Alex and Menchi carefully search through the corpses of the dead bandits while Tazuna watches with wide eyes, still shocked.
"I knew you guys were tough, but I didn't expect this level of strength! Do I even need to hire those ninjas?! You're so strong! You effortlessly killed those robbers… and that Jutsu, Alex! I thought you weren't a ninja! Frost? I know a fair bit about ninjas, and I've never heard of anyone using a jutsu like that," Tazuna says, wide-eyed.
Sigh… I wish we didn't need them, but without Kakashi, this mission is unlikely to succeed.
Alex calmly replies, "I'm confident I can easily take down a few Genin, Tazuna, but I'm probably only around Chūnin-level myself. I think we still need a team—at least a few Chūnins or a few Genin led by a Jōnin—just to be safe."
Tazuna's face twists with frustration. "Really? But you're that strong, and Menchi and Jewel were also deadly… I guess we'll go ahead with the plan then. Let's move on quickly."
"Sure, just let us gather anything of value first," Alex responds, flashing a greedy grin.
They pick up two white chests, loose bills and coins, and collect several unranked weapons, which Alex quickly stashes in his inventory.
You received Chest (White)
You received Chest (White)
"Not bad. 31,000 Ryō!" Alex grins. "They were loaded. Must've just hit someone else."
"How much is that?" Menchi asks, curious.
"Let's move on," Alex says, glancing at Tazuna, who nods and starts walking again.
Staying close to Menchi, Alex lowers his voice, speaking so Tazuna doesn't hear.
"One Ryō is about ten Yen. And Yen is pretty similar to Jenny, so 31,000 Ryō isn't a fortune, but it's a solid haul. I remember most D-rank missions pay around 5,000 Ryō. So this is nearly a week's worth of D-rank missions!"
Don't forget, Soulmate, we can still sell these weapons.
Exactly, Jewel!
The group continues walking toward Konoha. As the sun begins to set, they finally spot Shukuba Town in the distance.
"Heh, looks like a fairly large and modern city," Alex comments.
"Not bad," Menchi says with a smile. "At least we'll get to sleep comfortably."
"I'll lead the way. Let's stay at an inn near Fun Fun Avenue," Tazuna says with a lewd grin, a faint blush on his face.
"You sure know your way around, huh? You owe me one, or I'll tell Tsunami," Alex jokes.
"Oh come on! My wife's been dead for a while. I loved her, but a man's gotta let off some steam once in a while," he says, looking oddly self-righteous.
"Sure…" Alex mutters.
As they enter the town, they spot a few Konoha ninjas stationed at the entrance, guarding the area.
Tazuna leads them toward a rather large inn, located right next to the famous Fun Fun Avenue, surrounded by similarly big buildings and flashy signs.
They book a medium-sized room—Tazuna, of course, covering the cost.
He turns to them with a grin. "I'll see you guys later. Alex, you coming along? I'll even bribe you so you don't snitch to my daughter."
"Sorry, I think I'll pass," Alex says, while a certain spider wraps her soft legs around his neck, giving him a gentle, loving massage.
Perfect decision, Soulmate. Your behavior is exemplary. Princess Jewel approves of your modesty. Please avoid places like that.
Once Tazuna leaves, Alex, Menchi, and Jewel settle into their room.
"Sorry, Jewel. I said I'd pass… but I think we should still go there," Alex admits.
Soulmate… are you in need of attention? Princess Jewel would love to provide her dearest Soulmate with all the love she can muster.
Alex sighs, trying to choose his words carefully.
"Ryō, is it?" Menchi guesses, smirking. "You've fallen in love with robbing people, and now you want more."
Alex nods. "Exactly. We can spend that money in Konoha, I'm sure of it. There are ninjas and guards around, yeah—but Fun Fun Avenue's a sleazy place. I don't mind targeting the scum there… criminals, conmen, robbers. So how about this—a little contest. We split up. Whoever brings back the most spoils becomes the king until we return to the Land of Waves. It's a fun German game, usually played with dice, but let's tweak the rules. The King's orders are absolute, by the way."
"Interesting… you've definitely motivated me," Menchi says, eyes gleaming.
Princess Jewel will never be a king, but she might as well assume the appropriate role of Princess Queen for a while.
"...Jewel, I think you need to pick one," Alex comments, watching her mischievous stare.
"Oh, and before I forget—the King or Queen doesn't abuse their power. No insane demands or we'll have a rebellion," Alex adds, not liking the expression she's giving him.
Menchi laughs. "Getting scared already?"
"Kinda… anyway," Alex shrugs, "just make sure not to get caught. We can all use Zetsu, so that'll help. Just aim for profit and items. No fighting Konoha ninjas or guards—only go after the kind of trash no one will miss. And let's keep it short, just a few hours. We still need sleep."
"It's on! I only need a few hours," Menchi replies, eyes full of confidence.
Princess Jewel will ascend to Queenhood!
"I guess it's time to… START!" Alex shouts.
The three of them leap out of their room's window one after another, disappearing into the neon lights and chaos of Fun Fun Avenue.
I hope those two don't go overboard… Let's see… large bars, strip clubs, anything that looks like it's run by gangs. That's the kind of place I'm looking for.
Alex casually strolls along the famous street. He sees lecherous men, a few working girls, and a surprising number of old people who clearly feel right at home in the sleazy atmosphere.
That's the reality of places like this… it's all about money—it's just business.
He spots a few aggressive henchmen, more or less forcefully dragging men into a large building. It's not only the tallest structure around at five stories high, but also as wide as four normal buildings combined.
