Adopted by Tsunade [13-18] (Patreon)

Chapter 13: Outsmarting Tsunade

"Orochimaru is someone you can rely on—he really shows up when it counts."

Natsume felt a bit regretful.

He didn't get to witness the epic battle between Orochimaru and Uchiha Shisui in person.

It must have been spectacular.

In the original story, Orochimaru was utterly defeated by Uchiha Itachi's Mangekyō Sharingan, which sparked his obsession.

Unable to beat Itachi, he set his sights on Sasuke instead.

But now that this beating happened early, there's a high chance Orochimaru will turn his attention to the still-young Itachi.

Why did Uchiha Shisui contribute fate points as well?

Natsume thought about it and found it reasonable.

Like Itachi, Shisui possessed ideals beyond his clan and embraced the Will of Fire.

He was just more naïve and principled.

When the Uchiha clan prepared to rebel, rather than taking action against them, he sought help from Hiruzen Sarutobi and Danzo Shimura, even revealing the power of his Mangekyō Sharingan.

The result was predictable.

Danzo began targeting him, and to prevent conflicts arising from his eyes, Shisui ultimately killed himself in despair.

His death delayed the Uchiha revolt by two years.

Afterward, Itachi awakened his own Mangekyō and, together with the masked man—Uchiha Obito—slaughtered the entire clan, sparing only Sasuke.

Right now, Shisui is a staunch believer in the Will of Fire.

As for Orochimaru, as the Third Hokage's student and one of the legendary Sannin, he's seen as a representative of that Will.

Yet now, he's attacked by Shisui.

Shisui is probably questioning everything right now, as fate starts to shift.

Nineteen points.

How should I put it?

Not much, so Shisui's fate probably doesn't change much.

Orochimaru contributed fifty-eight fate points, which means his fate shifted only partially—not completely.

That makes sense.

Orochimaru isn't like Kimimaro or Kabuto—he's capable and strong-willed.

Completely changing him won't be easy.

"Natsume, I don't get this problem. Can you teach me?"

A little girl, cheeks slightly red, shyly asked him.

Natsume glanced at it and said, "I don't know either. Ask Uchiha Itachi."

The girl looked shocked—she'd purposely picked an easy question, how could he not know?

She blanked for a second, then looked at Natsume's handsome face and said, "N-no need, I'll ask someone else."

Because of his personality—and his Uchiha status—Itachi was a bit isolated, so the girl didn't dare approach him.

Natsume knew she was just trying to strike up a conversation.

Too young!

In every sense.

Unlike Tsunade, who's… well, developed everywhere.

Obvious choice for anyone.

Natsume didn't hesitate.

After that brief episode, the rest of his school day passed calmly.

Except, after school, Shisui didn't come to pick up Itachi—Uchiha Mikoto did.

She was quite pretty.

Natsume waited a bit and saw Tsunade being chased by a debt collector again.

This time, it was an old man.

He raised an eyebrow—clearly, he'd have to act sooner than planned.

A few minutes later, the old man dropped his disguise, turning back into Tsunade, and came over.

"Anything interesting happen today?"

Tsunade pinched his cheek, then took his hand.

"Nope."

Natsume shook his head. "Sis, did you go gambling again?"

"Just played a few hands," Tsunade admitted. After so long together, there was no point hiding it.

"How's your luck?" Natsume asked.

"Uh…"

Tsunade hesitated, then gave a high-EQ answer: "I'm just unlucky."

Unlucky? You have no luck at all—you lose every time!

Natsume didn't call her out. "Can you take me next time?"

Tsunade frowned. "You're too young—don't get hooked on gambling. Wait till you're older."

She sounded earnest.

If Natsume didn't know she'd learned to gamble from Hashirama since childhood, he might have believed her.

"I'm not gambling, I'm making money," Natsume explained. "Since you mostly lose, if I bet against you each time, I'll always win."

Tsunade paused, eyes lighting up with the glint of money.

Great idea!

Why didn't I think of that?

She squatted down, excitedly kissed Natsume's cheek. "That's for being clever."

"Now my face is all wet." Natsume pretended to complain.

Tsunade laughed, then, as if teasing him, licked his face.

Natsume immediately felt gross.

Just wait—give me a few years, I'll get my revenge.

"Tomorrow's Saturday. I'll take you to Tanzaku Quarters, not far from Konoha," Tsunade said, already planning. "Together, we'll win big."

Honestly, only Natsume could make this suggestion.

If anyone else tried, Tsunade would have punched them into the ground: "You dare question my gambling?"

…

While Natsume enjoyed his sister's affection, Orochimaru had just one feeling—

Pain! Excruciating pain!

