Chapter 156 148 Obon Festival, Holding Hands

At that time, whether it's finding a random mission to clear out mountain bandits or looking for an opportunity to trade slaves at some underground bounty stations, either will work.

At that time, whether it's finding a random mission to clear out mountain bandits or looking for an opportunity to trade slaves at some underground bounty stations, either will work.

At the very worst, there are plenty of fresh corpses and prisoners from the battlefield that can satisfy Manda's requirements.

In the war-torn Ninja World, human life is both the most precious and the most worthless thing.

Aoda is sufficient for most situations, but Manda's immense strength can play a better role when facing powerful enemies and cannot be easily replaced; if it needs to be signed, it must be signed.

If he encounters a lethal situation in the future similar to Deidara's self-detonation, he can learn from Sasuke's tactics and forcibly summon Manda to act as a defensive shield, which is almost equivalent to a chance to cheat death.

Seeing Uchiha Gen agree so readily, Manda was overjoyed and continued, "One hundred sacrifices is a matter for the future, but for today's battle, I want one hundred as well."

The crisp sound of metal rubbing against metal rang out once again.

Uchiha Gen drew the Sengoku Ninja Sword from his waist again, and once more, several Phantom Clones split from his body.

"Is that so? Well, since it's one hundred either way, and I haven't had enough of a fight yet, why don't we continue? Otherwise, these one hundred sacrifices would be a bit of a waste."

Under the gaze of pairs of Sharingan, Manda could not help but fall silent.

Should he keep fighting?

He could certainly keep fighting and wasn't afraid of going on, but fighting this guy was truly disgusting.

"You can owe me these one hundred for now."

"Screw that, keep fighting!"

Uchiha Gen held the Sengoku Ninja Sword and charged at Manda once again.

He had just learned the Phantom Body Flicker Technique and was in need of high-intensity combat to master it.

Manda was thick-skinned and strong, and unlike Orochimaru who had countless tricks up his sleeve, Manda had no way to deal with him, making him the perfect choice for a punching bag.

In the primeval forest, the great battle between the man and the snake lasted for several hours.

Manda went from angry to irritable, then to impatient, and finally to lying flat and giving up, on the verge of tears.

This guy is truly annoying!

"How about we don't sign the summoning contract? You just pretend you didn't come looking for me today, and I'll pretend I never saw you, alright?"

Manda coiled on the ground, looking helpless as he stared at Uchiha Gen, whose clothes were covered in dust.

"No, wouldn't I have fought for nothing then?"

Uchiha Gen flatly refused.

"One hundred sacrifices will be delivered to you tomorrow, but in the future, you must put in enough effort during battles."

He would need Manda to contribute in the future; after giving the stick, he also had to give the carrot.

As for the one hundred sacrifices, he could take a temporary mission outside the village tomorrow, and with his speed, he could easily find an underground black market or something similar, wipe it out, and gather them.

Hearing Uchiha Gen's words, Manda perked up, lifted his head on his long neck, and his large eyes lit up.

If there were sacrifices, then it wasn't a wasted effort.

"Really?"

Uchiha Gen nodded at Manda, reached out and pricked his finger with the tip of his blade, let a drop of blood fall, flicked it onto the latter's head, and then performed hand seals.

Manda did not resist again.

The summoning contract was successfully signed.

"For now, I probably don't have any other ways to rapidly increase my strength in the short term, and the matters at hand have finally come to an end. Before the war begins, I should be able to rest peacefully for a few days."

With Manda and Aoda, two powerful snakes, along with several other usable summoning snakes now in his possession, the boost to his strength was quite significant.

Counting these summoning snakes, his current strength was almost on par with Orochimaru before his breakthrough, and his combat power could firmly rank in the top tier within the current Konoha, where experts were as numerous as clouds.

After releasing the Reverse Summoning Jutsu and returning home from Ryūchi Cave, Uchiha Gen first took a bath, had a good sleep, and after relieving the fatigue on his body, he went out again.

It was now evening.

Uchiha Gen was thinking of finding a small stall to grab a quick dinner, but he discovered that the shops he usually frequented were all closed. Instead, he encountered Mikoto carrying a box near his home.

Since moving to the area near the Great Elder, he had often run into Mikoto, and the two of them frequently trained together.

"Gen? Where did you go today? I've been looking for you all day!"

Upon seeing Uchiha Gen, Mikoto trotted over and flashed a sweet smile at him.

Today, she wasn't wearing her usual heroic Ninja attire, but instead a long black kimono. Paired with her gentle temperament, she looked exceptionally elegant and unique, perfectly fitting the image of the classical beauty and Yamato Nadeshiko in people's hearts.

"I was training elsewhere today, and I gained quite a bit."

Uchiha Gen gave Mikoto a relaxed smile.

Seeing a beautiful woman always improves one's mood, especially such a gentle and playful beauty.

"Training is one thing, but don't overwork yourself. It's obvious you've forgotten what day it is today. Here, take this and change into it, then we'll go to the Naka River."

"Naka River?"

Uchiha Gen was stunned and took the box Mikoto handed him.

Inside, a men's black kimono was neatly folded, looking like it was the same style as Mikoto's.

"Today is the Obon Festival, did you forget? In a while, the head monk of the Fire Temple will be at the Naka River to offer incense for all the deceased who have sacrificed since the village was founded. Afterward, the Sandaime will also be at the river, leading the villagers in paying their respects to the dead."

The Obon Festival is a holiday similar to Qingming, where people hold ceremonies on this day to commemorate the souls of their ancestors.

Uchiha Gen unfolded the kimono and draped it over himself.

It really was the same style as Mikoto's.

"Let's go, let's get something to eat first. I have some pastries at my place, we can eat on the way. Let's not miss the ceremony."

Mikoto took the initiative to hold Uchiha Gen's hand and ran towards her home. A few minutes later, with a few pastries in her arms, they hurried towards the Naka River.

Unfortunately, they were late in the end.

Amidst the sea of people, they could only see the upper half of the huge golden Buddha statue placed on a rack in the distance.

But fortunately, both of them were Ninjas, and Uchiha at that.

With a leap, they silently flew to the top of a large tree nearby and sat side by side on a thick branch, their two pairs of red Sharingan glowing, clearly bringing the scene below the Buddha statue into view.

The current head monk was leading a group of monks, draped in dharma robes and kasaya, holding golden lotus zen staves, performing an enigmatic dance, while golden light radiated from their bodies.

In the vision of the Sharingan, Uchiha Gen could clearly see the special Chakra flowing within these monks' bodies.

On the head monk, this special Chakra was quite powerful. After overflowing from his body, it almost condensed into substance, turning into arms, as if a Thousand-Armed Arhat had descended.