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

In a private reception room separated from Shamen and the others by only a wall, a figure was lounging listlessly in a recliner, with a table of rare and exotic fruits that could only be found in the Land of Wind in front of him.

"Crunch~ Crunch~"

He was seen chewing on the bright green melon in his hand, which was sweeter than ice cream. His perked-up ears twitched slightly, and a faint look of doubt appeared on his languid, handsome face.
"Who is being referred to as the 'Shamen's Prison'?"

Gudong!

As he finished eating the melon, Uchiha Gin, who had been invited by Shamon to taste the seasonal fruit, straightened up and, without turning his head, stretched out his large hand, covered in sticky juice, toward Yaya (formerly Yurei), who was in charge of chopping melons and vegetables.

Why is there a fragrant and soft towel here?

I rub!

Looking down at the large handprint she had left on her favorite little skirt, Ye Ye's small hand gripping the watermelon knife tightened suddenly, and a flash of anger crossed her lifeless eyes.

"Master, that bald guy is cricketing at you."

On the other side, Orianna, who was carrying an empty plate, stopped in her tracks as she walked out of the portal to the Shadow Realm. She turned around and glanced at Kaguya Mitsuki, who had eaten her way to a bulging black belly in the alternate dimension behind her, and reminded her in a mechanical tone.

"what?"

Upon hearing this, Uchiha Gin scratched his head. He admitted that he was a tiny bit of a Fury fanatic, liking things like bunny-eared girls, but he was definitely not as perverted as Hatake Sakumo, who actually went after a cyber puppet.
"We want more people! We want more!"

Amidst the confusion, the voice of the black-skinned rabbit-eared girl, Mitsuyoshi, filled with unsatisfied desire, echoed from within the Shadow Realm. Unable to eat the sweet fruit, Princess Kaguya began to throw a tantrum.

"Right away~ Right away~"

She gestured to Ye Ye beside her to hurry up and get to work; the mountain of fruits and vegetables on the table was waiting for her to be tortured!

"Oh!"

A sharp, cold glint of light brushed past Uchiha Gin's nose, cleaving a curved honeydew stalk in two before him. Glistening juice splattered as the knife fell.

"receive."

Gum!

Looking at the expressionless puppet Yaya, Uchiha Gin swallowed hard.

These two small, unorthodox appliances, when they were first acquired on the moon, were incredibly obedient to him, even making him personally handle small tasks like adding oil.
Now that it has become a disciple of Sister Wang, its intelligence level is increasing day by day, and it is increasingly disregarding its master.

"A puppet that can get pregnant?"

Shifting back slightly, Uchiha Gin thoughtfully observed Yaya and Orianna beside him, who were effortlessly cutting and plating fruit. His gaze lingered on the two puppets' graceful figures.
“Master, your gaze is very impolite.”

Sensing Uchiha Gin's licking gaze, Orianna, who was plating the food, held the plate in front of her chest, looking at him as if he were food scraps.
"You two shouldn't be able to get pregnant, right?"

Uchiha Gin was already used to this kind of look and didn't take the two puppets' apparent disdain to heart. Instead, he seriously stroked his chin and asked,
"Whoosh~ Pfft!"

No sooner had he finished speaking than a blinding flash of cold light grazed his cheek. Still in a throwing stance, Yaya slowly straightened up, a hint of regret on her expressionless face.
"Sorry, Master, I missed."

"You mean you didn't hold it properly, right?"

Touching the shallow indentation at his temple, Uchiha Gin couldn't help but complain, "Was that knife really meant to kill him?"
"Oh, I didn't hold it properly. I'll aim better next time."

"Master, this is sexual harassment."

Orianna swiftly pulled the watermelon knife embedded in the wall, a chilling light flashing in her lifeless eyes.
"Stop! I won't ask anymore, okay?"

Seriously, all I asked about were some hidden details not mentioned in the puppet's user manual, why did it have to come to this?

"people!"

"Hurry up! If you delay Sister Wang's after-dinner fruit, I'll switch your oil to cheap engine oil this month!"

"Tsk!" *2
"Were you two just pouting? Believe me or not, I'll pour secondhand oil into your tanks next time!"

Outside, after hearing Shamon's words, everyone present was shocked. They hadn't expected that besides Hatake Sakumo, there was also a skilled pilot!

"Grandmaster, the person you're talking about wouldn't happen to be the holder of the Angel Heart Puppet from back then, would it?"

Seeing that his partner's problem was starting to be solved, Xiu couldn't wait to ask more questions.
"Yes."

The monk didn't try to be mysterious and readily nodded in agreement.

Upon hearing this, the despair that had been lingering in Hatake Sakumo's eyes vanished instantly.

He is not alone!
"May I ask who he/she is?"

