Naruto: Starting with Creating a Genius Persona

Chapter 210 The Street Kid

One day later, in the southwest of the Land of Fire, in Tanbata Street.

Since the mission was completed beyond expectations, there was no need to rush back, so Tsunade suggested taking a break along the way.

Then, under Shizune's look of knowing disdain, Tsunade confidently led the three members of Team 10 into Tanabata for their so-called "rest".

Despite its name, Tanabata Street is actually a large and renowned entertainment capital in the southwestern region of the Land of Fire.

This place boasts the largest number of gambling dens of varying levels in the ninja world, along with their associated luxury hotels, theaters, and brothels. The lights never go out, and the place is bustling with noise. It is a place where many wealthy merchants, nobles, and even ninjas who seek thrills and extravagance linger.

This place is a veritable money pit, the world's "Las Vegas".

Inside the brightly lit and luxuriously decorated main hall of a large casino, the slot machine area was bustling with noise and smoke. The sounds of chips clattering and roulette wheels spinning, excited screams and frustrated sighs mingled together.

Tsunade sat expressionlessly in front of a slot machine flashing with dazzling light effects, mechanically inserting one chip after another into the coin slot, and then slamming down the start button.

Splash!

The pattern on the screen scrolled rapidly before finally freezing.

Unsurprisingly, it was yet another combination that narrowly missed the winning pattern.

Insert another coin, then pull the lever again.

Failed again!

Repeatedly.

Shinichi stood like a human-shaped walking coin rack, half a step behind her with a blank expression, holding a coin basket in his hands.

Whenever Tsunade ran out of coins, he would silently grab a handful and hand it to her. Tsunade would take it without even looking at it and continue feeding it into that money-eating machine that seemed to never be full.

Shizune and Kurenai were not present at the moment. After arriving in Tanabata, Tsunade sent the two disapproving girls to wander around the streets with a flimsy excuse that even she probably didn't believe: "I'll treat you to a big meal and buy you pretty clothes when I win a lot of money."

Therefore, the important task of keeping an eye on the legendary big fat sheep and preventing her from making irrational moves when she was desperate to lose fell on Shinichi's shoulders.

Shinichi didn't want to come in at all, but he had no choice. He had to keep an eye on Tsunade to prevent her from getting carried away with losing and mortgaging the weapons and ninja tools she had just received from Takumi Village for chips.

Regardless of whether the gambling den has the guts to shut down, the mere possibility of this happening would be quite a spectacle.

Another disappointment!

The pattern on the screen froze again on a meaningless combination, offering no consolation prize whatsoever.

Your luck is truly terrible.

Even with Shinichi's current state of mind, he couldn't help but silently complain to himself.

He watched as Tsunade battled it out in this slot machine area for over two hours, switching between no fewer than twenty machines, but she hadn't won even the smallest consolation prize. She only experienced small losses, medium losses, and big losses, going back and forth between these three outcomes.

If he hadn't strictly controlled the amount of chips he handed over each time, he probably would have lost even more.

On the bright side, Tsunade is currently only playing relatively mild slot machines with limited single bets, and has not directly participated in gambling games or roulette that involve tens or hundreds of thousands of taels of silver.

So far, she has only lost less than 100,000 taels. This amount is a huge sum for ordinary people, but it is still within an acceptable range for Tsunade or Shinichi, who paid the advance. Consider it an insurance premium to avoid bigger trouble.

After all, Tsunade's tendency to lose every time she bets is, in a sense, a kind of alternative early warning mechanism, even more effective than Shinichi's current "Avoidance of Misfortune".

If Tsunade really starts winning money, even if it's just a small win, he'll probably immediately become extremely vigilant and start worrying about his own and the safety of his entire team.

Because once this person's luck improves and they start winning money, it often means that extremely bad luck is about to happen, as if it were some kind of causal law.

"Damn it! There's definitely something wrong with this machine! The feel is off!" Seeing that she had missed out again, Tsunade muttered in frustration, making a move to get up: "Let's get another one! The one over there looks much better! I have a feeling that next time, no, the one after that, I'll definitely win the jackpot!"