And not just physical—mental, too. It was hard to bear.

That morning, Orochimaru found Shisui. Seeing how young he was, he ignored Natsume's warning.

Just like Jack in One Piece, "Do you know who I am?"—he charged right in.

At first, Orochimaru's experience gave him the upper hand.

Then Shisui activated his Mangekyō Sharingan—Susanoo and genjutsu combined.

Orochimaru couldn't take it.

He was forced to reveal his identity.

Shisui recognized him, stunned.

Those few seconds were enough for Orochimaru to escape.

Back home, he realized Natsume had been right all along.

From personal experience, the Mangekyō was truly powerful.

Especially with Shisui so young—who knows how strong he'll get in a few years?

"I must have those eyes!"

Orochimaru licked his lips, but blood seeped out, making him cough.

Nearby, Aburame Ryoma's eyes widened in shock.

Orochimaru was injured?

Who in Konoha could do that to him?

Ryoma thought for a moment, then hurried to report to Danzo.

Orochimaru noticed.

He'd known for a while, but didn't bother to expose him.

Now, obsessed with the Mangekyō, he planned to confront Danzo directly and settle things quickly.

…

Root Headquarters

"He's injured?" Danzo gripped his cane, deep in thought.

Unbelievable.

Even he, without using Wood Release, couldn't guarantee hurting Orochimaru.

"What about Tenzō's whereabouts?"

"No sign," Ryoma replied. "I didn't dare probe too much and alert Orochimaru."

"In that case, let's go visit him," Danzo said, standing up and smiling. "When an ally is hurt, we should show concern."

Chapter 14: Shifting Fates

"I'll distract him. You search carefully," Danzo instructed as he entered Orochimaru's garden.

Ryoma nodded and vanished.

Inside, Danzo saw Orochimaru, appearing frail, waiting for him.

He really is hurt.

"Orochimaru, how did you get injured?" Danzo asked bluntly.

"It's nothing," Orochimaru replied, hiding the truth.

Danzo and his Root could take down Shisui.

He didn't want to hand over the Mangekyō to anyone else.

Even if he couldn't get it now, in his mind, it was already his.

Danzo frowned.

He was curious about Orochimaru's injury, but since Orochimaru wouldn't say, there was nothing he could do—for now, he didn't want to break things off.

Just then, Orochimaru suddenly spoke: "No need for Ryoma to investigate further. I took Tenzō."

"What?" Danzo's face darkened.

"He's just a test subject. Why so stingy?" Orochimaru sneered. "I haven't even confronted you about deceiving me."

"Hand him over," Danzo demanded. "Unless you want to break with me."

"I hate being threatened."

Orochimaru coughed, wiped blood from his mouth, and smiled like a snake. "Danzo, are you sure you want a split?"

Danzo paused.

Orochimaru could always leave Konoha—he didn't care.

But Danzo couldn't afford to lose his shot at Hokage if the Wood Release experiments were exposed.

He hesitated, then decided to compromise.

Yamato had been in Root for ten years—fully studied.

Giving him up wasn't a huge loss.

Just a shame to lose a Wood Release ninja.

"The Fourth is dead, the Third is back, but he won't last long," Orochimaru said, his tone softer. "The Fifth Hokage will be chosen soon."

"What are you getting at?" Danzo was irritated—the Hokage was a sensitive topic.

"Who do you think will be the Fifth Hokage?"

"You want to be Hokage?" Danzo's face changed, then returned to normal. "Impossible. You've lost Hiruzen's trust."

When the Fourth was chosen, Orochimaru and Minato were the top candidates.

Orochimaru was a Sannin with years of achievements and support.

Minato had turned the tide in the Third Ninja War and was known as the Yellow Flash.

Both were evenly matched.

But Hiruzen thought Orochimaru was unsuitable and picked Minato.

"I agree," Orochimaru nodded. "But I still have supporters. I can help you become Hokage."

Danzo was stunned.

Did I hear that right? He doesn't want to kill me—he wants to support me?

"What's the catch?"

"I want Hashirama's body. You must cover it up so no one finds out."

Orochimaru paused. "And you have to give me Tenzō."

"You're insane!" Danzo snapped. "Hashirama's body is too important. Taking cells is one thing, but stealing the body—if we're caught, we're finished."

"I know that," Orochimaru waved dismissively. "Are you in or not?"

Danzo was silent.

He gritted his teeth.

It's just a corpse. We can fake one for the coffin.

No one dares disturb Hashirama's grave anyway.

"Fine. I agree," Danzo said coldly. "But if you betray me, Orochimaru, you'll regret it."

Orochimaru just smiled. "Then take your little bug and leave."

He meant Ryoma.

