Ways to Make Money

Konoha

In an inconspicuous reception room, the air was filled with the faint scent of ink and the distinct smell of paper.

A middle-aged man wearing black-rimmed glasses and looking somewhat rigid sat upright, his fingers pinching a few pages of manuscript as he focused on reading line by line.

His brows furrowed and smoothed in turn, his expressions shifting vividly; he was clearly deeply captivated by the content of the manuscript.

Sitting across from him was none other than Orochimaru.

He held a cup of steaming tea leisurely, his posture composed, as if he were completely indifferent to the editor's reaction.

This was the fastest and relatively safest way to make money he had chosen after careful deliberation.

By utilizing the intellectual wealth of other worlds, he was "plagiarizing" literature in this one.

Considering the natural popularity of ninja-themed stories in this world, the work he selected was naturally the masterpiece Koga Ninja Scrolls by Yamada Futaro.

Of course, to adapt to the background of the Naruto world, he had made meticulous local modifications to the era settings, the ninjutsu systems, and even the characters' titles to make them fit the world's perception better.

Just like that, time flowed slowly amidst the quiet reading.

After a long while, the editor let out a long breath and carefully set down the manuscript in his hands, as if it were not ordinary paper, but a fragile treasure.

"Mr. Orochimaru... this work... is simply... a work of genius!"

"To compete for the succession of the daimyo, the two major ninja clans, Iga and Koga, each select ten top experts to engage in a life-and-death duel... this premise alone is fascinating enough!"

"What's even more brilliant is that the young leaders of the two clans are actually a pair of star-crossed lovers!"

"This kind of extreme conflict and sense of tragedy... I, I want to see the content of the next chapter right now!"

The editor's voice carried a trace of imperceptible trembling. He took off his glasses and rubbed his sore eyes, trying to calm the waves in his heart.

In his ten-plus years in the industry, this was the first time he had seen such a work; this Orochimaru-sensei was definitely a genius.

"Ahem~ shall we talk about the contract first?"

Orochimaru gave a light cough. He had conducted market research before coming here; ninja themes were all the rage, but the content of the articles was quite primitive.

And his work had already been market-tested in another world with a highly developed entertainment industry—wasn't this just a textbook case of dimensional reduction strikes?

"Yes, yes..."

"Mr. Orochimaru, our magazine is very eager to obtain the exclusive serialization rights for this work!"

"We are willing to offer... this much!"

The editor took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down, put his glasses back on, and held up five fingers.

Five thousand ryo per page was the top-tier pay in the industry.

But he firmly believed that with this Ninja Scrolls, their magazine's circulation would surely see a leap in growth; this investment was absolutely worth it.

The only thing to do now was to secure the serialization rights for this novel at any cost!

"Very well."

Orochimaru thought for a moment and nodded in agreement.

The magazine's pages were 400 characters each, and his serialization per issue would be between 8,000 and 10,000 characters, which meant about 100,000 ryo in manuscript fees.

This magazine was a weekly, meaning he could earn an extra 400,000 ryo per month, not counting the later income from selling compiled volumes.

According to his previous investigation, this pay rate should be at the top level of the industry.

The most crucial thing was that it didn't take much effort to bring in continuous income, and if it became a hit, he might even be able to sell the film adaptation rights.

Just like that, both parties quickly reached an agreement on the details and signed a formal contract.

Then, Orochimaru received an envelope containing the signing bonus, which held 20,000 ryo in banknotes.

Although this money wasn't much, it at least solved his immediate needs, allowing him to temporarily escape the plight of "eating dirt," and he could even add two extra slices of chashu to his ramen from now on.

Leaving the slightly stuffy reception room and breathing in the relatively fresh air of the street, Orochimaru felt quite good.

The money didn't really matter; the main thing was being able to bring excellent works from another world here to promote cultural exchange between the two worlds~

Just as he was preparing to head straight home to continue his cultivation, the corner of his eye caught a sneaky figure.

Tsunade?!

He saw her wearing casual clothes, but instead of her usual boisterous self, she was looking around suspiciously before quickly darting into a secluded alley.

