Nirvana Hermitage Technique

"Hmph! Don't think I don't know who you're talking about."

Danzo said in a loud, clear voice.

"Root is not to be trifled with. He has been stirring up trouble within the Uchiha clan at such a young age."

"If we let him grow unchecked, he will surely become a major threat in the future."

"Ah, Uchiha Lihuo. That boy has indeed given me many surprises."

Orochimaru seemed to be hinting at something, but Danzo did not like his subordinates being so cryptic with him.

Yet, he knew full well that he still had to rely on Orochimaru's intellect for the time being.

Moreover, with Root's current strength, they were still far from being able to manipulate Orochimaru with ease.

"Orochimaru, I don't care what you are actually planning, but first, you must attend to your own duties!"

"You must know that our cooperation concerns the future of Konoha!"

Having said that, Danzo flicked his sleeve and left, leaving behind only one final, indifferent sentence.

"If possible, recruit Uchiha Lihuo into Root."

The Root members, who had been on high alert a second ago, vanished as silently as shadows.

The tense, murderous atmosphere that had filled the air just moments before was swept away with their departure.

Orochimaru's expression, however, did not change in the slightest; he remained as calm and composed as ever.

He paced slowly through the laboratory, which was filled with test tubes and experimental equipment, his pale palms gently brushing against the culture tanks.

"Concerns the future of Konoha? How ridiculous. I see this experiment as concerning your own ambition."

"Hehehe, Uchiha Lihuo, the more I observe you, the more interesting you become."

"I truly look forward to the day we meet. I believe that day will not be far off."

With that, Orochimaru threw himself back into his research.

"All vital signs lost again. Hashirama Cells, you really are powerful."

Just as Orochimaru was about to call for the Root members to clear out the test subject, the instrument monitoring the vital signs suddenly emitted a faint sound once more.

Beep, beep, beep.

To Orochimaru, this sound was like music to his ears!

He rushed toward a culture tank, his eyes locked firmly on the boy soaking in the nutrient solution, his gaze filled with fanaticism.

He quickly checked all of the boy's vital signs, and every result indicated that this boy had truly survived after the transplantation of Hashirama Cells.

"Hehehe, it seems this direction is indeed correct," Orochimaru laughed.

"I wonder if it was just a coincidence..."

A few days later, Lihuo finally received the formal invitation sent by Lu Miao.

"It's not like I'm being invited to a wedding feast, why be so formal?"

It was the first time Lihuo had received such a formal invitation, and his eyes held a hint of confusion.

"I don't know either, my parents told me to deliver it," Lu Miao said, looking at the boy before her and pretending to be nonchalant.

Yet, deep down, she still felt her heart fluttering.

How can a person be this handsome? Lu Miao thought to herself, though she did not show it.

"Alright, then thank your uncle and aunt for me," Lihuo said with a smile as he accepted the invitation.

Seeing Lihuo take the invitation, Lu Miao felt an inexplicable sense of joy.

She patted Lihuo on the shoulder and said, "Come on, I'll take you to buy some things."

"Huh? Buy what?"

"Don't you always bring gifts when visiting elders? I'll help you pick some out."

"Hahaha, consider this my thanks then. Let me treat you to some Three-Color Dango," Lihuo said, laughing as he set off with Lu Miao.

They walked in silence until the appointed evening arrived, and Lihuo headed to Lu Miao's house carrying the exquisite gifts.

From a distance, he saw Lu Miao waiting at the door. She was wearing loungewear printed with the Nara clan crest.

She was looking around while rubbing her slightly sore calves.

"That annoying Lihuo, making me wait at the door for so long."

"Even though there are still ten minutes until the appointed time, couldn't this idiot have come a little earlier..."

Hearing Lu Miao's muttering, Lihuo couldn't help but smile as he walked up to her.

"Sorry to have kept you waiting."

Hearing Lihuo's voice, Lu Miao quickly stopped what she was doing, her face turning slightly red.

"Ah? Who? Me?"

"I just happened to be heading out for a stroll. Since you're here, come on in."

Lihuo didn't say anything more, merely offering a polite "Pardon the intrusion," before stepping into the house alongside Lu Miao.

The moment he crossed the threshold, Lihuo could sense the harmony of the household.

Although Lihuo had no parents in this life, he could clearly see that Lu Miao's home was kept in impeccable order. It was obvious there was a capable mistress of the house, and judging by the various details, the master of the house also contributed to the chores; they were clearly a couple who wouldn't find themselves at odds over domestic matters.

