Naruto: The Thirty-Year-Old Uchiha Can't Get Motivated"

The fact that the system's activation speed was actually linked to his strength gave Uchiha Gin a surge of motivation to improve.

It seemed the only reason the system had fully loaded the mission involving Senju Itama was thanks to the accidental activation of his single-tomoe Sharingan during the Tsukuyomi illusion the night before.

Awakening the Sharingan had upgraded his strength from cannon-fodder-level genin to a standard genin. He was still a bit behind the powerful members of the Konoha 12, but he should at least be evenly matched with Hinata.

"Kehehe…"

Uchiha Gin let out a strange laugh while covering his face with one hand, prompting the "playing dead" Senju Itama behind him to secretly open one eye.

"What kind of weird episode is he having now?"

Seeing Uchiha Gin turn into one of the Four Laughing Psychos, Senju Itama couldn't hold back the snark. In response, he received a hard flick to the forehead.

With a big lump forming on his head, Itama pouted in grievance, barely holding back tears.

After getting his emotions in check, Uchiha Gin looked at the kid and realized… maybe he wasn't that annoying. Smiling slyly, he said something that sent chills down the boy's spine:

"Hey kid, maybe it won't be long before you're reunited with your family."

"Don't you dare!!! I—I—"

Clearly misunderstanding him, Senju Itama started barking madly again.

Worried the noise would attract enemies, Uchiha Gin didn't hesitate to pull something out and shove it into the boy's mouth.

The salty, fishy taste hit Itama instantly, and the moment his nose caught the stench, he fainted on the spot.

"Sea air's really heavy with moisture… my feet started sweating after just one day,"

Uchiha Gin commented seriously, pulling his hand back with satisfaction, having just stuffed a dirty, days-old sock into Itama's mouth.

"We're about to enter the Uzumaki Clan's territory. Suppress your chakra. Don't let them sense us."

The team leader, Uchiha Fuhō, suddenly spoke up.

"The Uzumaki aren't just masters of sealing techniques—their sensory abilities are top-notch. We're on a mission right now, don't stir up trouble with them."

"…Is it possible we've already been discovered?"

Uchiha Gin muttered quietly from the back of the group.

"Combat encounter detected. 'Heart of Steel' treasure chest accumulation has begun."

The system notification rang in his mind—enemies had already appeared.

Several kilometers away, a red-haired figure suddenly opened his eyes, the blood-red pupils radiating a chilling aura.

"There are five ninja up ahead," he said. "Five of them have extremely cold and dark chakra—most likely from the Uchiha clan. The last one's chakra is full of vitality."

The red-eyed man addressed several other red-haired men standing nearby.

"Can you confirm the one with the vibrant chakra?" asked a burly, red-haired man with a muscular build.

"My Kagura Mind's Eye has never been wrong," the red-eyed man replied firmly.

"Then it's them. Move out!"

With a wave of his large hand, the red-haired brute led the others forward like arrows released from a bow, rushing toward Uchiha Gin and his group.

Back with the Uchihas, only Uchiha Gin was aware that enemies were closing in—the others, including Uchiha Fuhō, continued their journey unaware.

Upon hearing the system notification, Uchiha Gin deliberately slowed his pace, gradually falling far behind the group.

The others were already used to Uchiha Gin lagging behind, so they didn't pay him any mind. He usually caught up during rest stops anyway.

The Uchiha group was weaving through the forest when, at the front, Uchiha Fuhō suddenly felt a strange blockage in his chakra flow.

Before he could process the sensation, a strong sense of danger surged through him. Years of assassination experience kicked in, and he stopped immediately.

"Ambush!"

He activated his three-tomoe Sharingan and scanned his surroundings with caution. Behind him, the other three Uchihas—Ryoichi and the others—also activated their Sharingan without hesitation.

At that moment, several red-haired men emerged from the woods. Leading them was the muscular red-haired man from earlier. He studied the Uchiha group carefully and seemed surprised to find only four of them.

"As expected of the Uchiha clan—you actually detected the sealing formation we laid," he said smugly, arms crossed.

