Momoka Senju

The next morning.

Jueming woke up looking refreshed and full of energy.

After washing up and eating breakfast, he left home and headed outside, running like flying.

Mito Uzumaki, who had also awakened, saw Jueming's expression and asked, "Where are you going?"

"..."

Jueming ignored her.

Instead, he browsed the system as he walked, taking the opportunity to ask it various questions.

The first thing he learned was...

It would answer any question related to the "Grass Release System" itself.

As for Mito Uzumaki, it only offered basic prompts.

Information about this world was not within the scope of its answers either.

"So if I want to learn more about the ninja world, I'll still have to rely on myself, Mito Uzumaki, or other people."

Jueming shifted his gaze.

Once again, he focused his attention on the depths of his consciousness.

Mito Uzumaki was there, with her red hair, diamond-shaped mark between eyebrows, and flowing white clothes. She was impossibly beautiful.

She possessed a noble, dignified air, along with a sacred presence that made people admire her from afar without daring to profane her.

Compared to her, every woman Jueming had seen in his previous life was like the glow of a firefly beside the moon.

And precisely because of that, a powerful desire to conquer rose within Jueming's heart.

If he grew stronger, surpassed the God of Shinobi, attained the Six Paths, he could revive Mito Uzumaki, revive the Senju Clan while he was at it, and then...

Of course, attaining the Six Paths was still far off.

Ninja were generally classified into the following ranks.

Academy Student, Genin, Chunin, Special Jonin, Jonin, Kage, and Six Paths.

There could be a certain gap within each rank.

Perhaps the gap between one Academy Student and another was not that great.

But once one reached Jonin, or even Kage, the difference could become terrifying.

Obviously.

According to legend... Hashirama Senju, the First Hokage and God of Shinobi, could crush many Kage-level opponents. Even if several Kage attacked him together, he could probably gang up on all of them by himself.

At present, his strength was at the Preschooler level.

He was still just a tiny bit short of becoming an Academy Student.

Only by passing the Entrance Exam, earning the qualifications, and entering the Ninja Academy could he prove that he had truly reached the required level.

"Senju Jueming, where are you going?" Mito Uzumaki repeated herself, perhaps thinking Jueming had not heard her.

Robbing people.

No, wait.

"Earning living expenses."

After saying that, Jueming quickly arrived at a spot within the Clan Gathering Place.

The road here was ordinary, with two rows of ordinary civilian houses on either side.

At the end of the roadside stood a little girl.

She looked filthy, her face covered in soot as dark as the bottom of a pot.

More importantly, she had a vacant, foolish expression.

"Who is she?" Mito Uzumaki asked.

Jueming said nothing.

At that moment, several other children nearby were making fun of the little girl.

"Haha, look at this idiot."

"Who told her not to listen to the Great Elder and trespass into the Forbidden area?"

The Great Elder often warned the clan members, especially the children, not to go near the Forbidden area.

Generally speaking, few people could get past the guards stationed there.

But there were always exceptions.

This Clan's little girl had accidentally entered the Forbidden area, and after coming out, she had become deranged.

What exactly had she seen? What was inside the Senju Clan's Forbidden area?

Probably only a few people like the Great Elder knew... and the others who knew had likely been ordered to keep silent.

"Hehe... hehe..."

The little girl giggled foolishly, clearly having suffered an immense mental shock.

Jueming simply flopped down onto the ground.

"?"

The Clan Children who had been enjoying themselves turned around and glanced back.

A cloud of dust rose up.

And the one who had stirred it up was Jueming, lying on the ground.

"Jueming?"

"Did you come looking for fun today too? And why are you lying down?"

They asked.

"Lying down feels good. Keep going, don't mind me."

Jueming moved his lips and lay off to the side, too lazy even to wave a hand.

[Stamina +1]

[Stamina +1]...

Just like that.

Jueming lay quietly nearby, watching these Peers mock the foolish Clan's little girl.

"You're not going to stop them?"

Mito Uzumaki spoke up.

At first, she had thought Jueming had come to stop the Peers from bullying her.

But now, not only did he not intervene, he had actually lain down on the ground like this?!

Mito Uzumaki felt that she really needed to carefully consider what the Great Elder had said yesterday...

Time passed second by second.

Jueming neither spoke nor moved.

One of the Peers even picked up small stones and threw them at her.

In truth... sometimes children were the cruelest.

Jueming merely watched it all with cold eyes.

"Going home~!"

"I'm heading back too."

Before long, after finishing their daily round of teasing, the children prepared to leave.

The next moment, Jueming rose from the ground.

"Don't be in such a hurry. It's the New Year, and since you're already here..."

With a calm expression, Jueming looked the group over.

They immediately felt a chill in their hearts and instinctively did not dare meet Jueming's gaze again.

The next moment, a sudden attack came.

Jueming punched one of them in the bridge of his nose.

Blood splattered everywhere.

As he fell backward, Jueming kicked out and drove his foot into the second person's stomach.

Then.

He swung a backhanded punch and took care of the third.

Finally...

He slammed his head forward and knocked the fourth unconscious.

In the blink of an eye, Jueming had taken down all four.

His attacks were swift and ruthless, utterly without mercy.

Precisely because they were One of Our Own from the Senju Clan, they were even less guarded against him.

No, even if they had been guarded, it would have been useless.

After lying down for more than a day, along with refining Chakra, Jueming's strength had risen another level.

"Not bad."

One person had taken down four.

Jueming nodded in satisfaction.

"I've become stronger than yesterday."

"..."

Mito Uzumaki froze slightly.

Much of her anger over Jueming watching the bullying dissipated.

Just as she was about to praise him.

Jueming crouched down.

Mito Uzumaki's pupils shrank. "Could it be...!?"

The next second, Jueming began expertly searching their pockets.

This time, he went even further.

Not only did he take the spoils, he also stripped off their shirts and pants.

After all, the "Grass Release - Body - Lying Flat" skill dirtied clothes quite badly.

It would be better if he had several changes of clothes.

Although the village distributed Orphan Subsidy every month.

It was only enough to keep him fed.

So Jueming decided to "support himself."

"Get lost!"

With a low shout.

The four boys trembled as they ran away naked except for their underwear.

Jueming, holding a bundle of clothes, nodded in satisfaction.

Today's haul... was huge.

He had money for instant noodles, and clothes too.

Next, he could focus on training and wait for the Ninja Academy's Entrance Examination six days from now.

Before leaving, Jueming looked back at the Clan's little girl.

After thinking for a moment.

He took several snacks from his pocket and tossed them to her before leaving...

After Jueming's figure completely disappeared.

The Great Elder appeared there.

"Is that him?" The little girl, who had been acting foolish, shifted her eyes, and a trace of shrewdness flashed through them.

"Yes, Lord Momoka."

The Great Elder replied respectfully.

"What do you think of that child, Jueming...?"

"He's a good prospect." Momoka Senju nodded, rising to her feet with the snacks Jueming had thrown down in her hand.

"..."

The Great Elder fell silent. That was not what he had been asking.

He had been asking whether Jueming would go "mad" as well...

Momoka Senju said, "If the Senju Clan is ever destroyed, it will be because we violated a taboo and brought it upon ourselves."

She crouched down again, unwrapped the snacks, and put the candy into her mouth.