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

Chapter 231 Today is another day full of hope.

"What are you going to do?"

In the dimly lit backstage area, the jailer's figure was backlit, obscuring his features; only his tousled curly hair shimmered in the light. Yamanaka Soichiro, filled with apprehension and uncertainty, clutched his collar tightly with one hand and covered his anus with the other, his voice tinged with fear.

He was all alone in the room now; his former cellmates were all behind him. If anything illicit happened here, no one would know.

"Hey~ Souichirou-nii, you didn't want to appear in front of everyone dressed like this, did you?"

Slowly walking backstage, the wooden clone responsible for guarding the prisoners smiled mockingly. Seeing that Yamanaka Souichirou was very nervous, it immediately offered words of comfort.

"Phew~ You're so observant, this outfit really doesn't fit quite right."

Hearing Uchiha Gin's explanation, Yamanaka Souichirou finally breathed a sigh of relief. He looked down at his faded prison uniform. Although the uniform was made of excellent material and was comfortable to wear, it was indeed unseemly to wear it out.

"Yes, yes, yes, then what are we waiting for? Hurry up and take them off, your family members are getting impatient waiting outside~"

With his clear mind, Yamanaka Soichiro had no doubts and directly shredded his clothes, instantly exposing his rather plump belly, which he had developed over the years.

"And your underwear, take it off too~"

Uchiha Gin's smile was quite eerie, causing Yamanaka Souichirou's hand, which was gripping his underwear, to hesitate.

"No need, I just changed my underwear this morning."

"Hey! When we go out, we can't bring anything from the prison with us anymore, it's very unlucky."

Uchiha Gin immediately gave a serious explanation, which seemed to make no sense.

Things in prison are considered unlucky.

"Okay, we're all grown men anyway~"

Feeling that Uchiha Gin's explanation was reasonable, Yamanaka Soichiro nodded and tore open his last line of defense, his brand-new underwear turning into snowflakes and scattering on the cold ground.

"Tsk tsk tsk, Soichiro is still got it!"

With his hands on his hips, Yamanaka Soichiro smiled proudly after hearing Uchiha Gin's exclamation, even deliberately puffing out his back to emphasize that he was still sharp despite his age.

"Click~ Click~ Yes, like that, a few more poses, this is a recruitment image~"

Just as Yamanaka Soichiro was waiting for the new clothes prepared by the other party, he suddenly heard a clicking sound. Puzzled, he opened his eyes and saw a burst of white light crackling. Uchiha Gin, holding a camera, was taking pictures of him from all angles at an extremely fast speed.

"You!!! What do you want to do?!"

Realizing the situation was dire, Yamanaka Soichiro immediately covered his three vital points, his old face turning red with anger, and roared at Uchiha Gin, the instigator.

"Sorry, Souichirou, but we brothers need to eat too. What you wear out later will depend entirely on your family's younger generation."

After taking the photos, Uchiha Gin handed over the camera, looking "apologically" at the ashamed and indignant Yamanaka Souichirou, his tone filled with deep helplessness.

"Don't go! Give me back the photo!!!"

Completely naked, Yamanaka Soichiro could only watch helplessly as Uchiha Gin's departing figure disappeared. Standing alone in the cold backstage room, he shivered, hoping that his clan's descendants would at least provide him with a pair of underwear.

On the stage outside, Uchiha Gin, who was exchanging views with a female representative of the Yamanaka clan, took a stack of photos handed to him by his wooden clone who was bowing his head. He glanced at them and the smile that appeared on his lips sent a chill down the spine of Minako Yamanaka.

"Not bad, as expected of me. This filming skill is even better than Edison Chen's~"

"Ms. Yamanaka, please take a look at our product information before the auction. Our Uchiha clan values ​​genuine products at fair prices."

After browsing through the photos in his hand, Uchiha Gin looked at the bewildered Minako Yamamoto in front of him, randomly picked out two that weren't too revealing, and handed them over.

"Is it really that complicated? Just exchange money for people, why make me watch all this?!"

