Chapter 279: While I Was Touching Them, the Organization Went Bankrupt

"Itama, come home and visit often when you have time~"

As the gate of Uchiha Gin's home was pushed open, Senju Itama saw his two older brothers off. Senju Hashirama, with the concern of an elder brother in his eyes, looked at his sister who had returned from the dead and spoke sincerely.

"If you have any grievances, just tell your brothers. Although your eldest brother is not good with words, he knows a thing or two about fisticuffs~"

"Don't underestimate me, I can handle it myself."

"Itama, were you trying to kill me just now?"

Compared to the reluctant Senju Hashirama, Senju Tobirama, who was physically unscathed but whose heart was filled with trauma, asked in a strange tone.

Just a moment ago, because he had misinterpreted Senju Hashirama's words, he had nearly taken a full-power heart-piercing punch of super strength. Fortunately, his eldest brother was quick-witted and blocked the blow, otherwise he might have had to go see their father.

"Hmph! Who told you to talk nonsense? If I hear you say weird things again, I'll smash your head in!"

Recalling Senju Tobirama's words from just a moment ago, a few blushes appeared on the young girl's face. She then put her hands on her hips, bared her cute little fangs, and warned him in a delicate voice. However, the shyness written all over her eyes left her two brothers feeling bitter.

"Fine, we will keep our promise and pretend not to know you in public."

Senju Hashirama waved his hand helplessly. He couldn't figure out why his sister, whom he hadn't seen in years, wanted them to pretend not to know her. Did she have some unspeakable secret?

But as long as she was alive, that was a joyous occasion, so there was nothing unacceptable about such a strange agreement.

"Mm-hmm, you guys hurry up and leave, I still have to go shopping with my best friend later~"

Calculating the time in her heart, Senju Itama urged the two to leave. Her mind was in a mess right now; she needed to find a trusted friend of the same gender to pour her heart out to.

"Itama, I've heard that Uchiha Gin's private life is extremely dissolute. Not only does he live with a young girl, but he also hooks up with widows. You must keep your eyes open!"

Senju Tobirama, who was ultimately unwilling to give up, used hearsay and rumors to slander the person his sister held in high regard.

"I will win!"

????????

The storm had passed. Having left the two women's group, Uchiha Gin continued his exploration mode. Compared to the previous few days, there were more and more unfamiliar faces on the streets of the newly born Hidden Leaf Village.

On both sides of the street, there were also many temporary stalls, filled with specialty products from various clans.

There was the Inuzuka clan selling dog food—hmm... I should buy some for my cousin, he should like eating it.

There was also the round Akimichi clan, selling the kind of secret medicine that his little cousin had once given him. The advertisement written next to it read:

【Increase size, increase length, and last longer; good for me, good for you, and good for her.】

Hmm... I have a friend who really needs this. I'll come back to buy it when there are fewer people!

"Boss, how do you sell these deer antlers?"

Suddenly, while passing by a stall, Uchiha Gin raised an eyebrow, squatted down, picked up a pair of deer antlers of good quality, and asked the listless stall owner.

"Grand opening promotion! For only 10, 00 ryo, you can take home the wild-raised deer antlers of our Nara clan. They strengthen the tendons and invigorate the blood... especially for tonifying the kidneys and enhancing virility, the effect is excellent!"

Hearing that a customer had arrived, the sleepy young man from the Nara clan immediately perked up. Looking at Uchiha Gin, who looked like he had a kidney deficiency, he introduced the product very professionally.

"Uh... what do you mean by that? Who are you looking down on?"

Uchiha Gin, clutching his waist, furrowed his brows and glared at the pineapple-head spouting nonsense in front of him. The terrifying aura made the newcomer from the Nara clan feel a bit breathless.

"Hmph! Wrap them all up for me. I have a friend who happens to need a boost..."

Just as the young Nara man was thinking rapidly, he saw something golden being slapped in front of him, and then Uchiha Gin's righteous voice reached his ears.

Subconsciously picking up the gold and biting it to check it was genuine, he hurriedly packed up the deer antlers on the ground and respectfully handed them to the big customer in front of him.

"This customer, if your friend needs more, remember to contact our Nara clan."

"Is your Nara clan preparing to join the Hidden Leaf Village?"

