Outside the cabin, the number of people was far greater than Haruto Saito had imagined. The entire lakeside was packed with a dense crowd—at least two or three hundred people. As soon as Haruto stepped out, they swarmed around him, shouting angrily, some even crying.
Haruto was completely baffled, standing there for a moment before he finally understood.
They were all gamblers!
Every single one of them had placed bets on whether or not Haruto could learn Monster Strength in a single day. And they had all lost! Some had even lost everything they owned. It was supposed to be a guaranteed win, which was why they had placed such heavy bets. But to their utter disbelief, Haruto had actually succeeded!
They couldn't accept it!
So they had come here, cursing Haruto as a fraud, accusing him of colluding with the casino to scam them. They demanded that he prove he had actually learned Monster Strength.
"Hey, hey, hey! Back up a little! How long has it been since you last took a bath? Don't push me! You—yes, you! Step back! And can you stop crying so miserably? I have a soft spot for that, you know. Is it really that bad?"
The situation was getting chaotic, edging toward complete disorder. The gamblers were furious but didn't dare to actually lay a hand on Haruto. He was, after all, a ninja. Only a fool would attack a ninja, as the laws of Konoha allowed a ninja to kill anyone who assaulted them on the spot.
Even a Genin could easily take down dozens of ordinary civilians.
However, Haruto had a serious cleanliness obsession. He couldn't stand being surrounded like this.
"That's enough!" Haruto finally lost his patience and shouted.
The crowd instantly fell silent.
"You all want proof, right?" Haruto sighed in exasperation, glancing around before a thought crossed his mind. He then waved his hand and said, "Fine! I'll show you!"
With that, Haruto formed a hand seal.
"Secret Technique: Rapid Wardrobe Change!"
Poof! A puff of white smoke surrounded him, and his sleepwear was instantly replaced with a ninja uniform.
"Follow me!" Haruto ordered, pushing his way through the crowd and heading toward the forest.
The hundreds of gamblers followed without hesitation. Truthfully, Monster Strength could be demonstrated anywhere, so they had no idea what Haruto was up to.
Half an hour later.
Market District.
A massive crowd marched toward a ramen shop, "Sudo Noodles." This was the same shop Haruto had visited the previous day with Tsunade and the others—the same one whose owner had so thoughtfully given him a "last meal."
"Wait here. Watch from outside." Haruto instructed before stepping inside.
Boom! Boom! Crash! Bang! Bang! Bang!
Haruto wrecked the place! Every move he made utilized Monster Strength.
From the first floor to the second, then back down again, through the kitchen, into private dining rooms—everything in his path was destroyed. Tables, chairs, counters, windows—if it could be smashed, it was smashed. The shop's customers, including several ninja, simply watched in silence. Haruto was now a very special figure in Konoha. Setting aside the Hokage's direct interest in him, he had also won two unrestricted favors from Tsunade.
Right now, few ninja dared to provoke Haruto. If anyone did, he could simply demand that Tsunade beat them to a pulp—no matter who they were.
Some elite ninja might not fear Tsunade, but none of them wanted unnecessary trouble. Haruto was, after all, a Konoha ninja. Since he hadn't harmed anyone, just smashed up a ramen shop, they had no interest in interfering.
Outside, the gamblers fell into despair.
It was real.
Haruto had truly learned Monster Strength—and he wielded it with terrifying proficiency!
Noon, Konoha Police Department.
Surrounded by a group of Uchiha police officers, Haruto entered the station. Yes, he had been arrested—again.
The team leader handling the arrest was, once again, Uchiha Fugaku. Though Haruto was technically in custody, he walked into the police station as if he were visiting a friend, chatting and laughing with Fugaku along the way.
"You really didn't need to do that. Given your special status, this was unnecessary," Fugaku advised in a friendly tone.
"What does it matter? I'll just pay for the damages," Haruto replied nonchalantly. He had only done it to vent his frustration.
Fugaku sighed, shaking his head. "I heard you won a lot of money from gambling."
Lunch was served at the police station, but not in a cell. Instead, Haruto dined in the third-floor break room of the administrative division. The room, though smaller than the one he had stayed in last time, was still luxuriously furnished, resembling a suite in a high-end hotel.
Fugaku accompanied him, chatting casually as if they were good friends.
After lunch, Fugaku left, and Haruto sprawled on the lounge sofa, taking a nap.
He felt no pressure at all. He knew Tsunade would come to bail him out—at most, he'd be held for a day before being released.
Time passed. Evening fell, then faded into night.
Haruto was woken by knocking.
Knock, knock!
If any of the actual criminals detained in the police station had seen this, they would have been furious. Since when did the police knock before entering a prisoner's room?
"Come in," Haruto called out groggily, sitting up.
The door opened to reveal Uchiha Mikoto, carrying an oversized food container. She smiled at him, though the expression looked forced.
Haruto wasn't surprised—he had already sensed her presence outside the door. That annoying girl!
"Haruto-san, it's time for dinner," Mikoto said sweetly, placing the food container on the table.
Haruto checked her status information. Her relationship field still displayed "Extremely Dislikes."
Of course. She was acting.
"Oh, dinner." Haruto replied indifferently, getting up and walking over to the table.
Mikoto unpacked the hot dishes and set them neatly on the table. As soon as Haruto sat down, she unexpectedly took a seat across from him.
"Joining me?" Haruto asked, surprised.
"Yes. Do you mind?" Mikoto continued to smile.
Haruto shivered. Goosebumps. The Uchiha clan was really going all out to win him over, even sending Mikoto—who despised him—to play nice. Was this a beauty trap? He wondered how they had convinced her to act.
"Let's eat." Haruto didn't refuse.
Dining alone was boring, and he was well aware that if he turned her down, Fugaku might show up instead. Between Mikoto and Fugaku, he obviously preferred the company of a woman.
The meal was pleasant. Mikoto, when she wasn't filled with disdain for him, was indeed a very gentle person. Once she suppressed her loathing, her warmth made for good company.
But Haruto could tell she had an agenda.
She was probing.
Throughout the meal, she subtly questioned how he had learned Monster Strength and his relationship with Tsunade. Her voice was soft, her pace measured—she wasn't annoying, but it was clear what she was after.
Haruto, of course, didn't tell her the truth. Instead, he painted himself as an unparalleled genius while making Tsunade sound like a scheming woman with ulterior motives. Mikoto's smile gradually became more strained.
By the end of the meal, Haruto had finished wiping his mouth when Mikoto suddenly asked, "Are you comfortable here? If not, we can move you to a better room."
"No need. Just let me go," Haruto said with a grin.
"Ah… I'm afraid that's impossible," Mikoto sighed. "The Hokage has been informed. We need to wait for his decision."
"Fine." Haruto shrugged. "Tsunade will bail me out anyway. I'll just stay here for a day."
Mikoto hesitated, her expression turning odd.
"What is it?" Haruto asked, sensing something was off.
"I heard… Tsunade-sama is no longer in the village," Mikoto answered. "She, Jiraiya, and Orochimaru accepted a mission this morning and have already left. They won't be back for at least half a month."
Haruto's eyes widened in disbelief.
There was no way this was just a coincidence. No way she conveniently got an urgent mission right after losing their bet!
Impossible!
He finally realized his fatal mistake—he had overestimated Tsunade's sense of honor!
That damn woman had run away!