The corner of Uchiha Fugaku's mouth twitched.
Naturally, he believed Uchiha Itachi. Since Itachi said they had competed in Kunai Throwing Technique, then it had definitely been a fair and square Kunai Throwing Technique match.
But... they had lost 160 million Ryo...
Thinking of that number, Uchiha Fugaku had the urge to faint on the spot.
Heavens!!!
Why didn't you just lose your father instead?
It would have been better to lose your father to Uzumaki Naruto as a dad than lose 160 million Ryo.
Where the hell was he supposed to scrape together that kind of money!?
The corner of his mouth twitched again as Uchiha Fugaku asked hoarsely, "Itachi, are you sure Uzumaki Naruto didn't cheat!?"
Though he already knew the answer, Uchiha Fugaku still held onto that one-in-ten-thousand hope.
Uchiha Itachi shook his head bitterly.
It was over!!!
After a long while.
Uchiha Fugaku sighed and stood up heavily. "Since it was a fair match, our Uchiha Clan naturally cannot refuse to accept defeat."
"Let's go!"
"Sell our house and see if we can scrape together part of it."
Uchiha Itachi awkwardly raised his head and said softly, "Father, our house... I already lost it..."
"Cough, cough, cough..."
Uchiha Fugaku broke into a violent coughing fit, nearly spitting out blood.
Damn it!!!
You and Second Pillar really are fucking brothers!!!
One of you lost his own older brother.
The other was even worse and lost the family house.
Damn it!!!
Were they going back to sleep on the streets???
Uchiha Fugaku truly could not take it anymore. He glared fiercely at Uchiha Itachi and Second Pillar.
"Just how much did you two brothers lose?"
Uchiha Itachi's face flushed red as he whispered, "The things we lost include me, 160 million Ryo, our house, Uchiha Shisui's house, and our clan's Fire Release ninjutsu..."
Uchiha Fugaku: "..."
Why didn't you lose your mother too!?
At that moment.
Uchiha Fugaku inexplicably felt a little envious of his old rival, Hyuga Hiashi.
Though he had two daughters, at least they could not lose their own brother and house, right!?
While the Uchiha Clan stood dumbfounded.
A young man with a Mangekyō Sharingan, a button nose, and a Short Sword at his waist stepped out from the crowd.
"Let me do it!"
The young man's voice was calm and steady.
When Uchiha Fugaku saw the young man, his eyes lit up. He exclaimed in surprise, "Shisui, when did you get back?"
Uchiha Shisui smiled. "I just got back. The previous mission has already been resolved."
Uchiha Fugaku let out a long breath of relief.
"It's good that you're back."
If there was anyone in the Uchiha Clan whose Kunai Throwing Technique could surpass Uchiha Itachi's, it was undoubtedly Uchiha Shisui.
As the strongest ninja of the Uchiha Clan, Uchiha Shisui had gone to the battlefield at a very young age.
Now, with the Mangekyō Sharingan known as the Eye of God, his strength had reached the level of an Elite Jonin.
Having him compete with Uzumaki Naruto in Kunai Throwing Technique was somewhat overkill, but Uchiha Fugaku still felt at ease.
"Good, Shisui. Everything is up to you."
For the sake of our family of four not ending up sleeping on the streets.
You must do your best and win back the house, the 160 million Ryo, and Uchiha Itachi.
Eh!
Wait!?
Uchiha Fugaku froze.
Why had he unconsciously put Uchiha Itachi last on the list?
He glanced at the son he had once been so proud of.
Uchiha Fugaku's expression darkened somewhat.
His son could gamble away enough to kick his own father and mother out of the house. He was practically a beggar's coat full of holes.
It felt like... he really was less important than the house and money...
Uchiha Itachi felt bitter inside. He swallowed and said stiffly:
"Shisui, don't go."
"Uzumaki Naruto is truly dangerous. His Kunai Throwing Technique is more than twice as strong as mine. Even if you go, you may not win."
Uchiha Shisui laughed, patted his chest, and declared with utter confidence that he could easily defeat a mere brat.
