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

"Could this be the legendary heretical religion?"

Xiu raised an eyebrow slightly as he accepted the gold-trimmed invitation from Uchiha Gin.
"A heretical sect? Such an organization already exists?"

"Yes, I heard from a traveling merchant a while ago that a suspicious organization called the Evil God Cult has appeared in the Land of Hot Springs. Its members do nothing but squat outside the hot spring inns all day recruiting people."

Xiu carefully recalled and described the Great Evil God Cult, which was still in its infancy, as a group of young spiritual men that could be seen everywhere.

Evil cult?
Uchiha Gin stroked his chin. Wasn't that the secret group that trained Hidan?

How could the demon soldiers stationed in the Land of Hot Water be so incompetent? They weren't even instructed to report any suspicious cults appearing in the Land of Hot Water to him immediately?

Who's in charge of the Demon Squad in the Land of Hot Water right now? I'll have to find out who's responsible when we get back.
Thinking of this, Uchiha Gin couldn't help but nod secretly.

Such dereliction of duty must be severely punished by my uncle!

But he didn't know that the person in charge of the Ghost Corps of the Land of Hot Water was none other than his uncle, who had already retired honorably.

"So, Victor was taken away by the heretics?"

After studying the invitation letter repeatedly for a long time, Xiu finally came to a conclusion that was obvious to everyone.
"Perhaps your small temple is too small to accommodate such a great Buddha."

Uchiha Gin nodded thoughtfully. Jigen's side was the orthodox Otsutsuki Shinto cult, and the promised immortality and wealth were by no means unrealistic. It was understandable that a mortal like Victor would be attracted.
"I don't believe he can run that far!"

Xiu gritted his teeth. How dare they betray Sunagakure! He would make Victor and that Jigen pay the price!
"Forget it, let's not waste resources on war in a place like this."

Even he couldn't pinpoint Jigen's whereabouts, let alone Sunagakure. Even if they stumbled upon him by sheer luck, the outcome would be far from good.

"But he possesses the core technology of the Yorha Legion."

"The people who recruited him didn't value his talent in that area."

Seeing Xiu's displeased expression, Uchiha Gin shook his head and picked up the research data that Victor hadn't had time to take with him.

Given Cixian's vision, he certainly wouldn't consider puppets as mere toys. The most likely reason he recruited Victor was to refine his still-developing cloning technology.
No wonder he's been so quiet these past few years, making Uchiha Gin think he'd died somewhere in the shadows. Now it seems that Jigen is probably secretly brewing something big somewhere.

"Hmph! He's lucky. Once I'm done with this busy period, I'll make that traitor pay the price!"

Uchiha Gin shrugged upon hearing this and didn't say anything more. He couldn't very well tell Xiu that the enemy he was facing was aliens, and the fewer people who knew about Jigen, the better.

"It's almost time for me to go home. Please say goodbye to Chiyo and Ebizo for me."

Now that the mystery of Victor's disappearance had been solved, there was no need for Uchiha Gin to stay any longer. He glanced at the slightly darkening sky, raised his hand to greet the indignant Xiu.
"Grandpa Yin, it's so late. Why don't you stay and rest for the night? Your aunt has prepared a room for you."

Recalling Chiyo's secret instructions, Xiu quickly tried to persuade her to stay.

"I'll definitely do it next time!"

blow!
In the blink of an eye, Uchiha Gin performed a miraculous transformation on him.

"Huh? He left without saying goodbye again."

Looking at the empty study, Xiu's face fell.
Oh no, we failed to keep him. Now Auntie is definitely going to punish him.

Sure enough, the ANBU on duty that night saw Xiu, with his face wrapped in a mask, staggering out of the Fengying Building.

Leaf Village

Uchiha Gin-zaku
blow!
A fleeting golden light flashed by, leaving Uchiha Gin, carrying two large fruit baskets, looking up at his warm little nest. A sense of peace washed over him.
Bang bang bang~
"I'm coming!"

The one who opened the door was, as always, the energetic Senju Itama. Upon seeing Uchiha Gin, who had been missing for a whole day, her delicate eyebrows shot up sharply.
"Curly-haired baboon, how come you're only now?"