Though there were no guards, snakes were everywhere.

Anyone entering would be noticed.

"Hmph. You'd better not do anything stupid," Danzo threatened as he left.

Orochimaru licked his lips, excited, already looking forward to meeting Natsume again.

He had so many questions for him.

…

Southwest Konoha.

Uchiha's new territory—larger, but farther away.

Naturally, the proud Uchiha resented it.

But their indecisive clan leader, Fugaku, suppressed all complaints.

Behind the territory's waterfall, Shisui stared at the water, lost in thought.

His battle with Orochimaru lingered in his mind.

To him, the village leaders—Hiruzen, Danzo, Jiraiya, Orochimaru, Tsunade—held the highest status.

They symbolized the Will of Fire.

Why did Orochimaru attack him?

Was it under Hiruzen's orders?

"No… impossible."

Shisui didn't want to think that his faith in the Will of Fire might be shaken.

He also realized something: Orochimaru seemed to be after his Mangekyō.

Did the village leaders already know about his eyes?

Would their attitude toward the Uchiha change?

All these thoughts troubled him.

"Shisui," an ANBU appeared suddenly. "The Hokage wants to see you."

Shisui's heart skipped, but he remained calm. "I'll go now."

With a heavy heart, he entered the Hokage's office.

"Shisui," Hiruzen put down his papers, warmly inviting him to sit.

Shisui relaxed.

Of course, I shouldn't doubt the Hokage.

"I have a mission for you," Hiruzen sighed. "With Minato's death, Kumogakure is attacking. We have to respond."

"I'll complete the mission!" Shisui said instantly.

"I've always trusted you. You have Kagami's blood and his will."

Hiruzen showed a nostalgic look. "Kagami was like a brother to me. Seeing you reminds me of him."

Kagami was a student chosen by the Second Hokage, and a true inheritor of the Will of Fire. Shisui was his descendant.

"Konoha planned a jōnin selection, but things have been too busy."

Hiruzen stood up, patted Shisui's shoulder. "I know you're stronger than a chūnin. I'm giving you jōnin privileges for this mission."

"Thank you, Hokage-sama!"

Shisui was grateful.

Jōnin were core Konoha members—this meant Hiruzen valued him.

"Do well. When you return, I'll let you join the ANBU," Hiruzen smiled.

This was the kind of Uchiha he wanted—talented, and a bridge to the clan.

The Uchiha were a handful lately.

He needed someone trustworthy on the inside.

After this talk, Shisui was sure the attack was Orochimaru's personal act, unrelated to the village.

Chapter 15: The Legendary Big Loser

War broke out again.

Unlike the Third Ninja War, this one was just between Konoha and Kumogakure—a probing conflict.

Last time, Kumogakure failed because Minato alone stopped the A-B combo—Fourth Raikage A, and the Eight-Tails Jinchūriki, Killer Bee.

But now, with Minato dead, Kumogakure seized the chance to strike.

If Konoha, without Minato, couldn't hold, Kumogakure would profit greatly.

Worst case, if they didn't get anything, they'd just negotiate—no big loss.

Konoha couldn't afford to fight to the bitter end.

In the original story, this war lasted two or three years.

Natsume remembered so clearly because Kumogakure caused a major incident during the peace talks.

Their leader tried to kidnap the Hyuga heiress Hinata, but was killed by her father, Hiashi.

Kumogakure demanded Konoha hand over the murderer, threatening renewed war.

In the end, Hiashi's twin brother Hizashi died in his place, settling the matter.

…

Tanzaku Quarters.

A den of vice not far from Konoha.

Food, drink, women, gambling—everything.

It never disappoints.

Natsume wandered the bustling streets, looking around.

Compared to the rebuilding Konoha, Tanzaku Quarters was lively.

Vendors, bars, casinos, and scantily clad women at every doorway.

In the cold weather, plenty of people were eager to warm them up.

Tsunade ignored it all, carrying a red case in one hand and Natsume in the other.

Confidently, she stopped at a casino.

"Natsume, use Transformation Jutsu to change your face," she said, letting go. "You won't be allowed to gamble looking like a kid."

Natsume nodded, transformed into a handsome man in his twenties.

"Not bad," Tsunade commented. "Who is he?"

"No idea," Natsume replied. "Some random guy I saw just now."

Actually, he'd transformed into Seto Kaiba.

Let's play some heart of cards!

"Let's go."

Tsunade opened the door, drawing everyone's attention.

The casino owner noticed her necklace and paled. "Is that her?"

"Who?" a cheongsam-clad dealer asked. "Is she famous?"

"Idiot!" the owner snapped. "You work at a casino and don't know? She's the legendary big loser!"

