"Impossible! Big bro's not that kind of person!"

Uchiha Izuna immediately shouted back in defense after hearing Gin's slanderous comment.

"I was just joking. Why so flustered? Don't tell me… you already did it?"

Gin raised a brow, voice teasing.

"W-What do you mean? I don't even know what that is!"

Izuna's face turned red. His eyes darted around guiltily, and his voice trembled.

Wait… I was just kidding… don't tell me you actually…

Gin's eyes widened. If his younger cousin was already doing that kind of thing at this age, how could he ever hope to beat the abstinent white-haired Hashirama? No, this had to be nipped in the bud.

"Who taught you this?"

Gin's eyes gleamed with righteous fury, scaring the already guilty Izuna into surrender.

"I didn't do anything! I just looked… a little."

Izuna began to confess.

"Huh? You watched someone??"

Oh hell no. I need to put an end to this—even if it means borrowing uncle's Kotoamatsukami (Heavenly Manipulating Illusion)!

"Wh-what are you even talking about?! I just looked at those... magazines!"

Realizing Gin misunderstood, Izuna's face turned crimson as he shouted to clarify.

Crash—

Senju Itama, who had just walked out of the kitchen with breakfast, slipped. The bowl of porridge in her hands fell and shattered loudly on the floor.

Thump—

Uchiha Hikari, who had just woken up and was walking downstairs yawning, tripped on the last few steps after hearing Izuna's explosive declaration, almost tumbling to the floor.

(_) Senju Itama

(*ΦωΦ) Uchiha Hikari

Silence fell like a curtain.

Moments later, Izuna felt blood rush to his head. His eyes reddened, his breathing grew rapid.

Gin saw a shadowy aura begin to rise around him.

Then, the once-ashamed boy slowly lifted his head. His face now disturbingly calm. His crimson Sharingan eyes stared at everyone as he muttered:

"Heh… if I kill them all, no one will ever know—"

Bonk!

Gin didn't hesitate. He smacked Izuna hard on the head, knocking him back to his senses.

Calm down. If you awaken a Mangekyō for this reason, it'd be absolutely disgusting. Better we never get it.

"Blackening? At your age?"

"Ugh…"

Pulled back from the brink, Izuna held his head, despairing. After saying that out loud, how could he ever face people again?

Maybe I should just die.

He grabbed his tanto, ready to end it.

"Whoa, whoa! Don't be dramatic. Look, when I was your age, cough… I was a little curious too. It's just a guy thing."

Seeing Izuna about to commit seppuku, Gin quickly intervened and tried to comfort him with a knowing expression.

!!! *2

"Really?"

Izuna looked up with teary eyes, shocked. So big bro had also…

"Of course! Totally true!"

With Hikari and Itama's burning stares stabbing him in the back, Gin still forced himself to speak confidently.

"I love those magazines! There's nothing wrong with it! Any guy who doesn't look at them has a problem!"

Now that things had gone this far, Gin decided to go all in, firmly instilling this "correct" male value system into his cousin.

"In that case… I'm not a freak! And neither is Kaho!"

Izuna's eyes lit up. He suddenly shouted that second name with gusto.

…Tch. That brat? Back in the dungeon he was all innocent, but now he's corrupting my cousin?

But now's not the time to assign blame. We have to stabilize this kid. If both Madara and Izuna fall—one into depression, the other into depravity—then the Uchiha clan is truly doomed.

"So, Gin-nii… what type do you like?"

Izuna was already getting sucked into the topic.

"Hehe, of course I'm a thighs guy~"

Even with the stares behind him turning into daggers, Gin kept chatting away about those magazines with Izuna, unfazed.

…After a passionate conversation…

"Whew! I didn't know you were such a connoisseur, big bro. I'm impressed! We should exchange materials sometime!"

Only then did Izuna remember his original mission. He stopped the metaphorical car he'd been speeding in.

"Definitely! Next time for sure!"

Gin wiped the sweat off his brow. He barely survived that. If not for his previous life's hundred-terabyte archive, he might've been exposed.

