Betting You Won't Get Crushed by an Alien

Hyuga Hane gathered his thoughts and tossed out a scroll. Seven unconscious Kirigakure ninja appeared from within it and landed on the ground.

They were the Kirigakure ninja who had helped the Seven Ninja Swordsmen earlier, intended to serve as smoke bombs.

"Using Nine-Tails Chakra to strengthen you would be a bit of a waste."

He took out another scroll and formed Hand Seals with one hand, watching the sinister, blood-red Chakra seep into the bodies of the seven Mist ninja.

"Ahhh!"

Waking to excruciating pain, the seven let out uncontrollable screams.

Hane stopped when half of the Nine-Tails Chakra was gone.

The Second Hokage's Impure World Reincarnation could preserve only a small portion of a ninja's power, and the stronger the ninja, the less power remained. The most obvious way to improve the technique was to strengthen the sacrifices and make them more compatible with the Reanimated Ninja.

The Nine-Tails Chakra Kushina had given him was indeed plentiful, but he had other uses for what remained. Strengthening the sacrifices to this degree would be enough.

Looking at the bloodshot eyes of the Mist ninja, now devoid of reason, and the vicious glares they turned on him, Hane proceeded to the next step.

Blood bearing personal information fell onto the heads of the seven. Hane formed Hand Seals.

"Summoning Technique: Impure World Reincarnation!"

As paper scraps fluttered, the seven familiar faces he had seen not long ago stood in a neat row. Hyuga Hane said softly,

"You'll serve me from now on, Seven Ninja Swordsmen."

"Awake?"

Ranmaru had only just opened his eyes when he heard a familiar voice.

"Mr. Raiga?"

Raiga Kurosuki's eyes, with their pitch-black whites, held a complicated expression, but he still managed a faint smile for Ranmaru.

To him, Ranmaru... wasn't merely a pair of eyes or a tool.

"Where are we? I remember that the Hyuga ninja knocked me out."

Ranmaru braced himself against the wall and tried to stand, but his body wouldn't cooperate. Seeing this, Raiga gently helped him up.

"This is his underground base. I'm already dead."

The hand on his shoulder felt ice-cold. And with Raiga's eyes completely black where the whites should have been, Ranmaru didn't cry out in disbelief. He only asked,

"Why did he keep me...?"

"He promised that if you help with his experiments, he'll spare your life."

"Then Raiga can stay with me too, right?"

Raiga's lips moved, but no words came. He only nodded.

"I understand. I'll cooperate," Ranmaru said calmly. "As long as I can be with you, I don't mind."

"Ranmaru... I'm sorry..."

"Looks like you're done catching up. Let's start the experiments."

Hyuga Hane emerged from the shadows. Ignoring the complicated, resentful look on Raiga's face, he turned to Ranmaru. "First, tell me what your Red Eye can do."

"Okay."

Ranmaru patted Raiga reassuringly, then said quietly, "My Red Eye can see through things, create illusions, and perform Life Resuscitation..."

"It's a little different from what I expected."

In the laboratory, Hyuga Hane studied the Red Eye data with keen interest.

To prevent him from conducting any unsavory research, Raiga Kurosuki had shared a bit of information with him.

The village where Ranmaru lived had once been home to the Kaguya Clan. That was related to why Raiga had encountered Ranmaru during a mission.

"The Red Eye, which resembles the Byakugan, belongs to a descendant of Kaguya. Would that count as some kind of mutation, or is it a case of atavism?"

Either way, the Red Eye's bloodline limit was certainly connected to the Byakugan.

"And Life Resuscitation, too? It's another ocular technique capable of dealing with the Caged Bird. What a pity that, from here on, I'll have to leave the research to my Shadow Clone and the Reanimated Ninja."

In one day, he would be heading to the battlefield with the Fourth Hokage. He had no time to deal with this.

With that in mind, Hyuga Hane put the documents down and headed for a tavern on Konoha's streets.

Before he left, he needed to meet with a few people.

Still, using gambling to test the future... There were so many strange things in the Shinobi World.

