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

The ninja who came to deliver the message left quickly after delivering it, leaving Uchiha feeling somewhat confused, stroking his chin in bewilderment.

At this point in time, why is Hashirama Senju not preparing for the meeting, but instead coming to find me, a nobody?

"Little manager, the money for these kids is in my account. I have to go now."

The group of kids, who had initially thought that Uchiha Gin would abandon them, relaxed after hearing his heavenly words of advice, and their hands moved even faster.

"Okay, you can go ahead and get busy."

Uchiha Shigeaki, who was leaning on her elbow at the counter, nodded after hearing this. Her cool, beautiful eyes were slightly thoughtful. Since it was the Hokage who had summoned her, it must be something very important.

"Ding-a-ling~"

Uchiha Gin, who had just left after lifting the curtain, glanced at the not-too-early sky, smacked his lips, and slowly walked towards the Hokage's office building.

If we walk slowly, we might be able to get a free meal at Hashirama's brother's house.

"Sigh, I wonder if the owner of this building is the Uchiha clan."

Strolling to the magnificent Hokage Building, Uchiha Gin looked up at the resplendent landmark before him, his heart bleeding at the thought that it was built with a loan from his younger cousin.

"Bang Bang Bang~"

"Come in."

Hearing Hashirama Senju's voice from inside, Gin Uchiha scratched his head and pushed open the door, surprised to find the office quite lively.

"Oh my~ isn't this my older cousin? I haven't seen him for a few days, what happened to him?"

Uchiha Gin watched with a smile as Uchiha Madara played a staring contest with Senju Tobirama. He hadn't expected the kid to have some brains and know to show his face at crucial moments; otherwise, he wouldn't have any chance of becoming the Second Hokage.

"Big cousin, it's been a long time."

Having unilaterally abandoned any eye contact with Tobirama Senju, Madara Uchiha looked at his older cousin and greeted him with mixed feelings.

"Are they bullying us because they outnumber us? Don't worry, your cousin will go and get reinforcements right away!"

Seeing Madara's expression, Gin Uchiha thought his younger brother had been wronged and immediately became unhappy. He rolled up his sleeves and prepared to run out to call for help.

"Brother Yin! Don't misunderstand, nothing like that happened. I'm too busy worrying about Mada to bully him!"

Upon hearing this, Hashirama Senju couldn't sit still any longer and immediately stood up to explain, fearing that Gin Uchiha might have some unfounded misunderstanding.

"I hope so. I don't want to hear any rumors about the white-haired guy bullying the Uchiha. Otherwise, we'll never see each other again during holidays."

Uchiha Gin, who had stopped in his tracks, glanced at Senju Tobirama, who was indignant for some reason, and directly issued a threat.

"I guarantee that as long as I am in power, no one in Konoha will be able to harm a single hair on the Uchiha's head!"

When it came to his son's New Year's money, Hashirama Senju immediately gave a firm guarantee.

"Alright, alright, Hashirama, stop setting up any flags. Get to the point."

Uchiha Gin was initially pleased to hear Hashirama Senju's guarantee, but after a quick calculation, he realized that time was running out.

"Brother Yin, it's like this, I'm planning to hold a Five Kage Summit tomorrow, but we've had a small disagreement about who should attend."

Straightening his posture, Hashirama Senju adopted a serious expression. His gaze swept over Tobirama Senju and Madara Uchiha before landing directly on Gin Uchiha.

"Disagreement?"

Upon hearing that it concerned the Five Kage Summit, Uchiha Gin immediately realized why he had seen his cousin and the white-haired man exchanging glances as soon as he entered the room; they were vying for the right to attend the summit the next day.

It should be noted that those who are able to participate in the first Five Kage Summit are 100% the successors to the Kage, and sooner or later they will wear the straw hat symbolizing the highest power in the village.

"What does that have to do with me? Are you trying to get me to act as a mediator?"

Thinking that Hashirama Senju had summoned him to persuade his younger cousin to give up his participation in the conference, Gin Uchiha was immediately displeased. Wasn't this making him the bad guy?

