Diary

"Right, when I was designing the program, there seemed to be a rule: if you lose over 1,000 gold coins in a short period, it becomes very easy to trigger the jackpot. Losing 2,000 coins in a row significantly boosts the winning odds, and if you lose 7,000 coins in a short time, a jackpot is guaranteed?" Xian Yu, who had participated slightly in the conceptual design of the Fruit Machine, finally breathed a sigh of relief at this thought.

This setting was actually proposed by Xian Yu himself back then, specifically to give those with truly terrible luck a little confidence to keep playing...

In any case, according to the program settings, the Fruit Machine was designed only to profit and never to lose money.

Since that was the case, the recent streaks of "trains," "lights," and "four-of-a-kind" must have had nothing to do with Tsunade's gambling luck.

After all, she had already lost well over 7,000 gold coins.

"You keep playing then; I'm going to go check on Orochimaru and Jiraiya." Xian Yu waved his hand. Seeing the future "Gambling" of the Sannin already completely lost in her own world, he chose to leave silently, unable to bring himself to disturb her.

"Mm, go on, go on." Tsunade waved her hand dismissively without even glancing at Xian Yu, continuing her journey with the Fruit Roulette.

He arrived at Orochimaru's house, knocked on the door, and called out a few times, but there was no response. Xian Yu was just about to turn and leave.

"Xian Yu-kun, please go sit in the living room for a moment; I'll be ready shortly." Orochimaru's voice drifted weakly from inside the house, as if he were enduring some immense pain.

What happened?

Could it be that Orochimaru finally couldn't resist experimenting on himself? Did something go wrong?

That shouldn't be right; he was such a rational Snake Uncle.

Xian Yu felt a jolt of alarm, vaulted over the wall, and rushed inside, shouting, "Orochimaru, where are you? What's wrong?"

Orochimaru did not respond.

"The sound just now seemed to come from here?" Having never entered Orochimaru's residence before, Xian Yu followed the source of the previous voice and pushed open the door.

What met his eyes was a wooden bucket, with towels and toiletries hanging on the wall.

Orochimaru was sitting opposite him, looking frail.

His pants were pulled down to his knees, and he was sitting on the toilet...

"Uh... sorry, sorry. Orochimaru, you continue. I'll wait for you outside." Xian Yu couldn't have been more embarrassed; to think he had been worried that something had happened to Orochimaru... it was probably just an upset stomach, and he was taking a dump.

Orochimaru's facial expression remained frozen until Xian Yu retreated from the bathroom and closed the door, at which point he seemed to finally break free from a paralysis jutsu.

"Xian Yu-kun..." A sudden, deep flush spread across Orochimaru's fair, small face.

Even though they were both men, this was still an incredibly awkward and shameful situation.

With nothing better to do, Xian Yu began to tour Orochimaru's home.

"This is the kitchen. Hmm, the stove is still warm. I didn't expect Snake Uncle to cook for himself at home. Unlike that guy Jiraiya, who lives off instant noodles all day."

"This must be the bedroom; it's kept quite tidy. As expected of my Snake Uncle. I remember the last time I went to Jiraiya's place, his bedroom floor was covered in paper scraps and trash." Xian Yu sighed with emotion as he looked at the simple yet neat bedroom. Jiraiya was just too lazy.

He didn't realize that if Shinozaki Ayumi weren't there to help him clean his room, cook, and do his laundry, it would be hard to say whose life was actually messier between him and Jiraiya.

"This must be the study." As Xian Yu walked, he arrived at a study.

The bamboo bookshelves didn't look like they were made by a craftsman, and their shape was quite unique. Perhaps Orochimaru had made them himself.

On the three rows of shelves, only one held a dozen books, such as Basic Taijutsu Explanation, Human Acupuncture Points, and Ninjutsu Introductory Guide.

The other spaces were filled with research notes.

Xian Yu picked up two books and flipped through them.

The cover of one experimental notebook read Self-Made Gas Mask Development: "Pour a mixture of wood ash and water onto charcoal, stuff it into a steamed bamboo tube, and then..."

Another notebook was titled Record of Peculiar Substances.

"Hm? This is..." Xian Yu looked with surprise at a passage written in the Record of Peculiar Substances.

"Discovered toxic gas at Emerald Lake, causes silver to turn black..."

