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

"I don't accept just any Tom, Dick, or Harry."

Glancing disdainfully at Uchiha Gin's veiled insults, Senju Hisami crossed her arms and scrutinized Orochimaru from head to toe.
The monkey's disciple?

If that's the case, then she's her grand-disciple, so she can barely be considered to have a clean background and be of good lineage.

"I knew you would say that."

Uchiha Gin, standing to the side, gave Orochimaru a knowing look and immediately winked at him.
Did you bring what I asked you to prepare?

"Uh wait a minute."

Orochimaru nodded and took out a pre-prepared red envelope from his elegant handbag.
"Huh? You use this to test veteran cadres? Which veteran cadre can't withstand such a test?"

Senju Hisa looked disdainfully at the thin red envelope in Orochimaru's hand. Her current status was vastly different from what it used to be; she was no longer the Konoha deadbeat who was heavily in debt.

"Don't rush to refuse. After all, it's a kind gesture from the child, so just accept it."

Seeing that she was unmoved by reason, Uchiha Gin once again acted as a peacemaker, shoving the apprenticeship gift prepared by Orochimaru into Senju Hisami's hands.
"you!"

With so many eyes watching, what if someone with ulterior motives uses her act of accepting red envelopes to make a fuss? Wouldn't her newly built reputation be ruined in an instant?
"Take a look first~ Take a look first~"

While calming the displeased Senju Hisama, Uchiha Gin quietly asked Orochimaru across from him a question.
"You've covered the amount I told you, right?"

Based on Uchiha Gin's understanding of the white-haired girl, as long as the price is right, getting her to cosplay as an oh my god Baltan alien is no problem at all.

"No."

"what?"

How can you be so clueless? Don't you know the saying, "You can't catch a wolf without risking your cub"?
"Sizzle~"

By the time Uchiha Gin, who had learned the truth, tried to stop her, Senju Hisami had already casually torn open the red envelope.

As a result, when she saw the checks lying inside, her pupils contracted slightly, and the disdain on her face vanished instantly.
"This"

"This child is ignorant. I'll give him a good talking to when I get back. Please don't take it to heart."

Noticing the change in Senju Hisama's expression, Uchiha Gin knew she was definitely upset by the pitiful amount in the red envelope, so he quickly spoke up to comfort her.
"Teach him a lesson?"

Senju Hisa silently stuffed the red envelope into her back pocket, her sharp eyes fixed on the apologetic Uchiha Gin, before uttering a statement that completely astonished him.

"What right do you curly-haired bastard have to boss my dear disciple around?"

"Hey?"

Seeing the white-haired man's attitude change 360 ​​degrees, a dumbfounded Uchiha Gin turned to look at Orochimaru opposite him, who was smiling, his questioning look evident in his eyes.
“I was worried that the gift was too meager, so I took the liberty of adding two zeros to the number you mentioned.”

Two 0s?

Wouldn't that be...
Uchiha Gin whirled around, his gaze fierce as he shouted at Senju Hisami, who was all smiles.
"Give me back my red envelope, and we're not going to become his disciple!"

If he had known Orochimaru could produce so many gold coins, he would have personally taught him. Now, that wretched white-haired guy has gotten them for nothing.

"Ignore him. Orochimaru, is it? Be prepared to report to my residence at eight o'clock tomorrow morning. I will teach you everything I know."

Ignoring the furious, disarmed prisoner, Senju Hisami nodded to Orochimaru with a smile.

These days, it's already hard to find disciples who pay money to become apprentices, let alone those who pay a lot of money. I never expected that she would actually meet one today.

However, we should also thank Curly for making the connection. I'll give him two million as a commission later.
"Okay, teacher, but I'll be there tomorrow."

Orochimaru initially nodded in agreement, but quickly showed a hint of reluctance.
"What's wrong? Is it inconvenient?"

"Yes, I'm still working at the root department, and I have a regular meeting to attend tomorrow."

"Hmph! You don't need to worry about it. I'll talk to Danzo about this. Not only will you not attend tomorrow's meeting, but you won't need to attend any future meetings either."

You mere Danzo dare to compete with her for a patron? Your sect is too small to accommodate this golden Buddha. Let your master handle it for you.

"Then I'll have to trouble you, teacher."

After successfully becoming an apprentice, Orochimaru didn't even have time to eat ramen before heading home to prepare his study materials for the next day.

Senju Hisana wasn't truly indiscriminate in her teaching; even if Orochimaru spent money, he still had to demonstrate some real skill to gain sufficient respect from this Konoha technology expert.

"Curly, don't be angry. I'll give you two million as a kickback tomorrow."

Once only the two of them remained at the table, Senju Hisa, slurping up her favorite ramen broth and enjoying its rich, sweet fish soup base, made a promise to Uchiha Gin across from her, who was pouting.
"Little snake gave you 20 billion as an apprenticeship fee, and you only gave me 200 million? Are you even human?"

