Uchiha Shrine

After the meeting adjourned, Shin and Uchiha Madara left the hall together, heading toward the ancestral shrine. The Uchiha clan's B-rank and lower ninjutsu were kept in the Ninjutsu Attic, while only A-rank and S-rank techniques were stored in the underground vault of the shrine, guarded by designated personnel.

Before long, the two entered the shrine, circled to the back, and opened the secret passage leading underground, entering one after the other.

The space beneath the Uchiha shrine was vast. It was Shin's first time down here, and he couldn't help but look around.

A dark shadow appeared with a whoosh, completely shrouded in a black robe; neither its age nor its features could be discerned.

"You must be Young Master Madara and Young Master Shin. The Clan Head has given instructions; please, follow me!" The black-robed figure's voice was strange, as if the words were being popped out one by one, making it impossible to tell if it was a man or a woman.

After several twists and turns, the figure led them to a stone door. It reached out and knocked three times on the third brick to the right of the door. The stone slab opened automatically, revealing a pitch-black void inside where nothing could be seen.

"This is the place. You two young masters may enter on your own. You can only choose one A-rank ninjutsu. The S-rank techniques are all protected by sealing jutsu; without the proper seal, they cannot be opened." After saying this, the figure took a step back and vanished into the shadows.

"Let's go in, Shin!"

Madara called out to him and stepped through the stone door first, with Shin quickly following behind.

Boom, boom, boom!

The moment they stepped inside, the stone lamps on the walls ignited automatically, illuminating the entire stone chamber. The light wasn't particularly bright, but it was enough to read the scrolls.

Uchiha Madara seemed well-acquainted with the place, picking through the scrolls one by one. As he browsed, he said, "These are all A-rank ninjutsu. The S-rank ones are over there, but they all have seals, so they can't be opened." He pointed to the end of the room, where several high pedestals stood, each holding a scroll that was barely visible.

Seeing Madara's familiarity with the situation, Shin asked, "Have you been here before?"

Madara didn't even turn his head. "I learned my Dragon Flame Song Technique here."

Shin tilted his head to look at him and probed, "Did you sneak in?"

How did you know?

Uchiha Madara's hand paused for a moment, but he immediately resumed his nonchalant demeanor, let out a cold snort, and offered no reply.

Shin chuckled; he knew he had guessed correctly.

He examined the scrolls one by one. A-rank ninjutsu were treasures in any clan, and even for a great clan like the Uchiha, they were not abundant.

Shin made a rough estimate: there were about ten scrolls on his shelf, and there were fewer than four rows in total. This meant the entire Uchiha clan possessed roughly forty A-rank ninjutsu. As for the S-rank ones, there were even fewer; he had glanced over there earlier and counted nine pedestals.

"Majestic Destroyer Flame, Majestic Demolisher Flame, Dragon Flame Song, Dust Hiding, Infinite Flame Great Breakthrough..."

It was clear that the row Shin was standing in consisted entirely of Fire Release ninjutsu. In fact, most of the techniques here were Fire Release, with a small portion being Lightning Release, and very few of other natures.

After all, the primary affinity of the Uchiha clan was fire; a small number of clansmen would awaken a lightning affinity, while others were very rare.

For instance, Shin only had a single fire affinity, while Uchiha Madara possessed both fire and lightning.

I want them all! Even if some aren't very useful to learn, selling them to that damn system would net me so many points! Looking at these scrolls, Shin's mouth was practically watering.

Right now, I have the Rasengan for single-target attacks, the Crow Clone for survival, the Flying Thunder God for mobility, and the Sharingan's genjutsu. I'm only missing a large-scale area-of-effect ninjutsu to be complete.

Thinking this, Shin picked up the Majestic Destroyer Flame without hesitation. He remembered that in the original story, Madara used this Fire Release technique the moment he appeared, showing immense power that required dozens of ninja using Water Release just to barely hold it back.

He activated his Sharingan, the three tomoe spinning slowly, and committed every word on the scroll to memory. The Sharingan had an automatic memory function, and the Majestic Destroyer Flame was memorized in no time.

Shin returned the scroll to its place and picked up the Majestic Demolisher Flame next to it, thinking with a smirk, Who said I can only pick one? With the Sharingan's powerful memory, I'd be a fool not to use it.

As he thought this, he opened the scroll, and then...

"What the hell? Why is this scroll completely blank!" Shin shouted out loud.

Not far away, Uchiha Madara wore a gloating smile and burst into laughter. "Haha, you idiot! Did you think everyone else was a fool? Think about it—if the ninjutsu here could be read at will, how could I have only learned the Dragon Flame Song last time? Haha, you're killing me!"

Shin's face turned completely black. This guy was definitely doing it on purpose. He acted cold and aloof on the surface, but he was actually a tsundere. He had clearly been watching him the whole time, waiting for him to make a fool of himself so he could mock him. No wonder he was destined to be suppressed by Senju Hashirama for his entire life.

He shoved the scroll back into place, cursed Madara silently in his heart, and turned to leave. You can stay here and read slowly until you rot!

After exiting the shrine, he saw that it was already late. If he wanted to go to the Fujiwara Mine, he would have to travel through the night, but he certainly wasn't going to do that.

Returning to his room, a fragrant aroma wafted toward him. The table in the living room was already set with food, and six-year-old Chiyo Hotaru was busy bustling about.

"Ah, Lord Shin, you've returned!"

The little maid noticed Shin, quickly set down the soup she was holding, and bowed to him.

Shin smiled and nodded, sitting down at the table. The little maid thoughtfully placed a bowl of rice in front of him.

"In the future, when we're at home, there's no need for so many rules. Just be casual." Shin looked at her as she stood cautiously behind him, smiled, and tapped the table. "Sit down and eat with me!"

Chiyo Hotaru took a step back, shook her head, and said softly, "How could I? I am your maid, my lord; I have no right to sit with you."

Shin shook his head inwardly, knowing that the concepts of hierarchy in the Warring States period were deeply ingrained. He realized it would be difficult to change her mind just by talking, so he feigned anger. "This is an order. Sit down and eat."

Chiyo Hotaru didn't dare to speak again. She sat down with her head lowered, silently served herself a bowl of rice, and looked at Shin with an expression that looked like she was about to cry.

Shin ignored her and simply ate and drank; he had to admit, the little maid's cooking was excellent.

In the quiet meal, Shin felt an inexplicable sense of ease. In the few years since he had transmigrated, he had always been alone in his room, and occasionally, a sense of loneliness would wash over him. Now that there was a little maid in the house, even though it hadn't been long, there was a sense of vitality; it was no longer the deathly silence of being alone.

Things are pretty good like this... Shin thought to himself.

As for the little maid, seeing that Shin was truly just eating and not paying attention to her, she quietly shoveled a mouthful of rice into her mouth. The feeling of eating with Lord Shin made her heart feel warm!