Konoha: The thirty-year-old Uchiha is not motivated.

"Sorry, I took the wrong one. This is the final list."

Noticing that everyone present was squinting at him, Danzo, known for his thick skin, inwardly curled his lip, then calmly produced another list and handed it over.

The new list was fairly normal. After a quick glance, Tobirama Senju nodded in approval. It included candidates from both ninja clans and commoners, and there was no single candidate dominating the list as in the previous one.

Why are there no candidates from the Uchiha clan among them?

However, he also noticed a blind spot: throughout the list, even the conservative and old-fashioned Hyuga ninjas were present, but the Uchiha, another prominent Konoha clan, was nowhere to be found.
Uchiha Setsuna, who was standing nearby, frowned upon hearing this. They were actually being excluded.
Tailed Beast Riders are indispensable high-level combatants for any village. Although they lack real power, their status is exceptional, and their influence among ordinary people is extremely profound.

If the Uchiha clan could produce a Tailed Beast Rider, the clan's prestige would rise far beyond a mere increase; it might even directly influence the election of the next Hokage.

"Teacher, look closely, there are some!"

Sensing the chilling power suddenly emanating from Uchiha Setsuna, Danzo smiled slightly. They certainly wouldn't openly target the currently powerful Elder of the Surveillance.
"Where is it?"

"back."

Tobirama Senju suddenly realized, and casually flipped the list over, only to find a name on the back.
"Oh~ so the back is too. Pfft!"

Oh, it's an old acquaintance.

"Are you sure you're not mistaken?"

He scrutinized the list closely for a long time, and the strange look on Tobirama Senju's face was clearly visible.
"The list of candidates has been reviewed by us. Those selected are ninjas who meet the standards in all aspects."

Danzo replied neither humbly nor arrogantly.
Who from the Uchiha clan was selected?

Tobirama Senju's strange expression successfully piqued Setsuna Uchiha's curiosity.

"See for yourself."

He took the list with a puzzled look on his face, and after seeing that historically significant name on it, Uchiha Setsuna's face instantly turned green with rage.
"Elder Danzo, are you awake?"

With bloodshot eyes, he pointed at the four large characters "Uchiha Gin" on the list, and angrily spat all over Danzo's head.
"Or do you think that our Uchiha clan has no one capable?"

As the list was leaked, the Jonin representatives attending the meeting instinctively covered their backsides, their faces increasingly grim.

"My God, it's that butt-striking Gin!"

"Will it work? I remember he's almost seventy years old, right?"

"Damn it, that demon looked just like me when I was eight, and now my son is eight years old, how come he hasn't changed at all?"

"Alas... good people don't live long, but evil people live for a thousand years."

"..."

Danzo wiped the saliva from his face without changing his expression, ignoring the complicated expressions of everyone present, and began to explain in a serious tone.

“Uchiha Gin was a candidate carefully selected after our cross-review process.”

"What's the basis?"

Tobirama Senju frowned. His sister's happiness was at stake; he couldn't simply believe Danzo and the others' one-sided accounts.
"I see that this list is mostly made up of children around ten years old. Why would they put an old man in here out of nowhere?"

The reason he approved the list was because the candidates were all young children.
Having worked with Kurama (the Nine-Tails) for many years, Tobirama Senju knew very well that a child's pure heart was most likely to warm the heart of a lonely tailed beast.
"because."

Under the questioning gazes of those around him, Danzo, who had already prepared his explanation, nodded slightly and gave an answer that no one could deny.
"He's a professional."

Upon hearing this, Tobirama Senju suddenly realized, "That's right! I was almost fooled by that curly-haired guy's usual carefree attitude."

He's the man who created the Tailed Beast Rider cards. Aside from the enigmatic Decade, probably no one understands Tailed Beast Riders better than Uchiha Gin.

"But that's not a reason to choose only him. There are many other children in the Uchiha clan who meet the criteria. Why don't you choose them?"

Uchiha Setsuna temporarily accepted Danzo's explanation for choosing Uchiha Gin, but he also raised another objection.
"There are indeed some, but I'm afraid you Uchiha wouldn't agree to it if you chose them."

Danzo shook his head and then casually named two people.

"Uchiha Fugaku, Uchiha Mikoto."

"no!"

