Lin Yu fled from Might Guy's house in a disheveled state, fearing that if he stayed any longer, Might Guy would even ask him when he planned to get married. Middle-aged uncles were truly terrifying!
Fortunately, the objective was achieved. The strongest taijutsu in Naruto, the "Eight Inner Gates," was now in his possession. This was an ultimate taijutsu capable of stomping on Six Paths Madara. Its power varied from person to person, as did the difficulty of its cultivation.
The older one got, the more difficult it was to cultivate. If one was too young, they couldn't endure the hardship or the pain of pushing human limits. Therefore, very few people successfully mastered the Eight Inner Gates. Only Might Guy and his son could open the Gate of Death, truly a testament to their single-mindedness in mastering taijutsu.
Lin Yu was now ten years old, which was slightly past the optimal age for cultivating the Eight Inner Gates. Furthermore, his unique physique made breaking through limits even more challenging.
Thus, Lin Yu didn't expect to fully master the Eight Inner Gates. He merely intended to use the cultivation methods of the Eight Inner Gates to pressure his potential, allowing him to adapt quickly to the Senjutsu Body and unleash his full power. If he could even master one or two gates, it would be an unexpected bonus. Therefore, this transaction was a win-win.
Meanwhile, Might Guy stared blankly at the wad of cash before him. "That tattered diary is worth so much? It sold for a million ryo."
The money, of course, was obtained by Lin Yu from Kushina, which had pained her for quite some time. She had lightly slapped Lin Yu's hands and said, "You shouldn't spend so carelessly. Earning money isn't easy, and you just blew through a million ryo. Hmph, don't let me catch you doing anything bad with it, or I won't forgive you!"
Lin Yu shook his head and gave a wry smile. This was all his hard-earned money, yet now it felt as though he was spending Kushina's blood and sweat. However, what was hers was his, and that was undeniable. After all, Kushina was his.
Lin Yu wandered through the Leaf Village, making his way to a dead-end alley. He tapped three times on a stone with snake patterns, stepped back, and a hidden door opened before him. He slowly walked inside.
This was Orochimaru's secret base in the Leaf Village, recently completed. Of course, it had been approved by the higher-ups. Orochimaru had not yet begun human experimentation at this point, so he had no fear of being discovered.
In the quiet and dim room, only a surgical lamp was lit. Orochimaru, dressed in a white lab coat, was using a scalpel to dissect a white mouse. His brow was furrowed, as if he had encountered a difficulty.
*Tap, tap, tap.*
Footsteps echoed. Orochimaru didn't stop his experiment, and the newcomer didn't disturb him, standing quietly to the side and observing.
Lin Yu's expression was calm as he watched Orochimaru, who was still at the level of a graduate student. He slowly pondered: Although Orochimaru now possessed some research spirit, it was still too early. He hadn't mastered certain techniques yet. He needed to wait, and Lin Yu also needed time.
After a while, Orochimaru removed his gloves, disposed of the mouse's carcass, and washed his hands. Then, he turned around and grinned sinisterly, "Lin Yu-kun, what brings you here? Are you also interested in science?"
Lin Yu waved his hand. "This is too complicated; I can't learn it. I've come to ask for a favor from you, Teacher Orochimaru."
Orochimaru said with some regret, "That's a true shame. Science is so mysterious and captivating. I thought Lin Yu-kun and I were kindred spirits."
"We are kindred spirits, but not in science, rather in... immortality!" Lin Yu looked at Orochimaru calmly. He stopped pretending and decided to reveal his hand.
Orochimaru's golden slit pupils narrowed slightly. He said impassively, "Lin Yu-kun is finally willing to admit his connection to that organization?"
Lin Yu didn't answer Orochimaru and continued the previous topic. "I've invited Uchiha Mikoto from the Uchiha clan to join my team. I hope Orochimaru-sensei can help me resolve this matter."