"Look what this is!"

Having anticipated this question, Uchiha Gin didn't hesitate and immediately shoved the two large baskets of melons into Senju Itama's hands, eliciting a surprised and delighted response from the latter.
"Ah! A melon!"

"You went out all day just to buy this?"

Hikaru, kneeling on the sofa, turned his head away, his eyes filled with scrutiny as he looked at Gin Uchiha.
"It's a bit far, so it took quite a while."

"Wow! It's from Loulan! Wasn't it supposed to be sold out? Curly-haired baboon, where did you get it from?"

Holding a melon, Senju Itama trotted over to Uchiha Gin, his eyes brimming with curiosity.
It's important to understand that due to the trade restrictions imposed by Root, goods from Sunagakure haven't reached Konoha for several months, and the premium melons she possesses are practically priceless.
"Of course they're freshly picked."

Extending a finger to push aside the Senju Itama that was pressed against his side, Uchiha Gin nodded solemnly.

"You went to the Land of Wind?"

Upon hearing this, Uchiha Hikaru frowned, his suspicious gaze almost piercing through Uchiha Gin.
"You went to visit your niece Da Lei again?"

"Cough cough."

Your words are so blunt, are you Xiao An?
"No, I just went to catch up with some old friends in the Shamen prison and also took care of that kid Sakumo's wife."

"Huh?" *2
Upon hearing this, both Hikaru, who had been staring wide-eyed, and Itama, who was frantically eating a melon, were stunned.
Repairing my wife?

Is this still human language?
Seeing the two girls' adorable, stunned expressions, Uchiha Gin smiled and began to recount the story of Hatake Sakumo marrying a foul-mouthed cybernetic wife.
"You mean, that white-haired brat's puppet wife is pregnant?"

Uchiha Hikaru touched his flat stomach, a complicated expression on his face.
These days even puppets can get pregnant, but why can't I get pregnant at all?
"To be precise, Yoruha is a surrogate puppet, and the child in her womb is a clone carrying Sakumo's genes."

"Is technology really that advanced now?"

Senju Itama, who was grabbing a slice of melon and taking a big bite, blinked, her pretty face, covered in juice, clearly showing her utter bewilderment.
"It's just an isolated case."

In the entire YoRHa Legion, only YoRHa is a true Angel Heart puppet, and she is the only one equipped with the cloning device.

"That kid Sakumo actually managed to steal it."

The two women nodded thoughtfully upon hearing this. Who wouldn't want an obedient and submissive cyber partner who could also help have children?

Uchiha Hikari picked up a slice of melon and put it in her mouth. The soft, sweet, and melt-in-your-mouth texture made her squint her eyes.

"When is he planning to come back? The child can't be registered in Sunagakure, can he?"

Suddenly, she remembered Hatake Sakumo's current identity as a spy, and her curiosity was barely concealed.

Registering a household is a big deal. If Sakumo fills in Sunagakure as his son's place of origin, the future Sixth Hokage will be illegitimate.
"It should be soon."

Gin Uchiha had learned from Chiyo that Sakumo Hatake and his two companions had been exposed.
Given her temperament, even if the three didn't leave, at this crucial juncture of a transnational war, Chiyo would have taken the initiative to expel these three spies who had made significant contributions to Sunagakure.
"What about Tsunade?"

"Let me think, she should..."

"Cluck~ Cluck~"

Just then, a series of rapid swallowing sounds interrupted Uchiha Gin's thoughts. Looking up at the two women in front of him, their faces piled high with melon rinds, he suddenly had a feeling that he had been tricked.

"Wait, save me a piece!"

"I feel like I'm about to be exposed."

That night, in the Root's secret base in Sunagakure, Sakumo Hatake frowned as he looked at his companions around him.
After Uchiha Gin left, his old colleague Victor mysteriously disappeared, which he assumed was due to be placed under investigation.

This is undoubtedly Sunagakure purging its own internal traitors; he might be the next one to be investigated.

"You're overthinking it, Shuo Mao."

