Naruto: Uchiha Madara's Cousin

Barely managing to brush off the two girls, Uchiha Gin pulled up his pants and looked at the chaotic hot spring. Recalling the faces of the women earlier, he lost all desire to stay any longer.

Those women were truly terrifying, even forcing Uchiha Gin to activate his Mangekyo Sharingan, which had been dormant for years.

He tossed a gold bar to the terrified innkeeper as compensation and, with the two girls, quickly fled from the Land of Hot Springs.

On the way back to the Uchiha clan's territory:

"Hey, do I have something dirty on my face?" Uchiha Gin asked as she ran alongside Uchiha Hikari.

Ever since they left the Land of Hot Springs, she hadn't taken her eyes off his face, looking like she wanted to say something but couldn't.

"Gin, are you hiding something from me?"

The sharp girl sensed a strange power from Uchiha Gin, and after thinking about it for a while, she decided to ask.

"Huh? Of course not!"

Uchiha Gin's heart skipped a beat when he heard the question and immediately denied it.

Could she have found out about the mixed bathing?

"Then why have my eyes been feeling so strange lately?" Uchiha Hikari tilted her head, looking puzzled. It had been years since she felt this way. She furrowed her brows, deep in thought.

"The last time this happened was when we awakened our Mangekyo Sharingan, and this time it's even more intense."

???

Mangekyo users can resonate with each other?

Uchiha Gin raised an eyebrow. Even after switching his eyes, his Mangekyo still managed to resonate with Hikaru's.

"Maybe you're just growing. After all, you've been stuck for a while, so it makes sense your body needs to catch up."

Uchiha Gin quickly came up with a plausible excuse, then looked her up and down, "surprised" as he said:

"Hikari, haven't you noticed you've grown taller? And your body is starting to..."

"Stop it!"

Before he could finish, Uchiha Hikari's face turned bright red, and she immediately delivered a playful yet forceful elbow to his ribs for his shameless comment.

Crunch!

The sound of bones cracking echoed through the quiet forest.

"Ugh..."

Uchiha Gin, struggling to hold back the pain, broke into a cold sweat and gave the embarrassed girl a thumbs-up. With his other hand, he discreetly used healing chakra on his ribs, trembling as he said:

"See, you're... full of energy. Hikari, you're definitely going to grow... tall and strong!"

Following them was Uchiha Haruka, who watched their playful banter with a cold gaze. After critically assessing Hikari's flat figure, she couldn't help but smirk lightly.

"Gin-san is really too kind."

Chiri then glanced at her own bumpy figure and felt reassured.

During the hot spring, she had secretly compared herself to Hikari, and not only did she hold her own against her older peer, she even felt she was surpassing her.

Recalling her unreliable mother at home, Haruka suddenly felt a bit grateful.

"Thanks, mom. Turns out you're not completely useless."

"Achoo!"

At home, a purple-haired woman quickly steadied her enormous chest. After finally regaining her balance, she touched her pretty face with a dreamy look in her eyes.

"Oh my, is Gin-san thinking about me again~?" (She imitated her mom)

The three raced toward the Uchiha clan's territory, and by noon, they had arrived.

"Halt! Who are you?"

As they approached the familiar gates, the trio was stopped by a guard. From his unfamiliar movements, it seemed he was a new recruit.

"You don't know who I am?" Uchiha Gin looked surprised at the clueless guard who dared to stop him.

So, there were still Uchihas who hadn't been fooled by him yet?

"Why should I know you? Is your grandfather an elder, or is the clan leader your uncle?"

This new guard was rather rude.

Uchiha Gin was left speechless. The guard's points were hard to refute.

"I..."

Uchiha Gin was at a loss for words, which the guard took as a sign of guilt, growing more arrogant.

"This is a special period. No outsiders are allowed in. If you keep talking, I'll throw you in the dungeon."

Well, that'd be great! The dungeon feels like home. All the people there are talented and great to talk to. I love it in there.

This guard, whom Uchiha Gin had never seen before, was a clansman who had been stationed on the front lines for years.

A few days ago, he had received the joyous news that his wife, whom he hadn't seen in three years, had given birth to a healthy baby boy.

In his excitement, he activated his three-tomoe Sharingan and immediately applied for a transfer back home.

However, upon returning, he was assigned to gate duty instead of being able to enjoy family time.

"We're returning from a mission. Here's my proof."

Uchiha Gin wasn't interested in playing some face-slapping drama. That kind of outdated plot would only make everyone cringe nowadays.

