Chapter 575: If You Vote and I Vote, the White-Haired One Can't Escape Bankruptcy

Uchiha Gin smiled and patted the young man's shoulder, his eyes sweeping imperceptibly over the clan emblem on the other's back.

"Little brother, if I'm not mistaken, you must be a spirited lad from the Shimura clan, right?"

"What are you trying to do?"

Not knowing he had been chosen as a lucky spectator, the Shimura lad retreated a few steps in alarm, looking up and down at Uchiha Gin, who had suddenly tried to get chummy with him.

He couldn't help but feel that the curly-haired man before him matched the description of the "creepy uncle" his elders had repeatedly warned him to stay away from during clan meetings.

"I see the anticipation in your eyes; you must be full of confidence in your heart's candidate for leader."

Uchiha Gin nodded with a serious expression, a look of elder-like gratification on his face. His infectious smile instantly caused the Shimura lad to let go of his misgivings.

"That goes without saying! Our Young Master will surely take the crown and lead Konoha toward prosperity and strength!"

At the proposal of the Senju clan, this election had been changed to require every jonin to participate in the voting, all to ensure fairness and justice.

The ninja clan alliance, which had already been colluding with the Senju, naturally gave its full support. Although the Uchiha had some reservations, they chose to remain silent under the instruction of Izuna Uchiha.

"I also think very highly of candidate Danzo Shimura. If you don't believe me, look."

After following up on the lad's words, Uchiha Gin raised a finger to point at the display board set up behind him, which prominently featured a list of names accompanied by photos.

"Candidate Danzo Shimura is a huge favorite in this election, you know~"

It turned out this display board was exactly the list of popular candidates for this election.

The surrounding crowd, upon hearing this, began to examine it carefully, and for a time, discussions broke out.

"Izuna Uchiha is in first place!"

"Hiruzen Sarutobi? The Young Master of the Sarutobi clan is actually ranked second."

"Strange, why isn't my name on it?"

"Get lost, you're just a genin, what qualifications do you have to run?"

Following Uchiha Gin's gesture, the lad indeed found his own Young Master's handsome photo in a prominent position, and a satisfied smile immediately appeared on his face. But the next second, his brows furrowed tightly.

"It is indeed the Young Master, but what does this '1 to 4' below mean?"

"These are the odds."

Uchiha Gin noticed that everyone's attention had been drawn to him, so he immediately announced in a loud voice.

"Odds?"

"That's right. Since the election results won't be out for a while, instead of waiting anxiously, why not place a small bet? Consider it cheering for your idol."

"Are you trying to open a betting pool?"

The surrounding crowd finally realized Uchiha Gin's true purpose.

"Nonsense, this is a public welfare betting event. Twenty percent of the profits will be donated to the Konoha Orphanage on the spot."

Facing the crowd's skepticism, Uchiha Gin shook his head calmly, pointed to the word "public welfare" in the corner of the display board, and explained with a straight face.

"Let me see, Izuna Uchiha is 1 to 0.8. Truly a well-deserved favorite."

"Hiruzen Sarutobi actually has odds of 2.5. Truly a promising young man."

"The head of the Hyuga clan has odds of 3. As expected of a great family; even without stepping out into the world, he can still be a popular candidate for leader."

The onlookers browsed the list on the display board and all remarked that this list was solid, with no fluff at all.

"Eh? Why isn't Kagami Uchiha on here?"

Soon, some people discovered the omission in the list. The Uchiha clan didn't just have Izuna Uchiha as a popular candidate; the young Kagami Uchiha was equally qualified to vie for Konoha.

"Don't be anxious, everyone. Since Konoha has a dual-leader system, this list is only for those running for Hokage. Kagami Uchiha has no intention of vying for the position of Hokage, so his name is not on it."

"Ah! What a pity~"

Because Kagami Uchiha had long been deeply involved in grassroots work, he had gained quite a reputation among the common people and had a large group of supporters. Upon learning that their idol was not competing for the Hokage position, they all expressed regret.

Seeing that the emotions of the surrounding crowd had been stirred up, Uchiha Gin immediately began to promote his betting pool.

"The Hokage election is about to begin. Why just think about it when you can act? While supporting your idol, you can earn some pocket money and contribute to Konoha's public welfare at the same time. Why not?"

"."

The Shimura lad from the beginning stared at Danzo Shimura's big face on the display board for a long time, and finally gritted his teeth and took out his purse.

"I'll bet one hundred thousand ryo that the Young Master wins!"

"I didn't expect that in your heart, the wise and mighty Young Master is only worth one hundred thousand ryo. Sigh~"

Although Uchiha Gin was speaking with sarcasm, his hands were fast. The moment the Shimura lad pulled out a stack of bills, they were in his pocket the next second.

"I'll increase the bet! Can I increase the bet or not?"

