Hashirama's cells!?
Was that really something an Uchiha like him should be touching?
Even after arriving home, Uchiha Gin still couldn't believe it.
If Hiruzen Sarutobi found out, would he just kill him on the spot?
But it wasn't like he had done it willingly!
Not that they'd listen.
In that case, nothing to worry about.
Yet, thinking about what he saw on the fourth floor, along with the documents about Hashirama's cells and the few jutsu he picked out now sitting in his backpack...
He still couldn't fully believe it—and there was a slight, gnawing anxiety.
He didn't know whether to feel thrilled or terrified, with this "gift" dropped straight onto his head.
"If I awaken the Mangekyō and add Hashirama's cells to the mix, I'd be at least Kage-level," Gin thought.
But for Gin, the biggest hurdle was the Mangekyō Sharingan.
He hadn't even awakened his regular Sharingan yet.
As he opened the door and stepped into his home, Gin spotted a figure sitting properly by the guest table—someone he definitely didn't want to see.
Talk about a buzzkill.
"Well, well, if it isn't the young clan head. You must have a lot of free time if you're bothering with a small fry like me," Gin sneered the moment he saw the visitor.
Who else but Uchiha Fugaku could silently enter his home like this?
"Next time, try not to break into my house, will you? People who know you might overlook it, but to those who don't, you'd look like a common thief," Gin said coldly.
What, did he think Gin's front door was just for decoration?
Uchiha Fugaku's face remained stoic. He didn't react to Gin's taunts, waiting patiently for Gin to finish venting.
"I heard you've been taken in as Jiraiya-sama's disciple?" Fugaku finally asked.
Gin let out a cold laugh.
"Oh, so you already know. My current status might not be that much lower than yours, Young Clan Head."
On the surface, being Jiraiya's student didn't come with any obvious privileges. But behind the scenes? It was a direct link to the Hokage's inner circle.
A golden ticket to the Hokage seat itself.
Too bad he still carried the Uchiha name.
"You... actually became Jiraiya-sama's disciple," Fugaku said, his voice trembling slightly, still not quite believing it.
It had been so many years.
Ever since Uchiha Kagami's death, no Uchiha had ever managed to break into the Hokage's inner ranks again.
This led to the Uchiha Clan gradually losing their influence within Konoha—and they had increasingly been pushed aside.
Sure, the Uchiha were full of talented individuals, so it wouldn't have been surprising for one of them to be accepted.
But why did it have to be this disgrace of the Uchiha?
Fugaku's gaze turned complicated as he looked at Gin.
Anyone else, he could have accepted. But Gin's redemption was something he just couldn't tolerate.
Gin was like a stain on the proud Uchiha crest.
If even Fugaku found it hard to accept, imagine how the rest of the clan would react.
"Facts are facts," Gin said nonchalantly, sitting across the table and resting his chin on his hand.
"What's wrong? Me becoming Jiraiya's student getting in your way? If you've got a problem, take it up with Konoha. Don't come bothering me."
Fugaku looked down on him, and he looked down on Fugaku.
No need for unnecessary drama.
"Young Clan Head," Gin said, full of mockery.
Fugaku fell silent. If it meant bringing the clan back to the center of Konoha's power, getting insulted a few times was a small price to pay.
But the problem was: the one carrying that hope... was Uchiha Gin.
Fugaku stayed quiet, and Gin didn't bother speaking either. They simply stared each other down, seeing who would blink first.
In the end, it was Fugaku who gave in.
"The elders want to see you," he said.
"When?"
"Now."
Gin frowned. He had never interacted with the Uchiha elders before, so he wasn't sure what to expect.
But anyone who helped Fugaku secure the clan head position... well, they probably weren't too bright.
He didn't expect that even the Uchiha would have such a strong reaction to his connection to the Hokage's side.
And this was nowhere near the desperate situation they would face in the future.
"Fine, lead the way," Gin said, lifting his head.
He'd have to meet them eventually.
Hopefully, they weren't as stupid as he imagined.
At the Naka Shrine.
The twin columns of flame lit the sides of the shrine, casting flickering light on the old figures seated in chairs.
The roaring fire made it impossible to see their faces clearly.
But their eyes—those blood-red eyes with three tomoe spinning—shone through the shadows.
The Sharingan of the Uchiha Clan.
Gin stood at the center of the room under their gazes.
The oppressive pressure from their sharp stares was even heavier than Orochimaru's, though there was no killing intent, meaning it didn't suppress his movements.
The elder sitting at the center spoke first.
"Uchiha Gin. Twelve years old and you still haven't awakened your Sharingan?"
Gin endured the pressure and responded nonchalantly.
"That's not something that happens so easily."
Usually, Uchiha awakened their Sharingan between the ages of twelve and sixteen.
After sixteen, the chances dropped to nearly zero.
The earlier one awakened it, the more talented they were considered.
Opening the Sharingan before twelve was seen as the mark of a true Uchiha genius.
In the Uchiha Clan, nothing else mattered as much as the Sharingan.
"How dare you!" an elder on the side barked angrily.
