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

Chapter 226 While touching the ground, the company went bankrupt.

"Itama, come home and visit often when you have time~"

As the gates of the Uchiha Gin clan's residence were pushed open, Senju Itama escorted his two older brothers to the door. Senju Hashirama, his eyes filled with brotherly concern, looked at his sister who had been resurrected and spoke sincerely.

"If you feel wronged, tell your brothers. Although the eldest brother isn't good with words, he knows a little bit of martial arts."

"Don't underestimate me, I can handle this myself."

"Itama, were you trying to kill me just now?"

Compared to the reluctant Hashirama Senju, Tobirama Senju, who was completely unharmed but deeply traumatized, asked in a strange tone,

Just now, because I misinterpreted Hashirama Senju's words, I almost took a full-power, superhuman heart-piercing punch. Luckily, my older brother reacted quickly and blocked the attack, otherwise I might be going to see our father.

"Hmph! Who told you to talk nonsense? If I hear you say anything weird again, I'll smash your head in!"

Recalling Tobirama Senju's words, the girl blushed slightly. She then put her hands on her hips, showing off her two cute little fangs, and warned him in a sweet voice. But the shyness in her eyes made her two brothers feel bitter.

"Okay, we'll keep our promise and pretend we don't know you in public."

Hashirama Senju waved his hand helplessly. He couldn't understand why Imoto, whom he hadn't seen for many years, wanted the two brothers to pretend they didn't know each other. Was there some unspeakable reason?

But as long as people are alive, that's a great joy, so there's nothing unacceptable about such a strange agreement.

"Okay, you guys go ahead, I'm going shopping with my bestie later~"

After calculating the time in her mind, Senju Itama urged the two to leave. She was in a state of turmoil and needed to find a trustworthy woman to confide in.

"Itama, I've heard about it. That Uchiha Gin has an extremely immoral private life. Not only does he live with younger girls, but he also seduces widows. You'd better keep your eyes open!"

Undeterred, Tobirama Senju, based on unsubstantiated rumors, slandered his sister's beloved.

"We will win!"

? ? ? ? ? ?

……

With the storm subsided, Uchiha Gin, now separated from the two women's group, resumed his exploration mode. Compared to the previous few days, there were more and more unfamiliar faces on the streets of the newly established Konoha.

Many temporary stalls have sprung up along both sides of the street, displaying specialty products from various ethnic groups.

There's a dog food shop run by the Inuzuka clan... Hmm... I should buy some for my younger cousin; he should like it.

There were also the chubby Akimichi clan members selling the secret medicine his little cousin had once given him, with the word "GG" written next to it.

[Larger growth leads to more sustainable results, benefiting everyone involved.]

Hmm... I have a friend who really needs it, so we'll buy it when it's less crowded!

"Boss, how much are your deer antlers?"

Suddenly, as he passed a stall, Uchiha Gin, raising an eyebrow, squatted down, picked up a decent-looking deer antler, and asked the listless stall owner, "..."

"Grand opening special offer! For only 10000 taels, you can bring home wild-raised deer antlers from the Nara clan. They improve blood circulation and are especially effective in strengthening the kidneys and enhancing male virility!"

Upon hearing that guests had arrived, the drowsy young man from the Nara clan immediately perked up. Looking at the weak-looking Uchiha Gin, he dutifully began the introduction.

"Um... what do you mean by that? Who are you looking down on?"

Clutching his lower back, Uchiha Gin frowned, glaring at the pineapple-headed man spouting nonsense. His intimidating aura made the newcomer from Nara feel breathless.

"Hmph! Wrap them all up for me. I have a friend who happens to need some nourishment..."

Just as the young man from Nara was racking his brains, a golden object was slapped in front of him, followed by the confident voice of Uchiha Gin.

He subconsciously picked up the gold and took a bite. After verifying that it was genuine, he hurriedly packed up the deer antlers on the ground and respectfully handed them to the important customer before him.

"Sir, if your friend needs anything else, please remember to contact the Nara clan."

"Is your Nara clan preparing to join Konoha?"

