Chapter 280: The Reason for the Girl's Secret Being Exposed

There are three great misfortunes in life: achieving success in youth, losing one's job in middle age, and entering the flower fields in old age.

"No, it's not true. Tell me, this isn't true!"

Uchiha Gin took the notice handed over by Uchiha Lu Cha, unfolded it with trembling hands, and read it word by word. His already listless eyes became stained with a layer of dejection as the truth was revealed, and his lips gradually turned deathly pale. He looked as if he had lost his soul, lowering his head and muttering to himself.

"Slurp~ Lord Gin, accept reality. Our makeshift troupe is officially disbanded."

Uchiha Lu Cha lowered his head, sucked the plump oyster meat from the bowl into his mouth in one go, and a bit of vitality returned to his weary eyes. His tense expression relaxed, and he looked up at the dejected Uchiha Gin, offering words of comfort.

"No, absolutely not. Even if they are to be released, we must squeeze a piece of soap out of them!"

He hadn't expected that after finishing his leave, his workplace would have gone out of business. In this era, there was no such thing as "n+1" compensation, so the only way to recover his lost interests was to squeeze them out of those prisoners who were about to gain their freedom.

"Don't even think about it. Those prisoners have been locked up for so many years; their pockets are cleaner than their faces. It'll be a miracle if they have a pair of underwear to wear when they get out~"

Uchiha Erlang, who was standing to the side, wiped the hot sweat from his forehead, rolled his eyes speechlessly, and chimed in with a sarcastic remark.

Uchiha Erlang was also a veteran jailer of the dungeon. He naturally knew that when those prisoners were first brought in, they were stripped completely bare, and every orifice on their bodies was carefully checked several times to prevent them from carrying dangerous items. Therefore, trying to squeeze anything out of these guys was likely a pipe dream.

"Hmph~ Just because those prisoners don't have anything doesn't mean their families don't. When I go back, I'll think of a way to take advantage of the situation and make a big profit to get some unemployment benefits for the brothers who lost their jobs!"

Uchiha Gin's eyes rolled around, and a plan immediately came to mind. He swept away his previous dejection, a cramped smile rippled across the corners of his mouth, and he patted his chest to assure the few people present.

"Although the unemployment came quite suddenly, the days ahead are still long. Everyone has elders above and children below; you must never give up on yourselves. In all things, you must look forward..."

Seeing that the few were not in high spirits, Uchiha Gin continued to encourage them, hoping that these good buddies could pull themselves together, walk out of the shadow of unemployment, and create a beautiful new life.

"What kind of expressions are those? You've all lost your jobs; aren't you even a little bit sad or upset?"

Unexpectedly, his impassioned speech did not resonate with the few people present; instead, they stared at him with looks as if they were watching a fool. This left Uchiha Gin somewhat confused, and he immediately frowned and asked.

"Um... I will be taking a position at the Security Force tomorrow."

Uchiha Erlang, with a strange expression on his face, was the first to raise his hand and reveal his new employer entirely.

"You? Has the entry standard for the Security Force become this low?"

Uchiha Erlang was actually able to get into the Security Force? This was the Security Force newly established by Konoha, not the future city-management police force that preyed on the common people. One needed at least the strength of a squad leader to join. Just based on him, Erlang?

"Huo He, was it you? Did you help him go through the back door? Don't think that this is helping him; by doing this, you are going to ruin brother Erlang~"

Seeing Uchiha Huo He, who had been silent on the side, Uchiha Gin suddenly realized, pointing at the young man with the ponytail and rebuking him with a pained expression.

"No, Erlang passed the formal assessment and joined the Security Force with the excellent result of first place."

Hearing Uchiha Gin's malicious speculation, Uchiha Huo He shook his head and then explained solemnly.

"Impossible, absolutely impossible!"

Uchiha Gin slammed his rice bowl down, spread his arms, and with a look of deep suspicion on his face, shouted.

Uchiha Gin's look of suspicion made this honest young man, whose heart was overflowing with lewdness, instantly furious. He closed his eyes and opened them again, and three mysterious tomoe slowly rotated in his slightly lewd-looking eyes.