Imagining the miso ramen in front of him as a white-haired man, Uchiha Gin viciously broke off his chopsticks and began stirring wildly, splashing sauce everywhere and making a mess of the table.

"Huh? I'm already being generous by giving you some; if I waste any more food, I won't even get two hundred."

"Humph!"

Upon hearing this, Uchiha Gin reluctantly slowed down and began to savor the food in small, delicate bites.
Slurp~ Slurp~
"Seriously, where did this kid get so much money?"

After things calmed down, Senju Hisama suddenly became curious about how Orochimaru, a young ninja from a commoner background, could earn such an outrageous fortune. Did he also work as a black market pimp like himself?
"Maybe it's a side job to make money."

Uchiha Gin was in no mood to explain anything to her. He was filled with regret and just wanted to invent a time-reversal ninjutsu as soon as possible to prevent a similar situation from happening again.

sideline?

Senju Hisa blinked in confusion, but seeing Uchiha Gin's indifferent attitude, she chose to keep her question to herself for the time being and ask the person involved for clarification when Orochimaru came to her door tomorrow.

"I'm full~"

Ichiraku Ramen's broth is rich and flavorful, the portion is generous and filling, and it even comes with a braised egg. After finishing a bowl, Uchiha Gin felt a slight bloating in his lower abdomen.

Of course, this is most likely because he was so angry with Senju Hisajin.

"Wait, I have something I'd like to talk to you about."

Seeing Uchiha Gin about to get up and leave, Senju Hisama raised her hand and said...

"This is not the place to talk."

Gin Uchiha glanced at the long line in front of the store and shook his head slightly.
It's extremely unethical to reserve a seat after finishing your meal.

"Okay, pick a quiet place, it's on me."

"That's what you said!"

A few minutes later,

West Street

"How about it, is this place secluded enough?"

Uchiha Gin smiled and pointed to the sign above his head that was emitting ambiguous neon lights, then gave a thumbs-up to Senju Hisami, whose face was ashen across from him.

"Yo~ Gintoki, it's been so long since you came to visit!"

Just then, a slender figure with a swaying waist emerged from the shop. Upon seeing Uchiha Gin outside, she immediately stepped forward to greet him warmly, her soft arms wrapping around him. "I've been a bit busy lately, so I've come to patronize your business as soon as I have some free time."

Gin Uchiha casually pinched the madam's cheek, then looked up at Hisana Senju, who was trembling with anger across from him.

"This is for real, Gintoki. We don't allow outside food in our house, you know~"

Following his gaze, the madam turned to look at Senju Hisana. After a brief moment of confusion, she uttered a statement that nearly triggered a year-long crackdown on prostitution in the entire West Street area.
"Don't talk nonsense, this is my friend. It's her first time here, so please make proper arrangements for her."

Uchiha Gin shook his head, whispered a few words in the madam's ear, then straightened up and asked in a serious tone,

"Do you understand?"

"Leave it to me. I'll make sure this lady feels right at home."

The madam gave him an OK sign, then turned and gestured to the staff to prepare to welcome their VIP guest.
"Let's go, if you stand here and wait, someone might ask you the price."

Turning to look at Senju Hisana, whose face was about to turn red, Uchiha Gin reached out and pulled her into a forbidden area she had never set foot in before.
"you!"

When Senju Hisa came to her senses, she looked at the store's suggestive decor and her fist clenched tightly. How could this curly-haired guy have brought her, a woman, to such a despicable place? Was he out of his mind?

"Hey, we're all men, what's wrong with getting a massage and a foot bath?"

"Everyone, including you."

Senju Hisa paused, "Yeah, she was at least a man once. What's so embarrassing about doing some health care?"

"Come on, let me show you what the ultimate enjoyment is like."

Seeing that she suddenly seemed a little dazed, Uchiha Gin pushed her towards two smiling female technicians without saying a word.
"No tonics!"

Seeing the two alluring, scantily clad masseuses eyeing her with predatory intent, Senju Hisa was as terrified as a child going out for the first time, clutching her collar tightly.
"Miss, relax. We are technicians who specialize in serving customers like you. We won't make you feel uncomfortable at all."

"what?"

Senju Hisama was stunned for a moment upon hearing this, and the two technicians took the opportunity to remove her equipment in one fell swoop.

"Oh my~ I didn't expect the guest to be so aloof on the outside, but so open on the inside."

"Give me back my underwear!"

With a clicking sound, the two technicians picked up a string of pearls, exchanged a smile, and then reached out their sinful little hands toward Senju Hisa, who had been stripped bare like a white sheep.

after an hour,
Inside the massage room,
Creak~
Hearing the door open, Uchiha Gin, lying on the massage bed, looked up at Senju Hisa, who was wearing a classic health yukata and walking unsteadily, and a sly smile appeared on his lips.

Hmph~ How dare you steal my prison's gold coins?
"Aren't the girls' techniques alright?"

