Naruto: All Genders are reversed except for me

As Shikamaru walked toward him with a confident stride, Naruto gave him a thorough once-over.

He couldn't deny it—Shikamaru's bulging wallet strapped to his waist was, in Naruto's eyes, unbelievably dashing.

"Play however you want; I'm good with anything."

Naruto swallowed hard and quickly set up the shogi board. When it came to dealing with a generous benefactor like this, he knew exactly how to act.

However, before the wealthy and charming Miss Shikamaru could say anything, her best friend, Yamanaka Ino, jumped to her feet and yelled, "Shikamaru, raise the stakes! I'm throwing in 2,000 taels!"

Ino's shout set off a chain reaction.

In an instant, a dozen or so of Sasuke's admirers—including Haruno Sakura—were jolted into action.

Why call them admirers? Well, in Naruto's eyes, anyone who came to his rescue in such a dire situation was a hero.

Shikamaru heard the commotion behind her—a group of boys egging things on—and rolled her eyes, her signature "dead fish" look on full display. "What a hassle," she muttered, shrugging at Naruto. "They're raising the stakes. What do you say?"

Touched by Shikamaru's consideration, Naruto was nearly moved to tears. It wouldn't be right to dampen everyone's enthusiasm, would it?

"Whatever conditions they throw at me, I'll match them."

Then, as if channeling his inner drama king, Naruto put on a look of mock panic and swept his gaze over the crowd. "But don't put up too much money, okay? I'm broke, and if I lose, I won't be able to pay you back!"

Naruto's act was so convincing, he might as well have been screaming, "I'm broke and scared to lose. Pool your money together and let Shikamaru crush me. Bankrupt me so thoroughly I won't dare show off in front of you all again!"

His performance was so on point that even Shikamaru—known for her sharp instincts—didn't pick up on anything unusual.

But Sasuke, who was familiar with Naruto's antics, couldn't help but smirk, as if he already knew what was coming.

"Naruto, last time Shikamaru lost to you by just one move. This time, she's clearly come prepared. If you're playing for stakes this high and you lose, you'll be buried in debt. Let's see how you have the nerve to beg me then."

"Hahaha… Naruto, is that what you're worried about?"

"Wahaha! Brothers, what are we waiting for?" Ino slapped a thick stack of cash on the table. "I'm putting in 2,000 taels myself!"

Sakura followed suit. "I'll add 1,000 taels!"

Third Admirer: "700 taels from me!"

Fourth Admirer and five others: "We'll pool 1,000 taels together!"

The fervent declarations of these classmates echoed through the room, leaving the girls dumbfounded.

"Are they crazy? If they lose, they'll be out of their pocket money for the whole month," remarked Kiba, shaking her head in disbelief.

"Naruto-nii…," Hinata murmured.

Hearing Kiba's words, Hinata turned her worried gaze toward Naruto. She knew his life wasn't easy, and this time, Ino and the others had really gone overboard. If Naruto lost, he'd be crushed under the weight of debt.

"What should I do? Should I stop them now?"

Hinata nervously fidgeted, her fingers tracing small circles in the air. "But… on what grounds can I step in?"

Her eyes drifted toward Sasuke, silently pleading for her to intervene as Naruto's girlfriend. Surely, Sasuke wouldn't want Naruto to be burdened by debt, right?

But to Hinata's dismay, Sasuke remained calm, even smiling faintly, as if the situation didn't concern her in the slightest.

"How can you be like this? Sasuke, you're Naruto-nii's girlfriend. You wouldn't want him drowning in debt, would you?"

Hinata's whispered complaints weren't entirely under her breath, catching the attention of Kiba and Shino nearby.

Kiba adjusted her bangs, her gaze skeptical. "Hinata, you seem awfully close to Naruto. What's the deal between you two?"

"Yeah, we've asked before, but you never answered," Shino chimed in.

Blushing, Hinata lowered her head. "When I was little, I was out walking and got bullied. Naruto-nii helped me. Since then, I've always thought of him as an older brother, that's all…"

Kiba and Shino were momentarily stunned.

After all, Hinata hailed from the esteemed Hyuga clan, a prominent family in the village. The idea of a member of such a lineage being bullied and rescued by Naruto seemed… unbelievable.

"I see…"

"I underestimated him. He's not as bad as I thought."

Knowing Hinata's honesty, Kiba and Shino reevaluated their impressions of Naruto.

Meanwhile, in the classroom, cheers erupted as money was pooled together in Shikamaru's corner, drawing all the attention to her side.

Naruto, on the other hand, stood alone. Except for Hinata's silent support, he had no visible allies. His aura seemed to shrink under the overwhelming pressure.

And yet, he stood tall, his posture straight as a spear, determined to see this through.

"Fine, I'll put up 2,000 taels as well," Shikamaru said, taking out 1,800 taels from her wallet. She hadn't wanted to escalate things too much but felt compelled to match the stakes.

Last time, Shikamaru had given Naruto an extra 200 taels after their match, subtly hinting that their unfinished business wasn't over.

Now, the collected bets, meticulously gathered by Ino, were stacked thickly on Shikamaru's table. The sight of the pile made Naruto's eyes light up.

"Naruto, take a good look. Including Shikamaru's 1,800 taels, this totals 5,500 taels."

Seeing Naruto's flushed, fearful face, Ino felt immensely satisfied. Stealing a glance at Sasuke, she seemed to be saying, "Sasuke, isn't this impressive? Clearly, Naruto doesn't stand a chance against me."

Shikamaru noticed Ino's brazen behavior and frowned. Though she didn't mind Sasuke and Naruto's relationship, Ino's antics were going too far.

"Hey, move along. Stop being such a nuisance," Shikamaru said bluntly.

Annoyed but unwilling to make a scene, Ino huffed and retreated, throwing one last smug glance at Naruto before returning to her seat, acting as if Shikamaru had already won.

The situation had spiraled beyond Shikamaru's control.

Had Naruto refused to raise the stakes, Shikamaru could have easily stopped the others' recklessness.

"So, what's your plan now? Can you scrape together the wager?" Shikamaru asked, her tone hinting at a reminder.

Naruto caught on immediately but merely smiled. "I don't have 5,500 taels on me, but I can borrow it."

Amused, Shikamaru raised an eyebrow. "Who in this class could lend you that much money all at once?"

Naruto said nothing, his gaze sweeping the room before settling on the silent Sasuke.

In this class, if anyone could lend him 5,500 taels, Naruto knew Sasuke was the one.

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