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

"Huh? Who's so bold?"

Uchiha Kagami, who had been inexplicably smacked on the head, raised his head in confusion, his small face full of innocence.

"Uncle doesn't remember raising you to be such a dishonest child. Did you make bad friends and learn bad habits from someone?"

Heartbroken, Uchiha Gin immediately intensified his efforts, mercilessly ravaging the curly hair with his large hands.

Danzo: Just tell me my ninja number!

"No? I don't know anything!"

Uchiha Kagami, who was unjustly accused, puffed out his cheeks and retorted. His righteous expression made Uchiha Gin doubt himself. The stolen goods had been recovered, but this kid was still so stubborn. Could there really be another reason?

"Uncle Yin, what exactly did you lose?"

Seeing Uchiha Gin deep in thought, Uchiha Kagami mustered his courage and broke free from the large hand's grasp, then cautiously asked,

"Ugh~ my blankets, I lost two at once, and now I haven't had a full night's sleep in ages."

After being confined to his room by Hikaru and forced to eat hot dogs for three days, Uchiha Gin was utterly despondent. His mind raced for three days straight, and he almost had a heart-to-heart talk with his ancestor.

"The blanket? Is it the one hanging in the yard?"

Upon hearing this, Uchiha Kagami slapped his little hand, looking as if he had just realized something.

"You said you didn't know anything? Now confess the truth!"

Holding his slightly aching lower back, Uchiha Gin gritted his teeth and questioned,

Well, you've grown wings now, daring to steal so brazenly. I really don't know who you learned this bad habit from.

"I'm innocent, Uncle Yin! Those two blankets were given to me by Sister Guang so I wouldn't catch a cold while camping."

Seeing this, Uchiha Kagami immediately raised his small hand and cried out that he was innocent.

"Forehead"

Upon learning the truth, Uchiha Gin rubbed his forehead in exasperation.

You can guard against anything, but it's hard to guard against a thief within your own family. How could Xiao Guang be so careless as to not tell me about this beforehand? Otherwise, I wouldn't be losing sleep at night.

Suddenly, a flash of inspiration struck Gin Uchiha, as if he had been enlightened.

Bean sack!

Something's not right, absolutely not right!

Knowing that Xiaoguang couldn't sleep without her familiar blanket, she still gave her only two blankets to Jingzai, who was going on a long trip. What was the significance of this action?

Was it intentional, accidental, or...?

No, Uchiha Gin didn't even dare to think any further.

Swallowing hard, Uchiha Gin suddenly felt a chill run down her spine. As expected of a woman with two minds, she doesn't make a move unless she's absolutely cunning, and when she does, her methods are truly terrifying.

No wonder the pillow on my bed was in Uchiha Hikaru's hands that night. She must have just launched a night attack on me, only to find nothing, but then discovered the Flying Thunder God mark on the pillow and decided to wait for me to come to her.

"Sigh! How can one person fight against two?"

"Uncle Yin? Are you alright?"

Seeing Uchiha Gin suddenly become dejected, Jingzai nudged his generous uncle with some concern.

"It's alright, Uncle misunderstood you. Did you run out of your New Year's money? Take this and use it, don't be stingy, or you won't be able to keep it all~"

Feeling guilty, Uchiha Gin, after a brief moment of unease, rummaged through his pouch at his waist for a while, pulled out a storage scroll, and tossed it to Uchiha Kagami without even looking at it.

"But it's not Chinese New Year yet?"

He hurriedly took the storage scroll, a strange look in Uchiha Kagami's eyes.

If it weren't for the New Year's money Uncle Yin gave them, they might not have been able to come back this time. When they become successful in the future, they must repay this good uncle with great filial piety.

"With our family's means, we wouldn't mind celebrating the New Year every day."

Uchiha Gin shook his head, indicating to Mirror that he should accept it. After all, it was a refund for a minor that had been confiscated from Kakuzu, so it was a return to its rightful owner.

"Thank you, Uncle! I wish you a Happy New Year in advance, and may you have many more joyous occasions to come!"

Seeing Uchiha Gin's insistence, Uchiha Kagami, who was already short of money, stopped being coy, smiled and accepted the huge sum of money that was rightfully his, and kowtowed deeply to his good uncle.

