Chapter 418

Uchiha Madara was never a nostalgic person.

But at this moment, nearing seventy, his sealed memories were gradually awakened, and his thoughts uncontrollably flew back to decades ago.

That Warring States Period, filled with war and divided by heroes.

At that time, he had a father, a younger brother, Hashirama, and...

A cousin who died young.

"Alike, too alike, simply carved from the same mold."

Under the cloak was a withered old face, two scarlet eyeballs full of vitality staring straight at Uchiha Gin not far away, muttering to himself.

"Madara-sama, what are you doing hiding here?"

A slightly lively figure emerged from the damp ground, the white head full of question marks.

However, after only three seconds of confusion, a lightbulb symbolizing wisdom lit up on the white head, with an expression of sudden realization.

"I know! You must be taking a dump!"

"How is that kid doing?"

As if accustomed to this way of speaking, Uchiha Madara didn't bother with him, turning to ask about other things.

"That red-haired kid is about to arrive in this town, but his state is not very good... uh... in your human terms, he's about to starve to death~"

The white figure completely pulled itself out of the ground, shook the mud off its shoulders, stretched long, and spoke in a very frivolous tone.

"By the way, Madara-sama, what does it feel like to be hungry?"

"Don't let him die."

"Rest assured, that red-haired kid won't starve to death. I sent him an emergency ration."

Thinking of the puppy he had placed beside Uzumaki Nagato not long ago, the Spiral White Zetsu put his hands on his hips triumphantly.

"Bai Chi, you're just adding to his burden."

Uchiha Madara, who had witnessed Uzumaki Nagato's growth, naturally knew he was a cowardly kid. If he hadn't been secretly monitoring him, he would have died in the war long ago.

But now, he was really too old and didn't have the extra energy to keep staring at Uzumaki Nagato.

Uchiha Madara looked at his aging hands, a flash of disgust in his eyes. For his plan, Uzumaki Nagato must live until he becomes a qualified pawn.

"Go and probe the bottom of that person for me."

Pointing at the three Uchiha Gin who were walking away, Uchiha Madara suddenly ordered.

"Ah? Madara-sama, do you find them unpleasant?"

Spiral White Zetsu tilted his head in confusion. After his gaze landed on Uchiha Gin, he nodded in agreement.

"That curly hair does look quite punchable. I'll go shave him bald. By the way, other White Zetsu have hair, why am I the only one without hair?"

"Don't be long-winded, go quickly."

Uchiha Madara frowned upon hearing this. Why was this guy becoming more and more talkative?

If it weren't for the fact that this White Zetsu was a little bit smarter than the average White Zetsu, Uchiha Madara wouldn't have brought him out.

"Received!"

Watching the Spiral White Zetsu dive into the ground, Uchiha Madara once again cast his gaze on Uchiha Gin. The aura the other party emitted made him feel very strange, but that appearance...

"It should be a coincidence."

Uchiha Madara shook his head and dismissed the extra thoughts. The reason he let Spiral White Zetsu go and probe Uchiha Gin's strength wasn't on a whim.

Uzumaki Nagato had reached the age to learn ninjutsu. If he couldn't learn to refine chakra himself, he would sooner or later be sucked dry by the Rinnegan.

And Uchiha Gin, not far away, was a very suitable candidate. The two children around his age who were with him already had faint traces of chakra, but looking at their clothes and appearance, they were undoubtedly natives of the Land of Rain, and most likely orphans too.

As long as Uchiha Gin's strength was decent, he could proceed to the next step of the plan.

"Pure kindness, or ulterior motives?"

In Uchiha Madara's view, being able to teach two unrelated orphans ninjutsu, Uchiha Gin was either a naive good person like Hashirama, or a despicable villain with ulterior motives like Tobirama Senju.

But no matter which one, he could help him train Nagato in a short time. Moreover, with White Zetsu helping to watch, even if Uchiha Gin finally showed his true colors, it would just be a waste of effort, helping him raise a character for nothing.

