Naruto: This Uchiha is too innocent.

Pleasant days can be addictive. After getting used to the bloody scenes on the battlefield, suddenly being able to live a peaceful life for a period of time without having to think about whether there will be a tomorrow, even if it is ordinary, is enough to make a soldier addicted to "ordinary life".

Uchiha Sora is currently in this addictive state. For the past few weeks, without any missions, all he has to think about each day is what to eat.

He admitted that he had become complacent, but he didn't want to change. He just wanted to enjoy these few remaining days of leisure.

Just like today, the family went out to buy supplies for the winter, such as cotton-padded clothes, dried meat, and snacks.

The clothing store in front of me has a very stylish design. Inside, all kinds of clothes of different styles are hung on the racks, and under the soft lighting, they look like works of art. A faint scent of lavender also lingers in the air.

"Mom, the clothes here look so pretty!" Zhi Shui stood in front of the clothing store, her eyes sparkling.

"Oh, this young customer has a truly discerning eye! I can guarantee you, in the entire Hidden Leaf Village, you absolutely won't find another clothing store that's better than mine!" The proprietress greeted the customer with a beaming smile and light steps.

When she saw the customer in front of her, her eyes lit up instantly. As a boss who had been navigating the business world for many years, her keen sense of business opportunities had reached an unparalleled level.

The Uchiha Sora family exuded a unique aura, an elegance that emanated from within, a quality usually possessed only by those from prestigious families. Therefore, she immediately recognized them as a group of high-quality clients.

"Let's go in and take a look," Lia decided.

"Oh, all the clothes here are from the Land of Hot Springs, the quality is guaranteed, and the prices are reasonable." The proprietress was very enthusiastic.

Uchiha Sora walked up to the black down jacket and reached out to feel it... the material was indeed quite good.

Listening to what the proprietress had just said, he thought for a moment, "If I remember correctly, the Land of Hot Springs is known as a country that has forgotten war. It has natural scenery and tourism resources, and it is indeed outstanding in the clothing industry."

However, he doubted whether the clothes here really came from the Land of Hot Water. Merchants are all the same; even if they have rags, they'll exaggerate their worth.

However... he doesn't care about clothes, as long as they are functional, so he doesn't care whether the clothes here are actually from the Land of Hot Water.

I randomly picked a dark-colored outfit and ended my shopping trip. Looking back, I saw that other people were still picking out clothes. I couldn't help but touch my nose and tell the shopkeeper to wrap it up.

He then didn't disturb Zhi Shui and his companions' shopping mood, and found a public place to sit down and wait.

"Speaking of which, there's only a year left until the end of the Third Shinobi World War. I'm afraid it won't be long before things get busy again..." Uchiha Sora thought to himself.

According to the original story, the Third Shinobi World War ended at the end of Konoha's 50th year. Now, two weeks have quietly passed since then, which means that this war will come to a close this year.

Uchiha Sora's feelings at this moment were complex and hard to discern—excitement, fear, worry… perhaps all of them. However, his thoughts were mostly on Rin. With the year-end approaching, the Anbu missions would undoubtedly be very busy, and he was absolutely certain he could prevent Rin's death. Therefore, he specifically asked Kakashi to be extra vigilant, especially to closely monitor the movements of the Kirigakure ninja.

"Little Star, don't run around!"

Just then, a scolding female voice suddenly entered Uchiha Sora's ears. Immediately afterwards, a restless child appeared in his line of sight. The child was rushing around like a headless fly, and it looked like he was about to crash into him.

Uchiha Sora frowned slightly, thinking to himself: "The quality of these kids really needs improvement."

He leaned back, skillfully dodging the impetuous child's charge. Unexpectedly, he bumped into someone else.

"Sorry," Uchiha Sora said, turning his head, then paused, startled.

The person standing behind him wore a thin white robe that seemed out of place with the season, the robe fluttering gently in the breeze; this person had sickly pale skin, and his eyes... were vertical, like those of a venomous snake, revealing a sinister and cunning nature.

Uchiha Sora naturally recognized the person: Orochimaru!

However, this was the first time he had ever seen Orochimaru in person in this world.

If I remember correctly... During this period, Orochimaru witnessed the mountains of corpses in the war, and the deaths of his eldest disciple Nawaki and his close companion Kato Dan caused Orochimaru, whose mind was not yet fully mature, to become twisted and deformed, that is, he turned to the dark side.

To be honest, Uchiha Sora didn't want anything to do with Orochimaru. After all, Orochimaru's behavior was simply too perverse and against all reason.

Sorry, I didn't notice you.

However, Orochimaru was a meticulous person, and how could he have missed Uchiha Sora's slight pause just now?

"You know me." Orochimaru narrowed his eyes slightly, revealing a meaningful smile. Although he said it as a question, his confident tone clearly stated a fact.

Uchiha Sora's lips twitched slightly. He knew that Orochimaru would keep staring at him if he didn't explain clearly. He took off his cotton-padded coat, revealing the Uchiha clan crest underneath. "I am a ninja. I have admired the Legendary Sannin of Konoha since I was a child."

Orochimaru was somewhat surprised to see the billiards handle. He had almost no connection with the Uchiha clan, so he found it strange that the Uchiha people were expressing their admiration for it.

"What's your name?" he asked with interest.

"...Uchiha Sora".

Upon hearing this, Orochimaru's eyes flashed with surprise; clearly, he had also heard of this name.

"A genius from the Uchiha clan..." he murmured to himself, a glint of light flashing in his eyes.

The next moment, Uchiha Sora felt a chill on his wrist. Startled, he rolled up his sleeve and discovered a small snake coiled around his wrist!

He could look up and stare at Orochimaru. The only person present who could make a snake silently crawl onto his body was undoubtedly Orochimaru.

"Don't be afraid, snakes are cold-blooded animals and like to crawl towards heat sources." Orochimaru smiled, but the smile looked eerie no matter how you looked at it. He stretched out his finger, and the little snake immediately crawled from Uchiha Sora's wrist to his fingertip.

"This age... just as rumored, truly astonishing," Orochimaru muttered to himself.

"Kid, since you admire me, how about becoming my apprentice?"