"Sulfuric acid?" After flipping through a few more notebooks, Xian Yu truly began to admire Orochimaru.

Even though he was researching and exploring on his own, many of the notes he recorded aligned with the knowledge Xian Yu already possessed.

The world of Naruto was actually quite close to Xian Yu's previous life. Take the era of Naruto Uzumaki's son, Boruto, for example; it was basically no different from modern technology. The only difference was the existence of something called chakra, which made the foundation of technological development slightly different, but the direction was largely similar.

"Hm? Is this... a diary?" Xian Yu hesitated.

Reading someone else's diary without permission was a very rude act.

However, in the end, the young student Xian Yu, whose curiosity had overcome his morality... naturally chose to open it!

October 27th, Rainy.

Today is my birthday, but Mom and Dad went on a mission. They should be back before tonight. They clearly promised to celebrate my birthday with me. I made a table full of food and waited in front of the table, hoping for some kind of miracle. It's already past dinner time. I didn't wait for them... I'm afraid I won't be able to wait for them anymore.

An Anbu ninja told me that the squad my parents were in was returning from completing a mission when my mother was discovered by enemy ninjas while trying to buy a gas mask. My father left the squad without authorization to rescue her, and neither of them returned.

October 29th, Rainy.

Today, my parents' remains were sent back. It was clear they didn't suffer much before they died; they both committed suicide by poison. And in my mother's hand, she was still clutching a gas mask tightly.

November 1st, Overcast.

Today they sent me this month's subsidy of 1,000 ryo. At that moment, I realized that from now on, I had become one of the many orphans of Konoha. There will be no one left to buy me the Three-Color Dango I love most. And my research materials...

February 28th, rainy.

Two more days. I must hold on. Even though I was careful, I accidentally spent all of this month's living expenses. Next month... next month I must be more frugal. But I am so hungry right now. Mother, I am so hungry...

March 2nd, sunny.

There is no meaning to being alive. From birth to death, it is merely a cycle that every individual must experience in this world, following their instincts. Although the stories and experiences of each individual vary wildly, in essence, nothing changes. You arrive, you are remembered, and then you are gradually forgotten, perhaps without even leaving a name behind... And I am simply following what my parents hoped for before they passed, striving to become a qualified ninja. That is the only reason I welcome every sunrise.

May 28th, sunny.

I was beaten up today. I threw the first punch. They called me a wild child. I shouldn't have paid any attention to such boring things. But they said I didn't have parents... My parents only left, they didn't cease to exist!

Flipping through a few more pages, the corners of Xian Yu's eyes grew slightly damp. This was entirely the process of a child fending for himself. Furthermore, the diary contained many questions regarding the meaning of his own existence.

He had experienced this too. A child without parents or relatives, starving to the point of agony, having to endure it alone or find a way to obtain food, by any means necessary. When injured, one also had to suffer in silence and tend to their own wounds. No one cared about you; even the occasional help was merely out of someone else's kindness. No one would help you forever, even if you were just a child.

Silently flipping to the next page, things appeared slightly different.

September 1st, sunny.

Today was the opening day of the Ninja Academy. At the opening ceremony, I saw the Third Hokage. He said that wherever the leaves dance, the fire will burn, the shadow of the fire will illuminate the village, and new leaves will sprout. I think I have found a new direction.

During the placement test, I encountered a child from the Uchiha clan. He was truly strong; I had no way to fight back. I was injured. Although it wasn't very serious, I would have to spend my meager living expenses to buy medicine.

Just as I was thinking this, a person appeared before me.

I had always believed that living was meaningless, until that moment...

My injured eye still burned a little. I must have looked quite pathetic back then, right? And that figure stood with his back to the sun. Like the embodiment of sunlight, without any warning, without the slightest preparation, he appeared by my side.

I looked up and saw the sticker on his chin—it was a cross-shaped scar sticker. If not for the angle of the light, this sticker would have been indistinguishable from the real thing. What kind of person is he, really?

He helped me treat my injuries and even invited me to eat Ichiraku Ramen. His smile was charming; that smile was truly warm.

I have started to believe what the Hokage said.

So, it is good to be alive. Perhaps there is no inherent meaning to life, but as long as you are alive, it is possible to find interesting things. Just like a child discovering a flower, I have met Xian Yu.