War had erupted again.
Unlike the Third Shinobi War, this conflict involved only the Hidden Leaf and the Hidden Cloud. And for now, it was mostly cautious probing attacks.
The last invasion by the Hidden Cloud had failed spectacularly—because Minato Namikaze had single-handedly stopped the "AB Combo," the Fourth Raikage A and the Eight-Tails' jinchūriki, Killer B.
But now Minato Namikaze was dead.
With their greatest obstacle gone, the Hidden Cloud immediately lost all restraint and launched an offensive.If the Leaf—still reeling from Minato's loss—hadn't managed to hold the line, the Cloud would've happily carved off a chunk of territory.
And if they failed to take a bite?Well… they could always call for peace talks.Either way, the weakened Hidden Leaf wasn't in a position to fight to the death.
According to the original timeline, this war should last two to three years.
Haruya remembered it clearly because something major was supposed to happen during the peace negotiations.A Cloud emissary would attempt to kidnap Hinata Hyūga, the Hyūga clan's heir, only to be killed by her father Hiashi. The Hidden Cloud would then accuse the Leaf of murdering their diplomat and demand the "killer" be handed over—or else the war would resume.
In the end, Hiashi's twin brother, Hizashi, sacrificed himself in his place to settle the conflict.
Tanshu Street.
A flashy entertainment district not far from the Leaf Village—famous for one thing:
Food, drink, girls, gambling, you name it. If it drains your wallet, they've got it.
Haruya stood in the middle of the bustling street, taking in the chaos.
Compared to the still-rebuilding Hidden Leaf, Tanshu Street was downright lively. Vendors hawked skewers and sake, izakayas spilled laughter onto the streets, casinos blazed with lantern light, and half-dressed girls leaned in doorways despite the winter chill.
Tsunade, unfazed, held a red cashbox in one hand and Haruya's sleeve in the other. She walked with the confidence of a woman who knew this place far too well.
Eventually, they stopped in front of a casino.
"Haruya, use your Transformation Jutsu," she said, letting go of his arm. "No way they'll let a kid gamble."
Haruya nodded and transformed—into a man in his mid-thirties.
"Not bad," Tsunade said approvingly. "Who's that supposed to be?"
"No idea," Haruya said casually. "Just some guy I saw on the street."
Actually, no.
He had turned into Chow Yun-fat.
If the God of Gamblers theme had started playing in the background, it would've been perfect.
"Let's go."
Tsunade pushed open the doors, and every eye in the casino snapped toward her.
The owner's gaze dropped to her necklace, and his expression instantly changed."That's… that madam?"
"Which madam?" asked a confused dealer girl beside him. "Is she famous?"
"You idiot!" the owner hissed. "How can you work in a casino and not know her? She's the legendary Big Fat Sheep!"
By the time he finished whispering, he couldn't hide the excitement trembling in his voice.
Tsunade ignored them, opened the box, and revealed stacks of cash."Exchange it all for chips!"
"Right away!" the casino owner said, nearly bowing.
Everyone knew the legend—whenever this woman gambled, she lost. Every. Single. Time.
A walking donation machine.
Moments later, she had 150,000 ryō worth of chips.
Not too little, not too much—roughly equivalent to the payout of a B-rank mission. Of course, mission rewards were split between teammates and the village, so an average ninja would need several missions to earn this much.
But Tsunade was one of the Sannin. If she actually worked instead of gambling nonstop, she could live comfortably.
Just look at Jiraiya and Orochimaru to prove the point—one wandered the world without a care, and the other burned money on experiments like there was no tomorrow.
"Give half to my apprentice. Let him play too," Tsunade said with a wave.
The casino owner glanced at Haruya and smiled widely.
The apprentice of the Big Fat Sheep was, naturally… another Big Fat Sheep.
A matched pair. A casino owner's dream.
Haruya received 80,000 in chips and sat down.
There were many games here, but Haruya insisted they stick to a simple one—similar to high-low dice.
Win: earn double.Lose: hand over your bet.In theory, a 50% chance.
In theory.
Reality? A casino always wins. Especially with a 5% commission on the winners.
The dealer shook the dice cup, then placed it on the table."Place your bets."
Tsunade hesitated, then placed three chips—3,000 ryō. Way too conservative for her reputation.
Haruya placed eight chips.
He didn't bet everything.This was a test—to see if Tsunade's legendary bad luck was real.
The dealer lifted the cup: six, five, five.
"Congratulations," the dealer said politely.
Tsunade lost 3,000. Haruya won much more.
Tsunade didn't mind.As long as Haruya won, she was delighted. She gambled partly for fun… and partly to forget her past pain. Losing money barely mattered to her.
But Haruya was different.She treated him like a younger brother now, so she happily played along with his plan.
Though her happiness was the casino owner's misery.
Are these two glitched?!
Haruya wasn't even trying to hide his pattern. After a few rounds, other gamblers started copying him. The casino owner's expression darkened with every win.
They weren't losing money, but profits were shrinking.And watching others get rich was agony.
"Great!" Tsunade beamed. "We earned a hundred thousand in just a few hours!"
She waved her thick stack of chips enthusiastically. Even if she wasn't money-hungry, seeing piles of extra cash was still exciting.
"Let's go to the next one!"
Tsunade grabbed Haruya and happily dragged him toward the next casino.
By dusk, Haruya looked down at his bankbook with deep satisfaction.
A million ryō earned in one day.
Equivalent to a dangerous S-rank mission… without risking your life.
"Haruya, you're still young," Tsunade said sweetly. "Why don't I hold onto that money for you?"
Her smile was soft. Her eyes were on the bankbook.
Wait.Why did that sound so familiar?
Haruya remembered that when he was younger, his mother said similar things—right before "protecting" his New Year's gift money.
He tightened his grip on the bankbook."No, I'll keep it."
He'd helped Tsunade, sure—but the money he earned was still his.
And his organization needed funds.
Seeing how protective he was, Tsunade couldn't help stroking his head with a smile."Alright, alright. Keep it safe."
She worried about ordinary kids, but Haruya was far from ordinary.
It was honestly thanks to him that they earned so much.
"We'll do it again tomorrow," Tsunade said cheerfully.
She hadn't noticed the problem at all.
But it was fine.They could just use Transformation Jutsu again.The reason Haruya didn't use it today was because Tsunade always gambled as herself—hence her legendary reputation.
Back in the Leaf Village, after dinner and another three hours practicing Wood Release, Haruya finally had time to himself.
He began planning his next move.
With a million ryō, he could rent a small apartment—use it as a temporary base.
But… he had no personnel.
Kabuto Yakushi was still too weak. He'd need two or three more years.
Haruya rubbed his chin.
Then suddenly remembered the mother and daughter.
Yes. That could work.
It would be a pity to let two Uzumaki clan kunoichi slip by.