Jackpot! This place looks like a scam. Exactly like it's the hideout that rich gangsters would use. It's obvious.
Alex activates Zetsu, moving silently through the street. Even the workers trying to lure customers into the establishment ignore him completely.
He slips inside and immediately sees a crowd of strippers and a large central bar.
Right away, a few details confirm his suspicions.
No prices. No menus. Girls aggressively flirting, forcefully coaxing drunk men into ordering seemingly expensive alcohol….
He ignores them and heads upstairs. On the second floor, he finds rows of rooms in the back and a large open space full of women up front.
Brothel area… not what I'm after. These girls look shady as hell too. Meh.
The third floor seems to be something special. Alex spots several women onstage, playing perverted games with each other, some being groped by lewd spectators who approach them with bills in hand, tipping them generously. The women act shy but Alex notes that this is all part of the game.
How boring—they tip them and get to grope or even participate in the games while the broke ones just watch. These losers.
But then the atmosphere shifts as he reaches the fourth floor. The sleaziness fades. A few women still serve drinks, but they're dressed classier—and far more beautiful.
What's this… gambling? Perfect! 31,000 Ryō as my starting pot. Let's go!
Players sit on a traditional tatami floor, playing a deceptively simple game.
Two dice. Guess even or odd. Each round, the dealer picks even or odd before the roll.
So simple… no strategy. Still, let's see what I can do.
Alex steps forward. "Mind if I join?"
"If you can afford it. No bets under 1,000," one of them replies.
"And what's the maximum?" Alex asks, already thinking big.
They all chuckle. "Maximum? There isn't one. We'll take you for everything you've got!"
Alex laughs and sits down, "Good luck to you then!"
The round ends, causing the dealer to shift, signalling the start of a new round. Alex bets 2,000 Ryō on odd. To his own surprise, he loses.
This repeats three more times until it's his turn as a dealer.
This is impossible. My LUK is unmatched. If I'm still losing, that means… they're cheating.
"I'll pass on my turn as dealer. I'm already down 8,000," Alex says in a serious tone.
"Tzzzt, coward," one gambler mutters.
"Now, now, don't be like that," says a man at the end of the floor with a calm smile. "Let him play how he wants. At least he makes real bets."
So that's the head. Interesting. These guys are more naive than I thought.
Alex plays a few more rounds, loses again, loudly curses his rotten luck, stands up rudely, and storms out of the room.
"Hehe, come back soon," the boss chuckles behind him.
Activating Zetsu again, Alex silently opens the door and peeks back inside. He sees the boss pulling out a large case full of money—apparently collecting winnings from the players who beat him, probably his fee for facilitating the scam.
Hehe, so that's where you keep your money? Interesting.
Alex takes out his [Commander Shepard's Dog Tag], replacing his current necklace [Drakul's Vitality], then grabs [Jack's Spare Silvery Mask] from his inventory and puts it on.
He re-enters the room in total silence. Everyone's still focused on the game. Nobody even detects a hint of him returning, much less actually noticing him.
Channeling just a tiny bit of Aura into his hands, he chops two players in the neck simultaneously, silently dropping them. He moves immediately to the next pair—same result.
"What—!?" one of them blurts out.
Alex punches and kicks the others into unconsciousness before they can react, the chaos ending in seconds.
"What?! Who are you?! Do you have any idea who I am?! You'll—!"
The man freezes as Alex activates [Commander Shepard's Dog Tag], a glowing red wave of energy flooding his eyes and body. His Aura flares violently as he holds a hand over the boss's face, now radiating deadly intent, clearly influenced by his dog tag.
The man pisses himself uncontrollably and nearly faints—until Alex kicks him in the face, snapping him back to consciousness.
"All your Ryō Three seconds. On zero, you die.
Three… two…"
"I beg you—spare my life! I'll give you everything I own!!" the man cries, scrambling to hand Alex the entire cash case, filled with bills.
Alex grabs it, then loots the unconscious players for good measure.
Before leaving, he warns them, casting Fire lvl 5 at a nearby flower vase, making it explode. The water within it quickly vaporizes, causing steam to appear in the room.
Alex, now hidden in the steam, quietly declares, "I'm letting you live. But if you tell anyone, I'll come back. And not even Konoha's ninjas can stop me. If you want revenge, hire a Jōnin. But if that fails—I will be back."
With that, he jumps out of a nearby window, vanishing into the crowded street.
Once back outside, he quickly removes the mask and dog tag, reequipping [Drakul's Vitality].
Hehe, that was fun. Looks like I'm destined to rule over those two!
As he walks away, a tall woman suddenly blocks his path.
Alex lazily glances at her, taking in her features.
Tall. Blonde hair. Brown eyes. Weird diamond-shaped tattoo on her forehead… huge tits… odd green necklace…
Tsunade?!
"Hey there, young man. That wasn't very nice—you ruined my chance to win a fortune.
How're you gonna compensate me, huh?" she asks, her voice sweet but laced with curiosity as she eyes him closely.
------------------------------------------------
A/N: Always thankful for Power Stones, Comments and Reviews. Thank you for reading!
If you are interested, then please support me at patreon.com/FRWriter
60+ Early chapters available - I will still release on WN daily!! Thank you!
Bored? Complains? Demands? Check out the Discord: https://discord.gg/puVqWsf3y9
Thank you for supporting the story with Power Stones!
If we stay in the top 100 by the end of the Week I'll release another chapter.