206. Uncle Resolve

Looking up at the familiar clan grounds, Uchiha Gin felt as though he had been away for ages, even though it had only been a week. After bidding farewell to Uchiha Tanaka, he didn't head home immediately but instead strolled toward the clan leader's office building.

"Lord Gin! Please come in~"

The guards at the door, recognizing him, did not stop him. Uchiha Gin made his way straight to his uncle's office. After all, he had a legitimate reason for his trip, and not reporting in after completing the mission would seem improper.

Knock knock knock.

"Come in."

Hearing his uncle's familiar voice, Uchiha Gin pushed the door open. Inside, Uchiha Tajima, who had been reluctantly called back to duty, was diligently handling the clan's affairs. His meticulousness exceeded even his previous tenure as clan leader, prompting Gin to roll his eyes in secret.

"Why are you back so soon? Didn't you spend more time with Madara and the others?"

The visibly older Uchiha Tajima adjusted his reading glasses and looked at his nephew, who had been away for a few days.

"Mission accomplished?"

"Of course! I worked hard to maintain my 100% success rate. How could I mess this up?"

Gin proudly pulled a scroll from his backpack and tossed it onto Tajima's desk. His voice brimmed with self-satisfaction.

"Uh... but you've only done two field missions so far!"

Sighing, Tajima caught the scroll, his tone filled with helplessness.

"Huh? I didn’t expect such an incredible legend to come from such a remote place like Roran."

As Tajima unrolled the mission report, his astonishment grew, his gaze filled with curiosity.

"Not bad, huh? Makes for a good story and should suffice for the mission report, right?"

Gin had deliberately omitted details about Roran's Dragon Vein, only including some bits of local lore. After all, the client for this mission was merely a scholar interested in regional mysteries; there was no need to expose all of Roran's secrets.

Reflecting on his journey to Roran, Gin decided it was best to let the simple people of Roran continue developing peacefully. With the future Second Kazekage, Shamon, at its helm, Roran could evolve from a secluded tribe into a thriving nation.

"That should do. It wasn’t a high-difficulty mission to begin with, and this intriguing tale is enough to justify the reward."

Tajima, not suspecting anything, set the report aside without a second glance, continuing his work.

"Great~ By the way, Uncle, about Madara's eyes... are they—"

Having wrapped up the mission, Gin was ready to slip away but hesitated, recalling the issue with Madara’s Mangekyō Sharingan. Furrowing his brows, he asked hesitantly.

"Ah, I’m aware. He’s been using his eyes too much, and his vision has deteriorated significantly."

As a Mangekyō Sharingan user himself, Tajima understood its side effects. He had only used Kotoamatsukami a handful of times, yet his vision had deteriorated to the point of needing reading glasses. Madara, on the other hand, had been relentlessly using his Mangekyō during battles with the Senju, particularly against Hashirama. The consequences were clear.

"Do you have any plans, Uncle?"

Seeing that Tajima was worried but not overly concerned, Gin grew curious. Had his uncle found some solution to counteract the Mangekyō's side effects?

"Gin, I’m already 48 years old."

Tajima put down his pen and removed his glasses, rubbing his tired eyes. After a moment, he spoke, his tone heavy with weariness.

"Huh? You’re only 48! That’s the prime of life! The Uchiha need you now more than ever. As the former clan leader, you should lead by example, burning yourself out for the clan’s future!"

Gin, missing the emotional undertone, began to earnestly encourage his uncle. Retirement was still far off, and with the retirement age likely to be pushed back, Tajima should be prepared to serve until the next Shinobi World War!

"Wait, that look on your face... could it be—"

In the midst of his motivational speech, Gin finally noticed the sadness in his uncle’s expression. His heart sank, and he hesitated before pointing a trembling finger at Tajima, his voice tinged with disbelief.

"That’s right. I’ve decided—"

A resolute glint flashed in Tajima’s eyes. Thinking his nephew understood his resolve, he began to reveal his plan.

"Sigh~ I get it. At your age, you’re still in your prime, yet living alone must be incredibly lonely. As the former clan leader, you refrained from remarrying to maintain your image, but now that you’ve retired, it’s time! Go pursue your love, Uncle!"

Uchiha Gin's interruption brought Tajima's words to an abrupt halt. Tears glistened in Gin's tiger-like eyes, his voice trembling slightly as he spoke, guilt etched across his face as he gazed at his determined uncle.

