The idea was good, but putting it into practice was difficult.
Kusagakure might have been weak, but it wasn't a place a mere genin could barge into recklessly.
Sasame's top priority was still improving his own strength.
Right now, he spent his days learning Water Release and his nights training in Wood Release. By any measure, his progress was decent.
He was only seven, after all—his body had its limits.
Sasame took off his coat and drifted into sleep.
The next day, Sunday.
Tsunade eagerly dragged him to Tanzaku Quarter.
This time, she used a transformation jutsu, taking on the appearance of an utterly ordinary girl.
The kind Sasame wouldn't even glance at.
Flat as a board—no thanks.
Tsunade and Sasame dominated the gambling halls once again, winning another million in bets.
But on their way back to Konoha, they were ambushed in a small forest.
The casino bosses from before knew exactly who Tsunade was, so they hadn't dared to make a move.
But now, facing an unknown girl, their anger flared, and their greed took over.
"Which casino are you from?"
Surrounded by eight burly men, Sasame didn't panic in the slightest.
Because he had backup.
"Shut up and hand over all the money you won today!"
"Guess we can't talk this out."
Sasame tilted his head. Looks like he'd have to follow Naruto's playbook—beat them up first, then talk.
Tsunade watched him with amusement, curious about what he planned to do.
She had already noticed that this little brother she'd picked up was mature, clever, and full of ideas.
Sasame's face turned serious.
This was his first real fight.
First times were always a little nerve-wracking.
Even if you took out the "nerve," it still made sense.
Ahem.
At least Tsunade was here—no life-threatening danger.
Wood Release: Wood Clone Jutsu!
Almost instantly, one Sasame became three.
"Watch out! He's a shinobi!"
The casino enforcers tensed up immediately.
They were just ordinary thugs with some skills, nowhere near the level of a trained ninja.
All three Sasames flung shuriken at once.
Six in each hand—eighteen total, covering all eight men.
The enforcers scrambled to dodge.
The real Sasame stayed in place while his two clones charged forward.
The moment they closed in, they used Wood Clone Jutsu again, turning the fight into a fair brawl.
Within moments, all eight were subdued.
"Now, can we talk?" Sasame asked again.
"Our boss will never let you get away with this!"
"Pretty tough talk."
Sasame turned his head. "Sis, show them your fist."
Tsunade smiled sweetly, took a few steps back, then raised her right leg—and brought it down.
Painful Sky Leg!
The ground within a three-to-four-meter radius around her shattered instantly, sending rubble flying.
The eight enforcers stood frozen in shock.
What they had just witnessed was beyond human capability.
"Which casino?" Sasame asked, covering his nose and mouth.
Even though Tsunade had controlled her strength to avoid hitting him, the dust was unavoidable.
"Gunma Casino!" one enforcer blurted out quickly.
"What's the boss's name? What's his background?"
"His name is Morikawa. Started as a thug, then joined the Gunma Group and opened this casino."
"I see."
Sasame waved his hand. "You can go."
Tsunade looked surprised. "Just letting them leave like that?"
"They're just hired muscle—useless to us."
Sasame explained, "I'm more interested in the Gunma Group. Since they came after us, we don't need to hold back. I have an idea—we take over the company."
Even though he'd used Wood Clones, most shinobi would assume it was just a regular Clone Jutsu, let alone these thugs.
No risk of exposing Wood Release.
Tsunade stared at him blankly.
If not for his seven-year-old appearance, she'd have sworn Sasame was an adult.
"You want to run a casino?" she asked.
"No."
Sasame shook his head. "I want to protect the casinos."
"…?"
Tsunade couldn't follow his logic.
"A single casino is too small-scale. I want to consolidate all of them and maximize profits."
Sasame planned to become Tanzaku Quarter's underground ruler.
This was beyond typical shinobi thinking.
It took Tsunade a while to process.
She didn't know how to respond.
Shinobi didn't engage in business or management.
Their only way to earn money was through missions.
She could only blame her lack of education.
But Sasame? He could think of a thousand better ways to make money—without risking his life or exhausting himself.
Sasame had always found the shinobi world absurd.
Men and women with godlike power submitting to daimyo and nobles?
Acting like dogs on missions?
Even the Akatsuki.
Ridiculous.
And the most ridiculous part? Shinobi took pride in it.
Sasame didn't get it, but he was impressed.
"So, what's your plan?"
Tsunade didn't hesitate long.
Between the Gunma Group and Sasame, the choice was obvious.
As for whether it was "un-shinobi-like"? Who cared?
"Standardize the rules, add new games, improve service, charge franchise fees and profit shares."
From Sasame's perspective, Tanzaku Quarter's casinos were like rundown internet cafés—dirty, chaotic, and offering only a handful of outdated games.
After taking over the Gunma Group, he planned to modernize the gambling scene, using superior service to dominate the market.
The remaining casinos would either be forced to adapt or band together to crush him.
But he was willing to offer a third option: franchising.
Tsunade was speechless.
This kind of strategy was unheard of.
But the more she thought about it, the more it made sense.
"I can't do it alone—I'll need your help, sis."
Sasame looked up at her with expectant eyes.
This had been a spur-of-the-moment idea, but the profits were real.
Besides, the Gunma Group had attacked first.
Retaliation was only fair, right?
And with money, he could make other moves—like hiring shinobi to rescue Karin and her mother.
Tsunade felt conflicted.
Today, Sasame had given her just a small glimpse of his mind, and it left her stunned.
Even seasoned merchants wouldn't have come up with something like this.
But at least he was on her side now.
Tsunade bent down and picked him up. "No problem. Whatever you need, big sis will provide."
Whoa.
That sounded like something a sugar mama would say.
Sasame tilted his head slightly and caught sight of the First Hokage's necklace.
So white.
He didn't hold back, leaning against her.
The fight had worn him out.
His cheek brushed against skin smoother than the finest silk.
Before long, drowsiness set in.
His body was still a child's, after all.
And chakra exhaustion drained his stamina.
After walking for a while, Tsunade felt rhythmic breaths against her neck and the surrounding skin.
She looked down—Sasame was already asleep.