Once a Sunny, Cheerful Young Man

"Gin, think carefully. How did you awaken your Sharingan?"

Uchiha Tajima failed to get the answer he wanted from the two elders, then turned to question Uchiha Gin.

That question truly stumped Uchiha Gin. His Sharingan had awakened after Uchiha Itachi, who had appeared in the backyard, used Tsukuyomi—the unique illusion of the Mangekyō Sharingan—to stimulate him. That was something he had to take to the grave.

"Don't be nervous. I'm merely curious, since you only awakened your Sharingan at this age."

Seeing Uchiha Gin's tightly furrowed brows, Uchiha Tajima spoke to reassure him.

At some point, the three people before him had returned to normal expressions, as though the icy atmosphere just now had merely been his imagination.

The two elders also watched him kindly like benevolent seniors, their eyes filled with approval. Everything seemed peaceful and harmonious.

Yet Uchiha Gin still vaguely sensed something off.

I hope it's just my imagination.

Uchiha Gin thought to himself. His furrowed brow relaxed, and after a moment's thought, he said, "When the Senju Clan severely wounded me, I awakened my Sharingan in that moment between life and death."

The Sharingan could only be awakened through intense emotional stimulation. Claiming that he had awakened it while critically wounded and near death was perfectly reasonable, leaving no room for suspicion.

"Gin, you've worked hard on this trip. I never expected the Senju Clan's heartland to be guarded so tightly."

Hearing such a "reasonable" explanation, Uchiha Tajima still had his doubts, but it would have seemed too deliberate if he continued pressing for answers.

After all, a mere Two-Tomoe Sharingan was not enough to make the leader of an entire clan conduct such an elaborate interrogation.

The two elders beside him also tacitly fell silent, though their covert gazes never once left his eyes.

"Clan Leader, this Senju Clan brat—"

Noticing that Uchiha Tajima seemed to be subtly showing him out, Uchiha Gin hurriedly pushed Senju Itama, whom he held in hand, forward.

Uchiha Tajima, whose mind was already elsewhere, replied mildly, "Since he is your prisoner, you may keep watch over him for now. Spare his life for the time being. When we fight the Senju Clan, he may serve as another bargaining chip."

Hearing that Uchiha Tajima was leaving Senju Itama to his disposal, Uchiha Gin was overjoyed. It seemed this brat's life was safe for now.

Afraid that his uncle, the Clan Leader, might change his mind, Uchiha Gin grabbed the still-unconscious Senju Itama, said his farewells, and fled in a flash.

As the door shut, Uchiha Tajima's previously gentle face instantly turned cold. The two elders, whose expressions had just been mild, also knitted their brows.

"Elder Miao, you were one of those who led that operation years ago. You surely haven't forgotten its results. It should have been absolutely impossible for Uchiha Gin to awaken the Sharingan."

Uchiha Tajima's voice was as cold as the winter wind.

"Clan Leader Tajima, I guarantee there could not have been any mistake in that operation. But that person had not yet been captured at the time. Could it be..."

Unease showed in the eyes of the gaunt, bamboo-pole-thin Uchiha Miao.

"You mean that person?"

Uchiha Tajima rubbed his aching eyes, a headache coming on after hearing that.

"Is he still alive?"

"He is still locked in the Dungeon."

The round Uchiha Yan spoke up.

"Leave this matter alone for now. The decisive battle with the Senju Clan is imminent. I will arrange for Uchiha Gin to remain behind in the clan."

After enduring another bout of headache, Uchiha Tajima spoke.

For some reason, Uchiha Tajima had recently seemed to suffer from a brain disorder. His head would ache from time to time. The clan doctors had examined him but found nothing seriously wrong, so he merely assumed he was overworked.

Carrying Senju Itama out of the Clan Leader Building, Uchiha Gin walked toward the home he remembered while sorting through the original owner's memories to identify the two elders from earlier. Before long, he had his answer.

