"Alright then, how should we play?" Since they'd decided to play, rules were naturally important.
Anya immediately realized he was dealing with what seemed like an easy mark. He instantly suggested, "Let's each draw one card and compare who has the bigger one."
Tsunade curled her lips slightly, clearly finding it quite boring. However, considering his youth—he probably hadn't played cards much before—she agreed, "Fine, let's go."
Anya shuffled the deck thoroughly and casually drew one card. Flipping it over, it turned out to be the Queen of Clubs—quite a strong card indeed.
Tsunade looked left and right before pulling out a card as well. When she turned it over, surprisingly, it was the King of Hearts, even stronger than Anya's. She had won.
Anya felt somewhat shocked. Is this really an easy mark? Doesn't feel like it. Well, one round isn't enough to judge—everyone gets lucky sometimes. Letting her win some money first wouldn't be bad either.
"Here you go," Anya said cheerfully, taking a sum of money from his wallet to hand over to Tsunade.
Receiving the money, Tsunade spoke in mild surprise, "Kid, you play this big? Are you really rich?"
"Who gambles without some cash?" Anya replied confidently. With an elaborate shuffle, he reshuffled the deck carefully, memorizing the order as he did so.
Once the shuffling finished, Tsunade spoke up, "This time, I'll draw first."
Anya didn't mind. "Go ahead."
Tsunade glanced at the deck and casually drew a card—that single card wiped the confidence right off Anya's face, because it was exactly the strongest one he'd memorized. Obviously, he had lost again.
"Hahaha!" Seeing the card, Tsunade burst into gleeful laughter.
Anya could only dig into his wallet once more. Come on now—is this really an easy mark? More like an unbeatable lucky charm! He couldn't keep playing such luck-based high-or-low card games anymore.
After losing two games in a row, Anya suggested, "Let's switch things up. Just comparing cards is getting boring."
Tsunade's interest was now piqued. Excitedly asking, "Then what should we play?"
"Hana-Fuda," he replied.
Hana-Fuda wasn't just about luck—it tested your memory, reflexes, strategy, and even stamina. No way she could keep winning this way by chance.
But apparently, Tsunade really did win again.
Looking at his now empty wallet, Anya couldn't help but question life itself. This might have been the worst setback he'd encountered since his reincarnation. Never imagining that someone nearly always correct in judgment would fall at the hands of a so-called "easy mark."
"Oh, you're out of money already? Well, forget it then." Tsunade happily counted the notes in her hand. Honestly, even she herself was surprised by her incredible luck today—winning a lot at the casino earlier, and even more after leaving.
"Wait." Seeing Tsunade preparing to leave, Anya spoke with gritted teeth, "I'll bet with this instead."
He held up a bottle filled with liquid. Through the clear glass, it shimmered like pure water, crystal-clear and dazzling.
"What is this?"
"This liquid intrigued Tsunade. This young man before her wasn't half bad—he possessed considerable wealth and even some rare and unusual items.
"The poison I made is colorless, tasteless, and lethal upon entering the bloodstream."
With no other choice, Anya, who'd lost badly and in frustration, pulled out one of his hidden cards developed in Sunagakure—one of the toxins he had created together with Sasori. It was the most deceptive in appearance. While it might not be the deadliest, its concealment was unmatched.
"Poison, you say?" Tsunade indeed became interested. She looked intently at Anya and asked, "Still want to play cards?"
"I'm done with cards. Let's play Mahjong instead." Anya switched games, determined not to lose to this legendary mark today.
Tsunade didn't flinch at all. She agreed readily, "Fine."
Coincidentally, heavy rain began pouring outside. The two found a small room and started playing two-player Mahjong.
As soon as the tiles were arranged, Tsunade's eyes lit up. She immediately revealed her hand and laughed, "Wow, I got a heavenly hand! Hahaha..."
Seeing this, Anya muttered in disbelief: "How could this be?"
After double-checking Tsunade's tiles twice, Anya, stunned by what he saw, tossed the vial of poison toward her.
"Hey, be careful—it's poison," Tsunade hastily caught it, then, slightly taken aback, looked at Anya and said, "So, kid, you're actually from the Uchiha Clan."
Upon hearing Tsunade's words, Anya shuddered instantly, snapping out of his daze as he asked, "How did you know?"
Tsunade pointed at Anya's eyes and said, "Your two-tomoe Sharingan has awakened. I'm not blind, of course I can see it."
Huh? I've awakened it?
To be honest, although he knew he belonged to the Uchiha Clan, Anya had never truly tried to activate the Sharingan. After all, these eyes came with a heavy burden—their true power only emerged at the Mangekyo Sharingan stage. Even then, their use was limited, practically like a useless appendage. Moreover, since Anya needed to hide his Uchiha heritage, he never really cared much about the Sharingan.
Who would have thought that gambling would trigger an awakening? This was the real deal—losing so badly he nearly lost his mind, not just the game. Anya felt utterly dejected—not only did he fail to fleece this legendary mark, but his long-hidden identity had also been exposed. He'd lost his shirt—literally and figuratively. Gambling really was the devil's playground.
Seeing Anya's stunned expression, Tsunade couldn't help but feel a little sorry: "Forget it, I won't gamble with you anymore. I'm leaving."
"Wait," Anya quickly dashed in front of her using Shunshin.
Tsunade hurriedly gathered her winnings behind her back and firmly declared, "Don't think you can ask me for money just because you're a kid. I won't return anything—it's all mine now."
"I'll give you another vial of medicine. Can you help me conceal my identity?" Anya took out a red liquid from inside his robe.
"Concealing your identity?" Tsunade caught on right away. "You don't want people knowing you're part of the Uchiha Clan?"
"Exactly," Anya replied frankly.
Somewhat puzzled, Tsunade asked, "The Uchiha are a prominent clan in Konoha. Yet you choose to distance yourself from them instead of staying within the family. Why is that?"
Tsunade also came from a prestigious family and still felt a sense of belonging toward clan ties. However, Hashirama, the head of the Senju Clan, valued the village more highly and often married outside the clan, gradually fading from Konoha's center.
Anya didn't fully understand Tsunade's position, so she only said a safe sentence: "I want to carve out my own place in the world through my own efforts."
"Suit yourself. I'll take this vial of poison."
Whether or not she truly believed it, Tsunade unhesitatingly accepted the second vial of poison Anya handed over.
At that moment, Orochimaru's voice echoed from outside the door: "Tsunade, your brother is gone."
Boom! With the torrential rain came a thunderclap that shattered the sky...
<><><><><><><><>
Thank you for reading! Your support will keep me updating!
~ Every 50 Powerstones = **4 Bonus Chapters** this weekend!
<><><><><><><><>
Want to read the subsequent content in advance?
Please follow my Patreon:patreon/Tansnovel
Tans Novel - The Fastest-Updating Naruto Fanfiction Account
Read 100+ chapters in advance, with at least 3 new chapters updated every day! More free chapters! 20+ Naruto fanfictions!
Just three steps:
1. Download and open the "Patreon" app
2. Search for "Tans Novel"
3. Click on the collection and enjoy to your heart's content
<><><><><><><><>