Taking the deer antlers bought for his friend, Uchiha Gin curiously looked at the pineapple-head with obvious features in front of him and asked.

"Yeah, our clan leader has already moved all the family assets over. It's in the forest on the outskirts of the Hidden Leaf Village."

Holding the gold brick happily, the young Nara man did not hide anything and truthfully informed Uchiha Gin about the Nara clan joining.

Tsk! They even drove the deer herd over; this Nara clan really sees the situation quite clearly.

After all, although the Hidden Leaf Village looks like a makeshift organization right now, with the protection of the two great clans, the Senju and the Uchiha, it is definitely an excellent place for a clan of their size to multiply and thrive.

"Welcome, welcome. Let's play chess when you have time~"

Thinking of this, Uchiha Gin carried the deer antlers on his back, greeted the young Nara man, and turned to leave.

"Huh, how did he know I like playing chess?"

The young Nara man, still examining the gold brick in his hand, was suddenly stunned after hearing Uchiha Gin's words, and a trace of doubt flashed in his dull eyes.

Then, seeing a chess manual scattered on the ground, he suddenly realized that the other party must have seen the chess manual he used for study, which is why he said that.

"That pineapple-head should be from the generation of Shikamaru's great-grandfather. No wonder he looks so much like him."

Carrying the heavy deer antlers, Uchiha Gin looked up at the rock wall above the Hidden Leaf Village.

"Now all that's missing is the rock carving. It wasn't in vain that I laid low for so many years; I finally managed to wait for the Hidden Leaf Village to emerge~"

Sighing, Uchiha Gin hummed a little tune and walked toward the newly opened barbecue restaurant of his good friend. After all, having bought so many high-quality deer antlers, it wouldn't be good for him to enjoy them all alone, so he would take a few as an opening gift for Dalang!

On the other side, in the temporary office of the Senju brothers.

"So, you still didn't escape Itama's iron-fisted sanction in the end!"

Senju Hashirama, who was busy processing documents, looked up with a strange expression upon hearing his brother's nagging. Looking at the large bag Senju Tobirama was showing, he tried hard to suppress his laughter as he said,

"Sigh~ I don't know what kind of education Itama received over the years to turn from such a well-behaved and sensible child into what she is now."

Senju Tobirama's palm glowed with green light as he carefully treated his red and swollen wounds. It hurt so much that he kept gasping, and he bared his teeth as he complained,

"Uh... I actually think Itama is becoming more and more like Mother."

Moving his still slightly swollen wrist, Senju Hashirama, who had also taken a punch, recalled their mother's voice and smile with nostalgia. Comparing her to his willful and cute sister, he found them to be exactly the same.

"Alright, now that you know the good news that Itama is still alive, you should have more energy to work, right?"

Looking at his eldest brother with a smile on his face, Senju Tobirama, who had reduced the swelling on his head, rolled his eyes and said,

"That's natural. By the way, you said earlier that the Sarutobi clan also agreed to join, is that true?"

"Sarutobi Sasuke promised it himself. And with his status as the leader of the delegation, the members of the Ninja Clan Alliance should all agree in the near future."

Senju Tobirama's eyes held a thoughtful light. The Ninja Clan Alliance led by the Sarutobi clan did not have any overpowered combatants, but their comprehensive strength could not be underestimated.

If such a force joined the Hidden Leaf Village, they could then proceed to the next step, that crucial plan.

"If they agree, then the conditions mentioned before will have to be fulfilled, right?"

Digging out the details of their negotiations with the ninja clans from the mountain of documents, Senju Hashirama flipped to the items written as requests but which were actually conditions, and asked with a frown,

"Since they agreed to join, we must also show corresponding sincerity. This matter... will you go and negotiate it, eldest brother?"

Thinking of having to deal with those hateful hedgehog-heads, Senju Tobirama felt uncomfortable all over. His face immediately turned sour, and he asked with a very subtle expression,

"I already discussed this with Madara a long time ago. He indicated that the Uchiha clan can accept it. After all... those people have to eat too~"

Following the scent, he strolled all the way to Dalang's newly opened barbecue restaurant. As soon as he entered, he saw several acquaintances sitting at a table. Uchiha Gin's eyes lit up, and he immediately walked over.

"Hey, you guys are having a party and didn't call me? Treating me like an outsider, aren't you?"

