Chapter 39: Light and Silver, Grandfather and Grandson

Uchiha Gin, originally intending to flare up in anger, looked at the pitiful-looking Itama Senju and decided it was unnecessary to lose his temper with a child. He crouched down and retrieved the family portrait from the shattered frame.

The image of the happy family of three filled Uchiha Gin with a sense of melancholy. His memories of his original self's childhood were rather hazy, and he had little impression of his parents, but judging by the photograph, his childhood must have been very happy.

"This is why I hate war."

Shaking his head, Uchiha Gin picked up the photo to stand, only to discover another picture tucked away inside the frame.

The original owner had no memory of this. Puzzled, Uchiha Gin pulled out the hidden photograph and examined it closely. The photo featured a boy and a girl, both appearing to be around eight or nine years old.

They stood on either side of a kind-faced old man, who had his hands resting on the children's heads. The happy expressions on the children's faces made it clear that the three were very close.

Uchiha Gin immediately recognized the boy on the left as himself, but he had no memory of the girl. She had black hair reaching her waist, fair skin, and was wearing a blue dress, her face flushed with shyness. The old man had gray, curly hair and a gentle expression; his features bore a striking resemblance to Uchiha Gin's own.

Staring at the photo in his hand, Uchiha Gin desperately scoured the original owner's memories, tracing back to his earliest recollections, but he found nothing regarding the two people in the picture.

Turning the photo over, he found two small characters written on the back:

[Gin] [Hikari]

"Gin" likely referred to himself. If so, "Hikari" must be the girl in the photo.

"Uchiha... Hikari?"

Even after guessing the girl's name, he could find no trace of it in his mind. Frowning, he felt an unsettling realization: the original owner's memory was deeply flawed. Not only were his childhood memories blurry, but the memories of the Uchiha clan massacre six years ago were also fragmented.

Could the original owner have suffered from selective amnesia? Perhaps he had subconsciously suppressed memories that caused him distress, explaining why he had lost the recollections of his parents' sacrifice and the tragedy of the clan grounds.

"I'm sorry..."

Itama Senju, huddled on the bed, saw the shifting expressions on Uchiha Gin's face and instinctively assumed the man was furious. He could tell from the state of the house that Uchiha Gin's parents were likely long gone, and breaking the only family photo must have deepened his sorrow.

"Kid, I have to go out. There is food outside."

Anxious to find answers, Uchiha Gin didn't bother with the boy and hurried out after giving the instruction.

Itama Senju, who had braced himself for "divine retribution" that never came, peeked out cautiously. Seeing that Uchiha Gin had actually left, he let out a long sigh of relief. He crept out wrapped in a blanket and looked at the steaming food left on the table, a strange emotion spreading through his eyes.

As Uchiha Gin walked, he tried to recall people close to his former self, hoping to learn about his childhood from them. He suddenly realized that his memories only involved Uchiha Tajima’s family; all other clansmen seemed to be mere acquaintances. He knew their names, but his experiences with them were nothing more than vague concepts. This realization made his skin crawl.

He reached the clan’s gathering area and looked at the bustling crowd. He was horrified to discover that while he recognized everyone there, he could not recall a single detail of his interactions with them. It was as if a cognitive force simply dictated that he should know these people—and nothing more.

This discovery chilled him to the bone. The air around him felt heavy as lead, leaving his foot suspended in mid-air, unable to take the next step. If the original owner not only had memory gaps but also cognitive distortions, what was the source of it all?

"How can you be sure that what you see is the truth?"

"How do you know that you are truly yourself?"

The two questions the old jailer asked before he lost consciousness in the dungeon suddenly echoed in his mind, hinting at some hidden truth.

Taking a deep breath to calm his restless heart, Uchiha Gin walked toward the residence of Uchiha Tajima, ignoring the cold, exclusionary gazes of the clansmen around him.

He reached the familiar gate and knocked firmly. A moment later, a servant opened the door. Seeing it was Uchiha Gin, the servant let him in without question.

Walking across the creaking wooden floors, Uchiha Gin pondered how to bring up the subject, but he ran into Izuna, who was just coming out of Uchiha Tajima's room.

"Cousin, it’s been a long time since you visited our home. What brings you here today?"

Ever since Uchiha Gin was defeated by Madara, he hadn't stepped foot in Tajima's house once. The family had simply assumed he was too ashamed of losing to a child ten years his junior and had chosen to avoid them.

"I suddenly have some things I’d like to consult with my uncle about." Uchiha Gin explained his intent. "After losing consciousness today, I noticed my ocular power seems to have improved."

Hearing this, Izuna didn't give it much thought. He had his own missions and no spare time to worry about Uchiha Gin's affairs, so he offered a quick greeting and hurried away.

Guided by memory, he arrived at Uchiha Tajima's door and knocked. A few seconds later, Uchiha Tajima's cold voice came from inside: "Who is it?"

"Uncle, I have some things I would like to ask you about," Uchiha Gin replied.

"Creak~"

After a few footsteps, the door opened. Uchiha Tajima shed his cold exterior, his face turning warm. "Ah, Gin. It’s been years; I thought you had forgotten where I lived."

Entering the study, the two sat down facing each other. Uchiha Tajima spoke first: "Gin, you just got out of the hospital. You should be resting at home. What brings you here?"

"Actually, there are some things I wanted to ask you, Uncle," Uchiha Gin said, getting straight to the point.

"Regarding what?" Tajima frowned instinctively.

"I wanted to ask, besides my parents and you, what other relatives do I have?" Uchiha Gin asked after a moment of hesitation, recalling the old man from the photo.

"This..." Uchiha Tajima was momentarily stunned, not expecting such a question. He fell into deep thought, and Uchiha Gin waited patiently.

"Why do you ask?" Tajima countered instead of answering.

"I found a photo of an old man at home. He looked familiar, but I didn't recognize him, so I thought I’d ask you." Uchiha Gin recounted his discovery without showing the photo.

"An old man..." A flash of imperceptible resentment crossed Tajima’s eyes. He spoke in a heavy tone: "Actually, you had a grandfather."

A grandfather? Could the man in the photo be his grandfather?

"However, your grandfather and your father did not get along. They stopped contact a long time ago." Seeing Uchiha Gin’s inquisitive gaze, Tajima continued, "And your grandfather passed away six years ago."

Six years ago again? Uchiha Gin’s heart sank. Furthermore, if Tajima claimed they had stopped contact, how did he explain the photo? The original owner clearly had a close relationship with the man.

"May I ask how my grandfather died?" Uchiha Gin tried to find more clues.

Tajima’s expression darkened, and a visible sense of despair emanated from him. As if remembering something painful, his posture slumped. "He was killed, six years ago, on the night the clan grounds were attacked."