Hm?

Orochimaru was stunned and followed out of curiosity.

He didn't greet her directly, instead following quietly behind.

With his experience from the Assassin's Creed world, Tsunade naturally couldn't detect his stealth.

He saw that after entering the alley, Tsunade looked left and right, and after confirming no one was around, she formed the hand seals for a Transformation Jutsu.

"Poof!"

A cloud of white smoke dissipated, and standing in her place was no longer the blonde girl, but a middle-aged man who looked to be about thirty or forty, with an ordinary face and a slightly bloated figure.

Transformation Jutsu?

Orochimaru paused, instantly realizing the truth. There was only one reason Tsunade would disguise herself as a middle-aged man: she was entering a place where her actual age and appearance would be inconvenient.

Considering this young lady's hobbies, it was self-evident where she was headed.

Sure enough...

Watching the transformed Tsunade walk into the casino, Orochimaru couldn't help but chuckle.

His two teammates—one peeping into the women's bathhouse, the other heading into a casino.

It seemed their interests had been cultivated since childhood...

However, since he had run into her, he might as well go and watch the show.

He also performed the Transformation Jutsu, shifting into a cold-faced, composed white-haired youth, before strolling unhurriedly into the casino hidden deep within the alley.

Inside, the casino was thick with smoke and deafening noise. The air was a mixture of sweat, cheap tobacco, and alcohol, forming a stark contrast to the desolate scene on the street outside.

Various shouts, the clatter of dice, and the sound of mahjong tiles hitting the table rose and fell, composing the casino's unique, clamorous symphony.

Orochimaru scanned the room with sharp eyes and quickly found his target beside a poker table.

The middle-aged man transformed from Tsunade was sitting there, fine beads of sweat on his forehead, his expression agitated. He stared intensely at the cards in his hand, muttering to himself.

Opposite her sat a middle-aged man with a handlebar mustache and shrewd eyes. A faint, imperceptible smile played on his lips as his fingers danced nimbly over the deck; his movements appeared casual, yet they betrayed a seasoned hand.

Orochimaru stood on the periphery of the crowd, observing quietly.

After a few rounds, he saw it clearly.

Tsunade's luck was abysmal; every hand she drew was a combination of "trash cards" with no chance of winning.

As for the man with the handlebar mustache, although his technique was extremely subtle and dazzlingly fast, Orochimaru's enhanced dynamic vision and analytical capabilities allowed him to detect a hint of discord.

This guy was cheating...

"Bang! You're cheating! My luck couldn't possibly be this bad!"

Tsunade slammed her losing hand onto the table and pointed at the man with the handlebar mustache, shouting angrily.

It wasn't about the money, but losing continuously was a different matter!

"My friend, you shouldn't speak so recklessly.

My casino relies on its reputation. If you slander me for cheating without evidence and word gets out, my business will be ruined."

Hearing this, the man with the handlebar mustache kept his smile and spread his hands in a leisurely manner.

"How about this? If you don't trust me and think my technique is suspicious, you can find anyone nearby to deal the cards. I have no objections."

Seeing Tsunade didn't respond, the man with the handlebar mustache paused, wearing an expression of "I'm doing this for your own good."

Tsunade frowned deeply.

She truly couldn't find evidence of him cheating, but she simply refused to believe her luck could be this rotten.

Glancing around, the table was surrounded by onlookers. Too lazy to be picky, she pointed randomly at a middle-aged man standing nearby who looked relatively honest:

"You! You deal the cards!"

"Sure, no problem."

Seeing the person Tsunade had chosen, a flicker of imperceptible amusement crossed the eyes of the man with the handlebar mustache, and he nodded readily.

On the surface, he was agreeable, but inwardly he was sneering. This idiot had fallen for it, just as expected.

This "legendary big fat sheep" lived up to her reputation—stupid, rich, and obsessed with saving face.

To hook this big fish today, he had made arrangements long ago. More than half the people in this casino were his shills; whoever she pointed at would be one of his own.