"So… what's going on with your big bro?"

During their post-chat cooldown, they finally circled back to the real issue: Madara.

"You know he was defeated and captured, right?"

Izuna nodded with a pained look in his eyes.

"Yeah… uncle told me everything."

Gin also nodded—so they both knew about Madara being thrashed and humiliated by the Senju.

"Father arrived just in time to save him, but ever since we brought him back, he's changed completely. Locked himself in his room. No food, no water, no interaction at all."

Izuna looked genuinely worried. He didn't want to see his once-proud brother wither away.

"Not a single peep from the room?"

Gin was curious. Not eating or socializing was one thing, but total silence?

"Well… there's some noise. Just scattered footsteps. Probably pacing and thinking, maybe."

Gin's eyes narrowed.

You got beaten up by Hashi-mama and now you're… pacing? Are you scheming your revenge—or plotting a career switch?

"So you want me to go talk to him?"

"Exactly! No one's closer to big bro than you. You're the only one who can pull him out of this."

Izuna's fists clenched. His resolve was clear.

Ha. That's exactly why your dad volunteered me for human sacrifice—to unlock you two losers' Mangekyō.

If I knew this is where kindness got me, I would've ignored you both as kids.

Gin silently grumbled, but still reached out and gave Izuna a gentle pat.

"Fine, I'll go. Who else but your favorite big cousin?"

"You sure? Isn't it too early to go?"

Izuna hesitated. What if Gin didn't know what to say and made things worse?

"No time like the present. I need to rescue your brother from this pit of despair."

Gin put on his righteous hero act and quickly set off. He needed to leave before Hikari's glare melted a hole in his back.

"Ah—?"

Izuna blinked, stunned, before chasing after him.

"Hmph! Gin is so dead when I get back!"

Uchiha Hikari gritted her teeth, watching Gin disappear into the distance. Her heart ached.

It's all my fault. Because I sealed myself away, he had no outlet… so now he's fallen into that.

"...Hey, um… what are those magazines?"

Itama was completely lost. After listening to the wild conversation, she had no idea what they'd been talking about.

"Hah! You're still too young, little girl. That stuff isn't for your age group. Unlike me, I'm old enough to drive, baby!"

Hikari smirked smugly and puffed out her petite chest in victory.

Itama's veins bulged in anger, her fists clenching.

"Hmph! If you won't tell me, I'll ask Rika-nee and Eimi-san!"

She remembered Gin's warning, took a deep breath to calm herself, and then turned to storm out in search of answers.

Meanwhile, Gin and Izuna had already run a few hundred meters.

Gin slowed down once he confirmed Hikari wasn't following. He turned and waited for Izuna to catch up.

"Let's go check up on your brother's 'condition'."

He patted Izuna's shoulder with a sly grin. His eyes sparkled.

This is golden dirt on Madara. I need to document everything!

"Okay!"

Izuna nodded, and together they returned to the clan's main estate.

Led by his cousin, Gin passed through several corridors and reached Madara's private residence.

The courtyard was spacious, luxurious, and full of serene beauty.

Gin stared, envy gnawing at his heart.

So this is the clan leader's perks, huh? I want in.

Uncle… if the brothers don't make it, I'm ready to step up.

I, Uchiha Gin, am a man who's meant to be clan head!

Step step step—

Before they even got close, Gin's finely tuned senses picked up rhythmic footsteps inside Madara's room.

Huh? What's he doing? Secret training?

Knock knock knock!

"Dai-nii, open up!"

Izuna rushed to the door and banged on it. As the knocking echoed, the footsteps inside stopped cold.

"I told you not to disturb me."

Madara's cold voice came from inside. Not even his beloved little brother was welcome.

Seeing Izuna's helpless expression, Gin stepped forward.

For this kind of mental illness, forceful treatment is required.

Without hesitation, Gin raised his hand, channeled his Kyōkōriki (Monster Strength), and slammed the door while yelling:

"Big bro~ I'm coming in!"

(End of Chapter)

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