BOOM!!!
Just as Gin and his uncle Tajima were chatting on deck, the small boat that had been speeding toward them came to a sudden stop near the massive warship. In the next instant, a towering figure leapt into the air and landed squarely on the deck with a deafening crash. The sheer force of his landing left a deep dent in the steel surface.
"Hey—Uzumaki Hanamichi! You did that on purpose, didn't you?! This is our brand-new Uchiha destroyer!"
Gin appeared beside the muscular man in a flash, his heart aching at the sight of his precious ship being wrecked. Without hesitation, he delivered a powerful kick to Hanamichi's rear, sending the bulky redhead flying off. Then Gin knelt down and gently caressed the dented deck like a wounded pet.
"Tch! This is what you call a sea giant? I'm not impressed~"
Rolling back to his feet with a grunt, the burly, middle-aged Uzumaki Hanamichi casually dusted himself off. Though his words mocked the steel behemoth before him, there was a glint of admiration in his eyes.
"Oh yeah? Since you're not impressed, maybe I'll go ahead and report to Mito~"
Hearing this, Gin raised a brow and gave a sly smile as he stared at the redhead.
"Ugh—you curly-haired punk, I'm begging you! Don't tattle to Mito!"
The mention of Uzumaki Mito sent a chill through Hanamichi. His arrogant posture vanished, replaced by an awkward and pleading expression. His tone instantly softened as he looked at Gin with regret.
"That's better. We're all family here—don't break things for no reason."
Gin patted Hanamichi's massive shoulder, his grin wide and magnanimous.
"That guy… he's Uzumaki Hanamichi of the Uzumaki clan?"
On the side, Tajima and Elder Miao watched in stunned silence. Their jaws dropped at the sight of the fierce Uzumaki behaving like a scolded child in front of Gin.
"Yeah. That rare physique, the overwhelming life force in his body—it's definitely him," Miao confirmed, rubbing his eyes in disbelief.
"When did Gin get in contact with the Uzumaki? And from the looks of it, their relationship is… way more than just business."
Tajima frowned. He had initially assumed Gin had hired Uzumaki shinobi as guides, but judging by Hanamichi's familiarity and Gin's ease with him… something was definitely fishy.
"Come here, Uncle, let me introduce you. This thick-headed, muscle-for-brains guy is currently the Uzumaki clan's second-in-command."
As Tajima and Miao were whispering, Gin brought Hanamichi over with a friendly gesture.
"I know him. Uzumaki Hanamichi, the strongest warrior of the Uzumaki clan."
Before Gin could finish the intro, Tajima interrupted, voice grave. He stared at Hanamichi, recognizing the man's immense chakra.
"This old guy… he's the former clan head of the Uchiha? Hmph. Doesn't look like much to me."
Hanamichi snorted, not bothering to hide his arrogance. To him, any Uchiha not named Gin was just another shinobi.
WHAM!!!
He was immediately met with a flying kick to the gut.
Gin sprinted, leaped, and drop-kicked Hanamichi off the deck and into the sea.
"Hanamichi-routei, you're supposed to be a leader now. Can't you learn how to speak with some basic courtesy?"
Landing with a graceful spin, Gin stood at the railing, lecturing Hanamichi with genuine exasperation.
"Cough, cough… Is this all you're good for? Cheap tricks and sneak attacks?!"
Hanamichi resurfaced, coughing seawater and grabbing Gin's shirt, yelling furiously.
"I'm telling Mito!"
"You win! You win!!"
The moment Gin's little sister was mentioned, Hanamichi instantly folded. He dropped Gin back to the deck as gently as possible, his tone pitiful and subdued.
"Gin, when did you get involved with the Uzumaki clan?"
Tajima couldn't contain his curiosity any longer. He nudged his nephew and whispered the question.
"Heh~ I don't have any special hobbies—just love making new friends."
"I seem to recall… you once nearly died at Hanamichi's hands during a mission, didn't you?"
Tajima gave Hanamichi a glance, remembering that tale from years ago. Gin had nearly perished at this very man's hands.
"That's called fate born from battle. Right, Hanamichi-routei?"
Gin smirked. Just thinking of his first encounter with Mito back then brought a smile to his face.
"Right, right, you curly-haired devil. Whatever you say."
Hanamichi could only nod bitterly. He couldn't beat Gin, and his little sister would side with him every time. Life was hard.
"That's the spirit. Hanamichi-routei is absolutely reliable, Uncle. Just follow his lead."
Seeing the time, and knowing his cousins were probably looking for him, Gin gave his uncle a few final instructions, raised his fingers, and disappeared in a flash.
"There he goes again. That jutsu is really something."
With Gin gone, Hanamichi's arrogance returned slightly. But deep inside, he was still burning with envy. He had long yearned to master the Flying Thunder God, but without spatial talent, it was hopeless.
"Uchiha Tajima… Mind if I call you Uncle Tajima? Have you all finished packing?"
Hanamichi turned toward Tajima, his tone surprisingly respectful.
"Huh? Uh… sure, I guess."
Tajima blinked. Was this the same rude brute from a few minutes ago?
"No need for formalities. We're family."
Hanamichi waved it off, sighing internally as he thought of his sister. No, this wasn't politeness—it was survival.
"Alright, then."
Tajima remained bewildered. What kind of genjutsu had Gin cast to make this beast so obedient?
"Let's go, let's go. Everything's ready at the Land of Waves. The daimyō's residence is nearly complete—you'll just need to move in."
"For real?"
Tajima was stunned. He had expected Gin to send him off to conquer and build from scratch—but the land was already prepared for him?
"Uh… there are still some pirates. Our ships can't catch them…"
Hanamichi scratched his head awkwardly, eyeing the Uchiha's shiny new destroyer with undisguised greed.
"Not a problem. Leave them to us!"
Elder Miao stepped up, his eyes lighting up at the word "pirates." This was the perfect chance to test the ship's battle capacity.
RUMBLE~ RUMBLE~
At Tajima's command, several Uchiha clan members entered the engine room and infused their chakra into the ship's core.
As the scorching chakra surged upward, the iron behemoth roared to life, trembling as if awakening. Amid the growl of its engines, this steel vessel—this ark carrying the hopes of the Uchiha—set sail into the vast sea.
—
Meanwhile, back at the Uchiha–Senju alliance site, several beautiful figures were wandering about, searching for a certain curly-haired troublemaker.
"Strange… I'm sure I just saw Gin sneak into that small room by the toilets with his two cousins, but only those two came back out. Where did he go?"
A tall, gorgeous Uchiha woman rubbed her smooth chin in confusion.
"Maybe Gin-sama went to the Senju side?"
Beside her stood a sweet-looking woman with flowing purple hair and thoughtful eyes.
"I heard that Hashirama's wife is here too… and that Gin-sama knows her. Could it be…"
"Don't even suggest that! Sister Momoka would never do such a thing!"
A short-haired girl trailing behind them jumped in to defend her friend loudly.
"Hey, aren't you going back?"
The tall woman glanced toward the bustling Senju camp and furrowed her brow.
"Now that the clans are allied, Gin probably won't stop you."
If she left, that would mean only one woman left by Gin's side… victory!
"Hmph! Unless that curly-haired ape sends me himself, I'm not leaving!"
Despite her tough words, a strange fear lingered in Itama's chest. She glanced toward her laughing big brother in the distance but couldn't bring herself to move.
Somewhere deep inside, a voice whispered to her:
If you leave now… you might lose someone important forever.
"Hey, hey, hey! What are you all doing crowding around here? There's a line for the toilet, y'know!"
(End of Chapter)
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