"I'm not clean anymore."

Having experienced a technique she'd never felt before as a man, Senju Hisama, feeling as if her soul was about to leave her body, slumped onto the massage bed next to Uchiha Gin, staring blankly at him.
"I think you look great right now; even your skin is much smoother."

Upon hearing this, Senju Hisa subconsciously touched her cheek, and just as Uchiha Gin had said, her skin was now as smooth as a peeled egg, and the blemishes and dullness caused by long hours of working overtime had vanished.

"What exactly do you want? If you want to humiliate me, you don't have to do it this way."

With a complicated expression, she looked at Uchiha Gin beside her, vaguely guessing that the other party was deliberately playing a prank on her.
"You're judging others by your own standards. I only brought you here to relax because you seemed to be under a lot of pressure lately. I don't usually bring just anyone here."

Is that really the case?

"Otherwise what? We're related by blood, after all. By seniority, you should call me uncle."

Seeing her suspicious look, Uchiha Gin innocently spread his hands and casually gave himself a "super seniority".
"Which uncle brings his niece for a massage?"

Senju Hisa couldn't help but roll her eyes; she had never seen such a shameless person.
"Just tell me, did you enjoy it?"

Those were the famous twin sisters of West Street, a top-tier duo of masseuses that even noblewomen from the Land of Fire had to book in advance. If it weren't for the madam's consideration for him, Senju Hisa would never have had the chance to enjoy such top-notch service.
"It's alright, I guess."

Stroking her chin, recalling the exhilarating experience she had just had, Senju Hisa reluctantly nodded. Since what was done was done, there was no going back, no matter how much she regretted it; she might as well accept reality gracefully.
That solves it.

As he spoke, Uchiha Gin rolled over, picked up a small glass of sweet drink from the table beside him, crossed his legs, and looked completely relaxed.

"Speak up, what is it? There are no ears here, so you can say whatever you want."

Senju Hisa lay down on the massage bed, mimicking his posture, picked up the prepared drink, took a sip, and softly spoke.

"Before we get to the point, I'd like to ask you something. Have there been any strange rumors circulating within the Uchiha clan lately?"

A strange sound?

"Does the fleeting suspicion of an illegitimate child count?"

"Uh"

Rubbing her throbbing temples hard, Senju Hisa realized that speaking to this curly-haired man required extremely high manners and composure.
"Seriously, are there any Uchiha clan members who crave war?"

"Huh? War? With whom? The Shimura meat processing plant?"

The only rival that Uchiha Gin could think of was the Shimura clan, who were competitors in the market.
"It's a battle between rain and soil."

"Did you go crazy from all that massage? The Uchiha clan may have a lot of free time, but they're not this idle."

Of course, this Uchiha does not include the Uchiha Country.

Seeing Uchiha Gin looking at him like he was an idiot, Senju Hisa frowned slightly. Had he guessed wrong?
"Has something happened?"

Senju Hisama's unusual expression was keenly noticed, and Uchiha Gin curiously put down the sweet drink.
"It doesn't hurt to tell you; this information will be made public sooner or later anyway."

After a moment's hesitation, Senju Hisami straightened up, her ample breasts pushing up her thin yukata high.

"I'm all ears."

Uchiha Gin pulled out a pair of sunglasses from somewhere, put them on, and stared at her without looking to the side.
"During this period, a group of mysterious ninjas suddenly appeared in the Land of Rain, targeting civilians. Wherever they went, only ruins remained, causing the people to suffer greatly."

"Are they just opportunistic ninja taking advantage of the chaos?"

Pulling his gaze away from the two large steamed buns that had been distracting him, Uchiha Gin scratched his head and voiced his guess.
The Land of Rain is currently preparing for war with all its forces concentrated in Amegakure (Hidden Rain Village). This leaves little room for defense in more remote areas, providing the ninja with a rare opportunity for plunder.

"I initially thought so too, but later, surviving civilians revealed that the attackers were the ninjas."

Senju Hisa, her delicate brows slightly furrowed, shook her head, her tone extremely heavy.
"Wearing the Konoha headband."

"Wearing a Konoha headband makes you a Konoha ninja? If I put the Senju clan crest on my back, should I change my name to Senju Gin?"

You, with your white hair, are a seasoned veteran from the Warring States period, and you've certainly done your share of smearing others with false accusations.

Uchiha Gin curled his lip. Senju Hisami was just using this opportunity to cause trouble, resorting to any means necessary to fleece the Uchiha clan.

"Besides, there are so many ninjas in Konoha who wear headbands, how could you be so sure that it was us Uchiha who were up to something?"

Seeing Uchiha Gin's indignant expression, Senju Hisami pursed her lips. If it were really just the headband, she wouldn't have suspected the Uchiha clan.
"According to survivors, the attacker possessed scarlet eyes capable of piercing the darkness." (End of Chapter)