Just watch him use Kunai Throwing Technique to make that kid die of admiration in minutes.
Hokage Office.
The Hokage's office.
Sarutobi Hiruzen flipped through documents. After a while, he rubbed his back. "I'm getting old. My back starts aching after sitting for just a little while. When I was young, I could sit all day without any problem."
With a sigh, Sarutobi Hiruzen pulled out a photograph from the cabinet.
The photograph showed a man with long black hair, a goatee, and a cigarette hanging from his mouth.
"Asuma, you should be coming back soon too, right?"
Suddenly, Sarutobi Hiruzen thought of something. He put the photograph back into the cabinet and asked with a frown:
"Uchiha Shisui should have returned from his mission today, right?"
Whoosh!
An Anbu ninja appeared before the desk, dropped to one knee, and respectfully replied, "Yes, Lord Hokage. Uchiha Shisui returned to Konoha an hour ago."
"Hmm!?"
Sarutobi Hiruzen frowned, sensing that something was not right.
"He returned to Konoha an hour ago, and now... he still hasn't come to report the mission details to me!?"
Normally, after completing a mission, a ninja had to come to the Hokage Office immediately to report.
But... Uchiha Shisui...
Sarutobi Hiruzen's brow furrowed tightly:
"Recently, the Uchiha Clan has been clamoring about a coup. Could it be... Uchiha Shisui is dissatisfied with Konoha as well?"
"Or does he also want to launch a coup against Konoha?"
"This is a little troublesome. His Mangekyō Sharingan technique, Kotoamatsukami, is known as the strongest genjutsu ability..."
"..."
The more Sarutobi Hiruzen thought about it, the more serious and nervous he became.
The Anbu ninja kneeling on the ground: "..."
The Anbu ninja's mouth twitched slightly. He coughed, struggling to suppress his laughter as he said, "Lord Hokage, I don't think that's the reason..."
Sarutobi Hiruzen paused.
The Anbu ninja pinched his thigh to keep himself from laughing. "Um... Lord Hokage... Uchiha Itachi lost Uchiha Shisui's house in a bet..."
"He has to win it back now, or he'll be sleeping on the streets tonight..."
Sarutobi Hiruzen: "..."
The corner of Sarutobi Hiruzen's mouth twitched.
He had considered ten thousand reasons why Uchiha Shisui had not come to the Hokage Office, but he had never expected... the reason to be this absurd.
His house had been gambled away...
Wait.
Who gambled it away?
Uchiha Itachi!?
Sarutobi Hiruzen fell silent. If he remembered correctly, perhaps, probably, seemingly...
Uchiha Itachi... was the genius ninja slated to join the Anbu next year. This...
Wasn't that a little hasty?
Shaking his head, Sarutobi Hiruzen casually said, "That also shows Uchiha Shisui is too arrogant."
"Even if his own house was lost, he could stay at the Uchiha clan head's house for a while."
"At the end of the day, he simply doesn't respect me."
The Anbu ninja's mouth stretched all the way to his ears. He pinched his thigh until it was black and blue, but in the end, he still could not hold it in.
"Hahaha, Lord Hokage, hahaha..."
"Lord Hokage, I'm terribly sorry, I really can't hold it in, hahaha..."
"That, that Uchiha Itachi, hahaha... he gambled away his own house too, hahaha..."
"If Uchiha Shisui doesn't win it back, they'll all have to sleep on the streets, hahaha..."
"..."
Watching the Anbu ninja laugh like a pig, Sarutobi Hiruzen's mouth nearly cramped.
Sure enough, he had been hasty.
To gamble away even his own house... was Uchiha Itachi's intelligence perhaps a little lacking?
"Let's go!"
Sarutobi Hiruzen stood up. Looking at the Anbu ninja who was nearly laughing himself unconscious, he said darkly, "Stop laughing and take me there."
"Hahaha... Yes, I'll take you there right—"
Sarutobi Hiruzen roared darkly, "Stop laughing!!!"
Before you continue