[Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto]
A casino is a place to throw fortunes to the wind. Poor men can become rich and rich men may be beggared, all of them. Or is that simply the illusion cast by their free spending atmosphere, the atmosphere of a place where all are wealthy and all may become millionaires. It is the allure of the game show, the trap of the opportunity without ever seeing the outcome.
But what of those that play the casino for the win? For life, as it were?
Any Ninja worth their salt would tell you that illusions and false promises are much of what ninja can offer you. They can offer you cold steel when it whets their interest, or their pocketbook. A gentle touch, entertainment and companionship could be your order, except you wish for something more than a geisha. The joy of supporting local community business, one which asks no questions other than the order of the day. There is a Ninja for every job one might desire, and there is frequently even an outlet to acquire those services from. Their lives lead similar conclusions to those of casino-dwellers, in that they leave beggared – in body, if not in wealth – or rich, in goods if not in spirit.
Ninja know the costs of their profession. They know the gains. And more than anything, they know that the world is not yet ready to be rid of them. So they will continue to do violence upon it, to wreak the will of the highest bidder and the most powerful force. Some will carve out their own stakes and try to protect them, becoming hidden villages within nations, still others would carve their names upon the world with greater promises, such as Salamander Hanzo did in Rain Country. The greatest Ninja are remembered and revered by their nations, their enemies, and all those that encountered them upon the battlefield. Some of these names are whispered deep into the night, meant to frighten tired children. Other names bring hope to those that are lost or saddened, as the tales of their struggles are the struggles of us all. Children everywhere remember the Gallant Jiraiya in this way, for few recall him as terrifying or even marginally threatening – despite his incredible prowess.
Yet all of these Ninja played the game. They drew the cards that fate dealt them and played for many rounds, perhaps even trying their hands at metaphorical games of dice or janken.
"Fate follows us all. Or does it lead us. Perhaps it waits by the wayside, stalking our footsteps like a haunting voice. I have known fate to lead me, and I have seen myself shape fate. We are creatures of fate, yet also creatures of our own desires. There is no knowing what is the ultimate incarnation of our fate, be it a culmination of our own actions or of the madness that is the will of the Kami. I know that I will fight the Kami, and I may even win, the first or second time. But none can hold off the chains of fate for all time, and it will consume me in the end. For there is truly one fate awaiting us all, despite what some would seek and others appear to have achieved. I do not fear its approach, despite my curiousity towards the machinations constructed around us. Hounding, pushing, pulling, driving us through our lives; I chose to escape the millstones which were first placed upon me. Perhaps my trade of one geas for another has not lengthed my fate any, but I find myself at peace."
Hyuuga Neji, traitor-nin to Konoha
"Believe it! I am Hokage! They have banished me and denied my existence, but I lead them through the Will of the Fire. There is jinchuuriki, bijuu, and there is Uzumaki Naruto, the true Hokage of Konohagakure!"
Uzumaki Naruto, traitor-nin to Konoha.
"Ninja is a weapon. It is many things, but in those days of war and bloodshed, ninja were weapons first and foremost. Sometimes - or in the hands of some individuals or groups - it seems like a precise tool, exercised with great care and measurement; in others it is an indiscriminate means of destruction; perhaps it has even been a brutal surgical implement. How this weapon is used, how it is balanced with the other tools at the disposal of our leaders; is put to their discretion. I do not know if I was used well, but I know that now I alone control the injuries I inflict. My flight, path, journey, or application of force is solely my responsibility, and I accept that with great pride and honor."
Tenten, traitor-nin to Konoha.