"Brother Gin, how can you look at people through colored glasses? I am a Three-Tomoe now, after all!"

"Hmph~ Colored glasses? I think you need to wear mosaic glasses, you little pervert!"

Feeling the cold power emanating from Uchiha Erlang's eyes, Uchiha Gin snorted coldly and did not delve further into the issue of his strength. Instead, he resorted to personal attacks, then turned his head to look at Uchiha Lu Cha, who was still eating oysters, and asked with a glimmer of hope in his eyes.

"Brother Lu Cha, you shouldn't have..."

"Hiccup~ Sorry, Lord Gin. The closing of the dungeon this time isn't actually a bad thing for me. After all, I've been holding multiple jobs, and my energy is truly limited."

Putting down the bowl and chopsticks with satisfaction, Uchiha Lu Cha showed an apologetic expression on his face. Looking at the pitiful Uchiha Gin, he still hardened his heart and revealed his secret.

"You brat, you were actually hiding a side job from me?"

I didn't expect that you, Lu Cha, a guy with thick eyebrows and big eyes, would also betray the revolution. If it weren't for my discerning eye back then, would you have these oysters to eat today?

"Lord Gin, have you forgotten? I have always been a candidate for Elder of Internal Affairs. You were the one who lifted me up to that position at the clan leader's inauguration ceremony!"

Uchiha Lu Cha smiled helplessly. Back when Uchiha Madara took office as clan leader, he, as Uchiha Gin's follower, was forcibly pushed up to be a representative, and was subsequently assigned by the clan leader to manage internal affairs and logistics, a role he had held ever since.

"Ha, that happened?"

Elder candidate—it sounded like a very high official position. Uchiha Gin was so shocked he almost jumped up, looking at the Uchiha Lu Cha before him, who appeared somewhat kidney-deficient, with disbelief. His confusion was written all over his face, but then thinking of the word "candidate," he regained a bit of confidence in his speech.

"It's just a candidate, precarious and uncertain. Even if you go, won't you just be caught in internal strife~"

"Not at all. Ever since Elder Uchiha Miao passed away, the position of Elder has just happened to be vacant. The higher-ups have been urging me to take office, but I couldn't bear to leave the work in the dungeon, so..."

In fact, after Uchiha Miao faked his death and fled to the Land of Waves, Uchiha Lu Cha could have already taken the position of Elder of Internal Affairs, but he had been worried that Uchiha Gin wouldn't be able to handle the dungeon work well after he left, so he had been running back and forth every day, resulting in his current kidney-deficient appearance.

Tsk! In the end, it was all trouble I caused myself. If I had known, I wouldn't have let Uchiha Miao fake his death!

Back then, the dozens of clansmen Uchiha Tian Dao took with him when he went to the Land of Waves were all "black households" who sacrificed themselves for various reasons, including Uchiha Miao. I didn't expect to be lifting a rock only to drop it on my own feet, letting this brat Lu Cha pick up the bargain.

"Fine, fine, fine. We agreed to slack off together, but it turns out you guys are better at hiding than anyone else. Forget it, forget it. You guys go; let me be quiet for a while."

Compared to my own failure, the success of my group members makes me feel even more distressed.

Uchiha Gin had originally wanted to comfort these two unemployed friends, but he never expected that the clown would turn out to be himself. He felt a surge of blood rushing to his heart, almost making him pass out.

Covering his broken heart with one hand, Uchiha Gin looked listless and waved his hand at everyone present, signaling that their friendship ended here.

"Don't be like that, Lord Gin. I will find a way to arrange a new position for you. After all, I am a man who is about to become an Elder of Internal Affairs~"

Seeing that their years of friendship were about to come to an end, Uchiha Lu Cha hurriedly stopped him, his serious expression not appearing fake.

"Forget it. You're just an Elder of Internal Affairs with no real power; I won't make things difficult for you~"

Elder of Internal Affairs—although it carried the title of Elder, it had no actual power. The work content was just handling financial reports and documents within the clan, managing archives, and other trivial matters like clan mobilization. It had the name of an Elder, but not the power of one.

"I..."

Hearing this, Uchiha Lu Cha was just about to explain, but was interrupted by a wave of Uchiha Gin's hand.

