Several days later—
Inside the Uchiha Clan Leader's building.
Normally quiet, the clan leader's office was now packed to the brim. The murmur of whispers buzzed like a hive of bees.
In the front row stood the clan elders, led by the rotund Uchiha En, who looked like a laughing Buddha. He was chatting idly with the lean Uchiha Miao beside him.
In the second row, at the head, was Uchiha Ryōei, who hadn't been seen for a while. Behind him stood a group of stoic-looking Uchiha clansmen, all of them radiating powerful chakra—at least at the elite squad leader level. Uchiha Fuka could also be seen among them.
In the third row, the head was an old acquaintance: the long-ponytailed Uchiha Ryoichi. Behind him were more familiar faces, including the dual-sword expert Uchiha Tsuru. Sadly, Big Bro Darō had retired due to injury, or else he'd be standing in this row as well. Uchiha Hōka was also present, clearly indicating this row consisted of the clan's core middle ranks.
Beyond these three rows of key figures, the remaining members—less formal and more casual—crowded at the back. Among them, Gin's curly mop of hair stood out like a sore thumb. He lounged in a reclining chair, sipping on lemon water with a blissful expression.
"Gin-sama, aren't you going up front?"
As his number one loyal follower, Uchiha Osamu naturally stayed by his side. She gently waved a round fan, sending a refreshing breeze his way.
"Shhh~ Osamu, you can eat nonsense, but you can't talk nonsense. Me? How could I qualify to stand up there?"
Gin took another sip of his cold, refreshing lemon water, completely relaxed.
Up front, Uchiha Tajima sat high above the rest, his narrow eyes sharp like a hawk. He slowly raised a hand and pointed at the man beside him—Uchiha Madara—and said coldly,
"I propose that Uchiha Madara succeed as the next head of the Uchiha Clan. Who agrees? Who opposes?"
"Haha, of course, I have no objections!"
The first to speak was the ever-pleasant Uchiha En. His warm, smiling demeanor made it hard to imagine he was the infamous "Oni."
"Agreed."
Not to be outdone, Uchiha Ryōei also raised his hand in approval.
"Well said, old clan head!"
Uchiha Ryoichi's eyes burned with fervor as he looked at Madara's indifferent face. As a natural warmonger, he raised both hands in support—delighted that the militant heir would take charge.
Gin curled his lip and muttered to himself:
Hah… never thought even someone like Ryoichi, with his bold eyebrows and righteous face, would stoop to bootlicking. The world truly is full of surprises.
Once the three front rows had voiced their agreement, Uchiha Tajima's gaze turned toward the scattered crowd in the back. Feeling the pressure of the patriarch's attention, the slackers grew anxious. Their eyes all turned toward Gin.
"Gin-nii, say something!"
Uchiha Jirō, mixed among the crowd, looked toward Gin with urgency.
His plea worked. Soon everyone was calling out "Gin-sama" this and "Gin-sama" that, hoping he'd speak on their behalf.
"Ugh… what a pain. Uh… Brother Rucha? Your turn."
Completely uninterested in meddling, Gin spat out the straw from his lemon water, scratched his cheek awkwardly as the stares intensified, then randomly pointed toward someone he recognized.
"Huh? No way, I'm not qualified…"
Uchiha Rucha had been spacing out, and was caught off guard when Gin called his name. He panicked and waved his hands to refuse.
"Hey now~ I think Brother Rucha is responsible, diplomatic, and absolutely leadership material. When the chance comes, I'll nominate you as Great Elder!"
Gin zipped over beside Rucha and gave him a gleaming sales pitch, painting a dazzling future to encourage him to step up.
"…Can I refuse?"
Rucha wore the face of a man who'd been promised so many pies in the sky, he could open a bakery.
"Nope."
Gin wagged a finger and smirked.
"…Fine."
Rucha sighed in resignation, then straightened his back, took a deep breath, and strode out with renewed vigor. Raising a hand with firm resolve, he declared,
"We agree!"
"Good. Since there are no objections, I hereby declare: from this day forward, Uchiha Madara shall serve as the new head of the Uchiha Clan!"
Clap clap clap!