After listening to his explanation, Orochimaru frowned slightly.
"Such investigations during wartime are not uncommon. The targets are people born in other villages, and it's not that they are deliberately targeting you."

"It's not an overreaction."

Kato Dan, who had been listening quietly, suddenly spoke up, his tattooed face unusually serious.
"Did something happen to you, Dan?" Tsunade looked at Dan Kato with a puzzled expression. He did seem to be preoccupied today.

"I was being followed a while ago, and the other party was probably the Anbu of Sunagakure."

Kato Dan nodded. Ever since he became the leader of three Sunagakure genin, he had felt a pair of eyes constantly watching him, making him restless and unable to eat or sleep.

"What? Then you come here..."

"Don't worry, my counter-surveillance awareness isn't that bad."

Kato Dan, whose face was pale, raised his hand to signal the others not to worry.

"So it seems that Sunagakure has indeed begun to purge spies."

Based on their descriptions, Orochimaru was forced to reach this conclusion, but his expression didn't turn ugly; instead, a charming smile appeared on his face.

"However, this also means that Sunagakure is determined to participate in the war."

"Then our mission is successfully completed?"

Hearing this, Matt Dai's eyes lit up. To be honest, he couldn't wait to take his wife and children back to the village to settle down.

"It seems...that's indeed the case."

The others exchanged glances upon hearing this. Their mission was to infiltrate Sunagakure, gather intelligence, and simultaneously sow discord between the Land of Wind and other nations.
The infiltration was successful.

Sakumo Hatake became the chief technician of an important department in Sunagakure.
Kato Dan became a Jonin, a position requiring extremely high qualifications to lead a team.

Might Guy runs a dojo with close ties to the nobles of the Land of Wind.
Then there's the intelligence, which was naturally delivered to Danzo on time, as it was related to their performance evaluation, and the three of them never dared to neglect it in the slightest.

As for inciting conflict
The three exchanged a knowing glance. They seemed to have never done anything like this before, but the situation was developing exactly as they had hoped.

"It's time to evacuate."

Tsunade stroked her chin thoughtfully for a moment, then uttered a sentence that struck a chord with everyone present: this place was too dry, not good for the skin at all; she didn't want to stay even a day longer.

"Then I'll call headquarters right now and request an evacuation."

Orochimaru nodded in agreement. Since starting live streaming, he had reaped huge profits and become a hidden millionaire, no longer needing to work for Root.

What he most urgently wants to do now is to return to Konoha Village and fulfill his promise to Uchiha Gin to introduce him to a research mentor.

Please! *3
Orochimaru's secret letter quickly reached Root. Looking at the letter's description of Sakumo Hatake and the others' impending exposure, Danzo, sitting in the dim light, felt a flicker of worry in his eyes.
The people lurking outside were not only his capable subordinates, but also his junior disciples from the same lineage. If they were to perish outside, how would he explain it to Qu Feng?
On the other hand, the Akimichi family is the largest customer of Shimura Meat Processing Plant, and he doesn't want to lose an important partner with whom he has cooperated for many years.

"Bring me a pen!"

"Huff, huff."

"Zaemon!"

Hearing the snoring behind him, Danzo, who had just raised his hand to retrieve his pen, had veins bulging on his forehead.
"Huh? Dad, you're off work? Goodbye! Remember to come home for dinner tonight, Mom made your favorite braised pork knuckle."

Awakened by a shout, Shinnosuke sat up, rubbing his eyes, and headed towards the employee exit to leave work.
Give me the pen!

"Hey, really, why are you calling me before I'm off work?"

Shinnosuke, wearing a pig-head mask, pursed his lips, rummaged through his pockets, and pulled out a black ink pen for drawing, handing it to Danzo. Danzo's vision blurred at the sight.
With a livid face, Danzo took the ink pen and wrote a large "Approved" on the application form. Then he looked up at his eldest son, who was picking his nose.

“The reliable talent I asked you to keep an eye out for last time, take it seriously.”

When Rango was away on a mission, Shinnosuke, who took over her duties, seemed unsuitable for the role of her personal assistant. For the sake of his blood pressure, Danzo had no choice but to tearfully replace his son with Rabo-gan.

