Konoha: The thirty-year-old Uchiha is not motivated.

"How wonderful! How wonderful!"

Looking at the three thousand elite troops before him, Danzo, his heart pounding with excitement, downed his lemonade in one gulp.

"set off!"

After the oath-taking ceremony concluded, Danzo, his face grave, waved his hand, and the vanguard of the three thousand-strong Sarutobi army immediately set off.
The thought of Uchiha Kagami being surrounded by the allied forces of the three countries filled him with anxiety, and he wished he could instantly master his master's Flying Thunder God Technique without any formal instruction.
Mirror. No!
Godfather, you must hold on!

If he loses his godfather Jing, who will he borrow money from in the future?

"They don't look like they're going on a drill. Could something serious have happened?"

Shortly after the army set off, Uchiha Gin emerged from the black hole in the void, stroking his chin thoughtfully.

He initially thought that the three thousand Ape Clan soldiers had come to the Death Forest under the guise of an exercise to extract funds from the village and settle the mess in the accounts this year.
Unexpectedly, it was all done quite formally. Not only was everyone fully armed, but Xiao Tuantuan, who is usually very frugal, also spent a fortune ordering three thousand cups of lemonade. It seems that there really is a war going on.

"Hasn't everything been pretty peaceful lately?"

Uchiha Gin frowned and thought for a moment. Apart from Jigen, who was skilled at hiding, he really couldn't think of anyone else who would want to cause trouble for no reason.
Even if they wanted to cause trouble, they wouldn't target the Land of Fire. Konoha's overall fighting strength is, after all, the No. 1 in the ninja world.

With the Uchiha and Senju clans as pillars, any country considering taking action against the Land of Fire would have to carefully weigh whether it could withstand the wrath of Konoha.

Hyuga clan: Then I'll leave?
and many more!

Suddenly, Uchiha Gin remembered the Senju clan, which had just disbanded the day before, and his eyes instantly turned strange.
It seems that only one super-powerful family remains now.

"No wonder they dared to cause trouble; they exploited this loophole."

Having roughly guessed the reason for the situation, Uchiha Gin looked enlightened. It seemed that some restless individuals had obtained inside information.
Just as Uchiha Gin was analyzing who was so blind, a pair of exquisitely crafted, dark-skinned jailers slowly emerged from the still-open black hole behind him.

"Hey, where's my lemonade for today?"

With a blank expression, Wang Liang stared with unwavering almond-shaped eyes and questioned her in a harsh tone.
"Sorry, we're out of lemonade. You can use this instead."

Looking at the increasingly doro-like Wang Jie with a bit of a headache, Uchiha Gin touched his snack bag and pulled out an orange he had taken from the cafeteria a few days ago.
Kaguya's dark-skinned eyes shifted to the somewhat listless Orunji in Uchiha's silver palm, a fleeting hint of annoyance vanishing in an instant.
“You’ve been a bit perfunctory lately.”

This descendant dared to treat her so disrespectfully. Kaguya immediately decided that she would never cooperate with Uchiha Gin's transformation again, so that he would learn a lesson and understand who the real king and queen were.

"Don't let its wilted appearance fool you, it actually tastes pretty good."

Noticing the look of disgust on Wanrō's face, Uchiha Gin awkwardly scratched his cheek.

He'd been busy with layoffs all day and hadn't had time to restock his supplies in the shopping district. His snack bag was empty; this rather unappealing-looking orange was his last remaining item.

"Humph!"

Upon hearing this explanation, Kaguya glared coldly at Uchiha Gin, then turned her head away, giving the impression that she was angry and couldn't be appeased.

"Sigh..."

Seeing this, Uchiha Gin shook his head, sighing that this creation of eye technique inherited from Old Man Deng was excessively intelligent, while raising his hand to throw away the orange.
"Whoosh~"

Just then, a white shadow suddenly darted out from the Shadow Realm and wrapped around Uchiha Gin's arm with lightning speed.

"what?"

Feeling a cool touch, Uchiha Gin lowered his head in confusion.
A slender white snake coiled around his arm, its round, adorable head held high, its mouth wide open, swallowing the enormous Ou Runji that was far larger than its mouth.
"Crack!"

After the entire orange was devoured, a human-like expression of satisfaction appeared on the round snake's face. Then, it extended its long, thin forked tongue and licked Uchiha Gin's palm, and surprisingly, it spoke in human language.

"Thank you for the hospitality~"

Her voice was cool yet alluring.

Upon discovering the sudden appearance of a troublemaker, Wang Liang, who was still sulking, frowned. She hadn't even noticed that there were other unfamiliar beings in the Shadow Realm.
It seems they've been living too comfortably.

Kaguya, oh Kaguya, how could you be so hopelessly immersed in Hou Yi's gentle embrace?

Have you forgotten your ambitions and your ideals?

