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

Zhi Xue sat in the ramen shop, playing with a flower rope made of chakra threads to pass the time.

"Uncle Ichiraku, two bowls of ramen, no, four! It's on me today!" Naruto said, dragging Sasuke into Ichiraku while Shiki was idly killing time.

"Hey, who are you? I'm treating you. You should save that little bit of money for yourself so you can have more blankets in the winter," Sasuke said arrogantly, pulling his hand away from Naruto's.

"No, that won't do. We already agreed that whoever wins treats everyone, folks." Naruto said, still seemingly quite stubborn.

Sasuke broke out in a cold sweat upon hearing Naruto's answer. Who knew you would use such despicable means to subdue the teacher ahead of time?

Sasuke couldn't help but facepalm at the thought of Naruto, shrouded in smoke, delivering a fatal blow to Iruka in the classroom. It was just too outrageous! How could anyone use the Transformation Jutsu to do something like that? And the worst part was that his teacher, a ninja, was also caught in the crossfire.

Zhi Xue sat alone with her legs crossed, idly watching the two little boys, Sasuke and Naruto, arguing.

Although Zhixue didn't make any move, Kakashi, who was still monitoring from the shadows, noticed the unfamiliar face of Zhixue.

"Have you seen that beautiful girl?" Kakashi asked one of the Anbu members beside him from the rooftop.

The Dark Guard shook their heads upon hearing this.

"I don't think I've ever seen a girl like this in Konoha. However, she doesn't seem to have any chakra reaction. She's probably just an ordinary person from the caravan. Although Ichiraku is a small shop, its affordable prices are quite appealing."

Kakashi continued to stare at Shiki sitting in the chair, his brows furrowed.

He had a feeling that there was something wrong with the girl, and that she looked somewhat familiar.

"Notify the surrounding Anbu to keep a close eye on Naruto and the surrounding area."

"Yes, Kakashi-senpai!"

Kakashi's face darkened when he heard the way the Anbu addressed him.

"In the Anbu, you have to use code names, even in Konoha."

In response to Kakashi's accusation, the Anbu shrugged and said, "Kakashi-senpai, with your striking silver hair and your well-known name, even children from other villages could probably guess who you are just by looking at you."

Kakashi:......

After a while of arguing and bickering, the dispute ended with Naruto getting a big bump on his head.

Naruto sat down in the chair, looking at Sasuke with displeasure, and secretly clenched his fist.

That damned Sasgei! When I grow up, I'll beat you to a pulp and make you cry. I'll make sure you never bully me again.

Ignoring Naruto's resentful expression, Sasuke seemed to sense Shiki's gaze and turned to meet her eyes. A strange sense of familiarity startled Sasuke.

Why does this older sister look so familiar?

Because it was inappropriate for her to suddenly return to the village after disappearing, Zhi Xue used a transformation spell to slightly modify her appearance and figure, transforming her from a loli into a normal teenage girl.

A large, dark brown trench coat clung to the girl's figure. She sat cross-legged on a chair, leaning against the wall, holding a glass of green apple juice. Her clear, bright black eyes met Sasuke's, and a familiar feeling made Sasuke rub his eyes.

However, Sasuke was relieved after seeing the undulating area under the trench coat.

Sister Zhixue is small and flat-chested, it's impossible for her to be this big. It's probably just a coincidence that she looks like her.

Seeing the change in Sasuke's expression, Zhixue had a question mark on her head. She had a feeling that Sasuke was thinking something impolite.

Sasuke and Naruto sat close together, deliberately keeping a distance from Zhixue. They didn't say a word until Zhixue finished eating and left. However, when Sasuke and Naruto finished eating and were about to leave, Sasuke felt something hard in his pocket.

Sasuke reached into his pocket and pulled out a sword hilt with a button, along with a note attached to it.

This is a very dangerous thing, remember not to press the buttons at the bottom!

—Uchiha Shisue.

As Zhixue walked out of Ichiraku Ramen, two members of the Anbu followed her along the roof, but lost sight of her after only two minutes at a corner.

Chapter 115, Leaving Konoha

"Holy crap, is this sword in my hand really that expensive?" On her third day in Konoha, Shiyuki was picking out a gift for Shisui when she accidentally saw the price tag on the Kusanagi Sword (Fire) and was genuinely a little shocked.

Kusanagi Sword (Fire): A divine weapon that can wield fire attributes. It is extremely sturdy; even if you throw it into the sun, it will take several days to completely melt it. Price: 2100 million taels.

There are five such swords, each with a different attribute, and they all cost 2100 million taels of silver. There's also a special gift package where you can take all five swords for only 8999 million taels of silver, but it's obvious that buying them would be a huge waste.

