"Itama, come home and visit often, alright?"
As the door of Gin's house creaked open, Itama saw her two older brothers off at the entrance. Hashirama, with the concerned gaze of an elder sibling, looked at the sister they thought long lost and spoke with heartfelt sincerity.
"If you're ever upset, come talk to us. I may not be good with words, but I can throw a decent punch."
"Don't underestimate me. I can handle things myself."
"…Itama, were you actually trying to kill me just now?"
Unlike the sentimental Hashirama, Tobirama—though physically intact—was mentally scarred. His voice sounded suspiciously strained.
Just moments ago, due to a misunderstanding of something Hashirama said, he had nearly taken a full-power monster punch to the heart. If not for Hashirama's quick reflexes, he might have been sent to meet their father in the afterlife.
"Hmph! Serves you right for talking nonsense! Say one more stupid thing and I'll smash your skull!"
A blush crept up Itama's cheeks as she puffed her chest and flashed her tiny tiger fangs in a fierce warning, though her shy gaze said otherwise. Her older brothers could only feel a bitter sadness in their hearts.
"…Fine. We'll honor your wish and pretend not to know you in public."
Hashirama waved reluctantly. He didn't understand why his little sister wanted to hide her identity from them in public—was it some kind of secret she couldn't talk about? Still, the fact that she was alive was more than enough reason to grant her request.
"Mm-hmm~ now hurry up and go. I still have to go shopping with my bestie~"
After calculating the time, Itama urged them to leave. Her heart was a mess—she needed a trustworthy female friend to confide in.
"I've heard rumors about that Uchiha Gin… he lives with a younger girl and flirts with widows. Watch yourself, Itama!"
Tobirama still couldn't help but throw shade at his sister's "white moonlight" love interest, relying on vague gossip to try and smear Gin's name.
"He will win!"
…????
…
The drama had ended, and Gin, now separated from the two girls, resumed his exploration. Compared to previous days, Konoha's streets were now full of new faces.
Temporary stalls lined the roads, filled with unique products from various clans.
The Inuzuka were selling dog food—hmm… he should buy some for his cousin, he'd love that.
The round Akimichi were selling the same secret supplements his little cousin once gifted him, with a lovely sign that read:
"Bigger, Longer, Stronger—Good for You, Great for Her!"
Hmm… he had a friend who might need that. Better come back when there's less people around.
"Boss, how much for this deer antler?"
While passing another stand, Gin squatted down and picked up a fine-looking antler, asking the sleepy-looking stall owner.
"Grand opening deal! Only 10,000 ryo to take home Nara Clan's free-range antler velvet—great for circulation and especially effective at boosting… ahem, certain male functions!"
The Nara boy perked up instantly and enthusiastically pitched his product, eyeing Gin's tired appearance with professional concern.
"…What's that supposed to mean, huh?!"
Gin, who'd been rubbing his back, glared at him with narrowed eyes, radiating an aura that made the poor kid break into a cold sweat.
"Hmph! Wrap them all up! My friend could really use some support…"
As the Nara kid tried to work through what just happened, a chunk of gold slammed onto the table. Gin's voice rang out with complete confidence.
He instinctively bit the gold to verify it, then hurriedly packed up all the antlers and respectfully handed them over.
"If your friend needs more, remember the Nara Clan."
"Is your clan joining Konoha?"
"Yeah! Our clan head's already moved all our businesses here. We're setting up in the forests outside the village."
Gin noted this. If even the deer had been moved here, then the Nara clearly had high expectations.
After all, while Konoha might seem like a ragtag band for now, with the protection of both the Senju and Uchiha, it was the perfect place for smaller clans to settle and grow.
"Welcome, welcome. Let's play a game of shogi sometime~"
Gin slung the antlers over his shoulder and nodded before turning to leave.
"Huh? How'd he know I like shogi?"
The Nara boy blinked, then noticed his shogi strategy scroll lying open. That must've been it!
"That pineapple head… must be one of Shikamaru's great-grandpas. Looks just like him."
Gin glanced up at the cliff face of Konoha.
"We just need those rock faces now… Took me long enough, but I've finally helped see Konoha through."
Humming a little tune, he strolled toward his buddy's new yakiniku restaurant, planning to give a few antlers as a grand opening gift.
…
Meanwhile, in the Senju brothers' temporary office…
"So you did get smacked by Itama after all."
Hashirama looked up from his paperwork with an odd expression as Tobirama showed off the lump on his head.
"I don't know what happened to Itama while she was away, but she used to be such a sweet kid…"
Tobirama applied green healing chakra to the bump, wincing in pain.
"Honestly… she's more like mom now."
Hashirama flexed his still-bruised wrist and sighed fondly.
"Well, now that we know she's alive, you should be more motivated to work, right?"
"Of course. By the way, did Sarutobi really agree to join?"
"He did. As envoy leader, his decision will influence the rest of the clan alliance."
Tobirama's eyes narrowed in thought. While the Sarutobi weren't heavy-hitters, their combined strength was nothing to sneeze at. With them on board, they could proceed with the next critical step of their plan.
"If they agreed, then… we'll need to fulfill the promises we made."
Hashirama flipped through the agreement clauses with a frown.
"Well, now we'll have to show sincerity. You go talk to them."