Lu Miao's parents welcomed Lihuo warmly, both of them proving very easy to get along with.

After a round of pleasantries, their expressions turned slightly serious and moved when they saw the gifts Lihuo had brought.

"We've heard Lu Miao mention many times that you are very well-mannered, and seeing you today, it is indeed true."

"However, we cannot accept these gifts. We invited you here to thank you for saving Lu Miao; how could we possibly take your gifts as well?"

"That's right, take them back, little Lihuo."

Lihuo didn't insist further, and they soon moved on to the meal.

During the family dinner, Lihuo clearly felt the difference between Lu Miao's home and Aotian's. When eating at Aotian's, the topics were perhaps too profound and serious, leaving little room for Aotian to interject. At Lu Miao's house, however, Lu Miao chimed in from time to time, drawing bursts of laughter from everyone.

Perhaps this is what a real home feels like, Lihuo thought to himself.

After three rounds of drinks and sampling the various dishes, Lu Miao's father grew uncharacteristically solemn, as if he had something he wanted to say to Lihuo.

Moreover, everyone present was sharp; even Lu Miao understood that this dinner was not merely about thanking him for saving a life.

"Lihuo, what is your opinion of the village?"

Lu Miao's father asked first, his question far too profound for a typical student at the Ninja Academy to answer.

Yet, Lihuo was not intimidated, for he knew this marked the official arrival of the Hokage faction's probing.

"Before the founding of Konoha, it was the Warring States period. Every clan was locked in constant strife, and everyone feared for their lives."

"But since the founding of Konoha Village, the First Hokage, Senju Hashirama, and my ancestor, Uchiha Madara, used their power to quell the chaos and create an environment of peace."

"Although there have been conflicts since then, I have felt more care and concern here in Konoha."

Much of what Lihuo said was truly from the heart, for ever since he transmigrated, he had clearly felt the harmonious atmosphere permeating Konoha. Although there were occasional unstable elements, the people here cheered for one another and helped each other out. Kakashi, Dai, Lu Miao, and Teacher Oshima—these bonds had invisibly increased Lihuo's sense of belonging to Konoha.

Lu Miao's father was clearly surprised by Lihuo's response, not expecting the young man before him to be so articulate.

He followed up with several more questions, all of which Lihuo answered one by one. Lihuo knew exactly how to answer to strike at the heart of what the Hokage faction cared about. Consequently, his responses consistently earned the approval of Lu Miao's family, establishing the image of a fine young man who deeply loved the village.

"Little Lihuo, I can see that you are a fine young man who loves this village. I won't ask any more questions."

"In fact, your grandfather, the Hokage, knew you were coming today. To commend you for bravely saving Lu Miao, we have prepared special gifts."

Lihuo understood that the long-awaited "loot drop" phase had finally arrived! You two old timers, you'd better drop something good!

"First, our family truly thanks you from the bottom of our hearts. Therefore, we are gifting you a set of fine ninja tools and three boxes of the highest-quality Military Ration Pills."

"The side effects have been reduced to a minimum; you can use them in emergencies."

With that, Lu Miao's father handed the gifts to Lihuo. Lihuo looked at the items in his hands, feeling quite pleased, though he knew the big rewards were yet to come.

Sure enough, Lu Miao's father smiled and said, "The heads of the Ino-Shika-Cho clans also heard that a little genius like you was coming. They specifically told me that they would cover your training expenses for the next half year."

"Not only that, if you ever need the help of the Ino-Shika-Cho in the future, and if the Hokage permits it, we will not hesitate to assist."

Hearing this, Lihuo was overjoyed. These three clans had truly invested a fortune; it seemed the old Hokage really intended to win him over, otherwise, these three clans wouldn't have been so generous.

"Finally, the Hokage has also sent a special gift."

"The Hokage knows that your ninjutsu and taijutsu are quite good, but that genjutsu remains a weakness, so he has gifted you an A-rank genjutsu!"

Upon hearing this, Lihuo could barely contain himself. My goodness, what a wealthy benefactor! How many heads would I have to touch to get an A-rank jutsu? And they're just handing it over!

"Thank you, Lord Hokage, the three clan heads, and you, sir. Might I ask what genjutsu it is?"

Lihuo asked, unable to hide his impatience.

"The Nirvana Hermitage Technique!"