Only someone obsessed with collecting weapons would buy so many blades; normally, one good one is enough.

After ignoring the Kusanagi sword, Zhixue focused her attention on the other blades.

"Slaying Duke (Modified)": A spirit weapon wielded by the spirit princess. Its usual scabbard is a magnificent throne. After modification, it allows for chakra manipulation and the creation of sword auras. Suitable for cute and persistent girls. Price: 500 ryo. (Spirit weapon not included)

Zhi Xue shook her head when she saw the greatsword in the system shop. It was too big and not suitable for ninja combat. Moreover, there was a wind-up before drawing the sword.

Demon-Slaying Sword "Kurigara": A weapon with blue flames, it is a demon sword passed down from ancient times. It can seal its power and release it when it is drawn from its sheath, but it does not seem to be very sturdy. Price: 500 million taels.

Looking at the Japanese katana in the picture, Zhixue placed her hand on her smooth chin and thought for a moment before giving up. The function of sealing power didn't seem to be of much use, and the description also seemed to say that this sword wasn't very hard.

Sword Spirit: As its name suggests, the sword is a weapon with life. It can attack designated targets according to its master's will, or it can be infused with chakra to materialize into a sword spirit to assist in battle. Of course, it can also be used for other purposes, but it requires cultivating an emotional bond. Price: 1000 million taels.

Zhi Xue looked at the white-haired girl with red eyes in the picture and shook her head.

Shisui would be content with just having one younger sister, but perhaps she could consider having another one someday.

After pondering for a long time, Zhi Xue suddenly caught a glimpse of a gorgeous outfit in the corner of her eye. It was a magnificent garment woven from green and white, with gold trim embellishing the sleeves and collar. Moreover, it seemed that a fan was included with the purchase of the outfit.

New Year's Outfit (Customized by Uchiha Shisui): This is a very pleasing outfit, with vibrant colors and an aura of wealth and happiness. Features: Stylish, durable, grants +5 Luck, +3 Appearance, +1 to Ninjutsu, Body, and Illusion. Price: 500 Taels.

After thinking for a moment and looking at the calendar, Zhixue still bought it, put it in a gift box, and placed it on the living room table.

I don't have the money to buy a weapon right now, so I'll just give you a piece of clothing as a gift for now. But honestly, it would be better to give this as a New Year's gift.

"Sigh, I still need to ask Payne for leave during the New Year. It would be great if I could pack my brother up and take him with me." Zhi Xue sighed. She knew her brother very well.

He has a deep love for the village and the Uchiha clan, and he will not leave easily.

After putting the clothes away, Zhixue wrote a farewell note in an envelope. Then, she took the Akatsuki robe that had been drying indoors and draped it over her shoulders. After taking one last look at the place, she used the Body Flicker Technique to vanish instantly...

When Zhixue once again used water transformation to slip out of Konoha, she happened to encounter Uchiha Obito, who had come looking for her, on the road to Amegakure.

"Ah, so you really are here? Is it because you can't bear to leave your family in Konoha? Heh, you're still just a kid. But you killed so many people during the Nine-Tails' attack. Konoha won't accept someone as suspicious as you easily, will they?"

Zhixue didn't take Obito's persuasive words to heart. Obito was simply suspicious of her return to Konoha and wanted to provoke her to keep her firmly under the control of the Akatsuki.

"Whether Konoha accepts it or not is none of my business. I just want to see my brother safe. Isn't that a normal thing?" Zhixue said, shrugging.

Obito nodded in response to Zhixue's reply. It seemed that Zhixue was still a normal child and had not been corrupted by Konoha's Will of Fire. However, he still needed to investigate the matters that were suspected.

"You didn't reveal any information about the organization, did you?" Obito asked with a hint of suspicion.

"How could that be? Look into my sincere eyes, do you think I'm the kind of guy who likes to be a spy?" Zhi Xue pointed to her clear, bright eyes and said.

Obito:......

Looking at the pure and beautiful Shisue, Obito always felt somewhat out of place.

No, he's too innocent, as if he's never experienced any darkness or torment. It makes Obito really want to stab Shisui. That way, Obito would feel much more at ease knowing that Shisui has lost his only family and has completely turned to the dark side.

After all, Shisui was on Konoha's side, and Shisui valued family ties the most. If Shisui, representing the village, tried to get any information out of Shisui later, the consequences would be unimaginable.

"Alright, let's not talk about this anymore. You've had so many days of fun, it's time for you to go back."

"Hmm, I've had enough fun, so I can head back now. But speaking of which, did Kakuzu report me when he returned to the organization?" Zhixue asked Obito curiously.

