A/N: Hellooooooo. I started writing this months ago (sigh) and gave up after a while, but I'm inspired to continue writing. It won't be super long, about 3 or 4 chapters (I think). Comments are appreciated for they will definitely help me keep writing.

Special thanks to Chaussie (On Tumblr) and FranBunny for proofreading. :3

Enjoy!

Naruto took one last look at himself in the long mirror of the luxurious lavatory and fixed his black bowtie before he pushed the door open with his shoulder and stepped out, headed to the casino. It was just another night at The Clover. The lights were dimmed slightly, just to give the area more of a spooky atmosphere. A band from the 80s was playing in the background - barely noticeable, but loud enough to keep the place lively. Drinks were discounted for the next fifteen minutes, and as a regular patron, Naruto could tell that the bar was more crowded than ever.

The heavy smell of smoke was lingering in the air. He could classify the chimes coming from the slot machines as beautiful if he tried hard enough. The red carpet underneath the soles of his shiny shoes kept the ground from making any noise as he walked across the floor to his first stop of every Saturday: the Blackjack table by the ATM machines.

"Good evening, ladies and gentleman," he offered, taking the seat designated for him. "I hope I didn't make you wait too long."

"Just on time, Uzumaki," replied Neji Hyuuga, the heir of the Byakugan Group, tapping his long, pale fingers on the table. He carefully surveyed Naruto's gray suit jacket, then his Rolex watch, a satisfied smirk playing on his lips.

The other parties, however, didn't agree with the man. "I've been here since noon, you brat. What took you so long from getting your ass down here?"

Naruto didn't dignify the woman sitting on his left with an answer. Tsunade was many things; a gambler, trickster, drunkard, and maybe slut - she also had objectively fantastic breasts and she never held back from using them to silence men, so Naruto knew better than get into a verbal fight with her.

He elegantly crossed his legs at the knees and leaned back. "Would you do the honors, Hidan?"

Said man looked up from his iPhone. "Fuu is not here?"

"She's down with the flu."

"That's a bummer," Tsunade murmured, seeming genuinely upset with the news, taking a large sip from his Jungle Juice.

Neji narrowed his eyes. "Going cheap with the drinks tonight, I see."

"Tch. It was pretty empty around here before 7."

"Not many dimwits for you to swindle?"

Tsunade slammed the glass onto the table and smirked. "Indeed. Now shut up and start the game." She pulled out a bunch of crumpled bills from her pockets, placing them next to her drink.

Naruto eyed the money. "200? You have got to be kidding me."

Hidan sighed, looking around the grand salon for a specific face. When his eyes caught the other's, he motioned for the woman to come up. Naruto removed his walled from the inside pocket of his jacket, pinching five $100 bills and putting them on the table.

"Seriously? You're no fun today, Naruto," commented Hidan, and bet the same amount.

Anko's bare legs brushed against Neji's chair. She threw Tsunade a look, then her eyes wandered over the others. "Welcome back, losers."

"It's funny how you say that everytime we play here, even though none of us lost big amounts yet."

"Speak for yourself," Anko said, snorting at Tsunade's eye roll. She swished her dark purple hair back before she started giving out their chips, clearly not so pleased with their bets. "That all you've got?"

Neji gave a curt nod. "We're trying something new today."

She hummed, reaching for the deck. As she licked her red-stained lips, her manicured hands professionally shuffled the cards. "Ready, fellas?"

Naruto threw a sneaky grin. "Bring it on."

The game lasted for more than an hour before they decided to call it quits. Tsunade didn't seem happy with the result, but she was clever enough not to cause a scene. Instead, she accepted her bad luck for the day and bid them goodnight, considerably drunk, barely able to walk toward the exit.

His gaze flickered on Neji. He was picking at his nails, unfazed. Naruto was certain the man made more money in ten minutes than what he'd earned during the game. Hidan appeared upset, looking down at his phone again.

"Things are not going swell?" Naruto inquired.

Hidan scoffed and stroked his chin. "Fucking Wi-Fi went out for a sec. I missed my round."

Naruto sighed, getting to his feet. He checked his watch. 10 p.m. sharp.

"Hey, I'm going if you're not playing another round," Anko scolded, her arms folded. "It's getting crowded in here."

"Thanks for the game, Anko." He winked cheekily, starting to walk away. Since Saturday night's Blackjack convention with the Four-Leaf Clover as they called themselves was over now, he could head to the bar and enjoy a drink or two before the night really began.