"So full~"

After a hearty meal, the F6 members, their bellies bulging, walked out of the Taro BBQ restaurant with Uchiha Gin.

"Gintoki, next time I'll prepare something better for you. After I drank it, Ayako said she couldn't stand it~"

Busy Uchiha Taro greeted them, then looked at Uchiha Gin, who was clutching his back, and said in a very sarcastic tone,

"That's great! I'll come tomorrow!"

Uchiha Gin's eyes lit up upon hearing this. He was indeed a good friend, and he understood me perfectly.

"Brother! What nonsense are you spouting now?"

Before the two foul-smelling middle-aged men could continue their conversation, a small, fair hand reached out from behind Uchiha Taro and grabbed his ear. Uchiha Ako gritted her teeth and said...

"Ouch, ouch, ouch!"

May you rest in peace in prison, Da Lang!

After bidding farewell to the increasingly affectionate Uchiha Taro and his wife, Uchiha Gin took the children for a walk in the village. As dusk approached, he escorted each child to their doorstep before strolling alone towards his home.

Uchiha Gin's home was in a relatively remote part of Konoha. After walking for a while, the area gradually became deserted. On the quiet path, only his figure slowly strolled along, his shadow stretched infinitely long by the bright moonlight.

"Pat~"

Suddenly, Uchiha Gin, who was yawning, stopped in his tracks. A glint of shrewdness flashed in his lazy, deadpan eyes. He then turned his head, looked at the shadowy forest not far away, and slowly spoke.

"You're back?"

"Pat-pat~"

As soon as he finished speaking, a tall, slender figure slowly emerged from the shadows. The cool moonlight shone on the figure's face, revealing Uchiha Madara's cold and stern features.

"Big cousin, I miss you terribly!"

Looking at his beloved older cousin, Madara Uchiha smiled, his icy expression melting away like spring snow.

"Pah! You little brat, you'd love for me to die so you can inherit my billions?"

Gin Uchiha rolled his eyes, annoyed by Madara Uchiha's slightly agitated expression. This kid's words were getting increasingly unpleasant to hear.

"Slip of the tongue, slip of the tongue~"

After making a harmless joke, Madara Uchiha walked up to Gin Uchiha carrying a briefcase. His eyes showed not only the joy of a long-awaited reunion, but also gratitude and a hint of doubt.

"I thought you were going to stay and play for another two years. Why are you back so soon?"

Looking at Uchiha Madara, whose expression was much calmer than before and whose figure had become noticeably thinner, Uchiha Gin scratched his curly hair and asked in confusion,

"My mission is complete; there's no need to waste time outside. But this..."

Madara Uchiha shook his head, then held up the briefcase in front of Gin Uchiha and asked,

"Big cousin, who exactly are you?"

"Since you're going to say that!"

Having almost fallen for his cousin's trick, Uchiha Gin, who managed to pull back from the brink, raised an eyebrow and replied,

"What's wrong, kid? You've forgotten your roots after just one trip out? Have you even forgotten who I am?"

"That's not what I meant. Where did you get this?"

Without exchanging jokes with Uchiha Ginchaku, Uchiha Madara reached into his briefcase and opened it. Inside was a gray box and two small gadgets with handles.

"You're asking about this! This is an inheritance I received from Master Bandai. It should be a trial version of the transformation device made by that senior brother before."

Having already prepared his reasons, Uchiha Gin began to spout nonsense with remarkable fluency. His impeccable answers convinced Uchiha Madara.

"Then what are these two things?"

Uchiha Dazzle nodded, seemingly believing Uchiha Gin's answer, and then pointed to the two small items in the box.

Madara Uchiha recognized the gray box; it was a transformation device commonly used by Tailed Beast Riders. However, he had no idea what these two small items were for, and even after successfully transforming, he still didn't understand what they did.

"It's a buckle."

Gin Uchiha glanced at the little contraption he had made and replied in a serious tone,

"buckle?"

"You can think of them as upgrade items for the Rider system. These two are blank buckles that can be filled with other powers. After transformation, they can be added to the Rider to make the power even greater."

"Snapped!"