Watching Tsunade and a Hyuga Clan member guessing whether the dice total was high or low, Hyuga Hane shook his head helplessly.

Was this the tenth person he knew of?

And it was an old acquaintance, Hyuga Miyuki.

Hyuga Hane watched for a while, then started toward the tavern. But as soon as the owner by the counter saw him come in, he smiled kindly and pointed to the sign by the door.

No minors allowed!

Hyuga Hane calmly replied, "I'm here on official business. It's an order from Lord Hokage."

The tavern owner scratched his head and sighed. "Go on in, but don't drink."

He clearly didn't entirely believe Hyuga Hane.

But Hyuga Hane had expected to be treated this way. It happened every time.

This place was strict about keeping minors out. There was probably a story behind it...

He walked over to where Tsunade and the others were sitting. Hyuga Miyuki, who looked a little bored, spotted him.

She immediately sprang to her feet, as if she'd been set free. "Hane, are you here to see Lady Tsunade?"

This tavern was special. If Tsunade hadn't brought her in and promised she wouldn't drink, she wouldn't have been allowed inside.

Hane was the same age as her. He wouldn't usually come here without a reason, let alone seek out their table.

When Hane nodded, Miyuki turned to Tsunade and said apologetically, "Lady Tsunade, I'm sorry. I'll keep you company next time, but I'll take my leave for today."

Without waiting for Tsunade to respond, she hurried out of the tavern.

Hyuga Miyuki simply couldn't understand how anyone could be so unlucky. Ten times—ten whole times—and Tsunade had lost every single time.

And yet Tsunade still refused to give up, as if she absolutely had to win at least once against her. Miyuki had no idea how to refuse.

At least now she could finally escape.

Thank you, Hane. I'll repay you later.

"Brat."

Watching Hyuga Miyuki hurry away, Tsunade glared at Hyuga Hane. "Forget about official business. Since you made her run off, you can take her place and keep me company."

This must be about the medical system again, right?

Minato, that guy—I already turned him down outright, and he still sent his Shadow Guard.

Hyuga Hane didn't turn down Tsunade's invitation. His gaze shifted between the empty wine cups on the table and Tsunade's tipsy face. "Is something bothering you, Lady Tsunade?"

"I just want to win one round. Is that too much to ask?" Tsunade rolled her eyes.

"But I heard you always lose when you gamble. If you're in a bad mood, there's no need to keep trying something you can't win."

"I'll do what I want!"

Tsunade took a sip of wine and looked at Hyuga Hane from her unladylike slouch. "Since you think I'm bound to lose, figure out a way to make me win. Anyway, I have to win at least once soon!"

She'd won against Hyuga Hiashi, but nothing bad had happened yet. Was she anxious because she wanted to change things?

Hyuga Hane fell silent for a moment, then recalled the report Tokuma had given him a few days earlier. Soon, a faint smile appeared on his face. "In that case, let's bet on whether you'll have a run of bad luck today."

"I bet you'll choke on your drink, choke on your food, and get hit by a moon alien falling out of the sky when you step outside."

"..."

Tsunade shuddered, and her drunkenness vanished.

"You... What kind of joke is that?"

She looked at Hane with a complicated expression, the corner of her eye twitching. "Are you trying to curse me?"

"No. I just think a bet on something so obviously impossible should be one you can win, Lady Tsunade," Hyuga Hane said with a smile.

But if Tsunade lost even this... that would be terrifying.

If she lost, it would mean an Otsutsuki was going to fall from the sky...

Then Madara could call Tsunade the strongest in the Shinobi World!

After all, she'd have the power to summon Otsutsuki whenever she wanted...

Hyuga Hane's suggestion had to be said to have piqued Tsunade's interest.

Every time she won, she lost something.

But after winning against Hyuga Hiashi, nothing bad had happened lately. She still had no clue what was going on, and her unease kept building.

She had been gambling with different people lately just to see whether she still had any time left.

After all, whenever misfortune was about to strike, her luck had always been good.

She didn't only gamble with the Hyuga Clan; she gambled with other people too. But because of Hiashi, she sought out members of the Hyuga Clan more often.

And the results... were naturally all losses.