"Tsunade-sensei."

Shinichi finally couldn't help but speak up and remind him, "Since we sat down here, this is the twenty-third machine you've tried. You've practically tried everything in this area."

At this point, Shinichi gestured by hefting the now-light coin box in his hand, which contained only a few pitiful coins.

"How about we call it a day? It's getting late, we should go eat. Shizune and Hong are probably tired from shopping and are waiting for us."

Tsunade looked at the nearly empty coin box, a hint of hesitation and resentment flashing across her face. She opened her mouth, as if she wanted to find some other reason.

Just then, a sudden commotion and commotion arose from another row of slot machines not far away.

A middle-aged man wearing gold-rimmed glasses, who looked like a junior office worker, suddenly let out a wail, his knees buckled, and he knelt on the ground. He then began to frantically slap himself in the face, the loud slaps drawing the attention of many people around him.

"I lost! I lost everything! It's all gone! Everything's gone! I'm not human! I'm an animal!!"

The middle-aged man cried out, tears streaming down his face, "I won't gamble anymore! I'll never gamble again! I swear, I will quit gambling completely! Sage of Six Paths! Please give me another chance!"

This sudden farce immediately attracted a small crowd to gather around, pointing and whispering among themselves.

"Huh? Isn't that Watanabe? Lost all his money again?"

"I heard he just got paid today and jumped right in, tsk..."

3

"That's terrible, but he brought it on himself."

The surrounding comments made the man named Watanabe feel even more ashamed. He could only repeat the words of self-denial and self-slapping until his cheeks were red and swollen.

Seeing this, Shinichi wanted to use this as a negative example to advise Tsunade, "There is no end to the sea of ​​gambling, but there is always a way back."

At this moment, several men with shifty eyes and slick manners, who seemed to be regulars at the gambling den, approached the man named Watanabe and began to advise him, one after another: "Brother Watanabe, don't be so absolute! The money you lost isn't gone, it's just temporarily held here at the gambling den! If you really quit, you'll never get that money back, what a loss!"

"Think about how much your monthly salary is? If you don't gamble, how will you win back what you've lost? How will you pay off your debts? With that meager salary, how long will it take you to pay them off?"

"Anyway, I'm not going to advise you! But I have a friend who used to be even worse off than you. He lost his house, his wife ran off with someone else, and he almost jumped into the river. But what happened? He turned his luck around, made a complete comeback, and now he has a new house and a new wife who is young and beautiful. What does this show? It shows that there are always opportunities; it just depends on whether you dare to take the gamble and whether you can hold on until your luck comes!"

"Yes, yes! Watanabe-san, you're at your lowest point right now, the darkness has reached its end, you understand the darkness before dawn? The rebound is just around the corner! Giving up now would be like pushing away the luck that's almost within your grasp!"

After this series of punches, Watanabe, who had been slumped on the ground and vowed to quit gambling, unconsciously stopped slapping himself. His eyes began to struggle violently and wander aimlessly, and his breathing became heavy.

These words drifted into Tsunade's ears, who was somewhat listless and preparing to accept Shinichi's suggestion to leave. They seemed to possess a strange magic, instantly brightening her eyes.

Tsunade abruptly turned to Shinichi: "Shinichi! This is the last round! We've got to play this much! You play this time! Just press a button, win or lose, I absolutely won't play again! I mean it!"

Those who blockade dogs really have a good death.

Shinichi sighed helplessly and said, "You said it yourself, this is the last game, I'll leave after it's over."

"Yes, yes, yes! I said it! Quick, you press it!" Tsunade nodded repeatedly, stepped aside, and stared intently at the screen.

With a sense of helplessness, Shinichi stepped forward and threw all the last few chips in the chip box into the coin slot, quickly pressing the same pattern.

Then, under Tsunade's suddenly wide-eyed gaze, he casually slapped the huge start button.

"Wait, wait! You brat! Why did you choose 7 for all of them?!"