"Don't force it. Don't I know? If you really want to help your brothers soar, wait until you mix your way into the position of Great Elder before talking about it~"

Uchiha Gin, not wanting to add trouble to Uchiha Lu Cha, rejected his kindness and indicated that his official rank was still too small. If he wanted to cover for him, he should wait until he stood at the pinnacle of the Elders.

"Alright..."

Sensing the hidden kindness in Uchiha Gin's words, Uchiha Lu Cha was stunned for a moment, then nodded.

"Brother Gin, why don't you come to the Security Force? Huo He and I will cover for you; there will be absolutely no problem~"

After Uchiha Lu Cha finished speaking, Uchiha Erlang, who could no longer suppress his excitement, hurriedly said.

"You brat, take care of yourself first. Don't read lewd books during work hours. If outsiders find out, it will damage the image of our Uchiha clan~"

Rolling his eyes at Uchiha Erlang, whose mind was full of mosaics, Uchiha Gin indicated that he should be strict with himself first and stop thinking about helping others; he should just make sure not to embarrass himself.

"Gin, why don't you come help at my shop? The pay will definitely be much higher than when you were in the dungeon."

Uchiha Dalang, who was busy on the side, took a moment to interject.

"Hmph~ Do you think I work for money?"

"That's true, you don't seem to be short on money."

Recalling the gold bricks Uchiha Gin had casually tossed out, Uchiha Dalang immediately withdrew his recruitment request, saying somewhat embarrassedly.

"I, Uchiha Gin, love to take root at the grassroots level. Even if I do the dirtiest and most tiring work every day, I have no complaints. It is all to guard the clear blue sky of the Uchiha clan~"

"Uh, what are you standing there for? Applaud!"

"Clap~ Clap~"

"..."

Under Uchiha Gin's threatening gaze, the few people present reluctantly clapped a few times, their expressions as speechless as could be.

"Alright, keep the music playing, keep dancing~"

Having received the acknowledgment of the crowd, the satisfied Uchiha Gin waved his hand, indicating that the party should continue.

"Dalang, these deer antlers are my opening gift to you; they are very nourishing~"

After the meal, Uchiha Gin placed a package of deer antlers in front of Uchiha Dalang, glanced nervously at the blushing Uchiha Yazi, and said with a grin.

"We're all buddies, why are you being so polite? Tsk~ The quality is really good, thanks!"

Uchiha Dalang, who had been immersed in the culinary arts for many years, saw at a glance that the quality of these deer antlers was excellent, and immediately accepted them with a smile for great use.

"Lu Cha, I see your complexion isn't good either. Take a few roots back to nourish yourself!"

Turning his head to look at the weak-looking Uchiha Lu Cha, Uchiha Gin casually pulled out a few deer antlers and handed them to him, instructing him.

"Thank you, Lord Gin."

Uchiha Lu Cha, who was indeed in need of nourishment, did not decline and reached out to accept Uchiha Gin's gift.

"What about mine? I've also been feeling a bit empty in my body lately~"

Seeing that his big brother and Lu Cha had both received gifts, Uchiha Erlang was envious and also asked for some.

"You're weak too?"

"Yeah, I can't even get it up in the morning."

"I advise you to do more squats and masturbate less."

"..."

A single sentence pierced through Uchiha Erlang's weak essence, making this honest young man instantly feel ashamed and unable to show his face. His face was flushed with shame, but he had nothing to say; after all, every word the other party said was reasonable, leaving him with no room to argue.

"I will go talk to the little cousin in the next few days to strive for some compensation for you brothers. Remember to come and collect it when the time comes."

Before parting, Uchiha Gin made a firm promise to the brothers who had worked with him in the dungeon.

"We'll wait for your good news. If there's anything you need help with, just ask!"

The few, who did not hold much hope for the compensation, responded with a smile.

"Father, isn't that the curly-haired guy who bullied Danzo and Hiruzen?"

Just as Uchiha Gin's figure was about to disappear at the end of the street, Akimichi Torifu, who was being carried on his father's neck, curiously pointed to the fluffy mass of curls at the street corner in the distance and said.

