They traveled through time at the same time, but the villainous scientist

Chapter 7 Ways to Make Money

Konoha
In an unassuming reception room, the air was filled with the faint scent of ink and the distinctive aroma of paper.

A middle-aged man wearing black-rimmed glasses, who looked somewhat rigid, sat upright, his fingers fiddling with a few pages of manuscript paper, reading line by line with focused attention.

His brow furrowed and relaxed at times, his expression shifting dramatically, clearly showing he was deeply engrossed in the article.

Sitting opposite him was Orochimaru.

He leisurely held a steaming cup of tea, his posture composed, as if he didn't care at all about the editor's reaction.

This is the fastest and relatively safest way for him to make money, after careful consideration.

Using the knowledge and resources of other worlds to "plagiarize" in this world.

Considering the inherent popularity of ninja themes in this world, the work he chose was naturally Futaro Yamada's masterpiece, "Kouga Ninja Scrolls".

Of course, in order to adapt to the background of the Naruto world, he made detailed localization modifications to the era setting, ninjutsu system and even the names of the characters to make them more in line with the understanding of this world.

And so, time slowly passed in the quiet of reading.

After a long while, the editor let out a long sigh of relief and carefully put down the manuscript in his hand, as if it were not ordinary paper, but a fragile treasure.

"Orochimaru... sir, this work... is simply... a masterpiece!"

"In order to compete for the right to inherit the daimyo's throne, the two major ninja schools, Iga and Koga, each selected ten top masters to engage in a life-or-death duel... This setting alone is attractive enough!"

What's even more incredible is that the young leaders of the two factions are actually a pair of lovers with a tragic fate!

This extreme conflict and sense of tragedy... I, I want to see the next chapter right now!

The editor's voice trembled slightly. He took off his glasses, rubbed his sore eyes, and tried to calm his inner turmoil.

In his more than ten years in the industry, this was the first time he had seen such a work. This Orochimaru-sensei is definitely a genius.

"Ahem~ Let's talk about the contract first?"

Orochimaru coughed lightly. He had done market research before coming. Ninja-themed content was very popular, but the content of the articles was quite primitive.

But his product has been tested by the market in another world with advanced entertainment, so isn't that a clear case of a dimensional reduction attack?
"Yep……"

"Mr. Orochimaru, our magazine is very keen to obtain the exclusive serialization rights to this work!"
We're willing to pay...this amount!

The editor took a deep breath, forced himself to calm down, put his glasses back on, and held up five fingers.

Five thousand taels of silver per sheet of paper—that's the highest rate of payment in the industry.

But he firmly believes that with this "Ninja Scroll," their magazine's circulation will experience a leap forward, making the investment absolutely worthwhile.

The only thing to do now is to get the serialization rights to this novel at all costs!
"can."

Orochimaru thought for a moment and nodded in agreement.

Each article in the magazine is 400 words, and each serialized article is about 8000 to 10000 words, which means he earns about 100,000 taels of silver in royalties.

This magazine is a weekly, which means he can earn an extra 40 taels of silver per month, not including the income from the later publication of individual volumes.

Based on his previous research, this fee should be among the top in the industry.

Most importantly, it doesn't take him much effort to generate continuous revenue, and if it becomes popular, he might even be able to sell the film adaptation rights.

In this way, the two parties quickly reached an agreement on the details and signed a formal contract.

Orochimaru then received an envelope containing a signing bonus of 20,000 ryo in paper money.

Although the amount of money was not much, it at least solved his immediate problem and temporarily relieved him of his "dirt-ridden" predicament. In the future, he could add two more slices of char siu to his ramen.

Leaving the slightly stuffy reception room and breathing in the relatively fresh air of the street, Orochimaru was in a good mood.

Money is not important; the main thing is to bring outstanding works from another world here and promote cultural exchange between the two worlds.
Just as he was about to go straight home and continue his cultivation, he caught a glimpse of a furtive figure out of the corner of his eye.

