The Golden Mirage

Arthur sat perched on a flat, moss-covered rock beside a stream. He raked his fingers through his hair with an angered expression as he pondered the implications of the Akatsuki knowing he was alive.

How did they find out? Could it have been Zetsu lurking in the shadows again?

Or maybe there was a more extensive investigation at play—something he had been unaware of while he kept to the shadows, waiting for the right moment to rise.

Now that the Akatsuki were searching for him, Saiken's fate hung in the balance. The last thing he wanted was for the Akatsuki to get wind of its existence before he was ready to devise a strategy to protect it.

A battle against that organization who thirsted for power was not one he wished to engage in lightly. He had no room for missteps.

And now, to top it all off, Hiruzen had awakened.

News of the third Hokage's recovery had been spreading across the Leaf Village like wildfire. Arthur had long kept flying raijin marks hidden in various locations throughout the village, and from their secluded vantage points, he could see the excitement among the villagers.

Hiruzen's presence would undoubtedly rearrange things, forcing Arthur to move quickly.

But what would that exactly mean for him?

'Pitiful neophytes,' he thought to himself as the stream of currents soothed his rage.

Deep down, he knew he had to adapt. His prior victories over Jada and William felt almost trivial now, mere pebbles in the grand scheme of the mountains.

He had won his own tournament, yes, but that title meant little against organizations like the Akatsuki. A sense of urgency filled him—he needed to grow stronger and do so quickly.

Contemplating the situation further, three persistent thoughts nagged at him.

First, what would be the Akatsuki's next move? He wondered about their interests in the Water Country, which had slowly become a potential search area for him.

The Akatsuki wouldn't just come looking for him; they would undoubtedly seek to gather intel and procure more information on anyone involved with Arthur.

That meant he had to ensure his defenses were solid for characters like Tayuya.

Second was Itachi's and Kisame's level of strength. They were far more challenging than what was to be expected. Were they truly that strong or was this one of those buffed up advantages some of the characters received—making them more of a challenge? If that were the case, then one could only imagine how strong Nagato was.

The last and more pressing matter was still Hiruzen's return. Others would rally around him, and he knew that stirring the villagers' affections could potentially lead them to reject any of Arthur's overtures.

What was to stop everyone from pushing collectively toward a common goal?

Arthur should have assassinated him when he had the chance. But how could he when there was always a high-ranking shinobi guarding the Hokage's hospital?

Arthur squinted at the water before him, its surface momentarily disturbed by a gust of wind. He wrapped his arms around his knees, settling into a more profound contemplation.

To ensure his longevity and continued strength, he wasn't just going to rely on growing his own power. No, he would also need to forge something anew, like a team—though the thought of relying on others sat uncomfortably heavy on his heart.

Arthur worked alone. For him to have a team or a form of alliance meant that he would be their head—nothing more, nothing less.

Those who couldn't stand on their own would be left dead.

After thinking long and hard, one name came to his mind: Tsunade. Not as a partner, but something else.

That particular legendary Sannin was renowned not just for her strength, but also for her exceptional medical ninjutsu and connection to the Leaf Village. Truth be told, she was not a bad Hokage.

And there was something she had that he could use: information.

But how to engage such a lady? That question was too easy to answer: he could use her gambling addiction against her—where wagers fell easily off the tongue, and the right game could help him get what he needed.

Gambling was risky, but the rewards could very well match Arthur's needs.

In hindsight, gambling was very wrong on Earth. Arthur had never gambled before but knew how to play certain games like poker and baccarat (a Southern American game).

In this world, however, gambling was broken down into various forms of Japanese games. Most of them were similar to the games he'd played on Earth, but he had yet to see any of them.

And would it be gambling if he knew the results beforehand? He was a ninja, having supernatural abilities that were honestly considered cheating—a quick way to also get rich without ever being caught.

He looked into the distance for a little while before finally rising to his feet. There was a strangeness to it all.

If he could meet Tsunade in an environment where she felt at ease—where she thrived—he might be able to collect the information he sought.

And what was he after? Let's just say it required her cooperation.

Tsunade was nothing less than the epitome of a skilled strategist; engaging in games would appeal to her flair, offering an avenue for playful banter, followed by potentially discussions about the state of affairs in the Leaf Village.

Say Arthur met her and challenged her, only to win. Imagine what things she would gamble for him to unwittingly take.

But there were risks, and he knew that.

Convincing Tsunade of his prowess without revealing too much could be challenging. He couldn't present himself as a threat; no, that would extinguish his chances entirely.

Assuming he asked for her to wager something like half her village, she would likely say no because it was either not in her jurisdiction or because of her duties as the Hokage.

Tsunade, although a gambling addict, was not stupid. To secure an audience with her would still be paramount.

As Arthur developed the contours of his strategy, the creases in his brow began to soften. But he couldn't stall for time, either.

He recalled the earlier messenger hawk, the one he had sent off to Jada. They were to meet eventually, so he had to execute his plan as quickly as possible while whoever was with him was traveling.

