Chapter 50 – No Gambler Can Resist Pachinko—No One!
Orochimaru's voice broke the uneasy silence.
"Should we give up on Tsunade already? With the three of us together, taking down Amegakure shouldn't be a problem."
He had lost patience.
Not just because of the endless wild goose chase for Tsunade—
but also because of one person: Namikaze Minato.
For the past several days, Yujiro and Minato had been exchanging letters.
And every single one from Minato carried the same message:
"Yujiro-nii, let's strike already!"
And every time, Yujiro wrote back the same simple word:
"No."
Minato, of course, thought this was just Yujiro being careful and strategic—
the kind of man who never acted rashly.
Otherwise, by now, the Fourth Hokage would have mobilized the ninja army and blasted Orochimaru's secret labs clean off the map.
But Orochimaru knew better.
The reason Yujiro was stalling wasn't caution.
It was calculation.
Until they secured Amegakure, Konoha couldn't afford to make a move.
If the Hidden Rain hadn't fallen yet, then attacking Orochimaru's facilities would send the wrong message—
turning a potential ally into an enemy.
For Konoha, it would mean losing a powerful asset.
For Orochimaru, it would mean losing his safety net before he had a new base.
Either way, it was a disaster.
But time was running out.
Who knew how much sway Yujiro truly had over Minato?
Who could tell how long the "Flame Claw of Konoha" could keep the Yellow Flash on a leash?
Even the Legendary Sannin—who'd grown up together—couldn't keep from fracturing over time.
So what hope was there for two men tied together by nothing but shared interests?
Their partnership was solid, yes—but also hollow, prepackaged,
like a store-bought instant meal pretending to be gourmet cuisine.
---
"Hmm…"
Even Jiraiya was starting to lose faith.
But unlike Orochimaru, he still wanted to salvage the plan.
He turned to Yujiro with a look that said:
Bro, you came up with this whole idea. Now that it's falling apart—what's your next move?
Yujiro smiled calmly.
"Don't worry. I've got it covered."
Truth be told, he had already been thinking about it.
And the result?
Beautiful.
While planning Konoha's economic reforms, new industries, and the grand scheme to quietly absorb the Land of Fire's infrastructure,
Yujiro had also come up with a brilliant, foolproof plan…
A plan to lure Tsunade out of hiding.
---
Unlike his two companions, who were getting impatient, Yujiro remained cautious—especially toward Nagato and the Six Paths of Pain.
He treated them as the primary bosses of the early stage—the kind that looked weak until they wiped your whole team.
Everyone knew that having a healer changed everything.
With Tsunade back, the Three Legendary Sannin would be a complete team again—
and that kind of synergy couldn't be underestimated.
Even after years apart, their teamwork was still there, buried under pride and pain.
If they fought together—with Yujiro, the Flame Claw of Konoha, joining as a fourth—
they might not be able to crush Pain entirely,
but they could at least fight him to a draw and retreat unscathed.
That alone would be enough to shake the world.
It would be a stunning display of power—
the kind of battle that legends were made of.
And afterward, Yujiro could use that momentum to rally Konoha's forces for a massive follow-up campaign—
one that would not only break Akatsuki before it ever rose to power,
but also finally corner and eliminate Shimura Danzō.
(Though, in Yujiro's opinion, Danzō already had more than enough sins to warrant execution.
You can't shoot a man twice—but if you could, he'd be first in line.)
---
"So… what's your plan, exactly?" Jiraiya asked, leaning forward.
"Of course, if it's classified, pretend I never asked."
Yujiro smirked.
"Relax. Secrets aren't that cheap."
He clapped his hands together, forming a quick seal.
A burst of chakra—pop pop pop!—and several small figures appeared in a puff of smoke.
Not toads. Not snakes.
Cats.
But not just any cats—these were wearing work uniforms, hard hats, and denim overalls.
Konoha's most infamous ninja subcontractors had arrived.
Yujiro gestured casually.
"Allow me to introduce my crew."
The lead cat—an old, grizzled tom with a cigar tucked behind one ear—walked up and nodded respectfully.
"Alright, boss. What's the job this time?"
Yujiro ignored the question for now and turned to his companions.
"Gentlemen, meet the Hakimi Construction Squad.
This here is Old Ban, master of logistics—he can source any material at twenty percent off, no quality loss.
That one's Kuramaru, a level-seven machinist.
Over there is Clampmaru, level-eight metalworker.
That's Weld-chan, professional level-six welder.
And finally… this is Mei."
Jiraiya tilted his head.