He couldn't help but smile with glee.

Tsunade didn't care. She opened the case full of cash. "Change it all for chips!"

"Right away!" the owner responded enthusiastically.

Everyone in the business knew she always lost.

Here comes the cash cow!

Soon, she had 150,000 ryo in chips—not a fortune, but not nothing.

For a ninja, that's about the pay for a B-rank mission.

Of course, you have to split task rewards with the village and your team.

To get 150,000 ryo, you'd have to do three or four B-rank missions.

But as one of the Sannin, Tsunade could easily earn that.

If not for her gambling, she'd live well—just look at Jiraiya and Orochimaru.

Jiraiya wandered the world.

Orochimaru spent a fortune on research.

"Give half to my apprentice so he can play too," Tsunade said.

The owner glanced at Natsume, smiling.

The apprentice of a cash cow must be a cash cow too.

Double the profit!

Natsume got 80,000 in chips and sat at a random table.

There were many games.

But, at Natsume's suggestion, Tsunade only played something like high-low.

Rules: win, double your bet; lose, the house takes your stake.

In theory, the odds are 50/50.

But that's only true over many rounds.

In dozens or even hundreds of rounds, the odds rarely balance out.

Plus, the house takes a 5% cut from winners.

It's hard for them to lose money.

The dealer shook the dice and called for bets.

Tsunade hesitated, then bet 3,000 on "small."

Natsume put down 8,000 on "large."

He didn't bet it all—he wanted to see if Tsunade's luck was really that bad.

The dice showed six, five, five.

"Congratulations to those who bet 'large,'" the dealer announced.

Tsunade wasn't upset.

She lost 3,000, but Natsume won more.

She gambled partly for fun, partly to forget sad memories.

She didn't really care about money.

But Natsume was different.

Tsunade now saw him as a little brother, so she played along.

She was actually pretty happy.

But the casino owner wasn't.

Are you two exploiting a bug in my casino?

Natsume wasn't secretive.

Soon, other gamblers began copying him.

The owner's face grew darker.

They didn't lose money, but profits were way down.

Seeing others win hurt more than losing himself.

"Nice!" Tsunade said, counting her winnings. In just a few hours, she'd made 100,000 ryo.

Unheard of.

She didn't care about the money, but still got excited seeing the pile grow.

"Come, let's try another casino."

She dragged Natsume to the next spot.

…

By dusk, Natsume checked his account—satisfied.

He'd made a million ryo in a day.

That's as much as an extremely dangerous, time-consuming S-rank mission.

"Natsume, you're young. Want me to keep it safe for you?" Tsunade grinned, eyeing the account book.

Wait, why does that sound familiar?

Natsume remembered how his mom used to help with his New Year's money as a kid.

He quickly shook his head. "I'll keep it myself."

He'd joined in for Tsunade's sake, but he wasn't passing up the money.

Plus, his organization needed funds.

Tsunade ruffled his hair. "Alright, you keep it."

Most kids, she wouldn't trust.

But Natsume was smart and responsible.

And he'd earned that money.

"Let's come again tomorrow."

She clearly hadn't realized there might be a problem.

But it was fine—they could just use Transformation Jutsu.

She never used disguises when gambling, which is why her big loser reputation was so well known.

…

Back in Konoha, after dinner and three hours of Wood Release training, Natsume finally had time to himself.

He started thinking about his next steps.

With a million ryo, he could rent a place as a temporary base.

But there was no one to use it.

Kabuto was still too weak—he'd need two or three more years.

Natsume stroked his chin and suddenly thought of Karin and her mother.

There was potential there.

Two Uzumaki clan ninjas—too good to pass up.

Chapter 16: How to Fall Asleep Quickly

The idea was wonderful, but putting it into practice was much harder.

The Grass Hidden Village was weak, but not so weak that a single genin could just barge in.

Natsume's top priority remained improving his own strength.

Currently, he studied Water Release during the day, and practiced Wood Release at night. In terms of progress, he was already doing quite well.

He was only seven, after all—there were limits to what his body could handle.

Natsume took off his jacket and drifted off to sleep.

The next day, Sunday.

Tsunade was in high spirits and dragged him to Tanzaku Quarters.

This time, she used the Transformation Technique, turning herself into an utterly ordinary-looking girl.

The kind of plain Natsume would never be interested in.

Tsunade and Natsume swept the gambling tables again, winning another million ryo.

But on the way back to Konoha, the two of them were ambushed in a small grove.

The casino bosses had previously known who Tsunade was, so nobody dared try anything dirty.

But now, seeing only an unknown girl, their anger flared, and they got bold.

"Which casino are you with?"

Natsume was surrounded by eight burly men, but didn't panic at all.