The Sharingan was their sacred bloodline limit, not "just some thing."
But Gin ignored him, keeping his gaze locked on the figure seated at the center.
The others were just extras. The real boss here was this man:
Uchiha Honoka —the Great Elder.
An ancient survivor from the Warring States era. A man who had skillfully stayed neutral through all of Uchiha's past rebellions, and now held the clan's highest authority.
Gin had heard all this from other Uchihas.
Currently, the Uchiha had no clan head. Why the last one died, Gin didn't know. All he knew was that Fugaku had been the "chosen successor" from the moment he was born.
Konoha wasn't the only place playing the inheritance game.
Uchiha did too.
"Enough," Honoka said, stopping the angry Third Elder from continuing.
His scarlet Sharingan calmly stared into Gin's.
"Uchiha Gin, I want you to monitor the Hokage's faction for the sake of the Uchiha."
The death of Uchiha Kagami had been suspicious, and Honoka didn't trust Konoha's leadership.
Unless...
An Uchiha became Hokage.
As for Uchiha Gin? To them, he was still a disgrace.
"I refuse," Gin said instantly, not even hesitating.
Why take on such a thankless, suicidal task?
Even if he succeeded in spying, he'd lose the trust of the Hokage faction—and gain nothing from the clan in return.
Why should he!?
"Hmm?!"
Honoka's face darkened, and even though Gin couldn't see it clearly, he knew it must look pretty bad.
"Don't forget you carry Uchiha blood!"
"Sorry, but I'm a selfish guy. I'm not about to throw my life away for the clan," Gin's cold voice echoed through the shrine.
It was like tossing a lit match into a pile of dry wood.
"Bastard! You don't cherish the glory of the Uchiha!"
"Expel him from the clan!!"
"Selfish fool! You don't deserve the Uchiha name!"
Gin tuned out their outraged roars.
He had never once felt warmth from the Uchiha.
If he had been a genius, they would have treated him like a spring breeze, all smiles and kindness.
But as a "failure"?
Even the clan dogs would have stomped on him.
Gin smiled coldly.
Honoka fell silent for a moment, watching Gin's sneer, and then asked, "You resent the Uchiha?"
Gin rubbed his forehead, organizing his thoughts.
"Old man, you're more senile than I thought. Resentment? You think you deserve even that?"
"A bunch of useless blowhards."
Gin's words were ruthless.
He wasn't the kind of person who tried to please anyone.
Sure, he was cautious, but that didn't mean he'd swallow his pride if there was no immediate danger.
Even in front of Hiruzen Sarutobi, he would speak up as long as his life wasn't on the line.
Did they really think he'd bow to a few senile old Uchihas?
Not a chance.
He had now officially offended the entire Uchiha elder council.
But he didn't care.
They didn't dare to touch him. Being part of the Hokage's inner circle wasn't just for show.
If anything happened to him within the Uchiha compound, Danzo Shimura would be the first to storm in for revenge.
Both he and the elders understood that.
Honoka felt his anger surge like a volcanic eruption, shattering decades of carefully maintained calm.
"You!!"
He pointed at Gin, but couldn't even find the words to respond.
"If that's all, I'll be leaving now," Gin said, shrugging mockingly, completely disrespectful.
If they had any brains, they would've realized by now: he wasn't some fool who could be manipulated with a few noble-sounding words.
"Uchiha Gin!" Honoka shouted.
Gin turned halfway back, the flames only illuminating half his face as he waited for the old man's final words.
Honoka took a deep breath to calm himself.
"Don't forget—everything you have comes from the Uchiha! Your abilities, your smooth growth, even becoming Jiraiya's disciple—it's all because you bear the Uchiha name!"
He wanted to say it was thanks to Gin's talent, but... he couldn't even see any talent there.
Gin almost laughed.
"My abilities are my own training. My growth is thanks to my parents. You guys didn't get in the way, and now you're calling it a favor? As for becoming Jiraiya's disciple, what the hell does that have to do with the Uchiha?"
"And let me remind you of something—Uchiha is Uchiha. You lot don't represent the Uchiha. You're just a bunch of parasites flaunting the clan's name."
"Crack!"—Honoka crushed the armrest of his chair in rage, the three tomoe in his eyes spinning wildly.
"Alright then, I'm off. Next time, don't bother calling me again. I wouldn't want Jiraiya-sensei getting the wrong idea," Gin said as he turned to leave.
"Crack!" "Crack!" "Crack!"—one by one, the elders snapped their chair armrests in fury.
Gin left.
Leaving behind only a room full of impotently furious Uchiha elders.
"Outrageous!!" roared the Third Elder.
Never before had an Uchiha dared insult them like this—other than Uchiha Madara himself.
"Don't worry," another elder said coldly. "Jiraiya only took him because he's Uchiha. Once he realizes Gin has no real talent, he'll abandon him."
"And when that happens, we'll show him just how worthless he really is. Let's see what pride he has left then."
They would make sure of it.
When the time came, Uchiha Gin...
...would have nothing left to stand on.
(End of Chapter)