Obito:?

"Let's talk about these things when we get back." Obito casually brushed off Zhixue, then placed his hand on Zhixue's shoulder and a vortex of twisting motions appeared.

"alright."

……

As dusk approached on the day Shisui left Konoha, the sun was almost on the horizon. Shisui, who had just finished work, returned home with a lot of snacks and milk tea in his hands. However, when he saw the gift box on the living room table, a bad feeling made Shisui frown.

After taking down the note hanging on the gift box and reading a few lines, a sense of loneliness filled Zhi Shui's heart again.

"Leaving so early... and didn't even let me see her off beforehand, sigh..." Zhi Shui put away the note, and then carefully placed the gift box left by Zhi Xue into the bedroom cabinet.

"Since Zhixue said it's an outfit for the New Year, let's wait until then to open it. Zhixue will be so happy to see me wearing the clothes she gave me during the New Year, right? Of course… if she can come back…"

Chapter 116, The Request from the Land of Wind

"Kakuzu, where are your new teammates?" Payne asked, staring at Kakuzu below the stage.

"You're being too long-winded, it's getting on my nerves. Besides, this is for the sake of Amegakure's finances. You know, that person's head is worth 20 million ryo!" Kakuzu said excitedly, pointing to the portrait on the wanted poster.

Payne: ...

Pain finally understood that most of the Akatsuki members he and Obito recruited were not mentally sound. Working here was a high-risk job. It was troublesome. If you were too loud and boisterous, you would be turned into puppet material by Sasori. If you were too valuable, Kakuzu would target you and use you for bounty. There was also Orochimaru who wanted to put people on the operating table whenever he saw someone with a strange body or ability.

Of all these people, only Xiaoxue is quiet and pleasing to the eye, but she's usually a bit too lazy.

Pain looked at Shiki, who was standing next to Konan. It was Shiki who had suggested that she learn the Paper Dance type of ninjutsu from Konan, but now that Kakuzu's teammate was gone, he had no choice but to bring her back to the team.

Xiao Nan nodded as she looked at Pain, then placed her hand on Zhi Xue's head and patted it.

"Alright, I'll teach you the Divine Paper Technique another time when I have time. Besides, turning flowers and plants into paper is quite pretty. Now let's get back to the organization's business."

"Alright then." Zhi Xue returned to Kakuzu's side somewhat unwillingly. It was also a fusion of water and earth chakra, but Konan could use it freely, while Zhi Xue could only produce flowers and grass every time she tried to perform it carefully according to the steps. It had been two and a half months, and she still couldn't make a single piece of paper. It seemed that her fantasy of becoming a nouveau riche by printing money and using explosive tags was impossible to realize.

After returning to Kakuzu's side, Shiyu resumed her previous habit of slacking off every day, successfully provoking Kakuzu's dissatisfaction. However, when Kakuzu was pinned to the ground by Shiyu's Susanoo and unable to get up, three question marks appeared above Kakuzu's head.

How can a brat with no bounty be so powerful? Masaka, is this the immense power brought by Hashirama's descendants? Damn it, I can't even beat you, let alone your descendant. Is this the difference between an ordinary person and the God of Shinobi?

On the night that Kakuzu suffered a defeat at the hands of Shiyuki, he went to find Pain again and raised the issue of changing teammates.

Payne: ...

"Huh? Going to find new people again? Nagato, didn't you say you wanted to work out the bonds and emotions within the organization?" Obito said, leaning against the iron tower with his arms crossed.

"The organization needs more people to be more complete. It would be best to find people who are not easy to die, who are strong enough and not worth much. Also, in Amegakure, you have to call me Pain."

In response to Pain's warning, Obito gave a light snort.

"Alright, Zetsu and I will let you know if we get reliable information." Obito left, accompanied by a swirling vortex. Kakuzu and Shizuru were temporarily separated.

Zhi Xue didn't react much to the news. It was just that she went from slacking off with two people to slacking off alone. However, because Jue Wai went out to find new members, Xie and Zhi Xue were cleverly paired up again.

Scorpion didn't care about this. He rarely helped out, as long as Zhixue wasn't a troublesome person.

"Is this mission to the Land of Wind?" Sasori took the scroll Pain handed him; it was marked as an S-rank mission.

The reward for clearing out the bandits near the desert trade route of the Land of Wind, and ideally destroying their stronghold, is close to 500 million taels. It's a bit low, but Sasori understands. He was born in Sunagakure and knows how poor this place is. It's a miracle that the merchants of the Land of Wind are willing to spend this much money.

"Yes, our employers are the largest caravan in the western region. They seem to be very concerned about safety on the road, so they secretly hire us to operate from underground."