Betting and Reaping!

Money!

For the research path, money was not everything—but without money, nothing could be done.

Just looking at the changes after graduation was enough to show how important money was.

In the more than two years before, Tang Ping's achievements had not even amounted to one-tenth of what he had accomplished in the past few months.

The most important reason his strength had skyrocketed was "pay-to-win."

Even the summoning scroll for the Shuzaki Lizard had only been obtained because he paid Kakuzu to act.

Without money, he could forget about getting a summoning scroll.

So, he planned to make a fortune through these Joint Chunin Exams.

Given how much of an unknown he was, the odds for him against Sunagakure's "Sealing Technique genius" would definitely be high. At the very least, he could double his stake.

And Uchiha Mei's stake?

Through "fundraising" from the Main Branch and several Uchiha clansmen, it had reached a little over one hundred million ryo. She had practically wagered her own reputation.

That was why it could be called going all in.

If she failed to repay it, it would be Social Death, and she would bear a disgrace that could never be washed away.

"Those taijutsu techniques of yours... are they Uchiha secret arts?"

Seeing Tang Ping sit down beside him to rest, Kakashi could not hold back his curiosity.

It could not be helped. The taijutsu Tang Ping had developed was entirely based on moves from fighting games.

They were not only powerful, but ridiculously stylish. Who would not be curious?

"No. I developed them from some materials."

Tang Ping did not dare claim they were "Uchiha secret transmission" taijutsu.

If he said that, the Uchiha would truly dare to take them back.

Just like certain special ninjutsu, learning them required not only talent, but also qualification.

For example, the Chidori Kakashi would develop in the future: without his approval, no one else could learn it. Even if they did learn it, they could not use it. It was essentially a kind of "patent."

Such restrictions also ensured that the secret arts of major clans did not leak out, making them an ironclad rule.

Of course, that only applied to ninja from the same village.

For ninja from other villages, those restrictions did not exist. However, secret-art clans would use every possible means to reclaim their techniques.

That was why Tang Ping said he had "developed" them instead of admitting they were Uchiha secret arts.

"You developed them yourse—"

Kakashi had just been about to refute him when he suddenly remembered that Tang Ping really did seem remarkably capable when it came to development.

Flame Garment!

Tang Ping had developed that ninjutsu right in front of him in less than a month.

Although most of the work had been handled by his teacher, Minato Namikaze, ideas and creativity were the key to developing techniques. So, it was not impossible for Tang Ping to have developed such a powerful and flashy Nintaijutsu.

Nintaijutsu!

It referred to special ninjutsu formed by combining ninjutsu and taijutsu. The most famous example was the Raikage line's Lightning Release Chakra Mode.

Low consumption, tremendous power!

Other than being difficult to develop and hard to learn, it had almost no flaws. That was why Kakashi was so curious.

"It'll be your turn soon. Be careful!"

Tang Ping changed the subject.

Although the two of them occupied a corner, there were still outsiders nearby. It truly was not suitable to discuss such things.

"Mm!"

Kakashi rose to his feet.

With Minato Namikaze, that Little Sun, and Kushina, his energetic teacher's wife, around him, he had recovered somewhat from being an emotionless machine. That was why he responded.

Before this, he would not have reacted at all.

The battle ended quickly!

In just one exchange, Kakashi defeated his opponent.

The gap in strength was simply too great.

The difference between an ordinary ninja and a genius was greater than the difference between a human and a dog.

Just look at Gang Tu and Baki.

They had all ended their fights in a single exchange. There was no need to drag things into a second round.

The reason they did not hold back was because of the competition rules.

All matches had to be completed within a single day!

In other words, the contestants were given no chance to recover their Chakra or their injuries.

If they expended too much, the later matches would become difficult to fight.

After refining Chakra once, they would be unable to refine it again for at least several days. Soldier Pills also squeezed the cells dry, so they had to go all out in order to conserve stamina and Chakra.

One bloody, thrilling match after another left the spectators immensely excited.

In the end, only eight contestants remained who could enter the second round.

It was not a counting error.

Rather, four contestants had suffered severe injuries, while their Chakra and stamina had been completely exhausted. Naturally, they could not participate in the next round.

Next came the drawing of lots.

Eight into four!

Win, and they would enter the semifinals.

At this point, clashes between strong opponents were extremely likely.

But just as Tang Ping had privately complained, the draw was rigged!

With the bizarre abilities possessed by ninjas, cheating was far too easy. As long as the Three Great Ninja Villages did not pursue the matter, no one would be able to tell.

The signature fighters of the Three Great Ninja Villages still did not face one another, while Tang Ping himself had drawn an unlucky match.

He was up against Baki!

It looked as though the higher-ups had made a deal. At the same time, Yura, Baki's teammate, had been matched against Kakashi.

The aces of the two squads had avoided each other, while their teammates took the bullet and escorted the aces forward.

They had completely abandoned all shame!

However, amid his annoyance, Tang Ping thought of something important.

The odds!

Considering the difference in strength between himself and Baki, the odds offered had to be pretty good.

And indeed.

The odds were exciting.

1.2:2.5 odds.

In other words, betting on Baki would turn 100 Ryo into 120 Ryo including the stake, while betting on Tang Ping would yield 250 Ryo.

The nobles and wealthy merchants acting as bookmakers were no fools.

They had already gathered information on Tang Ping. Although they had been misled by rumors and intelligence, after learning their lesson, they naturally adjusted their odds immediately.

Thus, although everyone else viewed this as a match Baki was certain to win, the odds were only this high rather than several times higher.

The betting booths at the arena entrance were extremely lively right now.

During the gaps between matches, large numbers of spectators rushed over to place bets.

"50 Million Ryo on Sunagakure's Baki to win!"

A blonde girl with twin ponytails slammed a chest of money heavily onto the counter, leaving the staff member utterly stunned.

They had seen enormous bets before, but never one placed by such a young girl.

"Y-you... are you sure you want to bet it all?"

After checking the money in the chest, the staff member asked again.

The banknotes were denominated at ten thousand Ryo each, so the chest truly contained 50 Million Ryo. More importantly, the bet had to be made of her own free will, not on some impulsive whim.

As for worrying that she might cause trouble after losing?

There was really no need to fear that!

Anyone capable of running a betting operation in a place like this was certainly not afraid of offending people.

Even the Five Great Ninja Villages would be dealt with without hesitation, provided the bookmakers had reason on their side.

"Yes, all of it. How could I miss out on money this easy to pick up?"

The blonde girl looked thrilled.

Yes, in her eyes, this was practically free money.

But just as the staff member finished counting the money and was about to issue the betting slip, an abrupt voice rang out.

"Two hundred million Ryo on Konoha's Uchiha Tang Ping to win!"

The speaker was completely concealed beneath a cloak and also wore a conical hat, clearly trying to hide their identity.

Two chests were placed on the betting counter.

"Alright!"

Having just issued the previous betting slip, the staff member was far more decisive this time, without the slightest hesitation.

After all, many big bettors dressed like this. There was nothing strange about it.

As for the compensation?

It might have been an astronomical sum for an individual, but for great nobles and wealthy merchants, it was no problem at all.

"Aren't you just throwing money away?"

After receiving the betting slip, the blonde twin-tailed girl kindly offered a reminder.

But the figure beneath the cloak showed no reaction whatsoever, merely picking up the betting slip and leaving calmly.

"Tch, you wouldn't even listen to a kind warning. Once you lose, you'll know what regret feels like!"

The blonde twin-tailed girl hurried after them into the arena.

At that moment, the final match of the second round began.

It was also the match with the least suspense.