I can't keep going on like this, feeling so down.
Kaguya clenched her little fists and secretly swore an oath.
Starting tomorrow, lemonade will have sugar added!
On the other side, Uchiha Gin, unaware of the profound self-reflection Kaguya was undergoing, stared curiously at the white snake coiled around his arm. He recognized the voice; it was none other than Sujin Saeki, whom he had recently signed a contract with at Ryuchi Cave.

"Didn't you become a prop?"

“This white snake is my consciousness clone, capable of sharing memories with my main body at all times. How could it remain in that state?”

The small white snake nestled comfortably in Uchiha Gin's palm, its shape resembling a white lump of...
Of course, Uchiha Gin would never tell the other party about this.

"Are you here to urge me about the live stream? I'm sorry, please wait a little longer. I will let you know as soon as the studio is ready."

This enhancement item, which is the incarnation of a white snake, has been lying in the Shadow Realm for a long time without any movement. Its sudden appearance now is most likely because Su Shen Zhen Ji has come to inquire about her job.

"No, no, no, I have plenty of patience. I just wanted to get some fresh air because I was feeling a bit stuffy."

The white snake gently shook its head, its round snake eyes filled with curiosity.

"Who is that guy? I can't hear anything from her."

It was referring to Mitsuyoshi, who was sulking on the sidelines.
The White Snake Sage possesses a magical ability: he can listen to everything happening in the ninja world at any time and in any place, including the hidden emotions deep within people's hearts.

However, at this moment, its ability failed to work on this strange woman in front of it.

"Oh~ it's normal that you can't hear it. It's not a person, it's a creation of my eye technique."

Faced with the white snake's questioning, Uchiha Gin was not surprised. He knew very well that Muron, as a creation of eye technique, did not possess a soul, so it was normal that she could not hear him.

Thinking of this, he picked up the bewildered Su Shen Zhen Ji with her snake-like face and brought her to Wang Liang, beginning his introduction in a gentle tone.

"Sister Wang! Don't be angry. Let me introduce you. This person is Su Shen Zhen Ji, my long-term partner."

"Long-term partner?"

Kaguya frowned slightly, almost imperceptibly, upon hearing this. Her pure white eyes then fell upon the small white snake coiled in Uchiha Gin's hand, a flash of surprise crossing her face.

Why is it her?

As Kaguya was observing, the White Serpent was also curiously examining Uchiha Gin's so-called creation of eye techniques. A hint of doubt quickly surfaced in its snake eyes.
This guy looks familiar.

However, even after carefully searching his memories of the past hundred years, the White Snake Immortal couldn't find a corresponding figure.
"Could it be that I've remembered it wrong?"

"I'm tired."

After a brief silence, Kaguya realized that the White Serpent hadn't recognized her, but just to be on the safe side, she decided to retreat temporarily, immediately disappearing into the Shadow Realm without looking back.
"Uh? Then you should get some rest. I'll make you some lemonade later."

Having long been accustomed to such humane behavior from Mugen, Uchiha Gin didn't think much of it. After a brief farewell, he looked down at the white snake in his hand.

They found her resting her chin on her tail, looking deep in thought. "Jewel, what are you thinking about?"

"Perhaps it's because I haven't been sleeping well lately, so my memory is a bit distorted."

The White Snake Sage, whose thoughts had been interrupted by Uchiha Gin, raised his head, the doubt in his eyes gradually fading. Since he couldn't remember, he was probably mistaken.

"Didn't sleep well? Could something have happened at Ryuchi Cave?"

If Sujin Zhenji, the current head of Ryuchi-dō, is having trouble sleeping, doesn't that mean something serious has happened at Ryuchi-dō that's keeping her awake at night?
"Thank you for your concern. There is a problem, but it's nothing serious."

Seeing the concerned look on Uchiha Gin's face, a strange glint flashed in the white sage's eyes, and then his snake-faced features revealed a human-like smile.
"It's about that white-haired brat you sent over."

"Jiraiya? Is he alright?"

Uchiha Gin slapped his forehead, almost forgetting about his future cash cow. He wondered if the other person had integrated into the Ryuchi Cave family after all this time.

He was really looking forward to seeing the immortal carrying the white phosphorus serpent on its shoulder; the image was too beautiful for him to bear.

"It's not just good, it's absolutely fantastic!"

At this point, the White Snake's smile widened.
"That little guy is so happy he's practically dying of joy every day."

"what?"

Even though Jiraiya was an exchange student specially arranged by Gin Uchiha, he couldn't escape the trials of the Three Goddesses.

But Jiraiya's personality, as those who know, has never changed from childhood to old age. He's the kind of pervert who can't resist seeing voluptuous older women.

Sending him to participate in the trials of the Three Goddesses is like a dog entering a dry latrine—he'll be so happy he'll forget all about home.