Taking the deer antlers he had bought for his friend, Uchiha Gin looked curiously at the distinctive pineapple-headed man in front of him and asked,

"Yes, our clan leader has already moved all the clan's businesses here, in the forest on the outskirts of Konoha."

The Nara lad, beaming with joy as he held the gold brick, didn't hide anything and truthfully told Uchiha Gin about joining the Nara clan.

Wow! Even the deer herd has come over; the Nara clan certainly has a clear understanding of the situation.

After all, although Konoha may seem like a makeshift operation now, with the protection of the Senju and Uchiha clans, it is definitely an excellent place for a small clan like theirs to thrive and multiply.

"Welcome, welcome! Let's play chess sometime!"

With that thought in mind, Uchiha Gin slung the deer antler over his shoulder, greeted the young man from Nara, and turned to leave.

"Huh, how did he know I like playing chess?"

The young man from Nara, who was still examining the gold brick in his hand, suddenly paused upon hearing Uchiha Gin's words, a hint of doubt flashing in his lifeless eyes.

Then he saw a chess manual lying on the ground and realized that his opponent must have seen the chess manual he used to study, which was why he said that.

"That pineapple head must be from Shikamaru's great-grandfather's generation, otherwise why do they look so alike?"

Carrying the heavy deer antlers on his back, Uchiha Gin looked up at the rock wall above Konoha Village.

"Now all that's missing is a rock sculpture. It wasn't for nothing that I endured all these years of hiding; I've finally managed to bring Konoha Village to fruition!"

With a sigh, Uchiha Gin hummed a little tune and headed toward his friend's newly opened barbecue restaurant. After all, it wouldn't be right for him to enjoy all the high-quality deer antlers he had bought by himself, so he took out a few as a gift for his friend's opening.

……

Meanwhile, in the Thousand Hands Brothers' temporary office.

"So, in the end, you couldn't escape Itama's iron fist after all!"

Hashirama Senju, engrossed in processing documents, heard his younger brother's nagging, looked up with a strange expression, saw the large bag Tobirama Senju was displaying, and said, barely suppressing a laugh.

"Sigh~ I wonder what kind of education Itama has received over the years, that has turned him from such a well-behaved and sensible child into what he is now."

Tobirama Senju's palm glowed green as he carefully tended to his swollen wound, wincing in pain and grimacing as he complained.

"Um... I think Itama is becoming more and more like his mother."

After moving his still slightly swollen wrist, Hashirama Senju, who had also taken a punch, looked on with nostalgia as he recalled his mother's voice and smile, comparing her to his spoiled and adorable younger sister, and found that they were exactly the same.

"Alright, now that you know the good news that Itama is still alive, you should be even more motivated to work, right?"

Looking at his smiling elder brother, Tobirama Senju, who was calming the swelling from his head wound, rolled his eyes and said...

"Of course. By the way, you just said that the Sarutobi clan also agreed to join, is that true?"

"Sarutobi Sasuke promised it himself, and given his position as the leader of the delegation, the members of the Shinobi Alliance should agree soon."

Tobirama Senju's eyes were filled with contemplation. The ninja alliance, led by the Sarutobi clan, did not have any superhuman fighters, but its overall strength should not be underestimated.

If such a force joins Konoha, then they can immediately move on to the next step, that crucial plan.

"If they agree, does that mean the conditions they mentioned before will have to be fulfilled?"

From the mountain of documents, they unearthed the detailed terms of their negotiations with the ninja clan. Hashirama Senju turned to the section on payments described as requests, but in reality, conditions, and frowned, asking…

"Since they've agreed to join, we need to show them the same sincerity. Brother, why don't you handle the negotiations?"

The thought of dealing with those wretched hedgehog-headed guys made Tobirama Senju feel extremely uncomfortable. His expression immediately turned sour, and he asked with a very subtle look,

"I already discussed this with Madara, and he said the Uchiha clan is open to it. After all... those people need to eat too~"

.........

Following the aroma, they strolled to Da Lang's newly opened barbecue restaurant. As soon as they entered, they saw several familiar faces sitting at a table. Uchiha Gin's eyes lit up, and he immediately went over.

"Hey, you guys had a party and didn't invite me? Are you treating me like an outsider?"