No sooner had the words been spoken than an anxious voice rang out in the meeting room. Everyone turned to look and saw Uchiha Lucha with a furrowed brow and eyes full of worry.
He still vividly remembers the scenes from the previous Tailed Beast Rider Trial Tournament. Most of the contestants who were corrupted by the Tailed Beast's chakra lived in the shadow of Kurama (the Nine-Tails), and eventually couldn't bear it, so they ended their ninja careers early.
Whether it was Fugaku, whom the old clan chief had entrusted to his care, or his own granddaughter Mikoto, Uchiha Ryōzashi did not want these children to be in danger.

"Actually, the current trial methods have been improved a lot, and the situation like last time will basically not happen again."

As if sensing Uchiha Ryōza's worries, Danzō patted his chest and gave a perfunctory assurance.
"That won't do! Elder Setsuna, if you want to agree, you'll have to get past me first!"

Uchiha Lucha didn't believe his nonsense and resolutely refused, his gaze sharp as he looked at Uchiha Setsuna, who was clearly somewhat tempted. His cold voice was full of authority.

"Elder Lu, how could I possibly let young master Fugaku be put in danger?"

Uchiha Setsuna, his thoughts interrupted, coughed lightly and shook his head seriously.

"So you want my little Mikoto to go?"

During the questioning, Uchiha Ryōzashi's eyes turned a chilling crimson, and a terrifying aura emanated from him, striking directly at Uchiha Setsuna.
"Calm down, Elder Lü Cha, please calm down!"

Uchiha Setsuna quickly waved his hand, indicating that he had no such intention, which made Uchiha Ryuzaki, who was protective of his grandson, withdraw his aura.
Gudong!

Who would have thought that Uchiha Ryōza, who looks like an old man doing square dancing, actually possesses such terrifying hidden strength?

Danzo, his heart pounding with fear, swallowed hard. The reason he mentioned Fugaku and Uchiha's names was actually to try and sow discord within the Uchiha clan.
Unexpectedly, they provoked a powerful figure who, with just a glance, terrified the arrogant Uchiha Setsuna into silence.
"Humph!"

Uchiha Ryuzaki, now transformed back into an ordinary old man, snorted coldly.
A guy full of bad intentions.

After giving Danzo a deep look, he closed his eyes and continued to feign sleep.
"Elder Shaka, do you have any other objections?"

Looking regretfully at the Uchiha camp that had returned to calm, Danzo continued to press for answers.
"I still have doubts about the specific criteria you used to select candidates."

Feeling as if he had been tricked, Uchiha Setsuna's face darkened instantly.
"Our standard documents fully comply with the candidate review system established by the Tailed Beast Rider Management Department. Elder Setsuna is welcome to inspect them at any time."

With an official document stamped by the Third Hokage in hand, Danzo was not intimidated at all, and was even a little arrogant.

Tobirama Senju, seated at the head of the table, finally understood. To put it simply, Danzo and his forces wanted to seize the title of Tailed Beast Knight from him in order to weaken his power.

But it doesn't matter. Senju Hisa's current focus has long since shifted to breaking the gender-swap curse, and the title of Tailed Beast Knight has actually hindered her research.
Since that's the case, why not give the opportunity to the young people in the village?
"Alright, I will urge Hishin to hand over the Tailed Beast Rider privileges as soon as possible, but if there are no suitable candidates among these applicants..."

"We should return it to its rightful owner."

Seeing that Tobirama Senju had given in so easily, Danzo and the others were overjoyed and immediately nodded vigorously.
"If there is anything to report, please speak; otherwise, the meeting is adjourned."

"what?"

Holding a teacup, Uchiha Gin stared wide-eyed at Uchiha Ryōza, who had come to deliver the message.
"No, they don't know how old I am, why would they make me a knight?"

Putting aside the little girl who chose him, doesn't that white-haired Tobirama Senju know his own situation? How can his old bones withstand such torment?
"Lord Gin, you're now the Uchiha's last hope!"

Seeing Uchiha Gin's indignant expression, Uchiha Ryōza's aged face was full of a mocking smile.
"I'd like to go to his dam!"

Let whoever wants to go through this thankless ordeal go; isn't it better for him to stay at home with his wife, sister-in-law, and a warm bed?
"Are you going to forfeit? That's a real shame. Elder Setsuna said on his way back that if you can keep the title of Tailed Beast Knight in the Uchiha clan, he'll personally reward you with 1 billion ryo."

