Chapter 175: Tobirama Senju's Unique Insight

"Tch! What a narrow-minded white-hair."

Hearing Tobirama Senju's words, Uchiha Gin rolled his eyes in silence.

"Hmph! I'd rather believe in ghosts than trust the foul mouth of an Uchiha!"

Tobirama Senju narrowed his eyes, making no effort to hide the disgust on his face; his older brother had been deceived by the flowery words of the Uchiha, which was why he held such childish ideas.

"Fine, fine, fine!"

Uchiha Gin knew this kid wouldn't let them leave easily, so he turned his head and said to the people behind him,

"You all go first; I'll stay behind to negotiate."

"No!"

The first to speak out in protest was actually the hostage, Mito Uzumaki; she looked up, revealing bright eyes filled with nervousness and apology.

"Gin! Let me go and kill them all?"

Finally having a turn to show her stuff, Hikari Uchiha was eager to try; she hadn't beaten up any Senju since she was unsealed!

"Stay calm, stay calm. The world of martial arts isn't just about killing and fighting; it's also about human relationships and worldly wisdom."

Uchiha Gin shook his head, rejecting the young girl's request to enter the fray, then turned his gaze toward the waiting Tobirama Senju and said in a flippant tone,

"Hey, hey, white-haired brother over there, is it alright if I stay behind?"

"Huh?"

Uchiha Gin's behavior left Tobirama Senju somewhat puzzled; in his impression, the entire Uchiha clan consisted of despicable, shameless, and sycophantic people.

Yet, to his surprise, this curly-haired Uchiha in front of him, who looked like he was begging for a beating, was actually willing to put himself in danger for the sake of an unrelated outsider.

"You may, but you must prove you are not a clone."

Known for his caution, Tobirama Senju thought for a moment and agreed to Uchiha Gin's request, though he insisted that Uchiha Gin prove he was the real body and not a clone.

"As expected of you~"

Uchiha Gin expressed his understanding of Tobirama Senju's concerns and immediately pulled out a kunai and stabbed himself with it.

"Pfft! "

Fresh blood splattered.

"Ah!" *3

The three women present shrieked, then turned their angry gazes toward a certain white-hair.

"???"

Tobirama Senju, who was carefully watching Uchiha Gin's self-mutilation, felt a chill down his back.

"Is this enough? Or should I stab myself again?"

Uchiha Gin appeared lighthearted and breezy, smiling warmly at the people around him, completely ignoring the kunai stuck in his body that was oozing blood, and even asked Tobirama Senju if he should take another stab.

Startled by this turn of events, Tobirama Senju observed Uchiha Gin carefully from head to toe several times, finally fixing his gaze on Uchiha Gin's hairstyle, which was so different from other Uchihas, his eyes full of contemplation.

Could it be that the dominant gene of curly hair is an important factor in the quality of an Uchiha's character?

In Tobirama Senju's view, the hedgehog-haired and long-black-haired Uchihas he had encountered were not good people, but this curly-haired Uchiha, though he had only met him twice, had left him with a different impression.

The first time was six years ago, when he and his father ambushed Madara Uchiha; this curly-head had actually used his body to block a full-power strike from his father, "Iron Fist Unrivaled," to protect his teammate—and everyone in the Warring States period knew of his father's fearsome reputation; such an act was nothing short of seeking death.

This time, when they met, the other party had "helped" by kidnapping that stupid woman from the Uzumaki clan, but he hadn't used her to threaten them in return.

To cover for the unrelated Hagoromo clan, he had actually chosen to stay behind as a hostage and had even stabbed himself just to prove his sincerity.

Looking at the warm and gentle expression beneath Uchiha Gin's curly hair, and the wound still oozing blood, Tobirama Senju planted a strange seed in a part of his mind he wasn't even aware of.

"That is enough!"

Tobirama Senju's tone was somewhat strange; without realizing it, his gaze toward Uchiha Gin had changed slightly.

"Alrighty~"

Uchiha Gin smiled happily; it seemed there was no need to fight, otherwise, if he accidentally elbowed this white-hair to death, how would the two little brothers, Kinkaku and Ginkaku, get their revenge?

"Alright, you guys go first."

"No! How can I leave you all alone!"

Although Hikari Uchiha looked anxious, her eyes were darting toward Mito Uzumaki in Uchiha Gin's arms.

It was clear she wasn't worried about Uchiha Gin's safety, but rather afraid that if she left first, that red-haired bun-head would take the opportunity to feed Gin a love potion.

"Mr. Gin!"

Uchiha Jiri, who had been silent for a long time, looked at Uchiha Gin with genuine worry; in her impression, her teacher might have some tricks up his sleeve, but not many.

"Mr. Gin!!" *2

They hadn't spent much time together, but the two brothers, who already viewed Uchiha Gin as a mentor, knew their Hagoromo clan were no cowards.

"Oh, come on, trust me. This is just a small scene, a piece of cake."

Uchiha Gin saw the worried expressions of the people in front of him and felt a touch of emotion, but knowing he was safe, he shook his head with a smile and said confidently,

"You go first, I'll follow shortly. Did you forget the move I used just now? These people aren't worth a single slap from me."

"Hmm~"

It was all Uchiha Gin's fault for making the atmosphere so tense that they had forgotten about the solemn and majestic mysterious giant Uchiha Gin had summoned during the giant battle; thinking of that, the group felt relieved and waved goodbye.

"Gin~ remember to be quick, I'll be waiting for you for dinner."

