Konoha: The thirty-year-old Uchiha is not motivated.

"Bullshit."

Orochimaru, of course, didn't believe the gossip Jiraiya was spouting. He glanced sideways at the white-haired man beside him, shook his head, and said...
"The teacher and his wife are very loving, how could they go to a place like that?"

The place Orochimaru was referring to is the West Street that Jiraiya just mentioned.
As everyone knows, West Street is the bustling nightlife district of Konoha, also known as Kabukicho. Red lanterns hang high everywhere, birds fly about, and melodious music fills the air, making it a great place to listen to music in brothels.

"I swear! I'm absolutely not mistaken, that sneaky, sleazy figure was definitely the teacher!"

When Orochimaru questioned him, Jiraiya immediately raised his hand and swore an oath with absolute certainty.

"stop!"

Tsunade, who had been standing to the side with her delicate brows slightly furrowed, suddenly raised her hand, her beautiful brown eyes glaring as she sized up the burly Jiraiya.

"Before we discuss this issue, could you tell us what you were doing on West Street?"

Upon hearing this, Jiraiya's expression tightened. Under the righteous and fervent gazes of his two classmates, he stammered an explanation for his actions.

"Well, you know I'm an erotic novelist, so it's perfectly normal for me to go to those kinds of places for research, right?"

"Oh, I see. We misunderstood you."

Tsunade nodded in sudden realization, looking as if she had misunderstood him. Jiraiya, seeing this, breathed a sigh of relief and secretly thought how close he had come to disaster.

"Huh? Jiraiya, what's that lipstick mark on your neck?"

Suddenly, Orochimaru's questioning voice reached his ears. Jiraiya quickly rubbed his neck and subconsciously replied,
"Impossible, I definitely took a shower!"

"It has come!"

Feeling the biting cold, Jiraiya shakily raised his head and looked at Tsunade, who was raising her blue fist. He made a final struggle.

"Tsunade, you have to believe me."

However, at this moment, even past friendships couldn't save Jiraiya's life.

"I don't believe you! You filthy ladybug, die!"

Tsunade unleashed a powerful punch aimed straight at Jiraiya's face, striking him squarely in the cheek.

Bang!
With a deafening crash of shattering bones, Jiraiya was pinned to the ground by Tsunade's enraged punch. His head was embedded in the hard concrete, leaving only his twitching body visible on the surface.
"Bah! Disgusting!"

Disgusted, Tsunade wiped her fists clean. Still feeling unsatisfied, she kicked Jiraiya a few more times until his convulsing body finally stopped.
"Don't you know that I, Gang, am sworn enemies with pornography?"

Tsunade hated lecherous men more than anything in her life, and Jiraiya just happened to be in her line of fire.

Orochimaru, seeing that Tsunade's anger had subsided, crouched down and poked Jiraiya's stiff "corpse," discovering that the other's vitality was excessively tenacious.

"He's still breathing."

"I'm holding back!"

Today is a joyous day, and Tsunade won't let Jiraiya get away with it so easily, allowing his death anniversary to coincide with such an important occasion.

"Hiruzen, your three disciples are full of energy, even more so than we were back then."

The three's subtle movements were noticed by Hiruzen Sarutobi and the others without missing a beat. Akimichi Torifu, who was snacking on a large pork knuckle, smiled and teased,

"Hmph! Disgraceful wretch, he only got what he deserved."

Hiruzen Sarutobi, his face ashen, glared at Jiraiya, who had just been dragged out of the ground by Orochimaru, his angry gaze tinged with a hint of confusion.
He had put on a meticulous disguise, so how did this brat recognize him?
Hiruzen Sarutobi had no idea that these perverted old men could be attracted to each other.
In the ninja school team,
Wearing an adorable little dress and holding colorful flowers, Mikoto looked around at the bustling crowd with the curiosity of a child.

"Mikoto, Mikoto, would you like some snacks? I just got some from Grandma!"

A goofy-looking brown-haired kid emerged from the crowd, clutching a delicate food box, and excitedly asked Uchiha Mikoto, "..."
"A snack! Thank you, Rope Tree."

Mikoto patted her shrunken belly, placed the flowers she was holding on the ground, and looked on with anticipation.

Upon seeing this, Rope Tree immediately opened the food box, inside which were neatly arranged rows of rustic pastries exuding a sweet aroma, instantly catching Mikoto's eye and making her eyes sparkle.

She is a devoted fan of medieval pastries.
"They have chestnut yokan, which is everyone's favorite!"

"douzo~"

"I'm gonna start now!"

Picking up a piece of yokan (sweet bean jelly), Mikoto savored it in small bites. The rich flavors of red bean and chestnut filled her mouth, and she squinted her eyes in blissful enjoyment.
"Even vaguely!~"

"Humph!"

Mikoto, whose cheeks were puffed out like a little hamster, paused, then looked at Uchiha Fugaku beside her, following the cold snort.
"Gurgle~ Young Master Fugaku, these pastries are delicious! You should try some!"

