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

Uchiha Tajima stood there silently for a long time, his weathered eyes filled with a complex mix of emotions, staring intently at Uchiha Gin for a long while.

"Uncle, Uncle?"

Feeling a little uneasy under his gaze, Uchiha Gin subconsciously shrank back. Could his uncle have suddenly developed dementia?

That's true. After all, at such an advanced age, even with the life force recovery boost provided by the system equipment, it's impossible to avoid the damage that time does to the brain.

"A-Yin".

Seeing his uncle's eyes suddenly regain their clarity, Uchiha Gin breathed a sigh of relief. At least it wasn't Helmerz.

"You're really something."

"A business genius?"

"born."

"."

I did get sick after all, and I need to get treatment!

"If a human could come up with such a dirty trick to make money, I'd just eat it, okay?"

Upon hearing this, Uchiha Gin's hands, which were radiating a strong healing power, suddenly paused. Under Uchiha Tajima Masayoshi's gaze, he subtly dissipated the blue light in his hands and replied with a chuckle.

"Making money is nothing to be ashamed of."

As he said, now is a golden opportunity to profit from the war.

With the generous subsidies from Sunagakure, the ninjas of the Land of Wind would definitely grind missions like madmen.

At that time, essential items for the mission, such as concealed weapons, raw materials for making poisons, explosive tags, protective inner armor, and other consumable goods, will definitely become scarce commodities.

However, within the Land of Wind, the production of such goods has always been low, barely enough to meet normal consumption needs.

With this round of subsidies, prices will naturally rise, and a situation of supply falling short of demand is not far off.

The Land of Waves Trading Company has a long-standing partnership with the Land of Iron, and can supply as much or as little as they need in hard currency like weapons and concealed weapons.

At that time, with just a slight move, they can quickly seize the entire market.

But that's only one aspect; there's something even more ruthless to come.

With a large influx of gold into the market, gold prices are bound to drop in the short term, presenting a great opportunity to buy at the bottom.

Once this storm passes and gold prices recover under the manipulation of a certain gold tycoon, wouldn't we be able to make a fortune again?

On the other side, the Iwagakure ninjas, having just suffered losses, were basically living a life of irregular eating habits.

At the same time, the defeat in the war not only cost them Mane, but also their credibility as ninjas of a large village.

With the workload already dwindling, Sunagakure's move to undermine their resources is a move the Iwagakure ninjas are unlikely to let easily slip away from their client.

But ninjas don't rely on bragging to complete missions; they rely on skill and equipment.

But then again, even a skilled cook can't cook without rice.

The Iwagakure ninjas are now cleaner than their faces, so they can't exactly clash with the Sunagakure's brand-new steel weapons using their ancestral rusty kunai, can they?

Having excellent equipment doesn't guarantee success in completing a mission, but without it, certain death is the only outcome on the battlefield.

But where in the world can you find equipment for free?

Yes, yes.

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Thirty-five points (starting from), isn't that practically giving it away for free?

Uchiha Gin believed that even without the exquisite gifts, the Iwagakure ninjas would definitely fall into the trap he had woven, becoming slaves burdened with loans.

Even if we have to sacrifice something, it's okay; the mortgaged assets will be auctioned off fairly and openly.

If the company truly becomes insolvent, some evil fleece company will step in.

Do you really think you can escape your debts by dying?

In the unknown sweatshops of the Land of Waves, what's lacking is frontline workers who work tirelessly day and night.

"Uncle, everything I did was for the glory of the Uchiha."

In a secluded corner of the training ground, after outlining the plan, Uchiha Gin, with a highly convincing and earnest expression, nodded to Uchiha Tajima, whose expression was complex.

"I understand, it's all for the Uchiha."

My uncle used to be a ruthless and decisive clan leader, and his usual behavior was nothing like that of a saint.

Moreover, although Gin Uchiha's plan was harmful to others, it was ultimately for his own benefit!

"Grandpa Gin!"

Just as the uncle and nephew were plotting how to make a fortune from the war, several small figures came running from afar, interrupting the adults' dirty scheme with their clear, childlike voices.

"That's settled then. I'll put together the details when I get back. Don't lead Fugaku astray!"

Uchiha Tajima, who had been hiding in the shadows, paused. His loving gaze swept over Fugaku's small face in the distance, and after giving a word of advice to Uchiha Gin beside him, he vanished from the spot.

"Grandpa Yin! We're done!"

The first to run up to Uchiha Gin was the simple-minded Nawaki. With a calm expression, he proudly raised his little hand and loudly reported to his mentor.

"Huff, huff. You idiot, you've run so far, how come you're not even out of breath?"

Fugaku, following behind him, was panting heavily with disbelief. He had put in all his effort to keep up with Nawaki, but he was still a step behind and had ended up in such a sorry state.

