Naruto Card King

Tsunade was the first to be completely dumbfounded. The moment Haruto Saito unleashed his chakra-infused kick, she could clearly sense it—he had used Monster Strength!

For an instant, it felt like the entire world had collapsed into chaos. Impossible! Absolutely impossible!

Even if Haruto possessed an unprecedented talent, there was no way he could have learned Monster Strength in just one day. Especially since she had been with him the entire time. She hadn't seen him train at all! He had been listening to her lessons the entire day, tormenting her with endless questions. Could he have learned Monster Strength just by listening to lectures?

Forget Monster Strength; no jutsu could be mastered this way!

"Monster Strength? Monster Strength?!" Jiraiya suddenly let out a shriek, his voice unusually sharp. His eyes bulged as he turned to Tsunade, seeking confirmation.

He had felt the surge of Monster Strength, but he couldn't believe it!

"Does this brat possess some kind of secret replication technique?" Orochimaru's eyes glowed with intrigue. His mind raced. Even if he has a replication ability, he couldn't have used it right in front of Tsunade without her noticing. Besides, Monster Strength is extremely difficult to copy. It requires a highly refined level of chakra control...

The area outside the wooden house was eerily silent, littered with splinters of the shattered redwood coffin.

Inside the house, Haruto's breathing had already steadied. To the refined senses of Tsunade, Jiraiya, and Orochimaru, it was evident that Haruto had truly gone back to sleep almost instantly.

"Hahahaha! Hahahahaha! HAHAHAHA!"

A burst of wild laughter broke the silence, drawing their attention.

Tanaka Ichio seemed like he had lost his mind, his laughter chilling and unsettling. Tears welled up at the corners of his eyes as his massive belly shook with each deep guffaw. He even slapped his thighs in exhilaration, rocking back and forth.

How could he not laugh?

The most extreme, impossible, and unimaginable scenario had just come to pass!

This was the most absurd thing he had witnessed in his ten-plus years of running a casino. Haruto Saito had truly learned Monster Strength in a single day. And the most shocking part?

Only Haruto had bet on himself!

The total wagers in the casino had reached a staggering 33,487,653 ryo!

Tanaka Ichio had committed the number to memory.

Now, he only had to pay out a little over two million ryo to Haruto. The rest? Pure profit!

A whopping thirty million ryo in profit!

Though he was already a wealthy man, the owner of Konoha's largest casino, and his business had daily cash flows in the millions, the costs of maintaining such an establishment were enormous. Monthly profits might reach a few hundred thousand ryo, but true net profits were much lower.

His entire net worth had been around 30 million ryo.

But now, with this single bet, his wealth had doubled overnight!

"Hahahaha! I-I need to go! I have to settle the books! Hahaha!" Tanaka Ichio stumbled away, still laughing uncontrollably, his voice echoing in the air.

Tsunade's face was frozen in a stunned expression as she watched him leave. Then, her stiff neck slowly turned toward the wooden house.

Whoosh!

A ghostly figure suddenly appeared among them. Cloaked in black, masked, and wielding a short blade, he exuded an aura of mystery.

Konoha ANBU Captain—White Fang!

"Where is Haruto Saito?" White Fang's sharp gaze swept over them as he asked.

"Sleeping..." Jiraiya casually pointed toward the house.

"Hmm..." White Fang took a step forward but then hesitated. His gaze shifted between them, sensing something off. A realization struck him. His pupils shrank as he asked in a low voice, "Did he succeed?"

Tsunade, still in shock, slowly shook her head, mumbling under her breath, "No... no... I must be dreaming..."

"Yes. He did it," Jiraiya confirmed, nodding.

White Fang's posture straightened, his body tensing. Without another word, he disappeared into thin air.

"Could this brat really be a once-in-a-century genius?" Jiraiya mused, his tone uncertain.

"Perhaps," Orochimaru responded, his eyes flashing with an eerie light.

Tsunade remained silent for a long moment.

Then, suddenly, she whipped around and bolted away without another word.

"Go! Let's get out of here!" she shouted as she vanished in a blur of motion.

Jiraiya and Orochimaru exchanged glances before swiftly following suit, their figures disappearing into the night.

May 6, Year 32 of Konoha

A shocking and unprecedented event shook the entire Hidden Leaf Village.

Konoha's largest casino, Sangetsuten, formally announced that Haruto Saito had successfully learned Tsunade's B-rank Monster Strength technique in just one day and began paying out winnings.

The news almost incited a riot.

Enraged gamblers stormed the Sangetsuten Casino, shouting accusations of fraud and scam. Some, having lost fortunes, started vandalizing the establishment.

It took the combined efforts of Konoha's Police Force (Uchiha Clan) and the Intelligence Division (Hyuga Clan) to quell the chaos, leading to the arrest of over a hundred furious gamblers.

Within one hour, the entire village knew.

Konoha was set ablaze with rumors and debate.

Hokage's Office

"Hokage-sama, that's the full report. It seems Tsunade is struggling to accept what happened. She spent the entire night supervising Haruto, which is the most unthinkable part. If he had used some unknown trick, she would have noticed instantly."

The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, paced behind his desk, hands clasped behind his back. He could not remain seated.

A genius? A prodigy? A freak? An anomaly?

Hiruzen couldn't place Haruto into any category. He had no explanation. If Haruto had been born in Konoha, this would have been different.

But Haruto was from Amegakure, once a subordinate of Hanzo the Salamander!

BANG!

The office doors burst open, nearly flying off their hinges.

Tsunade, Jiraiya, and Orochimaru stormed in, now fully equipped in battle gear. This was their mission-ready attire.

"Sensei! Give us a mission! Any mission!" Tsunade demanded, urgency in her voice.

Hiruzen frowned, his eyes scanning their attire. "A mission?"

"Yes! A mission!" Tsunade insisted. "Any mission suited to us! Sensei, we've had enough of this boring life. The ninja world is in turmoil, and Konoha is under threat. We want to contribute! We want to fight for Konoha! Give us a mission!"

Her voice was righteous and determined—yet something about it felt... off.

Hiruzen blinked. Since when was Tsunade this eager?

The same Tsunade who hated missions and loved gambling?

White Fang's eyes suddenly glinted with realization.

He understood.

Tsunade lost two bets to Haruto. Now, he could make two unrestricted requests.

Now? She was running away.