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

As dishes of food, presented in ways that evoked both tears and silence, were brought into the private rooms, the diners in the barbecue restaurant, regardless of gender, all wore knowing expressions and whispered among themselves that a tough battle was sure to ensue for those inside.

Inside the private room, two large black men were wolfing down their food, their hearty eating habits astonishing the little ones who were gnawing on stick-shaped food.

Swallowing a suspiciously sizzling, oily piece of food, the curly-haired black man tilted his head back and drank the deer antler wine that Uchiha Gin had generously shared. Amidst the intense burning sensation in his throat, he couldn't help but exclaim in admiration.

"This wine goes perfectly with the grilled meat!"

I never expected Konoha to have such fine wine, which is comparable to the best brews from the Land of Lightning.

Meanwhile, the bearded, black-haired man next to him, whose mouth was already stuffed with roasted meat, could only nod repeatedly in agreement with what his man had said.

Watching the two black laborers who looked like they had fled from Africa, Uchiha Gin took a sip of tea thoughtfully. He couldn't help but worry about the living conditions of the Kinkaku and Ginkaku brothers. He could only hope that the two little prison wardens would not suffer from malnutrition and stunted growth due to not having enough to eat.

"Thank you for the wine. My name is Ai, and I come from the Land of Thunder. May I ask your esteemed name?"

After the wine and meat had passed through his intestines, the First Raikage felt warm all over, with a slight heat in his lower abdomen. Looking at Uchiha Gin, who was only drinking tea and hadn't touched his chopsticks, he chuckled and asked,

"My name is Uchiha Gin, and I'm a jailer who's currently on leave."

Setting down his teacup, Uchiha Gin revealed a warm smile.

"A jailer? I never expected Yin-kun to be a civil servant."

Having witnessed what had happened on the street, the First Raikage had always thought that Uchiha Gin was a high-ranking figure in Konoha, but he never expected that he was just an ordinary jailer.

"And who is this guy with a good appetite?"

Nodding solemnly, Uchiha Gin declared that he was proud to be a low-level employee, then turned his gaze to the bearded, black-haired man who was still eating beef tripe, and gave him a slightly puzzled look.

"Crunch, crunch. I am..."

The bearded, black-haired man, suddenly asked the question, paused, his wide, bewildered eyes staring blankly at Uchiha Gin.

Since he became the only candidate for the Second Raikage, according to custom, he had to abandon his previous name and change his codename to A, the same as the First Raikage.

"Silver-kun, his name is also Ai."

The First Raikage noticed his subordinate's predicament and spoke up to explain.

"You guys seem pretty casual about naming your children~"

Gin Uchiha stroked his chin thoughtfully, then looked at the nodding, bearded man and spoke up.

"Little Ai?"

"I'm here."

The bearded, black-haired man answered instinctively.

"Is there anything I can help you with?"

Although being called "Little Ai" made him a little awkward, he was, after all, the first Raikage, and the bearded man with the black beard proudly accepted this strange nickname.

"No problem, no problem, order more if you need more, this meal is on me."

"Thanks!"

"I can't accept this, Gin-kun."

The First Raikage, who had no intention of getting something for free, quickly waved his hand in refusal.

"It's alright, meeting is fate. Speaking of the Land of Lightning, I still have two poor, imprisoned kids from your country begging for mercy. I wonder if they're even getting enough to eat right now."

Uchiha Gin could afford such a small amount of money. Looking at the honest and simple-minded black man, he shook his head with a sigh.

"I didn't expect that you, Silver Lord, have brothers in the Land of Lightning. I have some influence in the Land of Lightning. If your brother has any difficulties, please feel free to come to me."

The First Raikage, known for his generosity, immediately patted his chest and guaranteed after hearing Uchiha Gin's account.

"Thank you so much!"

Considering that the First Raikage was a figure of some importance, Uchiha Gin thought for a moment and decided to thank Kinkaku and Ginkaku in advance, wondering if the two had managed to climb into the upper echelons of Kumogakure.