Uchiha Gin casually picked up two buckles and shoved them onto the gray driver. With a snap, the two seemingly unrelated things fit together perfectly.

"Just use it like this, understand?"

"There's so much masturbation involved!"

After Gin Uchiha's personal demonstration, Madara Uchiha finally realized that these two ninja tools he had never seen before were actually enhancement items specially made for him by his older cousin.

"Big cousin, thank you!"

Madara Uchiha immediately showed his gratitude. This was a cheat code that none of the other knights had. It was really great to have a tech-savvy older brother!

"We're all buddies, why are you being so polite with me?"

Unexpectedly, Madara Uchiha is becoming more and more polite now, which is not a good habit. Gin Uchiha still prefers his previous charming and arrogant older cousin, who wore his heart on his sleeve and was very easy to understand.

Won!

Madara Uchiha nodded first, then looked down at the two blank buckles in his hand, his eyes burning with fighting spirit. With this enhancement item, he was even more confident that he could defeat Hasi Hot Mom.

"Now that you're back, why don't you hurry up and report to Hashirama in prison? I'll also clear your name while I'm at it. Some of the youngsters in the clan are really getting out of control."

Seeing Madara Uchiha's disheveled appearance, Gin Uchiha knew without guessing that Madara had just arrived. Logically, his younger cousin should have gone to catch up with his best friend first, instead of coming to thank him, an old geezer.

Since Madara Uchiha left the village without permission, the village chief, Hashirama Senju, did not issue any response. This led the Uchiha clan, unaware of the truth, to mistakenly believe that their clan chief had been persecuted by the village's higher-ups and had no choice but to leave the village. As for why he said such cruel things when he left, it was actually to sever ties with the clan and thus protect them.

This strange misunderstanding intensified as Madara Uchiha's absence lengthened, with a group of passionate young people even secretly plotting to overthrow Hashirama Senju's rule and welcome Madara Uchiha's triumphant return.

"I know, but please allow me to be willful one more time. Once I defeat Hasi Hot Mom, I will properly apologize to everyone."

Madara Uchiha's face twitched upon hearing this. He already knew about this news, having learned it from Tobirama Senju's handwritten letter. He didn't even need to guess; he could imagine the irritating white-haired man's face as he wrote the letter.

Haha, your Uchiha clan has long been infiltrated by me. I know all the inside stories. Aren't you angry?

Tobirama Senju's methods were truly terrifying; even the seemingly impregnable Uchiha clan had his undercover agents.

Enraged, Madara Uchiha decided to launch a major purge within the clan upon his return, determined to find the traitors who had betrayed their clan and joined the Senju.

"Alright, alright, just remember not to go too far, or it'll ruin the harmony."

Uchiha Gin deeply understood Madara Uchiha's stubbornness, and he didn't intend to dissuade him, but simply told him not to fight to the death and to stop when it was time to stop.

"Hehe, definitely!"

Even before Konoha was established, during the Warring States period, Madara Uchiha never truly intended to kill Hashirama Senju. Even when his father died unexpectedly, Madara believed that the culprit was the one who caused the death and that he only targeted the white-haired man.

Not to mention that we've now entered a period of peace, and everyone has joined hands to build the ideal village called Konoha. It's even less likely that Madara Uchiha would fight Hashirama Senju to the death. At most, he'd beat him until he couldn't take care of himself, and then repay him with his body to care for him for the rest of his life.

Looking at his eager younger cousin, Uchiha Gin sighed deeply in his heart.

"This is the last time. Remember to find a class when you come back."

Madara Uchiha is quite old, yet he still acts like a child. It's only because he has such a caring older cousin to protect him that he's been abandoned by everyone long ago.

"Okay, see you later!"

Now that he had figured out the function of the item, Madara Uchiha didn't linger any longer. He was going to find Hasi Hot Mom and challenge the First Hokage to a duel, so that the First Hokage could taste the Second Hokage's iron fist.

"Tsk~ I thought he had matured a bit, but I didn't expect him to still be so impulsive."

Watching his younger cousin's departing figure, Uchiha Gin shook his head, turned, and headed home.

However, what Uchiha Gin didn't know was that shortly after the two brothers said goodbye, a dark figure quietly attached itself to Uchiha Madara's shadow and followed him as he slowly disappeared into the dark night.