Uchiha Gin pulled out a chair and sat down without any hesitation, casually tossing the deer antlers from his back onto the table. Looking at his familiar clansman, he pouted and began to complain.

"What are you saying? We just didn't want to disturb Lord Yin's rest, so we didn't inform you."

The first to speak was Uchiha Gin's best tool, the so-called King of Overtime, Uchiha Ryuzaki. After years of honing his skills, this once cautious prison guard had developed a certain air of authority. However, when facing his mentor, he still habitually lowered his posture, with a hint of respect in his eyes.

"Lu Cha, you're in jail, aren't you? I've told you so many times, once we're out of the dungeon, we're buddies. Why are you being so polite with me?"

Facing the respectful attitude of Uchiha Ryuzashi, Uchiha Gin criticized him with disappointment,

"Exactly, Brother Lü, don't you know what kind of person Brother Yin is?"

Sitting to the side, Uchiha Jiro curiously poked the deer antler that emitted a strong, fishy smell, and then spoke up.

"Erlang, where's your brother?"

"A chubby customer just ordered barbecue for twenty people. Are you in the kitchen preparing it now, sir?"

"Looks like your brother's business has been booming since we moved to Konoha!"

Having roughly guessed who the customer was, Uchiha Gin was genuinely happy for his friend. If the Akimichi clan became a regular customer, Taro would make a fortune.

"Lord Yin, I'm so sorry I couldn't be of much help today."

After Uchiha Gin finished his exclamation, the ponytail-wearing girl sitting next to Jiro lowered her head and somewhat awkwardly apologized.

"It's alright, you've handled it very well. These are turbulent times, so the Uchiha clan shouldn't be too high-profile for now."

He had witnessed Uchiha Hikko's biased behavior today and naturally had no objection to this straightforward young man. However, he suddenly remembered the boy accompanying Hikko who didn't look like a good person, and asked him another question.

"Who's that brat who's always hanging around you, talking like he's got athlete's foot?"

"Um... Lord Gin, don't you remember? That was Setsuna!"

"What? Oh, I remember now, it's Brother Liuying's youngest son, right!"

After muttering to himself for a moment, Uchiha Gin suddenly remembered that the brat's gloomy eyes were exactly the same as Uchiha Ryukage's—wasn't that the Kosana he had tortured before?

Whenever Setsuna is mentioned, Gin Uchiha can't help but reminisce about those leisurely days in the dungeon, when Ryukage Uchiha always liked to bring his youngest son, whom he had late in life, to work.

Faced with a clueless and arrogant brat, Uchiha Gin took action without hesitation. While gaining a large amount of mental energy, he also made the young Uchiha Setsuna experience the wickedness of the world. In the end, the brat ran away crying, supposedly to go to a training camp for further study, and was never seen again.

Unexpectedly, after so many years, that brat's personality is still so wicked. His typical narrow-minded Uchiha mentality still needs to be reformed in the dungeon.

"So, what made you guys decide to have a get-together?"

Grabbing a handful of sunflower seeds from the table, Uchiha Gin cracked them open while asking curiously,

"Brother Yin, didn't you know?"

"Um... I haven't been to work lately, can you tell me about it?"

Faced with the three people's questioning gazes, Uchiha Gin scratched his head somewhat embarrassedly, then raised his neck and spoke up to explain.

My younger cousin is currently in seclusion, so I'm handling his official duties in his place.

"Then, Lord Yin, you should know better than anyone what happened, right?"

"Cough cough cough... I caught a cold and took the day off yesterday."

Recalling the political affairs that had been dumped on his younger cousin, Uchiha Gin, who had always pretended to be very busy, spouted nonsense with a straight face.

"Oh~ I'll kill you."

Upon hearing Uchiha Gin's pale and feeble explanation, the three who knew his character well all had an "I see" expression on their faces, exchanged a tacit glance, and their eyes were full of mockery.

"Alright, stop keeping me in suspense. This meal's on me, just tell me!"

Feeling guilty, Gin Uchiha scratched his face and waved his hand, indicating that the entire table's expenses would be paid by Gin.

"Alright, that's what I've been waiting for, bro! Give us ten more servings of premium beef!"

