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

The dimly lit operating room was filled with the faint smell of disinfectant. A figure in sterile surgical scrubs stood before the operating table, holding a gleaming black scalpel.

"Look carefully, I will only teach these things once."

Wearing a large mask, Uchiha Gin slightly turned his head and spoke in a deep tone to Hydrangea, who was also wearing a sterile suit behind him. His two usually deadpan eyes held a rare seriousness.

"Teacher, won't the patient die if we do this?"

Looking at the patient who had fallen into anesthesia and was unconscious on the operating table, Hydrangea's eyes were filled with doubt and pity.

"Foolishness, what you will witness next is not death, but..."

Uchiha Gin gently shook his head, and the scalpel formed from the Spear of Amazu fell steadily from his hand.

"newborn."

Pfft!

"Hmm!"

Blood spurted out like a pillar, and Hydrangea, who was watching from the side, turned pale instantly. Uchiha Gin, whose sword was flashing, couldn't help but curl his lip at the sight.

Girls from small towns make a fuss over nothing. This is nothing.

"The parts that needed to be removed have been cut off; the next step is transplantation."

He tossed a bloody, mangled mess onto the tray held by Hydrangea, then, without changing his expression, Uchiha Gin turned and retrieved a high-tech, rod-shaped object from a pre-prepared box. Its smooth surface was densely covered with uniformly sized spikes; it was clearly a weapon of immense destructive power.

"Teacher, you're not going to use this as a substitute, are you?"

When Hydrangea saw the mechanical club in Uchiha Gin's hand, her originally pale face suddenly flushed with a faint crimson, and her eyes, which had just been full of pity, now held a hint of inexplicable curiosity.

"This is also what the patient's family wanted."

Time is of the essence; this transplant surgery must be performed when the patient's neural activity is at its peak. Even a second's delay will affect the compatibility between the physical body and the mechanically modified body.

"Come closer."

Uchiha Gin was about to undergo a sophisticated physical modification surgery, and he immediately raised his hand to beckon the Hydrangeas behind him to come forward and observe up close.

"Yes, yes."

Hydrangea, who had initially hesitated, instantly forgot her reservations when she thought of her hometown, which was now under siege by the Iwagakure army. She nimbly stepped forward and approached Uchiha Gin.

"Too close."

Feeling a soft, bouncy, and hot body pressed tightly against his side, Uchiha Gin, now in serious mode, frowned.

"Excuse me, I forgot my glasses."

Hydrangea realized she was indeed standing too close, and her face under her mask flushed involuntarily. She hurriedly pulled a pair of red-framed glasses from her pocket.

"Remember to get a new pair of glasses frames when you're done; these make you look like an idiot."

Uchiha Gin silently withdrew his gaze from the tacky red glasses on Hyacinth Flower's face, and said in a strangely admonishing tone,

"Baka?"

Hearing this baseless slander, Hydrangea's lips twitched. No one in Amegakure dared to speak of her like that; even her subordinates at the research institute praised her glasses for their elegance and style.

"Alright, look carefully. These are the most important sensory nerves in the body. To achieve physical modification, you must first..."

Ignoring the hydrangea's resentful glare, Uchiha Gin deftly made an incision, calmly explaining as he displayed the dense network of nerve tissue inside.

"Next comes the practical section full of valuable information; whether you can grasp it is up to you."

After giving a brief explanation of the professional knowledge that Hydrangea could barely understand, Uchiha Gin stretched his wrists and started warming up on the spot.

"receive!"

Upon hearing that there was valuable information, Hydrangea immediately entered study mode, no longer caring why Uchiha Gin had given such an exaggerated warm-up before the surgery. She stared intently, afraid of missing anything.

After all, she came here to learn. How could she face the villagers of Amegakure and Lord Hanzo who trusted her if she wasted this precious opportunity?

"Sizzle~ Sizzle~"

After warming up, Uchiha Gin pulled out a screwdriver from somewhere and started poking and prodding it. A moment later, he pulled a wrench from his crotch and started tapping this and that. Then came the electric drill, the welding machine, and the angle grinder.

With a crackling burst of sparks, the dimly lit operating room was instantly illuminated, brightening the bewildered eyes of the hydrangea.

"Buzz~"

Only after the chainsaw engine in his hand completely shut down did Uchiha Gin, who had somehow donned a welding mask, nod in satisfaction.

"The surgery was a success."

"What kind of surgery is this?!"

