Newbie's Carnival Gift Pack!

"15 million ryo just to open a lousy chest! Why don't you just go rob someone! That's half the price of Asuma's head, you know!" Xian Yu's small face turned pale with rage, and he couldn't help but shout out loud!

"Hmm? You little brat, Xian Yu! Why aren't you practicing properly instead of yelling in the courtyard?" Just then, a man wearing a kimono with two crossed scars on his chin suddenly appeared in the yard.

Such fast Body Flicker Technique...

It feels like the old thief Danzo, currently in his prime, has been improving his strength at a terrifying speed these past two years!

His footsteps are becoming increasingly silent... more and more elusive...

Seeing this man, Xian Yu's small body shivered instinctively.

He recalled the fear of being dominated by the Darkness of the Shinobi World all these years...

"Heh... hehe... Old man, please calm your fire. One must balance work and rest when training... I'm still just a child..."

"Stop trying to sidetrack me. How is your progress on the Wind Style: Vacuum Sphere I taught you a few days ago?" Danzo pulled a long face and asked in a deep voice.

After Xian Yu successfully extracted chakra, he used chakra paper to detect that he possessed both Wind and Lightning affinities. At that time, the old thief Danzo had taught him the training method for Wind Style: Vacuum Sphere.

"Uh... still need a little more time..."

"Enough. I don't have time to waste with you here. I have to leave the village for an important mission and might not be back for a while. I've already handled your enrollment procedures; just have Ayumi accompany you to the Ninja Academy when it opens in a few days!" No sooner had Danzo finished speaking than he vanished.

He went inside to pack his gear.

Judging from his interactions over the past two years, this cheap father of his didn't seem as unbearable as depicted in the anime from his past life...

Perhaps... at this age of twenty-five or twenty-six, this younger version of the Scapegoat King was still a passionate youth who loved Konoha and was willing to sacrifice everything for it?

"Phew..." Xian Yu exhaled, turning his attention back to the Treasure Chest Radar.

He saw that the circular radar mini-map displayed one Green and two Black chests within the village limits.

As for those outside the village, he wouldn't consider them for now.

"Iron-Black? Bronze? Silver? Sigh, money is a huge problem!" Xian Yu sighed helplessly.

"I can forget about that Silver chest that requires 15 million to open for now. I just don't know what the opening costs are for the lower-tier chests."

"I hope they aren't too much of a rip-off..."

"After all, the purchasing power of ryo in this world is about the same as the currency from my past life!"

15 million... just thinking about that number made Xian Yu's heart ache.

In terms of Konoha's economic level, it was considered among the top tier in the entire Shinobi World.

An average villager's family earned only 3,000 to 5,000 ryo a month.

A Chunin's monthly bonus after completing normal missions was only in the tens of thousands. Whether it was ten or twenty thousand, or eighty or ninety thousand, depended on the specific strength of that Chunin.

Jonin were much wealthier; a month of missions could usually net them hundreds of thousands or even a million.

But at the same time, a ninja's expenses were also high!

They had to use various precious medicinal herbs to nourish their bodies during daily training.

Add in the wear and tear of various ninja tools and the cost of repairs, plus the occasional meal with teammates, and most were basically struggling, rarely having much in savings.

One had to know that a single high-quality explosive tag produced by the Uchiha clan cost 1,500 ryo, with no discounts.

Of course, there were cheaper explosive tags in ordinary ninja tool shops for 500 ryo, but their power was only about half that of the high-quality ones, and there was no guarantee they would even detonate.

He touched the thirty-thousand-plus ryo in his pocket. He had originally thought he was a rich kid.

It turned out that in front of the treasure chests, he was just a poor wretch... Xian Yu gave a bitter smile.

"Half a month at the shortest, two months at the longest. If you haven't mastered a mere C-rank Wind Style: Vacuum Sphere by the time I return, be prepared to spend another month lying in bed!"

Hearing this, Xian Yu's small body stiffened instantly. He didn't know when Danzo had already donned his Anbu attire and a Red Fox Mask. With his waist bulging with various scrolls, he stood behind him, his cold voice chilling to the bone.