"And what's her specialty? Let me guess—an electrician?"
Yujiro blinked once.
A slow, mischievous smile crept across his face.
"No," he said. "She's something much more dangerous."
And just like that, the bait for Tsunade's trap—and Konoha's most ridiculous covert operation yet—was about to begin.
Both Jiraiya and Orochimaru were immediately intrigued by the sight of Yujiro's Ninja Cat Construction Crew.
Orochimaru, ever the mad scientist, began wondering if he could somehow get the snakes of Ryūchi Cave certified in a few trade professions—perhaps a "Venom Handling License" or a "Type-A Excavation Permit."
Jiraiya, meanwhile, was already leaning forward with interest, asking the most obvious question:
"So, uh… what does this Mei Mei specialize in? Engineering? Wiring? Plumbing?"
Yujiro's answer completely caught him off guard.
"Nope," he said with a perfectly straight face. "Mei Mei's job is to serve tea, dance ballet, and boost morale. She's in charge of team spirit—the legendary Administrative Support Division, or as we call it… the Cheer Section."
"Meow! Boss Yujiro, honestly!" Mei Mei squeaked, blushing under her soft fur. "Why do you have to tell them everything?"
The little cat twisted shyly in place, swishing her tail and fidgeting with embarrassment—while the other cats, Kuramaru and Clampmaru, were practically drooling, their whiskers twitching uncontrollably.
Yujiro cleared his throat.
"Alright, simmer down, gentlemen. Eyes on the mission."
He handed a large rolled-up blueprint to Old Ban, the forecat and veteran project manager of the team.
"This is the job," Yujiro said. "I need it fast—but the quality must be perfect. No shortcuts."
Old Ban took the blueprint, unrolled it, glanced at it once—then back at Yujiro.
Then at the paper again.
Then back at Yujiro.
"Uh… Boss," he finally said, his voice cautious, "this design looks a little… questionable, doesn't it?"
Yujiro smiled pleasantly.
"You're absolutely right. It is questionable.
Because what you're holding in your paw is, in fact, a gambling machine."
He clasped his hands behind his back and continued in an oddly solemn tone:
"Gambling, vice, and addiction are like floods and beasts—they corrupt the youth of the shinobi world.
If there were any other way, I'd never resort to this."
When he said "gambling, vice, and drugs," Jiraiya's expression turned a little stiff.
If Tsunade represented gambling…
then what did that make him?
Yujiro didn't even have to say it—Jiraiya already felt his title as "The Legendary Pervert" press heavier on his shoulders.
Orochimaru, on the other hand, remained indifferent.
He was in the "health supplement business," after all—
sure, some of his ingredients technically came from snake venom,
but that wasn't poison, right? …Probably.
---
"Anyway," Yujiro said briskly, "get it done.
You'll be paid double the standard rate."
Old Ban scratched behind his ear, still frowning.
"Boss, are you sure this is really a 'last resort'?
You're not gonna… start using this thing for evil later, are you?"
Yujiro raised both hands as if swearing an oath.
"Of course I'm sure! Do I look like I'm building a crime syndicate?
I'm planning to rule the world through the internet, not through the underworld.
Pachinko's just a one-time operation!"
Yes—he said it with total sincerity.
His brilliant, diabolical plan to lure Tsunade out of hiding…
was none other than to invent pachinko.
Not just any gambling machine, either—
this was a device 65535 times more addictive than any dice game or card table in existence.
A soul-devouring, coin-eating masterpiece that no gambler could resist.
Not even Tsunade the Legendary Sucker herself.
---
Just imagining it made Yujiro's grin widen.
He could already see it:
Tsunade, flushed and furious, completely hooked,
losing game after game to his machine—
and when her debt piled up sky-high,
she'd have no choice but to beg him for leniency.
"Ahh, Tsunade-hime," he murmured under his breath,
"you'll be mine… the moment you pull that lever."
He let out a satisfied, wicked laugh, the kind only a true Uchiha could deliver.
"Keh-heh-heh-heh! Relax, Old Ban! I promise—just one job, then I'm done!
You'll get your full pay, and then some! Keh-heh-heh-heh-heh-heh!"
Old Ban sighed deeply, rubbing his forehead with a paw.
"Fine, fine… just—please don't tell anyone I helped you build this thing. I've got a reputation, you know."
"Deal!" Yujiro said cheerfully. "Now get those machines rolling! Destiny—and debt—wait for no man!"
And so, the construction of the first Pachinko Palace in the Ninja World officially began.
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