The hydrangea, whose face was completely numb, finally let out her long-suppressed complaints, pointing at the repair tools scattered around Uchiha Gin's feet and loudly complaining.

"Are you fixing your car?"

"Old Eight, you don't understand. Actually, physical modification is not much different from car repair. If the original parts are broken, we repair them. If they can't be repaired, we replace them. The main goal is to satisfy the user."

"If it were changed like this, no one would be satisfied!"

Hydrangea still retained some of the rationality of a researcher and hadn't yet been completely swayed by Uchiha Gin's words. She pointed aggressively at the patient on the operating table who had just undergone surgery, her tone full of skepticism.

Whether you're satisfied or not isn't up to you to decide.

Uchiha Gin didn't argue with her. Facts speak louder than words, and it was up to the patient and her family to judge what was good and bad.

tick~

The red light outside the operating room went out, replaced by green lettering symbolizing a perfect ending.

A black-haired woman pacing back and forth in the corridor saw the words "Surgery Complete" and her tense face finally showed a relieved expression.

Clang!

"Uncle Gin, how's Ginmaru? His..."

Upon seeing Uchiha Gin emerge from the door, the woman rushed forward, her anxious tone tinged with a hint of bewilderment.

"Yuzu, I'm sorry, the necrotic part of Ginmaru couldn't be saved."

Looking at the tear-streaked, black-haired woman before him, Uchiha Gin sighed deeply, and habitually reached out to pat her head, just as he had done when they were children.

"Hmm"

Yuzuka was startled when her head was patted. As a mother, she instinctively tried to push away Uchiha Gin's warm hand.

But for some reason, looking at his apologetic handsome face, she silently pursed her lips, lowered her head to her chest, and a captivating blush rose on her pretty face with its painted fangs.

"It's all my fault. I should have kept a closer eye on it, otherwise it wouldn't have turned out like this."

"But don't be sad. I've already equipped Ginmaru with my latest mechanical swords, guns, and cannons, so I guarantee it won't fall down in the breeding workshop again."

"Really?"

Upon hearing this, Inuzuka Yuzu suddenly raised her head, her flushed face filled with incredulous surprise.

"Don't you know who I am? Konoha's number one developer. This kind of small problem is nothing to me."

Cool!

Before Uchiha Gin could finish speaking, Hydrangea pushed the hospital bed out. Inuzuka Yuzu rushed over upon seeing this, and her face turned even redder when she saw the grotesque weapon on her beloved teddy bear, Gin-maru.

"Woof~"

Upon seeing its master, Ginjutsu, having regained some consciousness, let out a pitiful cry.

"It's alright, Ginmaru. We'll reimburse you for your work injury this time."

If it weren't for the family business, Ginmaru wouldn't have collapsed at work, repeatedly drained of his energy by one hungry Pogon Shepherd after another, to the point that Kunkun suffered from congestion and necrosis.

"Alright, it can go back to work after a few days of rest, and its work efficiency will double. But don't forget to come here regularly for maintenance and oil changes."

"Thank you, Uncle Yin. I don't know how to thank you enough. How about this, I'll book a table at the Whirlpool Country Style Hotel tonight. Please don't refuse."

After patting Ginmaru's messy curly fur, Inuzuka Yuzu turned around, gave a graceful bow, and, under the guise of official business, extended an invitation.

I'll have more tonight.

"Enjoy unlimited sweet water."

"What time is it?"

Become!

Yuzuka was secretly delighted. After all these years, Uncle Gin still couldn't resist the temptation of sweet water. Once she got him drunk, wouldn't she be able to...

hehehe~

"Teacher, have you forgotten that you're supposed to give me extra lessons tonight?"

Just as Inuzuka Yuzu's evil scheme was about to succeed, Hydrangea, standing to the side, expressionlessly pushed up her tacky red-rimmed glasses and coldly reminded her,

"what?"

Uchiha Gin, who had almost succumbed to the temptation of sugar, immediately sobered up upon hearing this. The wealthy woman, Lao Ba, had bought a whole month's worth of lessons from him, spending her days receiving private instruction except for eating and sleeping.

"Maybe next time, I'm not available right now."

Yuzuka glanced deeply at Hydrangea, whose face was ashen. Her canine teeth, hidden beneath her red lips, ground together with a snarling sound. But continuing the argument would seem unladylike, so she could only shake her head in bewilderment and give up.

"Then let's make another appointment."

"Teacher, if this happens again, I will report it to your wife truthfully."

