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

Locking onto the speaker's aura, Uchiha Gin flashed into view, appearing in the blink of an eye behind a short, furtive figure. He watched with amusement as the person peeked out from behind, and then pulled a lollipop from his bag.

"Hello~ Ticket seller?"

"what!"

The little ticket seller, hiding halfway up the mountain at the pass, was startled by the sudden question behind him. The brand-new shuriken he was clutching clattered and fell to the ground.
"Don't move! I'm asking you, how dare you ask people for tickets in this godforsaken, godforsaken place?"

Uchiha Gin looked at the trembling little girl in front of him, pressed the lollipop against the back of her pink head, and threatened her in a threatening tone.
"The price of one thousand taels was set by the Grand Elder. If you want to complain, go to him. He's just a ticket seller."

Seeing that a seemingly unseen enemy had a "weapon" pointed at her head, the little girl responsible for collecting entrance fees turned ashen-faced.
It hadn't been open for more than half a month, and finally a curly-haired guy who looked like a customer came, but it turned out to be a troublemaker from the scenic area.

"Oh? You actually dare to charge a thousand taels? Do you know how many steamed buns a thousand taels can buy?"

"One hundred!"

Hearing the other party's excited and immediate reply, Uchiha Gin's lips twitched. Is that what I meant?

Slurp~ Slurp~
No, I just mentioned steamed buns, why are you drooling?

With a look of disgust, Uchiha Gin took a small step back and began his interrogation.
"What's your name?"

"Slurp~ Little Cutie."

Knowing she was at someone else's mercy, the pink-haired little girl wiped the drool from the corner of her mouth. To survive, and more importantly, to buy time for her tribesmen in the valley to rescue her, she could only reply with a bitter face.
"What is this place, and why do we have to pay an entrance fee?"

"Hell Valley Hot Spring Resort, and as I just said, the entrance fee was collected by the Grand Elder, it has nothing to do with me!"

Hot spring resort?
Uchiha Gin blinked in confusion, then looked down at the little girl who was busy shifting the blame, only to notice that she was wearing a uniform commonly seen on bathhouse staff.

"Is this really a tourist attraction?"

Feeling a vague sense that he might be bullying the景区 staff, Uchiha Gin softened his tone.

"How could this be fake? Our resort has a legitimate business license!"

The little girl, who called herself Xiaomeng, raised her tiny fist and nodded firmly.

"Then why are you putting up a 'No Entry' sign at the main entrance?"

"You don't even understand this? This is the most popular marketing tactic right now, creating a sense of taboo mystery for tourists, which is how you attract more customers."

Looking at the little girl who was speaking so confidently, Uchiha Gin subconsciously turned around and looked at the gloomy, decaying wooden sign. Only then did he notice a string of tiny, barely visible words in the lower right corner of the sign that read "Entry is strictly prohibited. Violators will be held responsible for the consequences."

[1000 taels for valley entry fee]

"."

What kind of ridiculous marketing tactics are these? No wonder they won't get any customers!

Suppressing the urge to complain, Uchiha Gin slowly withdrew the lollipop he had been pressing against the little girl's head.
"Sorry, I didn't see it clearly."

Since it was a legitimate business, he couldn't continue to be aggressive. As they spoke, Uchiha Gin reached into his pocket and pulled out the smallest denomination bill he always carried, handing it over.

"I'll buy a ticket."

"Ah! Ten thousand taels! I...I don't have change."

The little girl, who had already resigned herself to death, suddenly beamed with joy when she saw a large bill handed to her. But soon, she sadly realized that the few coins she had on her were not enough to make change.

"It's okay, just save the extra money for when you go in and spend it."

"Distinguished guest, welcome to Jigokudani Onsen Resort. Staff member Xiaomeng is at your service!"

The little girl, who had just looked utterly hopeless, instantly perked up after hearing these words and turned around to give Uchiha Bank a standard dogeza (a deep bow).

"Oh~"

Only after the other person raised their obsequious head did Uchiha Gin finally see the true face of this part-time ticket seller, a景区 staff member.
She had short, pink hair that reached her ears, and her round eyes narrowed into beautiful crescent shapes because she had received a rare ticket fee. A captivating red glow emanated from between her eyes.

"Your eyes."

"Oh! I'm sorry, sir, I startled you. My eyes change color when I get excited."

Sensing the question in Uchiha Gin's tone, the little girl kneeling on the ground quickly sat up and rubbed her big, red eyes hard with the back of her hand.
A few seconds later, a pair of large, dark, bright, and moist eyes appeared in front of Uchiha Gin.

"Come on, take me inside and have a look."

Without pressing Xiaomeng about her eyes, Uchiha Gin nodded, signaling for the other to lead the way.

"Okay! Please follow me~"

Upon hearing this, Xiao Meng immediately stood at attention, bowed respectfully to Uchiha Gin, and extended her hand.
This is a big customer who spent ten thousand taels of silver, so we must not neglect him. According to the clan's rules, she can get a full thousand taels of commission, which is a full hundred big white steamed buns!
"Slurp~"

Are you very hungry?

