Boom!
A thunderous explosion roared through the gambling house, followed by towering flames erupting from the money storage warehouse.
Blazing fire and the deafening noise stunned everyone inside. Moments later, they snapped out of it briefly before scattering in panic.
"It's on fire! It's on fire!"
"Hurry and help put out the fire!"
"Run for your lives!"
"Help put out the fire! Help put out the fire!"
"Save us! I don't want to die!"
"..."
The Heiya Gambling House descended into chaos. Some bolted straight toward the exit while others rushed to the backyard to fetch water. Others dashed headlong toward the blazing money vault, driven by greed.
The workers at Heiya gambling house kept their cool. Some hurried off to fetch water while several samurai swiftly drew their blades to guard the warehouse.
Suddenly, someone in the crowd shouted, "We're here to claim our own money! Why are you blocking us? Give us our cash!"
Others joined in, shouting loudly.
"Give us our money back!"
"Give us our money back!"
"Give us our money back!"
At this, the lead warrior unsheathed his sword and slashed downward onto the ground.
A sharp slash tore through the air, carving a deep gash into the stone floor.
Then, he coldly declared, "Cross this line and die! We're dealing with the fire now. Afterward, anyone holding chips will be fully compensated by our establishment!"
Most of the crowd were ordinary people. Frightened by the display of force, they dared not advance further.
Meanwhile, two warriors burst through the door to Heiya Ichiji's room upstairs, clearly flustered.
"Trouble! Lord Heiya, trouble!"
"Come in!"
Heiya Ichiji's expression darkened. With such commotion outside, something serious must have happened at the casino.
The two warriors looked frantic, nearly tumbling over themselves trying to reach him.
But the moment they stepped inside, Heiya Ichiji suddenly narrowed his eyes and barked, "Seize them!"
No sooner had he spoken than four warriors emerged before him, while three Anbu ninjas appeared in front of Murakumo Kurama.
All seven sprang into action against the two warriors.
Shock flooded the two men's faces, but they reacted instantly. Slamming their feet down hard, they propelled themselves backward and out of the room.
Then, the two figures crouched atop the second-floor railing began forming hand seals rapidly.
[Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique]!
[Wind Release: Great Breakthrough]!
The wind fueled the flames. Though unintentional cooperation, the combination of techniques strengthened each other, producing an effect greater than the sum of its parts.
Midair, the massive fireball swelled and exploded violently, creating a chaotic vortex of fire that instantly engulfed everything within sight.
...
Inside the private room upstairs, Hisanobu was the first to dash outside.
Moments later, dealers and attendants screamed and fled downstairs. The previously merry aristocrats and wealthy merchants who had been enjoying games and small talk now wore terrified expressions, hastily evacuating under the protection of their guards and servants.
Soon, only three humans and one pig remained indoors.
Calmly puffing on a cigar, Aozora sensed a sudden surge in chakra activity around him.
Chakra is quite mysterious—except for Dojutsu users and Sensor-type ninjas, most cannot easily perceive its presence within the human body.
However, once the chakra burst out of his body, it became easily perceptible to sensors.
After a loud noise rang out, Aozora immediately knew that a ninja had attacked—and judging by the flames in the air, it was clearly a Fire Release technique.
Thanks to his sharp mind, Aozora quickly realized he had accidentally stumbled into the scene where the Shadow Guard Team was trying to capture Danzo.
In that case, Tsunade's presence made perfect sense. How else would the Third have dared to go after Danzo without a Kage-level expert backing him up?
Still, wasn't Tsunade currently suffering from her fear of blood? Just how effective could she really be in battle right now?
Huuu!
Suddenly, Aozora caught the sound of rushing wind.
Then he saw a blur of a fist. He hadn't activated his Sharingan yet, so he only barely registered an afterimage.
At such close range and with such speed, few people in the Ninja World could react—but somehow, Aozora happened to be one of those rare few who could.
Crack!
The impact of fist meeting palm exploded with a thunderous roar.
