Betting Against Tsunade, a Villa by the Sea

"Orochimaru is a good man to have around. When trouble comes, he really steps up."

Natsume felt a little regretful.

He had not been able to witness Orochimaru's battle against Shisui Uchiha in person.

It must have been an incredible fight.

In the original story, Orochimaru suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of Itachi Uchiha's Mangekyō Sharingan, and developed a keen interest in it afterward.

Unfortunately, he could not defeat Itachi Uchiha, so he turned his attention to Sasuke Uchiha instead.

But now that he had been thoroughly beaten ahead of schedule, there was a very high chance Orochimaru would set his sights on the still-young Itachi Uchiha.

As for why Shisui Uchiha had also contributed Destiny Points...

Natsume thought about it and found it reasonable.

Like Itachi Uchiha, Shisui Uchiha possessed thoughts that transcended his clan and had accepted the Will of Fire.

He was simply more naive and had stronger principles.

When the Uchiha Clan was preparing to rebel, he did not attack them. Instead, he sought help from Hiruzen Sarutobi and Shimura Danzō, even going so far as to reveal the abilities of his Mangekyō Sharingan.

The result was easy to imagine.

Shimura Danzō ultimately set his sights on him. To prevent his eyes from sparking conflict, he committed suicide in despair.

His death also delayed the Uchiha Clan's rebellion by two years.

Afterward, Itachi Uchiha, who had awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan, joined forces with the mysterious masked man who had orchestrated the Nine-Tails Attack—Obito Uchiha—and sent everyone in the clan except Sasuke Uchiha to hell.

The Shisui Uchiha of the present had long since become a staunch supporter of the Will of Fire.

And Orochimaru, Hiruzen Sarutobi's disciple and one of the legendary Sannin, was seen by outsiders as a representative of the Will of Fire.

Yet now he had been attacked by him.

Shisui Uchiha was probably questioning his entire life at this moment. Unbeknownst to him, fate had undergone some slight changes.

Nineteen points.

How should he put it?

It was not much. It seemed Shisui Uchiha's fate would remain largely unchanged.

Orochimaru had contributed fifty-eight Destiny Points, which meant that only half of his fate had changed. It had not been completely altered.

That was normal.

Orochimaru was not like Kimimaro or Kabuto Yakushi. He was a capable man with a mind of his own.

Completely changing him was easier said than done.

"Natsume, I don't know how to solve this problem. Can you teach me?"

A little loli's face flushed slightly as she asked in a bashful voice.

Natsume glanced at it and said, "I don't know either. Ask Itachi Uchiha."

The little loli wore a stunned expression. She had deliberately chosen an easy problem. How could he not know it?

She froze for two seconds, then looked at Natsume's handsome little face and said, "N-no... don't trouble him. I'll ask someone else."

Because of his personality, Itachi Uchiha was somewhat isolated. Besides, he was a member of the legendary Uchiha Clan, so the little loli naturally did not dare approach him.

Natsume knew her real goal was to strike up a conversation.

She's too young!

In every sense of the word.

Unlike Tsunade, who was well-endowed everywhere.

Anyone would know which one to choose.

Natsume had no need to hesitate.

After that brief interlude, he spent the rest of his school day peacefully.

The difference was that after school, Shisui Uchiha did not come to pick up Itachi Uchiha. Mikoto Uchiha came instead.

This lady was quite beautiful.

Natsume waited for a while, then once again witnessed Tsunade being pursued by creditors.

This time, it was an old man.

He raised an eyebrow. It seemed he would have to put his plan into action ahead of time.

A few minutes later, the old man removed his disguise, revealing Tsunade, and came before him.

"Did anything interesting happen today?"

Tsunade pinched his little cheek, then moved downward and took his hand.

"No."

Natsume shook his head and asked, "Sis, did you go gambling again today?"

"I just played a few rounds for fun."

Tsunade did not hide it. After spending so much time together, there was no way she could keep it from him.

"How's your gambling skill, Sis?" Natsume asked again.

"Uh..."

Tsunade hesitated for two seconds before giving a high-EQ answer. "I'm just a little unlucky."

Is that really bad luck? You simply have no luck at all. You lose every time you gamble.

Natsume did not expose her and asked, "Can you take me with you next time?"

Tsunade immediately frowned and said, "You're too young. Don't become addicted to gambling. We'll talk about it when you're older."

She spoke with great sincerity.

If Natsume had not known that she had learned gambling from Hashirama Senju since childhood, he might actually have believed that nonsense.

"I'm not gambling. I'm making money."

Natsume explained, "Since you lose more than you win, if you take me with you and I bet against you every time, I'll be able to win it all back."

Tsunade froze for a moment, and soon her eyes began to sparkle with the light of money.

What a great idea!

How did I never think of that?

She crouched down, excitedly kissed Natsume on the cheek, and said, "A reward for being clever."

"It's all saliva." Natsume pretended to complain.

Tsunade immediately laughed. As if this had awakened her rebellious spirit, she licked him even more excessively.

Natsume instantly felt wet all over.

Damn it!

Just you wait. In a few years, I'll get my revenge for all of this.

"Tomorrow is Saturday. I'll take you to Tanzaku Street, not far from Konoha."

Tsunade was already imagining the scene. "When the two of us join forces, we'll sweep through everyone."

Of course, Natsume's suggestion was only useful because it was his.

If it had been anyone else, Tsunade would have punched them outright: How dare you question my gambling skills?

While Natsume happily enjoyed his sister's affection, Orochimaru had only one feeling.

Pain! It hurt too much!

And this pain did not come from his body, but from his spirit. It was extremely difficult to ease.

That morning, Orochimaru had found Shisui Uchiha. Seeing that he was only a little over ten years old, Orochimaru had immediately ignored Natsume's warning.

Just like Jack from One Piece, he had gone straight in with, "Do you know who I am? Steer the ship over here!"

At first, Orochimaru had taken the upper hand through his wealth of experience.

Then Shisui Uchiha activated his Mangekyō Sharingan and unleashed Susanoo along with various genjutsu.

Orochimaru could no longer hold out.

He was forced to reveal his identity.

After recognizing him, Shisui Uchiha stood rooted to the spot.

Those few seconds were enough for Orochimaru to escape.

After returning home, he realized that everything Natsume had said was true.

Based on his firsthand experience, the Mangekyō Sharingan was indeed powerful.

Especially considering how young Shisui Uchiha was now. In a few years, would he not become practically invincible?

"I must obtain those eyes!"

Orochimaru licked his lips, only for blood to spill out. He immediately began coughing.

Not far away.

Ryoma Aburame's eyes widened in shock.

Orochimaru had actually been injured?

Who else in Konoha could possess such ability?

Ryoma Aburame thought about it, then turned and headed toward Root. He needed to report to Shimura Danzō.

Orochimaru glanced over.

He had noticed him long ago. He simply had not exposed him.

Now, his thoughts were focused on the Mangekyō Sharingan, so he planned to come clean with Shimura Danzō and settle everything swiftly.

Root.

"You're saying he was injured?"

Shimura Danzō subconsciously tightened his grip on his cane, a thoughtful expression appearing on his face.

This was simply inconceivable.

Even he was not confident he could injure Orochimaru without revealing his Wood Style.

"What about Kano's whereabouts?"

"We couldn't find him."

Ryoma Aburame explained, "I was worried about alarming Orochimaru, so I didn't search the more concealed areas."

"In that case, let's go pay him a visit."

Shimura Danzō rose to his feet and smiled. "Our ally has been injured. We should at least show some concern."