It's normal to get a kaleidoscope as a first deposit of six yuan, right?

"Hmm, alright, I'll trust you this once. Tell me how much the Chakra Concealing Device costs."

The next moment, a light and shadow appeared on Zhixue's retina. The colors and resolution on it gradually became clearer. It didn't seem to be very big, and the outline looked like a ring.

"Hmm? Why does this look so familiar?" Just as Zhixue was trying to figure out what this thing was, the system's voice rang out at the right moment.

Ding! The Void Ring is available for a limited time at a discounted price of 198 million taels. Functions include: Remote Chakra Link (requires a second Void Ring or other Chakra receiver), Chakra Shield (hides one's own chakra; automatically adjusts, but can be detected by those with the Rinnegan Tier 1), and Storage of Ninja Tools (capacity: 2).

The phantom of the Ring of Illusion was worn on Zhi Xue's slender finger, emitting a dim, purplish-red light. A large character for "illusion" was embedded in a jade-green gemstone. However, Zhi Xue felt as if she had seen this ring somewhere before.

In that instant, a flash of inspiration seemed to strike Zhixue's mind: why did this design look exactly like the employee rings from Kangmi Company?

Ding! Host, would you like to purchase? Time waits for no one. Once the limited-time discount expires, the Ring of Illusion will temporarily disappear from the system shop.

Zhi Xue rolled around on the sheets, and after a moment's deliberation, she finally decided to buy it. The source of the system's power was hard to say, and buying it was a way to make future strength improvements easier and keep it hidden. However, she still needed to test its specific functions; if it didn't work, she'd be at a huge loss.

Can I use the system first?

Ding, of course you can.

Zhi Xue sat up in bed, took out the steel pheasant sword hidden under the bed, and drew it from its sheath. The bright silver blade emitted a faint glow under the moonlight, and as she swung it, the sound of air being torn apart seemed to echo in Zhi Xue's ears.

This sword is both sharp and durable, but unfortunately its chakra conductivity isn't very good, so it might not be very effective later on. After all, who uses a traditional katana these days?

Ding! The host can store or retrieve ninja tools in the virtual ring with a thought, without consuming chakra.

Following the system's prompts, Zhi Xue had a thought, and sure enough, the Kusanagi sword in her hand turned into dust and was sucked into her virtual ring. The process took less than a second, and when she took it out, it automatically appeared in her hand.

The function of storing ninja tools is quite convenient, which makes Zhixue somewhat interested. However, she still needs to check the versatility of its other functions.

*Ding!* The remaining functions can be activated by the host using only their imagination. Furthermore, once the virtual ring is bound, it will be permanent; unless the host voluntarily severs the link, no one else can use the virtual ring.

"Shadow Clone Technique!" A white mist appeared beside Zhi Xue, and a brand new Zhi Xue appeared there.

"How is it?" Zhi Xue asked the shadow clone, having activated her chakra concealment function to hide all her chakra.

"Nice, your true form is completely unrecognizable, it's just like you're an ordinary person." The shadow clone excitedly reported to Zhixue, activating its three-tomoe Sharingan.

"That's good, hehehe..." Zhi Xue released the shadow clone, put her hands on her hips, and seemed to have already imagined the scene of her punching the five great villages and kicking the Otsutsuki, becoming the second Sage of Six Paths.

While no one is paying attention to her yet, she should focus on developing her skills and leave everything else to Nissan.

"System, collect the reward."

Ding! Congratulations, host, you have received a reward!

2 chakra, Ninja Taijutsu: Chakra Blade. The funds have already been acquired by the host, therefore no further issuance is possible.

Zhixue clenched her fist and could indeed feel that the chakra in her body seemed to be becoming more active, like the water in several small rivers slowly flowing into a puddle. As for the chakra blade, she would experiment with it tomorrow. It was easy to break things at home, and if Zhishui saw it in the morning, she would be punished.

Although the reward didn't seem like much, Zhixue still drifted off to sleep with a happy heart.

The night passed quickly, and as dawn broke, Fugaku Uchiha arrived in the backyard to watch Sasuke practice the Fireball Jutsu.

Just as Sasuke noticed his father's gaze and was about to make a good impression, a member of the Uchiha clan delivered a letter to Fugaku.

"Clan leader, this is something sent by the Konoha Anbu. They said it's a gift from the Hokage."

"The Hokage?" Fugaku Uchiha pondered for a moment before taking the envelope from the ninja's hand.

At this moment, what kind of wicked scheme is that old fox Hiruzen Sarutobi plotting?