"The Uchiha clan? That clan is troublesome. And she should be a graduate of the Ninja Academy, right? Her team assignment is decided by the Third Hokage, so I can't make that decision." Orochimaru was somewhat curious as to why Lin Yu always brought strange people into his team, first the eternally underachieving Might Guy, and now the troublesome Uchiha clan.
"I've already spoken with Mikoto. Teacher Orochimaru wouldn't want me, your disciple, to lose face in front of a girl, would you?" Lin Yu teased Orochimaru with a smile.
"Hehehe, a girl? Is it a girl Lin Yu-kun fancies? Then I must take a good look. But I remember you already have someone at home. Do you...?" Orochimaru's expression was rather peculiar. Even he was curious about Lin Yu's "openness" at the tender age of ten.
Lin Yu's face flushed. He argued, or rather, explained, "I just want to learn cooking from Mikoto. What are your minds made of? Why do you always think of such things!"
"Heh, I understand. However, Lin Yu-kun, the Uchiha clan is indeed difficult to handle..." Orochimaru's expression seemed genuinely hesitant.
Lin Yu suddenly seemed to recall something and said, "Oh, I forgot to mention, Teacher Orochimaru, I went out of the village this time to a base of the Immortality Organization. We've agreed to your request, but the reward you offered is too low; it needs to be increased."
Orochimaru's eyes sharpened. However, thinking of the lawless black-robed man and his god-like power, he felt a flicker of desire. He then looked at Lin Yu with a hint of helplessness and said, "Alright, I agree. But I will only be responsible for assigning that Uchiha Mikoto to my team. As for any subsequent problems, you will have to resolve them yourself, Lin Yu-kun."
"No problem." Lin Yu turned and walked towards the door. As he was about to leave, his steps paused, and he said with a hint of hesitation, "Teacher Orochimaru, go ahead and do what you must. As long as you don't forget that you are still human, our Immortality Organization will help you resolve any worries."
Orochimaru's gaze followed Lin Yu's retreating figure, his emotions turbulent: Uzumaki Lin Yu, what kind of person are you? Is the Immortality Organization truly that powerful? Capable of disregarding the strongest Leaf Village without a second thought. This is becoming increasingly interesting.
Frankly speaking, the current Leaf Village, apart from Hiruzen Sarutobi, Sakumo Hatake, and the Sannin, was barely passable. The others were either not yet grown or not yet born. This period of the Leaf Village was truly not strong, otherwise, they wouldn't be so easily suppressed.
Lin Yu was unaware of Orochimaru's thoughts, nor did he care. He was currently engrossed, as his monthly mission had refreshed.
Monthly Missions:
Mission 1: Complete 100 D-rank missions (0/100).
Reward: Eight Inner Gates - Gate of Opening, Gate of Rest.
Mission 2: Help an old lady cross the road once.
Reward: Chakra recovery speed increased by 0.1%.
Mission 3: Learn ten common home-cooked dishes.
Reward: Uchiha Mikoto favorability +1.
Cumulative Missions (2/10):
Mission: Obtain a title from Uchiha Madara.
Reward: Perfect Senjutsu Body.
Mission: Fist bump with Kurama.
Reward: Yang release refinement.
Limited-time Reward: Rinnegan usage with no consumption (Remaining 1 hour 39 minutes 39 seconds - Frozen).
Limited-time Reward: Tenseigan usage with no consumption (Remaining 2 hours - Frozen).
Damn system! If you had released the mission for the Eight Inner Gates earlier, I wouldn't have had to bother Might Guy so much. But at least I gained the friendship of two future Gate of Death powerhouses. It's not a total loss.
But these next two missions...
Lin Yu: System, are you out of stock? How about you release missions for permanent Rinnegan, Six Paths Sage Mode, Ketsuryugan, Nine-Tomo Rinnegan, Yomi-Tsumi-Hira-Saka, and then you can retire and get reforged!
Unknown System: Meow the f**k.