Doggo, you sure know how to fucking play the game

At Kakuzu's words, Tetsuya couldn't help coughing twice.

"Do you even know what you're saying? Conquer the Land of Rain? With just the three of us?"

"That's right. I believe that with your strength, boss, and support from Mr. Izuna and me, eliminating Hanzo of the Salamander, taking over Amegakure, and ruling the Land of Rain would be no problem at all."

"Rule a country?"

Izuna gave it some careful thought. It didn't seem impossible.

Back in the Warring States Period, when the shinobi clans were slaughtering one another, Izuna had considered conquering a country with the Uchiha Clan's overwhelming strength.

By his reckoning, his older brother's strength, combined with his own support, should have been enough.

But in the end, that bastard Hashirama Senju had led his brother astray. He clearly had the strength to conquer a country, yet he had gone off to establish some Shinobi Village instead. What a joke.

Still, there was no point talking about that now. He had died before the Shinobi Village was founded.

And not long after Shinobi Village was founded, his brother had died too.

"Hey, hey, hey! You two aren't serious, are you?"

Seeing their reactions, Tetsuya couldn't help slapping his forehead.

"Don't screw me over, you two. It's nowhere near that simple. There's still a war going on! Ninja from the three great nations of Wind, Fire, and Earth are gathered in the Land of Rain, and the Land of Rain has Amegakure, led by Hanzō. Even—even if we were going to attack the Land of Rain, now wouldn't be the time."

"Tell me, even if we steamrolled our way through, killed Hanzō, took over Amegakure, and ruled the Land of Rain, how would those three great nations of Wind, Fire, and Earth view us? What would the other Shinobi Villages think? What would the daimyo think?"

"Do you think they'd allow people like us to exist, completely outside the established order?"

Hearing Tetsuya's words, Kakuzu sighed and spoke with some regret.

"That's true. Doing so would undoubtedly be a provocation to the entire Ninja World. We would become the public enemies of the Ninja World."

Public enemies of the Ninja World—that was hardly a good title to have.

"We're businessmen. The most important thing for businessmen is making money, right? If we did what you suggested, how would we make any money?"

Kakuzu nodded again. If they became the public enemies of the Ninja World, they wouldn't be able to make money. It wasn't as though he could take his own head to the Bounty Station and cash it in.

Once the two abandoned the idea of immediately steamrolling the Land of Rain, Tetsuya finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Go to the Land of Rain now? That would be insane. Madara Uchiha was still alive. He had probably only just found Nagato and left his Rinnegan with him. If I went to the Land of Rain now, I'd probably draw Madara Uchiha out.

Madara Uchiha also had that sneaky bastard Black Zetsu by his side. He didn't have much ability, but he was practically impossible to kill.

Besides, exposing our existence too early would very likely attract the attention of another scheming bastard, Ōtsutsuki Isshiki.

That old bastard Isshiki had been searching for a suitable body to take over all along.

Who knew? That sneaky bastard might take a fancy to me. After all, this body of mine was probably one of the best in the Ninja World by now.

Until I found an ability that could counter the Ōtsutsuki's Karma, which clung like a stubborn plaster, I had no desire to catch that old bastard Isshiki's eye.

After all, I was strong enough already. I didn't need some old grandpa tagging along to teach me how to get stronger.

Besides, having one Husky around was annoying enough.

[Oh, my dear master, were you thinking about me?]

An obnoxious voice rang out, and a virtual Husky appeared before Tetsuya.

The expression on Tetsuya's face froze for an instant.

"All right, Kakuzu. Thanks for all the hard work traveling around the Ninja World lately. Get some proper rest for a couple of days. Have the kitchen make whatever you want to eat. I'm heading back to lie around."

With that, Tetsuya left the Tea House.

Only Izuna and Kakuzu remained in the Tea House. Kakuzu glanced at Izuna, and Izuna looked back at him before taking out a board.

"Do you know how to play Go?"

Kakuzu glanced at the board.

"A little."

Once he returned to his room, Tetsuya's face immediately fell.

"Damn System, have you been eavesdropping on my thoughts, you little bastard?"

[????]

Husky looked confused.

[Oh, my dear master, what are you talking about? Why would I ever do something like that?]

"Then why did you pop out right after I cursed you in my head?"

[Master, how could you? I help you grow stronger in the Ninja World, and you actually curse me in your heart? Sob, sob, sob...]

Husky was sad. Husky was crying. Husky felt wronged.

"All right, then explain why you suddenly popped out."

Seeing that playing the victim wasn't working, Husky immediately dropped the act and flashed an obnoxious grin.

[Well, you see, this Husky caught the scent of money. Master, it looks like you've made a fortune lately. Congratulations from Husky! How about a few draws?]

Right. So Husky was here for the money.

Tetsuya plopped down on the bed and reclined against the soft mattress.

"Listen, Husky, we've been together for somewhere between ten and twenty years now. I've already drawn pretty much all the good stuff from the highest-tier prize pool. Never mind anything else—just looking at ninjutsu, I've probably collected the techniques of every school and branch in the shinobi world. What else is there for me to draw? Another half a Kakashi's worth of chakra, or half a Sasuke's worth of ocular power?"

At that, Husky rubbed his paws together with complete confidence.

[Oh, my dear master, you're thinking too small. Broaden your horizons. Take the long view. Don't limit your sights to this tiny Ninja World. This Doggo told you right from the start: whatever the Ninja World has, I have. Whatever it doesn't have, I have that too.]

Tetsuya raised an eyebrow.

"Then why the fuck have you only given me ninjutsu and stuff from the shinobi world all these years? I fucking thought that was all you had in your prize pool."

[Hehehe, don't be angry, master. I was only doing it for your own good. Just look at your ninjutsu collection now, and your understanding of ninjutsu.

"What kind of damn Professor of Ninjutsu is Hiruzen Sarutobi? Compared to you, he's just an apprentice who's barely started. You're the real Professor of Ninjutsu, master.]

"Enough. Quit kissing ass. Let me ask you something. Do you know about the Ōtsutsuki Clan's Karma?"

[What a question! Didn't I tell you? There's nothing in the Ninja World that you can't find here.]

"Then if I want immunity to Karma, or some way to counter it, do you have that?"

[That's easy.]

Husky waved his paw, and a Wheel of Fortune gleaming with a metallic green light appeared before Tetsuya.

[My dear master, please take a look. Since your spending over the years has reached an entirely new tier, this Doggo applied for a brand-new draw pool for you. I call it the Platinum Wheel.]

Looking at the Wheel of Fortune before him, Tetsuya's eye twitched twice.

"Hey, Doggo, you sure know how to play the game. So all the good stuff was hidden in here, huh? The Platinum Wheel? Does that mean there's an Emerald Wheel and a Diamond Wheel after this?"