Fugaku opened the envelope, read two lines, and a strange expression appeared on his face.

Sending Uchiha Shiyu to the Anbu as an apprentice Anbu will allow her to learn and grow, thus fostering a friendly bond between the Uchiha clan and Konoha Village.

This wave of information is somewhat unclear in its meaning.

As a rare underachiever in the Uchiha clan, Shiyuki was practically invisible in Konoha. Many members of the clan looked down on her, and there were even rumors that the talents of Shisui and Shiyuki were all concentrated on Shisui, making Shiyuki just a pretty "vase".

But what would the Hokage want with such a character? Was it to blackmail Shisui? But that doesn't make sense; Shisui was recently involved in Orochimaru's defection, something Fugaku knew. Looking at it this way, it seems more like Danzo's doing.

Could there be more to the Orochimaru defection incident than meets the eye? But what does it have to do with Shisue?

Fugaku Uchiha was deep in thought when a brainstorming session ensued. In the end, he decided to hand the problem over to Shisui. Although he was the clan leader, he still wanted to see what his older brother Shisui thought. Shisui probably hadn't gone to work yet, so it was a good opportunity to get his opinion.

"It's nothing serious. I'm going to Zhishui's house. You can continue with your other tasks."

"Yes, Chieftain..."

Chapter 32, Ideas

"Huhuhu..."

It was morning, and the clock struck 6:40. Zhixue was still lying in her warm bed, enjoying a comfortable nap.

"Zhixue, it's time to get up." Zhishui knocked on Zhixue's door, but this did not make Zhixue have any intention of getting out of her comfortable bed.

Half asleep, Zhixue picked up the alarm clock from the table, squinted at it, and then lazily yawned. She pulled the blanket up and curled herself up comfortably.

"Hmm...it's not even 7 o'clock yet...I'll go back to sleep for a while longer..."

Shisui knocked several more times, but to little avail. He scratched his head awkwardly and gave Fugaku, who was sitting on the sofa not far away, a polite smile.

His elder brother's authority was completely lost, but Zhixue was a lovely girl, and she was not young anymore, so it was inconvenient for him to just barge in.

Fugaku Uchiha shook his head helplessly as he looked at Shisui scratching his head in embarrassment.

"Alright, since you two stayed up so late last night, let her rest for a while. You two should discuss the matter of joining the Anbu. Although you don't have the final say, the Hokage will give you some face."

Fugaku Uchiha stood up, and Shisui saw him off at the door. Shisui then returned to the sofa, pondered for a while, and then waited until after 7 o'clock before knocking on the door and saying, "Shisui, the news that you wore that outfit has been published in the Konoha Morning News. Now everyone in Konoha knows."

"What! Is it true?"

Suddenly, Zhixue's door was knocked open, and Zhixue, wearing a green dragon-themed pajama, asked Zhishui with a blushing face.

This shouldn't be that serious, right? She was just dressed a bit too conspicuously. If it made the newspapers, wouldn't she be stared at with strange looks for ages every time she went out? Absolutely not! That would be so terrible that she'd be destitute.

"Haha, just kidding. I woke you up because I have some important news to tell you." Zhi Shui chuckled, but Zhi Xue looked at her silly-smiling older brother with a speechless expression.

The breakfast table was set out with the same dishes as before, but Zhixue sensed something was off.

Hmm, it seems like Nissan has something on his mind.

After finishing the last sandwich on the table, Zhixue wiped the creamy white cream from the corner of her mouth with a napkin.

"Nisan, what are you thinking about?"

"Zhixue...do you want to join the Dark Division?"

Stop Snow: ???

Upon hearing Zhishui's words, Zhixue's mind went blank.

Is he trying to get himself into the Anbu and become a more qualified ninja?

Ding! Advanced quest triggered.

As you progress from a member of the Guard to an Anbu member, the chance of obtaining high-level rewards for slacking off missions will increase, but the difficulty of the missions will also increase accordingly. Upon being promoted to Anbu squad leader, you will receive a blind box lottery chance every four months. Becoming Hokage will unlock the highest level of slacking off missions, significantly increasing rewards. Furthermore, each time you protect a village from threat, you will receive massive rewards, including Six Paths Ninja Tools, the Rinnegan, Six Paths Power, and Tailed Beast Chakra.

Good guy.

