"Then I'll head back now. Please take care, Father."
Unable to defy "Uchiha Tajima," Izuna hung his head and reluctantly turned to return to the secondary battlefield.
"Uchiha Tajima? Looks like the Uchiha are going all in for this battle."
From the Senju side, Tobirama frowned deeply upon spotting the sudden appearance of Tajima. For even this long-retired powerhouse to show up, the Uchiha clearly meant to stake everything in this fight.
"Wait… why's that turtle leaving?"
Just as Tobirama was puzzling over Tajima, he noticed Izuna—who had been the loudest and most aggressive a moment ago—was leaving with his head down. From the direction, he seemed to be returning to the secondary battlefield.
"No good. There's no one back there who can handle him. If he gets back, it'll be a one-sided slaughter."
Tobirama quickly grasped the battlefield situation. His eyes flashed red with resolve. He decided to follow and continue tangling with the "turtle boy" just long enough for his brother to finish playing around. As for Tajima's appearance? An old man over fifty? Hashirama could easily mop up two Uchiha at once if he got serious.
(PS: The True Several Thousand Hands... are hands.)
"Sigh~ Big brother just can't take things seriously. Always dreaming of reconciliation with the Uchiha. As if that's possible."
Watching Hashirama and Madara clash like a married couple, the secretly extreme brocon Tobirama muttered bitterly in his heart, then turned and raced toward the secondary battlefield.
"Whew~ Finally got him to leave. Now it's showtime."
Seeing the white-haired one disappear into the woods, Gin let out a relieved sigh. His eyes then turned toward the still intense battle between Madara and Hashirama. In a flash, he reappeared mid-air, right before the two of them.
"Hashirama~ Use your strength! What, haven't eaten—cough cough cough… Father? What are you doing here?"
Madara had just swatted aside Hashirama's massive blade and was forming hand seals to launch a fire-style attack. He was even mocking him mid-cast when the sudden appearance of his "father" made him choke down the fireball. Smoke puffed out from his mouth as he coughed and blinked in disbelief.
"Madara! How long are you planning to play around? Open your eyes and look at the clan behind you!"
Gin, disguised as "Tajima," roared with fury. His harsh reprimand made Madara visibly uncomfortable. He was a grown man, yet here he was being scolded like a child in front of his rival—extremely embarrassing.
"Uh… Father, my vision hasn't been so good lately. Can I take a look later?"
Madara scratched his head awkwardly and mumbled in a pleading tone.
"Hmph! Just wait until we get home!"
Seeing his cousin yield, Gin nodded with satisfaction and continued in a stern, uncle-like tone:
"When facing the Senju, forget honor or fairness! We go in side by side—father and son on the battlefield! That thick-browed brat won't be walking away!"
"Eh? No need, Father. I can handle this myself. Please don't interfere."
Madara's heart skipped a beat. He looked toward Hashirama—still scratching his head nearby—and felt a twinge of worry.
"I'm not blind yet, brat. How long are you going to keep this up?"
Gin pushed up imaginary glasses and growled as a proper parent might. He then released a dense surge of chakra, his aged eyes glowing scarlet with three spinning tomoe. The sudden ominous aura made even Hashirama, patiently waiting nearby, turn to look.
"Madara, just listen to your father. He's getting old—you shouldn't make him angry."
Seeing "Tajima" suddenly enraged, Hashirama finally stepped forward to mediate with his usual kindness.
"See? Other people's kids are always so considerate."
Gin gave a thumbs-up in spirit. Hashirama was the ideal prop for his performance.
"You idiot Hashirama! Shut up! Do you even know what we're talking about? Don't butt in!"
Madara was furious. Couldn't Hashirama see his father was trying to kill him? He should be retreating, not encouraging this madness!
"Uh… okay. You two go ahead. I'll wait here until you're done."
Hashirama scratched his head awkwardly and returned to his spot, stabbing his sword into the ground like a kid told to stand in the corner.
