Chapter 274: An Accidental Encounter with the Tender Root

As the sun set in the west, Uchiha Gin, sporting a head of curly hair, strolled aimlessly along the streets that were already beginning to take shape, his listless eyes scanning the brand-new houses on both sides of the road.

A few unfamiliar ninja passed by, and after catching a glimpse of the conspicuous, strange clan emblems on their bodies, he sighed deeply, thinking that the days of all nations coming to pay tribute were almost upon them.

"Achoo~"

Suddenly, Uchiha Gin felt a sharp chill run down his spine, followed by an itch in his nose, and he let out a loud, violent sneeze; rubbing his sore nose with a deep frown, he turned his head to look at the little tail behind him and asked,

"Mirror-boy, are you bad-mouthing me in your heart?"

Because Uchiha Miao had led his family away to the Land of Waves, Uchiha Mirror had been left behind as a "latchkey kid"; he lifted his curly-haired little head in confusion, wrinkled his small, dumpling-like nose, and retorted,

"Uncle Gin, how can you slander my innocence out of thin air?"

"Don't try to quibble; there is only you behind me. If it isn't you, then who could it be?"

Uchiha Gin's deeply suspicious gaze made the naive little Uchiha brat jump in anxiety; looking at the man before him in a fluster, he stammered and couldn't get a word out.

"I didn't..."

"Hmph~ let this be the last time!"

Seeing that Mirror-boy was about to "overheat," Uchiha Gin gave a teasing smile and stopped pestering him, waving his hand dismissively to show that he was always magnanimous and wouldn't lower himself to the level of a brat like him.

"Uncle Gin, didn't we agree to train today?"

Uchiha Mirror was truly a genius; despite his young age, he had already mastered the ability to self-regulate under Uchiha Gin's tutelage. After cooling down his "overheating" in a few moments, he tilted his head, looked at the bustling atmosphere all around, and asked curiously,

"Hey, what I can teach you, others can teach too. What I want to teach you, you can't learn. So, I've decided not to teach."

With his hands behind his head, Uchiha Gin hummed a little tune, looked at the conflicted Uchiha Mirror, rolled his eyes, and replied casually.

Although this sounded very irresponsible, the truth was that he was just too lazy to teach.

The various secret arts Uchiha Gin currently possessed were not suitable for the Uchiha, so the brat Uchiha Mirror had better just honestly practice Fire Style.

Looking at Uchiha Mirror, whose little face was puffed up like a steamed bun, Uchiha Gin scratched his head in embarrassment, just about to feed the kid a pipe dream,

"But don't worry, I will definitely arrange a learned, talented, and versatile teacher for you~"

Inadvertently, he saw two figures walking slowly in the distance, his eyes lit up with joy, and he then promised with great certainty.

"I'm not a three-year-old kid anymore, don't use such excuses to fob me off!"

The five-year-old Uchiha Mirror stood with his hands on his hips, looking like a little adult, which made Uchiha Gin unable to hold back a laugh. He stopped paying attention to the brat and instead waved familiarly at the two people in the distance, shouting with a smile,

"Brother Hashirama, are you out for a stroll too?"

"Big Brother Gin."

The two people approaching were the Senju brothers, whom he hadn't seen for a few days. However, what surprised Uchiha Gin slightly was that the usually cheerful Hashirama Senju was acting rather reserved, looking as if he had something to say but was holding back.

And Tobirama Senju, standing beside him, didn't even offer a greeting; he was scanning him up and down with a scrutinizing gaze, which left Uchiha Gin feeling baffled and wondering if his secret of swindling money had been exposed.

"I didn't expect that even among the evil Uchiha, there would be such a rare, kind-hearted person."

After staring at Uchiha Gin for a long time—making the somewhat guilty curly-haired man feel a chill—just as he was about to slip away, Tobirama Senju finally spoke slowly. His tone was uncharacteristically devoid of coldness, and even carried a hint of faint appreciation.

"Huh?"

This sentence left Uchiha Gin bewildered. He scanned the area with his super-perception, confirmed it was indeed Tobirama Senju, and furrowed his brows so hard he could crush a cow. What was this white-haired guy playing at now?

