Chapter 208: Six Years Have Passed Again, the Future Is Promising

Several days passed.

Inside the Uchiha clan leader's building.

The usually spacious clan leader's office was now packed with people, and the sound of whispering was incessant.

In the first row stood the clan elders, led by the round Uchiha Yan; this elder, who looked like a Maitreya Buddha, was all smiles, chatting idly with the lean Uchiha Miao beside him.

Leading the second row was the long-unseen Uchiha Ryuei, followed by clansmen who were just as cold-faced as he was; judging by their aura, these people all possessed at least the strength of an elite captain, and the figure of Uchiha Senka was also mixed among them.

Leading the third row was, surprisingly, an old acquaintance, the Uchiha Ryoichi who wore a long ponytail; following behind him was another acquaintance of Uchiha Gin, the dual-blade-wielding Uchiha Tsuru.

It was a pity that Brother Dailang had retired due to injury, otherwise, he would certainly have had a place in the third row; looking further back, one could also see the figure of Uchiha Hihori, so it seemed this row consisted of the clan's core strength.

Aside from these three rows of core members, other idle personnel were scattered at the very back; among this crowd, Uchiha Gin's curly hair was particularly eye-catching, as he was seen clutching a glass of lemonade, lying on a lounge chair with an expression of pure enjoyment.

"Mr. Gin, aren't you going to the front?"

As the number one lackey of her master, Uchiha Jiri naturally guarded his side; the young girl waved a round fan, creating a gentle breeze that brought a touch of coolness to the air around Uchiha Gin.

"Shh~ Little Jiri, you can eat whatever you want, but you can't just say whatever you want. How could I possibly be qualified to go to the front?"

Uchiha Gin took a sip of the cold, refreshing lemonade and said with a calm, unhurried air.

Sitting in the high seat, Uchiha Tajima narrowed his eyes like a hawk, scanning the people present; he slowly raised his hand, pointed at Uchiha Madara standing beside him, and said coldly,

"I propose that Uchiha Madara succeed as the leader of the Uchiha clan. Who agrees, who opposes?"

"Haha, we naturally have no objections!"

The first to speak was the amiable-looking Uchiha Yan; it was truly hard to equate this "nice guy" persona with the legendary "Evil Ghost."

"Agreed."

Seeing his direct superior express his stance, Uchiha Ryuei did not want to fall behind and raised his hand in agreement.

"The old clan leader is wise!"

Uchiha Ryoichi looked at the cold-faced Uchiha Madara with fanaticism; being naturally bellicose, he naturally raised both hands in favor of having the pro-war young clan leader take the position.

Uchiha Gin curled his lips, unable to help but mutter in his heart,

Heh, I didn't expect a thick-browed, big-eyed guy like Ryoichi to learn how to butter people up; truly, things in this world are unpredictable.

After the people in the first three rows finished stating their positions, Uchiha Tajima turned his gaze to the scattered crowd at the back; feeling the clan leader's gaze, this group of slackers immediately grew nervous and, in unison, looked toward the lazy-looking Uchiha Gin.

"Big Brother Gin, say something!"

Uchiha Jiro, mixed in the crowd, looked at Uchiha Gin anxiously and couldn't help but urge him.

Uchiha Jiro's words seemed to have an effect, as the others all chimed in with "Lord Gin," hoping he would step forward to represent them and state their position.

"What is it? So troublesome... that... Brother Lu Cha? You go!"

Uchiha Gin, who had no desire to meddle in other people's business, spat out his straw; feeling the burning gazes of his clansmen, he scratched his face in embarrassment, scanned his surroundings, saw a familiar figure, and immediately pointed his hand, saying,

"Ah? No, no, who am I to..."

The sleepy-looking Uchiha Lu Cha had been daydreaming and was suddenly jolted awake by Uchiha Gin's call; seeing the gazes of the clansmen around him, after a brief moment of confusion, he waved his hands repeatedly to refuse.

"Oh come on~ I think Brother Lu Cha is diligent and responsible in his work and handles interpersonal matters perfectly; you are absolutely a great talent for leadership. If there's a chance in the future, I will definitely push for you to be the Great Elder!"

Uchiha Gin flashed to Uchiha Lu Cha's side, praised him with a smile, and finally drew a "big pie" for him, encouraging him to work hard, for the good days were still ahead~

"Uh... can I refuse?"

Uchiha Lu Cha wore a bitter expression; the "big pie" Uchiha Gin had promised him could be piled into a mountain.

"No."

Uchiha Gin shook his finger with a teasing look.

"Alright then."

Uchiha Lu Cha lowered his head in resignation, then lifted it again, putting on a spirited appearance; with great momentum, he strode out of the crowd, raised a hand, and said with a solemn face,

"We agree!"

"Good! Since no one opposes, I announce that, effective immediately, Uchiha Madara shall serve as the leader of the Uchiha clan!"

"Clap, clap, clap."

As Uchiha Tajima's voice fell, thunderous applause erupted in the venue, especially from Uchiha Izuna, who stood behind Uchiha Madara, clapping his small hands until they were red.

Uchiha Madara walked to the high seat with high spirits, passing Uchiha Tajima; as their eyes met, a classic transition of new and old took place.

