Hikari and Gin, Grandfather and Grandson

Hikari and Gin, Grandfather and Grandson

Uchiha Gin had wanted to get angry, but seeing Senju Itama looking so pitiful, he felt there was no need to get worked up over a brat. He crouched down and took the Family Photo from the shattered frame.

The warm scene of a family of three made Uchiha Gin sigh inwardly. The original owner's memories of his childhood were rather vague, and he had little impression of his parents, but judging from the photograph alone, the original owner must have had a very happy childhood.

"So this is why I hate war."

Shaking his head, Uchiha Gin picked up the photo and prepared to stand, only to discover another photograph tucked inside the frame.

The original owner had no memory of it. Puzzled, Uchiha Gin pulled out the hidden photograph and examined it closely.

The photograph showed two children, a boy and a girl, who looked to be around eight or nine years old.

They stood on either side of a kindly-looking old man. His hands rested on the children's heads, and from their happy expressions, it was clear the three of them were very close.

Uchiha Gin recognized the child on the left at once as the original owner, Uchiha Gin. He had no impression whatsoever of the girl.

The girl had waist-length black hair, fair skin, and a blue dress. Her shy face was slightly flushed.

The old man had grayish-white curly hair and kind, gentle eyes. His features bore a certain resemblance to Uchiha Gin's.

Looking at the photograph in his hand, Uchiha Gin desperately searched through the original owner's memories, carefully reviewing everything from the earliest memories onward. Yet he still found nothing about the two people in the photo.

Turning the photograph over, Uchiha Gin found two small characters written on the back.

Gin Hikari

"Gin" presumably referred to the original owner, Uchiha Gin. Then that "Hikari," barring any surprises, should be the girl in the photograph.

"Uchiha... Hikari?"

Having guessed the girl's name, Uchiha Gin still could not find any trace of it in his mind.

Frowning, he vaguely felt there were major discrepancies in the original owner's memories. It was not merely that his childhood memories were hopelessly blurred; the memories of the Uchiha Clan Land massacre six years ago were equally fragmented.

Could the original owner have suffered from selective amnesia?

Would he actively forget memories that made him uncomfortable? Was that why he had lost his memories from before and after his parents' deaths, as well as his memories of the Clan Grounds massacre?

"I'm sorry..."

Senju Itama, curled up on the bed, saw Uchiha Gin's expression constantly shifting after he picked up the photograph and instinctively assumed he was furious.

From Uchiha Gin's home, he could tell that his parents might have already passed away. Shattering the only Family Photo had undoubtedly deepened Uchiha Gin's grief.

"Brat, I need to go out for a while. There's food outside."

Eager to find answers, Uchiha Gin had no time to deal with Senju Itama. After a brief instruction, he hurried out.

Having escaped the "righteous judgment" he had expected from Uchiha Gin, Senju Itama cautiously poked his head out. Seeing that the other man had actually left directly, he let out a long breath of relief.

Wrapped in the blanket, he tiptoed outside. Looking at the steaming food left on the table, an inexplicable emotion spread through his eyes.

As Uchiha Gin walked down the street, he tried to recall the few people the original owner had been close to, hoping to learn something about the original owner's childhood from them.

Then he suddenly realized that, in his memories, he had only ever interacted with Uchiha Tajima's family. The other clansmen all seemed like mere acquaintances.

He could say their names, but his experiences with them amounted to nothing more than faint, blurry impressions. Goosebumps instantly rose all over his body.

He had already reached the clan's gathering place and looked back over the bustling crowd around him.

Uchiha Gin made a horrifying discovery. It seemed as though he knew everyone here, yet he could not recall any details of what had happened between himself and any of them. It was as though he had been implanted with the notion that he was supposed to know whoever he wanted to know, and nothing more.

The discovery made Uchiha Gin's scalp tingle. The air around him seemed filled with lead, leaving his raised foot suspended in midair, unable to come down.

The original owner did not merely have missing memories; there was also something seriously wrong with his cognition. What exactly was the source of all this?

