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Another half-month passed.
The first high-end casino in Tanzaku Town had officially opened!
The scene was spectacular—drums thundered, firecrackers boomed, banners waved, and crowds swarmed.
Sasame wasn't exaggerating.
Even Risane Kajiwa, the wife of Tanzaku Town's governor, had come to show her support.
That dinner had clearly been worth it.
The only downside? The woman couldn't keep her hands to herself.
But her presence sent a clear message to everyone: this casino had powerful backing.
Sasame guessed that rival gambling dens would think twice before making a move.
And hesitation meant missed opportunities.
With the services offered by Koma Casino, it was practically an unfair advantage.
The six-story establishment operated on a tiered system.
The first floor had an entry fee of 10,000 ryō, offering standard casino fare.
But by the sixth floor? Heaven on earth.
Entry cost 5 million ryō, and every dealer and attendant was sourced from Tanzaku's finest pleasure houses—available for any kind of entertainment.
Food, drinks, and amenities were all top-tier, the best the Land of Fire had to offer.
It was pure, unadulterated decadence.
Even if competitors tried to copy the model, it would take them months—by then, it'd be too late.
Alongside Koma Casino, Koma Bank had also relaunched.
Underground banks typically only dealt in loansharking, not deposits.
For savings, people relied on state-backed institutions.
In the original timeline, Jiraiya had shown Naruto a passbook from the Land of Fire's official bank.
But those were nobility-exclusive—they wouldn't even glance at small sums, only accepting deposits in the millions, with zero interest.
Koma Bank was different.
It mirrored modern banking: accepting any deposit, offering interest, and providing low-rate loans (with collateral—property or jutsu were acceptable).
Between the casino and the bank, Sasame should've had an endless cash flow—unless he splurged on something massive.
Like, say, funding Orochimaru's research. That kind of money pit could bankrupt anyone.
That night, Sasame sent a Wood Clone to Orochimaru's mansion—mainly to finalize the Uzumaki sealing jutsu trade.
"Wait."
Just as Sasame was about to leave after setting the exchange details, Orochimaru stopped him.
"I have something you might find interesting."
He produced a vial of liquid. "A serum I developed using Yamato's cells to neutralize Hashirama's. Long-term use could awaken Wood Release—safely, with minimal risk."
Sasame raised an eyebrow. Interesting, but not groundbreaking.
He already had Wood Release.
"Any other effects?"
"It enhances physical constitution and boosts chakra reserves."
Orochimaru paused. "In sufficient quantities, it might even replicate Hashirama's physique."
Yeah, and I might sprout wings and fly.
Sasame didn't expect to reach Hashirama-tier, but any improvement was worthwhile.
Between this serum and Uzumaki Ena's vitality, he figured he could at least surpass Sasuke's base stats—if not Naruto's.
"What do you want in return?"
"A way to break my limits."
Orochimaru's expression darkened. "I've hit a wall. Progress is… stagnant."
Sasame knew it was true.
Without a Kekkei Genkai, Orochimaru had pushed non-bloodline ninjutsu to its peak.
Even Sage Mode—rare and nearly unattainable—wouldn't bridge the gap.
The Fate Shop had solutions, but they were too expensive and not worth it for Orochimaru's current offer.
Time to sell him a dream.
"If you've reached your limit as a human… stop being one."
Sasame smirked. "Become a sage."
He planned to outline the Six Paths framework—something Orochimaru was already unknowingly pursuing.
"A sage?"
Orochimaru's eyes sharpened. "You mean… the Sage of Six Paths?"
The legend of the founder of the Shinobi was widespread. But was it attainable?
"Exactly. Do you know how he achieved it?"
"Is that even possible?"
Orochimaru scoffed. The Sage was a mythical figure—questionably real, let alone replicable.
Creating the moon? That was beyond any shinobi's reach.
"The Sage possessed two key traits: the Sage's Body and the Sage's Eyes."
Sasame smiled. "Does 'Sage's Body' sound familiar?"
"Sage Mode?"
"Correct." Sasame nodded. "But it must be perfect Sage Mode."
(Technically, the Sage's Body referred to Hagoromo's physical vitality, while Sage Mode was the state of wielding senjutsu chakra.
As his descendants, Ashura inherited the body, Indra the eyes—but neither fully.
The Uchiha's Sharingan evolving into the Rinnegan marked the true Sage's Eyes, while the Senju's vitality was a diluted Sage's Body.)
"And the Sage's Eyes?"
Sasame recalled how Jiraiya had mistaken Nagato's Rinnegan for the Sage's—without knowing its origin or name—and declared him the Child of Prophecy.
Orochimaru shook his head.
"They're called the Rinnegan—evolved from the Mangekyō Sharingan."
"What?!"
For once, Orochimaru was stunned.
He'd never connected the Uchiha's pinnacle dojutsu to the Sage.
"The reason is simple."
Sasame leaned in. "The Uchiha and Senju clans are the Sage's descendants."
Orochimaru let out a hollow laugh.
So that was the source of their power.
Damn bloodlines.
"Obtain both, and you could become the next Sage of Six Paths—unrivaled in this world."
Sasame wasn't lying—just omitting the near-zero success rate.
Orochimaru's expression shifted wildly.
This revelation undermined everything he'd worked for.
Why waste time developing jutsu when bloodline theft was the shortcut?
But he was Orochimaru.
He quickly recalibrated.
The Sage's Body and Eyes were worth pursuing—but he didn't need to be Hagoromo 2.0.
He'd forge his own path, blending inheritance with innovation.
(If Sasame knew his thoughts, he'd have applauded. True scientist mentality.)
"This intel is worth more than one serum. Bring extra next time."
With that, Sasame dispelled the clone.
Orochimaru stared at the empty space, silent.
The method Sasame described was vague—no details on how to evolve the Rinnegan or merge the two traits.
And its veracity was unconfirmed.
Yet oddly, both leads Sasame had given him—Juugo's Sage Transformation (body) and Itachi's Mangekyō (eyes)—aligned perfectly with this theory.
The more Orochimaru pondered, the more terrifying it seemed.
Note: So far this story is published up to chapter 50 on my patreon, go check it out and remember that if we reach the goal of 45 power stones I will publish the next chapter.