The bartender was wiping off his vest, his face grim, almost deadly. Naruto settled onto a stool, not afraid in the slightest to speak. "What do you think? Heads or tails?"

"What do I care." The man picked up another napkin.

"You're no fun tonight, Orochimaru," he accused, watching the game going on at a nearby table.

When he felt Orochimaru's glare, he cocked his head to the side.

"Heads for Gin and Tonic. Tails for a vodka shot," he spit.

"Geez. Did they all order cocktails?" He picked a coin from the tip jar and flipped it. When it was slammed onto his thigh, he gave a sigh of relief. "Tails."

Orochimaru started preparing the order after he made sure the coin was back in the jar. "Next time the management instructs for a discount on cocktails, I'm quitting."

Naruto shrugged a shoulder and reached for the cold glass. "Alright."

"Look, Uzumaki. Fresh meat."

Grimacing at the burn in his throat, he turned on the stool and fixed his gaze on the table Orochimaru was pointing at. "Which one?"

"Dark hair, red dress. Some spoiled chick, perhaps."

"She's a newbie. But too cautious," he remarked, squinting his eyes at the $50 bill she gave to the dealer. "I'm just gonna head to the machines."

"You're no fun tonight," Orochimaru repeated. "Hm. Suit yourself."

Naruto didn't feel the need to say anything else. Before he made his way to the slot machines, he walked toward the table he'd been watching and stood behind an elder man. He removed a card from his pocket and leaned forward to slide it into the front pocket of the man's shirt.

All eyes turned on him.

The lady sitting beside the dealer spoke with fury. "What is the meaning of this?"

"Gamblers Anonymous," Naruto explained, a fake smile plastered on his face.

The old man angled his head to see Naruto. A glimpse of his sweaty face was enough for Naruto to know that he was losing.

"Free advice. Take it, or leave it."

Ignoring the voices, he took one last look at the game, already knowing who was going to leave with their tail between their legs, and who was going to buy a new car.

He realized there were no empty machines only when he walked around the corner to start playing. He checked his watch again – it had already been more than 20 minutes, and he didn't want to waste any more time. His hands were itching to gamble.

So, he approached to who seemed like the weakest link in the row of machines. "Need some help, my friend?"

In a few minutes, he had made enough money to convince the other to take his player's card and leave, or spend his newfound money at some other game – Naruto didn't care as long as he wasn't bugged again – and the machine was his to rob off all the money inside now.

He could probably earn with his eyes closed, but he opted to keep them open and focused on the reels.

In between attempts, he felt someone approach, and the smell of their Tom Ford perfume reached Naruto before they did. Just to make sure, he checked the reflection off of the glass of his watch, and couldn't help but smirk when he proved himself right. "Bored already?"

"Been ages since I've tripled the money," Neji said, leaning against the machine. "Some kids came by after you left. Barely of age."

"It shouldn't be so difficult to play two games at once for Hidan."

"Not at all, but they asked him to put the phone down."

Raising a brow, Naruto took his eyes off the machine for a moment. "What for?"

Neji threw him a sly smile. "They thought he was checking off cheat sheets."

The snort that left Naruto's throat was surprisingly loud. "The fuck."

"That's exactly what he said."

He pulled down the machine's arm, for the nth time.

"What were you doing at the table over there? I couldn't help but notice," Neji asked as he took seat in the chair next to Naruto's, which had just been emptied, and inserted a coin.

"I gave the losing guy the Gamblers Anonymous card I found in my pocket," Naruto answered.

"Really?" He muttered, confused.

"Yeah. I suppose the housekeeper who cleans my room left it there. She's a nice girl."

Neji hummed. "Interesting."

"Yeah." He realized there were no more $5 bills in his wallet, and that was his cue to stop. He took the amount he'd won, giving it a distasteful look. "Wanna head to The Big Six later? But I want a drink first."

Getting up from the chair, Neji straightened his clothes and shortly nodded. "Sounds good."

They headed for the bar again, finding out that Orochimaru was in a much better mood for some reason. Naruto got himself Pina Colada while Neji settled for a Martini. The people around the wheel were familiar except for a few faces.

Taking the initiative, he decided to introduce himself first. He slowly lifted a hand and wore his best smile. "Good evening. Naruto Uzumaki."

"Hello, Naruto," Gaara, one of the regulars of The Clover, greeted him. "Gaara Sabaku, everyone."

A pink haired woman around her early 20s smiled. "Sakura Haruno. This is my partner, Lee."

