Chapter 41: The Fall of a Genius

Chapter 41: The Fall of a Genius

As Uchiha Gin was pulled into the shadows by the old jailer, he felt a sensation of suffocation. The surroundings were as black as ink, his five senses providing no perception of the outside world, and a sense of helplessness washed over him.

Attempting to activate his Sharingan, Uchiha Gin—his eyes glowing crimson—was surprised to find that he could actually use his ocular power to counteract the encroachment of the surrounding darkness.

As his ocular power increased, his senses were liberated, allowing him to see the old jailer standing opposite him.

"What exactly is your goal?"

Despite receiving help, Uchiha Gin did not dare to be careless, uncertain whether the man was a friend or a foe.

"Hehehe, I have been waiting for you."

A hint of long-suppressed anticipation flickered in the old jailer's pale eyes.

"Once you enter Dungeon No. 0 and find the person waiting for you, you will know everything."

The old jailer's words were cryptic and lacked context. Before Uchiha Gin could ask another question, he felt his body grow light, and in the blink of an eye, he was back in Uchiha Ryuei's office.

Uchiha Ryuei had long since departed. Uchiha Gin looked down at his own reflection, which appeared calm and normal.

Without much hesitation, he reached out to feel around the vase on Uchiha Ryuei's desk. As he rotated the vase once, the bookshelf behind the desk flipped, revealing a dark, deep secret passage before Uchiha Gin's eyes.

It seemed this was the entrance to Dungeon No. 0. Uchiha Gin was now in a position where there was no turning back; all known clues pointed to this dungeon. Whether he could solve the mystery of the original host's memory could only be answered within those depths.

Entering the secret door, he found a switch on the wall. Uchiha Gin tried toggling it, and the secret door flipped back into place; it seemed this was indeed the mechanism.

Taking a deep breath, Uchiha Gin did not dare deactivate his Sharingan. He scanned his surroundings with his crimson eyes, remaining vigilant against sudden danger.

The layout of Dungeon No. 0 was similar to the other dungeons; the dilapidated cells on both sides of the corridor had long been abandoned.

A pungent smell of mold made Uchiha Gin frown, but since Uchiha Ryuei personally oversaw this place, it surely harbored unknown secrets.

As Uchiha Gin ventured deeper, mottled skeletons appeared in the cells on either side. From the irregular bends in the bones of their limbs, it was evident that the prisoners here had undergone extremely cruel torture.

Aside from the remains, Uchiha Gin found nothing else until he reached the final cell, which was closed by an iron door.

Looking at the complex seal formed by various techniques on the door, Uchiha Gin knew he had found it.

Being completely ignorant of sealing techniques, he looked at the door in frustration. If he tried to break it by force, he would inevitably be discovered by whoever came later.

However, he lacked the skills to pick a lock. Just as he was at his wits' end, the familiar voice of the old jailer drifted from the shadows behind him.

"Hehehe, I can take you inside."

"Then I shall trouble you, Senior."

Turning to look at the old jailer, who was wearing a creepy grin, Uchiha Gin did not refuse.

Since the man had been guiding him to this place all along, he clearly intended for him to meet the person imprisoned in the dungeon.

Besides, he was not a significant figure within the clan; there was no reason for this old jailer to go to such lengths for a useless Uchiha with such a poor reputation.

Hearing Uchiha Gin's unhesitating reply, the old jailer acted as if it were expected. He then extended his withered, claw-like hands and pulled Uchiha Gin into the shadows once more.

His physical reflection did not dissipate; instead, it seeped into the cracks of the iron door like a pool of ink, squeezing through completely in moments.

Having experienced the shadow realm once before, Uchiha Gin did not feel much discomfort this time. With a single blink, he had traveled from outside the iron door to the interior of the cell.

The environment inside the cell was not as terrible as Uchiha Gin had imagined. The walls were clean as if new, there was a bookshelf, and simple furniture was all provided. It felt more like a study than a prison.

Beside the bookshelf was a desk, where a figure sat with their back to Uchiha Gin, writing feverishly. Hearing someone's movement, the figure stopped their pen and slowly straightened up.

