Taking Stock of His Trump Cards

Outside the corridor.

Lin Chen walked slowly on his own, sunlight falling across his delicate profile, gentle and clean, like a pure, docile young genius.

Yet within his heart, only cold clarity remained.

Devoted to Konoha?

He had never belonged to Konoha, much less to anyone else.

The Heavenly Dao wanted to correct his fate, and Konoha wanted to bind his path forward.

Then just wait and see.

He would use Konoha's resources as stepping stones, withstand the Heavenly Dao's suppression, and tear apart every shackle, step by step, until he reached the pinnacle of the Shinobi World.

His fingertips stirred slightly, and pure chakra circulated slowly through his meridians, deep and sustained, without the slightest obstruction.

This was the result of plundering Mizuki's accumulated Chunin foundation, adding the Nine-Tails key from the Scroll of Seals, then merging with a trace of the Nine-Tails' origin-his total chakra had long since surpassed that of an ordinary Chunin, while his endurance was dozens of times greater than others at his level. Even if he fought continuously for hours, he would never become exhausted. The accelerated recovery inherent to his Nine-Tails physiology also made his body far more resilient than an ordinary person's. Common minor injuries could heal themselves in an instant, leaving him almost no need to consider post-battle wear and tear.

He raised his eyes toward the end of the corridor. His gaze easily pierced the thin wooden wall, clearly picking out the paths of chakra flowing through two ninja in the adjacent room. He could even read every word of their hushed conversation from their lips.

This was the extraordinary perception granted by the Uchiha bloodline and the single-tomoe origin. Though he had yet to fully awaken the Sharingan, his dynamic vision, resistance to genjutsu, and perception of detail already far surpassed those of ordinary Genin. Even high-speed ninjutsu looked as slow as snails to him, and no flaw, however slight, could escape his sight.

His steps paused briefly, and all trace of Lin Chen's presence abruptly vanished.

The max-level Root presence-concealment technique activated instantly. He seemed to merge completely into light and shadow, his chakra, body temperature, and heartbeat all concealed, without the slightest trace of his presence remaining.

A patrolling Chunin approached and brushed past him without noticing a thing, his gaze never shifting in the slightest.

This was the result of plundering the lifetime of arduous training of two Root elites-his mastery of stealth and assassination rivaled that of the Shinobi World's finest assassins. If he wished, the vast majority of Konoha's defenses might as well not exist. Before his absolute concealment abilities, the so-called "no leaving the village without authorization" and "reporting and surveillance at all times" amounted to nothing more than a scrap of wastepaper.

Unruffled, Lin Chen lightly tapped the web between his thumb and forefinger, silently reviewing every trump card he had plundered since transmigrating.

In terms of bloodline origins, the combination of Uchiha ocular power, Nine-Tails physiology, and Heavenly Dao rule fragments gave him a foundation so substantial that no one in the new generation could match it;

In terms of his secret technique repertoire, the Multiple Shadow Clone Technique could produce over a hundred clones, allowing reconnaissance and training without compromising either, while high-level sealing jutsu combined offense and defense, capable of both trapping enemies and protecting his body;

In close combat, he had integrated the taijutsu talents of several geniuses with Root's assassination principles. Every strike was a killing move, and he rarely met his match at close quarters;

Not to mention the system's own core ability-the stronger his opponents, the faster he grew. Even the punitive pressure sent down by the Heavenly Dao could be devoured in turn and transformed into nourishment. No power in the world could truly suppress his rise anymore.

In just a few short days, he had gone from a bottom-ranked weakling with meager chakra to a dominant figure of the new generation, bearing several top-tier legacies and capable of crushing elite ANBU head-on.

All his talents, opportunities, and accumulated foundations had come from plundering alone, defying heaven to change his fate.

He needed neither ten years of arduous training nor guidance from renowned teachers. As long as there were opponents, targets, and fated opportunities, he could charge ahead triumphantly and rise against the tide.

"The Scripture Repository... ninjutsu scrolls."

The corners of Lin Chen's lips lifted slightly, his eyes clear and sharp.

Konoha was only willing to give him one mid-level ninjutsu scroll?

No matter.

Every classic, secret technique, and record of bloodline legacies within the Scripture Repository could become part of his own foundation, if he wished.

What he wanted from entering the repository today had never been a single mid-level ninjutsu scroll.

Rather, he would use this perfectly legitimate opportunity to plunder the essence of the entire Scripture Repository and claim it all for himself.

Yet another wave of opportunity delivered right to his doorstep.