You haven't appreciated any of your cousin's hard work over the years, have you? You've been too busy admiring the Uchiha's stunning good looks in the office, haven't you!

"No, no, you've misunderstood again."

Sensing the displeasure in Uchiha Gin's words, Senju Hashirama waved his hands repeatedly.

"Hmph~ Big brother wants you to attend the Five Kage Summit."

Tobirama Senju, who had been silently cursing in his heart for a long time, finally couldn't hold back any longer and coldly snorted, revealing the purpose of summoning Gin Uchiha.

"Huh? You want me to attend the Five Shadows Summit?"

Uchiha Gin had considered a million possibilities, but he never expected that Senju Hashirama would sing this. What did he do to deserve being invited into such a high-level event?

"Don't be ridiculous, me? Me?"

"That's right, Brother Yin, you are the most suitable candidate for Konoha, without exception."

Hashirama Senju's eyes gleamed as he stared intently at Gin Uchiha, making Gin feel uneasy all over.

"No, with my strength, wouldn't I be embarrassing Konoha if I went?"

Seeing that these people didn't seem to be joking, Uchiha Gin immediately used his usual excuse: he was too weak to enjoy it.

"Brother Yin, there's no need to belittle yourself. Although you have an old injury, you still have considerable strength. You're that Jonin, right?"

When talking about strength with a serious expression, Hashirama Senju glanced at Tobirama Senju questioningly. After the other nodded, he immediately said the word "Jonin".

"Jonin?"

The sudden appearance of a familiar yet unfamiliar title left Uchiha Gin somewhat bewildered. When did Konoha start having a Jonin system?

"I almost forgot, Brother Yin, you don't know about this. We were originally planning to announce it after the meeting. From now on, Konoha's ninjas will be divided into Genin, Chunin, and Jonin according to their strength."

As if suddenly realizing something, Hashirama Senju scratched his head and gave a careless smile before explaining the new rules for classifying ninjas.

Jonin? Let whoever wants to be one be one. Not only do they have to do extremely dangerous missions, but they might also have to babysit students in the future. This is not in line with Uchiha Gin's core values ​​at all.

"No, no, no, I am still self-aware. Making me a Jonin would be unworthy of the position. If others knew, they would think that you, Hashirama Senju, are practicing nepotism."

With his curly hair swaying like a rattle-drum, Uchiha Gintoki resolutely refused.

"But... we've already numbered them. Brother Yin, you're the number one Jonin!"

After discussion among the three, they unanimously agreed that Uchiha Gin would serve as the highly memorable No. 1, and they even planned to announce it as a surprise at the upcoming conference, so that Gin could also have a moment of glory.

"Change it! Change it right now!"

Uchiha Gin was so angry that he was dizzy. He had finally managed to survive for so many years, but he never expected that these kids would secretly try to do something big. If he hadn't discovered it in time, he would have been finished.

"Forehead"

Unexpectedly, Uchiha Gin's reaction was so strong that the three people present were all a bit confused. Logically speaking, such an honor would make anyone else ecstatic, but this guy looked like he had gotten himself into trouble.

"but."

"No buts. Jonin is absolutely out of the question. If you make me a Jonin, I'll pack my bags and leave tonight, let alone attend the meeting tomorrow."

"Okay, okay, as long as you agree to attend the meeting, I'll agree to make the changes."

Such a memorable event, it's really hard to understand what Uchiha Gin is resisting. Senju Hashirama frowned, somewhat perplexed, but finally relented.

"Alright, alright, a promise is a promise. As long as you change it to Chunin or Genin for me, even if tomorrow's meeting is like going through fire and water, if I, Uchiha Gin, even frown, my cousin will be left alone for life."

Uchiha Gin breathed a sigh of relief and was overjoyed. As long as he could get rid of the title of Jonin, he would be willing to pay the price of his younger cousin's lower body.

"Huh? What does this have to do with me?"

Madara Uchiha immediately stood at attention.

"Alright, I promise you. As long as the meeting concludes successfully, I will personally appoint you as the No. 1 Genin."

