"Kid, I'm heading out on a mission for a few days, so don't wander around."
After breakfast, Uchiha Gin slung his bag over his shoulder and reminded Senju Itama, who was still eating,
"If you run into any trouble, go find Izuna. I've already told him."
"Got it. I'm not a kid anymore. Enough with the talk, just go already."
Seeing Gin still hesitating, Itama looked up from his food and rolled his eyes at him, urging him to leave.
"If things get too tough, survival is the most important. Take this, just in case."
Still a little worried, Gin pulled out a golden hourglass-shaped pendant from his bag and handed it to Itama, telling him to wear it at all times.
"Alright, alright, you're so naggy."
Taking the peculiar-looking pendant, Itama noticed the golden sand slowly trickling inside the hourglass. He could tell it was valuable and worth quite a bit.
"Is this made of gold?"
"This thing is for saving your life, so don't even think about selling it for cash."
Gin was going to great lengths to ensure Itama's safety, even giving him his only [Karacule Hourglass] to protect him.
[Karacule Hourglass]: Grants three minutes of invincibility when health drops below 40% (activates once per day).
After making sure Itama was settled, Gin hurried to the rendezvous point where Uchiha Tajima was waiting. From a distance, he spotted his uncle and quickly went to greet him.
"Uncle, sorry I'm late, something came up."
"No worries, I just got here myself. But... your outfit."
Tajima, who had been resting with his eyes closed, opened them and was immediately taken aback by Gin's flamboyant appearance.
"Your outfit is... a bit much."
"Hey, it's cool, right? I'll get you one, too!"
Gin proudly patted the [Raging Armor] he was wearing and enthusiastically recommended it to Tajima.
"Hmph, no need for that."
Tajima firmly rejected the idea, thinking that wearing something like that would bring shame to the Uchiha clan.
"Now that you're ready, let's move out!"
Tajima took the lead, and Gin followed closely behind. They traveled tirelessly from morning until night. As they neared a forest, Tajima slowed down and signaled for them to stop.
Choosing a hidden spot in the forest, the two began to rest.
"The sealed area is still some distance away. We'll set up camp here for the night."
Tajima, who had memorized the route, instructed Gin,
"At this pace, we should reach the destination by tomorrow."
With that, he pulled out some rations from his bag to satisfy his hunger.
"Let's eat! I've brought some good stuff."
Gin, excited to be on a mission, had come well-prepared. He started pulling out fresh ingredients one after another from his bag, even taking out a large pot at the end.
"Kid, do you think this is a picnic? After this mission, I want you to write the Three Ninja Prohibitions ten thousand times when we return!"
Tajima, his face dark with frustration, rubbed his temples and gritted his teeth as he looked at Gin's enthusiastic preparations.
"Huh? Isn't it?"
Gin held his tongue, realizing that saying more would just earn him another lecture from his uncle.
"Fine, I'll pack it up. What a shame, though. These things weren't cheap."
Disappointed, Gin began putting away the ingredients. As he looked up, he noticed Tajima eyeing the strange pot curiously.
"What's that pot for?"
After staring at it for a while, Tajima couldn't figure out what it was for.
"Oh, this? I had it custom-made for hot pot."
Gin held up the specially designed pot and explained its purpose to Tajima.
"So, this is the hot pot Izuna mentioned."
Tajima nodded thoughtfully after hearing the explanation. He recalled hearing both Izuna and Madara rave about it several times, with Izuna often drooling just at the mention of it.
"Should we... try it?"
Seeing his uncle's interest, Gin cautiously suggested, pulling out a dark red, pungent block from his bag.
"I brought a secret extra spicy butter base. It's got a real kick!"
"Hmph!"
Tajima's sharp eyes stared sternly at Gin, making him feel a little guilty.
Yes, how could they indulge in luxury while on a mission? Enjoying such things was against the way of the ninja. Tajima's high level of discipline was admirable—no wonder he became the clan leader.
"It's chilly at night, so we should have something spicy to warm us up."
Just as Gin was about to pack away the hot pot, the serious-faced Tajima nodded with a solemn look.
"What are you waiting for? Get it ready."
This is why Tajima is a leader—his decisiveness and adaptability are unmatched.
Eagerly, Gin began preparing the wild hot pot feast.
"Huff... puff... No wonder Izuna, with his picky palate, couldn't stop praising this dish. The flavors are so complex."
Sweating from the spiciness, Tajima slurped down the food while still making time to give his review.
"What did you put in this pot?"
Feeling the heat in his mouth, Tajima was surprised to find his chakra stirring as well.
"Hehe, just something special."
This time, Gin had added a birthday gift from his younger cousin Izuna—a secret herb from the Akimichi clan said to be a powerful tonic.
Only someone like Tajima would be worthy of such a rare treat. Gin would never have shared it with just anyone.
While the two of them enjoyed their meal, hidden underground, someone else wasn't as pleased.
"How are they still eating? And this smell..."
Underground, the creature called Spectre gulped. The overpowering scent of the hot pot had stirred its long-dormant senses, forcing it to salivate against its will. The power of hot pot truly knows no bounds.
After filling their bellies, it was time for conversation.
Gin sat there with the now-empty hot pot in his hands, looking conflicted. To Tajima, it seemed like he had something important on his mind.
Tajima's eyes shifted slightly as he looked at Gin, who seemed hesitant to speak.
"Gin, is there something you want to tell me?"
No, you're misunderstanding. I'm just worried you won't be able to get up tomorrow after eating so much.
Gin had wanted to warn his uncle about the aftereffects of the hot pot, but didn't know how to bring it up.
"Sigh... Since your body has recovered, it's time to tell you the truth about some things."
Seeing Gin's conflicted expression, Tajima assumed that the seal on his memory was starting to loosen, and he sighed.
???
Why has the mood suddenly turned so serious?
Gin stared at his uncle in confusion. Could it be that the original owner of his body had some earth-shattering secret?
"It all started on that night, twelve years ago..."
Hold on. If this turns into a long flashback, I'm really not interested. Can't you just tell me the outcome? If the author gets their hands on this, they could stretch it into ten chapters.
Gin felt his teeth ache as he watched Tajima fall into a deep, nostalgic trance.
"Please, no more flashbacks!"
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