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

"Hand seals? Grandpa Gin, what are you talking about?"

Jiraiya, sitting in front of Uchiha Gin, heard the other's mutterings and turned around in confusion to ask,

"It's nothing, but I, your grandpa, have a piece of advice for you: don't play with hand seals."

Gently shaking his head, Gin Uchiha focused his gaze on Jiraiya's still-childish face and offered a heartfelt warning.

"Huh? Aren't ninjas supposed to use hand seals?"

A question from a young roulette dog.

"Serves you right for not having enough information."

Uchiha Gin glared at Jiraiya with a look of disappointment and frustration.

Spinning around and around, do you think you're the Russian roulette wheel?

Do you want to share this if it hurts?

Recalling his miserable experience of being dominated by the roulette dog all night, Uchiha Gin couldn't help but feel an itch to punch it.

Boom! ——

"Hey, what are you doing?"

"The imprint of the dam!"

"Why do you only hit me?"

With a large bump on his head and tears welling in his eyes, Jiraiya questioned him.

"You feel better to hit."

Gin Uchiha, his gaze sweeping over the group of trembling brats, suddenly felt refreshed and gave his answer in a serious tone.

"Aren't you bullying an honest person?"

"No seats available."

"Hey curly-haired baboon, stop bullying the child! What should we do now?"

Senju Itama, looking worried and somewhat helpless, tugged at Uchiha Gin's sleeve. His eldest niece had destroyed the village's most precious treasure; the Senju clan probably couldn't afford to compensate for it even if they sold themselves.

"What should I do? How should I know?"

"Don't you know how to make Tailed Beast cards?"

"Does being able to do something mean you have to be able to fix it? I promised back then that I wouldn't cover after-sales service."

"What should we do then?!"

Gin Uchiha glanced at the anxious Senju Itama, gently shook his head, and spoke reassuringly.

"But don't worry, the Tailed Beast Cards aren't that easy to destroy."

The sealing technique he applied to the Tailed Beast Cards was no mere decoration; it could be repaired even if it was torn in two or shredded.

Inside the examination hall, unlike the earlier heated atmosphere, the silence was now suffocating. Senju Hishima, holding the Flying Thunder God kunai, stood frozen, staring at the Nine-Tails card she had split in two, her mind going completely blank.

"Oh dear, you're in big trouble now~" *2

Mito Uzumaki and Hikaru Uchiha, each holding half a Nine-Tails Card, raised their fingers in perfect unison and pointed at the bewildered Hisama Senju.

"No, how could that be? I just touched it lightly."

Coming to her senses, Senju Hisa threw away her murder weapon and began to make excuses, her ruby-like eyes filled with doubt.

Are Tailed Beast Cards really that fragile?

"With so many people watching, you can't deny it."

Uchiha Hikari held up half of the Nine-Tails Card in her hand and said righteously, she had absolutely no goodwill towards this spoiler who had ruined her one-on-one duel.

"I...I have glue here."

Feeling the intense gazes around him, even the usually composed Senju Hisana couldn't help but panic a little, frantically pulling a bottle of glue from her ninja tool pouch on her back.

As a researcher, it's perfectly reasonable to carry a bottle of glue with you, right?

"."

"Are you an idiot?"

Selectively forgetting what he had said before, Uchiha Hikaru was almost amused by Senju Hisami's behavior.

"How can this be repaired!"

Senju Hisa, who considered herself the smartest person in the ninja world, could not bear such humiliation, especially since the other party was an Uchiha, which made it even more unacceptable to her.

"Wait a minute, there's something strange about this card."

Just as the two women were about to clash, Mito Uzumaki, who held the other half of the Nine-Tails Card, suddenly spoke up and stopped their impending battle.

Looking at the complex runes appearing on the surface of half of the Nine-Tailed Fox Card, a hint of surprise flashed in her beautiful brown eyes.

It's a trigger-type sealing technique, what an exquisite method.

Inside the VIP viewing room, the F6 members were still in shock. Hiruzen Sarutobi, the first to recover, subtly distanced himself from Danzo beside him, stood up angrily, and said...

"Danzo, you've gotten yourself into big trouble this time."

"ha?"

"I told you long ago that the selection process must be handled with utmost care. How are you going to explain this to the villagers now?"

"You monkey."

Seeing his childhood friend cutting him off at the speed of light, Danzo, recovering from his shock, nearly fainted. He immediately raised a trembling finger.

"Hiruzen, now is not the time to shift the blame."

Uchiha Kagami stepped forward. More concerned with resolving the problem than internal strife, he reasoned that the Nine-Tails Card had been destroyed in full view of everyone, and the news would soon spread throughout the entire ninja world.

Those who are lying in wait will surely seize the opportunity to strike, and Konoha is very likely to be drawn into the war.

Just then, the half of the Tailed Beast Card in Mito's hand burst forth with intense heat, and crimson Nine-Tails chakra overflowed like bubbles. The violent aura instantly swept through the entire examination hall, and some timid spectators began to flee, plunging the scene into chaos.

