Naruto: The Not Motivated Uchiha

I'm Uchiha Tsume, twelve years old. My father died the year I was born, and my mother's an ordinary housewife. Six years ago, while running errands to support the family, I met a fascinating kid and became close friends.

Hearing her friend's wild accusation, Tsume's small face showed surprise. She looked at Uchiha Gin, hesitant. "Mr. Gin, if you have… intentions, please wait a few years. I'm not—"

"Aargh! This is all your fault, you blabbermouth!" Gin clamped down on the culprit, Tobirama, veins throbbing, fists clenched, ready to teach him a lesson.

"No! Tsume, save me!" Tobirama, familiar with Gin's iron-fist discipline, pleaded to his friend.

But Tsume's gentle face held a cryptic smile, eyes narrowing with a hint of dark aura. "My, my, Tobirama and Mr. Gin are so close," she said, tilting her head, feigning envy. Betraying a friend came at a cost.

No! Never trust an Uchiha! Tobirama despaired, tears of regret falling as his trusted friend turned on him.

"Achoo! Firecore's missing out. I scored some fresh goods," a burly teen in the dungeon muttered, flipping through a heavily censored book.

"Tsume, I'm taking Tobirama home. Visit sometime—I've got candy," Gin said cheerfully, hoisting the frothing Tobirama over his shoulder. Hardworking, sensible Tsume was his dream kid.

A glance at Tobirama confirmed: pure troublemaker.

"Okay, Stalker Gin," Tsume replied.

??? Gin froze. Tsume, shocked, covered her mouth, whispering apologetically, "Oops, slipped out."

Time to bolt. Gin hauled Tobirama home, tossed the "unconscious" kid onto the bed, and left. Tobirama's ears twitched at the door's close, his eyes opening, complex emotions swirling.

In his bedroom, Gin prepped for tomorrow's mission, pulling gear from his system bag. After inventory, he picked three, stowing the rest.

"These should keep me from getting one-shotted, right?" Gin mused, satisfied.

To his left, the first Thornmail; center, Dragon's Claw necklace; right, a later drop, wooden Madman's Armor.

"Shame I can only wear three. Otherwise, I'd be unstoppable," he sighed. System gear capped at three—extras did nothing.

Time to test defense.

Thornmail as inner armor, Madman's Armor over it, Dragon's Claw around his neck. A surge of vital energy from the gear boosted his confidence.

In the backyard, he stretched, finding the gear weightless, no burden at all.

As he warmed up, the air stilled. A familiar portal materialized, spawning a new figure.

New character? Gin raised a brow, watching the NPC, waiting for its move.

The NPC had long black hair, a pale, striking face, and vertical snake-like pupils. Purple eyeshadow gave an eerie, seductive vibe.

First time getting Orochimaru. Gin grinned, wondering what skills he'd snag. His current strength crushed most NPCs, and he craved a real challenge.

Kakashi: ???

Might Guy: Next time, Night Guy.

The spawned Orochimaru stared blankly, like other NPCs, but oddly stood still.

"What, a training dummy?" Gin approached, curious if the NPC was glitched, reaching out.

Just before his finger touched Orochimaru, the NPC twitched, snake eyes sharpening. Gin's heart jolted, and he stepped back.

Frowning at Orochimaru's hand seals, Gin caught a fleeting, sly smile in its eyes.

No time to think—a shadow loomed. Countless venomous snakes surged like a tide.

Formation of Ten Thousand Snakes.

One of Orochimaru's early signature moves. The snake wave, though menacing, was underwhelming to Gin now, but its creep factor was unmatched.

Low damage, high terror.

Testing his gear, Gin braced, shielding his face, holding his breath, and faced the snake tide.

Cold, foul snakes slithered over him, raising goosebumps. Yet, no bites. Peeking, he saw the snakes' fangs couldn't pierce his defense.

Madman's Armor glowed faintly green, enveloping him, blocking every fang.

Relieved, Gin lowered his arms, calmly waiting out the tide.

The ten-minute onslaught ended. As Orochimaru lowered his hands, Gin picked his ear, smirking. "That's it?"

Whether the NPC understood the taunt, Orochimaru raised his hands again, sealing for round two.

"Nope, I'm done!" Grossed out, Gin refused a repeat. He formed a lightning spear crackling with energy, aiming at Orochimaru.

Chidori Stream: Divine Spear.

The spear surged, piercing Orochimaru's chest as he opened his mouth for another snake.

Before the portal reclaimed him, Gin glimpsed a knowing look on Orochimaru's face.

"AI tech's come that far?" This wasn't the first NPC acting oddly. Gin scratched his head, baffled. Are these NPCs running on AI now?

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