"You have finally come."

The owner of the voice turned around. He had curly, greyish-white hair, and his deeply wrinkled face was filled with excitement.

One of his eyes was as pale as the old jailer's. His hunched body trembled slightly with agitation upon seeing Uchiha Gin.

"Who are you?"

The old man before him was identical to the one in the photograph he had found at home. Looking at the familiar curly hair and the likeness in his features, Uchiha Gin could vaguely guess the man's identity.

"As I thought... do you not remember?"

Seeing Uchiha Gin's unfamiliar expression, the old man reined in his emotions, wearing a look that suggested things were going exactly as he had anticipated.

"My name is Uchiha Yao."

The old man uttered a strange name. "I have a son named Uchiha Kin."

Uchiha Kin—the father who had died young in the original host's memories. Recalling the gentle, jade-like man from his memories, the identity of the old man before him became clear.

"Are you my grandfather?" Uchiha Gin asked cautiously.

"That's right, my dear grandson."

Uchiha Yao nodded with satisfaction.

"Then why do I have no impression of you at all?"

Since the old man's identity matched his guess perfectly, Uchiha Gin couldn't help but ask.

"That is a long story, but you must remember..." Uchiha Yao shook his head sorrowfully, and then uttered something shocking.

"The culprit responsible for all of this is your uncle, Uchiha Tajima."

"???"

Uchiha Gin felt a headache coming on. In the original host's memories, his maternal uncle, Uchiha Tajima, had been quite caring toward him.

To have his grandfather identify him as the murderer responsible for his memory loss was something he found difficult to accept.

Seeing Uchiha Gin's incredulous expression, Uchiha Yao began to recount the whole story.

"Ten years ago, I was the head of the clan's research department, dedicated to developing the power of the clan's Sharingan."

"Just like that Uchiha Mio?"

Uchiha Gin couldn't help but interject. His grandfather was actually the head of the research department; by modern standards, he would be considered the child of a high-ranking official.

"Hmph! Uchiha Mio, that coward."

Uchiha Yao seemed to look down upon the current head of the research department.

"And that Uchiha En who imprisoned me—they are both my cousins."

He hadn't expected that the two powerful elders currently at the height of the Uchiha clan were actually his relatives. However, from Uchiha Yao's expression, it was clear he had significant conflicts with both of them.

"Let us not waste words on those two traitors."

Uchiha Yao was loath to waste breath on them.

"Everything began on the day my son fell in battle."

When Uchiha Yao mentioned his son, his tone became deeply sorrowful.

Dying for the clan could be considered a supreme honor, but for Uchiha Yao, it was the tragedy of a parent outliving a child, making the elderly man's frame appear even more hunched.

Regarding the sacrifice of Uchiha Kin, there was only a faint trace in Uchiha Gin's mind, as if most of it had been erased.

No matter how hard he tried to recall the details, he could not, and the more he thought, the more his head throbbed, as if pierced by needles.

"My son, Uchiha Kin, was once the clan's number one genius and the strongest contender for the position of Clan Head."

As Uchiha Yao spoke of his son, he could not hide his pride.

His father was the number one genius? Uchiha Gin's brain nearly stalled.

There were very few images of his father in the original host's memories; he only remembered that his father was extremely gentle, completely devoted to his wife at home, and very loving toward him—a top-tier model husband. However, he had little impression of his father's strength.

"Your father awakened his eyes at eight and had the Three-Tomoe Sharingan by twelve, crushing many of his contemporaries. He was a true genius. But..."

Uchiha Yao continued,

"He shouldn't have died! I thought he died on the battlefield, dying for the honor of the clan."

"Was he not?" Uchiha Gin asked with a frown.

***

*Note: Many of the upcoming chapters will involve multiple narrative timelines. What the characters say may be true or false, which might make it a bit difficult to follow. Overall, this arc is about revealing the protagonist's origins. As a novice, I may struggle with the prose; please bear with me. After this, the stage belongs to the protagonist, Uchiha Gin.*

(End of Chapter)