The moment Neji spoke, Yugito twitched in disbelief, her lips trembling slightly. Her toes curled inside her sandals, and her face turned crimson.
Darui and Karui, standing behind their captain, both stiffened. Their cheeks flushed red as well—whether from shock, embarrassment, or dread, it was hard to tell.
The casino's manager nearly choked on his own saliva. He stammered, forcing out a bitter smile as he bowed his head.
"Honored ninja… surely you must be joking?"
Neji's expression didn't change. His pale eyes gleamed coldly in the hazy light of the gambling hall.
"I'm not joking," he said calmly, voice faint but firm.
Then, without warning, Neji slapped his ninja tool pouch. A scroll appeared in his hand. He unfurled it with a practiced motion. Bang! A puff of white smoke exploded from the sealing script, rolling across the table like mist.
The crowd immediately tensed. The pit bosses gripped hidden weapons, the guards at the door readied themselves, and several gamblers ducked beneath their tables.
The casino manager's face turned ashen. "W-wait! Please, let's not resort to violence here!" His hands shook as he raised them placatingly.
"Neji…" Yugito stepped closer, her voice low and anxious. "This is Konoha. If you rob a casino here, we'll be in serious trouble."
Darui's hand had already slipped behind his back, resting on the hilt of his great sword. Karui mirrored him, knuckles white as she gripped her weapon.
All of them were ready for the worst.
But instead of drawing a weapon, Neji slowly placed an object on the green felt table.
It wasn't a bomb.
It wasn't a kunai.
It wasn't even money.
It was… a jar.
A strange, earthen-colored vessel that looked absurdly like a pickle jar.
The casino manager blinked in disbelief, unable to comprehend what he was seeing.
Neji, however, spoke with complete seriousness, his gaze steady.
"This," he declared, "is one of the legendary Six Paths tools—the Amber Purifying Pot. It possesses a vast internal space and has the power to seal anything in existence. Its value far exceeds one hundred million. I'll use it as my wager."
For a moment, silence swallowed the casino whole.
"…."
The gamblers froze. The guards exchanged confused glances.
Yugito groaned and pressed a hand to her forehead, too embarrassed to even watch.
Karui's jaw dropped so wide a fly could have flown straight in.
Darui, usually calm and composed, looked like someone had slapped him across the face with a fish.
"You… you're serious?" the casino manager finally whispered.
"Of course."
The man trembled as he reached out to take the pot. His fingers brushed against the cool surface, and his eyes widened. He swallowed hard, turned, and barked at one of his attendants.
"Call for an appraiser. Now!"
---
The Weight of a Legend
The Six Paths Sage was a mythical figure—most people in the shinobi world regarded his tools as fables. But the Amber Purifying Pot was different.
It wasn't just legend. It had a history.
It had passed through the hands of the Gold and Silver Brothers, whose notoriety had echoed across nations. It had been wielded by the Third Raikage, a man celebrated as one of the greatest Kage in history.
Unlike most artifacts whispered about in bedtime stories, the Amber Purifying Pot was real. Recognized. Feared.
The casino staff knew that. Everyone in the hall knew that.
Which was why, when the professional appraiser rushed forward, not a single person dared breathe too loudly.
The man examined the vessel from every angle. He traced his fingers along the engraved runes, tested its sealing resonance, and finally stepped back, his face pale.
"It's genuine."
A ripple of astonished whispers filled the hall.
The manager carefully lifted the pot as though it were a newborn child. He bowed deeply toward Neji, beads of sweat running down his forehead.
"Honored ninja, your collateral is more than sufficient. The wager will be recorded immediately."
"Good."
Neji gave a single nod, his tone as casual as if he had just bet a handful of coins.
---
After Leaving the Casino
The four of them stepped out into the cool night air. The noisy chatter of gamblers and the jingle of coins quickly faded behind them.
Darui still looked like he hadn't woken from a dream. He finally spoke, voice heavy.
"Captain… did you just… pawn the Amber Purifying Pot? To a casino?"
"That's right," Neji replied simply.
Darui's lips twitched. "And if you lose… doesn't that mean the casino keeps it?"
"Yes."
Darui nearly tripped over his own feet.
Karui crossed her arms, her fiery red hair swaying as she glared at Neji.
"If the Raikage finds out you gambled away the Amber Purifying Pot, he'll tear down the Raikage Building brick by brick."
Neji smirked faintly.
"You two should have a little more faith in me."
But the truth was, his decision wasn't reckless.
To strengthen the Hyuga Clan, to secure his future, he needed two things above all: people and money. Kumogakure could provide support, yes, but not nearly enough to realize the scale of his ambitions.
So what options were left?
There was only one word.
Robbery.
Not the crude kind, with blades and blood. There were more sophisticated ways to rob. And what better place than a casino—an establishment built entirely on legalized theft?
They preyed on greed. They rigged their games. They stole from the masses in plain sight.
Well, this time, Neji would rob them.
"Heh," Neji thought, eyes glinting. "Let's see how many hundreds of millions I can walk away with."
