22. Shocked

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Although curious about the strange behavior of the two Uchiha clan patrolmen earlier, Uchiha Gin didn't have time to dwell on it as the team continued their journey.

As they slowed down, a massive fortress came into view before Gin.

Despite the low level of productivity and living conditions during the Warring States period, the Uchiha clan, being a powerful family, had constructed a castle using finely crafted giant stones.

While it couldn't compare to the concrete walls of the future Hidden Leaf Village, the architecture still carried the distinct style of the era.

The guards at the gate quickly verified their identities and let the group pass.

As they entered the Uchiha clan's territory, Gin noticed clan members of all ages, even children, training.

Some of the children were as young as a few years old, practicing precision with sharpened shuriken, while older members were honing the Uchiha clan's sword techniques.

The sound of metal clashing was constant, and women were not absent from the scene—it was a clan where everyone was a soldier.

Along the way, Gin also observed that the Uchiha gene pool was truly remarkable.

From young to old, male to female, everyone was strikingly good-looking. His self-perceived handsome face appeared utterly ordinary here.

While he was marveling at these things, Gin noticed that all the Uchiha members he encountered were avoiding his gaze.

One woman, upon noticing Gin looking at her and her daughter, quickly pulled the girl inside and shut the door.

"What's going on? Why are people here looking at me like I'm some kind of monster?" Gin scratched his curly hair in confusion. "Was the original owner of this body really that disliked?"

"Uchiha Gin, when we meet the clan leader later, you'll be the one to report on the mission," Uchiha Fuka said as he looked back at Gin.

"Understood, Captain," Gin responded, knowing he couldn't avoid it.

The group arrived at an imposing building at the center of the Uchiha clan grounds. Fuka informed the guards of their intent to report their mission, and after a brief exchange, the doors were opened.

They walked through several corridors before arriving at a room.

When the door was opened, Gin saw a middle-aged man seated in a position of authority, with two older men—one fat and one thin—standing beside him. The three appeared to be discussing something, but they stopped when the group entered.

This was Gin's "first" time seeing his "cheap uncle," the current Uchiha clan leader, Uchiha Tajima. Tajima had the typical tall, spiky hair of the Uchiha and a lean face with deep nasolabial folds. His dark, profound eyes carried a subtle pressure.

As Gin stared at the familiar yet unfamiliar figure of his uncle, the rest of the squad knelt on one knee in greeting.

Gin, momentarily surprised, realized they hadn't warned him about this custom, and now it was too late for him to kneel. He awkwardly remained standing, feeling out of place.

The others kept signaling to him to kneel quickly, but Gin, unaccustomed to such practices, was at a loss.

"It's good you returned alive. You may rise," Uchiha Tajima said coldly.

He didn't seem to mind Gin's failure to kneel, as if it were something he was used to.

"Thank you, Clan Leader!" The others respectfully stood up.

"Fuka, I've always trusted your strength. It's no surprise that you completed the mission first," Tajima said to Fuka with a hint of admiration, indicating a good relationship between the two.

"It's all thanks to your guidance, Clan Leader!" Uchiha Fuka responded smoothly.

"You may now explain the mission," Tajima continued.

At this, Uchiha Fuka remained silent and instead turned his gaze toward Gin.

Taking the hint, Gin stepped forward and gently placed the unconscious Senju Itama in front of him.

"Clan Leader, I'll report on the mission," Gin said.

"Gin, don't cause trouble. The elders are present. Stand back for now. I have another task for you later," Tajima responded, clearly surprised by his nephew.

He knew Gin's capabilities well and had sent him on the mission more to keep him out of trouble rather than expecting him to be of much help. He would have been satisfied if Gin didn't drag the team down.

"Let Uchiha Gin handle the report," Uchiha Fuka interjected.

Hearing this, Tajima grew more curious. He turned to take a closer look at his nephew, someone he hadn't paid much attention to, and said, "Very well, Gin, you may explain your mission."

With Tajima's approval, Gin began recounting the mission, starting with his forceful entry into the Senju clan's territory.

When he mentioned being seriously injured by a Senju warrior, Tajima's eyes flickered with malice.

Hearing how they later witnessed a battle between the Hagoromo and Senju clans, Tajima's expression softened in approval.

When Gin reported that they captured Senju Butsuma's son, Tajima's eyes gleamed, and he glanced at the unconscious boy, deep in thought.

Finally, Gin described how they were pursued by the Uzumaki clan.

"The musclebound man was Uzumaki Ashina's son, and he was incredibly strong. How did you manage to survive?" asked the plump elder Uchiha with great interest.

Interrupted, Gin didn't mind, and Tajima also looked at him expectantly.

"Because, in that moment of desperation, I awakened this." As Gin spoke, he pointed to his eyes, where two tomoe of the Sharingan spun slowly in the crimson irises.

Normally, the awakening of the Sharingan would be a moment of celebration, but as soon as Gin revealed his dual-tomoe Sharingan, the atmosphere in the room suddenly grew tense.

The faces of the two elders, initially calm, darkened as if they were masks changing in a Chinese opera.

Uchiha Tajima, seated in the center, immediately activated his own three-tomoe Sharingan, his gaze locked onto Gin's eyes as his spinning tomoe seemed to want to draw Gin in.

The sudden chill in the room left Gin momentarily speechless, unsure of what to say. After a brief pause, he cautiously asked, "Should I continue?"

"Uchiha Fuka, the rest of you may leave. You have completed your mission flawlessly. Take a few days off and spend time with your families," Tajima interrupted.

Uchiha Fuka and the others, not knowing why the clan leader was so abrupt, quickly excused themselves.

Gin, seeing his comrades leave, also tried to make a quick exit. But just as he was about to slip away, Tajima's cold voice stopped him.

"Gin, you stay. I have some questions for you."

Realizing he couldn't escape, Gin reluctantly put down the Senju boy and stood still, awkwardly waiting for his uncle to speak.

However, Tajima didn't address him immediately. Instead, he turned to the plump elder.

"Elder Hiro, what's going on here?"

"This… shouldn't be possible…" muttered Elder Hiro, one of the Uchiha's oldest elders, looking bewildered.

"Elder Haru, can you explain this?" Tajima asked the thin elder, who had remained silent. Elder Haru didn't answer directly but instead stared intensely at Gin's spinning tomoe with his wrinkled eyes.

Feeling uneasy under the scrutiny, Gin thought to himself, "Was the original owner of this body really so untalented that even a two-tomoe Sharingan is shocking to the elders?"