He had someone backing him up.

"Cut the crap. Hand over all the money you won today!"

"Guess we're not going to talk this out."

Natsume tilted his head. Looks like he'd have to learn from Naruto: beat them up first, then talk them down.

Tsunade watched him with interest.

She was very curious about what he'd do next.

She had already noticed that her found little brother was mature, clever, and full of ideas.

Natsume's little face turned serious.

This was his first real fight.

A first time was always a little nerve-wracking.

Luckily, with Tsunade there, his life wasn't in danger.

Wood Release: Wood Clone!

Almost instantly, one Natsume became three.

"Careful! He's a ninja!"

The casino thugs' faces turned grim.

They were just regular people, with some skills, but nowhere near a trained ninja.

All three Natsumes threw shuriken at once.

Six in each hand.

Eighteen in total, covering all eight men.

The casino thugs scattered in panic.

Natsume stood his ground while his two clones charged in.

As they closed in, he used Wood Clone again, making it a fair fight in terms of numbers.

Moments later, they were all subdued.

"Can we talk now?" Natsume asked again.

"Our boss won't let you get away with this!"

"Pretty tough, aren't you."

Natsume turned and said, "Sis, show them your fist."

Tsunade gave a gentle smile, stepped back a few paces, then raised her right leg high and stomped down.

Heavenly Foot of Pain!

The ground within three or four meters of her exploded, rocks flying everywhere.

The eight casino thugs were stunned.

What they saw was beyond human capability.

"Which casino?" Natsume asked, covering his nose and mouth.

Tsunade had controlled her strength so he wasn't hurt, but she couldn't control the dust.

"Gunma Casino!" one thug replied at lightning speed.

"What's the boss's name? What's his background?"

"The boss is Morikawa, used to be a hood, then joined Gunma Company and opened this casino."

"I see."

Natsume waved his hand. "You can go."

Tsunade was a bit surprised. "Just let them go?"

"They're just regular thugs, no use to us."

Natsume explained, "I'm more interested in Gunma Company. Since they made a move on us, there's no need to play nice. I have an idea—I want to bring this company under my control."

Even though he'd used Wood Clone, to most ninja it just looked like a normal clone technique, let alone these thugs.

Wood Release wouldn't be exposed.

Tsunade looked at him in a daze.

If not for his seven-year-old appearance, she'd have thought Natsume was an adult.

"You want to run a casino?" Tsunade asked.

"No."

Natsume shook his head. "I want to protect the casinos."

"...?"

Tsunade was lost.

"A single casino is too small in scope. I want to consolidate all the casinos and make bigger profits."

Natsume wanted to become the underground emperor of Tanzaku Quarters.

This was already beyond normal ninja thinking.

Tsunade took a while to process it.

She didn't know how to comment.

As a ninja, she would never get into business or production.

The only way for a ninja to make money was by taking missions.

She just hadn't read enough books.

Natsume, on the other hand, could think of a thousand ways more profitable than missions.

And none of them required risking life and limb.

Natsume always thought the world of Naruto was too warped.

Ninja with world-shattering power bowing down to lords and nobles.

Getting ordered around like dogs for missions.

Even the Akatsuki.

It was ridiculous.

And even more ridiculous was that ninja were actually proud of it.

Natsume couldn't understand, but was deeply shocked.

"How do you plan to do it?" Tsunade didn't hesitate for long.

Given a choice between Gunma Company and Natsume, she didn't need to think.

So what if his methods weren't ninja-like?

"Standardize everything, add new games, improve service, then charge franchise and profit-sharing fees."

From Natsume's perspective, the casinos on Tanzaku Quarters were like shady internet cafes: dirty, messy, and with only a few kinds of games.

Once he took over Gunma Company, he'd build a modern casino, use high-quality service to seize the market.

The remaining casinos would either copy him or band together to fight him.

But he was also willing to offer a third way: join him as affiliates.

Tsunade was dumbfounded.

She'd never heard of anything like this.

But thinking carefully, it made sense and seemed doable.

"I can't do this alone. I need your help."

Natsume looked up at her, face full of hope.

It was a spur-of-the-moment idea, but definitely profitable.

After all, Gunma Company started it.

It was only fair to retaliate.

With money, he'd be able to do a lot of things.

Like hiring ninja to rescue Karin and her mother.

Tsunade actually had mixed feelings.

Natsume's little display today had shocked her.

Not even lifelong merchants would have thought of this plan.

But fortunately, Natsume was in her care now.

Tsunade bent down, picked him up, and said, "No problem. Whatever you need, sis will give you."

Whoa.

That sounded a bit like a sugar mommy.