As he grew emotional, Gin wiped his tears and looked up at his uncle, whose resolute expression had morphed into confusion and, finally, into a mix of awkward warmth. Misinterpreting his uncle’s reaction as embarrassment over having his secret intentions exposed, Gin stepped forward, clasped Tajima’s hand firmly, and declared with conviction:

"Uncle, I support you! Which auntie is it? I’ll go do some reconnaissance for you. If nothing else, I’m very familiar with all the single ladies in the clan~"

"Smack!!"

Faced with his overly enthusiastic nephew, Tajima acted without hesitation. A silver-gray hand manifested midair, grabbed Gin, and promptly threw him out through the tightly shut window.

"Get out!"

Hearing the powerful bellow of his uncle, Gin landed steadily outside, brushing the debris off his clothes. A mysterious look lingered in his eyes as he glanced back at the clan leader’s office building, its iconic fan-shaped emblem gleaming at the top. Scratching his curly hair, he thought to himself:

"Why I'm so selfless and sacrificial?"

Sighing at the burdens of life, Gin set off toward his home, far from the clan’s main grounds.

"Ah, finally back. Nothing beats relaxing at home."

Staring at his three-story mansion, a wave of comfort washed over him. He pushed open the door, anticipation in his step.

"Huh? No one’s home?"

The silence inside was unexpected. There was no welcoming party, only his own aura filling the empty space. Awkwardly scratching his head, Gin muttered:

"Looks like they’ve all gone to Lady Eimi’s for training. Hmph, mastering the Yin Seal isn’t that easy—especially that kid Itama. Thinking he can learn it as a guy? Utterly delusional."

Having guessed their whereabouts, Gin wasn’t particularly worried. After all, even the weakest member of their group could likely decimate the current Uchiha clan ground.

"Perfect! While they’re gone, I’ll get some skill grinding done in the backyard."

Placing the souvenirs he brought back from the Land of Wind on a shelf, Gin bolted to the backyard. The familiar wooden fence brought a wave of nostalgia as he muttered to himself:

"I’ve been slacking off lately. Hardly grinding any skills or learning anything new. With Konoha’s founding on the horizon, I’ve gotten way too complacent. Time for some serious reflection!"

As he lounged on a wooden chair, basking in the warm midday sun, Gin suddenly sensed a disturbance in the air. His eyes, usually dull and fish-like, opened wide with curiosity as he muttered:

"Hmm? Who’s that?"

Moments later, a figure dressed in a standard Konoha vest appeared before him, accompanied by the familiar interface of the light screen. The young man, about twenty-something, had a slightly handsome but unremarkable face, with a black headscarf wrapped around his head. His vacant eyes stared at Gin.

"Where have I seen this guy before?"

Staring at the NPC for a long while, Gin frowned deeply. The man looked annoyingly familiar, but Gin couldn’t quite place him. His nondescript demeanor screamed "background character." Could the system really be throwing a random extra at him just to fill space?

While Gin pondered, the NPC began rifling through Gin’s backpack. The action left Gin even more baffled.

"What now? Trying to pull a shuriken stunt?"

Gin had encountered countless NPCs who, upon meeting him, immediately launched into shuriken-throwing sprees. These were usually younger kids. For an adult to resort to such antics? Gin thought, At least use a Fireball Jutsu or something to boost my proficiency, damn it!

But as Gin mentally complained, the NPC didn’t pull out a shuriken. Instead, he retrieved a thin senbon, placed it expertly in his mouth, and bit down.

The moment the action was complete, Gin’s mind suddenly cleared. From his perspective, a name popped up above the NPC’s head:

"Ah, so it’s him! This is Shiranui Genma!"

Recognizing the character by the iconic senbon, Gin smacked his forehead in frustration, muttering that the senbon was clearly the man’s true essence.

"Alright, alright. At least he’s got a name. Let’s hope he doesn’t disappoint me."

Recognizing a potential named NPC (C-rank ninjas are elite, after all), Gin grew more focused, his gaze sharpening as he waited for Shiranui Genma to act.

After a moment, the once-lifeless Shiranui Genma seemed to regain some awareness. A flicker of confusion appeared in his eyes, which then darted toward Gin, who was watching him intently. The confusion quickly turned to terror.

"C’mon, buddy, don’t keep me waiting!"

Growing impatient, Gin called out to the NPC. Over the years, he had discovered that NPCs, controlled by AI, had a certain level of combat intelligence, so interacting with them often yielded interesting results.

Responding to Gin’s words, Shiranui Genma stiffly raised his hands. In Gin’s expectant gaze, Genma extended three fingers as a golden aura briefly flickered around him.