"How can you be sure that what you see is real?"

"How do you know that you really are yourself?"

He suddenly recalled the two things the Old Jailer had said in the Dungeon before he lost consciousness. Somehow, they seemed to hint at something.

Taking a deep breath, he calmed his agitated heart. Under the exclusionary gazes of the surrounding Uchiha Clan Members, Uchiha Gin headed toward Uchiha Tajima's residence.

Looking at the familiar gates before him, Uchiha Gin did not hesitate. He knocked hard on the door.

After a while, a servant opened the door. Seeing that it was Uchiha Gin, he did not ask many questions and simply let him in.

Walking across the creaking wooden floorboards, Uchiha Gin considered how he should begin. Then he ran into Izuna, who had just come out of Uchiha Tajima's room.

"Cousin, you haven't visited my home in a long time. What brought you here today?"

Ever since Uchiha Gin had been defeated by Madara, he had not set foot in Uchiha Tajima's home even once. Uchiha Tajima's family had merely assumed he was too embarrassed after being defeated by a child ten years younger than him, and so had chosen to avoid them.

"I suddenly had something I wanted to ask Uncle about."

Uchiha Gin explained his purpose.

"After I passed out during the day, I realized my Dojutsu Power seems to have improved somewhat."

Hearing Uchiha Gin's explanation, Uchiha Izuna did not think much of it. He had his own mission now and no spare attention to care about Uchiha Gin's affairs. After greeting him, he hurried away.

Following his memories to Uchiha Tajima's door, he knocked lightly a few times. Several seconds later, Uchiha Tajima's cold voice came from inside.

"Who is it?"

"Uncle, I have a few matters I would like to ask about."

Uchiha Gin answered.

"Creak..."

After several footsteps, the door opened. Uchiha Tajima shed the stern expression he wore outside and said warmly, "It's A Gin. You haven't come by in years. I thought you'd forgotten where I lived."

Entering Uchiha Tajima's study, the two sat facing each other. Uchiha Tajima spoke first. "A Gin, you just got out of the hospital. Why aren't you resting properly at home? What brings you to see me?"

"Actually, there are a few things I want to ask Uncle about."

Uchiha Gin got straight to the point.

"What kind of things?"

Hearing that Uchiha Gin had questions, Uchiha Tajima subconsciously frowned.

"I want to ask, other than my parents and you, Uncle, do I have any other relatives?"

Recalling the old man in the photograph who resembled him, Uchiha Gin gathered his thoughts before asking.

"That..."

Uchiha Tajima had not expected Uchiha Gin to ask such a question, and for a moment, he was at a loss for words.

Uchiha Tajima put on a thoughtful expression and sank into Deep Thought. Uchiha Gin did not disturb him and waited at the side.

"Why are you asking this?"

Rather than answer Uchiha Gin's question for the moment, Uchiha Tajima asked one of his own.

"I found a photograph of an old man at home. He looked familiar, but I don't know who he is, so I wanted to ask you, Uncle."

After weighing his words, Uchiha Gin still revealed what he had found, though he did not take out the photograph to show him.

"An old man..." A barely noticeable trace of resentment flashed through Uchiha Tajima's eyes as he said heavily, "Actually, you have a Grandfather."

Grandfather? Could the old man in the photograph be his Grandfather? "However, your Grandfather did not have a good relationship with your father. The two of them had stopped contacting each other long ago."

Seeing the questioning look in Uchiha Gin's eyes, Uchiha Tajima continued, "And your Grandfather died six years ago."

Six years ago again? Uchiha Gin's heart skipped a beat. And Uchiha Tajima had said his Grandfather had long since cut contact with their family, so how was he supposed to explain that photograph? The original owner had clearly had considerable contact with his Grandfather.

"Then may I ask how my Grandfather died?"

Uchiha Gin tried to find more clues.

Uchiha Tajima's expression darkened. Visible despondency radiated from his body, as though he had recalled something sorrowful, and his posture seemed to hunch. "He was killed. Six years ago, on the night the Clan Grounds were attacked."