【Detected that the host is in battle, Heartsteel treasure chest begins to accumulate...】

Uchiha Gin, who was rushing back with Konan and the other, suddenly had the long-lost system prompt sound in his mind.

"Eh?"

After a pause, Uchiha Gin pretended nothing had happened and continued on his way, but secretly increased his vigilance in his heart.

The enemy was definitely not a good person.

Although Uchiha Gin's strength was forcibly pressed back to the Jonin level and his perception was also downgraded, a Jonin's perception was not something to be trifled with. Now that the other party could bypass his perception, it showed that the enemy lurking in the dark had strength that could not be underestimated.

"What should I do?"

Spiral White Zetsu, who was currently in the soil under Uchiha Gin's feet, touched his chin in distress. The order Uchiha Madara gave was to probe the bottom of this curly hair. If he was too heavy-handed and accidentally killed the other party, how would he explain it to Madara-sama?

"Forget it, as long as I don't kill him."

Picking his non-existent nostrils, Spiral White Zetsu's body began to deform, gradually changing from a little white man into a burly middle-aged ninja, wearing a Rock Village forehead protector on his forehead.

"Konan, Yahiko, you guys go back first."

The warning sound of Heartsteel was getting louder and louder. Uchiha Gin stopped, turned around, and said to the two children with dim expressions.

"Gin-san, you really..."

Hearing this, Yahiko's expression froze, and his emotions instantly dropped a lot.

"..."

Konan remained silent, stubbornly raising her head, looking straight into Uchiha Gin's eyes, a mist of water appearing in her starry eyes.

"Yahiko, Ninja Lesson Two: You must listen to advice, otherwise you'll easily die young."

Bending down to pat their little heads, Uchiha Gin gave them earnest instructions, hoping they would remember them in their hearts.

"I haven't eaten yet. You guys go and clean up the fish first. I have some private matters to attend to, I'll be there later."

"You swear!"

Konan bit her pale lips, her voice slightly choked with sobs.

"Relax, relax, I will definitely go back."

Turning around, he waved at the two children.

"Sure enough, after the secret technique learning was completed, the binding effect also disappeared."

After the two children, who looked back with every step, disappeared into the rain, the previous air wall didn't appear. Uchiha Gin felt a little relieved, then pretended to be indifferent, opened his legs, and walked in another direction.

"Eh? Why did he separate from those two kids? Forget it, anyway, Madara-sama's mission target is only him."

White Zetsu, transformed into a middle-aged Rock ninja, followed Uchiha Gin for a distance, then seized the opportunity. Two large hands like palm-leaf fans instantly broke through the ground.

"Rumble~"

Here it comes!

Uchiha Gin, who had been prepared, didn't have any panic. He kicked his legs, performed three backflips in the air to open the distance, and after landing, immediately drew the black wooden sword from his waist, held it in front of him, and waited in battle array for the enemy who was attacking him.

"Heh heh heh, I didn't expect you to be quite agile."

White Zetsu, whose surprise attack failed, didn't continue to lurk, but openly crawled out of the ground, laughing strangely and drawing the long sword from behind him.

"Rock ninja?"

Looking at the other party's attire and forehead protector, Uchiha Gin confirmed the identity of the middle-aged man in front of him for the first time. But he was just a nobody now, never having drawn any hatred, so why would he be targeted by a ninja?

"I'm just a wandering ninja, I have no grudges with you, why do you want to harm me?"

Uchiha Gin frowned. Could it be that he met a guy who was bored and had nothing to do?

"Heh heh heh, I just find you unpleasant. Is that reason enough?"

No, there really was a ninja who was bored and had nothing to do?

Looking at the tall Rock ninja with a strange expression, Uchiha Gin scratched his head helplessly.

"Where do you find me unpleasant? Can I change it?"

"First, shave off that curly hair of yours!"

"Swish~"

Before White Zetsu's voice fell, Uchiha Gin's figure suddenly disappeared from the spot, and a dark black light flashed by. The wooden sword, which seemed to have no lethality, went from bottom to top, straight toward his chin.