"Waaaaah, Tobirama's gone bad! He's always picking the expensive places."

On the street, Hashirama Senju was weeping bitterly, clutching his empty wallet. He never expected that Tobirama Senju, who had always been considerate of him, would order the most expensive set meal while eating barbecue, squandering all of his meager savings.

"Thank you for your hospitality, brother. I'll head back to work now!"

As the instigator, Tobirama Senju, after eating and drinking his fill, had no interest in being nagged by his older brother and flew back to his office to continue his overtime work.

"Ah~ birth! birth!"

Seeing Tobirama Senju slip away unscathed, Hashirama Senju couldn't help but beat his chest and stamp his feet, lamenting that he had met the wrong person.

"My hands are so itchy, how about..."

Although it was late, it was prime time for gamblers to be out and about. Hashirama Senju hadn't rolled the dice for several days, and his hands were itching to play. Suddenly, he remembered that he had a relative in Konoha who was now quite well-off and could help him out.

"If I win, I'll pay back double to Itaru!"

After a period of self-reflection, Hashirama Senju headed towards the Uchiha Gin family's territory. He decided to swallow his pride and borrow money from his younger sister, secretly vowing to repay her double if he won.

"Huh? This aura..."

But before he could take more than a few steps, he suddenly spotted a figure approaching from the direction of the Uchiha Gin family in the distance. The figure and movements looked very familiar, so Hashirama Senju instinctively activated his senses, which instantly froze him in place.

That familiar smell... it's from Mada!

"Is this fate?"

Madara Uchiha, who had just finished exchanging pleasantries with Gin Uchiha, also spotted a familiar figure. Without hesitation, he activated his Sharingan, clearly seeing Hashirama Senju's handsome face, and couldn't help but sigh in admiration.

After confirming each other's identities, the two slowly walked together. Uchiha Madara looked at his long-lost friend, his eyes filled with joy but also with a strong fighting spirit.

Hashirama Senju felt the same way, but beyond his joy, there was an even more palpable desire and longing that made Madara Uchiha's heart tighten, and he subconsciously clenched his buttocks.

"Hassy hot mom, what's with that look? I'm not a man you can just have whenever you want."

Madara Uchiha crossed his arms and looked intently at Hashirama Senju, whose face showed longing, while secretly delighted.

"Motor! Can you?"

Hashirama Senju licked his dry lips, looking as if he wanted to say something but hesitated.

"Hmph! If you beg me, maybe I can agree~"

"Please, please, lend me 100,000 taels to make up for my losses!"

"ha?"

Just when you're about to fall asleep, a pillow appears. Walking ahead, Hashirama Senju smiled as he counted the wad of banknotes he'd just borrowed from Madara Uchiha.

Madara Uchiha, who was following behind him, had a dark face and an extremely sour expression.

"Madara, you're back just in time! I'll pay you back with interest when I win!"

The double joy of his best friend's return and the winnings from the gambling made Hashirama Senju feel like he had it all back. Pointing at the gambling den that was open for business not far away, he looked like he was about to dominate the gambling den.

"Heh, if you can win money, I'd be willing to give up my position as Hokage."

Unexpectedly, the two, reunited after so long, ended up at a gambling den, handing over money. Uchiha Madara, still fuming but obediently following along, looked at the confident Senju Hashirama and disdainfully made a promise.

As expected, Hashirama Senju, upon entering the gambling den, visibly lost all 100,000 ryo until he was left with only 10,000. Clutching his last few bills, he glanced at Madara Uchiha behind him, who was giving him a mocking look, gritted his teeth, and bet all his remaining money on three sixes.

"Place your order now!"

The dealer placed the dice on the gambling table, and all the gamblers present immediately bet their money on either "big" or "small," not even glancing at the "leopard" (three of a kind).

Buy the villas that are opposite to the pillars, and they will surely be located by the sea.

"Three, two, one, go!"

"I'll blanch it!"

As the croupier lifted the gu (a type of poison), everyone present simultaneously let out a horrified gasp, turning into a machine of vomiting and cursing the croupier's family history.