"Big Brother Gin, I am truly grateful for this matter. Our Senju clan will always keep your great kindness in our hearts."

Hashirama Senju, standing to the side, could finally no longer suppress the excitement in his heart. He stepped forward, tightly grasped Uchiha Gin's hand, the gratitude in his eyes visible to the naked eye, and expressed his thanks sincerely.

"Uh... you're talking about the loan, right? Haha, we're all buddies, why are you being so polite~"

After carefully recalling the good deeds he had done recently, Uchiha Gin slapped his forehead. It must be because he had acted as a go-between for the Senju clan to settle the subsequent infrastructure work for the Hidden Leaf Village that Hashirama Senju was so grateful. Thinking of this, he waved his hand grandly, saying that since they were on such good terms, there was no need for thanks.

"Ah? No... ah, Tobirama, what are you doing?"

Hearing this, Hashirama Senju showed a puzzled expression and was just about to explain when he was interrupted by a sudden elbow to the ribs.

"That's right. We represent the Senju clan in thanking you, Uchiha Gin. Let me clarify: your personal actions do not extend to your clan."

With a calm expression, Tobirama Senju withdrew his arm and nodded at Uchiha Gin. In his crimson pupils, there was none of the rejection usually directed at other Uchiha, and he said,

"To show our gratitude, provided it does not involve clan affairs, I can grant you one wish within the scope of my personal ability."

"People of the Hidden Leaf don't deceive people of the Hidden Leaf~"

"If you don't want it, forget it!"

"I want it, brother! Mirror-boy, come out quickly; Uncle has found you a teacher~"

It was truly a case of finding a pillow just as one was getting sleepy. He had been worrying about how to find a teacher for Uchiha Mirror who was up to standard, and here Tobirama Senju had bumped right into him. He quickly called over the little curly-haired boy hiding behind him, pushed him in front of the white-haired man standing with his arms crossed, and said with a smile,

"This nephew of mine has been gifted since he was small. I'm afraid he'll be a pearl covered in dust if he stays with me. How about I leave him to you to train?"

"Huh? No way~"

Uchiha Mirror, who had been pushed into the middle in a daze, looked at the white-haired devil before him, his little face turning pale with fear. He turned and grabbed Uchiha Gin's leg, refusing to agree no matter what.

"You want me to teach a brat? And an Uchiha one at that?"

Uchiha Gin hadn't expected that in the face of his own gift of thanks, he would push a trembling black-haired brat in front of him without a second thought. Sensing the faint, cold power on the boy, Tobirama Senju's expression tightened. He had never been a teacher, and to be a teacher to an Uchiha was something he had never even considered.

"Is it not possible? Mirror-boy is very obedient. Why don't you take him back and try it out first?"

Seeing the look of displeasure on Tobirama Senju's face, Uchiha Gin thought the other party was unwilling to agree, so he grabbed Uchiha Mirror by the back of his neck, shook him in front of the man, and began to sell his nephew hard.

"Eh? Your own nephew?"

Tobirama Senju, who was about to refuse, glanced at the brat dangling in front of him, and upon seeing that head of fluffy curly hair, asked with some surprise,

"Absolutely! Look at this high-quality curly hair, fluffy yet soft; he's definitely my own flesh and blood~"

Feeling that there was a turning point, Uchiha Gin vigorously rubbed Uchiha Mirror's little curls, introducing him to Tobirama Senju like an enthusiastic salesman.

"Tobirama, I think this little guy is quite good. If you take an Uchiha as a disciple, Madara will definitely be very happy~"

Just as Tobirama Senju was hesitating, Hashirama Senju stepped forward, patted his brother on the shoulder, and said with a smile,

"But the Hidden Leaf has just been established, and everything is waiting to be done..."

Thinking of the mountain of documents piled up in his office, Tobirama Senju felt his vision go dark. He was in urgent need of a ninjutsu that could support him in multitasking so he could finish his government duties quickly.

"It's fine, when you're busy, I can help look after him. He's just a child, I can still teach him."

Hashirama Senju promised, patting his chest.

