Chapter 117: Kelly Formula
Naruto was a classic series with a long history, and it was especially interesting when you looked at it from the right angle.
Orochimaru taught Sasuke. Jiraiya taught Naruto. Tsunade taught Sakura. From another perspective, Team 7 was basically a replica of Konoha's Legendary Sannin, except everyone but Sakura was an upgraded version.
But if you asked Kenichi what his first impression of the three Legendary Sannin was, the answer would be simple.
Gambling, drugs, and prostitution.
Jiraiya did not need an introduction. He was the kind of legend you could find outside a women's bathhouse five days a week, and he even wrote masterpieces like Icha Icha Paradise, inspiring countless hot blooded young men to sweat through their nights.
Orochimaru was not "poisoned," but since his teacher was a master of deception, he often gave people the illusion that he was.
And Tsunade was the biggest gambler in the entire ninja world, and also the biggest, easiest target.
Back when Kenichi was thinking about making money, he had even considered approaching Tsunade. He did not need to gamble against her. He only needed to see which side she bet on, then bet the opposite. He would almost certainly win.
After all, ever since Tsunade started gambling, she had only won a handful of times. And every time she won, something bad seemed to happen afterward. She was practically a walking omen machine in the ninja world.
After following his teacher into the casino, Kenichi immediately found Tsunade.
It was not hard. Half the casino was crowded around one spot, shouting so loudly it was impossible to miss.
The moment Kenichi pushed closer, he saw her clearly. Tsunade looked young and stunning, as if time had never touched her at all. Of course, Kenichi knew that was the effect of her jutsu.
With one glance, he could also tell what she was playing.
Dice. An old casino staple.
"Big! Big! Big!" Tsunade's face was flushed as she slammed her palm down on the table.
Then the result was revealed.
A leopard.
The dealer won both hands, and the table filled with groans.
Tsunade was furious at losing, but then she lifted her head, looked past Kenichi, and locked onto Orochimaru, who was smiling at her.
"Let's talk outside?" Orochimaru gestured to the side.
Tsunade returned a smile, stood up, gave Shizune a quick instruction, and walked out with Orochimaru.
The dealer at the center table looked like he wanted to stop them, but the moment he met Orochimaru's indifferent gaze, he swallowed his words.
"Shizune nee." Kenichi greeted her with a smile. With his teacher gone, the suffocating pressure finally eased.
"Huh?" Shizune blinked, clearly not recognizing the face Kenichi was wearing.
Kenichi calmly tore off his disguise.
"It's Kenichi," Shizune said, then smiled too.
Their relationship had always been good. Back when Kenichi was still in Konoha, he had studied medical ninjutsu under Shizune for a time.
Kenichi walked over. With Tsunade leaving, the crowd around the table thinned fast. Most of these gamblers had only been here because Tsunade's reputation made her look like a walking payday.
Tsunade gambled everywhere, and people gradually discovered her terrifying losing streak. That was why gamblers constantly gathered around her, hoping to get rich.
Of course, it was obvious the house was not stupid either.
"You really have it tough, Shizune nee." Kenichi sighed as he looked at her.
Shizune's strength was honestly excellent, and her medical ninjutsu was strong too. If she stayed in Konoha, she would definitely be a jōnin level medical ninja. No one would object to her serving as the director of Konoha Hospital. Yet she still chose to follow Tsunade.
"It's alright," Shizune said gently. "Serving Lady Tsunade has always been my wish."
Shizune did not talk much, especially not with strangers.
But she was willing to say a few words to someone she knew.
Kenichi leaned closer and glanced around the table. Even with Tsunade gone, a few gamblers still lingered, trying their luck.
"Kenichi, gambling is not allowed," Shizune reminded him quickly when she saw where his attention went.
"I know," Kenichi said, shaking his head. "I'm not interested in those rigged tables."
He truly was not.
Kenichi understood gambling well enough. In his previous life, anti fraud propaganda was everywhere, and he had even wandered through anti gambling forums. He had read plenty of first hand stories.
If there was one conclusion that never changed, it was this.
None of these places were clean.
Even if you dragged in the world's top mathematicians, they would still lose.
"How much should we bet this time? I think it might come up as a triple," the gamblers beside him muttered to each other.
Kenichi glanced at them and thought, abstractly, that the bet size question could be handled with a simple formula.
f* equals (b times p minus q) over b.
That formula was the Kelly Criterion.
Of course, the Kelly Criterion had rules. It only applied to perfectly fair probability games, and only when the expected payoff was positive. If the expected payoff was negative, you did not gamble.
And casinos were the definition of unfair.
The gambling dens in the ninja world had all kinds of cheating methods. Even legendary gamblers from Kenichi's previous life would walk out broke here.
And when Tsunade was involved, the house had to be even more careful with their tricks.
Otherwise, if she realized she was being played, the aftermath would be… unforgettable.
Kenichi watched for a while and quickly figured out the method here. It was simple magnetic manipulation. Some of the dice had metal hidden inside.
The dealer was a beautiful woman, and she barely moved, but she could control the outcome precisely.
Almost every time, the side with the biggest pile of money won. Occasionally, a triple would hit and someone would win big, but that was just the house tossing a tiny bone to keep people dreaming.
Kenichi shook his head.
Gambling really was one of the oldest businesses in the world.
Then, suddenly, a thunderous bang exploded outside.
The entire building shuddered, and a crack tore through the casino like it had been split by an axe.
Kenichi whipped his head around.
Outside, Tsunade's fist was buried in the ground.
Her eyes blazed with rage, and the crack spreading outward made Kenichi's lips twitch.
Tsunade was Tsunade. That monstrous strength was not a joke.
So what happened?
His teacher had only gone out to talk business, right? How did it suddenly turn into this?
Had something gone wrong?
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