After saying that, she looked at Rope Tree, who was holding the food box.
"Is it alright, Nawaki-kun?"

"of course!"

"I'm a mature little kid, I'm not interested in sweets."

Fugaku Uchiha turned his face away, his slightly fierce eyes lingering on the three-colored dumplings in the food box for a second before quickly looking away.

"Really? But I remember you were always asking for food at home, young master Fugaku."

Mikoto pressed her index finger against her cheek, tilted her head, and looked at Fugaku Uchiha with a puzzled expression.
"No!"

Seeing that his secret was about to be exposed, Fugaku blushed and quickly interrupted Mikoto's childish ramblings.

"Mikoto, would you like to try some of the Hyuga clan's specialty products?"

Just then, the Hyuga brothers also came over.

"specialty?"

Mikoto blinked her big, watery eyes and looked curiously at the food box decorated with gold patterns in the hands of the two brothers.
You can tell it's expensive just by looking at the packaging, but it also suits the tastes of the Hyuga clan.

The two brothers exchanged a glance, and simultaneously opened the food box.

"This is... Daifuku!"

Mikoto looked at the plump and bouncy pastries in the food box and exclaimed in surprise,

"That's right, this is a Yin-Yang Eight Trigrams Daifuku made by a professional chef from our Hyuga clan."

Seemingly pleased with Mikoto's surprised expression, Hyuga Hiashi held up his white daifuku and carefully explained,

"During preparation, the chef will first knead the glutinous rice 108 times with a gentle fist to achieve an extremely chewy and bouncy texture."

"really?"

"You'll know once you try it!"

Holding the black daifuku, Hizashi, ahead of her brother, handed the sweets to Mikoto, whose face was full of anticipation.

"Brother Hizashi, then I won't stand on ceremony!"

Reaching out, Mikoto picked up the black daifuku and took a big bite.
Hmm~ I vaguely remember!

It truly lives up to its reputation for being incredibly bouncy and chewy; the texture of the pastry is a hundred times better than any daifuku she's ever had. The matcha-flavored cream filling is also amazing.
"Damn it! I'm the older brother!"

Hiashi, who was giving a long and detailed explanation, rolled his eyes so much they were almost red. He hurriedly handed the Yang Dafu (a type of steamed bun) in his hand to Mikoto.
"It's strawberry filling!"

Mikoto, with a yin-yang daifuku in her left hand and a yang-yang daifuku in her right, ate with gusto, her rosy cheeks soon covered in various colors.
Seeing this, Fugaku became extremely jealous.

"You bunch of guys, stay away from Misaka!" "Why should I? Misaka and I are best friends!"

Nawaki turned to look at the red-faced Fugaku, then shook his head in refusal.
"That's right~"

The Hyuga brothers nodded in agreement, completely disregarding Fugaku's threat.

"How can it be repaired?"

The group's tough attitude infuriated Fugaku, who rolled up his sleeves, ready to teach those blond bastards who were eyeing his Mikoto a lesson. However, he didn't expect that the person he was supposed to protect would stand in his way.

As the saying goes, "He who takes a man's gift is bound to him, and he who eats another man's food is bound to him." Having eaten so many sweets from several people, Mikoto naturally couldn't stand by and watch her good friends be bullied by Fugaku.

"Young Master Fugaku, you mustn't be a domineering and bad boy!"

"Mikoto, these are all sugar-coated bullets that Senju and Hyuga tailored just for you."

Looking at Mikoto before him, Fugaku felt as if his heart was being torn apart.
"It's all to corrupt you, to make you betray your roots and forget your ancestors!"

In order to help Mikoto see the true colors of Nawaki and the others, Fugaku had to escalate the topic to a level that shouldn't belong to it.
The scope of this conflict, which extends from a simple pastry to a family feud, is quite extensive.

"Uh, is it that serious?"

Mikoto blinked, bewildered. This topic was indeed a bit too advanced for a three-year-old.
Looking down at the pastry in her hand, she was filled with confusion.

Eating a snack counts as defection?
"That's right!"

Seeing that his words had the desired effect, Fugaku's face lit up with joy.
Become!

However, just as he was about to successfully deceive them, a tall figure appeared behind the children like a ghost.

"Hey~ Isn't this a specialty snack from Tianyao's old shop?"

"Grandpa Silver!" *3
Upon seeing Uchiha Gin behind them, the Hyuga brothers and Nawaki exclaimed in surprise at first, then quickly recovered and respectfully bowed to him as juniors.
"Greetings, Grandpa Yin!"

"Sasipuli~"

Uchiha Gin crouched down, greeted the three little ones with a smile, and casually picked up a daifuku from the Hyuga brothers' lunchbox and started eating, his face clearly showing enjoyment.

"It has to taste just like this! One word: chewy and satisfying!"

"Oh? These are Lady Taohua's homemade pastries, aren't they?"

After quickly finishing the daifuku, Uchiha Gin's gaze fell on Nawaki's exquisite food box, and his half-closed, dead-fish eyes instantly lit up.
"Grandma made it this morning."