Watching Inuzuka Yuzu lead the jingling Ginmaru away at the end of the corridor, Hydrangea turned her head, her eyes full of warning.

"Don't misunderstand, Xiaoyou is a child I've watched grow up."

Having lived for so many years, Uchiha Gin had gradually lost his sense of time. In his memory, Inuzuka Yuzu was still that snotty-nosed brat who dragged his toy dog, climbed on him, and clamored to pet his curly fur.

"That makes them even more suspicious."

"ha?"

Ignoring the bewildered Uchiha Gin, Hydrangea clutched her thick notebook to her chest, her two enormous breasts protruding high, their cleavage significantly obstructing her view.

Be careful going downstairs, don't slip.

Seeing this, Uchiha Gin cautiously reminded him,

"I'm not really an idiot."

Hydrangea, who had already walked a few steps away, turned around, pushed up her red glasses with one hand, and the whites of her eyes hidden behind the lenses were clearly visible.

"what!"

However, a few seconds later, a scream rang out at the end of the corridor. Uchiha Gin nodded with a sigh upon hearing it.

"The old car comes with two airbags, so there shouldn't be any major problems."

Gin Uchiha, dressed in casual clothes, walked down the street. A month had passed since the Lunar New Year, the festive atmosphere had long faded, and tourists had left early due to unforeseen circumstances. The once bustling street now appeared somewhat desolate.

"Have you heard? The Hokage intends to intervene in the war between the Tsuchiya and Amegakure kingdoms?"

Suddenly, Uchiha Gin overheard two Konoha ninja whispering as they passed by him. Looking at the Sarutobi clan crest on their clothes, he figured the rumor was probably true.

"A war? Isn't that a bad idea? This shouldn't concern us, right?"

Another slightly older Konoha ninja frowned. As a member of the 3,000-strong Sarutobi Army, he had personally experienced war and understood its cruelty.

"Would the Hokage possibly harm us?"

The young Konoha ninja shook his head, his eyes filled with admiration for Hiruzen Sarutobi.

"Even so, but..."

"Stop talking now, Lord Kizaru is still waiting for us!"

"Yes, yes, delivering food is the priority!"

The conversation quickly shifted from international affairs to everyday matters. Thinking about delivering dinner to Sarutobi Kizaru, who was training at the Knights training base, they both quickened their pace.

"Is the monkey trying to train its troops through war?"

Uchiha Gin gazed thoughtfully in the direction where the two Konoha ninja from Sarutobi had disappeared into the distance. He hadn't been to the Knight Training Base in a long time because he was tutoring Hyacinth.

Of course, the main reason is that Little Orchid Hiruko has been staying in Amegakure for some reason and hasn't returned, which means Gin Uchiha can't eat the homemade cake, so he's not in the mood to guide Minato and the others.

Anyway, having Kurama there is enough. He's just a supervisor. Without him, the two nine-tailed foxes can actually run more freely.

"Is it ready for actual combat?"

Uchiha Gin vaguely remembered that before the new year, Minato and the others were already able to use a portion of the Nine-Tails' chakra, and their strength far surpassed that of some of their peers.

Kushina, in particular, possesses a chakra that strongly suppresses the chakra of the tailed beasts, giving her far superior control over the Nine-Tails' power compared to the others.

Hisa Senju had already intended to have her try using the Driver to transform, but due to some uncertainties, the plan was temporarily shelved.

Roots

Tailed Beast Rider Management Department Rider Training Base

"Monkey, the time is almost right."

Inside the Root leader's office, Danzo's burly figure flickered in and out of focus in the swaying overhead light, while Hiruzen Sarutobi, sitting in the guest seat, twitched at the corner of his eye.

"Before we get to the point, may I ask if your department's funding has become this tight?"

Unable to hold it in any longer, Hiruzen Sarutobi put down his teacup, glanced down at his pants—which were stained with tea due to poor visibility—and pointed to the nearly lifeless light bulb on the office ceiling.

"You don't understand, monkey, this is called class."

Danzo, chin resting on his hands, his smug face shifting between light and shadow under the lamplight, did indeed possess a certain style, but mostly looked utterly ridiculous.

"When you get back, change the light bulbs in your office to mine. I guarantee you'll look incredibly sophisticated during the Jonin meeting."

Faced with his close friend's incomprehension, Danzo generously shared this method of elevating one's social status with him. They were buddies, after all; he couldn't be the only one with such class.

"Thank you. The renovation fund for the Hokage Building is quite sufficient. You can keep this style for yourself." (End of Chapter)