Konoha: The thirty-year-old Uchiha lacks motivation.

Chapter 113 For the sake of the family, I can go through a marriage alliance.

Upon entering the clan head's residence, the two encountered Uchiha Madara, who was carrying a wooden sword. Madara's handsome face was dark as he grabbed Izuna by the neck and, ignoring Izuna's resistance, forcibly dragged him away.

"Your father is waiting for you."

After leaving those words, Madara Uchiha continued his daily interaction with his younger brother. Gintoki Uchiha looked at his hopeful little cousin with very sympathetic eyes, and could only give him a helpless look.

Uchiha Gin and Uchiha Hikaru walked side by side on the wooden corridor. It was midsummer, and the cicadas in the courtyard were chirping incessantly.

Under the scorching sun, the petite girl, wearing a heavy cloak, had a few beads of sweat on her forehead, and her breathing was somewhat disordered.

"Take off your cloak if it's too hot. The dark personality won't revive unless you're fighting."

Noticing that the girl seemed to be struggling, and that wearing such a thick cloak in the sweltering heat was indeed too stifling, he figured that with her by his side, she shouldn't have any more problems. He decided she could take the cloak off.

"Besides, you just bought so many new clothes, it's a bit of a waste to wear them under the cloak."

"Hmm, I'll get used to it a bit more."

Recalling the dark personality she had interacted with the previous night, the girl tightened her cloak, pondered for a moment, and then slowly replied.

"It's alright, I'll help you find a way to completely eliminate that dark personality."

Since returning, Uchiha Gin has been thinking about how to completely eliminate the dark personality from his uncle and Hikaru.

Although there's no way to solve this problem now, there's no guarantee that the system might come up with some useful skills in the future that could solve it.

"Thank you, Gin~"

The girl raised her head, her beautiful eyes glistening with tears. However, the difference in their physiques was quite striking. From Uchiha Gin's perspective, Uchiha Hikari now looked more like a spoiled little sister next door.

"Don't be so polite with me, we're family."

He patted the girl's head, feeling as if she had been rescued, and the word she said to him most often was "thank you".

It's too formal. That kid Senju Itama is more like family to him, with no inhibitions at all, and he kisses him all the time.

The two chatted idly for a while before arriving at Uchiha Tajima's study. Uchiha Gin stepped forward and pounded on the door several times, causing the dust on the beams to fall as the door shook violently.

"Come in!"

A helpless voice came from inside. Uchiha Tajima smiled and led Uchiha Hikaru through the door.

"Ah Yin, how many times have I told you to knock gently? Don't you know how hard you knock?"

Sitting behind his desk, Uchiha Tajima looked at the door of his study with a pained expression. He had spent a fortune commissioning a famous master craftsman from the Land of Fire to design it.

"Such pettiness! Can't you show some of the magnanimity expected of a clan leader?"

Uchiha Gin rolled his eyes and casually and skillfully smeared the freshly picked big nose on the pillar in the study, making Uchiha Tajima's fist, which was holding a pen, harden.

"Phew~~"

Forcibly recalling the scene of his eldest nephew's filial piety, Uchiha Tajima exhaled a breath of stale air, his gaze changed, and he stared seriously at Uchiha Gin and Uchiha Hikaru, slowly speaking,

"I've called you all here today because I have something important to discuss."

Even before unsealing Uchiha Hikaru, Uchiha Tajima had a task at hand that required a quick-witted, highly capable, and most importantly, reliable person to handle it.

"?"

Wasn't I supposed to be slacking off in the dungeon until Konoha was founded? What, am I supposed to work overtime now?

Uchiha Gin was a bit confused. His clan was full of talented people. His older cousin, Uchiha Madara, was both intelligent and brave. As for his younger cousin, Izuna, well, he was alright.

Furthermore, what use would someone like me, a nobody, be to talented young men like Uchiha Ryukage and Uchiha Fuuka, who are in their prime? I don't have any special skills anyway.

Just as he was wondering what qualities he had that caught Uchiha Tajima's eye, Uchiha Gin suddenly shuddered as a possibility flashed through his mind.

Is it

Uchiha Gin's expression suddenly changed, his brows furrowing so deeply they could trap a fly. He took a deep breath, his gaze piercing as he looked at his beloved uncle, his expression a mixture of three parts resistance, six parts secret pleasure, and one part smugness, and said to Uchiha Tajima...

"Has it finally arrived?"

"Huh? You guessed it?"

Just as Uchiha Tajima was about to speak, he heard his nephew's tone full of emotion and asked curiously, "Is this kid so well-informed?"

"Sigh, what can I do? I'm just naturally beautiful. Uncle, just tell me which clan's princess you are. I'm willing to sacrifice my beauty for the sake of the clan."

Uchiha Gin leaned against the wall, looking dejected. He raised his head, brushed aside a few strands of curly hair that were obscuring his eyes, and revealed what he thought was a handsome and imposing smile. The gleam of his teeth blinded the other two people present.

"puff!!!"

Uchiha Tajima, who had just taken a sip of tea, immediately spat out all the tea in his mouth, as if he had used a water-style ninjutsu.

Meanwhile, Uchiha Hikaru, who was standing to the side, was completely dumbfounded. His mouth was wide open and he couldn't close it. At the same time, the pattern in his eyes had turned into a bewitching kaleidoscope.

"Cough cough cough, what are you thinking, you little rascal!"

