Naruto: The Hyuga Mastermind

Chapter 79: The Wool Comes from the Sheep

"Money?"

Hyuga Fuji glanced at Minato. "Where would we get money for Lady Tsunade to gamble with? Considering how often she loses, any amount would be gone in no time."

Minato frowned. "Then where is Lady Tsunade getting her gambling money from now?"

Most of Konoha's funds were being used to compensate the families of fallen ninjas. Other than the initial amount she borrowed from him, Hyuga Fuji hadn't come back for more.

Minato had thought Fuji was funding her out of his own pocket. But was that not the case?

Hyuga Fuji explained, "There are only so many casinos in Konoha, and Lady Tsunade almost always loses. I spoke with the casino owners directly.

From now on, when she visits, they can advertise appropriately, and the police force will look the other way. All they need to do is return the money she loses.

Her current gambling money is… just that initial sum."

Minato stared silently at Hyuga Fuji.

This was possible?

Tsunade had grown up in Konoha and was familiar with gambling thanks to the First Hokage. The casinos and gamblers of Konoha knew this "big spender" very well.

She was practically guaranteed to lose.

If Tsunade entered a casino and they promoted it, how many people would flock there? Who wouldn't want to gamble against her?

And once gamblers entered the casino, it wasn't easy to leave. Even if they didn't get to bet against Tsunade, just watching her would make them itch to play a few rounds themselves.

So, even if the casino returned her money, they wouldn't lose out.

The wool was coming from the sheep itself?

Indeed, it seemed they wouldn't run out of money.

Minato said, "It's best to keep this from Lady Tsunade. If she finds out, it'll be trouble. By the way, how did you get Fugaku to agree to this? He doesn't seem like someone who'd go along with such a plan."

"Gambling troublemakers are one of the main causes of disturbances. If they're in the casinos, the police can easily handle disputes. It's better than them causing problems elsewhere. The casino owners were quite cooperative, so Chief Fugaku reluctantly agreed."

Hyuga Fuji shrugged. "That's all there is to it."

Minato was speechless.

So the real victims were just the gamblers who got lured in?

Not exactly sympathetic…

Minato shook his head with a smile. "It seems handling financial matters suits you perfectly."

Hearing this, Hyuga Fuji looked out the window at Konoha's buildings and asked, "Do you want someone to keep you in check?"

"Yeah."

Minato wasn't surprised that Fuji saw through him. His smile faded. "I'm worried that one day I'll make a mistake, and no one will stop me. Maybe only you can…"

"Not even your wife?"

Minato paused and laughed. "She can, but Kushina usually stays out of major decisions."

"So, she controls you on the small stuff." Hyuga Fuji leaned against the window, gesturing downward with a smile. "She's here to find you."

"Uh…"

Following Fuji's gaze, Minato caught a glimpse of flowing red hair. Moments later, footsteps echoed outside the door.

The door opened to a soft but chilling voice: "Minato, you're coming home for lunch today, right?"

"Of course." Glancing at his paperwork, which seemed much lighter than usual, Minato smiled and nodded.

Seeing him agree, Kushina's expression softened. She turned to Fuji and smiled.

"Fuji, you should come too. Thanks for all your help."

"This is my job," Hyuga Fuji replied, shaking his head. As he followed them out, he asked, "Where's Maru?"

"Eh?" Kushina blinked and glanced guiltily toward the training grounds. She had forgotten about Maru.

Going back now would be awkward… she'd thank him later.

...

In the training grounds, Uchiha Maru stood silently, lost in thought.

He had asked Tsunade for help to avoid becoming a punching bag during training. In the end, Tsunade didn't come, but Fuji helped with the tasks.

Shouldn't it be time for his training now?

Why did Lady Kushina leave after finding out?

This was worse than being a punching bag!

With a sigh, his eyes shifted into a five-pointed star pattern as he practiced his dojutsu.

Other than his overly long-cooldown technique, the other ability was more flexible. He decided to focus on mastering it first.

...

The three of them enjoyed a hearty lunch. As they finished and tidied up, Kushina gently scolded:

"No matter how much work the Hokage has, you shouldn't overwork yourself. If you collapse, it's not worth it."

Minato sat quietly, glancing at Hyuga Fuji, who wore an indifferent expression, and listened without complaint.

When Kushina went to wash the dishes, Minato looked at Fuji and, with a hint of resignation, changed the subject. "This is your first time at my house, isn't it?"

"Yeah." Fuji nodded slightly, looking around. "It's simply decorated, but cozy."

Minato smiled. "Probably because it's not just my space. But with just the two of us, it does feel a bit empty."

Just the two of them…

Fuji glanced at Kushina but didn't continue the topic. "How's the situation with the Sand Village? Did you send the invitation?"

"No."

Minato coughed, his expression turning serious. "The Wind Daimyo has already sent an invitation to the Fire Daimyo. The Kazekage is likely to come in person, so you might not need to go to the Sand Village."

Fuji mused, "It seems the recent war really frightened this ally."

The war had been over for a while now, and detailed reports had likely spread across the ninja world. It wasn't surprising for the Sand, as an old ally, to want to maintain good relations.

Minato sighed. "This will make achieving our goals easier."

Kushina finished her cleaning and overheard their conversation. She sighed, "Do I need to leave?"

"No, it's nothing important," Minato said with a smile. "We were just discussing whether the Five Kage Summit in the Rain Country will go smoothly."

Curious, Kushina joined the conversation. "Why hold it in the Rain Country? Wouldn't neutral places like the Land of Iron or the Land of Demons be better?"

"It has to do with something Jiraiya-sensei told me."

Minato's eyes softened with nostalgia. "Before me, Jiraiya-sensei had three other students, all from the Rain Country."

"I looked into it. They founded an organization called Akatsuki, hoping to bring peace to the ninja world through mutual understanding. They're very active in the Rain Country."

"…That's a bit naive," Kushina said with a complex expression. "But if they've held onto that belief for years, that's admirable."

"They've managed to persist," Minato said with a sigh. "But without the support of the Rain Village's leadership, they're reaching their limits."

"I believe that now, with our current strength, Konoha can help."

(End of Chapter)

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