The next day.
After finishing his daily training, Yan headed toward the house the clan had prepared for him.
He had arranged it with Uchiha Fugaku the day before.
After all, if he was going to open a casino, he needed a suitable location.
It was in the Uchiha Clan's northwest corner, a little way from the main street.
The previous owner's family had died because of the war, so the clan had reclaimed the house and eventually handed it over to Yan.
Yan walked up to the house and pushed open the door.
The interior was somewhat dim, but he could make out the general layout.
It was a space that wasn't especially large, but was still spacious enough.
Looking around, Yan began planning in his mind how to arrange the place.
A casino needed gambling tables, of course, and a lounge. As for food and drink, Yan thought it over and decided those would have to be included too.
Not to make money, but to give the clan members a pleasant, comfortable environment.
Most importantly, there needed to be a few private rooms.
After all, the main purpose of opening a casino was to help the Sharingan evolve, so clan members wouldn't gamble themselves into a frenzy and start killing people inside.
As for measures to prevent cheating, Yan didn't think they were particularly necessary. They could just use the place to get more practice with their bloodline limit.
There was no chance he'd lose money or anything like that.
When all was said and done, the casino made its money from commissions. What did the house care who won or lost?
Mm!
As he thought it over, Yan nodded repeatedly, convinced the idea had great potential.
By then, Uchiha Tekka, Yashiro, and Shisui had arrived, with a crowd of underlings behind them.
Yan turned around. "Perfect timing. I've worked out the general layout. Let's get to work."
"Huh?" Uchiha Tekka and the others pointed at themselves in disbelief. "We're doing it?"
"Of course you are."
"Didn't the clan head give you thirty million ryo? Why not hire people?"
Yan rolled his eyes. "Hiring people doesn't cost money?"
"There are more than twenty of you here. You can't even clean up a house?"
"But..." Uchiha Tekka opened his mouth, about to say something.
Yan cut him off. "You mean wages? No problem."
"I'll pay you five hundred ryo a day. Fair enough, right?"
"Don't worry... Stick with me, and you'll have plenty of money!"
Yan had originally planned to pay them by the job, but after thinking it over, he decided against it. They didn't deserve that.
Uchiha Tekka awkwardly scratched his neck.
That wasn't what he'd been about to say.
Clap! Clap! Clap!
"All right, enough chatter. Get to work," Yan said, clapping his hands. "We don't have much time."
"Remember, we're doing this for the Uchiha Clan!"
"..."
Since Yan had put it that way, Uchiha Tekka sighed and exchanged a glance with Uchiha Yashiro.
"Let's do it. For the Uchiha Clan!"
Then he led the other clan members inside, and they started cleaning up.
Shisui walked over to Yan and clapped him on the shoulder, teasing him.
"Doesn't your conscience hurt?"
"As far as I know, if you hired people, you'd have to pay at least eight hundred ryo per person per day, and that's for ordinary people."
Yan spread his hands. "What can I do? Thirty million ryo sounds like a lot, but it'll be gone in no time. Better to save where we can."
Then he shot Shisui a contemptuous sidelong glance.
"And what are you standing around for? Get to work. Are you trying to take my five hundred ryo without earning it?"
"Me too?" Shisui couldn't believe what he was hearing.
"Isn't it obvious? Just tell me, are you one of my subordinates or not? Everyone else is working while you're standing around chatting. Aren't you embarrassed?"
"Then why aren't you working?"
"Because I'm the boss!" Yan puffed out his chest. "Have you ever seen a boss do the work himself?"
"And don't forget who's paying your wages."
So you had an excuse no matter what, huh?
Shisui shook his head helplessly. "All right!"
Then he walked inside.
Time passed, and before long, dusk had fallen.
The house was now mostly cleaned up, with a pile of miscellaneous items stacked outside.
That was ninjas for you. They worked quickly and efficiently.
They were also tireless. No matter how Yan directed them, they just kept their heads down and did as they were told.
They were practically born to be underlings!
Yan stood at the doorway, looking at the tidy house, and nodded to himself.
Next came the renovations and buying the equipment.
He pulled a scroll from his robes and tossed it to Uchiha Tekka.
"There are five million ryo in there. Tomorrow, go buy some equipment for the casino. It doesn't matter if it's high quality. What matters is that it's sturdy."
"Yashiro!" Yan turned to Uchiha Yashiro. "Tomorrow, start by selecting some clan members to take part in the experiment. You know what I'm looking for, right?"
Uchiha Tekka caught the scroll. "Understood!"
Uchiha Yashiro nodded. "Got it!"
"Try to find people who haven't awakened their eyes yet or have only awakened a One-Tomoe!" Yan added. "If you need help, pick some people from this group."
"Sure." ×2
"Shisui!"
"Here!" Shisui replied, his expression serious.
Yan thought about it, but couldn't come up with anything for Shisui to do.
"Uh... How about this?"
"You're in charge of everyone's daily training. Just make them train harder. If they train themselves to death, I'll take responsibility!"
"Understood!" Shisui agreed without hesitation.
As for Yan's comment about training them to death, he took it as a joke.
"Then you're all dismissed. I won't make you work overtime, but don't forget to come back tomorrow." Yan smiled faintly, then pointed at the pile of clutter beside him.
"Remember to take all this stuff with you on your way out."
Day after day passed, and preparations for the casino continued at a brisk pace.
Following Yan's instructions, Uchiha Tekka successfully bought a batch of casino equipment. It wasn't top of the line, but just as Yan had said, it was sturdy and durable.
Uchiha Yashiro had also carefully selected a group of eligible clan members. Most were middle-aged, with a few elderly people among them.
Shisui strictly supervised the clan members' daily training. The increased workload left them panting with exhaustion, but not one of them wanted to give up.
The renovations were also proceeding in an orderly fashion.
Following Yan's design, Uchiha Tekka and the others gradually transformed the house into a casino with the right atmosphere.
The gambling tables were arranged neatly, the lounge was made comfortable, and the private rooms were furnished with care.
During a break, Yan also had them dig out a fairly spacious basement.
It was mainly for coordinating various tasks and preparing for future plans.
During this time, the missing Two Tomoe jonin also reported for duty.
He had been introduced by Uchiha Setsuna. His name was Uchiha Kyudai, Uchiha Yashiro's cousin, and he was a talented young man.
Sitting in his office and looking at the casino, which had been completely transformed, Yan couldn't help marveling more than once.
"As expected of ninjas. They work fast. They got everything done in just half a month."
"Most importantly, wages, equipment, renovations, and all the other odds and ends cost only a little over six million ryo in total."
"Worth it!"
Before you continue