Upon hearing that someone had paid the bill, Uchiha Jiro excitedly stood up and called out to his brother, who was busy in the kitchen.

"And oysters, give me ten more!"

Uchiha Ryuzaki followed closely behind. Having worked overtime for several nights for a certain job involving curly hair, he absolutely could not let go of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

"..."

Uchiha Gin stared speechlessly at the two impolite brats, then turned his gaze to Uchiha Kako, who hadn't spoken yet. Just as he was about to praise the kid for having a conscience, he heard him slowly open his mouth...

"Ten servings of tuna and caviar, please!"

"puff!!!"

In the end, I was wrong about you. I thought you, with your thick eyebrows, big eyes, and ponytail, were a good person. I never expected this...

"Lord Yin, there's something I've never told you before."

After ordering the expensive tuna, Uchiha Hikaru looked at Uchiha Gin, who had a sorrowful expression, and said in a somewhat strange tone,

"What?! You little brat, do you have some earth-shattering secret up your sleeve?"

Immersed in grief, Uchiha Gin's expression changed upon hearing Uchiha Hikaru's words. His feigned sadness vanished instantly, replaced by intense curiosity as he eagerly awaited to hear what secret this kid was hiding.

"I have a very close cousin named Uchiha Ryoichi."

"ha?"

The stunned Uchiha Gin, seeing the bewilderment in Uchiha Kanoko's eyes, suddenly understood everything.

The reason why Huo He would "backstab" himself was to avenge his brother. He endured humiliation for many years and finally found an opportunity to cheat himself out of ten servings of tuna and caviar.

"How is Ryoichi doing in prison?"

No wonder this kid's ponytail looked so familiar; it turned out to be the younger brother of an old friend. Memories flooded back, and Uchiha Gin sighed at the passage of time, a hint of worry rising in his heart. He then asked,

"After the ceasefire, Liang Yi was appointed as an instructor at the training camp, specifically responsible for teaching throwing techniques."

Contrary to what Uchiha Gin had imagined, there was no terrible news. On the contrary, Ryoichi was doing quite well, and his exquisite throwing skills were finally putting to good use.

"Not only Liangyi, but also Feihe is employed there, responsible for teaching swordsmanship."

"Where is Captain Feng Huo?"

They're a four-person team, so how could Uchiha Feng Huo be missing?

"I was just about to say that, Uchiha Feng Huo is the current headmaster of the training camp."

Unexpectedly, the brothers who fought alongside me back then have all found good endings, some going into business and others coming ashore. It's truly a cause for celebration.

Thinking about his position as the chief jailer, Uchiha Gin couldn't help but sigh. Everyone was lucky to live in such a good era. If it were after the founding of Konoha, the competition in the industry would be much more intense, with dozens of people vying for a single position.

"Hey hey hey~ The barbecue's here!"

Just as the group was chatting, Uchiha Taro, with a big smile on his face, walked over carrying a preheated grill.

"Brother, why don't you sit down and have something to eat?"

The stove emitted a scorching heat, and the sizzling sound of the pre-grilled meat on it made everyone's mouths water. Uchiha Gin, looking at Uchiha Taro whose face showed signs of age, called out to him.

"I still have ingredients to prepare in the kitchen. I have a big order tonight. I, Uchiha Taro, represent the pinnacle of the Uchiha culinary world. I will make those outsiders submit to my secret-recipe barbecue!"

Uchiha Taro resolutely shook his head, brandishing his fist, his eyes burning with fighting spirit, his tone filled with intense battle intent, leaving Uchiha Gin speechless.

Tsk! You're just a barbecue vendor, yet you've made this more exciting than Boruto. Do you want to study in the world of Master Boy?

"Indeed, ambition can make you feel younger. Look at Da Lang, doesn't he live like an eighteen-year-old? So, as long as young people are willing to work hard, they will always be young!"

That's right, salary too!

Watching Uchiha Taro's departing figure, Uchiha Gin nodded in agreement, then, in the tone of someone who had been there before, ladled a bowl of toxic chicken soup for the three who were showing off their barbecue.

"Huh?" *3

You're the least qualified to say such things, you slacker, the most stubborn salary thief of the Uchiha clan!