The lad was indeed too young; a simple provocation was enough to make him flush with anger.

"Alrighty, keep your ticket safe, and come back to collect your winnings~"

Smiling, Uchiha Gin stuffed the Shimura lad's purse into his pocket and handed him a hand-torn ticket.

Where there is a first, there is a second. The surrounding crowd had long been eager to try. After all, a small bet is just for fun, and spending a little money could be considered participating in the Hokage election in a roundabout way.

"Thirty thousand ryo, Izuna Uchiha~"

"Fifty thousand ryo, betting on Hiruzen Sarutobi!"

"Eighty thousand ryo, on Tianyao Hyuga."

"."

"One by one, take your time, there's enough for everyone~"

Watching the increasing amount of money in his hands, the smile on Uchiha Gin's face grew even more brilliant.

This betting event did not experience the one-sided phenomenon he had worried about. Not everyone placed their bets on the most popular candidate, Izuna Uchiha.

On the contrary, the proportion of people betting on Izuna Uchiha was not high, and they were basically all commoners.

Members of ninja clans, even if they knew their own representative's chances of winning were not high, would still offer their chips as a gesture of friendship.

Compared to the goal of making money, their act of throwing money around was more like an act of supporting their favorites.

"Tsk, there are quite a few people betting on the little monkey. It seems the rumors of the 'Three Thousand Sarutobi Army' are not groundless."

Uchiha Gin took a moment to tally things up and was surprised to find that quite a few people had bet on Hiruzen Sarutobi, and the amount was quite considerable, almost lowering the odds by several percentage points.

"Old Tianyao is also an old steed in the stable; at his age, he's still competing with the young ones."

Although not many people bet on Tianyao Hyuga, the amount of each bet was not small, showing the wealth and influence of the great families.

Uchiha Gin's actions soon caught the attention of the jonin inside the Hokage building.

"What is that curly-haired guy doing?"

Hiden Senju, who had been granted permission to observe the election, frowned slightly as she watched Uchiha Gin jumping up and down outside the window.

"I heard from the guards that he seems to have opened a betting pool outside to guess the successor of the Third Hokage."

The Senju clansmen following her had learned what was happening outside through the guards.

"Hmph! How boring."

Hiden Senju gave a cold snort, but a strange look flashed in her eyes. Taking advantage of a moment when no one was looking, she quietly performed a release seal.

"Poof~"

It turned out that in the Senju compound several streets away, one of the shadow clones meditating suddenly turned into white smoke and disappeared, and the remaining shadow clones instantly gained some brand-new memories in their minds.

A moment later, the shadow clone found the corrupt scroll Hiden Senju had hidden under the bed, and a triumphant smile couldn't help but appear on its face.

"This time, I will definitely make you lose everything!"

"The election is about to start! Place your bets, everyone~"

Accompanied by the bell signaling the start of the election, Uchiha Gin's betting pool was about to close.

"Boss, I'm betting on Hiruzen Sarutobi."

Just as he was about to end the money-gathering, a figure in a black cloak appeared in front of his stall and handed over a heavy scroll.

"Oh?"

Uchiha Gin looked at the unfamiliar face under the cloak and raised an eyebrow with interest. Even though the person in front of him had used a transformation jutsu, he saw through the other's identity at a glance.

"Are you sure?"

"Sure."

The shadow clone, having used a transformation jutsu to change its figure and appearance, nodded with a tense expression.

"What is the specific amount?"

Weighing the heavy storage scroll, Uchiha Gin did not check it without permission, but instead asked aloud.

"I haven't counted it carefully, there should be about sixty billion."

Hiden Senju's shadow clone looked around and said in a voice only the two of them could hear.

"Hiss."

Uchiha Gin gasped upon hearing this, and a look of shock appeared in his eyes.

Where did this white-haired woman get so much money?

"What, afraid to accept it? Afraid you can't afford to pay?"

Seeing that Uchiha Gin was slow to tear off the ticket for her, the shadow clone curled her lips and said sarcastically.

"Once the bet is placed, there's no backing out. Here is your ticket, please keep it safe."

For such a big client who was giving away money, Uchiha Gin naturally gave his full approval.

"You won't run away, will you?"

Looking at the very straightforward Uchiha Gin, Hiden Senju's shadow clone suddenly felt a bit uneasy. Her move was a guaranteed win; if this curly-haired guy ran away to avoid paying out, wouldn't she be left with nothing?

"A century-old shop, we never cheat our customers!"

Uchiha Gin made a solemn promise while counting the bills in the scroll.

"This little bit of money, our shop can still afford to pay."

"That will do."

With these words from Uchiha Gin, the Shadow Clone of Senju Feizhen finally breathed a sigh of relief, her gaze turning toward the towering Hokage Building, her heart filled with a beautiful yearning for a golden future.