Rope Tree nodded in reply, saying he just didn't know why Grandma hadn't given him the snacks, but instead hid them in her bag.

Luckily, he found it by smell, otherwise Mikoto wouldn't have been able to eat it!
"Hmm~ I vaguely remember! It's been a while since I've had this!"

Without any hesitation, Gin Uchiha took the food box from Nawaki's hand and began to eat heartily in front of the children.

"Grandpa Gin! Leave me a bite!"

Mikoto, only then realizing what was happening, angrily tugged at Uchiha Gin's pants, her chubby face full of resentment.
"Who do we have this little kitten for? It turns out to be our Mikoto!"

Looking down at Mikoto's face, which was covered in snacks, Gin Uchiha smiled, took out a handkerchief, squatted down, and carefully wiped away the snack marks from her face.
"Greetings, Uncle!"

Since Fugaku is of a different generation than the other younger members, the way he's addressed in greetings naturally changes.
"Fugaku, how have you been keeping up with your studies lately? What was your ranking on the test? Did the teacher call your parents?"

"Uh"

Seeing Uchiha Gin utter the three fatal questions, Uchiha Fugaku's face darkened.
"I'm number one!"

His eyes shone with undisguised pride as he answered.
"You still think you're so great?"

Uchiha Gin raised an eyebrow upon seeing this.
"It would be abnormal for you, an older transfer student, not to get first place, right?"

"Grandpa Gintoki, Young Master Fugaku failed my theory test!"

Mikoto, always the troublemaker, is here to tattle again.
"It seems I've been a bit lax in managing you lately; even Mikoto failed the exam."

Uchiha Gin glared at Fugaku, who seemed about to say something but hesitated, then casually pulled a lollipop from his backpack and handed it to Mikoto, who was beaming with pride.

"Our little Mikoto is amazing! Here, this is a reward for you~"

"Thank you, Grandpa Yin!"

"Ah~ It's so good to be a child, carefree."

Seeing the happy Mikoto, Uchiha Gin couldn't help but shake his head with a sigh.

"You bastard! You were hiding here!"

Senju Itama, who had found his way by smelling Uchiha Gin's scent, was instantly enraged when he saw Uchiha Gin mingling with the children, freeloading off them.

If this guy hadn't brought out the lemon puree, she wouldn't still be feeling tasteless in her mouth.

Now, even her spit is like unsweetened lemonade. If she were to unleash a Water Release technique, she could probably turn Uchiha Gin into a giant on the spot.
"Hello, Sister Board!"

"Little Mikoto, come here and let your big sister give you a kiss!"

Looking at the obedient Uchiha Mikoto, Senju Itama temporarily postponed dealing with Uchiha Gin, first picking up the adorable little girl and giving her a few deep breaths.

"Sweet and delicious, what did you eat just now?"

"It's a snack that everyone shares."

Mikoto, caught in the thunder, nodded in reply.
"Snack. Curly-haired baboon, hand that over to me!"

Senju Itama looked up upon hearing this, his gaze instantly drawn to the food box in Uchiha Gin's hand.

She knew that food box all too well; it was an heirloom from their family of con artists.

"Um? The frontline troops haven't arrived yet, have they? If you want Cloud Village prisoners, I can go and discuss it with Jingzi."

Uchiha Gin stood on tiptoe and peered around, but didn't spot any Konoha troops. He then replied to Senju Itama in a serious tone,
"I'm talking about the one you're holding!"

"Oh dear, how many times have I told you not to say 'that, that, that,' it's easy for people to misunderstand."

Gin Uchiha glanced down at the antique black food box in his hand, shaking his head with a look of exasperation. He was met with a furious slap from Itama Senju's small fist.
"Mikoto, is she your older sister?"

Nawaki stared at the voluptuous woman unleashing the Ora Jutsu on Uchiha Gin, his eyes filled with curiosity. For some reason, he felt this woman looked strangely familiar.

Otherwise, when you were a baby, someone held you in their arms.
“She’s not my older sister, but Sister Board is Sister Board.”

Mikoto tilted her head and thought for a moment before giving a vague answer, leaving Nawaki completely confused.
"Mikoto, if you like that kind of dessert, I can prepare it for you every day from now on."

Recalling Mikoto's adorable eating habits just now, Nawaki patted his chest and made a promise.
"Wouldn't this be too much trouble for you?"

"No trouble at all~ No trouble at all~"

"Thank you so much, Nawaki-kun, you're such a kind person!"

"Hehe (Woof woof)~"

shuh~
Uchiha Gin tilted his head, nimbly dodging Senju Itama's attack, and taking advantage of the opening, stuffed the last piece of sweet from the food box into his mouth.
"Damn it, those were the snacks Sister Taohua prepared for me!"

Senju Itama was furious, her lungs were about to explode. This food box was prepared by her sister-in-law, but that little simp Nawaki took it first and offered it to the goddess.
"Stop hitting! Stop hitting! Her period is here!" (End of Chapter)