Whoosh!
Before Uchiha Ryōshi could finish speaking, Uchiha Gin, who had changed into the Uchiha standard robe in the blink of an eye, tucked in his protruding belly, leaned one hand against the threshold, and his handsome face was full of seriousness.

"I only have one question now: when will the trial begin?"

"what?"

"What do you mean by that 'ha'? I'm an elder of the clan, what's wrong with me contributing my remaining energy to the Uchiha clan?"

Uchiha Gin glared angrily at Uchiha Ryuzaki, whose mouth was agape, and shook his head with a pained expression.

When his family is in trouble, how could he, a prisoner, stand idly by?

Furthermore, Uchiha Setsuna only said to leave the name of Tailed Beast Rider to the Uchiha, but did not say that he had to be the one. Wouldn't it be the same if he brought back the Nine-Tails Card and the Driver together?
"Uh, the specific date is undecided. It depends on when Senju Hisa returns the authority of the Tailed Beast Riders back to the village."

"Hey~ I got all excited for nothing."

Upon hearing this, Uchiha Gin's expression fell, and his protruding belly caused the buttons on his clan uniform to pop off.

“Competing with a bunch of teenagers, Xiao Tuantuan really thinks highly of me.”

After handing his clan robes to the grumbling Senju Itama, Uchiha Gin, now dressed in casual clothes, took a sip of tea. The bitterness in his mouth made him unconsciously frown.

The concept of training Tailed Beast Riders from a young age was something he casually mentioned years ago. Little did he know that so many years later, the boomerang he threw back then would hit him squarely on the head.

"Aren't you a professional?"

"A technician who can repair Gundams is necessarily a good pilot?"

Gin glanced at the bewildered Uchiha Ryōza, and said irritably,

The tailed beasts sealed in the cards aren't stupid. Apart from those whose beliefs have earned their approval, which side should they lean towards—the innocent and pure children or the calculating adults? Does the Sage of Six Paths need to teach them again?

He can forcibly enslave Kurama and transform him, but a forced relationship is never sweet. What if he makes Kurama depressed? How will he explain that to his pet owner, Hagoromo Otsutsuki?

"Huh? Wouldn't that just give Hiruzen Sarutobi and his gang an easy win?"

Although Uchiha Ryōzashi didn't shed a tear upon learning the truth, he still felt extremely regretful that he had to hand over the title of Tailed Beast Knight to the Shinobi Alliance.

"Hmph~ It's still uncertain who will ultimately win!"

Uchiha Gin just didn't want to do it. This kind of small trial is easy to manage.

As dusk approached,

After chatting with Uchiha Gin for a while, seeing Senju Itama busy in the kitchen, Uchiha Ryōzachi politely got up to say goodbye.

"Lu Cha, you're in jail now. Goodbye, and I won't see you off. If it weren't for the fact that my family doesn't have the habit of eating dinner, I would definitely invite you to stay for a simple meal."

Without offering any attempt to persuade him to stay, Uchiha Gin saw him to the door. Smelling the aroma of food wafting from the house, Gin's face was filled with regret. "..."

I just have a bit of presbyopia, but my sense of smell is fine.

Having long been accustomed to Uchiha Gin's behavior, Uchiha Ryuzaki didn't say much, and his hunched figure quickly disappeared at the end of the path.
Just as Uchiha Gin was about to go home and enjoy his meal alone, a blue lightning bolt suddenly appeared around him, followed by a beautiful figure landing steadily.

"Curly, come with me."

"do not want!"

Uchiha Gin firmly opposes the illegally operated Flying Thunder God Chauffeur service.

"It concerns the Tailed Beast Riders; you should have already heard about it, right?"

Senju Hisa frowned. Did this guy not want to leave the name of Tailed Beast Rider to the Uchiha?

"I just sent Lü Cha away from prison."

"Since he has already told you, I will make a long story short. I have decided to hand over the Knight System and hope that you can take over. If you really don't want to take over, please find a good home for it for me."

