Beta read by Duesal10

"8 million ryo!" Toka whipped out a stack of money, grinning uncontrollably all the while.

Since the last hour their money has doubled and even though Toka would never acknowledge it, without Izuna's constant naggings and complaints, she would have made some pretty irrational decisions.

"STOP! No, no, no Toka, 1 million would be enough, we've lingered here too long. Time to leave," Izuna coughed.

"Oh stop whining! We're doing fine!"

"That's what they want you to think, then you get overconfident, bet on half of your savings and loose everything," Izuna retorted snappishly. Naturally Toka thought him pedantic and petty. "Then there's also the fact that its my money, mark my words, 1 million ryo."

"Fine." Toka eyed him murderously.

This time their opponent was a teenage shinobi from Takigakure. Half of his face was hidden beneath a mask, hogging over his mountainous pile of coins and notes, and his eyes glittered excitedly. Green, like the cash Izuna was currently holding.

"Kid," Toka spoke rudely. "How much are you betting?"

"3 million ryo." He seemed to snicker beneath his mask.

"Izuna, bet on 3 million. Otherwise this kid gets three times the prize!"

"No," Izuna's rejection was final.

Of course, afterwards they lost significantly. Begrudgingly, Toka muttered a word of thanks to her 'husband' for his… caution before resuming her 'gambling mode', bearing her gaze into her opponents skull, eyes fixed determinedly.

"All right, let's switch from poker to arm wrestling. 5 million ryo," Izuna smirked.

Doubtless, this earned a look from Toka that appeared to say. Have you lost your mind? 5 million for arm wrestling?!

Their opponent looked at them suspiciously, but the sheer size of the money was simply too alluring. He relented.

"5 million ryo it is."

Toka pushes Izuna out of the way, because he's Izuna and she's Toka, there was no way she was going to let him do the arm wrestling in her presence.

"Ouch, you crazy woman, couldn't you at least ask politely for me to leave the chair?"

"No, now stop whining and bitching like a woman. I need to concentrate. Now you," she made an indication towards the shinobi in front of her. "Name?"

"It's common courtesy to give yours away first," both of them spoke. Though their rival articulated this direct and clear while Izuna—much to her irritation—whispered in a ridiculously shrewish voice behind her.

"Fine squirt, name's Toka Senju. You can ignore the priss behind me."

"Kakuzu," the teenager grins triumphantly.

Sadly, the match wasn't much of a struggle, being over in less than twenty seconds, Toka blatantly winning. Not that it was much of a surprise, in Konoha, Toka dominates that area—not even her cousin: the 'God of Shinobi' (since it was difficult for anyone who knew Hashirama personally to regard his epithet seriously) could beat her.

"I win! Money." She reaches her hand out to receive the price.

Only to realize that her opponent collapsed into his chair, his body contorting uncontrollably in a multitude of spasms. Having lost all that money, young, miserly, money-loving Kakuzu had contracted the first and last heart attack in his lengthy and eventful life.

"Oi kid! Money," seeing her first attempt was unsuccessful, Toka retried, this time her voice slightly amplified.

"Kid! Money!" she yelled again.

"… Toka… I think he fainted…" Izuna stared at Kakuzu, who by now had stopped his spasms and had froth dripping form his mouth.

A note fell out that read:

Your mission is to assassinate the Shodai Hokage Hashirama Senju, it is of vital importance for you to succeed. Try not to stop by a gambling house, as of your old habits lest accidents would occur to lead our plans astray.

Head Jonin, Takigakure

"Izuna…I think we might have inadvertently prevented an attempt on my cousin's life…" Toka gazed warily at him.

"Right," Izuna nodded. "Let's go. Now. Before the medics come."

Both of them shunshined back to their house, still a little taken aback by all of the money they earned and the actuality of them thwarting an assassination on the man who was the sole originator of their miseries.

A/N: The Kakuzu cameo was done on a pure whim of mine! :P

Question of the Day: Madara, Sakura and Kiba, Which one would you rather: have a one-night stand with? butcher painfully? get stranded on a desert island with?

(Very eccentric choices, I know... :P)

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