It's impossible for it to pass; it's absolutely impossible in this lifetime.
Even knowing that the fine wine, food, and beauty in Tianxin Shenji's trials were all illusory, he still easily fell for it every time, lecherously snuggling into her arms to feast, thus failing the trials.
Anyone else would have been devoured by Tashin-hime long ago, but Jiraiya is different; he has Gin behind him.
Even if Princess Tianxin had a hundred times the courage, she wouldn't dare to lay a finger on Jiraiya. She could only offer emergency treatment after each of his failed trials.
And so it went, with Jiraiya endlessly repeating the first stage, driving Princess Tanshin to the brink of a nervous breakdown. She complained to the other two princesses every day, and even tearfully went to the White Snake Sage to beg for a switch.
Unfortunately, the White Snake Sage wasn't a demon, and unable to resist Princess Tashin's persistent pleas, she ordered Princess Ichikishima to take charge of the first trial.

Unexpectedly, Jiraiya cleared the game this time, and in a flash!
What's even more surprising is that he didn't even glance at Princess Ichikishima during the trial, maintaining a blank expression the entire time while muttering to himself.

"That wretched washboard! Give me back my Da Lai Lai!"

Seeing the familiar smile on Jiraiya's face as he broke through to the second level, Princess Tashin shed tears of sorrow. Is this never going to end?

"The trials at Longdi Cave were indeed insurmountable obstacles for that kid."

After listening to Su Shen Zhen Ji's account, Uchiha Gin let out a long sigh of relief, looking somewhat bewildered. He should have foreseen that the three goddesses of Yu Luo Shao would be an insurmountable obstacle for the lecherous Jiraiya.
"Does he have a talent for magic?"

"There are some."

Without hesitation, the white snake nodded decisively.

The fact that Jiraiya could remain unharmed after consuming so much food formed from Sage Chakra undoubtedly demonstrates his talent for learning Sage Mode.

"only"

"Just say what you want to say. I hate it when people only say half of what they mean."

Looking at the white snake, who seemed to want to say something but hesitated, Uchiha Gin couldn't help but roll his eyes.

"That white-haired brat's personality is really incompatible with our Ryuchi Cave."

The White Snake Immortal didn't use overly harsh words, but his meaning was very clear.
Jiraiya is not suited to the Sage Mode of the Ryuchi Cave system. If he were to force himself to learn it, it would likely waste his rare talent for Sage Mode.

"I see."

Upon hearing this, Uchiha Gin didn't say much, but simply nodded slightly.
But the White Snake Sage felt a little uneasy; she felt she hadn't been able to help Uchiha Gin.
"How about we let him stay a little longer? Maybe things will turn around."

"It's alright, maybe this is just Jiraiya's fate. I'll find you someone else in a few days."

Reaching out, Gin Uchiha patted the slightly uneasy head of the White Snake Sage and said with a smile.

I wonder how Orochimaru is doing now that he's on Mount Myōboku. It must be tough for him to eat insects every day.

Mt. Miaomu,
"Quack~ quack~ quack!"

In the damp jungle, the once boisterous croaking of frogs was gone. Occasionally, a naive little frog would let out a few loud calls, then fall silent.

A frail figure slowly straightened up, her pale hand clutching the small frog that had just croaked.

"Dinner is sorted out for tonight."

Orochimaru, his clothes soaked by the damp mist, looked down at the unconscious toad, a sinister smile on his face. He licked his lips with his long, thin tongue, a look of utter craving.

"Try my newly improved regeneration technique."

As he spoke, he raised his hand and formed a complex hand seal, and pale blue chakra instantly surged into the unconscious little frog's body.
With a series of violent convulsions, the little frog, which originally had four legs, miraculously grew four new legs.

"Four? Not bad. Try to get more next time."

Orochimaru smiled with satisfaction upon seeing this, drew his kunai from his waist, and with a single slash, four fresh, plump frog legs landed on the ground instantly.
"Croak! Croak?"

Just as the little frog, whose limb had been painfully amputated, was about to let out a scream, he raised his hand and cast a simple healing spell, instantly restoring the bloody wound to its original state.

In Orochimaru's view, these frogs are precious renewable resources that should not be wasted so easily.

"Old man, that devil's son is wreaking havoc on the frogs and their offspring again!"

Having witnessed everything from a secluded corner, Fukasaku trembled and tugged at his elderly partner beside him.

"Phew, there's nothing we can do. The Great Toad Immortal instructed us that as long as he doesn't harm the frogs, we have no right to interfere."

Fukasaku shook his head bitterly, his gaze falling on Orochimaru's thin body, a faint hint of fear in his eyes.

"To do such a heinous thing for the sake of gluttony, no matter how high his talent in immortal arts is, he is definitely not the destined one of our Mount Myōboku."

Shima, standing to the side, wore a look of self-reproach. She too bore undeniable responsibility for Orochimaru's current state.

"Croak~ Old man, do you really think my insect dishes are that bad?"

"Hmph! This human just doesn't know how to appreciate it. Insect cuisine is the most delicious food in the world."

Crackling—sizzling—

Having reaped a bountiful harvest, Orochimaru built a campfire, skewering fresh frog legs. As the aroma of meat wafted through the air, a blissful smile crept onto his usually aloof lips.

"Braised frog legs, I love to eat them~" (End of Chapter)