"Hmm, it seems he also likes to eat barbecue; he didn't even forget to pack some when leaving. Forget about that for now, eating meat is more important!"

Akimichi Torifu's father just glanced at Uchiha Gin's back, feeling that he was unfathomable, but to him, it wasn't as important as the barbecue. He then wiped the drool from the corner of his mouth and turned to enter Uchiha Dalang's barbecue shop.

A battle for the dignity of the Uchiha culinary world was about to begin.

Walking on the way home, Uchiha Gin listlessly observed the ninjas of various clans passing by, listening to their haggling voices, when a flash of inspiration suddenly struck his mind, and an excellent idea instantly appeared in his head.

"Hmph hmph~ Want to get prisoners from me for free? Eat shit!"

In Uchiha Gin's large mansion, Senju Itama, who had just returned from outside, bumped into Uchiha Hikari, who looked sleepy. Seeing the deep dark circles under her eyes, the young girl, feeling a bit jealous, mocked her,

"Old woman, your eye bags are sagging so much, who are you trying to scare to death?"

"Ha~ ha~ I heard your conversation with those two brothers of yours clearly from upstairs~"

Yawning widely twice, the bleary-eyed Uchiha Hikari forced herself to open her eyes. Looking at the sour-faced Senju Itama, she added a hint of mockery to her eyes and blurted out Senju Itama's secret,

"So what? If you want to tattle, go ahead."

Her heart skipped a beat and Senju Itama secretly thought it was bad, but she didn't show any nervousness on her face. Instead, she put on an indifferent expression and said,

"Heh, I'm not as despicable as the Senju. If you want to fight, I'll fight. Sneaking an attack from behind is a dishonorable victory."

Uchiha Hikari's black eyes turned slightly, making Senju Itama feel uneasy. After she finished, she smiled and replied,

"Hmph~ don't think I'll go easy on you just because you did that."

"You're just a loser, what do I have to fear?"

Walking past Senju Itama, Uchiha Hikari's eyes held a hint of ridicule. Having already overtaken her, she no longer took the other girl seriously.

"Damn it!"

"Ha~ I'm going out to train. Have you finished your homework?"

Ignoring the snarling of the loser, Uchiha Hikari yawned again, rubbed her sleepy eyes, and looked at the indignant Senju Itama, coldly asking,

"That kind of simple training? I finished it long ago!"

Speaking of homework, Senju Itama's expression changed, revealing a very proud look. She looked triumphantly at Uchiha Hikari, who had just gotten up to train, and said,

"I hope so. Lady Yumi is very strict; be careful not to get your butt spanked by her again."

Not expecting the other girl to have already finished her homework, Uchiha Hikari, who hadn't had time to do hers yet, raised her eyebrows in surprise and then warned,

"That's for sure!"

As if recalling some unpleasant memories, Senju Itama subconsciously touched her butt, then replied stubbornly. Raising her eyes to look at the sleepy Uchiha Hikari, she offered a rare word of comfort,

"Are you okay? In this state, facing Lady Yumi, I'm afraid..."

"Ha~ no problem. I'm not alone; just worry about yourself."

Hearing these unexpected words, Uchiha Hikari tilted her head, looked at Senju Itama, and after saying this with a smile, she left the house without looking back, heading toward the depths of the forest, where their secret training base for the girls was located.

……

After Uchiha Hikari left, Senju Itama frowned, pondering what the other girl had said last. Recently, Uchiha Hikari's schedule had become extremely strange, and sometimes her speech was incoherent, making her impossible to figure out.

Just as she was feeling troubled, a familiar voice came from behind her,

"Why are you standing there in a daze? Have you eaten yet?"

"This smell... damn it, you guy, you actually went to eat barbecue at Dalang's place in secret!"

Hearing the voice she had been longing for in her heart, Senju Itama felt a tightness in her chest. She immediately turned her head and looked at the lazy-looking Uchiha Gin. Just as she was about to greet him, she smelled a familiar fragrance, and immediately pouted her small mouth, scolding him coquettishly,

"I just happened to run into a colleague's dinner party and had a couple of bites. Don't be angry, I brought you takeout~"

Watching Senju Itama's changing expression, Uchiha Gin smiled and took out the pre-prepared grilled fish from behind his back; it was one of the things she liked to eat most.