Uchiha Tajima roared and threw the teacup at him. The sharp-eyed Uchiha Gin dodged it with a sidestep. The flying teacup smashed into the carved door that his uncle had just been heartbroken over, embedding itself deeply in it.

As expected of the head of the Uchiha clan, his shurikenjutsu is simply divine.

"Isn't this asking me to go through a political marriage?"

Uchiha Gin looked at his furious uncle with a strange expression, touched his curly hair, and couldn't help but feel a great sense of doubt. Could it be that he was coveting my stunning good looks?

"When did I ever say anything about a marriage alliance! You should know that our Uchiha clan never intermarries with outsiders!"

Uchiha Tajima held his head, trying to calm the bulging veins on his forehead. He finally managed to catch his breath and gritted his teeth as he spoke to Uchiha Gin.

"!!!"

Uchiha Hikaru, who was about to turn evil again, suddenly brightened up when he heard Uchiha Tajima's words, and the black aura between his brows slowly dissipated.

That's right! The Uchiha clan forbids intermarriage with other clans, so Gintoki and that wretched brat will never have a future together! Gintoki is just playing around with that guy, and she'll eventually return to her own side.

Thinking of this, the girl, who had been feeling a bit depressed, suddenly felt relieved. Her face, which had been somewhat worried, was now filled with a relieved smile. From now on, her position would be unbreakable!

"You should have said so earlier! You made me worry for nothing!"

Uchiha Gin looked regretful, but his tone carried a hint of relief, as if he had escaped a calamity.

"When did I say that?!"

Uchiha Tajima hardened his fist. This kid is getting more and more annoying. His old fists are itching to be punched. He'll go and train Izuna later.

Izuna, who was being brutally beaten by his older brother in the backyard, suddenly felt a chill on his waist. Startled, he quickly turned around to check, but found nothing.

"Izuna! How can you be distracted during a battle!"

Madara Uchiha's large sword fell with a thud, striking the boy squarely on the forehead, making him scream in pain.

"The Feathered Robe Clan, do you still remember them?"

Having finally calmed his inner turmoil, Uchiha Tajima raised his head and spoke to Uchiha Gin.

"The Feathered Robe Clan?"

Memories of Uchiha Gin's death began to assault his mind. After a moment's thought, Uchiha Gin stroked his chin and replied with a complex mix of emotions.

"Is that the family we used to work with? We haven't heard from them in the last few years."

The Hagoromo clan, isn't that the clan he encountered in his second playthrough that had a cooperative relationship with the Uchiha clan?

It is said that he had some skills, but he was later severely defeated by the Senju clan, and it seems that the servants behind the clan are going to abandon him.

"That's right. The Hagoromo clan was once a major clan in the Land of Fire, but unfortunately, they were dealt with several times by the Senju clan and are now on the verge of extinction."

There's no way around it; the world is a dog-eat-dog world where only the strong survive, while the weak simply disappear into the vortex of time.

"Why did you bring them up?"

Uchiha Gin then recalled that he had been tricked by a member of the Hagoromo clan, but thanks to him, he was able to start a second loop and return to this world.

"Some time ago, the patriarch of the Feather Robe Clan died in battle, and the able-bodied men in the clan were almost all slaughtered. The remaining old, weak, sick and young are no longer able to support the operation of a large clan."

Having cooperated before, even if he looked down on the other party, Uchiha Tajima felt a pang of sympathy for them in their current predicament. A hint of conflict flashed in his eyes before he spoke calmly,

"Now, the remaining members of the Hagoromo clan have entrusted a task to our Uchiha clan."

"Task?"

Upon hearing this, Uchiha Gin said with some surprise, "We've sent all the capable fighters. Do you want to hire us for revenge?"

"No, that's not quite right. It's more of a request than a mission."

Recalling the humble attitude of the representatives of the Hagoromo clan when they came to visit, Uchiha Tajima sighed slightly and said.

"What is the reward?"

More than the mission details, Uchiha Gin was curious about what this clan, which had been utterly destroyed, could possibly offer that would allow them to persuade the Uchiha clan to join them.

"Aren't you going to ask about the mission details?"

Uchiha Tajima raised an eyebrow. This kid didn't play by the rules. He then looked at Uchiha Gin with a deep gaze that made Tajima feel uneasy.

"You are the clan leader, you have the final say."

Uchiha Gin immediately backed down, saying, "You're older, you can say whatever you want."

"The Feathered Robe Clan entrusted us with escorting their elderly and children to the Land of Thunder."

Uchiha Tajima nodded in satisfaction, unfolded a map, and tossed it to Uchiha Gin.

The Land of Thunder? That country full of black laborers?

Uchiha took the map and began to carefully examine the entire ninja world. The Land of Fire was located in the center, while the destination of the mission was the Land of Lightning, located in the northeast corner of the Land of Fire.

It is said that the area is covered with towering peaks that reach into the clouds, and is shrouded in mist all year round, with deafening thunder echoing in the sky from time to time.

Why go to such a remote country?

Even if the Feathered Robe Clan is dwindling in number, they wouldn't necessarily go to such a godforsaken place. The Land of Fire has fertile land and a pleasant climate.

They could have lay low, bided their time for over a decade, and then infiltrated Konoha when it was founded, turning a bicycle into a motorcycle in no time.

"There is no place for them in the Land of Fire."

Uchiha Tajima noticed Uchiha Gin's confusion, shook his head, and made no attempt to hide anything from his eldest nephew.

Do you know exactly how Senju Butsuma died?

(End of this chapter)