"Hu Jing is right, Danzo. I'll let it slide for now. Hurry up and contact the sealing team. The Nine-Tails might be about to break free."

Gazing at Danzo, who dared not speak his anger, Hiruzen Sarutobi let out a long sigh, his worry undisguised. Now that the Nine-Tails Card was destroyed, the first thing that raging beast, imprisoned for so many years, would do upon its release would undoubtedly be seek revenge against Konoha.

Without Hashirama Senju and Madara Uchiha, whether the few of them could suppress the enraged Nine-Tails was a problem he faced.

"Hiruzen, Lord Izuna hasn't left the village yet, perhaps..."

Seeing his close friend's solemn expression, Jing had a sudden thought and offered a suggestion.

"Wait a minute. If we can't solve this, then we can ask Lord Izuna for help."

Hiruzen Sarutobi's face lit up with joy upon hearing this, but remembering his current status, he gritted his teeth and refused.

"But there are so many villagers here, what if the Nine-Tailed Fox goes berserk?"

Uchiha Kagami frowned. He knew that Hiruzen Sarutobi wanted to handle the current crisis himself because of his pride, but this shouldn't involve gambling with the lives and property of the villagers.

"Mirror, I am the Hokage."

Taking a deep drag on his still-smoldering pipe, Hiruzen Sarutobi raised his head with a grave expression.

"Alright, Hiruzen, I hope this is the last time you act recklessly."

After taking a deep look at his dearest friend, who now seemed like a stranger to him, Uchiha Kagami slowly closed his dark eyes.

When he opened his eyes again, a bewitching pattern he had never seen before immediately caught the attention of the others. The voice of Uchiha Kagami, who had activated his Mangekyou Sharingan, carried a chilling undertone.

"I will always be watching over you."

"Mirror, you"

Hiruzen Sarutobi paused, his hand holding the pipe pausing, his eyes widening in astonishment. Danzo, standing beside him, clenched his fists, his eyes revealing a genuine envy.

"Hiruzen, Kagami, look!"

Suddenly, Akimichi Torifu's loud voice pulled the two, who were locked in a stalemate, back to reality.

"What happened? Has the Nine-Tails appeared?"

Upon hearing this, the two men's expressions tightened, and they rushed forward to investigate. They were utterly shocked by the unbelievable scene unfolding before them.

The Nine-Tails card, which had just been cut in two by Senju Hisama, shimmered with an obscure light. Dense, complex runes surged from the torn wound, drawing the overflowing, volatile chakra back into the card.

"That's the Four Symbols Seal!"

Danzo's eyes widened in surprise. Although he had never learned sealing techniques, it didn't prevent him from understanding this strange escape technique.

"We're saved!"

Upon seeing the sealing technique, Danzo breathed a sigh of relief. More than investigating the origins of the sealing techniques on the Tailed Beast Cards, he was concerned about whether the crisis could be resolved.

After all, this directly affects his future career. Judging from Hiruzen Sarutobi's swift cutting performance just now, he is very likely to be the scapegoat.

"Wait! It's not over yet, Nine-Tailed Fox has started self-repairing!"

Just as everyone breathed a sigh of relief, Akimichi Torifu, with his loud voice, shouted again, his round face filled with disbelief, as if he had seen a ghost.

"ha?"

The group of people who had just sat down stood up and squeezed to the window to peek out. Sure enough, they saw the miraculous changes that occurred in the Tailed Beast Cards held by Mito Uzumaki and Hikaru Uchiha.

"Could this be considered a blessing in disguise?"

With a strange expression, Hiruzen Sarutobi turned to Danzo and said in an enigmatic tone,

"Danzo, your workload is about to increase again."

"Can I refuse?"

Looking at the two identical Nine-Tails cards, Danzo replied stiffly.

"I am the Hokage."

"You'll regret this!"

Inside the arena, Uchiha Hikari curiously flipped through the self-repaired Nine-Tails card in her hand. When the Eight Trigrams Seal appeared, she had almost dropped it in fright.

Fortunately, she discovered in time that the sealing technique only targeted the tailed beast's chakra, so she could continue to hold her spoils with peace of mind.

"How is this possible? This is not scientific!"

Having witnessed the entire process of half a Tailed Beast Card self-repairing, Senju Hisa fell into deep self-doubt. As a ninja who revered science, she couldn't understand how one Nine-Tails could become two.

The original chakra of a tailed beast is unique. Even if you collect the chakra that a tailed beast has released, without the original chakra, it is impossible to cultivate it into a new tailed beast.

"Each one has one of the eight paths and four symbols of seal?"

On the other side, Mito Uzumaki, studying the brand-new Nine-Tails card, fell into deep thought as she looked at the Tailed Beast card with only eight Four Symbols Seals remaining in her hand.

Where did the other two go?

