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

Carrying a stack of D-rank missions, Uchiha Gin found a shady corner under the eaves of a nearby building after leaving the Hokage Building.
Ignoring the strange looks from passersby, he squatted down like a street thug.
With a half-eaten candy dangling from his mouth, he casually flipped through the task assignment in his hands.
Sure enough, they were all his favorite cat-catching and dog-chasing missions. These missions were mostly posted by wealthy women from rich families; they were known for being low-paying and low-job-prone.

These are highly sought-after items that sell out instantly when placed in the task lobby.

"Let me calculate..."

Remembering his encounter with that old man Naruto on the road, Uchiha Gin scratched his head helplessly.

"It seems there are still a few banquets to attend recently."

Due to the war, Konoha experienced a baby boom, with the number of newborns skyrocketing in the past year.
Among them happened to be quite a few acquaintances of Uchiha Gin.
For example, Ino's father, who will be turning one year old soon.
Dingci's father, who will soon be 100 days old,
And then there's Shikamaru's dad, who's only six months old and uses the group's name to freeload off fans' money.
Oh, and there's also a baby tomato and chili pepper that's about to be born.

"You bunch of bastards, just you wait!"

Uchiha Gin gritted his teeth. Everyone was eyeing his pitiful pension, a meager amount for this lonely old man.

"Hmph... Never mind, I'll just finish today's daily settlement first."

He snorted indignantly, scratched his head, and shifted his gaze to the scattered D-rank missions in his hand.
As a skilled, overpowered ninja, daily tasks are an essential part of the gameplay.
A D-rank mission is still a mission; you can't be arrogant and underestimating your abilities just because you're a junior member of the Otsutsuki clan.
However, on the other hand, ninjas are known for their ruthlessness when it comes to completing missions; they are even willing to sell their conscience in order to accomplish their tasks.

"Since that's the case, don't blame me for being ruthless."

Thinking of this, Uchiha Gin silently stood up, his eyes sharp and deep, as if he had made some kind of decision.

ten minutes later,

A secluded corner of the Konoha training grounds
"Grandpa Gin, let's entrust the important task of finding these lost kittens and puppies to the Konoha Defense Force!"

Standing before Uchiha Gin was Uchiha Mikoto, who was enjoying a leisurely summer vacation, along with her four sycophantic followers.

"Thank you so much. Without you, the Konoha family would really fall apart."

After outsourcing the task to the overly energetic kid, Uchiha Gin, without a trace of remorse, wiped away the fake tears from the corner of his eye and continued his performance with his limited acting skills.

Xiao Mikoto held up a thick stack of mission request forms with a serious expression, her childish voice filled with righteous indignation.
"Konoha Defense Force, deploy!"

"Roger that!"

The rope-wielding men following behind her were shaking their heads vigorously.

The Hyuga brothers exchanged a glance, their white eyes filled with doubt.

Aren't these tasks only that can be done by regular ninjas?

"Uncle, aren't there any tasks that are a bit more difficult?"

Fugaku Uchiha took the mission sheet from Mikoto, glanced at it briefly, and frowned slightly.
They were all trivial tasks involving catching cats and finding dogs; it would be a waste of his talents to ask him to do them.

"It's too early for you."

Looking at Fugaku, who seemed like a little adult, Uchiha Gin gently shook his head.
"And what about our compensation?"

Fugaku curled his lip.

He's not a four-year-old like Misaka; the task list includes a reward amount, and it's quite substantial.
That's enough for those friends to drink until they're like giants at Honey Ice Cream City.

"Young Master Fugaku, how can you expect a reward for doing good deeds?"

Mikoto stood with her hands on her hips, her rosy cheeks puffed out like adorable buns.
They are the Konoha Defense Force, responsible for protecting Konoha Village!

"That's right~"

The number one sycophant immediately chimed in agreement.
The Hyuga brothers didn't care; they weren't short of money. But being taken advantage of didn't feel good.
Therefore, the two remained silent, only staring at Uchiha Gin with their Byakugan, trying to awaken what little conscience he had left.

(_)(_)
"Mikoto, I have something to tell you..."

Fugaku's eyes darted around, and he whispered something in Mikoto's ear.
"Honey Ice City Drinks?"

Just moments ago, Mikoto's eyes were filled with righteous indignation, but gradually a glint of greed appeared in them, a light that seemed to gleam only for money.
"Grandpa Yin, I've decided to take back what I just said."

"Me too!"

"Tsk!"

The new generation of kids are getting harder to fool.
"Cough cough cough..."

Knowing he couldn't win over these brats with his superb acting skills, Uchiha Gin coughed a few times.

"Of course I can't let you work for nothing."

As he spoke, he began rummaging through the backpack behind him.

"We don't want candy!"

Upon seeing this familiar gesture, the little ones all shook their heads in unison.
At the same time, they opened their mouths wide, revealing several black, decayed teeth.
"It's all Grandpa Gin's fault!"

