Place Your Bets

A few days later, unfamiliar faces wearing various Forehead Protector began to appear in Konoha. This time, people were less curious and knew that they were contestants who had come from other villages.

Some people were also secretly peeking, perhaps gathering information on the many contestants.

Outside the city center, near a corner of the village, a large crowd had gathered in front of an ordinary little shop.

In just a few words, passersby could tell they were discussing the Joint Chunin Exams.

"Do you have any candidates in mind? Even though it's not a lot of money, I still want to make a small profit."

"That's perfect! My intelligence network covers all the surrounding countries, and I have all the information on the participants in this competition in my mind!" a middle-aged man said smugly, instantly drawing everyone's attention.

"Really? Please tell us about it!"

"Yes, hurry up..."

"Ahem, ahem!" The middle-aged man interrupted their urging, speaking slowly and deliberately, "Let's start with our Konoha. The strongest one is definitely Mitarashi Anko, who is 13 years old. She is a disciple of Sannin, one of the Orochimaru, and a fellow student of Purple Aurora. She is definitely a strong contender for first place."

"It's actually a fellow disciple of Lord Purple Aurora! Looks like we've got this in the bag!" a young man exclaimed excitedly. "My uncle didn't bet on it back then because he was too young, and he still regrets it to this day."

The onlookers quickly calculated that Takeda Shuichi had won first place with overwhelming force, wouldn't Anko, who was much older and from the same lineage, have an even easier time?

Hidden among the crowd, Shuichi rejoiced, never expecting that his past achievements would mislead them.

It's no wonder, as ordinary people simply don't understand the significance of the Chunin Ninja Exams. Ninja battles aren't just simple PK ranking matches; they're more about showcasing one's full abilities.

But these people are pretty stupid. Wouldn't it be nice to harvest a wave of leeks in secret? If you don't take the free money, you won't get it.

"Besides Anko, there's also Akizuki from Sunagakure and Kiyoshi from Amegakure, both highly skilled Genin..."

"Here they come!" A voice suddenly rushed out from the street corner, interrupting the discussion. "The list is out, everyone come and see!"

When the white paper was posted on the shop's small window, everyone immediately gathered around. The Second Chunin Exams had ended, and the paper showed that a total of 8 Genin had advanced to the third round.

"Brother, you're amazing! Anko, Akizuki, and Kiyoshi are all up there." A villager exclaimed excitedly, but then quickly noticed something unexpected. "Uchiha Shisui? That's the Uchiha Clan! Why didn't you mention him earlier?"

"Well..." The middle-aged man quickly recalled the relevant information, "Because he's too young, not even 11 years old yet. I didn't expect him to make it to the third round. Maybe it was just luck."

Seeing that some people were unconvinced, he immediately explained, "Don't be too superstitious about the name of the Ninja Clan. Back then, the Uchiha participated, and they still lost to the Sunagakure. Besides, Mitarashi Anko is here this time, so he probably won't get first place."

As they were talking, a manager came out of the store, cleared the crowd, and added the odds for each contestant to win first place to a piece of paper.

Unsurprisingly, the odds for the favored Anko were pitifully low. Everyone scoffed; it seemed they wouldn't make any money this time.

Even so, most people still bet on her to win, with bets ranging from several thousand to ten thousand taels.

Shuichi remained silent until just before the betting closed, then made his move. "100,000 taels, bet on Uchiha Shisui to win first place."

Unfortunately, while the Konoha High Command didn't prohibit betting platforms, they did set a maximum transaction limit based on the assets of each participating shop, in order to prevent the scheme from collapsing due to excessively large sums.

If they unfortunately go bankrupt, bringing in new shops from outside will require a long period of review and monitoring, which would be a waste of the village's human resources.

Therefore, Shuichi could only send out numerous Shadow Clones to all betting odds to bet on Shisui's victory. With odds of nearly 3 times, the total profit would be a considerable sum.

As for who dares not to pay after the results are out, then they'll have to taste the iron fist of the City Patrol Unit.

Hearing that this person had bet 100,000 taels on Shisui drew the attention of the surrounding crowd, but after receiving the receipt, he disappeared in a flash.

Upon reflection, however, it became clear that the person in question was too minor to even remember.

Nearly a month has passed quickly. This time of year is always Shuichi, because he can once again allocate skill points through the system and personally experience the fun of cheating.

Passive Skill (Recovery and Growth): For every year the host grows, the recovery rate of Body Energy and Mental Energy increases by 3%, and all other basic attributes increase by 3% [currently increased by 45%].

Second Skill (Spirit Boost): For every point the host adds, Mental Energy (including Yin Release) increases by 100% [currently increased to 400%].

A few days ago, on the main road outside Konoha, a group of dozens of people were walking slowly forward.

In the middle of the procession was a large palanquin carried by eight people. At this moment, the window was half-open, and the Daimyo of the Land of Fire was chatting with someone inside.

"I'm so sorry to have troubled you to make such a small trip for me, Shuichi-kun!"

"Not at all, I owe my house to Daimyo's support, which made its construction possible." Shuichi said politely from the side, still remembering the angry but silent faces of the Guardian Ninja.

"It's better to be cautious in these extraordinary times. I'm just afraid that terrorists skilled in teleportation might suddenly attack you. Only with me here can we ensure your safety."

Upon seeing the Purple Aurora coming to pick him up, Shiji Shinden naturally voted with his feet, abandoning the Twelve Guardian Ninja and setting off lightly. In a sense, Shuichi's actions were tantamount to ruining someone's livelihood.

"Sigh, that's true, the existence of that culprit is truly unsettling!" Shiji Shinden sighed, then his expression softened considerably. "However, this Chunin Ninja Exams will once again be an opportunity for the Land of Fire to showcase its strength."

"I heard that your junior sister Anko is one of the many Genin, so I've bet a lot of money on her. This is a good opportunity to make a fortune."

Shuichi almost choked upon hearing this, "This... Daimyo, to be honest, I don't think she has a good chance of making it to the end. If possible, you should try to find a way to salvage the situation as soon as possible."

"What? Could it be that other countries can send even more powerful experts?" Shiji Shinden was a little annoyed. Even the professionals were saying this. It seemed he was going to lose some pocket money. Being a perfectionist, he didn't want to support foreigners.

"No, that's not it. A genius junior has emerged in the village, whose strength is definitely stronger than everyone else's. It's Shisui from the Uchiha Clan," Shuichi explained. "He's just been keeping a low profile since graduation, and the Lord Hokage intends to protect him as he grows. This time, barring any unforeseen circumstances, he should be able to easily make it to the end."

"Oh, what great news!" Daimyo beamed. "This makes things much easier. Luckily, I arrived a few days early, and I still had time to send someone to deposit the money with Shisui. Now I'll have to see how that little guy performs."

For several days in a row, more and more high-ranking officials from various countries gathered in Konoha. When all the guests had arrived, the highly anticipated Chunin Ninja Exams began in the main hall.

When the village was deserted, as the temporary garrison captain, Shuichi could not leave his post for too long.

However, keeping an eye on the battle is still fine. The Ink Bird conjured by the Super Beast Imitation Drawing has been circling above the venue. The recording quality isn't great, but it's better than nothing...

In the center of the venue, Kakashi didn't put on a deadpan expression in front of everyone. Instead, he seriously arranged the match, after all, it concerned Konoha's image.

"Round 1 of the second round: Uchiha Shisui versus Gekko Hayate. Please be prepared!"