Feeling the sharp sword energy, White Zetsu's eyes flashed with surprise. He didn't expect Uchiha Gin to be so fierce, starting a fight without a word.

Seeing that there was no way to avoid it, White Zetsu immediately stretched out his hands, trying to resist this strike.

"Puff!"

Hearing a muffled sound, White Zetsu, who barely blocked the blow, shook his numb arms, his evaluation of Uchiha Gin rising a few notches in his heart.

"Which village's spy are you? Speak quickly."

Acting the whole play, White Zetsu revealed a cold chill on his face and questioned coldly.

"I've already said, I'm just a wandering ninja passing by."

He always felt that this Rock ninja in front of him was not quite right, but Uchiha Gin couldn't say it out loud.

"Hmph! If you refuse a toast, you'll be forced to drink a forfeit. Once I catch you, I'll definitely make you enjoy the ultimate humiliation."

Licking his lips, the Rock ninja disguised by White Zetsu revealed a chilling, violent look on his face, and his hands came together to form seals rapidly.

"This is..."

Listening to the rumbling sound from the ground under his feet, Uchiha Gin frowned.

"Earth Style: Earth Stone Flow!"

After White Zetsu finished the seals, his hands slammed onto the ground, and the muddy land instantly turned into a swamp-like quicksand, attacking Uchiha Gin.

Seeing this, Uchiha Gin immediately jumped up, looking for a new landing point in the air, but saw the Rock ninja not far away also jumping high, his sharp long sword slashing fiercely toward his head.

"Clang~"

The sound of metal clashing instantly rang out. Feeling the huge force from his arm, Uchiha Gin's heart sank. The strength shown by this Rock ninja in front of him was by no means something an ordinary Jonin could match.

"Plop~"

"Heh heh heh, let's see where you can run now?"

Uchiha Gin, forced to land, had his feet instantly trapped by the swamp quicksand. Seeing this situation, White Zetsu in the air laughed strangely and killed him.

"Tsk."

Uchiha Gin, who hadn't been so embarrassed for a long time, secretly curled his lips, raised one hand, and began to form seals rapidly.

【Snake - Ram - Monkey - Boar - Horse - Tiger】

"Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique!"

The irritable flames gushed out, gathering into a huge fireball in the air, emitting a scorching aura, making White Zetsu, who was a plant man, feel a slight discomfort.

"Sizzle sizzle~"

Accompanied by the sound of flames roasting, Uchiha Gin raised an eyebrow in surprise. His intention in using this move was to block the enemy's line of sight.

Could the Great Fireball actually kill people?

"Puff!"

The next second, the Rock ninja, wrapped in heavy rock armor, rushed out of the flames and landed on the ground in a sorry state. Most of his clothes were burned, revealing a foul-smelling middle-aged body, scaring Uchiha Gin into looking away immediately to avoid dirtying his eyes.

Hmph! You're not King Kurotsuchi~

"Hoo~ I thought I had created history."

"Damn curly hair, you have completely angered a lion!"

White Zetsu was trembling with anger. Even Madara-sama couldn't bear to roast him with fire, but this punchable curly hair in front of him almost turned him into BBQ. He immediately rolled up his sleeves and decided to teach Uchiha Gin how to behave.

"Rumble~"

Hearing the explosion from far behind, Konan and Yahiko stopped at the same time. The two looked at each other, both seeing worry in each other's eyes.

"It shouldn't be Gin-san, right?"

Yahiko clenched his fists, his expression very solemn.

"What are you waiting for? Hurry up."

Konan was more decisive than him, immediately changing direction and rushing toward where the explosion came from.

"Wait for me!"

The two's pace wasn't fast, but from a distance, they saw another scorching fireball that lit up half the sky, and their little faces subconsciously turned pale.

"So Gin-san was doing this for our safety..."

By now, if the two couldn't figure out Uchiha Gin's actions just now, they could go back to the furnace and be rebuilt.

"Konan! Don't be impulsive!"

Facing the aftermath of the monstrous heat, Konan gritted her teeth and was about to rush forward, but Yahiko, who was more mature, grabbed her.