"Hmph, that's more like it. Come in."

Because of the unexpected event, Senju Itama, who had been hungry all day, was somewhat huffily preparing to lose her temper, but seeing the grilled fish he took out, she immediately calmed down, smiled, pulled the door open, and signaled for Uchiha Gin to come in.

"Tsk! You little..."

Watching the speed at which her expression changed, Uchiha Gin rolled his eyes, preparing to make a snide remark, but after saying only half a sentence, he saw her swaying, rounded buttocks and swallowed the second half back into his mouth.

At the same time, his thoughts returned to a few years ago, when Uchiha Gin had just returned from the moon.

"Hi~ I wonder what will be summoned today. As long as it's not a Great Fireball, anything is fine!"

Finally waiting until the two people in the house were asleep, a cautious Uchiha Gin snuck into the backyard, gazing at the half-moon hanging in the sky, guessing what would be summoned today,

"Sigh~ hasn't the portal on the moon been repaired yet? Flying up there myself is too much effort~"

The early summer night had no chill at all. The very comfortable temperature made Uchiha Gin, lying on the rattan chair, feel very content. While staring at the familiar moon and letting his mind wander, the stagnation of the air around him brought him back to his senses,

"It's finally here. I hope it's an important character!"

Immediately bracing himself, Uchiha Gin looked at the backyard with expectant eyes as the rippling light slowly descended, guessing who today's lucky person was,

"Tsk tsk tsk, these long white legs, not bad at all~ Hi, this butt, it's got kick! The waist is so thin, could it be Mei Terumi?"

A pair of beautiful, fair feet shimmered with an alluring glow under the moonlight. Following that, a pair of plump but not bloated beautiful legs stepped out, making Uchiha Gin subconsciously swallow his saliva. When that slender waist appeared, he couldn't help but start guessing who this beauty with such a beautiful navel could be.

"Holy crap, huge breasts!"

However, the massive peaks that appeared next left him completely speechless. He had been roaming the backyard for so many years and had never seen such shocking, massive breasts; even Tsunade's were inferior to this pair by half.

"Quick, quick, quick, let me see who you are!"

Not expecting the summoned NPC to have such a explosive figure, Uchiha Gin couldn't help but feel great curiosity about her identity. Looking through the entire Naruto series, he had never seen anyone who could crush Tsunade in terms of figure.

As the light curtain completely disappeared, the owner of the explosive figure revealed her true colors. In the darkness, a sliver of moonlight exposed the mysterious NPC's face to Uchiha Gin's eyes,

"Uh... why does she look so familiar?"

The one summoned this time was a very beautiful and moving woman. Her watery, beautiful eyes had not yet taken on the spirit an NPC should have, and her pair of red, full lips carried an alluring aura. A diamond-shaped mark was dotted on her forehead. Her beautiful face and explosive figure made the curly-haired guy freeze, and he couldn't help but feel some doubt; he always felt that he had seen this beautiful woman somewhere before.

"Wait, this hair color?"

Finally, when that sliver of moonlight completely enveloped the explosive-figured and beautiful NPC, Uchiha Gin's dull, dead-fish eyes instantly widened,

Trembling, he reached out both hands and rubbed his 24K titanium alloy dog eyes hard, with such force that he almost sparked. After repeated confirmation, he looked at the black and white short hair with an expression of disbelief, unable to speak in his surprise.

On this side, Uchiha Gin was still surprised. On that side, spirit gradually poured into the mysterious beautiful NPC's eyes. After a brief moment of confusion, those beautiful eyes, filled with spring water, swept suspiciously over the curly-haired guy in front of her, instantly turning into infinite tenderness. Then, her brow furrowed, and as if she were out of control, she disappeared from where she stood.

"BOOM!!!"

The other party's sudden disappearance finally brought Uchiha Gin back to his senses. Amidst his confusion, his activated super-perception warned him of a great threat coming from above his head. He subconsciously looked up, only to see a pair of fair, beautiful legs, carrying blue light and wrapped in immense power, pouring down toward his fluffy curly hair.

"No way, is this move really inherited through the same lineage?"

(End of chapter)