Sakumo Hatake was eager to know the current situation of his fellow enthusiast, but as soon as he spoke, his expression suddenly froze.
The monk before him was already an old man in his twilight years; it was questionable whether the mysterious man from back then was still alive.

Thinking about it this way, the despair that had just dissipated surged back into my heart.
My dearest leaf!
Xiu, standing to the side, also showed a regretful expression. The story of the Angel Heart Puppet had been repeatedly performed in his bedtime dramas ever since he was old enough to understand. So many years had passed, and that mysterious person was probably long gone.
"Ask him. He's doing pretty well now. We still get together for a couple of drinks every now and then."

Seeing the dejected expressions on Hatake Sakumo's and the others' faces, a playful smile suddenly appeared on Shamon's fierce old face.

"What?!"

The most shocked of the group was Xiu. The protagonist of the story was still alive, and it seemed that Shamen had never lost contact with him.
"Just who is that senior?"

He was eager to know the true identity of his idol.

"He was originally from the Land of Lightning, but later settled in the Land of Fire."

Land of Fire?
Upon hearing this familiar name, Hatake Sakumo's expression changed slightly. When did his hometown produce such a powerful figure?
"Are you from the same place as Grandpa Yin?"

Grandpa Silver?
There was a familiar name, but Hatake Sakumo's expression remained unchanged this time. He had long heard that Uchiha Gin and the Second Kazekage had a past relationship. Many years ago, the other party traveled thousands of miles to the Land of Wind to treat the monk's illness, leaving behind a beautiful story.

"You guessed right. Actually, that person is your Grandpa Yin."

Under the expectant gazes of the people present, the usually serious Shamen suddenly revealed a rare smile, casually uttering an answer that was enough to shatter their worldviews.

"Huh?" *4
"No, Ah Qi, why are you yelling like that?"

After closing his dislocated jaw, Xiu looked at Hatake Sakumo, who was also having his jaw adjusted, with a puzzled expression.
The locals were surprised because they had known Uchiha Gin since they were young. What surprised you?

"I saw you guys making noise, so I just joined in." After straightening his chin, Hatake Sakumo explained earnestly, his mind racing with a thousand thoughts.
"I'm a pretty sociable person."

"Oh, I see."

After giving Hatake Sakumo a deep look, Xiu turned his head away, his face filled with deep doubt.
"Grandmaster, you don't have Azkaban, do you?"

"It's Alzheimer's!"

Shamen glared at Xiu, who had even misremembered the name of the illness, then sat down in a chair, his old face filled with sighs and reminiscence.

"Mr. Yin is the smartest and kindest person I have ever met in my life, without exception."

"But Grandpa Yin stole my honey last time, which Xiaochong painstakingly collected from the cliff!"

Scorpion, sitting on Queen Sana's lap, puffed out his cheeks upon hearing this, disagreeing with Shamen's arbitrary remarks.

"Well, of course, nobody's perfect. He can be a little childish when it comes to sugar."

Shamon awkwardly touched his nose. Uchiha Gin was a good person in every way, but he would indirectly go crazy when it came to sugar.

"But how come I've never seen Grandpa Gin use puppetry?"

Sana, her delicate brows furrowed slightly as she stroked Scorpion's small head. In her memory, Uchiha Gin was a medical ninja with exceptional medical skills.
The chronic illness that her father, who was rehired as the Regent Emperor, suffered from was cured by the other party. Otherwise, how could she, the Queen, be so leisurely stroking the young boy here?

"Because he knows too much, there is really no need for a mere puppeteer to show off."

Shamon shook his head with a sigh, realizing that his title as the number one puppeteer in the ninja world was nothing but an empty name.

The ignorant world only knows that he developed puppetry, but they don't know that the real master of puppetry is actually Uchiha Gin.

That makes sense.

Sakumo Hatake, who had been listening silently, couldn't help but nod inwardly. As Gin Uchiha's unofficial disciple, how could he not know just how vast the other's knowledge was?

Even the Book of Sealing Techniques, which records forbidden techniques in Konoha Village, was compiled under the personal supervision of Gin Uchiha.
Broadly speaking, Uchiha Gin knew a little about almost every recorded ninjutsu in the ninja world, except for the most obscure secret techniques.

You're kidding, even the most obscure prison guilds will have that.

P.S.: Aside from the Mirror Turning Technique, this technique is truly worth learning.

If given the chance, Hatake Sakumo really wanted his child to learn from Uchiha Gin. He thought that if his child learned more, he might be able to earn a nickname like "Copy Ninja" or "50/50".

"Yoshi! I'll write to Grandpa Yin right now and ask him to help Ah Qi fix his 'wife'!"

The secret hidden behind his childhood story is revealed, and hope rekindles in Xiu's face.