"Finally, Uchiha Gin has agreed to this task," Senju Hashirama patted his chest and assured him.

"Bao's jailer!"

"In that case, I will give you a complete account of tomorrow's meeting and minutes."

Hashirama Senju gave him a wink, and Tobirama Senju, who was standing nearby, immediately understood and took out a pre-prepared meeting minutes, handing it to Gin Uchiha.

"I'd like to see you mediate a war and sign a peace treaty. Good idea! I'll back you up. Distribute the Tailed Beasts? In the form of a sale!"

Flipping through the notes in his hand, Uchiha Gin had already guessed most of their contents, but when he saw the last item—the plan to sell the tailed beasts—he suddenly understood.

"Okay, okay! Now I know why they were looking for me~"

Hmph~ You, Hashirama Senju, aren't exactly blind after all; you still know to find someone with the right expertise. The prestige of being Konoha's number one salesperson is still soaring~

"Snapped!"

Closing the folder in his hand, Uchiha Gin stared sharply at Senju Hashirama, a cold smile playing on his lips.

"How many are you planning to sell?"

"this"

Surprisingly, Uchiha Gin got into character so quickly. The Senju brothers exchanged glances, and after a brief exchange of looks, Senju Hashirama tremblingly raised a finger, a hint of hesitation on his face.

"Selling a single tail for this price~"

Selling a tail for 100 million shouldn't be too much, right?

"Tsk! Are you sure?"

Looking at Hashirama Senju's expression, Gin Uchiha frowned. To actually want to sell a tail for 10 billion was really asking for too much.

"This is already a friendly price. If you buy a package deal, we can still offer a discount."

Seeing Uchiha Gin's conflicted expression, Senju Hashirama shrank back and chose to compromise.

"No need. Tailed beasts are already hard to come by, and they are even more unique in this world. Selling them at this price is not excessive."

Shaking his head, Uchiha Gin indicated that he would do his best.

"Then we'll have to rely on Gin-nii's performance tomorrow. Konoha's future depends on you!"

"However, you still haven't told me how much the commission is?"

Seeing the overjoyed Hashirama Senju, Gin Uchiha curled his lip. Such a huge order, he should at least get a few percent of it, right?

"You're not short of money, so why are you always so obsessed with it?"

Unable to tolerate Uchiha Gin's attitude any longer, Tobirama Senju jumped out and started criticizing him.

"It's different. I may be rich, but that doesn't affect my desire to make (scam) money. They haven't even paid us for the mission to guard the tailed beasts yet, and you want to freeload again?"

Uchiha Gin shrugged, showing no fear of the white-haired man's mockery, and instead demanded his earnings.

"Alright, Tobirama, what Gin said makes sense. In that case, I'll take 30% of the proceeds from the sale of the Tailed Beasts as the mission reward."

"We're all family, no need to be so formal," Hashirama Senju said, reaching out to calm his agitated younger brother before promising Gin Uchiha.

"I still trust Hashirama's character."

As long as it's not a wasted effort, Uchiha Gin immediately smiled and nodded.

"Then see you tomorrow."

After the matter was over, Uchiha Gin, who was reluctant to freeload on meals with his younger brother, walked out of the Hokage Building with Uchiha Madara.

"Little cousin, what did you gain from this comprehension session?"

Walking down the street, the two brothers, who hadn't seen each other for a long time, started chatting. Uchiha Gin was the first to ask a question.

"The harvest was a little, but not much."

Madara Uchiha was taken aback when suddenly asked the question, and then his expression became somewhat stiff.

"Have you encountered a problem that you can't solve on your own?"

Sensing that Madara Uchiha was hiding something from him, Gin Uchiha turned his head, his usually lifeless eyes now showing a rare seriousness.

"If you have any suggestions, you can talk to your cousin and I'll give you some ideas."

It seems the filial son has finally shown himself, but unfortunately, the other party's concealment methods are so sophisticated that even with superhuman perception, he cannot be detected.

"."

With a glint of light in his eyes, Madara Uchiha spoke after a period of silence.