Hikari Uchiha grabbed Uchiha Gin's arm with both hands, fruitlessly squeezing her meager cleavage in an attempt to cast a charm spell.

???

The effect was mediocre.

"Mr. Gin, don't hang around with this kind of woman for too long."

He had thought Uchiha Jiri didn't misunderstand his innocent relationship with Mito Uzumaki, but he didn't expect her to drop a snide remark before leaving.

"Mr. Gin, thank you!"

Kinkaku and Ginkaku were filled with nothing but gratitude; they couldn't repay Uchiha Gin's kindness, so they would have to wait until they rose to power to repay him.

After saying their goodbyes, the group flashed away to catch up with the Hagoromo clan's team.

"Are you sure you don't want to bandage that?"

Watching them leave, before Uchiha Gin could say anything, Tobirama Senju spoke up first; the detestable white-hair now had a conflicted look on his face, his scarlet eyes flickering,

"It's fine, I've been eating too much beef lately, so it's good to let some blood out and cool my temper."

Surprised that Tobirama Senju would actually say something like that, alarm bells rang in Uchiha Gin's mind—was this white-hair trying to poison the bandages?

"But, haven't you let out a bit too much?"

Tobirama Senju's tone was strange, and his gaze toward Uchiha Gin held a hint of something inexplicable.

"Ah? Holy crap!"

Prompted by the other party, Uchiha Gin noticed that the stab he had just delivered seemed to have hit an artery, and blood was spurting out like a fountain, tracing a perfect arc in the air.

Terrified, he quickly pulled out the kunai and extended a hand, letting a pale green light appear, pretending to cast the Mystical Palm Technique to treat the wound, while actually just afraid that his freakish constitution would heal the wound before the blood in the air even hit the ground.

"Huh~"

Seeing that Uchiha Gin actually knew the Mystical Palm Technique, a niche healing ninjutsu, Tobirama Senju couldn't help but raise an eyebrow.

"You know medical ninjutsu too?"

"I know a little, just a little."

Uchiha Gin's wound recovered as if it had never been there, and after dispelling the Mystical Palm Technique from his palm, he said modestly to Tobirama Senju.

"In the Uchiha clan, are there many people with your hairstyle?"

Just as the two were about to fall into silence, Tobirama Senju broke the deadlock first, asking a question that left Uchiha Gin momentarily confused.

"I don't think so; at least I've never seen anyone with the same hairstyle as me."

It was true; Uchiha Gin had spent the last few years getting to know everyone in the clan, big and small, and had never encountered another curly-haired Uchiha like himself, though he didn't know if there would be any in the future.

As expected.

Having received his answer, a flash of understanding crossed Tobirama Senju's eyes.

"Mr. Gin, how do you plan to escape?"

Seeing time passing minute by minute, Mito Uzumaki in Uchiha Gin's arms, though very reluctant to leave this comfortable chest, looked up and asked in a low voice,

"Ah? Didn't we agree that once the Hagoromo clan finished their transfer, I could leave?"

Uchiha Gin asked strangely; wasn't that what they had agreed upon?

"Oh! You actually believed that? That white-hair is a notorious Uchiha-killer; I've never heard of any Uchiha who met him and lived to see the next day's sun."

"Achoo!"

Tobirama Senju's reputation suffered.

"How did I forget that!"

Uchiha Gin slapped his forehead, recalling Tobirama Senju's personality; staying behind was indeed dangerous, but he still held onto a sliver of hope and called out to Tobirama Senju not far away,

"White-haired brother, the Hagoromo clan should have already withdrawn from the Land of Fire; when can I leave?"

"Release that stupid woman, and you can leave right now."

Having already formed his own unique insight into the curly-haired Uchiha Gin, Tobirama Senju did not make things difficult as he had imagined.

"Ah?" *2

Hearing this, Uchiha Gin and Mito Uzumaki looked at each other, both seeing astonishment in the other's eyes.

It's a trap!

This thought popped into both of their heads at the same time.

"Hehe, women and children walk slowly, I'll wait a bit longer."

Uchiha Gin made an excuse and continued to hold Mito Uzumaki hostage.

"Has this kid played this trick before?"

Uchiha Gin leaned close to Mito Uzumaki's ear and asked quietly.

"Ah~ I haven't heard of it; it might be a new way to play."

Being brushed by Uchiha Gin's warm breath against her earlobe, the naturally sensitive Mito Uzumaki almost went limp and collapsed.

"Do you really want to be the clan leader?"

Uchiha Gin's eyes swept over the smooth forehead of the young girl in his arms; the diamond-shaped mark from his memory had not yet appeared, indicating that the girl's strength had not yet reached its peak.

"I have a reason why I must become the clan leader."

When asked, Mito Uzumaki's eyes were filled with fighting spirit; she had to secure this position of clan leader!

Hearing the young girl's resolute answer, Uchiha Gin thought for a moment, then shoved his other hand into his system inventory and began to search through it carefully.

"This one? No, no~ too violent."

He skipped right over a massive golden blade engraved with inscriptions.

"This one! Also useless~ I'm not exactly short on blue."

He picked up a Blue Tyrant Talisman identical to the one Xiao Guang had, thought about it, and put it back down.

"Huh! This one will do!"

Finally, he saw one he had never taken out before; after recalling its effects, it should be useful.

After some selection, Uchiha Gin took an item out of his inventory and quietly slipped it to the red-haired girl who was somewhat limp in his arms.

"Mito, I think you'll have no problem. With your strength, the position of clan leader is as good as yours!"

(End of chapter)