Skill Learning Card

However, he needed to visit the Great Elder now, and would most likely have to make another trip to the Clan Vault afterward to select ninjutsu. It would probably take quite a while, so he simply used that Gacha Pull chance on the way.

[System drawing...]

[Obtained: Skill Learning Card (Green)]

[Skill Learning Card (Green) Description: With a complete Cultivation Method and the corresponding Chakra attribute, this card can be used to quickly gain a basic grasp of the skill within 24 hours of training. Green Quality is only effective on Jutsu of C-rank difficulty or below.]

He got something!

A flash of delight immediately appeared in Uchiha Gen's eyes.

So far, out of nine Gacha Pulls, he had only drawn Green Cards twice.

As the planner of this game, he knew that the Gacha Pool was divided into tiers.

It had to encourage players to spend money while also giving ordinary players a few perks, something to strive toward.

Otherwise, if a game was full of big spenders with no ordinary players to highlight the gap or pad out the rankings, the big spenders' sense of superiority and enjoyment would naturally diminish. If spending money could get them everything, they would soon quit out of invincible loneliness and move on to the next game.

That was why there needed to be a mechanism that extended the game's lifespan while allowing skilled ordinary players to use it to narrow the gap with big spenders.

In this game, that mechanism was naturally linking the Gacha Pool's card quality to player level.

At Gen's current level, there were only two types of cards in the pool. Only once his level rose high enough would higher-quality cards be unlocked, along with increased drop rates for cards of certain qualities.

One was the white card, which had still been quite useful during his time at the Ninja Academy—for instance, Haruno Sakura's Character Card, as well as the Shuriken, Kunai, and trap wires he used.

The other was the Green Card he had just drawn.

At this stage, the drop rate for such cards was only ten percent. Although the tenth pull guaranteed a Character Card, statistically speaking, by level ten he could obtain at most two Green Cards.

Yet this time, he had drawn one. How could Uchiha Gen not be excited?

He remembered that three years ago, he had also drawn a white Skill Learning Card, which could be used on Jutsu of D-rank difficulty or below.

He had used it on Manipulating Shuriken Jutsu.

"You look rather absent-minded, but you also seem happy."

At the entrance to the Clan Grounds, before a gatehouse resembling a torii, Uchiha Mikoto looked at Uchiha Gen with her large, bright black eyes.

"Yeah. After all, we graduated today. Starting tomorrow, we'll be living completely different lives from the ones we've had these past years."

Uchiha Gen did not hide the expression on his face as he spoke to Uchiha Mikoto.

"Actually, life after graduation will only be harder than before. For the clan's honor and the village's orders, you'll have to train, grow stronger, carry out missions, take part in wars, witness bloodshed and sacrifice, understand what is precious, and understand the meaning of loss."

She turned her head to look at the bustling midday streets in the distance and murmured softly.

As the granddaughter of the Uchiha Clan's Great Elder, she had also been held to strict standards since childhood, scarcely able to relax for even a single day.

"But isn't all that what ninja do for the sake of everything before us?"

Uchiha Gen smiled and offered Mikoto a little encouragement.

"A prosperous clan, a peaceful village, children who can grow up strong—isn't that the meaning of a ninja's struggles?"

Uchiha Mikoto was briefly stunned. Then she blinked and smiled faintly.

"You're right, Little Gen. All right, we're here."

Uchiha Mikoto stopped in front of a spacious courtyard with Uchiha Gen.

They pushed open the heavy gates and entered.

Several bonsai plants stood on either side of the stone-paved ground. The dark high walls bore the Uchiha Clan's red-and-white fan Clan Crest.

Near the main residence stood a neat row of wooden corridors. To the left of the corridor was another open stone-paved area, furnished with training equipment such as dummies and targets. It was clearly a small private Training Ground.

Rumble.

The sound of the entryway door sliding open rang out.

"Grandfather, I brought Gen back."

"Come in."

An aged voice sounded from inside.

"Come here."

Mikoto beckoned Gen over.

Uchiha Gen took off his shoes and followed Mikoto inside.

Beyond the entryway was the living room, which also served as the dining area.

An elderly man in a gray kimono sat in seiza before a low table.

Wisps of smoke drifted through the gaps in the sliding partition doors. A beautiful middle-aged woman wearing an apron poked her head out from inside, still holding a spatula.

"Mikoto is back. And you brought a guest? Would you like to stay for lunch?"

"Mother, this is Little Gen—Uchiha Gen, the top student of this year's Ninja Academy class."

Uchiha Mikoto introduced him to her mother.

"So it's Gen. Ah, are you Taki's child? I haven't seen you in years, and you've grown so big already. The last time I saw you, you were just a little baby."

Mikoto's mother set a bowl of fish soup on the table, then sat down and began laying out the bowls and chopsticks.

"You just came from the Ninja Academy, so you probably haven't had lunch yet. Sit down and join us. Mika's cooking is quite good."

Uchiha Gen nodded slightly at Uchiha Gen, signaling for him to sit.

"Thank you for having me, Elder Gen, Aunt Mika, and Sister Mikoto. Then I won't stand on ceremony."

After the meal, Uchiha Gen led Mikoto and Gen out to the corridor for a walk to aid digestion.

Following behind this second-most powerful figure in the clan, Uchiha Gen saw Mikoto give him a meaningful look.

What did that look mean?

Uchiha Gen was slightly taken aback when the Great Elder leisurely spoke.

"Gen, in the eyes of young ninja of your generation, what should the relationship between the clan and the village be like?"

Uchiha Gen immediately understood Mikoto's hint.

This was likely part of why Uchiha Gen had summoned him here.

He wanted to know what this promising young genius thought of the matter.

Ever since Madara's departure, the relationship between the clan and the village had remained the Uchiha Clan's primary contradiction.

After considering for a moment, Uchiha Gen answered the Great Elder's question from the Uchiha Clan's perspective as much as possible.

"The Uchiha and Senju founded Konoha, and the Uchiha, who command the Police Force, are also one of Konoha's most important and indispensable parts. The clan needs to stand together with the village in order to remain safe in these troubled times and preserve the glory of the Ninja World's foremost great clan. At the same time, the village needs the Uchiha's powerful strength in order to contend against the other powerful ninja villages."