"Big cousin, do you think eternal peace can really be achieved? The kind of peace where everyone's wishes come true, where no loved ones die in war, and where people don't turn against each other with swords."

Sure enough, my older cousin finished reading the Infinite Tsukuyomi Plan.

Hearing Madara's words, Gin Uchiha, though slightly moved, showed no sign of it. It's unclear whether his devoted son was secretly watching from the side.

Uchiha Gin first showed a puzzled expression, then put on a slightly mocking smile and said to the somber-faced Uchiha Madara,

"Looks like you're a peacemaker too. That's a great idea, but I doubt it'll be easy to pull off."

"Just as I expected."

Madara Uchiha, whose spirits had plummeted, couldn't help but feel somewhat disappointed.

"My dear cousin, you must understand that wherever there are people, there will be conflict."

He patted Madara Uchiha on the shoulder, signaling him not to be discouraged.

"Take you and that white-haired Tobirama Senju as examples. Even though Konoha is at peace now and the Senju and Uchiha families are united, don't you still feel a little itchy to fight when you see him?"

"Oh, that's true."

When asked the question, Madara Uchiha was taken aback. Then, remembering Tobirama Senju's irritating appearance, his fists began to itch slightly.

"But it's just a minor dispute."

Madara Uchiha is still being stubborn.

"You admit it's just a minor conflict, right? When people have different ideas, these minor conflicts arise. True, lasting peace can never be achieved."

"But what?"

Madara Uchiha, who had been keeping his head down and remaining silent, raised his head in surprise upon hearing this.

"Eternal peace is difficult to achieve, but relative peace is relatively easier to attain."

Seeing Madara Uchiha's inquisitive gaze, Gin Uchiha paused for a moment before speaking.

"Just like Hashirama's plan, I can guarantee that at least during his lifetime, there will be no major wars in the ninja world, and everyone can live in peace and develop together."

"What if Hassie Hot Mom is no longer here?"

Despite feeling somewhat uncomfortable, Madara Uchiha still asked the question.

"Huh? Hashirama's prisoner is gone, so you're probably in pretty bad shape too. You're already dead, what do you care about what happens after you're gone? Let them beat you up if they want, do you think you can just jump out of the Pure Land and dance with them?"

Uchiha Gin rolled his eyes, looking at his younger cousin with the eyes of someone looking at an idiot.

"Oh, this."

Madara Uchiha, whose mind was not as insightful as Gin Uchiha's, was momentarily speechless. Looking at his cousin's indifferent expression, a warm feeling flashed through his heart.

In this world, perhaps only his older cousin would patiently guide him like that.

"Don't overthink it. I didn't eat anything for lunch. Let's go out for a meal. What do you want to eat?"

At noon, Uchiha Gin didn't touch a single gun or cannon on the table. Not to prove anything else, but just to tell the readers that his body was not weak!

"Let's have some barbecue."

"Well, I absolutely have to order!"

Following behind Gin Uchiha, Madara Uchiha's eyes gleamed slightly. After his older cousin's encouragement, he had temporarily put aside the information he had gleaned from the stone tablet.

Furthermore, Madara Uchiha has not yet deciphered the last part of the stone tablet, which records the specific operational procedures for how the Infinite Tsukuyomi is implemented.

When Madara Uchiha truly understands the meaning of "two mutually exclusive forces, yet uniting to form one, giving birth to the myriad phenomena of the universe," he'll consider deciphering the final part, treating it all as satisfying his own curiosity.

By the time the two brothers, having eaten and drunk their fill, left the barbecue restaurant, the moon had already quietly risen above the treetops.

"Big cousin, let me tell you, if I become Hokage, I'll definitely appoint you as the warden of Konoha. Then you can interrogate whomever you want, and if anyone dares to object, I'll throw them in there for you to interrogate properly."

Madara Uchiha was clearly drunk, and his words were somewhat incoherent. However, based on his drunken musings, Gin Uchiha sighed that he had not spoiled his younger brother for nothing.

"Even if it's prison, I'm content with your kindness."

