The Serpent's Shadow Appears

"I never expected Aotian's family to be such filthy rich; they just handed over a house like it was nothing, and in the most prosperous district of the Uchiha Clan, no less."

However, Lihuo didn't have the slightest intention of moving in.

Choosing a side isn't as easy as it looks...

Right now, he was merely an up-and-coming genius of the Uchiha Clan, and the one thing the Uchiha had in abundance was geniuses.

Enjoying treatment that didn't match his actual standing would easily make him a target for others' schemes.

Furthermore, Lihuo knew well that one shouldn't pick a side too early. In his previous displays, he had held back very little.

Aside from his trump cards, he had revealed nearly all of his strength, all to attract resources from various factions.

But if Lihuo had chosen a side from the very beginning, the opposing factions would never have spared a single resource for him.

Accepting this house isn't dangerous, but if I actually lived in it, it would at least burn my backside, Lihuo mused to himself.

Over the next few days, Lihuo attended school as usual.

To have more confidence in hoarding resources, Lihuo doubled down on his training with Guy and Kakashi, doing his best to improve his strength.

During this period, Lihuo visited Hatake Sakumo multiple times to seek advice on combat techniques.

After this stretch of training, he could already hold his own for over a dozen moves against Sakumo, provided the man didn't use any lethal techniques.

"Little Lihuo, your progress is truly rapid. If you keep practicing for a few more years, I'm afraid us old folks won't have any use left," Hatake Sakumo remarked with a sigh.

"Uncle Sakumo is in his prime; the reputation of the Konoha White Fang is truly well-deserved."

This wasn't flattery, but rather "flattery" from the bottom of Lihuo's heart.

One had to realize that while names could be wrong, nicknames never were. The title "Konoha White Fang" had been carved out on the fields of blood and fire.

Every time he sparred with Sakumo, Lihuo could feel an intense pressure—a sense of helplessness where, even if he used every trick in his arsenal, he had no confidence he could escape from his hands.

"Uncle Sakumo, where is that Jōnin you mentioned, Minato Namikaze, who is currently developing a seal-less ninjutsu?"

"I have some questions regarding ninjutsu development that I would like to ask him."

Lihuo asked Sakumo, appearing casual but actually being quite intentional.

After all, this was the famous Yellow Flash. If he could obtain the legendary Flying Raijin Jutsu through him, it would be an absolute windfall.

One had to know that although Lihuo had mastered the basic five-element ninjutsu, they could only be considered "transitional gear."

The Flying Raijin Jutsu, however, could be called one of the few "end-game gear" options for space-time ninjutsu.

This was a technique he could use all the way to the series finale! Besides, there was a high probability that Minato had already learned the Flying Raijin Jutsu; how could Lihuo not be envious?

Sakumo, however, suspected nothing. He patted Lihuo's head and patiently explained, "He is currently out on an A-rank mission. This is a mission only he can complete, so he cannot provide you with guidance just yet."

"Understood. Then you must introduce me when he has time," Lihuo replied with a smile, though he thought to himself, I can't wait to learn the Flying Raijin Jutsu.

After bidding farewell to Sakumo, Lihuo immediately headed to the training ground to practice with Guy and Kakashi.

Watching Lihuo's retreating figure, Sakumo couldn't help but sigh, "This child already has the strength approaching a Chūnin. Truly, heroes are born in youth."

As the days passed, Lu Miao told Lihuo that he would soon be invited to a banquet to thank him for saving his life.

Lihuo accepted gladly, of course. Not only that, but he also keenly sensed a hint of hidden meaning in Lu Miao's words.

The Nara clan seems to have spent too much time preparing for this banquet. When Uchiha Ting invited me shortly after I defeated Aotian, it was quick. The Nara clan taking so long to prepare is actually suspicious.

Plus, the Nara clan has always been a loyal supporter of the Third Hokage's faction. It is very likely that this banquet also contains an olive branch thrown my way by the Third Hokage.

I really look forward to seeing what kind of good things they'll send my way...