Sitting in his father's former seat, Uchiha Madara felt a soaring passion erupt in his eyes; looking at the clansmen below who were all looking forward to it, he said slowly,

"Gentlemen, I love war..."

The wheels of history began to turn slowly along their original track.

Time: Six years before the founding of Konoha.

In the bustling Uchiha clan grounds, a lazy figure walked along the main street of the market; judging by the time, it should have been the prime time for work, but this figure was still strolling leisurely among the vendors, looking at the novel goods on both sides of the road and clicking his tongue in wonder.

"Hey! Isn't this Mr. Gin? I've got new stock here, want to take a look?"

A red-haired vendor caught sight of the figure walking from afar, spotted a familiar head of curly hair, and immediately called out loudly.

"Uh... Brother Zhouxuan, is your health holding up?"

The figure, with a pink lollipop in his mouth, turned his head, opened a pair of lifeless dead-fish eyes, sized up the vendor, pulled the lollipop out of his mouth, and asked.

"Sigh, time spares no one; I reckon I'll have to retire in a few years."

Hearing Uchiha Gin's words, the vendor showed a trace of bitterness; after years of long-distance travel, he had developed many underlying ailments, and apart from the fingers he used to count money, his whole body felt uncomfortable everywhere.

"Going back to the Land of Whirlpools then?"

Uchiha Gin squatted down and rummaged through the vendor's stall, trying to find something that interested him, while the Uzumaki Zhouxuan before him heard this, a smile rippled across his lips, and he said proudly,

"That's for sure. Now, under the leadership of the clan leader, the Land of Whirlpools has far surpassed what it was before; whether in terms of economy or military, it is not a whit inferior to other great nations."

"Oh, oh, oh~ That's really great."

Uchiha Gin was not swayed by the other's words and remained uninterested, replying perfunctorily; only when he saw a strange doll did a ripple appear in his dull, lusterless eyes.

"Eh? This is the new stock you were talking about, right?"

"Heh~ That's right, it's this one. It's said to be a giant creature sighted by people on the high seas; it should be a Tailed Beast like Isobu!"

Uzumaki Zhouxuan looked at the doll in Uchiha Gin's hand and explained with a smile.

"I'll take it."

Uchiha Gin picked up the strange doll, which had the upper body of an ox and the lower body of tentacles, stood up, and said to the red-haired vendor.

"That will be 8, 00 ryo~"

Clutching the strangely shaped Gyuki doll, the yawning Uchiha Gin strolled around once more, found nothing else of interest, and then headed toward home.

Walking through a quiet forest path, a luxurious and imposing three-story mansion appeared before his eyes; calculating the time, Uchiha Gin raised an eyebrow and cautiously pushed the door open to enter.

"Phew~ As expected, no one is here; I can finally get some good rest."

Uchiha Gin looked at the empty mansion and immediately breathed a sigh of relief; everyone in the family should have gone to Jiri's house today.

He casually placed the Gyuki doll into a display cabinet, looked up at the Tailed Beast dolls arranged in order starting from the One-Tail Shukaku, and Uchiha Gin, who had a bit of a collector's habit, clapped his hands in satisfaction.

One more to go; I hope Brother Zhouxuan can help me complete the set before he retires.

"Right! There's still something I haven't done."

After admiring his collection, Uchiha Gin was just about to go upstairs to lie flat when he suddenly remembered he hadn't "brushed" his skills in the backyard today; he immediately slapped his forehead and headed toward the backyard.

A few years had passed, and the once simple and crude backyard had been gradually decorated by Uchiha Gin with some style; the plain, unadorned fence had already been carved with exquisite dog heads.

In the center of the lawn, he had cleared out a small fighting arena, famously called a training ground, but apart from brushing skills, he had never used it at any other time.

He lay down on a lounge chair that was more than twice as big as the original one, casually took a bottle of lemonade from the refrigerator beside him, and took a refreshing sip.

If you ask where a refrigerator came from in the Warring States period, I can only say that the power of the Dharma Sphere cannot be explained by common sense.

Sipping the lemonade, Uchiha Gin looked at the floating clouds in the sky with lifeless eyes; the feeling of emptying one's mind was truly great. If only days like this could last forever!

"It's here!"

Just as he was sighing, he suddenly felt the aura around him stagnate; feeling something, Uchiha Gin immediately looked up at the training ground in the backyard, only to see a water-ripple light screen slowly descend, and a lean figure appeared in the clearing.

"Uh... Old man Sa-gay?"

Uchiha Gin looked at the little old man who had appeared, somewhat bewildered; from that incredibly familiar hairstyle, one could vaguely see the owner's former unruliness.

"No! Is this, damn it, my little cousin?"

As the little old man opened his eyes, Uchiha Gin saw a more familiar look in his hollow gaze; comparing him to Uchiha Izuna, whom he had met a few days ago, he finally found the answer.

Looking at Uchiha Izuna, who had a trace of inexplicable emotion in his eyes, Uchiha Gin couldn't help but complain: can the NPCs brushed in the backyard have a higher gold content? Stop brushing me useless things!

"Sigh... didn't I just finish dealing with you a few days ago?"

(End of chapter)