"Phew~ What are Mr. Yin's cellmates' names? I'll arrange some low-paying, low-work jobs for them when I get back~"

On the other side, Aiolos, the Second Raikage, who had just stuffed the last piece of grilled meat into his stomach, also spoke with absolute certainty, assuring everyone...

"Then I'll have to trouble you, Xiao Ai. My two jailers are ninjas who fled to the Land of Lightning a long time ago."

"Refugees, do they even have names?"

"That's for sure. They used to be a prestigious family, but unfortunately they chose the wrong side and offended the wrong people. In the end, they were ruined and had no choice but to flee to the Land of Thunder."

Thinking of the tragic fates of his two cellmates, Kinkaku and Ginkaku, Uchiha Gin couldn't help but sigh. Lately, he had also grown increasingly displeased with the white-haired guy.

I wonder how well the two prison guards have mastered the art of war, and whether they can recreate the glorious achievements of the original work and teach that guy Tobirama Senju a lesson.

After recalling the events, Uchiha Gin looked at the two black-clad laborers who were listening intently, and smiled as he told them the names of his two cellmates.

"My two cellmates, one is called Golden Horn, who has a bit of premature aging, and the other is called Silver Horn, who has a congenital emo body. When they were sent to the Land of Lightning, they were only a little over ten years old. They left their homes at such a young age. I hope they were not bullied in the Land of Lightning."

"puff!!!"

The two hardened criminals, who were listening intently to Uchiha Gin's story, both spat out their drinks upon hearing the names of the two inmates. Fortunately, Uchiha Gin reacted quickly and grabbed a tray from the table to block them, thus avoiding being splashed with water.

"Cough cough cough Gin-kun, are you sure you're not mistaken?"

The First Raikage, his face turning purple from choking, coughed violently a few times before staring incredulously at Uchiha Gin in front of him. He couldn't reconcile the two fierce generals under his command with the orphan that Uchiha Gin had described.

"How could that be? I personally escorted them to the Land of Lightning back then."

Seeing Uchiha Gin's serious expression, the Second Raikage quietly leaned close to the First Raikage's ear and whispered,

"Lord Ai, I remember that back then, the Gold Horn, Silver Horn, and the Hagoromo clan entrusted the Uchiha clan to escort them to our side."

Without needing to be reminded, the First Raikage, as the superior of Ginkaku and Kinkaku, naturally knew a great deal about their backgrounds. He nodded subtly, and looking at the expectant Uchiha Gin before him, he said in a somewhat unnatural tone,

"Silver Lord, if I'm not mistaken, your two jailers are living quite well in the Land of Lightning, perhaps even with a bright future ahead of them."

The First Raikage wasn't lying. In his plan, the bearded, black-haired man who had followed him for many years was already designated as the Second Raikage, while the young and ambitious Kinkaku was being groomed as a potential candidate for the Third Raikage.

Barring any unforeseen circumstances, the position of Third Raikage will be Kinkaku's for the taking.

"So you all know each other. That's good. I hope you'll all help out my two fellow inmates and not let them suffer any injustice."

Seeing that the First Raikage was a reasonable person, Uchiha Gin immediately picked up a glass, poured himself a drink, clinked glasses with the two black men, and then drank it down in one gulp.

Hey you two, don't blame me for not paving the way for you. I've already got you all the connections. I hope you two will live up to my expectations and not embarrass yourselves.

"Definitely! Definitely!"

The two black men looked at each other, then nodded in agreement.

After a hearty meal, Uchiha Gin waved goodbye to the children and two black men.

"Gin-kun, thank you for your hospitality. Hope we meet again someday~"

"Wrapped up~"

"A hundred steps after a meal can help you live to ninety-nine," Uchiha Gin believed in the philosophy of longevity, and took his well-fed and watered little ones for a stroll.

"Yin San San, it's so hot!"