The Hyuga brothers, following closely behind, also had flushed faces from strenuous exercise, and large beads of sweat dripped from their black hair.

Slightly out of breath, Hiashi glanced deeply at Nawaki, whose chakra reserves were several times greater than his own, and replied with a strange expression,

"Hmph, perhaps it's a matter of constitution. Father once said that the Senju clan's constitution is stronger than that of ordinary people."

Uchiha Gin looked at the few small fry in front of him with a satisfied expression. With such an excellent outsourcing team, wouldn't he be able to continue working remotely for daily wages?

"Let me see where Mikoto went, numbers 1, 2, 3, and 4?"

Just as he was preparing to distribute the daily wages to the kids, he suddenly realized that one person was missing.

"Mikoto-san? I remember she was just following behind me!!"

Hizashi blinked in confusion, rolled his eyes, and turned to look behind him, only to find it empty.

"They must be exhausted. Where are they resting?"

Fugaku stroked his chin and nodded with a determined look.

The group of men had driven up two hundred acres of land by hand in a small village nearby before speeding back.

Of those grown men, aside from the perverted Rope Tree, the rest were still feeling weak in the knees. Mikoto, a delicate girl, probably hadn't even lasted long.

"Sorry, I'm a little late~"

No sooner had he finished speaking than a lovely figure descended from the sky—it was Mikoto, whom he had just guessed was exhausted.

"Mikoto, where did you go just now?"

Nawaki looked at Mikoto, whose face was rosy and who was full of energy, with a puzzled expression.

"I saw that everyone was running very hard, so I turned around and went to the Honey Ice Cream shop in the east of the village to buy some gifts for everyone."

Smiling, she held up the two large bags of sweetened water. At that moment, in the eyes of the group, Mikoto was like an angel.

"Come on, don't be shy, everyone worked hard today!"

"Waaaaah, Mikoto-san, can I marry you?"

"Get out! Misaka is mine!"

Overwhelmed with gratitude and ready to repay her with his body, Nawaki once again engaged in his daily duel with his rival, Fugaku. The others, used to this, did not stop him; instead, they first chose their favorite sweetheart.

"."

Ignoring Nawaki and Fugaku, who were fighting over Mikoto's ownership, Gin Uchiha's thoughtful gaze remained fixed on the smiling girl.

"So it turns out what I swallowed wasn't the gluttonous trait after all~"

Given Mikoto's previous physical condition, it would have been impossible for her to keep up with these boys.

But not only did she remain calm and collected, she was also able to turn around, go in another direction to buy some sweet drink, and then come back. This shows that her current constitution is definitely influenced by Qian Shou's methods.

The steel that Heart Steel absorbed from Rope Tree is probably the same as the Thousand Hands' physique.

The more outstanding one's own descendants are, the better. Uchiha Gin naturally wouldn't interfere with Mikoto's path to becoming stronger.

"Take what you want, but first give me the signed task authorization form from the client."

He's more concerned about today's reward, which will determine how long he can play pachinko tonight.

"Here you go, Grandpa Silver~"

Upon hearing this, Mikoto, who had been watching from the sidelines, took out a thick stack of mission request forms from her small backpack and handed them to Uchiha Gin.

At the same time, a glass of ice-cold lemonade was also handed over.

"Oh~ My little Mikoto is as sensible as ever!"

With a smile, Uchiha Gin inserted a straw into the laughing Snow King's drink, and he took a big gulp.

The next second, his expression changed drastically, and golden liquid gushed out.

"Pfft! Cough cough cough, why does it taste so sour?"

I stared in disbelief at the lemonade in my hand. This wasn't lemonade at all; it was pure, undiluted lemon pulp!

"This is what the senior administrator asked me to bring to Grandpa Yin."

"Well"

So it was just a minor oversight, which makes sense now.

"The senior administrator also asked me to pass on a message to you."

"ha?"

"Have you forgotten about her lately? She hasn't appeared in a long time."

After Mikoto's reminder, Uchiha Gin belatedly realized that he had indeed neglected his beautiful, sweet-voiced, emotionless little disciple recently.

"Ahem. Right away, I'll arrange it right away."

He's going on a trip soon, so let's take Xiaozhi along on a paid vacation!

Soon, the childish duel between Nawaki and Fugaku ended abruptly. Several children, each holding their favorite sweet drink, sat in a row in front of Uchiha Gin, awaiting the promised reward.

"These candies..."

Taking out the lollipops he usually used to appease the children, Uchiha Gin was about to distribute them when Mikoto, one of the children, frowned and pouted with displeasure.

"Grandpa Yin! We're not five or six years old anymore, stop trying to fool us with lollipops!"

Rope Tree, who was about to take the candy, paused, quickly wiped the drool from the corner of his mouth, and then imitated Mikoto's manner, saying...

"Yes, that's right, we're already seven years old!"

