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

At the entrance of the alley,
The little girl, licking a lollipop, tilted her adorable head, blinking her innocent eyes, curiously observing Uchiha Gin and the others who were secretly meeting deep in the alley.
"Mom~ Mom, are those four adults squatting over there the kind of losers you mentioned who lost so much playing pachinko that they were penniless and had no money for food, so they could only squat in the corner and secretly regret it?"

After observing for a long time, the doubtful expression on her face gradually turned into certainty. A clear, childlike voice then pierced through the narrow, confined alley, landing steadily in the ears of Uchiha Gintoki, who was examining the chakra pill in her hand.

This was followed by a stern admonition from a mother.

"Don't go near them in the sea, being a loser is contagious."

"."

Turning his head to look at the little girl being dragged away by her mother, Uchiha Gin's face twitched, and he gave up on continuing to study the chakra pills in the jar.
"Cough cough."

He coughed a few times tactically, thus easing the inexplicable awkwardness in the four-person room.
"This isn't the place to talk. If there's nothing else, I'll be leaving now."

He stood up and stretched his legs, which were numb from squatting for so long. He nodded to Uchiha Madara, whose face was also ashen.

If it weren't for listening to this kid brag, he wouldn't have been mistaken by a little girl passing by for a useless old man who only knows how to play pachinko all day.

Upon hearing this, Madara Uchiha pursed his lips, looking as if he hadn't had enough.
"I haven't finished yet. That green one was dropped when I killed the Seven-Tails Another Rider in the Land of Waterfall. I also saved that greedy, black-hearted hunter's life at the time."

He finally found an opportunity to recount his great achievements, but he hasn't even finished a few exciting parts before it's all over?
Has Prison returned to the Land of Waterfalls?
Upon hearing news of his old friend, Uchiha Gin raised an eyebrow.
He had thought that Kakuzu would never return to Takigakure, that place of heartbreak, but now it seemed that it wasn't a matter of willingness or unwillingness, but rather whether the price was right or not.

While Madara Uchiha's personal account had some merit, it paled in comparison to pachinko.
"We'll find a place to chat in detail when we have a chance. I have something important to do right now. Once I'm done, I'll make you some new props."

Uchiha Gin looked up at the setting sun that was about to sink into the western mountains, resolutely turned around, and left Uchiha Madara with a reliable back view, who was full of regret.

"Madara, you could have easily broken his Wood Release just now, why?"

After Uchiha Gin had walked away, Sasuke and Black Zetsu finally seized the opportunity to ask the question that had been troubling him.

Uchiha Gin's Wood Release technique was indeed powerful, but not enough to leave Uchiha Madara in such a sorry state.
Do you know why my older cousin has become like this?

Madara Uchiha raised his head, his eyes deep as he asked a question. Izuna, standing beside him, pursed his lips, his lowered eyelids filled with self-reproach.
Well.
Isn't this curly-haired guy always like this?

Black Zetsu scratched his head, but ultimately didn't say anything.
"I don't know."

"If it weren't for saving me and Izuna, my older cousin might have been the first leader of Konoha."

This wasn't Madara Uchiha intentionally exaggerating. When his father was still alive, he repeatedly mentioned that Gin Uchiha's talent in his childhood far surpassed that of his two brothers.

If it weren't for his older cousin taking a direct hit from Thousand-Handed Buddha's Unparalleled Iron Fist to save them in Nanhechuan, his body wouldn't have been so fundamentally damaged, preventing his strength from improving over the years.
Fortunately, the Sage of Six Paths had eyes; good people are rewarded.
As a price for his greatly diminished strength, his older cousin's Yin Seal grants him a long lifespan and unfading youth, giving him and Izuna more opportunities to show their filial piety.

"What do you, an outsider, know? My older brother and I made a pact when we were little that we would never really fight with our older cousin. We would accept whatever he wanted to do, and we would cooperate fully when it was time to put on a show."

As this painful memory was recounted, Izuna began to wipe away tears.

Uchiha Gin's meticulous care over the years was still vivid in his mind. Especially when he thought that the luxurious palace he lived in in the Land of Waves was thanks to his older cousin's strategic planning, tears of gratitude welled up in his eyes even more.
Woo woo woo.
It feels so good to have a pro carry you!
"I'm sorry, I didn't expect that you two had such a secret. I was being presumptuous just now."

Black Zetsu wore an apologetic expression, but inwardly he was grumbling to himself.
Looking at Uchiha Gin, he doesn't look like someone whose foundation is damaged at all. Could it be that these two old guys have been taken advantage of by Curly-haired Guy?

"Good to know, Erzhuzi. Now that you're following me, you have to treat your older cousin like your own brother, understand?"