The "honest man" Tsunade had picked stepped forward and began to shuffle and deal.

The result was without suspense: Tsunade continued to lose repeatedly. The pile of chips belonging to her on the table grew smaller and smaller, and her face grew increasingly ugly.

Orochimaru shook his head as he watched from the side.

He had worked hard writing novels and spent ages just to earn a twenty-thousand-ryo signing bonus, yet this spendthrift woman had lost at least three hundred thousand ryo in just this short amount of time!

Was it really that easy to lose money?

"That's not how you play."

Seeing Tsunade about to slam the table and lose her temper again, Orochimaru finally couldn't watch anymore. He parted the crowd, stepped forward, pressed down on Tsunade's hand before she could strike, and said indifferently.

"Who are you? Is it any of your business?"

Tsunade was already fuming, and being interrupted made her tone naturally sharp.

She snapped her head up to look at this white-haired youth who had suddenly appeared.

"Akagi Shigeru~"

Orochimaru replied, his originally pitch-black pupils instantly transforming into vertical golden snake eyes.

These eyes... are... Orochimaru?!

Oh no, my teammate found out I was losing money...

Tsunade's body stiffened, her pupils shrinking abruptly.

The anger on her face transformed into astonishment and a trace of imperceptible embarrassment.

"Are we still playing or not? If not, let's call it a day."

Seeing this, the man with the handlebar mustache urged them impatiently; he didn't want any complications.

Tsunade hesitated for a moment, glancing at Orochimaru and then at the few chips remaining on the table.

"Let me take over from here.

As it happens, I'll also teach you how to play."

Orochimaru let go of his hand, his tone calm as he spoke.

"You?"

Hearing Orochimaru say this, Tsunade raised an eyebrow. Although she recognized him, she still felt unconvinced in her heart.

This guy was a total bore back at the academy; she had never seen him interested in anything other than training.

He actually knew how to gamble?

However, having lost so much, she wasn't willing to just slink away in defeat.

Thinking of this, Tsunade gritted her teeth and stepped aside to give up her seat.

"Brother Akagi, what would you like to play?"

The man with the handlebar mustache asked with some wariness; this young man who had suddenly appeared gave him a very uncomfortable feeling.

"Hmm, I'm not very good at poker, but... Mahjong is alright."

Orochimaru pulled out the chair and sat down, his gaze meeting the other man's calmly.

"Oh? Isn't that a coincidence~

I'm quite good at Mahjong myself."

Hearing this, the man with the handlebar mustache relaxed his tense nerves slightly, and a smile reappeared on his face:

"That's perfect, how about a round? My partner is this fellow here.

You can find one too.

The points will only be calculated between the two of us."

Orochimaru nodded, a faint, imperceptible curve touching the corner of his mouth as he pointed to the middle-aged man Tsunade had transformed into.

"No problem!"

The man with the handlebar mustache agreed immediately; in his view, switching to Mahjong was even better.

After all, there were more variables and room for manipulation at a Mahjong table.

He immediately beckoned one of his most capable subordinates over to fill the fourth seat.

Soon, a Mahjong table was brought over, and the four of them took their seats.

The game began.

For the first few rounds, the momentum tilted entirely in Orochimaru's favor.

His movements in drawing and discarding tiles were fluid and natural, appearing casual, yet his points accumulated like a snowball, quickly putting him far in the lead.

Fine beads of cold sweat had already begun to break out on the forehead of the man with the handlebar mustache sitting opposite him.

This young man calling himself "Akagi Shigeru" was practically a monster!

He felt as if his hand was transparent before the other man; no matter what kind of hand he tried to build, the other party could always make targeted preparations a step ahead, precisely catching his discards.

Several times he suspected the other man could see through his cards, forcing him to play only safe tiles that had already been discarded, leaving him feeling restricted and incredibly stifled.

Tsunade, watching from the side, had eyes wide with amazement.

She never expected that the usually reserved Orochimaru would be so... ferocious at the gaming table!

It was as if a demon god had possessed him! Was this really the Orochimaru she knew?