Lihuo didn't dwell on it, instead taking the opportunity while at school to pat Kurenai Yuhi on the head.

It wasn't that Lihuo hadn't thought about patting this little girl's head before. After all, while Kurenai's genjutsu wasn't strong, it was better than nothing, and for an Uchiha like him who hadn't yet awakened his Sharingan, it was sufficient.

However, that brat Asuma watched her too closely, and Lihuo hadn't found a good opportunity to get near her.

This time, Lihuo clearly seized the chance.

Hmm, it does feel quite nice.

After patting her head, Lihuo immediately took off running, effectively preventing Asuma's incessant yapping.

Ding! Head-pat performed on D-rank ninja: Kurenai Yuhi. Please choose one of the following rewards:

10,000 Ryo
A girl's original-scent plush bear
Minor increase in genjutsu talent

Looking at the rewards before him, Lihuo couldn't help but offer a wry smile.

I knew it. You can't get anything good from such a small brat.

The second option, in particular, held absolutely no appeal for him.

Something like that might be enough to fool Asuma, but I certainly have no use for it.

Without a shred of hesitation, Lihuo chose "Minor Increase in Genjutsu Talent."

"System, what exactly is the use of this 'Minor Increase in Genjutsu Talent'?"

"Host, as the name suggests, this talent increases your aptitude for genjutsu and provides a slight boost to your resistance against it."

Adhering to the philosophy that even a sparrow is meat, Lihuo selected "Minor Increase in Genjutsu Talent."

This time, the system's enhancement came and went quickly; Lihuo did not even feel the customary excruciating pain, yet he soon sensed the benefits of the "Minor Increase in Genjutsu Talent" upon himself.

Because of this talent, Lihuo was actually able to slightly disrupt the chakra of others!

One must know that in the ninja world, the basic principle of genjutsu is to disrupt, obstruct, or even control an opponent's chakra through various means, thereby causing the opponent to lose the ability to act or even severely damaging their spirit.

Under the blessing of this talent, Lihuo could now slightly control the chakra of others, which meant that learning and using genjutsu in the future would be much easier for him.

"Better than nothing, after all." He still needed to focus his efforts on improving his raw strength.

Only by increasing his raw strength could he come into contact with more powerful people and get his hands on more powerful heads, Lihuo encouraged himself. Afterward, he threw himself back into his training.

Meanwhile, at an undisclosed location in Konoha, the underground base of Root, inside a laboratory.

Bang!

With a loud crash, the laboratory door was kicked open, and a dozen Root members filed in, the air in the room instantly filled with a murderous aura.

Following them, Danzo walked in with a look of fury on his face.

"Orochimaru! Do you have any regard for the rules at all?"

"Since you chose to cooperate with me, you must abide by the rules of Root. Instead of researching in the laboratory, you went off to investigate some Uchiha brat on Hiruzen's orders!"

"I will give you two choices: either cooperate or we both suffer. Based on the things you've been doing in private, I guarantee your reputation in Konoha will be ruined."

Unlike Danzo's overbearing attitude, the person in the laboratory had not made a sound from the very beginning.

Yet, this silence exerted immense pressure on everyone present, to the point that all the Root members had been on high alert the moment they stepped through the door.

Indeed, there was only one person who could make Danzo, the Darkness of Konoha, take such notice: the renowned one of the Sannin—the "Cold Lord" Orochimaru.

"Hehe, Danzo-san, don't be so hot-headed. Otherwise, my pets will get scared."

Orochimaru, who had been silent until now, finally spoke his first words, and no sooner had he finished than a white snake silently appeared around the neck of every Root member.

"What..."

"When did..."

The Root members, known for being cold and heartless, could not suppress the shock in their hearts; after all, no one wanted their life to be held in someone else's hands.

Not giving them much time to be surprised, Orochimaru continued.

"Danzo-san, I will certainly complete the research I promised you on time."

"As for now, however, I seem to have discovered an interesting little fellow."