He calmly handed over the proof of his mission, which Uchiha Tajima had given him, waiting for the guard to check it.

"Indeed, this is valid. You may enter."

Though the guard was displeased, his duty came first. He had to earn money for his son's milk.

"You've worked hard."

Uchiha Gin harbored no ill will toward the guard's tough stance. After all, every clansman was a valuable resource to him.

Speaking of resources, as they passed through the gates, Uchiha Gin turned to the now slightly annoyed guard and said:

"Hey, your hat's pretty unique."

"Hehe, my wife made it for me. Nice, huh?"

The once sour-faced guard beamed with joy, adjusting the green hat on his head with pride.

"Uh, your wife must really love you."

"Of course."

Waving goodbye, Uchiha Gin and the others strolled down the main road of the clan's territory.

To their surprise, the once-bustling marketplace was now eerily quiet, with only a few shops open. There were no merchants in sight, and there were far more patrols than usual.

Puzzled, the trio made their way to the clan leader's office. The guards there recognized Uchiha Gin and immediately let them in.

"Strange, why's the village so deserted?" Uchiha Hikari tugged at Uchiha Gin's sleeve, asking in confusion.

"Maybe something happened at the front lines again."

Uchiha Gin recalled the many unfamiliar faces among the patrols, guessing that they were clansmen who had been stationed far away for a long time.

The sudden recall of so many members probably meant war was looming once again.

Uchiha Gin sighed internally. The conflict between the Uchiha and Senju clans had only quieted for a short time after Senju Butsuma's unexpected death, but now it seemed war was about to erupt again.

Knock, knock, knock...

Uchiha Gin knocked on the door to Uchiha Tajima's office, a motion he had done many times before.

"Come in."

His uncle's familiar voice called out, though it lacked its usual strength, sounding fatigued instead.

"Uncle, we're back."

Uchiha Gin entered with the two girls, casually slumping into a chair, exhausted from the journey.

"This mission was way too dangerous. You almost lost your favorite nephew."

"Really?"

Still busy with paperwork, Uchiha Tajima didn't even look up. He knew his nephew well. A simple task could become a grand tale in Gin's hands.

"Come on! Can't there be a little more trust between people?"

Annoyed at being doubted, Uchiha Gin protested. The mission had indeed been perilous, filled with epic battles and a battle of wits with Senju Tobirama. If the details weren't classified, he would've requested early retirement by now.

"Did you deliver the package?"

Uchiha Tajima finished his last document and looked up. His pale face, with bloodshot eyes, showed clear signs of exhaustion.

If it weren't for the cloak Uchiha Gin had given him, he wouldn't even be able to sleep.

"It's safely delivered."

Uchiha Gin pulled out two scrolls and waved them at Uchiha Tajima before tossing them over.

"What's this?"

"Mission report and the reward. Check for yourself."

Uchiha Gin handed over his edited mission report along with the Amber Purifying Pot, a legendary weapon he had obtained from the Gold and Silver Brothers.

"You ran into Senju Tobirama? How did you escape?"

Uchiha Tajima opened the report, surprised to read about their encounter with Tobirama.

"That kid's no slouch—cunning and formidable. Both Madara and Izuna have suffered at his hands."

Despite being enemies, Uchiha Tajima had a deep respect for Tobirama's talent and prowess.

"Hehe, I got lucky. We captured a member of the Uzumaki clan who was helping them with the search. Tobirama seemed hesitant because of their status."

Uchiha Gin didn't reveal the identity of Uzumaki Mito, only noting that the prisoner was an important member of the Uzumaki clan.

"Not bad. You stayed calm under pressure—just like your father used to."

After finishing the report, Uchiha Tajima couldn't help but praise his nephew.

"Just doing my best."

Uchiha Gin accepted the praise with a smile, as he felt it was well-deserved.

"This thing, you can keep it."

Uchiha Tajima glanced at another scroll and tossed it over to Uchiha Gin.

"Huh? But this is a divine artifact, one used by the Sage of Six Paths."

Uchiha Gin caught the scroll, which sealed the Amber Purifying Pot, and stood up as he asked, "Aren't you going to study it?"

"There's nothing to study. I've played with all the artifacts from the Hagoromo clan, and none of them suit me," Uchiha Tajima replied, shaking his head. He had tried out those so-called divine artifacts, but they were just fancy toys to him.

"Wait, what?! Uncle, are you really that close to the Hagoromo clan leader's wife??"

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