41. Fall Of A Genius

Uchiha Gin felt suffocated as the old jailer dragged him into the shadows. Everything around him was pitch black, like ink. His senses were completely cut off from the outside world, and a sense of helplessness flooded in.

He tried activating his Sharingan, and to his surprise, the red glow from his eyes pushed back the surrounding darkness.

With the increased power of his eyes, his senses were restored, and he could make out the figure of the old jailer standing before him.

"What exactly do you want?"

Even though the jailer had helped him, Uchiha Gin couldn't be careless, unsure whether the man was friend or foe.

"Heh heh heh, I've been waiting for you."

The old jailer's milky-white eyes betrayed a long-repressed anticipation.

"When you enter Cell Zero and find the one waiting for you, everything will become clear."

His words were cryptic, and before Uchiha Gin could ask more, he felt his body lighten. In the blink of an eye, he was back in Uchiha Ryuei's office.

By then, Uchiha Ryuei had already left. Gin looked down at his calm reflection.

Without hesitation, he reached for the vase on Ryuei's desk.

As the vase rotated, the bookshelf behind the desk shifted, revealing a dim, narrow passageway.

This must be the entrance to Cell Zero. Gin realized he was in too deep to back out now. All the clues pointed to this place. If he was to uncover the mystery of his lost memories, the answer lay within this dungeon.

He stepped into the passageway and found a switch on the wall. As he flipped it, the door closed behind him. Taking a deep breath, Gin kept his Sharingan activated, its red glow scanning the surroundings, ready for any unexpected danger.

The layout of Cell Zero was similar to the other dungeons, with decaying prison cells lining the hallway. The air was thick with the stench of mold, making Gin wrinkle his nose in disgust.

Given that Uchiha Ryuei was personally overseeing this place, it was clear there were dark secrets hidden here.

As Gin ventured deeper, skeletal remains appeared in the cells, their twisted limbs revealing that the prisoners had endured brutal torture.

Aside from the corpses, Gin found nothing else until he reached the last cell, secured by an iron door. The intricate seals on the door indicated that he had found the right place.

Gin stared at the seals, frustrated. He had no skill in breaking seals, and if he used force to open the door, it would undoubtedly be discovered. However, he also lacked the technical skill to unlock it quietly.

Just as he was at a loss, the familiar voice of the old jailer emerged from his shadow.

"Heh heh heh, I can take you inside."

"Then I'll leave it to you, senior," Gin said, turning to the eerie jailer with a cautious yet resolute look.

The old jailer smiled eerily, as if he had expected no hesitation.

He extended his withered, claw-like hands and pulled Gin into the shadows once again.

This time, Gin was more accustomed to the sensation. His body slipped into his own shadow, which oozed through the gaps in the iron door like ink, until he was completely inside.

Unlike the grim image Gin had imagined, the cell's interior was surprisingly clean. The walls were pristine, and there was a bookshelf along with simple but functional furniture, making it look more like a study than a prison cell.

Next to the bookshelf, someone sat at a desk, scribbling furiously. Upon hearing Gin's arrival, the figure stopped writing, slowly rising to turn around.

"So, you've finally come."

The figure turned, revealing an old man with gray, curly hair. His deeply lined face was filled with excitement. One of his eyes was clouded like the old jailer's, and his frail body trembled slightly when he saw Gin.

"Who are you?"

Looking at the old man, who was identical to the one in the photograph he had found at home, Gin began to suspect the man's identity.

"Have you truly forgotten?" The old man sighed as he noted Gin's confused expression.

"My name is Uchiha Igaku," the man introduced himself. "I had a son. His name was Uchiha Shinzo."

Uchiha Shinzo. The name of Gin's father, who had died young. As Gin recalled the gentle man from his faint memories, the identity of the old man before him became clear.

"Are you... my grandfather?" Gin asked cautiously.

"Yes, my dear grandson," Igaku replied, nodding with satisfaction.

"Then why don't I remember anything about you?"

Gin had no reason to doubt Igaku's identity, but he couldn't help but ask. He had no memory of ever meeting his grandfather.

"That's a long story," Yao said with a rueful shake of his head. Then, to Gin's shock, he continued, "But you must understand... the one responsible for all of this is your uncle, Uchiha Tajima."

"?!"

Gin's head began to hurt. His uncle, Uchiha Tajima, who had always seemed to care for him, was the one responsible for erasing his memories? The thought was difficult to process.

Seeing Gin's disbelief, Igaku began to explain the entire story.

"Many years ago, I was the head of the clan's research department, dedicated to unlocking the true potential of our clan's Sharingan."

"Like Uchiha Haru?" Gin interrupted, surprised. His grandfather had once led the research department, a position of great influence.

"Hmph, Uchiha Haru... that coward," Igaku scoffed, clearly holding the current head of the department in disdain. "And Uchiha Hiro, the one who imprisoned me, they're both my cousins."

Gin was stunned. The two most powerful elders of the Uchiha clan were his relatives, but the bitterness in Igaku's voice made it clear that there was deep animosity between them.

"But we'll talk about those traitors later," Igaku dismissed them with a wave of his hand. "The real beginning of all this was the day my son died."

Igaku's voice grew heavy with sorrow as he mentioned his son.

Though dying for the clan was considered an honor, for Igaku, the loss of his son was a heartbreaking tragedy, making the old man seem even more bent under the weight of his grief.

Gin had only faint recollections of Uchiha Shinzo's death, as though someone had erased most of it from his memory. The more he tried to remember, the more his head hurt, as if needles were piercing his brain.

"My son, Uchiha Shinzo, was once the greatest genius of our clan, the strongest contender for the position of clan leader," Igaku continued, pride swelling in his voice as he spoke of his son.

Gin's mind nearly short-circuited at the revelation.

His father had been the clan's greatest genius? He barely remembered anything about his father's abilities, only recalling his gentle nature.

"Your father awakened his Sharingan at eight years old, and by the age of twelve, he had reached the three-tomoe stage, crushing all the ninja of his generation. A true genius," Yao said, unable to hide his pride. "But he wasn't meant to die! I thought he had fallen honorably in battle for the clan."

"Was that not the case?" Gin asked, his brow furrowed.

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