Chapter 206: Controlling the Casino to Stop Gambling

As soon as Shinho closed his eyes, two lines of text appeared before him:

[Achievement Unlocked: Shizune's "Song of the Water Dragon" – Reward: Ice Explosion Gu.]

[Ice Explosion Gu: Rank Three Gu. Causes ice blocks to detonate, dealing significant damage. The power scales with the ice's volume and duration of freezing.]

What the...?

This achievement system truly had its quirks.

At least it wasn't something like "Water Dragon Reverence."

The Ice Explosion Gu was undoubtedly a good fit for Hinata Hyuga, who already had the Snow Fairy Gu. 

For Shinho, it was relatively useless since he couldn't create ice, rendering the Gu's abilities ineffective unless in an icy environment—like the Land of Snow.

The Land of Snow's ninja used Ice Release, though theirs was different from Haku's Kekkei Genkai. 

It was a standard ninjutsu reliant on manipulating the Land of Snow's ever-present ice and snow with chakra.

Shinho dismissed the thought and drifted off to sleep.

…

"Jerk!" Shizune muttered after finishing her nightly routine and settling into bed.

The memories of the day replayed in her mind, particularly the audacious antics of a certain someone. She hadn't expected things to escalate so quickly.

That night, one person tossed and turned while the other slept peacefully.

…

Shinho woke up refreshed and stretched comfortably. 

After changing clothes, he stepped out of his room. The morning sunlight wasn't too bright yet, and it cast a warm glow on everything it touched.

Passing the kitchen, he paused.

Shizune, dressed in loose pajamas, was cooking breakfast.

"Good morning, Shizune-nee," Shinho greeted, walking in.

"G-good morning," Shizune stammered, her body stiffening as she kept her gaze down.

Smiling, Shinho casually stepped closer and wrapped his arms around her from behind.

"L-let go!" Shizune protested, her voice tinged with panic. "What if someone sees us?"

"Sensei isn't awake yet," Shinho chuckled, leaning in a little more.

Shizune sighed internally, biting her lip as she resigned herself to his embrace. There's no escaping him in this lifetime, so why resist anymore?

Her life had always been simple: serving Tsunade as her student, housekeeper, and secretary. Romantic pursuits had never crossed her mind, not until Shinho barged into her world.

Still she wasn't that interested in love or anything, if Shinho wasnt't here, she would've continued her life simply following Tsunade.

"You're adorable, Shizune-nee," Shinho said in her ears, noticing her lack of resistance. She seemed far more relaxed than before, as if she had accepted this.

It seems once the first barrier breaks, everything else falls into place.

"What are you thinking?" Shizune suddenly shoved him, her face red as she glared at him.

"Sorry," Shinho said, clearing his throat. "I'll go freshen up."

Shizune huffed, muttering to herself about his shamelessness as she patted her cheeks and adjusted her pajamas before returning to her cooking.

…

Thirty minutes later, the three of them were seated at the breakfast table.

"Sensei, are you planning to visit the casino again today?" Shinho asked, biting into a rice ball.

"I'm going to win back everything I lost yesterday!" Tsunade declared, clenching her fists.

"Tsunade-sama!" Shizune scolded, frowning. "You could spend that time helping out at the Konoha Hospital!"

"I'm retired! You can't tell me what to do!" Tsunade retorted indignantly. "You're this brat's secretary now, so just focus on your job."

"Shizune-nee is a very capable secretary," Shinho said earnestly.

Shizune flushed and lowered her head, memories of yesterday's embarrassing moments flashing through her mind. 

Her face grew even redder as she remembered her awkward expressions during certain events.

Tsunade raised an eyebrow, glancing at Shinho approvingly. Not bad. He has her completely in his grasp.

Seeing Shizune rendered speechless, Tsunade felt no further resistance to her casino plans.

With a smirk, she finished her meal and left the table excitedly, not even waiting for Shizune to finish cleaning the dishes.

Shinho had made up for the money she had lost yesterday, so she now had another 10 million. Uder noral circumstances, she could play for several days.

"Shizune-nee," Shinho called from the doorway, stroking his chin. "What do you think about us controlling the casinos?"

"Controlling the casinos?" Shizune paused, confused. "Because of Tsunade-sama?"

"That's part of it," Shinho nodded. "But there are two other reasons: casinos are profitable, and it might help ninja quit gambling."

The second reason left Shizune puzzled. "Aren't those two goals contradictory? If you want to stop gambling, shouldn't the casinos be closed?"