"If you don't want candy, what do you want?"

Uchiha Gin blinked in confusion. Are kids these days so precocious? Jiraiya and the others were coaxed with candy until they were ten before they became desensitized.

"I want to become stronger! I want to fight alongside everyone!"

After awakening the three tomoe in a daze, Mikoto's bloodline factor, yearning to become stronger, was activated.

She wants to grow stronger together with everyone, not be that little girl hiding behind everyone else, but a strong, independent female lead.

Upon hearing Mikoto's declaration, Fugaku's face showed a rare expression of shame.

Since learning Chidori, he seems to have become a bit arrogant, and his enthusiasm for learning isn't as strong as before. Now, after Mikoto's words have awakened him, he vows to become a strong person comparable to his older brother.

"Uncle, I want to become stronger too."

"Me too!"

Nawaki, still unaware of the situation, blinked. Although he didn't quite understand, he wanted to do what Fugaku did!

"Please enlighten me, Grandpa Gin." *2

The Hyuga brothers exchanged a glance, recalling their grandfather's words of advice, and immediately bowed in agreement.

"Sigh~ I just can't do anything with you guys."

Seeing the eager eyes of the students yearning to become stronger, Uchiha Gin was overcome with compassion. After a moment's thought, he reached into his backpack and pulled out a miniature training dummy.

"It's not really about giving guidance. You're all still young and growing. Too much rigorous training would only backfire."

Gently shaking his head, Uchiha Gin tossed the training dummy into the arena. Once it had expanded to its normal size, he spoke.

"Let's start by consolidating the skills you've just mastered."

A skill you've just acquired?

The children exchanged puzzled glances, their innocent eyes filled with questions.

"Hey, Hiashi, what's your school teaching lately?"

Gin Uchiha randomly selected a student who didn't seem to have much of a presence and asked, "..."

"Throwing concealed weapons, and also, I am Hizashi!"

"Sorry~ Sorry~ It's because you all look exactly alike. Let's practice some basic throwing techniques!"

Seeing the disgruntled look on Hizashi's face, Uchiha Gin offered a perfunctory apology, then began to instruct the children to practice their basic skills.

"Exactly the same!"

The Japanese soldier, who had been mistaken for someone else, was initially a little unhappy, but then he seemed to remember something, his expression froze, and he became gloomy.

"It's okay, things will be different soon."

Soon, he will have something his older brother doesn't have, and from then on, no one will mistake the two brothers for each other.

Gin Uchiha, with his keen ears, heard Hizashi's wistful murmur and a faint look of realization crossed his face.

Yeah, this kid's reached the age where he should be officially recognized. Bai Jie's forehead will soon bear the mark of a gangster.

Although the plot of Uchiha Gin's timeline deviates slightly, the rule-abiding Hyuga clan still maintains its traditional and ancient ways.

These two brothers, though born of the same mother, will still be treated differently: one will become a respected head of the family, while the other will forever live in his brother's shadow.

Even though Hyuga Tenko, under his influence, has begun to gradually acknowledge the inherent dangers of the branch family system, ancestral laws are not so easily changed.

The web of interests involved was so complex that even a ruthless businessman like Uchiha Gin shook his head in disbelief.

"Daily travel time~"

Gin Uchiha patted Hizashi's dejected head, pointed to the sparrows hopping on the treetops in the distance, and solemnly prepared to launch into a tirade of toxic positivity.

"Cheer up! Do you see that bird?"

"Um."

"You're really not much different from that bird."

Am I like that bird?

Watching the carefree little sparrow, the precocious Hizashi vaguely understood the meaning behind Uchiha Gin's words, and a resolute look beyond her years gradually emerged in her white eyes.

He didn't want to be a caged bird; he wanted to spread his wings and fly high, he wanted freedom.

"Whoosh~"

However, just as Uchiha Gin was using the metaphor of an object to encourage Hizashi to bravely fight against the corrupt birdcage, a kunai shot out from the side, causing his subsequent toxic motivational speech to die before it even began.

"Pat~"

Holding up the sparrow with its wing pierced by an arrow, Hyuga Hiashi, who had been running all the way, proudly showed it to the stiff-faced Uchiha Gin.

"Grandpa Gin, how's my throwing technique?"

While they couldn't guarantee success in other subjects, the Byakugan clan was truly formidable in throwing concealed weapons; they were incredibly accurate and precise.

He glanced down at the sparrow struggling in its death throes, then turned to look at the ashen-faced Hizashi, who kept muttering things like "a bird with broken wings" and "a cage it can't escape," expressing his despair.

Uchiha Gin's forehead veins bulged as he immediately confiscated Hiashi's spoils. Then, his face ashen, he pointed at the mocking dummy standing not far away.

"I told you to shoot, and you shot? You love shooting, don't you? Go shoot at the dummy ten thousand times!" (End of Chapter)