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

Humans are not machines. Gin Uchiha did not force Konan to practice paper ninjutsu day and night. Some things cannot be rushed.

"Xiao Nan, you're in a crucial period of growth right now. Get some rest, or you'll turn into a little potato or a washboard if you stay up late."

Seeing that it was getting late, and watching the girl intently folding paper by the firelight, Uchiha Gin went over and patted her head.

Feeling the warmth from above her head, Xiao Nan bit her lip, lowered her head, and gave a barely audible response.

"Um."

"Yin San San! I did it!"

Just then, Yahiko, who had been meditating at the cave entrance, rushed in excitedly. He raised his hand, and a faint blue chakra light shone in his palm.

Uchiha Gin raised his eyelids in surprise, not expecting Yahiko to be so talented, learning how to refine chakra in just a few hours.

That makes sense, though. How could a disciple valued by Jiraiya be mediocre?

Based on this timeline, if Yahiko had continued to grow along the normal path, he would have at least reached the ceiling level of ordinary ninja strength.

"I'm ready, Gin-san! Quickly teach me powerful ninjutsu!"

To extract even a tiny bit of chakra, Yahiko had exhausted almost all his strength. Although he was panting heavily, the light in his eyes was exceptionally bright, filled with longing for ninjutsu.

"Aren't you afraid of taking too big a step and tearing your balls?"

Uchiha Gin rolled his eyes and gave the ignorant brat a sharp rap on the head.

"Ouch! What are you doing!"

Sure enough, his lashes could trigger Kun's cry 100% of the time, and Uchiha Gin nodded thoughtfully.

"Go and learn how to form hand seals first."

"what?"

Ignoring the grief-stricken Yahiko, Uchiha Gin turned and beckoned to Konan, who had been secretly watching their conversation.

"You all come over here too."

"yes!"

The two little ones knelt in front of Uchiha Gin, their eyes wide with curiosity, like little children.

"Hand seals are a way to control chakra. Under normal circumstances, you cannot release ninjutsu without hand seals."

As he spoke, Uchiha Gin slowly raised his hands and formed hand seals, demonstrating the specific details of the twelve seals to Konan and the other two.

The two men, sitting upright, pricked up their ears, not daring to miss any details.

"Alright, you've remembered them all, right?"

Soon, Uchiha Gin, having finished explaining each of the twelve hand seals, put his hands down.

"Got it!"

The two nodded hurriedly, their minds filled with the flashy hand seals. Seeing the two children's furrowed brows, Uchiha Gin nodded.

"Alright, that's all for today. Go and rest. Tomorrow I'll teach you the most basic and important ninjutsu."

Because the cave was rather narrow, Uchiha Gin suggested resting at the more spacious entrance, while Konan and Yahiko remained in their usual spot.

However, the burlap sack blankets had been thrown away by Uchiha Gin and replaced with warmer wool blankets. He also used Earth Release to compact and raise the ground, creating two small stone beds.

Lying on the hard stone bed, wrapped in a warm blanket, Xiao Nan felt no discomfort. In the dim light of the oil lamp, her starry eyes were filled with a faint mist.

Xiao Nan dared not fall asleep at this moment. She was afraid that if she closed her eyes and opened them again, she would be back on that tattered burlap sack, shivering in the cold wind in thin clothes.

"Xiao Nan".

Suddenly, Yahiko's voice reached Konan's ears. She turned her head in confusion and saw her companion sitting on the edge of the bed not far away.

"Yahiko, can't you sleep either?"

"Yes, because it all feels so unreal."

Sitting on the edge of the bed, Yahiko's small eyes were filled with deep confusion. He couldn't believe he was so lucky to have met such a good person as Uchiha Gin.

They not only provided material assistance, but also taught them valuable ninjutsu techniques.

"Perhaps Yin San San is a god."

Xiao Nan nestled in a warm blanket, recalling the scene of her making a wish to God during the day.

Uchiha Gin appeared by her side suddenly after she made her wish!

"Phew~ Whether Yin San San is a god or a ghost, he will always be our benefactor."

