Early morning, before sunrise.
A proud little rooster was just about to start its day, but to its surprise, it saw a figure walking slowly down the street.
Someone awake even earlier than it—was it a cow or a horse?
Bang bang bang~
In the middle of a pleasant dream, where he was locked in battle with a certain white-haired onee-san, Uchiha Gin was rudely interrupted by a perfectly timed knocking. Cursing under his breath, he tried to pull back on the pants he'd half-removed before realizing he'd been dreaming.
Creak~
"Whoever you are, if you can't give me a good reason for this, may your whole family die a miserable death!"
Gin, eyes slightly bloodshot and full of resentment, threw on a bathrobe and shuffled down the stairs, already sentencing the culprit to death in his mind.
Did they not understand how precious sleep was to a man facing a midlife crisis?
"Not even the Sage of Six Paths could save you—mark my words!"
Yanking the door open, Gin gritted his teeth and glared.
"At your age, you can still sleep in?"
The man at the door wasn't at all fazed by Gin's harsh words—in fact, he looked perfectly calm as he teased the messy-haired Uchiha.
"You—"
He didn't even bother to check around Konoha who the real big shot was.
Didn't he know that Hashirama was Gin's dearest friend and sworn brother?
Offend him, and you could be sent to see the Sage of Six Paths in minutes.
"Hmph!"
Hearing Gin's choice words, the visitor's brow furrowed. A glint flashed in his crimson eyes as a chill spread from him, the warning in his tone snapping Gin awake.
Gin pried his drooping eyelids open to see who dared act so boldly.
"…Oh, it's you, white-hair."
Once his eyes focused, Gin rolled his eyes in irritation.
"What, surprised? I came here today—"
SLAM!
Before Tobirama could finish, Gin shut the door right in his face, eager to return to his dream date with the white-haired onee-san.
"Aminosu!"
Veins bulged on Tobirama's forehead at the closed door. Suppressing the urge to fling his fingers into a hand seal, he knocked again.
Bang bang bang~
Creak~
This time the door opened quickly, so Tobirama decided to speak first.
"Uchiha Gin, I came this morn—"
But instead of that infuriating curly-haired man, it was a sleepy twin-tailed girl. The sudden change almost made him bite his tongue.
Her hair was tied into short black-and-white twin tails, and she hugged a slightly worn stuffed toy.
Yawning cutely, eyes still hazy with sleep, she rubbed them and asked in surprise,
"Ha~ Second brother? What are you doing here?"
"Ahem… Itama, that guy hasn't bullied you, has he?"
The heat in Tobirama's face cooled instantly. He looked her over, relieved she was neatly dressed, and gave a gentle smile.
"Hmph~ Second brother, what nonsense are you saying!"
Her pale cheeks flushed, and she cast him a reproachful glance, her small hands nervously twisting the stuffed toy out of shape.
"As long as you're fine. I'm here with an order from big brother—there's an important mission for Uchiha Gin. I must explain it to him in person."
Seeing she was unharmed actually improved Tobirama's opinion of Gin.
"A mission? Is it dangerous?"
Worried now, Itama frowned and asked quickly. If it was dangerous, she'd tell big brother to cancel it.
"It's about a tailed beast. Complicated. Let me in and I'll explain."
At the mention of a tailed beast, her eyes lit up. She immediately swung the door wide and invited him in.
Following her inside, Tobirama eyed the luxurious interior.
"Hmph, pretty lavish… That curly-haired guy sure has money."
"It's been a while. I'll make you some tea."
"Mind if I look around?"
A quick glance upstairs made her hesitate. "Better not."
That only made Tobirama more curious.
"There's someone else here besides you and Gin. Dangerous. Best sit and behave," she warned.
"Someone else?"
Tobirama's first reaction was displeasure—his sister going out of her way to get close to Gin, and Gin daring to keep another woman? He'd expose him!
"His childhood friend…"
"…Alright, you hang in there," Tobirama said awkwardly, realizing his sister was actually the one who came later.
"Shut up!" she pouted, stomping her foot hard enough to shake the whole house.
Upstairs, Gin's forehead veins popped.
"Can't a man sleep?!"
Spotting Tobirama downstairs, Gin shouted, "Security! We've got a trespasser!"
"No point. No one comes out here—not even dogs."
"You calling yourself a dog?" Gin shot back, then, not wanting Itama recognized, cut to the point. "Why are you here?"
"It's a task only you can do."
"…Task? For me?"
Gin was puzzled—he worked hard to keep his salted-fish image. Only three people in the clan knew his true strength. None would betray him. So who told Hashirama?
"This mission needs your cooperation, not your strength."
"Oh, so it's not dangerous. Then show me some respect—bring me tea first."
Right on cue, Itama brought in tea for Tobirama.
Flash! Tobirama was suddenly behind Gin, blade at his neck.
"…We don't need to be this hostile, do we?" Gin said seriously.
"Hmph, you're quick on the uptake," Tobirama said smugly.
As Tobirama relaxed, someone patted his shoulder—hard. Irritated, he muttered, "Quit it, I'm trying to look cool."
"White-hair, if I were you, I'd be humble."
"I've read many books since childhood, but 'humility' isn't one of them."
Gin sighed. Can't talk sense to someone headed for trouble.
The hand on Tobirama's shoulder grew heavier. Turning his head, his smirk froze. Cold sweat trickled down as words stuck in his throat.
Behind him stood a black-haired girl, head tilted, wearing a sickly smile. Crimson eyes full of madness, dark-red lips slightly parted, she spoke in an eerie tone:
"Chattering away so early—do you want to die?"
A pair of pink-red hands emerged from behind her. One of them had been the one patting Tobirama's shoulder.
"You're… Uchiha Hikari?"
"…Wrong answer. Out."
(End of Chapter)
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