Uchiha Gin pulled out a chair and sat down without any formality. He tossed the deer antlers behind him onto the table, looked at the familiar clansmen in front of him, and pouted in accusation.

"What are you saying, sir? We were just afraid of disturbing your rest, Lord Gin, so we didn't notify you."

The first to speak was Uchiha Gin's best tool man, Uchiha Lucha, known as the King of Overtime. After years of tempering, this once cautious jailer had also developed the demeanor of a superior. But facing his mentor, he was still accustomed to lowering his posture, his eyes filled with respect.

"Lucha, my friend, how many times have I told you? Once we are outside the prison door, we are buddies. Why are you being so polite with me?"

Facing the respectful Uchiha Lucha, Uchiha Gin criticized him with a sense of "iron not becoming steel."

"Exactly, Brother Lucha, you know what kind of person Brother Gin is, don't you?"

Uchiha Jiro, who was sitting on the side, curiously poked the deer antlers that were emitting a fishy smell, and then said,

"Jiro, where is your brother?"

"A round customer just ordered a twenty-person portion of barbecue, so my brother is probably preparing it in the kitchen, right?"

"It seems that after moving to the Hidden Leaf Village, your brother's business is getting more and more prosperous!"

Roughly guessing who the customer was, Uchiha Gin was sincerely happy for his friend. If the Akimichi clan became a stable customer, Dalang would definitely make a fortune.

"Lord Gin, I'm really sorry today for not being able to help much."

After Uchiha Gin finished sighing, Uchiha Hiho, who was sitting next to Jiro, lowered his head and apologized with some restraint.

"It's fine, you've handled it very well. Now is a troubled time, the Uchiha clan shouldn't be too high-profile for the time being."

He had seen Uchiha Hiho's biased behavior today, and naturally had no opinion of this straightforward young man. However, he suddenly remembered the boy following Hiho, who didn't look like a good person at first glance, and asked one more question.

"Who is that brat following you, whose breath smells worse than athlete's foot?"

"Uh... Lord Gin, don't you remember? That's Setsuna!"

"Setsuna? Oh~ I remember now, that's the youngest son of Brother Ryuei, right!"

After Uchiha Gin muttered a few times, he suddenly remembered that the brat's gloomy eyes were exactly the same as Uchiha Ryuei's. Wasn't that the little Setsuna he had once tortured~

Whenever Setsuna was mentioned, Uchiha Gin couldn't help but miss those leisurely times in the dungeon. Back then, Uchiha Ryuei always loved to bring his son, born in his old age, to work.

Facing an ignorant and arrogant brat, Uchiha Gin stepped up without hesitation. While gaining a large amount of heart energy, he let the young Uchiha Setsuna experience the sinister nature of the world. In the end, the brat ran away crying, supposedly to go to a training camp for advanced studies, and he hadn't met him since.

Unexpectedly, after many years, that brat's personality was still so nasty. That typical narrow-minded Uchiha thinking still needed to be reformed in the dungeon.

"By the way, why did you guys think of having a party?"

Grabbing a handful of melon seeds from the table to snack on, Uchiha Gin asked curiously while cracking them.

"Brother Gin, don't you know?"

"Uh... I haven't been to work lately, tell me about it."

Facing the three people's puzzled gazes, Uchiha Gin scratched his head in embarrassment, then raised his neck and defended himself.

"My cousin is in seclusion recently, so I'm handling government affairs on his behalf~"

"Then, Lord Gin, you should be the one who knows most clearly what happened, right?"

"Cough, cough, cough... I caught a cold, so I just happened to take leave to rest yesterday."

Recalling the government affairs dumped onto his little cousin, Uchiha Gin, who had been pretending to be busy all along, spoke nonsense with a straight face.

"Oh~ so that's how it is."

Hearing Uchiha Gin's pale and feeble explanation, the three, who knew his character well, all wore expressions of "so that's it." They exchanged a tacit look, their eyes filled with mockery.

"Alright, stop keeping me in suspense. This meal is on me, hurry up and tell me!"

Scratching his face with a guilty conscience, Uchiha Gin waved his hand grandly, indicating that the entire table's bill would be paid by Young Master Gin.

"Great, we were just waiting for those words, Big Brother! Add ten more portions of premium beef for us!"

