"What? He took his subordinates to the gambling hall?"
"Yes, that's right, Daimyō-sama. But according to the spy's report, they haven't gone inside yet—it looks like they're discussing something."
The daimyō was momentarily stunned by the report from his subordinate.
If it were just Gekko Chizan going to gamble by himself, fine—but why bring his own disciples along?
But very soon, new intel arrived, and in an instant, he understood the man's thought process. Even the daimyō couldn't help but click his tongue in amazement and mutter, "This guy... is seriously devious..."
Here's what happened—at the entrance of the casino, Gekko Chizan wore a sly grin as he looked at Uchiha Obito.
Then he made a proposal that completely crashed Obito's brain.
"Obito, use the Transformation Jutsu to turn into some crusty middle-aged guy with foot fungus."
"I'll use Transparent Release to follow you in. You gamble, and I'll rig the game for you."
"Afterward, we split the profits 3 to 7—me 7, you 3!"
Can you really blame Obito for being mentally unprepared? This guy was blatantly going in to cheat, and the key point was—he wasn't even doing it himself!
He sent his student to the front lines while he covered from behind.
And then he wanted the lion's share! What a scumbag! He's not even human!
"Chizan-sensei, are you serious?"
"This... doesn't seem right..."
"Why don't you go yourself? I'll watch your back from outside?"
Seeing the conflicted look on Obito's face, Gekko Chizan flicked him on the forehead and pulled him aside to start persuading him.
"Obito, listen. A man can't live without money."
"Think about it—food costs money, bathhouses cost money, ninja tools cost money."
"And when you want to get married someday, that costs money too. If you don't start saving while you're young, how will you manage?"
"I'm doing this for your sake! With me around, we'll be swimming in cash. You'll be able to do whatever you want!"
"Let's put it this way—Rin's birthday is coming up in a year. Don't you want to win her favor? You'll need money to buy her a nice gift, right?"
A barrage of arguments left Obito dazed. But after thinking it over... what Chizan said kind of made sense.
Except for fighting, what doesn't cost money? And Rin—she clearly likes Kakashi. He had to step up!
She was his goddess, after all!
A dam may fall from a single ant hole—his mental defenses, once strong and sturdy, began to crumble at the mere mention of Rin.
"Don't hesitate! This is the daimyō's domain—it's way easier to win money here than anywhere else!"
"You don't trust my Transparent Release? I'll be guiding you the whole time—guaranteed we make bank!"
"Oh, worried you don't have enough starting capital? Relax. As your sensei, I'll invest first—100,000 ryō."
"You put up 100,000 too, and together we're set!"
Who is Gekko Chizan? A guy who would pluck feathers off a flying goose and never leave empty-handed. The fact that he was willing to put up money? That's like the sun rising in the south.
Sure, he's rich now, but his stingy, penny-pinching nature was unshakable.
After some deep thought, Obito clenched his teeth and nodded.
"Alright! Chizan-sensei, I'm in."
"Transformation Jutsu!"
Poof!
With a puff of white smoke, Obito transformed into a middle-aged man.
Seeing him fall straight into the trap, Gekko Chizan grinned and immediately activated Transparent Release, vanishing on the spot.
What no one noticed was that his gaze subtly drifted toward a distant building.
Clearly, all of this was being performed for the daimyō to see.
Obito looked extremely nervous—not that you could blame him. It was his first time, after all.
Chizan walked beside him and, unable to bear Obito's jittery face, flicked him lightly again and whispered in his ear:
"Kid, grow a pair! What are you scared of?!"
Scolded, Obito instantly straightened up and marched boldly into the gambling hall.
"Welcome, sir! What would you like to play?"
A staff member greeted him warmly. Obito, having zero experience, froze completely.
Gekko Chizan shook his head speechlessly, then took Obito by the hand and led him toward the dice table.
The staff member immediately smiled wide.
"Great! You can exchange chips over here."
Obito trembled his way to the counter and exchanged 200,000 ryō for chips.
Then he walked to the table. Beside him, Gekko Chizan's face was turning red from holding back laughter—Obito's awkwardness was just too hilarious.
Once seated at the gambling table, Obito felt like he was going to lose his mind.
But then he remembered his sensei was nearby to help, and suddenly felt reassured.
Little did he know—when it came to rolling dice, there was nothing Gekko Chizan could actually do.
"Big or small! Place your bets!"
Hearing the dealer's shout, Obito hesitated, unsure which side to choose.
Suddenly, he felt a poke on his left shoulder.
He understood instantly—this meant "choose the left."
Without even checking, he bet on "big" on the left side.
"Open!"
The dice cup was lifted—boom! It was big!
Obito burst into joyous laughter.
"Hahaha! I won! Payout, payout!"
He looked like a seasoned gambler, completely in his element.
Even Gekko Chizan was stunned. He hadn't expected Obito to have such hidden talent. Then suddenly, a system chime rang out:
[Ding! Host has introduced Uchiha Obito to gambling, unlocking his hidden attribute! Bonus: Genjutsu +5]
Well then. A total accident led to a brand-new hidden attribute.
Uchiha Obito, gambler... good grief.
But watching Obito completely absorbed at the gambling table, Gekko Chizan fell silent.
They stayed there until nightfall. Obito still hadn't stepped away from the table—in fact, he was getting more addicted. That original 200,000 ryō? Long gone.
Caught up in the thrill, Obito didn't hesitate to pull out more money to continue.
Gekko Chizan ended up covering his face in shame.
In the end, Chizan had to dispel Transparent Release outside the casino, walk in, and forcibly drag Obito out. Only then did he stop.
As they left the casino, the staff were practically dying of laughter—Obito had lost nearly a million ryō in just one afternoon...
Aside from the 100,000 from Gekko Chizan, the rest came straight from Obito's personal savings.
"Sensei, I was just about to break even!"
"Hey! What was that for?!"
Still stuck in the gambling mindset, Obito was pulled away by Chizan.
Bonk!
A flick to the forehead sent Obito yelping in pain.
"You punk! You already lost how much, and you still wanna keep going?"
"Wait till you've got money again."
Chizan was speechless. He suddenly understood why Tsunade kept sinking deeper into gambling addiction.
This brat...
Today's casino trip confirmed that the daimyō had been keeping tabs on them. It looked like it was time to put on a real show for the daimyō to see.
"Sensei, I lost all my money... Can you lend me some?"
"I'll give it to you when we get back to the village."
Seeing Obito's hopeful puppy-dog eyes, Gekko Chizan could only shake his head helplessly.