surrounding people constantly swallow their saliva.
"Alright, let's go. And bring me another bottle of sake."
A pure-looking, black-haired woman beside her said worriedly, "Lady Tsunade, please don't gamble anymore. We're almost out of money…"
Tsunade waved her hand carelessly, "What's there to be afraid of? Money comes and goes. If we run out, just borrow some. Besides, at worst, we can run back to Konoha. The annual rent should be almost collected…"
That's right, as the princess of the Senju Clan, Tsunade was a landlady, which was why she had money to squander, and why many people were willing to lend her money. The Senju Clan's properties were still in the central area of Konoha… Uchiha Nagi sighed. The Uchiha Clan also had many properties, but with more clan members, it was naturally impossible for them to be as concentrated as Tsunade's. However, that was all in the past; now, they were probably all taken over by the Anbu and Root.
"Excuse me, may I participate?" Uchiha Nagi silently pushed through the crowd and walked up, opening a box filled with bundles of Ninja World banknotes.
"Heh heh, of course you can. But I must inform the guest beforehand, we do not allow cheating here," the shifty-eyed boss said with a smile, squinting. Another fat sheep.
In the VIP room, there were Chakra monitoring devices. People in the Ninja World had a fixed mindset that using too much Chakra meant cheating in a casino, and most cheating involved Chakra.
But this casino boss was different. He found a way to bring in a pure technical cheater to run the show, whose special skills even Ninja couldn't detect.
Soon, Tsunade and Shizune, and Uchiha Nagi were invited into an elegant inner room. The table was covered with gambling tools, and at the same time, the boss smilingly 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 considerable, and she herself was a medical Ninja, so she wasn't afraid of traps or poison. Thus, she walked in casually.
"Welcome, both of you…" The tall, thin man smiled confidently, "Please choose your preferred method, and I will entertain our esteemed guests."
"..."
Two hours later.
— — — —
"Lady Tsunade, we've lost every last bit of money. We can't even afford a hotel tonight, what do we do?"
Shizune looked resentful. As Tsunade's attendant, she often went hungry, two meals out of three days. Whenever Tsunade had money, she gambled; if she borrowed money, she gambled. They often spent half their time outdoors.
"What's there to be afraid of? Don't we still have Tonton? Just sell her for money."
"Eek—" Shizune nervously hugged the pink piglet in her arms.
However, the next second, Tsunade turned to the person behind her and said, "Come out, you've been following me since the casino…"