"Sigh~ alright then. Your name is Uchiha Mirror?"

With a slight sigh in his heart, Tobirama Senju finally chose to agree. He then squatted down, looked at the little curly-haired boy who was showing traces of fear, adjusted his tone to be slightly more gentle, and asked,

"Yes, Teacher. I am Uchiha Mirror. Please take care of me."

The precocious Uchiha Mirror had already roughly understood his fate from the conversation of the few people just now. Since his apprenticeship was unavoidable, he could no longer show resistance, lest he fail to live up to Uncle Gin's painstaking efforts.

"You're quite quick to get familiar. I am very strict. If you show me anything that makes me dissatisfied, you can just roll back to wherever you came from!"

Uchiha Mirror had changed from his earlier fearful expression to speak neither servilely nor overbearingly, which surprised Tobirama Senju. He couldn't help but think a little higher of this curly-haired brat. However, as the number one anti-fan of the Uchiha, how could he be defeated by a simple head of curly hair? He then warned him coldly.

"Yes, Teacher, understood, Teacher!"

"Mirror-boy, don't say Uncle didn't help you. I've got you enrolled early now; if you still can't beat that monkey and that little dumpling in the future, don't say you know me~"

Watching Uchiha Mirror follow Tobirama Senju away, Uchiha Gin's eyes shifted slightly, and he muttered to himself,

"However, why did the look the Senju brothers gave me just now feel so strange? I hope I'm just overthinking it."

Uchiha Gin popped a lollipop into his mouth, the sugar providing a burst of vitality. His lazy eyes carried a hint of contemplation as he recalled the strange behavior of Hashirama Senju and Tobirama Senju when they first met. His confusion grew, but he hadn't provoked the Senju clan recently, so it must be because of the loan!

Just as Uchiha Gin was pondering this, he accidentally bumped into a strange man carrying a child who was coming from the opposite direction, using his formidable physique to knock the man directly to the ground.

"Ouch~ sorry, I was distracted. Are you alright?"

Interrupted in his thoughts by this sudden accident, Uchiha Gin immediately stepped forward in embarrassment, wanting to pull up the man who was sitting on the ground in a daze, apologizing perfunctorily. However, he didn't expect the hand he reached out to be ruthlessly swatted away by the man.

"Uh... a professional victim?"

Not expecting the man to reject his apology, Uchiha Gin, who had seen many such cases, instantly became alert. He took a step back to create distance, then looked at the strange man on the ground vigilantly and asked in an uncertain tone,

"Damn it, who exactly are you?"

It wasn't that the man sitting on the ground didn't want to jump up and kick Uchiha Gin, but his whole body was aching as if he had been run over by a heavy cart; he couldn't move, and could only sit on the ground and bark impotently.

"Since you've asked with such sincerity, I'll show mercy and tell you: I'm just a passerby..."

He hadn't expected the strange man before him to not only have a terrible attitude but also to pose a soul-searching question, making it impossible not to play along.

"Blah, blah, blah! Don't look down on me! Wind Style: Vacuum Sphere!"

Just as he was answering truthfully, the man on the ground cursed angrily, then pursed his lips and began to spit at Uchiha Gin. Orbs of Wind Style light, carrying a biting wind, made the passersby nearby gasp and look over in surprise.

"Detected that the host has encountered a battle; Heartsteel chest accumulation has begun..."

"Holy crap, buddy, did you brush your teeth?"

Not expecting the man to not only be a professional victim but also have the intent to injure, Uchiha Gin, hearing the system prompt in his mind, raised an eyebrow in disgust as he watched the several Wind Style light orbs shooting toward him.

He prepared to dodge to the side, but his peripheral vision caught a glimpse of the blond craftsman working busily at the construction site behind him, so he stopped his steps and entered the range of the Vacuum Sphere attack.

"Heh heh! You rude curly-head, accept the judgment of me, Kenichi Shimura!"

Seeing that Uchiha Gin, who had offended him, did not dodge, a flash of vicious pleasure crossed Kenichi Shimura's eyes, and a smile of revenge satisfied curled the corners of his mouth. But the next second, that smile froze on his face.

