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After the Konoha delegation's return, Gojo Kaigetsu didn't immediately escort Konan to the Hokage Tower for formal introductions, nor did he whisk her away to the Senju mansion for a "meet the wives" moment. Instead, he guided her directly to the Hokage Tower's official printing press.
Gojo Kaigetsu casually summoned a foreman and presented the pre-designed sample products to Konan.
"Here, Konan, take a look at our next collaborative project."
Konan picked up the slips of paper, her eyes scanning the unfamiliar characters. She subconsciously read aloud, her voice tinged with curiosity:
"'Konoha Welfare Lottery'?"
'Lucky Fire! Face value of ten ryō! Top prize: 800,000 ryō! 20 chances to win! Scratch off the covering film. If any of "My Numbers" matches the "Winning Number," you can get the prize corresponding to the "My Number" below. Winning prizes can be won both horizontally and vertically…!'
'Double-color paper! Face Value of ten ryō! [Your Numbers: 06, 07…] [Multiplier: 1x]. Winning Numbers [07, 06…]. Thank you for your contribution to Konoha's public welfare undertakings!'
'Scratch-Off! Free betting, ten ryō per bet! Scratch off the covering film. If any of your numbers match one of the winning numbers, you can win the prize shown below that number; if a [gold coin symbol] appears, you can win twice the prize shown below that symbol; if a Konoha village symbol appears, you can win five times the prize shown below that symbol! Can be won both horizontally and vertically, with a maximum prize of one million ryō?'
Konan looked up, her eyes filled with suspicion.
She had no bad habits, but she had the ability of Paper Style, and she had heard some rumors. Although she didn't know if there were such games in casinos, it was obvious…
"This—this is gambling, isn't it? The business you want me to assist with is printing gambling tools?" Konan's tone was laced with disapproval.
While she was willing to compromise her own Shinobi way for the sake of generating revenue, ultimately for the realization of another's ambition, she still aspired to be a good person!
Back in the nascent days of Akatsuki, when the organization had retained a semblance of purity, Konan had personally reprimanded several members who'd proposed utilizing her Paper Ninjutsu to cheat in gambling establishments.
Such ill-gotten gains – Konan considered them tainted.
If Konoha's prosperity was predicated on such shady dealings, then it was nothing more than that! Gojo Kaigetsu's eloquent speeches seemed—hollow and deceptive.
"No, no, no, Konan," Gojo Kaigetsu swiftly corrected, his voice adopting a theatrical flourish. "These are welfare lottery tickets! Backed by the Hokage Tower, this isn't some clandestine underworld operation. This is backed by the full faith and credit of Konoha!"
He spread his arms wide, his tone deliberately exaggerated, and produced several more scratch-off tickets from his drawer. "Try one? These are unused. Each ticket costs a mere ten ryō, but the moment you scratch it—the sensation is quite distinctive~"
Is that so?
Konan hesitantly accepted the tickets, her orange-painted fingernails carefully scratching away at the light gray coating.
Though she held no personal interest in monetary wealth, motivated solely by the imperative to raise funds for the organization, her heart still pounded with a flicker of anticipation as she scratched away the final layer.
A fleeting thought flashed through her mind: If this were genuine—if, at the precise moment of scratching, I utilized my Paper Ninjutsu to alter the symbol beneath the winning numbers to the Konoha symbol—if I purchased 10 million tickets, and the prize was quintupled—that would be 50 million ryō…
This method of accumulating wealth was far swifter than employing Edo Tensei corpses for those—unsavory tasks. Even if she could literally print money with her Paper Ninjutsu, it wouldn't be as expeditious as this fivefold return.
Her heart stirred.
Pia~ The final bit of covering film was removed. Konan stared at the winning numbers—they matched her own! And beneath the numbers—the Konoha symbol! Ten ryō, quintupled, amounted to fifty ryō.
Gojo Kaigetsu, beaming with satisfaction, produced a fifty-ryō note and presented it to Konan. "Such fortune! You won so effortlessly, Konan."
"....."
Konan accepted the currency. Though it was a trifling sum, she immediately grasped the addictive allure of these "scratch-offs."
Even a formidable Shinobi like herself, ostensibly indifferent to monetary gain, had been captivated by the tantalizing thrill of a potential windfall.
Then what of those Shinobi who spent their days teetering on the precipice of death, risking their lives for meager rewards?
Wouldn't they be irresistibly tempted to expend their spare change on a high-stakes lottery ticket after completing a perilous mission and restocking their supplies?
What if they won? Wouldn't they be able to escape their precarious existence? Of course, Shinobi constituted a minority. There were countless civilians who might casually spend ten ryō on a ticket during their daily commute, a trivial expense for a chance at unimaginable riches.
Such individuals were abundant throughout the Shinobi World. Small sums, accumulated, could transform the lottery into a veritable cash cow, a perpetual source of revenue for Konoha.
Gojo Kaigetsu's voice, akin to a devil's whisper, resonated beside her. "The crucial distinction between the Konoha Welfare Lottery and traditional gambling lies in this—the lottery is a charitable endeavor, a form of 'smiling taxation,' if you will. Its purpose is to enable citizens to contribute to benevolent causes while simultaneously indulging in a bit of harmless entertainment. The Hokage Tower will utilize these funds to provide complimentary nutritious meals, warm clothing during the harsh winters, and secure shelter for children displaced by the ravages of war!"
"And gambling? That's merely shady underworld bosses amassing the wealth of others, exploiting their inherent greed to fuel their own insatiable desires! It's fundamentally nothing more than a transfer of desire!"
"As long as the vast majority of lottery participants maintain a healthy perspective, wagering only what they can comfortably afford, a few ryō here and there won't inflict any lasting harm. It's a negligible price to pay for a fleeting glimpse of a better life~"
"Gambling amplifies the destructive flames of greed. The lottery, conversely, embodies the hope for a brighter future~"
"This is the noble purpose behind my creation of the Welfare Lottery! This is my, Gojo Kaigetsu's, Shinobi way!" He emphatically thumped his chest, his inherent charisma radiating outwards, captivating Konan.
Konan, thoroughly subdued by this surge of masculine charm, subconsciously nodded in agreement.
Individuals, only when they genuinely recognize and respect the Shinobi way of another, will willingly bow their heads and dedicate themselves to their cause with unwavering diligence and earnestness.
It was akin to Gojo Kaigetsu's profound recognition of the Shinobi ways of Tsunade, Samui, Terumi Mei, Yugito, and Pakura—leading him to wholeheartedly exert himself—for their benefit.
Konan was no different.
The kind-hearted Konan—If she knew that the cash generated from the lottery tickets she diligently printed would be utilized to provide aid to the less fortunate, even without the allure of monetary compensation, she would undoubtedly pour her chakra into the task, tirelessly and without complaint, wouldn't she?
Of course, Gojo Kaigetsu would never reveal to Konan that—while the proceeds from the lottery tickets would indeed be allocated to welfare programs, the funds originally earmarked for those programs—along with any surplus, would be discreetly diverted to Konoha's infrastructure projects, and any remaining cash would be channeled into the development of—Shinobi tools…
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