Hearing that someone was paying, Uchiha Jiro excitedly stood up and shouted to his brother, who was busy in the back kitchen.

"And oysters, give me another ten dozen!"

Uchiha Lucha followed closely behind. Having worked overtime for several nights for the sake of a certain curly-haired person's job, he absolutely could not let this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity slip by.

"......"

Uchiha Gin looked speechlessly at these two impolite brats and turned his gaze toward Uchiha Kagami, who had not yet spoken. Just as he was preparing to praise him for still having a conscience, he heard him speak slowly.

"Ten portions of tuna, and caviar, thank you~"

"Pfft!!!"

In the end, I was wrong about you. I thought you, with your thick eyebrows and big eyes and ponytail, were a good person. I never expected...

"Lord Gin, actually, there is something I have never told you."

After ordering the expensive tuna, Uchiha Kagami looked at the grief-stricken Uchiha Gin and spoke in a somewhat strange tone.

"Nani? Could it be that you brat still have some earth-shattering secret?"

Immersed in sorrow, Uchiha Gin's expression changed upon hearing Uchiha Kagami's words. The fake sadness vanished instantly, and his face was filled with intense curiosity, wanting to hear what secret this kid had been hiding.

"I have a clan brother with whom I am very close; his name is Uchiha Ryoichi."

"Huh?"

Stunned, Uchiha Gin looked at the nervousness in Uchiha Kagami's eyes, and suddenly everything made sense.

So Kagami, this kid, "backstabbed" him to avenge his brother. He had endured humiliation for many years, finally finding an opportunity to scam him out of ten portions of tuna and caviar.

"Is Ryoichi still in the dungeon?"

No wonder he found this kid's ponytail so familiar; he was the younger brother of an old acquaintance. Memories of the past welled up in his heart, and Uchiha Gin sighed at the passage of time, a trace of worry inevitably surfacing in his heart before he asked.

"After the ceasefire, Brother Ryoichi was appointed as an instructor at the training camp, specifically responsible for teaching the art of throwing."

There was no bad news as Uchiha Gin had imagined. On the contrary, that guy Ryoichi was doing quite well, and his exquisite throwing technique had finally found a place to be put to use.

"It's not just Brother Ryoichi; Brother Feihe is also working there, responsible for teaching swordsmanship."

"What about Captain Fenghuo?"

They were a four-man squad; how could Uchiha Fenghuo be missing?

"I was just about to say, Uchiha Fenghuo is the current principal of the training camp."

To think that the brothers who had carried guns together back then had all found good destinations—some went to sea, some came ashore—it was truly a joyous and congratulatory thing.

Thinking again of his own status as the Grand Warden, Uchiha Gin couldn't help but sigh that everyone had caught up with a good era. If this were after the founding of Konoha, the level of internal competition in the industry would be extremely severe, with dozens of people coveting a single position.

"Hey, hey, hey~ the barbecue is here!"

Just as the few were chatting, Uchiha Daro, with a face full of smiles, walked over carrying a preheated grill.

"Daro, why don't you sit down and eat some too?"

The stove radiated a scorching heat, and the pre-grilled meat on top made sizzling sounds of popping oil, making everyone's mouths water. Uchiha Gin looked at Uchiha Daro, whose face already showed signs of weathering, and called out to him.

"I still have ingredients to prepare in the back kitchen. There's a big order tonight. I, Uchiha Daro, represent the pinnacle of the Uchiha culinary world; I must make those outsiders submit to my secret-recipe barbecue!"

Uchiha Daro shook his head resolutely, waving his fist with burning fighting spirit in his eyes. The intense battle intent in his tone left Uchiha Gin speechless.

Tsk! You're just a barbecue cook; making it sound more blood-pumping than Boruto—are you trying to go to the world of *Chuuka Ichiban! for further studies?

"Sure enough, career ambition can make people younger. Look at Daro, doesn't he live like an eighteen-year-old lad? That's why I say, as long as young people are willing to work, they will always be in a youthful state~"

That's right, the salary is too!

Watching Uchiha Daro's departing back, Uchiha Gin nodded in agreement, then used the tone of someone who had been there before to ladle a bowl of "poisonous chicken soup" for the three who were frantically devouring the barbecue.

