"Pfft! I treated you like a real little brother, and you call me cousin?!"
Gin grumbled as he watched his "little cousin" vanish into the light screen. He tapped the notification to learn the jutsu the guy had dropped.
"Learning Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu... Skill already acquired. Auto-adapting to mastery +1 (1 mastery = 1% damage)."
With the system's familiar chime, Gin's face eased slightly.
One percent more damage was still meat on the bones—even if it was mosquito-sized.
He dusted off his clothes as the system reset his body to optimal condition. The yard was still full of smoke and ash—thanks to his cousin's overeager fireballs. Sure, the kid had energy... but zero technique. Getting old really was a downgrade.
"Ha~ what a perfect day for a nap~"
Gin hummed some nonsense tune as he strolled toward the house. It wasn't his fault he was this lazy—entertainment options in the Warring States Era were practically nonexistent.
No TV, no internet, not even decent manga or novels. So his life had narrowed down to two things: daily training and sleeping. Even when big cousin went out fighting the Senju with fiery passion, Gin didn't bat an eye.
It's not like Madara would die. And little cousin? With all the gear Gin had given him, that guy probably had a longer lifespan than Madara himself.
Gin smirked at the memory of the spiky armor and the oversized tank plating he'd gifted at Izuna's coming-of-age. With those two items on, even a Hiraishin slash would just get dulled.
"Shame big cousin's too proud. He said the armor was ugly. Wanted something fancier. Typical."
Gin sighed. What a waste of good defense. Let him suffer for fashion.
"Who's there?"
Just as he was about to step inside, his ultra-sensitive perception flared up. Someone was nearby—concealed.
His eyes narrowed as he looked toward the forest's edge.
Sshhh...
A tall figure stepped slowly out from the trees.
No wonder I didn't sense her until now. It's her.
"You again?"
Gin sighed, rubbing his forehead.
Did teleportation get that fast already? She was just here last month!
"What, not happy to see me, Gin-sama?"
The woman's soft voice was tinged with feigned hurt. Her dark eyes shimmered with a misty sheen, her small lips slightly pursed, practically oozing pitiful charm.
"It's not that I'm unhappy... I'm just wondering—aren't clan leaders supposed to be busy?"
Gin opened the door and waved her in, his gaze sweeping—ever so discreetly—over her curvy waist.
"Ara? I've got Shadow Clones, remember? You taught me that."
She smiled as she glided inside with the confidence of someone who knew she belonged.
"Ah~ it's so nice here! My office is way too stuffy!"
She kicked off her sandals and flopped onto the couch, stretching out with a groan of satisfaction.
Her long, fair legs swung idly off the edge. Living by the sea had given her an almost glowing complexion. Her toes curled delicately like plump silkworms. It was a divine trap.
"Let me guess—you came to ask about another jutsu?"
Gin tried to focus on the twin buns atop her head instead of... other twin assets.
"Can't I just come to visit? Human trafficker-sama~?"
She smirked at him playfully, propping herself up on her elbows. The motion caused her ample... charm... to bounce slightly, and Gin was momentarily unsure which pair of round things to look at.
"Ahem... well, the world's kind of in chaos right now. You should be careful."
He quickly averted his gaze and stared up at the chandelier like it was the most fascinating thing in the world.
"Oh? So you do care about me, huh~?"
She leaned in closer, her voice dripping with playful menace.
"Of course I do."
Gin said it dead serious. No joking. Totally sincere.
After all, if she kicked the bucket, all the gold he'd invested in Uzushio would go down the drain.
"Then I won't go back!"
She flopped onto her back, laughing. Her obsidian eyes locked onto Gin's lifeless fish eyes.
"Oi, don't say that! Your clan still needs you!"
Gin jumped up, suddenly panicked. If she quit leadership, his entire stock portfolio was going to implode.
"Hmph! Isn't Hanadō still around?"
She pouted, lips pushed out far enough to hang three salted fish. Clearly, she was not in the mood to work.
