Konoha: The thirty-year-old Uchiha lacks motivation.

Chapter 34: Too Honesty Leads to the Extinction of the Clan

For the next hour, Uchiha Ryuzaki recounted incessantly the various crimes of "Uchiha Gin".

From small things like not paying for meals, peeping at widows while they bathe, to stealing children's snacks.

He would drag a teenage girl who was walking alone into a grove of trees in the middle of the night, make love to her boyfriend in front of her, and then kill them both to silence them.

The other party's parents complained to the clan, but he detained them and eventually sent them to be reunited with their family. After the matter was over, he made a boastful statement that "a family should be together."

There are countless similar cases. Uchiha Gin's crimes were passed down by word of mouth within the clan, and later even became common knowledge.

Ordinary clansmen feared him like a tiger and turned pale at the mere mention of his name, while powerful clansmen hated him to the bone. If it weren't for his status, they would have long ago acted on behalf of Heaven to rid the people of this scourge.

"???"

None of these crimes appeared in the original owner's memories.

The original owner of this body had a rather withdrawn personality, especially after experiencing the tragedy, and rarely interacted with her clansmen.

She had to manage her daily life on her own. The few times she provoked the other party were when the other party brought up the topic of survivors of the tragedy, which led to the conflict between them.

There is no "brother" in the martial arts world, but his legend is everywhere.

"Did you see all of this with your own eyes?"

Uchiha Gin couldn't help but interrupt Uchiha Ryuzaki, who was still listing his crimes.

"Uh, no, not at all."

After pausing to think for a moment, Uchiha Lucha scratched the back of his head and said uncertainly.

"Then why does it sound so true?"

"I don't know who said it first, but then everyone seems to start saying the same thing, 'Uchiha Gin, you've done all these things.'"

Uchiha Ryuzaki, somewhat confused himself, suddenly began to doubt himself, wondering when he had come up with this characterization of Uchiha Gin in his mind.

People are believing things they never did. Is someone deliberately spreading rumors, or...?

Uchiha Gin suddenly had many doubts about the original owner's experience. Why was he accused of a crime on trumped-up charges?

Who is the culprit who ruined the original owner's reputation and isolated him, and why did they do such a thing?

These questions lingered in Uchiha Gin's mind, making him somewhat uneasy. Why target the original owner of this body, who was so weak?

Is it simply that he resents the fact that he is the only survivor?

The survivor guilt argument

This famous theory flashed through Gin Uchiha's mind.

The survivor guilt theory refers to the fact that survivors of a disaster or crime face harsher public criticism and immense social and moral pressure.

The reason why the original owner became withdrawn and ignored these unfounded rumors may be the so-called "survivor bias".

The original owner, who survived that tragedy, often felt a sense of guilt or remorse towards his people. This feeling led him to choose silence when faced with numerous rumors that were detrimental to him.

But silence is tantamount to admission.

From then on, the original owner's persona was established among all the clansmen who were unaware of the truth.

At this point, rumors become conflated with reality, making it impossible for people to distinguish between truth and falsehood, leaving them with no choice but to parrot what others say.

"Lord Yin, that's all I know."

Lost in thought, Uchiha Gin didn't really listen to the second half of Uchiha Ryusei's narration, but he knew that the general content was probably still about various negative news about the original owner.

"Alright, thank you, Brother Lü. I love hearing the truth."

Since Uchiha Gin knew that the original owner of this body had not done these heinous things, he naturally had no grudge against Uchiha Ryuza's words.

"Then I'll go and get busy."

Uchiha Lucha was getting thirsty from talking so much, and before the other party got angry, he prepared to make a run for it.

"Yes, let's have tea together sometime."

Uchiha Gin, whose mind was no longer on the matter, nodded, signaling the other person to go about their business.

After leaving the house, Uchiha Roza leaned against the wall, almost losing his balance, his entire body soaked in sweat.

"I've said so much, and he's not even angry. He's nothing like the legends say."

He shook his head; these were not things a lowly jailer like himself should concern himself with.

Today, Uchiha Tetsudan submitted his transfer application and now he needs to go back and rest. He also has to keep watch alone tonight.

