EBE Chapter 583 Causing Trouble
Chapter 583 Causing Trouble
Zhang Hai understood. It seemed Hanzo did indeed know something; his previous assessment of Iwagakure wasn't unfounded. He thought for a moment, then reminded White Fang, "Master, be careful of their puppets and poisons when you fight Sunagakure. Avoid getting injured, lest the toxins quickly enter your body and cause trouble."
White Fang smiled confidently, a sharp glint in his eyes. "I know the puppeteers' weaknesses. They won't have a chance. A close-quarters assassin like me, with incredible speed, is a natural enemy of puppeteers." He patted the White Fang short sword at his waist, adding, "Moreover, my White Fang short sword is specifically designed to counter chakra threads."
Upon hearing this, Zhang Hai said no more. He rode the eagle puppet and quickly returned to Konoha Village. After entering his room, he did nothing but lie down on the bed and fall into a deep sleep. During this time, although he appeared relaxed on the surface, he had been constantly on edge, never daring to relax for a moment. Whether facing Kakuzu or Chiyo, he had carefully concealed his true identity and purpose, which led to extreme mental exhaustion.
When Zhang Hai woke up, the sun was already high in the sky. He stretched lazily, feeling refreshed and full of energy. He pushed open the door, and the dazzling sunlight made him squint for a moment.
"Indeed, Konoha is much more livable!" Zhang Hai thought to himself. Compared to the simple, even somewhat impoverished, Sunagakure, Konoha was undoubtedly a completely different world. Everywhere he looked, there were vendors hawking their wares, restaurants emitting enticing aromas, and various bustling entertainment venues. He patted his pockets and found he had very little money left, and couldn't help but chuckle to himself. He thought to himself that after spending these past few months in Sunagakure with Sasori, it was normal to be broke.
Zhang Hai recalled the enormous sum he'd spent hiring Kakuzu to deliver intelligence when they parted ways in Sunagakure, and couldn't help but touch his empty purse. He was running low on money; he really needed to find a way to earn some. The idea of a casino flashed through his mind.
However, he immediately remembered that he was now a Konoha ninja. Gambling was one of the three forbidden rules for ninjas! If he were caught and reported to his teacher, White Fang, the consequences would be severe. He didn't want to disappoint his teacher or get himself into unnecessary trouble over such a trivial matter.
Therefore, Zhang Hai decided not to gamble inside the casino, but to find a "fat sheep" to rob outside. This way, he could both avoid violating the village's prohibitions and solve his immediate problem.
The moment he had this thought and was about to look for his target, a somewhat furtive figure slipped out of the casino's entrance. The person was voluptuous, and even from behind, her "surging aura and towering peaks" were enough for Zhang Hai to recognize her without even seeing her face—it was none other than the Fifth Hokage, Tsunade!
Zhang Hai immediately thought of the "gambling, prostitution, and drugs" combination of the Three Ninja Masters, and Tsunade was undoubtedly the most notorious "easy target" among them, always losing at gambling and possessing a huge fortune. She was simply the best gambling candidate in his mind!
A glint of excitement flashed in Zhang Hai's eyes. He jogged over and shouted, "Greetings, Lady Tsunade!"
Tsunade was startled by the sudden sound, her body trembling violently. She turned around and saw it was Zhang Hai. She breathed a sigh of relief, then coughed twice, putting on a serious expression, and asked in a deliberately stern tone, "What are you doing here, White Fang's student?"
Zhang Hai, with ill intent, pulled out a deck of cards from his pocket, waved it in front of Tsunade a couple of times, and asked with his signature smile, "Lady Tsunade, would you like to... play a game together?"
Tsunade's eyes flickered, her pupils contracting slightly, clearly indicating that the playing cards had triggered her gambling addiction. But she quickly reverted to her "strict teacher" demeanor, shaking her head and scolding, "Nonsense! Gambling is strictly forbidden for ninjas! Don't you know that?!"
Zhang Hai didn't say it explicitly, but simply pointed to the small house behind Tsunade. That was the entrance to the casino. He wore a mocking smile, implying that he had clearly seen Tsunade slip out of the casino just now.
Tsunade, realizing she'd been caught red-handed, felt a flicker of embarrassment. She coughed lightly, but ultimately couldn't resist the temptation of gambling, saying somewhat reluctantly, "Fine, fine, I'll just play."
"Lady Tsunade, what would you like to play?" Zhang Hai asked knowingly. He hadn't forgotten Tsunade's reputation as a "fat sheep," so of course he would choose the simplest game.
Upon hearing this, Tsunade asked somewhat warily, "What are you up to, kid?"
Zhang Hai saw through Tsunade's thoughts, and a subtle smile appeared on his lips. "It's simple, we each draw a card and compare their values. The one with the higher value wins, and the one with the lower value loses."
Tsunade pursed her lips, finding this way of playing rather boring, even childish. But considering that Zhang Hai was just a boy and probably hadn't played cards much, she agreed. "Alright, we'll do it your way."
Zhang Hai took the playing cards and shuffled them with a series of fancy movements. In reality, he just shuffled them casually a few times, then spread the cards out and made a "please" gesture.
Tsunade looked around and casually drew a card from the deck. She flipped it over and saw it was the King of Hearts!
Zhang Hai was somewhat surprised. He had just drawn a card himself, revealing the Queen of Clubs, which was already considered a relatively high hand. He hadn't expected Tsunade to draw an even higher card with a casual draw. Could this be the so-called "easy prey"? He had some doubts. But then he thought, one hand doesn't prove anything; perhaps Tsunade was just lucky. Anyway, letting her win a little first would be good, so she would lower her guard.
"Lady Tsunade, you won!" Zhang Hai readily took out some money from his wallet and handed it to Tsunade.
Tsunade looked slightly surprised after receiving the money. She glanced at Zhang Hai, then at the banknotes in her hand, and said with a hint of amusement, "Kid, playing this high? Are you rich?"
Zhang Hai smiled confidently. "Who gambles without money?" he said, taking the cards and performing a series of fancy, seemingly ordinary shuffling maneuvers. In reality, he had already silently memorized the order of the cards.
After the cards were shuffled, Tsunade said, "This time, it's my turn to draw a card first."
Zhang Hai was secretly delighted, but kept a straight face and said, "No problem, Lady Tsunade, please go ahead."
Tsunade glanced at the deck and randomly drew a card. This card happened to be the highest one Zhang Hai had specifically noted down when he shuffled the deck! Zhang Hai's expression instantly changed, and his heart skipped a beat. He knew he had lost this round again.
Upon seeing the cards, Tsunade's face immediately lit up with a bright smile, and she laughed heartily, "Hahaha! I won again!"