"If we go now, we'll only cause trouble for Gin-san."

Yahiko still knew how much he weighed, especially since Uchiha Gin had repeatedly taught him over the past few days to be cautious in everything, not to be rash, and to think three times before acting.

"Then we can't just OMO forever, right?"

Shaking off Yahiko's hand, Konan was full of grief and indignation.

"We have to believe in Gin-san's strength!"

"But..."

"Rumble!"

Just as the two were hesitating, a figure like a cannonball flew from afar and heavily smashed beside them, stirring up dust all over the sky.

"Cough, cough, cough... that really is a tough nut to crack."

The familiar voice rang in their ears, and the two children's faces instantly bloomed with joyful smiles.

"Gin-san!"

"Huh? Didn't I tell you guys to leave? Why are you back?"

Uchiha Gin, who crawled out of the pit, spat out a few mouthfuls of saliva mixed with mud. But when he turned his head, he saw the two children's eager gazes, and his brows instantly furrowed.

"We heard the explosion..."

"You guys hurry up and retreat. Remember, don't look back."

The situation was not optimistic. That Rock ninja was clearly targeting him. Uchiha Gin didn't want to implicate these two children.

"I can help!"

Konan gritted her teeth, raised her little hand, and with a blue light, several sheets of white paper turned into the shape of shuriken, floating beside her.

"Me too!"

Seeing Konan show a move, Yahiko didn't want to be outdone, but unfortunately, he hadn't learned any lethal ninjutsu, so he could only step forward to express his determination.

"Very good, very spirited, but the opponent is not something your level can touch."

Although the three only had a short teacher-student relationship, Uchiha Gin could clearly feel the two children's passionate hearts. He reached out and patted their heads, his tone no longer as severe as before.

"Heh heh heh, you actually brought helpers."

White Zetsu, transformed into a Rock ninja, broke through the ground in the distance. The fierce gaze in his eyes made Konan and Yahiko, who had never experienced battle, feel a tightness in their hearts, and their bodies couldn't help but tremble.

"However, you two little ants are really tired of living."

The strength of Konan and Yahiko could be seen through by ordinary ninjas at a glance, and White Zetsu was naturally no exception. He curled his lips in disdain and turned his gaze back to Uchiha Gin.

"If you don't want these two kids to have any accidents, you'd better surrender obediently~"

"Sorry, although I like the active type, this doesn't mean I'm good at being passive."

Protecting the two children with his sword, Uchiha Gin exposed his sexual preference a little bit.

"Heh heh heh, then I won't be polite."

Facing the Rock ninja attacking again, Uchiha Gin lowered his black wooden sword, his whole person as if an old monk in meditation.

Just before the other party's big hand was about to grab his face, Uchiha Gin moved.

"Swish!"

A scorching flame spread on the blade, and his figure gradually became blurry.

"Clang!"

The next moment, Uchiha Gin, holding a flaming long sword, appeared in front of White Zetsu. With a flick of the blade, several gorgeous flames instantly gushed out.

"Uchiha Style Ninja Body Technique: Sun Halo Dance."

"That is..."

Uchiha Madara, who had been OMO in the dark, saw this move used by Uchiha Gin, and his red eyes widened slightly.

Such a gorgeous Fire Style, such a handsome swordsmanship, such a handsome face...

Uchiha Madara looked at Uchiha Gin's salted-fish-like face with a scrutinizing gaze, and forcibly took back the most important evaluation.

"He is definitely a member of the Uchiha clan!"

But Uchiha Madara frowned and thought for a long time, but couldn't find a clansman in the remaining Uchiha clan who could match Uchiha Gin.

"Could it be a posthumous child left outside? Who could it be?"

Looking at Uchiha Gin's fluffy curly hair, Uchiha Madara had the answer in his heart.

"Is it that kid Kagami's? No, Kagami isn't that curly. Then it's... the descendant of my cousin?"

No wonder this child is so pure.

"Tobi, come back soon."

