"And the winning number is 24!" comes the voice of the roulette operator inside the modest gaming room of a busy casino in Maruki City.
"Damn luck," an angry Tsunade clenches her fists next to the roulette table, her number 25 seeming to mock her, right next to the white sphere that has stopped.
"Tsunade-sama, it's getting late, we should go back to the hotel," Shizune says at her side.
"Relax, the night is young and I still have money left. Go to the bar and order a bottle of sake instead," Tsunade exclaims, as she heads to the poker table.
It's been two weeks since the two women began wandering through the southern cities of the Land of Fire, and Maruki is only the third stop where Tsunade has found a casino to pass the time.
"There's something I've been wondering about these past few days, Tsunade-sama," Shizune comments, pouring sake for Tsunade, who was completely focused on her poker hand. "As far as I understand, you don't have the amount of cash you've been using up until now. Did you take out a loan again without me noticing?"
"Not at all," the Sannin replies, staring into the eyes of her opponents across the table. "This is just operational expenses for the mission."
Shizune's eyes threaten to pop out of her head at the woman's casual remark, and she ends up whispering in Tsunade's ear, "Are you betting the village's money? The Hokage will kill us if he finds out about this."
"Calm down," Tsunade says, a little annoyed by Shizune's interruption. "He knows exactly what he got himself into by asking me to get involved in this."
Shizune seems intent on continuing the discussion, but suddenly, a large group of men dressed in samurai attire and armor enter the casino and begin clearing everyone out. Shizune proceeds to gather her things to follow the others, but is stopped by Tsunade, who remains seated, her face very serious.
No one seems interested in disturbing the Sannin during the evacuation process, which quickly ends with only the two women and the men taking up positions around the hall walls.
"It seems we've achieved our objective," Tsunade says quietly, seeing a new individual enter through the main door.
The person entering is a person of medium height, most likely a woman, dressed in a full-length black cloak, revealing nothing but a white mask, which is quite flat and has only red paint around the eyes.
"But what a surprise to see the famous Tsunade Senju here," says the person behind the mask, in a clear, female voice.
"Who do I have the pleasure of speaking to, if you don't mind telling me your name?" Tsunade asks with a formal smile.
"My name is Shizuki," the woman replies, once she's sitting across from Tsunade at the same poker table. "I have to say, I didn't expect to see you here, especially after my run-ins with your village. Although, the truth is, I've been looking for you for quite some time."
"Were you expecting someone different?" Tsunade says.
"I honestly don't know what you're talking about. I'm actually coming to you seeking your medical services."
Tsunade stares at the woman in front of her, "And I'm here representing Konoha."
"Hoooo, so they sent you to talk. I didn't think you would be willing to come out of your forced retirement and come to meddle in diplomatic dramas, especially with your tendency to take everything lightly," Shizuki says.
"Circumstances warrant it," Tsunade says seriously, "Are you from the Uchiha clan?"
Shizuki pauses for a moment at the Sannin's question, her eyes beginning to tinge with red, revealing her Sharingan. "That's in the past. I ask that you never mention my clan again."
Tsunade isn't intimidated by Shizuki's gaze, but nods at her request. "Correct. Then let's get to the point. What kind of organization do you belong to, and what do they want in the Land of Fire?"
"I don't like your questions very much, nor the tone in which you ask them…" Shizuki says, raising her voice a little. "You were clearly sent to test my strength and the strength of the organization behind my back. Something I understand and find very appropriate in this situation. However, you're not going to get any of that from me. You'll have to discuss that with my boss, who is the only one who can speak with the freedom you require."
Tsunade frowns, proceeds to place her elbows on the table and her chin on one of her fists, "And how can I talk to your boss?"
Shizuki's eyes return to normal, and she proceeds to say mockingly, "The boss is a very busy person and doesn't have time for meetings."
"Are you making fun of me?" Tsunade begins to raise her tone.
Shizuki doesn't seem to take Tsunade very seriously and continues in her light tone, "You could say our organization is one of few words, we like to show what we're capable of, rather than just boasting about something like that."
Shizuki proceeds to snap the fingers of one of her hands, causing one of the men right at the entrance door to walk out of the casino. Moments later, two men wearing heavy metal armor and demon-shaped masks appear. But what is surprising is not the individuals in armor, but the people who are dragged by a rope behind those individuals.
Twelve Konoha ninjas, all bound and blindfolded, none seriously injured, although some appear to be limping or show signs of having been violently subdued. Among them, two ninjas can be distinguished, whom Tsunade and Shizune immediately recognize.
"Asuma, Kurenai!" Shizune exclaims.
"What's this about!" Tsunade jumps up in surprise, slamming her fists onto the table, causing it to completely fracture.
All the men around react, drawing their swords, and Shizuki appears too quickly behind Shizune, a dagger pressed against her neck. Tsunade doesn't understand how everything got so out of hand so quickly.
"I don't like people who can't control their impulses," Shizuki says, before slashing Shizune's throat.
The samurai seem to understand the signal and begin attacking the captured ninjas. Asuma is decapitated with a katana in a single blow, and Kurenai is slashed diagonally from her neck to her waist. The other ninjas suffer a similar fate, in an orgy of screams and blood.
Tsunade can't do anything, paralyzed by the first moment she sees Shizune's blood. The sannin can't believe what's happening, falling to her knees in front of Shizune's body. Her trembling hands trying to stop the blood gushing from her apprentice's neck, who moved his mouth, trying to tell her something.
"I'm sorry... I'm sorry," Tsunade says with great difficulty, her eyes filling with tears.
"I suppose this means war, my dear Tsunade Senju," Shizuki exclaims, then pierces Tsunade's heart with a sword.
Then Tsunade wakes up, completely dazed, standing in front of the cracked poker table, her face dripping with sweat and her legs about to give way. Shizuki is still sitting comfortably in her chair with her arms crossed. The surroundings are normal, and the captured ninjas are still alive.
"Shall we calm down a bit? Have we learned that all actions have consequences?" Shizuki says seriously, standing up from her chair, "because we can make that dream you had come true."
Tsunade looks into Shizuki's eyes and realizes that a new type of sharingan has manifested, a strange pattern very similar to that of a six-pointed snowflake, and ends by whispering, "Mangekyou Sharingan."
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