"Huh?" *3

You are the least qualified to say such things, you slacker, the most stubborn salary thief of the Uchiha clan!

The three rolled their eyes in unison, ignored the pretentious Uchiha Gin, and continued to lower their heads and devour the barbecue.

"Hey, hey, hey, don't just focus on eating. You still haven't told me, what exactly happened?"

Failing to cleanse the three's dirty souls, Uchiha Gin couldn't help but feel a bit disappointed. Could it be that he had said too much over these years, to the point where these guys had developed immunity?

"Oh, almost forgot. During the time you were away, the Clan Leader issued an amnesty document. We only finished checking the contents and files today, so we came for a gathering to celebrate the successful completion of the final work!"

Uchiha Lucha patted his chest, swallowed the fatty and lean barbecue in his mouth, and revealed an expression of enjoyment. Then he put down his chopsticks and began to explain the ins and outs of the matter to Uchiha Gin.

"Amnesty document? What are the contents?"

Actually, it wasn't that Uchiha Gin wanted to skip work; it was all due to some unspeakable private reasons. He had to work overtime until late every night, then drag his exhausted body back to his room to rest. By the time he woke up, it was almost the afternoon of the next day.

"That guy Hashirama Senju, in order to get outside ninja clans to join Konoha, promised to release the prisoners from those clans held in the dungeon."

Speaking of releasing prisoners, Uchiha Lucha's expression instantly turned unpleasant. After all, being imprisoned for many years meant that these prisoners must have done things that harmed the interests of the Uchiha clan. How could he, a pure Uchiha clansman, accept such an easy release?

"Nani, how can this be!"

Those heinous criminals were Uchiha Gin's stable suppliers of mental energy points. Although he had squeezed them dry over the past few years, it was better than nothing. Otherwise, he would have to go door-to-door knocking to see if there were any kids he could bully.

"Exactly! The ones locked in the dungeon are basically prisoners from those ninja clans. If they are all released, the dungeon will be emptied!"

Uchiha Jiro, who was skillfully flipping the barbecue on the side, also showed an expression of indignation, and his tone was not very good either.

"Rumor has it that the Senju clan has already started releasing their prisoners. Now they are putting our Uchiha clan on the spot. Any hesitation might lead to us being labeled as unfavorable to the development of Konoha."

As a member of the Clan Leader's personal guard, Uchiha Kagami knew more inside information than Uchiha Lucha and the other. He stuffed a piece of fatty fish into his mouth, his cold face carrying a rare trace of anger as he analyzed the situation.

It seems the Senju brothers are truly going all out for the development of Konoha, even going so far as to release former enemies to win over the ninja clans.

However, the Senju clan is making a big fuss about it, while the Uchiha clan is doing it quietly. When everyone is released, those ninja clans will only be grateful to the Senju clan, who did the publicity.

And the Uchiha, who did the hardest and most tiring work, might not necessarily receive praise, and might even, as Kagami said, be labeled as unfavorable to unity.

"Hmph! How many prisoners do they have in the Senju clan? With their despicable fighting style, it's hard for enemies to leave survivors. Unlike us Uchiha, who use genjutsu for hard control, and then use Great Fireball..."

Uchiha Daro, who had been listening from the back kitchen, couldn't help but lift the curtain and complain from afar.

Fine, fine, I get it. We Uchiha are the most compassionate ninja clan.

No one understands the gold content of Great Fireball's mercy better than I do.

"Sigh~ you've said so much, but it's already too late, isn't it? The ninja clan alliance led by the Sarutobi clan has almost confirmed they are joining."

The Sarutobi Sasuke he met today had already publicly confirmed he would join Konoha. Since the leader had already entered the circle, wouldn't the small fries behind him just follow suit with their eyes closed?

"Yeah, this is the general trend. We are just venting our frustrations; we can't change anything."

After hearing Uchiha Gin's latest news, the three sighed in unison, imagining the sizzling barbecue as the detestable Senju, and continued their fierce attack on the food.

"By the way, it's not all bad news. If the dungeon is empty, doesn't that mean we can rest for a long time~"

Finally, Uchiha Gin found one piece of good news among a pile of bad luck that could comfort them.

"Huh? Lord Gin, didn't you receive the notice? The Uchiha clan's dungeon is closing; you've already lost your job!"

(End of chapter)