Uchiha Fuhō didn't feel flattered by the compliment. After sizing up the red-haired man, he replied calmly:

"Our Uchiha clan has always been at peace with the Uzumaki. Why are you ambushing us without cause?"

"You were supposed to be six people. Where are the other two?"

"A regular squad? You need the famous 'Hidden Flame Fuhō' to lead a regular squad? What exactly is this mission?"

The red-haired muscle man on the other side bluntly revealed Uchiha Fuhō's identity and asked directly.

"Attack!"

Realizing his identity had been exposed, and having just signaled through coded messages, the Uchiha members instantly launched into action. With their scarlet Sharingan eyes blazing, they charged at the Uzumaki clan members—battle was about to erupt.

Meanwhile, far behind the group, Uchiha Gin—who had been lagging the entire time—encountered his own "enemy." A red-haired figure suddenly emerged from the woods, and once again, a notification sounded in Gin's mind:

"Combat encounter detected. 'Heart of Steel' treasure chest accumulation has begun."

[So I'm really not allowed to stack losses, huh?]

This red-haired figure was none other than Uzumaki Mito, youngest daughter of Uzumaki Ashina, the clan leader. From a young age, she had shown exceptional talent in sealing techniques and was treated like a precious gem by her doting, late-blooming father.

However, being spoiled made her headstrong. When she found out her father had arranged her marriage to someone from the distant Senju clan, she was furious.

In a fit of rebellion, she secretly boarded a merchant ship leaving the Land of Whirlpools, bringing along several of her father's treasured items—thus beginning her runaway adventure.

"Starting today, I'm going to be a righteous wanderer—a heroine of justice!"

Having heard stories on the ship from a storyteller from the Land of Iron about gallant warriors traveling the world to help others, the simple and passionate ten-year-old girl decided to begin her journey as a wandering heroine.

First, she took down a gang of local bullies at the dock using taijutsu, earning cheers from the villagers and fueling her heroine dream.

Then she used sealing techniques to punish a few rogue ninja who had been using ninjutsu to harass innocent women—sealing their chakra and dumping them in the mountains to mine and reflect on their misdeeds.

After several such feats, she gained quite a reputation. The title "Red-Haired Heroine" began to spread far and wide.

"Another peaceful day!"

With her hair in twin buns and her cheeks puffed out, the young girl happily munched on candy gifted by an elderly woman as she patrolled the small village under her protection.

Though called a town, it was really just a small fishing village by the coast. Once chaotic, it had become peaceful thanks to Mito's "justice."

"I remember that storyteller said true heroes must travel far and wide, making the world their home…"

Patting her small head thoughtfully, Mito decided it was time to leave her beginner's village and explore the wider world.

"There are still so many people out there waiting for me to save them!"

Clenching her small, pale fist, she gave herself a pep talk.

With her mind made up, Mito bid farewell to the villagers. Though reluctant to see her go, they still waved her off warmly and packed her a large bundle of snacks and provisions for the road.

Heading deep into the jungle beyond the coastline, Mito ate and walked nonstop, showing off her stash as she went. Suddenly, she saw a black-haired man carrying a child on his back.

She noticed that not only had he tied the child up, but he also gave him a harsh flick on the forehead. To make matters worse, he even shoved a dirty sock into the boy's mouth.

"That must be a human trafficker! But... didn't big brother say those kinds of guys are usually from the shady labor camps up north?"

Confused, Mito decided to follow him stealthily.

After tailing the man for a while, Mito saw him slow down. Seizing the opportunity, she crept closer, determined to make a flashy entrance and give this "villain" a good scare.

The scene that followed:

A red-haired girl with twin buns and puffy cheeks, carrying a huge bundle on her back. Her cheeks bulging with food, she had a half-eaten salted fish in her left hand, half a flatbread in her right hand, and a mouth so full she could barely speak clearly.

"Kwuut yin fanzi, fang xia na ge nan hai! (You awful trafficker, put that boy down!) (╬ Ò﹏Ó)"

(End of Chapter)