Chapter 64: A Show of Power
"Hehe, getting something for nothing is impossible, I agree," Tenchi said, his eyes narrowing as he looked at Takahashi. "Especially not three years' worth. But sometimes, Takahashi, it's smarter to just admit you're outmatched. Don't you think?"
"Hahaha!" Takahashi laughed, but there was no humor in it. "I, Takahashi, worked my way up from nothing over many years to get where I am today. If you want me to admit defeat, you have to prove you're stronger. If you don't have the power, your words are useless." His face was completely serious.
"You're right. I prefer to let my strength do the talking. So let's stop wasting time." As soon as he finished speaking, Tenchi pushed his stack of two million ryo to the center of the table. Takahashi motioned to one of his men, who brought over another two million. Now there were four million ryo sitting between them.
"How do you want to play?" Takahashi asked, his eyes fixed on Tenchi.
"You wanted to see my strength, right? Let's keep it simple. We'll each draw one card. Higher card wins. It'll be much faster." Tenchi was tired and didn't want to drag this out.
"Fine by me. I don't want to waste time either. Dealer, deal the cards," Takahashi ordered.
"No dealing," Tenchi interrupted. He stood up, walked over to the dealer, and took the deck of cards himself. "We'll just draw. I'm betting my two million against your two million. Do you dare, Takahashi?"
The dealer looked nervously at his boss. Takahashi just waved for him to step back. "Such a large bet?" Two million was a huge amount, and Takahashi was taken aback by the direct challenge.
"Don't overthink it. If you're scared, just give me the fifty million and we can forget this. Life and death are fated, wealth is in heaven. The bold get fed, the timid starve. Come on if you're not afraid." While he spoke, Tenchi activated his Sharingan. As he shuffled the cards with flashy, practiced moves, his eyes memorized the position of every card. He then fanned the deck out on the table. "Your move, Takahashi. Do you want to draw first, or shall I?"
"I'll go," Takahashi said, gritting his teeth. He walked over to the table, looked at the spread of cards, hesitated for a moment, and then pulled one from near the edge.
It was the Ace of Hearts. A wide, relieved smile spread across Takahashi's face. "Hahaha! It seems luck is on my side today! It looks like you're out of luck. You're going to lose—"
"Stop right there," Tenchi cut him off. "How do you know I'll lose before I even draw?" Without a moment's hesitation, his hand darted out and unerringly plucked the Ace of Spades from the deck, the exact card he had memorized. He flipped it over onto the table. "My apologies, Boss Takahashi. It seems your two million is mine now." He calmly pulled Takahashi's stack of money over to his side.
"Hmph! The first hand is just luck. It's only two million. I can afford to lose that." Seeing the Ace of Spades, Takahashi was annoyed but tried to play it cool. He signaled for another two million to be brought to the table.
"This time, *I'll* shuffle," Takahashi declared. "I don't believe you can win again." He took the deck and began to shuffle. It had to be said, as a casino owner, his shuffling was far more skilled and complex than Tenchi's, a blur of fancy cuts and flourishes.
"Alright," Takahashi said, slapping the deck down. "You draw first this time." He was confident; he had memorized the positions of all four Aces during his shuffle. There was no way this kid could get lucky again.
What Takahashi didn't know was that Tenchi's Sharingan had tracked every move. "Hehe, if you insist. Don't say I didn't warn you." Tenchi's hand shot out and grabbed a card—the Ace of Spades again. He flipped it over.
Takahashi stared, dumbfounded. The Ace of Spades. Again. *'Is he cheating? Or is he just that good? How did he know it was there?!'*
"Sorry again, Boss Takahashi. You lose. This two million is also mine." Tenchi reached for the money.
But this time, the stunned Takahashi slapped his hand down on the stack. "Wait! I... I think you're cheating! This round doesn't count!"
Tenchi was puzzled by the sudden change. Then he saw a new man standing silently in the doorway. He had the look of a shinobi, and not a weak one. Tenchi understood everything.
"So that's why you changed your tune. Your backup finally arrived. You know, for a moment there, I was impressed by your nerve. I was actually considering offering you a job working for me. But now... Takahashi, you've disappointed me." He had genuinely started to respect the man's guts, but it was all just a front.
"Hmph! You want *me* to work for *you*? Who do you think you are? Fei Liu! Get in here and take care of him!" With his personal ninja present, Takahashi's courage returned, and he was now shouting for Tenchi's life.
"Don't give me orders," the ninja, Fei Liu, said coldly, his voice dripping with disdain for the civilian.
"Fei Liu! I pay you a fortune! How dare you speak to me like that? Now kill him and get my money back!" Takahashi fumed, but he was powerless. This ninja was strong and very useful, even if he was disrespectful.
"Hmph. If you weren't rich, do you think I'd even listen to you?" Fei Liu shot back. He then turned his cold gaze to Tenchi. "Hand over the money quietly, and you might leave here in one piece. Don't be a fool, or I'll make sure there's nothing left of you to bury."
"Hahaha! People are so arrogant these days," Tenchi laughed, but it was a laugh of pure anger. "I remember the last person who said that to me. The grass on his grave is three meters tall by now."
"So, you're refusing to cooperate?" Fei Liu said, his chakra flaring around him as he prepared to attack.
"Hehe. Arrogance has a price," Tenchi replied calmly. He activated his Mangekyo Sharingan, its unique pattern swirling in his eyes, and unleashed its most direct and destructive power.
"**Amaterasu!**"
A trail of blood leaked from Tenchi's eye. Instantly, a jet-black flame erupted on Fei Liu's head.
"AHHH! What is this?!" Fei Liu screamed, frantically slapping at the flames. But it was useless. The black flames of Amaterasu cannot be extinguished; they burn until their target is completely consumed. His own hands caught fire as he tried to beat them out.
"Ah! Help me! Please! I was wrong! Let me go!" Writhing in unbearable agony, Fei Liu began to beg for mercy.
"I told you. It's too late for mercy now." A second trail of blood dripped from Tenchi's other eye. "**Kagutsuchi!**"
The black flames instantly spread, engulfing Fei Liu's entire body. Within seconds, his screams were silenced, and all that remained was a pile of black ash.
Shinichi Takahashi, who had been watching, saw his ultimate weapon, his strongest protector, killed so effortlessly. His legs gave way, and he collapsed to his knees on the floor.
"My lord! Spare me! Please, great lord! This lowly one was blind! I didn't know a mighty Konoha ninja was here! I am willing to give all my property to Konoha! Please, just spare my worthless life!" He kowtowed desperately on the floor, his forehead touching the ground, offering everything he owned in exchange for his life.