Hoo, Lin Yu woke up in reality, feeling a bit thirsty, though it was a spiritual thirst.
Although the mission wasn't completed this time, he had already established an initial connection with Kurama. Lin Yu believed it wouldn't be long before this arrogant fox let down its guard.
Lin Yu gently covered the sleeping Kushina, whose posture was less than elegant, with a blanket. He slowly exited the room, and the night passed uneventfully.
The next morning, after sending Kushina to school, Lin Yu tidied up the shop a bit, pulled down the rolling door, hung up the "Closed" sign, and headed towards the residential area. He was going to visit Orochimaru.
Ever since awakening his system, this small clinic had been in a state of constant closure. Perhaps he should just shut it down. After all, with his current savings, he could support Kushina. Yes, he could consider it. With his identity as a ninja, why bother running a clinic?
Just doing a single A-rank mission offered hundreds of thousands of ryo in bounty. What need was there for a clinic? Right, he seemed to still have Hanzo's corpse on him. The head of the ninja world's "Demigod" should be worth quite a bit. It seemed he needed to find an opportunity to leave the village and exchange it.
Orochimaru's residence was not a secret. After all, Orochimaru hadn't begun his scientific research yet, but it would be soon. Lin Yu found out his address by asking around and located it.
The nameplate at the door was carved with "Orochimaru" in three characters, making it easy to find. Looking at the somewhat eerie mansion, Lin Yu couldn't help but shiver. Although it was a strange feeling, he had a premonition, not of danger to his life, but of something physical. He wasn't sure if he was mistaken.
Lin Yu stepped forward and gently knocked on the door. No matter, the current Snake Sannin should be "harmless." He wouldn't have any designs on my physical body!
"Come in," a slightly hoarse voice came from within. Lin Yu pushed open the door, walked through the corridor, and saw Orochimaru, clad in a kimono, seated on a cushion.
"Lin Yu-kun, please sit," Orochimaru said, revealing a delicate smile upon seeing Lin Yu.
Lin Yu sat opposite Orochimaru, goosebumps rising on his skin. He found Orochimaru's smile unsettling. Paired with his long, silky black hair cascading down his back, and his body, which had become as smooth as a woman's after practicing his self-created body modification jutsu, Orochimaru would be a stunning sight from behind, especially in his current kimono.
Lin Yu just wanted to leave as soon as possible. He coughed and asked, "Cough, did Senior Orochimaru ask me to come for something?"
Orochimaru's golden, vertical pupils fixed on Lin Yu with interest. The purple eyeshadow that extended to his nostrils added to his slightly eerie aura. He opened his mouth and said, "It's nothing major, I just wanted to invite Lin Yu-kun to be my guest."
Lin Yu spread his hands in mild helplessness. "If Jiraiya-the-jerk said that, I'd believe him. But if it comes from Senior Orochimaru, I truly don't believe it."
"Oh? Lin Yu-kun knows me quite well?" Orochimaru picked up his tea and took a sip, unfazed by Lin Yu's address for Jiraiya.
"I just feel that Senior Orochimaru is not one to waste time. With this spare time, it would be more worthwhile to learn a few more jutsu."
Orochimaru's interest deepened, and he stopped probing. That's right, he wasn't one to waste time, especially recently, as he was constructing a batch of secret bases, leaving him even less free time.
"Lin Yu-kun is a genin now, right? According to the rules of the Konoha Ninja Academy, newly graduated genin will have a Jonin instructor to lead their team on missions. I know Lin Yu-kun didn't graduate from the ninja academy, but Lin Yu-kun is young. I overheard Teacher Hiruzen mentioning in passing that he intended to group you with this batch of graduating students and assign a Jonin to lead the team."
Lin Yu frowned slightly as he listened to Orochimaru. He didn't want a Jonin to supervise him. It wasn't out of fear, but annoyance. He had no interest in doing D-rank missions like cleaning ditches or finding cats.
Orochimaru paused and continued, "I know that with Lin Yu-kun's strength, you would certainly disdain doing D-rank missions with fresh graduates. Therefore, I can ask Teacher Hiruzen to let me be your supervising Jonin."
Lin Yu knitted his brows. "Then I could also ask Tsunade to be my supervising Jonin."
"Lin Yu-kun, please listen to me first. It's not too late to refuse afterwards." Orochimaru's expression was very serious. He continued, "If I become Lin Yu-kun's supervising Jonin, I won't interfere too much with your training. You will have complete freedom to manage your time. And if you want to learn jutsu, you can come to me. I will teach you anything I know."
"If Lin Yu-kun wants to accept missions, you can use my name to accept A-rank or even S-rank missions. However, if Tsunade becomes Lin Yu-kun's supervising Jonin, I'm afraid she wouldn't allow you to be as relaxed as you are now." Orochimaru looked at Lin Yu with a teasing expression.
Lin Yu felt a sense of helplessness. Indeed, if Tsunade were his supervising Jonin, she would surely find ways to torment him, and he wouldn't be able to enjoy his current leisure. Orochimaru was right; based on the current situation, Orochimaru was the most suitable for him.
Lin Yu sighed and looked at Orochimaru helplessly. "Then what do you need my help with, Senior Orochimaru?"
Orochimaru's eyes gleamed, and his tone was tinged with sincerity. "I have only one request. I need Lin Yu-kun to ask that person to help me once in the future."
Orochimaru emphasized his words when mentioning "that person," and he was very sure that Lin Yu "knew" that person.
"Senior Orochimaru, who is the person you're talking about? Do I know them?" Lin Yu looked at Orochimaru with a bewildered expression, as if he didn't know what he was referring to.
"Lin Yu-kun, we are all intelligent people, so let's not speak in riddles. I need that person to help me fend off an enemy once, possibly the entire Leaf Village!" Orochimaru's expression was serious, without a hint of jest.
Alas! He was seen through. Although he knew Orochimaru couldn't possibly guess that the black-robed person was him, he was close. Lin Yu felt a touch of helplessness. It seemed he needed to be more careful in front of intelligent people. "Alright, I promise. Orochimaru… Teacher."
"Hehehe, Lin Yu-kun, there's no need for that. We can address each other as equals." Having achieved his goal, Orochimaru was in a good mood. This would provide some assurance for his plan. Even if he were discovered later, he could leave smoothly.
Lin Yu declined Orochimaru's invitation for lunch, or rather, Orochimaru had no intention of inviting him to eat. After Lin Yu agreed, he was promptly dismissed and rushed off to attend to other matters. It seemed Orochimaru truly was a person who couldn't bear to waste even a single second.
Lin Yu walked along the street, planning to grab a quick meal at a restaurant. Suddenly, he caught sight of a familiar figure out of the corner of his eye, a figure that was… green to the point of glowing.