"Turning the tide when all seems lost, holding the pillars before they collapse."
— Akio, legendary gambler
Inside the "Golden Cow Casino," the noise was deafening.
BOOM!
Tsunade stomped her foot into the floor, cracking the stone beneath her as she glared at the crowd.
"Enough whining! If you came here to gamble, then accept the outcome. If you can't afford to lose, get out!"
Akio cast her a sideways glance.
Tsunade's face instantly fell.
"…On second thought, even those who can afford it should leave. We're shutting down."
The gamblers, most of them completely broke grumbled about the worst night of their lives. But after seeing the shattered floor beneath Tsunade's heel, they wisely kept their curses quiet as they filed out.
Once the casino was empty, the cloaked Hashirama lifted his hood.
"Great-Grandfather, your gambling skills are still unmatched."
He stepped forward, formed hand seals, and smoothed the destroyed floor with Wood Release.
This kind of routine had become second nature. A casino attracted all kinds, some reckless enough to cause trouble. Tsunade handled intimidation. Hashirama handled repairs. Their teamwork was flawless.
When they finished, both of them walked over to Akio and bowed in perfect sync.
"Great-Great-Grandfather! Teach us how to gamble!"
Akio sighed and walked over to Mito, placing a thick stack of freshly won money slips into her hands.
"Is this enough?"
Mito glanced at Hashirama and Tsunade, then nodded.
"For now."
The two immediately scratched their heads, laughing awkwardly.
Akio chuckled.
"You two are unbelievable. You managed to bankrupt a casino that was packed every day."
The casino had only been open for two months, yet its popularity had exploded. The countless makeshift tents around it were proof, some gamblers had practically moved in.
"You nearly put the dealers out of work," Akio added as he took the small pink pig from Shizune's arms.
Shizune: "..."
"Come to think of it, the pig's even fatter than before. At this rate, we might as well turn it into dinner. Maybe replace it with a cat, cats bring luck. Though… cats are kind of dumb."
"Pu-pu?!"
Mito picked the pig back up.
"With those two around, nothing you raise would survive. You should just drop by more often. Kushina said you spent the last two months…"
"Yes," Akio replied flatly. "Playing with a ball."
The Truth-Seeking Orb squeezed out from his chest and floated before them.
"Great-Grandfather… congratulations on getting stronger."
He could tell, this thing was dangerous.
Akio raised an eyebrow as his pale senjutsu cloak reappeared around him.
"Well? Isn't it impressive?"
Silence.
"Alright, alright," Akio waved a hand. "I'll teach you gambling techniques later."
"Great-Great-Grandfather, you're amazing!"
Tsunade and Hashirama said in unison.
The Next Morning — Konoha
Akio returned at dawn.
Despite not sleeping all night, he looked perfectly refreshed.
"Level ten Yang Release," he muttered. "At this point, my body barely qualifies as human."
He stopped by Kushina's house once more. After checking on her Sage training, everything was progressing smoothly, and she'd likely master it within a month, he finally relaxed.
Then he prepared to leave.
It had been over two months since he last showed his face in the Land of Whirlpools. Kimimaro's bloodline illness was probably acting up again.
"These kids never give me a break," Akio grumbled. "Disappear for two months, and suddenly the ancestor has to run around fixing everything."
Midway through his journey, he changed how he traveled.
The Truth-Seeking Orb reshaped itself into a sleek black broom, and Akio mounted it, flying forward at high speed.
After covering about half the distance, he frowned and reshaped it again, this time into a flying carpet.
"…This thing's killing my back."
He continued experimenting floating cushions, gourd-shaped platforms, even a giant fan, clearly enjoying himself.
If only the orb could split apart, he'd have made twin spinning wheels and gone full legend.
Land of Whirlpools
Akio reunited with the three children.
Surprisingly, Kimimaro's condition hadn't worsened at all. When Akio learned why, he nearly laughed out loud.
The Chūnin Exams were only half a month away.
The kids had missed two exams the previous year while traveling with Akio, so they were still Genin. This time, they were determined to advance.
The first round was always a written test.
Haku had nothing to worry about, she could self-study.
Kimimaro, on the other hand… had been cramming nonstop under Karin's tutoring, his head nearly exploding.
Seeing the hope in Kimimaro's eyes, Akio chuckled.
"Foundations still matter. Advanced theory rarely comes up in real combat. I'll exempt you from written tests when you aim for Jōnin but for now, do your best."
"Yes! Lord Sage!"
Karin adjusted her "scholar glasses," opened a thick book, and leaned toward Kimimaro.
"Kimimaro, today we'll be studying Code Decryption."
Kimimaro flipped two pages, then completely deflated, panic written all over his face.
Akio watched with a grin. Cipher theory had been rewritten countless times over the years. Even he found it exhausting.
"No wonder academy kids struggle these days," he mused. "Can't really blame Naruto for failing; his brain didn't come with my processing power."
With Akio watching, Kimimaro studied even harder but learned even less, constantly getting distracted. Eventually, Akio gave up and left.
He stopped by Konan's place, passed on Akio-style Sage Arts, then went to see Nagato.
"Yo, Sensei, you're back."
Same voice. Same tone.
"Yeah," Akio replied. "Kushina said the Akatsuki are holding their first gathering. What's the situation?"
Nagato grew serious and handed over several documents.
"Too many nations want in. After the recent destruction of one country, smaller nations are desperate. Many even volunteered. Most of them trade with us Claw Country, Fang Country, Honey Country…"
Akio chuckled.
"Interesting."
He'd expected Yahiko to form a militant organization. Instead, he'd accidentally created something closer to an international coalition.
Yahiko was probably overwhelmed. Dozens of nations, all attending but none likely to take the founder seriously.
"Sensei," Nagato asked, "do we join?"
Akio finished reading, thought for a moment, then smiled.
"May 20th. Over thirty nations… sounds lively."
He stood up.
"I'll attend personally."
After all
"I just got myself a new ball. Let's see if this turns into the world's first ninja tournament."
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