Madara Uchiha had already put it this way, so it would be impolite for Black Zetsu to show even the slightest reluctance.

"Okay, I understand."

Brother?

Why don't you just say that curly-haired guy is my real dad?
"A-choo!~"

Gin Uchiha, who was concentrating intently on playing pachinko, suddenly felt a tickle in his nose, followed by a violent sneeze. The machine in front of him then emitted the "failure settlement" background music once again.

"Ha~!"

Rubbing his red nose, Uchiha Gin glanced at the empty BB gun basket beside him, then stretched lazily with a look of reluctance.

"My luck's a bit off today~"

With a lingering, wistful smile, Uchiha Gin rose and left this heartbreaking place that had cost him his allowance.

On his way home, having nothing to do, he took out the jar his older cousin had given him and began to examine it.
The jar contained brightly colored chakra beads, resembling sweet and delicious candies, radiating an enticing glow.
Gin Uchiha shook the sealed jar made of special crystal thoughtfully, listening to the crisp sounds of the irregular chakra pills colliding inside. He was momentarily at a loss.
"The purity is so-so, what should I do with it?"

The condensation process of these chakra pills, which vary in quality, is actually similar to the gestation process of chakra fruits.
The only difference was that the vessel of the Gedo Mazo was replaced with a Hashirama clone, and the chakra of the ten tailed beasts was replaced with the chakra of a single tailed beast.

Given the severe deterioration of both the carrier and chakra in Uchiha Gin, the quality of the chakra pills formed would naturally be quite low.

But for ordinary ninjas, it's already a elixir-level tonic.

Of course, the premise for taking it is that you are not afraid of being overwhelmed by its energy.

"Tsk~ I have to say, this thing looks pretty appetizing."

Looking at these chakra cores, Uchiha Gin felt an itch in his palms for some reason, as if his hands were about to grow eyes.

"No way! No way! I can't eat these kinds of snacks from illegal workshops!"

Suppressing his inexplicable urge to eat, Uchiha Gin shook his head, admonishing himself, and carefully stuffed the jar back into his bag.
"Grandpa Silver~!"

This was the second time he'd heard that voice today. Uchiha Gin turned around in confusion, and there stood the trio of Nono and her two companions, whom he'd met not long ago.

"Is the welcome party over?"

"A successful conclusion!"

Upon hearing this, Nonou nodded, her face full of excitement, showing no trace of the resentment she had felt earlier for missing Hualai's part-time job due to the mission. Her overall energy and spirits seemed much higher.
"Ono Nou, what's making you so happy? Did you find some money?"

Uchiha Gin raised an eyebrow and asked curiously,
"No, not really, but pretty much."

Nonou smiled and shook her head, then nodded, her large, narrowed eyes full of shrewdness.
"They've taken on a guide job from a big spender."

A major investor?
Uchiha Gin's questioning gaze swept over the Hokage's son and the Root prince beside him.

What kind of big-money client could a mediocre genin squad like yours possibly get?
"It's true! Grandpa Yin, look, this is the deposit that the customer gave me in advance."

As if sensing the doubt in Uchiha Gin's eyes, Nonou immediately and mysteriously pulled a small cloth bag from her bosom.

She leaned closer, parted her lips slightly, and a dazzling golden light shot out, stinging Uchiha Gin's eyes.
"This is...gold dust?" This deposit is truly well-deserved, but why does it have a familiar chakra scent?

"They've checked it; it's 99% pure gold!"

Weighing the rather heavy gold dust in her hand, Nono's smile stretched almost to her ears. She had figured out how to make red envelopes for her friends at the orphanage this Lunar New Year!

"Wow, wow, what a generous customer!"

Uchiha Gin nodded, his curiosity only growing stronger.

What kind of client did Nono and her team manage to snag, that was so generous, reminiscent of his old days of showering customers with bricks?

"They're right behind us, Grandpa Yin, you'll see them soon."

After carefully storing the valuable gold dust, Nono pointed to a spot not far behind her. Uchiha Gin looked up and saw two figures, one tall and one short, who were both unfamiliar and familiar.
The reason it felt somewhat unfamiliar was because the clothes worn by the person opposite them weren't the typical attire of the Land of Fire, but rather an outdated style from the neighboring Land of Wind.

As for familiarity...
The two figures drew closer. Uchiha Gin scratched his head and raised his hand towards them.
Meanwhile, the two people dressed in the Land of Wind's attire opposite them also spotted a familiar curly-haired man, and their leisurely stroll came to an abrupt halt.
"What are you doing here?"

The speaker was the taller young man among the two, whose features, while not handsome, were still quite defined, and who sported a spiky hairstyle that Uchiha Gin greatly envied.