"I've already made my choice!"

Upon hearing this, Shinnosuke pulled a crumpled document from his pocket. Danzo took it and raised an eyebrow.
"Yakushi Nonou? Isn't that your former teammate?"

"I recommended her because I was her teammate before. Nono is definitely reliable!"

Seeing his son's confident assurances, Danzo couldn't help but purse his lips and put away Nonou's information.

Whether he's reliable or not doesn't really matter. Even if he's bad, can't we still have Shinnosuke?
A few days later,
Outside the gate of Sunagakure Village,

"Ah Qi, take care on your journey, and don't forget to bring me some local specialties from my hometown!"

Xiu, who had come with his wife and children to see him off, looked at Hatake Sakumo, who was fully prepared to depart, and a subtle, inexplicable glint appeared in his eyes.

"Don't worry, I'll stay for a few days and then come back. I mainly want to introduce Yoyo to my family."

Having changed into his travel attire, Hatake Sakumo nodded with a smile. After receiving Danzo's permission, the trio began preparing for their evacuation, and he chose to go home to visit his family as their method of departure.
"The border hasn't been peaceful lately. Don't you really need to recruit a few more squads?"

Xiu's wife looked with worry at a ninja squad not far away, led by a heavily tattooed Jonin.
"It's not far, nothing will happen."

Sakumo Hatake waved his hand, then suddenly noticed someone tugging at his trouser leg. Looking down, he saw Sasori, whose cheeks were puffed out like a hamster's.

Does your cavity still hurt?

"Uncle Qi, remember my gift!"

Scorpion, who had developed cavities from eating too much lemon candy, covered her swollen, red face, her large, watery eyes filled with reluctance.
"How could I forget? But don't forget what you promised me. You must train hard and become the number one puppet master in the ninja world."

"Come on, pinky promise!"

Crouching down to stroke Sasori's soft red hair, Sakumo Hatake's smile inexplicably carried a hint of undisguised bitterness.

"it is good."

The two hands, one big and one small, hooked together, and only then did a satisfied smile appear on Scorpion's little face.
"Uncle Qi, anyone who stands up a promise is a dog!"

"It's time to go!"

The voices of a Jonin ninja squad drifted from afar. Hatake Sakumo stood up, took one last look at the village that held so many unforgettable memories for him, and resolutely embarked on a journey from which he would never return.
"Have they left?"

Xiu pulled his gaze away from the wheel tracks buried in the yellow sand, took a deep breath, and he had a high probability that this parting might be his final farewell to his dearest friend named Aqi.

Just as the Xiu family turned to go back, a round-faced man with a melon-shaped head, leading a horse-drawn carriage, passed by them.

Looking at the retreating main force, now reduced to a tiny dot in the distance, Matt Damon was utterly astonished.
"Wait! We haven't gotten on the bus yet!"

The next day,

Three blood-covered, exhausted genin appeared at the gates of Sunagakure.
"What on earth happened, Maki?"

Inside Feng Ying's office, everyone's faces were gloomy. Butler Old Ma looked at his dazed grandson and asked in a stiff tone,

"We were attacked in the Land of Rivers! Enemies, so many enemies! Teacher, Teacher, to cover our escape, you went to meet them all by yourself!"

Young Maki's face was contorted with pain, and his voice trembled with tears.

Xiu, whose expression was slightly cold, coldly pressed on,
"Where is Ah Qi?"

"He died, killed by a ninja with a full head of silver-gray hair and a white short sword. He slit his throat with one blow."

As if recalling some terrifying scene, Maki's small body began to tremble uncontrollably.
Everyone frowned upon seeing this. How ruthless must the attacker's slash have been to leave such an indelible impression on him?

"Silver-gray hair, short sword, and superb swordsmanship."

Sitting on the throne of the Kazekage, Chiyo's beautiful eyes were half-closed, and her drooping eyelids perfectly concealed the playful look in her eyes. How could I let you make a million dollars and leave so easily?
"As far as I know, there is only one ninja who meets all the above conditions, and that is..." (End of Chapter)