Yahiko closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and when he opened them, his gaze held a hint of something unreadable. He waved to Konan.

"Go to sleep, you still have to cultivate tomorrow."

"Um."

Soon, feeling much more at ease, Xiao Nan drifted off to sleep, soft snores rising gently from the corners of her upturned lips.

"Huff~ Huff~ Huff~"

In the darkness, a pair of eyes slowly opened, gazing at the sleeping Konan. Yahiko tiptoed off the bed and crept towards the cave entrance.

The howling wind at the cave entrance carried a biting chill, seeping into Yahiko's thin collar and causing the boy to shiver involuntarily. Seeing the flickering firelight in the distance, a deeper sense of emotion welled up in his eyes.

Despite the freezing weather, Yin San San still kept watch over them. Such a hero is truly admirable.

"Roasted chicken wings~ I love them the most~"

Just as Yahiko was lost in self-pity, an alluring fragrance wafted over, followed by the sound of Uchiha Gin's flirtatious humming.

"Thud!"

Yahiko, who had stopped in his tracks, stood frozen in place, staring at Uchiha Gin, who was wrapped in a thick quilt and sitting beside the luxurious fireplace. He tremblingly extended a finger, his face filled with disbelief.

"Yin San San, you..."

"Huh? You actually have a habit of getting up at night. Remember to take more kidney tonics when you grow up."

Uchiha Gin was basting the glistening roasted chicken wings with sauce when he looked at Yahiko, who had a shocked expression on his face, and shook his head with a sigh, as if he was regretting Yahiko's physical condition.

"Glug~"

Yahiko, who hadn't eaten meat in ages, stared at the sizzling, oily chicken wings. He couldn't help but swallow, the sound of his saliva echoing throughout the cave.

"Hungry? Come and have something to eat~"

With one hand forming a hand seal to control the heat, Uchiha Gin invited his adopted disciple to sit down and share a late-night snack with him.

"yes!"

He scurried to sit by the stove, his drool practically dripping onto the ground.

"It smells so good!"

Holding the chicken wings handed to him by Uchiha Gin, Yahiko, who hadn't had any meat in a long time, ate them with gusto, devouring a whole skewer in no time, even chewing the bones up and swallowing them.

"Yin San San, I thought you were freezing here~"

Wiping the grease from his lips, Yahiko looked at Uchiha Gin's luxurious outdoor gear and tears of envy streamed down his face.

He originally wanted to see if his teacher needed any help, but unexpectedly stumbled upon this scene of extravagance and debauchery.

"Hey, I'm getting on in years, can't I at least enjoy myself?"

Uchiha Gin, eating chicken wings and drinking sweet soda, looked completely at ease. He was in such a miserable state, couldn't he at least eat something good?

If he could stay too far away from Xiao Nan, he would definitely go to the town's red-light district for a thorough investigation.

"But you, staying up so late, don't you want to practice tomorrow?"

After taking a sip of the small, yellow-packaged sweet drink, Uchiha Gin raised an eyebrow at the bewildered Yahiko.

"I'm going to sleep now!"

Upon hearing this, Yahiko immediately stood up. He was genuinely worried that Gin Uchiha wouldn't teach them.

"Alright, I see you can't sleep either, let's talk."

Uchiha Gin shook his head and tossed over an unopened bottle of strong tea. Yahiko quickly caught it, hesitated for a moment, and then sat back down in his original seat.

Tell me, what is your dream?

With his hands crossed and chin resting on his hands, Uchiha Gin stared intently at Yahiko, who was curiously fiddling with the sweet water, and posed a probing question.

"ha?"

Yahiko frowned. Having lived a precarious life before, he had never thought about such profound questions. At most, he would fantasize about what treasures he might find in the trash can tomorrow.

"Let's protect the people we care about?"

But things are different now. With Uchiha Gin around, he has the confidence to face the unknown future. If he really has a dream, it should be to protect the people around him!

"Out!"

Upon hearing this clichéd answer, Uchiha Gin raised his elimination card.

"What's the difference between a person without dreams and a salted fish?"

