Chapter 88: Chakra Diffusion Cannon
"Rest assured, with our protection, no one will dare to touch you!"
Two burly men spoke, flanking Masahiko like bodyguards.
Behind them trailed a dozen people—civilians, ninjas, old, and young—all gnashing their teeth as they followed Masahiko. However, every time they wanted to rush forward, one look at the two burly men deflated their courage.
Masahiko looked back, let out a helpless sigh, and lamented, "I'm an idiot, really..."
After lunch, Masahiko had found the casino run by Kinkaku and Ginkaku. He had been overjoyed, thinking he would bankrupt the casino and force a meeting with the Gold and Silver Brothers. But after an afternoon of gambling, he had won tens of millions of ryo from the dozen or so people following him, yet only gained the friendship of the casino.
"What happened to the casino causing trouble if you win too much?" Masahiko cursed silently. "Something's not right here..."
In the afternoon, Masahiko went on a killing spree in the casino for a while before realizing that the house didn't participate in the gambling... they only took a cut.
So, the more Masahiko won, the happier the casino was, because their commission was higher. Masahiko had considered causing a scene over the commission, but then he thought... that would be no different from just going and killing Kinkaku and Ginkaku directly.
"This damn casino just provides a place to gamble... Back in Konoha, I was always focused on Hashirama, so I never really paid attention." Masahiko thought, then looked at the two burly men behind him, his mouth twitching. "The casino not only provides a venue but also bodyguards..."
The bodyguards escorted Masahiko all the way back to the hot spring inn, shoving and warning the dozen followers to leave. Masahiko closed the door and took a deep breath.
"It seems the casino route is a dead end..." Masahiko prepared to slump into the hot spring again.
"What the hell kind of casino is this in the Naruto world? Only providing a venue and security? How do they even make money? might as well gamble at home..."
"Eh? Wait..." Masahiko suddenly had a thought.
"I remember a plot point where Tsunade was chased for gambling debts... So, casinos also offer loans? Most likely Naruto-style loan sharking."
Masahiko punched his palm, delighted. Calling himself the God of Gamblers these past few days, he had forgotten about the possibility of losing money and incurring debt.
"If I owe the casino a huge sum... I probably won't be able to leave even if I wanted to. Someone would stop me."
The next day, Masahiko stretched lazily. "Another beautiful day..." He looked around and sighed. "It would be even better if no one was watching me."
"Well then, time to lose money!" Masahiko muttered and went to the Kumogakure Casino again.
The manager clearly remembered him. As soon as he entered, he received a warm welcome.
However, two hours later...
Masahiko had not only lost all the money he won yesterday but also the five million ryo he earned from the escort mission.
Although it was for the sake of getting into debt, Masahiko still felt a pang of heartache...
having lost all his money, Masahiko looked around and waved to the manager.
Sure enough, this time the manager ignored him. Masahiko didn't mind and smiled. "I just found the feeling I had yesterday when I was winning, but I'm out of money. Can your casino lend me some first?"
The manager glanced at Masahiko with a look of disbelief, an expression that said, "I've seen plenty of gamblers like you."
"Loans are possible, but you need collateral."
Masahiko paused, feeling a bit amused. "Is that so? Then what did Tsunade use for collateral? Her looks?"
Frowning, he unbuckled the long sword he had carried since arriving in Kumogakure from his waist.
"This is my personal weapon. Keep it safe for me..."
This long sword only fetched one million ryo. under Masahiko's deliberate losing streak, it lasted less than half an hour.
Masahiko called the manager over again, putting on a dejected face. "Can you lend me a bit more? I feel like I'm about to make it all back..."
"Collateral?"
Masahiko sighed. "I don't have anything valuable on me... How about I pledge myself? If I lose, I'll be a doorman for your casino."
The manager looked at him and shook his head. "Those who owe gambling debts to the casino are sent to the mines."
"Mines?" Masahiko muttered. "Kumogakure's mines belong to your casino?"
The manager glared at him. "They belong to the two Lords."
Masahiko frowned. Mining wasn't a big deal; it wasn't like he hadn't done it before. But that was no different from not staying in Kumogakure; the mines were too remote.
"Mining, forging, Mustache..." Masahiko murmured, getting an idea.
"I'm a Level 8 Blacksmith. Level 8 technicians aren't common..." Masahiko said to the manager. "Don't you need hands for forging?"
The manager looked blank. "What Level 8 technician? However, the foundry has been short of hands these past two days. If you can work, you can use that to pay off your debt."
Masahiko nodded, then felt something was wrong. "I haven't lost yet, have I? Why does it feel like I've already pledged myself to you?"
The manager smiled and shook his head, pulling out another one million ryo bill and handing it to Masahiko, looking like he was waiting for Masahiko to lose it all. It made Masahiko want to slap him.
But in the end, Masahiko held back. "Tobirama, oh Tobirama, I'm making a huge sacrifice to save you..."
Actually, by this point, Masahiko was treating infiltrating Kumogakure as a game, not just to give Tobirama a "surprise."
As the manager "expected," Masahiko quickly lost all the money again and was successfully sent to the foundry by the manager.
As soon as he entered, a wave of heat hit him in the face. A bare-chested man walked over, looked at the casino manager, and said, "A debtor? Why send him here?"
The two clearly knew each other. The manager said, "He claims he knows how to forge. I thought you were short-handed here, so I brought him over. He needs to work for two years to pay off the debt."
The big man frowned and hesitated. "Alright then. The blacksmiths have all been transferred by the two Lords to forge some Chakra Diffusion Cannon. We're barely keeping up with the daily supply of ninja tools here."
Masahiko had been looking around since he entered, not finding the man with the mustache. But hearing this, he snapped back to reality, his mouth twitching as he muttered, "What cannon? Does the Naruto world have such a thing? Even I, a transmigrator, haven't advanced the tech tree this far, yet Kumogakure has..."
Meanwhile, Raikage Building.
The Second Raikage frowned as he listened to the Anbu's report, falling silent for a while.
"You say Namikaze Minato was sent to the foundry because of gambling debts?"
"Yes!"
"His personal sword was also mortgaged to the casino?"
"Yes!"
"According to B, he is a ninja who uses a sword..." The Second Raikage thought to himself, puzzled. "Could he really be a gambler?"
"Go and call B here!"
"Yes!"
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