Tsunade?!
She was dressed casually, but unlike her usual carefree self, she looked around furtively before quickly slipping into a secluded alley.

Ok?
Orochimaru was taken aback, and followed after them with some curiosity.

Instead of greeting him directly, he quietly followed behind.

With his experience from the Assassin's Creed world, Tsunade naturally couldn't detect his stealth.

After entering the alley, Tsunade looked around to make sure no one was there, then formed a hand seal for a transformation jutsu.

"Oh!"

As the white smoke dissipated, the person standing there was no longer the blonde girl, but a middle-aged man who looked to be around thirty or forty years old, with an ordinary face and a slightly overweight figure.

Transformation?
Orochimaru was taken aback, but then he realized that there was only one reason why Tsunade had transformed into a middle-aged woman: she was going into a place that was inconvenient for someone her age to enter.

Considering this young lady's interests and hobbies, it goes without saying where she would go.

really……

Orochimaru couldn't help but chuckle as he watched Tsunade, now transformed, walk into the casino.

His two teammates were involved in two different activities: one was spying on women in a bathhouse, and the other was going to a casino.

So interests are cultivated from a young age...

However, since we've already run into it, we might as well go and see what's going on.

He also used his transformation spell, turning into a white-haired young man with a cold face and a calm demeanor, before slowly walking into the casino hidden deep in the alley.

The casino was filled with smoke and noise, the air thick with the smells of sweat, cheap tobacco, and alcohol, a stark contrast to the desolate scene on the streets outside.

The sounds of shouts, dice clattering, and dominoes banging on the table rose and fell, creating a unique cacophony of noise in the casino.

Orochimaru's sharp eyes scanned the area, and he quickly found his target next to a gambling table where people were playing cards.

The middle-aged man who was Tsunade in disguise was sitting there, with fine beads of sweat on his forehead, an anxious expression, his eyes fixed on the cards in his hand, and muttering to himself.

Opposite him sat a middle-aged man with a mustache and shrewd eyes. A faint smile played on his lips as his fingers deftly moved across the deck of cards, his movements seemingly casual yet revealing a seasoned skill.

Orochimaru stood on the periphery of the crowd, observing quietly.

After several rounds of cards, he could see it clearly.

Tsunade's luck was absolutely terrible; every hand she drew was a combination of cards that could be considered "useless," with no chance of winning.

Although the man with the mustache used extremely subtle and fast techniques, Orochimaru, with his enhanced dynamic vision and analytical abilities, still vaguely sensed something amiss.

This guy is cheating...

"Slap! You cheated! Otherwise, my luck wouldn't have been this bad!"

Tsunade slammed the bad cards in her hand onto the table and pointed angrily at the man with the mustache opposite her.

Money doesn't matter, but constantly losing does!

"My friend, you can't just say things like that."

My casino relies on its reputation. If you accuse me of cheating without evidence, and that gets out, my business will be ruined.

Upon hearing this, the man with the mustache maintained his smile and slowly spread his hands.

"How about this, if you don't trust me and think there's something wrong with my method, you can just find someone to deal the cards. I have no objection."

Seeing that Tsunade did not react, the man with the mustache paused, giving her a "thinking of you" look.

Upon hearing this, Tsunade frowned.

She couldn't find any evidence that the other party was cheating, but she just couldn't believe that her luck had run out.

Looking around, she saw a crowd of onlookers gathered around the gambling table. Too lazy to choose carefully, she randomly pointed to a middle-aged man standing nearby who looked rather honest.

"You're the one! You deal the cards!"

"OK, no problem."

Upon seeing the person Gang pointed to, a barely perceptible smile flashed in the mustache man's eyes, and he readily nodded.

On the surface, he seemed to be saying this, but inwardly he was sneering, thinking, "This fool has indeed fallen for it."

This "legendary fat sheep" truly lived up to his reputation; he was foolish, rich, and obsessed with saving face.

