Danzo shook his head and resumed walking, descending along the corridor surrounding the underground bunker.
Fu Yamanaka had no choice but to follow behind.
"Back then, Shiki Uzumaki was utterly adamant about refusing to join Root. I believed it had something to do with The Third, but he won't be with us for much longer. Now my era as Hokage is about to begin. At that time, do you think he'll still have a choice?"
"You speak truly, but suddenly something else came to mind."
"It's Jiraiya and Tsunade, right? As members of the Sannin, they are younger than I am and once considered ideal candidates for the next Hokage. However, Jiraiya will absolutely never accept the position. As for Tsunade, she actually suffers from hemophobia and refuses to return to Konoha anymore. Even though she is the granddaughter of the First Hokage and wields considerable influence, it no longer matters."
Danzo had already thought through everything thoroughly; all obstacles seemed to dissolve before him.
"I see."
Fu Yamanaka nodded again, then remained silent, following Danzo down to the lowest level of this hidden fortress.
Finally, their gazes stopped at the chains. Their eyes simultaneously revealed sharpness.
However, Danzo slightly shifted the topic. "Besides, we also have reasons that Shiki Uzumaki cannot refuse, don't we? He's still a child now; before reaching adulthood, he can still be molded into one of Root's formidable weapons." To be continued.
Chapter 187: Betting
"Naruto's opponent is actually Neji. I'm really worried," Sakura said while sitting on the spectator seats, folding her arms in concern.
Actually, there was practically no suspense about how this battle would turn out. In everyone's mind, Naruto Uzumaki, who had always been the dead-last, naturally couldn't defeat Hyuga Neji, the strongest genius of the Hyuga clan.
Everyone watched the match with such expectations, hoping Naruto would surrender quickly, since Neji's Gentle Fist and Pressure Points Sealed technique would only cause more severe injuries the longer the fight lasted.
The betting odds for this match had already been decided from the very beginning: those betting on Naruto winning received 56:1 odds.
Those betting on Neji received 60:1 odds.
The difference naturally went straight into the bookmaker's pocket.
"Sakura, do you know where the casino is?"
A calm voice came over.
The match had already started, yet this person was still looking for the casino everywhere!
Combined with the tension she felt watching the battle unfold on the battlefield, Sakura couldn't help but snap back in irritation,
"I don't know. Besides, Naruto's match has already started, and here you are—"
Sakura suddenly froze, realization dawning.
She turned around sharply, and her bright red hair immediately caught his eye.
He kept his calm, faintly smiling expression, as if he had never left her side, watching together with her the intense battle on the battlefield.
Sakura's face immediately flushed with anger. "Hey, Shiki! When exactly did you come back? Why are you showing up only now? Everyone thought you'd forfeited the match!"
"That's right! Your lazy attitude is so irritating, it makes me want to punch you!" Ino, sitting beside Sakura, joined in, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with her friend.
She even waved her fists around, as if truly ready to land a punch on Shiki's head.
"It's not good for girls to be so hot-headed," Shiki said, shaking his head. He then softened his tone and explained, "I just got back. Makoto has already gone to prepare in the rest room. I'm here just to say hello."
Sakura finally nodded, accepting Shiki's explanation.
That was something Sasuke would definitely never do. This was probably why Shiki remained so popular among his peers.
"I see... But wait, what did you mean by 'casino' just now?"
"Exactly what it sounds like—gambling."
"Hey, you're still twelve years old!"
Sakura flared up again, but the person in front of her had already turned around, waving his hand as he walked toward another part of the spectator seats.
"I'm going to greet the others. As for gambling, I'll go looking for that myself."
It was only then that Sakura and Ino noticed something unusual about Shiki Uzumaki's back today. He used to always wear all-white outfits, but today his white shirt bore something familiar yet different on the back.
A blood-red whirlpool mark was printed clearly on the white fabric. It seemed oddly out of place, yet somehow perfectly suited with his red hair.
A sudden unease crept into Sakura's chest.
"Did Shiki finally go crazy wanting to become a Chunin?"
Ino nodded in agreement. "Right. That symbol on Shiki's clothes is one normally only seen on the vests worn by Konoha ninja."
"This bet holds absolutely no suspense. The odds are too skewed. Even if someone wins such a mismatched match, they can only earn tiny profits."
The casino owner complained bitterly. Normally, higher profits could only be made when both sides were evenly matched.
After all, most people wouldn't be motivated to bet when winning barely pays off and losing means everything's gone.
Few people would dare bet on underdogs unless the payout was dozens of times the stake.
Unfortunately, those who held such ideas usually ended up bankrupting themselves quickly.
Thinking thus, the casino owner could only helplessly take out a wooden dice and roll it onto the table, listening to its clattering sound as time dragged boringly forward.
If not for this grand event—the Chunin Exams—he wouldn't have been stuck running a gambling stall like this at all.
Creak~
The sound of the door opening echoed inside. However, the owner had long since lost interest.
It must be someone betting on Neji to win again—just another small, predictable profit. But if more people kept choosing Neji, then the previously set odds would keep dropping.
But the people in the casino had already brushed off the crimson-headed boy who'd just stepped inside, because a moment ago, an envoy of the Daimyo of the Grass Ninja Village had placed a bet of 500,000 ryo on Neji Hyuga.
Until now, the odds had stayed at twenty to one.
Though for the Daimyo, this was merely a drop in the ocean—an opening move meant to start off the upcoming thrilling matches on a lucky note.
Yet to everyone else in the casino, that sum was still a fortune.
"How much are you betting?"
Though casually indifferent, the casino owner still asked that question.
This was the largest casino in Konoha; many people here were placing heavy bets.
Visit the official site of [BookHelper]: www.kanshuzhushou.com — Read millions of popular books ad-free for life!
<><><><><><><><>
Thank you for reading! Your support will keep me updating!
~ Every 50 Powerstones = **4 Bonus Chapters** this weekend!
<><><><><><><><>
Want to read the subsequent content in advance?
Please follow my Patreon:patreon/Tansnovel
Tans Novel - The Fastest-Updating Naruto Fanfiction Account
Read 100+ chapters in advance, with at least 3 new chapters updated every day! More free chapters! 20+ Naruto fanfictions!
Just three steps:
1. Download and open the "Patreon" app
2. Search for "Tans Novel"
3. Click on the collection and enjoy to your heart's content
<><><><><><><><>