With a puzzled look, Minako Yamamoto took the photo from the other party. Feeling anxious, she frowned. All she wanted now was to bring the person back as soon as possible. As she was grumbling, her beautiful eyes unconsciously fell on the photo in her hand, causing her pretty face to flush instantly, a wave of heat to rise from her head, and she couldn't help but exclaim in surprise.

"Minako, what happened?"

As part of the Ino-Shika-Cho trio, Shinji Akimichi immediately approached Minako Yamamoto upon hearing her exclamation, wanting to ask what she had seen.

"No! It's nothing."

Holding the photograph, Minako Yamamoto, after a brief moment of mental blankness, saw the round figure approaching from afar. Instinctively, she covered the photograph with her hand, her eyes becoming unfocused. This left Shinji Akimichi, who had rushed over, somewhat bewildered.

"What is that?"

As the saying goes, small eyes can be very focused. Shinji Akimichi's questioning little eyes immediately spotted the photo of Minako Yamamoto pressed against her chest, and he asked in confusion, "..."

"."

"That's a record of the current situation of the prisoners from the Yamanaka clan. I'm giving Ms. Yamanaka a heads-up beforehand, otherwise I'm afraid she might not be able to handle it when the prisoners come out."

In contrast to Minako Yamamoto, who remained silent and unsure how to respond, Gin Uchiha, the host, considerately offered an explanation.

"How could you be so despicable!"

He believed that what the other party presented were photos documenting the torture and bloodshed of prisoners, and that the Uchiha clan was trying to force them to pay ransom in this way. Thinking of this, Shinji Akimichi exuded an astonishing aura, his wide robes fluttered without wind, and his palms gathered a thick amount of Yang Release power, as if he was about to unleash it at any moment.

Among the onlookers, Hashirama Senju, sensing the chakra emanating from Shinji Akimichi, immediately clapped his hands together, rapidly condensing dense Wood Release energy. However, an arm blocked his way, causing him to pause.

"Brother! Don't be impulsive, there are still ordinary people here."

With a grave expression, Tobirama Senju used one hand to shield his elder brother, while the other formed a hand seal, ready to strike at any moment. With so many villagers watching, if his brother lost control, the village they had painstakingly built could be destroyed. They still owed the Land of Waves a huge loan.

Facing Shinji Akimichi's menacing hand, Gin Uchiha remained completely calm, even somewhat expectant. If Shinji actually made a move, then what he would be taking pictures of wouldn't just be photographs.

"Stop! Shinji, this is a matter for our Yamanaka clan."

Just as Shinji Akimichi was about to make his move, a tall figure blocked his path. Minako Yamamoto, her expression shifting between anger and uncertainty, coldly stopped him, then turned to the smiling Gin Uchiha and said...

"Uchiha Gin, is it? Begin your auction. Our Yamanaka clan will do our utmost."

"Alright, I like straightforward clients like you. Where was I?"

Although no conflict occurred, which was a bit of a disappointment for Uchiha Gin, it didn't hinder his path to making money.

"What did you mean by guaranteeing the original image and product?"

With her mind still filled with the images from those two photos, Minako Yamamoto's face flushed slightly. Her beautiful blue eyes were fixed on the handsome, curly-haired man before her, and with a strange mix of emotions, she spoke up.

Just now, when Uchiha Gin and Yamaminako were talking, Gin told them that although the prisoner only wanted 2 million yen, if they only paid 2 million yen, they could only guarantee that it was 100% the original image and item.

"You mean this when you say 'original image, original product'?"

Cursing the despicable Uchiha Minako in her heart, she spoke with a tense face, demanding an explanation.

"Yes, the bag really is!"

"What is your purpose in humiliating our mountain tribe like this?!"

Unexpectedly, the other party admitted it so readily. Minako Yamamoto's chest heaved with anger, her two white, round mounds almost spilling out, causing Gin Uchiha to subconsciously avert his gaze.

"We Uchiha treat every prisoner equally, not just your Yamanaka clan."

With his eyes darting around, Uchiha Gin fixed his gaze on the other person's face and explained sincerely,

"What exactly do you want to do?"

