บท 39: 39. Relatives?
Uchiha Gin, who initially intended to lose his temper, looked at the pitiful Senju Itama and realized it wasn't worth getting angry at a kid.
He squatted down, picked up the shattered family photo from the broken frame, and held it in his hands.
The happy scene of a family of three made Uchiha Gin feel a wave of emotion.
The original owner's childhood memories were vague, and the impression of his parents was not strong. But just from the photograph, it seemed like his childhood was filled with happiness.
"This is why I hate war," he muttered.
Shaking his head, Uchiha Gin was about to stand up with the photo when he noticed another picture tucked inside the frame.
Curious, since the original owner had no recollection of this photo, Uchiha Gin pulled out the hidden photograph and examined it closely.
It was a picture of two children, a boy and a girl, probably around eight or nine years old. The two stood on either side of an elderly man who looked incredibly kind. The old man was resting his hands on their heads, and the smiles on the children's faces showed just how close they were.
Uchiha Gin instantly recognized the boy as the original owner, himself. However, he had no recollection of the girl.
The girl had long, waist-length black hair, fair skin, and wore a blue dress. Her face was slightly flushed with shyness.
The elderly man had gray, curly hair and a kind look in his eyes. His features bore a striking resemblance to Uchiha Gin's.
Staring at the photo, Uchiha Gin searched through the original owner's memories, trying to recall anything about these two people. But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't find any trace of them.
Flipping the photo over, Uchiha Gin found two small characters written on the back:
"Gin" and "Hikari".
"Gin" obviously referred to Uchiha Gin, the original owner. As for "Hikari," it likely referred to the girl in the photo.
"Uchiha... Hikari?"
Despite guessing the girl's name, Uchiha Gin found no memory of it in the original owner's mind.
Frowning, he began to suspect that there was a significant gap in the original owner's memory. Not only were his childhood memories vague, but the memories of the Uchiha massacre six years ago were also fragmented.
Could the original owner have had selective amnesia?
Perhaps he had subconsciously forgotten painful memories, leading to the loss of recollections from around the time of his parents' death and the massacre.
"I'm sorry..." Itama, who was curled up on the bed, saw the change in Uchiha Gin's expression after picking up the photo and assumed he was furious.
From what Itama had observed in Uchiha Gin's house, he suspected that Gin's parents were no longer alive.
Breaking the only family photo seemed to have deepened Uchiha Gin's grief.
"Kid, I need to go out for a bit. There's food on the table."
Eager to find answers, Uchiha Gin didn't bother to scold the child. After giving a quick instruction, he hurried out the door.
Itama, who had been bracing for Uchiha Gin's "justified punishment," cautiously peeked out from under the covers.
Seeing that Gin had left without punishing him, he let out a long sigh of relief.
Wrapping himself in the blanket, he tiptoed out of bed.
When he saw the steaming food left on the table, a complex emotion stirred in his eyes.
Walking down the street, Uchiha Gin tried to recall anyone the original owner had been particularly close to, hoping to learn more about his childhood from them.
Suddenly, he realized that the only family he had been close to was Uchiha Tajima's family. As for the other clan members, they seemed like mere acquaintances.
He could recall their names, but any memories of interacting with them were just vague impressions. This realization sent chills down his spine.
As he approached the Uchiha clan's gathering area, Uchiha Gin was horrified to discover that he seemed to recognize everyone there, but couldn't remember any details of his interactions with them. It felt as if he had only a superficial knowledge of the people he was supposed to know.
This revelation left Uchiha Gin feeling uneasy, as if the air around him had thickened with lead. He found himself unable to take another step.
The original owner's memory wasn't just incomplete—it seemed his entire perception was off. What was the source of all this?
"How can you be sure what you see is real?"
"How do you know that you are truly yourself?"
Suddenly, Uchiha Gin recalled the two cryptic questions the old jailer had asked him right before he lost consciousness. There seemed to be some hidden meaning in those words.
Taking a deep breath to calm his restless heart, Uchiha Gin ignored the disdainful looks from the surrounding Uchiha clan members and headed toward Uchiha Tajima's residence.
Standing before the familiar door, Uchiha Gin knocked forcefully.
After a moment, a servant opened the door. Recognizing Uchiha Gin, the servant let him in without asking any questions.
Walking on the creaky wooden floor, Uchiha Gin pondered how to broach the topic. Just then, he encountered Uchiha Izuna, who had just come out of Uchiha Tajima's room.
"Cousin, you haven't visited in a long time. What brings you here today?"
Ever since Uchiha Gin was defeated by Madara, he hadn't stepped foot in Uchiha Tajima's house. Uchiha Tajima's family assumed he had avoided them out of embarrassment.
"I've got some questions for Uncle," Uchiha Gin explained. "After fainting today, I felt my eye power had somehow increased."
Hearing this, Uchiha Izuna didn't think much of it. He was too busy with his own tasks to pay much attention to Uchiha Gin. After a brief exchange, he quickly left.
Guided by his memory, Uchiha Gin arrived at Uchiha Tajima's door and knocked lightly.
Seconds later, Uchiha Tajima's cold voice came from inside.
"Who is it?"
"Uncle, I have some questions I'd like to ask you," Uchiha Gin replied.
Creak— The door opened after a few footsteps, and Uchiha Tajima's stern expression softened as he said warmly, "Oh, it's Gin. It's been years since you last came. I thought you'd forgotten where I live."
Once inside Uchiha Tajima's study, the two sat facing each other. Uchiha Tajima was the first to speak.
"Gin, you've just been discharged from the hospital. Why aren't you resting at home? What brings you here?"
"I actually came to ask you something, Uncle," Uchiha Gin said directly.
"About what?"
Hearing that Uchiha Gin had a question, Uchiha Tajima instinctively furrowed his brows.
"I just wanted to know, besides my parents and you, do I have any other relatives?"
Thinking of the elderly man who resembled him in the photo, Uchiha Gin carefully phrased his question.
"This question..."
Uchiha Tajima was momentarily at a loss for words, not expecting Gin to ask about this.
As he fell into a thoughtful silence, Uchiha Gin patiently waited.
"Why do you ask?" Uchiha Tajima eventually asked instead of answering.
"I found a photo of an elderly man at home. He looks familiar, but I don't recognize him, so I thought I'd ask you."
After a moment of consideration, Uchiha Gin decided to share his discovery but refrained from showing the photo.
"An elderly man...?" A trace of hatred flickered in Uchiha Tajima's eyes before he replied with a heavy tone, "Actually, you do have a grandfather."
A grandfather? Could the elderly man in the photo be his grandfather?
"But your father and your grandfather didn't get along. They lost contact a long time ago."
Seeing Uchiha Gin's inquisitive gaze, Uchiha Tajima continued, "And your grandfather passed away six years ago."
Six years ago again? Uchiha Gin's heart skipped a beat.
Uchiha Tajima claimed his grandfather had long since cut ties with their family, so how could the photo suggest otherwise? Clearly, the original owner had some sort of relationship with his grandfather.
"Can I ask how my grandfather passed away?" Uchiha Gin probed for more clues.
Uchiha Tajima's expression darkened, and a visible sadness seemed to overwhelm him.
His posture even slumped as if recalling something painful.
"He was murdered, on the night of the Uchiha clan's massacre six years ago."
--
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