"It's better to redirect than suppress," Shinho explained. "If we shut down all casinos, Sensei would just find new ones elsewhere. Instead, it's better if Konoha runs them."

"How do you plan to control the casinos?" Shizune asked. 

Though surprised, she quickly warmed to the idea. Having suffered years of financial stress from Tsunade's gambling, she despised casinos more than anyone. 

If they could be regulated, she'd fully support it.

"While not all casino operators are bad people, it's likely that some have criminal connections," Shinho said thoughtfully. "We'll let Konoha's Police Force investigate and handle it."

"I'll notify them shortly," Shizune said, turning off the faucet and removing her apron. "Let me change first."

"Wait," Shinho said, stopping her.

Shizune flinched and took a cautious step back, her face filled with alarm. She clearly misinterpreted his intentions, thinking he might act now that Tsunade had left.

"I'll notify them," Shinho said, amused by her reaction. "I also need to visit Sasuke. I haven't checked on him since he was discharged from the hospital."

"Huh?" Shizune froze, her cheeks tinting pink before she turned and quickly fled to her room.

Not long after, Shizune returned, now dressed in her black pencil skirt and stockings.

"You look stunning, Shizune-nee," Shinho said, glancing her over.

"Why didn't you compliment me before? It's the same outfit," Shizune asked, a faint smile gracing her lips.

"Same outfit, yes, but it's Shizune-nee who's grown even more beautiful," Shinho replied smoothly.

"Spoken like a true successor of the will of fire. Such a way with words," Shizune laughed, her spirits lifted.

The two walked to the Hokage building, chatting lightheartedly.

…

At the entrance to the Hokage's office, a kunoichi with long purple hair bowed as they approached.

"Hokage-sama," Yugao Uzuki greeted him, her voice formal and respectful.

"When did you return?" Shinho asked, halting mid-step.

Shizune glanced at Yugao before taking out the key and unlocking the Hokage's office door.

"Last night." Yugao replied, rising

"How is the Katabami Gold Mine progressing?" Shinho Aburame asked as he entered the office.

Standing in front of the Hokage's desk, Shizune bent slightly to tidy up the surface.

"We've reached an agreement with the villagers," Yugao Uzuki replied, pausing briefly. "The mine will resume operations in two days. All we need to do is assign a few ninja for long-term stationing."

"Good," Shinho said with a wave of his hand. "Take a break now."

"Yes, Hokage-sama," Yugao replied, bowing slightly before leaving the room.

Shizune turned around, her gaze briefly meeting Shinho's. As she passed him, she shot him a pointed glare, clearly aware of the overly direct way he'd been looking at her earlier.

Shinho smirked, unfazed. 

Shizune sighed inwardly, saying nothing more as she carried a stack of documents to the Hokage assistant's office next door.

Seated in the Hokage's chair, Shinho began reviewing paperwork. There hadn't been any significant incidents in Konoha recently—until he came across a report regarding the Land of Demons.

In addition to Kumogakure, Iwagakure had also accepted the shrine maiden Shion's request for assistance. However, Sunagakure and Kirigakure had declined.

Shinho surmised that the latter two villages were reluctant to expend their forces. Moryo, after all, had proven his threat level years ago, and it was roughly equivalent to a tailed beast.

Based on the original timeline, Moryo and Idō seemed to belong to the same category: creatures tied to Yin Release. 

Moryo's forces, dubbed the "Immortal Army," were comprised of demonic soldiers, which was a clear indication of his connection to Yin Release.

Interestingly, the Immortal Army bore resemblance to the terracotta warriors.

Under normal circumstances, Moryo would be sealed by Shion. However, if that happened, Shinho wouldn't have the opportunity to earn reputation, or to request custody of Moryo.

His plan was to weaken Moryo significantly and then seal him. Similar to Idō, Moryo could be repurposed effectively.

A knock on the door interrupted his thoughts.

"Come in," Shinho said, glancing up.

It wasn't Shizune; she wouldn't bother knocking.

"Hokage-sama," Yamanaka Inoichi greeted as he entered.

"Uncle Yamanaka," Shinho said with a warm smile. "It's been a while."

"It has," Inoichi replied, smiling in return. "If you have the time, Hokage-sama, you should visit our home. You'd be most welcome."

"Of course," Shinho replied.

After the brief pleasantries, Shinho steered the conversation toward business. "How did the interrogation of Raiga Kurosuki go?"