"Didn't I say I wanted to protect the people I care about?"

Yahiko couldn't help but retort. He had already voiced his newly conceived dream, yet Gin Uchiha was still mocking him.

"Can you call this a dream? This is basic stuff, okay?"

"So I'm really just a spineless nobody with no dreams?"

Upon hearing Uchiha Gin's words, Yahiko fell into deep self-doubt. Was he really just a worthless wretch?

"It's okay, it's never too late to set your dreams on track. You can set a small goal now to guide your progress."

Gin Uchiha patted Yahiko on the shoulder encouragingly and spoke with earnest persuasion.

"A small goal?"

Yahiko blinked blankly, unsure what small goal he should set for himself.

"How about I help you set your first small goal?"

"Okay, thank you, Yin San San!"

Dizzy from Uchiha Gin's words, Yahiko could only nod in agreement.

"Very good, your first goal is to become a helpful person."

Looking at the empty fireplace, Uchiha Gin smiled and said,

"Willing to help others?"

"Yes, after you help ten people who truly need help, set a new goal for yourself, until you realize the dream deep in your heart."

Reflecting on Uchiha Gin's words, the confusion in Yahiko's eyes slowly faded. After a series of strange mental exercises, he suddenly looked up.

"I understand! Thank you, Yin San San!"

Yahiko's expression was extremely excited at this moment, and his gaze towards Uchiha Gin became even more admiring.

Yin San San was truly going to great lengths, having a long and earnest talk with him late into the night, all in an effort to mold him into a well-rounded young man with vision, refinement, and ambition.

He will certainly live up to Yin San San's expectations and become a high-quality ninja.

"Very good, you understand so quickly. It was worth all the effort I put in."

Uchiha Gin nodded in satisfaction, then changed the subject.

"Well, as someone who likes to help others, could you please go to town and buy some chicken wings for me? I didn't buy enough during the day, so I have nothing to grill now."

"ha?"

Clutching a gleaming golden bean, a bewildered Yahiko walked through the pouring rain, his little mind racing for a long time, but even after turning red, he still couldn't figure it out.

Who am I? Where am I? What am I supposed to do?

However, listening to the echoing singing coming from the cave behind him, he had a vague feeling that he might have been tricked.

"Roasted chicken wings~ I love them~"

the next day.

"Remaining time - 188258s"

As Uchiha Gin watched the countdown continue, his mood grew increasingly heavy. Looking at the two children before him, who were standing ready, his tone became even more somber.

"Today, I'm going to give you a very rigorous training session. Are you ready?"

"Always be prepared!" *2

Konan and Yahiko practically shouted at the top of their lungs.

"Very good, very energetic!"

Sensing the determination of the two, Uchiha Gin nodded with satisfaction.

"Shadow Clone Technique".

He raised his hands, forming a mudra, and with a puff of white smoke, another Uchiha Gin, picking his nose, appeared before everyone.

"Go teach that brat, but don't break him."

Pointing at Yahiko, who looked on with envy, Gin Uchiha gave an order to his shadow clone.

"Tsk, what are you saying? I wouldn't dare mess with him!"

The shadow clone rolled its eyes dramatically. Who was Yahiko? He was the god of rice carrying! (sound of a joke)

"Come on, I'll teach you how to make a 'sleep-inducing' tea~"

Patting Yahiko on the shoulder, the shadow clone led him out of the cave. The outside space was larger, making it easier to maneuver.

"yes!"

A flawless version after careful inspection!

After Yahiko left, Uchiha Gin pointed to the paper dragon on the table.

"Konan, can you now transfer chakra onto paper?"

"Almost there"

Shaking his head sheepishly, Konan keenly noticed a hint of disappointment flash in Uchiha Gin's eyes, and her heart immediately tightened.

"Give me another hour, and I'm sure I can do it!"

Not wanting Uchiha Gin to show that look again, Konan gritted her teeth and promised.

"Don't worry, I didn't mean to blame you."

Disappointed as he was, Gin Uchiha couldn't bring himself to blame a child who had just learned to refine chakra.

