A/N- I feel ashamed at how long it took me to update, but I guess my vacation took a lot more of my time than I thought it would. Anyway, I forgot to mention that technically, chapters 16, 17, and (in the future) 18 are supposed to be one mega chapter, but since I'm taking all these vacations (it seems like parents want to stuff as many trips as they can before school starts) and breaks between chapters, I decided to upload it in three parts so the wait time won't be as long. Thanks for reading and being patient with me!

The atmosphere in the room was tense. Tsunade glanced at the clock, reading the glowing red display.

It's already 3:45 am, she thought, That means we've been playing for about four hours now.

The last four hours were worthy of being aired as the World Series of Poker. Both of them were equally skilled, knowing exactly when and how much to bet and when to fold or raise. They simply kept winning and losing back and forth, neither of them gaining a distinct advantage.

Until Tsunade finally grew aware of Reborn's aura fifteen minutes ago, at least.

He wasn't joking when he said he usually wins, thought Tsunade, I can't detect a single physical tell that gives away any hint of his hand. However… She dealt the fifth card into the middle and felt a small flicker of dismay in Reborn's aura. Tsunade suppressed a smile. You'll have to control more than your physical tells to win against someone like me.

She expertly lured him into betting the last 5 mints he had (A small look of uncertainty can go a long way) and they both revealed their cards.

Reborn groaned. "You won again?" he said in disbelief.

Tsunade smiled and gathered her winnings. "Yep," she said smugly, "You were hoping that the river card was the last card you needed to turn your full house into a four of a kind, weren't you?"

Reborn stared at her. "How did you…?" He shook his head and chuckled. "You really are good at poker."

Shuffling the cards, Tsunade felt her face heat up at his compliment. She muttered a 'thank you' and unconsciously began shuffling faster. Never in a million years, thought Tsunade, would I have ever imagined that I would be locked in a hotel room by my best (and sort of only) friend and the top strategist of a criminal organization, then end up playing poker with the criminal mastermind that invited me in the first place.

Then again, I never thought I would fall in love with my enemy either.

Tsunade stopped shuffling as she processed that thought, then she began shuffling again at an even faster pace.

I just admitted it, she realized in shock, the one fact that I've been denying ever since this feeling began to develop:

I'm in love with Reborn.

Her heart sped up, as if it was rejoicing at her recent revelation, but the feeling didn't last long.

Realizing my feelings is only the start of my problem, she thought, her heart sinking, even though I finally know how I feel, I still don't know how much I'm willing to sacrifice to follow my heart. Loving him would mean giving up everything, but how much would I gain? How do I know that I'm not only chasing after empty hopes? I feel as if I'm playing the final round of poker, where it's all or nothing.

"Tsunade?" said Reborn with a concerned look, "Are you ok?"

Tsunade forcibly pulled herself out of her thoughts and turned her attention to Reborn. "Yeah, I'm ok," she said with a slightly strained smile, "Why do you ask?"

Reborn looked at her skeptically. "In the past few hours, I figured out that when you're nervous or deep in thought, you shuffle faster, and right now," he pointed at her hands, "your hands are just a blur."

Tsunade looked at the cards she was shuffling at an unnatural speed and abruptly stopped. "My brother taught me to shuffle and play poker to relieve my stress when I felt like pressured or weighed down by expectations I was supposed to meet. I guess that's one habit I haven't fully controlled yet," she said sheepishly.

"Maybe it's a habit you should keep," said Reborn, surprising Tsunade.

Why did he say that? though Tsunade, shocked, as a criminal, he knows better than anyone that even the smallest of habits can be used to read your behavior.

Reborn continued talking. "If it's a habit that was created by your time with your brother, then why let it go?" he said with a soft tone, "it's something he left for you in your mind, right?"

"I guess you're right," said Tsunade, thinking about Reborn's words. My brother left me more than a habit, she thought, he left me a life, a life I never volunteered to have. I thought he gave me a straight path, but now it's been filled with strange twists that I could've never predicted. I change other people's fates, but can I change mine? In the end, I still don't know what my brother wanted, if he wanted me to follow the path he gave me, or to follow something else.

The question still remains unanswered.

"So," said Reborn, jerking Tsunade out of her thoughts once again, "are you ready to play another round?"

"Another round?" said Tsunade, confused, "I thought you said we would play until one player was out of money to bet?"