Zhi Xue was very tempted by the "slacking off" reward for becoming Hokage, but unfortunately, she was from the Uchiha clan and it was impossible for her to become Hokage unless a coup succeeded. However, even if a coup succeeded, whether she could actually become Hokage and how to deal with the subsequent instability would be extremely troublesome. Several years after the coup, and without Minato's speed, the "slacking off" reward probably wouldn't be very appealing.

Suddenly, Zhixue remembered something and asked the system about it.

"Tongzi, what kind of rewards would I get if I worked for the Akatsuki?"

Ding! If the host successfully joins the Akatsuki organization, they will be converted to rogue ninja mode. The rewards for slacking off will be related to the size of the mission or event, and the host will also receive one ten-pull blind box lottery chance per year.

If you look at it this way, Zhixue's thinking becomes clear.

She can't control the darkness of Konoha. No one is born a protagonist. In her previous life, she was just an ordinary person. She probably couldn't control it. It would be better to go to Akatsuki after defecting and build up her strength. As long as she has the strength and doesn't go against those guys, she won't have to worry about being unstable in Akatsuki.

What worries Zhixue is Shisui's situation. She doesn't care about the other Uchiha clan members, but she's determined to rescue Shisui. Considering this, spending two years in the Anbu doesn't seem like a problem; it's a good opportunity to observe her brother's movements and avoid misjudgments due to plot inconsistencies. However, it's a pity that Zhixue only watched part of Naruto; she doesn't know how the story will develop later.

Back to reality, Zhixue looked at Zhishui and asked, "Brother, do you think Zhixue can join the Anbu?"

"Ah, that's exactly what I wanted to ask your opinion on. If you want to join the Anbu, I'll definitely support you. But if you don't want to... I'll ask the Hokage..."

"So what if I go to the Anbu? I'll just go. Watch me dominate the battlefield and become a ninja even stronger and more famous than Nii-san." Zhi Xue said, twirling the chopsticks in her hand, seemingly very confident.

"Hahaha... So that's what you were thinking? The idea is not bad, but the Anbu can't be trained just by fighting and killing."

Shisui coughed twice, then his expression turned serious.

"Since you want to join the Dark Division, you'd better hurry up and pack your things. We're already past the allotted time. On the way, I'll teach you some Dark Division knowledge."

"it is good."

……

In this new day, not only is Konoha's Anbu about to welcome a new member, but the Land of Rain, a country far away where rain never stops, is also welcoming a new member.

"Is this the new recruit brought in by 'Madara'?" The leader, Zero, also known as Pain, murmured as he looked at a blurry figure outside the door.

Under the continuous rain, a thin mist permeated the air. In this hazy world, Orochimaru, wearing a straw hat, felt a pressure coming from ahead.

It was a feeling completely different from other Kage-level ninjas. Even when he first entered, he could feel as if many eyes were watching him. The closer he got, the stronger the feeling became, and the mental pressure made him quite uncomfortable. It seemed that the masked man had shoved him into some terrible place. But things were getting more and more interesting…

Da da da…

Orochimaru's figure gradually appeared before everyone's eyes. At this moment, Sasori, who was still hiding in Hiruko, muttered to himself, "This guy doesn't seem very strong. I hope he's not the same troublesome newcomer as last time."

Upon hearing this, the two ninjas next to Sasori trembled.

They were also rogue ninjas who joined Akatsuki, but they weren't very strong. There was originally another person there, but he was turned into a specimen and sealed in a coffin just for saying a few words about the puppet in front of them. It was terrifying.

"So you're Orochimaru, the defector from Konoha?" Pain asked, looking at the figure emerging from the rain. For some reason, Pain had a feeling that the snake harbored ill intentions after seeing his face clearly.

Chapter 33 reports on the lives of those in the shadows.

"Lord Hokage, did you call me to start the mission ahead of schedule?" Kakashi asked, standing in front of Hiruzen Sarutobi.

"No, Kakashi, your injuries haven't healed yet, so you shouldn't move around. You need to rest for a while. The reason I called you here isn't for a mission, but to bring a new member to fill the gap in your team. However, the newcomer is still very inexperienced and needs your guidance."

"A new member?" Kakashi raised an eyebrow. His team did indeed have a ninja who was seriously injured and unable to take on ANBU missions when they stopped Orochimaru's summoning beast. However, his team wasn't one that just anyone could join.

"Hmm, this member is from the Uchiha clan. Although his performance is a little disappointing, he has potential and needs your proper training. Also, I have a secret, long-term mission for you..."

Upon hearing about the Uchiha clan and their less-than-ideal results, Kakashi's eyes dimmed considerably.

This description sounds so familiar, Obi-Wan…

……