Supporting the staggering Uchiha Madara, Uchiha Gin took out a bottle of unidentified, deep blue potion from his backpack, unscrewed the cap, and handed it to him.

"You have a mission tomorrow, so have some sweet water to clear your head."

"Gulp gulp~"

"Great! This stuff is stronger than that deer antler wine. Why didn't you bring it out sooner, cousin?"

Madara Uchiha, who had drunk an entire bottle of sorcery potion in a daze, unconsciously had his black eyes glow red. He felt his mental power explode and his brain was filled with dopamine.

"There's not much, so drink it sparingly~"

Seeing how much his younger cousin liked it, Uchiha Gin reluctantly took out two bottles of witchcraft potions from the potion storage in his backpack and handed them over.

"Then I'll save it to drink with the hot mom from Hasi."

Under the influence of the sorcery potion, Madara Uchiha was no longer drunk. He licked his lips, looked at the two small blue bottles of sweet water in his hand, hesitated for a moment, and then put them into his backpack.

"Remember to send me a few bottles next time you get your hands on some!"

Uchiha Gin was already used to Madara Uchiha's behavior. After all, Madara was a ruthless person who dared to give away even the Hokage Building, let alone just two bottles of medicine.

"Big cousin, if anyone dares to make things difficult for you at tomorrow's meeting, remember to tell me, and I will definitely get revenge for you."

"Bao's jailer!"

The next day

Uchiha Gin, who got up early, abandoned his loose home clothes and put on the clan's high-necked robe that he hadn't worn in a long time.

"Why does it feel a little tight?"

Uchiha Gin tugged at his collar and frowned. He had worn it just right when Konoha was founded, but now, only a year later, it was already too small.

"Hmph~ It's all because you eat too much candy!"

Senju Itama, who was fastening the belt for Uchiha Gin, poked her head out from behind. Her beautiful face was full of disgust, but she was very quick with her hands. She grabbed both ends of the belt and pulled with all her might.

"Crack!"

"Aaaaaah!!! My back!"

With a crisp sound, Uchiha Gin, whose body was twisted at a strange angle, rolled on the ground, his wailing so heartbreaking that it brought tears to the eyes of anyone who heard it.

"Phew~ Don't worry, I'll fix it for you right away."

Feeling guilty for doing something wrong, Senju Itama grabbed Uchiha Gin, who was rolling around in pain, and with a look of horror in his eyes, she forcefully pulled him away again.

"Crack!!!"

"That girl's strength is getting stronger and stronger. In a few years, she'll be stronger than me."

On the street, Uchiha Gin, his face pale, supported his injured back and slowly moved towards the Hokage Building.

During this time, some passersby who thought Uchiha Gin looked familiar began to whisper among themselves after seeing his expression and actions.

"Look, that's the guy. He ordered a whole table of ** at Dalang Barbecue yesterday. He's definitely up to no good."

"Wow~ He can even get out of bed, truly a role model for us all!"

"I'm begging for the same menu."

Ignoring the vulgar and offensive remarks of the onlookers, Uchiha Gin, who was inwardly crying out for innocence, simply didn't have the energy to refute those rumors.

Just as he was about to reach his destination, he suddenly spotted two figures moving in perfect unison with him at a street corner not far away. Surprised, Uchiha Gin stared intently at them.

Two dark-skinned, pale-faced laborers, clutching their backs, slowly made their way towards the Hokage Building, exuding a sense of weakness that drew the attention of passersby.

"Xiao Ai, classmate."

"I'm here!"

Upon seeing an acquaintance, Uchiha Gin naturally greeted him politely. He gritted his teeth and quickened his pace, catching up with the First Raikage.

"Brother Ayin, what's going on?"

"I didn't expect to see you again today, we just said goodbye yesterday." The First Raikage looked at Uchiha Gin, whose appearance was so similar to his own, with some surprise. A look of understanding flashed in his eyes, followed by a hint of unease.

Before Uchiha Gin could explain, the First Raikage spoke first with a smile.

"We didn't see you last night. Did you beat us to technician number 36 from the Land of Wind?" (End of Chapter)