If it were merely a matter of humiliation, this despicable curly-haired woman could have simply dragged out Elder Soichiro, who was completely naked, and made her suffer the ridicule of those around her. Why waste her breath arguing with her? Minako Yamamoto, her delicate brows furrowed, spoke again, her tone tinged with resignation.

"Hehe, ma'am, you wouldn't want your elders to be seen walking their birds in public, would you?"

Upon seeing the beautiful mountain clan member before him, head bowed and chest hunched, looking utterly helpless, Uchiha Gin was immediately filled with excitement. He lowered his head to her delicate earlobe and whispered softly,

"No! I'll agree to anything you want!"

Bewitched by the devilish whispers, Minako Yamamoto's eyes were filled with panic. Her usual ruthlessness and decisiveness vanished completely. Her trembling hands gripped Uchiha Gin's sleeve tightly, making her look like a respectable housewife about to be taken over by a NTR.

"No, don't do that, I'm a respectable person."

Suddenly feeling several beams of light piercing his back from the crowd, Uchiha Gin immediately and righteously shook off the other's soft hand. His dead fish eyes were filled with clear purity, as if one could see holy light emerging from behind him.

"ha?"

Minako Yamamoto, who was almost succumbing to temptation, snapped back to reality upon hearing these words. Her beautiful face flushed crimson, and a strange meaning appeared in her eyes as she looked at Gin Uchiha.

"Cough cough cough If you don't want Soichiro to come out with a clean record, you'll have to spend some money."

He waved away the somewhat romantic atmosphere and explained the rules to Minako Yamamoto, who was standing in front of him with a strange expression.

"Pay-to-win?"

Minako Yamamoto, who had never heard of this word before, raised her eyebrows and asked in confusion,

"168,000 for one draw! If you get the perfect outfit on your first try, you can take home a high-end costume instantly!"

Uchiha Gin straightened up, jumped back to the center of the stage, raised the microphone in his hand, and shouted loudly,

"Do you want your clan's heroes to return to the ninja world in a magnificent display?"

Do you want your elders, who have worked hard for most of their lives, to experience a transformative change in their old age?

"Think about the love and guidance they gave you, what are you still hesitating for?"

"For just 168,000, get an exquisite outfit handcrafted by the most fashionable fashion designer in the Land of Waves—wear it now!"

"What do you mean? Wasn't it supposed to be an auction of prisoners? How did it turn into selling clothes?"

The onlookers, unaware of the truth, were completely bewildered by Uchiha Gin's sudden death and asked him questions out of curiosity.

"What on earth is that Uchiha guy doing? 2 million yen per person, and he still wants to spend 168,000 yen on clothes?"

Among the crowd, a bewildered Kenichi Shimura nudged Sasuke Sarutobi beside him and frowned as he asked his friend.

"I don't know either, let's see how Minako handles it."

Sarutobi Sasuke didn't understand what Uchiha Gin was up to either, but since the deal involved the Yamanaka clan, he decided to wait and see what happened.

"I'll smoke! I'll smoke right now!"

Knowing the trick, Minako Yamamoto eagerly raised her hand and shouted in a sweet voice that she wanted to spend money on in-game purchases, leaving the onlookers confused.

"Minako actually agreed? Is the dress really that gorgeous?"

Everyone thought that the spoiled Minako Yama would flip the table, but to their surprise, she agreed to pay for that strange service, which greatly surprised the members of the Ninja Alliance who were familiar with her personality.

"Don't rush, bring the machine up here."

Seeing the other party's cooperation, Uchiha Gin smiled and waved his hand. The prison guards behind him then pushed out a large screen from behind the curtain and placed it in the center of the stage. The screen, with its futuristic technology, immediately sparked heated discussion among the audience.

"Tobirama, what is that?"

With a face full of curiosity, Hashirama Senju stood on tiptoe, trying to see what was going on. After a long time of trying to figure it out, he couldn't help but ask his younger brother, a tech whiz, who was standing next to him.

"I don't know either~"

At this time, the Land of Fire had not yet developed its electrical technology, so naturally they did not know what the things in front of them were.

Satisfied with the astonished expressions of the crowd below, Uchiha Gin waved his hand, channeling chakra into the screen. The dim screen instantly lit up, accompanied by a catchy background music, and a gacha interface unique to second-generation games appeared on the screen.