This old thief Danzo was definitely not joking; when he struck, he really went for the kill...

"Wait a second!" Seeing that the old thief Danzo was about to leave, Xian Yu hurriedly called out.

"Hmm?" Danzo, who had already jumped onto the courtyard wall, paused and glanced back.

Beneath that eerie Red Fox Mask, a pair of cold, piercing eyes made one's hair stand on end.

"Uh... that... that... give me some more money, I have a use for it recently."

Danzo paused at these words, looking suspiciously at the little boy shivering in the cold wind. He didn't say anything else, simply unhooked a money pouch from his waist and tossed it over.

By the time Xian Yu caught the pouch and looked back at the wall, the man was already gone.

As a soul reborn as an adult, Xian Yu wasn't truly that afraid of the old thief Danzo.

It was just that as a small internet cafe manager who had lived in a peaceful era in his past life, facing a ninja like Danzo who killed without blinking—combined with the occasional fierce aura he inadvertently exuded... and the reputation of the Darkness of the Shinobi World from his past life...

It was inevitable... to be a little cowardly.

Fine, he was just being cowardly.

He opened the pouch and counted. The little guy's eyes instantly narrowed into slits.

Good heavens... he really is a wealthy father!

Twenty-six notes in total, each of the highest denomination: ten thousand taels of silver.

Clutching this massive fortune, Xian Yu did not hesitate for a moment, instead roaring internally: "System! Get your ass out here! This Young Master wants to top up 290,000 taels!"

In that instant, he felt the grand ambition of a salted fish finally flipping over to sing its own song.

"Congratulations to the Host for successfully topping up 290,000 taels. You have received 29 Diamonds."

"Holy crap! Why does hearing that notification make me feel like I'm actually dirt poor?"

Xian Yu couldn't handle the massive disparity between those two numerical units. His little face turned a sickly shade of green.

His pair of dark, round eyes instantly welled up with tears.

"Congratulations to the Host for reaching a cumulative top-up of over 100,000 taels. You have been promoted to a Xinyue Level 1 user. You have received one Newbie Carnival Gift Pack."

"Eh! I thought this stingy System didn't care about newcomers at all! Who would have thought it would be generous for once and actually send a Newbie Gift Pack?" Upon hearing this notification, Xian Yu felt tears streaming down his face!

It was just too moving!

So I was the one who wronged you all along; you are a System with a conscience! You are a good System!

"Wait... how much does it cost to open the Newbie Gift Pack?" As if suddenly remembering something, Xian Yu asked with sudden vigilance.

"..."

Fine, he'd almost forgotten that this thing basically never answered any of his questions.

After a moment of hesitation, the little boy ultimately decided to verify it himself.

So, he silently chanted in his heart: "Open Newbie Gift Pack!"

"Does the Host confirm they wish to open the Newbie Carnival Gift Pack?"

"Whew..." Upon hearing the System's voice, Xian Yu had feared this pit-trap of a System was going to demand some exorbitant fee to open the pack.

It turned out to be a false alarm...

"Confirm." He continued to silently send the command.

"Ding-dong! Congratulations to the Host for successfully opening the Newbie Carnival Gift Pack! You have received Gold Treasure Chest x1. Confetti.JPG"

Looking at the Gold Treasure Chest that had appeared out of thin air in the second slot of his inventory, glowing with a blinding light, Xian Yu's heart suddenly skipped a beat...

He had a bad premonition...

The little guy took three deep breaths in a row, then tentatively and weakly said: "Open Gold Treasure Chest."

"Opening the Gold Treasure Chest requires 15,000 Diamonds. The Host's balance is insufficient. Please top up and try again! Creating happiness with heart, we look forward to your next visit!"

"I knew it... I just knew it..." Xian Yu seemed to lose all his strength at once.

He slumped onto the ground, his eyes vacant and lifeless.

The most desperate thing in this world is not being unlucky forever, or having no hope at all.

It is when God closes a door for you... and then opens a window for you instead.

Just as you, desperate and helpless, reignite your hope... and prepare to climb through that window...

Snap!

The window slams shut too.