"You're not seriously planning to train by yourself, are you?"
After celebrating with his little cousin, Gin looked at the newly invigorated Madara and raised an eyebrow.
"Where else would I go? The clan's training grounds? Please."
What was he supposed to do there, play tag with a bunch of weaklings?
"Hmm~ How about this: today you spar with Izuna and get some rehab in. Tomorrow, we'll pick a place, and I'll give you some proper training."
Gin tapped his chin thoughtfully. He'd already drafted the perfect script in his head and began assigning roles.
"Got it! Let's go now~"
Izuna lit up with joy at the plan and eagerly urged Madara. He was practically drooling at the opportunity—his brother hadn't eaten in three days. Surely, he'd be too weak to fight back properly.
Izuna: Time for payback! Let's see who gets wrecked now, big bro!
"Just the three of us?"
Though Izuna's not-so-subtle glee was obvious, Madara didn't seem to care. He turned to Gin with a question.
"Not lively enough for you?"
Gin assumed he wanted more company.
"No… isn't that girl coming too?"
Madara shook his head. The girl living with Gin—Uchiha Hikari—remained an enigma. He'd even asked his father about her but only learned that she had once been a top clan asset who'd recently returned from a long absence and was now on recovery leave.
"Oh, you mean Hikari? She's not needed yet. Beat me first, then we'll talk."
So the kid's got his eye on Hikari, huh?
Too bad he's still not there yet. Maybe when he unlocks his Eternal Mangekyō…
"…Fine."
Madara wrinkled his brow slightly. He felt that Gin's methods were unpredictable, but in an all-out match, he didn't see Gin lasting more than a few rounds.
Still, the guy seemed serious. No point in refusing.
"You two go have a sibling bonding session. Izuna's been worried sick. So much so, he hasn't even touched his favorite magazines lately~"
Gin chuckled and waved goodbye, tossing one last grenade over his shoulder as he walked away. If he was going to get lectured at home, there was no way Izuna should escape unscathed.
"Wait, what magazines?!"
Madara's face darkened instantly.
His baby brother… reading that filth?!
Had he been slacking so much that Izuna started dabbling in soul-rotting trash?
He had to act before it was too late!
"A-Ah?! No, that's not—!"
Izuna panicked. Just as he tried to explain, Madara grabbed him by the collar and dragged him off toward the training grounds.
Brothers, we have a traitor in our midst!
—
"Achoo!"
Gin sneezed loudly as he strolled down the clan's main street. The chilly breeze blowing through the shattered door of the patriarch's estate had finally caught up with him. He wiped his nose and chuckled.
That sneeze? A thank-you from Izuna. No need to express gratitude—I got your back, lil' bro~
He had successfully snapped Madara out of his emo spiral, but that was just a temporary fix. Without the Eternal Mangekyō, Madara was just waiting for another beatdown from Hashirama.
In the original timeline, it was implied that the brothers awakened their Mangekyō after killing someone close to them—but Gin couldn't just conjure up a tragedy.
"No matter the obstacle, I won't just sit and wait to lose."
Since he couldn't find a direct solution, Gin decided to investigate who the brothers were emotionally closest to. That might provide a breakthrough.
First stop: the clan leader's office.
He'd vowed never to return, but what choice did he have?
"Uncle~ Who are Madara and Izuna closest to?"
Gin found Tajima mid-paperwork and launched his inquiry, ignoring the man's suspicious glare.
"Madara's feeling better?"
Tajima didn't answer the question. Instead, he asked about Madara's condition.
"C'mon, it's me we're talking about. Of course he's better."
Gin puffed out his chest.
"Heh, figures."
Tajima smirked but didn't elaborate. He returned to his papers, ignoring Gin completely.
"Tch. Fine, be mysterious, see if I care."
Gin stormed out of the building, mentally roasting his uncle for being so smug.
If the top brass wouldn't talk, he'd try the lower ranks. Maybe the boys were involved in some secret romance or workplace drama.
After a few twists and turns, Gin arrived at the barracks where the clan's combat division was stationed.
And before he could even step inside—
"Halt! Restricted area. No unauthorized personnel."
Two unfamiliar guards blocked his path, eyes stern and hands hovering over their weapons. Four crimson Sharingan stared him down.
"Whoa, chill. I'm a civilian."
Gin raised his hands in surrender, flashing a disarming smile.
"I'm family, alright? I'm their cousin."
"Hah! That's the fourth one this week. 'I'm his cousin,' 'I'm his childhood friend'—get lost!"
The guards scoffed. As if they'd believe this clown was related to their noble leaders.
All they knew was that the brothers had an older cousin. Supposedly kind, generous, maybe a bit average in strength—but certainly not this shaggy-haired weirdo.
"C'mon, just let me through~"
Gin was prepared to pester them into submission—or, if that failed, put them under Genjutsu and sneak in.
"Leave now, or I won't hold back!"
One guard's Sharingan spun, and his sword slid halfway out of its sheath.
"Tch. Guess I have no choice…"
Gin sighed and was just about to activate his own eyes when—
"What's all the noise?"
A cool, calm voice called out from inside. A figure appeared at the gate.
"Wait, aren't you…"
The newcomer looked about twenty, tall and handsome with a high ponytail swaying in the wind.
"Yo~ If it isn't my ol' pal Homura! Long time no see!"
Gin recognized him immediately and rushed over. Good—someone who actually knew him. That saved a lot of trouble.
"Gin? What are you doing here?"
It was indeed Uchiha Homura, whom Gin had crossed paths with several times in the past. Since his transfer out of the dungeon, they hadn't spoken in a while.
"Let's chat inside, yeah?"
Gin wrapped an arm around his shoulder and subtly urged him to lead the way somewhere private.
"Captain Homura?"
The two guards were stunned. This ridiculous man actually knew their captain? And was apparently close to the young masters?
Did… did they just screw up big time?
Were they about to be reassigned to toilet duty?
"You did well. Next time, just report it immediately."
Homura reassured the nervous guards, then led Gin inside.
"So, what's this really about? Neither of the young masters is here."
Once they reached a quiet corner, Homura got straight to the point.
"Sigh~ You know how Madara's been acting lately… I'm just a worried big bro, trying to help."
Gin turned on the performance—sorrowful voice, concerned eyes, heartfelt sighs. He could've won an award.
"Yeah… they haven't shown up in days."
Homura nodded. As Madara's personal guard, he was well aware of the current situation.
"So I wanted to ask… do they have any close friends or… special people? Y'know. People they care about. Gender doesn't matter."
Gin tried to sound as casual as possible but added that final note just in case. It was the Uchiha clan, after all. You never knew.
"Uh…"
Homura looked conflicted. He thought back on all his interactions with the brothers and began to recall—
—
"Homura! My cousin is loaded! Look at this gold brick—it's my New Year's money!"
Young Izuna had proudly shown off his half-gold brick to him once.
"Hey, you're Homura, right? You worked in the dungeons? Know a guy named Gin? Since you do, join my guard unit."
Madara's first words to Homura during recruitment.
"My cousin saved my life once! It was when I fought that white-haired Senju punk…"
"Homura, how's the work environment under Gin? Anyone bullying him?"
"Homura…"
—
With those memories swirling in his head, Homura's expression twisted into something strange. He couldn't exactly say what he was thinking… so he chose his words carefully.
"Uh… maybe you should go home and check again?"
(End of Chapter)
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