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Gin and Minato exchanged insights on the cultivation of the foundational internal energy technique.
Mostly, it was Gin talking while Minato and Kushina listened.
Gin shared details on how to accumulate chakra, enhance combat power, and strengthen the body over time.
Minato listened intently, pondering the details seriously.
Kushina was also focused; she had struggled to complete the first layer because the Nine-Tails' chakra within her kept causing disturbances. She had yet to subdue the Nine-Tails.
However, the foundational internal energy technique helped stabilize her internal seal, making her more interested in this secret technique.
Gin was quite dedicated to helping these two.
If either of them successfully advanced, Gin could advance as well.
Moreover, teaching the deduced techniques to others had benefits beyond just leveling up.
The knowledge generated by their cultivation would appear in Gin's mind in a way he couldn't understand, forming the base logic for future deductions.
He had learned this only last night after Minato and Kushina had begun the practice.
The content of the first layer wasn't extensive and was quickly covered.
With hope for the future, Gin bid farewell to the two.
"See you tomorrow."
Minato waved with a smile, while Kushina turned away, pouting. She was annoyed that Minato was being taken away by a certain annoying Uchiha.
She was very upset.
"A tsundere girl and a gentle boy, tsk tsk."
Gin stroked his chin, watching the two walk away.
This combination was a common trope, but the one who didn't understand feelings this time was the girl.
"It's a kind of innovating, I guess."
Gin thought about finding a tsundere blonde and a gentle black-haired girl for himself... as long as he kept them from meeting each other.
Looking at the dim sky and feeling the cool breeze, Gin headed toward the Uchiha clan's area.
Currently, the Uchiha clan's territory was still in a prime location in Konoha. Although they had moved away from the village center after a rebellion during the Second Hokage's era, they were still in a prosperous area.
Later, they would be moved to the outskirts because of the Nine-Tails incident.
The Sharingan eyes on the Nine-Tails created a situation that the Uchiha couldn't explain away.
As Gin entered the clan's area, he was stopped.
"That's him, big brother Hachidai."
Sou angrily pointed at Gin to a man with short brown hair and distinctive markings around his eyes.
Instead of bullying Gin, they had let him sleep through a whole class.
This had resulted in Gin receiving a zero in his evaluation.
These three little troublemakers were here to cause problems.
They had directly called a Jonin to handle this, which was excessive.
And they had targeted the wrong person.
"Big brother Hachidai, they bullied me!"
Gin immediately put on a pitiful expression, tears welling up instantly.
Anyone seeing this would think the child was very pitiful.
Except for Hachidai.
"Little Gin, you've used this trick many times. At least change it up a bit, won't you?" Hachidai scratched his face, feeling a bit embarrassed.
At least don't be so perfunctory.
Gin had done this at least five or six times a year. Hachidai wasn't easily fooled anymore.
"Tch." Gin clicked his tongue.
"Big brother Hachidai, he's mocking you!!" Sou pointed frantically at Gin, his face flushed with frustration, like a dog that couldn't reach a bone.
Initially, Hachidai's attitude made them think he wouldn't help them deal with Gin. Seeing a glimmer of hope, Sou was desperate.
"Sou." Hachidai patted Sou's head. "Uchiha shouldn't bully the weak. It's wrong."
Unfortunately, Hachidai was kind-hearted.
"Alright, alright, Uncle Hachidai, leave us alone. We'll handle our own business." Gin impatiently waved Hachidai away.
This made Hachidai sigh. When Gin needed him, he was "Big brother Hachidai." When he didn't, he was "Uncle Hachidai."
This kid was very... pragmatic.
"Show me some respect."
"Are you leaving or not?" Gin bared his teeth, feigning a threat.
Hachidai was helpless. If he interfered, Gin would tell his wife bad things about him. Gin had done this often before Hachidai got married.
Though he was a Jonin, he couldn't outmatch this academy student in causing trouble.
"Fine, fine, I'm leaving."
Hachidai had recently married and couldn't let this little troublemaker cause problems again, especially since he had been dragged into this.
"Uchiha must retrieve what they lost themselves."
He wasn't worried about Gin. Although Gin couldn't use ninjutsu, his taijutsu was strong. Hachidai had seen Gin fighting wild beasts in the forest.
This kid worked hard despite his poor talent.
"Don't go too far." Hachidai still gave a warning.
"Don't worry, big brother Hachidai, we won't go too far." Sou and the other two grinned. They didn't have to fight one-on-one here.
Seeing Gin's strength against Sei, they weren't confident in one-on-one fights. They weren't stupid, so they teamed up.
