The plump shop owner waved his hand, and two workers brought out a table, placing a pile of pens and paper on it.
Clearing his throat, he announced, "Since everyone has their favorites, let's spice things up with a little wagering! Place your bets on who you think will win. The odds are determined by the contest organizers."
As he said this, he gestured to the backstage.
Then, Kakuzu walked onto the stage, cleared his throat and addressed the audience, "Rest assured, everyone. You can bet without worry. I don't mind losing money, as what matters is that you all have fun!"
As he said this, Kakuzu pinned a paper to the table, listing the odds for each contestant.
Kakuzu's reputation as a wealthy tycoon lent credibility to the operation. Plus, with the ballot box in plain sight and under the watchful eyes of the crowd, tampering seemed impossible.
Because of this, the audience went wild. They enthusiastically placed bets on their favorite contestants. Even the more cautious individuals, which are hesitant to spend their own money, threw in the free cash Kakuzu had thrown out earlier.
As for the spectators without voting rights, they are drawn by the spectacle and eagerly joined the betting frenzy.
Looking at the huge amount of money, Kakuzu couldn't suppress the grin under his mask.
Watching the piles of money grow, he felt a wave of satisfaction. After all, the earnings far exceeded the funds he had distributed earlier, making this venture immensely profitable.
"Okay, since everyone has already made their bets, let's not waste any more time and start counting the votes!"
The plump shop owner gestured grandly, and the two assistants brought out a blackboard with columns labeled 1 through 5, representing the five contestants.
"Contestant number four: one vote!"
The plump shop owner pulled a ballot from the box, reading the result aloud. He then marked a '–' under the fourth column using tally marks.
After recording the vote, he handed the ballot to the audience for verification. A spectator quickly recognized their handwriting, confirming the legitimacy of the process.
Kakuzu chuckled, "The first vote goes to contestant number four. If you bet correctly, you can come claim your prize now."
Not long ago, Kakuzu had considered absconding with the money. However, Naruto had persuaded him that this contest had long-term potential and that maintaining a clean reputation was essential.
To maximize profits, Naruto devised a betting scheme centered around predicting specific votes, such as the first vote.
After Naruto used his Byakugan to secretly see through the ballot box, he used the Sharingan's Genjutsu to control the plump shop owner into drawing a specific ballot, ensuring that the first vote would go to contestant number four.
Coupled with Kakuzu's financial acumen in calculating optimal odds, this minor gimmick significantly boosted their earnings.
But they didn't stop there. Additional betting options were introduced for the sixth vote, the sixty-sixth vote, and the final vote.
These extra opportunities for wagers ensured that every possible penny was squeezed from the eager crowd.
After handing out the rewards on the spot, those who made the right bets were naturally overjoyed, while those who didn't could only accept their bad luck.
The key lies in how Naruto used Genjutsu to precisely control the votes drawn by the plump shop owner. The first vote went to contestant number four, the sixth vote to contestant number three, the sixty-sixth vote to contestant number one, and the final vote to contestant number two.
This 'equal distribution of blessings' ensured that supporters of each contestant got a piece of the prize pool.
As for why contestant #5 wasn't included…
Simply because:
"The results are in! The winner of this year's 'Most Beautiful Goddess' is none other than contestant number five, the Goddess of Life! Through her selfless dedication, she saved everyone's lives and has proven herself worthy of reverence. This victory is well-deserved. Let us once again give a warm round of applause to wish the Goddess of Life a speedy recovery!"
The plump shop owner said passionately.
Life is precious, and the goddess who saved lives deserved the final victory. Even the supporters of other contestants couldn't help but applaud and cheer for her sincerely.
The Goddess of Life truly deserved the victory!
First place: Contestant number five, the Goddess of Life.
Second place: Contestant number four, Yukihime.
Third place: Contestant number three, Aoko.
Fourth place: Contestant number one, Nana.
Fifth place: Contestant number two, Hana.
Upon hearing the final rankings, Naruto was the happiest of all. After all, being able to triumph against the underhanded tricks of his opponents was undoubtedly a source of pride.
Similarly, Itachi was also quite pleased. Like all of Naruto's subordinates, he never considered competing with Naruto himself. For them, the true goal was simply to perform well in Naruto's presence. Being ranked the top among his peers was already satisfying enough.
But the one who was truly ecstatic was Kakuzu.
While he found the rankings interesting, he knew the game was just beginning, and there would be future opportunities. However, the wealth he gained this time was very real.
By adjusting the odds based on the predicted results and not running off with the money, Kakuzu ensured that everything was fair in terms of wins and losses.
Even under these conditions, he made an enormous profit.
More importantly, his reputation was now solidified. The next time such a competition was held, he would be poised to rake in even more money.
"Danna-sama, I'm sorry for letting you down."
Kisame was initially quite disappointed, but upon hearing Nana's soft voice, his mood improved considerably. Winning or losing one game was a small matter, and gaining a beautiful wife was more than worth it.
In summary, the only one truly hurt in all of this was Hidan.
"Why is this happening?"
Hana couldn't understand it. She had offered free drinks at her tavern and showcased an enchanting dance, yet she lost so badly. She just couldn't figure out why.
Naruto, standing to the side, only chuckled.
As the saying goes, the onlooker sees more clearly than the participant. Naruto had figured it out long ago.
From his previous life's perspective, Hana could be likened to an actress from an adult film. No matter how attractive she might be, there was an inherent sense of inauthenticity.
With other contestants being just as attractive and still maintaining an air of purity, the choice was obvious.
The most critical error lay in Hana's initial strategy of appealing solely to male audiences while neglecting the female viewers.
And as the saying goes, a man's mouth is full of lies.
Men like to look at the cake while eating their burger.
They care little for what comes too easily. Instead, what truly captivates them is what is difficult or seemingly unattainable.
This is a universal flaw of men...