In Tobirama Senju's view, as long as the Tailed Beast Rider system didn't fall into the hands of Danzo and his associates, it would be fine. Looking at the entire list, Gin Uchiha, whom he knew well, was undoubtedly the best person to entrust with it.
"You seem to have a very open mind, but have you considered how the Nine-Tails feels?"
Uchiha Gin curled his lip and looked at Senju Hisama with the same look he gave a scumbag.

"I"

Upon hearing this, her expression tightened.
In fact, Senju Hisama had been intentionally avoiding this question. Her bond with Kurama could be traced back decades, and the shared experiences of the two could fill three days and three nights. She had long regarded that foul-mouthed fox as her best friend.
Because of her deep connection with Kurama, Senju Hisana was able to better understand its yearning for exploring human emotions.
"All good things must come to an end. I just hope that it can end happily."

"Here comes a typical scumbag's quote."

Uchiha Gin stroked his chin and criticized in a serious tone,

"You just think that the beast is old and bald, and it's not fun to masturbate."

As soon as the words were spoken, a violent, savage aura surged into the sky.

Roar!
Seeing the tailed beast chakra emanating from his body, a panicked Senju Hisami immediately pulled out the two Nine-Tails cards he always carried with him.

"I didn't! Kurama, don't listen to his nonsense. I just want you to understand humanity better."

After a long period of calming down, Kurama finally quieted down, reluctantly retrieving its Tailed Beast Card. Senju Hisama wore a look of gritted teeth.

"Hey you curly-haired idiot, can you watch the occasion when you speak?"

Hmph~ I'll teach you to take people flying around so casually again!

Having avenged himself on the devastating defeat of the Thunder God, Uchiha Gin, feeling refreshed, nodded.
"Definitely next time."

"Curly-haired baboon? Are you taking this long to deliver someone?"

"We just saw one off and another one is coming."

Hearing the voice behind him, Uchiha Gin shrugged helplessly, stepped aside, and showed Senju Hisana to Senju Itama, who was holding a spatula.

"Miss Hisana?"

Looking at her eldest niece, who rarely visited this house, Senju Itama blinked in confusion.

"I'll go back for dinner after I get rid of her."

"Miss Hisana rarely comes here, so come in and let's eat and talk."

After glaring fiercely at the ill-mannered Uchiha Gin, Senju Itama stepped forward to welcome his eldest niece into the house.

"Then... I'll take my leave."

at the dinner table,
Senju Hisa picked up a piece of tender pink fish and put it in her mouth; the aroma of the oil instantly filled her taste buds.

It tastes like mom's cooking.

After enjoying the moment with her eyes half-closed, she looked at her sister, who was serving food to Uchiha Gin, with a complex emotion in her eyes.

If I hadn't met this curly-haired guy in the solitary confinement room, would I ever have had the chance to eat this meal filled with the warmth of family?

"Thank you."

"Huh? She's the one who cooked, why are you thanking me?"

Uchiha Gin stared blankly at Senju Hisama, who suddenly clasped her hands together in front of her, and couldn't help but mutter a complaint.

"Do you two still distinguish between yourselves?"

After bowing, Senju Hisajin raised her head, a barely perceptible hint of mockery on her lips.

"Well!"

The moment Senju Itama put a piece of fish in her mouth, her cheeks flushed crimson, her entire face turning bright red.

"What you say makes some sense."

Uchiha Gin nodded thoughtfully, while Senju Itama, blushing, pinched his thigh hard.
"Even food can't shut you up?"

"Huh? Didn't you tell us to talk while we eat?"

Gin Uchiha rubbed his bruised thigh, wincing in pain, completely bewildered by Senju Itama's strong reaction.
Senju Hisa watched her flirtatious sister and brother-in-law with a smile, and suddenly felt that this kind of life wasn't so bad. They didn't seem to feel any restraint in front of her in her current appearance.

"Ugh, white-haired guy, your smile is disgusting."

After catching a glimpse of Senju Hisami's smiling face out of the corner of his eye, Uchiha Gin curled his lip in obvious disdain.

"Curly-haired baboon, you're not allowed to talk to the guests like that!"

After the meal, Senju Hisa watched her younger sister's busy figure in the kitchen, a tender look flashing across her face.
"I've already given instructions to Nine Lamas; they won't make things difficult for you during the trial."

Turning her head, she watched as Uchiha Gin secretly dropped sugar cubes into his tea, and slowly nodded.