"Come on, that muscle-brained pretty boy? He'd count the enemy's money for them if they robbed him."
Gin rolled his eyes. Leaving Uzushio to that dude was like handing your bank account to a golden retriever.
"Ugh! I don't wanna work! I hate responsibilities!"
She whined like a spoiled child, lightly kicking at Gin with her delicate feet. Her beautiful face was scrunched with the anguish of all corporate drones.
"C'mon now, you're the clan head. Gotta have some dignity."
Gin endured the soft kicks, trying his best to be the voice of reason.
"You're so heartless!"
She looked at him with watery puppy eyes, lower lip quivering.
"I gave up my alliance with the Senju just for you!"
"Hold up! You turned down a marriage proposal, not a whole alliance! Aren't your two clans supposed to be an 'unbreakable millennial pact' or something?"
Gin grabbed her swinging foot and gave her a deadpan look.
"In my heart, it's the same!"
She pouted more and launched her other foot at his face. Soon, they were tangled on the couch, sweaty and breathless, their playful scuffle heating the air between them.
"Wait! Someone's coming back!"
Both froze as their sensors picked up approaching chakra signatures.
"Whew~ guess we'll have to 'spar' again another day."
The woman sat up, quickly smoothing her robes, fixing her hair buns, and returning to her demure self. Though her eyes were still full of mischief as she licked her lips and whispered:
"Come again anytime~"
Gin sighed, only able to offer her a... mild salute in response.
"Oh, right! That jutsu you gave me? I'm almost there. Next time you see me, I might just have the mark on my forehead!"
She winked, waved, and slipped out through the back.
"Man... how'd I get involved with a woman like that?"
Gin slumped on the couch, massaging both his heads—big and small.
BANG!
Not even a minute later, the front door was kicked open.
Two tall figures strode in.
One had glowing red eyes that scanned the entire room like a hawk. The other moved exaggeratedly from room to room, clearly searching for... something.
"Gin, you're alone?"
The first figure stepped closer, eyes swirling with three tomoe. Her voice was cold, detached.
"Hahaha, what are you saying, Hikari-chan? Of course I'm alone~"
Gin grinned nervously, heart pounding as he met her gaze.
"There's no one inside."
The other voice belonged to a now-grown Itama, dressed in all black. His face had matured but still had soft lines. His black eyes were full of doubt.
He could've sworn Gin's chakra had been going wild earlier. Something definitely indecent had been happening.
"Oi! Why are you even here, brat?!"
Gin groaned. One inspection officer was bad enough—why bring the hall monitor too?
"I promised Hikari-neesan I'd supervise your behavior. Just making sure you don't stray."
Itama responded without missing a beat.
Gin glanced at the kid's neck. Still no Adam's apple.
Tch. No wonder your voice hasn't changed—always worrying about things that don't concern you.
Facing their combined pressure, Gin sighed dramatically and raised a hand.
"I, Gin of the Uchiha, swear upon the name of my ancestors—I did nothing indecent!"
I've already sworn a dozen times by now. What's one more?
ACHOO!
Far away, deep in battle—
Madara suddenly sneezed mid-mech battle. The brief distraction gave Hashirama's massive Buddha mech the opening it needed to seize him.
"Madara! Looks like I finally won!"
Hashirama shouted from atop his wooden giant, vines reaching toward the Tengu-armored mech.
BOOM!
A golden blade crashed down from the sky, slicing the vines cleanly. A bright yellow mecha arrived just in time to free Madara.
"Big bro! You zoned out mid-fight?!"
Izuna, clad in odd-shaped armor, glared with concern.
"Cough... Thanks, Izuna. I don't know why... but I suddenly felt a chill."
Madara straightened his dark blue mecha and charged back into the clash.
Relieved, Izuna turned toward a tiny blue figure in the distance and shouted:
"I can do this all day!!"
(End of Chapter)
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