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

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

  Unable to get the answers he wanted from the two elders, Uchiha Tajima turned his questioning to Uchiha Gin.

This question instantly stumped GIn. His Sharingan had actually been awakened due to stimulation from Tsukuyomi, a Mangekyō Sharingan illusion cast by the back-yard-refreshed Uchiha Itachi. That was something he absolutely had to take to the grave.

"Don't be nervous. I'm just curious. After all, it's quite rare for someone your age to awaken the Sharingan."

Seeing the tension on GIn's furrowed brows, Tajima offered some reassuring words.

The three in front of him were now back to their calm expressions, as if that earlier icy atmosphere had been an illusion.

The two elders were also gazing at him with seemingly kind, elder-like smiles, their eyes full of what looked like genuine warmth—everything appeared harmonious.

And yet, GIn couldn't shake a strange feeling deep down.

"Hopefully… it's just my imagination."

GIn relaxed his brows and, after a brief moment of thought, spoke calmly:

"It was during a deadly fight with the Senju. When I was heavily injured and at the brink of death… that's when my Sharingan awakened."

The Sharingan is known to be triggered by intense emotional trauma, and the life-or-death scenario he described seemed perfectly plausible—hard to find any flaws in it.

"GIn, you've really been through a lot. I didn't expect the Senju's defenses deep in their territory to be this tight."

Tajima, though still somewhat doubtful, didn't press further. After all, it was just a two-tomoe Sharingan—not really worth a big investigation from the clan head.

The two elders beside him also stopped questioning, but their subtle gazes never once strayed from GIn's eyes.

"Clan head, this Senju brat…"

Sensing that Tajima was about to dismiss him, GIn quickly pushed forward the still-unconscious Senju Itama.

Tajima, whose mind had already moved on, nodded mildly.

"Since he's your captive, you'll be in charge of him for now. Keep him alive—he might serve as a useful bargaining chip when we face the Senju in battle."

GIn was overjoyed that the fate of Itama had been handed to him. That meant, for now at least, the kid's life was safe.

Afraid that the clan head might change his mind, GIn hoisted up the unconscious Itama and dashed off after muttering a quick farewell.

As the door closed behind him, Tajima's previously warm expression turned icy in an instant. The two elders, who moments ago looked like kindly grandpas, were now frowning tightly.

"Elder Miao, you were one of the leads in that surgery back then. You can't have forgotten the results. Uchiha GIn should be physically incapable of awakening the Sharingan."

Tajima's voice was cold as winter wind.

"Clan Head Tajima, I guarantee the operation back then was foolproof. But… that man, he hadn't been captured yet. Could it be…"

The frail, reed-thin Uchiha Miao looked uneasy.

"You mean him?"

Tajima massaged his tired eyes in frustration at the suggestion.

"Is he still alive?"

"He's still locked up in the dungeon," answered the round, chubby elder Uchiha Yan.

"Leave this matter for now. Our battle with the Senju is approaching. I'll arrange for Uchiha GIn to remain in the village."

Tajima finally spoke after a wave of head pain washed over him.

Lately, he had been plagued with these splitting headaches—doctors in the clan had examined him thoroughly and found nothing seriously wrong. So, he simply chalked it up to stress and overwork.

CarrGIng Itama over his shoulder, GIn walked toward his home using the memories of this body's original owner. On the way, he recalled who the two elders were.

The round elder was Uchiha Yan, former bodyguard to the previous clan head. He had once been a powerful warrior, following the last leader into countless battles. When Tajima took over, he stepped back and became an elder, mainly tasked with training new recruits and managing village patrols.

The skinny, skeletal one was his younger brother, Uchiha Miao, whose strength remained a mystery. He was head of the Uchiha clan's research division, responsible for studGIng ocular jutsu and ninjutsu techniques.

They supposedly had an older brother, but he died early during internal clan conflict—details were scarce.

That's all the original owner knew about them. GIn couldn't glean much else. As he walked, other Uchihas gave him wide berth, not daring to disturb his deep thoughts.

He moved unhindered through the compound to a quiet and isolated area. Before him stood a modest wooden house.

Though no different from any ordinary Uchiha home, the house looked somewhat aged. GIn pushed open the weathered wooden door and glanced around.

A simple one-bedroom living space. The furniture was clearly old, but the way it was carefully maintained showed how much the original owner cherished these belongings.

He walked into the bedroom—there was only a basic wooden bed. On the nightstand sat a well-preserved family photo.

GIn picked it up and examined it.

It showed a happy little family of three. The young original owner was a cute boy with fluffy curls and a beaming, joyful smile.

Beside him, the man—likely his father—had a gentle, warm smile, slightly curled black hair, and eyes narrowed in kindness. His presence radiated sunshine.

The woman—clearly the mother—was cold in appearance with short black hair and a stunning model-like face. Her aura resembled Tajima's, icy and proud. Yet her gaze toward the child was full of tenderness.

GIn sighed and put the photo down.

"Looks like before his parents died in battle, the original owner was a bright and cheerful kid. How the hell did he end up so twisted later…"

He shook his head at the unpredictability of fate. After putting down his luggage, GIn cleaned up the dusty house. As hunger gnawed at his belly, he decided to go out and buy some groceries.

But leaving Itama home alone didn't feel safe—not with the deep-seated hatred between the two clans.

If word got out, there was a real risk that a vengeance-driven Uchiha might sneak in and kill the helpless kid just to vent their rage—and GIn would be dragged down with him.

So, without hesitation, he slung Itama over his shoulder and headed toward the clan's market.

Plenty of villagers saw him carrGIng the unconscious child and whispered among themselves, but none dared approach. Likely due to his growing reputation, GIn didn't mind the peace and quiet.

He bought some basic groceries, tossed a few coins at the terrified vendors, and walked home swinging the bags.

Humming a playful tune—

"Left hand holds a chicken, right hand holds a duck,

On my back a chubby baby—ya yi ya yiyo~"

—GIn strolled back toward his house.

From a distance, he noticed something unusual: someone was standing in front of his normally desolate home.

He approached slowly and, upon seeing who it was, raised an eyebrow.

"Well, if it isn't Sasuke number two?"

A boy around ten years old was crouched in front of his house. His spiky black hair marked him as an Uchiha, but his face—so eerily similar to the future Sasuke—made Uchiha Gin wonder if he'd time-traveled again.

The kid jumped to his feet the moment he saw GIn.

Before GIn could ask anything, a familiar system voice rang in his head—

"Battle detected. Heart of Steel treasure chest begins accumulating…"

(End of Chapter)