Over the next week, Obito rushed to the gambling house every day after his patrol.
All his money had been borrowed from Kazuyama, and he had already squandered five million ryo inside and out.
During this time, Kazuyama showed no concern—he had his own plans. Instead, he kept encouraging Obito to keep going, much to the growing frustration of both Kakashi and Rin.
Finally, a week later, Obito was completely penniless. Standing in front of the gambling house with a long face, he was at his lowest when Kazuyama appeared.
Patting Obito on the shoulder, he flashed a strange smile.
"Obito, do you want to get your money back?"
Obito's eyes lit up with excitement. "Can I?! Kazuyama-sensei!"
Kazuyama didn't answer. Instead, he casually wiped his hand across Obito's face.
In the next instant, Obito's expression froze—his entire face went rigid. Under the effects of the paralytic powder, his eyes widened in shock as his body locked up, unable to move or speak.
Kazuyama, however, didn't go too far. With precise control over his seals, he ensured the paralysis only immobilized Obito, leaving him conscious.
Then, stepping forward, he began his act.
"Crooked shop!" he bellowed.
"Unbelievable! A place like this exists in the Daimyō's manor?!"
"You cheated my disciple—return our money!"
The "Shameless Emperor" was in full performance mode. Kazuyama dragged Obito in front of the gambling house and launched into a furious tirade, his voice booming with righteous indignation. His performance was so impassioned that the surrounding crowd quickly turned to watch.
Even the people inside the gambling house were startled. One after another, they stepped outside to see what the commotion was about.
"Hey! What do you think you're doing?!"
"Don't make a scene in front of our establishment! If you don't stop, I'll call the guards!"
The gambling house manager stepped forward with a cold expression, glaring at Kazuyama and the paralyzed Obito lying on the ground.
"Hmph! A shady establishment like this dares to threaten me?!" Kazuyama sneered.
"You must've rigged the games! How else could my brother have lost so miserably?"
"Losing millions of ryo in just a few days—you're really going to claim it was fair?"
Currently under a Transformation Technique, Kazuyama cared nothing for his reputation—his only goal was to stir up trouble.
"Pay us back! Pay us back!"
"You heartless scoundrels!"
His voice grew louder, his emotions more intense, drawing even more attention from the crowd. Suspicious gazes turned toward the gambling house.
Meanwhile, unnoticed in the chaos, a shadowy figure inside the building was busy collecting money. With everyone distracted by the spectacle outside, no one noticed what was happening within.
"Guards! Guards!"
"There's trouble here!"
Out of options, the gambling house manager finally called for security.
Before long, the guards arrived, and the situation escalated further—eventually reaching the ears of the Daimyō himself.
"What the hell is that brat up to now?"
"He gambles, loses, and then causes a scene at the gambling house?"
Rubbing his temples, the Daimyō sighed.
"Tell the guards to break it up—no, never mind. I'll go see for myself."
He had initially thought Kazuyama might be promising, but now it seemed the man was just a walking disaster.
With his patience wearing thin, the Daimyō set out for the gambling house, accompanied by his guards.
"Oh, Lord Daimyō, why have you been disturbed as well?"
The gambling house owner immediately stepped forward upon seeing the Daimyō. Without responding, the Daimyō cast him a glance before shifting his attention to Kazuyama.
"Tell me, what is going on here?"
Kazuyama smiled to himself. The Daimyō must have known it was him—there had been no shortage of spies keeping watch on him these days. Since he had personally come down, it meant he had intended to intervene.
"Your Honor, this is a crooked establishment!"
"They cheat and scam people!"
"Please, Your Honor, do something!"
Kazuyama, unconcerned about how far things escalated, raised his voice and made a scene, leaving the Daimyō speechless.
"Hmph, this is the Daimyō's Manor!"
"Enough of this nonsense! Boss, refund him the money he lost!"
"Then throw them out of the manor and make sure they are never allowed back into the Daimyō's estate in the Land of Fire!"
To the gathered crowd, this punishment seemed rather lenient. However, the gambling house owner's face darkened upon hearing the decision, though he dared not defy the Daimyō's order.
After all, this was the Land of Fire, and this was the Daimyō's domain.
"Y-Yes... Your Honor..."
With reluctance, the gambling boss pulled out a five-million-ryo banknote and placed it on Obito's motionless body before shooting the two of them a vicious glare.
"Guards, get them out of here!"
And so, amidst the Daimyō's command, Kazuyama picked up the banknote and carried Obito as they were forcibly escorted out of the manor.
Once they reached the forest outside, Kazuyama set Obito down and used his chakra to dissolve the paralytic powder's effects.
"Phew! He's alive!"
"Kazuyama-sensei, what is wrong with you?!"
Obito, finally regaining movement, didn't even care about his still-numb tongue as he vented his frustration. But before he could continue, his words trailed off.
Kazuyama had pulled out the banknote.
Obito's eyes instantly gleamed.
"Obito, I'll be keeping this. After all, I got the five million back."
With a laugh, Kazuyama slipped the money into his robe, leaving Obito staring in frustration.
At that moment, Kazuyama had made a fortune. Obito technically got back everything he lost while also unknowingly robbing the gambling house blind.
Unbeknownst to everyone, a shadow clone had infiltrated the establishment during the chaos, clearing out the money stored in the back.
[Ding! Detected that the host paralyzed Obito and orchestrated an elaborate act, successfully causing the gambling house owner to lose five million ryo—special reward: Taijutsu +1.]
[Ding! Sensing that the host successfully plundered sixty million ryo from the gambling house, throwing it into total disarray. The gambling house owner has been hospitalized in a coma—special reward: Chakra +1.]
With these two attribute boosts, Kazuyama had gained even more!
Meanwhile, within the Daimyō's Manor, his subordinates delivered a report. Upon hearing it, the Daimyō's expression darkened.
"Damn brat… Acting and scamming for money is one thing, but actually looting the gambling house..."
He gritted his teeth before suddenly breaking into a grin.
"Heh, interesting. Very interesting. Yanagimura, contact him again in the coming days."
"For someone who loves money this much, the price is irrelevant. As long as he agrees, we can get whatever we want from him."
Though annoyed, the Daimyō was also pleased. Kazuyama's actions had convinced him—this man was greedy to the core. And someone driven by greed could always be controlled with the right incentive.
"Daimyō, do you really intend to use him?"
"Why do I have a bad feeling about this?"
A voice suddenly spoke up. The man in the green robe, who had remained silent until now, finally voiced his concern.
The Daimyō's brows furrowed slightly.
...
(100 Chapters Ahead)
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