Departure, Heading to Konoha 2/5 [Seeking Collection!]

PS: Happy New Year to everyone! During this festive season, please be generous and send a red envelope to this little madman to bring some good luck. Thank you all!

"Knock, knock."

Just as Jun Tianlin was clutching his forehead, fretting over money, a soft knock sounded at the door.

"Lord Jun Tianlin, I have been sent by Lord Orochimaru to deliver the items you requested. Please accept them!"

"Click."

With a crisp sound, Jun Tianlin opened the door and appeared before the lackey. He raised his right hand, took the items from the man's grasp, and spoke with an indifferent expression, "Mm, you may return. Tell Orochimaru that I have received the sentiment he wished to express."

Once the words left his lips, Jun Tianlin ignored the lackey—who wasn't even a ninja—and turned directly to walk back into his room.

"Heh, this really came at the right time. I hadn't even gone to speak with Orochimaru about the money issue yet, and he's already sent it over himself. Tsk tsk, one hundred thousand ryo—that is no small sum!"

Jun Tianlin chuckled, satisfied, and stuffed the banknotes into his pouch. This money would be the foundation for his future standing in Konoha.

After tucking the money away, Jun Tianlin took one last lingering look at his room, sighed softly, and then decisively turned around to stride toward the exit.

"This chapter ends here for now. When I return from Konoha, I believe I, Jun Tianlin, will have become a ninja even more powerful than I am today! Uchiha Clan, I will be accepting your Kekkei Genkai without reservation."

With his mind cleared of complex thoughts and focused solely on heading to Konoha to find an opportunity to seize the Sharingan of the Uchiha Clan, Jun Tianlin moved quickly through the underground tunnels of Otogakure. After a few turns, he exited the village and reached the main gate.

He looked back at the dark red gate of Otogakure, a flood of emotions washing over him.

Once upon a time, he and Kimimaro had nearly lost their lives, only surviving because Orochimaru took them in, allowing them to reach this village in their wretched state.

Once upon a time, he and Kimimaro had stood in this very place, enduring seven years of hellish training under Orochimaru, which had forged Jun Tianlin into the powerhouse he was today.

Just a month ago, he had fought rogue ninjas with his life on the line, battling for his freedom. After a month of grueling hardship and intense combat, he had finally returned victorious.

Now, for the sake of his future, Jun Tianlin stood once again at the gates of Otogakure, heading toward Konoha, soaring toward his destiny!

Otogakure was the beginning of Jun Tianlin's life, the origin of his dreams, and the starting point for his climb to the peak!

Carrying these complex thoughts, Jun Tianlin finally turned his back on Otogakure and departed at high speed.

At the gates of Otogakure, a small black snake stared blankly at Jun Tianlin's retreating figure.

Meanwhile, deep inside Otogakure, in Orochimaru's room, Orochimaru sat in the seat of honor with a blank expression. A hint of softness appeared in his eyes as he murmured to himself, "Little brat—no, Jun Tianlin. If you return from Konoha, I, Orochimaru, will acknowledge you and Kimimaro as my disciples. From that day on, I will do everything in my power to cultivate you both, just as Sarutobi did for me. I believe that with your earth-shattering talent, the two of you will surely stand at the peak of the Ninja World."

"But, should anything happen to you in Konoha, even if it is the Konoha that Sarutobi seeks to protect, I will destroy it completely within my lifetime and erase it from the Ninja World! Since your words successfully persuaded me to acknowledge you as my disciple, I will not allow you to face even the slightest threat."

By the end, Orochimaru's voice was filled with chilling killing intent, and the madness in his eyes was enough to make one shudder. It was clear that these words were the deepest, most genuine truth in Orochimaru's heart.