The round Uchiha elder was named Uchiha Yan. He had been the previous clan leader's personal guard, and his combat ability had been formidable in his youth. He had followed the previous clan leader into countless battles.

After Uchiha Tajima succeeded as Clan Leader, he stepped back from the front lines and became an elder of the Uchiha Clan, chiefly responsible for training recruits and maintaining clan security patrols.

The lean, withered Uchiha elder was Uchiha Yan's brother, Uchiha Miao. His strength was unknown. He headed the Uchiha Clan's research division, dedicating himself to developing the clan members' Eye Techniques and researching Ninja techniques.

It was said the two of them had another brother, but he had died in internal clan conflicts many years ago. Nothing else was known.

The original owner's knowledge of these people went no further than that. Uchiha Gin could not discern anything more either. Along the way, every Uchiha Clan Member who saw him walking with his head lowered in deep thought quickly moved aside.

With no one disturbing him, he followed his memories without hindrance to a secluded place far from where the clan members gathered. Looking up, he saw a modest wooden house.

The house was no different from those of ordinary clan members, though it looked somewhat dilapidated. Uchiha Gin pushed open the aged wooden door, and the room's furnishings were visible at a glance.

It was a simple one-bedroom home with a living room. The furniture was all quite old, but the marks left from cleaning on the aged pieces showed that their owner had cherished them dearly.

Entering the bedroom, he found only a simple wooden bed. On the bedside table sat a well-protected Family Photo. Uchiha Gin picked it up and examined it.

It was a simple family of three. The original owner, still a young child then, had been an adorable little boy with a head of fluffy Curly Hair and a joyful, happy smile on his face.

On either side stood a man and a woman, presumably the original owner's parents. The man on the left wore a warm, gentle smile. He also had slightly curly black hair, narrowed eyes, and a faint smile at the corners of his mouth. His entire being radiated a sunny Aura.

On the right was a stern woman with short jet-black hair. Her exquisite Facial Expression was like that of a model from his previous life, and her temperament somewhat resembled Uchiha Tajima's. She appeared cold, but her gaze toward the original owner was full of tenderness.

With a sigh, Uchiha Gin put down the photo in hand. "Looks like the original owner was once a sunny, cheerful young man before his parents died in battle. How did he end up so blackened afterward?"

Sighing at life's unpredictability, Uchiha Gin set down his belongings and cleaned the dust-covered house. As waves of hunger rose from his stomach, he decided to go out and buy some ingredients.

He did not feel safe leaving the unconscious Senju Itama at home. The two clans' hatred ran too deep.

If news leaked out, some Uchiha Clan Member blinded by hatred might sneak over and kill this defenseless brat to vent their resentment. Wouldn't that bring him trouble as well?

He deftly hoisted Senju Itama onto his shoulder and headed toward the Uchiha Clan market.

Quite a few people along the way pointed and whispered when they saw him carrying a child, but no one dared approach and ask. Perhaps they feared his reputation, which suited Uchiha Gin just fine.

After arriving at the market and simply purchasing some ingredients, he tossed the money to the stall owner amid the man's terrified gaze.

Carrying ingredients in both hands, Uchiha Gin swayed along and hummed, "A chicken in my left hand, a duck in my right, and a chubby baby on my back, yi-ya-yi-er-yo," as he returned to his doorstep.

From afar, he saw someone waiting outside his usually deserted home. Puzzled, Uchiha Gin slowly approached and took a look. "Yo? Isn't this Uchiha Sasuke?"

A brat around ten years old was squatting outside Uchiha Gin's house. His spiky black hair made it clear that he was one of their own. Then, seeing the other boy's Small Face, Uchiha Gin felt as though space and time had become misaligned.

This brat looked far too much like the future Uchiha Sasuke, making Uchiha Gin wonder whether he had somehow transmigrated again.

When the brat crouching on the ground saw that it was Uchiha Gin, he sprang to his feet. Before Uchiha Gin could ask anything, the familiar voice sounded in his mind.

Detected that the host has encountered combat. The Heartsteel Chest has begun accumulating.