In the video, a sweet-looking anime girl is greeting everyone warmly; her soft, clear voice is like a gentle breeze.

"Today is another day full of hope~"

"168,000 is just the price of one draw. The prize is exquisite clothing sponsored by the Land of Waves. Although there is a probability of winning, if you are extremely lucky, it is not impossible to get it in one draw~"

Uchiha Gin smiled and opened the prize pool, generously revealing the winning odds to everyone.

"A 16% chance of winning the grand prize? That's really generous!"

Seeing the glaring 16% mark, onlookers couldn't help but exclaim, "This is a game with a conscience, I want to play!"

"Give me one first!"

Minako Yamamoto squinted her beautiful eyes, carefully browsed the prize pool, and immediately tossed out a wallet, indicating that she wanted to try her luck.

"One shot? Are you sure?"

Catching the wallet tossed to him, still slightly warm to the touch, Uchiha Gin opened it, noticing its faint fragrance, and couldn't help but raise an eyebrow, asking to confirm.

"Hmph~ My luck is famously good!"

With a soft snort, Minako Yamamoto revealed her true identity as the ultimate lucky charm.

"Alright, I hope you get a miracle in your single pull, but I'm telling you in advance, we have a pity system for this ten-pull."

It's hard to persuade a money-giving devil with kind words. Seeing Minako Yamamoto's stubbornness, Gin Uchiha stopped trying to stop her. After offering a word of blessing, he put away the wallet, which was still warm from her body. Anyway, it wouldn't be long before the wallet was his.

"How do I draw it?"

Minako Yamamoto, with her long legs, leaped onto the stage, staring at the high-tech screen before her, unsure how to proceed.

"Just slap Celia's face~"

Uchiha Gin, head down counting his money, casually pointed to the smiling girl in the red dress in the picture and offered some guidance.

"Huh? You're playing really weird~"

Unexpectedly, the lottery method was so bizarre. Minako Yamamoto pouted, stretched out her delicate hand, and slapped the screen.

"Ah~~"

A soft, breathy moan escaped her lips, making everyone blush and their hearts race. Everyone in the room craned their necks in curiosity. Those in the front row had a clear view of the large screen, but those in the back, unable to see, were scratching their heads in frustration.

"The Art of Wooden Dummy!"

Hashirama Senju, equally eager, disregarded his brother's objections, clasped his hands together, and with controlled force, a wooden doll several meters tall appeared in place. He pulled Tobirama Senju to stand on the doll's head, and the two brothers stared intently at the screen shimmering with blue light, eager to witness the birth of a lucky winner.

"Multiply Technique!"

Similarly, the late-arriving Ninja Alliance was also unable to witness the lottery draw. Fortunately, Shinji Akimichi had just returned to the team. The chubby man formed hand seals, shouted loudly, and instantly expanded to several meters in size. The others tacitly jumped onto his enormous body and looked at the screen on the stage.

As a dazzling blue light flashed, Uchiha Gin, the developer, breathed a sigh of relief. "It's just blue, keep charging me!"

"Ding~ Congratulations on obtaining 1 random clothing fragments."

Minako Yamamoto, who had been full of confidence, frowned so deeply when she saw the prize that popped up on the screen that it could crush a bull. She then clicked on the prize description.

[Random Clothing Fragments: Collect 40 fragments to synthesize a random outfit.]

"40 pieces? 160,000 * 40 equals less than 7 million. Your prize pool isn't all that great~"

After applying the formula, Minako Yamamoto's tense brows slowly relaxed, and a smile appeared on her face. She then looked up at the "mourning-looking" Gin Uchiha and raised an eyebrow provocatively.

"Sigh~ I guess I'll have to take the bus now~"

Uchiha Gin wore a distressed expression, his eyes filled with a pleading look.

Please stop topping up! If you keep topping up, I'll lose so much that I'll only be able to become the richest person in the world.

"Give me ten shots!"

Full of confidence, Minako Yamamoto waved her hand extravagantly, exuding an air of wealth that moved Gin Uchiha to tears of "emotion."