But they hadn't gone far when the kids started yelling. Uchiha Gin looked down at the blushing brats, a mocking smile flashing across his face, before straightening up and saying to them,

"Hot? That's to be expected. It's part of the training. If you can't even tolerate this heat, how can you become a qualified ninja?"

"But we're so hot, not because of the weather, but because our bodies are hot."

With his tongue lolling out, Hiruzen Sarutobi tugged at his collar and said in obvious pain,

"Yeah, yeah!"

The little ones chimed in.

"No, I want ice cream!"

As the one with the biggest butt among the smaller ones, Danzo felt that his crotch was covered in sweat, and even a fart could cause water to splash out.

"Eating ice cream? It's not out of the question~"

After all, Uchiha Gin wasn't some kind of demon. He nodded thoughtfully, glanced at the still-early sky, and said to the expectant children,

"Run fifty laps around Konoha, and I'll be waiting for you at the ice cream shop at the edge of the village."

Extending his hand, Uchiha Gin smiled and assigned the little ones new training tasks.

"No!"

"I'm not eating anymore! I'm not eating anymore!"

Upon hearing this, the little ones were devastated and rolled on the ground begging for forgiveness.

"You don't have to go, but if you don't go, don't expect to receive my guidance again!"

"Go! Go! Go!"

Upon hearing this, the little ones quickly pulled up their pants and ran away, never knowing they'd miss out on ice cream if they were even a step behind.

"Tsk tsk tsk, this is youth!"

Watching the little ones running around, Uchiha Gin couldn't help but sigh at the priceless nature of youth.

At the other end of the street, a bald, tattooed man with a ferocious face was followed closely by a petite and adorable little girl with purple hair. The little girl felt her eyes were about to be overwhelmed by the dazzling array of goods on the street, and her watery eyes were full of envy.

"Teacher, teacher, what's that?"

"Teacher, teacher, this red bean dessert is so delicious!"

Along the way, the chattering of the little girl dressed in exotic clothes attracted the attention of passersby. Upon seeing the adorable little girl, everyone showed doting smiles. However, when they saw the bald man who was always by her side, they all felt a chill in their hearts.

Some concerned citizens have even started contacting the security team.

"Officer, there's a kidnapper over there!"

"Chiyo, as a ninja, you can't be so easily startled~"

Having dealt with countless waves of questioning monks, he looked helplessly at his junior disciples behind him.

"Oh? I'm sorry, teacher."

With an ornate purple cane tucked into her waistband, the little girl, when called upon, spoke up somewhat aggrievedly to admit her mistake.

"It's okay, it's okay!"

Seeing that his little apprentice was about to burst into tears, and noticing the onlookers pointing and whispering, Shamon had no choice but to take out a few banknotes commonly used in the Land of Fire and place them in the girl's hand.

"Here's some money. Go buy whatever snacks you want. I'll go gather some information from places you can't easily enter."

"Phew~ Okay, teacher!"

Upon receiving a sizable stack of pocket money, Chiyo immediately broke into a smile, her earlier grievances vanishing instantly.

"Remember where the reception area is? If you encounter any danger, just signal."

"Okay, teacher, you can go ahead and get back to work!"

Chiyo, happily counting the banknotes in her hand, urged him on without even looking up.

"Also, don't cause trouble."

"Okay, okay~"

"Hehe, with this money, I can go buy ice cream!"

Watching her teacher's departing figure, Chiyo smiled and carefully tucked the banknotes into her pocket. Due to the unique climate of the Land of Wind, she had only ever heard of ice cream from traveling merchants.

Chiyo's ultimate goal in persistently following Shamon to the Land of Fire was to try the legendary ice cream, and if possible, she also wanted to bring one back for her younger brother.

"But where's the ice cream?"

The funding was in place, but Chiyo hadn't yet figured out where to buy ice cream in Konoha. Just as she was at her wit's end, a commotion suddenly broke out behind her.

"Make way! Make way!"

Chiyo, unsure of the other party's intentions, turned her head in confusion and saw a group of five boys and one girl of similar age, their faces flushed red, running with all their might.