"Nice to meet you," Naruto shook hands with them.

"Neji Hyuuga."

"Who's your friend, Temari?" Naruto asked.

Said woman nudged the man beside her with her elbow, causing him to frown. "Shikamaru Nara. FYI, I'm not her friend."

Temari dramatically rolled her eyes.

The dealer brushed the dust off her bright pink, low cut top and coughed. Shall we start, then?"

"I'm not really good at this," Sakura sheepishly admitted, her cheeks reddish.

Lee linked their arms together. "Don't worry, my love. This game does not require any skills."

"He's right. You just need luck here, and who knows, you might leave with your purse full," Naruto said. He ran his idle hand through his hair, then wrapped his lips around the straw, taking a drink.

After the chips were handed out and the bets were placed, the dealer spun the wheel.

This was Naruto's favorite part. He didn't play because he was addicted, like everyone thought. He didn't play because he could easily earn money through gambling. He played because he loved the excitement running through his body as he waited for the result. The adrenaline – oh, he was a junkie, that was for sure.

The wheel stopped on $5. Naruto simply stared, his face giving away absolutely no emotion.

Sakura gave a small cry of victory, watching Lee grab her chips for her. "I won?"

"Yes, my dear," Lee kissed the crown of her hair. "But be careful."

As Neji and Naruto watched their own chips disappear, they placed their new bets.

Watching around was one of Naruto's hobbies. More of a habit, really. The Clover wasn't enormously big, allowing Naruto to have an idea about the faces around, and how good of a player they were.

There were people who he hadn't seen around before. In the middle of them, there stood a man in an immaculate navy blue suit with his hair darker than the night sky, and he had an impressive poker face going on.

"See that?" He nudged Neji with his elbow, whispering. "Dude at the poker table."

Neji threw a skeptical look. "You think he's one of us?"

"No. He can't be a real gambler," he murmured. "I don't like his attitude."

Gaara's voice interrupted their little conversation. The redhead was looking at their chips on $1. "You two have lost again."

"This is weird. Two rounds, and still no 1?"

"It happens, Miss Haruno," explained Gaara, careful with his tone. "Although I was so sure that Uzumaki was simply unable to lose."

Lee's brows were furrowed. "And why is that?"

Neji scoffed lightly. "It's rumored that Naruto's mother delivered on a poker table."

"Rumored?" Gaara looked at Naruto, genuinely baffled. "I thought that was a fact."

"Please," Naruto shook his head, his lips twitching. He stole a glance at the man in the back again, just to check if he was losing yet. "My mother is a brilliant woman, but she has no skills in gambling whatsoever."

"Are you playing or should I say something about your mother too?" The dealer said, her attitude on the cusp of bitchy.

Naruto put his glass on an empty side of the table. "What's your name again?"

"None of your business."

"Hm. I like a challenge," he mused, placing his chip on 20. "Spin it, pretty bird."

This time, he got lucky. As he gathered his chips, he gave the woman a knowing smirk.

Someone at the table behind them cheered loudly, distracting them from the game, and they all turned around to see what was going on. Apparently the guy Naruto had been eyeing had won some serious money, and all the women at the table were fawning all around him.

Naruto heard a growl. It took him a moment to realize it had come from his own throat. He took a deep breath, schooling his face into a neutral expression, and tried not to look at the dealer, who looked like she would give an arm and a leg to drop Naruto's table and be the other guy's dealer instead.

He glanced at his chips, deciding to take a bigger risk. "What do you say, Neji?"

Neji shook his head in disapproval. He'd bet on 1 again himself. The song changed abruptly, and he looked up at the speakers. "Hear that?"

"Huh. Johnny Cash?" Naruto scratched his chin. "Fine. One it is, then," he slid his chip on the table.

Sakura hummed in confusion. "What was that?"

"Naruto's mother is a big fan. They think her incompetence at gambling will affect their luck."

"Gaara. Can you talk about something other than my mother for once, please?" Naruto complained, shooting an annoyed look at him before he started watching the spinning wheel.

A snort was heard from the other table. Naruto looked up, intrigued, and was absolutely outraged when he realized it was the smug bastard, and he had the indecency to look Naruto in the eye. Like he was challenging him. Who the hell did he think he was, walking into The Clover and thinking he was the best gambler around?

