Sosuke was thrilled.
He hadn't expected an experience piñata to come knocking all on its own, right after he'd left home.
He could already picture a bright future, raking in a pile of Points.
That was why the boy still wore a broad smile as he faced the group of bounty hunters.
"What's he smiling about?" The man hesitated for a moment, then immediately drew his Kunai and thrust it into the target standing before him.
The two beside him rushed in as well, and three gleaming blades pierced the target's body at once.
"Got him!"
The man was overjoyed—then he saw the mockery in the boy's eyes.
Bang!
The Shadow Clone exploded without warning. The three men standing nearby had no chance to dodge.
[System Notification: Successfully killed an enemy. Received 78 Points.] [System Notification: Successfully killed an enemy. Received 55 Points.] [System Notification: Successfully killed an enemy. Received 58 Points.]
The trio was weak, nowhere near as strong as the group that had ambushed the academy.
By equivalent standards, they were probably around Genin level.
In truth, this was the Ninja World's real state of affairs.
Cases like the Konoha 12, where Genin could fight Jonin, were exceedingly rare throughout the history of the Ninja World.
The gap in hard power couldn't be easily bridged by a little fervor. These guys, who probably couldn't even use ninjutsu, made up the most chaotic stratum of the Ninja World.
Most people would do anything for money. They simply weren't capable of judging the difference in strength between themselves and their opponents.
"If people came to assassinate me every day..."
Soon, Sosuke forced himself to abandon the thought.
The underground world was a chaotic mix of people. Any day could bring some expert out of nowhere.
If an enemy caught him off guard, even a cup of poisoned wine could kill him.
Giving up on using himself as bait, Sosuke clutched his stomach and staggered out of his hiding place.
"Ugh, that really hurts." The boy couldn't hide his bitter smile.
He'd only gotten curious and wanted to try using Chakra to make his Shadow Clone explode.
But he'd forgotten that the clone transmitted every sensation back to the original. That naturally included the rare experience of being blown to pieces.
As pain like tearing spread through his body, only one thought remained in Sosuke's mind.
I'm falling apart!
No wonder Shadow Clone self-detonations were so rare. Aside from special masochists like Hidan, no sane person would want to try it a second time.
Especially in the middle of a tense battle, pain severe enough to make his muscles cramp could leave the user briefly frozen in place.
Against a true expert, that was no different from asking to be killed.
And just like that, his brand-new finishing move was sealed away.
He didn't go near the three unlucky men's bodies, in case they'd hidden some kind of mutual-destruction trap.
After thinking it over, Sosuke simply used Great Fireball to burn their bodies to ashes.
"Job done."
Sosuke clapped his hands lightly, retrieved his pack, and continued toward the Western War Zone.
On the way, he checked his current status.
[Name: Uchiha Sosuke] [Age: Seven] [Physical Strength: Genin] [Mental Strength: Chunin] [Chakra: Genin] [Special Ability: Sharingan (One-Tomoe)] [Ninja Tools: Short Sword] [Summoning Beast: None] [Points: 1371]
In terms of basic abilities, he was probably just an ordinary Genin.
But if he included abilities like the Sharingan, Chidori, and Shadow Clone, he was strong enough to contend with Captain-level fighters for a short time.
At the very least, he was no longer cannon fodder.
"Improving my basic physical abilities will take a long time. The best way to increase my strength quickly is to exchange for a Chakra Amplification Technique."
Simply studying ninjutsu could no longer give him any immediate improvement. The main reason was his limited Chakra.
So his next priority should be finding a way to increase his Chakra.
There were many ways to do that. It all came down to which one he chose.
There were three best-known methods.
The first was the Eight Gates.
By removing the body's restrictions, a user could make their Chakra surge for a short time.
With the Eight Gates Released Formation, they could briefly wield combat strength on par with the Six Paths Level.
The second was Sage Mode.
By absorbing Nature Energy and transforming it into Senjutsu Chakra that the user could wield.
The third was becoming a Jinchuriki.
By borrowing the power of a Tailed Beast, the user's Chakra could instantly increase several hundredfold.
Unfortunately, Sosuke couldn't see the Eight Gates or Sage Mode in the system right now. Even if he could, the Points needed to exchange for them would surely be astronomical.
As for becoming a Jinchuriki, he could try to do it himself—provided he had combat strength on par with a Tailed Beast.
"Maybe I should lower my standards a little."
As he traveled, Sosuke kept searching for a suitable substitute. He finally found something he could exchange for just before reaching his destination.
[Curse Mark Technique, Item Rank: B, Exchange Cost: 6000 Points.] It can absorb energy from nature and transform it into special Chakra that the human body can absorb.
It was a bargain-bin version of Sage Mode, so naturally its boost to one's strength couldn't match the real thing.
It had two main advantages.
First, it was fast, almost effortless to activate. With a single thought, the Nature Energy sealed within the Cursed Seal would spread throughout the body.
Second, activating the Cursed Seal could change the user's form. Sasuke's Heavenly Curse Mark could even help him fly.
As he thought it over, Sosuke wondered: since the Cursed Seal could store Nature Energy, could it also store Senjutsu Chakra that had already been converted in advance?
If so, once he learned Sage Mode, he wouldn't have to go through the trouble of gathering and refining Senjutsu Chakra. He could simply use what was stored inside the Cursed Seal.
That would solve Sage Mode's biggest drawback.
"All right, you're the one."
Having decided on his goal for the next stage, Sosuke finally reached the legendary Valley of Hell.
After presenting the Identity Token given to him by the Clan Head, he followed two clan members into the valley.
"Wow, it's so hot." Sosuke instinctively covered his nose and mouth. For a moment, it felt as if he'd returned to the bathhouse sauna of his previous life.
He hadn't gone far before sweat began pouring down his back.
The rivers on either side of the road bubbled like boiling water, and the air was filled with an indescribable stench.
In less than a minute, Sosuke was already wishing he could escape.
This was the Valley of Hell, a living hell where the Chinoike Clan was punished.
"Stop!"
Suddenly, two unfriendly-looking strangers blocked their way.
"You Uchiha aren't welcome here."
"Get out, or you won't be leaving today."
It had taken only a few short exchanges for both groups to draw their weapons. Clearly, their relationship was even worse than he'd imagined.
But Sosuke was more interested in the strange features in the man's eyes.
"So this is the Ketsuryūgan?"
Before you continue