Tsunade nearly choked on her breath, her eyes wide with shock: "Three 7s are the highest prize combination, do you know how low the odds are? What's the difference between this and just throwing it away?! Ahhh! My money!!"

Shinichi didn't answer, he just stared at the screen quietly, the spinning of the pattern beginning to slow down.

The first roller slowly came to a stop.

A bright gold-edged "7"!

Tsunade's eyes widened instantly.

The second roller, wobbling as if struggling, finally settled on a "7"!

"Two, two now!"

Tsunade's voice began to tremble, and her hands unconsciously clenched into fists.

The third roller, which is the key to the final result, spins the slowest, as if deliberately tormenting the nerves of the onlookers.

Ding!

Finally, under Tsunade's almost suffocating gaze, the third roller came to a steady stop on a glittering golden "7"!

Three 7s stand side by side, flashing a dazzling light on the screen.

Ding-dong! Ding-dong!

"JACKPOT!!!!" (Naruto has an English version)

Congratulations!!! You've won the grand prize!!!

The slot machine erupted with deafening electronic cheers that echoed throughout the area! The machine lights flashed wildly, like a mini-festival! Exaggerated, constantly rolling numbers appeared on the screen, along with an animation of coins flying everywhere!

We've hit the jackpot!

And it's the highest multiplier, a jackpot with three 7s!

Tsunade: "(△)"

Shinichi: "(—ω—`)

Tsunade froze on the spot, her mouth slightly agape, staring at the astonishing numbers on the screen, then glancing at Shinichi beside her, who remained calm as if he had simply pressed a switch. Her mind went completely blank.

Who am I? Where am I? What happened?

I won the lottery?

How...how is this possible?!

Just then, several well-dressed and swift-moving casino staff members, as if they had been waiting nearby, immediately jogged over with beaming smiles and respectful attitudes. The one leading them, a middle-aged man who appeared to be a manager, immediately bowed and said, "Congratulations, Lady Tsunade! Congratulations, Lord Higashino! Congratulations on winning the grand prize! It is a great honor to witness such a momentous occasion!"

Clearly, this well-connected gambling den has its own information network, dating back to shortly after Tsunade and Shinichi, two big names in the ninja world, entered the gambling den.

The boss behind it probably received the news and secretly instructed them to be careful, not to offend them, and to prevent any accidents from happening.

Faced with the staff's compliments, Shinichi simply nodded slightly and calmly said, "Could you please exchange our chips?"

""

"Yes, yes, yes! We'll process it for you right away! Please move to the VIP room with Lady Tsunade to rest for a while, and we'll settle your bill immediately!" The manager hurriedly replied, waving his hand to his subordinates to clear away the curious onlookers and make way for them.

Half an hour later, in a private room of a high-end restaurant called Tsukimi-tei in Tanabata Street.

The table was laden with exquisite dishes, but Jingyin's attention was clearly not on the food.

Her wide eyes were fixed on the blonde woman opposite her, who was trying to act nonchalant but couldn't suppress the smile on her lips.

"Tsunade-sensei? You...you just said you won money? At the casino? And you won quite a bit?"

The silence was filled with disbelief, even a hint of horror.

As far back as she could remember, this woman never took a single penny from the gambling table; she always left penniless, or even heavily in debt.

Winning money?

This is an even more bizarre event than the resurrection of the Sage of Six Paths!

Could it be a ghost?

Or is there a mistake regarding the gambling venue?

A variety of outrageous guesses flashed through Jingyin's mind.

Tsunade picked up the sake cup in front of her, took a sip with feigned elegance, and tried her best to appear calm and collected, but the corners of her mouth betrayed her: "Ahem! What's the big deal? I'm an experienced casino player, I can win big money, isn't that a normal thing?"

"Alright, alright, order whatever you want, no need to look at the prices! After we eat, tell me where you want to go or what you want to buy! I'm in a good mood today, so I'll pay for everything!"

However, the suspicion in Shizune's eyes did not fade; instead, it intensified.

Could it be a genuine win?

Her gaze drifted to Shinichi, who had been calmly and leisurely eating his appetizers since he sat down.

