After the three of them had rested for a while, Uchiha Fugaku took out a mission order. With a serious expression, he handed it to Uchiha Jun and said,
"Jun, in view of your potential, and so you can better serve Konoha and spread the Will of Fire, Lord Hokage has decided to replace your instructor, Chunin Hino Shinji, with the Jonin Orochimaru."
"This is your mission order. Lord Orochimaru will come to see you shortly."
Under Uchiha Shisui's astonished gaze, Uchiha Jun "excitedly" accepted the mission order with both hands.
Feeling that the cold chakra hadn't left, he couldn't help thinking, Is this old Sarutobi Hiruzen trying to recruit me?
But why not have Jiraiya or Tsunade be my instructor? Why make Orochimaru do it? Don't tell me the old man wants to turn me into his black hand?
Joining Orochimaru now would be like enlisting in the army right before the country fell!
With his Golden Finger, Uchiha Jun was confident he didn't need technology—or mutations—to grow stronger.
That was exactly why he felt a strong aversion to Orochimaru, who loved human experimentation and had such a cold personality.
After all, with Orochimaru's intelligence, Jun would have to spend no small amount of effort concealing his Golden Finger from him!
Rather than play mind games, Uchiha Jun preferred to grow strong and then sweep everything before him, relishing the thrill of "smashing whatever stood in his way and subduing whoever he struck."
Though he felt deeply opposed to it, on the surface Uchiha Jun maintained an attitude of respect and admiration toward the Konoha Sannin.
"Yes!"
Uchiha Fugaku nodded, then turned and left with Uchiha Shisui, leaving Uchiha Jun behind.
Before long, just as Uchiha Jun was growing impatient waiting, a chill breeze swept in from behind. His heart tightened, and he hurriedly turned around.
Orochimaru emerged slowly from the shadows. His golden, slit-pupiled eyes held an amused smile, and the shadows of the trees made his pale face look even more sinister.
"Heh... Uchiha Jun?"
Orochimaru's voice rasped like a snake slithering over stone. "It seems you have quite a talent for sensing."
Orochimaru drew out the last word, making Jun's back tense. But he kept a respectful demeanor and bowed. "Lord Orochimaru."
"Can you tell me why you 'wasted' so much chakra on ninjutsu just now?"
Thinking back to Uchiha Jun's "reckless" sparring match with Uchiha Shisui, Orochimaru couldn't help feeling curious about Jun's coarse-but-crafty fighting style.
Seeing that Orochimaru had brought up his tactics, Uchiha Jun gathered his thoughts and replied with a question. "Lord Orochimaru, do you know what the most painful thing in the world is?"
"Hmm?"
Seeing that Uchiha Jun hadn't answered, but had instead asked him a question, Orochimaru was taken aback. Thinking of Senju Nawaki, who had died in battle not long ago, he answered instinctively, "Death."
"...No, no. It's being alive when you've run out of chakra."
Uchiha Jun paused, then replied.
At the same time, he warily recalled the recent news of Senju Nawaki's death in battle. It struck him that Orochimaru had probably already begun down the path of human experimentation.
Orochimaru paused, then chuckled. A glimmer of interest entered his eyes as he looked at Uchiha Jun. "...Heh. Interesting."
Seeing that, Uchiha Jun asked another question. "Then, Lord Orochimaru, do you know what the most, most painful thing in the world is?"
"..."
Orochimaru said nothing. He merely watched Uchiha Jun with some amusement, curious to see what other tricks the boy had up his sleeve.
When Orochimaru didn't answer, Uchiha Jun continued, "The most, most painful thing in the world is dying while you still have chakra left. You carefully calculate how much chakra to spend on the battlefield, only to have your life taken by a kunai or a single hidden weapon in the end."
"That helpless feeling when, no matter how many techniques you have, you can't use any of them."
"So instead of dying like a coward, why not go all out? Why worry so much? If you've got chakra, use it. That's my 'ninja way'!"
After hearing Uchiha Jun's explanation, Orochimaru fell silent for a moment, then raised a hand and summoned a white snake.
He took a scroll coated in slime from the snake's mouth, tossed it to Uchiha Jun, and said, "An interesting idea. I hope you can stay true to your 'ninja way.'"
"I'm giving you this Storage Scroll. Three days from now, at nine in the morning, you'll take the first test of your Genin career at Training Ground 175. Be ready."
Suppressing his disgust, Uchiha Jun took the scroll. He was about to thank Orochimaru when he realized that the man had vanished without a trace.
As Uchiha Jun marveled at the convenience of the Body Flicker Technique, the system displayed new information.
[You are currently being watched by [Orochimaru]. When his affinity reaches 60 points, you will receive 20 S-Rank Ninja Fragments for the current period.] [[Orochimaru] affinity +10 points; current affinity: 10 points] [ Ding! Quest completed: [Instructor]. [Abundance Chamber] unlocked.] [Next-stage quest: [Pass Orochimaru's Genin exam]] [ Ding! New quest triggered: [Pass Orochimaru's Genin exam]] [Quest rewards: 5,000,000 Copper Coins, 5 Ninja World Recruitment Scrolls, 5 random B-Rank Ninja Fragments] [Tip: Before the exam, you can improve your strength in the [Abundance Chamber]. Daily runs are recommended.]
Looking at the new quest that had appeared on the panel, Uchiha Jun rubbed his hands together, his eyes gleaming.
"Five million Copper Coins? Five recruitment scrolls? And five B-Rank Ninja Fragments?"
"This is a huge win!"
But Uchiha Jun soon calmed down, his gaze settling on the words "Daily runs are recommended."
The Abundance Chamber... Is it really that Abundance Chamber from the game?
As he searched the upper reaches of the Naka River for a suitable cave to live in, Uchiha Jun mulled over this newly unlocked feature.
The sky grew dark, and the setting sun dyed the whole forest gold and crimson.
Uchiha Jun found a secluded cave. It was fairly spacious inside, with enough room for him to sleep.
He built a campfire and took the ingredients he had prepared that morning from his pack: two crucian carp he'd caught in the Naka River, a few pieces of marinated venison, and some seasonings he'd bought.
He skewered the fish on a kunai and set it beside the fire to roast slowly.
Fat dripped with a sizzling sound, and the aroma spread through the cave.
While the meat roasted, Uchiha Jun sat on the ground, focused on the panel, and carefully read the detailed description of the [Abundance Chamber].
[Abundance Chamber] [Description: A special trial space. You may attempt it 3 times per day. After clearing it, you will receive rewards based on your rating, including Copper Coins, Ninja Fragments, and Secret Scroll Fragments.] [Tip: Upon entering, you will enter a [Datafication] state, and the rules of combat will change. Proceed with caution.] [Currently available challenge: Fortune Pill's Assault (Difficulty: E)] [Recommended strength: Genin]