"You better explain clearly. Exactly what's going on?"
Yahiko and the others happened to have a lot of pent-up frustration, so they immediately stormed out toward where the incident was happening.
This troublemaker really had picked the wrong time to show up.
"A woman wearing a mask—we couldn't see her face."
"She came in around afternoon, as if cursed by fate itself."
"We've run this casino for years, and I've never seen someone quite like her."
"Even with terrible luck... shouldn't you win at least once or twice?"
"But her? We didn't see her win even once."
This Akatsuki ninja was quite talkative, continuing the story without end.
Apparently, he'd simply never encountered such terribly unlucky gambling before, so he couldn't help but vent.
Upon hearing that, Yahiko and the others immediately thought of the same person.
They exchanged meaningful glances, their faces clearly showing doubt — 'Could it really be her?'
Kakuzu alone looked completely baffled.
"Don't stop. Keep talking."
After exchanging silent glances, Yahiko patiently encouraged his subordinate to continue describing what happened.
"Eventually she got so desperate from losing that she gambled away every last coin of the money she brought with her."
"A rough estimate puts it around one hundred million. Then she accused us of cheating."
"You know how it is — ours is a civilized establishment; we never cheat. We aim to give customers the best possible gaming experience."
By this point, the Akatsuki ninja glanced cautiously at Yahiko's expression.
He knew Yahiko had strictly forbidden any form of cheating in the casino.
But this woman's case felt suspicious enough that he began to wonder if the dealer might have broken Yahiko's rule.
Otherwise, how could someone possibly lose every single round in a game of chance? That just seemed way too unbelievable.
Seeing that Yahiko still hadn't shown any reaction, he continued.
"Today it was Daiki who was maintaining order. He stepped forward right away to reason with her."
"But her attitude was terrible. No matter how we explained, she wouldn't believe us."
"She kept insisting the casino was rigged."
"Daiki tried everything, speaking politely and negotiating with her."
"Finally, he offered to refund her a small portion of her gambling money and asked her to leave."
"Of course, this doesn't mean we admit to any cheating."
The Akatsuki ninja was careful with his words, but at this point, Yahiko and the rest weren't even paying attention anymore.
All they cared about was whether this woman was indeed who they suspected.
"Hmm, go on."
Yahiko urged him to continue, hoping to hear more useful clues to confirm her identity.
"Justice lies in the hearts of the people. Our reputation speaks for itself to our guests."
"Many winners were present today."
"If she had taken the money and left, this whole thing would've blown over."
"But she refused, demanding we return all her gambling money and pay her substantial compensation."
"How could Daiki possibly agree to that?"
The Akatsuki ninja's voice grew increasingly heated — clearly caught up in the moment, visibly angry.
"You're taking too long!" Kakuzu snapped impatiently. "Get to the point!"
With a fierce glare, he startled the poor ninja.
"When Daiki refused, the two exchanged words briefly."
"I was standing pretty far away, so I couldn't hear clearly."
"Then Nakamura Daiki was sent flying straight backward and remained down for quite a while."
The Akatsuki ninja was about to continue when Yahiko cut him off.
"How'd Nakamura Daiki fly back like that?"
Yahiko's eyes lit up. Based on how it happened, he might be able to guess who did it.
"That woman landed a direct punch to his gut, and Nakamura Daiki flew back like he'd been hit by a carriage."
"Whoosh! Like he was shot out!"
The Akatsuki ninja even demonstrated with his hands, clearly showing Nakamura Daiki had flown quite far.
"Taijutsu. Tremendous power."
Nagato murmured softly. Their suspicions seemed spot on.
"What happened next?"
Yahiko kept asking.
"After that, several of our men rushed her all at once, each took one punch, and they all went flying."
"I realized things were going downhill fast, so I came straight here to find you."
The Akatsuki ninja finally finished recounting everything, and the group reached the casino's entrance.
A three-story-high building, its exterior was extravagantly decorated.
The three gilded characters glowing brilliantly above the entrance read: "Dream Fulfillment Pavilion."
Inside, there wasn't a sound of fighting to be heard. It seemed the troublemakers were waiting for the messenger's arrival.
Whether it was confidence or just arrogance and an overbearing attitude remained unclear.
The moment they stepped in, every gambling table in the grand hall had stopped operating.
With no immediate danger, everyone seemed content to watch what would unfold next.
Nakamura Daiki and the other Akatsuki ninjas stood facing off against one woman and two men.
Knowing they weren't a match, none of them dared attack first.
Yet bloodstains still marred their lips, a sharp contrast to the unscathed trio facing them.
At the sight of Yahiko, Nakamura Daiki's eyes lit up as if seeing salvation.
Though not a word was said, his previously slouched posture instinctively straightened.
"The Akatsuki Shadow is here. Let's see how this unfolds."
"This unlucky lady isn't easy to deal with."
"Her gambling skills are terrible, but she's actually strong."
"Just now, those knocked out were all Jonin from the Akatsuki Village."
...
Spectators buzzed with excited discussion, talking nonstop.
"Well then, you're the Akatsuki Shadow? Just a little brat?"
"You're accusing our casino of cheating. How do you plan to resolve this?"
Before Yahiko and others could speak, the woman accused first.
Though hiding any expression from view, it was clear she regarded none of Yahiko's group highly.
This chapter hasn't ended yet!
Naruto: Starting from Pursuing Tsunade, please bookmark: (m.
At the sound of the woman's voice, Yahiko and his companions felt a surge of excitement, almost bringing tears to their eyes.
Yes, it was definitely her.
Their gazes shifted to the two masked men standing beside her.
But Yahiko and the others couldn't hide the subtle smiles tugging at their lips.
So you two showed up after all, huh?
Kakuzu's pupils contracted sharply. He would never forget one of those men.
"What proof do you have that we're cheating?"
"With so many witnesses present, you can't just make wild accusations."
"You even dared injure my fellow Akatsuki ninja. Do we mean nothing to you at all?"
Yahiko barely suppressed his agitation, his voice sharp and stern, betraying no weakness.
"I said cheating is cheating."
"If you hand over the money nicely, I'll be generous and let you off the hook."
The woman didn't flinch in the slightest and even grabbed a chair to sit down.
Two men took their positions behind her, still silent as ever.
"Who do you think you are, acting like it's your way or the highway?"
"Apologize right now, and I'll *maybe* let you walk out of here."
Yahiko originally wanted to say something harsher, but he changed his mind at the last moment.
What if they came after him later? He'd probably get beaten within an inch of his life.
But in others' eyes, he appeared slightly disadvantaged.
They had come straight into your home, and all you were asking for was an apology?
You're just too soft.
"Looks like Akatsuki Shadow's afraid of that woman."
"I think so too."
"What do you know? Who pays for the damages if a fight breaks out here?"
"Exactly. Akatsuki Shadow must be thinking about the damages."
...
The onlookers chattered endlessly, most believing Yahiko had already lost ground in terms of presence.
Even before the fight began, he'd already lost half the battle.
Naruto: Starting from Pursuing Tsunade — Please bookmark: (m.