"Sigh! I got careless, way too careless~"
After being briefed by the clan member disguised as the craftsman foreman, Gin couldn't help but clutch his chest and stomp his foot, letting out a dramatic cry of frustration that echoed for blocks.
As the saying goes—fortune favors the bold!
In an era ravaged by war, the business of lending money was high-risk. Borrowers could die the moment they stepped out the door, or rely on sheer strength to default. A million uncertain factors made this a brutal trade with extremely steep industry standards.
Even with collateral, interest rates hovered around 200%. Without it, relying purely on the contract? The rates could double that.
"If I'd done a bit of market research first, I wouldn't have missed such a golden opportunity to scam that white-haired guy~"
What upset Gin more than the money lost was the chance he missed to rip off Tobirama. But the deal was already done, and he'd made a public statement—he might as well chalk it up as a noble contribution to Konoha's growth.
Now he could proudly slap the gates of the village one day and say: "This part? I donated it."
A few days later, when Gin saw the familiar blond craftsman leading a large team toward the Senju compound, he knew the contract had been signed.
Wasn't he technically a creditor of Konoha now?
"Big bro, do we really have to go?"
While Gin was out wandering, a tall black-haired figure dragged a white-haired man toward his current residence.
"I still have a lot of official duties to handle. Why don't you go alone?"
Tobirama, wearing a deep frown, clearly wanted nothing to do with this.
"How could we? Gin-nii helped us out of a dire situation. Whether publicly or privately, we must go thank him in person."
Hashirama held a basket of bright yellow mysterious fruit in one hand, his other pulling his sulking brother along, smiling brightly as he patiently explained.
"I was the one who negotiated the deal!"
Tobirama remembered how low he had to stoop during the talks with that smug craftsman leader from the Land of Waves. The memory alone reignited his fury.
"If not for Gin-nii's connections, how else could we have landed that near-free construction deal?"
Hashirama was growing annoyed at his brother's immaturity. Tobirama was great in every way, but his stubborn streak was exhausting. Not like their well-behaved brothers Wajian and Itama, who had been a lot easier to deal with…
"Sigh~ Just this once, okay?"
Hashirama suddenly looked melancholic. Thinking about his two siblings who died in the war, he softened his tone. Now that only Tobirama remained, he wanted to spoil him a little.
"Well, since you're asking so sincerely… I guess I'll go."
Tobirama sighed inwardly. All this just to thank an Uchiha? Fine. He'd go—for the curly-haired guy's sake.
"Haha, I knew it! You're the best, Tobirama~"
Soon after, following the directions they'd received earlier, the Senju brothers arrived at an elegant wooden Western-style house. Staring at the luxurious mansion made entirely of wood, both brothers had their own thoughts.
"Tch, that curly-haired freak really is as rich as they say… Wonder if it's all clean money."
Tobirama stared bitterly at the opulence before him, far beyond anything in their own compound.
"Wait a sec… Was this house made with Mokuton?"
Hashirama, unlike his brother, was simply confused. As the only known user of Mokuton (Wood Release), he could clearly sense the technique's aura all over the building. And yet… he didn't recall ever learning a "House Creation Technique."
Knock knock knock~
Puzzled, Hashirama stepped forward and knocked loudly on the ornate door.
"Oi! You curly-haired baboon, did you forget your—huh?"
Inside, Itama was lazily lying on the couch when she heard the knock. Thinking Gin had returned because he forgot something, she flipped upright and groggily stumbled to the door, yelling in annoyance without even glancing.
But when she didn't hear a sarcastic reply, she blinked in confusion—and what she saw nearly made her soul flee her body.
BANG!!
Slamming the door shut with lightning reflexes, she leaned against it, her whole body trembling. Her hands, pale and veiny, pressed hard against the wood as sweat drenched her black-and-white hair.
Currently, the only ones home were her and Uchiha Hikari. But that old lady had recently been acting strange—loud at night, dead quiet during the day—basically, Itama was on her own.
"Big bro, who was that rude person?"
Blocked by Hashirama's tall frame, Tobirama hadn't seen who answered. Frowning, he stepped forward and tapped his brother's shoulder.
Hmph. Typical Uchiha—no manners at all. Unlike the Senju men: every one a refined gentleman… women… eh, best not to mention them.
"Tobirama… pinch me."
"W-what? Is this some new kink of yours?"
Puzzled, Tobirama complied and pinched a bit of his brother's side. When Hashirama's face turned red in pain, he asked:
"Whoa~ You actually pinched me?"
Rubbing the sore spot, Hashirama hesitated, then looked solemnly at the tightly shut door.
"I think I saw… a ghost."
"Huh? No way. Must be Gin playing tricks."
Tobirama immediately dismissed the idea. Ghosts? Spirits? Please. Clearly Gin had set up some nonsense illusion.
Death God: You're mine, brat!
"No, seriously. I saw a woman… she looked just like our mother…"
Hashirama was panicking, and his earnest tone gave Tobirama pause. Was… there actually something out there?
Death God: Fine, fine, I'll cough her back up then!
"You must've imagined it. Mom's been gone for years."
Tobirama shook his head. Science first, always.
"I swear! She was in her twenties, identical to Mom, with a weird mark on her forehead. Short hair—half black, half white—ahhhhh!"
Describing her out loud, Hashirama stopped midway, the details triggering something deep in his mind. His jaw dropped.
"Ah! Ah! AHHHH!"
Tobirama, meanwhile, was sketching her mentally as he listened—and when he heard the hair color, a very specific face exploded into his mind. He let out a matching scream.
"Shut up already! You're so damn loud!"
At that moment, the furious Itama yanked open the door. Her black eyes met theirs unflinchingly despite their status in the village.
"Got it!" x2
"…Come in. And take your shoes off."
Moments earlier, hiding behind the door, Itama had been caught in a whirlwind of emotion. So many years had passed. Even after the Senju defeated the Uchiha, she never dared return.
She was afraid—afraid she'd never be able to return to how things used to be with Gin.
She didn't want to gamble. She couldn't.
But now, with both clans united under one village, her secret couldn't stay hidden forever.
So better to face it head-on.
"…Are you…?"
Seeing her up close, Hashirama's jaw nearly dropped. She looked exactly like their mother. His curiosity practically burst from his skull.
"You should be dead…"
Tobirama stared at the tall woman. Her familiar features and rare hair color left no doubt. But this couldn't be—Senju Kōji had sworn she died, ambushed by multiple Uchiha adults. No one could've survived that.
"No… I survived."
Now that her identity was exposed, Itama no longer hid it. Sitting on the couch, she hugged a plushie version of Isobu and, eyes glazed, began recounting the past.
"That day… Gin protected me. Even under pressure from his clan, he saved me from a brutal fate."
She remembered that back, carrying her through storm and fire, never letting go. As she smiled softly, Tobirama caught it—and alarm bells rang in his head.
Danger. His family's precious cabbage was about to be devoured.
"…After that, we lived together. But don't get the wrong idea. He never laid a finger on me. In fact, because of my weird name, he thought I was a boy for years. Hehe~"
(End of Chapter)
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