"Excuse me, do you know where I can buy ice cream?"

Seeing that the others were all around the same age, the somewhat timid Chiyo mustered her courage and asked,

"Phew~ We're currently cultivating, please make way!"

The leader, Hiruzen Sarutobi, now had bloodshot eyes. He could no longer see the person in front of him clearly, only knowing that the other person was blocking his way.

"As for ice cream, there's a very famous ice cream shop at the entrance of the village."

Uchiha Kagami, who had a small appetite, could barely suppress the rising flames within him. Seeing that the other person was a young girl about his age, he calmed down and answered her question.

"Um, thank you~"

Chiyo looked at the handsome Uchiha Kagami and her heart skipped a beat. She had never seen such a good-looking young boy in Sunagakure before, and she was somewhat lost in thought as she gazed at him.

Standing beside Uchiha Kagami, Shimura Danzo's bloodshot eyes darted around. When his gaze fell upon Chiyo's adorable little face, his already racing heart suddenly pounded as if propelled by liquid nitrogen, almost leaping out of his chest. The heat in his body intensified—it was the feeling of being smitten.

"You...you're not from Konoha, are you?"

"Mind your own business!"

Upon hearing the questioning from the side, she turned her head and saw a black-haired boy with an unusually large buttocks and a ferocious expression, and immediately frowned.

You dare to talk to me, someone like you?

"Jing, let's hurry up and not linger here any longer."

Seeing Uchiha Kagami being harassed by a strange woman, Koharu Utatane, her head spinning slightly, urged him on, a hint of jealousy in her voice.

"OK."

With a warm smile, Uchiha Kagami caught up with the group; they were still 45 laps away from eating ice cream.

"It's a pity they're not children from our Sunagakure village."

Looking at Uchiha Kagami's fluttering curly hair with some regret, Chiyo pouted slightly, then walked in the direction he pointed.

冷饮店

As a regular customer, Uchiha Gin lifted the curtain and went inside. Upon seeing a familiar figure from behind, he smiled and greeted him.

"Little Manager, what brings you to the store to help out today?"

The girl whose name was called froze for a moment, then looked up after a few seconds, her face still bearing its usual aloof expression. After Uchiha Gin sat down, Uchiha Osamu nodded.

"Since I don't have any missions lately, I came over to help out my mother."

Although his expression remained the same, Uchiha Rinpoche's eyes inexplicably became more unpredictable, and his tone of voice carried a hint of mockery.

"But Mr. Gin, why aren't you at home keeping Hikaru company? Instead, you're out out having an affair?"

Upon hearing the girl's words, Uchiha Gin instinctively interpreted them as Uchiha Shinobu criticizing him for sneaking out to eat sweets. He then chuckled and laughed out loud.

"Hehe, Xiaozhi is so much better, unlike Xiaoguang, she would never let me eat such sweet things."

Upon hearing this, the girl's lips curled into a faint smile. She then twirled the ice blade in her hand and asked,

"Still honey syrup strawberry shaved ice?"

"Add sugar and honey, but no shaved ice!"

A moment later, a bowl of strawberry shaved ice topped with honey syrup was brought out by the girl.

"Mmm~ It's so good to be alive!"

He hurriedly scooped up a large spoonful and put it in his mouth. The rich sweetness made Uchiha Gin close his eyes and savor it.

Uchiha Rin sat down opposite Uchiha Gin. Seeing her teacher's blissful expression, the girl instinctively squeezed her legs together.

She still vividly remembers that special experience with Owatsu, and two intoxicating blushes quietly rose on Uchiha Rinpoche's cold and beautiful cheeks.

Uchiha Gin, who was opposite her, seemed to have noticed something. Looking at the girl's face, which was inexplicably flushed, he reluctantly pushed his shaved ice towards her.

"Little Zhizhi~ You can only have one bite!"

Look how hot it is in my little one's house, let's quickly have some shaved ice to cool down.

"No need, I just finished exercising."