Tsunade's right fist had been stopped—by Aozora's right hand.
She hadn't used her signature monstrous strength, but even her raw physical power was no ordinary force.
A powerful shock traveled up his arm, and Aozora subtly shifted his stance, redirecting the force into the chair beneath him and the ground under his feet.
Instantly, the chair shattered and the floor dented.
"You may be slim, but you've got some spunk in you!"
Aozora's lips curled into his usual calm, confident smile.
Back then, even blocking a punch like that would've left his wrists aching and his muscles sore.
But now, whether due to an awakening of latent bloodline abilities or the early formation of [Lightning-Fire Golden Body], he had effortlessly absorbed Tsunade's testing strike without feeling the slightest discomfort.
Seeing that the opponent didn't counterattack, Tsunade frowned, pulled back her fist, and asked, "Who are you?"
Although she hadn't unleashed her full strength, landing such a close-range punch wasn't something just anyone could block—let alone as casually as Aozora had done. If it weren't for the shattered chair beneath him, she might have thought she had barely exerted any strength at all.
Aozora withdrew his right hand and shook it lightly beneath the gaming table, holding a cigar between the fingers of his left. "You can call me Lunfa!"
"Lunfa?"
Tsunade repeated the awkward name, certain she'd never heard it before—she suspected it was an alias.
"What are you still doing here? Why aren't you running away?"
Aozora exhaled a puff of smoke. "I've got game—isn't it natural to walk into a casino and play? And since I've already exchanged all my silver for chips, staying makes sense too."
Though Tsunade could currently be considered an ally, Aozora had no intention of revealing his identity. In his eyes, the Hokage Faction wasn't trustworthy; exposing his abilities might provoke dangerous retaliation.
Upon hearing his words, Tsunade remained on high alert, her beautiful eyes locked onto Aozora.
"You'd better speak the truth. Otherwise, the next punch won't be so easy to handle!"
She clenched her fists tightly, chakra surging through her meridians as her clothes fluttered without wind.
Not too early, not too late—it happened right here, right now. She didn't believe in coincidences.
Observing this, Aozora took a moment to consider before pulling out a wanted notice from inside his coat and unfolding it toward Tsunade.
"My target is him."
After speaking, Aozora added, "I hope our goals align?"
"If you're willing to pay the price, I can let you have the mark."
Tsunade glanced at it and recognized a Wanted Notice from the Black Market, displaying Heiya Ichiji's image and related intelligence.
"A Bounty Hunter?"
She cast a disdainful look at Aozora before withdrawing her gaze and replied icily, "He's not my mark. Just don't do anything reckless until I finish my business."
As she spoke, she slammed her fist onto the table.
Boom!
A hole was instantly punched through the tabletop.
After pulling her fist back, Tsunade walked out of the room without looking back, Shizune following closely behind, heading out to check the battlefield situation.
Although she despised the actions of bounty hunters, since Aozora hadn't shown any hostility yet, she didn't want unnecessary conflict, so she simply gave a mild warning.
Aozora examined the gaming table — apart from the hole Tsunade made, not a single crack ran across it. Looking closer at the edge of the hole, it was polished smooth as if deliberately refined.
Running his fingers over the smooth cross-section, Aozora silently admired how finely Tsunade controlled her chakra.
Anyone could punch a hole in a gaming table — but nobody could polish the edges at the same time. That kind of control was on another level entirely.
Aozora lit a cigar and followed them outside too.
With Tsunade around, he figured this mission just might be a walk in the park.
Within moments, the gamblers inside the Gambling Den had fled in all directions, leaving behind only staff from the Heiya Gambling House and Aozora's uninvited group.
<><><><><><><><>
Thank you for reading! Your support will keep me updating!
~ Every 50 Powerstones = **4 Bonus Chapters** this weekend!
<><><><><><><><>
~ 100+ Advanced Chapters Available on Patreon!
~ More *Free* Chapters and Books Available on Patreon!
patreon.com/Tansnovel
<><><><><><><><>