If You Have Something Big, Let It Out, This Is My Ninja Way!

The three of them rested for a moment. Uchiha Fugaku took out a mission scroll, his expression solemn, and handed it to Uchiha Jun.

"Jun, in view of your potential, and to better serve Konoha and spread the Will of Fire, the Hokage has decided to replace your instructor, the Chunin Hino Shinji, with the Jonin Orochimaru."

"This is your assignment order. Lord Orochimaru will seek you out shortly."

Under Uchiha Shisui's surprised gaze, Uchiha Jun "excitedly" took the scroll with both hands.

Sensing the cold, lingering chakra that had not yet departed, he couldn't help but think to himself, Is that old geezer Sarutobi Hiruzen trying to recruit me?

But why not let Jiraiya or Tsunade be my instructor? Why pick this guy Orochimaru? Don't tell me he wants to groom me into the old man's hatchet man?

Joining Orochimaru now—how is that any different from defecting to the enemy at the eleventh hour?!

Possessing a golden finger, Uchiha Jun was confident that he had no need for technology or mutations to grow stronger.

Precisely because of this, he felt a strong aversion toward Orochimaru, who was known for his cold personality and penchant for human experimentation.

After all, given Orochimaru's intellect, Uchiha Jun would have to go to great lengths to conceal his golden finger!

Compared to playing political games, Uchiha Jun preferred the thrill of becoming strong enough to simply steamroll everything in his path, where "those who stand against me are broken, and those I strike are subdued."

However, despite his deep-seated resentment, Uchiha Jun maintained an outward appearance of awe and worship toward one of the "Legendary Sannin."

"Understood!"

Uchiha Fugaku nodded, turned, and left with Uchiha Shisui, leaving Uchiha Jun behind.

Before long, just as Uchiha Jun was growing impatient, a cold gust of wind struck from behind. He felt his heart tighten and quickly turned around.

He saw Orochimaru stepping slowly out of the shadows, his golden slit pupils carrying a playful smile, his pale face looking even more sinister under the tree shadows.

"Hehe... Uchiha Jun?"

Orochimaru's voice was raspy, like the friction of a snake. "It seems you have quite a talent for sensory ninjutsu..."

The elongated tail of Orochimaru's voice made Uchiha Jun's back tense, but he maintained a respectful posture and bowed his head. "Lord Orochimaru."

"Can you tell me why you were so 'wasteful' with your chakra when performing ninjutsu earlier?"

Recalling the "craziness" Uchiha Jun displayed during his sparring match with Uchiha Shisui, Orochimaru couldn't help but feel curious about such a reckless yet calculated combat style.

Seeing Orochimaru mention his tactics, Uchiha Jun gathered his thoughts and asked in return, "Lord Orochimaru, do you know what the most painful thing in this world is?"

"Hmm?"

Seeing Uchiha Jun ask a question instead of answering, Orochimaru was momentarily stunned. Thinking of the recently fallen Nawaki Senju, he subconsciously replied, "Death."

"...No, no, no. It's being alive, but having run out of chakra."

Uchiha Jun replied after a brief pause.

At the same time, he grew internally vigilant. Recalling the news of Nawaki Senju's death, he realized that Orochimaru had likely already begun his path toward human experimentation.

Orochimaru blinked, then chuckled, a glimmer of interest appearing in his eyes as he looked at Uchiha Jun. "...Hehe, interesting."

Seeing this, Uchiha Jun asked again, "Then, Lord Orochimaru, do you know what the absolute most painful thing in this world is?"

"..." Orochimaru remained silent, watching Uchiha Jun with a playful gaze, curious to see what other tricks the boy had up his sleeve.

Seeing that Orochimaru didn't speak, Uchiha Jun continued, "The most painful thing in this world is when you die, but you still have chakra left. You spend the whole battle meticulously calculating your consumption, only to end up losing your life to a single kunai or a hidden weapon."

"The helplessness of having all these means at your disposal, yet being unable to use them."

"So, rather than dying like a coward, it's better to go all out. Why worry so much?! If you have chakra, you use it. That is my 'Ninja Way'!"

Hearing Uchiha Jun's explanation, Orochimaru was silent for a moment before raising his hand to summon a white snake.

He retrieved a slime-covered scroll from the snake's mouth, tossed it to Uchiha Jun, and said, "An interesting philosophy. I hope you can remain steadfast in your 'Ninja Way' moving forward."

"This storage scroll is yours. Three days from now, at nine in the morning, at Training Ground 175, your first assessment as a Genin will take place. Be prepared."

Suppressing his disgust, Uchiha Jun took the scroll and was about to express his gratitude when he realized Orochimaru had already vanished without a trace.

As Uchiha Jun marveled at the convenience of the Body Flicker Technique, the system popped up with new information.

[Currently being watched by [Orochimaru]. When character favorability reaches 60 points, you will receive 20 fragments of the current S-rank ninja.]

[[Orochimaru], favorability +10 points. Current favorability: 10 points.]

[Ding! Mission completed: [Instructor]. Unlocked: [Abundance Chamber].]

[Next stage mission: [Complete Orochimaru's Genin assessment].]

[Ding! New mission triggered: [Complete Orochimaru's Genin assessment].]

[Mission rewards: 5,000,000 copper coins, 5 Ninja World Recruitment Scrolls, 5 random B-rank ninja fragments.]

[Hint: You can improve your strength via the [Abundance Chamber] before the assessment. Daily grinding is recommended.]

Looking at the new mission 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 massive haul!"

However, Uchiha Jun quickly calmed down, his gaze lingering on the words "daily grinding is recommended."

"Abundance Chamber... could it be the same Abundance from that game?"

Uchiha Jun searched for a suitable cave to serve as his dwelling along the upper reaches of the Naka River, all the while pondering this newly unlocked feature.

The sky grew dim, and the setting sun bathed the entire forest in a golden-red hue.

Uchiha Jun found a secluded cave; the interior space was reasonably spacious, enough for him to rest for the night.

He set up a campfire and pulled the ingredients he had prepared that morning from his pack: two crucian carp caught from the Naka River, several pieces of cured venison, and some seasonings he had specifically purchased.

He skewered the fish on a kunai and propped it up beside the fire to roast slowly.

Fat dripped down, making a "sizzling" sound as a rich aroma filled the air.

Taking advantage of the time while the meat roasted, Uchiha Jun sat on the ground, sinking his consciousness into the panel to carefully examine the detailed description of the Abundance Chamber.

[Abundance Chamber]

[Description: A special trial space. Can be challenged 3 times daily. Upon clearing, rewards such as copper coins, ninja shards, and secret scroll shards will be granted based on the evaluation.]

[Note: Upon entry, you will enter a [Digitized] state, and combat rules will change. Please proceed with caution.]

[Currently available stage: Attack of the Fortune Pill (Difficulty: E)]

[Recommended Combat Power: Genin]