Tobirama grimaced at the thought of dealing with those spiky-haired ninjas.
"I've already cleared it with Madara. The Uchiha are fine with it. After all… everyone's gotta eat."
…
Elsewhere, Gin arrived at Dairō's new restaurant—and immediately spotted some familiar faces.
"Wow, not inviting me? I feel hurt!"
He plopped into an empty seat and tossed the antlers onto the table.
"Please, Gin-sama, we just didn't want to disturb your rest."
Uchiha Richa, the "Overtime King" and loyal assistant, smiled politely. Though he had gained some gravitas over the years, he still showed deep respect to the man who once guided him.
"How many times do I have to tell you? Outside the prison, we're bros!"
"Exactly, Richa-niisan! You should know Gin-nii better by now."
Next to him, Uchiha Jirō poked at the antlers with curiosity.
"Where's your brother?"
"Akimichi ordered yakiniku for twenty. He's in the kitchen."
"Business must be booming since moving to Konoha!"
Gin grinned, genuinely happy for his friend.
"Sorry I wasn't much help today, Gin-sama."
Uchiha Hōka, sitting nearby, lowered his head in guilt.
"No worries. You did well. Things are tense right now, so let's keep a low profile."
Gin suddenly remembered something.
"That punk following you today—who was that kid with the worse attitude than foot rot?"
"Eh… that's Satsuna."
"Satsuna?! Ohhh, the youngest son of Ryūkage-san!"
Gin finally remembered. He used to mess with the brat in the prison. The kid had been insufferably proud, and Gin had taken it upon himself to teach him about suffering. Apparently the kid cried and ran off to training camp… now he was back, just as insufferable.
"Anyway, why are you guys hanging out today?"
"Gin-nii, you don't know?"
"Er… I've been skipping work. Fill me in?"
He scratched his head, trying to look innocent.
"My cousin's in closed-door training, so I've been handling his affairs!"
"…Then you should know what's going on."
"Cough! I caught a cold and took yesterday off!"
The trio exchanged glances, clearly unimpressed.
"Okay okay, enough teasing. This meal's on me. Spill it!"
"Nice! Oi! Big bro! Ten more plates of premium beef!"
"And ten dozen oysters too!"
Even Richa joined in—after all, he had pulled a ton of overtime for Gin.
"..."
Gin stared at the greedy trio, then turned to Hōka, about to praise him for being decent—
"Ten tuna platters and caviar. Thanks~"
PFFT!
I trusted you, you thick-browed ponytail traitor!
"Gin-sama, I've never told you this before…"
Hōka suddenly spoke, his tone odd.
"…What, you hiding some deep secret?"
Gin perked up, curiosity piqued.
"I have a very close cousin. His name is Uchiha Ryōichi."
"…Huh?"
Gin froze. Suddenly, it all clicked. Hōka… was Ryōichi's cousin. No wonder the ponytail looked familiar.
"…How's Ryōichi doing these days?"
"He became a throwing weapons instructor after the war."
"Not bad… what about Hikaku?"
"He teaches kenjutsu."
"And Captain Fūka?"
"Oh, he's the current headmaster of the training camp."
Gin was silent. His old prison squad—all of them had moved on to better jobs. He… was still the warden. He sighed.
These days, with Konoha established, the industry was way more competitive. One position, dozens of applicants.
"Hey~ Meat's here!"
Dairō arrived with sizzling meat on a hot plate.
"Dairō, sit and eat with us."
"No time! Big order tonight! As the pinnacle of Uchiha cuisine, I must conquer the taste buds of every outsider!"
Gin stared at his fiery speech and muttered,
Tch. You just grill meat. Chill with the shōnen speech.
"See, boys? Passion makes you young! Dairō's glowing with youth!"
And pay. Can't forget pay.
The trio rolled their eyes in unison.
"You still haven't told me what happened!"
"Oh right! While you were away, the clan head issued a pardon. We just finished cross-checking files. That's why we're celebrating!"
"A pardon? What kind?"
Gin tried to hide his panic. He hadn't been skipping work—just dealing with… other things.
"Hashirama promised to release imprisoned ninja clans as a gesture to gain their trust."
Richa's face darkened. Those prisoners had harmed the Uchiha. Forgiving them so easily…
"WHAT?!"
Those were his chakra farm! Sure, they were running dry, but still!
"Exactly! The prison's about to be empty!"
Jirō fumed.
"Word is the Senju are already releasing theirs. We're next."
Hōka's expression was cold. This was clearly political.
Gin rubbed his chin. If the Uchiha didn't act, they'd be painted as anti-unity. But all the credit would go to the Senju.
"Hmph! How many prisoners could the Senju even have? Their enemies never lived long! Us? We used Genjutsu to keep them breathing!"
Dairō shouted from the back.
Yeah… no one understood the mercy behind Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu (Fire Style: Great Fireball) better than the Uchiha.
"Well, nothing we can do now. Sarutobi already announced they're joining."
"All we can do is vent. The decision's made."
They sighed and grilled their meat even harder, imagining Senju faces sizzling.
"…Hey, maybe it's not all bad. If the prison's empty… we can take a long vacation~"
Gin finally saw the silver lining.
"Huh? You didn't get the memo? The Uchiha prison is being shut down. You're unemployed now!"
(End of Chapter)
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