Chapter 122: Childhood Sweethearts vs. The Heavenly Arrival

"Was I really that awesome?"

After listening to Uchiha Madara's account, Uchiha Gin, who had just finished his third bag of melon seeds, wore the same expression as a hamster that had just dropped its snack.

He had known from Uchiha Yao that the original owner had once awakened the Mangekyo Sharingan, but he had no idea there was such a long-buried secret.

"Now that my eyes have recovered, it is time to undo the seal in your mind."

Uchiha Madara turned his head, revealing his scarlet eyes; Uchiha Gin, sitting opposite him, could clearly perceive the cold, profound power contained within them.

"How about we save that for later when you have time?"

To think there was still a memory sealed in his brain—if the original owner's consciousness awakened after it was undone, it would be hard to say whether the original owner or he, the outsider, would end up in control of the body.

"You don't need to worry; my Kotoamatsukami is designed to be painless, absolutely no side effects."

Thinking Uchiha Gin was worried that the unsealing process would be painful, Uchiha Madara patted his chest in assurance.

Kotoamatsukami: thirty years of professional, painless brainwashing.

With that, ignoring Uchiha Gin's expression of "I'm very moved, but I refuse," the three tomoe in his eyes instantly merged, transforming into a pinwheel-shaped, bewitching pattern as a massive amount of ocular power poured out.

Before he could react, Uchiha Gin felt his vision go black, and he immediately plunged into deep darkness.

"Damn it, I developed a conditioned reflex from being ambushed by Itachi; I subconsciously give up defense whenever I see a Mangekyo staring at me."

In the pitch black, Uchiha Gin sat up and complained to himself in frustration.

"Where is this?"

After his self-reflection, Uchiha Gin looked up to observe his surroundings and saw a large door standing not far away.

Feeling a sense of summons, he walked up to examine it and found the door was locked tight; the dilapidated, heavy lock hanging on it was now faintly shimmering.

Standing at the entrance, he could clearly perceive something behind the door calling to him; he tried pulling the lock, but it didn't budge.

"You unlock someone's seal without even giving them a key."

Having failed to open the door after a long time, he looked at the dilapidated lock in his hand and muttered to himself,

"Did my uncle forget the procedure because he hasn't used his eyes in a long time?"

As his thought arose, a blood-red full moon rose in the dark space, adorned with a pinwheel-shaped pattern, and then he heard a familiar voice.

"Sorry, I forgot to unlock it for you."

Uchiha Madara, with a hint of apology, channeled his eyes; as the pinwheel on the red moon in the space rotated, the cracks on the lock in Uchiha Gin's hand split apart.

"Click~"

With a crisp click, the entire lock turned into fragments, and the long-sealed door slowly creaked open.

If it's a blessing, it's not a curse; if it's a curse, you can't avoid it. Uchiha Gin took a deep breath and strode into the world behind the door.

A burst of intense light struck him. Uchiha Gin stepped inside and raised a hand to shield his eyes, only lowering it once the light faded to squint and inspect the situation within.

"Huh? Where did this TV come from?"

This space was very simple, furnished with a single sofa facing away from him, and a television set placed in front of the sofa, which was currently playing a scene.

After hesitating for a moment, Uchiha Gin chose to walk over to investigate.

"You've finally come."

The sudden voice gave Uchiha Gin, who was already on edge, a huge fright. He hurriedly looked around to find the source of the sound, only to find the entire space empty.

"I'm here."

Hearing the voice again, Uchiha Gin realized that the person speaking was actually the figure on the TV. At this moment, the familiar face on the screen caused Uchiha Gin's anxious heart to sink completely.

It was a younger version of himself.

"Who exactly are you?"

Calming himself down, Uchiha Gin looked at the person on the TV and asked.

"Damn, I'm you, buddy. I love telling the truth."

The slightly immature Uchiha Gin on the TV smiled and explained to him.

Upon hearing this familiar name, Uchiha Gin's jaw dropped; how did this original owner know his name from his past life?

"Don't lie to me, I'm no fool!"

"Sigh~ It's because I loved too foolishly and was too naive."

Hearing Uchiha Gin's skepticism, a flash of nostalgia crossed the young Uchiha Gin's face, and then he actually started humming and singing.

One of our own, don't start singing!

"... hat I mistook your loneliness for a matching soul... Ah!!!"