In the conference room on the top floor of the Hokage Building, the well-known jonin of the Hidden Leaf Village gathered together.

Every officially registered jonin had a ballot with the names of several popular candidates on it; they only needed to place a checkmark.

Anxious, Sarutobi Sasuke found Senju Feizhen in private.

"Lady Feizhen, I have received the funding; I entrust the future of my son to you!"

"Rest assured, leave it to me."

Senju Feizhen nodded with great confidence.

She knew the number of Hidden Leaf jonin better than anyone; although the Uchiha clan had a high proportion of jonin, the Senju clan was not far behind.

Now, with the added support of the Ninja Clan Alliance, as long as there were no accidents, the position of Hokage was within reach.

"The jonin vote is about to begin, please prepare yourselves."

Soon, a massive ballot box was brought out, and the whispering jonin immediately fell silent.

Senju Feizhen was not among them; after giving instructions to the Senju clansmen following her, she sat in the corner of the conference room, quietly waiting for the results.

"Feizhen, do you really intend to support the little monkey to be Hokage?"

Shortly after she sat down, a curvaceous figure sat beside her. Senju Feizhen looked up and gave a subtle nod to Senju Toka, who wore a complex expression.

"When Father was alive, he often warned me to be wary of the Uchiha. If those lunatics with extreme personalities were to take power, the Hidden Leaf might face a catastrophe."

"The Uchiha are indeed paranoid, but at the very least, they don't play dirty. Feizhen, do you really understand those people in the Ninja Clan Alliance?"

Senju Toka looked at her convenient niece, sighed lightly in her heart, and her eyes held a hint of inexplicable meaning.

"Although I haven't been in contact with them for long, the ninja clan descendants participating in this election are all disciples whom Father trusted deeply; they would absolutely never do anything to harm the interests of the Hidden Leaf."

Not knowing what her sister-in-law was worried about, Senju Feizhen did not take Senju Toka's concerns to heart.

"Would not harm the interests of the Hidden Leaf, huh..."

Senju Toka's expression froze upon hearing this, and the inexplicable look in her eyes intensified.

"Let's not talk about this anymore, Aunt. Have you settled the clansmen on your side? Remember to cast your vote for Sarutobi Hiruzen when the time comes."

"They have already been settled."

Heh heh~ This wave is going to take off!

At the thought that her assets were about to double, Senju Feizhen's heart blossomed with joy. Who knew money could be so easy to earn!

On the other side of the conference room, Uchiha Izuna, the most popular candidate, felt not a shred of anticipation at this moment; instead, he sat in his seat in a daze, looking as if his soul had wandered off.

"Lord Izuna? Lord Izuna!"

"Oh?"

It wasn't until his subordinate's voice rose several octaves that he came back to his senses, his eyes filled with confusion.

"To recast the glory of the Uchiha, it is our duty!"

The Uchiha clansmen wore expressions of excitement. In their view, as the strongest person in the village at present, the position of Hokage must belong to Uchiha Izuna.

"You guys... do whatever you want~"

Izuna smacked his lips with a sense of boredom. He did not want to dampen everyone's spirits at this critical moment, so he let everything take its natural course.

"Begin voting!"

Following the moderator's order, the jonin one by one picked up their pens with solemn expressions and placed a checkmark behind the name of the candidate they supported.

The voting was fast. Everyone took turns dropping their ballots into the ballot box, and once the final ballot was inserted, the tense and exciting vote-counting session began.

"One vote for Uchiha Izuna..."

"One vote for Shimura Danzo..."

"One vote for Sarutobi Hiruzen..."

"Hyuga..."

As one name after another was repeated, everyone's mood grew increasingly tense. Senju Feizhen secretly recorded the vote counts for the candidates, her inner astonishment only growing.

"One vote for Sarutobi Hiruzen..."

"One vote for Uchiha Izuna..."

"One vote for Uchiha Izuna..."

Something is wrong!

When she heard the vote counter beginning to tally a large number of ballots for Uchiha Izuna, Senju Feizhen, who had been sitting securely on the sidelines, instantly lost her composure.

"How could there be so many?"

As a Senju who understood the Uchiha better than the Uchiha themselves, she had long since memorized the information of every Uchiha jonin, not to mention their numbers.

But right now, the number of votes for Uchiha Izuna had already exceeded the number of jonin in the Uchiha clan.

Even if the Uchiha had secretly siphoned off votes from the civilian ninja, it shouldn't have increased by this much.

There is a mole!

Senju Feizhen instantly shifted her gaze toward the nearby Hyuga clan. The number of Hyuga jonin was not large, but if they had all defected, the position of Hokage would become even more unpredictable.

"One vote for Hyuga Tianyao..."

No, the vote count for Hyuga Tianyao matched; the Hyuga clan had not defected to the Uchiha.

"Who exactly is the one causing trouble behind the scenes?" (End of chapter)