He had planned this all along to catch this big fish. More than half the people in the casino were his shills; you could point to any one of them and they would be one of his own.

The "honest man" identified by the leader stepped forward and began shuffling and dealing the cards.

As expected, Tsunade suffered defeat after defeat, her chips on the table dwindled, and her expression grew increasingly grim.

Orochimaru watched from the sidelines, shaking his head in disbelief.

He worked so hard writing his novel, and only earned 20,000 taels as a signing bonus after half a year. But Tsunade, that spendthrift woman, lost at least 300,000 taels in just a short while!

Is it really that easy to lose this money?

"That's not how you fight."

Seeing that Tsunade was about to slam her fist on the table and lose her temper again, Orochimaru finally couldn't stand it anymore. He pushed through the crowd, stepped forward, and held down Tsunade's hand before she could strike, saying calmly.

"Who are you? Is it any of your business?"

Tsunade was seething with anger when she was interrupted, so her tone was naturally very sharp.

She looked up abruptly at the white-haired youth who had suddenly appeared.

"Akagi Shigeru~"

Orochimaru replied, his originally black pupils instantly turning into vertical golden snake eyes.

Those eyes...are...Orochimaru's?!
Oh no, my teammates found out I lost money... Tsunade's body stiffened, and her pupils suddenly contracted.

The anger on his face turned into astonishment and a hint of barely perceptible embarrassment.

"Are we still going to fight? If not, we'll break up."

Seeing this, the man with the mustache opposite him urged impatiently, not wanting any further complications.

Tsunade hesitated for a moment, glancing at Orochimaru and then at the few remaining chips on the table.

"Let me take over next."

Perfect, I'll teach you how to play too.

Orochimaru released his grip and said calmly.

"you?"

Hearing Orochimaru say that, Tsunade raised an eyebrow. Although she recognized Orochimaru, she was still somewhat unconvinced.

This guy was a quiet, reserved person at school; he never seemed interested in anything other than cultivation.

Does he gamble?
However, after losing so much, she was unwilling to leave in such a dejected manner.

With that thought in mind, Tsunade gritted her teeth and gave up her seat.

"Brother Akagi, what do you want to play?"

The man with the mustache asked somewhat warily, giving him a very uncomfortable feeling about this young man who had suddenly appeared.

"Hmm, I'm not very good at poker, but... I'm alright at mahjong."

Orochimaru pulled out a chair and sat down, calmly meeting the other person's gaze.

"Oh? What a coincidence!"
I'm also very good at mahjong.

Upon hearing this, the man with the mustache relaxed slightly, and a smile returned to his face.

"That's perfect, how about we start a game? This is my card partner."

You can find one too.

The points will be counted only between the two of us.

Orochimaru nodded, a barely perceptible smile curving his lips, and pointed to the middle-aged man Tsunade had transformed into.

"no problem!"

The man with the mustache immediately agreed, thinking that mahjong would be better instead.

After all, there are more variables and more room for maneuver at the mahjong table.

He immediately called over one of his most capable subordinates to join in.

Soon, a mahjong table was brought over, and the four people sat down.

The card game begins.

In the first few rounds, the winds completely swung in Orochimaru's favor.

His movements of drawing and playing cards were fluid and seemingly casual, and his points accumulated rapidly like a snowball, quickly putting him far ahead.

The man with the mustache sitting opposite him was already sweating profusely.

This young man who calls himself "Shigeru Akagi" is like a monster!

He felt as if his hand was transparent to his opponent. No matter what card he wanted to play, his opponent could always anticipate his moves and accurately catch him when he discarded a winning card.

Several times he suspected that his opponent could see through things, which forced him to only dare to attack familiar opponents, making him feel restricted and extremely frustrated.

Tsunade, standing nearby, watched with wide, amazed expressions.

She never expected that Orochimaru, who usually seemed so reserved and brooding, would be so... fierce at the card table!
It's like he's possessed by a demon! Is this really the Orochimaru she knows?