But without anyone helping them, Gin couldn't complain if they ganged up on him.
"He was talking to me," Gin's voice suddenly appeared by Sou's ear. Gin was standing behind him with a raised hand.
When did he...
"Wham," Gin's hand chop struck, and Sou rolled his eyes and collapsed.
"You bastard!" Sei pulled out a kunai and charged.
Gin sidestepped, dodging Sei's attack, and kneed him in the stomach.
Sei's eyes rolled back, and he fell unconscious.
Gin's gaze shifted to Sei, who had also drawn a kunai.
Seeing Gin looking at him, Sei dropped the kunai and lay down on the ground.
Uchiha don't suffer immediate losses.
"Smart."
Gin clapped his hands.
Hachidai, who hadn't gone far, turned back to see the fight already over.
But a ninja who only knew taijutsu couldn't become strong.
Gin would face hardships in the future.
Gin didn't care what they thought and didn't pay attention to the three on the ground. He walked slowly toward home.
...
Back home.
Gin started preparing dinner. After working in the kitchen for half a day, he made some dishes from his previous life.
The cuisine in the Naruto world was limited and repetitive, making him tired of it.
Although most ninjas lived on instant noodles, he couldn't accept that, having come from a country known for its cuisine.
"If I don't succeed in becoming immortal, I'll retire and open a restaurant. It will surely make money."
He had set up the foundational internal energy technique to transition to immortal cultivation. This world had natural chakra. The sages from the summoning lands had lived for a thousand years.
Theoretically, with chakra's wonders, cultivating immortality was feasible.
Especially considering the moon housed someone who was immortal, and even sealing didn't kill them.
"Immortal 'cultivation' has great potential."
Carrying a plate of food back to the living room, he planned to enjoy a meal. But there was a young man with short black hair in the living room. Gin's expression changed.
Setting the plate on the table, Gin sat formally across from the young man.
"To what do I owe the honor of your visit, young clan leader Fugaku?"
Fugaku, the only son of the current clan leader, and a key figure in leading the Uchiha to their destruction.
But as someone who had become a marginal figure due to his lack of talent, Gin usually wouldn't attract this young clan leader's attention.
Although his parents had been well-regarded within the Uchiha, their influence faded after their deaths, with only a few showing him goodwill, and none from the clan leader's family.
"Have you been associating with Uzumaki Kushina recently?"
Fugaku's voice was deep.
"What of it? This has nothing to do with the clan."
Gin realized Fugaku's true purpose: concern over Kushina, the Nine-Tails' Jinchuriki.
Tailed beasts were strategic weapons, drawing attention from many, including the Uchiha.
Hashirama's act of distributing tailed beasts for peace was sound in theory, but tailed beasts couldn't cause catastrophic destruction.
Each village had the power to counter tailed beasts, so while there was concern, it didn't amount to fear. The threat wasn't significant.
If it were nuclear weapons, each village possessing them, no one would dare strike first, risking total annihilation.
Looking at Gin's indifferent expression, Fugaku warned sternly.
"Stay away from her."
The Uchiha couldn't afford the village's suspicion. Gin might not know about the Nine-Tails, but the higher-ups did.
Gin's usual playful demeanor vanished. He picked up chopsticks, tapping them together.
"Who I associate with is none of your business. You're overstepping."
Fugaku frowned. He didn't like this untalented Uchiha, who might not understand the weight of their name.
"That's an order."
"An order?"
Gin smiled without humor, slapping the chopsticks on the table.
"Your face is quite big, Fugaku. Don't think calling you the young clan leader makes you the actual leader. Ordering me? On what grounds?"
Just as Fugaku didn't like Gin, Gin looked down on Fugaku, who was indecisive and directionless. Fugaku bore half the blame for the Uchiha's future downfall.
The other half fell on his son.
Without this family, the Uchiha could have survived fifty more years.
"You!!" Fugaku slammed his hands on the table, making the dishes tremble, his face darkening.
Gin remained unfazed, continuing his mockery.
"The young clan leader wants to gain prestige by targeting a weakling like me. You're really bringing honor to the Uchiha."
"I!!" Fugaku suppressed his anger. Having had little interaction with Gin, he wasn't good with words and couldn't outmatch Gin in a verbal spar.
Unable to win the argument, hitting him would be even more disgraceful.
"I won't keep you for dinner. Didn't prepare extra chopsticks."
Gin glanced at Fugaku and started eating.
"Hmph." Fugaku snorted and left angrily.
Alone, Gin picked up a peanut from his dish.
"Thinking you can control me? Even if you become the clan leader, you won't."
(End of Chapter)