Natsume turned his head and saw the First Hokage's necklace.

So white.

He didn't hold back, leaning in.

The fight had really tired him out.

There was a feeling of smooth silk against his face.

Before long, Natsume felt sleepy.

He was, after all, in a child's body.

And using chakra also meant using up physical strength.

After walking for a while, Tsunade felt the rhythmic breathing on her necklace and skin.

She looked down; Natsume was already asleep.

Chapter 17: Treat, Execute, Accept as Lackeys

When Natsume woke up, he was back in Konoha.

He scratched his head.

He hadn't expected to fall asleep because it was so soft and comfortable.

How could you sleep at that age?

Natsume got up and hyped himself up.

In the living room, Shizune was reading. Tsunade was nowhere to be seen.

"Shizune-sis, I'm heading back to the orphanage."

"Be careful."

Shizune looked up, not surprised.

He went back to the orphanage every couple of days.

…

Konoha covered a huge area.

But the core area inside the barrier wasn't that big.

Why was the Uchiha clan unhappy with their new territory?

Because they were at the edge of the barrier.

Lose again and they'd be pushed all the way to the Forest of Death.

The Senju clan's old house and the orphanage were in the center, so it wasn't far.

After a few minutes, Natsume arrived.

"Natsume-nii, you're back!"

"Natsume-nii!"

"Candy!"

As soon as Natsume entered, a group of kids surrounded him.

He opened his bag. "Don't fight—one lollipop each."

"Thank you!"

The kids immediately got distracted by the candy.

Natsume looked around and found Kabuto.

He was playing with a white rabbit.

To be precise, dissecting it to study its anatomy.

"Kabuto, want some candy?"

Natsume walked over.

"I'm not a kid."

Kabuto shook his head. His hands were covered in rabbit blood, and he wasn't scared at all by the dissected bunny.

You'd never guess from his looks that he was only seven.

"Kabuto, in a bit, come with me to meet Sister Tsunade. Show her your medical talent."

Natsume peeled a lollipop for himself and started eating.

Not bad.

Kabuto's eyes lit up, his composure gone. "Will she really take me as her student?"

"She will."

Natsume thought to himself, You don't know how scary your medical talent is. "Even if she doesn't, I'll make her teach you medical ninjutsu."

Given his relationship with Tsunade, a bit of begging should do it.

The orphanage's director, Nonou, was also a skilled medical ninja.

But her identity was complicated.

If Kabuto stayed with her, Danzo would soon notice.

Danzo, like Orochimaru, loved recruiting geniuses.

But for different reasons.

Danzo wanted to brainwash them into loyal Root members.

Orochimaru wanted to collect their bodies as vessels.

Kabuto fit both standards.

"Such a cute rabbit, and you're so cruel."

Natsume suddenly remembered a meme from his previous life and said, "Add extra chili at lunch—we'll make spicy rabbit stew."

"..."

Kabuto froze for two seconds, then nodded. "That's what I was planning anyway."

The orphanage wasn't rich—they never wasted food.

Natsume watched for a while, got bored, and started practicing ninjutsu on the side.

The D-rank Body Flicker Technique.

A very useful jutsu.

Minato's Flying Thunder God is, at its core, a form of Body Flicker with added space manipulation—far beyond the reach of normal ninja.

The basic D-rank version isn't true teleportation, just very fast movement.

It creates the illusion of teleporting by accelerating.

Besides Body Flicker, he was also working on Water Release: Wild Water Wave.

A basic water jutsu—three hand signs, then a water blast from the mouth.

Natsume had both water and earth affinities.

But water was his primary affinity, so he focused on Water Release first.

He also used Water Release as a cover for his Wood Release, building the identity of a water-style ninja.

…

Natsume spent the rest of Sunday at the orphanage, returning home in the evening.

"Back already?"

Tsunade was watching TV on the sofa.

Yes, the ninja world has TVs and even computers.

But very few people could afford them.

Most people lived below the poverty line.

Especially commoners outside the five major countries—their lives were even harder.

But with ninja around, it wasn't like they could rise up and rebel.

A single jonin could take out thousands of regular people.

Natsume naturally sat beside Tsunade.

She just as naturally put her arm around him, ruffling his hair like petting a cat.

Natsume felt like a pet.

Today was a rest day, so no practicing Wood Release.

Shizune, on the other hand, was diligently studying medicine.

But learning medicine wouldn't save the ninja world.

Natsume suddenly recalled a famous quote: "Studying medicine cannot save the country."

Ordinary medical ninja could never reach Tsunade's level.

But even she was a background character in the late stages.

A real man should pilot a Gundam.

Natsume sniffed. There was a nice scent, like flowers.