"Bang! Bang! Bang~"

Uchiha Gin drew the black wooden sword that looked like a mere ornament from his waist and faced the aggressive Vacuum Spheres with a helpless expression. Just as the Wind Style light orbs were about to hit, he swung the wooden sword casually a few times. With a few muffled thuds, he extinguished all the Wind Style chakra as if swatting flies; the speed was so fast that the onlookers only saw a blur of afterimages.

"Whew~ are you new here? Don't you know the rules of the Hidden Leaf?"

After resolving the crisis, Uchiha Gin did not sheath his wooden sword. Instead, he squinted his dead-fish eyes and walked slowly toward the man who was stunned on the ground. As he walked, he tapped the ground with the wooden sword; the sound of metal clashing made those around him widen their eyes, looking forward to the follow-up.

"How is this possible? He actually blocked my Vacuum Sphere using only taijutsu..."

The man, plunged into shock, instantly lost his will to fight and muttered to himself in a daze on the spot.

"Host victory, obtained Heart Energy point *1, after..."

Sigh~ another day of winning streaks. I've become lazy lately because of the peace.

"You hateful guy, don't go near Lord Father!"

Just as Uchiha Gin was looking down at the strange man sweating on the ground, a childish voice rang out. A black-haired brat, similar in age to Mirror-boy, reached out to block the man.

"Are you planning to take the fall for your dad?"

Looking at the brat before him whose eyes were filled with resentment, Uchiha Gin felt no stirrings of saintly compassion. Instead, he raised his wooden sword, knocked on the head of this rather annoying brat, and asked coldly in a voice devoid of any emotion,

"Hmph! Don't you dare underestimate the resolve of our Shimura clan. My father is a real man who dares to act and take responsibility!"

Faced with the sliver of pressure Uchiha Gin intentionally exuded, the brat who had just been acting heroic and fearless instantly flashed behind the man, poked out a small head, and with a very serious expression, said the most cowardly words in the toughest tone possible.

"Tsk! Brat, you really are a filial son~"

With matters having developed to this point, Uchiha Gin lost interest. Looking at the strange father and son before him, he tucked his wooden sword back into his waistband. He first offered a word of praise to this "highly filial" brat, then looked at the man on the ground and asked,

"Is your son biologically yours? How come I think he doesn't look much like you?"

"Huh? Danzo was born after my wife carried him for ten months; how could he not be my biological son?"

Sitting on the ground and having recovered a bit of strength, Shimura Kenichi struggled to stand up. He looked at the curly-haired man before him with vigilance, yet answered honestly,

"Danzo? You're the one called Danzo?"

Uchiha Gin had originally intended to slip away after teaching this unruly outsider a lesson, otherwise, it would waste quite a bit of time once the Security Force arrived. But he never expected that a familiar name mentioned by the other party would instantly make his tiger-like body shudder. His dull, dead-fish eyes were injected with unprecedented vitality, and he looked at the black-haired brat behind the man with excitement, asking urgently to confirm,

"Uh... does being named Danzo also violate the rules of the Hidden Leaf Village?"

Cowering behind his father, five-year-old Shimura Danzo faced the first and greatest crisis of his life. Upon hearing the curly-haired man who had blocked his father's signature ninjutsu with only a broken wooden sword ask for his name so eagerly, the young and naive "Darkness of the Ninja World" poked out his head in confusion and asked cautiously,

"It complies, but it doesn't comply with me."

Hearing the question, Uchiha Gin's eyes lit up. He vanished from the spot with a Body Flicker, and the next moment, the future Darkness of the Ninja World felt a chill at his crotch.

Looking down, he saw that the knot he had tied in his belt had actually been undone. His fair little buttocks were exposed to the cold air, which shocked Shimura Danzo. Just as he wanted to pull them up, he felt a wave of intense pain that made him unable to stop himself from crying out,

"Ah! Ah! Ah!"

"Ah? Stand still properly~"

Watching Shimura Danzo, who was still in his childhood years, Uchiha Gin could not help but be overjoyed; this was the best time to fulfill a dream. He produced a highly flexible, emerald-green wooden branch out of thin air, which whistled as he swung it through the air. He began a mode of merciless whipping against the brat's fair buttocks, lashing the bewildered brat until he was howling.

