[Talking About Science With Orochimaru?]
"It hurts…"
Uchiha Obito winced as he hit the ground hard, pain shooting through his limbs. He barely held back tears.
Seeing that Hyuga Bin was nearby, Obito scrambled to his feet, trying to play it cool. But the deep flush spreading across his cheeks betrayed his embarrassment.
That was humiliating… I looked like a total idiot.
Hyuga Bin, watching the whole scene unfold, resisted the urge to laugh. Instead, he approached Obito and asked casually, "Wanna go get some dango?"
"Huh?" Obito blinked in surprise.
"I'm going to grab some dango. Want to come along?" Hyuga Bin repeated.
"From Uncle Ping's shop?" Obito brushed the dust off his clothes.
"Yeah," Bin nodded.
---
Ten minutes later.
"Smells amazing," Obito said, stuffing a green dango ball into his mouth with delight.
Ping's tri-color dango was one of his all-time favorite treats. He especially liked the green vegetable-flavored ones.
But his enjoyment was short-lived.
As he finished his first skewer, three boys — around five or six years old — entered the dango shop. Like Obito, they wore casual training clothes marked with the Uchiha crest.
"Well, well. You've got money for dango today, Obito?" one of them sneered.
Clearly, these were "friends" in name only. Their presence made Obito tense up.
"A… a friend treated me," Obito replied nervously, instinctively patting his empty coin pouch.
"A friend, huh?" The lead boy narrowed his eyes. "Didn't know you had any."
The trio surrounded Obito, ushering him toward the corner of the shop.
"Hand it over. All of it," one demanded.
"I-I don't have any money," Obito muttered.
"No money? Then what the hell are you eating dango for?" the leader snarled, grabbing Obito by the collar.
Seeing this, Hyuga Bin stood up, weighing his options. A familiar screen flickered to life in his mind:
---
[Mission Options Detected]
Option A: Confront the bullies directly and mock them.
Reward: Gentle Fist Introduction (C-rank)
Option B: Approach calmly and ask what's going on.
Reward: Refined Custom Kunai (D-rank)
Option C: Stay seated and pretend you saw nothing.
Reward: Random +0.1 Attribute Point
---
Finally, my system's "Gold Finger" kicks in, Hyuga Bin thought, barely containing his excitement.
Of course, he chose Option A — not only for the better reward but also because watching Obito get pushed around didn't sit right with him.
He stepped forward and shouted, "Hey! You clowns again? Back off, losers!"
---
"Say that again?" the lead Uchiha boy barked.
They were caught off guard by Hyuga Bin's sudden appearance, but he didn't exactly look threatening.
"Anyone who picks on someone weaker than them is trash," Bin said without flinching.
The Uchiha trio scowled but didn't move. A few Hyuga clan members were walking by outside. They weren't dumb enough to start a public fight.
"Tch. Just you wait, Hyuga brat," the lead one spat. "We'll remember this."
They stormed out.
Hyuga Bin exhaled, and a new notification popped up:
---
[Mission Complete]
Follow-up Mission Unlocked: Uchiha Trio's Revenge
Completion Requirement: Defeat all three Uchiha bullies.
---
"What?! No reward yet?" Hyuga Bin scowled internally.
How the hell is a three-and-a-half-year-old like me supposed to fight three five-year-old Uchiha punks? This isn't a mission — it's a trap!
"Bin… thanks," Obito said softly. He hadn't expected Bin to intervene — they weren't even close friends. Just sparring partners who'd left each other in tears more than once.
"I appreciate it, but… you'd better watch out. They'll come after you now."
Hyuga Bin waved him off. "Whatever. Let's finish our dango."
Even if he'd just made his life harder, he didn't blame Obito. He made his choice — and that choice was "A."
Besides, how bad could three kids really be?
---
Later that day, Hyuga Bin was walking back through the village alone. As he passed the park, he suddenly felt a chill.
There, sitting alone on a bench, deep in thought, was none other than Orochimaru.
Over the past few years in Konoha, Hyuga Bin had "accidentally" bumped into Orochimaru a few times. By now, he'd gotten used to seeing the legendary Sannin out and about.
Still, Orochimaru's presence always carried an eerie weight.
As he passed, another prompt appeared:
---
[New Options Detected]
Option A: Start a conversation about biological anatomy with Orochimaru.
Reward: Gossip Chapter 32 (B-rank)
Option B: Introduce yourself respectfully.
Reward: Ninjutsu – Thousand Years of Death (D-rank)
Option C: Ignore him and keep walking.
Reward: Random +0.1 Attribute Point
---
Hyuga Bin stopped in his tracks.
Definitely not Option A — I don't feel like being dissected and turned into snake food.
Option C was… meh. A 0.1 boost in stats wasn't worth missing an opportunity.
That left Option B.
If all I have to do is say my name and I get a prank jutsu in return? Easy pick.
Resolved, Hyuga Bin approached Orochimaru with a calm, deliberate pace.