Drain the Cauldron, Lure Them into the Trap

"Smack!"

Naruto slapped the hand away expressionlessly, his movements swift and decisive, showing no respect whatsoever to the legendary Legendary Sannin.

"You old pervert, don't give me that." Naruto put his hands in his pockets, looked down at me with a cold laugh, his tone full of knowing mockery. "Trying to swindle my money? You think I don't know that you have 435,000 ryo hidden in the lining of your ninja tool pouch, the sole of your left shoe, and the gap in the Toad Summoning Scroll?"

Jiraiya was struck dumb, frozen in place, his eyes wide open. He instinctively clutched his ninja tool pouch, and retorted with feigned bravado, "Nonsense! What nonsense are you spouting! I'm penniless, where would I get any secret stash of money!"

A layer of cold sweat had broken out on his back, and his eyes darted around in a panic.

"Is that so?" Naruto's eyes narrowed slightly, and his azure pupils suddenly turned into pure silver-white. There were no bulging veins Hyuga Clan, only a chilling divine pressure that instantly enveloped the entire area.

Pure Byakugan, activated.

The unreserved gaze pierced through Jiraiya's ninja tool bag, outer robe, and even every inch of his undergarments. The outline of the gold coins, the half-finished yellow manuscript, and even the color of the loincloth he was wearing today were all clearly visible.

"You can't even hide the fact that your underwear has a red frog pattern from my eyes, let alone money," Naruto bluntly exposed in public.

Tsunade, who was passing by, and Shizune, who had just come out, were both speechless. Tsunade clenched her fists so tightly that her knuckles cracked, feeling extremely ashamed of Jiraiya's shameless behavior.

"You... when did you learn to spy on others using their Kekkei Genkai?!" Jiraiya's face turned deathly pale instantly. He hugged himself and took two steps back, as if he had been stripped naked in the street. His voice cracked, "This... this is simply indecent assault!"

Naruto ignored his protests, a mocking smile playing on his lips. With a swift movement, his Perfect Sage Body surged with energy, Jiraiya like a ghost, so fast that he left no afterimage.

Jiraiya then realized what was happening and tried to protect the package, but Naruto's hand speed was many times faster than his age. His fingers deftly reached into the hidden compartment of the ninja tool bag, and in the blink of an eye, stacks of gold coins were "moved" from the hidden compartment into Naruto's own ninja tool bag.

"Hey! That's money I saved up for half a year to buy materials for my new book!" Jiraiya lunged forward, trying to snatch it back.

Without even looking up, Naruto casually pressed a finger against Jiraiya's forehead. The Monster Strength of the Sage Body made Jiraiya, and he could only watch helplessly as all the money pouches he had hidden all over his body fell into Naruto's hands.

"Consider this money compensation for your failed attempts to 'mentally corrupt' and 'Genjutsu' me, plus hush money for your failed attempt to swindle me. We're even now." Naruto weighed the heavy sum of money in his hand, speaking as if it were the most natural thing in the world, leaving Jiraiya no room for rebuttal.

Jiraiya froze on the spot, only managing to stammer out after a long pause, "You... your tricks and swindling methods are even more ruthless than mine?!"

He was even more horrified: in that instant of the takedown, he hadn't even had the awareness to defend himself. This kid's speed and eyesight had reached a monstrous level that was beyond conventional understanding!

"If you want to swindle money from me, you'd better think twice before you start." Naruto stuffed the money pouch into his pocket, his tone casual yet undeniably assertive.

Jiraiya was on the verge of tears when a sudden realization struck him: this kid is not only a freak in fighting, but also incredibly ruthless. Following him along the way would likely result in him being skinned alive.

The two resumed their journey. Naruto casually inquired about Tsunade's upcoming schedule, Jiraiya reminded Jiraiya that he had important business to attend to. He awkwardly put aside his thoughts and led the way back towards Hidden Leaf.

Back in the hotel's top-floor suite, Naruto walked straight up to Tsunade and slapped the more than 400,000 ryo he had just stolen, along with his black card, onto Tsunade's ample bosom without any hesitation.

"Take this and gamble as you like at the casino. If you lose it all, it's on me." Naruto leaned close to Tsunade's ear, his deep voice radiating absolute possessiveness. "My woman, Naruto Uzumaki's woman, doesn't need to escape the past by losing money. I want you to conquer the world."

Tsunade trembled, feeling the immense heat of Yang Release emanating from the large hand on her chest. The Hemophobia that had plagued her for fifty years and the inner demons of losing her loved ones were completely shattered in the face of this unreasonable and absolute sense of security. A rare blush rose to her cheeks, and for the first time, she lowered her proud head before a man.

Just then--

On the outskirts of Konoha, in the dead of night.

With his backpack on his back and his eyes bloodshot, Sasuke Uchiha stood on the towering rock wall. The desperate scene of Naruto crushing Tsunade's Monster Strength with his bare hands and leveling the Root Base with a single punch kept replaying in his mind.

That suffocating, crushing feeling completely overwhelmed him.

"Hidden Leaf... can it really give me the power of revenge?" Sasuke's nails dug deep into his palms, and blood dripped down.

He whirled around, his bloodshot eyes fixed on the deep forest beyond the village. Orochimaru's Cursed Seal burned faintly on his neck—a demonic call, and the only lifeline he could grasp.

The desire for pure violence has crossed the threshold of reason.

"Since you can't give me the power..." Sasuke's eyes were filled with a crazed obsession, "Then I'll go get it myself."

Four figures emerged silently from the shadows of the forest. The Sound Four, hidden in the night, attempted to test Sasuke by force and take Sasuke away. Sasuke didn't waste any words, directly activating the Cursed Seal on his neck, unleashing a burst of violent, cold Chakra. His mind was now solely focused on obtaining the forbidden power to counter Naruto. He used the Body Flicker Technique and followed the Hidden Sound into the depths of the dark forest.

Behind them was the empty Uchiha dormitory.

Top floor of the hot spring inn.

Naruto stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling window when a system notification suddenly sounded in his mind:

[Warning! A major shift in the trajectory of Sasuke Uchiha's fate has been detected!]

[Hidden side quests fully activated: Sasuke Uchiha has defected from the village! High-potential targets at Orochimaru's base (Tayuya, etc.) are now within lootable range!]

Naruto's eyes turned slightly cold, but he didn't stop walking. He looked in the direction of Hidden Leaf, and instead of anger, a cruel, predatory smile curled at the corner of his mouth.

"That kid finally couldn't suppress the restlessness of the Snake Seal within him." Naruto's voice was calm and collected, yet it concealed a murderous intent, revealing his unwavering confidence. "Go ahead, wag your tail and beg for mercy from that venomous snake."

He turned around, his gaze sharp as a knife, piercing through the night.

"Only when you lead the way will it be legitimate for me to take over all the assets and women of the Otogakure."