Glancing at the spoon in Uchiha Gin's hand, which was covered in a suspicious liquid, the girl subconsciously swallowed, but reason quickly prevailed. She immediately shook her head, indicating that she was just a little out of breath after exercising.

"Hello, do you have ice cream?"

Just as Uchiha Gin and Uchiha Osamu were chatting, a timid voice came in. The two turned around at the same time and saw a little girl standing at the door, too afraid to go in.

Just now, after walking through several streets, Chiyo finally found the cold drink shop that Uchiha Kagami had pointed out. However, looking at the gorgeous and cute storefront in front of her, the little girl looked down at her own plain clothes with a little self-consciousness.

With my plain and unfashionable appearance, can I really go into such a cute shop to eat ice cream?

Finally, after a fierce internal struggle, she couldn't help but come to the door, tiptoe and peek into the store. After confirming that there were people there, Chiyo mustered up her courage and asked if they had the ice cream she had been dreaming of.

Upon hearing the little girl's question, Uchiha Osamu, who was both the young owner and a shop assistant, stood up, waved to the somewhat timid Chiyo outside the door, and a smile appeared on his icy face.

"Come in, we have lots of different flavors of ice cream!"

Meanwhile, Uchiha Gin curiously examined the little girl with unfamiliar clothes. After glancing at the cane hanging from the girl's waist, he suddenly realized what was going on, and his eyes showed a hint of understanding.

"Thank you, ma'am. I'd like an ice cream. Is this enough?"

Infected by Uchiha's smile, little Chiyo finally stepped inside. Looking at the adorable decorations filling the shop, the little girl nervously clutched her clothes, gritted her teeth, and pulled out all her banknotes, her eyes filled with longing.

Chiyo thought that such a cute shop must sell expensive ice cream, and she wondered if she had enough money.

"More than enough, one is enough."

Seeing the banknotes pushed towards him by the little girl, Uchiha Rinpoche chose to keep the smallest denomination one and returned the rest to him.

"What flavor do you want?"

"Forehead"

This stumped Chiyo. Since the Uchiha clan's shop primarily served regular customers, aside from some pictures on the walls, there were no menus or price lists.

"I recommend you try the strawberry flavor, it's addictive!"

Just as Chiyo's face turned bright red, Uchiha Gin, who had been battling with shaved ice, appeared behind her without her noticing.

"what!"

Suddenly, someone stood behind her, making Chiyo, who had considerable ninja training, tense up. She subconsciously reached for the cane at her waist, but before she could do anything, a pair of warm hands patted her head.

"However, strawberry, a flavor often associated with mature adults, is a bit too early for a kid like you. Why not try vanilla instead?"

With practiced ease, Uchiha Gin rubbed the dog's head and gave his recommendation with a smile.

"Hoo~ Who are you?"

Feeling taken advantage of, Chiyo reached out and slapped away Uchiha Gin's mischievous hand, pouting angrily. After this commotion, the little girl had lost her previous restraint.

"Hmph~ Since you've asked so sincerely, I'm just passing by."

As if he had grasped something, Uchiha Gin covered his face, struck an incredibly chuunibyou (delusional) pose, and replied in a deep voice,

"Mr. Yin, don't bully my guest."

Seeing this, Uchiha Rinpoche couldn't help but roll his eyes at his teacher, interrupting his chanting, before lowering his head and asking the now lively Chiyo, "..."

"Little guest, what kind of food do you usually like to eat?"

"Red bean! I want red bean flavored!"

Recalling the red bean pie she had just eaten, Chiyo subconsciously swallowed, the rich sweetness still lingering on her lips and teeth.

"Okay, just a moment, the red bean ice cream will be ready soon~"

"Thank you, sister!"

"Little manager, could you give me another bowl?"

Uchiha Gin, who was standing to the side, was holding a nearly finished shaved ice and shamelessly asked to come over for a refill.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Yin, Senior Guang instructed me beforehand that you can only eat one bowl a month." (End of Chapter)