After dinner, Tsunade, in high spirits, led Shizune and Kurenai back to the most bustling commercial street. Shinichi, however, declined the invitation to go with them, saying he wanted to wander around by himself. Tanabata Street was even more bustling and lively at night than during the day, with neon lights flashing everywhere and crowds of people jostling each other.

Shinichi wandered aimlessly through the intricate and brightly lit streets of Tanzaku.

"Where could it be?"

Shinichi slowed his pace, closed his eyes slightly, and focused his mind on the increasingly clear and intense inexplicable throbbing in his heart.

Guided by an inexplicable intuition, I turned two busy street corners and entered a relatively quiet side street.

The lights here are much dimmer, and there are few pedestrians, creating a stark contrast with the bustling main road, as if it were two different worlds.

Some debris and garbage cans were piled up on both sides of the road, and a faint smell of decay lingered in the air.

Shinichi stood at the intersection, his gaze slowly sweeping over the sparse pedestrians and shadows, and the excitement in his heart reached its peak at this moment.

It's nearby, what could it be?

"Big brother, please give me something to eat... I'm so hungry... I haven't eaten for two days."

A weak, trembling, and timid child's voice came from the shadows at the alley entrance.

Shinichi turned his head and looked toward the source of the sound.

There was a boy who looked about five years old, huddled in the shadow of the clutter in the corner.

He had unkempt, dry, and frizzy brown hair that draped over his shoulders. He wore an old, obviously ill-fitting, torn, and filthy garment and was barefoot, his feet covered in mud and grime.

Oh?

Shinichi's heart skipped a beat. He took two steps forward, squatted down, and aligned himself with the boy's eye level. He then took out two banknotes from his pocket and handed them to the boy.

The boy froze, his eyes fixed on the two banknotes, which were a huge sum of money to him, before his small hands trembled slightly as he took them.

He bowed his head deeply, his voice trembling with barely suppressed sobs and overwhelming emotion, repeatedly expressing his gratitude: "Th-thank you, big brother! Thank you so much! You're such a kind person!"

"What's your name?" Shinichi reached out and gently touched his hair, asking softly.

"I have no name."

Upon hearing this, the brown-haired boy paused for a moment, shook his head blankly, and lowered his voice.

He had been a wanderer and begging since he could remember. He didn't remember his parents or where his home was.

"I see."

Shinichi smiled slightly, thinking to himself, "Just as I thought."

Hit the jackpot!

An hour later, in a suite at a high-end hotel in Tanabata Street.

After shopping, Tsunade, Shizune, and Kurenai returned with bags full of their spoils, their faces beaming with satisfaction.

However, when they pushed open the door to Shinichi's room, they were surprised to find that there was another person in the room besides Shinichi.

A boy who looked a little awkward and acted timidly was sitting at the table, eating a bowl of steaming ramen in small bites.

He had changed into a clean and tidy new set of clothes.

However, judging from his stiff posture and clumsy eating movements, he seemed extremely uncomfortable with this clean, warm, and cared-for feeling, and was somewhat at a loss.

Hearing the door open, the little boy startled and raised his head abruptly. With a small mouthful of noodles still in his mouth, his large, slightly panicked eyes looked at the three unfamiliar women at the door, and his body involuntarily shrank back.

"Shinichi? What's this?"

Tsunade raised an eyebrow, put down the shopping bag in her hand, and looked back and forth between Shinichi and the strange boy. Shizune and Kurenai also curiously came over.

Shinichi smiled, pointed to the boy, and introduced him: "Tsunade-sensei, Shizune, Kurenai, let me introduce you, this is..."

""

"Yamato."

Yes, the nameless brown-haired street urchin that Shinichi found in Tanabata Street is none other than the Konoha ninja named "Yamato" who survived the Wood Release experiment and successfully obtained the power of Wood Release in the future.

Meanwhile, in a water-rich country isolated overseas, there is a port shrouded in thick fog year-round.

A tall, aloof young woman stepped onto the land of this fog-shrouded country.

Yekura!

Please give me some votes, everyone.