Chapter 10: Gamble

Naruto and Sakura went into another gambling place. This places wasn't as pack like the others ones they visited and less aggressive from the decoration that was placed throughout the building. It gave it a calm atmosphere.

"Ah!" A man comes up to them smiling. From his clothing he looked like a worker at the place as he was eyeing Naruto frog wallet. "You want to test your luck on the gambling floor?"

"Ah no thanks," said Naruto. "But we wanted to know," He pulled out a picture of Tori. "Have you seen this girl?"

"Ah you mean The Lucky Angel." He replied smiling at her picture.

"The Lucky Angel?" Sakura asked puzzled.

"Yes, we people who gamble know all about her for some years now. She never gives us her name but gamblers gave her that name because of her young age and beauty, also the fact she never loses in a game." The man said.

Naruto and Sakura were surprised of her reputation.

"Never loses?" Sakura acknowledged his words.

The man smiled at her. "Yep. If she does lose it's to benefit her in the long run against her opponent. That's why it's crowed then usual in Crater City. Some of the top gamblers from different villagers try to take her on but they end up losing. Her tactics of winning are top notch so that's why most gambling places are cautious when she comes in. But then again, because of her reputation she brings great business when she stops by. She sometime, I heard on a rare occasions, traveled with the Mad Cow." The man explained.

"Mad Cow?" Naruto eyes dim as he remember Jiraiya explaining to him about Grandma Tsunade gambling addiction and sometimes getting him into trouble alongside her. 'Why do I think Grandma Tsunade using me to get Tori-sama for her own gambling reasons?' Naruto sighed in being an idiot.

"But have you seen her around?" Sakura asked.

" No," The man replied. "I haven't but people said they seen her around in the city. But high gamblers are here for the weekend to test out there skills and win big against her because they know she's sitting on a lot of money from winning all those games over the years. Plus they have their pride to get back from losing to a little girl."

"Wow she's greater then I image." Naruto mumbled to himself.

Sakura bows her head in respect for the information. "Thank you." She grabbed Naruto wallet and gives him some money for his time. Naruto was angry at first but figured out what she was doing. "Thanks for the great information Mister. You help us a lot on trying to find her."

"You don't have to give me this." He tried to hand her back the money.

"No, we want to give you it. I don't think other places would have taken their time with kids like us." Sakura smiled at him.

The man smiled back and bowed his head for their money. "Thank you."

He waved goodbye to them as they walk out the store. Naruto and Sakura stepped out the store and looked at the crowd as it was almost evening from the sunset.

Naruto stomach growled in hunger. Sakura smiled but her stomach makes a small grow as well.

"Let's get something to eat." They both said touching their stomach.

"Itadakimasu!" Naruto and Sakura both said in unison breaking their chopsticks apart.

They was both sitting at a table in a Ramen restaurant, having few people around because their mostly out spending their money or gambling it away. They both have a ramen bowl in front of them. Naruto dug into his bowl quick but Sakura wanted to do the same thing but she was a lady and must eat properly in front of a boy, even though it's Naruto.

"Wow, hearing about her I want to meet her even more." Sakura said trying to make small talk.

Naruto nodded his head in delight and picked up his bowl while his mouth was still full of food. "Another bowl?"

"Wow Naruto," Sakura smiled. "I guess you were really hungry." She giggled at him.

Sakura started to realize things about Naruto that would have thought he was a pig when eating or for other things for that matter. Before when they were young she couldn't stand it, always getting in her way and causing trouble. Guess over the years being with him and coming back to the village she started to see pass that because when it comes down to it, he had a good heart.

Naruto notice Sakura staring at him as he devours his food. "Sakura-chan, you don't like your food?"

Sakura snapped out her daze and blush in embarrassment. "N-No nothings wrong. It's fine."

"I have lot of money to go to a different place." Naruto checked his frog wallet.

"N-No Naruto its fine," She shyly protested. "I was thinking of where we could find Tori-sama. It will be getting late soon so we should check hotels out first and if we still have no luck we will call it a day."

"Okay." Naruto said and went back to eating his food.

Sakura eyes him and smiled. 'Thank you Naruto.' She begins to eat her food again.

The guy that was ease dropping on them before was sitting behind them with a brown cloak on, covering his clothing underneath him, as his hoody covered his face. He heard their entire conversation and smirked. He brings his cup of water to his face and sipped his water. 'Those idiots will never find her.'

Sakura ate some more food as her eyes watched the door. She instantly stopped eating; her eyes enlarge as Tori just walk past the door. She chewed her food quickly hitting her chest for it to go down faster.

"It's her!!" Sakura yelled.

The boy behind them spits out the water in shock. He turned around and was about to get up but Sakura hits his chair pinning him as she was getting up. Naruto eyes widen, turn around too and don't see her. Sakura grabbed her backpack and placed their money on the table.

"Let's go!" Sakura instructed her friend as she ran out the restaurant not wanting to miss her.

"Wait!" Naruto yelled gathering his stuff.

The guy was about to get up again but while Naruto was hurrying he bump the table and hit his table making his bowl of Ramen fall on his lap. Naruto ran out the restaurant after Sakura.

The young man eyes widen. "HOT! HOT! HOT!!" He yelled jumping around. He takes the waitress glass of water that was passing by and splashed it on his pants. He sighed in relief. He angrily puts up his fist to his face with rage. 'I GOING TO KILL THAT BOY!!'

Sakura ran in the direction where Tori might have gone. She stopped panting; her eyes searched the four way intersection of the road. She sees an image of Tori down the east roadway and takes off after her moving people of out her way.

"Excuse me! Excuse me!" Sakura shouted.

"Wait Sakura-chan!" Naruto yelled following behind her trying to catch up.

The pink kunoichi stopped again, finding herself in a dead end. 'Where did she go that quickly? Now I'm starting to see why this is a B-rank mission. She's right in front of you then disappears in a blink of an eye. Did she sense me following her?' Sakura eyes look up at the tall buildings and jumped up on top of one to get a better view. She scanned the area for a minute realizing it's a waist. 'Damn.'

"SAKURA-CHAN!" Naruto yelled out trying to find her. Sakura jumped in front of him in disappointment of not tracking her better. "Did you find her?"

"No. She got away." Sakura answered.

"So maybe I wasn't imagining things." Naruto said in a low voice remembering before seeing her.

"Well at least she's in the city that's for sure. I guess will start with our plan before checking the hotels. Will check in one as well because if we find her were not going to bring her back at night. Too many ways for an attack from an enemy," Sakura explained. Naruto nodded his head. "Let's go."

The young boy that was following them before was on top of a building listening to everything. He smirked and disappeared in a flash.