"Ah~~~"

She pointed at the sweet smiling face on the screen and twitched it ten times. The screen immediately burst into colorful lights. When the lights faded, the smug Minako Yamamoto's smile instantly froze.

"Ding~ Congratulations on obtaining 2 random clothing fragments."

"Ding~ Congratulations on obtaining 1 random shoe fragment."

"Ding~ Congratulations on obtaining 2 random underwear fragments."

"Ding~ Congratulations!"

"What do you mean? You're selling the clothes separately?"

Looking at the pile of fragments from different parts in front of her, Minako Yamamoto, overwhelmed with anger and frustration, nearly fainted. She shakily reached out, pointed at the wicked developer, and angrily condemned them.

"Hey~ those are designer clothes, each part is designed by a different designer, so they definitely have to be sold separately~"

Uchiha Gin immediately shrugged, indicating that this was the Uchiha uniform, take it or leave it.

"Okay, okay~ What about my safety net? Didn't you say there was a safety net?"

Feeling cheated, Minako Yamamoto, remembering the promise of a guaranteed drop after ten pulls, gritted her teeth and asked, feeling resentful.

"There's a guaranteed gift box, just open it~"

The understanding Uchiha Gin pointed to the glittering treasure box in the corner and said with a smile,

"Is the guaranteed minimum also fragments?"

Minako Yamamoto's face showed surprise and uncertainty. Her outstretched hand hovered in mid-air. She turned to look at Gin Uchiha and asked again to confirm.

"No, no, no, the guaranteed gift box is definitely a finished product, and it's a limited edition!"

Unexpectedly, his incredibly generous gacha system was being questioned. Uchiha, looking heartbroken, shook his head and explained to the other party...

"Hmph~ I'll believe you this once."

Seeing that Uchiha Gin remained sincere, Yamamoto Minako did not hesitate any longer. Her slender, white fingers touched the gift box directly. A dazzling purple light flashed, and when everyone opened their eyes again, their gazes were all fixed on the guaranteed item that had been revealed.

"Ding~ Congratulations on obtaining a hot bikini (summer limited edition)*1."

"Oh dear~ I forgot to tell you, these few days are during the summer event, and the guaranteed reward boxes are all summer limited items~"

Seeing Minako standing there dumbfounded, Uchiha Gin smiled sarcastically, then opened the description of the guaranteed gift box. Four large characters were prominently displayed on it:

[Summer Limited Edition]

"rnm, refund my money!!!"

Are you sure?

"Waaaaah~ Please give me ten more shots~"

Congratulations on obtaining 1 random clothing fragment.

After a long while, Minako Yamamoto, her face ashen, tremblingly clicked on the clothing fragments she had painstakingly collected among her prizes. With a flash of blue light, her heart, which had been hanging in suspense, finally died.

Congratulations on winning a 36D leopard print swimsuit.

"Shinji, Sasuke, lend me some money!"

With a crazed look in her eyes, Minako Yamamoto, already in a frenzy, turned to her friends, her pretty face falling, and said...

"Excuse me, we'll need some later too."

Having witnessed the lottery process where money flowed like water, the members of the Ninja Alliance clutched their pockets tightly, wondering why Minako Yamamoto had given in to the lottery.

"Excuse me, do you offer loan sharking services here?"

Having failed to borrow money, Minako Yamamoto finally fixed her gaze on Gin Uchiha's smiling face and asked somewhat shyly,

"Hehe, yes, only thirty-five points~"

Waaaaah~ I'm crying my eyes out! I'm determined to protect those innocent mountain tribes!

"Thank you, your Uchiha clan are truly benevolent!"

Thirty-five points? That's practically free!

Waaaaah~ I'm so sad! I'm determined to be friends with the Uchiha clan!

"Of course! There's no family more loving than ours!"

With everyone present as witnesses, a clearly somewhat distraught Minako Yamamoto signed the loan shark contract without even glancing at it. Meanwhile, Gin Uchiha, beaming, returned the gold coins he had just acquired in full.

On the screen beside them, the sweet-looking girl in the red dress smiled even more brightly as she inserted coins.

"Today is another day full of hope~"

(End of this chapter)