"You're eating fish for several days straight—aren't you tired of it?"
Uchiha Gin stared at Senju Itama, who was wolfing down his meal with fish, unable to resist asking.
This kid was young but had a huge appetite, and their household rice kept running out in no time.
Senju Itama, whose head was buried in his meal, paused when he heard the question. He lifted his round, stuffed face and thought for a moment.
"Is there really something tastier than fish?"
The fish-loving kid posed a profound question.
Uh…
The incredulous look on the kid's face left Uchiha Gin speechless. He couldn't help but think that this boy had never tasted anything truly good.
"Is your Senju clan really poor?"
"What do you mean by that?"
Feeling offended, Senju Itama bared his teeth in response.
"With so much delicious food in the world, why do you only like fish?"
Now that Gin knew it wasn't due to financial constraints, he asked out of curiosity.
"I just like it. Can't I?"
Not wanting to explain further, Senju Itama continued to bury his face in his meal. Uchiha Gin, sensing it was a dead-end, stopped pressing the issue.
As Itama buried his head in his food, his eyes welled up. He devoured the fish while memories of fishing with his brothers filled his mind.
His three older brothers often took him to the river to catch fish. Especially his second brother, who loved fish. Every time they caught one, he'd prepare grilled fish on the spot, and the brothers would feast until they couldn't move. But those days were likely gone for good.
As Senju Itama's emotions overwhelmed him, his body trembled with sobs, confusing Uchiha Gin.
Suddenly, the kid started gasping, startling Gin. He jumped up in alarm, rushed over, and pried open Itama's mouth, complaining,
"I told you to eat slower! Now look, you've got a fishbone stuck!"
Gin shoved his fingers into Itama's throat, who, in his panic, rolled his eyes, thinking,
"This guy must have some serious issues!"
After poking around for a while and pulling out only a hand full of saliva, Uchiha Gin frowned.
"Did you already swallow it? Now what?"
His eyes landed on the vinegar bottle on the table, and he remembered an old remedy. He grabbed the bottle, unscrewed it, and poured it into Itama's mouth.
"Ughhhh~~"
Itama weakly waved his hands, but he was no match for Uchiha Gin's strength. He was forced to gulp down the entire bottle of vinegar.
"Phew, that should do it."
Wiping the sweat off his forehead, Gin looked at the disoriented Itama, who was still waving his hand in gratitude and said,
"No need to thank me. It's what I should do."
"I really will thank you..."
Senju Itama's nearly shouted these words right before passing out.
"What a polite kid," Gin nodded in approval.
After tossing the unconscious Itama into the bedroom, Gin stood for a while, staring at the small room. Clapping his hands, he decided to expand it.
Sleeping on the couch wasn't sustainable, and his back was killing him. He was still in his prime; he couldn't afford to ruin his body like this.
Stepping outside, he looked at the old house the previous owner had lived in for years. He started measuring and planning how to remodel it. With the plan complete in his head, Uchiha Gin clapped his hands.
"Mokuton: Four-Pillar House!"
As chakra poured from his body, countless wooden branches burst from the ground, folding and merging according to Gin's blueprint, rising layer by layer.
When the smoke cleared, a brand-new two-story villa stood beside the old house. Gin released his hands and admired his creation.
Opening the door, he saw that the interior furniture was also crafted by the Wood Style, all made of wood.
"No wonder it's known as the ultimate house-building technique."
Gin patted the sturdy furniture, even more satisfied now. Walking to the side wall, he had left a secret door that would connect the two houses once he made an opening in the old wall.
All he needed now was to buy bedding and daily necessities, and he could move in. Gin wrote up a shopping list and, with money in hand, headed to the clan's market.
At a familiar general store, the shopkeeper recognized Uchiha Gin as a regular customer and greeted him warmly, without the usual wariness.
"Lord Gin, what do you need today?"
"Do you have everything on this list?" Gin handed the shopkeeper his list.
"They're just daily essentials. We have them all." The shopkeeper quickly scanned the list and confirmed.
"Good. Prepare them and have them delivered to my house," Gin nodded and pulled a gold nugget from his pocket, handing it to the shopkeeper.
"This is too much!"
The shopkeeper weighed the nugget nervously.
"It's fine. Just keep the extra as credit for future purchases."
Gin didn't make things difficult for the shopkeeper.
"Thank you, Lord Gin."
Reassured by Gin's words, the shopkeeper gratefully accepted the gold nugget.
As Gin left the shop, he bumped into Uchiha Madara.
"Cousin, shopping?"
Madara looked troubled, only lifting his head when Gin spoke.
"Uh, I'm here to buy some ninja tools."
Madara's eyes darted, and his excuse sounded awkward.
As the clan leader's son, he could get ninja tools directly from the clan's armory, where the quality was far superior to those sold outside. There was no need for him to shop here.
"Buying a gift?"
Gin blurted out.
"I wouldn't give it to him!!"
Madara instinctively blurted back, then realizing his mistake, blushed and shouted,
"Cousin! If you don't get back to work, I'll tell Father!"
"Sure, sure. I didn't see anything."
Gin teased, the amused glint in his eyes making Madara's face even redder.
"Hmph~"
The embarrassed boy snorted and stormed into the shop without looking back.
"Heh, young people really are full of energy."
Gin chuckled, reminiscing about the innocence of youth.
A few steps out of the store, Gin noticed a sneaky figure by the wall. He quietly crept up.
"Little cousin, what are you up to?"
He placed a hand on Uchiha Izuna's shoulder and whispered.
"Aaahh! Mmm!"
Startled, Izuna, who had been spying on Madara through the shop window, nearly wet himself.
"Shh, it's no good if others hear you making such a racket."
Quickly covering Izuna's mouth, Gin ensured his outburst didn't draw attention.
"Uh, secret mission."
Izuna frowned, conflicted.
"Following your brother?" Gin asked.
"How did you know? Did Father tell you?"
Izuna was shocked. Could it be that their father had given someone else the same mission? This was supposed to be his special assignment!
"Your intention was obvious. No need to guess," Gin replied, amused.
"No problem. If I silence you, no one will know my mission."
In a daze, Izuna pulled out a kunai from behind, muttering mindlessly.