Seeing Xiaomeng start giggling and drooling again for some reason, Uchiha Gin scratched his head and handed her the lollipop he hadn't yet put away.

"Gulp~ According to the rules, we cannot accept things from guests."

Forcibly pulling her gaze away from the tempting candy, Xiaomeng swallowed hard and refused with a serious expression.
"Aren't you a tourist attraction? This is me feeding you."

"Haha, well, there's nothing we can do about that then~"

Xiao Meng, having tacitly accepted this loophole in the rules, happily accepted the lollipop, but instead of immediately tasting it, she carefully tucked it into her bosom.
Why aren't you eating?

"Candy is a rare commodity here. I want to keep it and exchange it for something more important."

When confronted with Uchiha Gin's question, Xiaomeng didn't hide anything and explained frankly.
Are the conditions really that harsh?
Uchiha Gin frowned. The shuriken that Xiaomeng had just thrown was quite valuable; a single one could cost over a thousand.
Can afford to play this game, but can't afford candy?
Can I see your shuriken?

"no problem!"

After accepting the sharp hidden weapon handed to him, Uchiha Gin examined it carefully. It was indeed a high-end product from the Land of Waves, belonging to the category of premium strategic materials.
"Was this issued by your tribe?"

"Huh? Our tribe only gives out steamed buns and eggs. This was a gift from someone else."

Xiaomeng casually stuffed the shuriken that Uchiha Gin had handed back into the faded small bag behind her, shaking her head as she explained.

"Was it a gift from someone?"

"Yes, Yan gave me all these hard toys."

When the person who gave her the shuriken was mentioned, a faint look of disgust appeared on Xiaomeng's face, as if she had seen something dirty.

"Honestly, it would have been better to just give one to them."

One what?
Having not heard what Xiaomeng was muttering, Uchiha Gin stroked his chin and began to fill in the blanks in his mind.
Why did he give you this?

According to the usual plot, this person named Yan should be Xiao Meng's elder, either an older brother or a father, but their relationship seems to be strained, which is likely due to an event similar to trauma from her family of origin.
"That guy wanted to stab me and make me have his child."

"."

A deathly silence erupted between the two. Stunned, Uchiha Gin stared wide-eyed, then suddenly stuck out his little finger and frantically dug at his ear, trying to completely eliminate the culprit that was disturbing his hearing.

"Are you OK?"

Little Meng, who was walking ahead, noticed that Uchiha Gin had stopped in place, frantically picking at his ears, his little face full of confusion.

"Wait a minute, repeat what you just said."

"Are you OK?"

"last sentence."

"Then he wants me to have his child." With her big, innocent eyes blinking, Xiaomeng, who was about 1.35 meters tall and had the build of a second-grade girl, hesitated for a moment before slowly repeating, "..."

"Hello! Is this the copper mill in the Land of Waves? I have a batch of materials that need to be smelted urgently!"

"what?"

"Don't worry, I will clean up this scum of the ninja world very well."

That pervert named Yan has once again shattered Gin Uchiha's understanding of the bottom line. He actually wants a child under ten years old to carry on his family line. Gin must strike hard and rid the people of this scourge.

"Uh, Yan may be a bit arrogant, and I don't like him either, but he doesn't deserve to die, does he?"

Looking at the ferocious-looking Uchiha Gin, Xiaomeng tilted her head, blinked, and asked thoughtfully,

“Child, you are still too kind. A person like him only deserves to repent in the copper smelting furnace.”

Uchiha Gin reached out and stroked Xiaomeng's pink head, his eyes filled with heartache.

"Well... I'm not a child anymore."

"No, although you are very strong, as long as you are under eighteen."

Feeling the warmth emanating from Uchiha Gin's large hand, Xiao Meng squinted her eyes in enjoyment and uttered a shocking truth in her clear childish voice.

I am twenty-eight years old this year.

"."

Upon hearing this unbelievable number, Uchiha Gin's large hand, which was stroking Xiaomeng's head, paused.
"You, twenty-eight?"

Could it be that this child has never left Hell Valley since he was a child, so he has no concept of age?

"Yes, I really am already twenty-eight. You can see my work ID if you don't believe me."

Seeing that Uchiha Gin still had an incredulous expression, Xiaomeng immediately took out a scenic area staff qualification certificate from her bag.

Next to his radiant, youthful face, his birth date was clearly marked. According to the ninja world's calendar, he was indeed twenty-eight years old.

"Are you a dwarf?"

Looking at the adorable little girl who embodied the three elements of soft voice, supple body, and easy to push over, Uchiha Gin could only explain this inexplicable phenomenon from a scientific perspective.

"They just haven't gone through puberty yet!"