While comforting Kurama, Senju Hisajin casually mentioned the trial.
I don't know why, but the Nine-Tails, which usually has a bad temper, became overly docile when it heard that I had asked them to stay with Uchiha Gin for the time being. Maybe this is a sign of maturity!
"Okay, okay, I'll find them new Tomeda chickens!"

Since Senju Hisami has offered her the chance to earn a billion, it would seem rather unromantic for Uchiha Gin not to accept.

"please."

Feeling relieved of her burden, Senju Hisako bid farewell to Senju Itama and then transformed into a Flying Thunder God and disappeared.

"Curly-haired baboon, are you really going to become the Nine-Tailed Knight?"

Senju Itama, wiping her hands with her apron, walked up to him with a curious expression.
In her memory, Uchiha Gin was an extremely unmotivated guy; he would rather sit than stand, and he would rather lie down than move his butt.
Now, he's actually agreeing to Senju Hisama's request to succeed as a Tailed Beast Knight.
"I was just doing this temporarily at someone's request."

Uchiha Gin shook his head; he didn't have time to train dogs, especially not two, one yin and one yang.

Time ticked away,

Konoha Training Ground
“Gin Yuchiha Gin, your letter.”

A voice, neither clearly male nor female, rang in his ears. Lying on the recliner, Uchiha Gin slowly removed his sunglasses, looked at the masked Root member in front of him, and raised an eyebrow slightly.
finally come.

It has been exactly one month since the date Senju Hisako instructed, but according to her, she had already handed over the Tailed Beast Cards and Drivers more than twenty days ago.

During this time, Danzo and his group must have spent a lot of time researching, but it's unknown whether they achieved any results.

"Grandpa Yin, what is this?"

He wasn't the only one who received a letter from Konan of Root. Minato curiously examined the heavy envelope in his hand and couldn't help but ask Uchiha Gin, who had also received one, "..."

"It's a love letter."

Just as Uchiha Gin was about to answer truthfully, he suddenly noticed Kushina craning her neck next to Minato, and his playful nature kicked in, so he immediately changed the subject.
"After all, only handsome people like us can receive things like this."

"what?"

Upon hearing this, the children present all exclaimed in surprise, their eyes gleaming with eager curiosity.

"Really? In terms of looks, Minato should be only half a step behind me, so why does he have love letters while I don't?"

With his hands empty and a look of heartache on his face, Rope Tree lamented the injustice of the world, saying that heaven was jealous of his handsome looks.
"Idiot, why don't you take a piss and look at yourself in the mirror?"

Fugaku wouldn't miss any opportunity to strike Nawaki, delivering a perfectly smooth follow-up blow.

"What right do you have to criticize me? You don't have any either, do you?"

"Me? I have Misaka, that's enough."

Looking at the furious Nawaki, Fugaku gently shook his head, his expression sending chills down one's spine.
"Hey you little blondie, hurry up and open it up!"

Kushina, standing beside Minato, urged him on with a flicker in her eyes, her small fists clenching unconsciously.
"Ah, this isn't a good idea. I just became a genin, and I feel that my career is more important."

Minato, who had mistakenly believed Ginki Uchiha's words, looked conflicted, since the envelope in his hand did indeed have a faint fragrance.
"Minato-kun, you actually believed Gintoki's jokes?"

Shikaku, the only one who was still conscious, couldn't help but complain. He pointed to the Nine-Tailed Beast mark on the front of the envelope.
"If I remember correctly, this should be the logo of the Tailed Beast Management Department."

"what?!"

Upon hearing this, the other children's faces instantly filled with envy, but Kushina's little brows furrowed deeply, probably taking the love letter joke seriously.
Looking at the water gate surrounded by children, she pouted with a hint of jealousy.
"Hey blondie, I didn't expect you to actually have some skills. You even managed to pick up the girls in the Tailed Beast Management Department."

Whoosh~!

"Sorry, I forgot there was another letter, it's for Kushina Uzumaki, right? This is yours."

The dazed little girl, Kushina, arrived and left quickly. Holding a "love letter" just like Minato's, Kushina slowly raised her head, her chubby little face showing an expression that looked like she was about to cry.
"Waaaaah, you little blondie, let me explain!" (End of Chapter)