Year 27 of Konoha
"Another peaceful day."
On the streets of Konoha, a man with naturally curly black hair strutted with exaggerated swagger, like a delinquent with no regard for anyone, casually strolling beneath the eaves of roadside shops.
Though undeniably handsome, his entire demeanor was ruined by a pair of lifeless, dead-fish eyes that made him look utterly punch able.
Despite his unreliable appearance and idle demeanor, the people around him didn't shy away. An old man sunbathing nearby greeted him with a grin:
"Gin, off to do a mission?"
"Nah, just wandering. Taking the day off."
The curly-haired man—Gin—paused and answered dismissively. Then, as if remembering something, he rummaged through his high-collared robe before pulling out a stick-shaped object and tossing it to the old man. He stuffed another into his own mouth.
The old man stared blankly at the lollipop now in his hand.
"We're too old for this stuff."
"Really? I remember you used to love them."
Gin glanced sideways at the old man, a flicker of strange emotion briefly passing through his listless eyes.
"Well, that was back then."
Although he didn't eat the lollipop, the old man still accepted it and smiled.
"I'll save it for my grandson. He turns one month old tomorrow. You're invited to the celebration."
"Again, with the booze? On a genin's salary, how am I supposed to afford that? Ugh, I'll need to go catch some more cats or something."
Gin scratched his messy curls like a chicken's nest and sighed dramatically.
"Hehe, just be sure to come."
"By the way, have you got a name for your grandson yet? Want me to help? I promise it'll bring him a long life. How about... Jason?"
The old man gave him a blank stare in response to the absurd suggestion.
"We've already named him. His name is Minato."
Gin, who had been coming up with increasingly ridiculous names, froze when he heard that. For a moment, a flash of something crossed his mind.
"What's wrong? You don't like the name?"
Suddenly recalling the old man's once-dazzling blond hair in his youth, Gin smiled.
"No, it's just… some long-buried memories attacking me."
He then looked up at the distant mountain where the faces of the Hokage were carved and sighed.
"Your grandson has great potential. He might be the reincarnation of the Sage of Six Paths. I foresee a future Hokage in him."
The old man was puzzled.
"But you haven't even seen him yet!"
"I read the stars."
The old man glanced up at the blazing midsummer sun.
"Those are some blinding stars."
When he turned back, Gin was already gone.
"Tch. How many times now? Still leaving without saying goodbye."
The old man shook his head and returned to his shop.
On another street, Gin wandered aimlessly, his dead-fish eyes seemingly uninterested in anything.
"Lord Gin, the clan meeting is about to start. Why are you still wandering around?"
A respectful voice called out. A young man with black hair knelt behind him, speaking with utmost reverence.
"The clan head isn't even home. What's the point of attending a meeting run by those old coots? I'd rather go for a walk."
Gin — full name Uchiha Gin — casually scratched his ear, as if the very idea bored him.
The messenger, as if expecting that response, hesitated for a moment, his expression a mix of fear and confusion. He cautiously added:
"Please don't make this hard for me. I'm just the messenger. Whether you go is your choice, but the Grand Elder asked me to remind you: you are still a Uchiha."
With that, the man vanished in a flash.
"So boring. They really think they can start scheming just because that damn white-haired guy's gone? Konoha's murky waters aren't for hotheaded fools like you to wade into. Why fight over a title not even a dog wants? Wouldn't it be better to slack off with me?"
Uchiha Gin rolled his dull eyes as he watched the messenger disappear.
In the Hokage office below the mountain, smoke filled the air. A man sat hunched over, buried under stacks of paperwork taller than himself.
Suddenly, the door burst open.
"Hiruzen, I've received reliable intel. The Uchiha are holding another secret meeting today. I already have a report on the likely content. It's time to act!"
A handsome man in his thirties, with an X-shaped scar on his chin, slammed a file down in front of the man at the desk.
The man looked up, annoyed, and casually tossed the file into the trash.
"You—!"
Shimura Danzo's eyes bulged in anger.
"Danzo, don't focus all your attention on the Uchiha. The village has finally achieved peace. There's too much to rebuild. We can't afford internal strife right now."
Sarutobi Hiruzen, who had just taken over as the Third Hokage, puffed on his pipe and tried to calm his friend.
"But they're born evil! We must never let our guard down!"
Danzo snarled, though inwardly he was ecstatic.
Hehe, finally caught something on them.
"Shhh."
Sarutobi looked around nervously at the mention of "born evil," motioning for Danzo to hush.
Danzo realized his slip and looked a bit awkward but still tried to defend himself.
"You're Hokage now. What are you afraid of—"
"Afraid of what?"
A lazy voice cut in mid-sentence.
"Afraid of that curly-haired dead-fish-eyed ba—ahhhh!"
Danzo stopped abruptly. A figure had silently appeared behind him.
"Afraid of what?"
"A-A-Amazing guy!"
Danzo stuttered, face flushed with panic, as if he'd just seen a ghost.
"Well, if it isn't Little Danzo! Long time no see."
Uchiha Gin casually placed a hand on Danzo's shoulder with a grin.
"Still tinkering with that 'Root' project of yours? Got any openings? I'm kinda strapped for cash."
Seeing Danzo panic even more at that remark, Gin gave him a satisfied pat.
"Just messing with you!"
Turning to Sarutobi Hiruzen, Gin said:
"Hey, Monkey Boy. I'm here to take a few D-rank missions. That kid from the Namikaze family is a grandpa now and invited me to the celebration. Gotta earn some money."
Sarutobi gave a knowing look and pulled out a few missions slips from his drawer.
"Already prepared. But are you sure you don't want a higher-ranked mission? With your abilities—"
"Abilities? I'm a genin. Hashirama himself gave me that title. Genin No.1. You guys know exactly what I'm capable of."
Gin cheerfully flipped through the missions.
"These are perfect. I'm off. You two besties enjoy your time together."
After Gin left, Danzo finally exhaled and said grimly:
"He's still the same…"
Sarutobi also relaxed, but a deep fear lingered in his eyes as he put on a serious expression.
"He still looks thirty… All these years, ever since we were kids, he's looked the same."
"Yeah, he's never changed."
"Could that jutsu really be that miraculous…?"
The two men fell silent. After all, only a few people in history had ever known that technique, and no one could confirm its true power.