In the pitch-black backyard, towering flames suddenly burst forth, and four ferocious fire dragons roared as they opened their giant mouths, aiming to devour the man before them completely.

"…Seriously? Is this a joke?"

Gin looked speechlessly at the intimidating dragons, completely uninterested. At the very least, that was still his cousin. Was this the best test an old man could give?

Katon: Ryūen Hōka no Jutsu (Fire Release: Dragon Flame Singing Technique)

Watching his elderly cousin behind the fire dragons puffing flames with all his might, Gin couldn't help but feel a little emotional.

Who would've thought the old guy still had such strong fire release techniques at his age?

BOOM!

Gin, lamenting the passage of time, stared indifferently at the four approaching fire dragons. His eyes slowly turned scarlet, and the three tomoe in his right eye gently spun.

Instantly, pitch-black flames surged up from the fire dragons' bodies. In the blink of an eye, the flaming beasts were completely devoured by a black sea of fire, leaving no trace behind.

Gin watched the dragons vanish with satisfaction. As his scarlet eye closed, the dark inferno disappeared entirely.

Where just moments ago was a blazing battlefield, now only the old Madara remained, holding his gunbai fan, standing alone with a strange expression crossing his usually blank face.

"Come on, cousin, couldn't you at least bring some Rinnegan-themed local specialties for your dear older cousin? I mean, I'm not picky, but that fire release was… kinda weak."

Gin shook his head in disappointment, sighing at the elderly cousin before him, clearly upset by the underwhelming display.

"Huh?"

Gin had been planning to treat his cousin with a little Chidori Nagashi (Chidori Current), but suddenly noticed that the old man had opened his droopy eyelids — only to reveal two pitch-black holes instead of the Rinnegan he had hoped for.

"Wait… where are your eyes? Don't tell me you actually gave them to that red-haired kid?"

Gin stared in disbelief. No wonder the guy came in empty-handed — he literally had nothing to offer.

"Well, I guess I'll forgive you this time. But next time, you better show up with something decent. Like Chibaku Tensei (Planetary Devastation), Tengai Shinsei (Heavenly Obstruction Meteor), or at the very least Limbo: Hengoku (Limbo: Border Jail)."

He rubbed his chin, rattling off techniques like a wish list, oblivious to the awkward look on Madara's aged face.

"Then again, saying this to you AI puppets is pointless. It's not like you people report player feedback anyway."

Sighing, Gin waved his hand to signal that his cousin could leave.

But to his surprise, the old man didn't leave — instead, he dragged his frail body forward, wielding his fan and making hand seals.

"Oh? You still wanna fight? Guess I'll have to traumatize you a bit."

With that, Gin clapped his hands, emitting a pale green glow. As a massive surge of chakra erupted—

Mokuton: Dai Shokusho no Jutsu (Wood Release: Great Tentacle Technique)

Countless tentacle-like branches burst from the ground and charged toward the elderly Madara.

He hadn't played enough tentacle games today — time to catch up.

But the moment Madara saw that technique, his face twisted with visible pain. He aborted the hand seal, raised one hand, and summoned a screen of rippling light from the sky, which swallowed him whole.

"Backyard daily skill refresh: Acquired Katon: Ryūen Hōka no Jutsu ×1."

The system's prompt echoed in Gin's mind, leaving him stunned.

Huh? AI puppets can run away now? Since when can they disengage from battle?

This game version was changing too fast. A new surprise every day.

Pocketing the new fire technique, Gin returned to his newly renovated big house.

When he opened the door, he saw the two girls he left behind now face to face, locked in a silent, intense stare-down. Sparks practically flew between them.

"Wow, you two got close real fast."

Gin teased them, surprised that gentle Hikari was getting swept up in Senju Itama's wild energy.

"Who got close with this annoying brat/old hag!?"

The girls immediately shouted at him in unison, turning to glare.

"Damn, that's some real teamwork," Gin chuckled, clearly enjoying the chemistry.

With synchronized scoffs, both girls folded their arms and looked away, expressions sour like they'd been wronged by the world.

"Well, since you're getting along so well, I'm relieved."

Gin figured Hikari might bully Itama, but they seemed to be coexisting... sort of. At least no one was getting Mangekyō'd.

"Alright, pick your rooms and rest."

Gin patted both girls on the head, urging them to wind down. The two walked up to the third floor together, exchanged a glance, and chose rooms on either side of the hallway — leaving the center room for Gin.

That night passed peacefully, without any surprise night visitors.

"Brat, take care of the house. I'll bring you back a souvenir from the Land of Lightning."

The next morning, Gin and Hikari stood outside, packs ready. He waved up to Itama, who was still yawning on the upper floor.

"Yeaahhh... got it. Take care of Onee-chan for me."

Itama groggily waved back.

"Let's move!"

Gin took the lead, striding toward the village gate with Hikari following.

When they arrived, a purple figure stood waiting — Chiri.

"Yo, you're early!"

Gin greeted the girl cheerfully, though he could tell she was nervous — she clutched her bag so tightly her knuckles were white.

"Not really. I just got here."

Chiri forced a smile to suppress her anxiety. Anyone could see she was uneasy — despite her calm exterior, it was clear this was her first real mission.

Her façade had been shaped by hardship, but now, in front of her teacher, it was stripped away.

"Don't worry. Just lie back — your sensei will carry you through this one."

Gin reached out and gently stroked her violet hair. His touch was oddly soothing, and Chiri visibly relaxed.

"Alright, let's see… the Hagoromo clan should be hiding somewhere here."

Gin pulled out the map his uncle gave him, flipping through it until he found the target — a forest a few dozen kilometers away.

"Perfect. Uchiha Squad, move out!"

Acting as squad leader for the first time, Gin raised his fist and called out energetically.

So embarrassing… can we pretend we don't know this guy?

Both girls stepped away from him in sync.

Passersby started whispering:

"Hey, that guy's Uchiha Gin, right?"

"Yeah, the disgrace of the Uchiha clan."

"Wait—what?"

"You've never heard? A few years back, he went around challenging everyone, even little kids. Didn't win once."

"Seriously? He looks normal… didn't expect him to be such an idiot."

"Shhh, keep it down! He's the clan leader's nephew."

"Crap! Let's go!"

The gossipers scattered as Gin turned his gaze toward them.

"Pfft. Shallow fools. I was giving the weak confidence and the strong a reason to improve."

He didn't bother chasing after them. Back then, the old men in the dungeon had stopped playing with him, so he was forced to challenge everyone — from grannies to toddlers. It had been a very fruitful period.

"You don't understand me… do you, Chiri?"

He turned to the girl who had just distanced herself from him, looking hurt.

"Gin-sama, you challenged me too. And… your fighting style really is hard to grasp."

Chiri recalled the time, years ago, when they'd just met. He suddenly asked to spar. She thought it'd be a normal training match — but just a few moves in, he slid to his knees and declared:

"Chiri! Your shuriken techniques are divine! I, Uchiha Gin, proclaim you the Queen of Shuriken!"

"…Heh."

Remembering that moment, Chiri couldn't help but laugh.

Seeing her radiant smile, Gin knew his goal was achieved. He clapped his hands.

"Alright then! Let's get moving. I'll explain the mission details on the way."

With that, the three of them dashed off toward the mission site.

"Gin-sama… why did you call me the Queen of Shuriken back then?"

Behind him, Chiri couldn't resist asking the question that had puzzled her for years.

"Hmm… maybe I just saw in you the qualities of a future clan leader."

(End of Chapter)

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