"Orochimaru-sensei!"
While Ye Mizunotsuki was still lost in thought, Akazuki suddenly grew excited, waving her tiny hands frantically, her face flushed red. She looked like a "fanatic fan" from a past life, startling Ye. In her eyes, he even saw tiny sparks of starlight.
This was admiration taken to the extreme.
Akazuki, who had just been drooling and demanding to go eat fried dumplings, now ran like a little lady and politely approached Orochimaru. Her shy demeanor nearly blinded Ye with its cuteness.
He had always thought Akazuki had no sense of modesty, yet here was another side of her. Clearly, she greatly admired Orochimaru.
Unfortunately…
Ye sighed inwardly.
Without experiencing this era firsthand, one could never know the true prestige of the Legendary Three Ninja in Konoha. Even though Minato Namikaze had been officially designated as the Fourth Hokage by Hiruzen Sarutobi, in many Konoha ninja's hearts, Orochimaru remained the top choice.
As Orochimaru appeared, the entire training field erupted. Countless children jostled to catch a glimpse of the peerless warrior with a legendary reputation.
Even many parents who had come to pick up their children bowed respectfully upon seeing him.
Listening to their whispers, seeing their unabashed awe, Ye felt a pang of admiration.
Though he knew this man might betray Konoha in a year or two, becoming a pariah…
"Legendary Three Ninja? If I had his fame, I wonder what I could accomplish… the rewards must be extraordinary," Ye thought with some envy.
Despite this, he had no intention of interacting with Orochimaru. He still had to survive in Konoha—if he got too close, he might be implicated as an accomplice.
Yet fate had other plans…
Whatever Akazuki said, Orochimaru now held her hand and slowly walked toward Ye and Uzuki Yuuka.
"Ye, Yuuka! Tonight Orochimaru-sensei is taking me out to dinner, so I won't be going for fried dumplings with you!"
Akazuki's face practically screamed "Happy!" as she shouted this at Ye. He could only stare, speechless.
Wait, I didn't even agree to go eat fried dumplings! And she didn't say anything about treating me! What kind of consolation is this?!
Moreover…
Orochimaru, holding Akazuki's hand, suddenly smiled at Ye. His husky voice was magnetic, like sand slipping through one's hand, evoking a strange, inexplicable emotion.
It was a completely different charm from Minato Namikaze.
"You must be Ye-kun? Teacher Sarutobi mentioned you. Seeing you in person, I think you exceed his praise. Hehe… Truly deserving of the legendary Ice Clan," Orochimaru said.
He bore none of the arrogance expected of a great figure. Orochimaru felt like a gentle uncle, nothing like the scheming villain Ye had read about in manga. Ye felt dazed, wondering if all the manga he had read were fake.
"You overpraise me," Ye replied modestly, quickly regaining composure.
"Hehe, no need for modesty. At your age, I was far behind. I admire gifted children; your talent is rare in my lifetime. People have different values, which manifest differently. You, Ye-kun, are very valuable," Orochimaru said softly, as if pointing something out—or perhaps simply complimenting him.
"By the way, if you have time, you can visit my home. I hear so much about you from Akazuki lately."
"Orochimaru-sensei!"
The small Akazuki pouted, clinging to Orochimaru's arm, then playfully stuck out her tongue at Ye and left with him.
"To be invited to Orochimaru-sensei's house! Wow!"
"Didn't you hear him? He said this child's talent exceeds his own!"
"Tch! Clearly Orochimaru-sensei was encouraging him. So kind… I want to be his monkey servant!"
"Shh! Who's that kid? I haven't seen him before. Where did he come from?"
"They say he's from another village."
…
As Orochimaru departed, it was as if a bomb had gone off. Everyone's eyes turned to Ye in envy. Even among formal ninjas, such attention was unheard of for a student who hadn't even graduated yet.
Incredible!
Though Ye usually performed well, his poor academic record had kept him from fame. Now, because of Orochimaru's words, his reputation was set to spread—not only through the academy, but throughout Konoha.
The prodigy endorsed by Orochimaru himself!
Ye covered his face. Great… I don't want this kind of attention! And it's from Orochimaru! This is a trap.
How he wished he had slipped away when he first saw Orochimaru. Sigh…
"Ding! Congratulations, player unlocked Reputation Achievement: Rising Fame."
"Ding! Congratulations, player received a three-star treasure card. It has been automatically added to your inventory."
[Enma Blade]Nickname: "Key to Divide the Two Realms"Category: Treasure CardLevel: N/ASharpness: 241Special Attribute: Spatial Slash(Note: Equipping this treasure card grants the player permanent access; it can be summoned anytime.)
Ye froze at the system prompt.
Such a good thing… just like that?
A three-star treasure card: Enma Blade! From Devil May Cry!
Outsiders would think Ye was excited over Orochimaru's praise, but in reality, he was thrilled about his new card.
"Ding! Higher-star card detected. Replace current card?"
"No."
In front of everyone, Ye refused. Some things were best tried in private.
"I have six card slots, but only three are unlocked. How do I unlock the rest?" Ye wondered.
"Ding! Player accumulated 10,000 diamonds, unlocked fourth card slot.""Player accumulated 1,000,000 diamonds, unlocked fifth card slot.""Player accumulated 100,000,000 diamonds, unlocked sixth card slot.""More recharge, more rewards! Exciting prizes await!"
This system—
Ye: "…No. I must stop wasting time listening to the Third Hokage. I need money! I need strength!"
Plus, Esdeath's card at level 7 needed more experience to reach level 10. Just grinding at school would take ages. Upgrading would cost a fortune. Could he rely on his savings? Ha!
"Ye-kun? Are you okay?" Uzuki Yuuka asked, her eyes showing admiration, mixed with something else.
"Ah? I'm fine, fine. Yuuka… Akazuki is gone, so I'll head home," Ye said, eager to examine his new treasure card.
Yuuka's eyes flashed a little disappointment; she had hoped to spend time alone with him.
"Okay… see you tomorrow," she said casually, waving.
Ye's mind was elsewhere. He waved back absentmindedly, then quickly disappeared into the crowd.
Yet his reputation as a prodigy quietly began to spread!