Was it perfume, or just her natural scent?

There's a theory: if you can smell someone's scent even when they haven't used perfume, your genes have selected them, and your babies won't have immune deficiencies.

"Sis, did you use perfume?"

"No."

Tsunade sniffed herself and asked, "Is there a weird smell?"

"Oh, no."

Natsume shook his head. "I just thought I smelled something nice."

Tsunade paused, then her smile widened. She slithered closer, teasing, "Smell again—what kind of scent is it?"

Woman! You're playing with fire!

Just you wait!

What man could handle that?

Natsume thought Tsunade was very different from his original impression.

Was this what having a big sister was like?

In the original, Tsunade seemed very fond of her little brother.

But now, it felt a bit overwhelming.

Natsume struggled free, breathing fresh air. "Like this, I can't watch TV."

Tsunade finally let him go.

…

…

Half a month passed just like that.

While going to school, Natsume took control of Gunma Company.

With Tsunade's support, it was easy.

Treat, execute, accept as lackeys.

First talk to the boss—if it didn't work out, kill him. The rest would naturally kneel and shout, "Welcome, New Boss, to your loyal company!"

Gunma Company had two main businesses: casinos and underground banking (loan-sharking).

Neither was very respectable.

Once Natsume took over, he ordered a full overhaul.

The banks, too, were reformed to resemble modern banks from his previous life.

He was probably the only one in this world who knew how profitable banks could be.

Casino plus bank—renovation would take a month or two.

Training the staff would take even longer.

Natsume left it alone for now.

He needed to meet Orochimaru, and also deliver a gift to his desk mate, Uchiha Itachi.

He also planned to use his new wealth to hire ninja to rescue Karin and her mother. As for whom to hire, he'd have to choose carefully.

…

A dark, windy night.

Natsume used some Fate points to send a Wood Clone to Orochimaru's estate.

Chapter 18: The Early Akatsuki

"You finally came."

Orochimaru sounded impatient.

These two weeks had been torture for him; he'd looked forward to Natsume's arrival every day.

As a scientist, his curiosity was endless.

The Mangekyō Sharingan was a whole new field.

Of course, he wanted to learn.

"I'm glad you're still alive."

Natsume sat down, had a cup of tea, and said, "This tea is weird. Buy better stuff next time."

If you're going to talk, talk more.

Orochimaru forced a smile. He needed something from Natsume, so he pretended not to hear. "How do you get the Mangekyō Sharingan?"

"A deal is about equivalent exchange."

Natsume smiled. "Do you have the Hashirama cells I wanted?"

"Already obtained."

Orochimaru's snake-eyes flickered. "I can give them to you now."

Natsume always used a Wood Clone.

But after a Wood Clone is released, items don't go back to the main body, so the clone would have to return to the original's side.

If Orochimaru handled things right, he could uncover this mysterious person's identity.

Natsume could guess what he was thinking.

That was why he'd hesitated over how to trade before.

But now he had a solution.

After taking control of Gunma Company, he'd acquired nearly 100 million ryo in cash.

That was the profit from over a decade of casino and banking operations.

After expenses and real estate, he still had a huge amount of liquid funds.

Natsume planned to hire ninja to save Karin and her mother.

Who, besides the five great villages, had the most power in today's ninja world?

That's right—the main villains: Akatsuki.

Some might say Akatsuki was dangerous and could backstab him.

But this was the early Akatsuki, still building up funds.

They had two ways to make money: taking missions and collecting bounties.

The latter didn't matter for now.

The former meant Akatsuki was a mercenary group.

And mercenaries live by their reputation.

If you betray your client, word gets out, and nobody will hire you again.

Even Akatsuki wouldn't break the rules at this stage.

In other words, as long as you paid, they could be trusted.

Orochimaru wanted to test things? Fine, he'd give him two Akatsuki members to test.

"No rush. I'm just a clone. In a couple days, I'll contact you."

Natsume waved it off. "You can trade with my organization's people."

"No problem."

Orochimaru nodded.

Even if he couldn't meet the real Natsume, contact with his organization's members was just as good.

With his abilities, as long as he got a clue, he was confident he could uncover the whole organization.

"One more piece of advice."

Natsume gave him a meaningful look. "If you want to try anything, make sure you're prepared. They aren't as easy to deal with as I am."

That sounded familiar.

Orochimaru froze, then felt a surge of anger.

This guy was too arrogant!

You think I can't handle your underlings just because I can't beat the Mangekyō Sharingan?

I didn't become one of the Sannin for nothing!

"So, let's get back to the Mangekyō Sharingan."

Natsume changed the subject. Orochimaru paused, then looked eager.

