Drip drip~ drip drip~
In the dark and narrow dungeon, flickering torchlight cast ghostly shadows down a silent corridor. Water dripped from the damp ceiling, splashing softly into puddles etched into the uneven stone floor.
This cold and eerie atmosphere weighed heavily on the prisoners within, a nameless dread sinking into their bones.
"Ah! Ah! Aaaaah~~~!"
At the deepest end of the dungeon, behind a heavy door left slightly ajar, a faint yellow glow leaked out, accompanied by bone-chilling screams that made even the hardiest prisoners tremble.
Inside the room, three men were gathered closely around a small table. The gut-wrenching screams were coming from one of them—yet it wasn't torture, but rather something far more devastating.
"Aaagh! I can't take it anymore!"
The one shouting clutched two battered playing cards, his grip so tight his fingers turned white. His dull, dead-fish eyes glared menacingly at the two men in front of him.
"Uh… Aniki Gin, you're folding on a 5?"
The honest-faced man who had just played a 5 stared in disbelief. That was his lowest card! He couldn't throw the game any harder even if he tried.
"Er, Jirō… you… good job!"
Uchiha Gin furiously scratched his fluffy curls and turned his intense gaze toward the third man, his eyes full of unspoken threats.
"Uhh… Gin-dono, the two cards you have left… are they a pair?"
Uchiha Rika, holding a powerful 'airplane' combo, wasn't excited at all. Instead, he wore a face full of worry as he cautiously probed.
"..."
Gin said nothing. But in that moment, his lifeless eyes lit up ever so slightly, giving Rika a shred of hope. Encouraged, he played his biggest single card.
"Joker! Jirō, you can't beat that, right?"
"Nope! Nope!"
Still holding four 2s, Uchiha Jirō eagerly nodded, thankful to dodge the bullet.
"I fold too," Gin added with a huff, waving his hand to continue.
"Hehe… pair of 4s!"
Rika proudly threw down his smallest cards, forcibly breaking his combo just to let Gin win this round. His old face squeezed into a smile like a blooming chrysanthemum.
Finally, he thought, Gin-dono can win a hand!
"..."
"I fold."
Gin's face darkened dramatically. Those three words stunned the room for ten full seconds.
It was over.
Rika's eyes went black. What kind of hand did Gin even have!?
"You've gotta be kidding me! I'm done with this game!"
Ten seconds later, Gin slapped his warped cards onto the table, cursed under his breath, and stormed out, kicking the office door open and vanishing into the darkness of the corridor.
"Phew… that was close. I thought Gin-dono was going to blow a fuse."
Rika let out a huge sigh of relief, wiping sweat from his brow. His heart had nearly shut down.
"Rika-aniki, don't you think Gin-aniki's been kind of irritable lately?"
Next to him, Jirō looked equally relieved but still puzzled.
"Hasn't he always been like this?"
Rika rolled his eyes. "Didn't you notice? After this round, it's payday. Gin-dono's pulling all this drama just to duck the tab!"
"Huh? What about that killing intent earlier?"
Jirō scratched his head, still troubled. The aura Gin had unleashed just now didn't feel like acting.
"Don't tell me… you think Gin-dono got this job just through nepotism?"
Rika, a long-time subordinate of Gin and now an elite squad captain, had long stopped trying to gauge Gin's strength.
Because not being able to see through it… meant he definitely couldn't win.
"Huh? Isn't it true though? Didn't the clan head dote on him?"
"Careful what you say, Jirō-kun!"
Rika's heart skipped a beat. But it was too late.
From the slightly ajar door came a cold voice:
"Jirō… your collector's edition is gone."
"AAAH! No, Gin-aniki, not that! That was my life!!"
Jirō collapsed to the floor, wailing louder than before. Compared to earlier screams, his cries now struck deeper fear into the prisoners' hearts.
"Hmph! Even Jirō thinks he can mock me now."
Gin snorted coldly, casting one last glance back at the dungeon door before deciding not to return to his paperwork dungeon.
Still too early to go home though...
His eyes darted mischievously, and he strolled off in the opposite direction.
"Sigh, how long are they going to keep fighting? The Hiraishin seals on little cousin's waist are so layered, they look like a QR code."
Walking through the Uchiha compound's main road, Gin glanced at the quiet streets with a sigh. Based on the timeline, the founding of Konoha should be happening this year.
Yet his little cousin was still full of energy, clashing blow for blow with White-Haired Tobirama.
Meanwhile, big cousin was clearly fading—his win rate against Senju Hashirama had dropped from even to about 30%, even when Hashirama was holding back and not using Sage Mode.
As for the Eternal Mangekyō? Madara already knew the method, but stubbornly refused. He saw it as "borrowed power," and even if he beat Hashirama using it, he'd consider it a dishonorable win.
"Hah… classic chuuni. Needs a good electric shock."
Knock knock knock~
Gin soon arrived at an imposing estate and knocked on the red doors with practiced ease.
"Open up~ open up~!"
Creak~
After a long wait, the red doors finally opened a crack, but no one appeared. Gin looked confused—until a soft little voice piped up from below.
"Hello, Uncle Gin~"
"Hehe, what a sweet kid. Here, have a candy!"
Crouching with a grin, Gin offered a massive lollipop to the adorable child peeking through the gap.
"Great-grandpa said I can't eat your candy. It'll rot my teeth."
Despite being just three or four years old, Uchiha Kagami's eyes sparkled with a thoughtful gleam as he resisted temptation.
"Tch, Elder Mizu is way too strict."
Gin clicked his tongue, unwrapping the candy anyway and stuffing it into Kagami's mouth despite his protests.
"Relax, Kagami-chan, if something happens, I'll take responsibility. Rotten teeth? You'll get new ones anyway!"
"Mmmmmm~ so goooood!"
Kagami hesitated at first, but Gin's sweet words worked like a genjutsu. The sugar god claimed another soul.
"Now that's more like it! Kids should eat loads of sugar!"
Gin nodded in satisfaction and boldly walked inside like it was his own home.
"Uncle Gin, are you here to see great-grandpa?"
"Yup. Is Elder Mizu home?"
Ruffling Kagami's naturally curly hair, Gin felt a burst of affection. Clearly, curly hair was a recessive trait—only he and Kagami had it in this whole massive clan.
"Mmhm. He's talking to the old clan head."
Still licking his lollipop, Kagami tried to evade Gin's sinful hand. Why doesn't he mess with his own hair!?
His little eyes glared up at Gin's unruly mop of curls, internally grumbling.
"Oh, that's perfect! Saves me a trip. Here, Kagami-chan, take this."
Gin reached into his bag and pulled out a small, shiny gold brick, placing it into Kagami's tiny hands.
"Huh?"
Kagami blinked, clutching the heavy gold in confusion. His little head tilted up for an explanation.
"New Year's is coming, so here's your red envelope in advance~"
"Uh… thanks, Uncle Gin."
Gold in hand, lollipop in mouth, Kagami gave a sweet wave.
"Clan Head Tajima, I can't guarantee success. We simply lack the data…"
Gin had barely reached Elder Mizu's guest hall when he heard voices from inside. Realizing it was just Tajima and Mizu, he didn't bother eavesdropping. He just pushed the door open.
"I'm coming in~"
Both elders jumped and instinctively activated their Sharingan. But seeing the laid-back Gin stroll in, they immediately relaxed.
"Gin? What are you doing here?"
Tajima, squinting through his reading glasses, furrowed his brow.
"If I'm not wrong, I'm probably here for the same reason as you, Ojii-san."
Gin scratched his head and answered truthfully.
"You want to… donate your eyes too?"
(End of Chapter)
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