"Father, this is my fight. Let me handle it. If I can't win, then you can step in."
Not daring to disobey further, Madara conceded, gripping the clan's fan tightly and speaking earnestly to "Tajima."
"Fine. Fight with all you've got. I'll cover you from the sidelines. If anyone interferes, I'll make sure they don't leave alive."
Satisfied, Gin gave a small nod and flashed to the edge of the battlefield, crossing his arms with a cold gaze like a proper battle-hardened elder.
"You done? Madara~"
Seeing "Tajima" back away, Hashirama sighed with relief. He really didn't want to meet the parents like this.
"Hashirama, now I'm serious!"
Madara rubbed his tired eyes and tried to focus. But from this distance, all he could see was a fuzzy outline of Hashirama—thanks to his overused Mangekyō.
"Same here~"
A massive wooden figure rose from the earth, dragons coiling around it as it launched a furious punch at Madara.
"Tatakai!!!"
A deep blue Susano'o materialized in response, four arms outstretched. It grabbed the charging wooden dragons and crushed them to pieces.
Round two had begun.
"…Where's the second lead?"
Standing off to the side, Gin—still disguised as Tajima—remained calm on the surface but was panicking inside. He kept calling for "Tobirama" in the mind-chat.
Now was the perfect time! If he didn't show up soon, the plan would fall apart!
"I'm coming, I'm coming~"
A message finally popped up, followed by silence. Gin exhaled in relief, closed the chat, and his eyes lit up.
If this worked, he'd be a major contributor to the founding of Konoha!
Whoosh—
As Gin fantasized about future glory, a flash of gold streaked past his face. A kunai embedded with space-time marks scraped his cheek, the wind pressure stinging his skin.
"He's here."
Sensing familiar space-time fluctuations, Gin looked up and saw a panting white-haired figure in front of him—his eyes gleaming with admiration.
Professional. Now this was acting!
Tobirama, dusty and grim, stared him down with scarlet eyes full of suspicion, one hand clutching a kunai, the other near his chest ready to form seals.
"Uchiha Tajima! What is your purpose here!?"
Seeing the strange expression on "Tajima's" face, Tobirama narrowed his eyes, his mind racing for a countermeasure.
…Wait, was that line in the script?
Wow. A true actor! Improv so natural it felt rehearsed!
"Hmph! Senju brat! Don't use your shallow brain to guess the depths of my wisdom!"
If Gin didn't act now, he'd get overshadowed by a mere wood clone. Time to add some spice!
"Suiton: Suiryūdan no Jutsu!" (Water Style: Water Dragon Bullet)
Realizing he wouldn't get answers, Tobirama moved. With a flurry of hand seals, water vapor gathered behind him, transforming into a massive water dragon that roared toward Gin.
"Hoh? Trying to test the waters? Weren't we ending this in one strike? Kid, you're a genius!"
Impressed by the shift in pacing, Gin decided to go all in on his freestyle. With serious focus, he formed hand seals.
"Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu!" (Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique)
A massive fireball burst from his mouth and collided with the water dragon.
BOOM—Sizzle sizzle—
The blast created an explosion of steam, completely enveloping the battlefield in mist. But Gin's Sharingan allowed him to see clearly.
"Tch. This looks familiar…"
His mind itched—he'd seen this exact scene before, years ago.
Whoosh!
Just then, kunai shot toward him. He easily dodged the mundane ones, smirking internally.
Was the wood clone too into character? What's with the delay? He had other things to do!
"…Ah, now that's the good one."
Amid the barrage, he sensed one kunai pulsing with space-time energy. His eyes lit up—finally, the cue!
"Flying Thunder God Slash!"
From afar, Tobirama smiled as he activated his signature move. A short blade flashed in his hand.
Squelch—
A piercing sound rang out. Gin had relaxed his defenses to make it look real, and now Tobirama's blade had stabbed right through his waist.
Feeling the chill at his side, Gin glanced down at the spurting blood.
"…So we're really playing for real?"
(End of Chapter)
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