After taking just a little more time to run through his plan, he walked away from the stream. And so, the next phase was set in motion; he would travel to the Land of Money.

While Tsunade was a worthwhile target for his plans, the Leaf Village was still crawling with players, making it unnecessary for him to approach her just yet.

After Sasuke's departure and Hiruzen's return to power, security had tightened significantly. Arthur understood that attempts to infiltrate the village undetected would require a little more finesse than what he had recently been employing.

'Transformation jutsu…'

His form shifted to that of a well-off but entirely unremarkable man—average height, ordinary features, and an air of affluence that made him look more like a rich prospect than a villager.

Once fully cloaked, chakra included, he focused intently, teleporting to the Land of Money without a second thought.

It was a realm unlike any other, known for its questionable economy and culture.

Arthur first found himself on the outskirts of the Land of Money, which was awash in shades of green and gold. This area had been visited while he was one day traveling to the Land of Silent.

In every new country he visited, even if it wasn't his initial destination, he would always leave at least one flying raijin mark there in case of emergencies.

He began his journey toward the capital, hardly impressed at the manicured fields peppered with unblossomed flowers. This particular country, as the name implied, was filled with greedy individuals and rich tycoons that ventured here for investments.

Xavier, the construction mogul, had actually been born here, having left for Arthur's country because it yielded him better profits.

Arthur could practically see the towering structures of the capital in the distance as night descended. The city that never sleeps is what it was known as to many.

For what reason? It boasted the largest casino in the world: The Golden Mirage. It was a spectacular emporium that rivaled Las Vegas, United States.

As Arthur arrived, the dazzling lights of The Golden Mirage bathed him in a kaleidoscope of colors. The sounds—the incessant clinking of coins, the shouts of shock, and the frenetic music filling the air—combined into a symphony of chance and fortune.

The place was electrifying, filled with the scent of luxury, possibility, and loss.

The citizens present were diverse, each with their own dreams and aspirations.

Couples adorned in sleek attire held hands while nervously eyeing the roulette wheels, eager to turn their fortunes. Groups of friends shared joy heightened by the thrill of the next game.

A high-stakes player loudly celebrated a win at a nearby poker table, eliciting cheers and applause from onlookers, while a weary but hopeful elderly man sat at a slot machine, playing despite being down thousands.

Arthur truly couldn't understand these types of individuals. They loved to gamble and never seemed to want to stop despite losing so much.

It was a sin, one that would bury them in debt and financial losses.

Undeterred by the lights and shouts, he maneuvered through the excited patrons, keeping himself well hidden.

That's when something caught his attention. His eyes darted toward a table draped in green felt, where a larger-than-average crowd had gathered.

The dealer there, sporting an impressive mustache, dealt the cards with flair, leaving many of the audience entranced.

Drawing closer, Arthur could see the game unfolding—Kuro'o Hazama. It was a game similar to blackjack. Or rather, it was blackjack.

"Hmmm," he murmured to himself.

While he blended seamlessly into the crowd, his true mission transcended mere observation; he desired to play.

His knowledge of card games, coupled with the foresight offered by his Tamashii, would undoubtedly give him an upper hand that few could rival.

Secretly activating his Tamashii, he could already see every detail on that table and within the casino. Every shuffle from the dealer, each slight hesitation from the players—it was all crystal clear.

But to play this game required chips.

Arthur navigated through the gamblers until he reached the booth designated for exchanging currency for chips. As he approached, a man behind the counter looked up from his paperwork, glancing at Arthur with the same indifference one might expect in a casino.

"How much would you like?" the clerk asked in a chipped but polite tone.

Arthur glanced around, noting the exchange rate. Each chip had its own value, resembling the gambling chips he'd known back on Earth but with a unique twist to their monetary worth:

The clerk, sensing that he was new, handed him a brochure. He glanced at the various chips on display.

The colors and their corresponding values were quite distinctive from what he was used to: red chips were worth 100 ryō, blue chips valued at 250 ryō, green chips at 500 ryō, black chips at 1,000 ryō, purple chips at 5,000 ryō, orange chips at 10,000 ryō, yellow chips at 25,000 ryō, and the white chips were worth 50,000 ryō.

He had only brought with him 100,000 ryō. That amount was paltry in light of his overall net worth. Yet he could not access his larger funds safely from the Water Country, considering the risks of being caught.

So for now, this had to suffice.

"Figured out how much you'd like?" the clerk asked.

"Give me a combination of all the colors until they equal one hundred thousand ryō," he instructed without hesitation.

The clerk confirmed the order, handing over an array of chips that settled into a pile before Arthur. It was honestly quite a lot for one man to carry.

And in a sense, he was flat broke now; these chips had no intrinsic value if he lost.

Armed with his chips, he strode toward the blackjack table, the same table that had been garnering a lot of attention. To his expectancy, a seat had just opened.

Why hadn't anyone else taken it? Because it was the highest table in the casino!