The three of them rolled their eyes in unison, ignoring the pretentious Uchiha Gin, and continued to fawn over their grilled meat.

"Hey, hey, hey, stop eating! Tell me what happened!"

Unable to cleanse the three men's filthy souls, Uchiha Gin couldn't help but feel somewhat disappointed. Could it be that he had talked too much over the years, causing these guys to develop immunity?

"Oh, I almost forgot. While you were away, the clan chief issued a pardon. We only just finished checking the contents against the files today, so we're having this get-together to celebrate the successful completion of the final tasks!"

Uchiha Lucha patted his chest, swallowed the marbled roasted meat in his mouth with a look of enjoyment, then put down his chopsticks and began to explain the situation to Uchiha Gin.

"Pardon document? What's in it?"

Actually, it wasn't that Uchiha Gin wanted to skip work; it was all due to some embarrassing personal reasons. Every night, he had to work overtime until late, then drag his tired body back to his room to rest. When he woke up, it was almost the afternoon of the next day.

"That guy, Hashirama Senju, promised to release the ninja prisoners held in the dungeon in order to get the outside ninja clans to join Konoha."

When the topic of releasing prisoners came up, Uchiha Lucha's expression immediately turned sour. After all, being imprisoned for so many years meant that the prisoner must have done something to harm the interests of the Uchiha clan. How could he, a pure Uchiha, accept such an easy release?

"What?! This can't be allowed!"

Those heinous criminals were a stable supplier of energy points for Uchiha Gin. Although he had squeezed them almost dry over the years, it was still better than nothing. Otherwise, he would have to go door to door to see if there were any children he could bully.

"That's right. The dungeon is mostly filled with ninja prisoners. If they were all released, the dungeon would be completely empty!"

Uchiha Jiro, standing to the side, skillfully flipped the grilled meat, his face also showing dissatisfaction, and his tone was not very pleasant.

"Rumors are circulating that the Senju clan has already begun releasing their prisoners. Right now, they're putting our Uchiha clan on the grill. If we hesitate even slightly, we could be labeled as detrimental to Konoha's development."

As a member of the clan leader's personal guard, Uchiha Hikaru knew more about the inside story than Uchiha Ryōzashi and the other two. He stuffed a piece of plump fish into his mouth, his usually cold face now showing rare anger, and began to analyze the situation.

It seems the Senju brothers are really going all out for the development of Konoha, even going so far as to release their former enemies in order to win over other ninja clans.

However, while the Senju clan is making a big show of it, the Uchiha clan is doing it quietly. They'll release everyone eventually, and those other ninja clans will only be grateful to the Senju clan for their publicity.

The Uchiha who do the hardest and most tiring work may not necessarily receive praise, and may even be labeled as detrimental to unity, as Fire Core said.

"Hmph! How many prisoners does the Senju clan have? With their despicable fighting style, it's hard for the enemy to leave any alive. Unlike us Uchiha, who use genjutsu to control them and then unleash the Great Fireball Jutsu..."

Uchiha Taro, who had been eavesdropping in the kitchen, couldn't help but lift the curtain and complain from afar.

Okay, okay, I understand. We Uchiha are the most loving ninja clan.

No one understands the true value of the Fireball's compassion better than I do.

"Sigh~ You've said so much, but it's too late now. The ninja alliance led by the Sarutobi clan is almost certain to join."

Sarutobi Sasuke, whom I met today, has already publicly confirmed that he wants to join Konoha. With the leader already in the circle, wouldn't the little Karami behind him be able to join blindly as well?

"Yes, this is an inevitable trend. We can only complain, but we can't change anything."

After hearing the latest news about Uchiha Gin, the three of them sighed in unison, imagining the sizzling, oily grilled meat as the hateful Senju, and continued their fierce attack.

"Oh right, it's not all bad news. If the dungeon is empty, we can rest for a long time!"

Finally, amidst a string of misfortunes, Uchiha Gin found something that could offer some solace.

"Huh? Lord Gin, didn't you receive the notice? The Uchiha clan's dungeon is closing down. You're already unemployed!"

(End of this chapter)