"We were successful," Inoichi said, handing Shinho a scroll. "This is all the information we extracted."

Shinho nodded appreciatively and unrolled the scroll.

The document was divided into two sections.

The first contained intelligence on Kirigakure, though much of it was outdated due to Raiga's long absence from the village.

The second part detailed his Lightning Release techniques, most of which revolved around his twin swords, Kiba.

The twin swords, Kiba were one of the Seven Ninja Swords, with the ability to generate and attract lightning. For a ninja specializing in Lightning Release, they were excellent weapons.

In Konoha, the most suitable candidates for such a weapon would be Kakashi Hatake and Sasuke Uchiha. The latter, in particular, frequently utilized swords in combat.

Sasuke using Three swords?

In the original timeline, Sasuke, having awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan, overestimated his capabilities and attempted to capture the Eight-Tails. 

He ended up overwhelmed by Killer Bee's Acrobat, even suffering severe injuries from the seven sword strikes.

"Thank you for your efforts, Uncle Yamanaka," Shinho said, rolling up the scroll.

"It's my duty," Inoichi replied before taking his leave.

Moments later, Shizune returned, carrying a basket of fruit. She handed it to Shinho.

"Thank you, Shizune-nee," Shinho said, taking the basket as he headed toward the Uchiha compound.

…

At the compound's entrance, he spotted Sasuke Uchiha approaching.

"You seem fully recovered," Shinho remarked after a quick once-over.

"Is there a mission?" Sasuke asked directly.

"Not at the moment," Shinho replied, pausing in thought. "In about two weeks."

Given the mission involved sealing Moryo, Karin would be essential. 

Sasuke, with his Mangekyō Sharingan was already powerful, he wouldn't have much problem dealing some monsters. 

Most importantly, his mangekyou sharingan could be convenient when a situation arose where they needed to control someone.

"No missions for today? Then let's spar," Sasuke suggested, glancing at the fruit basket.

Since awakening his Mangekyō Sharingan, Sasuke had been eager to test his abilities against Shinho. 

Though they had fought after the Hōzuki Castle mission, that had been during Satori's possession, leaving Sasuke unaware of the extent of his abilities.

"Next time… definitely," Shinho said, handing him the basket. "I need to speak with Aunt Mikoto."

"..." Sasuke hesitated for a moment before nodding reluctantly. 

When it came to his mother, he couldn't act rashly—especially not toward Shinho, who was not only Hokage but also someone the Uchiha clan relied on.

Shinho then handed over two scrolls. "These are Raiga's Lightning Release techniques and the Lightning Blades, Kiba. Use it well."

Sasuke accepted them, though a hint of regret flickered in his eyes. 

Having been in the hospital, he had missed the mission against Raiga. It would have been a perfect opportunity to test his Lightning Release and swordsmanship.

Pocketing the scrolls, Sasuke opened the door to the living room. Uchiha Mikoto turned instinctively, her eyes lighting up when she saw Sasuke and Shinho.

"Come in, Shinho," she said warmly, rising to greet him with a smile.

Sasuke, feeling overlooked, silently poured two glasses of water for them before retreating to his room. His focus on strength left little room for interest in other matters.

"That boy," Mikoto said with an affectionate sigh. "Don't mind him, Shinho."

In the past, Mikoto had the thoughts of having Sasuke compete for the position of Hokage.

But as he grew up, and the particular incidents shaped his personality, Mikoto had wondered if he'd ever be interest in such a position, or if it would suit him.

Now, with Shinho as the Hokage, Mikoto no longer held onto such thoughts.

There was no laws regarding how long someone can be the Hokage, as long as Shinho was willing, he could hold onto the position as long as he wished. And Mikoto was fully determined to hold onto Shinho as the Hokage.

At the moment, Uchiha clan's position in Konoha was stable, and things were going well. For example, the newly established Hokage Assistants. 

Apart from Shikaku Nara, she was the only member of the original Hokgae guards who held onto their power and status.

"I understand Sasuke's personality well," Shinho said, smiling. "Actually, I came to discuss something with the Konoha Police Force."

"Go ahead," Mikoto said, straightening in her seat, her demeanor turning serious.

"It's about the casinos," Shinho explained, laying out his plans.

"I see," Mikoto replied thoughtfully. "I'll handle the arrangements."

Though technically a private matter, the Uchiha clan would support Shinho's request out of loyalty and obligation. 

After all, his leadership as Hokage greatly benefited their clan.