If we can bring in Uchiha Gin, an expert, we can not only solve the repair problem of Hatake Sakumo's cyber wife, but also guide the YoRHa Legion, which he built, on how to continue to optimize and upgrade, so that the destructive power of the YoRHa Demon Army can be increased to another level.

"Um, Xiu, actually I feel that Yoruha can hold on for a while longer. How about we contact her slowly when we get back?"

Hatake Sakumo's eye twitched violently. With his current disguise, Uchiha Gin could see right through him. How embarrassing would it be if he ran into an old friend in a foreign land?
"Father, the tonic is here! I haven't properly hidden the honey that Xiaochong just brought me!"

Scorpion struggled to escape Sana's clutches, his face turning red with anxiety at the thought of losing the whole jar of sweet and delicious honey.

"Writing a letter? I think we should skip it."

Shamon shook his head slightly upon hearing this, and Hatake Sakumo's heart, which had been hanging in suspense, instantly settled back into his stomach. As long as he knew that Grandpa Gin was an expert in this field, he only needed to complete the mission as soon as possible and then take Yoru back to the village.

"Because he happens to be here right now."

"Hey!" *4
"Mr. Yin, have you finished eating?"

Amidst the surprised or horrified gazes of the four people—three adults and one child—a curly-haired man in indigo casual clothes, rubbing his belly, slowly emerged from the half-open door behind the monk.

"At the bottom of the Shamen prison, the melons of Loulan are as sweet as ever."

As the familiar, languid voice rang out, Hatake Sakumo completely froze.
Didn't they say the border was under martial law? How did Grandpa Yin get in?
"Yo! Everyone, it's Sasipuri~"

His lifeless, deadpan eyes swept over the various expressions on the faces of the group, lingering for a second longer on Hatake Sakumo, whose model resembled his own. A strange smile crept onto Uchiha Gin's lips.

You act all respectable in the village, how come you do this kind of thing outside with my face on your behalf?
Be honest, was it intentional or accidental?
Have we been discovered?
In that brief pause, the alert Hatake Sakumo realized that Uchiha Gin had seen through his disguise, and his heart was filled with regret.

Damn it, I should have used Jiraiya's face back then, so I could have shifted the blame when things went wrong.

"Huh? Ah Qi, no wonder I felt so close to you the first time I met you."

When the real Uchiha Gin stood next to the disguised Hatake Sakumo, Xiu belatedly realized that his partner of many years, apart from his hairstyle, hair color, and piercing eyes, bore an 80% resemblance to Uchiha Gin in every other detail of his face.
"If you cover the eyes, they do look somewhat alike."

Sana, standing nearby, nodded in agreement. However, because Uchiha Gin's true form consisted of curly hair and deadpan eyes, people subconsciously overlooked his top-tier looks within the Uchiha clan.
"It's just a coincidence."

Sakumo Hatake glanced subtly at Gin Uchiha, whose face was contorted in a strange grin, and then offered a forced compliment.
"Great modeling often happens by chance."

"Makes sense!"

With a beaming smile, Uchiha Ginya nodded shamelessly, then looked around as if searching for something.
"Grandpa Yin, please have a seat~"

The next second, a short figure appeared behind him, pushing a chair. It was Sasori, who had just been crying and begging not to let Uchiha Gin come, now with a fawning smile on his face.

“Scorpion has grown up so much. I remember the last time we met, you were still a little crybaby.”

Upon hearing this, Scorpion couldn't help but secretly roll her eyes. If you hadn't stolen my honey, why would I be crying?
Seeing that his junior was so perceptive, Uchiha Ginryu was overjoyed. He reached into his bag, pulled out a handful of sour lemon candies, and stuffed them into the other person's arms.
"Thank you, Grandpa Yin. This is my favorite flavor."

Looking at the lemon cartoon character on the candy wrapper, Scorpion, who always hated sour things, wrinkled her nose, but dared not show any sign of disgust on her face. She forced a smile and thanked them.
"So you like lemon flavor too? I have a lot here, I'll give them all to you later."

These candies were originally purchased for Sister Wang, but for some reason, her taste seems to have changed recently. She went from preferring sweet and sour to preferring pure sugar, resulting in an unusual slump in sales for the lemon candies we bought.

However, since Scorpion likes it, let's give him the lemon candy from the backpack as a gift!
"Uh"

"There are only 500 jin (250 kg) left, so you'd better eat it sparingly and remember not to waste any!"

Upon hearing this, Little Scorpion felt a sour lemon taste in his mouth. Five hundred pounds? That's almost ten times his own weight. Is it too late to take back what he just said?
After "rewarding" the dutiful Sasori, Uchiha Gin, sitting in his chair, turned his gaze to Hatake Sakumo, who was looking down and whose eyes were darting around, his tone full of amusement.
"Young man, I just heard about your amazing feat operating the machine in the inner room. I, the prison guard, sincerely admire you; you're a true hero." (End of Chapter)