"Ah? Stop it quickly!"

Because the events happened so suddenly, it wasn't until his son's buttocks were beaten into the shape of a monkey's that Shimura Kenichi finally came to his senses. Even though he might not be a match for Uchiha Gin, he still bravely stood up, blocking in front of his son with the unique determination of a father.

"Ah! You're even whipping me?"

Shimura Kenichi never expected that, although he thought the other party would stop after his intervention, Uchiha Gin didn't care about him at all. The flexible wooden branch lashed against his body, and waves of hidden force tortured him until he was in unbearable agony.

"You want to take the punishment on behalf of your son?"

Without stopping his hand, Uchiha Gin raised an eyebrow and asked the suddenly intervening Shimura Kenichi in confusion.

"Hmph! Don't underestimate the resolve of our Shimura clan. Keep going, Danzo! Let him witness the resilience you have rooted deep within!"

"Tsk, is 'fatherly kindness and filial piety' a trend in your Shimura clan?"

Glancing at Shimura Kenichi, who was hiding to the side with his hands behind his back and eyes drifting, Uchiha Gin stopped his whipping and asked in a strange tone,

"Isn't it obvious enough?"

"."

"The Security Force has arrived, everyone get out of the way!"

Just as Uchiha Gin and the Shimura father and son were having an in-depth discussion about the traditional virtues of the Shimura clan, a loud shout came from outside the crowd that had packed the scene solid.

"Hmph! Once the Security Force arrives, I will definitely make you pay!"

Hearing that the newcomers were the Security Force, a glimmer of hope appeared in the eyes of the listless Shimura Kenichi. With something to rely on, he regained his arrogance and clamored at Uchiha Gin.

"Everyone throw your weapons on the ground and put your hands on your heads!"

A squad of men, led by a long-haired man, squeezed in through the crowd. After stumbling in a disheveled manner, the long-haired man, who hadn't even looked up yet, shouted his professional script as a matter of routine.

"I am a member of the Shimura clan's delegation. This guy openly attacked me on the street; he must be a spy sent by another country. Take him down quickly!"

Seeing the Security Force arrive at the scene, Shimura Kenichi immediately stated his identity, then pointed at Uchiha Gin, who was holding a wooden branch and looking bored, and said loudly.

"A spy? Let me see... uh... why is it you, my lord?"

Never expecting that he would encounter a major incident involving a spy during a routine patrol, Uchiha Huoke felt incredibly excited. He then flicked the ponytail behind his head, his face full of excitement, but as he looked in the direction Shimura Kenichi was pointing, he saw a curly-haired man who was all too familiar, and his words instantly stuck in his throat.

"Hey! Isn't this Brother Huoke? Long time no see~"

Tossing the wooden branch generated by Wood Release to the side, Uchiha Gin greeted Uchiha Huoke, who looked like he was in physical pain, with familiarity, smiling as brightly as could be.

"Lord Gin, what do you want me to say about you!"

Merely glancing at the scene and seeing the brat lying on the ground with his buttocks stuck up and wailing, Uchiha Huoke guessed the ins and outs of the incident well enough. This man, who had just taken on the role of Security Force Captain, expressed that he really had it too hard.

"He's still just a child~"

"Huoke, is your skin itching?"

"I was just inspecting the construction of the Hidden Leaf Village, and this curly-haired guy just..."

Never expecting that the hateful curly-haired guy before him actually knew the Security Force, Shimura Kenichi believed that by relying on his status as a member of the delegation, he would surely be able to severely punish this hateful fellow. He immediately began to lodge a complaint, but before he was even halfway through, he was interrupted by Uchiha Gin.

"I saw that these two guests from afar were a bit lost on the road, so upholding the spirit of a host, I stepped forward to talk to them, hoping to help them solve their urgent needs."

"Pfft! Nonsense, look at what you've beaten my son Danzo into? A baboon's butt is nothing compared to this!"

Persisted for another month, thanks to the support of all the readers!!!

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(End of this chapter)