"Silver Three Three"

"Don't make that face; a smile is what angels are all about."

Seeing Konan's dejected expression, Uchiha Gin stepped forward, gently rubbed her cheek, and forced a smile.

Feeling the warmth from Uchiha's silver hand, Konan's cheeks flushed instantly, and a glint appeared in her eyes as she pondered something.

"Take it slow, we won't control the paper dragon today."

For Konan, who had just embarked on her ninja journey, mastering the complex art of origami was indeed a bit too much of a challenge.

Uchiha Gin then pulled out a sheet of paper from the mountain of blank sheets and placed it in front of Konan.

"You fold something you like first."

Upon hearing this, Konan raised her head, her gaze sweeping across Uchiha Gin's handsome face before settling on the pristine white paper.

"Anything is fine?"

"As long as you like it."

Taking the white paper, Xiao Nan's ten slender, jade-like fingers danced rapidly, their movements so fast they were dazzling.

After a day of origami practice, Xiao Nan had improved her skills considerably. In just a few moments, a delicate white rose appeared in her hand.

"Yin San San, here you go."

Holding the roses high, Konan's face still flushed slightly, her gaze darting away, unable to meet Uchiha Gin's eyes.

"It's very exquisite; it's so realistic it could easily be mistaken for the real thing."

Uchiha Gin didn't notice Konan's expression; his gaze was drawn to the white roses. Looking at the familiar flowers, he felt that his time travel was not without reason.

"Next, try to use your chakra to control this flower to restore it to a blank sheet of paper, and then turn it back into a flower."

Compared to the complex paper dragon, controlling the paper rose should be much easier, and since it's something Xiao Nan has been thinking about, she can concentrate her mental energy more.

"yes!"

Konan bit her lip, her gaze shifting from Uchiha Gin to the paper flowers in front of her. She vowed that she would not let Gin down.

Not wanting to put too much pressure on the girl, Uchiha Gin chose to give Konan enough space, and walked out alone to stand by the cave entrance, listening to his shadow clone instruct Yahiko.

"You can't even master the E-rank Three-Body Technique, yet you want to unleash the Water Dragon? You're not worthy!"

The shadow clone stood before Yahiko, whose face was flushed, pointing at the abstractly drawn clone on the ground and criticizing it mercilessly.

"That's good enough. We just succeeded. Let's move on to the next step!"

Unconvinced, Yahiko gritted his teeth and retorted, "So what if I made a mistake? It didn't cause any major disaster."

"Heh~ Being a ninja isn't a profession where you can just do it halfway."

With a finger poking Yahiko's forehead, the shadow clone wore an expression of utter disappointment.

"Keep practicing. If you can master the Three Body Technique within three hours, I will make an exception and teach you a unique ninjutsu."

A combination of punishment and reward—Uchiha Gin, who had been in the education field for many years, still understood a thing or two about teaching.

"Is it really true?"

"It's true!"

"Come on! Whip me all you want!"

Upon hearing that there was an exclusive ninjutsu he could learn, Yahiko became incredibly enthusiastic and began to take the Three Body Techniques, the most basic and important ninja techniques, seriously.

The day passed quickly.

As night fell, Uchiha Gin went to check on the students' learning progress.

Inside the cave, Xiao Nan knelt before the paper flowers, her hands, glowing with blue light, raised slightly. With a soft rustling sound, the white paper roses slowly began to bloom.

"Phew~"

As beads of sweat accumulated on her face, Xiao Nan, drenched in fragrant sweat, finally lowered her hands, and the paper flower froze in the moment of its bloom.

"Almost there."

Wiping the sweat from her forehead, Xiao Nan raised her hand again, but her trembling hands began to shake uncontrollably from side to side.

"Whoosh!"

With lightning speed, Uchiha Gin flashed forward and caught Konan just in time before she collapsed from exhaustion.

"Hoo hoo, sorry, Yin San San, I've disappointed you."

Konan, lying in Uchiha Gin's arms, had an unhealthy blush on her cheeks. She tried to struggle to get up, but found that her body was limp and she couldn't move at all.