Naruto felt oddly territorial. He didn't know why – okay, maybe he wasn't exactly happy with all the regulars of the casino except himself and his friends lining up at his table to play with him, because he was no one, just a visitor. Was he even that good? Was he cheating? Well, nobody had caught him yet. He could see it for himself by playing a round with him, but that would mean admitting interest in him and that was the last thing he wanted to do.

A few rounds later, he realized he was mentally tired of trying to focus on the game and the conversation going on. He was carelessly betting his money, and he was losing, and even though that was always a possibility, he was starting to think it was time for a break.

"I think I'll get another drink," he announced, smiling, though it didn't quite reach his eyes.

"Actually, we were thinking of taking off," Lee answered, looking at Sakura for approval. She nodded, reaching for her purse. "It was fun playing with you lot. Who knows, maybe we'll meet again sometime in the future."

"I really hope so. Sakura. Lee," Naruto shook their hands again.

Lee grinned. "Until then, take care, friends." They shook hands with the others, too, then headed for the exit.

Naruto sighed. "Gentlemen. Care to join me?"

As he received the money he earned, Neji replied. "I should get going."

He put his wallet into his pocket. "Isn't it still a bit early?"

"It is. But I gotta be up early in the morning." He put a hand on Naruto's shoulder. "Careful with the drinks."

"Gotcha," Naruto smiled. "See you next week?"

"You bet." He offered a polite goodbye to Gaara, too. Naruto realized the moody dealer had already fled.

Gaara gave him a look. "Shall we?"

Naruto realized Orochimaru had left his place to Kiba, the other bartender. He liked Kiba much better, the dude was fun to talk to, and he sometimes poured extra liquor in Naruto's drinks. What more could he ask for from a bartender?

Kiba served other patrons while Naruto and Gaara fell into an easy conversation. Every once in a while, Naruto's eyes wandered off, then caught Gaara's again after flickering on a particular person for a second.

"Yo," Kiba finally approached them behind the bar, ready to take their orders. "What can I get you, gentlemen?"

"Surprise me, Kiba," Naruto said, laughing. Gaara settled for rum and coke.

After getting their drinks, Kiba pulled the stool behind the bar closer to them and took a seat. "So. What's new?"

"Naruto is crushing on the good-looking dude at the crowded poker table."

Kiba chuckled. "Really?"

"No," Naruto answered, his voice bitter. "He's annoying."

Gaara snorted. "What did he ever do to you?"

"He's stealing my spotlight! Look—" he gasped. "Oh my God. Not Anko!"

"He converted her, too?" Gaara turned in his seat to see. "Wow. He's good, isn't he?"

"Piss off."

Kiba sharply exhaled. "Maybe you should challenge him."

"There's no way I'm talking to that stuck-up bastard. He had the nerves to make fun of me. Can you believe that?!" He took a large sip from whatever drink Kiba had set in front of him. "He thinks he's so much better than me."

"Then prove him that he's not," Gaara said. He pulled out his phone, a frown making its way to his face when he saw the caller. "I gotta take this."

He felt a pat on his shoulder. "You seem down. Something happen? Other than the obvious, I mean."

"No. Not that I know of," he answered, offering a small but genuine smile. "I guess I'm not really in the mood today."

"Whoa. That's new." Kiba brought a glass to his lips and emptied its content into his mouth. He wrinkled his nose in disgust. "Ouch."

"Mix it with something, man. You're gonna give yourself a bad hangover."

Someone took Gaara's seat. "Three shots. Something strong."

"Hidan," Naruto looked to him. "I thought you'd left."

"Uh. Orochimaru told me not to sell you any more drinks," Kiba said, taking a step back just in case. The gray haired gambler wasn't exactly known for being kind.

Hidan growled. "Fuck him."

"Welp. I agree, so," he turned around to pick a bottle.

"Why are you so upset?" Naruto couldn't help but ask.

"Got my ass kicked." He downed the first shot, then the second.

Naruto laughed, but it slowly faded when the alcohol induced phase wore off. "Wait – seriously?"

Hidan looked ready for homicide. "Yes."

"Who?"

"Name's Sasuke Uchiha."

"Who the f—" He scowled. "Is it that arrogant asshole over at the poker table?"

"Yep."

Naruto licked his lips, feeling anger and something else he didn't quite recognize course through his veins. "You know what?"

Silence took over. When Naruto didn't say anything else, Kiba tentatively asked, "…What?"

"It's about time this night really begins." He reached for Hidan's third shot, downed it in one go as he ignored the man's protests and stood up. He combed a hand through his hair, fixed his bowtie and jacket, and headed to the poker table.