Thunderous applause broke out. Behind Madara, Izuna clapped so hard his hands turned red.
Madara stepped boldly onto the high seat, passing Tajima on the way. Their eyes met briefly—an iconic moment of transition between the old and the new.
Sitting where his father once ruled, Madara's eyes blazed with ambition. Looking down at the eager faces of his clansmen, he slowly said,
"Everyone… I love war."
And so, the wheel of history began to turn once again.
Time: Six Years Before the Founding of Konoha
In the bustling Uchiha district, a lazy figure strolled through the main street of the marketplace. Despite it being prime working hours, he wandered leisurely between vendor stalls, eyeing the goods on display with mild amazement.
"Oi! Isn't that Gin-sama? I got some new stock in—wanna take a look?"
A red-haired merchant called out when he spotted Gin's unmistakable curls from a distance.
"Eh? Brother Zhōuxuán, how's the body holding up?"
Gin turned his head, dead-fish eyes sizing up the merchant while sucking on a pink lollipop.
"Ugh… age spares no one. I'll probably be retiring in a few years."
The merchant's expression turned bitter. Years of travel had worn him down, and aside from his money-counting fingers, the rest of his body was aching.
"Planning to return to Uzushiogakure?"
Gin squatted down to rummage through the stall. Meanwhile, the redhead—Uzumaki Zhōuxuán—smiled proudly and answered,
"Of course! Thanks to our clan leader, Uzushiogakure has never been better—both economically and militarily, we rival any of the great nations now!"
"Ohhh~ That's great."
Gin responded absentmindedly, clearly uninterested. His dull eyes only lit up when he spotted a strange-looking toy.
"Huh? Is this the new stock?"
"Yep! That's the one. Supposedly, it's based on a massive sea creature spotted on the ocean—probably a Bijū like Isobu."
Zhōuxuán laughed as he explained.
"I'll take it."
Gin picked up the bizarre doll—with the upper half of a bull and the lower half of a tentacled beast—and stood up.
"That'll be 8000 ryō."
Hugging the strange Gyuuki doll, Gin yawned and headed home after finding nothing else interesting.
After walking through a quiet forest path, a luxurious three-story house came into view. Gin raised an eyebrow and pushed open the door cautiously.
"Phew~ They're not home. I can finally relax."
The house was empty—everyone was probably over at Osamu's place today.
Gin casually placed the Gyuuki doll in a display case. He looked up at the rows of Bijū toys he'd collected, starting from Shukaku, one by one.
Only one left. Hopefully Brother Zhōuxuán helps me complete the set before he retires.
"Oh right! Still haven't done my backyard training today."
Just as he was about to head upstairs and collapse into bed, Gin remembered something and smacked his forehead. He turned and headed for the backyard.
Over the years, the once-plain backyard had been spruced up significantly. The simple fence now had intricately carved dog heads, and the grass field had been transformed into a small training arena. He claimed it was for practice, but aside from brushing skills, it was rarely used.
He dropped into a reclining chair, now twice the size of the original, and grabbed a bottle of lemon water from the nearby fridge.
You ask, "How does one have a fridge in the Warring States era?" I say—such is the power of the Law Ball. Don't question it.
Lemon water in hand, Gin gazed blankly at the drifting clouds above. Letting his mind wander felt amazing. If only life could stay like this forever.
"…It's here."
His peaceful daydreaming was interrupted by a strange sensation in the air. Gin instantly raised his head and looked toward the training ground, where a rippling curtain of light shimmered into existence.
A slim figure emerged from the glowing portal.
"…Old Man Silly Gay?"
Gin squinted at the small elderly figure. The hairstyle was shockingly familiar—spiky and wild with a rebellious flair.
"No way… that's my little cousin?!"
As the figure opened its eyes, Gin recognized a spark in them—something incredibly familiar. It only took a moment to compare him with the Izuna he'd seen days ago to realize the truth.
Watching Izuna's odd expression, Gin couldn't help but grumble.
What's with these NPCs? Can't the system give me something more useful to train on?
"Ugh… didn't I just beat your ass a few days ago?"
(End of Chapter)
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