Uchiha Gin subconsciously sang along, and the doubts in his heart instantly vanished; sure enough, the person on the TV was himself.

This song was a bit niche, but it was his top 1 on his playlist.

"Alright, don't waste any more time. Hurry up and merge to see how I used to show off. Haha, I can't help it, I want to laugh whenever I see your pathetic look~"

Hearing this, Uchiha Gin rolled his eyes hard and then asked,

"You didn't owe any debts, did you?"

He didn't want to gain a few debts along with the extra memories.

"Uh... it seems I still owe Xiao Guang one..."

For some reason, the image on the TV became intermittent, and the voice of the young Uchiha Gin became blurred, but the name "Xiao Guang" was etched into his heart.

"Beep~"

The TV gave a soft sound, and his former self completely disappeared from the screen. Then, as if the channel had been switched, the image shifted to a distant view of a house. As the familiar family of three appeared, the life Uchiha Gin had experienced since transmigrating began to be presented before his eyes in this format.

————————

"Do you remember now?"

Seeing a glimmer of light flash in the eyes of the dazed Uchiha Gin, Uchiha Madara, who was waiting opposite him, asked.

"Yes, thank you, Uncle."

He had watched TV for days and nights in the darkness, yet only a few minutes had passed in reality. Having digested his true memories, Uchiha Gin felt like he had just tasted a pile of dung.

How could he have been so brain-dead? All sorts of actions were like a madman, and in the end, he had to force a bad ending—pure garbage.

Looking up at the slightly weary Uchiha Madara before him, Uchiha Gin felt very conflicted.

Uchiha Madara, the true mastermind behind the scenes.

Now, Uchiha Gin felt nothing but deep respect for him; this uncle was truly worth acknowledging.

"You've suffered these past years, enduring so much coldness and suspicion from the clansmen."

Facing his nephew who had regained his memories, Uchiha Madara stood up and bowed deeply, filled with the apologies that had built up over the years.

"Uncle, don't say such things anymore; it was all my own choice."

Uchiha Gin sighed, helped Uchiha Madara up, and said,

"Look, aren't I doing quite well now? My body is strong, and I eat well."

"People should look forward; we can't always live in the past, can we?"

"Every bit of suffering I've endured was for..."

Skill activated: Toxic Chicken Soup.

With a series of maneuvers, he filled the somewhat depressed Uchiha Madara with renewed spirit. For a moment, he was brimming with heroic ambition. He slapped his large hand on Uchiha Gin's shoulder, his direct gaze filled with excitement.

"Gin, don't waste your talent organizing data in the dungeon anymore. When you go back, take charge of teaching Madara and Izuna about ideological quality, and let them be progressive Uchiha youths like you!"

Uchiha Gin hurriedly refused, immediately stating that he could shine and contribute at the grassroots level, and that teaching his younger brothers was his duty, so there was no need to go to the trouble of promoting him.

A raise would be fine, though.

Midnight.

Uchiha Gin tossed and turned, unable to sleep. Every time he closed his eyes, his mind was filled with the girl named Xiao Guang. Her bright smiles and glances were deeply branded in his memory, leaving him restless and unable to sleep.

Damn it, to have let down such a cute child—what a scumbag.

He spat on the ground, internally condemning his own irresponsibility regarding feelings.

Now this dilemma lay before Uchiha Gin: how was he to face Xiao Guang, who was about to be unsealed? He had been dragging his feet and hadn't come to save her; he would probably have to kowtow to the girl.

Many thoughts flooded his mind, leaving him in a state of mental turmoil.

"Tap, tap, tap."

Suddenly, Uchiha Gin, still struggling with his thoughts, heard hurried footsteps outside. Curious, he poked his head out of the tent and saw Uchiha Madara's flustered back retreating under the moonlight.

"What is Uncle in such a rush to do?"

Before Uchiha Gin could get up to check, his keen hearing caught a series of popping sounds from afar.

Guessing what had happened, Uchiha Gin lay back down with a look of disgust and muttered to himself,

"That is the consequence of underestimating my secret base sauce."

A moment later, Uchiha Madara stood up from a hidden corner, feeling the burning, stinging sensation behind him. Gritting his teeth, he moved his legs, which had gone numb from squatting, and trudged with difficulty toward the camp.

Directly below the spot where he had just been squatting, a dark shadow that hadn't dared to move felt its fists clench in rage.

"Uchiha Madara, I will kill you!"

(End of chapter)