Little Meiqin pouted, her eyes full of resentment.
If Uchiha Gin hadn't fed them so frequently lately, they wouldn't have gotten cavities so early.
As a result, her grandfather has now stopped giving her any allowance.

"Haha~"

Upon hearing this, Uchiha Gin scratched his head, awkwardly pulling his hand out of his bag.
"Then what do you want?"

"Our requirements aren't high; just give us 30% of the commission."

30%?

Gin Uchiha, who always stole other people's gold coins, naturally couldn't accept this condition.

"Young Master Fugaku, aren't we asking for too much?"

Mikoto carefully tugged at Uchiha Fugaku.
"That's right~"

"Is it too high? I think it's too low."

Fugaku glared at Nawaki, who only echoed his sentiments, and gently shook his head.
"Uncle, what's your decision?"

"Kids will go astray if they have money!"

Uchiha Gin decisively refused.

"It's not that I'm stingy, I'm doing this for your own good."

"Cut~"

Upon hearing this, the little ones all rolled their eyes.
Of course, the Hyuga brothers can be excluded; they'd probably just roll their eyes even if they didn't.

"How about this, I'm a registered genin, so I'm more than capable of giving pointers to you brats."

Uchiha Gin would rather sell his body than sell gold coins.

"Guide?"

The Hyuga brothers frowned. Having received their family's education from a young age, they didn't think Uchiha Gin could teach them anything useful.

Senju Nawaki shared the same idea; he followed the powerful and forceful path of Yang Release, which was completely incompatible with the Uchiha clan.

"really?"

Mikoto and Fugaku's eyes lit up. Although they had never seen Uchiha Gin in action, they had all heard tales of him from the elders of their clan.

"How could I possibly lie to the adorable Mikoto?"

Gently patting Mikoto's head, Uchiha Gin smiled and made a promise.
"I will provide you with one-on-one practical guidance, don't worry, everyone will get a share."

"We don't need that, just cash it out."

The Hyuga brothers shook their heads.

"Me too!" Rope Tree stretched out her little hand.
Seeing this, Uchiha Gin raised an eyebrow.
"Are you sure you want to give up this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to provide guidance?"

"No need, our family's secret techniques are enough, there's no need to waste our energy on..."

Before Hiashi Hyuga, who was supposed to speak, could finish, Gin Uchiha, who couldn't stand his monotonous and rambling speech any longer, raised one hand and unleashed a palm strike that was all too familiar to the Hyuga brothers.

"boom!"

The training dummy was successfully hit and blasted into sawdust.

"Huh?"*2
The Hyuga brothers, who had just been looking down on each other, rolled their eyes wide, their mouths agape enough to fit a durian.
"So, are you still planning to cash it out?"

Slowly withdrawing his large hand, Uchiha Gin asked with a smile,

How do you know Bagua Kongzhang (a type of palm technique)?

Hiashi Hyuga reached up and tucked his chin in, looking at Gin Uchiha as if he had seen a ghost.

You'll have to ask your nephew; he's been using it quite frequently lately.

"Could you also be from the Hyuga clan? No, impossible, the Hyuga aren't as cunning as you."

As someone with naturally curly hair, I'm very sorry.

"If you have any questions, you can ask Tianyao Prison."

"Grandpa?"

The Hyuga brothers blinked in confusion, although they knew that Uchiha Gin had some connection with their grandfather.
But when asked about the specifics, the other party refused to talk about it, as if they were deliberately avoiding the topic.
Asking his father only resulted in a severe beating, and a warning to them not to inquire too much about Uchiha Gin's past.
"Big brother, how come Grandpa Yin is just as skilled at using the Bagua Empty Palm technique as Father?"

Hyuga Hizashi tugged at his brother's sleeve and whispered something in his ear.
"Different."

Hiashi Hyuga replied with a frown.

"I knew it! How could an Uchiha like him..."

"His skill level is far superior to that of my father."

As a member of the main family, Hiashi received elite education from a young age.
In terms of vision alone, he far surpasses his younger brother, who is a member of a branch family.

Having observed his father's training many times, he could tell at a glance that Uchiha Gin's mastery of the Eight Trigrams Palm technique far surpassed that of his father.

"how is this possible?"

Knowing something and being proficient in it are two different things, which indirectly shows that Uchiha Gin and the Hyuga clan have a very deep connection.

"Grandpa Yin, we've thought it through. Money and such are all external things. Compared to the justice upheld by the Konoha Defense Force, they are simply insignificant."

The two brothers decided to agree to Uchiha Gin's request first, and then properly consult their grandfather when they returned.
As expected of a brat born into a prestigious family, he develops a broad perspective very quickly.

Uchiha Gin nodded in satisfaction, then turned his gaze to the isolated and helpless Nawaki.
"What's your decision?"

