Worship Me, Mongrels

"Little Mamba, don't rush."

Itachi's eyes glowed red. He suddenly realized that he really needed to change his strategy.

In fact, the moment he entered Dragon Cave, the trial had already begun.

It wasn't as though only receiving a specific set of questions counted as a trial. That kind of test-taker mindset would only leave him forever trapped within rigid confines, unable to forge a path of his own.

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The aura this boy gave off before Little White Snake was almost as terrifying as the Grim Reaper's.

The remaining snakes around him also let out choked whimpers. Even they found it difficult to withstand a technique of this scale.

Wait.

That red fan emblem.

That was—

The Uchiha Clan!!!

Mamba's pupils suddenly trembled. He could hardly believe it. No wonder.

No wonder all their movements had been completely seen through by this guy. Attacks that many others struggled to evade were as easy as threading through flowers before him, while his graceful figure spun and danced freely amid their venom.

The Uchiha Clan were descendants of Indra, the eldest son of the Sage of Six Paths. Their members possessed the bloodline limit known as the Sharingan and excelled in Fire Release ninjutsu and ocular techniques. The Uchiha Clan's crest was modeled after the Uchiha Flame Fan.

"If that's the case, then you do qualify to sign an equal ninja-pet contract with me."

Mamba deliberately pointed that out, feeling sweat trickle down his back.

If he could befriend someone this powerful, it wouldn't be too bad to flaunt that borrowed prestige in front of Lieta later.

"Oh, equal? It's too late to bring that up now. I said, mongrel, worship me."

There wasn't a trace of emotion in Itachi's voice. He slowly walked forward. Little snakes kept writhing in agony from the flames along the way, but his gaze was ice-cold. For a moment, Mamba even felt that if he showed the slightest defiance, he might be the next piece of meat skewered over the fire.

Before absolute strength, merely revealing the tip of the iceberg was enough to make insignificant enemies feel fear.

"You!!"

Faced with this guy's escalating demands, Mamba gritted his teeth in unwillingness. Yet the little snakes beside him had already sprawled on the ground, trembling.

This was comparable to divine power.

Perhaps only those great beings from the legends in their minds could wipe out most of them in an instant.

As for Hong Xin deep within the cave, a single glance from her would turn ants like them into solid stone statues in the blink of an eye.

"What? You unwilling?"

Itachi raised a brow. He wouldn't lack underlings like this anywhere. As he continued deeper into Dragon Cave, he would inevitably encounter all kinds of powerful opponents. Maybe they would be even more suitable to become his ninja pets and companions.

"Um, if I truly submit to you, my lord, what benefits do I get?"

Mamba still forced himself to ask. After all, who would surrender without any conditions?

But for a snake to end up like this—

It was truly humiliating.

"Three meals included, baths, saunas—those are all covered. Mm, I can occasionally give you some meat too. I have plenty of enemies to fill your belly. As for helping you deal with dangers inside Dragon Cave, that's not impossible either."

Itachi pondered briefly before directly naming his terms.

After all, his Anbu salary could easily cover it.

Aside from maintaining some equipment, all he needed to do now was regularly feed a flock of crows for combat purposes.

"Don't lie to me."

Little Mamba hesitated, but honestly, he was quite tempted. This month's tribute was something he couldn't afford to pay anyway, and he didn't want to become Snake King's feed. If that was the case, then borrowing a knife to kill someone wasn't unacceptable.

Once those guys fought each other to the death, this deal wouldn't be a loss for him.

"Of course I won't lie to you. Consider this compensation."

Itachi sounded a little impatient as he directly tossed over a small pill. Its rich fragrance immediately made every snake turn to look at it in unison.

That was... medicinal herbs?

Although Dragon Cave was underground, it wasn't a place that never saw daylight. Some sacred sites connected to the surface through openings like volcanic craters, allowing sunlight to shine in. Nourished by the rich soil around the lava, there were even breathtaking hidden paradises. As for magma, caves, underground rivers, and even deep seas—

They weren't entirely absent from this enormous Dragon Cave.

"What is this? It's so delicious!"

After just one bite, Mamba's eyes went wide. He immediately wolfed it down, and the huge pill nearly got stuck in the little stupid snake's throat like a tumor.

Soldier Ration Pills were made by grinding carrots, buckwheat flour, wheat flour, yam, licorice, coix seed, and glutinous rice flour into powder, soaking it in wine for three years, then kneading it into pills the size of peach pits after the wine evaporated. Eating just three a day meant never having to worry about exhausting one's stamina.

Itachi truly had plenty of Soldier Ration Pills and other interesting little trinkets to win people over with.

"Is there any more? If you have something this good, I really can—"

Mamba immediately began circling Itachi nonstop. The snakes nearby stared dumbfounded. Had their boss been bewitched by something?

Could this handsome youth before them actually be a female snake in disguise?

Or perhaps—

"If you want this stuff, I can give you plenty more."

Itachi shrugged and tossed over one of his ninja tool pouches. There were dozens of black pills inside, enough for these guys to feast on for several days.

Follow the boss, and there would be plenty of chances to eat meat. But first, these mongrels had to understand how to worship the boss.

"Then from now on, Boss, I'll follow you. Please take care of me."

Mamba's eyes practically sparkled with stars. His enthusiasm left Itachi struggling to cope. Sure enough, with the right bargaining chip, forget Orochimaru—even the Great White Snake would favor you.

[Congratulations, Host]

[You have obtained a ninja pet: Mamba]

[You have unlocked Dragon Cave's Sage Technique mission]

[Physique: +1]

[Speed: +2]

[Beast Taming: +2]

[Length: +1]

A series of status panels continuously updated in Itachi's mind. Yet he had no idea that, in an unnoticed corner, several values had already turned red.

They flashed with signals of danger.