"Not quite," said Reborn, smirking, "I said we would play until one of us had nothing left to bet. I still have one thing left I would like to wager."

They sat in silence for a few seconds before Tsunade arched a brow at him. "Sooo," she said slowly, "do you mind telling me what it is?"

"Oh, I don't mind," said Reborn, crossing his arms, his smirk growing wider, "but I don't think I will."

"So you plan on playing a game of poker where I don't even know what I'm trying to win?"

"That's the plan, yes."

Tsunade narrowed her eyes and tried not to let out a frustrated sigh. Was he always this infuriating? she thought, slightly puzzled and annoyed. (A/N- Sounds like the Reborn we all know and love XD)

After staring at him for a few minutes, Tsunade sighed and began dealing the cards. Obviously he's not planning on telling me anytime soon, she thought, so I guess the only way I can find out is if I take the gamble.

As the game progressed, Tsunade continued to raise the bet, with Reborn matching it each time with his 'wager'."

What is he playing at? thought Tsunade suspiciously, based off what I can infer off his aura, his hand is suffering this round. Normally, he would've folded already to minimize his losses, but he keeps on going like a novice. If that wasn't strange enough, though he feels dismayed when the card is dealt and it doesn't match his preferences, there's also a hint of…excitement? It's as if he wants to lose more than he wants to win. What's with all these elaborate plans today?! Tsunade wanted to clutch her head and let out a frustrated scream. Instead, she yawned.

"Are you tired?" asked Reborn, concerned, "If you don't feel like playing anymore, we can stop."

Even as he said those words, Tsunade felt a hint of disappointment buried within his calm façade, causing her curiosity to peak.

"No, it's ok," she said, "I want to see how this ends."

Reborn grinned at her. "Same here," he said mysteriously.

Tsunade dealt the last card and checked her hand. A straight flush, nearly impossible to beat. Keeping a straight face, she raised the bet. "10 mints."

"Oh?" said Reborn, his secretive smile still on his face, "Bringing the grand total to 45, I see."

Tsunade expected him to take this last chance and fold, knowing that his hand probably was horrible, but he surprised her once again.

"I match your bet," he said.

Stunned, Tsunade blinked at him for a few seconds. "Are you sure?" she said in disbelief.

"As sure as I've ever been," said Reborn confidently.

Tsunade eyed him suspiciously before muttering, "If you say so."

They revealed their cards, Reborn's double pair paling in comparison to Tsunade's straight flush.

Reborn chuckled and leaned back. "I lost again," he said, not even slightly disappointed with his loss.

I was right about his hand, thought Tsunade, gathering up the cards and beginning to shuffle them again, speeding up as her uneasy feeling grew, it was a novice move to keep on playing even though his hand suffered, one Reborn wouldn't usually make. She stared down at the cards intensely. Did he make the gamble because he was hoping to win some money back through an empty bet? No, that doesn't fit his personality or his behavior. He wanted to lose, but why?

"Since I lost, I guess I have to pay up now. Forty-five, was it?" said Reborn, his voice sounding closer than it was a little while ago. Startled, Tsunade looked up and realized that while she was immersed in her thoughts, Reborn had closed the distance between them until they were face to face. She froze, cards springing out of her hands and onto the floor, forgotten.

"Re-reborn?" stammered Tsunade, "Wha-what are you do—"

Before she could finish, Reborn leaned forward and softly pressed his lips to hers. Tsunade's eyes widened as she realized what was happening.

Wh-what? thought Tsunade, slowly losing her ability to piece together coherent thoughts. She tried to pull away, but Reborn's hand had reached the back of her neck in her few seconds of confusion and was gently pushing her forward, deepening the kiss. Her training was screaming at her to fight back, but her body wasn't responding. Instead, she felt herself relax just as she did earlier at the jewelry shop and her mind went blank once again.

Finally, Reborn pulled away, leaving her gasping for air. "Wha-wha—?" she tried ask, but her breathlessness felt even more overwhelming than it did earlier. Reborn saw the question reflected in her eyes and chuckled in response. He leaned in closer so that his lips were barely brushing her ear and whispered with a smirk,

"That was one."

A/N- Yay! Excitement! XD Unfortunately, I'm going on yet another vacation, so the next chapter won't be out for quite a while. Also, since school is starting, the time between updates will be significantly longer, so please bear with me.

R&R please! Thanks to inarachi01 for reviewing my story so far! Your support helps me find inspiration to keep typing!