"Grandpa Yin, I think I'd better give up. My aunt alone is enough for me to handle."

Nawaki still shook his head in refusal. Don't be fooled by his current relaxed demeanor; he received an elite education at home that was no less prestigious than that of Hiashi.
The daily training schedule that Senju Hisa gave him was thicker than a dictionary.
Having finally made it to the holiday, a time to have fun with his goddess, he was now forced to train again. Naturally, Rope Tree was extremely unwilling.

"you sure?"

Uchiha Gin stared at Nawaki's small face, which bore a resemblance to Hashirama's in prison, and slowly clenched his fist, offering it to Nawaki.
Nawaki didn't take Uchiha Gin's strange behavior seriously.
"Grandpa Yin, you really can't teach me anything, my aunt... ah!!!"

He continued talking to himself, preparing to vent his frustrations about Senju Hisama to the people present, but before he could finish speaking, Uchiha Gin slowly opened his fist, revealing a flash of green light that blinded Nawaki.
"Young Master Fugaku, is Grandpa Gin performing magic?"

Mikoto, who knew nothing about Wood Release, found it all quite amazing, and then poked Fugaku beside her in confusion.

"No, that's the First Hokage's unique bloodline limit."

Fugaku shook his head, his seemingly calm eyes filled with astonishment.

Why didn't Father mention this?
Izuna: Ask?

How do I raise it?
Do you want to bring up the unbearable past of your father and uncle being brutally ravaged by the giant tentacle technique?
"elder brother."

"Don't speak, or you'll be silenced."

Hiashi glared at his younger brother, who was about to say something.
The fact that the Uchiha clan knows Wood Release is enough to kill those brothers eight hundred times over.
"Wood, wood, wood... Escape? How is that possible?"

Rope Tree rubbed his big eyes vigorously, wishing he could pluck out his retinas and wash them in water.
A few seconds later, Nawaki, having calmed down, carefully touched the budding tree branch that had sprouted from Uchiha Gin's palm, his eyes full of inquiry.
"Grandpa Gin, how do you know Grandpa's Wood Release?"

"The longer you live, the more you'll learn."

As Uchiha Gin spoke, he stopped supplying Wood Release chakra. The wooden branch in his hand withered instantly, eventually turning into a dead log and falling to the ground.
"Please teach me, Grandpa!"

Witnessing this scene, if Nawaki hesitated for even a second, it would be disrespectful to the Wood Release technique.
"Didn't you want cash instead?"

"Grandpa Yin, how much do you need? I'll give it to you right away!"

The rope tree has already started to turn over.

Wow, you're pretty savvy.

"No need for that. How could I possibly take money from you kids?"

Does that mean we should wait until they're no longer children before having another one?

"Now that everyone has agreed to my conditions, let's hurry up and do the task! The one with the highest completion rate will get a secret reward!"

"What secret reward?"

"I already told you it's a secret, why are you still asking?"

Gin glanced at the talkative Fugaku, and decided that he would go to his younger cousin in a few days to complain about him.
They embellished his story of being obsessed with early romance and wrote about it in great detail.

"We're off!"

Having witnessed Uchiha Gin's extraordinary abilities, the children immediately became incredibly excited, as if they had been injected with adrenaline.

"Hold on."

Looking up at the sky, Uchiha Gin spoke up to stop the kids who were about to start the game.

"What is it now, Grandpa Yin?"

"This is your first mission, so just to be on the safe side, I've called in some outside help for you."

foreign aid?

Mikoto and the others blinked in confusion.
"Should be arriving soon."

Uchiha Gin nodded thoughtfully.

"Ta! Tat! Tat!"

No sooner had the words left his mouth than everyone saw a petite figure running towards them from a distance.
When the other person got closer, it turned out to be a thin girl they had never seen before.
"Do you know her?"

The children exchanged glances, their eyes reflecting only utter bewilderment.
"Wait, I feel like I've seen her somewhere before."

Suddenly, as Fugaku stroked his chin in thought, a brilliant idea flashed into his mind.
"She was in my first cohort of students, her name was something like Pharmacist..."

Upon hearing this, the group began to seriously examine the girl.

Around seven or eight years old, she was very cute, with big, fluffy eyes that seemed to talk.
Her pointed, oval face was rosy and delicate, and her long, light brown hair was simply tied back with a hair tie.
He was wearing a common, simple short shirt, and the faded white marks at the collar indicated that its owner was not as wealthy as the others present.
"Uncle Yin!"

As the running girl approached the group, she showed no sign of slowing down. With a push of her delicate, white feet clad in ninja sandals, she accelerated and crashed into Uchiha Gin's arms.
The girl hugged Gin Uchiha's waist affectionately and said in a soft, sweet voice,
"It's been 155 hours, 42 minutes, and 10 seconds since we last met!" (End of Chapter)