In the second round, Hashirama Senju did not hesitate and placed his winnings of several hundred thousand on three sixes again. The gamblers around him instantly turned red-eyed and gritted their teeth to continue betting on big or small.

"Three, two, one, go!"

【666】

"It's going to work! I told you I could turn things around!"

Stepping out of the gambling den, Hashirama Senju, the only winner of the night, proudly showed off his winnings to the dumbfounded Madara Uchiha, clutching his prize.

"Impossible! This isn't real, it's an illusion!"

Even when Hashirama Senju threw banknotes at his face, Madara Uchiha still looked incredulous. You see, ever since Hashirama Senju became obsessed with dice, he had lost every single time he gambled.

Konoha locals call him the Gambling King, a super fat sheep.

"Hmph! This is my true strength. I was just letting them have their way before, and they actually took it seriously!"

Hashirama Senju, smug and pleased with himself, counted out a large wad of banknotes and handed them to Madara Uchiha.

"Here, this is the money I borrowed from you before. Now we're even."

"Um"

With a complicated expression, Madara Uchiha accepted the somewhat unfamiliar banknotes and nodded slightly.

"By the way, Mada, when did you get back? Why didn't you let me know beforehand? Tobirama thought you'd defected!"

After putting the remaining gambling money back into his slush fund, Hashirama Senju remembered his important task and immediately asked,

"I just got back today and have been busy traveling, so I haven't had time to contact you."

"Now that you're back, it means the mission is complete. You've really worked hard, Madara!"

Believing that Madara Uchiha had brought him good luck, Hashirama Senju enthusiastically took his hand.

"That's right, the Nine-Tails has been captured."

Although Madara Uchiha's secret mission had many details, ultimately, the most important thing was to bring the Nine-Tails back to Konoha.

"Where's the Nine-Tails? Is it outside the village?"

Hashirama Senju wasn't worried about Madara Uchiha's capture of the Tailed Beasts. He thought they were just big beasts with a lot of chakra, and Madara could take them down with a single glare.

"No, it's here."

Shaking his head at Hashirama Senju, Madara Uchiha reached into his robes and pulled out a glittering silver card.

"Madara, where did you get this Tailed Beast Card?"

Sensing the scorching heat emanating from the card, Hashirama Senju's smile froze on his face, and his expression immediately turned serious.

Madara actually sealed the Nine-Tails into a Tailed Beast Card. If the Nine-Tails were to break free of the seal, it would cause irreparable damage to the village.

"I met that mysterious knight, and he gave me this Tailed Beast Card."

Without hiding anything from his best friend, Madara Uchiha recounted the whole story of how he obtained the Tailed Beast Cards.

"Phew~ I hope it won't escape?"

Hashirama Senju, who unconditionally trusts his best friend, did not continue to inquire about the origin of the card. Instead, he was somewhat worried that Kurama might break free.

In Hashirama Senju's eyes, the Nine-Tails was still quite troublesome. He needed to use the wooden dummy to quickly subdue it, and that kind of commotion would make a mess of the village that he had painstakingly built with loans, and he would have to borrow money again to repair it.

Tobirama, when will your investment projects start to turn a profit? Your brother is about to reach his limit!

"Hmph~ Who do you think you're underestimating? A mere nine-tailed fox? I can refine it in an instant!"

Madara Uchiha tucked the card into his pocket, curled his lip, and muttered a disparaging remark.

"That's good! Tobirama is still working overtime. Quickly give him the Tailed Beast Cards to study; he's been nagging about it for ages."

After letting out a long sigh, Hashirama Senju familiarly stepped forward, urging Madara Uchiha on while patting him on the shoulder, but Madara waved his hand to block it.

The fighting spirit within him was already uncontrollable. The Indra chakra etched deep within his soul caused Madara Uchiha to reveal crimson eyes, within which three mysterious tomoe slowly rotated.

"No rush, hot mom from Hasi, let's have a long-awaited battle!"

"ha?"

As if sensing Madara Uchiha's resolve, Hashirama Senju, after a brief moment of surprise, gradually became serious. A dense blue-purple chakra involuntarily emanated from his body, and his eyes instantly sharpened.

"Tap tap open!" (End of Chapter)