"It's okay, you've done very well."

To be honest, even Gin Uchiha hadn't expected that Konan could already control the blooming of paper flowers. This was already considered to have reached the basics of paper ninjutsu.

The essence of paper ninjutsu is actually the application of a ninja tool. The practitioner uses their own chakra to modify paper, thereby controlling and shaping it.

As long as Konan can skillfully control the paper rose to bloom and restore itself, she will have mastered the secret technique of paper ninjutsu.

Just then, a figure walked in from outside the cave.

"Hey, main body, this kid's really going all out."

It turned out to be a shadow clone who was instructing Yahiko in his training. He was seen carrying the unconscious orange-haired brat, looking utterly helpless.

"How is it?"

"They're exhausted. Who practices the Three Bodies Technique like that? It's like grinding for skill points."

The shadow clone tossed Yahiko onto the stone bed, smacked its lips, and reached out its hand towards Uchiha Gin.

"How about I have one, since I've worked so hard all day?"

"Hehe, solved!"

I don't have any surplus food to give you this clone.

Uchiha Gin was a master at discarding his tools after they had served their purpose. The bewildered shadow clone didn't even have time to utter a curse before being turned into a wisp of white smoke and completely disappeared from this world.

"Gurgle~ gurgle~"

Just as Uchiha Gin finished dealing with his clones, a piercing rumbling sound came from behind him.

"I'm sorry."

Xiao Nan, clutching her stomach, wished she could disappear into a crack in the ground. How could she let Yin San San hear such an embarrassing sound?

"You've been practicing so hard today, it would be a real problem if you weren't hungry."

Extracting chakra is the most physically demanding task. Konan's body was already weak, and after a day of intense extraction, her stomach was only now rumbling. It must have been really tough on her.

"What do you want to eat? I'll make it."

It was too late to go to town for dinner, so Uchiha Gin decided to cook for the two children himself to make them something better.

"I want to eat fish."

Living in the Land of Rain, a land of lakes and marshes, Konan grew up eating fish. However, after becoming an orphan, she never saw any meat again.

Fish is a delicacy that can only be enjoyed when you are with your family.

"Fish, huh?"

The purchased supplies did not include fish, a perishable ingredient, and since Gin Uchiha could not stray too far from Konan, he entrusted the arduous task of procuring fish to the unconscious Yahiko.

"Yahiko, with your dreams, time to get up and get to work!"

A sharp rap was delivered to the head of the sleeping orange-haired boy.

"Ouch! What are you doing!"

Clutching his head, Yahiko, his eyes brimming with tears from the pain, angrily opened his eyes.

"Helpful young man, go buy some fish!"

"Huh? You were kidding me after all!"

Last night, when he went out in the rain to buy chicken wings for Uchiha Gin without thinking, he sensed something was wrong. He didn't expect that the other party would not stop trying to fool him again and again.

"That's right."

"You actually dare to admit it!"

"So, are you going or not? Exclusive ninjutsu, you know~"

Annoyed, Yahiko instantly sobered up upon seeing Uchiha Gin's mocking smile. He immediately adopted a fawning expression, bowing and scraping as he accepted the golden beans, before disappearing into the rain in a flash.

"Hehe, Yin San San, you're so mean~"

Seeing Yahiko's dramatic change of expression, Konan chuckled. This was the first time Uchiha Gin had ever seen a smile that belonged to someone his age on the face of this unfortunate girl.

This is what an angel should look like.

Yahiko came and went quickly; the lively, wriggling fish met its short end at the hands of Uchiha Gin. With a swift stroke of the knife and a quick heat of oil in the wok, his culinary skills remained unchanged over the years.

In no time, a large plate of sweet and sour fish, exuding a sweet aroma, was placed in front of the two children.

"Oh my god! Oh my god! This sweet and sour fish is so delicious!"

Watching the two wolfing down their food, Uchiha Gin's gaze fell on the paper flower that hadn't fully bloomed yet.

"This flower looks more and more familiar the more I look at it."