Itachi, You're Joking, Right!?

Konoha Police Force.

Uchiha Fugaku, the head of the Uchiha Clan, sat in an office chair at the police force, staring sternly at the document in his hand.

After reading it over,

Uchiha Fugaku frowned slightly and looked at a nearby Uchiha Clan member.

"So... the Uchiha Clan's expenses are too high?"

Uchiha Setsuna nodded heavily.

"Yes. For some reason, everyone has recently been buying a book called 'Taimanin.' That book is extremely expensive—one copy costs several thousand ryo..."

"Most clan members cannot afford it and have suggested raising their wages."

Uchiha Fugaku's brow furrowed tightly.

"'Taimanin'? What kind of book is that?"

After pondering for a moment, Uchiha Fugaku nodded and said, "Don't worry. The Uchiha still have substantial reserves. We can appropriately raise the rewards for some missions."

Police Force lobby.

Uchiha Itachi brought Second Pillar to the police force, immediately drawing the attention of the Uchiha Clan's ninja.

"Isn't that Itachi!?"

"What's this, are you here to take on a few missions?"

"Hahaha, if you're taking missions, I happen to have one that would be good training..."

"Tch, that mission is pretty dangerous."

"It's fine, it's fine. Itachi is the genius of our Uchiha Clan. His current strength is already close to jonin level, so he can easily handle it..."

The Uchiha Clan's ninja shouted loudly.

As the Uchiha Clan's genius, Uchiha Itachi was a source of great pride for them.

But the more Uchiha Itachi heard, the redder his face became.

He had just been beaten black and blue by a six-year-old boy...

"Cough, cough..."

Uchiha Itachi coughed twice to cover his embarrassment and hurried into the police force.

The Uchiha Clan members froze.

"What's going on?"

They exchanged glances, then many Uchiha Clan members silently moved toward the office door and pressed their ears against it.

When Uchiha Fugaku saw Uchiha Itachi enter, a trace of surprise appeared in his eyes as he asked,

"Itachi, why are you here?"

His son was unusually mature. He had formed his own views at a very young age and rarely came looking for him without a reason.

This time...

Had something happened?

Uchiha Itachi's face was bright red as he lowered his head. "Father, I caused trouble."

Uchiha Fugaku was even more surprised.

What trouble could his mature son possibly cause?

Though he was somewhat puzzled, Uchiha Fugaku felt deeply gratified.

Uchiha Itachi had chosen to come to him, his father, immediately after causing trouble. That showed that he, as a father, still carried some authority.

"Tell me!"

With a flushed face, Uchiha Itachi recounted everything that had happened.

When he heard that Second Pillar had lost more than eighty million, even gambling away his own brother, Uchiha Fugaku's face had already gone dark.

Damn it!!!

Brat, why didn't you gamble me away too?

Uchiha Fugaku shot Second Pillar a fierce glare, frightening him into quickly hiding behind his brother.

Uchiha Fugaku let out a breath and said in a deep voice, "It's fine. They're only children, after all. Doesn't Uzumaki Naruto like gambling?"

"Itachi, go gamble with him and see how much you can win back."

"If he refuses to keep gambling, eighty million... our Uchiha Clan can scrape it together."

Uchiha Itachi's face reddened further. Lowering his head, he murmured, "I... I went to gamble with Uzumaki Naruto..."

Uchiha Fugaku paused.

Uchiha Itachi continued, "Then... I lost one hundred and sixty million..."

Uchiha Fugaku: "..."

Uchiha Clan members: "..."

Bang!!!

A deafening crash rang out.

The police force's main door slammed down onto the floor.

More than a dozen ninja from the Uchiha Clan tumbled to the ground with the momentum.

But none of them cared. They climbed back up and stared at Uchiha Itachi in utter disbelief.

"Itachi, y-you lost one hundred and sixty million???"

"You lost that much gambling against a child???"

"That's more than what our Uchiha Clan earns in five years! What were you gambling on???"

"Did that damned Uzumaki Naruto use some kind of trick???"

"Damn it!!! He dared to cheat our Uchiha Clan? Is he courting death???"

"..."

The Uchiha Clan members completely disregarded the clan head's presence and roared in fury.

What kind of joke was this!!!

One hundred and sixty million!!!

Even ten Elite Jonin from the bounty exchange might not be worth one hundred and sixty million. How had he lost one hundred and sixty million—nearly two hundred million?

Uzumaki Naruto must have pulled some kind of trick.

It was not only the Uchiha Clan members who thought so; even Uchiha Fugaku thought the same. He tapped the desk and asked in a deep voice, "Itachi, what did you compete in?"

"Did that Uzumaki Naruto cheat?"

"Or did he... use some method to deceive you!?"

Uchiha Itachi's face was as red as a baboon's backside. He felt as though he were burning up as he lowered his head and quietly said, "Uzumaki Naruto and I competed in... in... the Kunai Throwing Technique..."

"..."

The air instantly fell silent.

"..."

"Huh!?"

Uchiha Fugaku blinked and instinctively asked, "You competed in what!?"

Had his ears gone deaf?

How could he have heard something so absurd?

Uchiha Itachi: "The Kunai Throwing Technique..."

Uchiha Fugaku: "..."

Uchiha Clan members: "..."

Every Uchiha Clan member present was dumbfounded.

What the hell!??

The Kunai Throwing Technique!??

How could anyone lose at that!??

The Uchiha Clan ninja present looked at one another, each seeing the shock in the others' eyes.

"Itachi, you're joking, right!?"

The Uchiha Clan members stared at Uchiha Itachi in disbelief.

This was too absurd.

It was so absurd that absurdity opened the Gate of Opening for absurdity and absurdity came home.

Who in the entire Ninja World did not know that the Uchiha Clan was the best at the Kunai Throwing Technique!?

It could be said that

Fire Release, genjutsu, and the Kunai Throwing Technique were the three skills that represented the Uchiha Clan.

And yet...

A little brat had hung up the Uchiha Clan's pride and beaten it senseless.

This...