Orochimaru himself remained calm and composed, his expression as still as a deep well.

He certainly didn't rely on luck or any kind of "card sense".

Instead, he cheated by having his shadow clone blend into the crowd before entering the card table, disguised as a passerby.

Then the information was transmitted to him through the chakra threads...

Seeing that conventional methods were no match for him, the man with the mustache hardened his eyes, knowing he couldn't wait any longer.

During the shuffling process, his fingers moved as fast as a phantom, subtly replacing several key cards.

In this round, he finally seized the opportunity, drew a big hand, and won back some points.

"Heh, you cheated, didn't you?"

Orochimaru glanced at the cards his opponent had revealed, casually shuffling his own deck while speaking nonchalantly.
"Friend, you can eat whatever you want, but you can't say whatever you want."

You accuse me of cheating, where's the evidence?
In casinos, if you're not caught in the act, you haven't cheated; that's the rule.

The man with the mustache paused, then smiled nonchalantly.

"Evidence? That makes sense."

Orochimaru nodded and picked up the dice.

Just as he rolled the dice, and a new round was about to begin—

"Zi la..."

The lights on the casino ceiling flickered a few times, emitting a piercing electrical sound, and then suddenly went dark!

The entire casino was plunged into a brief period of darkness and chaos.

"What's going on? There's a power outage?"

"What are you doing!"

Amidst the noise, the lights quickly came back on.

Before everyone could fully adjust to the change in light, Orochimaru suddenly pushed down the wall of cards in front of him!
"Glory~"

A cold voice rang out, and the cards were reflected in the astonished gazes of the crowd.

A pure suit, a suit of honors, four concealed triplets with a single wait... No, this is not an ordinary hand!

"Heavenly Hu?! Nine...Nine Lotus Lanterns?!"

A knowledgeable gambler gasped in surprise, his voice trembling.

A perfect Nine Lotus Lantern! And it's a Heavenly Hand! This legendary hand has actually appeared!

The entire casino fell silent instantly, all eyes fixed on Orochimaru's deck of cards, which shone with an eerie light, as if witnessing a miracle.

"Cheating! You definitely cheated!"

You definitely changed your license plate during the power outage!
Otherwise, it would be impossible for the Heavenly Nine-Lotus Treasure Lamp to be there!

The man with the mustache turned pale, suddenly stood up, and roared at Orochimaru.

This isn't just a card swap, he's just swallowing the whole table!

"Where's the evidence?"

Orochimaru countered with the same question, simply returning the words the other party had said before, verbatim.

"you……"

The man with the mustache was speechless, his face turning from white to green, then from green to purple, just like a face-changing act.

Of course, he couldn't produce any evidence. The lights went out too quickly, and there was complete chaos. Who knows what happened?

In the end, amidst the awe and amazement of the surrounding gamblers, the man with the mustache could only watch helplessly as Orochimaru swept away all the chips piled up on the table.

We left the casino and entered a quiet alley.

"Oh!"

"Here, I'll return your principal, and we'll split the rest in half."

Orochimaru deactivated his transformation jutsu and returned to his original form.

Then he handed the alley full of money to Tsunade, ready to start dividing the money.

"No, no! These are all yours! But..."

You have to teach me how to play cards! That move, the Heavenly Hand Nine Lotus Lantern, was so cool!!

Tsunade waved her hand, then moved closer to Orochimaru, looking at him with bright, excited eyes.

"S~"

Upon hearing this, Orochimaru couldn't help but gasp.

The money here, including the principal and the winnings, amounts to over 60 taels of silver. And this woman gave it all to him without even blinking?

As expected of the First Hokage's granddaughter, the legendary fat sheep... she's inhumanly rich...

But this way of making money is really fast...

And so, from that day on, a legend about the "Demon God Akagi Shigeru" began to circulate in casinos throughout the ninja world.

(End of this chapter)