1. The Man Who Never Changes

Year 27 of Konoha

"Another peaceful day."

On the streets of Konoha, a man with naturally curly black hair strode confidently, as if the world owed him nothing, strolling leisurely under the eaves of roadside shops.

The man had a handsome face, but it was completely ruined by his lifeless, dead-fish-like eyes, giving him an air of someone just begging to be punched.

Despite his slacker appearance, the surrounding townsfolk didn't avoid him. An old man basking in the sun smiled and asked,

"Hey Gin, off on a mission again?"

"Nope, just taking a stroll, giving myself a day off today," Gin—the naturally curly-haired man—replied nonchalantly, coming to a stop.

As if remembering something, Gin fumbled around in his high-collared robe for a while, pulling out a stick-shaped object and tossing it to the old man, taking one for himself as well.

The old man, with a black line forming on his forehead, looked at the lollipop Gin had thrown at him and said,

"At my age, I really can't eat this kind of thing anymore."

"Really? I remember you used to love it," Gin said, glancing sideways at the old man, his lifeless eyes flashing with a hint of emotion.

"Yeah, but that was a long time ago," the old man said with a smile, pocketing the lollipop. "I'll save it for my grandson. He turns one month old tomorrow. I'll invite you to the banquet."

"What, another banquet? How is a Genin's salary supposed to keep up with all this partying? Guess I'll have to catch a few more cats."

Gin scratched his messy, bird's nest-like hair, frustrated.

"Hehe, just make sure you come," the old man chuckled.

"Oh, by the way, have you named your grandson yet? If not, let me help you pick one. How about 'Inutama'(Dog Egg)? It's guaranteed to bring good luck."

The old man stared speechlessly at the eccentric man before him.

"The name's already decided. His name is Minato."

Gin, who had been enthusiastically thinking up baby names, froze upon hearing the name, something flickering through his mind in a moment of dazed nostalgia.

"What's wrong? Don't you like the name?" the old man asked.

Gin suddenly recalled the old man's once brilliant golden hair and relaxed.

"Nothing. Just some old memories coming back to haunt me."

Gin lifted his head, gazing at two very different stone faces carved into the distant mountain, and sighed.

"I have a feeling your grandson is destined for greatness, like he's a reincarnation of the Sage of Six Paths himself. He might even become Hokage one day."

The old man looked puzzled.

"But you haven't even met him yet!"

"I read the stars."

The old man blinked, glancing up at the blazing summer sun.

"Well, those stars sure are bright."

When he turned back, Gin had already vanished.

"Tsk. How many times now? Always leaving without saying goodbye," the old man muttered, shaking his head as he went back to tending his shop.

Meanwhile, Gin continued to wander aimlessly, his dead-fish eyes betraying no interest in anything around him.

"Lord Gin, the clan meeting is about to begin, and yet here you are, still wandering around."

A voice suddenly interrupted him.

A young black-haired man knelt behind Gin, respectfully addressing him.

"The clan head isn't even home. What's the point of having a meeting? Just to listen to those so-called elders blabber on? I'd rather keep wandering," Gin, now revealed as Uchiha Gin, replied dismissively, casually picking at his ear, clearly disinterested in anything important.

The young man who came to notify him, though hesitant, seemed unsurprised by the response.

With a mix of fear and confusion in his eyes, he carefully chose his words,

"Please don't make things difficult for me. I'm just the messenger. Whether you attend or not is up to you, but the grand elder said to remind you: You are still an Uchiha."

With that, the young man disappeared in a flash.

"Boring as ever. Do they really think that with that damned white-haired man gone, they can start plotting? Konoha's murky waters aren't something they can handle. Why fight over a Hokage seat that even dogs wouldn't want? They should just chill with me instead."

Gin rolled his lifeless eyes, staring after the young man.

In the Hokage's office under the mountain, a figure worked through a towering stack of paperwork. The smoke-filled room was suddenly disturbed as someone burst in.

"Hiruzen! I've received reliable information that the Uchiha clan is holding another secret meeting today. I've already got a full report on what they discussed. It's time to act!"

A handsome man in his thirties, with an "X"-shaped scar on his chin, slammed a document onto the desk of the person working.

The man being interrupted raised his head and, somewhat exasperated, tossed the document into a nearby trash can.

"You!!!" the younger man, Danzō, glared furiously, almost choking on his words.

"Danzō, your focus shouldn't be entirely on the Uchiha. The village has finally found peace, and there's still so much to rebuild. We can't afford more internal conflict right now," Hiruzen Sarutobi, the newly appointed Third Hokage, said, puffing on his pipe to calm his old friend.

"They're a naturally evil clan. We can't let our guard down for a second," Danzō spat out, though inwardly, he was thrilled to have found an excuse to act.

"Shhh," Hiruzen shushed, glancing around cautiously at Danzō's words, signaling for him to stop.

Realizing his slip-up, Danzō's expression grew slightly awkward, but he still retorted,

"You're the Hokage now, so what is there to fear?"

"Fear what, exactly?" a lazy voice cut in, interrupting their conversation.

"Fear that curly-haired, dead-fish-eyed bas—ahhh!" Danzō began, only to realize in horror that someone was standing behind him.

"Bas—what?"

"Ba-ba-ba-beautiful man."

Danzō stammered, his face flushed as though recalling something terrifying.

"Oh my, if it isn't little Danzō! Long time no see," Gin said, draping an arm around Danzō's shoulder with a grin.

"So, what've you been up to? Still playing with that 'Root' project of yours? Got any openings? I'm a bit short on cash these days."

Watching Danzō's panicked reaction, Gin patted him on the shoulder, clearly amused.

"Just kidding!"

"Hey, Saru, I'm here to pick up a few D-rank missions. That little Namikaze kid's grandkid is having a party, and I need to scrape up some cash."

Hiruzen, who had been quietly observing, seemed unsurprised.

He pulled out a few mission scrolls from his drawer and handed them to Gin.

"Already prepared for you. But are you sure you don't want to take on something more challenging? With your abilities—"

"Challenging? Nah, I'm just a Genin. Hashirama personally certified me as the No. 1 Genin. You know my skills," Gin chuckled as he flipped through the missions.

"These look perfect. See you guys later. You two enjoy your... bonding time."

As Gin left, Danzō finally exhaled deeply, his face serious.

"Why is he still like this?"

Hiruzen, too, let out a sigh of relief, his eyes showing a deep-seated fear as his expression grew grave.

"He still looks thirty, doesn't he? After all these years, ever since we were kids, he's always been like this."

"Yeah, never changed."

"Could it be... that technique really is that powerful?"

Both men fell into thought.

The technique in question was a mystery, understood by only a few, and they had no way to confirm its true nature.

---

This is just a prologue

The main story is next chapter