Inside the space of the Tailed Beast Card, the Nine-Tails, noticeably smaller, looked at its perfectly intact body with a puzzled expression.

"What happened? Wasn't I split in two by Death?"

Just now, the Nine-Tails, sealed by the Corpse Demon's seal, ultimately could not escape the Grim Reaper's judgment.

It hung on the cross of death like a lamb to the slaughter, cleanly and efficiently sliced ​​in two by a sharp knife. The excruciating pain nearly caused the Nine-Tails to disintegrate on the spot.

However, the tailed beasts possess an excessively tenacious vitality; even if cut in two, they can still regenerate as long as their primordial chakra remains intact.

After checking himself over, Kurama found that he was perfectly fine and immediately showed a smug look on his face.

"Hmph~ I'm incredibly lucky and have a long life. How could a mere Grim Reaper possibly be a match for me?"

It seems the Grim Reaper in the old man's story wasn't that powerful after all; his immense primordial chakra hasn't shrunk at all.

"Where did my chakra go?"

Kurama, looking at its chakra that had shrunk by half, fell into deep thought.

If it remembers correctly, just a minute ago, this place was still full of a huge pile.

The same scene unfolded in another Tailed Beast card. The second Nine-Tails, with slightly different fur color than the previous one, also stared into deep thought as it looked at its diminished primordial chakra.

"What the hell?" *2

It—no, it's "them" now—the two nine-tailed foxes seem to have really seen a ghost.

In the audience, Senju Itama looked at the Nine-Tailed Fox card, now fully restored, and all his worries vanished.

Now the bride's family won't have to pay compensation, right?

"Curly-haired baboon!!! You're absolutely right!"

In her excitement, she slapped the silent Uchiha Gin beside her hard, but didn't get the response she expected. She blinked in confusion.

"Feed? What's wrong with you?"

Senju Itama leaned over and was surprised to find that Uchiha Gin's eyes were tightly closed. If it weren't for the barely audible breathing coming from his mouth and nose, the girl would have thought that the curly-haired man in front of her had passed away.

The girl reached out and poked Uchiha Gin's arm, only to find that he seemed to be out of his body, completely unresponsive to everything around him.

Seeing this, a glint of light flashed in the girl's eyes, and her movements became bolder.

"Seriously, they sleep anywhere, aren't they afraid of catching a cold?"

With a couple of disgruntled grunts, Senju Itama, despite his outward reluctance, quite naturally placed Uchiha Gin's head on his ample thighs, casually ruffling the other's fluffy curly hair.

It feels so good!

"Itama, what's wrong with Mr. Gin?"

Uchiha Rinne, who was a step too late, was filled with resentment for his hesitation. He could only suppress his disappointment and pretend to be nonchalant as he asked,

"I don't know, maybe I stayed up late last night and didn't get enough rest?"

Looking down at Uchiha Gin's sleeping profile, Senju Itama's face flushed slightly. She shook her head, trying to appear calm, but her hands continued their movements, ruffling her already soft curly hair even more.

Seeing this, Uchiha Rinpoche could no longer contain his excitement. After struggling for a moment, he leaned closer, his voice barely audible.

"Itama, it'll be my turn to rub it later."

"don't want."

Sorry, Sister Governance, such an opportunity is extremely rare.

"I want it!"

Opportunities are never given by others; you must seize them when the time is right.

Uchiha Gin, the person involved, was unaware that his body was being subjected to the destructive abuse of two women.

He was standing in an unfamiliar space, surrounded by darkness.

"Where did this come from? Is it still in China?"

Uchiha Gin scratched his head in confusion. He had just been watching the Nine-Tails' asexual reproduction mitosis, how did he end up in this strange, weird place in the blink of an eye?

"Thump—"

Suddenly, a pale yellow light illuminated the surroundings. Uchiha Gin instinctively looked down and realized that he wasn't standing on the ground, but on a calm lake that reflected his image.

"Long time no see, outstanding descendant."

A voice, both strange and familiar, rang in Uchiha Gin's ears. He turned his head in the direction of the voice and saw an old man floating on the lake. The old man was squinting his pure white eyes, looking at him with admiration.

"Oh, it's you, Sasipuri! How was the roast chicken I made for you last time?"

Upon seeing the long-absent patriarch Hamura, Uchiha Gin immediately dropped his guard and greeted him with a smile.

"Satisfied! Just next time, could you burn a few more? Don't look at me like that, it's not for me to use, it's for..."

"Cough cough cough"

Under the mocking gaze of Uchiha Gin, Otsutsuki Hamura was about to explain when he was interrupted by a strange cough that suddenly echoed from the depths of the space.

Upon hearing that warning cough, Ōtsutsuki Hamura's expression tightened, and the topic was instantly steered back on track.

"Ahem. Hurry up and pay your respects to your great-uncle. If it weren't for him dealing with Death for you, you'd be reporting to the Underworld long ago." (End of Chapter)