During the questioning, a hint of indescribable fear flashed in his narrow, triangular eyes.

Before the smiling Uchiha Gin could answer, the short figure following behind the young man, a little boy with short brown hair, was already trembling like a leaf under his mocking gaze.
"Third senior brother, I want to go home!"

The little boy, trembling, tugged at the young man's pants and pleaded in a tearful voice.

"Seriously, I'm not some kind of demon, is it really necessary to be like this?"

Seeing the two reacting so strongly, Uchiha Gin curled his lip, revealing a pained expression.

"Besides, this is Konoha, isn't it normal for me to run into you here?"

"Damn it! I never expected you to be here. I should never have taken this job."

The spiky-haired youth held his face, his regret clearly audible in his voice.

"Waaaaah, I want my master! I want to go home!"

The little boy cried even harder, covering his bottom and trembling behind the young man.

"Grandpa Yin, do you know each other?"

Seeing this, the three of them, including Nono, had their bewildered eyes filled with curiosity.

They never expected that the representative of the Land of Wind delegation they had just received would know Uchiha Gin, and even seem to have a close relationship with him.

“I am quite familiar with their elders.”

Uchiha Gin nodded, then casually pointed to the spiky-haired youth among them.

“That guy, his dad and I have been friends for many years.”

The spiky-haired youth jumped up instantly, his face full of indignation as he retorted.
"I'm not called 'that person'! I have a name, my name is..."

"Your name is not important."

Unexpectedly, Uchiha Gin raised his hand to stop him first, ignoring the resentful triangular eyes of the spiky-haired youth.

Looking down at the brown-haired boy hiding behind him, he reached out and greeted him with a friendly expression.
"Luo Sha, come here, let Grandpa pat your head."

No wonder those gold dust pieces looked familiar; it turns out this kid refined them.

Hello, Grandpa Gin!

As the saying goes, even a powerful dragon can't suppress a local snake, and besides, he was just a lowly Karami. Knowing he couldn't escape Uchiha Gin's clutches, Rasa could only walk out with a look of utter despair, clutching his backside and offering his highest respect to his beloved Gin.
"That's a good boy~ How's your master doing lately?"

Ruffling Rasa's puppy head, Uchiha Gin smiled and asked about Shamon's recent situation.
"Okay, okay."

The trembling Luo Sha immediately nodded vigorously, only able to say "okay," offering no useful information whatsoever.

"You frightened Luo Sha. Father has not been feeling well lately and has gone back to his hometown to recuperate."

The spiky-haired youth stepped forward and rescued his junior brother, Rasa, from Uchiha Gin's clutches, then answered the question for him.

"It makes sense that he went back to Loulan, since Sunagakure doesn't need him anymore anyway."

Upon hearing the news that his old friend had retired and returned to his hometown, Uchiha Gin nodded, his eyes filled with regret.

This is what they call the decline of a hero, isn't it?
"Hey you, what are you here to exchange ideas about?"

After reminiscing, Uchiha Gin, driven by a gossipy nature, asked the spiky-haired youth leading the delegation, "..."

"hiss"

Suppressing his resentment, the Third Kazekage of the original timeline, still sporting a spiky hairstyle, took a deep breath.

His slightly sinister gaze swept over the bustling street, then he gently shook his head.

"It's confidential."

"Tsk~ Hey you, why are you still so rigid?"

"This is Senior Sister's order."

The spiky-haired youth expressionlessly invoked Chiyo's name, so Uchiha Gin could only shrug and drop the matter.

But if someone like that is chosen as the representative, the mission's prestige can't be very high; it's most likely just a publicly funded vacation.
Thinking of this, he nodded and pointed to the only woman in the three-person team crouching behind him.
"Alright, alright~ This must be your first time in Konoha, right? Nonou is one of my people, she will take good care of you on my behalf."

The three people, Nono and Uchiha, who were squatting nearby eating melon seeds, were all startled when they heard the lewd words suddenly uttered by Uchiha Gin.
"what!"

Especially when Nono, who was caught in the crossfire of gossip, couldn't help but scream in surprise.
Grandpa Yin said I was one of his people.
I am a member of Grandpa Yin's group.
Grandpa Yin is mine!
The girl's thoughts wandered further and further, steam rising from her small head, her usually calm face flushed a deep, intoxicating red.
Looking at Nono, who had transformed into a steam princess, with a puzzled expression, Gin Uchiha had no idea how much his casual remark had affected this precocious, love-starved girl.
"Nonoyu, Nonoyu?"

Several calls roused Nono from her reverie. Facing Uchiha Gin, she lowered her head, her fair hands nervously twisting together, her voice low and shy.
"I've already decided on the child's name: Uchiha Kabuto." (End of Chapter)