Since it was the child of an old friend, Uchiha Madara immediately issued an order to White Zetsu, who was in the middle of a fierce battle.

"But I haven't probed his bottom yet?"

"End it, there's no need to probe further."

"Clang!"

Borrowing the recoil from clashing with Uchiha Gin, White Zetsu retreated more than ten meters and landed steadily. A look of resentment appeared on his rough face.

"I have important matters, consider yourself lucky to have saved your life."

After saying that, he dived straight into the ground and disappeared without a trace.

"Earth-in-Fish Technique, huh? It's really like the Hidden Truth..."

Looking at the other party's weird lurking technique, Uchiha Gin vaguely guessed the gist of it.

"Host successfully..."

The prompt sound in his mind announced the end of this battle, and Uchiha Gin finally breathed a sigh of relief.

"Gin-san! You're not hurt, are you?"

Konan and the other, who were hiding not far away watching, saw the battle end and immediately rushed over.

"Nothing serious. The commotion here is a bit big, let's go back first."

Uchiha Gin shook his head, pulled the two little ones, and slipped away quickly.

This place wasn't too far from the town. Such a fierce battle would definitely attract the attention of the Rain ninjas stationed here. There were already enough troubles, and he still wanted to eat his last meal.

"Madara-sama, I clearly felt that he was still hiding something. Let me fight him for a few more rounds, and I'll definitely strip his background clean."

Tobi, who had turned back into the Spiral White Zetsu, kept complaining to the silent Uchiha Madara.

"Bai Chi, if you really let him take out his trump card, you'd probably lose."

Uchiha Madara, who had already determined Uchiha Gin's identity in his heart, looked at the indignant White Zetsu with disdain.

How could you, an inferior creation, compete with the great power of the Sharingan?

"Huh? Madara-sama, do you know him?"

"I suppose so."

"Then you still let me go and probe the bottom, isn't this just playing with me?"

Now Tobi was even angrier. White Zetsu also had human rights. He immediately hugged his arms, sat to the side angrily, and drew 'answers' on the ground.

"Let you play with me, I'll draw answers for you to eat!"

"..."

"Whew... stop playing, time to do serious business."

Looking at the striking White Zetsu with a headache, Uchiha Madara let out a long sigh, his old voice filled with helplessness.

"Mm? Let that red-haired kid have a chance encounter with them?"

"No, change to someone else. Don't let him come to teach Uzumaki Nagato."

Uchiha Madara's sudden change made Tobi confused. Didn't he just say he wanted to let that curly hair help him raise a character?

"No means no, find other targets."

Shaking his head, Uchiha Madara's tone was extremely firm. He turned his head, a complex emotion in his scarlet eyes.

His choice wasn't just because the Sharingan might discover the secret of the Rinnegan, but more importantly, he didn't want Uchiha Gin, the child of an old friend left outside, to be involved in this dispute.

"Consider it I owe you..."

Recalling the figure hidden deep in his memory, Uchiha Madara slowly merged into the darkness, the scarlet light gradually fading, leaving behind a melancholy filled with nostalgia.

On the other side, the three who safely arrived at the secret base sat in the depths of the cave. Konan and Yahiko looked at Uchiha Gin eagerly, waiting for him to explain.

"Whew... you guys saw it too. I'm not someone who can bring you stability."

Looking at the countdown gradually decreasing in his mind, Uchiha Gin decided to show his cards, lowering his eyelids slightly, his tone very heavy.

"We're not afraid!"

Yahiko stood up suddenly, raising his clenched little fist with a firm face. He believed he would definitely become a powerful ninja.

And Konan, on the side, not wanting Uchiha Gin to think she was a burden, gritted her teeth and stretched out her hands, forcibly refining the little chakra in her body.

"We can protect ourselves."

The mountain of white paper piled up behind her seemed to be summoned, gradually gathering toward her, turning into a pair of simple wings, hanging weakly behind her back.

Facing the two children's passionate gazes, Uchiha Gin, knowing he couldn't respond to them, stood up slowly.

"Things have come to this, let's eat first." (End of chapter)