Orochimaru himself remained composed, his expression as still as an ancient well.

Of course, he wasn't relying on luck or some "card sense."

He was relying on cheating; before entering the table, he had used a Shadow Clone to transform into a passerby and blend into the crowd.

Then, he used chakra threads to transmit information to himself...

Seeing that he was no match for his opponent using conventional means, the man with the handlebar mustache's eyes turned ruthless; he knew he couldn't wait any longer.

During the shuffling process, his fingers moved like phantoms, and several key tiles were swapped out without a sound.

In this round, he finally seized the opportunity to draw a high-scoring hand himself, clawing back some points.

"Heh, you cheated, didn't you?"

Orochimaru looked at the tiles the other man revealed, pushing his own tiles over to shuffle them as if nothing had happened, speaking in a casual tone.

"Friend, you can eat whatever you want, but you can't just say whatever you want."

You say I cheated, where is the evidence?

In a casino, if you aren't caught in the act, it isn't cheating; that is the rule.

The man with the handlebar mustache paused for a moment, then smiled as if nothing had happened.

"Evidence? Fair point."

Orochimaru nodded and picked up the dice.

Just as he threw the dice and the new round was about to begin—

"Zzzzt..."

Several electric lights on the casino ceiling suddenly flickered, emitting a harsh buzzing sound before plunging the room into darkness!

The entire casino fell into a brief moment of chaos and shadow.

"What's going on? A power outage?"

"What the hell is this!"

Amidst the clamor, the lights quickly flickered back on.

Before the crowd had fully adjusted to the returning light, Orochimaru had already slammed his wall of tiles over!

"Ron."

His cold voice rang out, and the faces of the tiles were reflected in the astonished eyes of everyone present.

Flush, All Honors, Four Concealed Triplets, single-wait... no, this wasn't a normal hand!

"A Heavenly Hand?! Nine... Nine Gates?!"

A gambler who knew his stuff gasped, his voice cracking in disbelief.

A pure Nine Gates! And a Heavenly Hand at that! A hand that only existed in legends had actually appeared!

The entire casino went silent instantly, all eyes fixed on the tiles glowing with an eerie light in front of Orochimaru, as if they were witnessing a miracle.

"Cheating! You definitely cheated!

You must have swapped the tiles when the power went out!

Otherwise, a Heavenly Hand Nine Gates would be impossible!!"

The man with the handlebar mustache turned pale, stood up abruptly, and pointed at Orochimaru while shouting.

This wasn't just swapping tiles; he might as well have swallowed the entire table!

"Where is the evidence?"

Orochimaru countered, returning the exact words the man had used earlier.

"You..."

The man with the handlebar mustache was choked into silence, his face turning from white to green, then from green to purple, as if he were performing a mask-changing act.

Of course, he couldn't produce evidence; the moment the lights went out was too brief, and the chaos too great—who knew what had actually happened?

In the end, under the awestruck and amazed gazes of the surrounding gamblers, the man could only watch helplessly as Orochimaru swept up the mountain of chips piled on the table.

Stepping out of the casino, they arrived in a quiet alleyway.

"Thud!"

"Here, take back your stake, we'll split the rest."

Orochimaru dispelled his Transformation Technique, returning to his original appearance.

He then handed the bag full of money to Tsunade, preparing to divide the spoils.

"No need, no need! Keep it all! But...

You have to teach me how to play! That Heavenly Hand Nine Gates move from earlier was so cool!!"

Tsunade waved her hands, leaned in close to Orochimaru, and looked at him with sparkling eyes, speaking with great excitement.

"Hiss..."

Hearing this, Orochimaru couldn't help but gasp.

Including the initial stake, there was over 600,000 ryo here, and this woman was giving it all to him without even blinking?

As expected of the granddaughter of the First Hokage, the legendary Big Fat Sheep... she was simply inhumanly wealthy...

Still, this way of making money really is fast...

And so, from that day on, a legend began to circulate through the casinos across the ninja world about the "Ghost God Akagi Shigeru."