---
The Uchiha Residence
Meanwhile, far from the glitter of the casino, Uchiha Fugaku sat in his private chambers. The flickering lantern light painted harsh shadows across his stern face.
In his hand was a small slip of paper. Only one sentence was written on it:
"Meet in the Forest of Death tomorrow night at midnight."
Fugaku's brows furrowed tightly.
Across from him, Uchiha Inaho shifted uneasily.
"Captain, the note… it was given to me directly by the Two-Tails Jinchuriki."
"Is that so…" Fugaku murmured.
For a long moment, he was silent. Then he fed the note into the flame of a nearby candle. The paper curled and blackened, crumbling into ash.
"This matter must be kept absolutely secret," Fugaku ordered in a low, commanding tone. "Tell no one."
"Yes, Captain." Inaho hesitated, then asked cautiously, "Are you going to meet him?"
"No."
Fugaku's answer was firm.
Unlike the younger Uchiha, Fugaku understood the precarious situation of their clan. Relations between the Uchiha and Konoha leadership were already strained, teetering on the edge of open conflict.
If it were discovered that the Uchiha were holding secret talks with Kumogakure, the Hokage's faction would seize the excuse immediately. They would brand the Uchiha as traitors colluding with an enemy nation.
That would mean disaster.
"Remember this," Fugaku warned. "Konoha is crowded with foreign shinobi right now. Trouble could erupt at any moment. As members of the Military Police Force, we must be more vigilant than ever."
"Yes, Captain."
Inaho bowed and withdrew.
Fugaku exhaled slowly and turned toward the adjoining room.
"Mikoto, make dinner early. There's a clan meeting tonight…"
---
Hokage's Office
At the same time, another meeting was unfolding in the Hokage's office.
The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, sat behind his desk, pipe smoke curling lazily into the air. Danzo stood beside him, cane striking the floor with angry thumps. The two remaining Advisors, Homura and Koharu, sat stiffly nearby.
Hyuga Hiashi had also been summoned.
Danzo's voice thundered. "Kumogakure dares send both the Two-Tails Jinchuriki and the lost Byakugan to Konoha? It is nothing short of provocation!"
His outrage filled the room.
Hiruzen, by contrast, appeared calm. He took a long drag from his pipe, then picked up a registration form from his desk. His eyes lingered on the photo attached.
He squinted. "This boy, Neji… only six years old, is he not?"
Hiashi inclined his head. "Yes. He is six."
A faint smile tugged at Hiruzen's lips, though his eyes were sharp as blades.
"So tall, so strong already. It seems Kumogakure has raised him better than the Hyuga Clan ever could."
Hiashi stiffened. Cold sweat slid down his back.
Hiruzen's words were coated in politeness, but the hidden anger was unmistakable. The incident two years ago—when Kumo attempted to kidnap Hinata—was still a wound that had never healed. Neji's appearance in Konoha threatened to rip that scar wide open.
Danzo slammed his cane again. "Enough talk. Give the order, Hiruzen! I'll personally capture the Two-Tails Jinchuriki and the Byakugan traitor."
His Root operatives had already failed once, vanishing without a trace. Danzo's fury was not without reason.
But Hiruzen merely exhaled smoke.
Homura interjected quickly, "Danzo, this is not the time to act recklessly. If the Jinchuriki or the boy come to harm, how will we answer to the Fourth Raikage?"
Koharu added, "We must be cautious. Acting rashly could ignite war."
Danzo's lips curled in disgust, but before he could argue further, Hiruzen spoke at last.
"The boy is here for the Chunin Exams. If… an accident were to occur during the trials, no one would be to blame. After all, many candidates perish in the Forest of Death each year."
Danzo's scowl twisted into a grim smile. He finally nodded, appeased.
Just then, a white-masked ANBU flickered into the room. He knelt and reported Neji's actions at the casino—the pawning of the Amber Purifying Pot.
Hiruzen's eyes glimmered with amusement.
"He even wagered the Amber Purifying Pot? Interesting. Hiashi, have someone test this boy. Kakashi will assist you."
"…Understood."
---
The Chunin Exams Begin
The following day, with the arrival of the Rain and Grass teams, the Chunin Selection Exams officially commenced.
Hiruzen gathered all participants in the central plaza. His voice echoed across the crowd as he explained the rules: no meaningless killing, though "accidents" would be tolerated.
The shinobi from each nation exchanged sharp, wary looks.
Neji scanned the crowd, tallying numbers with practiced precision.
Konoha had the largest presence—twenty teams. Uchiha Itachi stood alone, silent as a blade. The Mist sent two teams, the Sand five, while Iwa had only one candidate: a boy named Deidara.
Neji's attention finally settled on a smaller group: Otogakure.
Others dismissed them as a new minor village. Neji knew better. Otogakure was Orochimaru's creation.
His eyes narrowed on the blue-haired kunoichi leading the team—Guren, the Crystal Release user.
Her gaze, however, was fixed on Uchiha Itachi. And it carried unmistakable killing intent.
"Orochimaru…" Neji thought grimly. "So Itachi is your prey. But I'm afraid that's a luxury I won't allow."
patreon (Obito_uchiha)