A large tic-tac-toe mark instantly appeared on her fair forehead. Little Meng, fuming, was about to jump up and smash Uchiha Gin's knee.
"I never imagined that such a creature actually exists."

Unlike the few nimble, fake lolis in her own home, the one in front of her was a genuine, legal loli, a once-in-a-century occurrence in the entire ninja world.

"You should stay away from that guy named Yan from now on. He's a complete freak."

"Why are you saying the same thing as the Grand Elder?"

"Because we are not perverts."

After chatting with Xiaomeng, this legally-born loli, for the entire journey, Uchiha Gin finally saw a small village with wisps of smoke rising from its chimneys after turning a corner. The village was surrounded by hot springs of varying sizes.
A group of men and women dressed in the same uniforms as Xiaomeng sat around the hot spring, heads down, seemingly doing something.
"Xiao Meng? Weren't you buying tickets? Why did you leave your post?"

In the crowd, a tall, muscular middle-aged man stood up. His face, covered with scars and thick flesh, exuded a fierce aura, making him no exaggeration to call him a gangster boss.

"Elder, a big customer has arrived!"

Unexpectedly, this muscular man who looked like a mafia boss was actually the Grand Elder that Xiao Meng had been talking about all along. Uchiha Gin raised an eyebrow in surprise; he had originally thought the Grand Elder would be a composed old man with white hair and beard.
"A major client?"

The elder, who was over two meters tall, frowned.
"That's right, look!"

To prove she wasn't lying, Xiao Meng quickly pulled out the ten-thousand-tael banknote from her pocket, stood on tiptoe, and held it high in the air.

Where is our honored guest?

The elder's eyes lit up. Hell Valley Resort hadn't been open for a long time, and the tribespeople were barely surviving on bean sprouts every day.

"Hello, are you the resort manager?"

Upon hearing this, Uchiha Gin stepped forward, scrutinizing the elder, who resembled a bandit leader, a strange glint flashing in his dead fish eyes.

An elite Jonin, he's quite capable.

"My name is Takashi, and I am the manager of Jigokudani Resort."

With the distinguished guest in front, the muscular man, who looked fierce like a bear, introduced himself with a warm smile.

"Long? Do you know how to be a slick guy?"

"what?"

"I was just joking, Manager Long, don't take it to heart. What are you all doing?"

Uchiha Gin was just joking; he waved with a smile and then turned to look at the staff members bustling around the hot spring. He noticed that each of them had a small bamboo basket in their hand.
"Hot spring eggs! These are a specialty of our Hell Valley. The Grand Elder takes them out to sell for money every day."

Before Long could speak, Xiao Meng spoke up to explain.

As expected, Uchiha Gin discovered that each small basket was filled with eggs. These soft-boiled eggs, cooked in geothermal hot springs, are said to be rich in minerals, have a smooth and refreshing texture, and a lingering aftertaste; they are one of the famous specialties of the Land of Hot Springs.

"Just some small tricks to make a living."

Long nodded generously, squatted down, took a clean, white egg from the bubbling hot spring, and handed it to Uchiha Gin.

"Please enjoy, guest."

pat!

Uchiha Gin didn't refuse. After prying it open, he took a small bite. The smooth texture was indeed far superior to ordinary boiled eggs. The runny yolk had no fishy smell; instead, it had a faint, pleasant fragrance.

"Great, pack a few boxes for me later, I'll take them home for my family to try."

Seeing that Uchiha Gin had accepted his family's specialty product, Ryu finally broke into a genuine smile.

"It's rare to encounter such a discerning guest, so let me personally receive you! May I ask your name?"

"Just call me Gintoki."

After exchanging names, Ryu, now acting as a tour guide, began leading Gin Uchiha on a tour of the entire resort, explaining the origins of Hell Valley and introducing the resort's long history.

On the surface, Uchiha Gin listened attentively, but secretly he sensed the staff around him who were making hot spring eggs.
It turned out that these people were all of average strength, mostly at the level of genin, and did not seem like elite ninjas who could escape unscathed from the Rain Ninja's encirclement after massacring civilians.

"Elder Master~ Elder Master~"

"What's wrong, Xiaomeng?"

Long frowned slightly, his face full of apology, and nodded to Uchiha Gin beside him.
"Um, I have a candy here, can I trade it with you?"

Xiao Meng grabbed the elder's hand and shook it vigorously, but her coquettish behavior did not soften the elder's heart.

"You're going to switch to that again? I've told you so many times, it's not good to be addicted to that kind of thing."

Seeing the elder's brows furrowing deeper and deeper, Lao Yin couldn't bear it any longer. How bad could something a child would exchange for with precious candy be?
"Manager Long, please give it to Xiaomeng. She's a kind and innocent girl."

Seeing Uchiha Gin speak up for her, Xiao Meng instantly gained confidence and immediately held up her two yellowed fingers in front of the helpless-looking elder, looking extremely eager.

"Just one, and I'll definitely quit after this one!" (End of Chapter)