Putting aside the original owner's "injustice" for the time being, Uchiha Gin decided to first go see the so-called old prison guard and see if he could get more accurate information from him.

Dungeon Number Three is where petty thieves and criminals are imprisoned.

They'll be released after a short period of ten days to half a month, or at most a year.

Some were members of the Uchiha clan, while others were wandering ninjas. The common characteristics of these people were that they were not strong and were rather timid.

The guards of Dungeon Number Three were two young Uchiha clan members, around ten years old. Their youthful faces bore a seriousness that was incongruous with their age.

As Uchiha Gin approached, one of the thin boys spoke up.

"Prison is a restricted area; unauthorized personnel are not permitted to enter."

"You don't know who I am?"

Seeing that the boy seemed not to recognize him, Uchiha Gin couldn't help but ask.

"No matter who you are, you are not allowed to take a single step forward without an order from your superior."

The boy, with a businesslike expression, stood guard at the door, preventing Uchiha Gin from getting close.

The superior he mentioned was the former Uchiha Ryukage, who, as the acting manager, should be considered the uncrowned king of this dungeon.

"I am the newly appointed archivist, and I am now going to dungeon number three to verify the prisoners' information."

Uchiha Gin didn't want to get entangled with the other party any longer, so he directly revealed his identity.

"Since you're the archivist, you may go in."

Upon learning that Uchiha Gin was an archivist who had come to verify information, the boy immediately made way for him.

"You idiot Firecore, how could you trust a stranger so easily!"

Another young Uchiha saw his companion easily let a stranger in and quickly tried to stop him.

"But he said he was an archivist!"

The boy named Uchiha Hikaru scratched his head in confusion and said to his teammate with a troubled expression.

"I, Uchiha Jiro, will not be easily fooled by someone like you!"

The other Uchiha boy had a simple, square face, and his clear eyes revealed a familiar kind of foolishness.

"Your name is Uchiha Jiro. Is your older brother Uchiha Taro?"

Seeing that the boy looked increasingly familiar, Uchiha Gin spoke up.

How did you know?

The other person actually mentioned his brother, whom he hadn't seen for a long time, so Uchiha Jiro asked instinctively.

"I'm your brother's teammate from the mission, and I just got back a few days ago."

Uchiha Gin resorted to social niceties and reasoning, let's see how this kid handles it.

"Oh dear, you should have said you were my brother's friend! Please come in!"

Most Uchiha kids are honest and straightforward, no wonder they were tricked and their clan was wiped out.

"Then thank you, Brother Erlang."

Seeing that his plan had succeeded, Uchiha Gin first thanked the still-smiling Uchiha Jiro with a beaming smile, then turned to the sulking, thin boy beside him and said...

"Thank you too, Firecore Bro, right?"

He turned his head in confusion, initially sulking.

How do you know my name?

After bidding farewell to the two Uchiha boys, he walked deeper into the prison.

Dungeon No. 3 clearly had more prisoners than the other two dungeons, but most of the prisoners looked indifferent, and some were even chatting and bragging.

It seems the punishment for the crime was not severe, so there was no strong resistance, which is why his Heart Steel Treasure Chest was not triggered.

After searching in vain, Uchiha Gin almost suspected that Uchiha Ryōshō had made up an old jailer to fool him. Just then, he suddenly saw an open cell.

Upon closer inspection, a hunched figure was seen cleaning the cell floor with a mop.

Seeing that the figure was wearing the high-collared combat uniform common to the Uchiha clan, Uchiha Gin greeted him.

"Hello, may I ask you something?"

He had only spoken half a sentence when the hunched figure turned around.

In the dim light of the corridor, an aged face appeared before Uchiha Gin.

The old man's face was covered in wrinkles, as if time had left clear marks on him.

What is most striking is that the pupils of both his eyes are grayish-white, and his hands holding the mop are like withered chicken claws, devoid of any color.

Startled by the other person's appearance, Uchiha Gin swallowed the words he was about to say.

A glint of black light flashed in the old man's gray eyes, and a hoarse, eerie laugh, like that of a crow, came from his withered mouth. His words made Uchiha Gin's heart tighten.

"Hehehehe, you've finally arrived."

(End of this chapter)