"The Mangekyō Sharingan evolves from the three-tomoe Sharingan."

"So, the Uchiha clan must have lots of Mangekyō Sharingan?"

Orochimaru couldn't help but interrupt.

In his view, plenty of Uchiha were geniuses—there should be more than one pair by now.

"It's not that simple. To awaken it, you need exceptional talent and extraordinary experience—both are essential."

Natsume held up three fingers. "So far, only three people: Uchiha Madara, Uchiha Shisui, and the mysterious man who controlled the Nine-Tails."

Actually, there were more, but no need to say so.

Like Uchiha Izuna, for example.

Orochimaru was shocked.

He'd long suspected that a normal three-tomoe Sharingan couldn't control the Nine-Tails.

"Who's this mysterious man? Also an Uchiha?"

Orochimaru knew the clan pretty well.

But in all these years, he'd heard of no such genius.

Before Shisui, the most famous was Fugaku.

But Fugaku was too indecisive to do such a thing.

Plus, after the Nine-Tails attack, the Uchiha clan was in a worse position.

Fugaku wouldn't have asked for trouble.

"That's another price."

Natsume smiled.

Telling Orochimaru that the mysterious man was Obito wouldn't benefit him.

Orochimaru's face darkened. I came all this way for this?

"What price?"

He knew Natsume didn't lack money, so it had to be something valuable.

"You can't afford it."

Natsume ignored his sour look. "As for Shisui, you've fought him. You should know getting his eyes is impossible."

Orochimaru was annoyed but couldn't argue.

He looked at Natsume, suddenly inspired. "Can your organization help me get Shisui's eyes?"

"Again, you can't afford the price."

Natsume shook his head. "Besides, if I got them, why would I give them to you?"

Orochimaru was silent.

Without Natsume, he couldn't do it alone, unless he recruited Hiruzen, Jiraiya, and others.

But even if they helped, they'd never let him keep the eyes—they'd go to Konoha.

At this point, Akatsuki wasn't famous, and as rogue ninja, Orochimaru didn't care about them.

"But there's a way."

Natsume continued, "Our organization has found another Uchiha genius with great potential to awaken the Mangekyō. More importantly, you could easily get him—if you have enough patience."

Orochimaru couldn't hide his excitement. "Who is it?"

Patience? He had plenty.

With Reincarnation, he had endless life.

"Uchiha Itachi."

Natsume named his classmate.

Orochimaru was stunned for a few seconds before remembering who that was.

Fugaku's eldest son.

At this stage, Itachi was only six and not yet famous, so Orochimaru didn't have a strong impression.

"Itachi's talent is no less than Shisui's."

Natsume smiled. "But he's the clan head's son, and close to Shisui. If you want to act, do it fast, or things might change."

Orochimaru nodded.

He understood the difficulty.

The Uchiha were tense with Konoha.

If he went to Fugaku, he'd likely fail.

But Orochimaru quickly came up with a plan—just as he looked up, Natsume's clone dispersed.

He still had questions, but it was too late.

…

The next day.

Orochimaru went to the Hokage's office.

"Orochimaru?"

Hiruzen looked surprised.

A rare visitor.

Since the Third Great Ninja War ended, Orochimaru had become a shut-in.

No missions, holed up at home, who knows doing what.

Hiruzen had long known that Orochimaru and Danzo were cut from the same cloth—unsuitable as Hokage.

But they were powerful and useful to Konoha, so he turned a blind eye.

As long as they didn't betray the village.

Ninja were ruthless by nature—nothing unusual.

"I want to take a student."

Orochimaru got to the point.

Hiruzen was stunned.

What's going on?

Tsunade had just taken a student, now Orochimaru too?

"What made you want to teach?" Hiruzen asked.

Orochimaru's last apprentice was Nawaki.

After he died, only Anko was left.

"Nothing in particular. I need assistants for my experiments, so I want two students."

Orochimaru sounded casual, which fit his personality.

"Anyone in mind?"

"Not yet. I'll pick two good students from the academy."

"No problem."

Hiruzen's doubts vanished. "I'll have the academy hold an exam. You can choose then."

He was, nominally, the principal.

But as he finished, he suddenly thought of someone.

Uchiha Itachi.

He remembered because Itachi was Fugaku's son and the top student.

If Orochimaru took him as a student, it could be unexpectedly beneficial.

In the original, Fugaku sent Itachi to the ANBU as a spy.

But Hiruzen didn't know that.

Given the current situation, Fugaku wouldn't want Itachi to become part of the Hokage faction.

Because the Uchiha had just been relocated and were furious.

But Orochimaru taking students was aboveboard.

Hiruzen thought having Itachi in the Hokage faction might produce another Shisui.